Chapter 115 Jealousy
"Whatever you want." Pei Zhi said this, but he was a little jealous in his heart—now that they had Tiger, Ye Wanning always spoiled it and wouldn't even embroider a handkerchief for him anymore.
Back at the General's Mansion, Ye Wanning bathed and brushed Hu Zi's fur. The clean Hu Zi, with its light brown fur and black stripes, looked like a little tiger, round and adorable.
Ye Wanning was holding Huzi in the yard, playing with it and laughing happily. Pei Zhi sat to the side watching, his jealousy growing stronger.
He suddenly walked over, picked up Tiger from Ye Wanning's arms, and put it on the ground: "Don't keep holding it, what if it gets covered in fur?"
Ye Wanning smiled and said, "Tiger is very clean. I just gave it a bath. Are you jealous?"
"Who's jealous!" Pei Zhi retorted stubbornly, but he still personally fed Hu Zi goat milk every day and even had the kitchen make dried fish.
Once, Hu Zi tore up his military treatise. Pei Zhi was about to get angry, but when he saw Ye Wanning's aggrieved look, he swallowed his words and just gently patted Hu Zi's head: "Don't cause trouble again."
At night, Hu Zi would always sneak into Ye Wan Ning's bed and snuggle up next to her. Every time Pei Zhi discovered this, he would pick Hu Zi up and bring him to his feet, saying sternly, "Don't you dare take my wife's place. This is my territory."
Tiger seemed to understand, meowed twice, and obediently lay down at my feet, falling asleep soon after.
Seeing Pei Zhi and Hu Zi's expressions, Ye Wanning couldn't help but laugh: "Didn't you dislike Hu Zi? How come you care about it more than I do now?"
"I was just worried it would run around hungry and cause you trouble," Pei Zhi said stubbornly, but secretly moved the blanket closer to Hu Zi, afraid that it would catch a cold.
As the days went by, Tiger grew up and became increasingly clingy. Every time Pei Zhi returned from the military camp, Tiger would run over, circle around his feet, and meow for a hug.
Pei Zhi initially resisted, but later got used to it and would bend down to pick it up and gently stroke its head.
Once, Ye Wanning was sick and lying in bed, too weak to move. Hu Zi stayed by her side, occasionally nuzzling her hand with his head, as if to comfort her. Pei Zhi saw this and his attitude softened: "With Hu Zi here, I feel more at ease."
“Yes, look how good Tiger is. He can play with me and take care of me,” Ye Wanning said with a smile.
"Hmph, I'm still the best." Pei Zhi said jealously, "I can make you ginger soup, buy you sugar paintings, and protect you. Tiger can't do that."
Ye Wanning couldn't help but give him a quick kiss, then reached out and hugged him: "You're the best, and Hu Zi is the best too. The three of us are family."
Pei Zhi's jealousy vanished instantly. He hugged Ye Wanning tightly, then looked at Hu Zi at his feet, his heart filled with warmth. He knew that with Ye Wanning and Hu Zi, this family was complete.
As the weather grew colder, Pei Zhi had a small cotton nest made for Hu Zi and placed it in the corner of the bedroom. Hu Zi loved it and would obediently lie in it to sleep every night, no longer crawling into Ye Wanning's bed.
Pei Zhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this—at least he wouldn't have to fight with the cat for a place to sleep.
One morning, Ye Wanning woke up and couldn't find Hu Zi. She frantically searched the whole house. Pei Zhi, however, smiled and pointed out the window. There, Hu Zi was squatting under the crabapple tree in the yard, staring at the sparrows on the tree, his tail swaying gently, looking eager to pounce.
"Look at it, it's trying to catch sparrows." Pei Zhi walked over and gently picked up Hu Zi. "Be careful not to fall, or I won't be responsible if it gets cold."
Tiger meowed twice, as if in protest, but still nestled obediently in Pei Zhi's arms. Watching this scene, Ye Wanning unconsciously took out her handkerchief and secretly sketched it.
Later, Pei Zhi discovered the painting. He specially found a frame to put it in and hung it in his study, saying to everyone he met, "Look how well-behaved my Tiger is."
With Pei Zhi's birthday in three days, Ye Wanning began to get busy. She wanted to prepare a gift that was both thoughtful and practical, and after thinking for a long time, she decided to make longevity peaches.
Pei Zhi's diet in the military camp is irregular, so she can add some calming and stomach-nourishing herbs to the longevity peaches so that he can regulate his body while eating the snacks.
Early in the morning, Ye Wanning went to the grain store in the West Market, picked out the best glutinous rice flour and wheat flour, and went to the pharmacy to buy warm and nourishing medicinal materials such as poria cocos, lotus seeds, and lily bulbs, which she then ground into powder for later use.
Back at the General's Mansion, she went into the kitchen to knead dough and make fillings. Chun Tao helped her, watching her mix the herbal powder little by little into the filling, and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, won't it taste bad if you put herbs in the longevity peaches?"
"No, not at all," Ye Wanning said with a smile. "I only used mild tonic herbs. Not only does it not have a strange taste, but it can also calm the nerves and nourish the stomach. Pei Zhi has been saying he hasn't been sleeping well these past few days, so this will be just right for him."
As she spoke, she continuously pinched peach shapes into the air, then applied red food coloring to the top, and soon the steamer was filled with plump peaches.
While steaming the longevity peaches, Ye Wanning took out a small piece of Xuan paper, wrote the six characters "May my husband be safe and sound every year," folded it into a small square, and wanted to hide it inside one of the longevity peaches—this was her little surprise.
After the longevity peaches were steamed, their aroma filled the entire kitchen. Ye Wanning hid a small note inside the largest longevity peach, then packed the peach into a food box, eagerly anticipating Pei Zhi's birthday.
On Pei Zhi's birthday, the General's Mansion was bustling with activity. General Pei had specially returned from the military camp, bringing many gifts; the children from Ci'an Hall also came, holding their own hand-drawn greeting cards, chattering excitedly around Pei Zhi.
"Happy birthday, Brother Pei!" Little Bean held up a greeting card with a drawing of Pei Zhi riding a horse on it. "I drew this, do you think it looks like him?"
"So alike! So much like him!" Pei Zhi patted Xiaodouzi's head with a smile. "Thank you for the gift, I really like it."
During the meal, Ye Wanning brought out a food box containing longevity peaches and said with a smile, "These are longevity peaches I made for you. I added some calming and stomach-soothing medicinal herbs. Please try them."
General Pei picked up a longevity peach first, took a bite, and his eyes lit up: "Delicious! This longevity peach is soft and sweet, with a faint medicinal fragrance. It tastes even better than the ones made in the imperial kitchen!"
The children eagerly picked up the longevity peaches and ate them heartily, exclaiming, "Delicious! Sister Wanning's longevity peaches are the best!"
Pei Zhi picked up the largest peach, took a bite, and felt something hard in his mouth. He spat it out and saw it was a small piece of paper folded into a square.
He unfolded it with a puzzled look, and when he saw the six delicate characters that read "May my husband be safe and sound year after year," his eyes immediately welled up with tears: "This is..."
He looked up at Ye Wanning, his voice slightly choked. Ye Wanning smiled and said, "I thought the longevity peach would bring you good health, and this note would bring you peace and safety year after year. I hope you will be happy and safe every day from now on."
Pei Zhi put down the longevity peach, walked quickly to Ye Wanning's side, and hugged her tightly: "Thank you, Wanning. This is the happiest birthday gift I have ever received."
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