Chapter 004: Temple

From the window, Tong'er is standing on a stool to air the bedding. Not far away, a nun dressed in a gray robe walks by, not casting a glance at them.

"Oh?" Tong Er was puzzled, "In three days, the merchant will arrive. Didn't the young lady want to eat malt sugar?"

Jiang Li knew that she was refused when she went to get the bedding in the morning, and feeling uncomfortable in her heart, she scolded, which made her unable to help but laugh

Tong Er stared at her blankly and asked, "Do you also wish to go and offer incense, young lady?"

However, these are no longer important now

For some reason, Tong Er feels that the Second Miss has become somewhat strange since she woke up. The Second Miss has always been straightforward and outspoken, never hesitating to speak her mind. She has even fought with the nuns at the convent, easily getting agitated and angry. Of course, this is not the Second Miss's fault; it is entirely the fault of those wicked people.

Jiang Li did not believe that the other party was being soft-hearted; perhaps it was because she still had some use for that stepmother or for the Jiang family. Isn't it common for daughters to be used as stepping stones in marriages to pave the way for their fathers and brothers' careers, just like Shen Yuru? The difference is that Shen Yuru regarded herself as a bargaining chip in the marriage, while she treated Xue Fangfei as a stumbling block.

Tong'er was drying the bedding, while Jiang Li sat inside the house, where a stack of shoe soles was placed on the table. This was also part of her daily tasks; after finishing fifty shoe soles, she could earn a string of copper coins. In this mountainous region, copper coins were of little use, and Tong'er could not go down the mountain, so she could only wait for the peddler who came up the mountain to arrive, in order to buy some sweet cakes from him.

Miss Jiang Er reminded her of herself, both having their possessions taken away by others, both being displaced, and both unable to defend themselves

Will a person with such a fierce temperament cry injustice after the stepmother's miscarriage?

This is the only luxury that Jiang Li and Tong Er possess

The little girl had quite a temper. Watching the two nuns walk away, she spat and cursed, "Featherless hen!"

If Jiang Li truly caused her miscarriage, Ji Shuran would definitely not let Jiang Li off the hook. If Jiang Li did not cause her miscarriage, Ji Shuran's performance in this drama would also be aimed at not letting Jiang Li escape.

Tong Er looked at her in surprise; this was the first time in recent days that Jiang Li smiled. It was not the cold or bitter smile of the past, but a joyful and comforting smile. This smile instantly brought her withered complexion to life, radiant like morning blossoms.

In that case, the only option is to leave here actively

They could not command these nuns, and initially, Jiang Li was sent here for having made a mistake, accompanied only by a maid named Tong'er. Tong'er was the maid chosen for Jiang Li by Ye Zhenzhen, and she had always been by Jiang Li's side

Xue Fangfei in Yanjing City should be dead, but how the two beasts, Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong, fabricated their lies, she does not know. She still wants to go see Xue Zhao again and needs to find a way to return to Tongxiang. Xue Huaiyuan is dead, and both of his children are also dead; who will collect his body? She has not yet seen Xue Huaiyuan for the last time

It rained all night, and the next day the sky cleared up, leaving all the bedding in the house completely wet

"There are many. " Tong Er asked, "Does the young lady want to eat some candy?"

Jiang Li reflected on the matters she had learned from Tong Er, which suggested that Miss Jiang Er adamantly denied harming her stepmother. Jiang Li thought that if it were indeed her doing, she would surely admit it boldly and with justification.

"Is there a lot of candy?" asked Jiang Li.

Jiang Li shook her head and retorted, "Do you want to sit here for the rest of your life, just waiting for the malt sugar every month?"

Jiang Li said: "You mentioned that the Crane Forest Temple is nearby, right?"

It is too bitter, and because it is too bitter, it makes one long for the sweet taste of honey. These candies can allow her to taste sweetness, but they can also make some people feel bitterness

Tong Er watched as Jiang Li's expression darkened, and couldn't help but shiver

The second young lady, who had only just woken up, had never been angry. She spoke gently and her words became slow and soft, leaving others unsure of her thoughts. And when she fell silent in contemplation, Tong'er felt a sense of fear.

Indeed, Tong Er said: "Zhang Huo Lang arrives here every year on the noon of the 10th day of the 5th month. We have all agreed with him that if there are any delicious cakes or candies, he should come to us first, allowing us to choose as we please"

"Tong'er," Jiang Li asked her, "Did you say there would be a peddler coming up the mountain?"

She needs to come up with a way to leave here

Moreover, now that Jiang Li's marriage has also been taken away, Jiang Li has lost everything, not even having a connection with her maternal family that she had previously rejected. As a discarded legitimate daughter, even if she were to be killed in this place, it would not stir up any significant turmoil.

"Of course not willing," Tong'er asked, "But we can't go out from here now, can we?" After saying this, she mumbled, "I have written letters to the master and to the old lady of the Ye family before, but there has been no response at all." Tong'er's little face fell, "Could it be that they have forgotten about us?"

"No," Jiang Li said, "I do not believe in Buddhism."

Jiang Li's smile softened a bit more as she said, "What is there to believe in about Buddha"

Jiang Li sighed; it was not just about delivering a letter, but rather, it was feared that their every move was under the watchful eyes of others. Generally, when a young lady makes a mistake, she is sent to the family temple, and since the host family also provides money for her care, the nuns at the convent would not treat them poorly. However, the nuns here were clearly being difficult. After Jiang Li fell ill, not even a doctor was summoned, and it was likely all part of the scheme from the capital of Yanjing.

She wants to leave this place, but now in the city of Yanjing, no one in the entire Yan Dynasty remembers her, Jiang Li. A person who is forgotten by all cannot be taken away from here

After Tong'er finished airing the quilt and returned, she sat beside Jiang Li. She was frightened by Jiang Li, fearing that if Jiang Li were to be careless, she might throw herself into the lake again. For the past few days, she had been keeping a close watch on Jiang Li. Seeing Jiang Li lost in thought, she picked up the shoe sole to work on it herself. Jiang Li looked at the countless needle holes made by the little girl and snatched the shoe sole away, throwing it aside, saying: "Don't do it anymore"

Jiang Li's fingers brushed over the neatly stitched insole in front of her; the stitches were fine and dense. Although Tong Er was a bit noisy, her needlework was indeed quite good

If no one remembers, it is not a difficult task to let the world remember

Jiang Li smiled and said, "I think so."

As the master is, so are the servants. Tong Er has been here for six years and remains the same; perhaps the original Miss Jiang Er had an even more intense temperament. Upon reflection, if she were not intense, she would not have been able to take such drastic actions in anger.

Jiang Li suddenly smiled

As for who it is, there is no need to guess; it is undoubtedly that concubine.

But why did Ji Shuran not kill her

Even as a maid from a wealthy family, even when fallen into misfortune and only able to produce a handful of copper coins, she still speaks with considerable authority

Tong Er exclaimed with great excitement: "It is wonderful that the young lady wants to eat candy. A few days ago, we saved up quite a few coins, enough to exchange for several baskets. The young lady can have as much as she desires!"

Tong Er does not understand