You are unlucky and I am tough

Chapter 231 Climbing a high branch

After coming out of the peach forest, Zhao Xiuwen and his party strolled around the village. The villagers only dared to watch them from afar. These scholars from the city were dressed so well that most of them didn't even dare to say hello.

There was nothing much to entertain themselves with in the village, so Zhao Xiuwen took them to see the water-pressed well. The scholars played in the water for a while, and then went to the river to watch people catching loaches.

Loaches are very cunning and difficult to catch in this season. Four or five children aged eleven or twelve in the village worked for half a day and only caught six or seven, which just jumped around in a wooden barrel.

These scholars, who had never done any formal studies, found it interesting and came over to take a look.

A scholar said, "Loach tofu is the signature dish of Yixianlou, but there aren't many loaches this season, and they aren't plump enough. The loach supply is limited every day. I went there twice and didn't get to try it. The loaches in this bucket are quite plump."

"I prefer the braised loach from Wangjianglou."

"Soup is also good," Zheng Tu said. "It's fresh and delicious. Sometimes when I lose my appetite, I drink a bowl."

Cheng Caijun spoke again at this time, "If Brother Zheng likes it, you can take these loaches back with you."

The child who was touching loaches nearest to him heard his words, but no matter whether these people were scholars or not, he quickly washed his hands and went ashore, picked up the wooden barrel and put it on the opposite side.

Cheng Caijun felt embarrassed when he saw the boy's attitude. He coughed and said, "You are Uncle Wu's Xiaowu, right? Don't get me wrong. I mean to buy your loaches and give them to my classmate."

Wu Xiaowu shook his head. "I'm not selling them. I'm going to take them back to make soup for my mother to nourish her body."

The other people who were catching loaches with him were all called by him to help. His mother was about to give birth, and the village doctor Wang said that it would be dangerous for her to give birth as she was old, so she must take good care of her health and drinking loach soup would be beneficial.

Cheng Caijun took out his wallet and said, "You only have a little over a pound. Is twenty coins enough for me?"

Wu Xiaowu looked up at Cheng Caijun for a moment, then suddenly turned around, climbed up the bank, picked up the wooden bucket, and said to the others in the river, "You guys keep searching, I'll take these back home first."

After saying that, he picked up the wooden barrel and ran away, as if he was afraid that his things would be stolen.

Cheng Caijun's face froze, and the group of scholars were also a little embarrassed.

"Why did you run away? If you don't want to sell it, then don't sell it. We won't steal it." A scholar said.

A woman washing things upstream, who had argued with Hu Chunhua a few days ago, scoffed at the situation and said, "If you don't run away, are you waiting for someone to come home and complain and ask for help to rob you?"

"Stop your nonsense, you gossipy woman." Cheng Caijun's face turned grim. "I just asked if he was willing to sell it. When did he want to snatch it away?"

"Everyone in the village knows your mother is the most shameless shrew," the woman said quietly. "Even if her son couldn't get the stars he wanted, she would just curse the stars for not falling into his arms. If she knew her son couldn't buy loaches, she would have gone to the Wu family's door to make a scene."

After saying that, the woman rolled her eyes at Cheng Caijun and left with her things.

Except for Zhao Xiuwen, the other scholars looked at Cheng Caijun with strange eyes.

Cheng Caijun's face turned pale. "Don't listen to the gossips of the village women. My mother is the most gentle person. If you don't believe me, come to my house and have a cup of tea."

Zhao Xiuwen didn't want to invite him home, but since he was a guest and had been away for so long, he had to give him a cup of tea. So he said, "Let's go to Brother Caijun's house and ask Brother Mingli to come along."

When these people entered the village, Cheng Mingli had just received some relatives from his home, so he did not come out with them.

When passing by Cheng Lizheng's house, Zhao Xiuwen went in and called Cheng Mingli out, and together they went to Cheng Caijun's house as guests.

