Chapter 62: Red Apricot Leaning Over the Wall

Looking at that handsome face getting closer and closer, Du Ruo froze.

Could it be that her first kiss in two lifetimes was finally going to be given away tonight?

Du Ruo swallowed her saliva, her eyes beginning to drift. Although consummating the marriage wasn't possible for now, she was still looking forward to things like kissing, hugging, and being lifted high.

Come on, warrior, I'm ready!

Du Ruo closed her eyes excitedly.

*Pop*, a loud noise exploded in her ear.

She was so startled that she instinctively threw herself into Jiang Li's arms.

Jiang Li held her and then opened his palm: "Wife, look, such a big mosquito."

Du Ruo: "... So you made such a big scene just to slap this mosquito to death?"

Jiang Li's handsome face was confused: "Otherwise what?"

Du Ruo gritted her teeth and pushed him away hard: "Otherwise your head, go to sleep!"

So angry, it made her look like she was being wishful, how embarrassing.

Then she snatched the quilt and covered her head, too lazy to bother with that block of wood anymore.

A flash of mischief passed through Jiang Li's eyes, the corners of his lips curled up, and he turned to blow out the oil lamp and lay down.

A sweet night.

The next day, Jiang Li got up at the crack of dawn.

He had to hurry to the Ya Men.

Jiang Li didn't wake Du Ruo. Du Ruo was already weak, and she had been truly exhausted these past few days, so he thought he'd let her sleep a bit longer.

As it turned out, he was early, but someone was even earlier; Chunhua was in the courtyard scrubbing clothes with soapberry.

Seeing Jiang Li come out, Chunhua hurriedly washed her hands and then ran quickly into the kitchen, bringing out a bowl of sweet potato porridge.

"It's already cooled down," she said ingratiatingly.

Jiang Li took it, his tone gentle: "It's still early, why not sleep a bit more?"

Chunhua waved her hands in panic: "It's okay, it's okay, I used to get up at the hour of the ox to work, I'm used to it."

Not just her, her sisters were the same.

As long as they dawdled even a little, Mother's broom would hit their bodies; it hurt so much.

Jiang Li drank a few mouthfuls of porridge: "Hmm, it tastes quite good."

He handed the bowl to Chunhua and said again: "You don't have to get up so early in the future. You are still young, not getting enough sleep is bad for your body. Also, don't be so reserved; your Sister Ruo and Brother Third Son are both very good people. As long as you treat them sincerely, they won't make things difficult for you."

Chunhua nodded repeatedly: "I know."

It was just that if she didn't do more work, she really didn't feel at ease in her heart, always afraid that one day she would be kicked out.

After finishing the porridge, Jiang Li returned to the room to change his clothes.

He glanced at his wife sleeping like a little pig on the bed, couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips, covered her with the thin quilt she had kicked off, and then left the house on tiptoe.

At the courtyard gate, Tie Dan was bullying the horse. The grass Jiang Li had placed by the horse's feet had all been pushed aside by the dog. The horse was tied to an osmanthus tree as thick as half a person; it couldn't reach the grass to eat, and it was hungry, so it was huffing in frustration.

Jiang Li's face darkened, and he walked over to lift the dog up.

"Tie Dan, is your skin itching?"

Tie Dan struggled a few times, but unfortunately, it was grabbed by the back of its neck by its master, and it couldn't break free no matter what.

There was no other way, so it had to whine and beg for mercy, promising never to do such a wicked thing again, before it was finally released.

After chasing away the bad dog, Jiang Li stuffed a handful of grass into the horse's mouth, patted its head, and comforted it: "We are about to set off. When we get to the county, I'll let you have a good meal."

He hitched the carriage, led the horse out of the courtyard gate, and just as he was about to step on, a delicate voice suddenly called him.

"Brother Jiang!"

Jiang Li's figure paused slightly, his face expressionless: "Miss Lin."

