Abandoned daughter reborn, legitimate son is resourceful

The stars are sparse at night, and the magpies fly south.

Nan Jinming returned to Laifu Village and first went to Aunt Xu to return the carriage. Aunt Xu's house was not far from Nan Jinming's yard, so he could walk back in a few steps.

As soon as I walked to the door, I saw some light in the kitchen. When I got closer, I saw Chu Xiaoran sitting in the yard looking up at the stars.

"Has Chenliang returned?"

Nan Jinming pushed open the fence and walked into the yard. Chu Xiaoran retracted his gaze and fell on Nan Jinming. There was a slight emotion on his face. His gaze had been on Nan Jinming for a long time before he remembered and said, "Nan's father came to look for him, so I let him go back first."

"That's good."

Nan Jinming nodded, turned around and closed the fence.

"Your foot is injured..."

Chu Xiaoran stretched out his finger and pointed at Nan Jinming's feet.

Nan Jinming was in a very low mood on the way back, and he still hasn't been able to get over it. The scenes of the past have now become sharp swords. On the way home, his heart was already stabbed with blood.

"It's okay...just go back to sleep."

Chu Xiaoran didn't say much, turned around and went back to the room.

Nan Jinming went to the kitchen and scooped a spoonful of water with a ladle. He was wearing straw sandals, so he went to the yard and washed the dust and mud off his feet.

When Nan Jinming put down the ladle and prepared to go back to the utility room, Chu Xiaoran just walked out of the room with a small porcelain bottle in his hand.

"This is the medicine you gave me. Your foot was injured, and I thought it should be helpful."

Nan Jinming lowered his head and glanced at the medicine bottle in Chu Xiaoran's hand, but did not reach out to take it: "No, I have more. This is for you, use it yourself."

Chu Xiaoran pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, looking at the medicine bottle in his hand. He wondered why the originally cheerful Nan Jinming became like this after going out and returning home.

"Did everything go well this afternoon?"

Nan Jinming himself was a person who didn't know what men were thinking. When he heard him ask, he didn't feel like sleeping. He raised his lips slightly and said, "If you're not sleepy yet, why don't you keep me company and talk?"

"Xiao Ran will accompany you."

Chu Xiaoran was not as timid as other young masters. In his eyes, being well-educated, and being good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting were just auxiliary tools. In the mansion, there were more scheming. He did not want to be immersed in the mud, so he wanted to escape. This time, it was Chu Zixuan who gave him this opportunity. If Chu Zixuan had not been so determined to get rid of him, he would not have been so anxious to act.

Nan Jinming came to the stove and took out a bottle of ceramic white wine from the crevice of the stone next to it. This was peach blossom wine brewed in the early spring. As the saying goes, the longer the wine is stored, the stronger its fragrance will be. But in fact, it is not the case. The storage conditions are also quite particular.

Nan Jinming always has a strong dependence on alcohol when she is sad or thinking about the past. Perhaps living a life of drunkenness and dreams is the truth she believes in most in the past few years. People... always want to have a beautiful dream. Living in an illusory time and space may be better than their own reality.

"There's still food heating up in the pot."

Chu Xiaoran took the rabbit out of the nest, and Nan Jinming moved the tables and chairs into the yard. The yard was very spacious, and it could be used to watch the stars in the summer. It was the beginning of the dog days of summer, and the sky was bright. Lai Fu Village was spacious and not surrounded by mountains. The northern slope of the mountain could just block the cold current from the south. In short, the geographical location of this village was unique.

"Brother Chenliang said that he made your favorite mushroom fried meat tonight and kept it warm for you. Aunt Ma said you went to help and only said that you would be back after the sun went down, but she didn't expect it to take so long."

"Fortunately, the young master's injury is not serious. He only needs to rest for a few days to recover."

Chu Xiaoran didn't know why Nan Jinming went to the city. At noon, he just saw her talking to Aunt Ma for a few words and then hurried out. Later, only Aunt Ma came back to bring the message.

"Are you always so kind-hearted?"

Chu Xiaoran looked up at the stars in the sky. There was one star that was the brightest, and there were seven stars connected together that looked like a spoon.

"No, I just heard that the young master was seriously injured and poisoned. If he is not sent to the city in time, his life will be in danger."

Nan Jinming picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth.

“Chenliang’s craftsmanship is as good as ever.”

Nan Jinming opened the bottle and filled his own glass, and then filled Chu Xiaoran's glass.

