Chapter 25 Guest Room Who told me to like you so much?
On another carriage bearing the Pei Mansion crest, Pei Huaian held four cooked meat patties in his hands. Seeing there was no hope of catching up with the carriage in front, he could only swallow his saliva and say, "Big Brother's carriage is really too fast. These patties will be unpalatable if they get cold. I'd better eat them myself."
Then he handed two to Shen Yunshu: "Do you want to eat?"
Shen Yunshu had already had breakfast and naturally didn't want to eat. Pei Huaian pretended to sigh and said, "Then I'll eat it all myself."
"But you've already had breakfast," Shen Yunshu looked at him in surprise, "How can you still eat four pancakes?"
"Of course, at my age, I have a big appetite and get hungry quickly..."
So Shen Yunshu watched him eat up all four meat patties in big and small mouthfuls.
"Do you like eating meat very much?" she asked suddenly.
Pei Huaian said without hesitation: "The meat is so delicious, I love it."
Since he loves eating meat so much, it seems that what my third sister said yesterday about wanting to "become a monk" was indeed a misunderstanding.
"Can I ask you something?" Seeing that his mouth was covered in grease, Shen Yunshu took out a handkerchief and handed it to him.
"What's the matter?" Pei Huaian took it, wiped his mouth casually, and was about to put the handkerchief into his sleeve, "I'll have someone wash it and give it to you later."
Shen Yunshu didn't mind a handkerchief; she had plenty anyway. Seeing that he hadn't wiped the corner of his mouth clean, she held down his hand that was stuffing the handkerchief. "There's still some on your mouth. Wipe it again."
Pei Huaian pulled out the handkerchief again and wiped his mouth aimlessly.
"How about this? Is it clean?"
Shen Yunshu raised her hand and touched the corner of his mouth: "Here..."
The softness and fragrance brought by the fingertips disappeared in an instant at his lips.
Pei Huaian was startled, and as if possessed by some unknown force, he moved his face closer to her: "I can't see, help me wipe it..."
The handsome face suddenly enlarged, making Shen Yunshu instinctively step back an inch.
The sixteen-year-old boy had red lips, white teeth, and clear eyes. He just came straight towards me. Not only was he not annoying, but he looked like a big furry puppy, which made people feel soft-hearted.
Shen Yunshu smiled, took the handkerchief, lowered her eyelashes slightly, looked at the corner of his mouth, and wiped it gently.
The tiny oil stain quickly disappeared into the towel.
"Okay." After all, the handkerchief was already in her hand, so there was no point in forcing it on him and asking him to wash it. "I'll just ask Tinglan to wash the handkerchief."
Pei Huaian stared at the handkerchief she had taken back, feeling inexplicably lost.
Shen Yunshu put away the handkerchief and returned to the previous topic: "Why have you been going to the temple so often these past two days?"
"You Ran told you?" He really couldn't bring himself to call her "sister-in-law". They were of the same age anyway, so he just called her by her name.
Shen Yunshu naturally didn't want to betray her sister, so she pretended not to know: "Huh? Youran also knows about this?"
Pei Huaian thought about it and realized that since Shen Youran could guess it, it was not surprising that Shen Yunshu, who was smarter than her, could guess it.
"You don't think I want to become a monk, do you?" Pei Huaian's eyes dodged, "I don't have any intention of becoming a monk."
"Then what are you doing at the temple?"
"Listen to the sutras and calm your mind."
"Is it because of the marriage exchange?"
Pei Huaian said vaguely: "I guess so."
Shen Yunshu kept staring at his face, observing the subtle expressions on his face. Seeing that he was evasive and covering up his words, she always felt that besides the marriage exchange, there must be something else that was bothering him.
What on earth could make such an unbridled and unruly young man choose to sit in a temple and listen to scriptures to calm his mind?
Was it out of love? After the marriage exchange, he couldn't let go of his feelings for his third sister, so he chose to go to the temple to ask the Buddha for help to let go of his feelings?
I didn't expect that although he looked frivolous, he was actually a passionate man.
Since he had no intention of becoming a monk, Shen Yunshu didn't ask any further questions. If this method really worked, she hoped he could let go of his obsession with his third sister sooner rather than later.
The carriage passed through the crowded streets, turned into an alley, and stopped not far from the Shen Mansion.
A quarter of an hour later, Pei Huaian's carriage also caught up.
Then the two carriages arrived at the Shen Mansion together.
