The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 103

Chapter 103: Wild Ducks by the River

Hu Erlang’s wedding feast was very lively. Many relatives were invited, and there were dozens of tables in total.

Hu Guiying came to pick up Lin Shuang and her family of four early in the morning.

Recently, Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen had become famous. The two of them did not want to attract a crowd, so after they arrived at the Hu residence, they took their seats in a low-key manner.

But the two of them were so beautiful that it was difficult not to attract attention. The people from Hu Guiying and Lu Qing’s two villages had all harvested their grain in advance because of Lin Shuang’s reminder and had saved a lot of losses. They had always been grateful to her.

A few days ago, the yamen’s commendation notice had been issued, which had once again brought the two of them into the public’s sight. Everyone had heard that these two were beautiful women. Now, seeing the two young and beautiful women appear in pairs, they recognized them at a glance and gathered around to talk to them.

It was Hu Guiying who had persuaded them to go back. Only then did the crowd disperse, but they still couldn’t help but look back.

Some also looked at them with displeasure and gossiped in private.

“These days, they even invite executioners to weddings. Aren’t they afraid of bad luck?”

“Her hands are full of blood and bad luck. This is going to clash with the newlyweds’ good fortune. What was Old Hu thinking?”

These people deliberately wanted to embarrass Jiang Huaizhen, so they didn’t lower their voices.

Jiang Huaizhen just lowered her head and drank her tea, not saying a word.

Lin Shuang’s face darkened, and she was about to stand up and scold them, but she was held back by her sleeve.

“It’s Hu Erge’s wedding feast. Let them say what they want. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt me.”

Grandma had finally come to a wedding feast. If they made a scene, she would definitely be unhappy when she went back. Besides, these people were all Guiying’s fellow villagers or relatives. It was fine if they just gossiped. Anyway, she was used to it. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of this and ruin the happy day.

But at the next table, someone slammed their chopsticks on the table with a “smack,” stood up, and looked at the few people who were gossiping. “A wedding is to have a noble son. If you don’t invite an executioner, are you going to invite your grandpa?”

The word for “executioner” sounded like “noble son.”

Lin Shuang looked up and saw that the person was actually Sun Kang.

The people at the same table also chimed in, “An executioner acts on behalf of heaven, and the ones they behead are criminals. But you think it’s unlucky. Are you thinking of inviting corrupt officials like Pei Na to make you feel festive?”

Hu Guiying, who had been helping outside, heard the commotion at the wedding feast and hurried over with Lu Erqiao. They quickly figured out what was going on.

Lu Erqiao, this powder keg, exploded at the slightest spark. She put her hands on her hips and cursed, “Yongfu’s family, I told you to harvest your rice early, but you wouldn’t. You’re unhappy that it was flooded, aren’t you! If you’re unhappy, you can just hold it in. Don’t come to my son’s wedding feast and cause trouble. I’m telling you, Little Jiang is my honored guest. If it weren’t for our good relationship with her, we wouldn’t have been able to invite her. If you dare to offend my honored guest, don’t blame me for dealing with you later!”

Lu Qing also came upon hearing the sound.

The people at that table were instantly silent, and everyone quickly lowered their heads to pick at their food.

At this time, the groom, Hu Erlang, came over with a wine pot to smooth things over. The young man was wearing a big red shirt, and his head was tanned dark. Like his father, he had a very honest smile.

He punished himself with three cups of wine in a row as an apology.

Jiang Huaizhen felt a little bad and showed a faint smile, raising her cup. “Without saying anything, I wish you a hundred years of happiness and to have a noble son soon.”

Hu Erlang smiled. “With your words, good things will definitely not be far away.”

A few other people who had been helped in the flood also came over with their wine cups to toast the two of them.

Jiang Huaizhen couldn’t just refuse them and drank with everyone who came.

Soon, the wedding feast became lively again.

Wang Zhimei, who was next to her, was also busy comforting Old Madam Jiang, afraid that she would feel uncomfortable.

Old Madam Jiang had been a little unhappy at first, but this family was very protective of her granddaughter, and most of the other villagers were also reasonable people. To be honest, this scene was much better than she had imagined, so she didn’t take it to heart too much.

It was just a small incident and didn’t affect anything. The wedding went smoothly, and everyone ate and drank well.

Lin Shuang was thinking of going to the riverside to find wild duck eggs, so she first sent the old woman and Ping’er back to the village and would go and wait later.

The two of them arrived at the riverside at night. There were quilts in the carriage, and they could lie down and sleep on the carriage after removing the seat boards.

Lin Shuang got out of the carriage and, following the torch, looked at the dark river surface. She only heard the “coo-coo” of the night owls in the dark night, which made one’s blood run cold.

Thinking of Jiang Huaizhen, who had been guarding here alone a few years ago, her nose immediately grew sour.

“Where did you stay back then?”

Jiang Huaizhen tied the horse, took a torch, and led her by the hand, walking to the place she remembered.

Finally, she stopped behind a concave rock.

“Right here.”

Lin Shuang looked at this small place, which couldn’t even be called a cave, and suddenly remembered something. She quickly squatted down and felt the ground. After confirming that there were no snakes or rats hidden there, she walked over with peace of mind.

She sat down, wanting to experience Jiang Huaizhen’s mood at that time.

Jiang Huaizhen also felt a hint of sadness well up in her heart as she recalled that night.

Of course, she knew why Lin Shuang had begged her to bring her here.

She knew that she was now deeply loved.

At the thought of this, her heart couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

She was glad it was her, glad it was her.

“Huaizhen, let’s bring the quilts over. Let’s stay here tonight, okay?”

“Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

“You didn’t catch a cold back then. Now that your body is so much better, how can you catch a cold! We can even see the stars and the moon in the sky here.”

Jiang Huaizhen chuckled. “Alright. Let’s go and get the quilts.”

The two of them walked back to the carriage. She had Lin Shuang hold the torch, while she carried the straw mat and the thin quilt and followed behind.

She had said she would bring osmanthus wine, but this person had drunk too much at Hu Erlang’s wedding feast today, so in the end, Lin Shuang didn’t bring it.

When they returned to the place just now, they spread out the mat and put the quilt on top.

The weather was cool in autumn, and there were no mosquitoes in the grass. On top of that, the two of them were both carrying sachets with a lot of medicine inside, which could refresh the mind and prevent mosquitoes. When they sat there, there were no mosquitoes.

“Huaizhen, put out the torch, so we can see the stars.”

Jiang Huaizhen did as she was told, put out the torch, and sat down beside her.

Lin Shuang lay on the straw mat, looking at the sky. She wanted to reach out and point at the moon, but she quickly withdrew her hand. “When I was little, my mother said that you can’t point at the moon, or the moon will cut your ears.”

In her past life, she had been tormented all her life and had been working with her head down. She had completely forgotten to look up at the moon in the sky, and she had never had the chance to verify what her mother had said.

Jiang Huaizhen had not heard her own mother say such a thing. Since she could remember, all she had seen and heard were the scenes of her parents arguing. Her mother would also dote on her, but she had spent too much emotion and energy on that illusory marriage and had lost herself, let alone how much thought she could put on her.

In the last two years of her mother’s life, there was too much resentment.

“I pointed at the moon when I was little, and my ears are still fine now,” she said. “You can point.”

Only then did Lin Shuang point at the moon and the stars in the sky, trying to identify which star was which, but she couldn’t name a single one. She turned to her and said, “If you could become a star in the sky, which one would you want to be?”

Jiang Huaizhen looked at the outline of her face in the night and replied, “The one closest to you.”

Hearing her say this, Lin Shuang turned her head and no longer looked at the stars. She snuggled up and hugged her.

Jiang Huaizhen looked up at the sky, which was full of stars. It took her a long time to find the two closest ones. “We can be like them, together forever.”

Lin Shuang lifted her head from her embrace and looked in the direction she was pointing. “They were born together and will never die. We are mortals, and we will all die one day.”

“It’s alright. Then we’ll die together.”

Lin Shuang thought of the scene of her abandoning her and going to her own death in her past life and shook her head. “I want to die after you.”

“Why?” Jiang Huaizhen, of course, did not think that Lin Shuang was trying to live alone.

Sure enough, Lin Shuang looked at her with a dazed expression. “To die a little later than you, even if it’s a quarter of an hour, an hour, or half a day, or a day, is fine. That way, your whole world will be completely me.”

It wouldn’t be like her past life, where she was left alone in the end.

Sigh, she didn’t know what Huaizhen’s reaction would be when she saw her die in her past life. She hoped she wouldn’t be sad. If Huaizhen in her past life had also loved her, she should have killed her first and then committed suicide, rather than leaving her to be sad alone.

At this thought, her nose also grew sour. She snuggled back into Jiang Huaizhen’s arms and asked, “Am I very bossy?”

Jiang Huaizhen hugged her tightly, lowered her head, and kissed the top of her hair.

“I like you to be bossy.”

Lin Shuang broke into a smile through her tears and looked up to kiss her.

Jiang Huaizhen held the back of her head and pulled her closer.

The river was still dark, and the night owls were also calling. But at this moment, it was not scary at all. In the wilderness, because of the two entangled figures, an endless stream of ambiguity was born. The wild ducks were hiding in their love nests deep in the reeds, maybe sleeping, maybe doing other things.

Lin Shuang didn’t know what they were doing.

But she knew what they were doing.

Under the sky and on the ground, unknown wild flowers were swaying in the wind, their stamens and pistils pressed tightly together. There were drops of water on the straw mat. She didn’t know if it was the river water from the bank that had seeped up, or something else. It was very slippery.

Above the starry sky were the two stars that Jiang Huaizhen had just pointed to. They were very close.

Under the starry sky was Jiang Huaizhen’s round shoulder, which was illuminated by the white moonlight, giving it a translucent white layer.

She could vaguely see the mole on her shoulder.

In a strange place, the sound of the wind and the night owls were all particularly stimulating.

Jiang Huaizhen propped herself up and rubbed against her.

Lin Shuang was instantly aroused.

She had said that she was coming to the riverside to pick duck eggs, and that was all. There was no other meaning. And when she had brought the straw mat and the quilt before she left, it was just to take a nap when she was sleepy. She really hadn’t thought of any other use.

It was all Huaizhen’s fault. It was she who had seduced her!

Bad Huaizhen.

The river was flowing, covering another kind of gurgling sound.

“Huaizhen… the sound of the water is so embarrassing…”

Huaizhen hummed softly, as if in response, or as if not.

She held her tightly, and the sound of the water grew louder.

Lin Shuang’s two cheeks were burning red.

This wilderness was empty. Although there was this spot to block them, who knew if there would be other people waiting to pick eggs?

If they were discovered, how embarrassing would that be…

But Huaizhen wouldn’t let her go. She could only wrap her arms around her neck and take it.

The place she was being rubbed against was contracting violently.

A few dozen feet away, Hu Guiying, who had come in the night to pick wild duck eggs with them, seemed to have heard something incredible. She shrunk behind a rock, her two ears red, not daring to move.

So, they really were a couple…