AWB Chapter 354 This is my husband
Chapter 354 This is my husband
The salt mines in Ning County are located by the sea. After entering Ning County, it takes several hours to reach the nearest fishing village. Therefore, it was already afternoon when they arrived at the nearest fishing village.
This was the hottest time of day, and with the sweltering heat, the world felt like a steamer, even the air was salty and humid.
To make it easier to travel, Lu Yangyang, Jiang Zhiyi, and Wen Qingqing all wore men's clothing. Liu Xiang also changed into a coarse cloth outfit. Because of her illness and the journey, she looked extremely frail, with no color in her face.
The carriage stopped outside the fishing village. Liu Xiang looked at the group and said, "Miss Lu, come with me. This is one of the villages where we salt producers were assigned. Although I've been away from home for a few years, I still know a few people. I'll ask the villagers if they can take us to the salt mine."
Wen Qingqing knew she wasn't good at this, so after thinking for a moment, she reluctantly took out her little darling and handed it to Lu Yangyang: "Let the little darling go with you. If there's any danger, the little darling can help."
"Not for now. Ordinary people can't hurt me. You two find a safe place and wait for our news." Lu Yangyang said, glancing at Jiang Zhiyi, who immediately nodded: "Don't worry, Miss, I understand."
Lu Yangyang bent down and jumped out of the car. She had applied a slightly darker shade of makeup, which made Liu Xiang look even more frail and pale as she stood next to her.
Liu Xiang led her into the village. There weren't many people wandering around the village at noon. Liu Xiang hadn't been here for many years and wasn't very familiar with the place. Relying on her memory, she walked to the outside of a house and called out, "Uncle, Uncle!"
After a while, the door to the house inside was pushed open through the fence. A thin, elderly woman looked at the two of them suspiciously for a few moments before hesitatingly asking, "Who are you looking for?"
"Aunt, it's me, A-Xiang. Where are my father and mother?" Liu Xiang asked. "I just passed by that courtyard, and there was no one there."
"Ah, A-Xiang, A-Xiang?" Auntie seemed to have finally found this person in her memory. She took a few steps forward with surprise and hesitation, looking at Liu Xiang uncertainly, and said timidly, "It really is you! Aren't you... How did you come back?"
Many poor families sell their children, and once they're sold, they never think about it again. Even if they do, they can never get them back.
So when she saw Liu Xiang, she was genuinely surprised, especially since everyone knew that the imperial resettlement funds had been distributed, every household had been allocated land according to the number of people, and taxes had been waived for several years. As long as they worked hard, they could all survive. Moreover, their fishing village was by the sea, and if they saved up some money, several families could pool their resources to rent a boat and go fishing, and they would never starve. So everyone was truly happy at that time, and there was real hope for the future. Fewer people were selling their children. But Liu Xiang was exceptionally beautiful, and a passing matchmaker picked her up at first glance, giving her a full twenty taels of silver, which caused a sensation throughout the village.
With those twenty taels of silver, her second brother's family managed to find wives for both of their sons. In the first few years, they were the envy of many!
only……
Looking at Liu Xiang standing before her, the eldest aunt felt a pang of sadness as she recalled the past. She glanced uncertainly at Liu Xiang, then at Lu Yangyang beside her, and began to guess: "Xiang, you've come back this time... and this is yours?"
Liu Xiang blushed slightly and said, "Auntie, this is my husband. I... I saved up money over the years and spent it to redeem myself. But now my health isn't very good, and I need to take medicine. It's cost me a lot of money, and I'm really desperate. I wanted to come back and ask around if I could find some work at the saltworks."
Upon hearing this, Auntie immediately waved her hand, "That won't do, Ah Xiang. Others may not know, but how could you not know? The work at the saltworks is no human endurance. Your young husband is so skinny, he can't handle it. Sigh, I won't lie to you, after you left, your parents got your two older brothers married, and with the remaining money, they rented a boat with your uncles. Those few years were pretty good, but after a few years, your eldest brother got hooked on gambling by outsiders. There was no end to it. In less than two years, the whole family was ruined. The fields were sold, and the boat was gone. Seeing that they couldn't pay back the money, the creditors sold your father, along with your brothers, to the saltworks. Your sister-in-law ran away too, and your mother was practically blind from crying. She had no choice but to go to the saltworks as well. Tell me, why did they have to give up such a good life..."
As Liu Xiang listened to the story of her family, she felt a pang of sadness. She had always thought that her parents would sell her without hesitation when good times came, so that they could live a better life. When she was little, they prayed day and night that they could leave the salt field. But who would have thought that good times would come, but after only a few years, they would be back in that place.
She didn't know what to say for a moment, and her eyes reddened slightly.
Lu Yangyang patted her shoulder and said to her aunt, "Aunt, don't let my thin appearance fool you, I'm very strong. I sincerely want to live a good life with A-Xiang. I'd appreciate it if you could give me some pointers. A-Xiang and I don't have any other options. She still needs to take medicine. I had a few years of schooling and know a few words. I heard that the saltworks are hiring laborers with high wages, so I'd like to give it a try."
The eldest aunt looked at Lu Yangyang with some surprise. She felt that although the young man was not tall, he was an honest person. Her niece was lucky to meet such a person in such a place. However, she was also unlucky and her future days would be difficult.
She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him, so she came out and hung up the door: "I'll take you to Uncle Chang's house to ask. His son is a small manager at the salt mine. He takes people from the village who want to go there."
Lu Yangyang quickly expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much for your help, Auntie."
Then he took out a small bag of pastries and stuffed it into his aunt's hand: "These are from Jiangnan Prefecture. They're not worth much. Aunt, give them to the children at home."
The eldest aunt looked at the things, and her smile suddenly warmed up. She stuffed the pastries into her bosom and praised Liu Xiang: "Ah Xiang has found a good young man."
Liu Xiang smiled shyly.
When they arrived at Old Chang's house, there was only a thin, dark-skinned old man there. His aunt explained their purpose, and Old Chang was initially a little reluctant. Lu Yangyang stepped forward and directly handed him a small packet of tea. Old Chang brought it to his nose, smelled it, and his old face immediately broke into a smile: "I'll take you there right away."
Lu Yangyang hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. The things she was carrying were snacks that Jiang Zhiyi had specially prepared for her before the trip, which she had taken with her before getting off the carriage.
The small fishing village was not far from the salt mine, only about half an hour's walk away. Old Chang went to talk to the guards at the mine for a few minutes, and soon a dark-skinned young man came over. It was Old Chang's son, Chang Hai. Chang Hai looked Lu Yangyang up and down, his eyes not very satisfied, but when he saw Liu Xiang, his eyes lit up.
"You want to work? Sure, I'll arrange it for you. Come with me."
Lu Yangyang and Liu Xiang followed him into the salt field. At first glance, they saw rows of densely packed sheds, and the salty smell hit them.
Chang Hai led them to the outside of a stone house. Just then, a man dressed as a steward led a tall, thin man out.
The moment their eyes met, Lu Yangyang's eyelids twitched violently.