nucmednet Chapter 82 First acquaintance
Chapter 82 First acquaintance
That evening, Jiang Shichang returned home, and his youngest daughter, Jiang Hua, ran over from afar and threw herself into his arms, saying sweetly, "Daddy, I want to go to Wuliping to stay for a while, okay? Please promise me, please promise me!"
Sigh, this child is already ten years old, and still so clingy.
Jiang Shichang shook his head, surprised, and said, "Why did you suddenly decide to go to Wuliping today? What do you want to do there?"
Jiang Hua: "I want to go find Sister Zisu and stay in Wuliping for a while!"
"Why? You don't even know her." Jiang Shichang was still very surprised. She didn't even know her, yet she just showed up at his door like this? What's wrong with Hua'er? This isn't good!
Jiang Hua: "Father, you always say how wonderful Sister Zisu is, and I'm so curious and admire her. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to want to meet Sister Zisu? I don't care, I just want to find Sister Zisu! Please promise me!"
Jiang Shichang quickly raised his hands in surrender: "How about this, I'll send her a letter first. If she agrees to let you go, then I'll send someone to take you there! Going uninvited is extremely impolite and will make you look bad!"
It's not enough to just go for a cup of tea and leave; you have to stay in someone's home for a while. You absolutely cannot do that without the host's permission!
"Alright, then Father will write the letter right now, and I'll grind the ink for you!" Jiang Hua wasn't an arrogant person, and she was very sensible. She thought her father's words made sense, so how could she disagree?
Zisu was quite surprised to receive Jiang Shichang's letter.
Jiang Hua, a girl three years younger than her, was someone she really wanted to get to know. In the past, when she met Jiang Shichang, he often mentioned this daughter, saying that Jiang Hua was quite nice, although she was a bit immature, she was also very kind-hearted.
As long as she's a kind girl, she's worth befriending and treating sincerely. Of course, the prerequisite is that the two of you get along well; otherwise, you can't become good friends.
To welcome Jiang Hua's arrival, Zi Su specially vacated a main room. In other words, Grandma and Mom would live together with their two younger brothers, since Mom's master bedroom was big enough to fit two large bunk beds.
Because of this, Zisu specially hired a carpenter and asked him to make a large bed within five days. She also invited Jiang Hua to come back in five days.
Xiangli led the people from Xiaoshitan to thoroughly clean the house inside and out, even the tree-lined path surrounding Xiaoshitan was carefully swept, leaving no protruding pebble untouched.
Zisu said that Jianghua was a girl from a wealthy family, so she certainly didn't...
I've stayed in rural areas before. So, I need to tidy it up properly to give her a good impression and make her feel at home.
When the old clan chief heard that Jiang Hua was coming, he immediately gathered a group of women, as well as young boys and girls: "In a few days, the princess's niece will be coming to Xiaoshitan for a short stay. Everyone, hurry up and clean up the village inside and out for me."
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my goodness, the Princess's family is coming?"
The old clan chief said, "Yes, so we must clean it up properly. We can't let those important people think that Wuliping is a dirty and poor place. Whether the village is clean or not is a matter of face for our Shangguan family! We must clean it thoroughly, make it spotless, and clean every nook and cranny carefully!"
"We understand, Uncle Liu, we will definitely clean carefully!" A leading woman quickly expressed her determination.
"We'll definitely clean it up properly!" The leader of the group of teenagers quickly chimed in enthusiastically.
The girls exchanged smiles and secretly vowed to sweep Wuliping clean inside and out, so that the city people would never look down on them.
Most of the villagers in Wuliping regard Zisu as their great benefactor. If it weren't for Zisu persuading everyone to plant sweet potatoes and potatoes, and providing sweet potato seedlings and potato seeds at extremely low prices, everyone would definitely be starving now.
So, when our benefactor had distinguished guests coming to stay at Wuliping, everyone cleaned up the village and its surroundings without a single complaint. Besides that, everyone also wanted the village and its surroundings to be clean, so that everyone would feel much more comfortable staying there, wouldn't they?
Of course, as a resident of Wuliping, not wanting to be looked down upon by city dwellers is also a very important reason.
Jiang Hua was unaware that because of her, the old clan chief of Wuliping had actually caused the villagers to carry out a massive cleanup inside and outside the village! When she found out later, she was immediately moved to tears. No matter how wealthy her family's child was, she was still just a young girl. How could she deserve such kindness from those simple and honest villagers?
Let's leave this matter aside for now.
Finally, the day of departure arrived, much to Jiang Hua's anxious anticipation. She was as happy as a three-year-old who had received a big bag of candy; her beautiful eyes crinkled with laughter, and she almost jumped for joy.
Madam Jiang couldn't help but shake her head with amusement: "You child, please be more ladylike. If you go to Wuliping like this, your sister Zisu will be terrified!"
Jiang Hua: "No way! Sister Zisu is an extraordinary woman. She wouldn't be frightened by something so small! Sigh, if only Sister Zisu were one of our family members! Why don't I even have a sister?"
In the entire Jiang family, among Jiang Hua's generation, there are only two girls, her and Jiang Yue.
Madam Jiang didn't feel anything special when she heard her words, but when they reached Jiang Shichang's ears, they made his eyes light up and he had an idea.
The eldest princess personally selected ten skilled guards to escort Jiang Hua to Wuliping, along with Jiang Hua's two personal maids.
Madam Jiang looked in the direction the carriage had gone and couldn't help but worry: "Aren't two maids too few?"