Lin Qingshuang walked over from the village road with a basket. Today she was wearing a thin pink blouse and skirt, her waist thin and hips round, which set off her beautiful face to seventy percent.

In a place like the countryside, she was considered a rare and outstanding girl.

"Brother Jiang, I heard you moved here, I didn't believe it, but I didn't expect to run into you so coincidentally."

Saying this, Lin Qingshuang took a few green wild vegetable cakes out of the basket and handed them over, smiling: "These were made by my mother and me. It's hot, so they are just right for cooling down and relieving summer heat. I was just about to send a few to Elder Clan Head Jiang, Brother Jiang, why don't you try some too?"

The village had always had such a custom; whoever made something delicious would send a little to the families they were close to.

Although Lin Dahe and Clan Head Jiang didn't have a great relationship, both families were prominent in the village, so they would maintain a facade of politeness.

Jiang Li glanced at that lump of green stuff and didn't take it.

"I appreciate Miss Lin's kindness, but I'm in a hurry to leave, so I won't eat."

He sat directly on the carriage, ready to leave.

Lin Qingshuang gritted her teeth, glanced into the courtyard twice, and then blocked the front of the carriage: "Brother Jiang, I have something very important to tell you!"

Jiang Li frowned. He originally didn't want to pay attention to Lin Qingshuang, but he heard her next words.

"This matter is related to Sister-in-law Jiang."

Related to his wife? Jiang Li's movements paused: "What matter?"

Lin Qingshuang hesitated again, stammering: "I didn't want to say it, but the people in the village are discussing it too harshly. I'm afraid if I don't remind Brother Jiang, others will laugh at you behind your back."

She lowered her voice, looking as if it was hard to speak: "On the birthday of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I and the people in the village went to Ling'an Temple to pray for blessings. Sister-in-law Jiang went too. Unintentionally, we saw Sister-in-law Jiang acting intimately with a man, whispering..."

Speaking of this, Lin Qingshuang secretly glanced at Jiang Li's expression.

"But it was a bit far, we didn't hear clearly what they were saying, only vaguely heard Sister-in-law Jiang call him Young Master Xiao..."

Xiao? Jiang Li's eyelids jumped.

He suddenly remembered that the day he went to the Zheng family, his mother-in-law seemed to have mentioned someone surnamed Xiao.

Xiao something Chen, he couldn't quite remember the name, and his mother-in-law had even compared him with that person.

Connecting these things, it seemed to lead to a not-so-good fact—his wife had long had a sweetheart, and the two were still entangled after marriage. He was highly likely to have been cuckolded.

Jiang Li smiled. He didn't believe such an absurd thing.

Perhaps his wife and that person surnamed Xiao had indeed had something in the past, but given her personality, since she had already married him, she would never do something like leaning over the wall.

Lin Qingshuang ran over eagerly to tell him this, just wanting to sow discord between them.

"Just talking to someone I'm familiar with, it's worth people gossiping about."

Jiang Li's face turned cold, his tone carrying a warning: "Please ask Miss Lin to tell them that my wife has always been a decent person and has never done anything out of line. If they continue to gossip behind my wife's back and ruin her reputation, don't blame me for turning hostile."

After speaking, he drove the carriage away.

Lin Qingshuang stared blankly at his back, taking a long time to pull back her gaze.

Her mood was a bit low, but soon she smiled mockingly.

Saying it so nicely, where in this world is there such a magnanimous person? If one's own wife was entangled with another man, even if there was really nothing, one wouldn't feel comfortable in their heart, right?

If there really had been something, that would be even better. This matter would be like a thorn stuck between them from now on, hurting from time to time, until they painfully pulled it out...

Lin Qingshuang tidied her hair blown by the wind, straightened her chest, and walked toward the neighbor, Clan Head Jiang's house.

Du Ruo knew nothing about Lin Qingshuang's scheming; she had just finished playing chess with the God of Sleep and felt very comfortable.

However, not seeing her husband when she woke up, she still felt a tiny bit disappointed.