"I can not drink."

"No? This is peach blossom wine, it's not intoxicating. You will definitely fall in love with it after drinking it."

Nan Jinming ignored Chu Xiaoran's refusal and filled his glass directly. Looking at the peach blossom fragrance emanating from the exquisite wine glass in front of him, Chu Xiaoran's eyes were a little uncertain. There was always a voice in his heart telling him, why not give it a try?

Nan Jinming did not force it. He found his conflicted look quite interesting. He picked up the wine glass and took a sip. The fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth. The taste of peach blossoms reminded him of the year when peach blossoms filled the sky and the two fell in love with each other in the peach forest, and then they pressed each other step by step and finally became enemies.

"You... do you think this peach blossom wine can really make people drunk?"

Nan Jinming and Chu Xiaoran looked at each other, and their eyes met. Chu Xiaoran seemed to see the vicissitudes and helplessness in her eyes, as if... she had seen through many things and experienced all kinds of hardships.

"I don't know whether it's intoxicating or not. Maybe... you'll know after you drink it."

Chu Xiaoran stretched out his slender white fingers, picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp, only to feel a spicy taste rushing through his throat.

"Cough...cough...cough..."

The irritation of the alcohol on his throat made him unable to adapt. He choked and kept coughing.

"You've never drunk alcohol?"

Nan Jinming felt a little helpless and didn't plan to pour him any wine, so he just drank it himself.

"There is a Peach Blossom Temple in Peach Blossom Valley, and under the Peach Blossom Temple is the Peach Blossom Fairy. The Peach Blossom Fairy plants peach trees and picks peach branches to pay for wine."

"Good poem."

Nan Jinming laughed at himself: "What good poem is this? What kind of good poem is this? Life is not going well. How much can peach blossoms be sold for? How much can they be exchanged for a few pots of wine? Everything is just deceiving myself."

Nan Jinming didn't pick up any more food and just drank silently.

Chu Xiaoran just sat beside her silently, waiting for her to say the next word.

"Let me tell you a story."

"All ears."

Probably, I don’t know when, maybe several decades have passed, there was a young general with outstanding military achievements. She was the only woman in the family. She stood in the court, and everyone followed her lead.

After pacifying the war in Southern Xinjiang, she fell in love with the only prince of Southern Xinjiang at first sight. Under her crazy pursuit, the prince of Southern Xinjiang was willing to go back to Ye Kingdom with her. However, she never expected that he actually walked together with his political enemy, murdered the young general, and framed the general's family.

"and after?"

Chu Xiaoran saw her pause and knew that she must have thought of something, but he had never heard of this story, and it was not recorded in the miscellaneous books he had read before.

"Later..."

Nan Jinming raised his eyebrows and smiled: "The secret cannot be revealed."

Chu Xiaoran saw that her face was a little flushed and knew that she was drunk. She had been here for some time and her eyelids were drooping.

"In that case, I am a little sleepy, so you should go to bed early."

"go to sleep."

Nan Jinming watched Chu Xiaoran return to the room until the door was closed.

Everything around fell silent. Nan Jinming was a little drunk at this time. He thought back to the days when he recruited soldiers in the autumn battlefield and repelled the invaders from southern Xinjiang for dozens of miles. Now, time flies, there is no general on the battlefield anymore, only an unknown country man.

If I hadn't brought him back...

This time, I just hope that disaster won’t happen again…

In the early morning, the summer fog is quite heavy and the flowers and plants are covered with fresh moisture.

Because he drank last night, Nan Jinming got up a little late today, which was unusual for him.

When Nan Jinming walked out of the room, Nan Chenliang had already prepared breakfast, which was corn porridge and white flour buns.

"Cousin, you're awake! Come and have breakfast."

What's rare is that the atmosphere between Chu Xiaoran and Nan Chenliang seems to have eased a lot today.

"Have you finished your farm work? Father Nan is really relieved to have you come to my place every day."

Nan Jinming smiled and shook his head.

"Oh! Cousin, you might dislike the food I cook. I learned my father's cooking skills. If you dislike it, I will give it all to Xiao Ran."

Chu Xiaoran waved his hand and refused: "I can't afford this. How can I dare to use your love for Jin Ming?"

Nan Chenliang glared at Chu Xiaoran and said angrily, "If you hadn't told me yesterday that you would help me, I would have misunderstood you. I would have thought you were here to snatch my cousin from me."

