Ah Zhong and Jiang Jialin had grown up together since childhood, so when Jiang Wanwan asked to hire his family's oxcart, he agreed without hesitation. When he heard that Jiang Wanwan would charge him thirty copper coins, he refused even more.
After much persuasion from Jiang Wanwan, he reluctantly accepted the thirty coins.
The two agreed to meet outside Old Jiang's courtyard at the beginning of Chenshi (7:00 AM).
The next morning, before it was fully light, Ah Zhong drove his oxcart and waited at Old Jiang's door.
After the Jiang family finished breakfast, they busied themselves in the yard for a while, preparing all the mosquito coils. Only when it was fully light did they have Uncle Jiang lead the ox out of the yard to prepare to hitch up the oxcart.
Uncle Jiang pushed the oxcart, and as he and Uncle Jiang opened the gate to their courtyard, they saw Ah Zhong sitting on the oxcart, waiting. They couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Ah Zhong, why are you here so early? Have you been waiting here for a long time? Why didn't you say anything and come inside to wait?"
Ah Zhong scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "Hehe, I just arrived not long ago."
Hearing the noise, Jiang Wanwan and Jiang Jialin went out of the courtyard together.
Jiang Wanwan noticed the mist on Ah Zhong's hair and clothes and knew that Uncle Ah Zhong was lying. He had probably been waiting outside the door for a long time.
Jiang Jialin noticed it too, and he quickly stepped forward and said to Ah Zhong, "Ah Zhong, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Come in and have a bowl of porridge."
Ah Zhong quickly refused, "No, no, no, I've already had breakfast, I'm not hungry, not at all."
These days, everyone has to tighten their belts to make ends meet, so how could he go to someone else's house to freeload?
Moreover, it's the Lin family's family. Their lives aren't much better than ours. If he drinks a bowl of porridge, it means that the Lin family members will have to drink one less bowl, which is unacceptable.
Jiang Jialin glared, his handsome face stern, and said seriously, "My family hired you to haul goods, so you are our employer. It is only right that an employer should provide meals for its employees. Are you looking down on my family by refusing like this?"
He knew that Ah Zhong's family was living a similarly difficult life as his own. His wife was sick at home, relying on medication to stay alive, and they had a child to raise. Ah Zhong's family rarely had breakfast.
Hearing this, Ah Zhong became anxious. He waved his hand, his face flushed, and explained, "I didn't mean that, I didn't."
Jiang Wanwan knew that her adoptive father was only saying those things because he felt sorry for his childhood friend. A smile played on her lips. "Since Uncle Zhong says that's not what he meant, why don't you come in and have a bowl of porridge?"
“This…” Ah Zhong hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.
At worst, I'll slip two coins back to Jialin later.
Jiang Jialin led Ah Zhong into the main room. When Madam Lu placed a full bowl of millet porridge in front of him, Ah Zhong's eyes instantly reddened.
"Didn't you just say it was a thin porridge? How did it turn into millet porridge?"
Millet porridge is so precious that few families in Dashui Village can afford to eat it.
"Hey, it's just a bowl of thin millet porridge. Hurry up and eat, we'll be leaving soon," Jiang Jialin urged.
There were actually still white flour cakes at home, but to avoid drawing attention, they weren't given to Ah Zhong. Even the millet porridge was deliberately served rather thin.
Afraid of delaying the important business of the Jiang family, Ah Zhong dared not refuse any longer and buried his head in drinking.
In the future, when he is able, he will definitely repay the Lin family.
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