C47 (1/2)
The bride seemed to have also recognized Ershan, and suddenly lay on the window ledge excitedly. However, the curtain had already fallen, and the sedan did not stop, as she once again lifted the curtain herself, leaving Ershan behind.
Just as the bride was about to stick her head out, a group of bridal ladies surrounded her and tried to persuade her. They blocked her view of the situation and pushed her back in.
However, all of this was seen by Ershan, in the end, the gaze that disappeared before his eyes carried melancholy and sorrow, as though he was begging for help, but also seemed to be asking a question. Ershan felt that he was overthinking it.
He took a broom and slowly followed the group back to the tavern. The road in front of the tavern was swept clean, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang were hiding at the entrance to watch the excitement, Xiaowan asked the Aunt Zhang: ”Where did I come from that day?”
The Aunt Zhang smiled guiltily: ”We are all busy receiving customers, you were directly sent to the third floor by the person who sent you out. It was Ershan who sent you food, only then did he discover that you were tied up on the bed, and he quickly called for the shopkeeper.”
The Xiaowan pretended to be angry. ”So all of you don't care about me, Brother Ershan is still the best.”
Aunt Zhang hugged her and laughed: ”Right now, we all love you, is that not enough?”
Ershan then said: ”The new year is over, quickly go back to your room and read your books. There is no need for you to care about the matters of the shop before the Academy Competition.
Ershan acknowledged her, and with Ling Chaofeng's consent, he returned to his room to study.
When they talked about the Prefect marrying his daughter, they realized that the Prefect had actually married his youngest daughter into his eldest son-in-law's family in order to renew the marriage, and that his eldest daughter had passed away two years ago at an early age.
Aunt Zhang said, ”This is a common occurrence, if two families have a good relationship, most likely they would choose a sister from the original owner's house to continue the marriage, but from what I see, if my daughter dies in someone else's home, I would be more than happy if I did not kill myself and went to find them for revenge.
The Xiaowan became quick-witted, and said: ”The Prefect's own family, is definitely bigger than the Prefect's official.”
Aunt Zhang praised, ”Our son is really smart.”
Xiaowan turned and showed off to Ling Chaofeng.
But she had been playing like a mad woman for a whole year, and every day since the beginning of the month she had been eating, drinking, and hanging about the streets.
Ling Chaofeng said: ”Take it back, we'll see how it goes tomorrow. How do you think we should punish it?”
Xiaowan pouted and said softly, ”Then even if I'm not sure, so what?”
Ling Chaofeng's expression became serious: ”Since you said you want to learn, then you have to learn! Didn't we agree on that? ”The dignified Lady Boss of an inn doesn't even know how to pay her bills?”
Xiaowan unconsciously put her hands behind her back. She recited her words very quickly and did not tell her husband to hold anything back.
Although she was smart to be scolded twice, Ling Chaofeng's demands were very high. Xiaowan always felt that he was looking for trouble on purpose, so her heart was not as active as when she read the words in the first few months.
When Xiaowan came back to pick vegetables, she asked in a soft voice while beaming: ”Been lectured?”
”Yes.” Xiaowan muttered, unconvinced, ”In the beginning, she kept encouraging me to praise me, but now she likes to splash cold water on me. When he frowns, I immediately panic.”
The Aunt Zhang laughed: ”A few years ago, when Ershan was studying with the shopkeeper, it was normal for him to be scolded and beaten up. At that time, the storekeeper was still half a year old, but he was solemn like an old scholar in a private school. However, the shopkeeper himself has never been frivolous, whether it is studying or learning, he has a steady mind. In the past few years, he studied hard to cultivate, and the Old Madem even asked him to do the shop work. He did not even have time to catch his breath every day, and did not waste any time.
Xiaowan was very serious. Hubby was really something, and he laughed: ”Look at this, since December, we have been playing everyday, and the shopkeeper has not cared about you. When the time comes to play, we can play, and when it is time to work, we can't mess around.
”I understand, I will definitely learn well.” Xiaowan made her decision, ”Aunt, until I clear up the debt, I will never go out again.”
Thus, after picking the vegetables, Aunt Zhang went to the kitchen to busy herself and pestered Hubby. Ling Chaofeng asked a few more questions with a cold face. Seeing that her face was serious and guilty, and then swearing that she was not interested in playing around, her heart, which was not tough to begin with, softened even more.
Ling Chaofeng had long forgotten how to sternly teach Ershan how to enlighten him back then, and when he was facing his own young lady, he couldn't possibly expect her to learn all of his abilities.
Speaking of which, after being separated for so long, Xiaowan had just found out that Ershan's surname was also Ling. Back then, when sshe could not find Ershan's family, Old Madem had left him at the inn. Only, it was different from Ling Chaofeng's. Ling Chaofeng's surname was Ling when he was a son, Ershan was not his foster son, Ershan's name was Ling Wu, he had gone to take the exam, and that was the name he used.
In the afternoon, Xiaowan was sitting at the Eight Immortals Table, dozing off facing the account book and the abacus. A group of people hurriedly ran past the door, causing her to immediately become spirited and run to the door to see. They were heading in the direction of Baisha Town, so she could vaguely see that they seemed to be people who sent in the morning.
After an hour, Constable Li arrived with his men. In a hurry, he found the time to enter the shop to talk to Ling Chaofeng, and was shocked that not long after the wedding boat left, the bride jumped off the boat and committed suicide. He was unable to find his at that time and wanted to send a boat and men to fish for his, but half a day had already passed.
Hearing that, Xiaowan's heart trembled, and looked at Ling Chaofeng. It was unknown if it was because Xiaowan had escaped the marriage, but she could understand the determination in her heart, and she asked him in a soft voice, ”That young miss, is it like Aunt Zhang said, that because big sister died with hatred in their home, she was unwilling to marry?”
Ling Chaofeng comforted her: ”That's also someone else's problem. Later, we are business people.”
Xiaowan nodded. ”Hubby, I know.”
By night, Xiaowan had already accounted for the debts that she did not know about during the day, but after a day, she did not do anything else. When she helped to carry the dishes and fill the stomach, she told her concubine that it was hard to imagine in the past, when Ling Chaofeng was so young, he had to study and learn all sorts of skills.
The Aunt Zhang said, ”It's not all bitter.”
The family ate their dinner, which was just a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a plate of dried radishes, and a few pieces of decayed milk. Only a large chunk of meat was in the bowl.
Today, in order to send off's mother and sweep the snow, everyone woke up early, thus they closed up the shop and went to sleep. Only Ershan's room was lit up, he was still studying hard.
It was unknown what time of the night it was quiet, but the shop was quiet. Ershan came out to pour some water, he vaguely heard someone stepping on the snow outside the tavern.
He brought the oil lamp to the door and was about to stand still when he heard two knocks on the door.
He put down the oil lamp to open the door and was shocked. In front of the door stood a woman in a bright red wedding dress, drenched and frozen. Her black hair was scattered and her face was deathly pale, as if she were a ghost that had crawled out of the water in the middle of the night.