Chapter 8

The sky was getting light.

The cockcrowed for a long time, but it was always a little weak and listless.

Jiang Fuying turned over and sighed deeply on the couch.

She had not slept well for two consecutive nights. There was a noticeable dark spot under her eyes and she was listless.

At first, she tossed and turned, always feeling that she might be too eager. She made her purpose clear right away, without any emotional preparation, without the feeling of being at ease, having everything under control, and having everything under the palm of her hand.

... Perhaps her attitude was not perfect enough. She didn't want to act like she had to have him, as that would be a bit embarrassing.

But if she acted too arrogantly, she would be no different from the Zhang family who bullied others by taking advantage of their power. Although she couldn't compare to the rules of raising daughters in wealthy families, she would definitely not do such a thing.

It was a real headache.

Jiang Fuying scratched her head, feeling this situation eerily reminiscent of their earlier, naiveté, quarrels with Tonghua. They'd fuss in public, then cry in private. Jiang Fuying, less impatient than Tonghua, couldn't muster harsh words. At night, she'd grit her teeth in resentment, vowing to prepare her own plans and strike first.

But within a few days, they'd reconcile. Tonghua had a fiery temper, but held no grudges, a naive air. Jiang Fuying, more gentle, couldn't resist Tonghua's plea. They talked it out, and the sisters continued to play happily together.

But as for Chang Yuan...

she couldn't just go find him and say, "I'm so sorry I didn't perform well yesterday. Let's do it again tonight."

That was ridiculous.

Jiang Fuying turned over again, nearly falling off the couch in a daze.

Unable to sleep, she shuffled to her feet, wiped her face casually, and strolled out, tucking her hair into a pile, grabbing a handful of food to feed the chickens.

She hadn't slept well for a long time and was yawning constantly. She was shaking the small bowl of millet in her hands, and the grains clattered in the bowl, echoing in the quiet courtyard.

The chickens in the yard had been raised for a long time and were no longer afraid of people. They followed her in front and behind. She looked at the sky absent-mindedly and scattered millet intermittently. The roosters had stopped crowing long ago, leaving only the clucking and pecking sounds, which echoed with the small bowl shaking in her hands, making it quite lively.

"Feed so much, can you finish it?"

The voice that had been lingering in her mind all night suddenly appeared behind her. Jiang Fuying was startled and turned around abruptly.

The man had a calm face and was already dressed neatly. He didn't look tired at all, only a little sickly after being seriously injured. His eyes were still dull, his gaze drooped, and his expression was not as solemn as yesterday, as if he was chatting.

His footsteps were always light. Thinking of yesterday's embarrassment, Jiang Fuying pretended to be relaxed and said, "Maybe they ate it."

Belated embarrassment crept onto her face. She deliberately grabbed another handful of food to hide something, then remembered Chang Yuan's words. Her hand holding the food stopped awkwardly above the small bowl and fiddled with it casually.

Chang Yuan's face was calm as he walked towards her, one hand gently holding the fence beside him, as if he was strolling in a garden. When he reached her, he held out his hand and gestured to take the small bowl.

"I was rude. I was rash and scared my wife just now."

Chang Yuan spoke slowly and steadily, his voice as smooth as pebbles in water. His clear voice made her feel a little better.

Jiang Fuying's eyebrows jumped when she heard the word "rude".

Yesterday, she also said that she was rude.

This is what it means to be unsure. Just a few words can make your heart tremble up and down, and it is impossible to settle down.

She replied vaguely that it was okay, and turned her eyes away, no longer looking at him.

Chang Yuan suddenly asked, "How much food do these chickens need every day?"

Jiang Fuying thought he was chatting with her, and casually said, "Two or three handfuls a day is enough. But I'll sprinkle a handful when I have time. I'll find some caterpillar fungus seeds or something in the backyard on weekdays, so don't worry too much."

Chang Yuan nodded and said, "I'll remember it. It's not difficult and doesn't require my eyes. I'll remember it later."

Later...

Jiang Fuying looked at him and lowered her voice: "So you've thought it through?"

Last night, she asked him to think about it more, which was also giving her a chance to think about it more.

She was confused and hadn't thought it through, but he gave her an answer before she did.

Chang Yuan's expression remained unchanged, though his brow relaxed slightly. He spoke calmly, "A gentleman's word is as good as gold. There's no reason to regret what you've already promised. My lady already saved my life, and this alone is more than enough for me to repay you. Any more..."

