He was born as a blacksmith, but he dominated the world

Chapter 366 Those Years (Additional Update 21)

Jiang Lin did not attend the wedding banquet. He just stood in the blacksmith shop and watched Yu'er being happily taken away by the wedding procession.

It is said that she married a cloth businessman from a relatively well-off family.

"Brother Chen, why didn't you go for a drink?" Malu came over and asked, slightly drunk.

Three or four years later, Malu has grown into a young man and is now twenty years old.

There was a sadness in his eyes that was hard to conceal. In the past few years, he had taken part in the provincial examinations, but his results were not very good, and he was unable to advance to the next level, the metropolitan examination.

Millipede, who had never drunk alcohol before, also started to learn how to drink.

Jiang Lin did not answer his question and said, "Drink less alcohol, it hurts your brain."

"It's okay, it's okay. Anyway, the provincial examination has just ended and there is plenty of time. There is no need to delay." Ma Lu laughed and waved his hand: "Besides, I didn't drink too much."

Watching him stagger back into the house, Jiang Lin turned around again and looked in the direction where the wedding procession was leaving.

No one can be seen anymore, but there is still a wisp of breath rising from somewhere.

Jiang Lin came out of the blacksmith shop, walked over and lowered his head, and saw that where the breath was rising was a few drops of water.

Are these the tears shed by Yuer?

It's obviously very little, but it hasn't evaporated for a long time.

Jiang Lin also stared at it for a long time. A neighbor passing by asked curiously, "Master Hong, what are you looking at?"

"I don't know." Jiang Lin replied.

The neighbors all smiled and said nothing.

More than ten years have passed, and everyone has realized that Jiang Lin would just say he didn't know. They have gotten used to it and don't take it seriously.

In the second year after Yu'er got married, she came back.

Her husband died because he caught a cold and consulted a quack doctor.

In this way, she became a widow.

Her husband's family was very dissatisfied with her, thinking that she was unlucky and that the couple had no children, so they were said to be kicking her out of the house.

My mother's family also felt a little embarrassed.

On that rainy day, Yu'er stood in front of the blacksmith shop, all wet.

She watched Jiang Lin light the fire, hammer the smelting, and add charcoal.

"Brother Chen..." Yu'er's voice trembled a little under her pale face.

Jiang Lin looked up at her and saw tears or rain flowing down her face. He couldn't tell whether it was rain or tears.

One after another, muffled thunder exploded in the sky.

The rain was pouring down and the sky was getting darker.

"I……"

Yu'er seemed to want to say something, but looking at Jiang Lin's eyes that didn't change at all, she suddenly covered her face and burst into tears, then turned and ran away.

The raindrops fell heavily, and her thin figure gradually disappeared from sight.

There was only a trace of breath rising from afar.

Hearing footsteps beside him, Jiang Lin knew without turning his head that it was the millipede coming.

With a strong smell of alcohol, Malu looked a little haggard.

He failed the provincial examination again this year.

"Sister Hongyu is quite pitiful." Malu leaned against the beam of the blacksmith shop, holding a wine jug in his hand, and whispered, "If she had married you back then..."

Jiang Lin shuddered slightly when he heard this. If...

These two words gave him a completely different feeling.

Malu didn't seem to notice and sighed, "What a pity."

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp of the liquor, as if only this thing could dispel the sorrow in his heart.

Jiang Lin looked back at him and said, "You've drunk too much."

"It doesn't matter if it's a lot or not." Ma Lu smiled bitterly: "The provincial examination is getting harder and harder. I feel like I may not be able to pass it in this lifetime."

Jiang Lin looked at him and wanted to say, "If you really can't pass the exam, forget it, your family can support you."

But he saw a hint of persistence in Malu's eyes, so he didn't say anything.

……

Another seven or eight years passed like this, and with the sound of clinking, blacksmith Ma put down the hammer in his hand.

He rubbed his waist, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, "I'm really old. I can't do it after just a few hammer strikes."

Then, Blacksmith Ma looked at Jiang Lin and asked with a smile, "You've been here for almost twenty years, right?"

"Yes, the nineteenth year." Jiang Lin said.

"Time flies so fast. When you first came here, millipedes were only this tall." Blacksmith Ma gestured at his waist. Although he had a smile on his face, the sadness in his eyes could not be erased.

His hair had turned grey, he was nearly sixty, and his physical strength was failing.

In recent years, Jiang Lin has been doing most of the work in the blacksmith shop.

Looking at Jiang Lin, who was still tall and strong, as if he had never changed, Ma the Blacksmith raised his head and looked into the distance, muttering to himself: "I wonder if Ma Lu will come back to celebrate the New Year this year."

Three years ago, Ma Lu, who had failed the provincial examination for nearly ten years, finally broke his oath.

The daughter of the prefectural magistrate fell in love with him, even though he was nearly thirty years old, fat, ugly, and had a limp, but she said it.

As long as Malu is willing to marry, the prefect will naturally find a way to achieve fame and fortune in the coming year.

Ma Lu, who once held the classics in his hands and vowed to marry after he became the top scholar, finally compromised.

After marrying the prefect's daughter, he passed the provincial examination the following year, but failed again at the metropolitan examination.

