Chapter 156

On the way back, Jiang Yanyi ran into Chu Yangui who was pushing a wheelchair. Chu Zhong was rarely with him.

After not seeing each other for more than half a year, Jiang Yanyi felt that Chu Yangui had grown a lot taller. Even though he was still thin, he had the upright figure of an adult man, which was very different from the skinny child last year.

Jiang Yanyi said, "I was just planning to change clothes and go to see you. Why are you here? Where is Uncle Zhong?"

Chu Yangui pushed the wheelchair a few steps closer, looked at Jiang Yanyi and smiled slowly, "I missed my sister, so I came here. Now that I am at home, I don't need Uncle Zhong to follow me wherever I go."

Jiang Yanyi touched his head as before, but he was sitting in a wheelchair. If he was standing, Jiang Yanyi would not be able to touch his head easily.

She said, "I heard that you were injured when Prince Xinyang attacked the city. Are you feeling better now?"

Chu Yangui nodded, and all his vicious and perverse behavior towards outsiders was put away. In front of Jiang Yanyi, he seemed to be the teenager as before, smiling with his fangs showing, "It's healed a long time ago, the wound has scabbed over, and I can eat the drunken crabs that my sister brought back."

Jiang Yanyi shook his head and laughed, "You must have suffered a lot in the past six months, and now you care so much about food?"

Chu Yangui said, "I happened to hear Yang Xiu and Bing Shao telling Uncle Zhong about the drunken crabs you made."

Jiang Yanyi didn't know that these two men under him had to show off to their former brothers the delicious food they often ate every time they returned to the Chu family.

Chu Changping's other guards had only eaten a whole lamb feast prepared by Jiang Yanyi, and had a deep memory of it. Chu Zhong also used to be able to taste those delicious dishes often, but after traveling with Chu Yangui, he had to live a hard life where he had hot meals and dishes but had to eat cold steamed buns. After hearing Yang Xiu and Bing Shao talk about what they ate every day, Chu Zhong didn't want to bother with these two anymore.

Jiang Yanyi said with a smile: "Sister will cook delicious food for you every day in the future."

Chu Yangui curled his lips, nodded and said yes, and took out a palm-sized box from his sleeve pocket: "I failed to give you a gift on your birthday."

"You also prepared a gift?" Jiang Yanyi took the brocade box, opened it and saw an oval ink-colored bead inside. The bead was bulging in the middle and smaller at both ends. There were golden Sanskrit seals "卍" and some small circles distributed on it, which were very evenly distributed. At first glance, these totems seemed a bit weird, but a closer look revealed that they were very mysterious.

Chu Yangui said, "I met a lama by chance. He gave me this thing. He said it was a Dzi bead, which is a meritorious thing. Wearing it can ward off disasters and evil spirits."

Jiang Yanyi knew a little about gold, silver, and jade, but she had never heard of Dzi beads. She didn't know that this thing was in short supply and much more valuable than jade.

When she heard that it could ward off disasters, she handed the beads to Chu Yangui: "Since it is used to ward off disasters and evil spirits, then you wear it. Sister doesn't ask for anything, but only hopes that you will be safe and sound." Chu Yangui

refused to accept it: "How can I take back a birthday gift I gave to someone? I have a string of sandalwood Buddhist beads given by the abbot of Huguo Temple. Sister, take this Dzi bead."

Jiang Yanyi saw that he was indeed wearing Buddhist beads, so she accepted it.

When she returned to the Chu family, Chu Shubao and her two sisters would inevitably come to chat with her. They had heard about what she had done in Hengzhou in Xizhou, and when they saw her again, they almost had the word "admiration" written on their faces.

For several days in a row, the three sisters stuck together with Jiang Yanyi.

The material and pattern of the wedding dress had been selected, and Xue asked Jiang Yanyi to go to Jinyufang to look at the pearl hairpins and jewelry when she was free.

Jiang Yanyi thought that the Grand Empress Dowager was also in the capital, and out of courtesy, she had to pay a visit no matter what. Going to Jinyufang could also take the opportunity to see if there was anything suitable as a gift.

When she went out with Chu Shubao and her two sisters, Chu Chengmao, who was always busy and rarely seen, was unexpectedly free today and said he would send them there in person.

Before getting on the carriage, Chu Shubao was still muttering excitedly: "Is the sun rising from the west?"

When they arrived at the Gold and Jade Shop, Jiang Yanyi and Chu Shubao and her two sisters went into the shop to pick out gold and jade items that caught their eye. It was obviously the first time for Chu Chengmao to accompany a woman shopping, and he followed them the whole time with his arms folded. While Jiang Yanyi and the others were selecting items and listening to the boss introduce the composition of each type of jade, Chu Chengmao was leaning against the door frame and was yawning out of boredom.