Since the man wasn't there, she would focus on her career.

After drinking the porridge Chunhua cooked, Du Ruo carried a hoe to the sandy land. The ghost-supervising-post had been planted for eight or nine days, and she had been busy with all sorts of messy things and hadn't had time to come over.

Walking over to take a look, my god, the little seedlings were already as high as her ankles!

Was this treated with growth hormones?

"Host, you look like you've never seen the world, which will cause misunderstandings." The system said in a disdainful tone: "How could the ghost-supervising-post produced by this system be ordinary? Not only is the quality high, but the growth period is also shortened by more than half. In just two months, you can sit there and count money."

Two months... Du Ruo was overjoyed, preparing to make a show of weeding.

As a result, when she raked with her hands, she couldn't even see a shadow of a weed. She then remembered that these sandy lands, except for thorns, didn't grow a single blade of grass.

Fine, never mind.

Du Ruo returned home happily.

At noon, she stir-fried three dishes for her family and made dozens of extra pumpkin cakes, put them in a small bamboo basket, and covered them with a cloth.

Then she went to the neighbor, Clan Head Jiang's house.

"Grandpa Clan Head, I made a few cakes, brought them for you to try."

Actually, she had prepared a fat rabbit earlier, intending to give it to Clan Head Jiang's little grandson and granddaughter to play with, but it was hogged by that little girl Suo'er.

There was no other way, so Du Ruo had to make pumpkin cakes instead.

Clan Head Jiang was a bit dazed. What day was it today, why was everyone sending cakes here?

Before he could speak, Du Ruo had already lifted the cloth on top.

The mellow fragrance spread throughout the room, making the children swallow their saliva. Du Ruo distributed one to each, and the children first looked at their great-grandfather, and seeing him nod slightly, they reached out to take them.

As expected of a family that values farming and reading, the children were all taught very well.

Du Ruo nodded secretly, her thoughts becoming even firmer, and she took out another one and handed it to Clan Head Jiang, her eyebrows curved.

"This is called a pumpkin cake, it's my unique craft, easy to digest, and the taste is not bad, most suitable for someone of your age to eat, try it."

Clan Head Shen laughed: "Good, good, good, you have a heart."

He knew Du Ruo had good craftsmanship; the vegetable and meat dumplings before were very much to his liking.

This pumpkin cake probably wouldn't be bad either.

Clan Head Jiang took a light bite; it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant, sweet, soft, and sticky. It was indeed a rare delicacy, unlike the wild vegetable cakes sent by that Lin girl, which had a bitter taste and scratched the throat.

He couldn't help but eat one bite after another, and by the time he realized it, the pumpkin cake was all in his stomach.

Smacking his lips, Clan Head Jiang was still unsatisfied.

"It's strange to say, I usually don't like pumpkin, but you made it into a cake, and I actually feel it tastes ten times, a hundred times better."

Previously, because Jiang Li married an ugly wife, he felt uncomfortable and lay on the bed for several days, sighing and feeling it wasn't worth it for Jiang Li.

Now it seemed, it was that boy's good fortune!

Du Ruo smiled: "As long as Grandpa Clan Head likes it, I'll make more another day and bring them over to change your taste."

After the flattery was done, it was time to talk about business.

Du Ruo went straight to the point: "Grandpa Clan Head, I have something I want to ask of you."

"Speak, as long as this old man can do it and it doesn't go against my conscience, I'll do it for you!" Clan Head Jiang was very generous, even easier to talk to than a Bodhisattva who grants every request.

Du Ruo didn't stand on ceremony: "It's like this, I want to let Wan'er go to the village school to study. I heard the teacher is Third Uncle Jiang, so I came to ask you."

Third Uncle Jiang's name was Jiang Yan, and he was Clan Head Jiang's youngest son.

