Ask Dengtuzi to marry Xiaotao?
How outrageous!
Who would be willing to marry a good girl like that, a filthy beast?
Xiao Tao panicked and blurted out, "No! I, I won't marry. I'd rather die than marry!"
Jiang Yushu's eyes were sharp. She held Xiaotao's shoulders and said in a calm tone, "Don't be afraid. Master Pan must have been joking. How can a girl's lifelong affairs be decided rashly?"
"Young Madam, I won't marry you. Please don't agree." Xiao Tao trembled with fear, tears streaming down her face. She endured the humiliation and said, "Actually, I'm not seriously injured. Let's just forget about this matter! I deserve to die. I've caused trouble."
Pan Kui said in a muffled voice, "If you don't want to marry, then don't marry. Who forced you? I was just worried that the maid's reputation would be damaged and it might be difficult for her to get married, so I mentioned it."
Jiang Yushu suppressed her anger and spoke righteously, word for word, "Thank you, Lord Pan, for your concern for a weak woman. However, this servant of mine has been frightened and needs to rest for a while. I can't consider getting married for now. Besides, she's not actually injured. She can choose a good family to marry in the future. It won't be a problem."
Ridiculous! Not to mention that her innocence is still there, even if it is destroyed, she should not be forced to marry the culprit!
"What if I can't get married?" Pan Kui said bluntly.
Jiang Yushu raised her head and answered in a resounding voice: "If something unexpected happens, as long as she is willing to work for the Guo family, the Guo family will keep her!"
"Okay then." Pan Kui nodded awkwardly.
"Young Madam..." Xiao Tao was deeply moved, tears of gratitude welling up in her eyes. She knelt before Jiang Yushu and said anxiously, "This matter has become like this, it's all my fault for being reckless. I shouldn't have shouted."
Jiang Yushu bent down to support him, "Stop talking nonsense and get up quickly!"
Guo Honglei was always in front, urging, "Xiao Tao, tell me what happened in general."
"Tell the truth, don't be shy." Jiang Yushu advised.
"Yes." Xiao Tao gradually calmed down, wiped her tears, and choked up as she spoke, "This morning, I went out to fetch water to wash up. Unexpectedly, when I reached the entrance to the hallway, a man covered my mouth and dragged me into the side room! He, he... I don't know why, but the beast suddenly stopped. I hurriedly stood up, but as soon as I raised my head, I was slapped in the face, so I only saw the figure in military uniform from behind." After a pause, she sobbed, "If I'm making a false accusation, I'll be struck by lightning!"
Guo Honglei waved his hand to signal the maid to withdraw. Neither servile nor overbearing, he asked sternly, "Now that things have come to this, I wonder what Master Pan's plans are?"
"Hmph!" Pan Kui, always a man of hatred for evil and clear about rewards and punishments, turned around and demanded, "Who did it? Come out and confess! If you keep hiding, I'll increase your punishment!"
The innocent soldiers shook their heads firmly, and Tian Bo, feeling uneasy, also shook his head.
But one of them did not shake his head and stood upright.
Is it him? Jiang Yushu's eyes lit up.
Pan Kui naturally noticed it and shouted in surprise, "Ding Yuan!"
"I'm here." A tall and thin young man named Ding Yuan stepped forward.
Pan Kui asked angrily, "Could it be you, kid, who did this?"
"I was blinded by lust and lost my mind for a moment." Ding Yuan knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I know I was wrong. I beg for forgiveness, sir."
"Great! I didn't expect it to be you." Pan Kui was furious and issued a stern order: "Anyone who undermines the military's prestige is guilty of an unforgivable crime. Xiaoshuan and Tianbo, give him fifty lashes and a fine of three months' salary!"
"Yes." Qian Xiaoshuan did not hesitate, picked up the horse whip and went on. Tian Bo was stunned at first, then secretly delighted, trying his best to hide his relief.
In a blink of an eye, the two general flags came from the left and right, raised their whips high, and brought them down heavily, making Ding Yuan scream in pain, and his back was torn and bloody.
Pan Kui crossed his arms, glanced sideways and asked, "How is it?"
Considering their inferior situation, Jiang Yushu tugged at her husband's sleeve. Guo Honglei understood and clasped his fists, saying, "Lord Pan is impartial and selfless. The common people admire you immensely! I dare not disturb you from attending to military affairs. Farewell."