"Enough, enough," Jiang Fuying lowered her head, a little embarrassed to listen. "...I understand. Please don't say any more."

Chang Yuan pursed his lips, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. He seemed to be smiling, but it was unclear what he was laughing at.

Jiang Fuying's cheeks flushed, and she twisted the hem of her dress. "But I haven't finished altering the dress yet. I thought I'd ask you after I've done it."

"If you ask me after I've done it, I'll give you the same answer, but it's just a matter of time."

Jiang Fuying's gaze lingered on the man.

His round, hard nails were naturally clean, and now, holding the small bowl of grain, his fingertips were inevitably stained with something that didn't belong to him. It was like the figure in the painting had walked into the mortal world, wandering among the people, and now wanted to stay, to be with her.

She murmured "hmm" but didn't answer.

There was a knock on the door. Jiang Fuying glanced at Chang Yuan and heard the noisy sound of Tonghua outside. She quickly ran over to open the door.

Chang Yuan "looked" at the direction she ran, and his clothes moved slightly.

Now that he has made a decision, he will not change it at will. The dandelion that was about to suffocate in the thick fog finally found a place to settle down. On this land, there is the freshest and lightest breath in the world.

The sky was bright, but not as good as the previous few days. It was a little gloomy, and it looked like it was going to rain. Jiang Fuying fed the chickens and took Tonghua back to the house. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. She glanced at Chang Yuan a few times, but she didn't arrange anything for him, and she didn't even say a word.

Tonghua was very excited when he heard that she was going to "propose marriage" boldly. He lay on the couch and guessed all night last night, and came over immediately after waking up this morning.

At this moment, looking at Jiang Fuying's rosy cheeks, she said repeatedly: "Okay, okay! I don't know when I can have a wedding banquet... Oh, maybe in the near future, I can become the baby's godmother!"

"That's all nonsense!"

Jiang Fuying glared at her angrily, turned her head to look at Chang Yuan's expression, and looked at whether he heard her, but said: "Mother hasn't woken up yet, speak carefully. Otherwise, I will kick you out and don't enter my house."

"You can't bear to leave."

Tonghua took Jiang Fuying's arm affectionately and pulled her to the room to talk.

She wished she could have crawled over the wall to listen to their conversation last night. Now she was anxious and asked one question after another. Jiang Fuying spoke selectively, and heard Tonghua sighing contentedly a few times, "If I had known you liked a man like Chang Langjun, I wouldn't have matched you with my brother."

"My brother, maybe he's the best in the village... after all, he can read, but in terms of looks, figure, and aura, it still has to be Chang Langjun."

Tonghua thought her evaluation was fair, "I just don't know if Chang Langjun can read, and whether he can become an official in the future. Maybe you can even become an official's wife and enjoy the happiness?"

"Forget it," Jiang Fuying waved her hands repeatedly, stopping her unreasonable thoughts. "Just live a good life. Being an official's wife is not that easy. If the family becomes prosperous, life might get worse." "

Why do you think so?"

Tonghua complained. She didn't know why, but whenever such words were mentioned, Jiang Fuying, who was always good-tempered, would avoid them like the plague, as if she hated them.

She was understanding and didn't mention it anymore, saying, "It's great that you can be with your sweetheart now. But you said earlier that there was a way to deal with the Zhang family's problem. I forgot to ask you, what was it?"

Jiang Fuying was about to tell her about this when she immediately said, "Put it in your box and I'll pick it up later. Things like this should be returned to their original owners as soon as possible to avoid any trouble." Tonghua

's eyes widened. "That's true, but can they really let us return them like this?"

The Zhang family didn't seem like someone to be trifled with.

Their only good thing was that the young master of the Zhang family had only caught a fleeting glimpse of Fuying that day and hadn't seen her full face. He only felt that this woman was pure and beautiful, unlike the heavily made-up prostitutes in the brothels. Therefore, he had only been harassed by the thugs and occasionally provoked them, but he hadn't really taken it seriously and forced them.

Jiang Fuying arched her eyebrows.

"I'll have to ask you for this matter."

She waved, and Tonghua leaned over to listen to her details.

-It

rained at noon, but summer showers stop quickly, with a crackling sound of raindrops before it died down.

