章 10: Uninvited Guests
Looking at the abundant natural resources in front of her, Duan Yixin wondered why the villagers never harvest these things. Although she was curious, her first priority now is to fill her stomach.
After cleaning her hands, she went to a nearby tree to pick a few large leaves, then squatted by the river and started picking clams and shrimp. After collecting enough food for three meals, she wrapped them in the large leaves and carefully placed them in a bamboo basket. She then carried the bamboo basket and walked back home.
When the sun was slightly slanted to the west, Duan Yixin pushed open the low wooden door. As soon as she walked into the front yard, she saw two middle-aged women and a middle-aged man sitting on wooden stools.
She frowned slightly, looked at them, and asked, "Who are you? Don't you know that trespassing on private property is a crime?"
After listening to her words, the thin middle-aged woman glared at Duan Yixin and said angrily, "Presumptuous! Is this how you talk to your elders?"
Duan Yixin doesn't like her at first glance and only looks at her silently for a long time. Feeling the pressure coming from her, the middle-aged woman subconsciously took a step back. When she realized that she was afraid of Duan Yixin, her face turned red with embarrassment and anger.
She slammed her palms on the old wooden table, pointed at Duan Yixin, turned to look at the middle-aged man, and said, "Look! This is your Duan family teaching?! Don't you care about your rebellious niece?!"
Listening to the words of this thin middle-aged woman, Duan Yixin looked at the middle-aged man. Looking at him carefully, she noticed that she and he had a slight resemblance. If he didn't look like he was in his early sixties, he would be quite good-looking.
Placing the bamboo basket on the ground, Duan Yixin looked at the middle-aged man and said calmly, "I don't know who you three are, but before I report to the village chief, please leave my house."
After Duan Yixin finished speaking, the middle-aged man frowned. He glanced at the bamboo basket and saw that there were only dry leaves and branches inside, so he looked away.
With a smile on his face, he said, "Xin Niang, uncle heard that you lost your memory after a head injury yesterday. I came with your aunt to see if you are alright."
After speaking, he observed Duan Yixin's expression and saw that her pale face was devoid of feeling. He thought for a few seconds, then cleared his throat.
He sighed and said, "Since you have really lost your memory, then let uncle tell you about our relationship. I am your mother's elder brother, and my name is Duan Sida. This is my wife, Zhao Xiaohua, and you should call her aunt."
He gestured to the fat middle-aged woman and said with a smile, "And this is Matchmaker Li."
Duan Yixin looked at the fat middle-aged woman after Duan Sida finished the introduction. Matchmaker Li was wearing a bright red dress, and her greasy hair was shaped in a high bun and decorated with a big flower. Her wrinkled face was covered with thick white powder.
Looking at her appearance, Duan Yixin thought that Matchmaker Li was not wearing makeup but was wearing a mask. Judging from how she was dressed and how Duan Sida addressed her as 'Matchmaker Li', Duan Yixin could guess the reason why these people came to visit her uninvited.
Seeing her expressionlessly staring at Matchmaker Li, Duan Sida thought to himself, 'This damn girl really changed after losing her memory. I had to get this deal done quickly before she caught up with anything.'
When he makes a plan to plot against Duan Yixin, Madam Duan sees her husband just staring at Duan Yixin without saying anything after introducing the three of them. Madam Duan was afraid of delaying Matchmaker Li's task, so she pinched her husband's waist.
Being pinched in the soft meat around his waist, Duan Sida hissed in pain and glared at his wife. Seeing his wife keep winking at him while glancing at Matchmaker Li, Duan Sida remembered the reason why they came to visit his niece.
He quickly showed a smile befitting an elder and said, "Xin Niang, uncle knows that you have lost your memory. After your grandfather passed away, we also separated the family. But no matter what, as your elder, your uncle still has to take care of you on behalf of your late mother."
As a scientist, Duan Yixin's observation and deduction abilities are first-rate. Under her keen eyes and quick mind, Duan Sida's poor performance is clear at a glance. Duan Yixin raised the corners of her mouth slightly when she saw the woman who was supposed to be her aunt glancing at Matchmaker Li anxiously.
'So they really here to force me to get married. The other party should give them a lot of money to make them so anxious. The likelihood that they have already spent the money is also very high.'
Thinking about this, she looked at Duan Sida and his wife, and the smile on her lips curved up more.
After a moment of silence, Duan Yixin carried the bamboo basket and walked to the woodshed while saying, "If you want me to get married, then go back to your home and sleep earlier today. The door is open, so please leave."
Leaving these words behind, she ignored the three of them and walked into the woodshed.
After a moment of silence, Matchmaker Li looked at Duan Sida and asked doubtfully, "Does she just say that we were daydreaming and chase us away?"
Duan Sida and his wife looked at each other hesitantly, then Duan Sida looked at Matchmaker Li and replied, "... It seems so."
After unloading the dry leaves and branches, Duan Yixin brought the clams and shrimp to the well.
When she came out, she heard Matchmaker Li slamming the table and saying angrily, "I don't care! If you can't give me a bride, then give me back the bride price! Otherwise, I will report to Master Chen! See if you can still live to spend the money! Hmph!"
