Chapter 40

Du Ruo waved her hands repeatedly: "No need, no need, actually, actually I'm quite shy, I've been used to sleeping alone since I was small..."

Sleeping beside a handsome man, who was also her legitimate new husband she could ravage at will—it would be a wonder if she could sleep peacefully in this situation!

Du Ruo picked up the medicine bowl and started gulping it down, incidentally blocking her face, which was redder than a tomato.

The next second, she heard Jiang Li say: "But didn't my wife want to pull me to sleep with her before?"

Pfft, Du Ruo almost spat out a mouthful of medicine.

What a sin, what is called "lifting a rock to hit one's own foot"—this is it.

"My... aunt... my monthly period just came, let's wait until it's gone." Du Ruo laughed awkwardly.

Jiang Li didn't force her, just looked at her deeply and turned to go out.

Du Ruo patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Never mind, drag it out for as many days as possible. Anyway, Jiang Li has been a single dog for more than twenty years, he doesn't care about waiting another year or half a year.

Jiang Li stood in the cool night for a while, then walked to the corner of the wall and squatted down, looking at Tie Dan with deep eyes.

The dog felt its hair stand on end from being stared at by him and couldn't help but shrink back.

Jiang Li seemed to be asking it, or perhaps muttering to himself: "What exactly happened to you?"

He wasn't Jiang Cheng, not so easy to fool. Tie Dan was just an ordinary dog, even weaker than an ordinary dog. How could such a big change happen in just over a month?

Not only could it understand human speech, but it could even bite a fierce wolf king to death.

Everything was too weird.

"Could it really be related to my wife?"

Tie Dan subconsciously wanted to nod, but after thinking carefully, no, the mistress was its benefactor; how could it betray her?

Furthermore, the mistress even had such powerful medicinal pills, showing she wasn't an ordinary person. What if she found out it betrayed her and took back the ability? It didn't want to go back to being that thin, firewood-like dog that could only be slaughtered!

Thinking of this, Tie Dan forcibly turned its head away, pretending not to understand, and continued to lie on the ground eating mosquitoes.

Don't ask the dog, the dog knows nothing.

The next day, the sun was finally not so scorching, but it was a bit muggy.

Jiang Li prepared to take Jiang Wan to the county for a follow-up visit.

Jiang Wan's illness was brought from the womb and had to be treated with medicine on time, otherwise, there would be a risk to her life.

Fortunately, there was a horse carriage now, and going back and forth was convenient.

Du Ruo was just about to ask for a ride when Jiang Li had already spoken: "Wife, come with us, and take a look at that problem of not sleeping peacefully."

Du Ruo: "... Okay."

Jiang Wan was overjoyed and hurriedly pulled her eldest sister-in-law onto the carriage. Jiang Li sat outside; his driving skills weren't proficient yet, so he had to practice more to avoid being flustered later.

The carriage trotted along the village road, kicking up a cloud of dust, and headed toward the county town.

Under the willow tree at the entrance of the village, several women were cooling off and chatting. Seeing the carriage pass by, they couldn't help but stretch their necks to look.

Among them were Aunt Lin, Lin Qingshuang's mother, and the woman. The woman looked envious.

"Tsk tsk tsk, look at that carriage, it's really prestigious! It must cost at least dozens of taels of silver, right? The Jiang family's Second Branch is looking like it's going to rise."

As she spoke, she glanced at Aunt Lin.

Aunt Lin shook her cattail fan and didn't make a sound, expressionless, not knowing if she didn't hear or was pretending not to hear.

"I think so too." The young woman next to her didn't understand the tension between the two and smiled in agreement: "To say this Du woman, she really doesn't match Jiang Li in looks, but she's prosperous for her husband. Think about it, what kind of days the Jiang family's Second Branch lived before, and what kind of days they live now—it's no exaggeration to say it's a world of difference. It's well said: an ugly wife is a treasure at home, a virtuous wife means fewer disasters for the husband. This is much better than marrying those vixens who only have a pretty face."