Shortly after noon, the Jiang family courtyard welcomed an unexpected guest.

Qiu Er, leading a few of his younger brothers, stormed into the courtyard, which was still open, and kicked over a wooden chair placed by the door.

Jiang Fuying and Tonghua were hanging clothes in the yard. When they heard the noise, they looked over, startled and panicked.

"Where's that pretty boy from your family?" Qiu Er preemptively asked, "Come out and fight us brothers if

you dare." Jiang Fuying's face paled instantly, and she said in panic, "He, he's not here right now. He went to Tonghua's house. Don't look for him..."

Qiu Er enjoyed seeing his women panicking, and when he heard that the man who had learned strange martial arts from nowhere was no longer there, his arrogance grew even stronger. He put his hands on his hips and said unhappily, "Then why are you looking for me? Have you decided to obey me?"

Jiang Fuying glanced at Tonghua and said, "I'm looking for Brother Qiu Er. I have something important to discuss."

Qiu Er felt relieved when she was called brother.

Her appearance aside, her figure and demeanor, unlike that of an ordinary peasant girl, and that voice, were enough to make him linger on her. But the Jiang girl was ignorant and repeatedly disobeyed him. In all their years of knowing each other, this was the first time he had heard Jiang Fuying speak so kindly.

"I have something important to discuss. What's it? Tell me now."

Qiu Er gestured to his brother to lift up a chair, then sat down with great confidence, looking like he was "discussing something.

" Jiang Fuying took a few steps forward, her delicate demeanor like a girl: "I asked Sister Tonghua to help find you earlier because I wanted to tell you that I have agreed to an engagement with Chang Yuan... the man you met a few days ago. We will be getting married soon."

"You—"

Qiu Er frowned, and was about to scold her for being ignorant, but when he saw her tears welling up in her eyes, he swallowed his words back.

Tonghua agreed: "Yes, yes."

"From now on, I will have no fate with Mr. Zhang," Jiang Fuying wiped the corners of her eyes, "I came to find Brother Qiu Er just to return the Zhang family's things. Just think that I am ungrateful and have failed Mr. Zhang's appreciation."

Qiu Er said unhappily: "Since you know how to appreciate, why don't you just give in quickly. Mr. Zhang is kind-hearted and will surely forgive your momentary ignorance. Just break up with that wild man who came from nowhere!"

"Of course this won't work..."

Jiang Fuying said softly: "If it were usual, it would be fine. Now you all know that there is a man in my family. An unmarried girl has raised a man with no name and status. If this is told to others, Mr. Zhang will definitely dislike it. But who is Mr. Zhang? He is a famous man in our Anping County and even in Xuzhou. How can a humble peasant girl like me dream of such wealth?"

Qiu Er felt uncomfortable with his head swelling.

Jiang Fuying continued, "I am humble and unworthy, and it is a blessing to have the young master of the Zhang family take a liking to me. How can I be a match for him knowing I am not worthy? But if

I want to be a match for the young master of the Zhang family, who can compare to the county lady from the capital?" She looked so pitiful that Qiu Er opened his mouth, but when he heard her say "county lady", he was stunned.

He wandered the countryside every day and was naturally well-informed. He knew that a distinguished county lady was currently living in the mansion of the county magistrate of Anping County, but he did not know the details. He had no interest in the affairs of girls and had never inquired about them.

"This county lady...it's really embarrassing to say the least. She is the daughter of a prince. Not to mention her wealth, her appearance is also extraordinary. The last time I passed by the county lady's carriage on my way to the city, the maid sitting in front of the carriage alone was so much better than us country people."

Tonghua comforted: "Sister Fuying, we are not bad..."

Jiang Fuying lowered her eyebrows and shook her head: "People should know themselves. It was okay in the past, but when I saw the majesty of the county lady that day, I realized how humble we are. How can we be worthy of the young man from the Zhang family?" "

That's true," Tonghua frowned, "It's a pity that the county lady is not an ordinary person. It is said that a young man showed his interest in her in the early years, but she directly refused, declaring that she does not seek wealth or family background in her life, but only a sincere person, otherwise she would rather die at home than marry."

"It's really rare, really extraordinary..."

Jiang Fuying sighed lightly.

Qiu Er's eyes turned back and forth between the two of them, and he looked Jiang Fuying up and down, "... She's quite sensible."