After Dr. Hu left, Meng Qiuxiang became melancholy.

Although Dr. Hu was benevolent and did not accept the Xiao family's consultation money, the medicinal materials on this prescription were also very difficult with the Xiao family's current situation.

After thinking about it, Meng Qiuxiang returned to the room, took out a jade bracelet pressed at the bottom of the box, called Yu Niang, and said, "Yu Niang, while there is still some time for dinner, you go to the pawnshop and take this as a pawn!" ”

After that, he handed the jade bracelet to Yu Niang, who shook her head and said, "Mother, this ...... I can't help it! ”

Meng Qiuxiang said: "I asked you to go, now you know the situation at home, since you got married, the life in the family is not as good as day by day, and your father-in-law will never return, the Xiao family is now only left with Xiao Mo, the only seedling, finally the condition has improved, and you need money, but I just asked you to run, why not?" ”

Meng Qiuxiang obviously misunderstood Yu Niang's meaning, but Yu Niang didn't dare to talk, Meng Qiuxiang said the truth, after she married into the Xiao family, her husband first enlisted in the military, and died on the battlefield, and then the Xiao family was a good scholarly family, after losing the only labor in the family, and in order to treat Xiao Mo's illness, plus the drought in the first two years, Zhuangzi did not harvest, and in three years, he spent all his savings, leaving only a few acres of dry land left by his ancestors. In addition, many men died on the battlefield in Changle Town, so that most of the remaining villagers in the town are some old, weak, sick and disabled villagers, as well as dozens of widows who have lost their husbands.

In this way, after the great drought and the loss of labor, even if the Xiao family has fields, they can only watch them become barren and then become patches of grassland!

On the day of marriage, after Qiao Yuniang was taken to the Xiao family, the military service of the conscription came to the Xiao family, and Xiao Fu was forcibly recruited.

But Qiao Yuniang is a woman who values love and righteousness, thinking that a good girl does not marry a second husband, since she married into the Xiao family, she is a member of the Xiao family, and when she first married into the Xiao family, Meng Qiuxiang and Qiao Yuniang got along very well, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were very harmonious, so Qiao Yuniang stayed in the Xiao family to take care of Meng Qiuxiang and the bedridden Xiao Mo, and refused to remarry.

After learning about Xiao Fu's death, Qiao Yuniang's father, Qiao Yuanwai, also came to the Xiao family several times and asked Yu Niang to remarry. Later, the Xiao family's family situation deteriorated, and under the pressure of life, Meng Qiuxiang's temper began to change slowly, especially the treatment of Yu Niang from the previous Heshun, and became more and more mean, often complaining that Yu Niang was a scourge, not only killed her husband, but also harmed the Xiao family to today's situation.

In addition to being mean to Yu Niang, Meng Qiuxiang usually became more and more strict with Yu Niang, and after eating every day, she urged Yu Niang to work, Yu Niang was also worried about food and clothing at home, where could she stand Meng Qiuxiang's treatment like this? secretly cried a few times, but still had no intention of leaving the Xiao family, Meng Qiuxiang saw it, and scolded: "What are you crying about, if you can't stand it, get out, it's not enough to hurt your husband, do you still want to kill me and Xiao Mo?" ”

Every time this happened, Yu Niang didn't dare to cry anymore, but she didn't leave the Xiao family, wiped away her tears, and continued to do housework.

This time Meng Qiuxiang asked Yu Niang to be a jade bracelet, but Yu Niang refused, if it was according to Meng Qiuxiang's temper in the past, I was afraid that Yu Niang would be scolded, maybe because Xiao Mo woke up, Meng Qiuxiang was in a much better mood, so she didn't scold.

Even so, Yu Niang didn't dare to say anything, so she had to obediently go out and come to the pawnshop.

After lingering in front of the pawnshop for a long time, Yu Niang hesitated and refused to go in. She held the jade bracelet that Meng Qiuxiang gave her in her hand, thinking that this was the dowry that her mother-in-law married to the Xiao family, and she took it today, and in retrospect, Meng Qiuxiang would definitely be sad.

Gritting her teeth, Yu Niang finally put the bracelet into the pocket of her sleeve, and then took out a golden hairpin and held it in her hand.

That was before she got married, her mother secretly gave it to her, and Yu Niang stayed until now, and when she saw that her uncle Xiao Mo's illness had improved, she was willing to take it out.

After entering the pawnshop, Yu Niang handed over the golden hairpin through the high counter.

"Shopkeeper Lin, please help me take a look, I want to take this hairpin."

