Chapter 44 Jiang Ninghui, you get over here right now! ...

The moonlight was cold and clear, casting a gentle, piercing glow on the small courtyard.

Pei Duo stood tall and elegant outside the door, his snow-blue robes soaked with the coolness of the night.

Upon seeing the door open, the young man politely took a half-step back.

He handed Jiang Ninghui a wooden box no bigger than two palms. The box was decorated with openwork carvings and was closed, so the contents were unknown.

Jiang Ninghui was puzzled and dared not look at Pei Duo.

The events of last night were still vivid in her mind, constantly pricking her delicate skin. Her two slender, white hands, hidden under her sleeves, clenched tightly as she suppressed her shame and embarrassment, hesitating about how to ask Young Master Pei for her clothes back.

Unexpectedly, Young Master Pei moved the wooden box forward an inch.

He said, "Please accept this box, sister-in-law."

Although Jiang Ninghui did not know the reason, she still accepted it as instructed and waited silently for Pei Duo to continue.

The young man lowered his eyes, glancing at the woman's shy, bowed head. His dark eyes swept over her reddened earlobes and the fingertips tightly gripping the wooden box.

He spoke softly, his tone filled with remorse.

“Last night, when I was washing my sister-in-law’s undergarments, I couldn’t control my strength and accidentally tore them. So today I went to the clothing store and bought two new ones and put them in a box to make amends to my sister-in-law.”

With a bang—

Jiang Ninghui felt as if she were in a sea of ​​fire, with a burning sensation spreading throughout her body.

She dared not imagine the scene of Young Master Pei washing her undergarments, nor could she imagine how he had torn them.

She couldn't believe that Young Master Pei, an unmarried young man, would go to a clothing store to buy her two small garments, just to compensate her.

No wonder Young Master Pei let her take the box first; he was probably afraid she would be too shy to accept it.

Jiang Ninghui suddenly felt the box in her hand was extremely hot.

Pei Duo took in all her shame, embarrassment, and awkwardness.

A barely perceptible smile played in the young man's dark eyes. He calmly said, "I've already thrown away that undergarment. Please accept these two undergarments, sister-in-law, so that my guilt will be lessened."

Since Young Master Pei has said so, how could Jiang Ninghui refuse?

She wished she could bury her head in the ground, hastily replied, quickly closed the door, and retreated back into herself.

Jiang Ninghui walked to the edge of the couch and sat down. She placed the box on the couch as if it were burning her hands, hesitated for a moment, and then finally reached out to open the box.

Inside the box were two small garments made of fine fabric, in two different colors.

A pink dress with floral embroidery.

One of them was a light green color that she had never seen before.

When Jiang Ninghui saw Xiaoyi, the image of her being supported by Young Master Pei on the pear blossom table flashed before her eyes again.

The two knees were forced apart.

Pei Duo squeezed his slender waist and abdomen in, pulled away her undergarments, and hugged her tightly, panting heavily.

He did those things to her.

Before experiencing this, she never imagined that the handsome and aloof Young Master Pei would be even more fierce than her husband in this matter.

Jiang Ninghui forced herself to stop thinking about last night and quickly hid her undergarments to avoid being discovered by her husband.

The young master knew the color of her undergarments. If he saw any other color, he would surely ask her where they came from. In his eyes, she had no money left over except for the food expenses for the two of them, so how could she have undergarments made of such fine fabric?

The young man returned three-quarters of an hour later.

After Young Master Pei gave the young master two books, the young master, just like during the Spring Festival, read them so much that he forgot to eat and sleep.

Zhao Zhixue spent more than half a month looking at it.

For the past two weeks, he has been going to sleep almost every night close to midnight.

When Zhao Zhixue returned the books to Pei Duo, Pei Duo handed him several more books and a thick stack of insights from past provincial examinations, instructing him to study them carefully, understand their deeper meaning, and ask him questions if he had any doubts.

