Chapter 72 The Night Before

Ji Fangfang was in a very good mood today.

　　When she went out to clean the yard early in the morning, she saw Ye Annian and Jiang Zhu going up the mountain carrying baskets and baskets on their backs. She got interested and followed them with the baskets in hand.

　　I thought I could take the opportunity to be alone with Jiang Zhu for a while, but the two of them got together to pick hawthorns, said something derogatory to her, and then left.

　　She was so depressed at the time, but she didn't expect that when Jiang Zhu left, the hairpin on his head got hooked on the branch, but they didn't notice it at all.

　　Ji Fangfang's heart almost jumped out of her chest at that time. She pinched her sleeves tightly and forced herself not to look. Then she deliberately cast a few glances at Jiang Zhu, which really diverted their attention.

　　After Ye Anian and Jiang Zhu both left, she quietly picked up the hairpin, wiped it clean with her sleeve, and carefully wrapped it in the handkerchief she was wearing.

　　Originally, she had no intention of using the hairpin for anything. After agreeing to marry the little blacksmith in the town and giving her first night to the scholar Ye Ansong, she no longer thought about Jiang Zhu.

However, these two people always appeared in front of her eyes after she made a decision, as if on purpose.

　　She felt itchy in her heart, so she couldn't help but want to move forward.

　　After returning from the mountain, Tian Dahua and Father Ji had already gone to the fields.

　　Ji Fangfang held the wish-fulfilling hairpin and couldn't get enough of it. She waited until almost noon before wrapping the hairpin in a handkerchief, hiding it under the pillow in her room, and then went out to cook for her parents.

　　Even though it was still hot today, she didn't close the door and was just busy in the kitchen outside.

　　After lunch dinner was ready, Tian Dahua and Father Ji came back from the fields with hoes on their shoulders.

　　During lunch, Tian Dahua talked about her marriage to Zhang Zhenghe.

　　"Seeing that you are getting married in May next year, get some snacks for yourself and stop wandering around all the time."

　　Tian Dahua looked at her absent-minded look and felt bad: "It's okay to embroider the wedding dress at home, just calm down."

　　"Yes." Ji Fangfang picked the vegetables on the plate with chopsticks and agreed very perfunctorily.

　　"'Um' what 'um'?" Tian Dahua knocked her chopsticks on her hand, "Did you hear what I said?!"

　　"Oh, I know, I know." Ji Fangfang said impatiently.

　　"I really spoiled you!" Tian Dahua rolled her eyes angrily.

　　Father Ji, who was silent on the side, spoke up: "You should stop saying a few words. The child has agreed to get married. In just a few months, you let her relax."

　　"Why relax?! You don't know her, she has many evil intentions! Maybe she is still thinking about..."

　　Before Tian Dahua finished speaking, Ji Fangfang stood up and said, "Dad, Mom, I'm full."

　　After saying that, he turned around and went into his room.

　　I don't know if it was Father Ji's words that aroused her thoughts, but Ji Fangfang suddenly felt very unwilling.

　　Yes, how long can she stay in Crescent Village? She will get married in the town next May.

　　By then, I won't be able to come back a few times throughout the year, and I won't be able to see Jiang Zhu.

　　Thinking of this, the joy of getting that wishful hairpin today was completely gone.

　　Ji Fangfang bit her lip and her eyes darkened.

　　She is not willing to give in!

　　She was obviously the one who got to know Jiang Zhu first!

　　When Jiang Zhu brought his little medicine boy to the village, her mother had leg pain. For a period of time, she went to Jiang Zhu every day to get medicine for her mother.

　　Jiang Zhu treated her gently and politely, calling her Miss Ji. He also carefully told her what to avoid while taking medicine, and even visited her twice for consultation.

　　Ji Fangfang couldn't figure out why Jiang Langzhong, who was so kind to her at first, turned around and married Ye Anyian, a sick man.

　　He is no longer as gentle to himself as before. Although he still smiles, the words he speaks always hurt people's hearts.

　　Ji Fangfang sniffed, feeling more and more that it must be because of Ye Anyian.

　　She went back to her room and sat down on the bed.

　　Thinking of the wishful hairpin I got today, a thought suddenly came to my mind.

　　Jiang Zhu wears this hairpin every day, but now it suddenly appears on her hand. What does that mean?

If that bitch Ye Anyian knew that the two had a falling out, would he have a chance?

　　Now it's just an engagement, she still has a chance.

　　Thinking of this, Ji Fangfang's breathing became rapid. She reached out to touch under the pillow, but found nothing.

　　Her heart sank and she lifted up the pillow.

　　But there was nothing under the pillow, not to mention the hairpin, even her handkerchief was missing.

　　Ji Fangfang was so frightened that a layer of cold sweat formed on her back. Could it be that her mother found out and threw it away?

　　With his heart beating loudly, Ji Fangfang tightly squeezed the pillow that she had overturned.

　　No, it shouldn't be my mother's.

　　If Tian Dahua found out, he would definitely pull her out immediately and smash the hairpin in front of her.

　　It couldn't be her father. Her father was just a rake. If he were her father, he would definitely give it to her mother as soon as possible.

　　So, who could it be?

　　From the time she hid the hairpin to now, it had only been a short time since she had been cooking and eating at her own home.

　　During this period, there should be no one else coming in, right?

　　She thought about it, but couldn't come up with a result, and she didn't dare to show it anywhere, so she had to put the pillow back where it was.

　　"You girl!"

　　Tian Dahua's voice suddenly came from outside: "My handkerchief is thrown everywhere! There is no place for it at all. If I get married, I will be rejected by my husband's family!"

　　Ji Fangfang was stunned, but before she could react, Tian Dahua walked in from outside carrying her close-fitting handkerchief.

