kvmb Chapter 238 The Live-in Husband
Chapter 238 The Live-in Husband
The surprise came so quickly that the second madam was somewhat stunned, and asked uncertainly, "You mean the guards have left?"
The maid replied, "Around 7:45 PM, I saw the guards come out of the alleyway at the side gate of the West Garden."
The second wife's bitter expression faded: "Our good days are just around the corner."
She wished she could sprout wings and go to the Duke's mansion immediately to move out her private belongings.
However, remembering the humiliation he suffered at Shen Qingtan's hands, he dared not make any rash moves.
We'll plan this slowly.
-
As night falls, the bustling streets remain lively with people.
Pei Wuyan emerged from Yijiang Tower, fanning himself with a folding fan. He stepped onto the wooden steps of the carriage and stood on the carriage shaft. Inadvertently, he caught a glimpse of a young girl squatting beside a vendor at the end of the lamplight, blowing sugar figurines with her cheeks puffed out.
He blew on several of them in a row, and each one burst.
She rubbed her aching cheeks with both hands, looked up at the old man setting up his stall, and said something with a frustrated expression.
The stall owner then handed her another piece of maltose and instructed her to continue blowing.
An adorable rabbit took shape in her hands.
She jumped up happily, her bright almond-shaped eyes sparkling as if a sky full of stars were reflected in them.
Pei Wuyan chuckled and walked straight towards the girl, standing behind her and unexpectedly snatching the jade rabbit from her hand.
The jade rabbit in Qin Yao's hand was snatched away, and she suddenly turned around to look at the culprit.
"Yaoyao." Pei Wuyan saw the anger in her eyes and smiled, "We meet again."
"Give me back the rabbit." Qin Yao reached out to snatch the jade rabbit.
Pei Wuyan avoided her hand and said in a friendly tone, "If you say we'll meet again someday, then you should keep my promise."
Qin Yao glared at him: "Young Master Pei, when did I ever say such a thing?"
She met Pei Wuyan while inspecting shops in Jiangnan.
Pei Wuyan stole a business deal from her, but then handed it back to her, and they started a business together.
He said, "Miss Qin, the Qin family has a great reputation and a good word-of-mouth in Jiangnan. They are an excellent business partner. Of course, I also have my own selfish motives."
"Selfish?"
"I would like to be friends with Miss Qin."
Qin Yao had a very bad impression of him. He must have been a smooth talker who tricked a lot of girls.
Even though that's what she thought, she wouldn't turn down money, so she readily agreed to cooperate with Pei Wuyan.
Due to their collaboration, the two became close, and as Qin Yao spent more time with him, her opinion of him changed dramatically.
He is thoughtful and remembers her preferences, and will personally cook her favorite hometown dishes.
She casually mentioned that the lychees were ripe, but unfortunately there were no lychees in Jiangnan.
Because of this one sentence, Pei Wuyan personally went on a journey to pick lychees for her, put them in an ice bucket, and delivered them to her at top speed.
He did many things like that.
I never thought her personality was out of line, and I always said that girls should be this straightforward and cute.
These words resonated with her deeply, and she had an idea: to ask a matchmaker to go to his home to propose marriage and have him become her live-in husband.
Unexpectedly, she learned that his family background was not that of a merchant as she had imagined, but rather a respectable scholarly family that placed great importance on etiquette.
Just then, she heard that Sister Shen had an accident, so she rushed back to the capital.
Pei Wuyan said helplessly, "You didn't say that, I remembered it wrong."
Qin Yao ignored him and left with her maid.
Given Pei Wuyan's family background, it's absolutely impossible for him to become her live-in husband.
She had promised Sister Shen that she wouldn't marry someone from far away.
Pei Wuyan watched Qin Yao's receding figure, then lowered his eyes to look at the jade rabbit in his hand, his eyes filled with melancholy.
When they were in Jiangnan, he clearly sensed that Qin Yao had feelings for him.
When we met again today, she reverted to the indifference she had shown when we first met.
He didn't know what he had done wrong that caused her attitude to change so drastically overnight.
Pei Wuyan returned to the Qin Garden of the Duke's Mansion with the jade rabbit.
The servant handed over a letter: "Young master, this is a letter from the second branch of the family."
Pei Wuyan opened the letter, read it once, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
"Young master, this letter..."
Pei Wuyan didn't want to elaborate: "Keep an eye on what's happening at Lanxue Garden. No matter how big or small it is, remember to report to me."
"Yes," the servant replied.
Pei Wuyan took a box out of the drawer, opened it, and inside was a hairpin carved from a peach wood branch.
This hairpin was carved by him personally; it was originally intended as a gift for Qin Yao.
Pei Wuyan closed the box and handed it to the servant: "Give this to Yaoyao in private."
The servant looked at Pei Wuyan in surprise, and saw a hint of affection in his eyes.
