Zhang Erlang had his manhood neatly severed and there was no way to repair it.
When he finally regained consciousness and saw his empty crotch, he fainted again instantly...
Having lost both his wife and his money, Zhang Dalang's heart ached as if it were bleeding.
He had originally planned to share the bride with his brother. Otherwise, he wouldn't have handed all his private savings to Granny Chen.
His wife, He Erniang, noticed the missing money in the house and had a big fight with Zhang Dalang. Only after that did they remember to report the case to the authorities. Unfortunately, the bride had disappeared into the vast crowd like a drop of water.
The constables searched for a few days as usual but found nothing, so the matter was left unresolved.
While the Zhang family was in a complete uproar and shrouded in gloom, Granny Chen on the official road was sitting in a carriage, humming a tune, feeling extremely content!
She was already old and planned to retire after this job. Fortunately, she had met the generous Qi family. With all her savings over the years, Granny Chen happily headed to the capital to join her son and daughter - in - law who were doing small businesses there.
——————————
Time flies. Another spring has come and gone.
Soon it was the end of Hui Zhenyu's three - year term.
Shuangjiang had grown into a little girl with a cute hairstyle. Her lips were red and her teeth were white. Even at such a young age, she already had the grace of a young lady.
Xiaojiao and Ahu, who were one year younger than Shuangjiang, were at the age of loving to run and play. The siblings pestered Shuangjiang to accompany them, and the three little ones were chasing butterflies in the yard.
Behind the hydrangeas, their fair and lovely smiling faces would occasionally appear, making people can't help but smile kindly.
Fang Yunxin told the wet - nurse to wipe the children's sweat.
Qi Jiao also prepared milk and snacks for the children.
Attracted by the fragrance, Fang Yunxin picked up a hawthorn cake and took a bite. "The filling is sweet and sour, and the crust is soft. It's so delicious! Well, I think it's even better than the ones from the Thirteen Fang in the capital!"
Qi Jiao said with a smile, "The food that can make Miss Fang miss it for so long must be much more delicious than what I make. I really want to visit the capital someday."
There was a hint of longing on her face. Fang Yunxin suddenly had an idea. "Jiaoniang, my husband will return to the capital to report on his duties in two months. You can come with us."
The more Fang Yunxin talked, the more excited she became. She shook Qi Jiao's arm. "You're so capable. You're sure to achieve great things in the capital!"
Actually, Qi Jiao had this idea for a long time. Currently, Jiaoniang Restaurant was only open in Lingle County. Zhuoxiang Pavilion had two branches, one in Lingle County and the other in the prefectural city. Tang Han Weaving was a late - comer, but it had the most branches - a total of four in Yulin Prefecture.
Thanks to the Yin family's network, Tang Han Weaving had also opened two branches in the prefectural city of the neighboring prefecture and was booming.
Qi Jiao had already asked Miss Guo Lingyi to keep an eye out for a suitable shop in the capital.
However, because Xiaojiao and Ahu were too young before, and there were also a series of matters related to the construction of the island, the plan to go to the capital had been put on hold.
Now that Fang Yunxin had extended this olive branch, Qi Jiao also felt that the timing was right, so she happily agreed. "If so, I'll have to trouble you and Lord Hui."
Seeing that Qi Jiao was willing to develop in the capital, Fang Yunxin was extremely happy. She pulled Qi Jiao and talked about all kinds of things in the capital until sunset before leaving.
In the evening, Pei Xia returned from work. After washing up, the couple lay on the couch talking.
Qi Jiao was considerate of Pei Xia's hard work in handling cases and massaged around his eyes with her fingertips.
With his beloved wife in his arms, the refreshing and pleasant smell made Pei Xia completely relax.
He kissed her wrist one by one and said in a low voice, "You've also worked hard all day. Go to sleep quickly."
But Jiaoniang was a bit excited and couldn't fall asleep. She murmured to herself, "Finally going to the capital. I wonder what the capital here is like..."
As for the capital, Pei Xia had never been there either.
