43. Chapter 43 Strategy
Xiaoxiao only held him for a moment, trying hard to hold back her tears. When she raised her head again, her eyes were only slightly red. She whispered firmly, "Brother, I will miss you."
Pei Xiuhan patted her little head and said, "When you miss me, you can come anytime."
Xiaoxiao nodded. After a moment's hesitation, she finally took out the purse she had made for him. "I embroidered this for your birthday. If you don't want to wear it, you don't have to. Just leave it in the room as a souvenir. I've never given you anything like that before."
Pei Xiuhan's eyes moved slightly, and he reached out to pick up the purse. The purse was a black satin embroidered purse with a goshawk spreading its wings and ready to fly. The goshawk had sharp eyes and claws, and it looked like the king of the grassland, very majestic.
Pei Xiuhan took one look at it and fell in love with it. Maybe it was because of the delicate patterns, or maybe it was just because she embroidered it. "Why didn't you give it to me earlier?"
"Didn't my brother say he didn't like people giving him random gifts?"
It was indeed because of his words that Xiaoxiao gave up the idea of giving him the purse. But now thinking about it, she felt that if he didn't like to wear it, he didn't have to wear it. It was already embroidered, and it would be a waste to just leave it there. It would be better to give it to him.
Pei Xiuhan paused for a moment, then asked directly, "Are you someone else?"
Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but curl her lips. It seemed as if two flames were lit in her bright starry eyes, and they suddenly became brighter.
He lowered his eyes to glance at the purse again, played with it lovingly for a moment, and added, "Besides, this isn't a mess."
Even he himself was a little surprised that he would like such a little thing.
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but smile, and the sadness of parting was unknowingly diluted a lot.
After returning to Suyuexuan, Xiaoxiao simply packed her luggage. When she first came to the palace, she only had a small package.
Now she has a lot of things. There are seventy or eighty sets of clothes in the wardrobe alone. They were all made for her by the embroiderers this year. Xiaoxiao has told them many times not to make them anymore, but they still enjoy doing it.
Xiaoxiao only wore about ten of them. She packed up her old clothes and didn't bring any new ones. She only wore the jewelry that Brother Pei had bought for her, leaving the rest behind.
When Zhang Li woke up, Xiaoxiao had already packed. Zhang Li felt bad for always bothering the Regent. Just as he was about to tell Xiaoxiao that he would go find a house first and move out that evening, he heard the little girl say, "Brother, I've packed my things. Go say goodbye to Brother Pei, and I'll tell Sister Luzhu, and then we can leave."
After asking, Zhang Li found out that the little girl had bought a house without saying a word. Xiaoxiao told him everything about her copying the rare book and borrowing money from Luzhu.
Zhang Li felt sad and proud of his sister after hearing this. He touched Xiaoxiao's head and whispered, "I will support you from now on, and I will pay you back."
Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "There are only forty taels left. I can pay it back in two months at most. Don't worry, brother."
Zhang Li touched her head and then went to Wuya Hall. Xiaoxiao went to Luzhu's room. When she came over, Luzhu was wiping her dagger. She had been using this dagger for several years. Since it was given to her by Sister Hongye, she took good care of it and wiped it every day.
Seeing her, Luzhu put away the dagger and asked, "Are you leaving?"
As she spoke, she opened the cabinet and took out a package.
Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment. Luzhu had already put on the package and said, "Let's go."
Xiaoxiao quickly stopped her. She was surprised and a little amused. "Sister Luzhu, I'm here to say goodbye to you. You don't have to follow me anymore. My brother is back and he can protect me."
Lu Zhu raised her eyebrows. "Didn't the prince tell you? He has given me to you. From now on, you are my master. If I don't follow you, who should I follow?"
Pei Xiu Han was naturally worried about her. He had already made an agreement with Zhang Li to report directly to the military camp in two days. When he was away, Lu Zhu would be able to protect her.
Xiaoxiao felt a little guilty. Sister Luzhu was so powerful, it was a pity to follow her. She had no choice but to go to Wuyatang again, and naturally the negotiations failed in the end.
