Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Inside Story

Chapter 30

Jiang Yan looked behind Jiang Yu. Cui Ping was holding Du Qing, and Du Qing was curiously looking at the uncle he had never met.

"Qing'er, I'm your uncle." Jiang Yan was very happy to see Du Qing. Du Qing was very cute, especially his eyes, which were very beautiful.

Du Qing called out crisply, "Uncle."

"Oh, you're so lovely."

Jiang Yan reached out and took Du Qing from Cuiping's hands. He couldn't help but touch her double spiral temples and said, "Are you tired from the journey? Are you hungry? Uncle will take you back for dinner. Do you like candy? Uncle brought you a candy man, thinking you would like it."

Du Qing glanced at Jiang Yu behind him, frowned, pointed to a decayed tooth in his mouth and said, "Uncle, look, my mother doesn't allow me to eat candy."

All the members of the Jiang family have good looks. Jiang Yan has a slender figure, fair skin, delicate eyebrows and eyes, and has a gentle and elegant temperament after years of reading.

Jiang Yan was a little embarrassed and scratched his head. "Then what do you like to eat? Uncle will buy it for you."

Jiang Yan has been married for three years, but Feng has not been pregnant, which makes the family very anxious. This time Jiang Feng came to Datong to take up a post, and the couple discussed leaving Feng in Lin'an, also wanting them to get together more and bear fruit earlier.

As the two were talking, the carriage had already arrived at the city gate. It turned out that Jiang Yan came to visit his teacher. Because it was on the way, he wanted to visit his parents first. Just when Jiang Yu came, he volunteered to pick her up.

Jiang Yu still remembered this person. He was an old Hanlin with a bad temper. Although his official career was not smooth and he did not do much, he was a proper Jinshi master after all. His knowledge was naturally not bad, and he should have some temper. At first, he was unwilling to accept Jiang Yan, but instead took a fancy to Jiang Yu and said three sentences in a row that it was a pity that she was a girl. Later, Jiang Yu occasionally went to class and taught her seriously. He was considered half a teacher of Jiang Yu.

"My senior brother said that the situation has become worse this year, so I thought that I should come and take a look."

Jiang Yu nodded and said, "I should go to visit the teacher."

The brother and sister agreed to go together when they returned. Time passed quickly and they arrived at the door before they had said a few words.

Mrs. Du saw Jiang Yan holding Du Qing and said in a reproachful manner, "You are holding so tightly, don't strangle Qing'er." Then she took Du Qing from Jiang Yan's arms.

Jiang Yan was helpless and said, "Mother, I didn't dare to use any force. Why don't you ask Qing'er..." Mrs. Du didn't listen to him at all. She just carried Du Qing into the house and asked lovingly, "Are you hungry? Grandmother made your favorite pea yellow with sugar. It's so sweet."

Jiang Yu laughed on the side, then patted his brother's shoulder and said, "Mother misses Qing'er too."

Jiang Yan suddenly realized and shrugged and said, "I can see that we have both fallen out of favor."

"Who has fallen out of favor?"

With this voice, two people walked in at the door. One was Jiang Feng who spoke, and the other was Du Haoyu's younger brother Du De.

Du De was shorter than Du Haoyu. Speaking of the two brothers, Du Haoyu's appearance and talent were much better than his younger brother, but Du De's temperament was calmer than his brother and he was also very hardworking. He passed the imperial examination three years ago, but failed the exam in Beijing during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Du De had been married for a long time and had a son and a daughter, but now they are both with him in the academy.

Du De and Jiang Yan had a very good relationship. When they met, they were stunned and said to each other, "Why are you here?"

Jiang Feng said, "Ade said that he and you made an appointment to visit the teacher together. Isn't that the case?"

Jiang Yan said under his father's direct gaze, "Yes, I remember."

Jiang Yu looked at Du De and then at Jiang Yan, and felt that something was unusual.

***

In the evening, Jiang Yu took out the rice cakes brought from the store. His mother Du said distressedly, "Why bother to bring them from the capital? It's not like you can't buy rice cakes in Datong."

Jiang Yu took off her jewelry and only wore a plain gold hairpin. She stood in front of the stove. There were candles in the kitchen. The orange light made Jiang Yu's face look even whiter, and she looked as beautiful as a painting of a lady.

