Bystander

"Jingtang is just for friendship." Even Chu Yao herself didn't believe this, but she still said it.

"Really? I hope, I'm also someone who has been here. I can guess whoever is thinking, not to mention seeing it through. I'm afraid you won't be able to keep your husband. You can't play with that bastard."

"Don't talk nonsense there." Jiang Jingtang yelled at the woman.

The woman turned around and sneered at Jiang Jingtang, "Am I talking nonsense, you know best." Then she led a group of people through the crowd and left.

Chu Yao leaned against the door frame, watched Jiang Jingtang sized Yang Ke up and down, and asked her if she was injured or frightened. Yang Ke threw herself into Jiang Jingtang's arms with red eyes, and Jiang Jingtang patted Yang Ke on the back, as if coaxing her. with a child.

The oiran gave Jiang Jingtang and Yang Ke a white look, and pulled Chuyao Huiwu, "Come on, let me show you the wound and sprinkle some golden medicine."

Chu Yao nodded without saying a word.

At dinner, the seven people at the table were silent.Jiang Jingtang has been picking up food for Yang Ke, and he doesn't care about Chu Yao who is sitting on the other side. The two are like a newly married couple. The oiran on the opposite side can't stand it anymore. Don't take the exam either."

Jiang Jingtang put down his chopsticks, said in silence for a while, "It is true that I missed the exam today, but there is a reason for it. Someone came to the teahouse to make trouble today. Of course, I will not ignore it just because of the exam."

"Well said!" Xiao Er'er put down his chopsticks, "Then may I ask Mr. Jiang, why do these people come to the teahouse to make trouble? So who are you coming back for?" The more Xiao Er'er said, the more angry he became, pointing to Chu Yao's forehead and said "Look, look at our shopkeeper, her forehead was broken to protect Yang Ke, did you see it? No, you only care about whether your A Ke is injured or frightened. Look at the storyteller Yes, I am old here, and I was beaten twice by someone, have you asked?"

Just as Jiang Jingtang was about to open his mouth, he was interrupted by Xiao Er'er, "No! You don't care about us at all, and you didn't come back for us, but for the teahouse. You only care about your A Ke! Don't talk too nicely."

Jiang Jingtang was speechless at what the younger son said for a while, and his ears were red. Chu Yao on the side stopped trying to smooth things over for Jiang Jingtang, and just lowered his head to eat. For a while, only the sound of Chu Yao's bowls and chopsticks was heard during the dinner.

"It's not that we are unreasonable. Today we have helped what should be done or not, and we have done what should have been done. Ms. Yang should go back to the mansion. As for whether to go back to her mother's house or her husband's house, Ms. Yang can make up her own mind." " said Mr. Storyteller.

"She can't go, she is already homeless." Jiang Jingtang said immediately.

"Even if my husband's family doesn't want to go back, my mother's family should go back. After all, they are her parents, so what's the point of staying here? Who are you, can you be closer than her parents?" Hua Kui yelled.

As soon as Yang Ke heard that no one planned to keep her, she immediately grabbed Jiang Jingtang's arm and shook her head straight at his big innocent and pitiful eyes.

Jiang Jingtang was a little hesitant at first, but how could he bear Yang Ke's weakness, and immediately said firmly, "A Ke can't go back to her mother's house, her father pushed her out for the sake of benefit, and rejected A Ke cruelly for the sake of his own face." Outside the door, how can she go back, even if she goes back, she will just enter another purgatory."

"Then what are you going to do, don't forget, her mother-in-law said she would release her only after 1000 taels." The storyteller looked at Jiang Jingtang and waited for his answer.

"Yes, Miss Yang is a valuable owner. We can't afford such a high price in brothels. 1000 taels is enough for ordinary people to eat for a few lifetimes. Miss Yang is worth a lot." The oiran still cares about the day Jiang Jingtang's "unintentional" remark, this passage of words is uttered in a strange way, which makes people feel extremely uncomfortable.

Jiang Jingtang and Yang Ke obviously didn't know why the oiran said that, but they were also disgusted by these words, and they both frowned, "I will find a way." Jiang Jingtang replied.

"Think of a way, what can you think of? You are just a poor scholar, if you have 1000 taels of silver, his father will marry her to someone else?" Xiaoerer's words were a little rushed, "Don't you still eat us now? Does the shopkeeper drink from our shopkeeper? Even if there is a thousand pieces, what? Are you still planning to take a widow as a concubine?" Xiao Er'er patted the table.

Jiang Jingtang stared at Xiao Er'er fiercely, wishing to kill Xiao Er'er in his eyes, but it was not easy to get angry, after all, what he said was true, since Jiang Jingtang and Chu Yao got married, this matter has actually been under Jiang Jingtang's control In his heart, he always thought that outsiders would think that he was eating soft food, getting married, and taking the test for a wife to live. Now it seems that they think so, so they dragged Yang Ke to leave the meeting angrily.

From beginning to end, Chu Yao didn't say a word, just lowered his head to eat, but after the banquet was over, Chu Yao didn't even eat half a bowl of rice.

On the second day, Chu Yao led everyone to open the door for business as usual, but the business was not as good as before, and I don't know if it was because of yesterday's incident.At the beginning of the tea table in twos and threes, they could always be heard discussing the relationship between Jiang Jingtang and Yang Ke.

