A lame reason
Firecrackers crackle to welcome the New Year, red "Fu" characters bring good fortune to every household, frost and snow cover the broken red firecrackers, and children's voices clasp hands in prayer for wealth and blessings.
As the Spring Festival approaches, families gather together, filled with laughter and joy. Even the passing cold wind carries a festive spirit, as people visit each other to chat and reminisce, making the New Year atmosphere even stronger.
The main hall of the Minister's residence was filled with people. They took turns talking around a table laden with delicacies.
Just as Pang Linqiu was about to pick up some meat from her bowl and put it in her mouth, Peng's mother suddenly spoke up, looking at her lovingly: "Linqiu, when are you and Xuan'an planning to have a baby?"
Pang Linqiu froze, losing her appetite for the meat. "Uh..." Her eyes flickered as she urged her brain to quickly come up with an excuse. "This..." She glanced at him, who was enjoying his meal, and said, "I... and Xuan An are still young... uh... no rush." She gave a stiff smile.
Madam Peng seemed dissatisfied with the answer. "You've been married for two years now, aren't you in a hurry?" She frowned, shook her head, and scolded, "Look at His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess, they already have two children. Xuan An is only two years younger than His Highness the Crown Prince, and he is already the father of two children."
Mr. Peng nodded in agreement: "Yes, Linqiu." He looked at his son and gently advised: "Xuan'an, you and Linqiu should give your parents a grandson or granddaughter as soon as possible."
Madam Peng chimed in, "Yes, look at His Highness the Crown Prince, and then look at you."
"..." Peng Xuan'an felt the meal was rather awkward, and nodded vaguely, "I understand."
Unable to do anything about them, Madam Peng sighed and looked at Pang Linqiu, asking curiously, "Linqiu, I heard you've been doing business lately?"
Pang Linqiu nodded, then replied blankly, "Yes, Mother. What's wrong?"
Peng's mother instantly looked down on her with disdain, "How can a woman like you handle this? Business is a man's business. What do you, a woman, know about business?"
Pang Linqiu was furious, but since it was New Year's Eve and all the elders were present, she couldn't directly contradict them. Her anger burned fiercely, and she wanted nothing more than to overturn the entire New Year's Eve dinner table, but she still managed a nonchalant smile.
She twitched her lips and replied, "I only know a little bit."
"Mother, can you stop talking?" Peng Xuan'an put down her chopsticks, somewhat displeased.
Mother Peng pursed her lips, giving him a look that said, "I'm doing this all for your own good, Xuan'an. What I'm saying is the truth. Besides, women shouldn't be involved in business..."
He couldn't bear to see her being criticized by others. He was clearly very angry, but he suppressed his anger and said helplessly, "Mother! That's her business. She has her own plans. Business doesn't discriminate between men and women!" His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked very helpless.
Peng's mother didn't want to argue with him, so she turned to ask his second sister, Peng Anling.
Seeing that his mother wasn't going to continue the conversation, Peng Xuan'an felt a little better. He glanced sideways at the sullen Pang Linqiu. He wondered if she had been hurt by his mother's words, and he didn't know how to cheer her up.
He picked up a dish called "Abundance Every Year" and placed the delicate white fish meat into her bowl. Pang Linqiu was stunned for a moment, turned to look at him, and her eyes were full of confusion.
Peng Xuan'an smiled back at her, then glanced at her bowl, gesturing for her to eat.
Pang Linqiu hesitated when she saw the fish, but noticing that Mr. and Mrs. Peng were looking at her, she quickly put the fish in her mouth and smiled back. Mrs. Peng nodded in satisfaction and continued chatting with the others.
After the New Year's Eve dinner party ended, Pang Linqiu seemed unhappy, as she understood her current situation.
She is now considered the daughter of a merchant, personally managing hundreds of shops. Her father is getting old and she can no longer trouble him. Her brother can occasionally help out, but his main tasks are managing those twenty locations, ensuring the well-being of the people, and reporting to the palace weekly.
The matter could have been handled by the local county magistrate, but His Majesty refused, saying he wanted to teach her a lesson. His Majesty was quite satisfied that she had solved the long-standing economic problem.
She is no longer the fourth young lady of the Pang family, nor did she marry into the family as the fourth young lady. Instead, she is the daughter of a disgraced official and a merchant, so it is not easy for her to gain the respect of her husband's family.
Back in the master bedroom, Peng Xuan'an felt apologetic.
"Linqiu, I'm sorry..." He looked apologetic and somewhat guilty.
"It's nothing." Pang Linqiu didn't take it to heart.
Peng Xuan'an didn't know if she was angry. He felt that although she seemed indifferent on the surface, she was probably feeling very wronged inside. He took her hand.
The candlelight flickered, filling the room with warmth. The boy's deep eyes held hesitation, while the girl's eyes held confusion.
"Don't worry... I..." He paused, his expression softening, "I won't let you... suffer any more grievances in the future." He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if she were his heart, his very bones.
He seemed completely dependent on her. Even though they saw each other every day, he was still afraid of losing her, for reasons he didn't know. Perhaps it was guilt. He felt a guilt he didn't know why he felt, and he wanted to make it up to her for some reason. Maybe he had done many things to wrong her in his past life, and now he wanted to make amends.
He will cling to her like a child clings to his mother.
He whispered in her ear, "Madam...please get well soon, okay?"