The scene was suddenly dead silent.

Aunt Lin slammed her fan onto the wooden stump, put her hands on her hips, and pointed at the young woman's nose, cursing loudly.

"Fart! Who are you calling a vixen by pointing at the mulberry and scolding the locust? You're the vixen, your whole family is vixens! Our Shuang'er is pretty, so what? Does it poke your heart? Using that ugly monster Du woman to suppress our Shuang'er, aren't you afraid of flashing your tongue? Someone like that Du woman, no looks, no figure, black-hearted and poisonous-mouthed—she can't even compare to a single hair of my daughter, and you're still here praising her, saying she's prosperous for her husband? Pfft! If she's really prosperous for her husband, don't just buy rice, flour, and a horse carriage for show. If she has the ability, push down that broken courtyard and build a large mansion, then I'll be convinced and admit she's prosperous for her husband. Otherwise, shut your stinking mouth for me!"

This rapid-fire scolding left the young woman stunned.

"Hey, why are you scolding people? I was talking about the Du woman, I didn't say anything about your Qingshuang..."

"Didn't say anything about our Shuang'er?" Aunt Lin laughed, sneering: "Do you think I don't understand? Saying it's good that Jiang Li married the Du woman, and their days are getting better and better—isn't that just damaging our Shuang'er, saying she's a vixen with only a pretty face, and it's good he didn't marry her? I'll put it here today: I can't control what you think in your heart, but if there's even the slightest rumor unfavorable to our Shuang'er in the future, don't blame me for not considering the feelings of the same village, digging up your ancestral graves, and finding your ancestors to judge!"

Where is all this coming from? The young woman was shaking with anger and didn't show weakness, starting to curse back.

The two were spitting everywhere, kicking each other, scratching each other's faces, fighting inextricably, and both saw blood.

Aunt Lin was old after all, how could she be the opponent of a young and strong young woman? Several women who were on good terms with her were afraid she would suffer, so they hurriedly pulled them apart and persuaded them to leave.

When they couldn't see their backs anymore, someone pointed at the young woman and laughed: "You really are something, why did you drag that Lin girl into this for no reason? Don't you know she's the apple of the village head's eye?"

"Who dragged her into this?" The young woman felt she was more wronged than Dou E: "I was just making a casual analogy. Who knew she would insist on applying it to her daughter? It's really true that there are people who claim money, but I've never seen anyone claim shit, and she's not even afraid of the stink."

That person chuckled, raised her eyebrows at her, and said mysteriously: "Don't say that, this false accusation really has to be buckled on Lin Qingshuang's head. Their family and the Jiang family's Second Branch have many stories that have to be told."

She told the young woman about those things from back then, half-excited and half-disdainful...

Du Ruo was sitting in the carriage playing cat's cradle with Jiang Wan, completely unaware that she had become the fuse for others to fight.

The carriage was much faster than an ox cart, and it was stable. Before noon, they entered the city gate of Wutou County. Jiang Li paid ten copper coins for the carriage fee and then drove straight to the Herbal Hall.

"We're here." Jiang Li said.

Du Ruo lifted the cloth curtain to get off. Looking down, it was a bit high. Just as she was thinking whether it was safer to jump down or climb down, a large palm appeared in front of her.

She hesitated for a moment, then put her hand on it.

Jiang Li's hand was very large, and a light grip wrapped her entire chubby little hand inside. Perhaps because of hunting all year round, there was a thick layer of calluses on his palm and between his two fingers.

That slight roughness not only didn't make people feel uncomfortable but instead made one's heart itch.

Useless, Du Ruo scolded herself.

Just as she was about to jump off the carriage, Jiang Li stretched out his other hand and held her down steadily.

Du Ruo's ear tips were burning, and she asked with feigned composure: "Am I very heavy?"

If you dare to say yes, you're dead!

Jiang Li smiled slightly: "Not heavy, just a few dozen catties heavier than an adult female wolf."