Yu Niang's clear voice woke up Lin Yiye behind the counter, Lin Yiye is the owner of Lin Ji pawnshop in Fengming Town, the Lin family has been doing business in Fengming Town for generations, although it cannot be said that it is a rich party, but there are also some family properties, Lin Yiye is the only son of the Lin family, when the army was enlisted a few years ago, the Lin family spent a lot of silver to exempt Lin Yiye from military service, Lin Yiye is also a child, after the last township test failed, he began to help the family manage the business, according to the meaning of the old man Lin, the imperial examination must be examined, and the business must be managed, and the two will not be delayed!

However, since he plans to let Lin Yiye manage the business, it can also be seen that Old Man Lin no longer has much hope for Lin Yiye's imperial examination career.

Lin Laozi's name is called Lin Chong, the word handle Kun, known as the God of Wealth of Changle Town, a few years ago spent a little silver taels, after a little bit in the county, he successfully sat on the seat of Lizheng and became the mayor of Changle Town, but maybe Lin Chong was unlucky, just became Lizheng, he encountered a drought, this drought, is three years, fortunately, Changle Town is close to the water, and not far from Chaohu Lake, it has been supported in recent years.

However, with the current situation in Changle Town, except for dozens of widows, the rest of the people are some old and weak children, even if Lin Chong does not go to the county government office, he is afraid that the right position here will not fall to others.

Because the Xiao family is the only scholarly family in the town, the Lin family and the Xiao family are also very close, but since Xiao Mo's father died, they have become a lot more unfamiliar, but the relationship between the Lin family and the Qiao family is also good, so every time Yu Niang comes to be a thing, Lin Yiye will give a very fair price, this time seeing Yu Niang take out a golden hairpin with good color, Lin Yiye weighed it and said: "Brother and sister, this hairpin is a good thing, do you really want to be it?" ”

Yu Niang nodded, but her expression was still a little reluctant.

When Lin Yiye saw it, he said: "This time I want to help you hide it, can't you tell the aunt of the Xiao family, and can't tell your mother's family?" ”

"Hmm!" Yu Niang nodded, lowered her head and said, "Please also ask for the help of Shopkeeper Lin......"

Lin Yiye sighed, to be honest, over the years, Qiao Yuniang's experience has also spread in the town, but the people in the town are all women who have been false, and when they heard Meng Qiuxiang scolding Yuniang, they also spread the word, saying that Yuniang is a broom star, and the Xiao family has become the current situation.

But Lin Yiye knew that in fact, Qiao Yuniang had paid for the Xiao family, not to mention anything else, it was handled by herself over the years, and the dowry that Qiao Yuniang had done was worth a hundred taels of silver.

One hundred taels of silver, even if it is the current Xiao family, it is enough to spend a few years. But because Xiao Mo wants to be treated, the expenses are bigger, it can be said that if there is no Qiao Yuniang, I am afraid that the mother and son of the Xiao family would have starved to death!

Thinking of this, Lin Yiye said: "Brother and sister, it's not that I don't help, my brother and sister's personality, Yiye also admires it tightly, but you are not a long-term solution, why don't you listen to Uncle Qiao's words, leave the Xiao family, and marry a good family?" ”

Uncle Qiao in Lin Yiye's mouth is Qiao Yuniang's biological father, Qiao Zheng, since Xiao Fuxiang died, Qiao Zheng has also been to the Xiao family several times, wanting Qiao Yuniang to remarry, for such a request, Xiao's mother did not object, but Qiao Yuniang herself is very resolute, and would rather die than remarry.

After hearing Lin Yiye's words, Qiao Yuniang shook her head and said: "Thank you for the shopkeeper's concern, Yuniang's business, its own measure, this hairpin matter, please ask the shopkeeper for help, my uncle woke up today......"

When Lin Yiye heard this, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Brother Xiao is awake?" This is really a miracle, I wonder if the doctor has seen it? ”

Yu Niang said: "Xie shopkeeper's concern, just now Dr. Hu has seen his uncle's condition, and he has prescribed a prescription, Yu Niang came this time, just to be some silver taels, to grab medicine for his uncle, and ask the shopkeeper to help no matter what!" ”

"In that case, I'll help you again!" Lin Yiye thought about it, but still agreed, Yu Niang said that this time the pawn money, but it was for Xiao Mo's life, said that this part, Lin Yiye is not easy to refuse, although it is said that opening a pawnshop to collect things is a business that does not accompany the money, but the Lin family is based in Fengming Town, as the head of a town, the villagers in the township on weekdays, if it is too dark, the Lin family's face can't be hung up, not to mention Qiao Yuniang's loyalty, Lin Yiye also saw what happened to Qiao Yuniang, and inevitably moved his compassion.

