Yang Anchen recounted what he had just seen with Zhao Fangyu, and added that he probably heard something because he didn't come in.
Finally, he couldn't help but say, "I heard about what happened a few days ago. This matter cannot be blamed on the Zhao family. Please don't be confused. Besides, why did you let anyone into the yard when you knew that someone was watching us? What would people say if this got out? Will An Jin's reputation be ruined?"
Zhang Lanzhen never thought that she would be overheard by someone just by drinking a cup of tea and chatting for a few minutes. Now she regrets it so much.
After being told that by Yang Anchen again, she felt that she had lost face and could not help but angrily said: "What are you talking about? I am your mother, don't you know who I am? Did I do it on purpose? I didn't take it to heart in the first place, and I would never have any idea of marrying An Jin to someone else."
Zhang Lanzhen slammed the small square table beside her, her voice getting louder. "After all, we're related. Can I just chase her away when she comes to visit? If this gets out, how will we get along with other relatives in the future? If Huang Tianxiang hadn't suddenly brought up An Jin's marriage today, I wouldn't have mentioned it at all. Besides, I never agreed to a single word from the beginning to the end."
"I know, I know. I was too harsh. Mom, please don't be angry with me. I was just worried that you'd be cheated. Please calm down. Don't get angry with me. Don't get hurt."
Seeing Zhang Lanzhen was furious, Yang Anchen didn't dare to say anything and could only comfort her: "This is all a misunderstanding. Fang Yu must have come here to explain what happened two days ago. He must be very nervous and didn't expect to come at such an inopportune time. He heard someone instigating him. And since there was a door between them, Fang Yu might not have heard everything and misunderstood. I have nothing to do today, so I'll go over later. Everything will be resolved if we talk it out in person."
Yang Anchen helped Zhang Lanzhen sit down. They talked for a while, but Yang Anjin didn't come out. He couldn't help but ask, "Where's Anjin?"
"I went to talk to the guy in front." Zhang Lanzhen patted her chest and became angry when she thought of Huang Tianxiang. If she had known earlier, she should have kicked him out early to avoid such a big misunderstanding.
"Okay, I'll go find An Jin and bring him back. We need to let him know about this to prevent gossip from spreading. It would be bad if An Jin heard about it from other people. It would also be bad if he and Fang Yu had another misunderstanding. Then I'll go to the Zhao family."
On the other side, Zhu Cuilan saw Zhao Fangyu's depressed face when he returned, and her heart tightened. She asked hurriedly: "Did his family accept the gift? Did they ask what you asked? How did you answer? Is his family unhappy about anything?"
Zhao Fangyu sat dejectedly on the stool, head down, and remained silent, causing Zhu Cuilan to anxiously ask over and over again: "Is An Jin angry? Or is it his family?"
Zhao Fangyu just shook his head and still refused to speak.
"Kid, why don't you just speak up? You're just like your father, a taciturn person. Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Yang Donghu and the other two heard the noise, put down their shuttlecocks, and rushed over from next door. Seeing Zhu Cuilan's anxious face, they hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
Zhao Fangyu was forced to speak by Zhu Cuilan and described the whole process in a few words.
"You didn't even go in, you just stood at the door and didn't hear everything I said. Maybe you just heard it wrong. Why don't you ask clearly?" Zhu Cuilan poked Zhao Fangyu's forehead with some disappointment, wishing she could ask clearly herself.
Yang Donghu pulled Zhu Cuilan over to sit aside and spoke softly, "Don't worry, Auntie. This must be a misunderstanding. Auntie Lanzhen is not someone who forgets her loyalty for the sake of profit. If she wanted to find a scholar for An Jin, she wouldn't have agreed to our family in the first place. Besides, you've met An Jin before, so how could he have such an opinion of our family just because of a few rumors?"
Zhu Cuilan nodded: "I know, I understand what you said, but today?"
"Someone must have heard some rumors today and thought they could stir things up, hoping to muddy the waters. The deeper the misunderstanding between our two families, the happier she'll be. Otherwise, how could she have the chance to take advantage of any opportunity?"
Zhu Cuilan was just looking for someone to reassure her when she heard Yang Donghu's words. She felt as if she had found her way: "Yes, that's right, that must be the case. You are right."
She held Yang Donghu's hand tightly and said, "I almost fell for their trick. The deeper our misunderstanding, the more they like it."
"So, Auntie, you should relax."
Yang Donghu looked at Zhao Fangyu again, thought it over again, and couldn't help but speak: "Brother Fangyu, those of us who make a living by our cooking skills are no worse than anyone else, and those who are educated are not necessarily superior. Whether you are worthy of An Jin or not doesn't matter to others, not even your own words. An Jin doesn't necessarily think that educated people are better than you. He is not a person who breaks his promises, so don't think badly of him."
Zhao Fangchu had been loved by his brother since he was little, and he always stood by his brother whenever something happened. He couldn't help but chime in, "That's right, brother, how did you become so timid? You may not be very good at talking, but you're very considerate. An Jin is a good person, he definitely wouldn't think that of you. If you have something to say, just say it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to An Jin if you made the decision without him knowing anything."
Zhao Fangyu has been quiet and mature since he was a child. Zhu Cuilan always thought that he would be easy to worry about since he grew up like this, but she didn't expect that he would become more and more manipulative as he grew up.
"If there's a misunderstanding, it needs to be addressed. It's nice of you to just walk away, but what would others think if they saw you? What would they say about you? Can you control their mouths?"
Zhu Cuilan stood up after saying this and said, "It's still early. I've already cut the bacon, and it'll be quick to fry. You can go back later when I'm done. Don't sit here and wonder about things before you understand them."
Zhao Fangyu felt ashamed after being criticized by everyone. He felt that he had done something inappropriate and was regretting it now. He wanted to explain it immediately, but he had already acted rashly once, so this time he had to listen to Zhu Cuilan's arrangements obediently.
The bacon sent by Zhao Fangyu's uncle had been stored for a long time. After boiling it in clean water, the excess saltiness was removed, and what remained was the fresh fragrance of the bacon. The fat part was crystal clear, and you wouldn't feel sick of it even if you ate it plain.
It is served with freshly peeled bamboo shoots and a few spicy chilies to enhance the flavor. No excessive seasoning is needed, and the bamboo shoots are even shiny with oil when fried.
Zhu Cuilan cooked particularly fast today. She fried two large bowls of bacon and bamboo shoots, put one of the bowls in a basket, and took a few steamed buns made of white flour and handed them to Zhao Fangyu, asking him to deliver them to Yang Anjin's house.
These surrounding villages do not have the custom of slaughtering New Year pigs, and naturally do not have the habit of smoking bacon. Even if ordinary people are reluctant to do so, they will still buy a pound of fresh pork to try during the holidays.
But bacon is not common, and it is not easy to come across it by chance. Bacon is durable and tastes good, and its price is a few cents more expensive than fresh pork.
After Zhao Fangyu left the courtyard, Zhu Cuilan, still worried, chased after him and warned him, "This isn't like something you buy. If you leave it at the door and get eaten by insects or ants, you might get sick. You have to deliver it to someone. Do you understand? Tell others what you're thinking. Don't make decisions for others. Do you understand?"
"I see."
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