Pei Xiuhan allowed her to move out, with the only condition being that she must take Luzhu with her. Seeing the little girl feeling embarrassed, Pei Xiuhan said directly, "At least it's safer for her to stay with you. If she leaves you, she'll face various missions, either infiltrating an enemy country or assassinating someone, and she might die at any time."
Xiaoxiao had no choice but to take Luzhu away. In fact, she had long been accustomed to Luzhu's company and was reluctant to leave her.
Xiaoxiao moved to Guxing Street.
Xiaoxiao had just visited this place two days ago and it had already been cleaned. She just needed to wipe the tables and chairs before she could move in.
The courtyard is not small. There are three rooms in the main house, one for Xiaoxiao and one for Zhang Li, and the middle one is used to entertain guests.
There were two rooms in the west wing, one for Xiaoxing to live in and the other for Luzhu. Xiaoxiao had just put her things in the room when she saw the carriage from the palace coming. This time it was the steward Li who came with his men. He directed the servants to unload five or six boxes of things from the carriage. They were all new clothes and jewelry that Xiaoxiao had left in the palace before.
Xiaoxiao refused to accept it, "Butler Li, you should move back. What I brought is enough for me."
Butler Li said with a smile, "I am here on the orders of the prince. If I fail to complete the task, the prince might even remove me from my position as butler. Miss Xiaoxiao, please stop making things difficult for me."
Xiaoxiao had a headache and thought for a moment before saying, "I'll tell Brother Pei that you should move back."
Butler Li said, "The prince said that if you still recognize him as your brother, then don't refuse. If you are polite again, he will return all your things, and you don't have to call him brother anymore."
Xiaoxiao hadn't expected him to use this trick, and she was completely at her wit's end. Steward Li smiled and said, "There's a rare copy in the box. If you feel bad about it, Miss Xiaoxiao, you can buy more things for the prince when you make money in the future."
Knowing that Butler Li was trying to comfort her, Xiaoxiao thanked him.
That's all we can do.
The servant carried several boxes of things into Xiaoxiao's room, including the golden nanmu dressing table that Xiaoxiao used in the palace.
With these things, her house suddenly became full.
Zhang Li had never expected that the Regent would be so good to Xiaoxiao. For some reason, he felt a strange feeling in his heart. But when he thought that he was a whole generation older than Xiaoxiao, he didn't think much about it and just thought that he was repaying a favor. Xiaoxiao did save his life when they were in Zhangjia Village.
Knowing that the things he had sent must be very valuable, Zhang Li secretly swore in his heart that he must work hard to make money and try to repay the Regent's kindness as soon as possible.
Xiaoxiao cooked dinner in the evening. She cooked four dishes in total, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. All the meat dishes were her brother's favorites.
When they sat down to eat together, Xiaoxiao realized that Xiaoxing was very reserved and didn't even dare to pick up some food to eat. Xiaoxiao inexplicably thought of what happened two years ago, when she didn't dare to eat her fill in order to save food.
She felt a little distressed and picked up some food for Xiaoxing, "You are in the period of growth, eat more."
Xiaoxing was eating his meal slowly, but when he heard this, he paused, looked up at Xiaoxiao, his light brown eyes stunned for a moment, then he started eating silently.
It was not until Xiaoxiao picked up some food for Zhang Li again that Xiaoxing secretly glanced at her. He felt that she was so gentle, just like the sister he imagined.
Could she be his sister?
Xiaoxing lowered his little head and continued to eat the food in the bowl. Although he moved slowly, he had good dining etiquette and every move was pleasing to the eye.
Luzhu glanced at him calmly for a few moments, feeling that he came from a good family, certainly one of wealth or nobility. She was puzzled by the fact that he was so young, why would he travel north alone to visit his family? Wasn't he afraid of danger? Had something happened at home?
Xiaoxing sensitively noticed her gaze. He raised his little face and glanced at Luzhu lightly, but found that the woman didn't look at him at all. Xiaoxing frowned in confusion.
After dinner, Zhang Li didn't let Xiaoxiao clean up. The little girl's hands were white and tender, and the calluses on her hands were gone. It was obvious that she had never done any work when she was in the palace.
Zhang Li was reluctant to let her do such rough work, so he took the initiative to put away the dishes. When Xiaoxiao wanted to wash the pot, he also drove her out, "Take a rest, why are you being so polite to your brother?"
