Chapter 41: Silence, remember, don’t hide, if you hide, the man will beat you...
After buying the walker, I bought some bamboo products.
I bought several bamboo baskets, bamboo brooms, bamboo chairs... The bench at home is made of hardwood, and my butt always hurts when I sit on it.
I bought too many things, I definitely can't take them all.
He Chengze led two fellow villagers to deliver some of the things home first.
Jiang Xueyi continued to stroll around the market with her little Baozi.
It's noon now and I'm hungry.
She found a stall selling duck blood and vermicelli soup.
I ordered a big bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup. When the porcelain bowl was served, the milky white soup was steaming hot, and a few translucent duck intestines were curled up on the edge of the bowl. The duck blood was cut into dice-sized cubes, which absorbed the soup and trembled in the soup.
Jiang Xueyi picked up the crystal-clear vermicelli with chopsticks. The salty aroma of duck liver mixed with the crispness of coriander went straight into her nose.
When you bite into the chewy duck blood, the soup bursts between your teeth with a light peppery taste. The duck intestines are crispy and make a crackling sound when you chew them. They are entangled with the soft and glutinous vermicelli, with distinct layers of taste.
Finally, I took another sip of the soup, and the warmth flowed down my throat, warming my whole body.
After paying, Jiang Xueyi prepared to go shopping again to see if there was anything else she could buy.
I finally got to visit the big market, and I really didn't want to miss out on anything good.
As she walked along, she saw a stall selling chestnuts. The chestnuts on the stall were piled up like a small mountain, and they were all quite large.
Jiang Xueyi broke open the thorny shell and found three chestnuts inside.
Jiang Xueyi: "How much is this?"
The stall owner was a woman, short and thin.
The peaks of his eyebrows seemed to have been crushed by years of sorrow, twisted into an unsolvable knot, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes drooped downwards, like two willow leaves wilted by autumn frost.
Even the voice was so thin that if you didn't listen carefully you wouldn't be able to hear it: "Two cents a pound."
It's a genuine price.
Jiang Xueyi nodded and reached into her pocket: "Give me five pounds..."
She paused. She clearly had a dollar left in her pocket, but now it was empty, not a penny left.
Jiang Xueyi frowned and searched her whole body before finally realizing that her money seemed to have been stolen.
I don't know when it was stolen.
It seems that no matter what era, there are good people and bad people.
Even though most people are relatively honest these days, there are still people with bad intentions.
Seeing Jiang Xueyi searched her pockets for a long time but couldn't find any money, the woman couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Xueyi said bluntly: "I lost my money. Why don't you wait a moment? My husband will be here soon. I'll ask him to give you the money later."
Judging from the time, He Chengze should be back by now.
The woman suddenly rubbed her hands nervously and glanced at the little bun in Jiang Xueyi's arms: "No, no, you...you just take your things and leave quickly. Come back to pay when you are free..."
"That won't do." Jiang Xueyi said, "We agreed on one dollar, and you won't be left with less."
These chestnuts are obviously wild, and it must have taken a lot of effort to pick them.
There was dirt under the woman's fingernails and many wounds on her hands.
How could she take advantage of such a thing? What kind of person is she?
Jiang Xueyi: "Wait a moment, my husband will be here soon, he has money on him."
The woman was anxious and waved her hands repeatedly: "Really, no need, just take the chestnut and go."
As he said that, he grabbed a handful of peeled chestnuts and stuffed them into Jiang Xueyi's arms.
Jiang Xueyi quickly took a step back: "That won't do." She added, "I'm not lying to you, my lover will be here soon."
The woman became even more anxious: "It's because your lover is coming that I asked you to leave quickly."
Jiang Xueyi was very surprised and puzzled: "Why?"
Woman: "You lost your money..."
Jiang Xueyi was even more puzzled: "Yes, it's because I lost my money that my lover can pay you when he comes."
The woman lowered her head slightly and whispered, "You lost the money you were keeping. If your lover comes, he will beat you..."
Jiang Xueyi was silent.
It turns out that in women's perception, if they lose money they will be beaten by their husbands.
The woman looked up, her eyes sparkling, and suddenly said with great experience, "If you get beaten, remember to squat down, cover your head with your hands, cry and say you were wrong. When he gets tired of beating you, he'll stop. Remember, don't hide. If you do, the man will hit you even harder."
