Chapter 43 [VIP]

"Didn't you kick him out?"

Xiao Chuan spoke in a calm tone, the deep look in his eyes gradually fading away as he opened his mouth.

"Um?"

Mi Yao's almond-shaped eyes flashed with confusion. She was still wondering if Qiu Niang was so capable that she was not only related to Yu Shaoyang, but also had a connection with Xiao Chuan, when she heard Xiao Chuan speak: "Pan Shi."

Xiao Chuan reminded her, and Mi Yao then remembered that there was such a person.

When he spoke, she realized that Pan Shi and Qiu Niang were quite similar; not only did they both have an ugly son, but their acting postures were also almost identical.

When she first met Madam Pan, Madam Pan was also tearful and seemed to be withering away if no one saved her.

Seeing that Pan was trying to compete with her for the position, she naturally fired back fiercely, not saying a single nice word.

Faced with her impoliteness, Madam Pan wanted Xiao Chuan to show her mercy, but unfortunately Xiao Chuan either didn't have that kind of nerve or didn't think much of Madam Pan and didn't want to take the bait.

Anyway, Pan had no choice but to change her approach, quickly severing ties with the Ma family, abandoning her good-for-nothing son Ma Hu, and using her status as Zhao Tianhe's adopted daughter to stay at the Jiedushi's mansion.

She encountered Madam Pan at several banquets, but she couldn't tell whether Madam Pan had given up her interest in Xiao Chuan. At least Madam Pan stopped bothering her with her chatter.

"So if a man's attitude is clear enough, it saves his wife trouble."

Mi Yao suddenly blurted out that sentence, looking at him with considerable admiration, as if expressing her satisfaction. Meeting her gaze, Xiao Chuan's brow furrowed slightly: "What do you mean?"

"It's my brother. Today, a woman came looking for him and his sister-in-law. She said she was the widow of my brother's classmate. As soon as she saw my sister-in-law, she kept crying. She implied that my sister-in-law had instigated my brother to abandon her. If you didn't know better, you would think that the ugly son she brought was my brother's bloodline."

Xiao Chuan's imposing aura as he entered made Mi Yao feel vaguely uneasy.

In particular, his attitude changed so quickly when she pretended to be naive, which gave her a sense that a storm was brewing.

Seeing the restraint and suppression in Xiao Chua's eyes, she subconsciously chose to chat with him about everyday things, subtly showing him her goodwill.

After she finished speaking, Xiao Chuan was indeed slightly taken aback, as if he didn't understand why she was telling him all this. After a moment, he hummed in agreement and sat down beside her.

Although his expression remained indifferent, it seemed he wanted to hear her finish the story.

"I was resting at home because I was tired from walking around today, but when I heard from the servants that my brother had returned, I quickly got up to see what was going on."

As for the liveliness, she realized after getting up that she couldn't very well go into the couple's room and sit there to listen to what they were talking about.

So we can only wait here.

"Does my brother think he's the kind of person who would soften his heart and take on trouble just because a woman sheds a few tears?"

Meeting Mi Yao's questioning gaze, Xiao Chuan pursed his lips slightly.

It seems that ever since he asked her for an "apology," their relationship has become much closer than before. He took the initiative to ask her for her thoughts on Xiao Rou's matter, and now she also talks to him about the trivial things around her.

After a pause, he replied, "If Physician Yu were indecisive, he shouldn't have been transferred to Yizhou."

Indecisiveness and strong principles are two different things. Yu Shaoyang was marginalized in the officialdom of the capital because he was unwilling to help the wicked and violated his moral conscience for the sake of interests. But this does not mean that he was weak and lacked his own opinions in handling affairs.

His decision to pick up Yu Shaoyang and his wife and have them stay at the Xiao residence was also partly an attempt to probe Yu Shaoyang's background.

During his observation over the past few days, he learned that Yu Shaoyang valued relationships, and it was precisely because of this that he could distinguish between close and distant relationships and would not be blinded by other women.

“Right, in my eyes my brother is kind, but not foolishly kind. What an outsider can see clearly, my sister-in-law can’t see. Instead, she’s afraid that she will show her dislike for outsiders and make my brother unhappy.”

