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Marriage of the Di Daughter Chapter 107 Part 4: Homecoming bluestone sign
“What happened?” Ye Ming Yu scratched his head, “What could happen? Should be just like that. I’ve never met the county deputy, only heard of his matters through other people’s mouths. Moreover, I have not been to Tongxiang for many years, added that I’m not in Xiangyang all year round, I don’t know anything about this! But my guess is, since he did so well as an official, maybe he has been promoted early on and became a higher official!”
The corner of Jiang Li’s mouth had a trace of bitter laughter.
The fact was the opposite, Xue Huai Yuan not only did not get a promotion, instead, he fell and became a prisoner. This was truly beyond belief.
“Let’s go.” Ye Ming Yu urged the carriage to continue moving forward.
Tongxiang was not like Yanjing or Xiangyang that had a few soldiers guarding the city gate. Perhaps the people entering and exiting Tongxiang were too few, the stone statues by the gates of the city walls even had a layer of dust on them. There were no soldiers guarding the city, occasionally there would be a few medicine pickers with baskets on their backs, returning from the mountain after picking medicinal materials, walking through the city gate. Now and then, they cast surprised glances at Ye Ming Yu’s entourage, maybe due to their outstanding faces.
Tongxiang was very small, the common people were well acquainted with each other. Even if they couldn’t name the person, they could get along fine. When they went in, Tong’er and Bai Xue felt that it wasn’t as lively as Xiangyang or Yanjing. However, the popular customs could be regarded as simple and honest, there’s a particularly special down-to-earth feeling.
Ye Ming Yu walked to the side of the carriage and asked Jiang Li, “Ah Li, where do you want to go?” He actually handed the power to Jiang Li, thinking of letting Jiang Li have a free hand in dealing with her affairs.
Jiang Li pondered for a while then said, “We have so many people and the movement is not convenient. First, look for a place to stay.”
“Ok, an inn…..” before Ye Ming Yu finished speaking, Jiang Li interrupted him, “It’s not convenient in an inn, why don’t we look for a guesthouse for the time being and rent it for a few days.”
Ye Ming Yu frowned, “Rent? Ah Li, are you planning to stay here for some time?”
“I also don’t know.” Jiang Li’s tone was low, “let’s see as we go.” Xue Huai Yuan’s affair could not be solved in two or three days. As to how long they would be in a stalemate, there was really no way to determine at this time. She could not give up, so what she could do now was to stay here and prepare.
Hearing this, Ye Ming Yu said, “Since it’s like that, then just rent.”
Jiang Li said, “I heard there’s a place called Qingshi Lane in Tongxiang where the guesthouses are not bad. Let’s go over there.”
“No problem.” Ye Ming Yu instructed one of the person in the fleet, “Look for a person, ask for the direction to Qingshi Lane, we will immediately go there.”
Jiang Li sat back in the carriage.
Tong’er and Bai Xue looked out of the carriage with curiosity. Tongxiang was a small county, over here, Jiang Li did not need to avoid her identity. Aside from Ye Ming Yu and their party, it could be said that no other person would recognize her. She did not have to wear a veiled hat, also did not restrict Tong’er and Bai Xue’s behavior.
Bai Xue was still okay, after all she came out of a peasant family. However, this was the first time Tong’er came to such a county. In the beginning, she still felt it wasn’t as flourishing as Yanjing. After watching for a long time, she was fascinated by those sugar sellers juggling at the side of the street and found Tongxiang interesting.
The carriage walked to Qingshi Lane.
That was a road Jiang Li was most familiar with. Xue residence, the place where she, her father and Xue Zhao previously stayed was here. She once walked the road from Tongxiang city gate to Qingshi Lane countless times. Afterwards, she left through Qingshi Lane, but this departure was not able to come back. When she returned, she became Jiang Li, no longer “Ah Li”.
Jiang Li was unusually silent.
The excited Tong’er and Bai Xue also sensed Jiang Li’s peculiarity and their voices gradually lowered. They thought of asking Jiang Li what’s the matter, but seeing that Jiang Li seemed to be immersed in her own mood, they couldn’t ask the question in their mouth. Thus they just sat cautiously by Jiang Li’s side, worrying about her.
After an unknown period of time, the carriage stopped.
Ye Ming Yu’s voice sounded from outside the carriage, “Ah Li, we are here!”
Tong’er and Bai Xue jumped out of the carriage first before raising the carriage curtain and reached their hands to support Jiang Li down.
For a moment, Jiang Li felt both her hands tremble, along with her heart. She took a deep breath, put her hand in Tong’er’s hand and jumped down from the carriage.
Even the air was familiar.
The golden flowers and grass in front of the door let out a familiar sweet fragrance. The bluestone slab at the mouth of the lane still had a small chip that fell off when the roof tile was smashed. From afar, there’s the voice of children’s noisy romping and laughter and there were inquisitive and timid gazes directed at them concealed behind a pair of lion statues.
The corners of Jiang Li’s mouth rose as she smiled, but in Ye Ming Yu’s eyes, this smile somehow felt sad.
Everything was familiar, everything was the same as in her memory, except for her, nothing had changed.
“Let’s walk forward.” Jiang Li said. Though these words were directed at Ye Ming Yu, she couldn’t help walking over immediately without waiting for Ye Ming Yu’s reply.
Soon, very soon, very soon would be the Xue residence. She didn’t know how the Xue residence would look like now. That’s a place she continuously missed but didn’t dare to think about. At first she thought she would be cowardly when she was near home, but when the moment came, she knew there was nothing she could change. Then there was no more hesitation and followed her instinct to walk forward.
It’s homecoming.
Ye Ming Yu and the rest caught up without delay.
Suddenly, Jiang Li stopped.
There’s the door of a house five or six steps in front of her. The house wasn’t big, it actually fell short when compared to the Jiang residence or the Ye residence. The edges of the bluestone roof tiles were dilapidated, perhaps battered by winds and rain. Some had fallen, the top was hollow, and there was also a broken tree branch.
Although there was sunlight, for no reason, it gave people a kind of wretched, broken family’s desolate feeling.
Ye Ming Yu and the others who were following closely saw Jiang Li stood motionless in front of the house, each and every one of them was puzzled. Ye Ming Yu spoke in a low voice, “Ah Li?”
“Um.” Jiang Li raised the corner of her mouth, and in an instant, tears fell down.
The door of the Xue residence was affixed with official seals. There was no more Xue family home on earth anymore.
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