Chapter 133 – Sponsor
Facing so many villagers’ meaningful looks, the women from the Yan family didn’t have the face to linger.
Once the Yan family members left, Liu Qianqian walked to Yan Xiaosi’s side and looked at her somewhat affectionately.
“Xiaosi, did that General Zhan from the capital really want you to go to the military camp as an army doctor?”
Army doctors had high status in military camps, unlike ordinary soldiers. Some army doctors skilled in medicine could directly enter the palace as imperial doctors after the war ended.
So being an army doctor was a promising career.
Liu Qianqian knew this point. That’s why she changed her formerly arrogant attitude and treated Yan Xiaosi so affectionately now.
Feeling a woman look at her affectionately made Yan Xiaosi somewhat nauseous, especially since this woman had looked down on her just yesterday.
“Liu Qianqian, is your eye twitching? Do you need me to give you some free acupuncture?” Yan Xiaosi said.
Hearing this, Zhao Lixia immediately looked at Liu Qianqian. Liu Qianqian hadn’t had time to conceal her affectionate gaze yet and it was all seen by Zhao Lixia.
Zhao Lixia didn’t want Liu Qianqian marrying Yan Xiaosi. If Yan Xiaosi became an influential army doctor, given how Zhao Lixia had treated Liu Qianqian before, once Liu Qianqian became an official’s wife she definitely wouldn’t easily forgive Zhao Lixia. To prevent future misfortune, it was still best to marry Liu Qianqian into the Li family of Xinghua Village.
“Liu Qianqian, you little slut, ogling a man in broad daylight. I’ve wasted my efforts raising you all these years,” scolded Zhao Lixia.
Exposed on the spot by Zhao Lixia, Liu Qianqian’s face immediately turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
The villagers’ gazes all shifted to Liu Qianqian.
Among the crowd, Chen Dahe angrily clenched his fists.
Liu Qianqian was the woman he had his eyes on, yet now she was making eyes at Yan Xiaosi. He suddenly felt his head was a stretch of green grassland.
Though his head felt cuckolded, he didn’t dare make trouble for Yan Xiaosi. He could only clench his fists to vent his anger.
“Mother, how can you say that about me?” Liu Qianqian said angrily, stomping her feet and running off crying.
In front of the crowd, Zhao Lixia hurled abuse at her retreating back, “You little slut, acting loose with a man yourself yet afraid of others talking!”
Yan Xiaosi used her pinky to dig out her ears, really not fond of listening to Zhao Lixia and Liu Qianqian bicker.
“Madam Village Chief, is there anything else?” she asked.
Zhao Lixia shifted her gaze from Liu Qianqian and looked somewhat blankly at Yan Xiaosi.
“Huh?”
Yan Xiaosi said, “Madam Village Chief, you’re blocking my way. If there’s nothing else, please move aside. My family need to go back up the mountain.”
If it were before, Zhao Lixia would have certainly picked a fight with Yan Xiaosi for speaking like this. But thinking Yan Xiaosi had gained favor with a nobleman from the capital, she could only swallow her anger and move aside.
“Xiaosi, I went to the mountain cave this morning and couldn’t find any of you. So you’ve already come down the mountain.”
Early that morning, Tian Dazuang had gotten up early and gone to Four Sisters Mountain to look for them. Not finding anyone in the cave, he had rushed down the mountain.
Yan Xiaosi laughed. “That’s right, we went to the county court last night.”
Hearing they went to the county court last night, Tian Dazhuang’s heart clenched anxiously.
He walked to Yan Xiaosi and nervously grabbed her hand. “Xiaosi, why did you go to the county court? Did the county magistrate make things difficult for you?”
“Brother Dazhuang, don’t worry. We went to the county court to see a noble.”
Seeing Yan Xiaosi and the others unharmed, Tian Dazhuang relaxed.
Releasing Yan Xiaosi’s hand, he asked Ms. Zhong, “Auntie Yan, it’s still early. Are you still going to the market?”
Looking at the sky, Ms. Zhong saw there was still ample time. Going to Daxing Town’s market now would be fine.
“I do want to go, but there are still some things in the mountain cave,” she said.
Yan Xiaosi knew Ms. Zhong meant those hairpins.
They had agreed to set up a stand at Daxing Town today to sell the fur ball hairpins, so they had to go to the cave to fetch them.
“That’s easy to handle. I’ll go get them. Mom, eldest sister, second sister, third sister, wait for me at the broken straw temple. I’ll be quick,” Yan Xiaosi said before leaving without waiting for their reply.
After leaving Shaoyao Village, she dashed like the wind. Thanks to cultivating spiritual power, walking mountain paths now felt somewhat lighter than before. Another reason was being full from the hearty county court meal that morning gave her ample energy.
Climbing the mountain, taking the hairpins, then descending and walking to the broken-down rear temple only took her half an hour.
“Auntie Yan, that’s too much firewood for one ox cart load. Going back and forth would waste time,” Tian Dazhuang was discussing loading the cart with Ms. Zhong at the straw temple.
The firewood had originally been stockpiled by Ms. Zhong for the coming winter. Now with no need for it, they could only take it to Daxing Town’s market to sell. There were over ten bundles total, too much for one ox cart load.
Hearing Tian Dazhuang, Ms. Zhong and the Yan sisters were worrying when Yan Xiaosi walked over and said, “Just load what you can. Brother Dazhuang, you can carry the rest back home to burn.”
Firewood wasn’t scarce, so laboring to take it to Daxing Town to sell wouldn’t earn more than a few copper coins. Better to give the rest to the Tian family.
Ms. Zhong and the sisters didn’t object.
Although Ms. Wang had a vicious tongue, her son Tian Dazhuang was kindhearted. Over the years, he had taken care of Xiaosi quite often.
“Dazhuang, on your way back, help your mother carry the remaining firewood home,” said Ms. Zhong.
Tian Dazhuang looked somewhat embarrassed at Ms. Zhong. “Aunt Yan, how could I accept that? My mother took your ten copper coins. How could we still take your firewood?”
Ms. Zhong smiled. “We live up the mountain now so we don’t lack firewood. Better to give it to your family than leave it here to rot.”
Only then did Tian Dazhuang accept it.
“Aunt Yan, Xiaosi, Qin’er, it’s gotten late. Hurry and get on the cart. I’ll take you to Daxing Town.”
Tian Dazhuang drove the cart while Ms. Zhong, Yan Xiaosi, Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuyun sat in the cart behind. With no space left, Yan Shuqin sat with Tian Dazhuang at the front.
The ox cart’s load was a bit much so it moved rather slowly, rocking and jolting on the bumpy muddy path after leaving the village.
When they neared Daxing Town, the cart suddenly shook violently. Ms. Zhong, Yan Xiaosi and the others quickly grabbed the firewood bundles to steady themselves. Yan Shuqin had nothing to hold onto and tilted into Tian Dazhuang.
Tian Dazhuang kept one hand on the ox reins and used the other to support her.
“Sister Qin, are you alright?”
Feeling his big, strong hand supporting her, Yan Shuqin felt as if she had found something to lean on.
