The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 84

Chapter 84: Yellow Eel Porridge

But in just two days, the news that Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen had bought a house in the city quickly spread throughout the village.

Since everyone could remember, no one in Whitewater Village had been able to afford a house in the city. Even the wealthiest, the village chief, was powerless.

A house that cost dozens or hundreds of taels of silver was something that the villagers, who couldn’t even earn a hundred copper coins a month, didn’t even dare to dream of.

Now, the jinx that people had been talking about, ever since she had gone to the West Mountain Valley, along with those few unlucky people, had suddenly become rich. Their lives were getting better day by day, and no matter how hard others tried, they couldn’t catch up.

Lin Shuang’s “lucky star” identity was brought up and discussed over and over again.

Those who had been helped by her were full of excitement as they talked, feeling honored. And those who hadn’t benefited were just left with envy.

Someone said with regret, “When Ma Guihua was selling her to a brothel back then, why didn’t I think of buying her? That eight taels of silver back then, it’s only been a year, and it’s already multiplied by ten—”

“It’s not just ten times. It’s probably a dozen or dozens of times.”

“What are you regretting for? It’s not our turn to regret.”

The person who was truly regretting was hiding in Old Woman Hao’s house, drinking with Wasong.

Last night, when he had gone to the big tree at the village entrance to cool off, the villagers were all talking about Lin Shuang buying a house in the city, and they were also looking in his direction as they talked. At first, he could ignore it, but when he heard someone say, “What were they thinking? Others welcome the god of wealth, but they, they drove the god of wealth out,” his chest couldn’t help but heave.

It had been a year.

In this year, ever since he had sold his eldest niece, he had not been able to hold his head up in front of others.

No matter where he went, it was as if someone was poking him in the back and cursing him.

He had endured all this.

After all, the white and shiny silver had come in. With money in hand, what was there to be so noble about?

But now it was not the case. Now someone was telling him that this niece of his could still earn a lot of money, a lot more than the money he had sold her for.

How could he not be heartbroken? His whole liver was hurting.

Regret.

If he had known that this niece of his was so capable, would he have let Ma shi torment her in every possible way and not say a word? Would he have let his niece get up in the middle of the night to boil his foot-washing water with a clear conscience? Would he have even thrown a broom at her when he came back from being bullied outside?

He couldn’t help but resent Lin Shuang.

Why didn’t she say she had this ability? She was as quiet as a cooked duck. Now that she had let others misunderstand him to this extent, and had also made him miss the opportunity to get rich.

He had a bitterness in his heart that he couldn’t express, so he had to go and find Wasong.

Wasong was not a good person. He looked down on Wasong from the bottom of his heart, but Wasong’s situation was the most similar to his. He had also sold his daughter to the Jiang family.

Wasong didn’t have as many worries as him. After all, it wasn’t Ping’er who had made the money, but he couldn’t help but be envious with him.

Seeing Lin Mancang come, he waved at him. “Come, come. I just got a pot of good wine last night. It’s just right for us two brothers to have a round.”

Lin Mancang remembered that Old Woman Hao had been cursing at home before dawn, saying that the big rooster at home was missing. If there were no accidents, this pot of good wine must have been sold by this guy for money.

But he didn’t show it on his face and pretended to refuse. “How can I…”

“Who are we two brothers to each other!” Wasong stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. “You have a niece who can earn a lot of money. Don’t forget your little brother when you get rich in the future…”

These words hit Lin Mancang’s sore spot. His face darkened, and he sat down at the table, took the wine bowl, and drank it all in one gulp. The burning sensation of the inferior wine made him grimace. “Don’t mention that ungrateful wretch!”

Next door, Ma Guihua couldn’t find her husband, and her shrill voice drifted over from the vegetable garden. “Everyone is down in the fields in the morning. That lazy bastard who’s going to be killed by the heavens has run off to drink horse piss somewhere. Does he still want this family—”

Wasong winked and moved closer. “She’s looking for you.”

Lin Mancang put down his wine bowl with a thud, and the wine splashed on the table. He said through gritted teeth, “This shrew—”

“If it weren’t for her, the one who would be buying a house in the city now would be me, Lin Mancang. What does the Jiang family have to do with it… It’s all because of this stinky woman. She couldn’t tolerate Shuang’er and had to force her away—”

Lin Mancang hiccupped from the wine and said angrily, “It’s my fault for being blinded by lard at that time and listening to her… Sigh, I regret it so much…”

“Who says it’s not!” Wasong filled his bowl again. “That bitch in my family is also the same. As soon as my leg was broken, she ran off without a trace.”

The more the two of them talked, the more excited they became. The smell of alcohol mixed with a foul odor filled the small room.

After they had finished cursing, Lin Mancang thought of Lin Shuang’s house in the city and couldn’t help but cry, scratching his heart and liver. “Little brother, tell me quickly, how can I get Shuang’er to recognize me again—”

Wasong sighed. “That Ping’er of mine, isn’t she also registered in the Jiang family’s household?”