However, he was also affected by Jiaoniang's mood. Suddenly, he thought of something and found it hard to accept for a moment. "If you go to the capital, what about me?"
Pei Xia couldn't bear to part with Jiaoniang. He couldn't imagine a day without her by his side.
Seeing him frowning, Qi Jiao couldn't help pinching his face. "You, of course, you'll stay here to take care of our business. How can the family be left unattended?"
Qi Jiao gave a mischievous smile, which made Pei Xia pin her down and tickle her.
They made such a ruckus that Qi Jiao laughed until tears came out. "Okay, okay. Lord Hui has already submitted a recommendation letter to the court. By then, you'll be one of his constables and go to the capital by imperial order."
Only then did Pei Xia show a smile. "You're really good at keeping secrets. You didn't tell me such a big thing until now. Lord Hui and Lady Fang have been kind to our family everywhere. Now... Alas, I really feel ashamed to accept..."
Qi Jiao stroked his hair. "You're not even old, but you're becoming more and more verbose. Just tell me if you're willing or not?"
"Of course I'm willing!"
Pei Xia couldn't help kissing Qi Jiao again and again. He knew that although a recommendation letter was not a difficult thing for Lord Hui, Jiaoniang must have put in a lot of effort. This time in the capital, he would surely perform well to make Jiaoniang proud, so as to be worthy of such a wonderful wife.
**
The itinerary to the capital was set, two days later.
Before that, Qi Jiao had been extremely busy for many days.
The journey there would take two or three months, not to mention starting a business in the capital, which might take who knows how long.
The family business was neither very big nor very small. Although there were relatives and friends to support, she couldn't just leave carefree.
Although it was hard work, Qi Jiao enjoyed it.
Over the years, her wealth had been continuously increasing. Even though there had been losses, she had finally achieved overall profitability.
Looking at the ever - growing savings, Qi Jiao was full of motivation. In the days before leaving home, she had sorted out all her affairs.
The duck farm in Baiyun Village of Yinwan was in the charge of the Ye family. A few stewards led by A Lian managed the food workshop very well.
The embroidery workshop had gathered many talents. Qu Si was in charge of the freight. He and his brothers were doing a great job, which made Qi Jiao very satisfied.
By the way, Qu Si recommended himself to develop the freight line.
On the one hand, he had finally come to his senses. In order to marry the girl he liked, A Lian, he wanted to achieve something. On the other hand, he saw that Qi Jiao and Pei Xia were busy and had neglected the necessary freight line. So he took his trusted brothers to discuss with Jiaoniang and Pei Xia.
After several discussions, the matter was finally settled. For example, when Jiaoniang and the others were going to the capital, two batches of goods had been sent in advance. Qu Si had contacted the coachmen and post stations everywhere and successfully transported the goods to the capital, saving a large amount of expenses.
As for the Jiaoniang Restaurant in the city, Zheng Huier had already been able to handle all the cooking tasks on her own. With the help of Leng Yao and the efforts of the two Ye brothers, the business of the restaurant was steadily profitable.
Not only them, but also A Le and Ge Fan had made great progress.
Hua Shuangshuang and her daughter, Yin Die, March, and Mrs. Lin needless to say. They were capable, independent, and intelligent women. Without much instruction from Qi Jiao, they could handle their own affairs perfectly.
Qi Jiao only needed to pay them generous monthly allowances, and everyone was convinced.
After arranging the personnel, Qi Jiao began to pack for the trip to the capital. This was a long - distance journey, and there would surely be many unexpected situations on the way. Moreover, they were bringing children, so they needed to pay attention to every aspect.
Antipyretic and detoxifying medicines, clothes and bedding suitable for different weathers, pots and pans for cooking, instant and long - lasting food... There were so many things.
To everyone's surprise, in order to be able to drink fresh and non - astringent tea on the way, Qi Jiao even made air - dried flower tea bags overnight, with two yellow rock sugars in each bag. The fragrance of flowers, fruits, and tea was so wonderful just by smelling it. They were delicate and convenient.