Zhao Zhixue never imagined that Pei Duo would help him like this.

He was overjoyed and extremely grateful.

Pei Duo said calmly, "The autumn examination is approaching. Brother Zhao, you should study and observe more in the next few months, and do not let your mind wander to other things."

Zhao Zhixue smiled and said, "I know."

That evening, Zhao Zhixue told Jiang Ninghui about Pei Duo's help. He hugged Jiang Ninghui, kissed her forehead, and smiled with confidence on his handsome face: "My wife, with Pei Duo's help, I am much more confident in passing the imperial examination this autumn. In addition, my wife's birth chart is auspicious for me, so I will definitely pass the exam!"

Jiang Ninghui sat on the edge of the couch and glanced at the books and a stack of Xuan paper on the table.

These were all given to the young master by Young Master Pei.

With the upcoming autumn imperial examinations, Jiang Ninghui's anxious heart was inexplicably calmed down a bit.

She prayed sincerely, begging God to help her again, so that her husband could pass the imperial examination smoothly with the help of Young Master Pei.

In this way, she was able to weather the crisis safely.

May arrived in the blink of an eye, the weather gradually warmed up, and pear blossoms bloomed in the courtyard, adding a touch of splendor to the ordinary little courtyard.

Since what happened with Pei Duo last night, Jiang Ninghui has rarely spent time alone with him.

She spent her days weaving tassels with Sister Mu, and the rest of her time taking care of her husband and Young Master Pei's three meals a day.

For the past two months, my husband has been studying day and night without eating or sleeping. He has lost weight and looks quite haggard. Seeing him studying so diligently, Jiang Ninghui felt both heartache and relief.

With her husband being so diligent, she believed he would surely pass the exam.

That day, after the last hundred tassels were woven, Jiang Ninghui saw her husband sitting at the table reading a book after dinner. She made an excuse to go out and quietly went to Sister Mu's house to pick up her bundle.

Then, she first prepared a pot of tea for her husband and sent it inside.

Then, under the pretense of delivering tea to Young Master Pei, she took a bundle and gently knocked on Young Master Pei's door.

A young man's clear, melodious voice rang out from inside the room: "Come in."

Jiang Ninghui entered the room with her head down, placed a pot of hot tea on the pear blossom table, and her gaze fell on the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the table. The scene of that night when Young Master Pei carried her onto the table and he scattered the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone all over the floor with a flick of his sleeve reappeared in her mind.

Jiang Ninghui's cheeks burned with shame and embarrassment.

She tried hard not to think about it.

Stop thinking about it!

That's all in the past.

Jiang Ninghui's voice was soft and gentle: "I've prepared a pot of tea for Young Master Pei."

Pei Duo sat in the chair, glanced at the pot of tea, and lifted his thin eyelids to look at Jiang Ninghui under the candlelight.

My sister-in-law took off her bulky, heavy cotton-padded coat and put on a coarse cloth shirt, which highlighted her slender and delicate figure.

Too thin.

Its frail body made people hesitant to break it.

She needs to take good care of herself.

Only when properly nurtured can a lotus emerge from the rain, enduring wind and rain without breaking.

The young man stood up, his tall figure, reflected in the candlelight, leaning against Jiang Ninghui like a small mountain.

The black shadow, like a ghost, slowly descended from Jiang Ninghui's forehead, devouring her aura completely and replacing it with his.

Pei Duo nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law."

Jiang Ninghui gently shook her head and handed over the bundle: "These are the remaining one hundred tassels. Sister Mu and I have finished weaving them. Young Master Pei, please take them to the master tomorrow. If there are any that you are not satisfied with, Sister Mu and I will re-weave them."

The young man reached out and took the bundle, his fair fingers gripping it tightly. Just as Jiang Ninghui was about to let go, he abruptly said, "Sister-in-law, don't move!"

Jiang Ninghui froze instantly, her thin shoulders and neck tensing up as she looked up in bewilderment.