"Have you heard? Her uncle," one secretly pointed at Chu Yao and whispered to the other, "had an affair with the wife of the dead magistrate's nephew."

"How did you know?"

"You didn't see it yesterday. The family's mother-in-law was found by this group of servants. This uncle is protecting his daughter-in-law in his arms, yo, that one is steadfast."

"Really?"

"Isn't it? Later, my mother-in-law said that she took out 1000 taels for a paperwork and set her free."

"Tsk tsk tsk," the man glanced at Chu Yao, "It's a pity that the shopkeeper is a very nice person. Why did he have such a husband who protects a widow in public."

"Isn't it? How could this matter come to light, the bead tire is secretly over."

The two continued to drink tea, and after a while it seemed that there was nothing else to talk about, and they picked up the topic again, and one of them asked, "When did you say that the prefect's niece and the shopkeeper's son-in-law got married? Could it be the prefect's nephew?" The two hooked up not long after they died?"

The other person immediately cheered up, "That's right, let me tell you, the magistrate's niece and daughter-in-law are the daughter of the Yang family, Miss Yang, and her shopkeeper's uncle Jiang Jingtang has known each other for a long time, and it is certain that there has always been a relationship between them." come and go."

"Hey, do you think the magistrate's nephew just discovered the adultery between the two of them..." The man made a gesture of wiping his neck with his hand.

The other person immediately pressed his hand, looked around guiltily and said, "Don't talk nonsense, I have some things to think about myself."

The other shrank his neck, shook his head, and drank a cup of tea, "Don't talk about it, this matter is still too much to bear to think about."

"This Yang family is notoriously dislikes the poor and loves the rich. As a businessman, it is natural to seek profit. Back then, Miss Yang was able to marry the magistrate's nephew because of the magistrate's relationship. The Yang family wanted to have a relationship with the magistrate. "

"Master Yang is really cruel. Who in this town doesn't know that Zhifu Zhizi is a sick person, so he married his own girl to a sick person?"

"I heard that Miss Yang was born to a concubine. The mistress of the house raised her so gracefully that she climbed up the tall branches to pave the way for her son." The man took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued. "Maybe Miss Yang is also happy..."

"You two guest officers, how about the tea? Don't mention the matter of Miss Yang, it will damage her reputation." Chu Yao really couldn't listen anymore, and the two big men were gossiping like this.

"Shopkeeper, you really have a big heart. Your son-in-law will find you a widow as a concubine. Are you still protecting this concubine? It would be great if my daughter-in-law can think as much as you do." Among them One joked.

"That's not what I said. My husband-in-law and Ms. Yang are just friends in the past. Besides, she should pay attention to her reputation as a lady..." Before Chu Yao finished speaking, Jiang Jingtang stood behind Chu Yao, "Shut up." Jiang Jingtang scolded, "Chu Yao, I thought you were a kind and empathetic woman, how could you tell A Ke behind her back in front of others?"

Chu Yao stared at her eyes and was very surprised. She didn't expect Jiang Jingtang to be so indiscriminate and blame her without asking the ins and outs. Chu Yao didn't want to explain more, bypassing Jiang Jingtang and going back to the room.

Jiang Jingtang gave those two a blank look, flicked his sleeves and went out.

It was evening when Jiang Jingtang came back again. Yang Ke was sitting at the door with a small bench. When Jiang Jingtang came back, he immediately rolled his eyes with a smile, and went forward to meet him, "How is it? Is it enough?"

Jiang Jingtang nodded, signaling Yang Ke to calm down.

Yang Ke Annai was delighted to enter the teahouse with Jiang Jingtang on her arm.

For dinner, Jiang Jingtang continued to bring food to Yang Ke, regardless of other people's opinions, let alone Chu Yao.

After drinking and eating, Jiang Jingtang straightened his clothes, cleared his throat and said, "I have something to announce to everyone."

Everyone looked at Jiang Jingtang, and Jiang Jingtang continued, "The teahouse will be closed the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day for everyone in the teahouse. Please cherish it. I will settle the wages for everyone. No one will send five taels of silver as a gift for me and Chu." A little thought from Yao."

"Is the teahouse going to close?" Everyone looked at Chu Yao in surprise, and Chu Yao was also surprised. She asked Jiang Jingtang, "Why didn't I know that the teahouse was closing the day after tomorrow?"

Jiang Jingtang avoided Chu Yao's eyes, hesitating slightly, "Well, I've already sold the teahouse."

"Sold? Why do you want to sell the tea house? Have you discussed with me?" Chu Yao stood up excitedly.

"Today I wanted to discuss with you, but when I saw you telling outsiders about A Ke again, I got angry and forgot about it." The more Jiang Jingtang said, the more confident he became.

"Forgot, but you didn't forget to say that the teahouse is sold." Chu Yao spoke to Jiang Jingtang in such a tone for the first time, "Say, why?"

"A Ke needs 1000 taels," Jiang Jingtang said, "but this teahouse only sold 800 taels, which is still two hundred short. How about you have 300 taels? Lend me 200 taels, and pay them the rest." Jiang Jingtang even licked Ask Chu Yao with a straight face, "borrow 200 taels".