Chapter 366 Those Years (Additional Update 21)

Chapter 366 Those Years (Additional Update 21)

Jiang Lin didn't go to the wedding banquet. He just stood in the blacksmith shop and watched Yu'er being happily taken away by the wedding team.

It is said that she married a businessman who was from a fairly good family and sold cloth.

"Brother Chen, why didn't you go have a drink?" Ma Lu came over and asked, smelling a little drunk.

Three or four years later, Malu has grown into a young man and is now twenty years old.

There was some uncontrollable sadness in his eyes. In the past few years, he had not done very well in the provincial examinations and was unable to advance to the next level of the national examination.

Malu, who had never drank before, also started to learn to drink.

Jiang Lin did not answer his question and said: "Drink less, it hurts your brain."

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the provincial examination has just passed and the time is long. Don't delay." Malu chuckled and waved his hand: "Besides, I didn't drink too much."

Seeing him staggering back to the house, Jiang Lin turned back again and looked in the direction where the wedding party was leaving.

No one can be seen anymore, but there are still traces of aura rising in a certain place.

Jiang Lin came out of the blacksmith shop, walked over and lowered his head, and saw a few drops of water where the aura rose.

The tears left by Yu'er?

There was obviously very little, but it was not evaporated for a long time.

Jiang Lin also stared at it for a long time. A neighbor passing by asked curiously: "Master Hong, what are you looking at?"

"I don't know." Jiang Lin replied.

The neighbors all smiled and remained silent.

After more than ten years, everyone already knew that Jiang Lin would only say he didn't know. They were used to it and didn't take it seriously.

Yu'er came back for the second year after she got married.

Her husband died due to a cold infection and a quack doctor.

As a result, she becomes a widow.

Her husband's family was very dissatisfied with her and thought she was Yu'er's husband. In addition, the couple did not have any children, so they said they were going to expel her from the house.

My parents' side also felt a little embarrassed.

On that day of heavy rain, Yu'er stood wet in front of the blacksmith shop.

She watched Jiang Lin light the fire, temper it, and add charcoal.

"Brother Chen..." Yu'er's voice was trembling under her pale face.

Jiang Lin raised his head and glanced at her, only to see that her face was constantly flowing, whether it was rain or tears.

One after another, muffled thunder exploded in the sky.

It was raining heavily and the sky was getting darker.

"I..."

Yu'er seemed to want to say something, but looking at Jiang Lin's eyes that didn't change at all, she suddenly covered her face and cried loudly, turned around and ran away.

The raindrops fell, and her thin figure gradually disappeared from sight.

Only a trace of breath continued to rise from the distance.

When footsteps sounded around him, Jiang Lin didn't need to turn around, knowing that it was Malu coming.

Smelling heavily of alcohol, Malu looked a little haggard.

He failed this year's provincial examination again.

"Sister Hongyu is very pitiful." Ma Lu held a wine bottle in his hand, leaning against the beam of the blacksmith shop, and whispered: "If she had married you back then..."

Jiang Lin's body trembled slightly when he heard this, what if...

These two words gave him a completely different feeling.

Malu didn't seem to notice and sighed: "What a pity."

He raised his head and took a big sip of strong wine, as if only this kind of thing could wash away the sorrow in his heart.

Jiang Lin looked back at him and said, "You drank too much."

"It doesn't matter if it's more or not." Ma Lu smiled bitterly: "The provincial examination is becoming more and more difficult. I feel that I may not be able to pass it in my life."

Jiang Lin looked at him and wanted to say, just forget it if you can't pass the exam, your family can support you.

But in Malu's eyes, he saw a trace of persistence and said nothing.

……

Another seven or eight years passed like this, and with the sound of clanging, blacksmith Ma put down the hammer in his hand.

He rubbed his waist, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said: "I'm really old. I just hit it a few times and it's not enough anymore."

Then, Tiejiang Ma looked at Jiang Lin and asked with a smile: "Have you been here almost twenty years?"

"Well, the nineteenth year." Jiang Lin said.

"Time flies so fast. When you first came here, Malu was only this tall." Blacksmith Ma gestured at his waist. Although there was a smile on his face, the sadness in his eyes lingered.

His hair was graying, he was nearly sixty years old, and his physical strength was weak.

In the past few years, Jiang Lin has been doing most of the work in the blacksmith shop.

Looking at Jiang Lin, who was still tall and burly, as if he had never changed, Blacksmith Ma raised his head and looked into the distance, murmuring to himself: "I wonder if Ma Lu will come back to celebrate the New Year this year."

Three years ago, Ma Lu, who had not passed the provincial examination for nearly ten years, finally broke his vow.

The daughter of the prefect's family fell in love with him. Although she was nearly thirty years old, fat, ugly, and lame, she was told.

As long as Malu is willing to marry, it will be up to the magistrate to figure out how to gain fame in the coming year.

The Malu who once had a classic in his hand and vowed to marry a wife when he became the number one scholar finally compromised.

After marrying the prefect's daughter, he passed the provincial examination the next year, but got stuck again at the general examination.

Fortunately, the prefect got him an official position, ninth rank, and he was considered to have entered the official career. In the past few years, Malu spent the New Year at the magistrate's house and came back only a handful of times.