Fortunately, the prefectural governor gave him an official position, the ninth rank, which was considered a career in the government. In the past few years, Malu spent the New Year at the prefect's house, and the number of times he came back was very few.

As the New Year came to an end, Ma the blacksmith and Lu Yinghong prepared a large table of food, but no one picked up the food.

Lu Yinghong stood up from time to time and looked at the door, but after waiting for a long time, she didn't see the person she wanted to see.

Blacksmith Ma picked up the wine glass, drank it in one gulp, and said unhappily: "Don't look at it, if you don't want to reply, then don't reply, it's no big deal."

Although he said this, everyone knew that he was unhappy.

At this time, a figure came into view.

"Aunt Lu, Uncle Ma."

The figure came to the door, looked at Jiang Lin who was sitting at the table, and then called out, "Brother Chen."

Lu Yinghong forced a smile: "Yu'er, how many days will you stay this year?"

"I can't stay for a few days. We've opened a few more shops this year. I have to leave tomorrow."

The person who came was Yu'er, who left in the heavy rain crying that year. In the past few years, she relied on the connections left by her husband and her own intelligence and talent to do a good job in the cloth business.

He comes back to visit his relatives every year and brings various gifts to distribute to the neighbors.

Gradually, no one mentions the fact that Yu'er is a jinx to her husband anymore. Instead, people envy her growing business.

And every year, Yu'er would be the last one to come to the blacksmith shop, give gifts, chat, and sit for a while before leaving.

"Come, sit inside." Lu Yinghong made way.

Yu'er walked into the house and asked, "Malus didn't come back this year?"

"Hmm..." Lu Yinghong nodded.

Yu'er didn't ask any more questions. She just looked at Jiang Lin and chuckled, "Brother Chen hasn't changed at all over the years."

She herself has changed a lot. She is no longer a girl and has become more mature.

The tied-up bun represents a woman.

Her graceful figure, well-cut dress, and increasingly wealthy family attracted many men.

Jiang Lin hummed and said, "You haven't changed much."

"Really? I feel like I'm getting old." Yu'er grabbed a strand of her hanging hair, sat down next to her, and started chatting about it.

Jiang Lin was a quiet person. Most of the time, she was the one talking, and occasionally Lu Yinghong would say a few words.

Blacksmith Ma drank the wine sip by sip and soon got drunk. Jiang Lin helped him to the inner room to rest.

When she came out again, Yu'er also stood up and said goodbye.

"Hong Chen, please send Yu'er off." Lu Yinghong said.

Yu'er smiled and said, "No need, I can go back by myself."

After watching her leave, Lu Yinghong walked up to Jiang Lin and whispered, "Over the years, she has given gifts to all the neighbors, but she only sits down at our house. Don't you understand?"

Of course Jiang Lin understood that Yu'er came to see him specifically.

"You...are such a blockhead." Lu Yinghong sighed.

Jiang Lin did not refute. He did not take these things seriously. There was only a hint of special aura rising in his eyes.

A few years later, the millipede came back.

He was already an eighth-rank official, and when he came he was wearing a brand new official uniform.

His fine beard had distinct strands, and he looked much more energetic than when he had not passed the provincial examination.

There was also some official air in his eyes, and he held his head slightly high when talking to the neighbors.

This year was the happiest year for Ma the blacksmith and Lu Yinghong.

Although the daughter-in-law and grandson did not come back, they still prepared a large table full of wine and food.

However, after Malu sat down, he just took a bite of the vegetarian dish, raised his cup to toast Ma the blacksmith, and left.

He also had to visit those dignitaries and celebrate the New Year at his father-in-law's house in the evening.

"This is the clothes I sewed for my grandson. Take it back and see if it fits." Lu Yinghong hurriedly took the thing.

Malu only took a look and said, "We have a professional tailor in the mansion, so we don't need these."

There was a hint of disdain in his eyes. When Lu Yinghong saw it, her eyes dimmed and her hands dropped.

Malu turned around to leave, but was blocked by a figure.

Jiang Lin stood in front of him and said in a low voice: "The clothes are not for you, take them."

Ma Lu frowned slightly: "Brother Chen, you..."

At this time, Blacksmith Ma suddenly came over and pushed Ma Lu out: "Go, go, go, hurry up and don't delay me from drinking and eating!"

"Dad! What are you doing?" Malu looked puzzled.

Blacksmith Ma didn't say much to him. After pushing him out of the door, he came back angrily, snatched the clothes from Lu Yinghong's hands, threw them to the ground, and stomped on them several times.

"What are you doing!" Lu Yinghong's eyes turned red. He pushed him away and picked up his clothes from the ground.

Seeing this, Malu said, "Mom, persuade Dad to drink less. After all, he is old."

Lu Yinghong didn't say anything, just brushed off the dust on her clothes.

Malu looked at Jiang Lin again, his eyes gradually becoming stern, but Jiang Lin was like a mountain, and remained indifferent no matter how sharp his eyes were.

After a moment, Malu lowered his eyes somewhat unhappily and walked away from the side.

Lu Yinghong raised her head and watched her son get on the carriage, which gradually went away with the sound of horse hooves.

She finally couldn't help it and burst into tears while holding the baby clothes that she had sewn for a long time.

(End of this chapter)