Chapter 8: Shoot the Arrow If You Have the Guts
The next day was the day Jiang Yao returned home. Jiang Cheng went out to court as usual, while Zhang was busy at home preparing to receive the new son-in-law.
On the way, Pei Qian lifted the car curtain and looked out, a gloomy look between his brows. He felt that the people on the street were pointing at him and laughing at him.
"That bitch Jiang Lan, I will never let her go!"
He punched the car window, and the clang startled Jiang Yao who was sitting next to him. She quickly comforted him, "Brother Qian, calm down. She did something like that, and father will definitely not let her off easily. I don't think she'll ever be able to leave the house again."
Pei Qian's expression remained gloomy.
At this time, a light and ethereal sound of copper bells came from the front, and four majestic royal horses pulled an exquisite carriage slowly over, followed by a team of black-armored guards.
No one else could be so ostentatious except Marquis Jin'an.
The coachman quickly drove the carriage to the side of the road to make way for Marquis Jin'an.
Pei Qian lifted the carriage curtain and stared at the oncoming carriage, his gloomy expression becoming increasingly unhappy.
When the carriage was approaching, he withdrew his hand and lowered the curtain.
After a while, someone outside the car window said, "Second Master Pei, my Lord Marquis has something to tell you."
The voice sounded expressionless, but maintained basic courtesy.
Pei Qian lifted the curtain again, and his unhappy eyes first glanced at Ling Feng who was speaking, then fell on the car window opposite, and the unhappiness on his face subsided a little.
Although he was the son of the Duke's Mansion, he could not afford to offend the Marquis of Jin'an.
After waiting for a while, the person in the carriage opposite spoke, as if he was deliberately leaving him alone.
"Speaking of which, I haven't personally expressed my congratulations to the Second Young Master yet, so I would like to congratulate him and Miss Jiang San." The person in the carriage paused intentionally, as if to create a joking effect. "May you have a baby soon." Qi Wuhan said casually, "Let's go." He didn't even open the curtain.
Pei Qian's face turned pale with anger. When the sound of the bell faded away, he roared, "Hurry up and leave!"
The coachman hurriedly drove the carriage away.
"The Marquis has offended the second young master Pei again." Ling Feng said as he rode beside the carriage.
Qi Wuhan sat in the carriage, fanning himself elegantly and saying, "My wish for him to have a son soon is a good thing, so how could I have offended him?"
“…”
Ling Feng stopped talking because his master was determined to make things difficult for the Second Young Master Pei.
When the carriage stopped outside the Shangshu Mansion, the gloomy look on Pei Qian's face had not yet dissipated. Jiang Yao cautiously reminded him, "Brother Qian, we're here."
Pei Qian then suppressed the gloom on his face and got off the carriage.
When Jiang Yao bent down to get out of the carriage, Pei Qian was not as considerate as before and reached out to help her. She took Hua'er's hand and got out of the carriage. She felt a little aggrieved, but she didn't dare to say it out loud and could only swallow her grievance. She immediately hated Jiang Lan in her heart, and her nails dug into her flesh.
When the two men came to visit Zhang, Pei Qian saw that his father-in-law Jiang Cheng was not there, so he asked about it. Zhang said that he had gone to court. She also said that before Jiang Cheng left, he specifically told her to wait for him to come back to have dinner together, and to have a few drinks with Pei Qian, the son-in-law.
Pei Qian said yes with a smile on his face, but he was unhappy in his heart. He believed that Jiang Cheng thought he was a shameful son-in-law and didn't want to see him.
"I heard from Master that your son-in-law is a good writer. Rui'er specially wrote an article yesterday and wanted your help in giving him some advice." Speaking of her proud and precious son Jiang Rui, Zhang's smile became even brighter. She said to Pei Qian, "Son-in-law, teach him more and let him know that there are always people better than you."
Zhang asked Tan Xiang to take Pei Qian to see Jiang Rui, leaving Jiang Yao to talk alone.
Jiang Yao couldn't wait to ask about Jiang Lan's condition, hoping to hear the good news that she was beaten half to death.
However, Zhang's words disappointed her greatly.
Just kneeling in the ancestral hall for one night and being confined to the house for a month, this punishment is too light.
"Daddy is too partial. She has brought shame upon his daughter, and Daddy couldn't bear to beat her. Daddy will definitely not love me anymore..." Jiang Yao cried out of grievance.
Zhang consoled him, "Your father naturally loves you, but he's afraid that if he beats that sickly girl to death, there's no way to stop it if someone dies in the mansion. Your father won't be happy either. Just bear with it for now. Don't worry, I'll definitely help you get rid of this anger in the future."