Mi Yao wrinkled her nose. "They clearly have such a good relationship, but they keep their mouths shut and don't want the other person to know what they're thinking."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chuan's gaze deepened, wondering if Mi Yao had sensed something and was hinting at something to him.

Before he could think it over, Xiao Shan and the others arrived at the dining hall and started talking around Mi Yao. Before they could stop talking, Yu Shaoyang and his wife also arrived.

The couple both had smiles on their faces, but compared to before, these smiles looked somewhat fake.

Mi Yao initially thought that the two people's forced smiles might be because she had already imagined the whole story, so she wasn't being objective in her assessment of them.

But then Xiao Liang looked at the two of them and said, "Did Uncle make Aunt angry? Aunt isn't even looking at Uncle anymore."

Xiao Liang's voice was childlike and innocent, and as he asked his question, everyone's attention turned to the couple.

"Erlang is mistaken. Your uncle is perfectly fine, why would he make me angry?" Zhen Jing's body made it difficult for her to bend over, so she could only squat down to speak to Xiao Liang.

"But Aunt, the way you're smiling makes you look like you're about to cry."

Hearing his second brother say that, Xiao Shan moved closer to Zhen Jing, his small, bright, round eyes scrutinizing her, and agreed with his second brother's words.

Feeling heartbroken, Zhen Jing hadn't initially felt so wronged, but now she genuinely felt like crying.

Yu Shaoyang helped his wife to her feet and looked closely at her face, making Zhen Jing uncomfortable. She thought, "I must have mistaken you. Everyone's here. Don't let the child..."

Hearing Zhen Jing say that, Yu Shaoyang was still worried, fearing that Zhen Jing felt sorry for Qiu Niang and her son.

Suddenly, the headache made things seem even more difficult.

His wife is so kind and good, which makes his desire to get rid of her and their child seem so cold and heartless.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere between the couple, Mi Yao gave Xiao Chuan a wink. Seeing that Xiao Chuan didn't catch it and remained indifferent, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "See, am I right? Even a child can see this, but the couple is blinded by their own involvement."

"I want to hear it too!"

Xiao Shan caught a glimpse of Mi Yao whispering to Xiao Chuan out of the corner of his eye, his eyes widened, and he squeezed between the two.

Seeing this, Xiao Liang also looked at the two curiously. Although he didn't squeeze through like Xiao Shan, his face showed curiosity and grievance, as if to say, "Why can't I listen to my sister?"

"I can't tell you the secrets that husband and wife share."

Mi Yao glanced at Xiao Shan's chubby face, which was puffed up like a steamed bun. Now that everyone was there, she ordered the kitchen to serve the dishes.

As Xiao Chuan got up and walked towards the dining table, he inadvertently raised his hand and touched his ear, which was still damp and warm.

The meal wasn't too dull, probably because they were afraid the other people at the table would notice that they were in a bad mood. Yu Shaoyang and Zhen Jing talked a lot and ate a lot.

After the meal, the two finished all the food in front of them. Yu Shaoyang even chewed a large piece of ginger, but after chewing for a while, he realized it was spicy and spat it out while covering his mouth with a grimace.

Seeing that they ate their fill without tasting their food, Mi Yao smiled deliberately.

As she laughed, she sensed out of the corner of her eye that Xiao Chuan was looking at her, but when she followed his gaze, Xiao Chuan's eyes did not fall on her.

That's really strange.

"My sister-in-law must have already told my brother about what happened today. Because I thought that woman was too whiny and unlucky, I didn't let her in. I hope my brother isn't angry with me."

"Why would I be angry with you? Qiu Niang is not a guest of you and your brother-in-law, so naturally we cannot invite her to the Xiao family."

Knowing Mi Yao's assertiveness, he even felt a sense of satisfaction and wished she would say a few more words like that to Qiu Niang and her son. However, fearing that his wife might misunderstand his sister, he spoke up for her for a long time.

After finishing his meal and seeing that he could not delay any longer, Yu Shaoyang said, "I'll go to the inn. The mother and son have come all the way from their hometown carrying soil, so they must be facing many difficulties. I'll go and see if I can lend a hand."