Jiang Shichang said dismissively, "That's quite a lot! Zisu only has two servants around her, but in reality, she doesn't need anyone to serve her when she eats, dresses, or bathes. Most of the time, her maids are taking care of her younger brother and cousin!"
Madam Jiang: "Huh? Really? Didn't you say she wasn't short of money?"
“I also asked her if we should hire a few more people to serve us, but do you know how she answered me?” Jiang Shichang looked at his wife with a smile.
Madam Jiang asked curiously, "So, how did she answer you?"
Jiang Shichang: "She said she wanted to be self-reliant and independent! That way, even if she encounters any hardships in the future, she can laugh it off and deal with them calmly, and she will never feel like the earth is collapsing every day!"
"Well said!" The eldest princess clapped her hands and walked over with a smile, praising her approvingly: "That child Zisu is truly remarkable, a role model for young ladies! If all women in the world were as brave and hardworking as her, there wouldn't be so many tragedies! This child is truly rare. If Hua'er goes to stay with her for a while, she will surely be influenced by her and become more intelligent, sensible, strong, and brave!"
"Sister-in-law, now that you say that, I feel completely at ease!" The worry in Madam Jiang's eyes finally gradually dissipated.
In the early autumn evening, the sky is filled with the glow of the sunset, which illuminates the earth and adds a touch of mystery and warmth to Xiaoshitan.
Jiang Hua stepped into the gate of Xiaoshitan under the beautiful glow of the sunset.
The moment Zisu saw Jiang Hua, she took a liking to this charming little girl, who was only three years younger than her but still exuded innocence and liveliness.
"Are you Sister Zisu?" Jiang Hua asked Zisu with a sweet smile, her manner very familiar.
Zisu smiled and nodded: "Yes, I am Zisu. You must be Miss Jiang, right?"
Jiang Hua: "Sichuan helped me out, so I am Jiang Hua. Calling me Miss Jiang is too formal. Just call me Hua'er!"
"Flower? What a lovely name!" Zisu nodded with a smile.
The little girl in front of me is so beautiful and lovely, isn't she just like a beautiful flower? Hua'er is the most beautiful and lovely little girl that Zisu has ever seen in her two lives!
Her father, Jiang Shichang, was a Confucian businessman, calm and kind. How could his daughter not be a lovable child? Jiang Hua's mother, Madam Jiang the Second, Zisu, was also someone who was both beautiful and loving. Jiang Hua possessed the best qualities of both of them.
The guards escorted Jiang Hua to her home, and after watching her enter the gate of the Little Stone Pool, they turned and left. Only two maids, around twelve or thirteen years old, remained, following Jiang Hua.
Zisu glanced at the two well-behaved and polite maids and couldn't help but nod in approval: "Hmm, very good! As expected of Uncle Jiang's daughter, she only brought two servants; she doesn't seem like a spoiled girl. Perhaps Uncle Jiang intended this, wanting Jiang Hua to experience life here and learn self-reliance?"
In their previous meetings, Jiang Shichang always praised Zisu, saying she was a self-reliant and strong girl.
Jiang Hua settled down at Xiaoshitan.
She walked into her bedroom and saw the fresh flowers decorating the wall. She couldn't help but smile. "Wow! After such a long drought, it's amazing to see such beautiful flowers here. Most of the flowers in my garden have died!"
Zisu: "I specially picked these flowers from deep in the mountains. I'm glad you like them!"
Jiang Hua: Oh? There are still flowers blooming deep in the mountains?
Zisu: "Yes, although there is a severe drought now, the springs in the deep mountains and forests are still gurgling, the greenery is still lush, and the flowers are blooming brightly."
"Wow, that's great! So, are there any wild fruits?" Jiang Hua (hereinafter referred to as Hua'er) immediately became excited and asked curiously.
Zisu: "Yes, for example, matchstick seeds, firethorn, raspberries, black glutinous rice, sugar pears, ground cherries, myrtle..."
She opened her mouth and rattled off a long string of words, making Hua'er overjoyed and yearning: "Wow, that's amazing! This mountain is truly magical, with so many wild fruits. I really want to go to the mountains and pick them myself!"
Zisu readily agreed, "Okay, after you rest for two days, I'll take you up the mountain! In the mountains, we can pick wild fruits, dig wild vegetables, and hunt some pheasants and rabbits. If we're lucky, we might even catch a muntjac."
"Hehe, there are pheasants and rabbits!" Hua'er's eyes sparkled as she asked curiously, "What's a muntjac?"
Zisu: "The muntjac is a small deer, and one of the earliest deer species. It's good at living alone and is very alert. It feeds on seeds, tender grass, green grass, and twigs. Its meat is delicate and delicious, making it a top-grade wild game. I just made a braised muntjac dish, and I'm planning to sell the recipe to Good Days Restaurant!"
Hua'er couldn't help but chuckle, "Hehe, I'm really lucky this time! I got to taste this dish before Daddy! I'm going to brag about it to him when we get back!"
Zisu: "Don't get too cocky. This muntjac is very agile and not so easy to catch."
Hua'er: "I'm not worried about that. I'm planning to stay for three to five months this time! Sister Zisu, you won't mind, will you?"
Zisu: "I won't mind. You can stay as long as you want! But I must warn you beforehand, this is the countryside, not the city. The food, drinks, and lodging are all quite basic, so be prepared to endure some hardship. When you stay here, you'll have to dress and wash yourself, understand?"
"Sister Zisu, did you dress and wash yourself?" Hua'er asked curiously, her beautiful eyes wide open.