Chapter 48: Going to the countryside. He Zhiliao curled his eyes and was praised. ...
Liu left several farms to He Zhiliao, but the ones with fruit trees were a little far away from the capital. After all, it was not suitable to plant fruit trees in the mountains near the capital.
We set out early in the morning and arrived at the country farm near noon. Fortunately, although it was autumn, the scenery was pleasant. The yellow leaves fell rustling, which created a unique artistic conception.
Besides, they were planning to stay at the farm for two days, so the time didn't matter.
He Zhiliao had never been there before, and couldn't help but worry that the farm might be a little run-down and dilapidated. He had insisted on bringing his whole family here, and if the food and accommodation were not good, he was afraid that his parents would be dissatisfied.
"This place is quite elegant, unlike Yunzhou's manor which is full of smelly, sweaty boys." Qin Yurong complained with a laugh.
"After staying here for two days, I feel like I'm going to become a romantic and elegant scholar!" Pei Xiao said with a laugh.
The farm looks like a college, but it is indeed unique.
Seeing that none of them looked unhappy, He Zhiluo felt relieved, and a look of relief and smile appeared on his face.
The servants of the farm had known in advance that they were coming, so they took a day off today and waited respectfully for them in the courtyard, welcoming them with a bunch of sweet words.
If it were any other place, the Pei couple would naturally have the say, but this is He Zhiliao's farm. Although they are relatives, they are guests after all, so they naturally have to listen to the arrangements of the young master.
Haru-mi said to the servants, "Take the masters to the backyard to rest first. Heat up the stove in the kitchen as soon as possible so as not to delay the masters' lunch."
"yes."
The two younger girls immediately took them to the backyard, which had already been taken care of and even the room where they would live had been arranged.
Pei Xiao and his wife, Pei Ji and his wife, and the two Pei brothers naturally had to live separately, but each room was tidied up very neatly, with doors and windows open for ventilation, and every breath was filled with the smell of autumn.
"Masters, please take a short rest. The kitchen will start cooking soon." The two girls said with their heads down and left.
He Zhiliao glanced at Chunjian, and immediately followed him to the kitchen, informing the kitchen staff of the dietary restrictions of everyone in the family, and asking them not to do anything that was not allowed, as it would make everyone uncomfortable.
Yanhua and Xixin packed their clothes and belongings. Although they were only staying for two days, they had to do everything carefully and properly, not feeling uncomfortable at all.
The scenery in the backyard and the front yard are somewhat different. Pei Ji can see the small vegetable garden in the yard through the window, which creates a unique artistic conception.
"Your mother is really amazing. Even after more than ten years, the manor is still so good, and the servants in the manor have never left." Pei Ji said and nodded slightly. He couldn't help but feel that his mother-in-law who had never appeared was really a master.
Even if it were the Pei Mansion, there would be no way to guarantee that their subordinates would not change their minds for ten years.
He Zhiliao was not quite sure about this. After all, he no longer had many memories of his mother. He couldn't even remember her face. He only vaguely remembered the warmth and care he had received.
But that's enough, isn't it?
【Mother is very good.】
"Of course." Pei Ji pinched his cheek, "She left so many things for you to protect the He family, which already proves how much she cares about you."
Pei Ji thought, perhaps his mother-in-law had already known that the He family was untrustworthy and He Hongan was even more heartless, so she secretly left so many things for him and even hid them from the He family, probably to prevent them from fighting over them.
No matter how you look at it, this mother-in-law seems to be very powerful.
He Zhiliao nodded in agreement and turned back to go to the He family to get his mother's tablet back. At that time, he was timid and thought that He Ruman and the others would really destroy his mother's tablet, but now thinking about it, how could they have such courage?
If he really dared to do that, He Hongan would certainly be impeached for being disrespectful to his deceased wife, and would even be accused of favoring his concubine and neglecting his wife.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. This is your first time here, so why don't we go for a walk outside?" Pei Ji asked with a smile.
The long journey did not tire them out.
He Zhiliao immediately nodded in agreement. He originally wanted to ask his mother and others to go with him, but thinking that his parents needed a good rest, he didn't ask any more questions.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out of the backyard, he ran into Pei Su and Pei Ding.