Upon hearing that he was going to see Qiu Niang, Zhen Jing's expression tightened slightly, but she said, "It wasn't easy for them to come here, so please help them as much as you can, husband."

Yu Shaoyang responded and left the Xiao residence a moment later to meet Qiu Niang.

"Who is Uncle going to see in such a hurry? Is it someone very important?"

Xiao Liang watched Yu Shaoyang's retreating figure, feeling reluctant to part with him.

These past few days, Yu Shaoyang would accompany them for a walk after meals. He had gotten used to it, so when he saw his uncle leave in a hurry, he immediately felt that something was missing and didn't even want to go for the walk anymore.

Upon hearing Xiao Liang's words, Zhen Jing's expression stiffened, and she lost interest in taking a walk. She immediately made an excuse to go back to her room to rest.

The number of people taking a walk has decreased sharply. Xiao Shan quickly grabbed Mi Yao's leg, afraid that she would run away too.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with you."

Mi Yao shrugged. Because she was pondering Xiao Chuo's sudden change, she was somewhat absent-minded while eating and ended up eating too much.

Xiao Chuan did not go with them, but the path to his study and the path to the garden were the same. The group walked together along a corridor for a while. When it was time to part ways, Xiao Chuan did not immediately turn his feet. Instead, he looked at Mi Yao and said, "Since there is a misunderstanding, why don't they clarify it?"

"Because concern can lead to confusion, couples should be the closest and most knowledgeable people to each other, but sometimes the more they care, the more they lose their rational judgment."

Mi Yao's words made Xiao Chuan's eyes narrow, and he felt more and more that she already knew, so she was reminding him.

But this is a paradox: if she was drugged, she wouldn't know what he suspected her of, but if she could figure out that he knew her secret, then she would know about the musk.

Since she drugged herself, how does she plan to exonerate herself?

She would rather ruin her body than bear his child. Could she really say that she was confused because she cared too much and lost her rational judgment the more she cared?

A hint of sarcasm appeared on Xiao Chuan's face as he turned and walked towards the study.

Looking at Xiao Chua's back, Mi Yao had a feeling that something must have happened, and that it was related to her.

But no one knows why Xiao Chuan is suppressing his feelings and not saying anything.

If he could suppress his emotions, that would be fine, but he seemed on the verge of exploding at any moment, making it impossible for her to ignore him; she could only pay more attention to him.

Unable to guess, she looked at the perceptive Xiao Liang: "Did you notice anything different about your father just now?"

“Father is no different from before; he looks like he’s about to get angry at any moment.”

After Xiao Liangcai finished his serious analysis, Xiao Yi tugged at his clothes and said, "Don't talk to Father like that."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liang changed his tune: "Father is different from usual; he looked even fiercer just now!"

Xiao Yi: ...

He didn't understand why his younger brother, who had become cheerful, had turned out like this.

He's getting more and more deserving of a beating each day, and he's really afraid that one day he won't be able to hold back and actually hit him.

*

Before stepping into the guesthouse where Qiu Niang and her son were staying, Yu Shaoyang took two deep breaths before calling the waiter to fetch someone.

He took some money out of his pocket and borrowed the backyard from the shopkeeper.

"My lord, why don't we go to a private room to talk? The backyard is too noisy and not a good place to chat and reminisce."

"No need. These two are family members of my friend. I am not familiar with them. I just wanted to ask them why they came here. Men and women should not talk alone."

Upon hearing Yu Shaoyang's words, the shopkeeper's expression changed somewhat.

Qiu Niang and her son were brought to stay by servants from the official residence. Seeing Qiu Niang with tears streaming down her face, the innkeeper asked his wife to comfort her.

He didn't intend to find out anything, but Qiu Niang was someone who couldn't keep a secret. While crying, she said that she had brought her child to seek refuge with the child's uncle who was acting as the child's father.

They said that this uncle had long treated them, mother and son, as family, and had been very good to them. If it weren't for some misunderstanding that the uncle's wife had about them, they would have lived under the same roof long ago.

