Chapter 383: 379: Dreaming of_1

The news of Chen Wan’s escape spread quickly throughout the entire village.

None were angrier than Chen Changping.

He stormed into Jiang Sanlang’s home, yelling irately, demanding Yingbao to hand over Chen Wan.

Jiang Sanlang, Zhang Min and Wei Zhan, among others, came out at the sound, directly tossing him out.

Old Mr. Wu stood at the front door with his hands behind him, looking at him with cold eyes: “Such a disgrace to decency, when I go back, I will write a letter to the county school instructor, questioning how a student like you could exist.”

Chen Changping fell into the snow, struggling to get up, casting a resentful look at the people before turning and leaving.

Yingbao climbed onto the fence, watching him walk away in silence, contemplating her thoughts.

In her last life, Chen Changping had sided with the rebels, only to end up decapitated by the Emperor.

No, it seemed like he was exterminated by Xiao Mo along with his nine familial clans.

Did this include the family led by Clan Leader Chen?

At night, Jiang Sanlang and his wife helped their daughter cultivate fungus.

“Baobao, why did Chen Changping demand a person from you? Did Chen Wan tell you anything?” Chunniang asked her daughter.

Yingbao shook her head, “I have no interactions with Chen Wan, only a madman like Chen Changping would think so.”

She didn’t know how Chen Changping came to the conclusion that his daughter had something to do with her.

The following day was New Year’s Eve.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jiang Sanlang put up a new image for the God of Stove and started boiling meat.

Two large pots burned simultaneously, cooking sausages, pork head, hooves, smoked pork ribs, pork hocks and liver.

There was also a pot of chicken braised with soybeans.

Come nightfall, the Jiang family celebrated New Year’s Eve merrily.

This year, Jiang’s family didn’t invite Lady Wen or Lady Wang, as Wen Silang’s biological mother and sister-in-law were present, along with his daughter Wen Shu and son-in-law Li Xu.

As for Lady Wang, due to Wei Family’s Prefecture City being occupied by rebels, Wei family’s patriarch brought a group of concubines and illegitimate children to Dongchen Village, taking residence in Lady Wang’s house.

Wei Zhan was not willing to go home for new year, but had no choice.

After dinner, he cheerfully ran to find Yingbao, Jiang Wu and Jiang Jie, bringing along a glazed lamp.

“Here! A glazed lamp from the Prefecture City.” Wei Zhan stuffed the glazed lamp into Yingbao’s hand, taking away the rabbit lamp from her hand.

Yingbao was speechless, so she just held the glazed lamp and went to the pond’s edge.

Yanru, holding her daughter Jiang Xiaomei, squatted by the water along with a dozen children, breaking the thin ice and putting in one by one lotus-shaped lamps.

The pond, lit by the red lamps, looked like the Milky Way.

Yingbao also put down a lamp, gently pushing it further away.

Wei Zhan stood on the other side, always watching from here.

The young girl in a bright peach-coloured dress, blossoming early like a radiant spring, captivated Wei Zhan.

“Wei Zhan, come over here!” Zhang Min kicked him, “Let’s practice!”

Zhang Min had been living in the Jiang family of Dongchen Village for several years now. At sixteen years old, he did not like the chatty disposition of the women.

All of this lamp-floating was basically women’s work. He didn’t know what Wei Zhan was doing hanging around with them.

Wei Zhan felt helpless, but had no choice but to follow Zhang Shixiong to the martial arts practice field.

He was fifteen this year, one year younger than Zhang Min, but with an agile stance, he was not falling behind in sparring.

Currently in the village, most of the boys practiced martial arts, so outsiders didn’t dare to bully them.

Even the fat grandson of the West Village’s chief was grabbed by his grandfather and handed over to Zhang Meng.

On the circle of practice field, lanterns were hung, and the boys gathered one after another, sparring in pairs.

In a corner of the shadow, Zhou Wuchang and his senior disciple had since arrived, watching these lively and vigorous young men, quietly nodding in approval.

