Is that young woman in a yellow shirt and a high bun her own sister?
Xia Shang looked at her carefully and found that they were somewhat similar.
Xia Shang was a handsome young man who made women jealous, and his sister was naturally a top-notch beauty. I heard that her husband was a famous scholar in Yangzhou City, and she was very glorious when she got married.
But Xia Xinyi's life is not easy now. Less than a year after her marriage, her husband went to the capital to participate in the Spring Examination. Unexpectedly, he failed the Spring Examination. Her husband decided to stay in the capital to study. He stayed there for more than a year. There was no news from her husband except for the monthly letters urging him to pay for the trip. This year's Spring Examination just passed, and she didn't know whether she passed the exam.
Xia Xinyi didn't plan to have any relationship with her natal family at this time, but she thought that her natal family had connections in the capital, and she could only hear some news about the capital from her natal family. Now Xia Shang was the only one left in her natal family. Xia Xinyi was afraid that her last brother would die, so she hurried to find out.
Although they were siblings, Xia Xinyi and Xia Shang did not get along. This was a woman with a strong sense of vanity. She used the dowry brought by her natal family to support her man, but she looked down on her natal family for doing business. She thought that since she had found a talented husband, she should cut off ties with her natal family and not be stained with money. So much so that she did not even visit her parents when they passed away.
Li Zhong, who knew the grudges, looked down on this young lady the most. When he saw her coming today, he could not help but make a few sarcastic remarks.
"Oh, isn't this the young lady! Have you become talented by following a cultured husband? Are you here today to recite two poems for me?"
Xia Xinyi rolled her eyes and said, "I am just a horseman. I am ashamed to talk to you."
After that, she walked around Li Zhong and walked to the fire under the eaves.
"Second brother, I came to ask you something today."
Xia Shang was friendly and nodded with a smile: "What is it?"
"Doesn't your family cooperate with wine merchants in Beijing? I think you can find out some news about Beijing, right?"
Xia Shang certainly didn't know and looked at Li Zhong.
Li Zhong nodded: "Yes, I have some connections in the capital."
Xia Xinyi was delighted: "Then is there any news about my husband?"
"Sister, to be honest, my brother has just recovered from a serious illness and has lost all his memories. I'm afraid I can only ask Uncle Zhong about the things in the capital."
"Have you really lost your memory?"
"Really."
Xia Xinyi narrowed her eyes, then changed her attitude and asked Li Zhong with a smile: "Uncle Zhong, you are an old servant from my mother's family. Whatever happens at home will definitely not escape your ears. I hope you can reveal some news about my husband."
"How dare I, an old servant, talk to the young lady?"
The little maidservant beside Xia Xinyi was unhappy when she heard it: "Hey! You old blind thing, it's your honor to be asked by my lady. If you know anything, tell me quickly. Maybe my lady will give you some money."
Li Zhong curled his lips and didn't get angry with her: "Master, I still have some work to do. You can chat with the young lady. Let's chat about family matters."
Li Zhong wanted to leave after saying that. This time Xia Xinyi was anxious: "Uncle Zhong! Uncle Zhong! Don't be angry! Brother, look at this Uncle Zhong... you, you, you... you, please help me speak up!"
Xia Shang didn't want to intrigue, and waved his hand: "Uncle Zhong, if you really know something, just say it."
"Master, I don't know."
"Hey! Your master has asked you in person, why do you still say you don't know? You... you want to rebel?"
Xia Xinyi was very anxious, but Li Zhong was still lazy and spread his hands to Xia Shang: "Master, think about it, when the master was here, the family business was too busy, who would go to find out the news of some unimportant people? Now that the master is gone, and the Xia family has suffered a great disaster, the partners in the past avoided our Xia family, let alone tell us any news from the capital."
Think about it, what can an old slave know?
But if no one knows, should I just keep waiting at home? Would I have made a wasted trip today?
Xia Xinyi felt aggrieved. She had been holding back all these days' grievances and had nowhere to vent them. She was furious and couldn't control her temper. She waved her hands in anger, "Let's go! It's really unlucky. I shouldn't have come to this broken place! What's the use of your family? You can't even get any news from the capital. You deserve your family to be broken up. Fortunately, I got married early, otherwise I would have been dragged to death by you! You deserve to be in this situation now! You deserve it! Don't even think about turning over in your life!"
The woman's anger was really inexplicable. After she finished speaking, Xia Shang didn't feel angry. She seemed to be not satisfied. She stomped her feet in anger in the yard, but unexpectedly stepped into a mud pit. Not only did she get splashed with mud, but her cloth shoes were stuck in the mud and couldn't be pulled out.
"Oh! Madam, you splashed Xiaohui with mud! What should I do?!"
"You useless thing, why are you still standing there? Help me pull out my shoes!"
The master and the servant frantically fumbled in the mud pit for a long time but couldn't get the shoes out. Xia Shang couldn't help laughing and asked kindly: "Hey, do you want me to help?"
"Don't be so hypocritical! I... I..."
Xia Xinyi was busy talking and didn't pay attention to her feet. Her center of gravity shifted and she immediately fell into the mud.
...
Today is really unlucky.
Xia Xinyi has never been so embarrassed in her life. She fell into the mud and ate a mouthful of mud. She was taking a bath in a shabby thatched house, and now she was warming herself by the fire in front of a group of down-and-out businessmen.
"Ah!"
Xia Xinyi sneezed. She was wrapped in coarse cloth clothes that she bought temporarily. She felt dizzy and obviously caught a cold.
"I'm telling you! Don't think that if you boil water for me to take a bath and buy me clothes, I will lend you money. From the day I get married, I have nothing to do with the Xia family. Your suffering now is your business, don't count on me. I'll leave after baking for a while, and we won't have any contact from now on."
"You were so earnest to beg me before, but now you don't have any contact. You change your mind faster than turning a page of a book. Even the mother of Liuyue Tower is not your opponent!"
Yazhi couldn't stand it anymore, and whispered, "The young master said someone sent money, could it be her? It's probably harder to squeeze money out of a woman like this than to take her life."
When Xia Shang heard this, he was shocked. With a slight smile, she said to Xia Xinyi, "Sister, I didn't expect you to be so anxious. I could have discussed my brother-in-law with you."
"Huh?" Xia Xinyi was shocked, "Do you know about my husband?"
"Although I don't know, I can figure it out."
"Figured it out?"
"That's right. When I was unconscious last time, a god taught me the art of divination and calculation. Maybe I can get news about my brother-in-law."
"Really?!"
"Madam!" The maid next to Xia Xinyi couldn't help it, "Don't listen to his nonsense. Who in Yangzhou doesn't know who the young master of the Xia family is?"
How could Xia Xinyi, her own brother, not know?
Logically, she wouldn't believe it, but now she really wanted to know where her man was. Even if she knew it was fake, she would listen to what Xia Shang said first.
"I'll listen to you. How do you tell me?"
"How do you want to tell me, sister?"
"Tell me a word?"
"Sure."
"What word?" Xia Xinyi thought for a while, and suddenly saw a big tree outside the yard, so she wrote the word "tree" on the ground with dry wood.
"Just tell me the word 'tree', and tell me when my husband will be back?"