Hu Chunhua went out to entertain the guests, pretending to be a loving mother. Except for Cheng Xiaohe who was asked to change clothes, everyone else in the family was warned to stay in the house and not go out.

Especially Bai Xiuqin, who is more than eight months pregnant. If Cheng Caijun knew that her brother was having an affair with a village widow and keeping her at home, she would be very embarrassed. She would not allow such a thing to happen.

The courtyard of Cheng Caijun's house is quite large, but very simple. The scholars are a little uncomfortable with it but have no choice. They sit in the courtyard and talk about the students who have passed the exam and will be enrolled in the academy at the end of the month.

Zhao Xiuwen was the top candidate and he could go to any academy in the city he wanted, and he was exempt from tuition fees. However, these scholars all assumed that he would go to Yunhe Academy.

Zhao Xiuwen was indeed going to Yunhe Academy, which was why he did not choose the academy when he first came here.

A group of scholars were talking outside. In the main hall, Hu Chunhua pulled Cheng Xiaohe, who had just changed her clothes and had a hairpin on her hair, over and asked her to take the tea out and pour it for the scholars outside.

Hu Chunhua went to the county to buy the clothes specially when she attended the old scholar's housewarming party last time.

What she always wanted was to wait until her son passed the imperial examination and the people he dated were different, so that her daughter could find a better partner.

Now that her dream has come true, the first thing she did was to push her daughter out. Hu Chunhua was confident that her daughter was good-looking, and as long as she could win over someone, she could marry into a wealthy family in the city, and maybe even become the wife of an official's son.

Cheng Xiaohe is fifteen years old this year. She is really pretty and lovely. She is wearing a pink double-breasted waist-length skirt and nervously opens the door to go out with tea in her hand.

It was because I was too nervous and didn't pay attention to my feet. Before I took a few steps out of the door, I kicked the small stool with my foot and fell out.

She screamed, and the tray in her hand flew out.

With a clang, the entire teapot fell to the ground and shattered, and the tea splashed all over the ground. Zheng Tu and the other three scholars who were sitting near the main hall were all affected.

The ground in the yard was muddy, and the hems of their clothes were splashed with mud.

Cheng Caijun was so frightened that his face turned pale. He stood up and went to check. He glared at Cheng Xiaohe who was getting up from the ground and apologized quickly, "Master Zheng, my sister grew up in the countryside and has never seen much of the world. I hope you won't hold it against her for this unintentional mistake."

Cheng Xiaohe's lips trembled, and she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a word. Her legs went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground.

If these people got angry, her mother would definitely beat her to death.

She stammered, "Yes, yes... I'm sorry, sir. I'm clumsy. I... I didn't mean it."

Her voice was tearful and her eyes were filled with tears, which flowed down her cheeks as she finished speaking.

Zheng Tu was very concerned about his image, and his clothes were soiled, so he looked very unhappy. But when he looked up and saw the little girl crying with tears in her eyes, his expression relaxed.

"Forget it." Zheng Tu said slowly, "Go get some water to clean me up."

Cheng Xiaohe nodded and hurried to fetch water. Hu Chunhua, who was almost angry to death, saw that things seemed to have taken a turn for the better and continued to hide in the house.

Noticing the change in Zheng Tu's expression, Cheng Caijun was immediately delighted and stopped apologizing humbly.

Cheng Mingli frowned and was about to point out that what Zheng Tu had just said was inappropriate, but was stopped by Cheng Caijun.

"Brother Mingli, my teapot is broken. Come with me to your house to borrow another one." Cheng Caijun pulled him out.

Cheng Xiaohe hurried to the kitchen to get a basin of water, put it on the ground, squatted down, picked up the expensive silk fabric at the bottom of Zheng Tu's clothes with one hand, and gently wiped it with a wet towel.

The other scholars at the same table had different expressions and smiles on their faces.

Zhao Xiuwen watched coldly, and seeing that Zheng Tu's attention was now on Cheng Xiaohe and he kept looking at her, he shook his head slightly.