Then she opened her almond-shaped eyes wide and stared in astonishment at Young Master Pei approaching her.

The young man reached out and touched the side of her clothes, his handsome features lowered: "There are bugs here, let me remove them for you, sister-in-law."

Upon hearing that there were insects, Jiang Ninghui dared not move.

There are indeed many insects this season, and you can easily get them on your body if you're not careful.

Pei Duo gently brushed against the collar, catching a glimpse of the thin strap of the light green undergarment at the back of the woman's neck, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his eye.

His sister-in-law was wearing the clothes he had bought for her.

It's just a pity.

He currently cannot appreciate his sister-in-law's appearance in her light green dress.

The young man picked up a non-existent insect and tossed it out the window: "That's it."

He then took the bundle: "I'll show it to the master tomorrow, and give my sister-in-law an answer when I get back at noon."

Jiang Ninghui nodded gently: "Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Pei."

Jiang Ninghui returned to the room and saw that her husband was still reading. Not daring to disturb him, she washed up and then crawled into bed.

She was wearing an undergarment, and underneath it was a light green undergarment that Young Master Pei had given her as a gift.

She washed her light pink undershirt today and had to wear this one instead.

Every time she put on the two undergarments that Young Master Pei had given her, she was filled with anxiety, fearing that her husband would discover the fine fabric of the undergarments when they made love. Fortunately, her husband had been focused on his studies for the past two months and had not done such things with her again.

In a few days it will be her husband's birthday. Jiang Ninghui thought to herself that she would make him some delicious food that day to help him recover.

The next day at noon.

Pei Duo brought Jiang Ninghui some good news.

The host was very pleased with the tassels that she and Sister Mu had woven, and since they finished within the allotted time, he not only settled the remaining two hundred coins but also gave them an extra one hundred coins as a reward.

Jiang Ninghui held the heavy string of coins in both hands, looking at Pei Duo with a sense of flattery and surprise.

"Did the master give another hundred coins as a reward?"

The young man nodded: "Indeed, my friend said it himself. This batch of tassels sold very well and made a lot of money. He was so happy that he gave you an extra hundred coins as a reward. Sister-in-law, please take it. Don't feel guilty. This hundred coins isn't even enough for a cup of tea for him."

Jiang Ninghui smiled, her eyes crinkling with a bright, sparkling light.

She was overjoyed: "Thank you, Young Master Pei!"

After speaking, he held the silver and bowed to Pei Duo, but before he could bend his back, the young man grabbed his forearm with one hand to stop him.

Pei Duo looked into the woman's bright and beautiful almond-shaped eyes and said, "Sister-in-law, you don't need to thank me. You earn money with your own hands, you are sincere and hardworking, and you are skillful. This money should be earned by you."

Jiang Ninghui felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.

She quickly lowered her head and bit her lip to stop the sudden surge of emotion.

From childhood to adulthood, no one has ever said that she is sincere, dedicated, or skillful in her work.

All they did was hurl insults and abuse, calling her cowardly, stupid, a worthless piece of trash, and an ingrate.

Even after marrying into the Zhao family and having a better life, she couldn't escape the harsh criticism and accusations from her in-laws.

Jiang Ninghui said gratefully, "Thank you for the compliment, Young Master Pei."

She felt that Young Master Pei was truly an exceptionally good person.

Not only is he exceptionally talented and dashing, but he is also a humble gentleman who always puts others first.

She didn't understand why her in-laws and husband said that Young Master Pei was cold-hearted and heartless.

If Young Master Pei were truly a cold-hearted person, why would he repeatedly help her, and why would he assist his beloved in his studies?

After Pei Duo went to the school, Jiang Ninghui hurried to Sister Mu's house and split the money with her.

This time, the reward for weaving tassels was 400 coins plus 200 coins, totaling 600 coins. She and Sister Mu each received 300 coins. Jiang Ninghui strung together the 80 coins she had saved up earlier with these 300 coins, carefully hid them in the corner of the wardrobe, and weighed them down with clothes.