Pei Su laughed immediately, "What a coincidence! Qing Yan and I were just about to go to the fields to take a look. Let's go together. I just heard from an old woman that there is a clear spring in the mountains."
Pei Ji looked at him with some dissatisfaction. Who wants to join you!
He Zhiliao nodded heavily. He was with his brothers. He quickly shook Pei Ji's sleeve and said, "Just play together. What's the problem?"
"Okay, okay, got it." Pei Ji said helplessly, "Let's go together. We were going out to play anyway."
As they were chatting, a farmer walked up to them, bowed carefully, and told them the approximate location. He said that the land around them was all from their farm, so it didn't matter if they took the wrong path.
Without asking anyone to lead the way, they walked outside as if they were taking a leisurely stroll in the garden.
Coming out of the farm and walking down the path, the place you want to go is exactly opposite to the orchard, and you will reach the location of the clear spring that the farm woman told them about.
Occasionally, they would meet the farm servants on the road. They would greet them with special respect and enthusiastically show them the way, but they had no intention of going with them.
Pei Su smiled with interest and said, "We are the only ones who feel more comfortable. I'm afraid they would feel uncomfortable if they were here."
Pei Su didn't make it clear whether they were uncomfortable or he was uncomfortable.
Going down the path, they saw many fields. There were people working in the fields, piling up the harvested crops beside them, waiting to move them back to the farm. When they saw them appear, they immediately greeted them respectfully.
"I heard there is a clear spring here, but I have never seen it." Pei Su said.
"It's right below. There's a path down there..."
Pei Ji took He Zhiliao's hand and looked in the direction the other party pointed. He indeed saw a hidden path, but there were slightly higher fields on both sides, and some weeds that had not been trimmed in time, blocking the path, so the path could not be seen for a while.
They were not afraid of getting their clothes dirty. They walked down the road to the community and after a few steps they heard the sound of gurgling water.
Looking down further, they saw that where they were standing was a flat path made of stones, and below was a small stream that had washed the stones smooth, but the water source was blocked by a huge stone and could not be seen at all.
Pei Ding whispered, "Maybe this is the source of the clear spring."
Pei Su saw that he was also curious and couldn't help but laugh, "The spring water is cool, let's go down and find out what it is."
"I'd better go down first." Pei Ji said with a chuckle, "At least I'm safer. If you two fall into the water, I don't know whether I should protect Zhizhi or rescue you first."
"You little bastard!" Pei Su scolded softly.
Pei Ji had practiced martial arts for many years, so his chassis was stable. His long and strong legs landed steadily on the smooth stone. He then helped He Zhiliao down slowly, helped him sit on the stone next to him, and then helped his two brothers down.
Only when I came down did I see clearly that the spring blocked by the rocks was really small, only about the size of a basin, but there was a constant gurgling of water flowing out of it, passing through the small stream, and then merging into the river not far away.
Pei Ji lifted his shirt and squatted down. As soon as his hand touched the spring water, he felt his bones were soaked in cold. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "It is indeed a living spring. The water is very cold."
He turned his head and looked at He Zhiliao who was stretching out his hand eagerly, "You can't touch it. The spring water is very cold. It will freeze your bones."
After saying that, she did not forget to extend her fingers to him. Her fingers, which originally had distinct joints, were now flushed red, obviously due to the stimulation of the spring water.
He Zhiliao quickly held his fingers in his palm to warm them, but his hands were already cold, so the effect was minimal. However, it firmly dissuaded him from touching the spring water.
Pei Su and Pei Ding did not have these concerns. They felt much more energetic as they touched the cool spring water. Now they saw a living spring.
"If I use this spring water to make cold tea, I think it will taste different." Pei Su loves tea the most, and he feels it is delicious just thinking about it.
"You might as well pour some water into a bamboo tube. But the water is so cold, you will definitely freeze. Can you bear it?" Pei Ji was suspicious.
It is still autumn now, but the spring water is so freezing. If it goes on for a few days, it will probably be even colder. Drinking cold tea in summer can still relieve the heat, but drinking cold tea now will probably give you a stomachache.
