48. Chapter 48 Sharing the same spoon
Xiaoxiao lay obediently on his back, not noticing anything unusual about him. She felt so happy that the corners of her lips unconsciously rose.
When they were almost at the palace, Xiaoxiao tilted her head and leaned close to his ear, "Brother, put me down."
The girl's breath was as fragrant as orchids, and her warm breath hit his ears. A tingling sensation spread from his ears to his whole body, and Pei Xiuhan's body tensed up unconsciously.
Knowing that the little girl didn't want to be seen by the people in the palace, Pei Xiu Han obediently put her down.
When Xiaoxiao saw the screen wall of Prince Yan's Mansion, she felt extremely nostalgic. She was like a little sparrow returning home, chirping to express her excitement. Pei Xiuhan looked at her with a smile, and deep in his eyes was a deep affection that he himself was not aware of.
The night gradually deepened, and the warm yellow light stretched the figures of the two people a little longer. Everything seemed quiet and beautiful.
The atmosphere on Zhang Li's side was completely different.
At this moment, Zhang Jun had woken up, and Zhang Cheng had also returned to the courtyard. Zhang Jun was still very scared. After waking up, he saw that his mother was gone. His body was shaking and his teeth were chattering. When he saw the axe, he burst into tears again.
He cried for a while and found that Luzhu and Xiaoxiao were not there, only Zhang Li came out of the room.
Wang Jinju cursed Zhang Li in front of him all day long. He was not afraid of Zhang Li at all and started cursing, "It's all your fault! You ungrateful wolf! You disaster! You insisted on supporting that bitch Zhang Xiaoxiao, and now look what happened. She had her mother killed. Give me my mother back! Woohoo! I'm going to kill you all!"
Because he was used to seeing Zhang Jinju cursing on the street, he started to curse at Zhang Li with a string of swear words. He learned all those curses against Zhang Li from Wang Jinju.
Wang Jinju always loved him, and Zhang Jun always had everything he wanted at home. When he thought about his loving mother who not only vomited blood and had her hands chopped off, but was also probably thrown to feed the dogs, he hated Zhang Li to death.
He picked up a brick beside him and threw it at Zhang Li.
Zhang Li dodged to the side, avoiding the bricks. He could tolerate others scolding him, but he couldn't stand him scolding Xiaoxiao. He walked towards Zhang Jun angrily, picked him up, and pressed him against the door.
Zhang Jun's feet were hanging in the air, and his neck was held by him. He was a little breathless and started coughing. He desperately grabbed Zhang Li's hand, his eyes full of fear.
It was not until this moment that he realized that his brother, whose birth was unknown, was no longer the boy who was insulted in the village. He was now tall and had an aura that seemed as if he could break his neck with one hand.
Zhang Cheng was almost scared to death when he saw this scene.
He was nervous all day because he was taken to the palace for interrogation. He knew that his daughter-in-law was not dead, but was sent to the government for theft. When he saw his youngest son swearing, he wanted to stop him, but it was too late.
Seeing Zhang Li grabbing Zhang Jun's neck, he stumbled over and said, "Xiaojun is still young and doesn't understand. Please forgive him this time."
Zhang Li didn't want to go to jail, nor did he want to kill anyone. When Zhang Jun was completely out of breath, he let go. Zhang Jun slid down from the door panel and sat down on the ground.
He was gasping for breath desperately. The feeling of being on the verge of death made his eyes filled with fear when he looked at Zhang Li.
Zhang Li said coldly, "Watch your mouth! If I hear you scold her again, I'll make sure you can't speak again."
Zhang Jun was shaking non-stop and almost fainted from fright. Zhang Cheng quickly stroked his back, and his flushed face gradually returned to normal.
Zhang Li glanced at the father and son and said coldly, "Come back tomorrow and don't let me see you again."
Zhang Jun and Zhang Cheng huddled together, neither daring to make a sound.
After Zhang Li left, Zhang Jun began to sob, "My mother, my mother, what should we do in the future?"
Zhang Cheng fell silent for a long while before he said, "Your mother is not dead yet. I'll go to the government office tomorrow to check on her. You just stay here obediently. Tomorrow night, we'll leave."
Zhang Jun wanted to leave right now, but he thought that they didn't have much money and would have to sleep on the roadside if they left, so he didn't bring it up in the end.
The next day, Zhang Cheng went to the government office trembling with fear and inquired about Wang Jinju's affairs. When he learned that the things she had stolen were enough to sentence her to death by hanging, he almost fainted again.
He felt like the sky was falling. How could it be a hanging?
