Chapter 68: Restless Wife, Give Me a Child (Sister Dog 50...
The winter night was very long, but Chen Youran only slept for a short time before he was awakened by Dan Ruo's voice outside the curtain.
"Young Madam, it's almost noon, you should get up."
From today on, she will help her second aunt to take charge of the household chores and manage the housework, and she can no longer sleep in.
I struggled to open my eyes and found that Pei Huaijin, who was always self-disciplined, had not gotten up yet.
He didn't know when he woke up. He was lying on his side, with his hand on his forehead, staring at her intently.
"Don't you have to go to the government office today?"
"I'm injured, and the government office gave me three days to recuperate."
"You still know that you are injured..." Shen Youran glared at him.
It was really hard for him to help her finish learning half of the picture book last night with all the bruises all over his body and even an arrow wound on one arm.
If she hadn't said that she had to get up early today to attend to the meeting, he would have had to finish the book before letting her go to bed.
There were still two quarters of an hour until the morning. Pei Huaijin asked Danruo to go out and prepare breakfast first. He got up from the bed, picked out a set of clothes for her from the closet, and came over to help her change.
The rabbit fur collar she had asked Qinghe to make earlier came in handy again. When tied around his neck, it could hide the marks left by his loss of control last night.
After getting dressed, Shen Youran originally wanted to call Qinghe in to help comb her hair, but he picked up a toothbrush and asked her to sit in front of the bronze mirror: "Let me try..."
Shen Youran sat down doubtfully: "Comb your hair...you can do it too?"
"I saw two maids comb your hair, so it doesn't seem difficult." Her black hair was messed up several times last night. Fortunately, she took good care of it on weekdays, so it was soon combed smooth. It fell on her back like silk, soft and smooth. Pei Huaijin imitated the style that the maids usually combed her hair and twisted it into a simple concentric bun.
Shen Youran looked in the mirror, the corners of his lips moved, and he burst into laughter: "So ugly."
It turns out that even though he has an excellent memory, he can't learn everything.
Pei Huaijin was also puzzled: Why was this handful of black hair not obedient in his hands?
Shen Youran took the tooth comb from his hand, combed her hair again, and tied it into a simple bun. Although she was not as dexterous as Dan Ruo Qinghe, it looked much better than his.
"I'll go wash up first." She had already tidied herself up, but he was still in his pajamas with his hair loose.
Shen Youran didn't realize it until she reached the door: That's not right. As a wife, she should be the one helping him dress and comb his hair. Why is it the other way around now?
Forget it, time is running out and she has no time to think about this. She has to fill her stomach before the stewards come.
After a simple wash and a few bites of breakfast, the second wife came over.
She didn't want to leave her elder alone in the hall, so she put down her chopsticks, drank a cup of refreshing tea, and went to the central hall.
The stewards arrived one after another, and the steward in charge of managing the manor came in first.
It was the end of the year, and the rent for the tenants in the farm needed to be recalculated. This alone took her and her second aunt half an hour to calculate.
Then the housekeeper handed over the detailed spending list of each room last month, and several shopkeepers in charge of the shops were waiting outside...
As Shen Youran was in a state of panic, she missed her sister even more: her sister could handle all these things in less than two hours, but she and her second aunt were busy for a whole morning before they could barely send the stewards away.
Fortunately, when she was with her sister, she had already dealt with these managers before. They did not mind her slow processing and even comforted her, saying that it was the end of the year and there were a lot of things to do, and told her not to be anxious and to take it slow.
The preparation and arrangement of three meals a day in the mansion were all handed over to the second wife. After Shen Youran finished her work in the morning, there was not much to do in the afternoon. After lunch at noon, she took a good hour's sleep. When she woke up, two quarreling maids came to her for help. Shen Youran heard that each of them had her own reasons, and she didn't know who to believe for a while. Fortunately, Pei Huaijin was there. He found out the clues in a few words and dealt with the troublemaker. The yard returned to peace.
There were fewer things to do the next day. With yesterday's experience, Shen Youran was not in a rush.
On the third day, there was an additional event: after His Royal Highness the Grandson left, the real Pei Qillang was coming back. According to the time, he would arrive in the capital in two days. The old lady wanted to hold a welcoming banquet for her grandson who had been separated from her for many years, and invite all the relatives in the family to join in the fun.
The Second Madam was too busy to handle this matter alone, so Shen Youran worked with her for two days. She was so tired that she fell asleep before Pei Huaijin even touched her at night.
Pei Huaijin was considerate enough to stop bothering her.
When the second snow of winter fell, the carriage from Quanzhou rolled over the bluestone road covered with snow and slowly stopped in front of the Taifu Mansion.
Old Madam Pei had been waiting in the hall in the front yard early. When she saw Mr. Pei San brought the person back, she hurriedly got up and went out to greet him.
Shen Youran, her mother-in-law, her second aunt and others followed the old lady and walked out together.
"Ang'er, my dear grandson..." The old lady saw her own grandson and couldn't help but feel mixed emotions. She took his hand and said, "Come on, let's go inside and warm up."
