Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Perhaps it was all his wishful thinking
Winter had arrived in Jinling, and snow had been falling since night. Looking up, one could see a vast expanse of white, and the dark figure riding on the white divine horse was particularly eye-catching.
Mrs. Qiong waited for a long time and finally waited for Pei Huaiguang to return home. She was happy and anxious, and hurriedly asked someone to help her walk forward.
"Erlang."
Mrs. Qiong was helpless. Her youngest son was becoming more and more omnipotent. He could even interrogate people around her and force them to reveal Wu Jingxun's whereabouts.
She knew very well that Erlang would not give up even if the body was found, but Mrs. Qiong did not expect that he would act so quickly. She was so anxious that she did not even have time to send someone to deliver a letter to Wu Jingxun.
Fortunately, Wu Jingxun had a trick up his sleeve. He did not live out his life quietly in Suicheng as they had agreed before, but instead went somewhere unknown.
Mrs. Qiong thought that it was actually better this way. Once she left Jinling, no one would know her past. Whether she remarried or had a child to raise, her life would gradually become better.
Pei Huaiguang had a cold expression on his face, and he was wearing a black cloak. The snow, as white as broken jade flowers, did not leave a single mark on it. It seemed that no matter how she covered him, she could not leave any mark on his already hardened heart.
As Madam Qiong gazed at him with a hint of melancholy, Pei Huaiguang dismounted and walked over to her, supporting her frail form. "Mother, you've been working very hard lately with my sister-in-law's funeral. You should rest more."
Seeing the Second Master being so considerate, although she didn't know what was hidden behind that handsome face, Aunt Huang, who was originally supporting Madam Qiong, still silently took two steps back to leave enough space for the mother and son to talk.
Ever since Pei Huaiguang returned from Suicheng, he changed the way he addressed her and no longer addressed her as Madam in a distant manner. However, Madam Qiong could sense a subtle irony in the word "mother".
If Pei Huaiguang hadn't gone to Suicheng to look for Wu Jingxun in person, Madam Qiong might have truly believed that his emotions at this moment were as calm as he appeared to be, but...
"You want the family to hold a funeral for Jingxun. Are you trying to make yourself give up, or do you want others to give up?"
Facing Madam Qiong's questioning, Pei Huaiguang smiled, and the cold jade-like young man's expression softened. He helped Madam Qiong into the corridor. The flying snow could only fall on the floor under the eaves, and the black cloak on his body was still black and shiny, without a trace of coldness.
"Auntie passed away so suddenly. As her family, we naturally have to give her a dignified farewell. Brother, even in his grave, would be happy to know this." Madam Qiong walked slowly, so Pei Huaiguang naturally slowed down his pace. "It's a pity that Auntie passed away so suddenly that she couldn't drink the wedding wine with me and my new bride."
Snow was falling continuously under the eaves, and the snowflakes were soft, but Mrs. Joan felt that every snowflake had turned into a cold knife, rubbing against her heart again and again, causing her unbearable pain.
Mrs. Joan paused, looking at her most cherished child who had been lost and found again with some disbelief and a rare bit of anger.
"How can you still have such thoughts, Erlang!" At the end of her words, her voice tone rose slightly. For people who have been weak for many years, such a high-pitched voice is tantamount to overdrawing their physical strength faster. Huang Gu, who was following behind from a distance, heard the movement and felt a little worried.
"She's dead, dead. Can't you let her rest in peace and let yourself settle down from now on? You are young and deeply favored by the emperor. Which good girl can't you choose? Why do you still want to -"
"Mother." Pei Huaiguang interrupted her calmly, suddenly gently holding one of her hands and raising it to his heart, "Right now, everything here is burning with fire."
He is suppressing his emotions now because he knows there is still a chance for them to meet again.
If he is not even given such an idea... Pei Huaiguang narrowed his eyes slightly, it would be better to let him die.
Mrs. Joan stared blankly into the amber eyes that were as deep as a quiet lake. Beneath the apparent dead silence, there were clusters of eternal fire burning, so bright that it almost burned Mrs. Joan's eyes.
