Farming and reading family

Nothing happened that night, and the next day everything was as usual, as if nothing had happened.

The two elders of the Chen family went out to work early in the morning and had their meals in the village.

Qin walked with a limp and even walked around the yard twice.

Gao E wanted to laugh when she saw her like this: "Jin."

Jin Ruyi hurriedly came out of the cave: "Madam, what are your instructions?"

"Qin's leg may not be healed. Go ask around in the village and ask if you can transfer her residence documents at a low price. She can even marry an old bachelor in the village." Gao E ordered.

Qin was so frightened that she fell to her knees: "My...my legs are fine."

"Then take a few steps and let me see." Gao E looked unconvinced.

Qin quickly got up and took two steps, smiling ingratiatingly.

Jin Ruyi wanted to laugh.

"Ma'am, look, I'm fine." Qin endured the pain and almost jumped a few times.

"Yeah." Gao E nodded. "I don't support useless people."

"Yes." Qin immediately behaved well.

After waiting for two days, there was news from the yamen. Gao E measured the beach and priced it at sixty taels, and asked Gao E to go to the yamen to sign the document.

Gao E brought Wu with her this time. She wanted to sign the documents and then go find Master An to clean up the Gao family and those shops as soon as possible.

After buying the beach land in Baotou Village, Gao E asked about the price of Guikui Mountain.

The yamen clerk never expected anyone to want to buy that place: "That place is very evil, and people who go in rarely come out."

Gao E knew the clerk had good intentions: "Isn't that place for sale?"

"Not really, it's just... we need Lord He to confirm the price, so it may take two days." The clerk saw that the other party really intended to buy.

"Okay." Gao E was not in a hurry.

Later, when Wu heard that her elder sister-in-law wanted to buy Ghost Crying Mountain, she wanted to stop her, but she thought that if she tried to stop her, she would be no different from those people in the Chen family, so she chose to keep quiet.

Jin Ruyi's eyes flickered, she felt that Gao E must have a reason for doing what she did.

After leaving the yamen, Gao E went to find Master An, but Master An's shop was closed. Gao E went around to the back and knocked on the door, and Master An came over dragging one leg to open the door.

"Master An?" Gao E looked at Master An, who looked ten years older.

Master An didn't expect it was Gao E: "It's you." After he said that, he seemed to have no strength left and didn't say anything else.

Gao E didn't know what Master An had gone through during the flood to become like this: "I want to ask Master An to fix the doors and windows."

Master An was stunned for a moment: "Do you think I can still work like this?"

Gao E knew it was embarrassing: "I'm sorry."

Master An gave a wry smile and said, "Madam Chen made a wasted trip."

Gao E thought that Master An said his wife loved to eat chestnuts, but now there was no sign of his wife: "Sorry to bother you."

Master An nodded and closed the door.

Gao E didn't expect that this would be the result of her contact with Master An. She originally thought that even if Master An was busy, he could find an apprentice to take care of it. After all, it was just a repair, not a redo.

Mrs. Wu looked at her elder sister-in-law and knew that the matter was probably over.

"I'll go to my brother's house first. You ask what happened to Master An." Gao E looked at Jin Ruyi.

Jin Ruyi nodded.

Gao E and the others went to Gao Chong's house first. The door was locked and there was no change from when they left.

There was no one else at home, so Mrs. Wu hurried to light a brazier.

"I see there are restaurants open in the city. Let's go there to eat something later." Mrs. Wu suggested.

"Wait until Jin comes back." Gao E warmed her hands around the brazier. "Aren't you planning to bring back your previous servants?"

"Let's see which of them comes back." Mrs. Wu didn't plan to look for them.

Those people had not followed them to Baotou Village before. Now that their house was searched so thoroughly, maybe those people were also responsible.

Moreover, the Gao family today is no longer the same as before, and they don’t need so many servants.

Gao E didn't ask any more questions after hearing what Wu said.

"It's just..." Wu hesitated and said, "It's already the twelfth lunar month. Isn't it too hasty to open the shop?"

"Don't you want to open a shop before the New Year?" Gao E asked directly.

Wu finally made up her mind: "Yes."

Gao E nodded: "As long as you are sure."

"Sister, you're not angry?" Mrs. Wu was a little surprised.

"What's there to be angry about? You don't want to do it and you told me in advance. I'll find a way myself." Gao E said calmly.

"But I promised before."

"That was my arrangement." Gao E did not seriously discuss it with Wu at the time, and Wu was not very willing to agree.

"Sister, do you think I'm useless?" Mrs. Wu lowered her head.

"It's normal for you and Gao Chong to want to take a break after going through such a thing." Gao E smiled.

When it was almost dark, Jin Ruyi came back and found out about Master An's situation.

It turned out that when there was a famine in the city, Master An's house was broken into. Those people not only robbed the An family's things, but also intended to do something bad to Mrs. An. Master An broke one leg in order to protect his wife. Mrs. An was so stubborn that she hit her head against the pillar and died in order to avoid being humiliated.

After hearing about Master An's experience, Wu and the others felt sad. Fortunately, they left He County at that time, otherwise they didn't know what would have happened to them.

"Where are the people who broke Master An's legs?" Gao E frowned.

"The city was in chaos at that time, and those people had their faces covered, so we had no idea who they were." Jin Ruyi also felt very sympathetic towards Master An.

Gao E was silent for a while: "Let's go out for dinner."

The group went out to eat. After the meal, Gao E asked Gao Chong and the others to go back first. She bought some sesame cakes and went to find Master An with Jin Ruyi.

Master An tied the rope to the beam with great effort. After trying it and finding it quite strong, he was about to hang himself up when there was a knock on the door.

He hesitated for a moment, but still went to open the door out of habit and saw Gao E standing outside.

"You..." Master An looked at Gao E.

"I bought some food for Master An." Gao E handed over the sesame cake.

Master An stared at the sesame cakes for a long time. They were from the shop he liked to eat at, and his wife always bought them for him when she was alive.

Thinking of this, he suddenly choked up and said, "I won't eat anymore."

Gao E's heart skipped a beat: "Master An, I am so sorry for your loss."

Master An tried to look up at Gao E, but tears started to fall before he could raise his head. He hurriedly lowered his head to wipe his tears.

Gao E and Jin Ruyi didn't know how to comfort Master An for a moment, so they just stood at the door.

Master An wiped his tears, calmed himself down, and took a deep breath: "You guys go back, keep the cake for yourselves."

Gao E felt that Master An was very abnormal: "Although I have never met Madam An, can I go to pay my respects to her?"

Master An looked at Gao E in surprise.

"Master An, please don't misunderstand me. I just want a woman like that... to be respected." Gao E said solemnly.

Master An's tears fell again: "I..." He didn't know what to say, or he was choked with sobs and couldn't speak.

"I want to burn more paper money for Mrs. An." Gao E watched Master An's expression change.