"Brother Wen, what are you doing?" Jiang Heyun looked curiously at Huo Jingchen, who was busy early in the morning, and asked in a sweet voice.
Huo Jingchen, who was sharpening bamboo arrows carefully, stopped and answered patiently, regardless of whether Xiao Douding could understand: "I am making bamboo arrows, which will be used as weapons for self-protection."
"Bamboo arrows? So cool! I want to help too." Jiang Heyun, who had always been obsessed with the stories of chivalry and grievances told to him by his father, Jiang Heyun, heard this, his almond-shaped eyes widened, he lost sleep, and shouted loudly.
Huo Jingchen noticed the cute dumpling rubbing against him, his whole body stiffened, and he resisted the thought of kicking him away.
"Ayun, good boy, you come down first, otherwise how can I teach you?"
"Oh!" Jiang Heyun immediately let go of him and stared at him with a flattering expression.
Huo Jingchen resisted the discomfort of numbness in his scalp, took a deep breath, and taught Jiang Heyun how to sharpen bamboo arrows step by step.
Jiang Hexi saw this warm scene as soon as she got up.
The tall and handsome man's usually serious and cold face melted away the ice at this moment, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he patiently taught the boy in front of him with gentle movements.
Not wanting to disturb this rare scene, Jiang Hexi thought for a while, then turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Huo Jingchen, who was originally teaching seriously, raised his head and quickly glanced at Pingping's back in white clothes as he left, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
On the wide loess roadside, a woman in white knocked gently on the heavy wooden door.
"It's Xi'er, come in quickly." The woman in a plain dress looked at the girl in front of her tenderly and said softly.
"Auntie, is Uncle Wang here? I'm here to borrow a carriage from Uncle Wang." Jiang Hexi said straight to the point as soon as she entered the yard.
"He is tinkering with his medicinal materials in there, you can just take him away! There is no need to ask his opinion." Aunt Wang waved her hand and said grandly.
Jiang Hexi smiled brightly and agreed.
"But what do you want a carriage for?"
"I'm moving away."
"What! Head, come out quickly!" Aunt Wang was stunned by the sudden news and shouted for help from her husband.
Hearing his wife's harsh shouting, Doctor Wang, who was drying herbs, thought something was urgent and ran out in a hurry.
"What's wrong?" Seeing that nothing happened, Doctor Wang breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart ached at what his wife said next.
"Head of the household, please persuade Xi'er quickly. This girl wants to move! She still won't listen." Aunt Wang was so anxious that she pinned her hopes on her husband.
"Girl Xi, what's the matter with you? Why do you want to leave the village suddenly?" Hearing this, Doctor Wang's eyes widened in surprise, and his eyes that were narrowed to a slit now saw dark eyeballs!
Jiang Hexi knew that if she didn't speak clearly, she wouldn't be able to leave even if she wanted to, let alone not being able to borrow a carriage today.
So he told the two of them truthfully what happened in the past few days.
"That's unreasonable! You're going too far! You're going too far!" Dr. Wang, who had always been gentle and polite, became angrier and angrier. He raised his beard and slapped his thigh fiercely, like a wild cat with explosive fur.
However, Aunt Wang raised her eyebrows, picked up a piece of firewood lying on the side and rushed straight to the door.
Jiang Hexi hurriedly stopped Aunt Wang, who was clamoring to settle accounts with the Hong family. Although she was touched by their love and care, she did not intend to implicate them.
"Uncle Wang, Auntie, I know you can't be angry, and I can't be angry either."
Jiang Hexi raised her hand to stop Aunt Wang who wanted to speak, and continued: "However, my parents are no longer here, and my grandparents have passed away many years ago. My aunt and uncle are my elders. Now, it will be easy for them to interfere in my marriage.
"
"Moreover, even if I can resist this time, how many times can I refuse when my filial piety period is over? Even the villagers will side with them and point fingers at me."
Seeing Jiang Hexi who was so transparent and sensible at a young age, Aunt Wang hugged her and swallowed harder. She couldn't help but think of Jiang's father and Jiang's mother who died young. If the two of them were still there, how could they be bullied like this!
"Then what are your plans?" After a moment of silence, Doctor Wang sighed and said seriously.
"I have asked Duke Wen to escort us to Jingzhou, and we will live there from now on." Seeing that the two men were trying to relent, Jiang Hexi added hurriedly.
"I'll take you out of the city." Doctor Wang lowered his head to hide his red eyes and walked quickly to the stable.
Several people took advantage of the cover of the dark night and quietly left the village.
Several people who stayed at the inn for one night got up early and went straight to the county gate.
"Girl Xi, you have to take care of yourself in the future." Doctor Wang tried his best to swallow the astringency in his throat and said in a hoarse voice.
Then he looked seriously at the two boys who were standing obediently, and told them: "Ayun, Axuan, from now on, you must listen to your sister and don't be naughty."
"Um."
"Um."
The two boys responded in unison. Even Jiang Heyun, who had always been noisy, knew that it would be difficult to see Doctor Wang again in the future, so it was rare for him to be as calm as Jiang Hexuan.
Jiang Hexi couldn't bear that everyone was still immersed in the sadness of farewell, so she changed the subject and said: "Uncle Wang, just take the carriage back! We can just go to the provincial capital and buy another one."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Take it! Anyway, this carriage was a gift from the county magistrate's wife. I can just buy another one in the future."
Seeing Jiang Hexi still refusing, Doctor Wang became angry, waved his hand, said goodbye to the others, and simply walked back home.
Looking at the hunched back of the middle-aged man who gradually shrank into a black dot, Jiang Hexi and others all had red eyes and sobbed softly.
"Let's go, it's time to set off." Huo Jingchen interrupted them because he was afraid that if these people continued to cry, their tears would burst into rivers and break down the city walls.
Several people responded in low voices and silently climbed into the carriage.
A green carriage leisurely left the simple and heavy ancient city gate and ran towards the morning light.