“But I see that Shuang’er has been soft-hearted since she was little. She’s also very respectful to you, her uncle. Why don’t you go and see her more often? The one who made the decision to sell her was your wife. Even if she hates someone, it’s your wife.”

“No matter what, people care about blood and family. After all, if a person has no roots, they will be a lonely ghost after they die.”

At this, he suddenly moved closer mysteriously. “In my opinion, why don’t you just divorce your wife… maybe she’ll let out her anger and be willing to let you recognize her again—”

Lin Mancang’s hand trembled, and half of the wine spilled. “Divorce—this… this is probably not good, is it?”

Wasong squinted his triangular eyes. “What’s not good about it? If you divorce her, and Shuang’er recognizes you, you’ll have money. When you have money, you can find a young and beautiful one. Isn’t that better than being so aggrieved now?”

Lin Mancang’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but then he thought of Ma Guihua’s brothers from her parents’ village, and his neck shrunk. “No… how can that be…”

With that, he quickly picked up a cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

The bitter wine flowed down his throat, burning his stomach. All sorts of images flashed in his mind.

He murmured, “That woman will definitely not agree…”

…

The next morning, Old Madam Jiang woke up early.

She took Ping’er to continue to tinker with the small vegetable garden.

Jiang Huaizhen had woken up first. She looked at the person who was still sleeping soundly on the bed, moved closer, and kissed her rosy cheek before she got up to get dressed and took the basin under the bed out to wash up.

Seeing her come out, Ping’er ran over and asked with eager eyes, “Big sister, isn’t Auntie up yet?”

Jiang Huaizhen shook her head. “She was busy with a large table of dishes yesterday and got a little heatstroke. Let her sleep a little longer.”

Hearing that Lin Shuang had heatstroke, the old woman quickly said, “Did you bring some of the herbs that were soaked in water at home? I’ll go and boil some water for her to drink.”

Jiang Huaizhen regretted her lie and replied, “It’s not serious. She’ll be fine after a little more rest.”

Only then was Old Madam Jiang slightly relieved.

“What do you want for breakfast?” Jiang Huaizhen asked.

“I want to eat big steamed buns,” Ping’er said first.

“What big steamed buns? Grandma will make you porridge. You should drink porridge on a hot day,” Old Madam Jiang glared at her without any mercy.

“I don’t want to drink porridge. I drink porridge every day. I’m tired of it,” Ping’er pouted.

“You’re so picky.”

“There’s also porridge at the market. There’s yam porridge, lean meat porridge, and yellow eel porridge. Let’s go and try something different. We can also buy some big steamed buns for Ping’er, okay?” Jiang Huaizhen said.

Hearing so many varieties, Old Madam Jiang was also a little moved and no longer insisted. She looked in the direction of the west wing and asked, “Isn’t she coming with us?”

“No. Let her sleep. We’ll bring her something to eat when we get back.”

Old Madam Jiang did not insist and then said with emotion, “No wonder they say it’s convenient in the city. There are all sorts of food as soon as you go out. How can it not be convenient? They’re all ready-made, and there are all sorts of varieties. But you have to have money.”

With that, the three of them went out together.

After leaving the alley, they turned a corner and came to a small market. A few vegetable farmers were sitting by the roadside, selling their wares. There were also a few shop owners with fixed stalls, who were loudly soliciting customers.

Rice, flour, grain, oil, diesel, sauce, and vinegar, as well as fresh vegetables, were all available. It was very convenient to buy vegetables here.

Jiang Huaizhen said to the old woman, “Grandma, if you’re in the city by yourself one day, you can come here to buy vegetables. It’s just a turn from here to our house.”

The old woman said, “This place is close, and I won’t get lost. I can still recognize this place.”

Ping’er quickly followed, “I also recognize this place.”

Jiang Huaizhen chuckled and patted her head. “You’re the smartest.”

“Do you want to eat steamed buns here?” Old Madam Jiang asked.

Jiang Huaizhen shook her head. “There are few varieties here. Let’s go to the big market to eat. There’s a lot of food there. We can choose whatever we want.”

The big market was a quarter of an hour’s walk away. Jiang Huaizhen deliberately took them to show them the way, so she didn’t take the carriage.

Although the journey was a bit far, it was just a straight road to the end, and then a left turn. It was very easy to find the way.

Old Madam Jiang nodded repeatedly. “This road is also easy to find. Other than being a little far, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

By the time the three of them reached the market, there were indeed all sorts of snack stalls crowded together, with all kinds of food. Sugar cakes, oil films, fried dough sticks, and soy milk, as well as various kinds of porridge, were a dazzling sight.

Old Madam Jiang had sharp eyes and pointed to a stall in front with three or four people in line. “Isn’t that Erqiao?”

“Yes. Grandma’s eyes are really sharp.”

The few of them went forward to greet Lu Erqiao. After politely refusing her flatbreads, they bought a few large steamed buns nearby and then entered a porridge shop, ordering two bowls of yellow eel porridge.

Old Madam Jiang smacked her lips. “I wanted to eat porridge just now, but now that I see others eating noodle soup, I want to eat noodle soup too.”