Back in Jiangnan, the young master had put a lot of effort into taking care of Miss Qin.
Those of them who were servants all saw it and knew that the young master's feelings for Miss Qin were genuine.
Who would have thought that the young master would suddenly come to the capital, intending to arrange a marriage with the young lady of the Duke's mansion, clearly choosing to abandon Miss Qin.
But the young master's current actions clearly show that he still has feelings for Miss Qin.
-
The next morning, after Pei Wuyan finished practicing calligraphy, he heard footsteps coming from outside the courtyard.
A moment later, the servant came in from outside, panting, and said, "Young master, I've heard some news. The second master and second mistress of the manor went to the Prince of Zhenbei's manor today and will stay for a few days before returning."
Pei Wuyan pondered, "How can a married woman stay at her parents' home for an extended period?"
"Second Madam's situation is different. She has been separated from her parents for more than ten years. The old lady of the mansion has been kind enough to let her go back to her parents' home for a few days."
At this point, the servant remembered something else: "Young master, I heard that the second mistress's cousin will also be staying at the Prince's mansion for a few days."
Pei Wuyan asked, "Gu Changsheng?"
“It’s him.” The servant told Pei Wuyan everything he had learned: “Gu Changsheng lost Second Madam and felt very guilty, so he ran away from home for more than ten years. Now that he has learned that Second Madam has been recognized by her ancestors, he has returned home.”
Pei Wuyan felt that something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it; he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
He pondered for a while, then put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand and went to the back garden of the Duke's mansion.
Pei Wuyan sat in the pavilion, admiring the lotus flowers blooming in the pond.
Holding their breath, they were as patient as anglers.
I don't know how much time had passed, but then I heard footsteps behind me.
He lifted his eyelids and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the Third Madam standing outside the pavilion.
"Third Madam." Pei Wuyan stood up and bowed.
Seeing that Pei Wuyan was gentle and polite, the Third Madam was no longer reserved: "Yan-ge'er, you've come here to enjoy the scenery too?"
"I've heard that the Duke's mansion has exceptional lotus flowers, and since I had nothing to do today, I came to take a look. Indeed, the lotus flowers here live up to their reputation."
Pei Wuyan asked casually, "I heard that the Duke's mansion has a hundred-year-old ginkgo tree?"
“Yes, this tree is in the West Garden,” the Third Madam said warmly. “Yan’er, if you have nothing to do, you can go and take a look.”
“Very well, I will go to the West Garden to paint today.” Pei Wuyan said with a smile, “I cannot let down such a beautiful scene.”
The third wife's eyes darted around, and she began to make plans in her mind.
After saying goodbye to Pei Wuyan, she hurriedly returned to the third house and went straight to Zhao Wan's room.
Zhao Wan's house was very simple.
To the left of the entrance, against the wall, stands a wall-high bookshelf, a desk, and a round-backed chair. By the window sits a plain, unadorned long couch.
Inside, there was a canopy bed, a dressing table, and a large four-piece cabinet with a rosewood frame and burl wood door.
Apart from that, there were no other ornaments, let alone gold, silver, or jade items.
The Third Madam withdrew her gaze from surveying the room and looked at Zhao Wan, who was sitting on the canopy bed, sewing shoe soles.
"Wan'er, I heard that the old lady intends to match you with Yan'er." The Third Madam took the needle and thread and shoe sole from Zhao Wan's hands: "I made some inquiries and found that Yan'er is well-educated and virtuous, and can be considered a good match."
Zhao Wan tidied up the sewing basket, ignoring her mother's words.
When Pei Wuyan came to the Duke's mansion, she met him once at Shi'an Hall and had a very good first impression of him.
Not only were their social statuses vastly different, but he was also far too outstanding, leaving her feeling insecure.
"Wan'er, Yan'er comes from a wealthy family and is the legitimate eldest son. He is also related to the old lady. If you marry him, you will become the mistress of the house and enjoy endless wealth."
The third wife advised, "Your parents are both born out of wedlock and have no ability. If it weren't for the old lady's influence, how could you, with your background, be a wife to Yan Ge'er? You would only be worthy of being his concubine."
“Mother, I know my own worth.” Zhao Wan threw the basket onto the bed. “Since I am not worthy to be Cousin Pei’s wife, I will not marry him.”
"You silly girl, you're born with a blockhead, why can't you get it?" The Third Madam said with exasperation, poking Zhao Wan's forehead hard. "Our family won't get a single thing from the Duke's mansion. I'm counting on you to marry into a good family and help your brother."
The third wife wanted to live a life of wealth and luxury, and all she could do was rely on her two children.
Her son was successful, but she didn't dare to ask the Duke for a promotion, fearing that the eldest son's wife would misunderstand and think she wanted to compete for the family property and power.