The shopkeeper's wife understood that Qiu Niang was saying that she had an affair with an official, but the official's wife couldn't tolerate her. She didn't want to be sent to the capital, so she brought her child here to continue trying to steal another man's husband.

After listening to her story, the shopkeeper's wife comforted her on the surface, but as soon as she left the room, she pulled the shopkeeper's ear and told him to stay away from such a wicked widow.

"Judging from what that woman said, I thought you and she were family."

The shopkeeper, noticing that Yu Shaoyang's annoyance and avoidance seemed genuine, offered a word of advice.

"I have nothing to do with them."

Qiu Niang brought her son over and happened to hear Yu Shaoyang say this. Her expression froze for a moment, then she pretended not to hear and walked up to Yu Shaoyang: "Brother Yu, we've finally found you. Xiong'er has been crying and calling for you in his dreams all this way. Look how thin he's become. I'm so useless and have let his deceased father down..."

"Uncle, I miss you so much. Let's never be apart again, okay?"

After Qiu Niang finished speaking, Liang Xiaolang hugged Yu Shaoyang and looked at him with his mother, both of them crying.

He had some patience for Liang Xiaolang Yu Shaoyang, after all, he was his friend's only bloodline, but he couldn't like him once he saw that his features were somewhat similar to Qiu Niang's.

Outsiders thought he was kind-hearted, treating his friend's family as his own after his friend's death, but in reality he was full of resentment.

His friend's parents had lost their son, so it was no big deal for him to take care of them a little more. But his friend's widow was not someone for him, an outsider, to look after.

But Qiu Niang was oblivious to the situation and kept coming to his door. Even with Liang Xiaolang in the middle, he had long wanted to treat her coldly and let the mother and son stop bothering him and his wife.

But his wife was an extremely kind person, and he met Zhen Jing three times before they got married.

One time, she saw a raccoon dog with a broken leg. Despite the raccoon dog's dirty body, she searched everywhere for a doctor to apply medicine to it.

The second time was outside the temple. I saw her pick up the fallen baby bird, climb up and put it back in the nest. When she saw that the mother bird did not recognize the baby bird's scent and was about to throw the baby bird out of the nest, she held the bird and raised it herself.

She kept saying, "Don't be afraid, little bird. From now on, I'll treat her like my mother."

He found it both amusing and intriguing, and secretly inquired about which family Zhen Jing belonged to.

The Zhen family was of noble birth, and if the Yu family were at its peak, they could be a match for it. However, the Yu family had been declining, and he had not made a name for himself in the officialdom.

Furthermore, after learning that Zhen Jing's mother had already chosen a suitable cousin for Zhen Jing, he gave up on the idea.

Even now, he still vividly remembers that day when they met for the third time. It was the Lantern Festival in the capital, and Zhuque Street was teeming with people. She held a peony lantern in her hand, and her bright smile was more beautiful and dazzling than thousands of lanterns.

He saw her at first glance and made up his mind that even if it didn't work out, he would go to her house and sincerely ask for her hand in marriage. He would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't try.

Then chaos erupted around them. A thief, unable to steal anything, grabbed a sharp knife and tried to rob them outright. The crowd was in turmoil. He stepped forward to protect the young woman from the thief's harm, and after the thief ran away, he managed to catch up with him and retrieve the purse he had stolen from Zhen Jing.

Holding the elegant embroidered lotus-patterned purse in turquoise, Yu Shaoyang personally returned it to Zhen Jing.

Then he heard Zhen Jing say softly that he was the kindest and bravest man she had ever met.

He was still rational enough not to say that she was the kindest and gentlest wife he had ever met.

In order to maintain his image in the eyes of his wife, Yu Shaoyang endured Qiu Niang and her son time and time again. He originally thought that leaving Shangjing would finally allow him to get rid of them, but who would have thought that they would follow him to Yizhou.

He traveled with servants, and even as a man, he felt that the long journey was difficult. Qiu Niang was able to come with a young child. With such ability, she didn't need to rely on anyone else. She could clearly protect herself from the wind and rain.

I don't know what they have to cry about. If anyone should be crying, it should be this unlucky guy who can't get rid of them.