Chapter 20: One More Water Tank

Chapter 20

Three days later, Tan Laosan and Granny Tan were executed at the vegetable market in the west of the city.

On the day of the beheading, Jiang Family and Tan Family all went there. The Tan Family had brought a thin wooden coffin on a donkey cart to collect Tan Laosan's body.

As for Granny Tan's family, there was not even a single person who showed up, let alone collect the body.

After being taken down from the gallows, the body was just rolled up in a tattered straw mat and thrown to the chaotic graves outside the city.

Even after his death, Tan Laosan's body was dismembered. He deserved his punishment. Old Lady Hu personally saw her young son being dismembered and went mad at that time.

In fact, if Tan Laosan ended up like this today, Old Lady Hu should be held half responsible.

If only she hadn't spoiled her young son so much, or given him a slap the first time he did something wrong, instead of thinking about how to help him get away with it, the ending wouldn't have been like this.

After Tan Laosan's death and Old Lady Hu went mad, the Tan Family divided up the family property as quickly as possible.

Old Lady Hu had already displeased her other two sons because of her previous favoritism towards her young son. And now, because of Tan Laosan, not only did they lose most of their family property,

the reputation of the Tan Family in the villages nearby also plummeted.

Her two daughters-in-law hated her even more, and did not care about her at all. Not long after, she accidentally fell into a pond and drowned.

The matter was settled. The old couple of Jiang Family discussed with their sons and daughters-in-law, prepared generous gifts, and went door-to-door to express their thanks.

They thanked those who helped find people back then, like Jiang Mansion, Qu Mansion, Lin Family where the daughter-in-law was from, and Lu Family where the daughter-in-law was from.

They also specially commissioned a horizontal inscribed board with the four big characters "Fairness for the People".

Old Man Jiang personally led the whole family to present it to the county government office with gongs and drums. This deeply moved Qin Jue.

Although the Qin Family had powerful background, which official on the career path would dislike a better reputation?

At least Qin Jue was very flattered, and felt that the Jiang Family really knew how to handle matters properly.

Jiang Family also bought glutinous rice to make pastries, and purchased pork, sugar, wine, grains, fabrics and other items.

They gave every single person who helped find people that day a pastry, a five-jin jar of wine, three jin of meat, five jin of white rice, two jin of brown sugar, and five chi of cloth.

Even those few people from Lotus Flower Village who helped spread the news and find people got a share.

Jiang Family's intention was very clear that the Tan Family was the Tan Family, and had nothing to do with other people from Lotus Flower Village. They would not make indiscriminate accusations.

When the word spread, people from ten li and eight villages quite approved of Jiang Family's magnanimity.

Especially other villagers of Lotus Flower Village, they all heaved a sigh of relief, at least they didn't need to worry about retaliation from people of the Xijin ferry.

Ever since losing her granddaughter that day, Old Lady Hu felt very guilty. If it wasn't for her own negligence, her little granddaughter wouldn't have suffered so much.

Fortunately, after the fever subsided, her granddaughter's condition improved day by day.

After changing the medicine several times, the wounds on her hands also scabbed and did not leave any scars. She was still cheerful and smiling.

Additionally, her daughters-in-law often consoled her, so she gradually put her mind at ease.

But she became even more protective of her granddaughter.

For Jiang Yuqing, this was truly a heavy yet sweet love.

In fact, she really didn't expect to have such a severe fever that day, it was just some inferior sweat-inducing medicine and a cold.

The reason was that her current body was too small and couldn't withstand the ordeal.

Fortunately, she often drank the spiritual spring water, so the foundation of her body was much better than that of ordinary infants. If it was a normal baby, they might have died directly.

The spiritual spring water was really good. When she could walk independently, she would fill the family's water vat with spiritual spring water every day. It would not only prolong the life and improve the health of the family drinking it, but at least also strengthen their bodies.

"Right, less." The little dumpling's expression was serious, full of confidence.

The room was filled with laughter in an instant.

