Chapter 15 Waiting for Cousin to Come and Redeem Him

Chapter 15 Waiting for Cousin to Come and Redeem Him

With something on his mind, Pei Wu woke up early. A few stars were faintly visible in the sky, and the sound of roosters crowing mingled with the whistling wind. Pei Wu got out of bed, quietly opened the door, and went to the next room.

The roof collapsed, and cold wind kept pouring into the house, turning it into a complete ruin. The room was a mess from the rain, with wooden blocks lying haphazardly on the ground, mixed with mud, a sight that was a headache to behold.

The sun came out yesterday, which managed to dry some of the moisture in the room, but the corners of the room were still damp and gloomy.

Pei Wu cleared the wooden blocks out of the room and swept away the trash with a broom, making the room much more spacious. He only needed to lay some straw in the corner to sleep there without having to move the bed.

However, he didn't have enough straw to start a fire at home, so he had to borrow some from the villagers.

As for the roof, he can only find someone to repair it. It rains a lot in the summer, and every rain in Jinzhou is very heavy. If it is not repaired, he will have to move back to the neighbor's house when it rains again.

As he was pondering, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Jiang Ru was standing outside, rubbing her eyes, her voice still groggy: "What are you doing standing in the room so early in the morning? You startled me."

Pei Wu hadn't expected her to get up so early. He subconsciously looked up at the sky. It was just getting light, and the light was penetrating through the clouds. The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated. Logically speaking, Jiang Ru shouldn't have woken up yet at this time.

Pei Wu paused for a moment, then felt guilty: "Did I wake you up?"

Jiang Ru shook her head: "No."

Pei Wu didn't know when she woke up. She only heard noises outside after waking up and thought that mice had entered the house, so she rushed over to check.

Pei Wu had tidied the room up spotlessly, but the large hole in the roof indicated that all his efforts had been in vain.

You can see the stars without looking up, the rain hits your face when it rains, and you can feel the northwest wind when it blows. Jiang Ru crossed her arms and said, "This roof needs to be repaired."

Pei Wu nodded and told Jiang Ru, "I plan to move back."

The absence of one room did indeed make Pei Wu's bedroom much more cramped. Ever since Jiang Ru moved in, she had wanted Pei Wu to hire someone to fix it, so she naturally agreed: "If you want to move, then move."

She wasn't fully awake yet; her eyes were half-closed, and her expressionless face made Pei Wu hesitate. He tentatively asked, "Are you still angry?"

Jiang Ru, leaning against the door, was feeling sleepy. Upon hearing this, she slowly looked up and said, "Ah."

Pei Wu felt last night that Jiang Ru was being difficult with him because he wouldn't let her into the room. He thought Jiang Ru must still be angry with him, and even after a whole night, her attitude towards him remained lukewarm.

Pei Wu explained, "I'm not saying you can't come into the room, it's just..."

He spoke with a hidden meaning, assuming Jiang Ru would understand. But Jiang Ru was the type who least understood the unspoken implications of others' words, and continued to ask, "Just what?"

Pei Wu turned his head away: "If word gets out, it will affect your marriage prospects."

Jiang Ru frowned: "There are only the two of us here, how did word get out?"

Pei Wu's expression went blank for a moment. He really did consider this question. Heaven and earth knew, he knew, and Jiang Ru knew, but who could know that Jiang Ru had been in his room?

In the end, reason prevailed over Jiang Ru's fallacies, and Pei Wu insisted on his opinion: "You can't do this just because others don't know. There are no secrets that stay hidden forever."

He made it sound like Jiang Ru and he had done something shameful. Jiang Ru was in a good mood today and was even in the mood to argue with him. Seeing Pei Wu so indignant, she found it even more ridiculous: "What you're saying makes it sound like we're having an affair."

Pei Wu suddenly looked up. He had clearly intended to coax Jiang Ru not to be angry, but now Jiang Ru was not only not angry, but even said such shameless things. On the contrary, he was the one who was furious with Jiang Ru.

