The Only Favourite Ugly Husband - Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – The matchmaker is here

Him losing his job had something to do with Yang Jing. Yang Jing was aiming at him. If Jiang Chengxiang’s eyes could carry poison, Jiang Zhen would already be poisoned.

Although he didn’t have the talent and financial resources to take the examination, he was always proudly thinking of himself as a scholar and felt that he could change his destiny and never work in the fields in his life. But now? He lost his job and then. . .

“Chengxiang, pack up and go to the fields with me.” Butcher Jiang came out of the house with a bamboo basket and a hoe on his back, speaking as he walked.

When Jiang Zhen left home, he stabbed him in the leg with a bamboo pole. Although the injury didn’t kill him, it made him ill and unable to sleep for a few days. His well-being had been poor these days, and he couldn’t do the work in the fields.

Originally, it was nothing. In the past, when he was busy farming or had the same old lower back pain problem, his farm work had never been delayed. After all, his eldest brother was better than a long-term worker.

Even if they hired a long-term worker, they couldn’t ask him to work for them at night. But they could let Eldest Jiang work until night.

But now, his family’s eldest son had run away.

Butcher Jiang was old and weak. It was understandable that he worked slowly. However, Jiang Chengwen, who was in his early twenties, which was considered the most powerful age for a man, actually worked even more slowly than the old Butcher Jiang!

Butcher Jiang naturally wanted to scold him, but he hadn’t even started when he simply hid in the house and refused to go out!

In the past, when Eldest Jiang was too tired and got up late, old lady Jiang would tell the whole village that he was lazy and how bad he was. But when it came to Jiang Chengwen, when he cried out that he was tired, old lady Jiang was reluctant to let him work in the field.

In the end, old lady Jiang went with Butcher Jiang to the field. Not only that, when others came to ask her why Jiang Chengwen didn’t come to work, she also kept on speaking for Jiang Chengwen, repeatedly saying that Jiang Chengwen was too ill to come to work in the fields.

Whether the others believed it or not, it was certain that the Jiang family’s land would not be fully planted.

It was precisely because of this that Butcher Jiang called Jiang Chengxiang to work in the fields when he just came back.

Jiang Chengwen was always lazy and slippery but had thick skin. He couldn’t be easily asked to work. The butcher was used to it, but Jiang Chengxiang . . . In Butcher Jiang’s eyes, his third son was obedient and filial and was definitely willing to help share the work.

Jiang Chengxiang had always behaved well in front of outsiders and his parents. He didn’t shirk his responsibility for any work at home. But in his heart, he was unwilling to do farm work. He didn’t want to become a man like Eldest Jiang!

Therefore, after Butcher Jiang opened his mouth, Jiang Chengxiang didn’t answer but stared at Jiang Zhen not far away.

When the butcher saw Jiang Zhen, his face darkened immediately.

“Butcher Jiang, you have two good sons that are unwilling to work in the fields.” Jiang Zhen looked at Butcher Jiang and said softly, “Now that you are still working, you can support them. But I’m afraid their life will be sad in the future.”

The ancient times were not the modern times where there were machines, chemical fertilizers, and all kinds of pesticides. These days, farmers had to plow and harvest the fields themselves. The fertilizer in the fields had to be made and used by them. When there were too many weeds, they had to pull them out. When there were worms, they had to catch them with their own hands . . .

The land here was fertile and the climate was good. The crops grew fast, but the weeds grew even faster, and there were many insects. Didn’t the people from this village have to go to the fields every day?

But Jiang Chengwen and Chengxiang . . . These two masters were unwilling to take off their shoes to go to the paddy field! Especially Jiang Chengxiang, who accidentally saw leeches crawling on his thighs. He couldn’t even eat due to nausea . . . And don’t think about what he usually ate and drank. Someone needed to work hard to grow it.

Butcher Jiang’s face was black.

“They are your only two sons . . . I think you have a bleak future,” Jiang Zhen said very sincerely. He was telling the truth, but it was clear that others considered it a curse.

“What nonsense are you talking about, you knife killer? I would be miserable in the future with you being at home. Without you, I’ll naturally be able to live a good life!” Old madam Jiang came out with a frame on her back. She just heard Jiang Zhen’s words and couldn’t help scolding him.