She subconsciously turned her face away and murmured, "For a woman... you brothers are so obsessed with her that you've disregarded your future. I really don't understand."
He doesn't need others to understand.
"I know what's going on." Pei Huaiguang's eyes curved slightly, and a gentle smile, as if tamed by the world, appeared on his cold jade-like face. "It's cold, mother, please take care of yourself. After I'm busy with my sister-in-law's funeral, I'll have to trouble you to look after my marriage in the spring."
This evil creature!
Mrs. Joan felt dizzy and dark for a moment. She closed her eyes and tried hard not to faint immediately.
Who would have thought that the scheme she and Wu Jingxun had put so much thought into would ultimately benefit him. Without the involvement of the uncle-sister-in-law relationship, he became even more unscrupulous in his actions!
·
Tongcheng is a small city. Wu Jingxun and Cuiping rented a small courtyard. It was very small, but there was a very tall locust tree in the courtyard. Even in the winter surrounded by frost and snow, it was still clean and upright.
Cuiping covered the kneaded dough with a towel and waited for it to ferment. She would then chop the meat into filling and make dumplings.
Now she and her wife sleep in separate rooms, but in order to save charcoal, they gather together during the day to do embroidery and read storybooks. This ordinary daily life is extremely precious to her and her wife.
The door creaked, and Cuiping closed it tightly to prevent the wind and snow outside from blowing away the warmth inside. "This door creaks every time you move it, and it's a bit scary when the wind blows at night. My lady, when spring comes, let's get a puppy and raise it."
Wu Jingxun used pliers to poke the chestnuts buried in the charcoal brazier. Seeing that the shell of the chestnut was cracked due to being roasted, she quickly picked the chestnut out and called Cuiping over to eat, nodding: "Okay." She thought of the puppy she named "Mantou", which was white and fluffy, and had a pair of beautiful round eyes like obsidian that always looked at her docilely.
But she was not a good host.
"Forget it." Wu Jingxun quickly changed his tone and smiled at Cuiping's puzzled look. "Let's raise some geese. I heard geese are more aggressive than dogs."
Cuiping just wanted someone who could take care of the house. When she heard Wu Jingxun say this, she nodded and said, "Yeah, okay."
The chestnuts roasted over the charcoal fire were sweet and sticky. Wu Jingxun ate several of them in a row. Cuiping looked at her profile as she concentrated on peeling the chestnuts and smiled, "My wife's appetite has improved these days, and her face has finally gained some flesh."
Jinling is the capital of a country and is extremely prosperous, but to her, it is a place shrouded in gloomy clouds all year round.
Tongcheng is small, but it has the freedom she has always dreamed of.
Wu Jingxun raised the corner of his lips and said, "Let's go to the street tomorrow and cut some cloth to make new clothes. It's almost the New Year, so let's have a good omen."
After she said that, Cuiping, who had originally wanted to decline and not do her own thing, looked at the relaxed and natural smile on Wu Jingxun's face and didn't want to spoil her fun, so she nodded and agreed.
The two chatted casually. Wu Jingxun looked out the window. The snow in Tongcheng was much softer than that in Jinling, and only covered the ground with a thin layer of white frost.
That person never showed up.
Wu Jingxun knew that he was very smart and might be able to find clues from somewhere, unravel them, and dig her out again.
She couldn't help feeling a little worried, but she didn't want to expose her worries to Cuiping, causing her to become troubled as well, so she could only suppress her emotions.
Some snow fell from the branches and hit the ground with a dull sound.
Wu Jingxun withdrew his gaze and listened to Cuiping chattering about the interesting things that happened when they went to the street to buy vegetables. The radishes from the east store were one cent cheaper than those from the west store. An old lady secretly twisted off the radish tops and was discovered by the old vegetable seller. The two quarreled for a long time. People who wanted to buy radishes were afraid of getting into trouble. In the end, the radishes from the west store got a bargain. They were sold out quickly and the stall was closed. The boss of the east store was so angry that he asked the old lady to compensate her, but the old lady refused, and the two argued endlessly.