　　"Here you go!" Tian Dahua thrust the veil into her hand.

　　Ji Fangfang took the handkerchief, but was so smoked that she retched: "vomit...cough cough!"

　　"Mom, where did you find this veil?"

　　Tian Dahua rolled his eyes at her: "You were so careless that you didn't even know you dropped it on the chamber pot!"

　　Ji Fangfang:...

　　impossible!

　　How could she leave such an important thing on the chamber pot!

　　Moreover, where is the hairpin wrapped inside? !

　　But she didn't dare to ask, so she threw the veil aside and went out to search in the yard.

　　However, she searched almost every corner of the yard and couldn't find the hairpin.

　　Jiang Zhu's wish-fulfilling hairpin just disappeared out of thin air.

　　…

　　Ji Fangfang almost ransacked her house because of a hairpin.

　　On the other side, the copper coin that returned the hosta to its original owner was rewarded with a fragrant stewed chicken neck and two chicken feet.

　　Fu Zai was chewing a chicken leg in his mouth, staring at the chicken feet reluctantly.

　　The chicken feet are so delicious. Although they have a little more bones, they are soft and springy and especially fragrant.

　　After lunch, the sun was already setting in the west.

　　Today, because Fu Zai came back late and caused trouble about the copper coins, they didn't have food until half an afternoon.

After eating, Ye Anyian went back to the medicine house and continued to make Yan Jitu, while Jiang Zhu was preparing the newly picked herbs.

　　After Fu Zai fed the two little rabbits, he and Ding Qiu played with Luban Suo. Copper Coin was full of food today and lay lazily in the yard to bask in the sun.

　　In the past few days, after Ye Anda's day-to-day efforts, Yan Jitu was finally halfway completed.

　　Come to think of it, although he took orders from that young man twice, he only met him face to face once.

　　He didn't even know the young master's name or identity.

　　While Ye Anian was busy with the work at hand, he thought that he must have a good chat with the other party during this delivery.

　　This busy day finally passed, and it seemed that there was only one day left before Ye Xiaomei got married.

　　Ye Annian was worried that the Ye family was really unwilling to pay any dowry, so he went to the town with Jiang Zhu and bought a few things.

　　The large items were too eye-catching, so Ye Annian bought a sewing box, albizia quilt, a mandarin duck pillow, a bronze mirror, a comb, scissors, a washbasin, and two more boxes and cages to store them.

　　The two of them bought two boxes of things and came back. The news reached the Ye family, and Wu Xianglian was so angry that she had another heart attack.

　　She pointed at Ye Xiaomei who was busy in the kitchen and cursed: "You are lucky, you little bitch! Not only can you marry a cook in the town, but you can actually coax Brother Nian and the two of you to spend money for you!"

　　When Ye Xiaomei heard that Ye Annian and Jiang Zhu went to town and helped her buy things, her eyes were sore, and she secretly thought that she would have to repay this love when she got rich in the future.

　　Seeing that she didn't speak, Wu Xianglian rolled her eyes: "You are as boring as a gourd, but some people can take notice of her!"

　　On the night before Ye Xiaomei's wedding, Wu Xianglian seemed to be seriously ill. She ordered her to sweep the yard and wipe the table, cleaning inside and outside. She was still doing laundry in the courtyard in the middle of the night with a wooden basin.

　　Ye Quan knew that Wu Xianglian felt unhappy because she had lost money because she didn't ask for the gift money this time.

　　But as long as Wu Xianglian didn't do anything and just let her do some work, he wouldn't care.

　　Ye Xiaomei's dowry was indeed very shabby. Zhang Juan (second daughter-in-law, Ye Xiaomei's biological mother), with her big belly, rummaged through the wardrobe at home and found an old dark red coat and skirt. She dusted it off and hung it on the In the courtyard, give Ye Xiaomei something to wear when she gets married tomorrow.

　　This dress was the one she wore when she got married, and it was also leftover from her sister's clothes.

　　There were only two quilts in the house. She was reluctant to part with them, so she asked Wu Xianglian to turn over the tattered quilt at the bottom of the box and take it out. It was still patched and dusty.

　　Zhang Juan looked at it, but felt a little disgusted: "It's a marriage after all."

　　Wu Xianglian rolled her eyes at her: "What's wrong with getting married? She doesn't even have the money for a betrothal gift and she still wants a dowry?!"

　　"Then we can't really not bring any dowry, right?" Zhang Juan looked embarrassed, "The cook is coming to pick up the bride tomorrow, and we won't let the villagers laugh at it then."

　　"You don't need to worry about it." Wu Xianglian said, "You can pack up some needles and threads and wrap them up for her. For the big ones, your father-in-law and I will take care of them."

　　"Are there any big items?" Zhang Juan was stunned, but looking at Wu Xianglian's stingy look, she didn't believe that these old people were willing to buy anything big for Xiaomei.

　　Even if I add it, I'm afraid I'll have to get it back just to show off.

　　"It's done, don't worry about it," Wu Xianglian stretched out her hand to touch her swollen belly, "Your baby is a boy, so you have to take good care of it. Go to sleep quickly."

　　"Hey." Zhang Juan agreed, and without paying any more attention, she sent Wu Xianglian away and went to sleep on the kang.

　　In the courtyard, Ye Xiaomei finally finished washing the family's clothes.

　　She wiped the sweat from her forehead, stood up, wrung out the pieces one by one, and put them on the clothesline.

　　The lights in several rooms in the house have been turned off and everyone is asleep. Only the main room in the house is still lit by a weak candle.

　　Wu Xianglian was still awake and staring at her in the room.

　　Ye Xiaomei finished putting on the last piece of clothing. Although she was tired and sleepy, she still laughed.

　　The last night was almost here, and she was almost free.