Upon hearing Xu Qianqian's words, Zhang Da nodded excitedly and said:
"Alright, I'll do whatever you say, my wife. Let's go to sleep now, we have to get up early tomorrow morning for our wedding!"
Xu Qianqian smiled and nodded. Seeing this, Zhang Da quickly blew out the candles, took Xu Qianqian's hand, and lay down on the heated kang.
The next day,
Since the incident last night, Jiang Yuwei and her group had been unable to sleep. Before dawn, they all got up, not even bothering to eat, and packed their bags to head towards Xiaogouzi Village.
Upon seeing the village monument of Xiaogouzi Village, Jiang Yuwei hurriedly instructed everyone to park the oxcart and horse-drawn carriage in a nearby grove of trees. This way, they wouldn't attract too much attention and the oxen and horses could have a good meal.
Jiang Yuwei told Wang Ma and the women to stay in the car and watch over their belongings. Ning Huaizhi, Gou Dan, and Ning Zhao also wanted to go into the village, but Jiang Yuwei was worried that there might be problems in the village, so she instructed them to stay outside and keep an eye on the situation in the village, and also protect the women.
Jiang Yuwei led the remaining men, each armed with their own weapons, into the village. They hadn't gone far when they spotted an old man wearing a straw hat. Jiang Yuwei quickly stepped forward, stopped him, and asked with a smile:
"Grandpa, are you from Xiaogouzi Village?"
The old man sized Jiang Yuwei up and down, then looked at the man behind her, before speaking warily:
"Yeah, what's wrong? What are you trying to do?"
Jiang Yuwei still smiled and said:
"Oh dear, I've finally found the right person! I've come to Xiaogouzi Village to look for my aunt. Do you know where Granny He lives?"
Seeing Jiang Yuwei's words, the old man lowered his guard and smiled as he spoke:
"Oh, you mean Granny He? I was just on my way to her house to see her eldest son's wedding. How come you were also invited by Granny He to attend the wedding banquet?"
Jiang Yuwei's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this, then she smiled and said:
"Yes, yes, my aunt sent us a letter inviting us to my brother's wedding banquet, so here we are."
Seeing this, the old man hurriedly and warmly greeted them:
“Alright, just come with me. Granny He’s house is in a remote area; you definitely won’t be able to find it on your own.”
Jiang Yuwei smiled and nodded, then turned to signal the people behind her to be more vigilant.
"Oh, your aunt has had a tough life. She raised her two sons by stealing small things all day in the village. Although her reputation is a bit bad, it's already a great achievement that she was able to get her eldest son a wife."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei was speechless. This old woman He was indeed no pushover; perhaps this daughter-in-law was stolen too. Thinking this, Jiang Yuwei then spoke:
"Oh, my aunt has had a hard life. She only sent me a message saying that my brother got married, but she never told me whose daughter he married. Do you know, sir, whose daughter is the bride?"
The old man thought for a moment and shook his head, saying:
"I really didn't know that. Well, early this morning, Granny He went from house to house to tell everyone to come to the wedding feast. She only said that the new bride was from another village with the surname Xu, but she didn't say which village she was from."
Hearing the old man's words, Ning Chunlin, who was following behind, clenched his fists. He knew even with his toes that the new bride that Granny He was talking about was Xu Qianqian. He hadn't even married Qianqian yet, and now that little rascal had gotten her for free.
Standing next to him, Ning Zixuan also noticed that something was wrong with him. He quickly reached out and squeezed Ning Chunlin's shoulder, afraid that he might slip up and give himself away.
Soon, the old man led Jiang Yuwei and her group to the door of Granny He's house. At this time, the door was already full of villagers, and Granny He was busy setting up a table in the yard.
Jiang Yuwei looked up and saw that the mud house didn't even have a courtyard wall. Including the kitchen, there were only two rooms, and it looked dilapidated. It truly embodied the phrase "a home with bare walls".
Jiang Yuwei then looked at the food that Granny He was serving to the guests in the courtyard. It was all food that Wang Ma had prepared for the journey. So Jiang Yuwei said to Ning Chunlin and Yun Qing:
“If we start arguing in a little while, you two find a chance to go inside and rescue Xu Qianqian.”
Ning Chunlin wanted to refuse, but after being glared at by Jiang Yuwei, he didn't dare to say anything more and could only nod silently.
Then, Jiang Yuwei pushed past the villagers blocking the door and went inside.
As Granny He was moving the table, she looked up and met Jiang Yuwei's sharp gaze. Startled, she lost her grip on the table, which fell and hit her foot, causing her to howl in pain.
"Ouch, ouch, that hurts so much!"
Jiang Yuwei walked straight up to her and said coldly:
Hand over the people and the belongings, and I'll spare your life!
Jiang Yuwei spoke these words in a voice only she and Granny He could hear. Upon hearing them, Granny He was so frightened that she took several steps back and stammered:
"I... I have no idea what you're talking about, who you are, what you are, or who brought you to my house. Get out, get out!"
At this moment, the old man who brought Jiang Yuwei over quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Oh dear, Granny He, how could you do this? The child calls you 'Auntie' and has come all this way. How can you kick her out as soon as she walks in? This is a joyous occasion, the more people there are, the more lively it is. It's not like we're short of food for her. You mustn't get angry today."
Upon hearing this, Granny He's face flushed with anger, and she pointed at the old man, cursing:
"You're talking nonsense! Who said I'm her aunt? I... I don't even know her! Don't meddle in our family matters!"
The old man, feeling humiliated that his well-intentioned advice had been met with a scolding from Granny He, turned and stormed out, muttering curses all the while.
"Pah! I think you're just ungrateful. Your relatives kindly came to your son's wedding banquet, and you not only kicked them out, but you also came to my house early this morning begging me to come for a meal. And now that I'm here, you're causing this mess. I deserve to be so kind to you. I'd rather not eat your filthy food! Who knows where it was stolen from!"
Upon hearing this, Granny He jumped up and started cursing:
"Get out of here! Get out now! If I ever see you again, I'll break your legs with a broom!"
At this moment, Zhang Da and Zhang Er, who were tidying up inside, heard Granny He's voice and hurriedly came out of the house.
"You old hag, what are you doing cursing and swearing on my big day today!"
When Granny He saw her son come out, she quickly pulled Zhang Da aside and whispered:
"Oh no, son, did you see that? This group of people is here demanding people and things! What are we going to do?!"
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