Upon hearing this, Pei Ruoyun did not nod directly, but instead lowered her eyes and glanced at the photo in Pei Xi's hand.
After a two-second pause, she raised an eyebrow and smiled, "So, should we include him in next year's family photo?"
Pei Xi was taken aback, then felt a little hot in the ears.
“That child is indeed quite good.” Pei Ruoyun patted her head. “I’ll take her to meet your father tomorrow.”
Pei Xi's eyes widened with delight, then she nodded emphatically, "Yes, thank you, Mom!"
Pei Ruoyun smiled.
“If you’ve decided on him, Mom will definitely support you.” She pinched her earlobe and said, “This time your dad has an even bigger task; the number of people he’s protecting has increased from three to four.”
Pei Xi chuckled, grasped Pei Ruoyun's wrist, and hummed in agreement.
"I need to tell Lao Xu tomorrow that he can't just sit around there, he has to keep up the good work," Pei Ruoyun said. "His math isn't very good, so I have to tell him carefully that there are three children in the picture, so he won't miscount them in heaven."
Pei Xi smiled, her eyes crinkling.
Pei Ruoyun seemed to be in a good mood as well, because she was noticeably more talkative.
She can be quite humorous when she talks a lot, but she rarely does.
Most of the time, she appears calm and efficient.
Pei Xi's memory of Pei Ruoyun being very talkative dates back to when her father was still alive.
She always speaks freely in front of her father.
Actually, the two of them have completely different strengths, but for some reason, they always seem to have endless things to talk about.
“Mom…” Pei Xi called her softly.
"Um?"
"Do you miss your father?" Pei Xi asked.
Pei Ruoyun nodded.
"Of course I miss him." She chuckled softly, a smile playing at the corners of her slightly upturned eyes. Then she paused, lowering her voice slightly, "Not a day goes by that I don't miss him."
She sighed, her gaze lingering slightly as she said, "Unbeknownst to us, it's been over ten years since Old Xu left the three of us..."
Pei Ruoyun likes to call Pei Zhihe and Pei Xi's father, Lao Xu.
Because his surname is Xu, and his full name is Xu Lanzhi.
As his name suggests, he is gentle and has a scholarly air about him.
In fact, Xu Lanzhi was still very young when he passed away, far from being old enough to be called "Old Xu".
But Pei Ruoyun felt that calling him that made it seem as if his age was also passing with time, as if his life had not stopped, and that he was on the other side, growing old with her.
That's why she liked to call him that.
Speaking of which, when they first met, she had a disagreement with him because of their names.
To get closer to her, Xu Lanzhi said their names matched well and asked her if she knew the meaning of the character "岚".
Pei Ruoyun was working at a stall in the wholesale market at that time. She was a rural girl who had never attended high school, so she had no idea about these things. She was convinced that his question was an attempt to show off his knowledge and deliberately make things difficult for her, so she turned around and left.
So what if you study a lot?
She doesn't care.
She had a stern face and stood up straight, appearing particularly proud and principled.
But only she knew that it wasn't pride or backbone; it was actually a sensitivity born of inferiority, a subconscious form of self-protection.
Xu Lanzhi didn't know why she had angered her, so she caught up with her and apologized with a flushed face.
Pei Ruoyun felt somewhat at a loss again.
The apologies she received from childhood to adulthood combined didn't amount to the number of cold shoulders she endured in a single day.
Later, Xu Lanzhi invited her to dinner, and she hesitantly agreed.
That's when she learned that the character "岚" meant mountain mist, or clouds rising from the valley.
That same day, she learned that her own name was also very beautiful.
She never thought her name was particularly nice. Pei was her ancestral surname, and Yun was a name chosen randomly based on the names of her sisters in the family, such as Xia or Yue.
That's how it is in the countryside.
It wasn't until Xu Lanzhi recited that poem to her that she realized how intelligent and quick-witted she was; she could memorize it after hearing it only once.
The poem goes: "Walk until the water ends, sit and watch the clouds rise."
Xu Lanzhi explained the meaning of the poem to her: "Where the water ends, clouds rise; even if there seems to be no way out, as long as you face it with an open mind, there will always be a new opportunity."
After listening, Pei Ruoyun thought, "This is a good poem."
She liked the poem.
She also likes her name, which she originally thought was quite ordinary.
She also likes... the person who reads poetry to her.
Later, Xu Lanzhi confessed his feelings to her. Even his way of confessing was old-fashioned; he wrote her a letter.
Pei Ruoyun can still recite the words in the letter to this day.
"The silent valley will always be embraced by the drifting clouds."
It will always remain here, waiting for her to stop and rest.
It's pretentious and full of sour and sarcastic remarks.
It made her eyes sting, and tears welled up in them.
And later, he did indeed keep his word.
He gave her a haven for her wandering soul, a place she could call home without complaint, a place she would always silently and steadfastly remain in.
Inside the carriage, Pei Ruoyun's face revealed a look of reminiscence.
She smiled, her eyes holding a faint sadness and immense happiness.
Through those strikingly similar amber eyes, Pei Ruoyun seemed to see the refined-looking young man reciting poetry to her, so shy, so clear, so vivid in her mind.
Pei Ruoyun raised her hand to touch Pei Xi's face and suddenly spoke softly.
“Before I met your father, all I could think about was how to make my life better. I always thought that love would never come into my life. I could live perfectly well on my own…and that’s true.”
"Because if you want to live a good life, you only need to rely on your own efforts, but meeting a good lover is something that requires a lot of luck. I don't think I have that kind of luck, I just want to focus on what I can control."
"Because I've never thought of myself as a lucky person since I was a child."
"But sometimes, luck is just so unreasonable."
"God gave me a wonderful lover, and had wonderful children with me. He also helped me raise wonderful children, allowing me to live a very selfish life. I have received all the happiness, and I am not bound by anything, so I can do what I want."
"I can't think of anything more fortunate than this."
Pei Ruoyun's eyelids fluttered slightly as she looked into Pei Xi's eyes.
"So what Mom wants to tell you is that if you meet a good lover, don't miss him, because he is a gift from God, something that many people can't obtain in their entire lives."
"Just as I am not against not getting married, I am not against early marriage either. It is up to you to decide, and I will never interfere."
Pei Ruoyun smiled, winked at Pei Xi, and then her smile deepened.
"Just remember to call for Mom when you need me, for example... if your brother disagrees, I can help hold him down."
Pei Xi chuckled.
She knew Pei Ruoyun was joking.
She rubbed her slightly hot eyes and said in a very soft voice, "I understand, thank you, Mom."
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