After scolding Jiang Zhen for so many years, it had become a habit. Although she had been dealt with several times by Jiang Zhen, she still couldn’t learn.

When Jiang Zhen heard this, he took a handful of wet mud from the side of the road and threw it at her without hesitation.

He had a very good aim. What was supposed to land on Jiang Chengxiang to disgust him, landed on his face, scaring old lady Jiang.

“Butcher Jiang, I’m telling you for your own sake. Your two sons, you’d better take good care of them. Don’t let him become an old man who couldn’t keep his family’s business,” Jiang Zhen earnestly warned the butcher again, and then left.

When Jiang Zhen went to the river to wash his hands, Wang Haisheng defended him, saying, “That family is really hateful. They even scold you when you were just passing by! You should beat them up!”

“After all, I was born to them, so it’s not easy to fight them,” said Jiang Zhen.

Wang Haisheng was surprised. Thinking about the previous situation, he thought about Sun Xiaoshan’s experience. “That old woman is your stepmother?” In his opinion, Jiang Zhen was probably treated badly by his stepmother.

“No, mother,” Jiang Zhen said. “But people think that I beat her, and so they want to kill me . . . She always felt that she had already been very kind to me, if she didn’t drown me in the toilet.”

Wang Haisheng sighed. He had met many ruthless people before, many of whom threw their children in the river because they didn’t have money to support them. But he couldn’t understand such a behavior, and now he sympathized with Jiang Zhen.

Jiang Zhen was a good man and shouldn’t be treated like that by his own parents . . .

In fact, Jiang Zhen also sympathized with Eldest Jiang. At that moment, he could only wish him a good family in his next life.

When he got back home, Jiang Zhen took out all the money he owned.

Because he gave Wang Haisheng twenty silver, what he could use as his starting capital was only ten silver, which was a bit too little . . . After thinking about it, Jiang Zhen specially packed 200 kilos of millet and planned to go to the seaside the next day to exchange it for other goods.

It was already evening. After the busy work, Jiang Zhen made a meal. He steamed the salted fish with a bowl of garlic to fill his stomach and then waited for the night to fall.

He would leave early the next day, so he would certainly not be able to sleep in Zhao Jinge’s place tonight, but he had to tell Zhao Jinge about going out.

With half a fish in hand, Jiang Zhen entered Zhao Jinge’s room and kissed his face. “Jinge, I have something to tell you.”

“What?” Zhao Jinge asked in a low voice.

“I’m going on a trip,” Jiang Zhen said, then he explained that he was going to buy seafood. As a matter of fact, the seaside was not far from the village. He would set off early tomorrow morning, and in the afternoon, he should arrive at the coast. But he would be delayed for a day or two there, as he planned to find a place to sell the goods after he buys them, so it would take him at least four or five days.

“You should find something to do. It’s good to sell seafood,” Zhao Jinge nodded. He always thought it’s not good for Jiang Zhen to do nothing every day. Now that Jiang Zhen was willing to find a job, it couldn’t be better.

“I can’t bring you any food these days. So take some from home and don’t go hungry.” Jiang Zhen kissed Zhao Jinge’s cheek again and held his hand.

“I didn’t eat before, and everything was alright,” Zhao Jinge said.

“But I don’t want you to be hungry,” Jiang Zhen said.

In fact, Jiang Zhen was not one of those people who could speak words of love very well, but Zhao Jinge had never heard such words either. So no matter what Jiang Zhen said, his reaction was always particularly strong.

At this moment, he was very happy.

Zhao Jinge had never been anywhere far. He didn’t know anything about selling seafood, but he knew that it would cost a lot of money to live outside. After thinking about it, he took a small cloth bag from the head of his bed and gave it to Jiang Zhen. “I only have four silver. Take it.”

Most of Zhao Jinge’s money for long-term work was given to his parents, but Zhao Liu still gave him some money for buying and making clothes and buying some things for himself. He never spent that money but saved it all, a total of four silver.

The money was not much, not even a little, but it was all Zhao Jinge had.

Jiang Zhen took the money in his hands and felt warm in his heart. After a while, he said, “You are stupid.”

Zhao Jinge frowned and looked at Jiang Zhen. He didn’t understand why Jiang Zhen said he was stupid. As a result, Jiang Zhen kissed him again. “But I like you like this.”

