Chapter 75: Why Are You Wearing My Shoes?

As soon as Jiang Chengyan returned home, he began tidying up the handcart, while Bai Yan hurriedly rushed back to the western room. She glanced down at the pearl-adorned shoes on her feet, hesitated, then carefully took them off. After a moment’s thought, she walked over to where Jiang Chengyan kept his shoes.

“Little Darling, bring out all your dirty clothes,” Jiang Chengyan called from the courtyard, holding a large bamboo basket.

Bai Yan quickly gathered her changed clothes and carried them out. Just then, Mrs. Qian and Jiang Yuan entered the Jiang family’s courtyard. The courtyard was spacious and clean, with the tall man standing to one side, bamboo basket in hand. Soon, they heard a series of clacking sounds. Looking up, they saw the bright and charming girl running out of the house, arms full of delicate garments. The clacking sound, it turned out, came from her feet.

She was wearing a pair of men’s shoes—clearly Jiang Chengyan’s. The shoes were plain, looking quite inexpensive.

Jiang Chengyan’s brows twitched as he asked expressionlessly, “Why are you wearing my shoes?”

Bai Yan, clutching the pile of dirty laundry, replied earnestly, “My shoes are expensive. If they get ruined, I’ll have to spend money to replace them. Yours are cheap, so I’ll wear yours.”

Bai Yan spoke with utmost seriousness, and Mrs. Qian noted the pained look on her face.

“Eldest Brother isn’t doing business outside? How come even a pair of shoes is something to be stingy about? Or is it that Elder Brother isn’t making any money?” Jiang Yuan sneered, “Eldest Brother, this wife you married—aside from sharing your bed, what use is she?”

“You’re so annoying, no one would want to sleep beside you,” Bai Yan retorted, glaring at Jiang Yuan with disdain.

Jiang Chengyan naturally took the dirty clothes from Bai Yan, placing them in the bamboo basket. He then looked up at Jiang Yuan, his voice laced with irony, “So? Besides me, who else isn’t making any money?”

Jiang Yuan immediately fell silent.

“What are you doing here?” Bai Yan’s eyes darted over the mother and daughter.

“Chengyan, do you have an abacus at home? Your second uncle left his abacus at the shop in Lin County. He needs it urgently and wants to borrow yours,” Mrs. Qian said with a cheerful smile.

Jiang Chengyan set down the basket and went inside to fetch it.

They lived in the western room now, but the scholar’s tools were kept in the eastern room.

When Mrs. Qian and Jiang Yuan followed him in, they saw two abacuses on the large table—one big and one small. The small one was more exquisite.

Mrs. Qian reached out for the smaller abacus, but Bai Yan immediately hugged it protectively, “This one is mine.”

Jiang Chengyan made a sound of acknowledgment, then handed the large, worn abacus to Mrs. Qian.

Mrs. Qian discreetly surveyed the eastern room, but apart from piles of books, she found nothing of value. It seemed the most expensive thing in the Jiang household was the young wife’s attire.

Mrs. Qian took the abacus and left the courtyard with Jiang Yuan. Meanwhile, Jiang Chengyan took Bai Yan to the riverbank.

That midday, a group of women from Xitang village were sitting by the river washing clothes when they saw a tall figure hike up his robes and sit nearby, pulling out a wooden basin to begin washing.

As for his young wife, she was crouched on the riverbank, digging for wild vegetables. She wore men’s shoes, making a constant clacking sound, waddling like a penguin…

“Nonsense! You, a grown man, washing clothes?!”