The kitchen helper, Mrs. Sun, was found in Datong, so she had never seen Jiang Yu. She looked at her several times and couldn't help thinking, "Everyone says that the second daughter of this family is beautiful, but I didn't expect her to be so outstanding. She was just a little too ignorant. She treated the rice cake as a treasure and brought it from the capital. It turned out to be from the countryside of Lin'an.

" Jiang Yu skillfully put the rice cake into the pot, waited for the oil to heat up and fried it until both sides were golden brown, then put it on a blue and white porcelain plate, poured osmanthus honey on it, and sprinkled it with dried osmanthus. It was very beautiful.

"This is made in our store, and the taste is different from outside." Jiang Yu took a piece for Mrs. Du to taste. Mrs. Du knew Jiang Yu's ability, but she thought about a piece of rice cake, what else could she do? After taking a bite, she felt that it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a unique sweet osmanthus fragrance. It was really delicious together.

"It's really good."

Mrs. Du ate two pieces in a row, and seeing that Mrs. Sun, the kitchen helper, was looking at her, she said, "You come and try it too."

Mrs. Sun was a little dismissive at first, but after taking a bite, her face changed. She was also a cook, so she naturally knew that although it looked simple, this rice cake must be different from those made outside. She said, "Madam, this rice cake is so delicious."

Mrs. Du felt sorry for her daughter at first for taking so many things on the journey, but now she was very happy to hear the praise, and seemed to have forgotten her just now complaint. She said to Mrs. Sun, "You know my daughter opened a wine shop in the capital, called Jiang Ji, you can ask around and you will know, the business is very good."

Jiang Yu also brought hollow pork meatballs, which were made by pounding pork and using solidified lard as filling, which were put in a steamer and waited for to be cooked. The lard also melted into the meat, making it chewy and fragrant, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

Mrs. Du had completely lost her temper. She ate two meatballs in a row and said, "No wonder your store is doing so well. These foods are really different from those outside."

The table was set in the evening. There were many dishes, but the most popular ones were the two dishes brought by Jiang Yu, which were eaten up. Du De praised Jiang Yu again and again and said, "Ayu was very clever and dexterous when she was a child. She was really extraordinary. She was proficient in both needlework and cooking."

Jiang Yan snatched the last pork meatball from Du De's bowl and said, "Of course."

Du De looked at the empty bowl, "..."

The night breeze was blowing gently. Jiang Yu coaxed Du Qing to sleep and went out, but saw Du De standing under the corridor looking at the moon. It was rare for them to get together today, so naturally they would not end the party soon. Jiang Feng opened two more jars of Jinhua wine and drank until midnight.

As soon as Jiang Yu approached, he could smell the alcohol on Dude. Dude said shyly, "Don't tell me you're disturbing your sister." "

Still drinking?"

Jiang Yu followed Dude's gaze and saw that there were still cups and glasses in the hall. He knew that his father was very happy today and the banquet had not ended.

The night wind blew, and it was a bit cool. Dude sobered up a bit. He asked, "Ayu, is my brother still in the Hanlin Academy?"

Jiang Yu nodded. In fact, he also understood what Du De meant. Logically, a talented and talented top scholar like Du Haoyu should have been given a real job.

"You know your elder brother, he doesn't like those flattering things."

Du De smiled bitterly. He has been diligent since he was a child and has never neglected a day, but he is still not as good as his elder brother. His elder brother said he would take the exam, and he really passed the exam and became the top scholar, which made his grandfather and father very happy.

But he himself didn't seem to care much about these, as if taking the top scholar exam was just a joke.

The two chatted for a few words, and Jiang Yu was ready to go back. As a result, when he turned around, he heard Du De behind him suddenly say, "Ayu, do you know about the wife of the elder brother?"

Jiang Yu asked in surprise, "The Zhao you mentioned?"

Du De nodded and said, "I should have told the elder brother about this matter directly, but I really have time, so I would like to ask Ayu to tell the elder brother that there is news that there is a child in Baique Mountain in the west."

Du Haoyu and Zhao were lost in Baique Mountain.

Jiang Yu said, "You really can't spare the time to go to the capital to see your cousin?" Then he said, "This matter seems to be very important. I'll go back and tell your eldest cousin."

