Chapter 112
112 Court
Madam Huang saw He Xiaoyu rush home with red eyes, return to her room and close the door with a bang. She was furious and roared at Butcher He, “Look, it’s all because you’ve spoiled her. Isn’t it up to her parents to find a girl? She doesn’t want so many good people, but she wants a servant.”
Butcher He looked at Madam Huang angrily. “I haven’t scolded you yet! Didn’t you like that Chen Baozhen in the past? You jumped around from day to night and were only short of getting the engagement. Why aren’t you saying anything now? If you despise him for being a servant, he might not even take a fancy to your family.”
“How dare a servant like him despise my family? You must be crazy!” Madam Huang rushed in front of Butcher He. Butcher He widened his eyes and looked at Madam Huang. Seeing that the two of them were about to fight, He Tiezhu stood at the side and threw the wicker basket in his hand to the ground with a bang. “Can’t the two of you stop arguing and talk nicely? You’re causing trouble in the house every day.”
“Little brat, your wings have hardened! You dare to shout at your father and mother?” Butcher He rolled up his sleeves and walked towards his son. As he walked, he winked. When He Tiezhu saw this, he turned around and walked out. “If you want to hit me, come and chase me!”
The father and son left one after another. Butcher He chuckled and said to He Tiezhu, “Isn’t your father afraid of your mother? Let’s not stoop to the level of women.”
He Tiezhu rolled his eyes. “Mind your own business. Don’t think about causing trouble.”
Butcher He slapped He Tiezhu’s back. “Oh! You’re still so energetic.” He Tiezhu was hit. He turned around and made a face at Butcher He before running away.
Seeing that the two of them had slipped away, Madam Huang walked to He Xiaoyu’s door and said, “Wretched girl, let me tell you, you better give up on that thought to marry that servant of the Zhou family as soon as possible. If you want him, you’ll have to die.”
He Xiaoyu shouted from inside the house, “Save your breath! I’ve asked him and he doesn’t like me. Are you happy now?!”
Madam Huang pursed her lips. “It’s good that he doesn’t like you! Hurry up and get to work. Zhaodi came to look for you and said that she wanted to rush the goods.”
“Ruyi, just you wait. Let’s see how long you can avoid me.” He Xiaoyu wiped her tears and got up. She dragged her shoes out and washed her face.
Li Yu and Zhou Jia strolled around the city. They found a restaurant, ate a meal, and went to the Teacher Temple to burn incense. Then, they went to the Gong Courtyard to take a look before slowly returning home.
In the blink of an eye, it was the eighth day of the new year. Just after noon, Li Yu packed the things she had prepared into the examination basket. There were spices, chrysanthemum mint tea, and a set of thin sweater pants. There were two oil cloths, dried meat, tea oil noodles, noodles, charcoal, a small mud stove, and a small copper basin.
Zhou Jia smiled as he watched Li Yu pack the things one by one. When he brought them to the cart, Ji Xiang drove the cart with Li Yu to send Zhou Jia to the Teacher Temple. The cart couldn’t enter, so the two of them got out of the cart and asked Ji Xiang to wait in the alley. They then strolled towards the tribute courtyard.
Zhang Guisheng stared at the smiling woman who squeezed past him. His eyes widened as he muttered to himself, “Li Yu, she’s also here in Tongzhou?”
“Guisheng, what’s the matter?” Zhang Defa, who was carrying a test basket on his back, turned around and asked.
Zhang Guisheng pointed at Li Yu and Zhou Jia in the crowd. “Li Yu and the others are also here in Tongzhou. They seem to be doing well.”
Zhang Defa pretended not to care and said, “Who cares! Your exam is more important.”
Li Yu and Zhou Jia squeezed toward the entrance of the tribute courtyard. Li Yu advised Zhou Jia, “Relax and don’t give yourself pressure. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Zhou Jia shook Li Yu’s hand. “Got it. Wait for me outside without worry.”
Li Yu nodded. She watched as Zhou Jia carried the examination basket and entered the courtyard. He waited in line to be checked and searched before entering the courtyard.