Xiaoxiao curled her lips. Her brother always loved her and never let her wash the pot when they were at home.
Xiaoxiao didn't fight with him anymore. She stayed by her brother's side and didn't leave. When he was washing the dishes, she helped pass him the dishes and chopsticks.
I just feel so good to have my brother around.
Zhang Li was tall and strong. He used to have thick eyebrows and big eyes. Now that his facial features have grown, he looks more like a tough guy. However, he is very skillful when doing housework.
Only then did Xiaoxiao see his hands. Both of his hands were covered with calluses and looked quite rough. There was even a scar on one of his hands. When he was with Xiaoxiao, he would subconsciously hide his left hand. It was not until this moment that Xiaoxiao saw the scar on his hand.
After he finished wiping the dishes, Xiaoxiao grabbed his hand and took a closer look. Her eyes couldn't help but turn red again, "Brother didn't even tell me that your hand was injured."
"It's just a minor injury, it's no big deal."
Xiaoxiao's eyes were sore. At this time, the two siblings did not know that their home would soon welcome uninvited guests.
Ever since she learned that Zhang Li might become a high-ranking official in the future, Zhang Li's mother, Wang Jinju, has looked down on the people of Zhangjia Village. She has been saying that Zhang Li will come back, take them to Beijing, and lead them to a good life.
Naturally, few people in the village believed him, and some even told her not to daydream. Wang Jinju had several arguments with them over this. She waited for a few days, but when she saw that Zhang Li had not returned to the village, she also felt that Zhang Li would not come back to pick them up.
How could she accept this? Zhang Li was the child she had carried for ten months and given birth to. He had finally made it big, so why shouldn't he show respect to her? She immediately made the decision to take her family to the capital to find Zhang Li.
It doesn't make sense that Zhang Li can enjoy the best food and drink in the capital while they, as his parents, can only eat steamed buns.
Zhang Li's father, Zhang Cheng, had always been afraid of her. After she spoke, he only mumbled a few retorts. Seeing that she insisted on coming, he had no choice but to come along. They also brought a pair of children. The two children, who were ten years old this year, were twins, a boy and a girl. The older one was a sister, and the younger one was a brother.
Wang Jinju was partial. She loved her youngest son like the apple of her eye, treating him almost like an ancestor, but treated her daughter like an animal. They had been traveling for more than ten days, and when their dry food was almost gone, she only allowed her daughter to eat two bites at a meal. The little girl was so hungry that her face was pale and her body was thin.
*
After settling in the courtyard, Zhang Li went to the military camp. General Lu was about to go and suppress bandits. He was Zhang Li's former superior. Because Zhang Li had saved him, he admired Zhang Li very much. After learning that Zhang Li had come to the capital, he took Zhang Li with him.
Xiaoxiao really didn't want him to go, fearing that he might be in danger. But when she saw that her brother wanted to go, she didn't want to stop him, so she went to the temple and got him several amulets.
After he left, the courtyard suddenly became quiet. Luzhu didn't like to talk, and Xiaoxing was a mute. Xiaoxiao didn't even have anyone to talk to. After lunch, she simply went to see Xiaoxing. Xiaoxiao wanted to try and see if she could help him find his family.
Knowing that Xiaoxing could read, Xiaoxiao brought paper, ink, brush, and inkstone, pushed the paper and brush in front of Xiaoxing, and asked him, "Do you know where your relatives live?"
Xiaoxing glanced at her and shook his head slightly.
Xiaoxiao asked again: "Then do you know what their names are?"
Xiaoxing continued to shake his head.
Xiaoxiao was a little frustrated. "I don't have a name, I don't know where I live, and do you know what I look like?"
Xiaoxing nodded this time. Seeing Xiaoxiao looking at him expectantly, he picked up a pen and wrote a few words on the paper: Sister should look very similar to mother. I will recognize her when I see her.
Xiaoxiao calmed down and continued to ask, "You haven't seen your sister before?"
Xiaoxing nodded, his expression somewhat gloomy. His features were very delicate, his eyebrows and eyes were light, and this look was particularly distressing. Xiaoxiao thought that she had brought up his sad story, so she didn't dare to ask. She just said, "Don't worry, we will find it eventually. Until your sister is found, just stay here peacefully."