Chu Huibao was young and had no interest in these ornaments. She sat aside holding a bag of pine nut candy, eating while waiting for her sisters. When she saw Chu Chengmao yawning, she said very considerately, "Second brother, if you have something to do, just go and do it. You don't have to wait for us. The eldest sisters probably won't be back for a while."

Chu Chengmao glanced at the street outside the window and said absentmindedly, "Nothing. I'm not busy today."

Chu Shubao happened to be looking at pearl hairpins nearby. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but glance in Chu Chengmao's direction suspiciously. She turned her head and whispered to Jiang Yanyi, "That's weird. When did Second Chu become so good-tempered?"

Jiang Yanyi also looked at Chu Chengmao with some confusion. Chu Chengmao was staring out the window.

A carriage with the Yang family's seal stopped in front of the Jinyufang, and the servant downstairs hurried to greet it: "Please come in, County Lord. What do you want to buy?"

"Let me take a look first." Yang Zheng's bright features exude a heroic spirit, and her steps are brisk. The servant almost has to trot to keep up with her.

When Chu Chengmao saw the Yang family's carriage, his expression changed. He clenched his fist to his lips and coughed softly, and said to Jiang Yanyi and others: "I'll go downstairs to check the inkstone."

After he hurried downstairs, Chu Shubao quickly took Jiang Yanyi and others to the staircase to spy.

Chu Chengmao ran into Yang Zheng when he was going downstairs. He bowed and said, "The county lord is also here to buy jewelry?"

Yang Zheng politely returned the greeting and said, "My mother's birthday is coming soon, so I came here to choose a birthday gift for her."

Chu Chengmao said, "It just so happens that my sisters and I are here to buy jewelry. The county lord helped us put down the chaos in the capital before. Today, all the things the county lord bought at Jinyufang are ours. In my account, it can also be regarded as a way to thank the county lord for his help. "

Yang Zheng frowned and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Major General Chu, but it is the Yang family's unshirkable responsibility to quell the rebellion in the capital, so there is no need to thank you."

Ever since Yang Zheng was repeatedly rejected by Chu Chengmao in Xizhou and said that she would not bother Chu Chengmao again, even when she went to Yuzhou to work with Chu Chengmao, Yang Zheng always had such a businesslike and distant attitude.

Chu Shubao squatted at the entrance of the stairs and saw this scene, and clicked his tongue twice: "So this is the reason why Chu Er accompanied us to Jinyufang today. That guy deserves this day!"

Jiang Yanyi remembered that it was the county lord Xing'an who ran into Chu Chengmao everywhere in Xizhou. They hadn't seen each other for more than half a year. Is this a change of fortune?

Seeing Yang Zheng coming upstairs, the sisters ran away in a flash.

Chu Chengmao stood downstairs, looking a little annoyed. He called the shopkeeper of Jinyufang and handed him a small box: "Give her 10% of the price of everything the county lord bought from you, and I will make up the difference. When you give her this bracelet, just say it was a gift from the store."

The shopkeeper took it and found that there was a blood jade bracelet of excellent quality in the box. If such a bracelet was said to be a gift, no one would believe it.

The Chu family was now in the limelight, and the shopkeeper was naturally in a hurry to please Chu Chengmao. He was afraid that the county lord of Xing'an would find out and mess up the matter. He said: "The price of 10% is really too low. It is inevitable that people will be suspicious. I will sell it to the county lord at half price."

Chu Chengmao was smart in military and political affairs, but he was like a fool in matters of love. After hearing what the shopkeeper said, he felt embarrassed and nodded calmly: "You can do it according to your estimation."

Upstairs, Jiang Yanyi and others met Yang Zheng and exchanged greetings.

When Yang Zheng was in Xizhou, she patronized Ruyi Tower frequently in order to get close to Chu Chengmao, and became familiar with Jiang Yanyi and others. Although she has taken the initiative to draw a clear line between herself and Chu Chengmao now, she is not unfamiliar with them when she sees them.

After saying goodbye, Yang Zheng went to another area to choose a birthday gift. Chu Shubao looked at her from behind and sighed: "The county lord is so nice. What a pity Chu Er was!"

Jiang Yanyi was also an experienced person, so he saw things more clearly: "When it comes to love, it's not that when you like someone, that person will also like you. Everything depends on fate."

Chu Huibao finished her pine nut candy and changed for a bag of date cake and continued to eat: "Then I hope that the county lord and my second brother will have a deeper fate. I like the county lord very much."

Chu Jiabao poked her forehead: "You little glutton, you like me because I always buy you all kinds of delicious food, right?"