"..." She rested her chin on his shoulder, breathing heavily.
She understood what he meant, but she would never do as he wished.
"I'm sleepy and want to rest."
"good."
Seeing that he was about to pick her up, Pang Linqiu quickly dodged and lay down under the covers. "Extinguish the candle!"
Winter has passed and spring has arrived. The imperial physician said that the recovery period is almost over, but it is best to avoid prolonged strenuous exercise.
Peng Xuan'an's heart was surging with a jumble of emotions: happiness, anticipation, longing, and embarrassment. Pang Linqiu simply gave a nonchalant, crooked smile and dismissed all the servants around her!
Directly! That very day! At noon, while Peng Xuan'an was still busy attending court, after she finished her business, she climbed directly up the two-meter-high wall, intending to either fall and break her other leg or arm—or rather, her less-used left hand!
She cautiously crouched on the wall tiles, glancing down at the height, and realized she was still afraid of heights. Her body seemed to freeze, and the thought of that excruciating pain spreading throughout her body made her tremble uncontrollably.
She adjusted her posture to ensure that if she fell, she would only injure her left hand or left leg.
She finished getting ready, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes tightly, not daring to look directly at the height. Because her eyes were closed, her body began to feel unbalanced, as if she was about to fall, but she didn't know where she was or what to grab onto, and it was as if she had lost her center of gravity.
"lady?"
Peng Xuan'an looked up at the person on the wall, quickly went directly below her, and wrapped her arms around her to prevent her from falling.
Pang Linqiu thought she was hallucinating, but perhaps... it was real.
She didn't care anymore; judging from the volume of his voice, he must be some distance away. She couldn't let him get there first and disrupt her plans! Without a word, she leaned forward.
She fell.
Peng Xuan'an caught it.
Pang Linqiu didn't feel the pain spreading deep inside her; instead, she was being hoisted up, with one hand holding her back and the other holding her legs.
"..." She opened her eyes.
The two faced each other at close range, and it was awkward.
Peng Xuan'an gently lowered her down, letting her legs touch the ground first, then rubbed her arms, which were sore from the impact. He glanced at the spot where she had fallen and asked, puzzled.
"Why did you climb so high, Madam?"
"..." She swallowed nervously.
Peng Xuan'an glanced at her, who was hanging her head, and asked, "Why did you fall with your eyes closed?" He looked around and asked, "Where are the servants I arranged to be by your side?" He clearly remembered that he had increased the number of servants yesterday, just so that she wouldn't get hurt.
"Uh... haha... I told them to go buy... buy some food..." She awkwardly scratched her cheek.
He raised an eyebrow: "Ten people? All going to buy food?"
That's not the point!
Pang Linqiu nodded. "You...why are you back so early?" she asked curiously.
"There were no major events in court today, so I thought I'd come back to have lunch with my wife, but I never expected—" He drew out the word, his gaze falling on the high wall again, and sighed, "My wife, you actually climbed so high."
He grinned wickedly, thankful that "I arrived early, otherwise..." He raised his hand and touched Pang Linqiu's head, "otherwise, if Madam had fallen and turned into mincemeat, I would have had to suffer for another six months."
"..."
Did he see through me?
Seeing that she didn't speak, Peng Xuan'an raised an eyebrow curiously and asked, "By the way, Madam, why did you climb up there?" He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Ah, you know the answer already.
Pang Linqiu didn't want to argue with him anymore. If his scheme was exposed, so be it. There was still time to deal with it slowly.
He gave a flimsy excuse, yet put on an innocent and kind act, saying, "I saw a bird's nest up there, and I thought it must be dangerous for them to stay so high up, so I climbed up."
He smiled knowingly. "Oh? And the bird's nest?"
"It was snatched away by an eagle."
"Hahaha." Peng Xuan'an couldn't help but laugh. He thought that no matter how lame her reason was, he should be able to hold back his laughter, but he underestimated her.
"Is that so?"
Pang Linqiu nodded seriously, pointing to her eyes, "Seeing is believing!"
“Okay.” Peng Xuan’an stopped smiling, took her hand and walked towards the bedroom.
"Madam, it's getting late. I need to return to the capital after dinner."
"..." Reluctantly, they were pulled forward.
Inside the master bedroom, the food was served. Peng Xuan'an sat at the table, ate a few bites, and wondered why she wasn't moving.
"Madam, why aren't you eating?" He looked at the food. "Is it not to your liking?"
Pang Linqiu glanced at him listlessly, then listlessly picked up her chopsticks and said, "Oh." She looked preoccupied.
"Madam, it's time we talked about our marital matters."
Pang Linqiu chewed her food weakly, looking at him with a sullen face and saying nothing.
"Madam, you promised me too, and I've waited for over a year!" He seemed to be the one who was aggrieved.
"Um."
“Madam, let me give you some more time to calm down, how about tonight…is that alright?” he tentatively asked.
Pang Linqiu put down her chopsticks, instantly losing her appetite. "...Okay..." she said weakly, still trying to think of a solution.
He seemed to see right through her: "Madam, your period is due next week."
"..." We were forced to change our strategy again.
Her gaze fell on the dishes and tea on the table.
Only one plan left! Use a sleeping potion!
He noticed and smiled, "Madam, I will arrange the tea and incense tonight. You should rest well."
"..." She had no choice but to bury her head in her food.
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