From then on, there was another smaller vat in Jiang Family's kitchen. The small vat held drinking spiritual spring water, and the big vat held water fetched from outside.

Every morning Jiang Yuqing would have a family member carry her into the kitchen to fill up the small water vat.

To make watering the ground more convenient, Old Man Jiang even specially hired someone to dig a well in the backyard.

This provided better cover later for Jiang Yuqing with the spiritual spring water.

When the flame-red mountain camellias bloomed all over the hillsides, Jiang Yuqing's birthday on the twentieth day of the third month arrived.

Although Daddy was not at home, the birthday banquet for darling Qingbao, the family's cherished one, was still held very grandly.

All the close relatives and friends who were available came. In addition, an unexpected personage showed up, namely the son of the county magistrate, Jing Yan.

When Lu saw him, she was quite surprised. Through her elder brother's connections, she knew some of the inside story about this young master.

She knew he was the nephew of the county magistrate Qin, the son of the county magistrate's older sister, and was from the capital.

At his young age, he was not given to smiling, and was full of an air of nobility. She didn't know how her little daughter had fallen for him, but he seemed to be extremely fond of her well-behaved treasure.

No matter how complicated Lu's feelings were, since he was a guest, and an honored guest at that, this was a matter of face for the Jiang family, so naturally Lu had to treat him respectfully.

Today she was dressed up by her mother-in-law and two aunts-in-law very festively. She wore a red crossover-collared top matched with a skirt of the same color embroidered with a hundred butterflies and a pair of similarly embroidered shoes.

The little hair she had was parted into two sections. Using two thin red hair ribbons, they were twisted and wrapped upward, tied into two straight little pigtails standing upright on her head, just like the two little antennae on a snail's head.

With every move, her skirt swayed, her antennae shook, simply adorably cute.

At this time, in the Jiang family's great hall, two eight-immortal tables had been put together to form one big table, covered with a thick red velvet cloth. The adults were holding all kinds of things and placing them on it one by one.

For example, her eldest aunt put down a little comb and cosmetics case, apparently hoping she would grow up to be a beautiful young lady.

Hmm, she had secretly looked in the mirror, and found she was quite good-looking in this life.

Her second aunt put down a little wooden spatula and sewing kit, hoping she would be able to sew and cook when she grew up, and become a young lady skilled with her hands and mind.

When it was her mother's turn, she put down a book, hoping she would gain knowledge and propriety.

Grandma Old Lady Hu put down a silver ingot. The old madam hoped her precious granddaughter would be rich and noble and never lack for money to spend all her life.

Hmm, this was definitely necessary.

Eldest brother Jiang Yujiang put down a writing brush, hoping his younger sister would have learning and be able to write good calligraphy.

Second brother Jiang Yuhe put down his most beloved little wooden sword. This meant he hoped she would become a female general or heroine in the future.

That was also possible. Which girl hadn't once dreamed of being a chivalrous swordswoman!

Third brother Jiang Yuhu, who was good at math and aspired to become the manager of a big restaurant, put down a little abacus.

Fourth brother Jiang Yuhai put down a little catapult, and fifth and sixth brothers Jiang Yuming and Jiang Yushan put down snacks and pastries. Did this mean they hoped she would become a foodie?

Being a foodie wouldn't be bad either! Besides, she had originally been a foodie!

Seventh brother, her own elder brother Jiang Yuchuan, put down a little pen holder which Daddy had carved for him before leaving for the capital. He treasured it greatly, yet today he also put it down.

When it was young master Jing Yan's turn, he took out a carved jade seal from his bosom and placed it on the table. After him, the other people put down some odds and ends like dried fruits, rattles, and other little knickknacks.

"Come, good baby, choose one thing! Choose what you like best yourself!" The several brothers were itching to prompt her, giving all kinds of hints for her to choose what each had put down.

Even young master Jing Yan looked at her with hopeful eyes, just short of saying outright to choose the seal.