The two walked out of the corridor. The moonlight sprinkled on Jiang Yu's body, bringing out a gentle halo. Jiang Yu's skin was as white and smooth as pearls, and her profile was as beautiful as a painting. Du De couldn't help but secretly look at her several times and couldn't help sighing in his heart. He knew from a young age that his family intended to marry A Yu to his eldest brother, so even though he was unwilling in his heart, he buried that little bit of charming thoughts deep in his heart.

Later, he got married and had children, but there was no chance.

As long as Ayu and her elder brother live in harmony... The moonlight reflected Jiang Yu's calm face. Suddenly, Du De thought of a possibility. He was very surprised. He stopped and said, "Ayu, how can you be so generous?"

In fact, Du De had been hesitant before telling Jiang Yu. It was not that he could not write to his brother, nor that he could not spare the time, but he always felt that this matter should be told to Jiang Yu, so he used the excuse of not having time to tell it directly.

He expected that Jiang Yu would be a little jealous, but he also knew Jiang Yu's temperament. He was not the kind of person who would tolerate others, not to mention that Zhao had died a long time ago. Now that the news of the child came, it would not affect anything.

But he did not expect Jiang Yu to be so calm, as if he did not care about Du Haoyu at all.

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I knew about Zhao before I married my cousin."

The sound of the night watch came from outside, bang bang, which was particularly clear in the night. Du De frowned slightly, as if he had something to say, but finally swallowed it.

Jiang Yu returned to the house. Du Qing was sleeping soundly, her little face flushed. Jiang Yu took a fan and fanned her, but her thoughts drifted outside. Du De's expression just now was too obvious. She guessed what he didn't say later.

The next morning, Jiang Yu got up early and followed her mother to the new house. It was located in the east of Datong City. It was a three-story house. The previous owner was a business in the north-south silk business. In the past few years, he put all the money on the sea ship. As a result, the ship had an accident and never came back, resulting in a loss of money. He had to sell the family property.

However, business is always ups and downs. Thinking that he can get up in the future, he wants to make good friends, so he is polite to the Du family. Jiang Feng is also a parent official.

"Four thousand taels, no less. Madam, you see, the Taihu stones in this yard were brought here by my father with great effort. This stone alone is worth a lot of silver. You can only make money by buying this house."

This is the truth. This house is exquisitely decorated, and four thousand taels is indeed not expensive.

Jiang Yu accompanied his mother to pay the silver, and then went to the government office to report and get the house deed. That was the end. He knew how to be quick and busy all day, and it was already evening when he came back.

Mrs. Du was very satisfied with the house. She breathed a sigh of relief and said to Jiang Yu, "Finally, it's settled. What else makes me worry..."

There was a sky-blue brocade couch under the window. As the sun set, the afterglow shone in from the window and shone into the house, dreamlike, like a warm old painting.

Mrs. Du pulled Jiang Yu to sit on the couch, "When will you and Haoyu have another child?"

Jiang Yu was stunned, and Mrs. Du said again, "Qing'er is always alone, she needs a companion, right? Besides, others will have brothers to support them in the future, but she is alone. It hurts mother to think about it."

The maid brought tea and snacks over. In addition to Jiang Yu's favorite tea, there were also candied fruits and dried fruits. Mrs. Du grabbed a handful of pine nuts, stuffed them into Jiang Yu's hand, and said, "You loved to eat this when you were a child."

"Qing'er also likes to eat this."

Mrs. Du's eyes were full of smiles when she mentioned Du Qing.

At night, Jiang Yu coaxed her daughter to sleep, but she was still not sleepy for a long time. She just opened her black and white eyes, looking at the head of the bed, or looking at Jiang Yu, as if she had something to say. Jiang Yu smiled helplessly, "Go ahead, what's the matter?" "

Mom, my grandmother asked me to ask you for a younger brother."

Jiang Yu was helpless. She didn't expect her mother to persuade the child. She asked casually, "Do you want a younger brother?"

Du Qing said, "My daughter saw Aunt Li next door and found that she had a hard time when she was pregnant. I don't want your mother to work so hard." Jiang Yu remembered that when the woman next door was pregnant, she had severe morning sickness. Du Qing saw it and she kept it in mind.

"You were only two years old at that time, but you remember it clearly."

Du Qing has always been smart, so it's not an exaggeration.

After a while, Du Qing fell asleep, but Jiang Yu had a hard time falling asleep. She stood up and stood in front of the window, looking at the bright moon outside, thinking in her heart that she might not be able to hide the fact that she and Du Haoyu had not consummated their marriage.