Pei Su was tempted and immediately asked his servants to go to the farm to get a container. He had to taste what the cold tea made with spring water tasted like.
Pei Ji stopped trying to persuade him when he saw how crazy he was. He knew the severity of the situation after he had diarrhea.
There are also harvested fields around the spring, which shows how big the farm is. If the fields are counted, it is almost bigger than a village.
Pei Ji couldn't help but become suspicious again. How did his mother-in-law buy all these farms and leave them to He Zhiliao? Those people were so obedient and guarded the farms for ten years... No matter how he thought about it, he felt extremely shocked.
Following the stream forward is the source of the river bank. There are also many stones that gradually slope down, which is convenient for walking or resting. Only when there is an occasional breeze blowing by the river, it seems a little cooler.
Soon, the servants of the farm came to call them back, saying it was time for dinner.
There was no separate front yard here, but a front room was specially cleaned up for them to dine in. He Zhiliao had reminded them in advance that although the dishes were just ordinary home-cooked meals, there was nothing that everyone didn't like.
The family did not follow the rules of who picked up the chopsticks first or later in private. They just sat down, exchanged a few words, and started eating.
"This fish is exceptionally delicious." Qin Yurong was somewhat amazed. Although she had eaten many delicious delicacies in the city, she was still amazed by this home-cooked dish. "Autumn fish is plump and delicious, it really is."
Pei Ji immediately picked up some for He Zhiliao. Everyone at home was a glutton, so he had to let his little Zhiliao eat more.
Chun Jian, who was standing by and serving, said softly, "This fish was just caught from the pond before cooking. It's an honor for the fish that Madam likes it."
"You have such a small mouth..." Qin Yurong laughed, "Your Lord is lucky to have you."
He Zhiliao nodded when he heard this, saying that Chunjian was very good.
Haru Jian was delighted to be praised and thanked him, then stepped aside and stopped talking. It was okay to be clever occasionally, but if he kept doing that it would be annoying.
The cooks were very skilled and the food was very good. The rice was almost completely eaten up and there was no food left.
Pei Xiao sipped his tea and said with great satisfaction, "Not bad. I accidentally tasted it for the first time, but it was quite refreshing."
He Zhiliao curved his eyes and was praised.
Pei Ji gently pinched his soft fingers, which was really easy to coax. He would have to coax him more attentively in the future.
They were chatting leisurely and discussing their thoughts after the meal when the guards in front came in to report in a serious manner.
"Master and Madam, someone has arrived at the manor. It's... Marquis Jing'an and his wife and children."
Pei Xiao frowned, "Can you ask them why they are here?"
Of course, he didn't get the answer by asking. He Hongan had taken his wife and children to the farm during his free time. He vaguely remembered that there was such a farm. After asking the housekeeper, he found that it was indeed in the registration book, so he came directly here.
They didn't expect that someone had arrived here before them. After asking carefully, they found out who it was.
He Rumen was unhappy at that time. He shouted and cursed at the guards at the door, making a lot of noise, as if he would not stop until he lured He Zhiliao out.
He Hongan didn't stop him, and obviously maintained the same attitude towards He Zhiliao inside.
"Where's the barking dog?"
Pei Ji arrived late with He Zhiliao, and was uttering harsh words without any politeness.
"So she's from Lord He's family. No wonder she has such a loud voice."
As soon as he saw Pei Ji, He Yao immediately hid behind him without saying a word, not even daring to look at him.
He Hongan's expression was grim. He forced a stiff smile and said politely, "Master Pei is here too. How come you have the leisure to come to my farm today? Although our two families are relatives, it's really against the rules to come uninvited, isn't it?"
Pei Ji couldn't help laughing as if he had heard something funny. He raised his eyebrows and looked at He Hongan, "Your family's farm? Do you have any written documents? Do you have any deeds to the farm and house?"
"What do you mean? If it wasn't mine, we wouldn't have come!" He Hongan looked a little embarrassed. He naturally didn't know whether these things existed or not.
But since the location is registered in his family's book, it must be his territory. They can come whenever they want. Do they have to say hello to the Pei family?
