Jiang Dahai felt quite proud. After giving the gift, he approached Jiang Yan and her sisters to chat.
“Dad found our relatives.”
“Let’s talk over there.”
Jiang Yan led them to an empty table to sit down.
Jiang Dahai recounted the process of recognizing his relatives, which was quite similar to what Ji Ranran’s uncle had mentioned before.
After that, Jiang Dahai said, “I came back this time to take you all to the capital. Don’t worry, I can support you in the future. My parents gave me a shop, and it’s doing pretty well.”
“Dad, do you want to take us back, or did someone send you?”
Jiang Yan asked directly.
Jiang Dahai paused for a moment: “I did want to bring you back, but I was afraid you wouldn’t want to come, so I didn’t return at first. Later, my brother brought it up, and I thought it over and decided to come and ask you. After all, you are my daughters, and I haven’t been a good father before. I want to make it up to you now.”
Jiang Yan didn’t immediately refuse.
She first asked Jiang Ling and the others, “Second sister, do you want to go back with dad?”
Big families have many rules.
Although Jiang Ling and her sisters had never lived in such a family, they knew about it.
They didn’t want to live that kind of life, both shook their heads in unison.
Even the young Jiang Ran shook her head.
Jiang Yan looked back at Jiang Dahai and said, “Dad, I don’t want to go back either.”
Jiang Dahai asked, “Then will you stay here forever? Isn’t the capital much better than our town? Wouldn’t you find a better match there?”
The real point was in the latter part of his sentence.
Jiang Yan calmly said, “Dad, the capital is good, but the men there aren’t. How many men in those families don’t have multiple wives? Rather than sharing a husband with several women, it’s better to marry into a modest family. So, the better match you mentioned might not actually be better.”
Her words left Jiang Dahai speechless.
Jiang Yan continued, “As for whether we’ll stay here forever, that’s uncertain. Plans can’t keep up with changes, so we’ll just take it one step at a time.”
Jiang Ling asked, “Dad, do the people in your family treat you well?”
Chapter 110: Never Been This Fat Before
Seeing his daughter inquire about this, Jiang Dahai felt very comforted: “They treat me well. Ever since I returned, they’ve given me the best things, and they’ve been teaching me to read, write, and paint.”
“That’s good. That way, we and our sisters can rest assured.”
Jiang Ling said, looking at him.
Despite Jiang Dahai’s attempts to persuade them, Jiang Yan and her sisters did not agree to go back with him.
Mid-September.
Jiang Dahai returned to the capital.
The day he left, Jiang Yan received a letter from Jun Shen.
“Yan’er, do you miss me? Do you know where I am now? I’m at the border of Qingyuan. It won’t be long before I return, and then I’ll ask the Emperor for a decree to marry us. When we get married, you decide the date.”
Qingyuan border?
What was he doing there?
Reading further, Jiang Yan understood he was concerned about family opposition. Once the Emperor decreed their marriage, his family would have to agree, whether they liked it or not.
After putting away the letter, Jiang Yan asked Qing San and Qing Si, “Qing San, Qing Si, why did your master go to the Qingyuan border?”
Qing San and Qing Si exchanged a glance.
Qing San explained, “There was news in town recently about a country declaring war on ours. That news is true, and our master is leading the troops to fight.”
War is cruel.
He went to fight to ensure she could marry him with honor.
Jiang Yan felt a complex emotion she couldn’t describe.
Qing Si stepped forward, saying, “Miss Jiang, our master really likes you and cares about you. We hope you won’t let him down in the future and treat him well.”
…
In the county town.
Since Jiang Yan and her family left, Su Ping’an frequently encountered Xie Li.
Over time, Xie Li developed feelings for Su Ping’an and would visit their shop daily.
“Su Ping’an!”
Xie Li called out before even entering the shop.
Hearing her voice, Su Ping’an knew she had arrived. He closed the ledger but didn’t leave the counter.
Xie Li rushed over, handing him a food box: “Try these, I made our family’s secret recipe dumplings today, they’re really tasty.”
Su Ping’an was genuinely surprised.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Xie Li stuffed a dumpling into his mouth, “Why are you looking at me? Eat quickly!”
Su Ping’an noticed people watching and some even chuckling.
His face flushed red.
Taking the dumpling, Su Ping’an ate it in a few bites. The dumplings Xie Li made were actually quite good.
“Are they good?”
Xie Li blinked, asking him.
Su Ping’an nodded, “They’re alright.”
“Then keep eating, there’s more.”
Xie Li tried to feed him again.
Su Ping’an took the dumpling himself, eating it, then said, “Don’t bring me food anymore. If your brother finds out, he’ll scold you.”
“He won’t know.”
Xie Li also took a dumpling to eat.
Suddenly remembering that there was a new play at the Li Family Theater tonight, Xie Li leaned in, “Su Ping’an, will you accompany me to watch the play tonight?” “This is not right; you should have your maid accompany you.”
Su Ping’an refused her.
Xie Li stared at Su Ping’an and said, “Su Ping’an, are you really that oblivious, or are you just pretending? Don’t you know that I like you?”
She never liked to keep things hidden, and it was quite an achievement for her to have kept it to herself for so long this time.
Su Ping’an looked surprised: “You like me?”
“Yes.”
Xie Li moved a bit closer.
Su Ping’an stepped back two paces and said, “We are not a good match.”
“Why not?”
Xie Li pressed on.
Knowing he had to explain, Su Ping’an faced her and said, “Your father is a well-known wealthy merchant, your family is much better off than ours. Our family is very ordinary; my parents used to be farmers.”
He only knew about her family’s situation after they had become familiar with each other.
Xie Li had told him herself.
Upon hearing Su Ping’an’s words, Xie Li dismissed it casually, “So what? My grandparents were also farmers! I don’t care, I just like you. Just tell me, do you like me or not?”
“I don’t like you!”
Deep down, Su Ping’an did have some feelings for Xie Li, but he was worried about her family’s opposition and the potential embarrassment for his own family, so he responded this way.
Xie Li burst into tears, “I like you so much, and you don’t like me? Su Ping’an, you’re such a jerk, after all the kindness I’ve shown you!”
She ran out of the shop crying.
For the next few days, Xie Li did not appear in front of Su Ping’an.
He thought she would never come looking for him again.
Little did he expect.
Xie Li actually took a carriage to his ancestral home, Sujia Village.
Of course, Su Ping’an was unaware of this at the time; it was Jiang Yan who later wrote to inform him.
But that’s another story.
Here, Xie Li felt too embarrassed to go to Su Ping’an’s family, so she went to Jiang Yan’s house to find Jiang Yan.
Seeing her unexpectedly, Jiang Yan was very surprised, “Why have you come to our village? What do you want from me?”
“Jiang Yan, I, I want to ask you for a favor.”
It took Xie Li a while to finish the sentence.
Ask for help?
Jiang Yan asked curiously, “You’ve come all this way to ask me for what?”
“I, I like Su Ping’an, but he thinks our families’ backgrounds are not compatible, and he said he doesn’t like me, but I don’t believe he doesn’t. So, I want you to help me ask him if there’s any place for me in his heart.”
Xie Li’s words left Jiang Yan utterly astonished.
She actually likes Su Ping’an!
And there might still be room for her in Su Ping’an’s heart!