Jiang Xueyi became even more silent.
Suddenly, a straw hat fell from the sky and covered the upper half of Jiang Xueyi's face.
Jiang Xueyi was startled, then came to her senses, raised the brim of her hat, and said with a smile, "You're here."
"Yeah." He Chengze responded, looked at her and smiled, "It suits you very well."
He passed by a stall selling bamboo products and saw someone selling straw hats.
He fell in love with one of the women's straw hats at first sight and thought it was very suitable for Jiang Xueyi.
Sure enough, it looked perfect on her head.
Jiang Xueyi: "By the way, do you have money with you?"
He Chengze took the little bun, so that Jiang Xueyi wouldn't get her hands sore from holding it for too long: "Of course I brought it, otherwise why would I buy you a straw hat."
Jiang Xueyi breathed a sigh of relief, went to search his pocket, and sure enough, she took out a handful of banknotes.
She took out two yuan from it and handed it to the woman: "Give me ten pounds of chestnuts."
The woman was startled when she saw the tall and strong He Chengze and could not help but take a step back.
It wasn't until Jiang Xueyi spoke that she reacted.
"You want... you want ten pounds of chestnuts, right? Okay." The woman took the chestnuts with trembling hands. While taking them, she stared at He Chengze with fear in her eyes.
She weighed out ten pounds of chestnuts, and He Chengze took them with one hand and thanked her.
The woman lowered her head very low and did not even look up when she received the money. Jiang Xueyi even suspected that she did not count it at all.
After returning home, Jiang Xueyi washed the chestnuts, added pumpkin and millet to prepare a pot of chestnut, pumpkin and millet porridge.
The millet gradually expanded in the boiling water, like a handful of gold pieces rolling around in it.
The chestnut pumpkin was peeled and thrown into the pot. The orange-yellow flesh slowly softened, dyeing the rice porridge a warm amber color, and even the gurgling sound became softer.
He Chengze approached, hugged her from behind, and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong?"
He keenly noticed that Jiang Xueyi had been very silent on the way back, rarely speaking, and her mood was obviously not right.
Jiang Xueyi sighed, turned around and hugged him, absorbing the warmth from him.
She briefly recounted the story of the woman selling chestnuts.
He didn't say it was a guess, but it was enough for He Chengze to guess the truth.
Both of them were silent.
He Chengze paused and broke the silence: "The porridge is about to become mushy, why don't you take a look at it quickly."
Jiang Xueyi quickly opened the lid of the casserole, and hot steam wrapped in the sweet aroma of pumpkin and the mellow flavor of millet hit her face.
She laughed and said, "You're trying to scare me."
The casserole was brought to the table together with the pot, held by the handle with a cloth. The chestnut, pumpkin and millet porridge was emitting steam, and it seemed that even the weather had warmed up a bit.
While waiting for the porridge to cool, Jiang Xueyi looked around.
He Chengze has already neatly arranged the bamboo products he bought.
Bamboo baskets and baskets were piled up in the kitchen, straw hats were hung on the coat rack, a baby stroller for the little bun was placed in the corner, and a few bamboo mats were placed on the bench...
Everything looked so warm and beautiful, and her mood couldn't help but improve.
He Chengze made a full bowl of chestnut pumpkin millet porridge for Jiang Xueyi. Looking back, he saw the little bun peeking over here through the cracks.
He laughed and said, "You can't eat it yet."
The little bun let out two "ah~ah~" sounds as if in protest.
Jiang Xueyi stirred it gently with a spoon. The soft pumpkin sand mixed with the thick rice porridge stuck to the side of the spoon and formed a thin layer.
First scoop a spoonful, blow it cool and drink it. The tip of your tongue will first taste the slight sweetness of millet, followed by the unique sweetness of chestnut and pumpkin. It is like the warm autumn sun is crushed into the porridge, soothing and warming your stomach.
"Don't just tease the little bun, try it too." Jiang Xueyi said.
He Chengze responded with an "ok", but did not move the spoon. Instead, he peeled some chestnuts and threw them into Xiaomi's bowl.
Only after seeing Xiaomi eat it did he start drinking the porridge.