Pei Ji glanced at all the people in the He family and couldn't help but sneered, saying sarcastically, "It's hard to say. There are so many people who like to seize other people's things."
Zhuang Hongxiu sensed something was amiss and asked suspiciously, "You mean you have paperwork? How is that possible? This belongs to the He family!"
"This place has never belonged to the He family. This is the inheritance my mother-in-law left for Zhizhi. The documents and receipts in his hands are all stamped. It is you who want to seize his territory unscrupulously." Pei Ji looked at them as if he was watching a joke.
He Hongan seemed to have thought of something, and a trace of regret and greed flashed in his eyes, but disappeared in the blink of an eye.
He smiled awkwardly, "But we're already here, it's not good to just go back like this. Ah Zhi, just for your father's sake, let your brothers and sisters go in and play, okay?"
He Hongan had clearly arrived here a long time ago, but was always turned away. How could he put aside his pride?
He Zhiliao was his son. No matter what, he didn't believe that he would dare to embarrass his father.
He Zhiliao hesitated. Although the He family was his mother's family, they had never given him any help. How could he refuse without seeming so rude and heartless?
So he simply shook his head.
Pei Ji then took the opportunity to continue the conversation, "What my Lord Zheng means is not good. If you want to go to the farm to play today, then does that mean you will be able to wander around my Lord Zheng's warehouse at will tomorrow?"
This is an extremely serious statement. Who would hang out in someone else's warehouse for no reason?
But this kind of rejection really makes people feel as uncomfortable and disgusting as swallowing a fly.
He Ruman gritted his teeth and said, "He Zhiliao, as a brother, can you really bear to do this to us?"
He Zhiliao stared at him with wide eyes. How could there be such a shameless person in the world?! Before blaming him, can you first look at what you have done?
"Third Young Master, I also want to ask, when you and Fourth Young Miss insulted and beat my master and took his things, have you ever thought about whether you could bear to treat him like that?" Chun Jian retorted without any hesitation. Now there are people everywhere who can protect him, he is not afraid of the He family!
He Ruman was speechless for a moment. He had no regrets about bullying a dumb person.
Pei Ji raised his eyes and looked at He Hongan, "Master He, please go back. The host here does not welcome you."
He Zhiliao certainly did not welcome the He family. Not to mention that they had been particularly bad to him in the past, his mother had repeatedly told him in letters to be wary of the He family. Even the relics left for him had to be hidden and had others pass them on on his behalf. It was obvious how much she distrusted the He family.
Even if he no longer knew what happened, he knew who was truly caring towards him.
"He Zhiliao, you are my father's son!" He Ruman frowned and scolded.
[But he never treated me as his son.] He Zhiliao retorted silently.
Silent, yet powerful.
Everyone in the He family was silent. It was obvious that in their hearts, just as He Zhiliao said, they had never regarded him as their son.
What else is there to say?
"Show them away!" Pei Ji winked at the guards outside the courtyard, and the guards immediately drew the long swords at their waists and forced the He family back.
He Hongan looked at them coldly. At this moment, people had to bow their heads under the eaves. They could only leave temporarily. He would find a chance to retaliate in the future!
He Zhiliao raised his head, which was usually lowered, and looked directly into He Hongan's eyes. His bright and clear eyes were calm and fearless, as if saying - I am no longer afraid of you.
Mother said that when he is no longer afraid of the threat of other people's gazes, that is when he begins to grow up.
It was clearly a calm look, but it made He Hongan's heart tremble slightly. He didn't stay any longer and turned away with his wife and children.
"What kind of ability does He Hongan have that he can make your mother marry him?" The more Pei Ji thought about it, the more strange it seemed to him. From the letters, he knew how smart Liu was. She was able to guard against the He family at that time, so how could she be deceived by He Hongan?
He Zhiliao shook his head slightly. He had never even seen what his mother looked like. In fact, he had never even seen his mother's paintings since he was a child. Naturally, he had no idea what his mother had thought.
Pei Ji touched his cheek and the two of them went back into the house to rest.
After the nap, Qin Yurong felt much more relaxed, so she suggested going to the orchard to take a look and help pick some fruits.