When Li Yu saw Zhou Jia entering the courtyard, she suddenly felt a little sore in her abdomen. Thinking that her period was coming, she hurriedly turned around to walk back.
Zhang Defa hid behind the notice wall outside the courtyard and secretly followed. He saw Li Yu rush to the alley beside the Teacher Temple. A moment later, a mule cart came out and Li Yu got into it and left.
Zhang Defa hurriedly followed behind the mule cart. Fortunately, there were many vehicles escorting the examination. After leaving the main street outside the Teacher Temple, there were fewer carts. Seeing that Ji Xiang had increased his speed, Zhang Defa hurriedly jumped onto a mule cart and followed the one in front.
“Alright, sit tight.” The coachman followed Ji Xiang to the shop on East Main Street and saw him stop the cart. Li Yu got out of the car and entered Zhou Ji’s tailor shop.
Zhang Defa watched Li Yu enter the shop and turned to ask the coachman, “How much?”
The coachman faced Zhang Defa. “Brother, ten copper coins.”
“It’s not that expensive.” The coachman rolled up his sleeves as soon as Zhang Defa finished speaking. Seeing his eyes widen, Zhang Defa could only take out the only money left in his pocket. After counting ten copper coins and handing them to the coachman, he walked forward.
Zhang Defa glanced sideways at Zhou Ji’s boutique. When he didn’t see Li Yu, he turned around and walked towards the alley beside the shop.
Li Yu came out of the shop and went to the shop next door to buy some cotton and fine cotton cloth. She hurried towards Osmanthus Lane.
Zhang Defa came out of the alley and chased after Li Yu.
When Li Yu was about to reach Osmanthus Lane, she suddenly felt that someone was following her. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around. She felt that she seemed to have seen Zhang Defa. Li Yu looked carefully, shook her head, and turned to enter Osmanthus Lane.
Zhang Defa hid behind two pedestrians. When he saw Li Yu enter the alley, he hurriedly followed her, but he couldn’t find her.
Zhang Defa looked around in frustration and saw that the courtyard door was closed. He could only turn around and walk back.
When he returned to the corner of the West City, he looked at his dilapidated straw shed and thought about the high walls and green tiles in Osmanthus Alley. His heart felt like it was scratched by a cat’s claw. That bitch had actually gotten better and better after the engagement was annulled. She had also fled to Tongzhou, but she still had the money to open a shop on East Street and even lived in Osmanthus Alley in the East City. Ever since they chased her away for Zhu Qiaoyu’s sake, his family had been declining. Could Zhu Qiaoyu be a prodigal jinx?
Chen Zhaodi returned with a basin of clothes. Seeing Zhang Defa standing at the door in a daze, she glanced at him and began to dry the clothes.
Zhang Defa said to Chen Zhaodi, “Come over. I have something to tell you.”
Chen Zhaodi put down the wooden basin and followed Zhang Defa into the house. Chen Zhaodi covered her nose and frowned. “It stinks. There’s a toilet here. What can’t you say at home? Why did you call me here?”
Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi and said, “Have you realized that ever since Zhu Qiaoyu married into our family, our family has been declining steadily? Nothing has gone according to our wishes. Could it be that there’s something wrong with Zhu Qiao Yu’s eight characters?”
When Chen Zhaodi heard this, she felt that Zhang Defa’s words coincided with what she had thought. She clapped her hands and said, “I’ve long suspected that. I think our son has probably married a jinx. Also! She’s been married for two years, but she hasn’t given birth yet. I think our family’s lineage is going to end in her hands.”
Zhang Defa’s face darkened. “If Guisheng can get promoted this time, I’ll definitely get him to divorce her.”
Chen Zhaodi pursed her lips. “Let’s talk about it when he gets it! We’re still relying on her father to support us now. He’s also a teacher at the academy now and we’re still holed up in this straw shed.”
Zhang Defa looked at the house in front of him gloomily. “Then let’s talk about it after the examination.”
The couple left one after another. Zhu Qiaoyu came out of the toilet with tears on her face and walked unsteadily towards her mother’s house.