Cuiping started to dance as she spoke. She had grown up with her wife and had seldom had the opportunity to face the daily life of the market. Naturally, she found those things new. But as she was talking, she felt that the room was too quiet. She turned around and saw that Wu Jingxun had fallen asleep on the small table. His face, which was more delicate than jade porcelain, was faintly flushed.
Cuiping found a quilt to cover her, and put her to sleep on the Luohan bed. Then she went to the kitchen to chop meat and make dumplings. But when she came back with the steaming dumplings, she found Wu Jingxun was still sleeping.
"My dear, I made your favorite vegetarian three-fresh filling! The vinegar in Tongcheng smells different from ours. It might be more flavorful when dipped in dumplings. Come and try it."
Cuiping set the table with great interest, but did not hear any response from Wu Jingxun. She walked over with some confusion, only to see the girl curled up tightly in the quilt with a flushed face and a furrowed brow. Her heart skipped a beat, and she reached out to touch Wu Jingxun's forehead, only to feel a surge of burning heat coming up.
This is a fever!
Cuiping was immediately anxious. She wanted to go out and get a doctor, but she was also worried that something might happen to Wu Jingxun if she stayed alone in the room. She was so anxious that she was running around in circles. But seeing Wu Jingxun's cheeks flushed with fever, she moistened her lips with a towel soaked in warm water, tucked the quilt in for her, and hurriedly put on her raincoat to protect her from the snow and went out.
Wu Jingxun's illness came on suddenly, perhaps due to acclimatization or the sudden exposure of suppressed emotions. He was ill for several days and did not get better.
Cuiping was very worried, but they had paid the rent and did not have much cash on hand. Cuiping did not dare to exchange the silver notes for money, so she had to take out a most inconspicuous hairpin from her wife's dressing table and put it at the bottom. She pawned it and got three taels of silver in exchange, which at least alleviated her current predicament.
The hairpin was brought into the pawnshop, but was not put away. Instead, it was collected together according to a certain order.
It was eventually delivered to Pei Huaiguang.
He fiddled with the tassels hanging from the hairpin and looked casually at the jewelry patterns on the table.
That was the jewelry drawing he had given to the craftsman before.
Should he say she is cruel or affectionate?
She fled from Jinling, but took with her the hairpin he gave her.
I wanted to let go of the past, so I pawned this hairpin.
Perhaps all of this was just wishful thinking on his part, and she hadn't even thought about the origin of the hairpin.
But it doesn't matter, he will make her remember.
Pei Huaiguang stood up, picked up the black cloak beside him, and left the Pingning Marquis Mansion in the snow.
·
In a small frontier town thousands of miles away, five-year-old Daya was happily making dragonflies out of straw. She heard a noise coming from the west room. She jumped up to see what was going on and met the eyes of a handsome man who was slowly sitting up from the bed.
"Wow--"
Daya started crying. This uncle’s eyes were so scary, and his face was so scary too!
Pei Jinguang subconsciously touched his face. His hard stubble prickled his hands, and a scar ran across his left cheek, like an ugly flesh worm lingering on his handsome face.
Daya at the door was still crying, and soon attracted her mother. She wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist, picked up her daughter and tried to comfort her. Seeing Pei Jinguang sitting silently on the bed, she was a little surprised: "Are you awake?" Before Pei Jinguang could answer, she shouted in a hoarse voice, "Boss, the scarred man you saved is really alive!"
Scarface man...
Pei Jinguang was silent for a moment. How ugly was he now?
He met Daya's eyes again, who was twitching in her mother's arms, and smiled slightly. The charm of the former jade-faced general softened his now thin and sunken face, which looked too sharp. Daya stopped crying, licked her fingers, buried her head in her mother's arms, and only looked at him with her eyes.
Pei Jinguang smiled. This little girl reminded him of his wife who was far away in Jinling.
He looked at the howling wind and snow outside the house.
It's already winter.
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