When they arrived, they could see many slaves busy moving back and forth in the orchard, and many bamboo baskets covered with shredded grass were piled on the ground to prevent the crisp and sweet fruit skins from being punctured.
"I can smell the fragrance of fruit before I even get close." Pei Ji chuckled. He pointed to a servant and asked, "Where are you planning to sell these fruits?"
The servants were stunned for a moment before answering hesitantly, "We'll keep some to sell in the city, and someone will come to collect the rest. As for what they'll do with it, we don't know."
Pei Ji raised his eyebrows, "Is there any profit in that?"
The servants answered repeatedly that they had. After all, if they didn't, they wouldn't have been able to stay here for all these years.
Pei Ji didn't ask any more questions, and just said, "We'll also take some fruit back to the city when we leave. Just think of it as our own purchases. We've already agreed with your master, so pick the best ones."
"yes!"
The servants immediately went to pick them.
The fruits are naturally big or small, green or red, sweet or astringent due to the influence of sunlight.
Pei Su smiled and broke off a piece of fruit in half and gave it to Pei Ding. "This one is sweet. I'll give you half to try."
Pei Ding looked at him suspiciously, then looked at the half piece of fruit he handed over, "Do you think I'm a fool?"
Although he said this, he still honestly took the fruit and took a bite. His mouth was numb and astringent. No matter how cold Pei Ding's face was, he still felt a little bit offended.
He calmed down for a moment, then split the fruit in half again with an expressionless face and handed it to Pei Ji.
"Pei Qingyan!" Pei Ji growled, "I knew you had no good intentions. If it was really delicious, you wouldn't be passing it on from person to person!"
Pei Xiao came over eagerly, "Where did you pick that, Lao Er? Pick some for me to try!"
Qin Yurong: "..."
Is this a group of bandits?
He Zhiliao looked at them with smiling eyes, rolled up her sleeves and picked fruits herself, intending to send some to Princess Qi and Sun Qin... The other party had helped her so much in the past, and she should remember her.
His arms were sore from being held up for a long time, and his entire back was tense. He turned his head to look for Pei Ji, but a hand reached out from behind him and easily picked the fruit off his head.
"Are you looking for me?" Pei Ji said with a smile, "I'll help you pick it. Wait over there."
He Zhiliao immediately straightened his sleeves, brushed the dirt off his hands, and stood aside to watch Pei Ji.
The man was tall and had long legs. His strong and powerful legs were firmly on the ground, and his long arms could easily reach the fruits above. Each fruit was large, round and bright red, and you could tell at a glance that it was exceptionally sweet.
"If this fruit falls on your head, it will probably make you stupid." Pei Ji saw that he was watching silently, so he teased him.
He Zhiliao puffed up his cheeks so that he wouldn't be hit stupid.
"Who are you going to give it to? Don't worry about the Song and Yan families. I'll prepare it and let them pay for it. I can't let the servants of your farm work in vain." Pei Ji said naggingly, "Just give it to other people you want to give it to, or take it to a tavern or restaurant, I guess they can all be sold."
The more Pei Ji talked, the more strange it seemed to him. If fruits could be sold in the capital, why would people come all the way from outside to this small farm to pick them and then sell them outside?
Aren’t these sequences a bit too weird?
There was something strange about this farm, but he couldn't tell exactly what was strange about it. The people there were quite normal.
【ah? 】
What are you thinking about? Pick it!
He Zhiliao reminded him that the small bamboo basket he had prepared was almost full, and he could not pick any more fruit if it was full because the servants still needed to eat.
"Pick, pick, pick." Pei Ji chuckled, "Your husband can do everything. You have to compensate me when you return home."
He picked the fruit while talking, and perhaps because his smile was too evil, the fruit slipped from his fingertips.
【ah--】
The fruit suddenly fell from above and hit He Zhiliao squarely on the head, shocking him so much that he held his head and screamed.
Pei Ji couldn't help but burst out laughing.
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The author has something to say: The little cicada held his head in grievance: He hit me... [Please][Please][Please][Poor][Poor][Poor]
Pei Gouzi: [laughing and crying][shut up][glasses]
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