At the end of the year, Ma Tiejiang and Lu Yinghong prepared a large table of dishes, but no one used their chopsticks.

Lu Yinghong got up from time to time and looked at the door, but after waiting for a long time, she didn't see the person she wanted to see.

Blacksmith Ma picked up the wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and said unhappily: "Don't look at it, I won't come back if you don't come back, it's no big deal."

He said this, but everyone knew that he was unhappy in his heart.

At this time, a figure came into view.

"Aunt Lu, Uncle Ma."

The figure arrived at the door, looked at Jiang Lin sitting at the table, and then shouted: "Brother Chen."

Lu Yinghong forced a smile: "Yu'er, how many days will you stay this year?"

"I can't stay for a few days. I've opened a few more shops this year, so I have to leave tomorrow."

Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!

It was Yu'er who came that year and hid her face in the heavy rain and left in tears. In the past few years, she relied on the connections left by her husband and her own intelligence to do a good job in the cloth business.

I come back every year to visit relatives and bring various gifts to give to the neighbors.

Gradually no one mentions Yuer Kefu anymore, but they are envious of her growing business.

And every year, Yu'er's family would come to the blacksmith shop for the last time, give gifts, talk, and sit for a while before leaving.

"Come, sit in the room." Lu Yinghong made way.

Yu'er walked into the room and asked: "Ma Lu didn't come back this year?"

"Hmm..." Lu Yinghong nodded.

Yu'er didn't ask any more questions, just looked at Jiang Lin and said with a chuckle: "Brother Chen hasn't changed at all in these years."

She herself has changed a lot, she is no longer a girl, but a little more mature.

The pulled up hair represents women.

Her graceful figure, well-cut clothes, and increasingly rich possessions have attracted the attention of many men.

Jiang Lin hummed and said, "You haven't changed much."

"Really? I feel like I'm getting old soon." Yu'er grabbed a strand of hanging hair, sat next to her, and started chatting.

Jiang Lin was taciturn. Most of the time, she was the one doing the talking. Occasionally Lu Yinghong would pick up a few words.

Blacksmith Ma drank sips of wine and soon became drunk. Jiang Lin helped him to the back room to rest.

When he came out again, Yu'er also stood up and said goodbye.

"Hong Chen, send Yu'er off." Lu Yinghong said.

But Yu'er smiled and said: "No need, I can just go back by myself."

After watching her leave, Lu Yinghong walked up to Jiang Lin and whispered: "Over the years, she has given gifts to all the neighbors, but she can only sit down at our house. Don't you understand?"
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Of course Jiang Lin understood, Yu'er came specifically to see him.

"You...are such a piece of wood." Lu Yinghong sighed.

Jiang Lin didn't refute. He didn't pay much attention to these things. He only had that special aura rising in his eyes.

A few years later, Malu came back.

He was already an eighth-grade official, and he was wearing a brand-new official uniform when he arrived.

He has a fine beard with clear roots. He looks much more energetic than before he passed the provincial examination.

There was also some official air in his eyes, and he held his head slightly high when talking to the neighbors.

This year was the happiest year for Ma Tiejiang and Lu Yinghong.

Although their daughter-in-law didn't come back, and their grandson didn't come back either, they still prepared a large table full of wine and food.

However, after Ma Lu sat down, he just took a bite of vegetarian food, picked up the cup and toasted Blacksmith Ma, and then left.

He also has to visit those dignitaries and celebrate the New Year at his father-in-law's house in the evening.

"These are the clothes I sewed for my grandson. Take them back and see if they fit." Lu Yinghong hurriedly brought the things.

However, Malu only glanced at it and said: "There are special tailors in the house, so there is no shortage of them."

There was a bit of disgust in his eyes. When Lu Yinghong saw it, her eyes dimmed and her hands dropped.

Malu turned around to leave, but was blocked by a figure.

Jiang Lin stood in front of him with a low voice: "The clothes are not for you, take them."

Malu frowned slightly: "Brother Chen, you..."

At this time, Blacksmith Ma suddenly came over and pushed Ma Lu out: "Let's go, let's go, don't delay me from drinking and eating!"

"Dad! What are you doing?" Ma Lu looked puzzled.

Blacksmith Ma didn't say anything more to him. After pushing out the door, he angrily came back and snatched the clothes from Lu Yinghong's hand, threw them to the ground hard, and stepped on them several times.

"What are you doing!" Lu Yinghong's eyes turned red, she pushed him away and picked up the clothes from the ground.

Seeing this scene, Ma Lu said: "Mom, please advise dad to drink less. He is old after all."

Lu Yinghong said nothing, only patted the dust on her clothes.

Malu looked at Jiang Lin again, his eyes gradually becoming stern, but Jiang Lin was like a mountain, no matter how sharp his eyes were, he remained indifferent.

After a while, Malu lowered his eyes unhappily and walked away from the side.

Lu Yinghong raised her head and watched her son get on the carriage and gradually go away with the clatter of horse hooves.

She finally couldn't help it, hugging the children's clothes that she had sewn for a long time with her own hands, and cried out.

(End of chapter)