His face flushed red, his fists clenched, and he pursed his lips a few times before angrily telling Jiang Ru, "You can't say things like that anymore."

After he finished speaking, he walked to the door and closed it himself.

Jiang Ru: "There's nothing in the room, and you're still wary of me?"

Alas, I offered my sincere heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter. Pei Wu was far too distant; he didn't treat her like a cousin at all. Jiang Ru sighed and went to the courtyard to wash up.

The well water was coldest in the early morning. Jiang Ru was slow, but even after she had finished washing her face, Pei Wu was still hiding in the house and wouldn't come out.

Very well, it seems he just wants to avoid cooking. Jiang Ru glanced at the tightly closed door and held back.

The rice was cooked, but Pei Wu still hadn't come out. Jiang Ru couldn't take it anymore: "What are you hiding for? It's time to eat!"

Pei Wu finally opened the door. He glanced at the two bowls of porridge on the table and said indifferently, "You eat first."

In front of Jiang Ru, he filled a basin with water and then hid back inside the house.

Jiang Ru: "..."

Fortunately, Pei Wu returned to normal after the meal. They were going to plant millet today, so after breakfast, the two set off for the fields.

With the preliminary preparations completed, sowing is no longer so strenuous. Once the millet is planted, this first step is considered finished.

Pei Wusheng was obedient; he did whatever Jiang Ru asked him to do and worked very hard without slacking off. With his help, the work was quite efficient. Jiang Ru wiped the sweat from her forehead and reconciled with Pei Wusheng: "Cousin, you're amazing."

She noticed that every time she praised Pei Wu, Pei Wu would dig even harder. He couldn't help but praise her; he would get shy when Jiang Ru praised him, but it was clear that he liked it very much. With Jiang Ru's encouragement, he finished planting the millet in just one morning.

The midday sun was at its strongest, so they ate in a shaded spot they had previously set out to cool off, sharing the two steamed buns they had brought with them.

After finishing their lunch, the two returned the way they came. Jiang Ru, having worked hard all morning, seemed to be full of energy: "Pei Wu, when are you going to get the land back that you rented out? There's so little land, it's not enough to cultivate at all."

Pei Wu had no choice but to say, "Focus on doing what's in front of you well, and don't be too ambitious."

Jiang Ru thought to herself, "Once I've finished cultivating the land, even if you beg me to plant it, I won't. I'll just let you starve to death."

Thinking this, she walked with heavier steps, determined to let Pei Wu see her resentment.

Having slept well yesterday, Jiang Ru wasn't sleepy today. She nestled among the crowd, listening to Pei Wu finish reciting the poems they had learned that day. She quickly memorized them and passed Pei Wu's test.

Zhang Xingjun remembered that he was going to collect bird eggs, and he put a lot of effort into memorizing it. After he had memorized it perfectly, he asked Jiang Ru to go collect bird eggs with him.

Zhang Xingjun was accompanied by several of his friends, two boys, and Zhao Jing.

Zhao Jing was very reluctant. She followed behind Jiang Ru with difficulty, muttering, "You're going to climb trees again. Aunt Zhang will come and treat you to bamboo sticks later."

Aunt Zhang may seem kind, but she is actually quite strict with her son. Zhang Xingjun gets beaten every time, but he never learns his lesson.

Jiang Ru didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After all, she often climbed trees and rooftops when she was a child. What was taking bird eggs? Besides, bird eggs could be taken home and eaten, which was very nutritious.

She lowered her voice and asked Zhao Jing, "Why were you scolded?"

Zhao Jing said disdainfully, "Climbing trees will get your clothes dirty and tear them. Look at all the patches on his clothes, how many have they been patched up?"

Jiang Ru took a closer look and realized it was true; Zhang Xingjun's clothes were so worn that he could beg for food.

Jiang Ru, who had originally planned to have Zhang Xingjun climb the tree, hesitated for a moment before making up her mind: "How about I climb the tree instead?"