She folded and put away her husband's clothes, and he never went near the wardrobe, so he never discovered the coins she hid.

Jiang Ninghui never expected that three days later, her parents-in-law would suddenly come to Qingping Town to celebrate her husband's birthday.

This was the first time her in-laws had visited the courtyard since she moved to town.

Jiang Ninghui opened the courtyard gate and was stunned for a long time when she saw her parents-in-law outside.

Father Zhao snorted, "Why are you looking at us like that? Are you unhappy to see us?"

Jiang Ninghui quickly shook her head and explained, "Father, you misunderstand. I was just a little surprised to see you all at once."

After saying this, he quickly stepped aside to invite the two elders in.

The Zhao couple stepped into the courtyard, looked around, and then walked towards the small house on the east side.

Seeing this, Jiang Ninghui reminded them, "Father, Mother, that's Young Master Pei's room. The young master's room is this one."

The Zhao couple paused, neither of them insisting on entering Pei Duo's room.

They knew Pei Duo's character; compared to Pei Dazhao and his wife, he was a much more difficult person to get along with.

The two elders entered the house and, as if surveying their territory, looked around the yard inside and out.

Zhao's father sat in the chair where Zhao Zhixue usually sat, lit his pipe and tapped it on the stool leg, and asked, "What time does my son usually come back around noon?"

Jiang Ninghui said in a low voice, "I'll be back around 2:45 or 3:40 noon."

Madam Li sat on the edge of the bed, massaging her tired legs from the long walk. She glanced at the clean and bright room her daughter-in-law had made, said nothing, and asked someone nearby, "Do you know that it's Xuege's birthday today?"

Jiang Ninghui nodded: "I know, I was just planning to go to town later to buy some meat to cook a good meal for my husband."

Father Zhao glanced coldly at Jiang Ninghui, took a puff of his pipe, and said, "There's still more than an hour before noon. Go with your mother to the market and buy some meat, fish, and shrimp. We'll give Xuege a proper birthday celebration at noon."

Jiang Ninghui: "Daughter-in-law knows."

She felt uneasy, panicked, and afraid.

Her in-laws suddenly came to town, catching her off guard. She didn't have time to hide the money with Sister Mu, so she could only pray in her heart that her father-in-law wouldn't go through her and her husband's wardrobe.

In this way, her hidden private money will not be discovered.

Feeling uneasy, Jiang Ninghui went to town with her mother-in-law.

Li wanted to go outside the school, so Jiang Ninghui took her there after a detour.

Li: "How has Xue'er been these past few months? Is he alright?"

Jiang Ninghui truthfully replied, "My lord has been studying day and night these past few months, and he has become thinner than he was a few months ago."

Upon hearing this, Li glanced at Jiang Ninghui and said, "You are his wife, don't you know to urge him to rest more? Have you thought about the consequences if he ruins his health? Your father and I asked you to come to town to take care of Xuege'er so that you would take good care of him, not to see him get thin from exhaustion!"

Jiang Ninghui had no way to defend herself.

She could only lower her head and silently accept her mother-in-law's scolding.

After Li finished speaking, she waved her hand and said, "Never mind, it's pointless to tell you. Buy more meat later so that Xuege can have a good nourishing meal."

If it weren't for the fact that my daughter-in-law's birth chart is auspicious for Xuege'er, and I was afraid that if she weren't by his side, she wouldn't bring him any good fortune, I wouldn't have let her stay in Qingping Town to enjoy a life of leisure.

Jiang Ninghui walked silently beside her mother-in-law, taking her to the shop to buy meat, fish, and shrimp.

After buying the items, I walked back with my mother-in-law.

Perhaps because she was worried that her father-in-law would find her hidden savings by searching through the closet, Jiang Ninghui felt her right eyelid twitching incessantly and her heart pounding violently like a drum the whole way.