Zhao Jinge’s face turned red again when he heard the word “like”.

Jiang Zhen didn’t stay that night, and when he left, he took the silver given to him by Zhao Jinge.

Before dawn the next day, Jiang Zhen and Wang Haisheng set out. Before leaving, Jiang Zhen locked his house and gave his chicken to Sun Xiaoshan to take care of.

Over the past few days, Sun Xiaoshan had almost recovered from his illness, but Jiang Zhen had not spoken even a few words to him. It was true that the ger was too introverted and timid, but although he was a little introverted and timid, he was still very nice. Before long he instructed his eldest son to plow all the fields near Jiang Zhen’s residence to help Jiang Zhen grow vegetables and would take the children to dig wild vegetables and give them to Jiang Zhen.

Of course, he did all of this while Jiang Zhen was not at home. When Jiang Zhen was at home, he basically hid inside the house. He rarely met Jiang Zhen face to face, and he didn’t speak to him.

Jiang Zhen was helpless, but even if he was a bit grumpy, he couldn’t do anything about it. He estimated that the ger was like this, because he used to live on a boat and didn’t communicate with other people.

Jiang Zhen set out very early. Just before dawn, he had arrived at the place Yang Jing mentioned.

At that time, all the concerned people got up early, so when they arrived, they were already there. Jiang Zhen went up to talk with them and checked them all out at the same time.

As a matter of fact, Jiang Zhen did not fully trust Yang Jing and was even prepared for Yang Jing to set him up. However, it turned out that he thought too much. He knew at a glance that these people who wanted to go at sea with him were ordinary folk who had never seen blood, and at most, they were a little sly.

These days, only sly people could think of starting a business. Most people only knew how to work hard.

After chatting with these people for a while, Jiang Zhen got a lot of information out of them. When he knew all that he wanted to know, he stopped talking and left Wang Haisheng to socialize with the other merchants.

These people who went to the seaside to buy sea goods were not rich people, and they had only 10 or 20 silver of capital. Even their boats were not as big as Wang Haisheng’s boat. Wang Haisheng felt no inferiority towards them and quickly slip into their conversations.

This time, five boats set out together, and everyone sailed to the seaside together.

Jiang Zhen had already learned how to row from Wang Haisheng. Now he could help Wang Haisheng to have some rest, making Wang Haisheng even more grateful for his behavior.

Jiang Zhen rowed for a while. Handling the oars back to Wang Haisheng he asked, “Have you ever been to Fucheng?”

“Yes,” Wang Haisheng nodded.

“What is it like over there?” Jiang Zhen asked again.

Wang Haisheng began to speak slowly.

Jiang Zhen suddenly asked about Fucheng for a reason. The sea merchants who went to buy goods with them would all go back to their county towns to sell their goods. The price set by everyone was the same, and everyone agreed in advance that the price could not be reduced.

In fact, it was actually quite good, but it’s also bound that Jiang Zhen, who was the new recruit, would have a hard time earning money and might even have goods left that cannot be sold.

If they go to Fucheng . . .

Jiang Zhen listened carefully to Wang Haisheng’s story. Meanwhile, a matchmaker came to the Zhao family in Hexi Village.

There were no matchmakers in this village, but some people liked to match people, and there were many marriages. Over time, if someone wanted to propose marriage, they would go to the matchmaker and make her negotiate in their place. If the couple got married, they would invite her to have wedding wine and give her a piece of pork weighing at least two kilos without a bone.

Of course, if the family of the man had money, in addition to pork, he would usually give some money to the matchmaker.

The person who came to the Zhao family this time was a woman who often served as a matchmaker in Hexi Village. Her name was He Chunxiang.

Zhao Liu had also dealt with this matchmaker before, hoping she could arrange a good marriage for Zhao Jinge, but Zhao Jinge’s condition was too poor, so she had never been successful.

Later, Zhao Liu gave up her original plan of finding her ger son a good marriage partner, so she hadn’t seen Matchmaker He for a long time.

“Elder Sister He, what are you doing here?” Zhao Liu was surprised to see Matchmaker He. A moment later, she was even more surprised. “Is someone going to propose to my Jinge?”