Shen Youran raised his eyes to look at Pei Huaian.
As her second brother, he has returned to the Shen Mansion for a few days every year for more than ten years. Although the two are not close, they have a "brother and sister" relationship after all, and in their hearts they regard each other as the closest family members.
Now, after taking a closer look, she realized that her fake second brother really looked more like a member of the Pei family. He had a neat and elegant style, and his every move showed the demeanor of a scholar. He vaguely resembled Pei Huaijin.
No wonder he didn't come back to the capital often, not even when she and her sister got married. If he had come back to see her off with such a face, and the Pei family had seen him, who knows what trouble would have arisen.
When Shen Youran was looking at him, he also looked over.
After all, here, besides his biological father who took him back, he only knew her.
Their eyes met and he nodded and smiled at her.
He did not live in Ciyouyuan. His Royal Highness the Grandson left in a hurry and had not had time to take many things with him. After all, Old Madam Pei had treated him as her own grandson and loved him for many years, so she asked people to leave Ciyouyuan empty first and clean up Gengyunyuan for Qilang to live in.
Mrs. Pei talked to him for a while in Gengyun Courtyard. Knowing that he was tired from the journey, she asked him to rest for a while.
However, he did not rest. After Madam Pei and the others left, he came to Yunzhiyuan to find Shen Youran.
Although he looked a bit like Pei Huaijin, he was not as serious as Pei Huaijin. His eyes and brows showed the warmth of the April sun: "The last time we met, you were still my third sister, but now it's time for me to call you sister-in-law.
"The last time we met was in the Mid-Autumn last year, and you didn't come back this Mid-Autumn..."
"Daddy..." He paused for a moment and then smiled, "I've called him daddy for so many years, but now he's suddenly changed his name. Now I should call him Uncle Shen. Before Mid-Autumn Festival this year, my uncle wrote to me, telling me to study in Quanzhou with peace of mind and not to rush back to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival this year..."
"So, are you spending Mid-Autumn Festival with your classmates this year?"
"No, it was Daddy. At that time, I called him Uncle Pei. He came to the academy to find me and took me home to celebrate the festival together."
Shen Youran recalled that she and her sister had spent this year's Mid-Autumn Festival at Pei's house. Her third uncle, who was far away in Quanzhou, had not rushed back and had only sent someone to send a gift back in advance.
It turned out that he was in Quanzhou to celebrate the festival with his biological son.
This is also good. The fake Qillang has many relatives to accompany him, and the real Qillang has his own father to accompany him. Both of them are safe.
"Will you return to Quanzhou to study in the future?"
"I'm not going back. Daddy told me to study here from now on and try to take the Imperial College entrance exam next year."
Next year I will take the Imperial College entrance exam...
She had also heard these words from the Emperor's grandson.
I think when Pei Huaijin and his third uncle forced the emperor's grandson to study, they didn't really want him to take the entrance exam for the Imperial College, but from that moment on, they were preparing for him to enter the palace.
It has been more than half a month since my sister accompanied His Royal Highness the Grandson into the palace. During this period, no one has sent back any news. I wonder how she is doing in the palace?
Shen Youran was thinking of her sister again, but she didn't expect that before the banquet started in the evening, her sister and His Royal Highness the Grandson would also come.
Things are different now. His Royal Highness the Emperor's grandson has come here suddenly, so Mrs. Pei naturally has to put her grandson aside first and hurriedly brings everyone in the mansion out to greet him.
It made the visitor feel embarrassed.
"Grandma, please don't be so distant with me. Just treat me as your grandson." Xie Heng, once Pei Huaian and now His Royal Highness the Grandson of the Emperor, hurriedly helped Madam Pei up. "I originally wanted to come back to sort out some old things, but I never thought I would encounter such a happy event."
Xie Heng has lived as the Seventh Son of the Pei family for more than ten years. Now that the real Seventh Son has returned, he naturally wants to have a few drinks with him.
So he was invited to the men's seat, and Shen Yunshu was pulled by the old lady to the women's seat.
During the meal, they naturally exchanged greetings, but Shen Yunshu and Xie Heng could not stay here for too long. There was a curfew in the palace, and they had to go back before the curfew.
So Shen Yunshu only sat for a while before explaining the reason to Madam Pei. She asked Xie Heng to stay at the table and drink with the elders, while she took people to Ciyouyuan to pack up things.
When Shen Youran saw her sister leave the table, she followed her, and the two sisters were finally able to talk alone for a while.
Shen Yunshu looked at her third sister, who was sweating from her nose because of arranging the banquet, and she knew that the old lady had really handed the housekeeper's affairs to her. But seeing that she could now barely take charge on her own, she felt that her third sister was not as weak as she had imagined. Instead, she grew faster when she was not there.
While feeling relieved, I also felt distressed: "You Ran, are you tired?"
"I'm a little tired, but I'm not tired anymore when I see my sister." Shen Youran hugged her sister's arm and acted coquettishly as before, "Sister, I miss you so much. How are you doing in the palace?"
"Fortunately, His Majesty attaches great importance to His Royal Highness, so the people in the palace naturally treat us with great respect."