As Jiang Xueyi ate, she said, "These chestnuts taste better when roasted. They're also delicious when boiled, but they lack that roasted aroma." She added, "It would be great if we could roast the chestnuts and sprinkle some sugar on them. Just thinking about the taste makes me drool."
"It's not worth it." He Chengze said with a smile, "If you want to eat it, we can light a stove, put a wire mesh on it, and roast the chestnuts."
Jiang Xueyi was just about to say, don’t just roast chestnuts, you can also roast some sweet potatoes.
The door was suddenly slammed "bang bang bang".
The little boy was frightened and his mouth pouted, about to cry out.
Jiang Xueyi quickly picked him up and coaxed him: "Baozi, be good, Baozi, don't cry."
He Chengze frowned and went to open the door: "Who is it?"
The door opened, and outside was a tall woman with short hair, a square face, and wearing a blue skirt.
She glanced at He Chengze, looked inside, saw Jiang Xueyi, pointed at her, and shouted: "You, that's you, I ask you, are you Jiang Xueqian's sister?"
Jiang Xueyi frowned: "I am, you say."
Ever since their last meeting failed, Jiang Xue Qian has been avoiding her, and she hasn't seen Jiang Xue Qian for a long time.
When asked about this, Liu Lu also said that Jiang Xueqin was still at Zhao's house except for her luggage, but she rarely came back.
I don’t know what trouble I’ve caused, but they actually came to my door.
The short-haired woman, Guan Aizhen, breathed a sigh of relief: "Just admit that you are her sister."
She turned around and scolded, "You two, what are you hiding behind? Come out quickly."
There was a rustling outside, and Jiang Xueqin came in with a thin, pale man wearing glasses.
The two of them lowered their heads, their faces so red that they seemed to be dripping with blood.
He Chengze frowned when he saw the man with glasses: "Chief Liu, why are you here?"
The full name of this Section Chief Liu is Liu Weidong, and He Chengze has met him several times.
He whispered to Jiang Xueyi about Liu Weidong's identity. Jiang Xueyi understood immediately. This was the "Weidong" that Lu Feng mentioned. It turned out that this was the person Jiang Xueqian was dating.
I have only heard of him but never seen him.
She couldn't help but look at Liu Weidong again.
He was a tall, thin man with fair complexion, delicate features, and was wearing a suit made of polyester and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. He looked quite scholarly.
Jiang Xueyi's gaze swept over Guan Aizhen again, but she didn't know what the relationship between Liu Weidong and her was.
Everyone came in and Guan Aijin closed the door.
Pointing at Jiang Xueqian and Liu Weidong, her eyes reddened: "Tell me, what good deeds have you done?"
Liu Weidong said awkwardly: "Aizhen, please listen to my explanation..."
"What's there to explain?" Guan Aizhen casually flipped the book on the coffee table to the ground. "I saw you two hugging each other with my own eyes."
Jiang Xueyi frowned: "Just talk properly, why are you throwing our things?"
Guan Aizhen glanced at her and said, "What was thrown was your family's property. Who allowed your sister to do such a shameless thing?" She gritted her teeth and said, "You dare to steal my girlfriend without even asking who I am."
"I don't care who you are." Jiang Xueyi said, "Pick up the books, or get out of here."
Guan Aijin was startled and patted her chest.
Finally, he got scared and picked up the book: "I'll pick it up..."
Jiang Xueyi watched her pick up the books, poured herself a glass of water, took a sip, and then said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
Guan Aizhen bit her back teeth, each word coming out as if from between her teeth: "Liu Weidong is my boyfriend. I saw it with my own eyes. He and Jiang Xueqian were hugging each other in the alley."
Jiang Xueyi was really impressed. She looked at Jiang Xueqian and said, "Didn't you say that Liu Weidong is your partner?"
She also went to visit Jiang Xueqin.
No wonder Lu Feng looked so strange at that time. It turned out that he had a backup plan.
This mother and son are quite smart. The son is playing two games at the same time. He is with Guan Aizhen and is also hooking up with Jiang Xueqin.
As a mother, she puts two women on the scale to weigh them and see which one has better conditions.
Speaking of this, Jiang Xueqin also felt aggrieved.
Her right cheek was red, obviously having been slapped by Guan Aizhen before.
She looked at Liu Weidong pitifully: "Weidong, haven't you only been with me? Who is this woman?"
