But at that time, when Ji Yingyue squatted down to help pick orchids, her hair was tangled in the branches. Pei Wenfeng reached out and untied it for her in a few seconds.
Everything was going well, but just as Pei Wenfeng said, "Okay, it's solved," a burst of laughter suddenly came from the nearby corridor.
Both of them were stunned, looked at each other, and stopped moving.
Immediately, Ji Yingyue recognized the voices of Jiang Yushu and his wife, and instantly realized that she was too close to Pei Wenfeng, which was bound to cause misunderstandings from outsiders.
She thought to herself, "Oh no!" and immediately stood up and moved away, whispering, "Someone is coming."
The girl was obviously nervous, which made Pei Wenfeng take her seriously. He hurriedly told her, "It's okay, she's not a stranger. She's my cousin, Miss Ji knows her." As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Yingyue, who was squatting, suddenly straightened up and stood up. As a result, her left foot stepped on the hem of her skirt. She stumbled and fell forward into Pei Wenfeng's arms.
"Be careful!" Pei Wenfeng was caught off guard and had no time to react while sitting in a wheelchair. He could only support her.
So, this scene was seen by Jiang Yushu and her group who happened to arrive, and it turned into "throwing oneself into someone's arms".
Oh my god, what is going on? The Guo family looked at each other in amazement.
Pei Wenfeng, who was in a wheelchair, was pounced on by the girl. While she held him tightly in her arms, several of his wounds were pressed. He groaned and coughed in pain, and his handsome face turned pale.
Ji Yingyue, accidentally falling into the man's arms, flushed with shame. She quickly stood up and backed away until she was against the azalea bushes. The girl was panicked and embarrassed, wishing she could crawl into a crack in the ground. She dared not look at the injured person or the Guo family.
"Cough, cough, cough." Pei Wenfeng's internal injuries had not healed yet. He covered his chest and abdomen and coughed. The pain was so severe that he couldn't explain for a while.
Awkward.
Both sides were very embarrassed.
After being stunned for a moment, Guo Honglei was the first to come back to his senses. He made a prompt decision and waved his hand, "You two didn't see anything."
"Yes, yes." Zou Gui and Cuimei understood, lowered their heads, and walked away quickly.
Jiang Yushu immediately came to her senses, dragged her husband back a few steps, and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, we, we were just passing by. We're so sorry to have disturbed your enjoyment of the flowers. Cough, please continue to enjoy the flowers. We have things to do. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Seeing Ji Yingyue blushing, Guo Honglei didn't want to say anything more. He took his wife's hand and turned to leave.
"Hey," Ji Yingyue stretched out her hand, but retracted it. She wanted to explain, but thousands of words were stuck in her throat. She was so anxious that she broke out in a sweat. For a moment, she didn't know what to say first. She was frustrated and thought to herself, "Oh no, they really misunderstood me."
Mrs. Guo is Mr. Pei's cousin. How would she view me?
She misunderstood and probably thought I was frivolous.
What to do?
This was the first time in her life that she faced such an embarrassing situation, a matter concerning her reputation. The girl was so anxious that her fingertips trembled, her lips quivered, and her throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible hand, making it impossible for her to speak. In desperation, she looked at Pei Wenfeng for help, stammering, "Master Pei, what should I do?"
Pei Wenfeng noticed it, turned his head, and looked at her flushed face, furrowed brows, trembling lips, and expression of help. In an instant, through the face of the nervous girl, the past came rushing back to him.
When I was little, whenever my sister Shu encountered trouble, she would sneak into the study to ask for help, and plead pitifully, "Cousin, please help me one more time. I swear, this is the last time I will disturb you from studying."
In fact, since he was old enough to understand things, he knew that he would marry his cousin.
The elders of both families had agreed on this early in the morning, and the marriage was a done deal.
My cousin is a few years older than me, so he is just waiting for my cousin to grow up before holding the wedding.
He waited patiently for his delicate and weak cousin to grow up.
Since she was his wife-to-be, he was very happy to take care of her. Besides pampering her, he also taught her a lot as a cousin. Before they got engaged, they were both teachers and friends.
As a result, things are unpredictable. After many conspiracies and twists and turns, Sister Shu finally married "Mrs. Guo" instead of "Mrs. Pei".
A few years passed, and Sister Shu changed from "Mrs. Guo" to "Special Envoy Jiang". The cousins were unable to sleep together, but served in the same court.