"Hmm." Pan Kui had a blank expression on his face, and he was as tall and strong as an iron tower.
"Let's go." Guo Honglei led the crowd away.
Zhang Feng, who had been observing coldly for a long time, approached and sighed, "Master Pan, do you know why the servants of the Guo family are so loyal?"
"Hmph." Pan Kui said with a straight face, "That guy is quite bold, and his wife is not weak either. They are a perfect match."
After flogging Ding Yuan, the border troops had breakfast and rushed back to Xicang.
The other side
The sun was shining brightly and the servants were excited. They carried several steaming baskets of multi-grain steamed buns and talked a lot along the way.
"Fortunately, that beast didn't succeed!" Jiang Yushu comforted him, "Don't take it to heart, just forget it."
Xiao Tao was extremely grateful and replied respectfully, "Yes, I will obey the young lady."
Guo Honglei strode with his head held high and warned, "Let's put this matter behind us. Don't mention it again. We're all unfamiliar with this place, so be careful and avoid getting into trouble."
"Yes!" The servants obeyed the orders and treated the master and his wife with utmost respect.
However, as soon as Jiang Yushu stepped through the gate, she saw her mother-in-law glaring at her and sighed. Guo Honglei remained calm and walked straight towards his mother.
"Come here, both of you!" Wang said angrily.
Two? Jiang Yushu had no choice but to move over.
Wang sternly questioned, "You are so stubborn and willful, do you have any respect for your elders?"
Jiang Yushu was starving, and Guo Honglei calmly replied, "Don't worry, mother, the matter has been resolved."
"You acted on your own, and you still have the nerve to tell mother to 'rest assured'?" Wang turned and stared at her daughter-in-law. "And you! Your husband is foolish, and as a wife you should be trying to dissuade him, but you're helping Honglei act recklessly!"
"Please calm down, old man."
Jiang Yushu seemed to be listening respectfully, but was actually in a daze; Guo Honglei tried to explain, but was scolded.
After a while, the young couple lowered their heads in pain, looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, smiled bitterly, and showed a tacit understanding.
Wang was furious and kept scolding until she was thirsty.
The next day, afternoon
Guo Honglei stood by the courtyard wall and ordered a servant to go up to the wall and take several large baskets of apricots. He said, "Thank you."
"It's just a piece of cake." The postman happily took the change.
Zhang Feng lived in the bedroom on the second floor. He looked down for a few seconds and closed the window silently.
The officer in charge of guarding the backyard asked, "Hey? Second Young Master likes to eat apricots?"
Guo Honglei avoided answering, "Try it?"
The officers took a few, and the more familiar ones asked jokingly, "I guess these fruits are definitely used to please the lady, right?"
"...No. It's a way to show respect to the elders." Guo Honglei felt quite uncomfortable, his handsome face flushed slightly. After instructing the housekeeper to distribute the fruits, he picked up a basket with one hand and walked towards the shade of the tree alone.
In fact, the officer guessed right.
Last evening, Jiang Yushu stood inside the wall, tiptoed, and gazed at the apricot tree outside. She sighed, "Alas, why doesn't it grow in the yard? I haven't eaten apricots in a long time."
Guo Honglei happened to hear it and felt extremely apologetic, so he specially made a few baskets.
It was a hot afternoon, and many servants crowded around the well to fetch water for washing.
Jiang Yushu shook out her torn sleeves and stayed in the shade of a tree with Cuimei, chatting and mending their clothes.
The tender yellow apricots are fresh and fragrant.
Guo Honglei walked hurriedly with anticipation, thinking to himself: She wants to eat it, so she should be happy to see the fruit, right?
After a moment, he walked around half of the ancient tree and saw his wife and the maid who came with her as a dowry mending clothes. Just as he was about to step up, he heard Cuimei ask with concern:
"Strange, the whole mansion was in a mess when the property was searched, how did you hide the jade pendant?"
Jiang Yushu quickly recalled, "I didn't hide it. I was wearing it at the time, and the officers didn't search me."
What jade pendant? Guo Honglei was at a loss.
Cuimei cautiously advised, "After all, it's a token of love from Master Pei, engraved with a love poem. If your son-in-law sees it, it will be disastrous. Miss, why don't you throw it away quietly?"
"No!" Jiang Yushu shook her head. "I'll keep it for later use."
As if struck by a thunderbolt, Guo Honglei's face instantly darkened, staring at the tender yellow apricots, as if falling into an icy cave——
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