Chapter 153 She likes the quiet life now
Although Pei Xingju was a strong man, he was seriously injured. After losing so much blood, even the strongest man would be exhausted. He woke up in the morning and read some official documents. He stayed up until he finished taking the medicine, but finally couldn't help feeling sleepy and fell asleep again.
While he was sleeping, Zhuang Wan went to the kitchen to make some sweets for him.
Guard Lu came over and handed her a letter.
Zhuang Wan took a look and saw it was from Qiu Tan. In the letter, Qiu Tan expressed her delight at learning Zhuang Wan was in Hezhou, but also expressed her concern for her suffering alone. She also explained that her shop in Beijing was prospering and that she was planning to open a branch. She had also saved some money for her, saying she would check the accounts when she returned.
At the end of the letter, there was a long and wordy sentence, which basically told her to return to the capital. If she didn't, she would sell the shop and rush to Hezhou to be with her.
For this reason, Guard Lu was very nervous when he learned about it. He was Pei Xingju's guard and would definitely follow Pei Xingju back to the capital. What if Qiu Tan came to Hezhou in the future? He would definitely not let his wife fly away like that. So he also helped to persuade Zhuang Wan: "Miss Zhuang, don't you want to return to the capital?"
Zhuang Wan was stunned.
Honestly, she really liked Lu Yang's current life and the seafood business she was about to start. Returning to Beijing? What could she do if she went back?
In fact, she prefers the peaceful and quiet life now compared to the capital.
Zhuang Wan said nothing. Guard Lu was a little discouraged. He blushed and said, "I'm twenty years old."
"What?" Zhuang Wan came back to her senses.
Then he said embarrassedly: "I am also old enough to get married. Actually...actually I want to turn the year around..."
Zhuang Wan smiled and said, "Do you want to marry Qiu Tan after the New Year?"
Guard Lu nodded.
"Then you should marry her. She is no longer my servant. She is free now. Besides, she is alone in the capital doing business, so it would be best if you could take care of her."
"Miss Zhuang, are you really not going back to the capital?" Guard Lu said worriedly, "If you don't return to the capital, what will happen to our master?"
Zhuang Wan lowered her head and continued to work on the task at hand.
After a moment, she suddenly asked, "Guard Lu, how did you end up following Pei Xingju?"
Lü Huai was taken aback by her question. He stood at the door and thought carefully: "I can't remember. Ever since I can remember, my father often beat and scolded me. He was a gambler and a drinker. He gambled away all the valuables in the house. Every night when he came home drunk, my mother would hold me and hide in the corner, trembling. Seeing him was like seeing the most terrifying monster in the world. Later, he beat my mother to death. I ran out of the yard and picked up a hatchet to chop his leg. He was so angry that he sold me."
Zhuang Wan was surprised. This was the first time she heard Guard Lu talk about the past.
"The man I sold myself to had a strange hobby..." He was a little embarrassed to speak up. "I didn't want to, so he often whipped me. One day I sneaked out, but they found me and chased me all night."
Recalling the past, he smiled and said, "I remember that night very clearly because I had never been so scared before. I even thought they would catch me and beat me to death. Later, I met an adult, and it was the adult who saved me."
Zhuang Wan asked, "How old were you then?"
"Six years old," Guard Lu said. "When I met the master, he was only a teenager. But he was very powerful. Not only did he beat those people down, he also helped me get my indenture back. So I followed him."
"At first I was just his servant, but later I learned martial arts from him and became his bodyguard."
Thinking of something, Zhuang Wan asked, "Were you living in Anzhou at that time?"
Guard Lu was surprised: "How did Miss Zhuang know?"
Zhuang Wan smiled and said, "I heard him talk about Anzhou before, so I guessed it."
"My Lord and I grew up in Anzhou," Guard Lu said, "and lived in Lord Shen's house at the time."
"Chen Yi?"
"Yes." Guard Lu nodded.
Zhuang Wan was a little confused. The book clearly said that Pei Xingju was from the capital, but he grew up in Anzhou and lived in Shen Yi's house.
