Chapter 9

"I should have told my brother so nicely a long time ago. Why wait until now?"

The Zhang family's wealth was known throughout Anping County. Village thugs like Qiu Er were simply out of their reach.

If it weren't for the Zhang family's young master's sudden interest in a beautiful country girl, they would never have spoken to anyone from the Zhang family. They

had received a lot of rewards from the Zhang family, but Jiang Fuying was stubborn and refused to budge, no matter how much coercion or persuasion. The Zhang family's young master had always been surrounded by beautiful women, so why would he wait so long? He had long lost interest and rarely mentioned it.

Therefore, Qiu Er was more concerned about this matter than the Zhang family.

The Zhang family was generous, and without Jiang Fuying as an excuse, how could he get money from them?

Seeing that the Zhang family's young master was about to give up, he was planning to call his brothers. Even if they had to fight the wild man properly, they would still have to kidnap Jiang Fuying and demand the reward - how could they defeat a blind man with their combined strength?

But today, he changed his mind.

"What are those things?" Qiu Er held out his hand. "Some things aren't yours, and you really shouldn't be imagining them. It's better to return them as soon as possible. But... it's such a long way to the county, and it's hot. Give me some money for the journey and some water on the way, okay?"

Seeing that this troublesome matter could be solved, but it would require some money, Jiang Fuying breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course I'll do it."

"Five hundred coins."

Qiu Er stood up. He was quite big, and standing upright was quite oppressive. He walked towards the two of them. "Give me the money, and we'll go right away."

"Are you crazy? Five hundred coins!" Tonghua exploded. "Why don't you just rob me?"

"Stop slandering me here. Do you think I'm that kind of person? You want to do things without money? How can that be justified?"

The two people behind Qiu Er sneered. "You don't even want to give us so much money, and you still want us to help you offend the Zhang family? You're so flattering!"

Tonghua looked at Jiang Fuying and whispered anxiously, "What should we do? They want so much."

Jiang Fuying pursed her lips. It's not that they can't come up with one string of coins, but this is obviously a huge extortion. They are just relying on the fact that the two of them have no one to rely on and dare not confront them.

She was about to speak when she heard a clear sound of footsteps outside the door.

But in an instant, a figure appeared outside the courtyard gate. The plain cloth was slightly wrinkled, but it could not hide his tall and straight figure. It was in sharp contrast with Cai who was peeking behind him.

"Five hundred coins?"

Chang Yuan's voice was cold: "It seems that the lesson that day was not severe enough. You have forgotten the pain."

"You... when did you come?"

Qiu Er was shocked. The two people behind him only heard a little bit and didn't know the details at that time. They didn't understand why their eldest brother was so frightened. They all straightened up, "Are you that pretty boy?"

"Five hundred coins, okay," Chang Yuan took a few steps closer, "it's enough to treat a few stray dogs."

Qiu Er heard the threat in his words, and when he saw him approaching, he stepped back repeatedly: "You, don't come over, but I want some travel expenses. I can't help you and not get anything in return, right?" "

Brother, why are you afraid of this blind man? Let's teach him a lesson and let him know the prestige of our Tiger Gang..."

Cai Shi understood and, seeing her daughter cowering beside Jiang Fuying, she unleashed a barrage of curses: "You rascals, you dare to ask for my daughter and niece's money? I tell you, anyone who dares to bully my Tonghua will be chopped up and sold along with that pig!"

Cai Shi had accompanied Chang Yuan in delivering the box. Chang Yuan couldn't see, so she was there to help, and secondly, because she had accidentally upset Fuying's mother that day, and she, always straightforward, felt guilty. Now, seeing these rascals getting angry, she let out a roar that shook the gate.

Cai Shi was known in the village for her toughness. She butchered the pig alongside her husband, her knife skills were no less impressive, her voice full of energy and effortless grace. Her roar was perhaps even more intimidating than Chang Yuan's kung fu, which only Qiu Er had witnessed.

Seeing that they could not get the money, the three of them spitted a few times and decided to call it a day. They picked up the box and left. They wanted to say something dirty, but when they passed the courtyard gate, Cai glared at them fiercely, and they immediately stopped and fell silent.

Tonghua finally felt relieved when she saw those people leave: "It's so annoying. We should teach those ruffians a lesson and tell them never to come again!"

Jiang Fuying first looked at Chang Yuan who was quietly "looking" at her. Seeing that he looked normal, she said to Cai: "Thank you, auntie."

Cai waved her hand: "Why are you being polite to me? I watched you grow up. In my heart, you are no different from Tonghua. If you have any difficulties and need help from me and your uncle Liu, just let me know. We are rough people, but we still have strength."

"Today is also thanks to Tonghua."

Jiang Fuying pushed Tonghua out and praised her, saying that she was eloquent, smart and capable. The mother and daughter were beaming with joy. Cai was happy and clapped her hands, "Caisheng will come back in a few days. Come to my house for dinner. I'll kill a chicken and make soup for you."

Jiang Fuying agreed. Tonghua and Cai went back together. The yard became quiet, with only her and Chang Yuan left.