A road that usually doesn't take long to walk now feels incredibly long.

Jiang Ninghui pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped into the small courtyard with a heavy heart, when she suddenly heard her father-in-law roar angrily—

"Jiang Ninghui, get over here right now!"

Jiang Ninghui's face was completely drained of color, and her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. It took her a while to finally manage to step over.

Hearing something was wrong, Li ran over and asked, "Old Zhao, what's wrong—oh dear, why is the room so messy?"

Jiang Ninghui closed her eyes, feeling utterly hopeless.

She knew.

It's over.

Her father-in-law actually searched her wardrobe and found her hidden savings.

Jiang Ninghui gripped the vegetable basket tightly with both hands and walked step by step outside. She saw the wardrobe door wide open, her clothes lying in disarray on the ground, including her outer garments, inner garments, and even her undergarments.

The little green dress stood out conspicuously as it lay brazenly on the ground.

Jiang Ninghui felt humiliated and embarrassed. Her hands and feet were cold, her ears were ringing, and she felt like she was about to faint.

When Zhao's father picked up a large string of coins, Li was astonished; these coins must have been worth at least several hundred!

She gives Jiang Ninghui twenty coins every month, which is all used for her and her schoolmate's food. Where does she get so many coins?!

Even a senior student probably doesn't have that many coins on him!

Recalling Jiang Ninghui's guilty look when the elderly couple entered the door, Li's face darkened, and she blurted out, "Jiang Ninghui! Where did this money come from? Have you been cheating on your brother with someone else?! Did your lover give you this money?!"

Jiang Ninghui looked at her mother-in-law, whose face was contorted in shock, finding it hard to believe that these words came from her mother-in-law's mouth.

Seeing her expression, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao only felt that she was right!

Zhao's father was so angry that he was panting heavily, his face was ashen, and he raised his hand and threw a string of coins hard at Jiang Ninghui's forehead!

"You shameless hussy! Our Zhao family spent five taels of silver to marry you, and instead of being grateful, you dare to have an affair behind my brother's back! If I don't beat you to death today, our Zhao family will never be able to swallow this insult!"

Along with the harsh words from Zhao's father, more than three hundred coins also came crashing down on him.

If that string of coins were to hit someone in the face, it would definitely disfigure them.

Jiang Ninghui closed her eyes in fear, awaiting the torture to come.

A cool, silky fabric brushed past her ear, followed by a faint scent of cedar. Jiang Ninghui looked up in surprise and saw that Young Master Pei, who should have been in the school, had appeared beside her at some point, catching the string of coins that was thrown at her.

Pei Duo lowered his eyes and saw a pool of pitiful tears welling up in the woman's brimming eyes.

Her nose was red, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her delicate and beautiful face was pale and bloodless.

They were clearly terrified.

The young man's dark eyes revealed a faint yet terrifyingly sinister chill.

If I hadn't suddenly heard my sister-in-law and mother-in-law's voices in the school...

If he hadn't been worried that his sister-in-law would be mistreated by her in-laws, and hadn't deliberately returned early, his sister-in-law would have suffered today!

The frantic, clamorous murderous intent grew uncontrollably, binding Pei Duo's remaining rationality like vines.

A faint red tinge appeared at the corner of the young man's eyes, a terrifying crimson caused by the suppression of murderous intent.

He suddenly lowered his eyes—

Her gaze was fixed on the light green dress that had fallen to the ground and the pink dress that had fallen at Zhao's father's feet.

Those were his sister-in-law's personal belongings; he had bought them from her.

That old bastard Zhao Fusheng touched her undergarments!

Pei Duo clenched his fist, and the coins in his palm instantly shattered.

The debris pierced the young man's palm, staining it a deep crimson red!

He lifted his eyes, his dark, cold gaze sweeping coldly over Zhao's father!

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Author's Note: There's a red envelope in this chapter! Update will be before 6 PM tomorrow! [Sprinkling flowers]