Chapter 10

After hiding the money, Hao Cheng began preparing dinner for herself. She was happy because she had received a large sum of money. On her way back, she deliberately bought a small bucket of river shrimp and half a pound of ribs at the village entrance to treat herself to a big meal.

She took out the dried bean curd she had soaked before leaving and cut it into small pieces of the same length. Adding a small spoonful of salt, she set the bowl of bean curd aside.

The stove was boiling with water, and the ribs had been prepared by the butcher, so she just needed to rinse them with clean water before putting them in the pot.

Hao Cheng first blanched the ribs in the boiling water to remove any impurities, then added the chopped ribs and radish chunks to the pot.

Stewing the ribs would take some time, so she didn’t idle her hands. She first removed the claws, antennae, and legs of the river shrimp. After cleaning the shrimp, she sliced the lotus root into evenly thick slices and added some minced meat cut from the ribs to stir-fry in a pan.

After stir-frying the lotus root and some green vegetables, she drained the saltwater from the bean curd and mixed it cold. She lifted the lid of the pot to check on the ribs and added a small spoonful of salt. After cleaning the stove, she calculated that it was almost time to start the final dish of stir-fried river shrimp.

The advantage of ancient times was that the food was basically pure and pollution-free. The fragrance of scallions mixed with the aroma of river shrimp wafted from Hao’s small kitchen all the way outside.

Jiang Mengzhen sniffed and felt hungry. He looked at the brightly lit and warm house and, with a thought, kicked a pebble onto the threshold of the Dong family’s house.

The stone made a loud noise, and a middle-aged man stuck his head out. He was the husband of the Dong family’s lady.

He had initially wanted to see which naughty kid was throwing stones, but when he didn’t see any, he was attracted by the man outside the Hao family’s fence. The young man was a stranger, standing there properly. He looked decent but somewhat weak, clearly not capable of doing farm work.

A new person always aroused curiosity, especially for a man who naturally had a gossiping heart. So the husband of the Dong family took a few steps and stopped caring about the stone.

He leaned on the low wall and struck up a conversation with this unfamiliar face: “You’re a guest at her house, right? Why are you standing outside and not going in?”

He could smell the fragrance of Hao Cheng’s cooking now. Since Hao Cheng was about to have dinner, it didn’t make sense for the guest to delay going in.

Jiang Mengzhen raised his head to look at the husband of the Dong family, then lowered his head timidly and said softly, “My family over there encountered trouble. I came to seek refuge with my aunt, but it seems like my aunt isn’t at home. Yesterday, I fell from the mountain and got injured. My cousin saved me, but my aunt has been absent, and she can’t decide whether to let me stay.”

The husband of the Dong family was straightforward and warm-hearted, and he became a bit impatient. He said, “What do you mean your aunt isn’t here? Your aunt and her husband had a disaster some time ago. You won’t be able to wait for them.”

Jiang Mengzhen’s small cloth bundle fell to the ground in shock. He looked stunned and choked up, “What are you saying?! What happened to my aunt and uncle?”

The husband of the Dong family patted his own mouth, obviously annoyed with himself, “Look at me blabbering. Don’t be too sad. It’s been several months since it happened. The Hao family now only has Hao Cheng left. Although this child is said to be a scholar, being all alone is still pitiful.”

Upon learning that his “aunt” and “uncle” were really gone, Jiang Mengzhen looked sad, and his eyes immediately turned red. He picked up the small bundle from the ground and turned to leave.

The husband of the Dong family hurriedly stopped him, “It’s almost dark now. As a young man with injuries, it’s not safe to go out alone. There are wild animals coming out in the mountains nearby at night. It’s really not safe.”

Jiang Mengzhen was stopped in his tracks by the husband of the Dong family and hesitantly said, “But my aunt’s house now only has my cousin. She’s all alone, and if I stay, it might cause gossip.”

The husband of the Dong family grabbed him, “Silly child, why worry about that? You are relatives. You came to seek refuge with them after a disaster, not to mention your cousin saved you. There’s no reason why you can’t stay.”

He asked the young man, “Let me ask you, how old are you today? Are you married?”

Jiang Mengzhen lied with his eyes wide open, “I’m twenty-three and have never been married.”

“Well, that’s good. Maybe you can be matched with Hao Cheng,” the husband of the Dong family said with a pause, “You two can live in separate rooms. You’re not unseemly people, so there’s nothing to worry about. In our countryside, it’s not like those strict high-class households. Where would there be so many rules? If you encounter any gossipers, just ignore them.”

In the state of Jin Kingdom, men and women were not as strict as Hao Cheng thought. Among the common people, there were even fewer rules.

“But…” Jiang Mengzhen still hesitated, pondered for a moment, and then turned to leave, “I’ll go.”