After thinking about it, Lin Yiye said: "In this case, there is nothing to say in Xia, this hairpin, the Lin family does not earn you, how much is it worth, so I will buy it from my own pocket, but here I want to say a word, this is the last time, in the future, my sister-in-law will be a thing, please go elsewhere!" ”

I didn't expect Lin Yiye to be so benevolent and righteous, Qiao Yuniang was moved in her heart, and thought that where would she have something to do in the future? At that moment, he kept nodding his head and said to Lin Yiye: "I won't trouble the shopkeeper in the future, the great kindness of the shopkeeper, Yu Niang will never forget, in the future, my uncle will be developed, and then repay the shopkeeper!" ”

"Don't dare to repay it, this is fifteen taels of silver, sister-in-law take it!" Lin Yiye took out a large ingot of silver from his arms, took out some broken silver from the counter, and then handed it to Qiao Yuniang.

Seeing Lin Yiye give herself so much silver at one time, Qiao Yuniang couldn't help but smile happily, and after nodding to Lin Yiye and saying 'thank you', she ran out of the pawnshop.

After leaving the pawnshop, Qiao Yuniang planned to go to Dr. Hu's pharmacy to grab medicine, and when she passed by the market, she suddenly remembered what Dr. Hu said, Xiao Mo was weak and needed nourishment, so she wanted to see if she could buy some mountain treasures in the bazaar and bring them back to Xiao Mo to replenish his body.

But in the evening market, where are the mountain treasures sold? What's more, in Changle Town, in addition to the old and the young, there are some widows, where can anyone go up the mountain to hunt? So Yu Niang pounced.

Yu Niang pouted in disappointment, and was about to leave the market, but heard someone shouting: "Yu Niang, where is this going?" ”

Looking back, it turned out to be Widow Chen in the town, Widow Chen's husband's surname is Wang, and like Yu Niang, her husband also died on the battlefield, but there is no old man in her husband's family, only a six-year-old son.

Widow Chen is a good farmer, but she is not very good at needlework, so she often finds Yu Niang and asks her to help sew some damaged clothes.

Seeing that the person who came was Widow Chen, Yu Niang said: "It turned out to be the sister-in-law of the Wang family, I, I went to Dr. Hu's medicine hall to get medicine......

Hearing this, Widow Chen stepped forward and grabbed Yu Niang's hand and said, "Just together, hey, Yu Niang, I heard that your uncle woke up?" ”

Yu Niang nodded, whispered 'um', lowered her head and didn't dare to look at Widow Chen, her face was as red as a ripe apple!

Widow Chen glanced at Yu Niang, and when she saw that she was so shy, she whispered in her ear: "Looking at you like this, is it a dream come true?" ”

Yu Niang let out an 'ah', knowing what Widow Chen meant, remembering what she had said in front of Widow Chen before, she couldn't help but feel shy.

Although he once vowed that he was unwilling to remarry, he said that he was born as a person of the Xiao family and died as a ghost of the Xiao family, indicating that he had no intention of remarrying! But in Yu Niang's heart, there is actually a fluke idea, that is, after Xiao Fu dies, he can pass it on to Xiao Mo, this idea is unknown to others, Yu Niang only said it to Widow Chen once, after hearing this, Widow Chen sighed and said: "I'm afraid it's difficult!" Then he explained to Yu Niang.

According to Widow Chen's words, she is Xiao Mo's sister-in-law, but the widow of Xiao Mo's brother! The ancients were very particular about marrying wives, especially scholars! In ancient times, it was taboo for a man to marry the widow of a close relative, although the law did not prohibit it, but if he wanted to marry Xiao Mo, he was afraid that it would be difficult.

Even though he is still a virgin and has no husband and wife with Xiao Fu, who knows, Xiao Mo will dislike his identity as a widow, or rather, Xiao Mo is a scholar and knows etiquette and customs, and he will definitely not risk the disapproval of scholars in the world and marry his sister-in-law!

In this way, even if Yu Niang has an idea in her heart, she doesn't dare to reveal it, but Widow Chen must not be able to hide it, but Widow Chen is not a person who likes to chew the root of her tongue, and occasionally she only makes fun of herself when she is alone with Yu Niang, but she will not mention it in front of outsiders, so as not to embarrass Yu Niang!

Widow Chen squeezed Yu Niang, with a teasing expression, where is Yu Niang's opponent of Widow Chen, she is already thin-skinned, and she is on the street where people come and go, so she begged for mercy: "Sister-in-law, if you say that this matter is good and will not be mentioned again, if you say it again, I will ignore you!" ”

Widow Chen said seriously: "Okay, if you don't say it, you won't say it, but you have to accompany me to catch pheasants the day after tomorrow, how about it?" ”

Hearing Widow Chen, Yu Niang thought about it, this is fine, it just so happens that Xiao Mo needs mountain treasures to nourish his body, and he can make Widow Chen not make fun of herself, killing two birds with one stone, so she nodded and agreed.

The two walked all the way, and it was not until Dr. Hu's medicine hall that Yu Niang and Widow Chen separated, after Widow Chen left, Yu Niang hesitated for a moment in front of the medicine hall, then gritted her teeth, and then walked in!