Shen Youran leaned out of the carriage, holding onto the edge. Pei Huaijin, who had gotten off the carriage earlier than her, stood gracefully under the carriage and raised his hand to help her get off.
On the other side, Pei Huaian just got off the carriage and ran to Shen Youran and asked her: "I bought you meat patties, why didn't you wait for me?"
Shen Youran glanced at Pei Huaijin, hinting with his eyes: It's all his fault...
Pei Huaian understood. It turned out that it was his eldest brother who was behind this. "Brother, you are too bold. You are going back to the Shen family today, and you dare to ask the girl from the Shen family to come back hungry?"
Pei Huaijin said calmly, "Who said she came back hungry?"
Shen Youran said: "I ate two cakes on the way..." Although half of it was eaten by Pei Huaijin.
"Have you eaten it?" Pei Huaian naturally assumed that she bought it on the road. "Didn't we agree that I would buy it for you? Why did you buy it and eat it yourself?"
"I didn't buy it, your eldest brother transformed it into something?" Shen Youran said as he walked towards the mansion.
At the door stood Mother Li, with maids standing on both sides to welcome them.
"How did you show up, big brother?" Pei Huaian followed her in.
"Just like that, I stretched out my hand, and it appeared in a flash." She knew that the cake must have been kept by Qing Jian, but she still teased Pei Huaian on purpose, "Then I can have cake to eat."
Pei Huaian wasn't stupid either, and he quickly guessed it: "I know, it must be Big Brother who asked Qing Jian to hold the cake, and then acted mysteriously and played tricks in front of you..."
"You're so smart!" Shen Youran smelled a faint scent of meat pie on him and asked him, "Where's the pie you bought for me?"
"I couldn't catch up with your carriage, so I had to eat it myself."
“How many did you eat?”
"Four."
"So much? Didn't you have breakfast?"
"I... ate it."
"You can still eat four pancakes after breakfast? You have a really big appetite." Shen Youran looked at him in surprise, then smiled, "Then you are in for a treat today. My cook cooks delicious food..."
"Then I'll eat more later..."
The two chatted as they walked inside. When they were about to reach the front hall, Pei Huaijin and Shen Yunshu, who were following behind them, looked at each other. Pei Huaijin called out to them, "Stop."
The two people in front stopped and turned to look at him.
Pei Huaijin looked at his seventh brother: "Who of us is her husband?"
Pei Huaian was stunned for a moment, then blushed and exchanged places with his elder brother.
The two couples walked into the hall one after the other and bowed to the two elders sitting at the head of the hall.
"Huai Jin greets his father-in-law and mother-in-law..."
"The son-in-law greets his father-in-law and mother-in-law..."
Sisters Shen Yunshu and Shen Youran also bowed to their father and stepmother.
Wei smiled and raised her hand to ask them to stand up and take a seat. Shen Tingyu beside her swept his eyes over the four children, paying special attention to the third daughter. Seeing that her face was rosy and she was full of energy, and there was no sign of grievance in her eyes, he finally felt relieved.
The Shen family learned about the bride exchange on the second day.
At that time, Pei Yuanji, the eldest master of the Pei family, and Pei Yuanzhou, the third master, came to inform them in person. When Shen Tingyu learned that both daughters agreed, he no longer opposed the marriage exchange. He just asked them to promise not to let their two daughters suffer grievances in the Pei family. They all agreed with a pat on their chests.
Chen Tingyu wasn't worried about his eldest daughter. She was so sensible and intelligent, she would have a good life no matter who she married. He was only worried about his third daughter. She had lost her mother at the age of four, and he knew exactly what he had done to raise her. He worried that she would be wronged if she married into the Pei family's eldest wife, and he also worried that she would cause trouble...
Sure enough, news came in the afternoon that the third daughter Youran had angered the eldest wife to the point of fainting, and was confined to her house for two days as a punishment.
Shen Tingyu had been unable to sleep or eat for the past two days and looked very haggard. Today, seeing that his two daughters were in good spirits and the four of them were getting along very harmoniously, Shen Tingyu, who had been depressed for two days, finally had a smile on his face.
After that, no one mentioned the marriage exchange. They just drank tea and chatted in the hall, and they were quite happy.
After the banquet was ready, the two sons-in-law sat down on the left and right of their father-in-law, intending to have a good drink with him.
After three rounds of drinks, Shen Tingyu looked at the dignified and mature Pei Huaijin and his third daughter with a young face beside him, and finally couldn't help but sigh.
They are not a good match, they really are not a good match.
