Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The stars twinkled in the summer sky.

Flashing one by one, like stove fires lighting up.

Heating up the earth hot.

Night fell, but it did not cool down.

The cries of children gradually diminished.

The barking of dogs also diminished, probably tired.

The croaking of frogs and chirping of cicadas grew more and more passionate.

No air conditioning, no electric fans.

The room was extremely stuffy.

For poor families to enjoy the cool, they usually take off their shirts and sit under trees, waiting for the wind.UppTodated from nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m

The Jiang family also sat under the newly planted big tree.

Everyone was still neatly dressed, no one took off their shirt.

The space under the tree was more open, and occasionally a light breeze, gentle and shallow, at most it could lift Jiang's father's hair tips.

Jiang's father's long gown was made of linen, a little stiff and hard to lift up.

It was so hot that Jiang herself was lying alone in a wooden basin.

The wooden basin was placed on a stone pier, Jiang’s mother held a palm leaf fan in her hand, waving the fan, trying her best to let everyone feel a little breeze.

Jiang could also feel a tiny bit of coolness, but she was a little curious where her little ants had gone. Did Mother move the wooden basin out and see the ants? I hope she didn't step on them...

Or would it be in the straw mat?

Whimpering worriedly, she shifted in the wooden basin with creaking noises.

Finally it was Jiang's father who picked her up.

Father was relatively cooler, even in the hot summer he was still cool as jade. To put it nicely, it showed he was a gentleman; to put it badly, it meant he was weak with deficient qi and too frail. Even in the hot weather he still had a delicate constitution.

Leaning in her father's arms, Jiang comfortably watched the sky.

Occasionally hearing father cough lightly beside her face.

Then her injured brother Jiang Feng also coughed twice.

"Cough cough."

"Cough cough cough."

Time passed slowly.

......

The stars twinkled in the sky.

The plaque of Jiang Manor had been eroded by the long years, already faded.

Jiang Rong quietly returned home with the servants and guards.

Wu also couldn't help complaining angrily, "We already gave him a hundred taels back then. And now he first cheated Rong'er of twenty-two taels, then went to those dirty places to swindle another twenty taels. That amount of silver is what ordinary families use for several years! And I heard they even wanted to sell their daughter into servitude. This whole family is truly insatiably greedy."

The old lady was so annoyed by the crying Wu that she went back to her room.

Jiang Rong was sent back and threw himself on the bed, lying prone.

His father had struck heavily this time. Even his clothes were torn.

Jiang Rong had been pampered since childhood, with delicate skin and tender flesh that would be bruised from a pinch. Now his back was criss-crossed with ghastly welts.

Seeing this, the old lady felt distressed and bestowed a jade pillow for him to lay his stomach on, so it would be cooler.

She also ordered the servants to move in two ice buckets and place them near the door, directing the maids to fan him with the cold air, so the wind blowing towards him would be cooler.

Seeing Wu's tears, the old lady really couldn't stand watching and left.

Seeing her son's back, Wu couldn't help crying and wailing, "How could your Father be so heartless? It's all that black-hearted family's fault. Remember to avoid them in the future. Wherever they go, misfortune follows. No good will come of them."

Seeing her daughter still standing there, she was even more furious: "You blockhead, fool, if it wasn't for you, your brother wouldn't have been beaten. Go back to your room."

Jiang Wan looked at her brother's back, which wasn't badly hurt, and felt quite heartbroken, because her brother was injured because of her. She couldn't help but say: "Brother, don't worry, good and evil will eventually be repaid."

Jiang Rong cried out in pain, but he wasn't actually hurting that much. The room was nice and cool and comfortable.

He waved his hand to call his sister back, not wanting her to see him in such an embarrassing state. "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

After Jiang Wan had gone back, it was just his mother in the room. Jiang Rong didn't want to pretend anymore. He tried to get up, but when he turned over he felt a pain in his waist where Jiang Feng had kicked him.

Even though the guards had been holding Jiang Feng back, he had still tried to come and kick him.

Jiang Rong suddenly became curious and asked: "Mother, why was second uncle expelled from the family by Grandmother back then? What mistake did he make?"

Jiang Rong felt Grandmother was very kind and benevolent. Second uncle must have done something unforgivable for Grandmother to banish him from the family.

When asked this question, Wu's face looked a little uncomfortable.

She hadn't actually known at first, and it turned out to have something to do with her.

Aunt Yao had said that Second Uncle had peeped at her while she was bathing, and had found her clothes hidden in his room.

Fortunately the Old Lady had believed her, and she was innocent.

Otherwise her reputation would have been ruined beyond redemption.

Wu had come from a prestigious family, and had always complained about how the Jiang family had dragged her down to live in the countryside.

After this incident, she didn't complain anymore, and was actually very grateful to her mother-in-law. She used to think her mother-in-law was petty and nosy, but after this incident she realized the Old Lady was fair-minded and upheld justice, and had protected her reputation as a daughter-in-law by banishing her own son from the family.

However, when she thought about the banished young man who had looked so refined and handsome, she was shocked that he had harbored such vulgar thoughts about her.

He had no moral principles.

But deep down she also felt a little proud, thinking that he must have been bewitched by her heavenly beauty and unparalleled looks, which led him to make that mistake.

When Jiang Rong saw his mother lost in thought without answering his question, he said he was going to sleep and turned over.

Wu nagged him for a few more things before leaving.

After his mother had left, Jiang Rong lay still for a while but couldn't get comfortable. His waist still felt vaguely painful where Jiang Feng had kicked him, which made him very angry. He took it out on his guard in frustration, casually picking up things from beside the bed and throwing them.

"Didn't you say that Jiang Feng had been hit in the head by your weapon and hadn't been able to fully escape, how could he still go to Lichun Yard today?"

The guard wasn't annoyed at being hit. On the contrary, he comforted: "Young Master, just wait until tomorrow when you see them. The money they got will only be enough to buy him a coffin."