Chapter 9: Mother and Daughter Plot to Find a Wife

After a whirlwind of eating, Jiang Jinshi and Jiang Li sat in the small courtyard blowing the cool breeze.

Jiang Li touched her round belly, feeling very satisfied. She had never eaten such delicious food.

The pure millet porridge was very fragrant and sweet, and the fat twice-cooked pork was so delicious that she wouldn't let go even if she slapped herself.

If she could eat such food every day, she wouldn't even trade it for a County Magistrate. She didn't expect that her big brother, who had never cooked, would have such craftsmanship.

Perhaps it was too quiet, Jiang Li took the initiative to find something to say: "I went to fetch water today and heard them say you took grain to Aunt Wang Gui to exchange for land?"

Hearing this, Jiang Jinshi was stunned. He didn't expect that he still underestimated the nickname of Old Lady Li, the big loudspeaker of Da Jiang Cun. This day's time didn't know where it had spread.

The key was that even if others believed what he said, his own sister and mother would definitely not believe it, because what he said to the outside was that he went to exchange for land early in the morning, but both of them knew very well that Jiang Jinshi went out at night and stayed outside for a night.

Did this count as lifting a stone to hit his own foot?

Jiang Jinshi changed the subject somewhat awkwardly: "With your small arms and legs, don't go fetch water tomorrow, I'll go."

Jiang Li nodded, but didn't want to let her big brother go just like that.

"Do you like that Widow Wang?"

"Why would I like a widow for no reason?" Jiang Jinshi felt ashamed, extremely wanting to explain clearly, but how should he quibble about these things the original owner did?

Jiang Li didn't speak, her small eyes full of doubt, without a trace of trust.

Jiang Jinshi suddenly remembered that there were four taels of silver left from today's shopping, so he hurriedly got up and took out two taels of silver from his arms and handed them to his mother, then claimed he was sleepy and returned to his room.

Looking at the big brother who fled in a panic, Jiang Li looked at the two taels of silver in her mother's hand. Although both of them had many doubts in their hearts, it was clear that Jiang Jinshi didn't explain too much.

Although the room was dilapidated and the bedding had an odor, Jiang Jinshi hadn't rested since he transmigrated and had been busy all day, so he was really sleepy now and soon went to play chess with the God of Dreams.

The mother and daughter next door, after some discussion, still firmly believed that everything today was because Jiang Jinshi won money gambling.

So Mother Liu said to Jiang Li: "What do you think if I use these two taels of silver to find a wife for your brother? So he won't stare at that Widow Wang all day."

Clearly, the previous conversation between the two was also heard by Mother Liu.

"Ah? What if Brother comes back and asks you for this money?"

"That's what I'm worried about. He won money today, but what if he loses it tomorrow..." Mother Liu looked hesitant, and finally gritted her teeth and said: "Using this money to find him a wife is better than him taking it to lose."

Jiang Li nodded to show she understood, looking at the grain piled in the corner with some regret. Perhaps the day after tomorrow, or even tomorrow, it would be sold by her big brother again.

The originally beautiful mood instantly became bad, and her small head drooped down listlessly.

Mother Liu didn't notice the change in her daughter's mood and was still thinking about which girl was more suitable.

"Little Pear, what do you think of the girl from the Li family who is the same age as your brother?"

"Mom, are you talking about Li Zhaodi, whose parents are dead and who is used as livestock by her uncle's family?"

"Yes! Her age is a bit old, but she is diligent and her hands and feet are quick." Mother Liu's eyes became brighter as she spoke.

Jiang Li scratched her head: "She is already miserable enough, wouldn't she be even more miserable if she married my brother."

Mother Liu knocked on Jiang Li's small head unhappily: "How are you talking? How could she be worse off marrying over here than at her uncle's house, doing more and eating less."

Jiang Li covered her head and ran away: "I suspect you don't intend to let her go either!"

Mother Liu sighed. Mainly, her own child's reputation was too stinky, plus the family was poor, so there really wasn't anyone willing to marry over.

Only Li Zhaodi had a good personality and was diligent, which was famous in the village. But her big uncle's family had been asking for five taels of silver for many years, and this move scared away many families, dragging it until now without getting married.

I heard last year that it had already dropped to two taels of silver. If I find a middleman to talk, it should be negotiated at about one tael and two qian, and the remaining eight qian will be used to prepare for the wedding.

Mother Liu, who was silently calculating on the bed, suddenly felt her feet start to itch, scratched them casually, and then entered dreamland with her daughter.

In a house in the west of Da Jiang Cun, a fierce discussion was unfolding at this moment.

"Why hasn't that beast come back yet? He's been cutting firewood for two days!" This voice was sharp and mean, it was Li Zhaodi's aunt.

"Could it be that he ran away!" The speaker's voice was a bit green, it was Li Zhaodi's cousin, Li Gouzi.

"Heh! Where can she run without a travel permit? Could it be that she was caught cutting firewood on the mountain and sent to the yamen." The speaker's tone was very flat, clearly not caring about the other party. It was Li Zhaodi's big uncle, Li Changjiu.

An old man smoking a dry pipe on the side opened his mouth with dissatisfaction: "I told you to sell her long ago, you insisted on asking for a price. The grain she ate all these years is worth a lot of money."

The person speaking was Li Zhaodi's grandfather, Li Guang, but his words were like mentioning an item instead of his own granddaughter.

Li Changjiu was somewhat aggrieved: "Didn't I want to sell for more money?"

Li Guang threw the dry pipe at Li Changjiu, constantly scolding in his mouth: "You know she is a money-losing goods, and you still expect someone to pay a high price, you are just a pig brain."

Li Changjiu, who was in pain, dared not speak, only having to accompany with a smile: "Dad, don't be angry, then tell me what to do? I'll listen to you."

Li Guang took two deep puffs of the dry pipe, and after deep thought, said: "The outside is so chaotic, she hasn't returned for two days, I'm afraid she's more ominous than auspicious. Hurry up and sell her."

Li Changjiu was somewhat confused: "How to sell her when she's not even here?"

Li Gouzi snatched the answer: "Dad, sell her contract to someone in the village! The villagers know her, and they won't necessarily require seeing the person. In the end, whether she is dead or lost has nothing to do with us. Whoever buys it will take care of it themselves."

In this era, the contract is the household registration. Without this thing, it is equal to a refugee.

Li Guang's look at his grandson was full of doting and appreciation, and when he turned to Li Changjiu, he was full of disgust.

"My grandson is still smart. Look at your pig brain, stupid to death."

Li Changjiu wasn't angry at being said so by his father, instead, his eyes shone with pride, "As expected of my son, smart."

"Mother of the child, put out the wind tomorrow, just sell it for one tael!"

"Alright!"

"Hurry up and sleep! It's a waste to light a lamp for nothing in the middle of the night."

The life of an eighteen-year-old girl was decided in their few words. As for pitting fellow villagers, it was not mentioned at all, as if everything should be like this.

And the protagonist they were talking about was slowly waking up in a mountain col at this moment.

Li Zhaodi opened her eyes, looking at the scattered branches around and the scratches on her body, revealing confusion.

"Where is this? Didn't I hit someone and fall into the river?"

...... ===== CHAPTER 10 =====