Chapter 56: Incitement
The next day. Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing made the scar removal face cream.
To test the ointment’s effect, she first applied it to her own old scars, personally observing the changes after use.
Jiang Jing also had many old scars on her body. Seeing Su Yaoguang test it on herself, she was unwilling to show weakness and applied it to herself as well.
The first sensation after applying it was coolness; there were no other feelings for the time being. As for the effect, it would take a few days of observation to know the situation, after all, this was ointment, not an immortal pill.
“Yaoguang…” Jiang Cuilan waved to her from the doorway.
Seeing her acting all mysterious, Su Yaoguang went over and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I just came back from Jiang Yihuan’s house. Guess what? The slave Xiao Ci that Jiang Yihuan’s family bought has become Jiang Yihuan’s male cousin, and now he’s of commoner status, no longer a slave.”
Su Yaoguang had already known yesterday that Xiao Yanci was going to the academy to study. She wasn’t surprised by this story development. The teacher valued Xiao Yanci’s talent and was willing to promise to waive tuition fees for him and Jiang Yihui just to take him as a student; the Jiang family would surely agree. It just took some effort to change Xiao Yanci to commoner status, and she didn’t know how Zhong Lanhua managed it.
“What does this have to do with me?”
“How does it have nothing to do with you? That slave was clearly found for you back then, but you thought he was too expensive and bought your later little husband instead. I’m not saying your little husband is bad—ten copper coins for such a good-looking little husband is certainly a good deal—but I heard Jiang Yihui say your little husband isn’t studying material, with mediocre talent! Yaoguang, don’t you think it’s a pity? If you had bought Xiao Ci back then, the good thing of waived tuition fees would be your family’s now. I really feel sorry for you.”
“I don’t think it’s a pity.” Seeing Xiao Yanci pass by the door with his book box on his back, Su Yaoguang said, “My husband studies only to understand reason; whether he can obtain an official position isn’t important. As long as he’s happy, even if he doesn’t pursue official position and just goes to the academy to learn a few characters, that’s fine. My husband has a kind heart, is diligent and capable, and is very polite to my mother. I’m very glad I met him.”
Jiang Cuilan gave a dry laugh: “As long as you’re happy.”
Fooling ghosts? Although Zhou Wangshu was very good-looking, compared to someone like Xiao Yanci who had both talent and looks, the gap wasn’t small. If Su Yaoguang had bought Xiao Yanci back then and spent some more time supporting him to obtain an official position, she might have a chance to become an official’s wife in the future. Now married to a man with mediocre aptitude, the dream of being an official’s wife was gone.
Jiang Cuilan originally wanted Su Yaoguang to go to the Jiang family and make a scene, letting the Su family and Jiang family fight like dogs, so she could watch the liveliness. Now that Su Yaoguang wasn’t taking the bait, her plan to stir things up had completely failed.
As the best-looking young lady in the village, the young men in the village were especially infatuated with Jiang Yihuan, but most of the village girls were jealous of her. Now she had gotten such a good thing as ‘Xiao Ci’, which made people even more jealous. They didn’t dare to do anything themselves and wanted to instigate those who dared. However, they underestimated Su Yaoguang’s brain; she didn’t seem as stupid as imagined.
Xiao Yanci heard Su Yaoguang’s words, and a mocking look flashed in his eyes.
That village girl was just deceiving herself; who knew how much regret was in her heart.
Let her be stubborn for now; one day he would hear her say words of regret with his own ears.
Jiang Yihui followed behind empty-handed. Zhong Lanhua chased after him, saying caring words, and quietly instructed him to get along well with Xiao Yanci, so that he could help her with tutoring at key moments.
Jiang Yihui’s face was so gloomy it could drip water, but Zhong Lanhua was completely unaware and kept instructing him nonstop.
Jiang Yihui couldn’t tolerate it anymore and roared, “Are you done talking? Are you annoying?”
Zhong Lanhua was startled by him and stopped speaking meekly.
“Yihuan, Xiao Ci is so amazing; why don’t you take him as a son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family like Yaoguang did?” Su Xiaolian, a same-age village girl, asked.
Jiang Yihuan pinched her handkerchief and said affectedly, “My family has an older brother; why would I find a son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family? Besides, marriage is no trifling matter. If I casually married some man, what would be the point of such days? If I marry, I want to marry someone I truly like. If I married him, it wouldn’t be because he’s so good-looking, so talented, or so rich; it would definitely be because I like him a lot.”
“Yihuan, I just chopped firewood and now I’ll take it to the courtyard to dry for you.” Zhang Dachun carried firewood, looking at Jiang Yihuan scorchingly.
The gentleness on Jiang Yihuan’s face almost collapsed.
Zhang Dachun was really too ugly.
He was ugly and yet had beautiful thoughts, always hanging around her. Recently, all the water, firewood, and weeding in the fields at home had been done by him helping out.
At first, she was very nervous, worried that Zhang Dachun’s attentiveness meant he wanted repayment. As he put in more and more effort, she became increasingly accustomed to it and frankly accepted his attentiveness.
“Thank you, Brother Dachun.” Jiang Yihuan said stiffly.
“Yihuan, so you like this type.” Su Xiaolian deliberately said loudly.
“N-no, it’s not.” Jiang Yihuan hurriedly covered Su Xiaolian’s mouth.
“You don’t like Brother Dachun, yet you let Brother Dachun help you with work?” Su Xiaolian pried open Jiang Yihuan’s fingers and shouted loudly toward Zhang Dachun.
“Oh my, what are you saying?” Zhong Lanhua had sent Jiang Yihui back and happened to see the argument between Su Xiaolian and Jiang Yihuan.
Jiang Yihuan had to maintain an image of gentleness and harmlessness to the outside; sometimes even when she suffered a silent loss, she didn’t dare to retort, just not wanting to damage her image.
At this time, Zhong Lanhua became the dagger that struck out. For those deadly matters, she would step forward, so not only would there be no loss, but Jiang Yihuan could continue fishing.
“Mom, it’s fine. Xiaolian has a little misunderstanding about me and Brother Dachun; I can explain it to her.”
Zhong Lanhua put one hand on her hip and said in a shrill voice, “What’s there to misunderstand? Our family has only two weak women at home; no one does the heavy work. Luckily Brother Dachun has a good heart and cares about the neighbors, willing to do some work for us mother and daughter. Brother Dachun is warm-hearted and helps without expecting repayment. How come you, little girl, are unhappy about it? What’s this, have you taken a fancy to Brother Dachun and think we’re robbing him from you?”
“I didn’t.” Su Xiaolian pouted, “Who could fancy him?”
So ugly; only a blind person could fancy him.
Zhang Dachun hadn’t gone far yet and heard all the argument here.
Of course he helped out voluntarily because of Jiang Yihuan; because Jiang Yihuan was one of the few girls who didn’t show disgust when seeing his face, so he had liked her for a long time.
Although he never hoped Jiang Yihuan would like him, hearing the mother and daughter’s denial with his own ears still made him a bit disappointed.
Forget it; better not to help anymore.
He was so ugly; if he kept helping like this, and the villagers kept gossiping, it would harm her.