Chu Huibao rubbed her forehead and said no, and the sisters all laughed.

Jiang Yanyi continued to choose the wedding gift. The Grand Concubine was used to seeing wealth and luxury, so Jiang Yanyi couldn't think of anything to buy for her. After much selection, she found that only a white jade Guanyin caught her eye. Thinking that the Grand Concubine was a Buddhist, she ordered this Guanyin.

When the few people went to pay the bill, they happened to run into Yang Zheng. They saw that the pair of glass jade bracelets Yang Zheng was holding were actually sold at a price lower than half of the market price. The shopkeeper also gave her a blood jade bracelet. What else could the sisters not understand?

When it was their turn to pay, Chu Shubao glanced at Chu Chengmao beside her and deliberately said to the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper Jin, we sisters have bought so many things from you, would you like to give us a blood jade bracelet?"

The shopkeeper smiled awkwardly: "Miss Chu...this...this..."

He looked at Chu Chengmao for help. Chu Chengmao crossed his arms and pretended to look at the scenery outside.

Chu Shubao was just teasing Chu Chengmao. She didn't really want the shopkeeper to give her a bracelet. After settling the bill, when they were riding in the carriage back home, she deliberately complained, "Why did you only give the county lord a bracelet and not us?"

Chu Chengmao was nagged by her all the way and his patience ran out. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore: "Chu Shubao, are you done?"

Chu Shubao blinked her innocent big eyes: "I said I envied the shopkeeper of Jinyufang who gave the county lord a blood jade bracelet. What are you worried about, second brother?"

Chu Chengmao was blocked by her and felt even more aggrieved. He stopped the carriage directly: "I have something to do. You go back first."

After he got off the carriage, Chu Shubao laughed heartlessly. Jiang Yanyi and Chu Jiabao couldn't help laughing.

When the carriage started again, there were suddenly shouts and curses from outside the window.

"Where did this stinky beggar come from? Who is your son? Get out!"

Jiang Yanyi lifted the curtain and looked out, only to see a ragged beggar holding the legs of a half-grown boy, crying and shouting something.

The boy looked well-dressed and from a well-off family, but he was obviously not a good-tempered person. He looked at the beggar with disgust, kicked and kicked him, and ordered the servants: "What are you doing? Beat him up!"

A group of servants punched and kicked the beggar, and the beggar curled up his skinny body and cried miserably.

Jiang Yanyi thought that the young man was bullying others by taking advantage of his power, so she asked the driver to stop the carriage and shouted, "Stop!"

The young man saw that it was the Chu family's carriage, so he didn't dare to provoke it and hurriedly ran away with the servants.

Jiang Yanyi wanted to ask the driver to help the beggar up and give him some change, but when the beggar raised his head tremblingly, Jiang Yanyi was obviously stunned.

Since she came here, she has never seen her original parents, but she inherited her original memory, so she naturally knew what they looked like. The

beggar's face was dirty and thin, and he was a little unrecognizable. He was very different from the elegant Minister Jiang in the original memory, but Jiang Yanyi still recognized him at a glance. That was Minister Jiang.

Chu Shubao also saw Minister Jiang. She knew that Jiang Yanyi must be feeling bad, so she said slowly, "It is said that he went crazy on the day Prince Xinyang's army entered the city. He had offended the emperor and was imprisoned, and the Jiang family was sealed off. The servants had long since dispersed, and now he is crazy and has no one to take care of him, so he has been begging on the street. Yan Gui didn't let the Chu family interfere with him, saying that the Chu family had nothing to do with this man, and let him fend for himself."

When Jiang Yanyi stared at Minister Jiang, he obviously saw her in the carriage. Tears welled up in his eyes. He got up and stumbled towards this side, shouting, "Child! Child!"

There was a hint of sadness in Jiang Yanyi's eyes. It was quite sad that Minister Jiang ended up like this, but she did not sympathize with him.

Jiang Shangshu was also largely responsible for the original body's death. She had no right to forgive this so-called father on behalf of the original body.

When Jiang Shangshu ran closer, she coldly lowered the curtain and told the driver: "Let's go."

The driver whipped the whip and the carriage ran away. Jiang Shangshu chased after it, but he couldn't catch up with the carriage. He cried out with tears in his eyes: "Child!"

Jiang Yanyi sat in the carriage with an indifferent expression, and never lifted the curtain to look back.

Jiang Shangshu watched the carriage running farther and farther, and finally fell down. His forehead was bleeding on the bluestone floor, and the blood flowed to the corner of his eye.

He lay on the ground and cried loudly, his tears and blood mixed together, as if the tears were blood. If you listen carefully, you can find that he is trembling in his sobbing voice and calling out the word "Ayi".