It's fate that makes people
Pei Wenfeng felt helpless about this, extremely helpless. His anger faded year by year, but his melancholy grew stronger.
After a long awkward moment, Jiang Yushu gathered herself and was about to speak, but her cousin came back to his senses and explained seriously, "You're making such a fuss, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. I'm not very mobile, and just now, Miss Ji was helping me pick up something, and I accidentally slipped. It's nothing at all."
Ji Yingyue nodded repeatedly to show her agreement. But just as she nodded, her heart was suddenly hurt by the words "it's nothing at all", and her whole body froze.
Jiang Yushu nodded as if to nod, "Oh, so that's how it is. Don't worry, don't worry, we understand."
Guo Honglei had calmed down and interrupted as if nothing had happened, asking with concern, "Brother Pei, are you feeling better today?"
"Your complexion looks much rosier," Jiang Yushu interrupted, "I think you'll recover in a while."
To avoid embarrassing the girl, Pei Wenfeng acted as if nothing had happened. "Really? I think my recovery is too slow. I'm so bored staying in the back office all day to recuperate."
Guo Honglei comforted him, "It's really boring during the recovery period. Fortunately, there is a garden. You can come out often to enjoy the flowers and relieve your boredom."
"Just be careful." Jiang Yushu tapped the cobblestone path with her whip and warned, "The gravel path is uneven. Tell the person pushing the wheelchair to be steady and be careful not to bump your wound."
Pei Wenfeng nodded, "Hmm."
Ji Yingyue watched from the side, slowly put her mind at ease, and breathed a long sigh of relief, as if she had been pardoned.
As he recalled the past, Pei Wenfeng couldn't help but look at her expression several times, thinking that the little girl was timid and was at a loss when she encountered an accident, and was panicked as if the sky was falling.
But he didn't object, because deep down he believed that women were weak. Although he admired "women who are as good as men", he always felt pity for strong women. He felt that women's strength was most likely forced, not voluntary.
For example, someone may have had a rough life, experienced a major family change, or be ill, or like Sister Shu, unfortunately marry the wrong man, suffer a lot, and be forced to change from a delicate lady to a busy and hard-working female official.
The culprit, besides the vicious stepmother, is Guo Honglei
Pei Wenfeng thought to himself that in this life, I will never be able to forgive my enemies and rivals in love. Thinking of this, he frowned, looked at his cousin's dress, looked at the whip in her hand, and asked disapprovingly, "Are you learning to ride a horse again?"
Jiang Yushu smiled immediately, flicked her whip in a serious manner, and answered happily, "It's a rare opportunity to have half a day free, so I quickly reviewed it so as not to forget the skills I learned before."
Pei Wenfeng was puzzled. "It's a rare opportunity to have half a day free, but instead of taking a break, you go out and learn horseback riding." He stared at Guo Honglei. "I guess this was your idea."
As soon as Guo Honglei opened his mouth, Jiang Yushu quickly replied, "No, it was my own idea. I've wanted to learn horse riding for a long time."
Sister Shu's elbows had completely turned outward, constantly defending the man surnamed Guo. Gradually, she was led astray, and almost lost all her former gentleness. Pei Wenfeng strongly disapproved of women showing up in public. He shook his head and said, "You have cars and sedan chairs to go out. Why bother learning to ride a horse? If you fall, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Brother Pei, don't worry," Guo Honglei said solemnly, "I know my limits and teach her step by step. I'm just taking her out for a stroll and never let her go out on her own."
How can you be so modest? Pei Wenfeng was inconvenienced in public, so he lightly advised, "Be sure to be careful."
"Of course," Guo Honglei said clearly. As a man, he disapproved of his wife's public appearances, but he couldn't resign immediately and was biding his time. Besides that, he tolerated most of her desires, such as learning to drive a cart, riding a horse, and archery, giving up cooking and embroidery, reading novels, and becoming obsessed with farming. He allowed her to do whatever she pleased.
However, the head of the household had previously ordered that if one wanted to learn horse riding, the husband had to teach her personally, and no one else was allowed to do so.
Ji Yingyue regained her composure, watched for a moment, and then mustered up the courage to interject, "It's truly rare that Madam Guo can actually ride a horse."
"No, no," Jiang Yushu replied with a friendly smile, "I've only just started learning, so I don't dare to run around yet."
Ji Yingyue was about to respond when she heard Pei Wenfeng say, "I advise you to stop right here. Not to mention the danger, wouldn't it be uncomfortable to be exposed to the sun for half a day?"