“Where are you going!” The husband of the Dong family grabbed him and said, “Can you stay? I’ll go in with you and ask!”

The husband of the Dong family pulled Jiang Mengzhen without hesitation and shouted, “Hao Cheng! Hao Cheng!”

Hao Cheng stuck her head out from the house, “Uncle Dong, I’m here. What’s going on?”

“Your cousin came to seek refuge with you, and you just left him outside!”

Hao Cheng placed the river shrimp, already fried to a dry and slightly wrinkled state, in a nearby plate, arranged in the shape of a flower.

She then drizzled a circle of bright green chopped scallions on top before saying with a smirk, “Cousin?”

“Yes, isn’t he your cousin?”

Hao Cheng said to herself. She had mentioned to a doctor about the distant cousin she had saved, and Jiang Mengzhen had overheard it when he first woke up. In this small town, there were only a few doctors, and news spread easily. Jiang Mengzhen seized on this point and was convinced that she wouldn’t reveal his secret.

Hao Cheng’s heart wasn’t that cold after all. Her eyes shimmered as she confirmed, “Yes, he’s my cousin.”

“Hey, Dong Dad, I’m starving if you don’t cook soon!” The loud voice of the Dong family’s wife sounded again.

“You go ahead and boil the water, I’ll be right there!” It was a bit regrettable not to see the fun. The husband of the Dong family pushed open Hao Cheng’s courtyard gate and pushed Jiang Mengzhen. “You handle your family affairs yourself. I need to go cook.”

The latter stumbled into Hao Cheng’s yard. Hao Cheng stood at the door and watched him. When the Dong family’s door closed, she turned and went into her own house.

In early autumn, the sky darkened early, and it was twilight, with scattered stars and a faint yellow crescent moon making the surrounding stars dim.

Smoke rose from the chimneys in the village, and Hao Cheng remained silent. Jiang Mengzhen stood in the yard, not moving at all.

Hao Cheng sat at the dining table and ate. The dishes in front of her were delicious, with fragrant rice, shrimp, and rib soup emitting steaming heat, tempting anyone who looked at them.

She started to peel the shrimp, and after finishing the meal, she washed the dishes as usual.

Jiang Mengzhen in the yard was starving, and he looked at the bright light inside the house. He even imagined Hao Cheng eating.

The way a scholar ate was not as elegant as those noble ladies, but it made people feel that eating was a very happy thing. It seemed like she was eating some delicious delicacies, making anyone watching unable to resist taking a few more bites.

He waited for a long time, and dew had formed on the grass in the yard, and the dim light in the house had darkened. Still, he didn’t wait for the soft-hearted scholar.

If it didn’t work out, he would find another way tomorrow. However, Jiang Mengzhen trusted his judgment and his ability to judge people. His decisions had never been wrong.

When he was hungry, thirsty, cold, and tired, Hao Cheng finally came out of the house with an oil lamp.

She had originally been preparing to sleep, but the moonlight shining into the house, seeing a lone figure, made her unable to sleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.

She walked to the window, and there was the seemingly weak but extremely stubborn young man leaning against the wall because of the chilly night breeze. He kept nodding his head, clutching a small bundle, looking like a pitiful little lamb without a sense of security.

Well, if this person fainted from a fever in her yard, she would still be responsible for him. So she decided to take him in for one night. Anyway, she was going to find a new house in town tomorrow and move in a few days later.

As soon as she appeared in front of Jiang Mengzhen, he woke up. As soon as the words “savior” came out, Hao Cheng asked him, “What’s your name?”

“Mengzhen, Son of Meng, from Qin Zhen.” Jiang Mengzhen spoke without thinking.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“But I heard you say twenty-three just now.”

“Being twenty-eight and unmarried is a bit strange.”

Being twenty-eight years old was already pressured for marriage in modern times, let alone ancient times. Twenty-eight-year-old unmarried men were inevitably labeled as having hidden illnesses or major flaws, Hao Cheng understood. “So you’re unmarried?”

“No, she died years ago.” Jiang Mengzhen said lightly. There were many rumors about widowers, so he wouldn’t reveal his situation to enthusiastic people. Even to Hao Cheng, whom he trusted, he only spoke half-truths.

He was even more cautious than she had thought. Hao Cheng pondered for a moment after asking, then went into the house. She left the door open, but no one came in. She poked her head out impatiently and said, “Why don’t you come in?”

It was within his expectations, but Jiang Mengzhen still showed great joy on his face. After waiting for a while, Hao Cheng’s impatience grew evident on her face.

Seeing her expression, Jiang Mengzhen hurriedly said, “Wait, benefactor, don’t close the door. My feet are numb.”