Xiaoxing smiled shyly, picked up the pen and wrote on the paper: Thank you, sister.
It was the first time she was called "sister". Xiaoxiao curled her lips and touched his head. She thought he looked so well behaved. "You're welcome."
Luzhu had been waiting at the door, but suddenly interrupted, "Child, do you have a portrait of your mother? If so, we can help you find your sister as soon as possible."
Xiaoxing's hands curled up and he subconsciously tightened the wolf-hair brush in his hand. He shook his head slightly.
Luzhu noticed his little movements and knew that the young boy must be lying. Unexpectedly, the next moment, she saw him pick up a pen and write: I had it before, but I lost it later. I can't draw.
Seeing that he looked lonely, Xiaoxiao quickly comforted him.
After returning to her room, Xiaoxiao began to miss Pei Xiu Han. Unconsciously, she hadn't seen him for almost a month. She couldn't help but take out the gold hairpin he gave her and was stroking it when she heard a knock on the door.
Xiaoxiao walked over and opened the door, only to find Brother Pei standing outside. He was tall and straight, with an upright figure and a handsome face. He was even wearing the purse she had given him.
Xiaoxiao was missing him, and when she saw him, she didn't dare to recognize him for a moment, and was even afraid that she was dreaming. After all, didn't Brother Pei say that he didn't like wearing purses at all?
The brother Pei in front of her was wearing the purse she embroidered.
The next moment, Xiaoxiao was scratched on the tip of her nose by the man. "What are you daydreaming about, you little heartless girl? Are you not happy to see your brother?"
How could Xiaoxiao not be happy? Seeing that it was really him, Xiaoxiao rushed over with joy and couldn't help but hugged him again, "Brother, it really is you."
Pei Xiuhan's eyes darkened. He had been dreaming about her quite a lot recently. Logically, he shouldn't have taken the initiative to look for her.
He had clearly told her to come find him when she missed him, but she never went to the palace once. Seeing that she didn't miss him at all, he felt a little uncomfortable. After he finished his work, he simply turned around and came here.
After being pounced on by the little girl, Pei Xiu Han felt that he was completely doomed. No matter what the reason was, he was truly occupied by her.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he would dream of her. This was especially serious during the month she left. At first, he was still trying to be a human being, but after he failed to hold back once, the beast in his heart could no longer be contained.
Thinking carefully, it would only take a blink of an eye for her to reach marriage age, so why would it matter if he waited? After figuring it out, Pei Xiuhan's tense body relaxed.
He put his arm around the girl's slender waist, patted her back, and said in a hoarse voice, "Who else could it be if not me? Could it be that there is someone else who misses you like a brother?"
Xiaoxiao's face felt a little hot, and the word "miss you" made her heart beat like a drum. She nervously grasped his collar, feeling that he looked so unbearable that she could not bear it.
Her heart is beating so fast.
Seeing the little girl blushing, Pei Xiu Han curled his lips, reached out and pinched her little face, thinking in his heart how to win over this little girl step by step.
"Would you like me to come in and sit down?"
Xiaoxiao quickly took a step back and took him to the main hall. It was Pei Xiuhan's first time here. "Where's your room? Take me to see it."
Xiaoxiao said "oh" obediently and led him to her room.
She kept the room very clean. It was not big but very cozy. Pei Xiu Han saw the gold hairpin he bought for her at a glance. The more Pei Xiu Han looked at it, the more he felt that the quality was average. He even made up his mind to pick out a few more for her.
He sat with Xiaoxiao for half an hour, chatted with the little girl for a while, asked her what she was busy with recently, and then planned to leave.
Xiaoxiao stood up and wanted to see him off, but Pei Xiuhan didn't let her. He just said, "Come here, just let your brother hold you for a while."
Xiaoxiao felt a sudden palpitation in her heart and couldn't believe her ears for a moment.
Seeing that she stood there motionless, Pei Xiuhan raised his eyebrows and said, "Little girl, you are the only one allowed to hug your brother, but he is not allowed to hug you? Do you want to be treated specially?"
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