Liu Weidong wished Jiang Xueqin would say less. In fact, he asked Jiang Xueqin to meet him in the alley today because he wanted to tell her that they were breaking up.
However, as soon as Jiang Xueqin saw him, she threw herself into his arms, which was seen by Guan Aizhen.
His mother said that Jiang Xueqin asked for too much betrothal money, it was simply an exorbitant amount.
Although their family can afford it, Jiang Xueqin is not worth the price.
It still has 888 yuan, which is enough to buy a few virgin girls.
Thinking about it this way, although Guan Aizhen has a hot temper, at least she won't ask for so much betrothal money...
As a result, Liu Weidong felt that Jiang Xueqin's gentleness and kindness were deliberately pretended in order to get close to him and cheat his family of the betrothal money.
Various thoughts raced through his mind, and Liu Weidong said seriously, "Xiao Qian, we only got together briefly because of our common interests and hobbies, and we had a brief friendship. Now that I think about it, we are still not suitable. My partner has always been Aizhen."
Jiang Xueyi almost laughed out loud. This Liu Weidong not only looked like a scholar, but also spoke in an elegant manner. They also "met together briefly".
Jiang Xueqian was also dumbfounded: "You...I...I was introduced to you by Hu Genhua, sister-in-law Hu. How can you deny it?"
Guan Aizhen works in the city and only comes to date Liu Weidong once in a while. Liu Weidong also claims to be single to the outside world.
However, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the red scarf and handkerchief he wore around his neck were all knitted by women, and they would know that he had a partner.
Only the blind Hu Genhua thought he was really single, and introduced him to Jiang Xueqin.
Liu Weidong: "No matter whether you were introduced to me by Mrs. Hu or not, we are over anyway."
He looked at Guan Aizhen and said affectionately, "Aizhen, you are the only one in my heart."
Guan Aizhen shook his hand away: "Do you think I'm a rag picker? Come to me after breaking up with that shameless person."
Jiang Xueqian fell to the ground: "No...you can't do this..."
She has given her body to Liu Weidong. If Liu Weidong breaks up with her, what good will happen to her?
She went to pull Liu Weidong's trouser legs: "Weidong, you are kidding."
Liu Weidong kicked her away and said with a look of disgust: "I started dating you because I heard from Sister Hu that your brother-in-law is Deputy Brigade Commander He." Then he glanced at He Chengze and said, "Who would have thought that he would ignore you at all."
After the last meeting, he used Jiang Xueqin's name to get close to He Chengze. Unexpectedly, when He Chengze heard Jiang Xueqin's name, his face turned black and he turned and left, making him a laughing stock in front of his colleagues. It was so embarrassing.
After returning home, he heard from his mother that Jiang Xueqin brought Jiang Xueyi to their house, and the two of them were not as close as Jiang Xueqin said.
His mother then asked around with a few military wives she was familiar with, and it turned out that the relationship between the two sisters was not just bad, but extremely bad.
Jiang Xueqin didn't even live in the He family, but in the Zhao family.
He was with Jiang Xueqin because of He Chengze.
But if He Chengze is unwilling to promote him, then what's the point of him being with Jiang Xueqian.
Guan Aizhen is still better. Yes, Guan Aizhen’s parents are both leaders in the city, so there is still a future in being with her.
Liu Weidong affectionately took Guan Aizhen's hand and said, "Aizhen, you are the only one I love the most. It was she who forced herself on me. You saw it too."
"Get out of here!" Guan Aizhen shook off Liu Weidong's hand. "You like to play both sides, don't you? Fine, I'll write a letter to the army to report you tomorrow!"
Jiang Xueyi began to look at Guan Aizhen with a new respect.
Jiang Xueqian was anxious. She stepped forward and grabbed Guan Aizhen. "No, you can't report it. If you report it, what will happen to Brother Weidong's future?"
She will be the section chief's wife in the future.
Liu Weidong also said: "Yes, Aizhen, you can't report me. If you report me, I will definitely be suspended from the army and investigated. I...what should I do in the future? Have you thought about it for me?"
Guan Aizhen gritted her teeth and said, "When you were two-timing, did you ever think about me?"
After she finished speaking, she slammed the door and left, with a loud bang.
How could Liu Weidong really let her report it? He quickly chased after her, shouting, "Aizhen." Then he said, "Aizhen, don't run! Wait for me."