Chang Yuan had been standing beside her since she was talking to Cai Tonghua, and he hadn't left even after Cai left. Jiang Fuying looked at him, feeling a little uncomfortable.

She wasn't used to getting along with Chang Yuan yet.

In the past, they had been a benefactor and a patient she had helped, but later they had developed a certain familiarity that made them "friends."

Now, they were an engaged couple.

Jiang Fuying had no experience with this, and presumably not many other women had. Without an experienced person, she could only grope her way through it. She said, "You're back just in time."

There was a smile in her tone, almost teasing, which made her feel much more relaxed.

Chang Yuan's eyebrows moved slightly as he listened to her change from "panic" to politeness, and now to the deliberately familiar banter in such a short period of time.

Before, he had thought she was the kind of person who would never get angry. Even when someone else upset her most important mother, she never said a bad word to anyone, but she was sad in private and rarely showed it.

But she never thought that besides that light breath, what was more vivid was her own person.

But she was real and fake, true and false, with many different moods, and no one knew which one was her true self.

When the outer layer of the taciturn person was peeled off, there were still layers of wrapping inside, impeccable.

Chang Yuan nodded: "If Aunt Cai hadn't deliberately delayed, I could have come back earlier."

Jiang Fuying chuckled: "Aunt Cai is like this, she talks a lot when she sees you happy."

Chang Yuan was silent for a moment, then raised his dark eyes.

"Didn't you ask her to keep me longer?"

Chang Yuan said: "When I'm here, they dare not be arrogant to you, right?"

He was still wearing a cloth that didn't fit him well, standing beside Jiang Fuying. The midday sun shone on him, and the man stood tall and graceful, and his long black shadow almost completely covered the slender woman.

Chang Yuan stopped talking. He couldn't see, but he could also feel the sudden sparse breathing.

It had just rained at noon, and the sky had just cleared up when dark clouds appeared again, covering half of the sky with a gloomy look.

Jiang Fuying glanced at him and said, "Come in quickly, it's going to rain again soon.

"

After dinner, Jiang Fuying chatted with Luo Xujun for a while. They sat under the eaves, enjoying the evening breeze, their mood relaxed.

Luo Xujun was frail and couldn't stand the cold, so Jiang Fuying walked her back. She left the house, looked at the setting sun, and stretched lazily.

"Chang Yuan,"

she said, calling out to Chang Yuan, who had just returned from the backyard.

Chang Yuan had just fulfilled his promise and went to feed the chickens. His hands were still stained with grain, and he was wiping them, his long fingers wrapped in a soft, clean handkerchief.

The jade pendant at his waist swayed lightly with his steps, and against the setting sun, his fingertips seemed as crystal clear and flawless as the warm jade.

Chang Yuan paused slightly at the sound of her voice.

"Come and sit for a while,"

Jiang Fuying brought over a small stool. "You haven't rested either. You've worked hard today." Chang

Yuan didn't comment, but she led him over to sit under the eaves, feeling the cool, refreshing mountain evening breeze.

"It's not hard," Chang Yuan said. "Just some chores, not tiring."

"Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Logically, I shouldn't be burdening you."

Jiang Fuying said frankly, "I did think about keeping you to help, but with you here, it's hard for me to show weakness and speak up, and it would be easy to get into an argument. They're outnumbered, and I'm afraid you won't be able to gain the upper hand. I'm not telling you because I'm afraid of that."

Chang Yuan raised his eyes and nodded gently at the invisible sunlight.

"I know everything you said, but since the marriage has been decided... it's my duty to protect you and your mother."

Jiang Fuying said she was "delighted," but he was no fool. He knew that if the Zhang family hadn't forced him to stay, she wouldn't have necessarily kept him.

She had given him a place to live, a place to rest and recuperate. It was only right that he should help her more.

Jiang Fuying's plan for today was simple.

It was simply to send the seemingly heartless Tonghua to look for Qiu Er, "accidentally" leaking the news that Chang Yuan would be gone at noon. When the others arrived, they would show just the right amount of weakness. They knew Qiu Er and his companions' temperaments well and knew how to address them.

What they would do with the information, what they would think of it, was none of their business.

Chang Yuan only needed to return the box. If trouble arose, Cai would be back with him around the time. With Cai and Chang Yuan both under threat, there wouldn't be any problems.

He knew Jiang Fuying's thoughts, but he didn't want to hide behind them, as someone who needed a woman's protection.

"Although I'm blind, I'm able to move," he raised his hand and turned it, his toned and slender forearm visible beneath his rolled-up sleeves before the setting sun. "My bones and muscles are intact, so I'm not a disabled person."

Jiang Fuying nodded, approving his statement.

"You're right. I was inconsiderate today. You and I will be husband and wife in the future, and we should both shoulder some responsibilities."

Jiang Fuying watched the sunset, listening to the man's long, steady breathing beside her, and her heart settled slightly.

She just wasn't used to a life where she had someone she could rely on wholeheartedly and support each other.

"Let's go to the county together in a few days," Jiang Fuying suggested. "We need to buy some new things for the house. You can come too, and we can go together."