In the middle of the night, firecrackers exploded throughout the village.

The new year had begun.

It was during this year, that the rebels seized half of the Murong family’s territory, using the Mo River as a border, separating the Murong family in the northwest.

From then on, the leader of the rebellion declared himself the Emperor, calling it Dazhou.

The Murong family was referred to as the Little Zhou Dynasty.

When Sun Licheng brought the news to Dongchen Village, everyone was stunned.

“What’s going on? How did the situation change so quickly? Are we now citizens of Dazhou?” Old man Jiang couldn’t believe it and pulled at Sun Licheng, asking, “Does my grandson’s scholar status still count?”

Sun Licheng waved him off, saying irritably, “Why wouldn’t it? Even the County Magistrate is still carrying out his duties as usual.”

“Where is the capital of Dazhou?” Jiang Sanlang asked.

“It’s in Jiankang. From now on, we will pay our taxes to their Imperial Court.” Sun Licheng replied.

Jiang Sanlang asked again, “Who is the new emperor? What’s his surname?”

“Well, the Emperor’s last name is Zhou, but it’s taboo for us commoners to talk about his given name.” Sun Licheng said, “Don’t ask too many questions. There are many things even I don’t know. We just follow whatever orders are given from above.”

Old man Jiang suddenly remembered something and asked anxiously, “What about my Erquan? He was conscripted by the previous dynasty; what happens to him now?”

Sun Licheng scratched his head: “Well, I’ll try and find out for you later.”

Yingbao was also stunned at the news.

What was going on?

Daqian was split into two, and now there was an Emperor surnamed Zhou.

She was utterly baffled.

Not long after, Lizheng began to re-register the household registrations of the people in Dongchen Village.

New refugees were also registered and allotted a piece of wasteland to build houses and settle down.

One day, Yingbao rode on an ox cart, bringing Chen Zhao and Xubao into a desolate village.

It was now the fragrant season of March, and peach blossoms were in full bloom. Chen Wan, dressed in coarse clothes, was sun-drying freshly washed clothes.

“Big sister!” Chen Zhao and Xubao welled up with tears and rushed towards Chen Wan.

Chen Wan, seeing her siblings, didn’t show much joy and only asked lightly, “How did you get here? Who brought you?”

She looked over at the ox cart not far away, and at Yingbao on it.

Yingbao knew what she was suspecting and explained, “We just happened to pass by.”

“Nobody brought me here, we originally wanted to go there to cut some bamboo, but we saw sister.” Chen Zhao said.

Chen Xu held Chen Wan’s arm, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to cry but could not, “Big sister, let’s go home.”

Chen Wan shook her head: “This is my home now, come in and rest a bit.”

Thus, they walked into Chen Wan’s new home.

Yingbao followed them, looking around.

A thatched cottage, a fishing net drying in front of the door, a broken dilapidated little wooden boat, and an old woman patched all over was cautiously observing them.

Chen Wan introduced, “This is my mother-in-law, her last name is Song.”

“Mrs. Song.” Chen Zhao and Xubao paid their respects to the old woman.

“Ah! Ah!” Mrs. Song quickly moved aside, “Come inside and sit down, I’ll make some tea.” Saying this, she hurried to the kitchen.

Chen Zhao walked around the room and couldn’t help but shake her head: “big sister, can you really bear to live in such poverty?”

“We won’t be poor with me around.” Chen Wan said confidently.

Yingbao glanced at her and was quite certain.

This Chen Wan must know things she wasn’t aware of, which is why she hid here.

“Sister Chen Wan, why did you say I am your sister?” Yingbao decided to get straight to the point.

Chen Wan looked over, her expression gradually cold.

Chen Zhao also said, “Big sister, Yingbao has asked me about it several times today, just say it.”

Chen Wan looked at Yingbao and slowly said, “I dreamt it.”

Yingbao noticed that her fingers were interlaced and shaking slightly.