Only Jiang Xueqian was left there alone.
She raised her head angrily and glared at Jiang Xueyi: "Are you satisfied now?"
"What am I satisfied with?" Jiang Xueyi raised an eyebrow. "Am I satisfied that you insisted on staying at the Zhao family's house, and I paid them so much money behind their backs? Or am I satisfied that you stole Aunt Kong's money and blamed it on Xiaorui, who was just a child? Or am I satisfied that you were dating Liu Weidong, but in the end, his real partner came to his house and scolded you?"
By the way, Guan Aizhen slammed her door twice. Does she need to apply some oil later?
Jiang Xueqian's eyes revealed hatred: "You forced me to do all this."
Jiang Xueyi almost laughed: "Why would I force you to do this? I forced you to do all these things, didn't I?"
"That's right." Jiang Xueqian said, "Who made you marry so well and live such a good life? Otherwise, I wouldn't be jealous of you and do such stupid things."
Jiang Xueyi withdrew her gaze and was unwilling to even glance at Jiang Xueqian.
Even now, she still thinks she is not wrong and is completely hopeless.
With such a personality, the incident with Liu Weidong was just her first setback, and she would suffer a lot more in the future.
Jiang Xueyi turned her head away and said, "You've seen it too. Our family definitely won't let you stay. And the Zhao family, Liu Lu is pregnant now. Aunt Kong thinks she's carrying a son. Stop daydreaming about interfering with them." She added, "As for Liu Weidong, you want to be with him, but he doesn't want to."
From the very beginning, Jiang Xueqin took the wrong path.
She always uses the name of Deputy Brigade Commander He Chengze to cheat people outside, hoping to find a good marriage for herself, but she doesn't think about it, because what kind of good people can be attracted by these people?
It can only be someone like Liu Weidong.
After all, they were sisters. Jiang Xueyi took out the money for the train ticket, not a cent more or less: "After this incident with Liu Weidong, it will be harder than climbing to the sky for you to find a partner here in the future."
Jiang Xueqian really wanted to throw the money on the ground, but she also understood that Jiang Xueyi was telling the truth.
She took the money reluctantly, thinking about going back to the Zhao family.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw the Zhao family having a great time.
Kong Hongfang was so busy taking care of Liu Lu that she didn't even glance at her.
Jiang Xueqian felt disappointed and packed her luggage.
She walked out of the military compound dormitory and looked at the gloomy sky with a confused look on her face.
The world is so big, where should she go?
-
By sending Jiang Xueqin away, Jiang Xueyi finally put an end to a major issue on her mind.
She was in a good mood and decided to have a big meal.
What to eat?
Of course it’s chicken dinner, good luck.
After buying an old hen at the vegetable market, Jiang Xueyi felt a little embarrassed.
Chicken soup?
But don’t worry, during the confinement period, she drank so much chicken soup that she felt like vomiting.
After thinking about it, Jiang Xueyi came up with the idea of making fried chicken fillet.
I bought a lot of pork last time when I was entertaining guests, and there was some lard left, which was perfect for frying chicken fillets.
Oh, and I'm short of breadcrumbs.
Jiang Xueyi took out the steamed buns left over from breakfast from the chest of drawers.
The weather was cold and the two steamed buns were frozen hard.
Cut the steamed buns into even-sized pieces, fry them in a pan until golden brown, and then pound them into small pieces with a pestle to make breadcrumbs.
Cut a piece of the best and tenderest chicken breast, coat it with breadcrumbs, and fry it in the oil pan repeatedly.
The "sizzling" sound makes people drool.
While frying the chicken fillet, Jiang Xueyi was not idle either.
Go to the balcony and pick some cherry tomatoes, make some tomato sauce, and then cover the fried chicken fillet with it.
When He Chengze returned home, he smelled the mouth-watering aroma.
He smiled and said, "What delicious food have you made?"
"Fried chicken fillet." Jiang Xueyi divided the chicken fillet into two portions, placed them on the steamed rice, and poured a layer of tomato sauce on them.
The golden chicken fillet and red tomato sauce make people drool.
"Gudong——" He Chengze's Adam's apple rolled, and while Jiang Xueyi wasn't paying attention, he quietly reached out his hand.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Xueyi seemed to have eyes behind her back: "Go wash your hands."
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