"So, you and Chen Yi have known each other since childhood?"
Guard Lu continued to nod.
"I see." No wonder Chen Yi and Guard Lu have a good relationship on weekdays.
"Our master is very clever." Guard Lu's face showed a rare hint of pride. "Since he was a child, he has learned everything faster than others and is also better at studying. Everyone praises him as a child prodigy, but I know he is a very hardworking man. Whether it's martial arts or studying, even in the cold winter, he would hang himself from a tree and not come down until he had memorized all his books."
Zhuang Wan blinked. She had never expected that this was how Pei Xingju became such a top student.
"Later, you were recommended to serve as an official, and I followed you to the capital."
"Of course." Zhuang Wan patted his shoulder. "You've finally come to the point where you're the commander-in-chief of the Pei Mansion."
Guard Lu scratched his head and said shyly, "I'd rather stay in Anzhou."
"Why? Isn't the capital good?"
"The capital is good, but it's full of intrigue and deception. Everyone has their own plans. Apart from anything else, you've often encountered assassinations during your time as an official."
Zhuang Wan's smile faded a little: "Have you ever been injured this badly before?"
"For adults, such injuries are commonplace."
"So..." Guard Lu's clever little head turned back: "I really hope Miss Zhuang can return to the capital and stay with Master. At least... at least when Master is injured, there will be someone who can persuade him to take medicine."
“.........” Well, she plays a very important role!
Zhuang Wan smiled faintly, stopping Guard Lu's little plot: "Go and get busy. I'll write a letter and you can help me deliver it to Qiu Tan. Oh, the cakes are ready, I'll give you some. Go ahead."
Guard Lu wanted to say more, but she chased him away and he had to leave.
.
Zhuang Wan prepared some desserts and learned that Pei Xingju had not woken up yet, so she went to Erya's house again.
The assassination of Pei Xingju was such a serious matter that it was impossible to keep it secret from the neighbors. To avoid causing panic among the people, Pei Xingju increased street patrols. Now the streets were full of soldiers, effectively alleviating the fear of the people.
When Erya's mother saw Zhuang Wan coming, she politely asked about Pei Xingju's condition, "Ruyi, how is your brother doing?"
Pei Xingju had recovered well, but the details of his condition were not to be disclosed. Zhuang Wan simply nodded and said, "Not bad."
She explained the purpose of her visit.
Zhuang Wan had opened a shop on the street and had been experimenting with making some snacks over the past two days. Erya had shared some of the snacks with the neighbors, and they all praised her craftsmanship and were amazed that such seafood could be prepared this way. But neighbors were neighbors, and customers were customers, so Zhuang Wan had to test her skills in the market.
But it was hard to find someone to look after the shop; he had to be honest and reliable. So she thought of Erya's parents and asked them to help her look after the shop and get paid monthly.
When Erya's mother, Cui Niang, heard this, she was overjoyed. "God, is there such a good thing? Not only did you rent our house and give us so much money, but you also asked us to visit your shop. How can we accept such a favor from you?"
"Aunt Cui, don't worry about it. I'm unfamiliar with this place and I really can't find anyone suitable to run the shop. I'm also worried about leaving it to others to manage. After much thought, I decided to ask you for help."
"This is great news," Cui Niang said. "To be honest, we've been worried lately. Our savings are dwindling, and Erya's father hasn't found a job. Now it's all good. Sister Ruyi isn't asking us for anything; it's something we couldn't have asked for. Since you trust us, don't worry. I'll handle the accounts, and the head of the household has plenty of energy, so let him do the rough work like moving goods and doing odd jobs."
Zhuang Wan smiled and bowed to them: "Thank you, Auntie. It's settled then."
After finishing this matter, Zhuang Wan returned to her own courtyard to drink some tea. Seeing Xiao Wangcai coming over with his tail wagging, she put some food in his little bowl.
Then I went to see Pei Xingju.
Pei Xingju had already woken up. When he heard Guard Lu say that Zhuang Wan had gone to Erya's house, he also knew what she was doing.
He looked a little gloomy, holding the book in his hands in silence.
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