He was worried, he really couldn't be at ease.
"My dear son-in-law Huai Jin, Youran has been spoiled by me since she was a child. Now that she is the eldest daughter-in-law of your family, it is inevitable that she will have some difficulties. You can teach her more in the future. If she does something wrong, you can confine her, but don't hit her or scold her. If you feel that you can't teach her well, send her back and I will teach her myself. If you are still not satisfied, just return her to me and I will..."
Seeing that he was misbehaving after drinking, Wei hurriedly reminded him: "Husband, it's such a happy day, why don't you return it?" Isn't this a curse for the couple to divorce?
Pei Huaijin understood how much he loved his daughter and could hear the complaint in his words, so he assured her, "Don't worry, father-in-law. I will teach her patiently and will never be too harsh on her."
Shen Yunshu also said: "Don't worry, father, I will also help you."
Shen Tingyu was so drunk at this point that he wanted to keep his third daughter and tell her not to return to the Pei family. Didn't he know the nature of the daughter he raised? Even if she was willful, she wasn't the kind of girl who would make trouble. Who knew who was the first to bully whom when her mother-in-law fainted?
But filial piety comes first in everything. After all, she is a daughter-in-law, a generation younger than her. No matter what, she cannot escape the word "filial piety". Unfortunately, she was put in solitary confinement by her husband's family on the first two days of her wedding. Although he, as a father, did not say it, he was actually heartbroken in his heart.
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Wei was afraid that he would say something bad again, so she hurriedly asked someone to help him back to his room to rest on the pretext that he was drunk.
After the banquet, Wei knew that they had to go to the Lu family again, so she didn't keep them for long.
This was clearly the home she had lived in for sixteen years, but now that she was married, she couldn't stay there for long. Shen Youran looked through the car window with melancholy at the plaque of the Shen Mansion getting smaller and smaller. Thinking of the heartwarming words her father said at the banquet, she couldn't help but pout: Daddy is really something. He said that if he is not satisfied with her in the future, he will return her. He is not domineering at all. Can't he ask her to come back now?
The Lu family also knew in advance about the two sisters' exchange marriage.
Compared to Mr. Shen who was more worried about his third daughter, Mrs. Ning, as their mother, was more worried about her eldest daughter.
Facing the two sons-in-law of the Pei family, the Lu family also carefully prepared a table of wine and food. Lu Zhun was Shen Yunshu's stepfather and was also half of Pei Qilang's father-in-law. He had just arrived in the capital and was in need of making friends in the officialdom. The eldest son of the Pei family had just been transferred back from Lingzhou, and it was said that he would soon enter the Privy Council. Lu Zhun couldn't help but look up to him.
Ning looked at the eldest son of the Pei family, who was drinking and chatting happily with her husband, and then glanced at the seventh son of the Pei family, who was lazy and could not get a word in and could only focus on eating and drinking. When she thought that her eldest daughter, whom she had carefully raised, married such a playboy, she felt so uncomfortable that she could not eat.
She concealed her emotions and patiently stayed until the banquet was halfway through, then she lied that she was drunk and dizzy and asked her two daughters to help her go back to rest.
Shen Youran had finished eating long ago and was happy to go to the backyard with her sister to accompany her mother to talk alone for a while. So she put down her chopsticks and left the banquet with her sister and her mother.
Before coming to the Lu family, Shen Youran was worried that it would be awkward to meet Lu Yi, but she didn't expect that he didn't show up at all today. At the banquet just now, there were only several other older children of the Lu family and her mother's younger brother Lu Nian.
Lu Nian was young and couldn't sit still after eating for a while, so the maids took her away to play somewhere else.
"Mother, I didn't ask much at the banquet just now. Why didn't I see my brother today?"
Shen Youran was about to ask her mother why Lu Yi hadn't shown up when her sister asked first. That's right, Lu Yi was her stepbrother, so naturally, her sister had a closer relationship with him.
"He was caned for that incident before, and he is still recuperating in his room now."
"Is it badly hurt?"
"Yes, you injured your bones and muscles. The doctor said you need to rest for at least three months. Otherwise, he could have sent you off to get married a few days ago. Your brother also knows some martial arts. If he had been there that day, perhaps the mistake of marrying the bride would not have happened..." Ning said regretfully.
Shen Yunshu sneered in her heart: Injured bones? Rest?
She didn't believe these words and guessed that he was probably using his injury as a cover to secretly organize people to sabotage her marriage.
If it weren't for him, she and her third sister wouldn't have ended up like this.