Nan Jinming was not at home yesterday afternoon, leaving Chu Xiaoran and Nan Chenliang alone. Chu Xiaoran told Nan Chenliang some of his own situation and also told him half-truths about his life story.

Nan Chenliang's eyes welled up with tears after hearing this. He felt extremely distressed for Chu Xiaoran, and his attitude towards him changed 360 degrees. Today, Nan Jinming was a little confused.

"As expected, men understand men's minds better. I am a woman among you, and I really don't know what you want."

"Then I don't understand!"

Nan Chenliang stuck out his tongue and told Nan Jinming what he was thinking. She was a blockhead and couldn't understand him. But Chu Xiaoran was a man after all. Even if he didn't have someone he liked, he understood his feelings. He would never allow himself to be in love but not be able to get the love he wanted.

"I heard that Grandma Zhang at the south entrance of the village is sick."

Nan Chenliang started gossiping while chewing on a steamed bun.

Nan Jinming was not surprised. Chu Xiaoran just listened and said that he had just arrived and was not familiar with the people in Laifu Village. He only knew a woman named Ma, who was the woman who rode her ox cart to Laifu Village last time.

"Hasn't Grandma Zhang always been in good health? How did she suddenly get sick? Have you asked Doctor Gu to see her?"

Nan Chenliang also became interested, after all, it was his cousin who spoke to him.

In fact, everyone in the village knows that Grandma Zhang has three children. Her husband died early, and she raised the three children by herself. The family conditions are relatively tight. There are two girls and one boy. The boy married far away in another village and cannot come back all year round. He has to take care of the old and young at home.

The two daughters are the closest. The younger one does business in Yuecheng and has some money, but businesspeople are always chasing fame and fortune and don't even care about their own family members. She has always felt that Grandma Zhang is a burden, so she has left her to the eldest daughter to take care of and support her. Not only does she not come back during the holidays, but she has also never given a penny of the money she earned to her mother.

"I asked Doctor Gu to check it out. Fortunately, there is nothing serious wrong with the body. That's not the point."

"what is that?"

Nan Jinming raised his eyebrows slightly, knowing that Nan Chenliang was talking about this and that and had not yet gotten to the point.

"Do you still remember the rice field in Nancun? That piece of land is very useful for growing food! Her youngest daughter happened to be doing food business in the city, so she took a fancy to that piece of land and wanted to take it away. The old woman used to be partial to her, but now she heard that the old woman was sick, so her youngest daughter came back early in the morning in a carriage."

Nan Jinming picked up the steamed bun and took a bite. The bun had no sugar in it and had no taste, just like his life, which was dull and without any seasoning. Now, the gossip in the village could just satisfy this dull life and add some fun.

"Fighting for the family property? Grandma Zhang is still alive and she's already thinking about coming back to divide the land. What a beast."

Nan Chenliang and Nan Jinming turned to look at Chu Xiaoran at the same time. It was the first time they heard Chu Xiaoran say such heart-touching words.

"What's wrong? Shouldn't I scold you?"

Nan Jinming and Nan Chenliang shook their heads at the same time.

"You scolded me well. Actually, you don't know that this little girl has a very good impression in the village. This person said one thing to her face and another behind her back. He passed by her house three times without entering. He tried to get close to the neighbors and villagers, just waiting for the old woman to die so that someone could tip her off."

"If she is so unfilial, what else do we need her for? We should just go to the government and remove her from the family tree. Why would we let her get any land?"

Chu Xiaoran was a little angry. He didn't expect to meet such an unfilial daughter nowadays. It was not easy for Grandma Zhang to raise a child alone. She gave them everything. What else did they want? They were ready to come back to mourn before the person died, right?

"Xiao Ran, you think too simply."

Nan Jinming tapped the tabletop with his fingers and then explained, "As the saying goes, you can't tell a person's heart from his face. Otherwise, why do you think she gathered the folks in the beginning? Tipping off was one reason, but more importantly, she was monitoring Aunt Zhang's movements. As the saying goes, sisters are often the ones who turn against each other. This little daughter is a beast, and this elder daughter is just a fool."

"Yeah, I can't understand it either. Since Grandma Zhang's younger daughter doesn't care about us anymore, her older daughter has done her best by taking care of us for so long. We have no choice in our birth, and not everyone wants to be born into this world. Why must such a responsibility fall on us?"

"Be sincere and kind, life and death are determined by fate, wealth and honor are determined by heaven."

"No, I believe that good and evil will be rewarded in the end."