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Before any actual action could take place, the increasing clamor approached from a distance.
In no time, a group of people flooded into the courtyard.
“It’s these troublemakers causing a ruckus here and trying to damage the kiln!” Jiang Chunyu shouted.
Seeing a person on the ground and the attendants advancing towards Jiang Mixia and Zhu Yongwu, it was clear that a physical altercation had begun. The villagers, witnessing this, grew incensed, their eyes turning red with fury. Armed with shovels, wooden sticks, hoes, and more, they swiftly joined the fray.
“Who are these brats, coming to stir up trouble in Jiang’s Village?”
“No need for idle chatter. They dared to lay hands on us in Jiang’s Village. We must show them our strength.”
“Exactly! They shouldn’t think we’re pushovers in Jiang’s Village!”
Amidst the villagers’ clamor, their actions spoke louder as they engaged in the scuffle.
The courtyard outside the kiln instantly erupted with chaos.
Although the attendants possessed some fighting skills and often had the upper hand in instigating trouble, facing off against the villagers who fought without regard for technique, they found themselves at a disadvantage. The villagers’ unorthodox approach to combat resulted in the attendants sustaining numerous blows.
After the scuffle, all the attendants lay on the ground, holding their heads, too afraid to make a move.
“Where’s your leader? Let him come out and face me!” Chai Fa shouted towards the villagers, pulling one of the attendants in front of him as a shield.
“Do you need something from me?” Jiang Zhengxin adjusted the wooden stick in his hand.
Chai Fa hesitated.
Seemingly, this was the one who had fought back the hardest.
But since he was Jiang Zhengxin, the situation was more straightforward.
Struggling to climb out from the heap of attendants, Chai Fa straightened his robe, now dirtied and stained with traces of blood. “I’ll have you know we are from the Chai family! If you dare lay a hand on me, you’ll regret it!”
“I don’t care if you’re from the Chai family or the Fire family. If you cause trouble in Jiang’s Village, you won’t leave here unscathed!”
With attempts at coercion and forceful dealings now targeting Jiang’s Village, Jiang Zhengxin knew that if he didn’t intervene, the villagers might not have the support they needed to protect their community’s assets.
“No more nonsense. Get lost and don’t dirty our village’s land any further!”
“Scram, you bunch of troublemakers! Just looking at you makes everything feel dirty!”
“….”
With Jiang Zhengxin taking charge, the villagers united against the intruders, wielding their shovels, hoes, and tools with even more determination.
Seeing the situation turn, Chai Fa and his group began to cry out and scurry away in fear, realizing the villagers were after them. Chai Fa attempted to shout something, but the villagers singled him out as the leader and focused their retaliation on him. Terrified, Chai Fa ran faster than anyone else, leading the retreat out of Jiang’s Village.
“You bunch of troublemakers, don’t let me catch you here again!”
“If you dare return to our village, we’ll break your legs!”
“Disgraceful!”
Chai Fa and his companions ran far away, with the villagers even spitting on the ground as they departed.
“It’s done! It’s almost noon; let’s all head home for lunch. After the effort we put in, we should eat well at noon!” Jiang Zhengxin called out.
“Tomorrow, I’ll bring meat for everyone. In the fall, we need to fatten up!” Jiang Mixia added.
With everyone rallying to protect the kiln and support each other, they all had to show unity and understanding.
Upon hearing this, the villagers grinned widely, exchanging playful banter.
“Talking about meat makes me feel strong all over!”
“I’ll eat less today to save room for tomorrow’s meat!”
“Look at you, have you been holding back on the meat all this time?”
“Hehe, meat always tastes so good…”
With laughter and banter, the crowd dispersed, heading back to their respective homes.
Jiang Mixia, Zhu Yongwu, and their companions returned to the kiln to tidy up after the recent chaos. While the villagers had been cautious, some things were still damaged and needed attention.
Jiang Zhengxin headed home for a meal, walking slowly with his hands behind his back.
Chai, Chai…
Earlier, that Chai Fa claimed they were from the Chai family.
Were there any influential individuals with the surname Chai nearby? Not that he could recall.
Scratching his head, Jiang Zhengxin shrugged off the thought. Well, regardless, Jiang Mixia would be distributing pork in the village tomorrow. It would be another day of envy and admiration from neighboring villages as the aroma of meat wafted through the air, shining a positive light on Jiang Zhengxin as the village leader.
Chuckling to himself, Jiang Zhengxin entered his courtyard.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mixia, Zhu Yongwu, Jiang Chunyu, and Zhu Guangtai began working at the kiln’s outer courtyard.
Shortly after, Jiang Xiaoxing arrived with two large food containers.
“Join me for a meal here, Xiao Xia. I brought plenty of food, and since you’re alone at home, you don’t need to cook again,” Jiang Xiaoxing set the table.
Today, Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi were heading to Deyin Temple to offer incense. Xun Yuanbai wanted to visit too, to deliver two pots of herbs to the temple and decided to bring along Song Jingyun.
The excuse was the delicious food served at Deyin Temple. If Song Jingyun hadn’t tried it yet, it would be a shame.
Given the prospect of tasty food, Song Jingyun was intrigued. However, considering his wife hadn’t gone, he felt hesitant.
Ultimately, Xun Yuanbai persuaded and dragged him onto the ox cart.
Additionally, with Jiang Mixia asking him to fetch a protective amulet, Song Jingyun agreed and went along.
Consequently, Jiang Mixia was left alone at home today.
“I’ll stay here and enjoy a meal,” Jiang Mixia’s stomach rumbled with hunger, and seeing the ample dishes brought by Jiang Xiaoxing, she accepted without hesitation.
Hot noodles, spicy chicken stir-fry, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, vinegar-glazed baby bok choy, and a winter melon soup with pure shrimp extracted from small river prawns – all prepared by Jiang Xiaoxing, showcasing her excellent culinary skills.
The winter melon shrimp soup, with just the right amount of salt and slow-cooked to perfection, exuded the fragrant essence of winter melon along with the freshness of the river shrimp…
Jiang Mixia savored two full bowls of it.
“Sister would love this. I’ll set up another shrimp trap in the river and catch more,” Jiang Chunyu remarked with a smile.
“Sounds good,” Jiang Mixia nodded, then playfully eyed Jiang Chunyu, “Impressive, catching shrimp now?”
“If we can’t spear the fish, at least we can scoop up some shrimp,” Jiang Chunyu pouted, scratching his head. “It’s quite strange. The fish seem elusive, almost supernatural, but the shrimp keep coming in basket after basket…”
Enough of that. No need to dwell on it.
As Sixth Sister had said, “When lost in the east, one may find it in the mulberry grove.” Jiang Chunyu understood this now – if they couldn’t spear fish, they could still catch shrimp.
By evening, Jiang Youcheng, Liu Shi, Song Jingyun, and Xun Yuanbai returned home, laden with a variety of goods – food, trinkets, and various symbols for protection, wealth, and fertility.
“This one is for safety, this is for wealth, and this for fertility…” Song Jingyun proudly displayed each item to Jiang Mixia.
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