"Are you going to stay in the palace forever? I heard the palace rules are very strict. Is it easy for you to get in and out? Can you come out to see me often? Or I can come to the palace to find you."
"There are indeed a lot of rules in the palace. We have just entered the palace and need to be cautious. Therefore, it is not advisable to go in and out of the palace frequently recently." Shen Yunshu sighed softly, "But perhaps I will have more freedom in the future..."
During the time she had been in the palace, Shen Yunshu had actually vaguely sensed the royal family's alienation from her.
Although the people in the palace were respectful to her on the surface, His Majesty had never expressed his willingness to acknowledge her as his granddaughter-in-law, so her status in the palace was actually very embarrassing.
The one who was responsible for taking care of them was Empress Chen Fei. Empress Chen Fei once mentioned indirectly that she had been kidnapped. Only then did she know that the emperor was unwilling to recognize her as his granddaughter-in-law, not only because he suspected that the Shen family had ulterior motives, but also because he doubted her innocence because she had been "kidnapped".
Although the person who was abducted was actually the third sister, the third sister had already suffered substantial harm for her. She had already made up her mind to protect the third sister's reputation. No matter what the circumstances, she would not tell the truth, so when Empress Chenfei mentioned this matter, she could only acquiesce.
Since then, the attitude of people in the palace towards her has become more and more subtle, and some bad rumors are inevitable to spread behind her back, but Shen Yunshu pretended not to know.
Xie Heng had been locked up in the imperial study to study, leaving early and returning late every day, exhausted both physically and mentally, and had never noticed the subtle malice towards him by the people in the palace. Shen Yunshu knew that she would not be able to accompany him for too long, so she never talked about this with him. She only thought that if she could accompany him for one more day in the future, she would try her best to make him happy.
After packing up, it was already late. Shen Yunshu told her sister to take good care of herself, and then she and Xie Heng left Pei Mansion.
Xie Heng's alcohol tolerance was not very good. He was still sober when he left the house. But after he got on the carriage and was shaken all the way, he was completely drunk when he returned to the palace.
Shen Yunshu helped him onto the couch. He sank down and hugged her to lie down together, calling her "wife" at one moment and "sister" at another...
"Sister Shu, I really want to be Pei Huaian again," he buried his head in her shoulder and said aggrievedly, "Being the emperor's grandson is not good at all. I'm so tired, my wife..."
Shen Yunshu hurriedly reminded him: "Don't say such things, it's not good if others hear it."
"Grandma, uncle, dad, big brother," he called everyone in the Pei Mansion, "They are no longer my family. You are the only one left by my side. Madam, you will always be with me, right?"
"Yeah." Although she knew that she probably couldn't stay with him for long, it would be too cruel to tell him now, so she still agreed to him softly.
"But my lady, I feel like you've been a lot colder towards me lately." His handsome nose nudged her neck, and his lips would occasionally brush against hers as he spoke. "Is it because... you also knew about that?"
"What?"
"I know you've always wanted to take the exam for a female official. A few days ago, I mentioned your situation to my teacher, but he told me that concubines in the harem are not allowed to interfere in government affairs. Although you're not a concubine in the harem, you're my wife. I'm afraid you won't be able to take the exam for a female official in the future."
Xie Heng knew how hard she had worked to qualify for the imperial examination. While at the Pei household, besides managing the household, she spent every opportunity she had studying. Now, because of his changed status, she had lost her eligibility to take the exam. She wondered if she felt very disappointed.
What made him even more uneasy was that they had not yet consummated their marriage. Although she was as gentle to him as ever, he could vaguely sense that she was hiding something in her heart, especially when he wanted to be intimate with her at night, she didn't seem to be in the mood either.
This made him wonder, between taking the exam to become a female official and being his wife, wasn't he the one she wanted to choose?
He had been holding this matter in his heart for several days. After drinking today, he finally couldn't hold it in and said it out.
If he hadn't told her, Shen Yunshu would never have thought that there was such a rule in the female official examination.
It turns out that if I want to be his wife, I can't take the exam to become a female official.
His Majesty's suspicion of the Shen family and the palace people's slander of her innocence have already made her heart shaky. Now with this incident, Shen Yunshu doesn't know how long she can hold on.
Seeing that she hadn't spoken yet, Xie Heng felt increasingly uneasy and desperately wanted to know her thoughts: "Madam, do you still want to take the exam for the position of court lady? You won't choose me? You just promised to stay with me..."
"I..." Shen Yunshu was able to agree to him just now while feeling guilty, but now she couldn't bring herself to say that she would give up the exam for a female official.
Xie Heng looked up and saw her hesitation, and remembered what his elder brother had said to him: If there is no clear agreement, it is a rejection.
He panicked and hugged her tighter: "My wife, I won't let you leave me!"
If she wanted to take the exam to become a court lady, she would not be able to be his wife.
The drunkenness magnified the greed and meanness in his heart, making him forget the previous promise and wanting to keep her by his side at all costs.
He turned over and pressed her down: "Wife, give me a child."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