It would definitely be uncomfortable and would get you tanned. Ji Yingyue had no interest in riding horses. She was afraid of falling, being talked about, and even more afraid of getting a tan.
Jiang Yushu had no intention of arguing with her cousin, so she replied, "Well, it's true. It's hot, and I'm really feeling a bit sunburned. It's all my fault. I always wanted to run a few more laps."
Pei Wenfeng hesitated to speak, then waved his hand wearily, "Go and rest if you're tired. She's leaving for Xicang tomorrow morning, and you should have dissuaded her."
The past is like a tangled mess that cannot be untangled, but if you look at the result alone, you can say that you have "stealed someone's love". Therefore, Guo Honglei always felt guilty towards Pei Wenfeng and answered frankly, "Brother Pei, you are right. I will definitely persuade her next time."
The four of them chatted for two cups of tea, and then the couple said goodbye and left.
a moment
As soon as she entered the bedroom, Jiang Yushu couldn't wait to ask "What do you think?"
"What's going on?" Guo Honglei asked knowingly, took off his outer robe and threw it away.
Jiang Yushu put down the whip, her eyes shining, and sat down and answered, "Cousin and Miss Ji, do you think they are a good match?"
"Madam should first inquire whether the girl is married."
"No," Jiang Yushu said excitedly, holding her chin up, "The last time I met Madam Ji, she told me during our casual chat that her daughter was only 28 years old and still unmarried."
Guo Honglei poured two cups of tea and handed them to her first. "They are a good match, really. However, perhaps Brother Pei's elders have already made plans."
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment. "Next time we meet, I'll ask him. My cousin is 23 years old and still unmarried. It's considered late now, so we shouldn't delay any longer."
"Do you want to be a matchmaker?" Guo Honglei smiled and was secretly happy. He was happy that she was worried about her former lover's marriage, which showed that she had completely let it go.
"What are you talking about? We are too young to be matchmakers. If we really want to get married, we need to ask a qualified elder for help." Jiang Yushu said seriously, "Miss Ji is gentle and dignified, well-educated and well-mannered. She is talented and beautiful. I believe the elders on both sides will be satisfied. Moreover, from what I have observed, she has a good impression of my cousin. If our two families can get married, it will be a perfect match."
Guo Honglei took a sip of tea and whispered, "It depends on what Brother Pei thinks. It has to be what he wants."
"Of course, you can't force it." Jiang Yushu held her chin with both hands, and the two chatted for a long time before stopping.
The next morning
The group said goodbye at the gate of the government office.
Guo Honglei helped her get into the carriage and reminded her, "Be careful on your journey, and remember to write to me when you get home."
"I understand." Jiang Yushu entered the carriage, opened the curtains, hid her sadness, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Captain Guo, for sending troops to escort us. We don't have to worry about robbers on the road anymore."
Wei Xu bowed beside the car in front, "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome. I'm free anyway during the recruitment period." Guo Honglei said with a fist salute.
After a while, a team of border troops escorted the Xipingcang officials and set off back to Xicang.
Guo Honglei watched them go, and it took him a long time to gather his spirits. He mounted his horse and hurried to the recruiting station to attend to his official duties.
Traveling light and fast, Jiang Yushu and her party successfully reached the north bank of the Cangjiang River, crossed the river by boat, rested in Liu Village for one night, and headed south to the county town the next day.
When she thought of her child at home after being separated for several months, Jiang Yushu was eager to go home. She wished she could grow wings and fly back to Guangchang Lane to see what her child looked like.
Meanwhile, on the way north
A team of escorts surrounded a carriage and escorted their employer on his journey.
"Miss, Xicang is too far away." The maid cautiously advised, "How about we turn back to the capital?"
Jiang Yushan ran away from home in anger. She had been frightened for days and was extremely haggard. She closed her eyes to rest, "I've walked hundreds of miles. If I go home now, let alone admit my mistakes, even if I kneel down and kowtow, my father will probably break my legs."
"No, my wife is here to protect me."
Jiang Yushan suddenly opened her eyes and shouted angrily, "Don't mention her!"
"Yes, yes." The maid trembled with fear.
"As long as the engagement isn't broken off, I won't go home. I'd rather die out there than marry Xia Zhenyun," Jiang Yushan said coldly, her anger burning away all her worries. "Since my sister got married, it's been several years since we last met. I don't know if she's doing well in Xicang. As her younger sister, I should be more concerned about her, so I went to visit her."
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