After Jiang He's family moved out of Rongguo Mansion, the new house they bought was in a much more remote location than their previous one.
Jiang He hoped that her husband would stay away from his former friends and the shop owners who treated him as a regular customer, so that they could buy a house at a cheaper price.
After all, her family had no duke title, and her husband had no official title or position. He was just a commoner, and the family had only this much money, so they had to save it.
As for the location of Jiang He's house, it is said to be within the scope of Kyoto, but its actual distance is closer to Shiliting than to the core street market of Kyoto. It is not in the suburbs, but it is actually quite remote.
Jiang He affected the business of the calligraphy and painting studio, and the people in the studio demanded that Jiang He get out immediately.
Jiang He had no choice but to say, "Return the money to me and I'll leave."
There is no way. Five thousand taels is definitely not a small amount for Jiang He's family today.
The person from the calligraphy and painting studio pushed Jiang He, and Jiang He fell to the ground.
There were onlookers who started to make noises, and someone said, "Don't hit a woman! That's too much!"
Then another woman rushed out of the calligraphy and painting studio, grabbed Jiang He's hair and said, "You've been here for most of the day. I told you, the deal is done, the money is paid, and if you make a scene here, I'll sue you. You bought our original painting and you're trying to extort money from us!"
As soon as Shen Zhaoming and Shi Canglan's carriage arrived here, it was blocked by a group of onlookers.
Shen Zhaoming got off the carriage to see what was going on, and saw a woman being grabbed by another woman and beaten on the ground, with her clothes torn askew.
Many people came forward to try to separate the two people.
After Jiang He stood up, she looked up and happened to meet Shen Zhaoming's eyes. They were both shocked. She hesitated and didn't dare to recognize her. After looking at her for a long time, Shen Zhaoming tentatively said her name: "Jiang He?"
After being shocked, Jiang He was surprised, but then she suddenly took a few steps back, straightened her clothes and touched her hair. It seemed that she had never been more embarrassed or sad in her life than at this moment.
He really came back, and he was the same as before, but he was in such a miserable state. He was called a shrew, a liar, and a debtor, and was pushed to the ground and beaten. When he was helped up, his hair and clothes were all messed up.
She had fantasized about the moment when she would meet him again countless times. Although she knew that it was impossible for them to be together, she still hoped that she would be beautiful in his heart.
No matter what, it doesn't have to be like this... Jiang He held the painting tightly, lowered his head and stepped back, feeling ashamed.
On the other side of the road, there was also a carriage blocking the way. Shen Zhaoshu had received a letter from the abbot of Yunlan Temple and had been coming out to receive it every day for the past two days. Shen Zhaoshu saw that the road was blocked, got off the carriage and saw two women in the circle. They looked like they had just finished a fight. One turned around and returned to the calligraphy and painting studio, and the other kept retreating with her head down.
Shen Zhaoshu thought to herself: Is this Jiang He? Why does he look a little embarrassed?
So he immediately went forward to take a closer look, confirmed it was her, and pulled her aside and asked, "What's wrong? If you have anything to say, get in my carriage and tell me."
Jiang He looked up, and Shen Zhaoshu was startled. Tears welled up in her eyes and face, and she asked hurriedly, "What happened?"
Jiang He was speechless and just pointed at Shen Zhaoming.
Shen Zhaoshu looked back and froze. She took a few steps forward, staring at him carefully. Tears began to fall, and after a long moment, she choked and said, "Still... the same... look... unchanged..."
Shen Zhaoming's vision also blurred, and he said: "Sister...sister...is old..."
Shen Zhaoshu slapped her brother, then hugged him and burst into tears: "You've only come back after so many years. Where have you been? Where have you been? When I got married, you didn't come back. When my mother passed away, you didn't come back. When my father passed away, you didn't come back either. I was all alone, all alone... I cried every day, thought about you every day, and hoped for you every day... As soon as you came back, you said I was old, you bastard... Ah, where have you been? You're willing to come back. I thought I would never see you on the day I died..."
Shen Zhaoming hugged his sister and tears rolled down his face.
Then he helped Shen Zhaoshu stand up, lifted his robe, knelt down, and bowed deeply to his sister.
I should have taken care of all these funerals myself, but it was my sister who did it all. When my sister got married, I didn't even carry her on the boat...
Shen Zhaoshu held her brother up, but her legs seemed weak. She squatted down without caring about her image, buried her head in her knees, and continued to cry.
Shen Zhaoming helped his sister up and put her on the carriage. He calmed himself down and looked back, but Jiang He was no longer there.
He went back to tell the convoy, Shi Canglan, and the horse team, then got on Shen Zhaoshu's carriage and left.
Someone in the crowd had already recognized Shen Zhaoshu, so everyone was shocked to conclude, Oh my God! Shen Zhaoming is back! Alive and handsome!
Shi Canglan and the horse team had not gone far when the people sent by the old lady of the Shi family to pick up Canglan arrived. The two teams merged into one and led the way to the Shi family.
The two families were overjoyed, but Jiang He returned home distraught. Her husband was at home, feeling uneasy. Seeing her return with the painting, her hair disheveled, and tears on her face, he hurriedly said, "It's okay if they won't return it. I'll never spend money recklessly again."
Jiang He glanced at him and said weakly, "You said the same thing last time, and the time before that. You would spend money even if it meant writing an IOU, or borrowing money at high interest."
She went into the house and closed the door: "I'll be alone for a while."
Then she sat on the ground with her back against the door, feeling powerless. Why, why, had she come to this point, living like this? Why had he had to see this? She covered her face with her hands, tears dripping through her fingers.
The abbot of Yunlan Temple wrote a letter to Shen Zhaoshu as soon as she returned from the battle between the two armies. However, it was very brief, saying only that she had met Shen Zhaoming in Pingchang County and that Shen Zhaoming would set out to return to Beijing in three days.
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