Chapter 2: On Hu Shi's fabrication of lies without drafting

  Chu Dongyang pursed his lips, silently placing one hand on Jiuniang's shoulder and the other leaning on a long stick, slowly standing up and taking difficult steps.

  The road isn't far, but the two of them moved at a speed similar to that of a snail, and it took them two quarters of an hour to get back home.

  Thinking of the sweet potatoes in the pot, Jiuniang couldn't care about Chudongyang anymore, and she left him in the courtyard, rushing into the kitchen.

  On the way back, Chu Dongyang intentionally or unintentionally pressed his weight onto Jiuniang's body. Seeing her panting and sweating profusely, he finally vented out the frustration of being pushed down in public and having his hand stepped on in secret, feeling a bit relieved in his heart.

  But he didn't expect that when they arrived at their own courtyard, Jiuniang would suddenly let go and push him away!

  Chu Dongyang lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, smashing his face into the mud.

  "Pah!" Chu Dongyang was enraged again, grasping the long stick and pounding the ground with force, sending dust flying everywhere. He furiously shouted: "You wretched woman, are you deliberately trying to murder your own husband?!"

  Jiuniang wiped the sweat from her forehead and coldly thought to herself: If it weren't for worrying that the villagers would see and gossip again, I would have abandoned you on the way back! How childish!

  The lid was lifted, and a burst of steam rose, followed by the aroma that hit her nose. There was no burnt smell, and Jiuniang finally let out a sigh of relief.

  Luckily I added a full pot of water earlier, so the sweet potatoes didn't get overcooked.

  Looking at this half pot of thick red sweet potato soup, Jiuniang sighed and thought it should barely be enough for one bowl per person.

  My current physical condition is not very good. Even after resting for a few days, I just helped Chu Dongyang back and was exhausted.

  There's nothing at home to fill our stomachs, let alone any nutritious food to nourish ourselves.

  Looks like I have to go out and find something to eat this afternoon.

  Jiuniang was thinking in her mind while bending down to look at the stove, and the fire was still burning vigorously.

  She took down the wok for stir-frying and replaced it with another pot specifically for boiling water, filled it to the brim, and used it to wash her body at night.

  Jiuniang turned around and fetched a basin of water, first washing her hands clean, then washed two large bowls to scoop out the sweet potato soup from the pot.

  While ladling out the soup, she heard Chu Dongyang's shouting from outside the courtyard: "Hurry up and come help me into the house, or I'll divorce you!"

  You're talking as if I'm eager to be your wife!

  Jiuniang continued with her actions, ignoring him, when a loud and angry voice came over.

  "Dongyang, what's with all this mud on you?" The newcomer was Yang Shoucai, Chu Dongyang's adoptive father.

  Chu Dongyang was stunned for a moment, propped himself up with his staff and stood up with difficulty, turned his head to look at the newcomer, and called out: "Dad!"

  "I just heard that you fell down in the field and then got into a fight with Jiuniang, is this true?" Yang Shou had just returned from the field and heard many people discussing this matter on the way. Even Er Gou from next door joked about it, saying that the masters of their family were all being ridden by their wives!

  Yang Shoucai, who had been oppressed by his wife for many years, felt that Er Gou had also scolded him as soon as he heard this and was so angry that he rushed to the old mansion.

  They renovated the new house, and Yang Shoucai's couple lived with their youngest son, leaving the old house to Chu Dongyang.

  Chu Dongyang pressed his eyebrows, wiped the mud off his face, and then said lightly: "The villagers are used to making things up, how did they spread the news so badly? I just felt that my legs were a bit better these two days, wanted to go out for a walk, didn't expect to accidentally fall down in the field. Jiuniang was worried about me being alone, followed me out and helped me back."

  Jiuniang in the kitchen heard Chu Dongyang's words and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

  As for the first person who is good at fabricating lies without drafting, it must be Chu Dongyang.

