Chapter 62: There Are Pearls on Her Shoes

After Bai Yan knocked Zhao Chujiu down, Jiang Chengyan didn’t spare Zhao Chujiu a single glance. Instead, as he pushed the handcart, he asked Bai Yan, “Did you hurt your hand?”

Bai Yan held the little radish and shook her head. “No.”

Jiang Chengyan gave a low hum of acknowledgment, then continued pushing the cart toward the wasteland. There was no hint of jest; they truly went ahead and planted all those abandoned apple trees. By the time Zhao Chujiu came to, the trees had already been planted.

Because Jiang Chengyan’s family didn’t need to rebuild their house, over the month others spent reconstructing theirs, Jiang Chengyan and Bai Yan managed to fill thirty acres of wasteland. Two acres were planted with fruit trees, a patch with wild strawberries, and the rest with beans.

A month later,

The Jiang family’s house was completely renovated. Reluctantly, Mrs. Zhao gathered her belongings and moved back from Jiang Chengyan’s place.

Their new home hadn’t changed location, built upon the old foundation, so there was still a fair distance between Bai Yan’s house and theirs.

“If you miss your mother, come home for dinner, you hear?” Mrs. Zhao pinched Bai Yan’s cheek, whose delicate skin was left with a red mark.

Mrs. Zhao could clearly sense the displeasure radiating from Jiang Chengyan.

Bai Yan nodded obediently.

As it turned out, Mrs. Zhao and Jiang’s father hadn’t even left the premises when Jiang Chengyan was already leading Bai Yan away, turning his back without a shred of sentiment...

…

After Jiang’s father and Mrs. Zhao moved back, Jiang You and Mrs. Qian’s house was finished too. They offered to live together with Grandma Jiang and Grandpa Jiang, but on condition that Mrs. Zhao and Jiang’s father would provide some goods.

Unsurprisingly, Mrs. Qian wandered around Mrs. Zhao’s home and picked out the largest and best-looking beans, turning up her nose at the ugly ones.

Jiang’s father wanted to say something, but Mrs. Zhao stopped him, and he fell silent.

…

The neighboring East Pond Village was two or three times larger than West Pond. This was the first market gathering since the earthquake, lively and bustling.

Late in the morning, Jiang Chengyan took Bai Yan’s hand and brought her to the market.

Everything struck Bai Yan as novel. She asked Jiang Chengyan to buy her a stick of candied hawthorn, which she gnawed on with puffed cheeks, her big eyes curiously surveying everything.

“Should we buy two pounds of walnuts?” Jiang Chengyan thought, rabbits must like nuts.

“Sure. And let’s buy a chicken,” Bai Yan nodded, never forgetting her craving for chicken.

When she clamored for chicken, Jiang Chengyan couldn’t help but laugh, “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were a weasel.”

Bai Yan: “???” Is that really how you describe your own wife?

Jiang Yuan followed beside Mrs. Qian, her eyes fixed on the pair ahead, nearly blazing with envy.

That little enchantress! Today she wore very understated colors, but the fabric looked anything but cheap, and her shoes were adorned with tiny pearls—she walked with such grace. Most outrageous of all, wherever she pointed, Jiang Chengyan bought it for her.

They looked both wealthy and happy!

This scene did not escape Mrs. Qian’s notice.

Just as mother and daughter prepared to approach, Jiang Yuan suddenly tugged Mrs. Qian’s arm, glancing toward a rouge shop nearby.

“Mother, look—isn’t that Second Brother?” Jiang Yuan stared at Mrs. Qian with surprise and gossip gleaming in her eyes. The Second Brother she spoke of was none other than Jiang Cheng’an.