Jiang Yan had studied for more than twenty years and took the imperial examination, but unfortunately, his luck was bad. Every time he touched a bad seat, either his paper was soaked by a rainstorm, or his seat was too close to the latrine; once he was even smoked unconscious in the examination hall.

This led to Jiang Yan still being a child scholar at the age of forty.

In a fit of anger, he simply stopped taking the exams and returned to the village to become a teacher.

Hearing Du Ruo's words, Clan Head Jiang was very surprised: "Are you serious? Wan'er is a girl after all."

"So what if she's a girl? Which of the girls from those noble families isn't literate and proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting?"

Although that was true, Jiang Wan was after all just an ordinary farm girl; how could she be compared with the daughters of those big families? The paths they would take in the future were bound to be different.

Plus Jiang Wan's body...

Clan Head Jiang advised: "It's not that I'm unwilling to agree, but have you thought about it? With Wan'er's health, if she doesn't study, it's fine; she can live one day at a time peacefully. But once she studies and sees the outside world, can she be willing to leave just like that? I'm afraid she will end up with a heart higher than the sky but a life as thin as paper."

Clan Head Jiang's worries were not without reason.

But Du Ruo was confident she could cure Jiang Wan's illness, so these were not problems.

"Grandpa Clan Head, I understand what you mean. I have a plan in my heart, so please help me this once?"

Clan Head Jiang leaned on his cane and walked back and forth in the room a few times: "Are you sure you've thought it through?"

Du Ruo nodded: "Thought it through."

Clan Head Jiang sighed: "Fine, then I'll follow your wishes."

He believed Du Ruo wouldn't harm Jiang Wan.

The matter of Jiang Wan going to school was thus decided. After returning home, Du Ruo told her the good news.

The little girl didn't believe it: "Sister-in-law, you're lying to me, right?"

There had never been a precedent of a girl going to school in their Longquan Cun, and even boys were few and far between because they couldn't afford it.

Du Ruo scraped her little nose and smiled: "Wait until you go to school tomorrow and see the teacher, then you'll know if Sister-in-law lied to you."

Jiang Wan then believed it, so happy that she pulled Chunhua and spun around in circles.

Chunhua was also happy for her: "That's great, from now on Wan'er will also know how to read!"

Du Ruo glanced at her: "Chunhua, do you want to study?"

The smile on Chunhua's face immediately froze, and she waved her hands in panic: "No, no, no, I don't want to..."

She was just a maid of the Jiang family, how could she have the qualifications to study.

Although Chunhua hid it well, the envy in her eyes couldn't be faked; she wanted to.

Du Ruo was also a bit hesitant. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it, but she didn't have complete trust in Chunhua yet.

She saved Chunhua, of course, not purely for charity, but hoping that Chunhua could become Jiang Wan's help in the future. And an illiterate person's ability would definitely be greatly reduced...

Forget it, don't worry about it for now, see how things go later.

The next morning, Du Ruo put the new clothes she bought earlier on Jiang Wan, tied her hair into a beautiful double-bun, put on a shoulder bag, carried a small bamboo basket, and with the big black dog, marched toward the village school with high spirits.

The school was at the west end of the village, with white walls and black tiles. It was a hundred meters away from the nearest house, looking a bit desolate. Fortunately, there were a few large white poplars planted at the door, and the sound of reading coming from inside diluted this loneliness.

Du Ruo stood outside the window and peeked.

A portrait of Old Kong hung in the main hall, and thirty or so students sat below, with varying ages, some teenagers of ten or so, some toddlers of three or four, and most were children of eight or nine.

"Third Uncle!" She walked to the door and called out.

The students immediately turned their heads in unison. When they saw the little girl behind Du Ruo, they couldn't help but whisper and discuss.

"Quiet!"

Teacher Jiang's ruler knocked hard on the table, and he shouted: "Studying requires undivided attention and focus. How can you achieve great things with such distracted minds? Recite the *Three Character Classic* ten times. If you can't recite it half an hour later, you will all be punished with the board!" ===== CHAPTER 63 =====