After leaving the Jia Family Volunteer School, Jia Qiang was not in a hurry to go home, but walked all the way south.

After walking for more than an hour, taking in all the scenery along the way, we arrived at the famous Caishikou in Beijing, where there was a huge crowd of people, rubbing shoulders and buzzing with people.

This is the largest vegetable market in Shenjing City, and at the north intersection of Vegetable Street, it is the place where prisoners on death row are executed every year on the eve of the winter solstice.

However, Jia Qiang's destination was not here. Instead, she passed Chang'an Avenue and arrived at Nancheng, where she entered an alley called Ma Dao Hutong.

Even in this sacred capital, the most benevolent place in the world, there are still many poor places, such as this Ma Dao Hutong.

The road inside the narrow alley entrance is full of potholes, there is a lot of garbage and urine at the entrance, and the smell is impressive...

Entering the door of the first house on the east side of Ma Dao Hutong, a house far inferior to Jia Qiang's house, Jia Qiang gently pinched the wings of her nose, as if to block the pungent smell from her breath.

But it's just in vain...

The dilapidated wooden door was mostly covered with greasy dirt and had several gaps through which one could see inside.

Jia Qiang didn't pause for too long. After taking a breath, she pushed the door open and entered.

This is a large courtyard. Once you enter, there are seven or eight rooms including a privately built firewood shed. It looks like three families live in it, and it is crowded...

When Jia Qiang came in, there were two old ladies in gray sitting on the broken stone pillar, bickering and quarreling. In front of their feet squatted two young children holding stones.

Another young daughter-in-law was carrying a baby on her back and picking pebbles among the corn in her pocket.

A dirty old cat was lying beside the wellhead, lazily basking in the sun...

However, with the arrival of Jia Qiang, the old man stopped bickering and scolding, and the younger children also raised their heads. The young woman blushed and lowered her eyes. She couldn't help but raise her eyes to glance at this handsome young man.

…

"Who are you looking for?"

A bold naughty boy stood up and asked loudly.

Jia Qiang smiled and said, "I'm looking for Liu Shi."

The naughty boy shook his head and said, "We don't have anyone named Liu Shi here. You are going the wrong way."

As soon as he finished speaking, another naughty boy shouted: "Amao, you are so stupid, Liu Shi is Liu Laoshi!"

The naughty boy refused: "Liu Laoshi is Liu Laoshi, he is an honest man, Liu Shi is Liu Shi, he is not necessarily an honest man, how can he be the same person?"

An old woman stopped two urchins and said, "Go, go, go and play on one side. You can chew maggots on anything without egg yolk." After scolding, she glanced sideways at Jia Qiang and shouted towards the innermost room.

He shouted: "Liu Daniu, someone is looking for your father!"

Not long after, a young woman with a pale face but a tall figure and a very good appearance came out. She saw Jia Qiang first as soon as she went out.

She looked confused for a moment, then her almond-shaped eyes suddenly widened, and she shouted in surprise: "Qiang'er!"

Jia Qiang nodded, then bowed and gave a gentle salute, saying: "Bless me, cousin."

This style of work made the old woman, young woman and a few urchins, who were watching the excitement with some suspicion, slightly startled. Then they turned back their expressions of ridicule and continued to watch in silence.

Even the common people at the feet of the emperor respected the etiquette of scholars.

However, Liu Da Niu stepped forward, grabbed Jia Qiang's arm excitedly, and said, "Qiang'er, why are you here?" Then her face changed again, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Do you still recognize the door at home?

"

Jia Qiang just smiled and said nothing, but Liu Da Niu was still excited: "Dad always cares about you, but you live in the mansion of a high-ranking official and don't recognize poor relatives like us. He came to your door several times, but you just let him go."

The boy came out with a few taels of silver to spend. Dad was so angry that he didn't want any of your money, so he left. I got married last year, and I sent someone to tell you without telling dad. I didn't expect that you only sent ten taels again.

When the money came out, no one was there. Why do you know the door now?"

Although the words were offensive, tears welled up in his eyes.

Jia Qiang said softly: "Come see uncle, aunt and cousin."

Liu Da Niu glared at him and saw that everyone around was watching the fun, so she pulled Jia Qiang and said, "Let's sit at home first. Your nephew Xiao Shitou is still sitting inside. At this time, he probably climbed out of the basket again and was messing around on the ground.

Drilling."

Jia Qiang followed Liu Da Niu into the dark room. He secretly looked at this cousin, who had changed a lot from the appearance he remembered when he was young.

It seems that the genes of his mother's family are indeed good. He himself is handsome and good-looking. This cousin is also quite good, but her complexion is very bad. Moreover, she is only three or four years older than him and will be less than 20 years old.

, but he looks old and angry.

If nothing had happened, she would have been like most women in the world, suffering and turning into an old woman by the age of thirty. Her ability to live to the age of forty would depend on destiny, and then she would die early...

In the dim main room, Liu Da Niu first picked up a little boy who was just over one year old who had just climbed out of the basket, slapped him lightly on the buttocks, put it back into the basket, and covered it with a "snap"

Gail...

Then he asked Jia Qiang to sit down and she was going to prepare tea.

Jia Qiang persuaded her to stop and said: "My cousin, there is no need to make any fuss. I am not thirsty. There is no need for outsiders in my family."

Liu Da Niu was persuaded by the words "in her own home". She stared at Jia Qiang and discovered something different. Although her family was poor, she was born in the imperial city after all, so she still had some knowledge. After a moment of hesitation,

Asked: "Qiang'er, are you not in the Duke's Mansion now?"

Jia Qiang smiled and nodded, and Liu Da Niu asked in a low voice without asking for any reason: "But what trouble did you encounter? Is it because you are short of money?"

Jia Qiang's heart moved, she nodded slightly and said, "Yes."

Hearing this, Liu Da Niu stood up and shook slightly, as if she was a little dizzy. However, before Jia Qiang could say anything, she walked to the bedside with a dark curtain inside and fumbled for a while.

He stood up and turned around. Although his face was ugly, he still gritted his teeth and handed his hand to Jia Qiang, saying: "You can take it and use it. We will save it later. You can come and see it in a few days."

Jia Qiang stretched out her hand and took five or six pieces of silver no bigger than soybeans from Liu Da Niu's hand. The total amount was probably less than two taels...

Liu Da Niu seemed to feel that it was too little. She blushed and said, "Qiang'er, the money you gave me was meant to be kept unused. But my father was ill a year ago and the family really didn't have any savings, so I... Later I

I gave birth to a small stone and found the root of the disease. I have been taking medicine and spent a lot of money. You see..."

Jia Qiang put the silver on the table next to her, looked at Liu Da Niu and said with a smile: "Cousin, those ten taels of silver were my share of the money. I only had that much on hand at the time, otherwise I could have given more. I didn't lend it out.

, now a debt collector is coming to your door, why are you doing this?"

After saying that, he took out his purse from his sleeve pocket, took out a silver ingot weighing about five taels, put it on the table, and said: "Although I am short of silver, it is not to this point. Cousin, you are in poor health, if you don't

Buying some good medicine will keep you healthy, but it will only get worse in the future."

Liu Da Niu waved her hands repeatedly and was about to say some words of rejection when she suddenly heard the harsh voice of an old woman coming from the courtyard: "Honestly, Aunt Chun and Tieniu, you have a guest at your house. He is a handsome husband. You

My eldest daughter just took him into the house, and now I don’t know what my son is doing!"

"..."
Chapter completed!