“Let’s have noodle soup after we’ve finished the porridge.”

Old Madam Jiang glared at her. “How big a stomach can fit a large bowl of porridge and then a large bowl of noodle soup?”

Jiang Huaizhen smiled. “Then let’s have it next time.”

After waiting for a while, the shopkeeper brought over two bowls of steaming hot yellow eel porridge.

A layer of shredded ginger floated on the surface of the porridge, and the eel segments were faintly visible. The aroma of rice mixed with the fresh smell of fish rushed to their noses.

“This porridge is authentic,” Old Madam Jiang scooped a spoonful. “The rice grains have all dissolved.”

Jiang Huaizhen took a bite and nodded. “It’s indeed fresh.”

She picked up a piece of eel and put it in her mouth. The eel, with the fragrance of the porridge, was sweet and fresh, with a hint of pepper.

It was quite delicious.

She would bring her here to eat next time.

As they were eating, Old Madam Jiang suddenly stepped on her foot and lowered her voice. “Whose is this house?”

Jiang Huaizhen pretended to be stupid. “It’s our family’s.”

“What if Shuang’er gets married in the future? Won’t she take the house with her?” Old Madam Jiang said with concern.

“She said she’s not getting married.”

“Which woman in the world doesn’t get married? Is she going to be a nun in a temple?”

Jiang Huaizhen looked up at the old woman with a normal expression. “We’re not getting married. We’ll stay by your side and be filial to you for the rest of our lives.”

“I don’t care about your filial piety,” Old Madam Jiang said.

Jiang Huaizhen smiled. “There’s nothing we can do about that. She said she’s not getting married. Can you force her?”

Lin Shuang was not her granddaughter, after all. She couldn’t make the decision for her. She could only say, “She’s not getting married. Then you have to get married, right?”

Jiang Huaizhen looked at her. “Grandma, can’t you just treat her as the granddaughter-in-law I’ve married? This way, she doesn’t have to marry into the family, and she doesn’t have to get married. If you change your perspective, all the problems will be solved.”

Old Madam Jiang was stunned for a moment. “Then what about the children?”

Jiang Huaizhen glanced at Ping’er, who was breaking open a large steamed bun and only eating the bean paste inside. “Isn’t there already a ready-made one?”

Old Madam Jiang said unhappily, “She’s not your own.”

“I’m not Father’s own either.”

The conversation had come full circle.

Old Madam Jiang was so angry she was full. She threw her chopsticks on the table and didn’t want to eat anymore.

Jiang Huaizhen said, “These two bowls of yellow eel porridge are a total of forty copper coins.”

Hearing this, the old woman picked up her bowl and continued to eat.

Jiang Huaizhen was not in a hurry. Anyway, there was a long future ahead of them. When it came to arguing with the old woman, she was quite experienced.

She just didn’t know if that person could really stay with her for the rest of her life.

She let out a soft sigh of relief, her gaze sweeping over her rough hands. These hands, other than holding a great saber and chopping off heads, what else could they do? Six or seven taels of silver a year was not as much as she earned in a month from her business.

If she quit her job at the yamen, other than being a little follower behind her, what else could she do?

Thinking of Lin Shuang’s gentleness at night, her gaze was a little dazed.

Other than the act of taking her away from the Lin family, what did she see in her? If it was because of her looks, then in another twenty or thirty years, when her looks faded, would she get tired of her?

If she got tired of her, would she leave…

Jiang Huaizhen quickly stopped herself, unwilling to continue to think.

When they got home, Lin Shuang was already up and was washing clothes.

A well had been dug in the courtyard, and a winch had been installed on it. With a turn of the handle, she could easily draw water. It was not a troublesome matter.

Seeing them enter, she smiled. “I knew you had gone out. What good things did you bring me?”

Ping’er presented the steamed bun in her hand like a treasure. “I bought a big steamed bun. There’s a meat filling and a sweet filling.”

“So good. You even know to bring Auntie a steamed bun,” Lin Shuang’s hands were wet. She said to her, “Put it on the table next to you. I’ll be done after I’ve rinsed the water once.”

After she finished speaking, she glanced to the side as if unintentionally and met the dark eyes of the woman next to her. Lin Shuang’s mind instantly flashed with the image of her pulling her two legs apart last night and lying on top of her, trying her best to please her. Her heart instantly pounded, and she quickly looked away, lowering her head to continue to rinse the clothes.

Jiang Huaizhen, by a stroke of luck, saw the water-blue silk garment she was washing in her hand, and her eyes also flickered slightly. Seeing that the water in the water vat next to her was already half-used, she walked over with some awkwardness and bent down to draw water.

The two of them stood with their backs to each other, and neither of them spoke.

Ping’er squatted beside them and asked, “Auntie, are we going back to the village today?”

“We are. There’s still a lot of work to do at home. The little rabbits haven’t been fed yet. Don’t you want to go back?”

“I don’t not want to go back. Wherever Auntie is, I’ll be there.”