After shouting threats directly at Duan Sida's face, Matchmaker Li left angrily.
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章 11: Tang Zizheng’s Struggle
Duan Sida and his wife were startled and paled by the threat. When they came back to their senses, the two of them hurriedly chased the angry matchmaker Li.
"Matchmaker Li, please wait! Please listen to our explanation! There must be a misunderstanding here!"
When Duan Sida desperately called for Matchmaker Li, Duan Yixin calmly watched the three people disappear from her sight before going to wash the clams and shrimps. After cleaning the clams and shrimp, she went to the kitchen.
She divided the clams and shrimp into three portions and stored two portions in the warehouse. She then filled the only small clay pot in the kitchen halfway with water and put the clams and shrimp in it.
She lit a fire with a lighter from the warehouse and put the clay pot on the small stove. After a while, the clams and shrimp were ready. Duan Yixin took the clay pot off the stove and enjoyed her late lunch.
Meanwhile, at the Tang clan's ancestral hall, everyone from the Tang clan was present. Tang Sanniu, the village chief of Yunshan Village and the head of the Tang clan, sat in the main seat. To his left and right were the elders of the Tang clan and his brothers.
Kneeling in the center of the ancestral hall, Tang Zhizheng lowered his eyes and did not dare to make a sound. His cousins stood behind their parents with various expressions on their faces. Some of them were worried about Tang Zhizheng, while others took pleasure in his misfortune.
In the silent Tang clan ancestral hall, Tang Sanniu picked up the teacup and calmly took a sip of tea. After calming down, he put down the teacup and looked at the grandson that he was most proud of.
"Do you admit your mistake, Erlang?" He asked after a long silence.
Tang Zizheng clenched his hands that were hidden under his wide sleeves, but there was no expression on his handsome face. When everyone thought he wouldn't answer, Tang Zizheng raised his head and looked at his grandfather.
There was unwillingness hidden in his eyes when he said, "I didn't do anything wrong. What mistake should I admit?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Sanniu grabbed the teacup and threw it in front of Tang Zhizheng. With a bang, the tea cup broke into pieces, frightening the women in the ancestral hall.
Those who screamed in surprise quickly covered their mouths and lowered their heads, praying that no one would notice that it was them who had just screamed. A piece of broken ceramic flew and scratched Tang Zizheng's cheek, but he didn't react as if he didn't feel any pain.
Tan Sanniu's face was full of anger. He pointed at his second grandson with trembling fingers and gritted his teeth. After a long silence, he lowered his hand and said with disappointment clear in his tone, "Unfilial child!"
As soon as these words came out, there were surprise gasps in the ancestral hall. As someone who is trying to be an official, the word 'filial piety' is a burden as heavy as a mountain for Tang Zizheng.
If he was said to be unfilial by his elders, then Tang Zizheng's future would be over. Once this matter spread, his chance to participate in the imperial examination would be gone forever. His whole life will be ruined, and there is nothing he can do about it.
After a few seconds, Tang Zizheng's mother, Yi Mengni, came to her senses and rushed out from behind her husband. She knelt down beside her son, kowtowing to her father-in-law with tears staining her face.
"Father, please let Zheng'er go! He couldn't bear the reputation of being unfilial!"
She repeated this sentence over and over again as she banged her head against the ground. The dull sound of her head knocking on the ground echoed continuously in the silent ancestral hall, but no one dared to intercede for her, including Tang Zhizheng's father, Tang Jiahuan.
Seeing his father sitting on the chair with an indifferent expression, Tang Zizheng's heart was as calm as water. He turned to his mother, held her hand, stopped her from kowtowing, and said calmly, "Mother, please stop. Your forehead is bleeding."
Eldest Madam Tang paused and turned to look at her son, only to see blood dripping from his cheek.
Feeling heartache, she gently wiped away the blood on Tang Zizheng's cheek and said sadly, "It's all Mother's fault. I should have refused your marriage engagement with Xin Niang. My cowardice has harmed you, Erlang."
Tang Zizheng frowned slightly when he saw his mother's tears. Until this moment, he still didn't know why he impulsively broke off his marriage engagement in public. If he were his normal self, he would talk to Duan Yixin in private about this important matter.
But that is only if he really wanted to break off the marriage engagement. But the truth is, he never had any intention of doing so.
With her kindness and her sacrifice for him over the years, it was impossible for him to cruelly break off their marriage engagement in public, ruin her reputation, hurt her, and destroy her future.
Even though there is no love between them, there is still good affection and a close relationship between them, who have grown up together for decades. After thinking about it again and again, he still couldn't understand his own behavior.
When his grandfather asked him just now, he wanted to plead guilty, but the words he said were different from what he wanted to say. This situation really frustrated him, but he had no way to vent his emotions.
He took a deep breath to suppress his emotions, helped his mother up, and said, "Mother, this is not your fault. Please don't blame yourself."
After speaking, he looked at his grandfather. He originally wanted to say that he was going to apologize to Duan Yixin, ask for her forgiveness, and repair their marriage engagement.
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