On this side, Tan Xiang led Pei Qian to Jiang Rui's residence. As soon as he entered the door, Pei Qian heard a voice of "brother-in-law". Jiang Rui ran over happily to greet him. Facing Jiang Rui's admiring gaze, Pei Qian also smiled and returned to his usual well-educated and good image.
After entering the house, Jiang Rui showed him the article he had written. After reading it, Pei Qian knew that the article must have been revised with the help of a teacher, so he praised Jiang Rui's literary talent. Jiang Rui was so happy that he stood up for Pei Qian and belittled his second sister Jiang Lan as worthless.
"My second sister has been jealous of my elder sister since she was a child. She is obviously a sickly person, but she just can't stand others being better than her. A narrow-minded and vicious woman like her, it's a good thing you didn't marry her, otherwise she would have suffered for the rest of her life."
Because Jiang Lan caused a scene at the wedding, Jiang Rui was also implicated and was ridiculed by the young masters in the school. He pretended to be sick at home these days. Jiang Cheng hired a teacher to teach him at home and planned to let him return to school after the storm was over.
Hearing Jiang Rui belittling Jiang Lan, Pei Qian felt very happy. It would be even happier if he could make her pay the price. With evil thoughts in his mind, his eyes were drawn to the bow and arrow hanging on the wall.
There are white clouds floating in the sky and swaying shadows of trees on the ground.
Jiang Lan was leaning on a lounge chair in the yard reading a book, Gui'er was watering the flowers, Lu'er, Cui'er and Xiaohong were catching butterflies, and Qing'er was sitting next to Jiang Lan embroidering.
A malicious voice coming from outside the courtyard gate broke the harmonious atmosphere.
Jiang Lan felt the malice, like a poisonous snake staring at her viciously, and it was obvious that the malice was directed at her.
The others were unaware of the malicious intent and continued to do their own things.
Jiang Lan looked up at the gate of the courtyard, her pupils slightly dilated, as if she was suddenly frightened.
Because a sharp arrow was aimed at her.
The person drawing the bow was none other than Pei Qian.
Those gloomy eyes stared at her viciously, as if they wanted to grind her into dust.
After being startled for a moment, Jiang Lan quickly regained her composure, stood up, and faced him without flinching:
If you have the guts, shoot!
This is her home, she bets he doesn't have the guts to kill her.
A breeze blew by, and the pear tree in the yard swayed and dropped a shower of snow-white petals. She stood under the tree, holding a book in her hand, and the snow-white petals scattered around her. She seemed spotless and isolated from the world.
Pei Qian was distracted for a moment and suddenly felt a little hesitant to do it, but when he met her cold and contemptuous eyes again, the anger in his heart surged up again.
At this time, Qing'er, who was closest to Jiang Lan, had already seen the situation outside the courtyard gate. She was so scared that her face turned pale and she dared not move.
At this time, a voice of "brother-in-law" interrupted the confrontation between the two.
Pei Qian put down his bow and arrow, restrained his expression, turned around and walked towards Jiang Rui who had come to him.
"Brother-in-law, why are you here?" Jiang Rui glanced at the yard where Jiang Lan lived. After reading the article, Pei Qian said he wanted to test his archery skills, and then the two went to the garden to compete to see who could shoot more birds. After that, the two went their separate ways. Jiang Rui didn't expect Pei Qian to come to Jiang Lan.
"I took the wrong road." Pei Qian explained and changed the subject, "Is my father-in-law back?"
Jiang Rui asked his servant to ask, then pulled Pei Qian aside and whispered, "Brother-in-law, if you really can't get over this, I have a way to help you vent it."
Pei Qian asked casually, "What can you do?"
A hint of viciousness flashed in Jiang Rui's eyes, "Treat them in their own way."
Pei Qian's mind flashed back to the image of Jiang Lan standing beneath the pear tree, her graceful figure emerging from clear water. He said, "She is Yao'er's sister after all. She has learned her lesson this time. Let's forgive her when we can."
A hint of doubt flashed across Jiang Rui's face. From what he heard from his brother-in-law, he seemed to want to let it go and not pursue the matter?
He clearly saw his brother-in-law pointing arrows at the people in the yard, and then he flattered him, "Brother-in-law is really magnanimous. Someone as narrow-minded as my second sister is not worthy of him at all."
Pei Qian reminded him again, "Don't tell your sister about what happened just now, so she doesn't worry."
Jiang Rui quickly agreed, "Don't worry, brother-in-law. I won't tell anyone, not even my father."
Pei Qian nodded and said, "If you have any questions about the article in the future, please feel free to ask me."
Jiang Rui smiled and bowed, "Thank you, brother-in-law."
…
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