  So many fellow villagers have witnessed it with their own eyes, and the neighbor Yang's wife can also testify to it. How dare this scoundrel still try to talk nonsense!

  It was probably because Chu Dongyang's nonsense sounded too serious, and although his face was covered in mud, it couldn't hide the aura he had cultivated from years of marching and fighting. Yang Shoucai looked at him uncertainly: "Really?"

  He immediately raised his hand and pointed to the ground, frowning in displeasure, saying: "Then what was going on with you just now? How did you end up crashing into the courtyard without anyone taking care of you? Where is Ninth Maiden? You married her back to serve you well, but you've ended up like this. Why isn't she around?"

  Jiuniang was holding a freshly cooked sweet potato soup, thinking about how to ask her father-in-law for some rice later. Just then, Chudongyang cleared his throat twice and said: "Jiuniang is cooking in the kitchen, has Father had lunch? We don't have any rice at home, but there are still a few sweet potatoes left. Jiuniang's sweet potato soup tastes pretty good, if Father doesn't mind..."

  Before Chu Dongyang could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Yang Shoucai, who waved his hand and said, "No need to say more, I'll go back and eat. Your mother is almost done cooking now."

  Can sweet potato soup cooked at its best be better than meat at home?

  Yang Shoucai said, as if worried that Chu Dongyang would ask him for food, and threw out a sentence: "You hurry up and let Jiuniang support you back, wash and change into clean clothes." Then he turned around and walked away quickly.

  Chu Dongyang stared at the back of his foster father who was leaving in a hurry, and a complex expression flashed across his eyes. He glanced at the person walking out of the kitchen door and his face returned to its previous angry scowl: "What took you so long? Come here!"

  Jiuniang held two large bowls in her hands, looked up to see that Yang Shoucai had already walked far away, and let out a long sigh, saying: "Indeed, he's not my own flesh and blood! The conversation has reached this point, yet he pretended to be stupid and ran away!"

  Chu Dongyang's face stiffened and then he coughed uncomfortably, saying: "I wasn't born to my father anyway!"

  Jiuniang was taken aback, never expecting him to acknowledge it so openly.

  "What are you staring at? Don't just stand there, come and help me up! Get a basin of water to clean me!" Chu Dongyang's expression turned ferocious again in an instant.

  The ninth girl hummed a sound and slowly brought two large bowls into the house to the table, only then did she turn around to fetch water.

  "Go wash yourself!" Jiuniang moved a stool to the edge of the water basin, then helped Chu Dongyang over to sit down, dropping a sentence before turning around and going back into the house.

  Chu Dongyang glared at her fiercely before starting to clean up, and didn't forget to remind her: "Leave me a bit more of the sweet potato soup!"

  ……

  After dinner, Chudong Yang lay down on his bed, while Jiuniang went to the back mountain with a firewood knife.

  I just went out for a walk and found a small hill behind the house, with a bamboo forest on top of it.

  The mountains are full of plants and animals, rich in resources, maybe we can find something to eat on our way back.

  Jiuniang had just walked to the foot of the mountain when she saw a young man with a bow and arrow on his waist and a rabbit in his hand, happily descending the mountain.

  Jiuniang's eyes lit up, and there were actually rabbits on the mountain?

  Jiuniang was unfamiliar with the villagers, and when she approached them, she just smiled friendly. Unexpectedly, a young man took the initiative to greet her: "Little sister-in-law, are you going up the mountain to cut firewood?"

  Jiuniang smiled and asked casually, "Was this rabbit caught on this mountain? It's quite fat!"

  "Really!" The young man was a bit shy, but his face still showed a few points of pride: "The rabbits on this hill are cunning and run fast. It's not easy to catch one."

  Can you run faster than bullets?

  Jiuniang smiled slightly and waited for the young man to leave. She then carried a hatchet up the mountain, selected a tree to chop down, trimmed a bamboo stick, and carried it back home.

  Although she didn't have modern tools, as an all-around high-level craftsman, she could make a simple crossbow.