However, Shen Youran, who was standing by, became confused after hearing this: "Brother Lu was caned? When did it happen?"
This was a family scandal, so the Lu family naturally tried their best to cover it up, so it was not spread out, and Shen Yunshu never told her about it.
"A month before your wedding, he got drunk in a restaurant and caused some trouble..." It would be bad to spread the news that he molested a girl, so Ning just glossed over the matter.
"Is that so..." If Lu Yi was recuperating at home because of caning, then the bride kidnapping had nothing to do with him, right?
Or maybe his injuries were not that serious and he would have been able to get out of bed and walk long ago, and then act secretly.
Shen Youran was eager to know whether he was the one who kidnapped the bride.
After all, Pei Huaijin took advantage of this incident that day to make her mistakenly believe that she was the one who brought the disaster upon herself, and was forced to agree to the marriage exchange.
If this was not done by Brother Lu, then she would not be the source of the trouble, and she would not have to feel guilty about it.
In order to find the answer, Shen Youran wanted to visit Lu Yi and see how serious his injuries were. So she only sat in her mother's room for a while before finding an excuse to leave.
Ning was satisfied with Pei's eldest son. Her third daughter married him by accident, so she got the upper hand after all. Ning did not give her many instructions, but she was worried that Pei's eldest son was now 21 and would be anxious about having children, so she asked her third daughter to go back and discuss with him whether they could have the child two years later.
As for her eldest daughter, Ning had much more to say.
"You're clearly still a virgin, so why did you have to marry Pei's Seventh Son? I've heard he's poorly educated and lacks ambition, but seeing him today, I can see he's truly a brat, ignorant of worldly matters and frivolous. What do you think you're trying to achieve by following him?"
"Mother, compared to Pei's eldest son, he is indeed not as mature and steady, but he has a kind nature and no bad habits. He is just a bit playful. He is still young. If he studies hard in the future, he will not be worse than Pei's eldest son..."
Ning, however, was not optimistic about him: "His father is a wealthy businessman, with mountains of gold and silver supporting him. How could he possibly have the desire to make progress?"
"Mother is prejudiced against him, so she can't see his strengths. Before I married into the Pei Mansion, I spent a month with him at the Villa. I know what kind of person he is. He looks frivolous, but he's actually a very self-disciplined person. He seems ignorant, but he's also well-educated and knows his shame. It's just that because he's young, he's not as worldly-wise and tactful..."
"No matter how much you praise him, he's not suitable for you. You're well-educated, beautiful, and intelligent. You shouldn't marry someone like him..."
"Mother, if I marry him, I won't have to serve my parents-in-law or manage the household, so life will naturally be comfortable. But my third sister, as the eldest daughter-in-law, is restricted in every way. I don't know how much hardship she will endure in the future. I see it with my own eyes, and I'm worried about it..."
The mother and daughter chatted about Shen Youran for a while. Seeing that her eldest daughter was determined and refused to change her mind no matter how much she was persuaded, Ning could only let her go.
Seeing that it was getting late and thinking that the banquet in the front yard was almost over, Shen Yunshu said goodbye to her mother.
Not long after she left her mother's yard, a maid came looking for her.
"Miss, my son-in-law is drunk and is resting in the guest room. He keeps asking to see you..."
"Which room is he in?"
"I will take you there."
Shen Yunshu didn't think too much and followed her away.
On the other side, Shen Youran walked out of Lu Yi's yard in a sullen manner and just caught a glimpse of her sister.
She called out to her sister, but as they were too far apart, her sister probably didn't hear her. Her figure flashed and disappeared behind a courtyard wall.
Huh? Why is my sister going over there instead of going to the front yard?
Shen Youran followed.
She wanted to call her sister and go to Lu Yi's yard together.
She had just wanted to go see Lu Yi on her own, but the maids in his courtyard were guarding the door tightly, saying that her husband was recuperating and not available to see anyone. She insisted on going in, but those people were guarding the door stubbornly and refused to go in to inform him. She couldn't force her way in, so she had to give up for the time being.
If my sister had been there with them, those people would probably have asked her to come in.
Shen Youran was walking towards her sister when she suddenly saw a familiar figure wandering around not far away.
"Pei Huaian?"
She called him and stood there waiting for him, and he came over soon.
As soon as he approached, Shen Youran smelled a strong smell of alcohol.
"How much alcohol have you drunk?"
Pei Huaian was only slightly tipsy at this time, and said with a smile: "I didn't drink much, but my elder brother drank a lot. This Lord Lu is really good at getting people to drink."