She was older, and even if her clothes got dirty, she could wash them herself, and she was skilled enough not to tear them.

Zhao Jing was speechless, not expecting Jiang Ru to join in the folly. She had no idea how much effort Jiang Ru, who had transmigrated, had put in just to get a taste of meat.

Soon, they arrived at the place Zhang Xingjun had mentioned. The tree was easy to climb, and Jiang Ru defied everyone's objections and climbed up first.

However, when she looked down, she found that Zhang Xingjun had also climbed up. The king of the kids would not allow anyone to challenge his position. In order to gain the admiration of his underlings, he had to take the lead and not let Jiang Ru take all the credit.

The bird's nest was perched on a tree branch, its base supported by a thick trunk. Dense green leaves and branches completely concealed the nest, making it difficult for Zhang Xingjun to spot it.

Jiang Ru climbed onto a branch on the side of the bird's nest and stood firm. She touched the edge of the nest and just as she lowered her head, she made eye contact with the parents bird inside.

The bird was gray, with dull gray feathers and white feathers on its chest. Its two round, black eyes watched Jiang Ru warily.

Looking at each other in bewilderment, the parents birds quickly realized that they were stealing eggs and angrily flapped their wings to peck at them.

Jiang Ru dodged a few times, but her arm was pecked a few times. The bird's beak was very hard, and it hurt her hand. She was flexible and could only choose to give up for now.

Zhang Xingjun was also pecked and cried out, frantically trying to escape downwards.

Unfortunately, they gave up, but the bird parents didn't give up the chase. To escape the bird parents, they had no choice but to retreat.

But the birds wouldn't give up. They knew not to peck at her clothes, but instead chased after Jiang Ru's face and hands, pecking at them. Afraid of disfiguring herself, Jiang Ru could only cover her face with her hands. Her hands were pecked hard twice. She quickly raised her hands, but her clothes got caught on a tree branch and ripped a hole in her sleeve.

Zhang Xingjun scrambled down the tree, and the birds finally stopped attacking, standing majestically by the nest and watching them.

Unlike Jiang Ru, Zhang Xingjun didn't know how to cover his face. His face was red from being pecked, and he was cursing loudly at the birds in the tree. When the birds saw this, they flew down from the tree to peck at him, and another chaotic scene ensued.

Jiang Ru didn't provoke the birds; she was worried about her hands, which were pecked red. She looked down at the red spots on her hands and blew on them twice in vain.

Zhao Jing also ran over to check on her injury. The girl looked distressed and said, "I told you a long time ago not to go, but you insisted on going."

Jiang Ru also looked distressed. She blew on her hands and said, "I won't go next time. I didn't know it would turn out like this. I stole their children, so it's only right that they beat me up."

A group of people stood under the tree, deciding to retreat home first. However, at this moment, someone shouted, "It's over, Zhang Xingjun, your mother is here."

Looking further down the path, a woman dressed in a gray ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and holding a bamboo stick could be anyone but Aunt Zhang.

Behind Aunt Zhang was not only her, but also Zhao Jingniang, and further back, several children's mothers had arrived.

They were all carrying bamboo sticks.

Jiang Ru: "..."

Fortunately, they didn't invite Pei Wu, otherwise, if Pei Wu had also brought a bamboo stick, she really wouldn't have been able to handle it.

Soon, Aunt Zhang came over with a fierce gust of wind, and casually slapped Zhang Xingjun a few times, making him howl in pain.

The other little boys were not spared either, and they all screamed terribly.

Zhao Jing is doing better. Her mother knows that she was abducted by Zhang Xingjun, and only tells her to play with Zhang Xingjun less in the future.

At this moment, Jiang Ru tucked her sleeves in and breathed a slight sigh of relief, thankfully no one was scolding her.

Just as she was about to leave quietly, Aunt Zhang said sternly, "And you, Miss Jiang, you stop right there! Yes, stand right there and wait for your cousin to come and get you!"

Jiang Ru: ""

A note from the author:

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