She could only place her hopes on Zhao Wan, hoping that she would marry into a wealthy family and help support her own family.
The third wife continued, "Your younger brother has made something of himself; he'll support you from now on. Isn't it wonderful that you two siblings support each other?"
Zhao Wan closed her eyes. Her mother was pointing the way for her to marry into a wealthy family, and then use her husband's family's savings to support her own family.
No matter how well her in-laws treat her, they will eventually stop liking her.
She felt even more ashamed in her husband's family.
"If the old lady wants to match you two up, it's either because Yan-ge'er doesn't want to marry you, or you have to marry him even if you don't want to."
Seeing that Zhao Wan was unyielding, the Third Madam was so angry that her chest felt tight: "Yan-ge'er is painting in the West Garden. Go and bring him some snacks later."
“I’m not going.” Zhao Wan felt resistant to Pei Wuyan and frowned. “The old lady might not be willing to match us up. If I rush to see him, I will not only lose face, but also damage my reputation.”
"I'll ask you one more time, are you going or not?"
"Don't go."
The third wife burst into tears: "Zhao Wan, you are so useless and ungrateful. Who did I do all this for? Wasn't it all for you to live a good life? In the end, I have only earned your contempt."
Zhao Wan clenched her fingers tightly, remaining silent.
“My husband is a good-for-nothing, but my son is a good-for-nothing, though sadly no one supports him. My daughter has a good marriage prospect, but she is very strong-willed and doesn’t want to marry him.”
The third wife sobbed and cried, "My life is so bitter. I've had enough of this kind of suffering."
Zhao Wan gripped her fingers tightly, forcing herself not to soften her heart.
Whenever she didn't want to do something, her mother would cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide to force her to compromise.
Seeing that Zhao Wan did not back down, the third wife steeled herself, grabbed the scissors from the sewing basket, and stabbed herself in the neck.
Zhao Wan stood up in fright: "Mother..."
The third wife pressed, "Are you going or not?"
Zhao Wan opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
The third wife exerted force, and the sharp scissors pierced the skin on her neck, causing blood to flow out.
"I'll go." Zhao Wan clenched her fists and said with red eyes, "Mother, I'll go to the West Garden."
-
When Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi arrived at the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, Gu Changsheng and Gu Zongci had already arrived.
Zhao Yi's health has been improving for several days, and today we can begin the detoxification process.
After much deliberation, Shen Qingtan decided to seek the antidote at the Prince of Zhenbei's residence.
Firstly, it is very safe to detoxify at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, as no one dares to attempt it there.
Secondly, her leaving the Duke's mansion would make it easier to lure out the Second Madam.
"Brother Changsheng." Shen Qingtan walked to Gu Changsheng's side and noticed that he had removed the thin veil covering his eyes: "Are your eyes feeling better?"
Gu Changsheng looked towards Shen Qingtan in the direction of the sound. He could vaguely make out her outline, but he couldn't see her facial features clearly.
"Much better." Gu Changsheng's long eyelashes trembled, her eyelids half-lowered, obscuring her pupils: "I have prepared all the medicine. I will make preparations today and officially detoxify my brother-in-law tomorrow."
Shen Qingtan asked, "How long will it take?"
Gu Changsheng said calmly, "Manman has been poisoned since he was a child. It is not easy to cure him. It is estimated that it will take four or five days."
Shen Qingtan felt reassured and was about to ask them what preparations were needed when she suddenly noticed that Gu Changsheng's face was very pale. She asked with concern, "Brother Changsheng, are you feeling unwell?"
Gu Changsheng's expression was indifferent: "I'm fine."
Shen Qingtan was skeptical, because his face was abnormally pale and he looked weak, as if he were sick.
"Don't worry, if I'm sick, how can I cure my brother-in-law?" Gu Changsheng explained, and specifically instructed, "You can't see him these next few days."
"I……"
“His body is very weak, and the detoxification process is extremely dangerous. There can be no mistakes.” Gu Changsheng spoke calmly, but his words were chilling: “If there is the slightest mistake, I will be powerless to save him.”
Shen Qingtan's heart clenched: "I understand."
Gu Changsheng picked up the pulse pillow prepared by the Prince's Mansion, took Zhao Yi's pulse, inquired about his recent condition, and then handed a bundle from the table to Shen Qingtan beside him.
"Boil this packet of medicine and give him a medicinal bath."
"it is good."
Shen Qingtan handed the bundle to Liu Yue and instructed her to go to the kitchen to brew the medicine.
After Zhao Yi finished his medicinal bath, Gu Changsheng performed acupuncture on him.
After the acupuncture, Zhao Yi fell asleep.
Shen Qingtan sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Zhao Yi. He lay quietly on the bed, the bright red quilt making him appear even paler and weaker.
At this moment, Tingxue came in from outside and whispered in Shen Qingtan's ear, "There's some movement in the West Garden."