"Then why are you in the backyard?"
"I have to go to the bathroom urgently. I can't find the way back."
"You said you didn't drink much, but now you're so drunk you can't even find your way..."
"The Lu family has so few servants. I've been wandering around here for a while, but I can't find anyone to ask for directions."
"Luckily you met me. I'll take you back."
"Yeah." Pei Huaian followed her unsteadily, and suddenly remembered, "Where's your sister? Why did you come out alone?"
She raised her hand and pointed: "I just saw her going over there..."
"The banquet in the front yard should be almost over. Why don't you call your sister and let's go back together."
"Well...that's fine." Originally, Shen Youran planned to send Pei Huaian back to the front yard, and then come back to find her sister to visit Lu Yi together. However, now that Pei Huaian is here, the three of them will go to Lu Yi's yard together. Presumably, those people will not dare to stop them.
So she turned around and took Pei Huaian back to the direction where her sister had disappeared.
Although she had been to the Lu Mansion many times, she spent most of her time in her mother's yard and was not very familiar with the Lu Mansion. She came to the place where her sister disappeared and saw that there was no one in the yard. Only half of the door of a wing room was open, so she walked over there.
As soon as I stepped into the room, I smelled a sweet and greasy fragrance. I don’t know how long it had been there, but the whole room was filled with this fragrance.
、
But she didn't have time to figure out what the fragrance was because she met an unexpected person in the room.
Lu Yi, who was supposed to be resting in the room, actually appeared here?
She walked towards him in surprise, and suddenly felt a pain in the sole of her foot. She looked down and saw that the ground was covered with broken porcelain pieces. She stepped on one of them, and the sharp fragments pierced through the sole of her shoe.
Pei Huaian, who was standing next to him, accidentally stepped on something. He screamed, jumped to the side on one foot, and sat on a stool to check the soles of his feet.
How come there are broken porcelain pieces?
Judging from the pattern on it, it should have been a white-glazed plum blossom vase before it broke.
Lu Yi was sitting among the debris, holding the back of his head, breathing heavily, and looking extremely painful.
Shen Youran avoided the other debris and walked over on tiptoe.
Previously, she only suspected that this brother of the Lu family was the instigator of the bride kidnapping that day, but now that he appeared here, it meant that he was able to move freely. Could it be that the bride kidnapping... was really done by him?
"You did it, didn't you?" Shen Youran questioned him.
However, the other party pretended to be innocent and looked up at her: "Why don't I understand what the third sister is saying?"
Pei Huaian happened to be here too. Shen Youran couldn't bring herself to say it out loud, but she couldn't hold back her anger. She could only grit her teeth and say, "I know it's you. It's you!"
"Oh? Do you have any evidence?"
She had no evidence, but she had plenty of strength.
She was not a person who could keep her temper, so she raised her hand and hit the face full of ridicule.
Lu Yi had just been hit on the head with a vase by Shen Yunshu, and was still in dull pain. Now he was slapped by Shen Youran, so he couldn't help but feel angry and embarrassed.
Shen Yunshu ran fast and he couldn't catch her, but now Shen Youran came to him on her own initiative, which made him think of a way to take revenge on Shen Yunshu.
Seeing that Shen Youran's hand was about to fall again, Lu Yi's eyes flashed coldly. He raised his hand, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to bend down.
In front of Pei Huaian, Lu Yi pretended to be affectionate and said bitterly: "Although I don't know what you are talking about, but since you said I did it, then it is me who did it. Who told me to like you so much?"
"You, what are you talking about? Let me go..." Shen Youran hadn't had time to remove the porcelain pieces on the bottom of her feet, so she could only stand on tiptoe. Now that he was pulling her, she became increasingly unstable. Seeing that she was about to be pulled into his arms, she gritted her teeth and simply stepped on that foot firmly. She cried out in pain, but at the same time she steadied herself and was able to break free from his grasp.
"Are you injured?" He seemed to have just realized something and stood up with difficulty. "Stay here and don't move. I'll find you some medicine..."
"I don't want your stinky medicine." Although Shen Youran was extremely annoyed at this moment, she did not forget the purpose of her visit. "Where's my sister? Have you seen her?"
Lu Yi walked to the door and smiled meaningfully: "Don't worry, if I see her, I will ask her to come here to find you..."
After saying that, he closed the door.
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The author has something to say: In the next chapter, dog food is coming!
See you at noon!
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