He returned to Guxing Street in a daze. When he saw Zhang Jun, tears fell from his eyes. A grown man was crying with tears and snot all over his face.
After asking this question, Zhang Jun also started crying. Although Wang Jinju was aggressive and selfish, she really loved Zhang Jun. She treated Zhang Jun like a little ancestor. Zhang Jun couldn't accept the thought that he would be motherless in the future.
The motherless children in the village were all miserable. If he had a stepmother, he might get beaten every day just like Zhang Lan. He rolled on the ground and cried, "I want my mother! She didn't steal anything, she didn't steal it. It wasn't her who stole it, it was Zhang Lan who stole it. Let Zhang Lan die!"
Zhang Lan was lying on the crack of the door, eavesdropping on their conversation. When she learned that her mother was going to be sentenced to death by hanging, she was completely bewildered and her nose felt sore for no reason.
Wang Jinju often beat her, and she had to do all the dirty and tiring work at home. When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Zhang Lan even suspected that she was not her biological daughter. She had envied Zhang Jun countless times, envied that he was a boy, and just because he was a boy, he was spoiled. His mother never let him do any work and often cooked eggs for him.
Many times, when she was nearly beaten to death, Zhang Lan resented her immensely, and even hoped that something would happen to her so that no one would beat her anymore. When she heard that she was going to be sentenced to death by hanging, she should have been happy, but she felt empty in her heart, as if something had been dug out.
Before she had time to feel sad, she heard Zhang Jun's words. Zhang Lan's skinny little hands tightly grasped the door bolt, and panic surged in her heart, fearing that the government officials would believe Zhang Jun's words.
She took a step back and hid under the bed in fear, her small body trembling. She recalled the time when she was eight years old, when she and her brother went to her grandmother's house, and her brother broke the jade bracelet that her second aunt was reluctant to wear.
The jade bracelet was my second aunt's dowry, and she had always cherished it. However, my younger brother secretly took it out and then smashed it to pieces.
But her younger brother falsely accused her of falling, and she had no way to defend herself. That time, her mother almost beat her to death. She was covered with bruises and in so much pain that she was unconscious. It was not until her second aunt could no longer bear it and stopped her mother that her mother stopped beating her.
Thinking of the past, Zhang Lan couldn't help but tremble. Is she going to be pushed out this time too?
Xiaoxing also heard the noise outside. Zhang Jun kept shouting that it was Zhang Lan who stole something. A hint of sarcasm flashed across Xiaoxing's delicate little face.
He thought of Xiaoxiao again. After learning that she was not Zhang's child, Xiaoxing felt a little uneasy.
She looks so much like her mother, could she be his sister?
*
At this moment, Pei Xiuhan had already sent Xiaoxiao to Suyuexuan.
Su Yuexuan had not changed at all. Butler Li was very considerate. When he learned that she was coming, he prepared everything for her.
After Xiaoxiao took a shower, she went to bed. Brother Pei seemed to have some magical power. Every time Xiaoxiao was unhappy, she would feel much better when she saw him. Even though what happened today almost made her angry to death, after coming back with Brother Pei, the depression in her heart completely dissipated, leaving only joy in her heart.
Xiaoxiao fell asleep not long after lying down. She obviously felt more at home in Su Yuexuan than in the small courtyard on Guxing Street.
On the second day, Xiaoxiao had someone deliver a letter to Mu Xi and Mu Wen, telling them that they didn't need to go to Guxing Street and could come directly to the palace.
Soon, Mu Wen and Mu Xi arrived. Seeing Xiao Xiao had moved back to the palace, Mu Wen was a little surprised. When she was about to ask why she moved back, she heard Mu Xi say, "What's wrong with your neck?"
Mu Wen also looked at Xiaoxiao's neck. There were three scratches on the girl's snow-white neck, which looked quite scary.
Xiaoxiao recounted what happened yesterday. Mu Wen was so angry that she clenched her fists. "How despicable! How can there be such a despicable person in the world!"
Mu Xi quickly grasped the key point, "Zhang Li's parents? Don't you and Zhang Li have the same parents?"
Xiaoxiao then told the story of being picked up.
Mu Wen was stunned when she heard this. Although Mu Xi was a little surprised, she was not too shocked. She had always felt that Xiaoxiao's learning talent was a bit scary. It was unlikely that an illiterate village woman could give birth to such a child.
Mu Xi said thoughtfully, "When you were picked up, did you have anything on you that could prove your identity?"
Mu Wen also said: "Yes, if there is, maybe we can find your biological parents."
Xiaoxiao shook her head.
Grandma picked her up by the river. She was only wrapped in a small floral swaddling cloth, with nothing else on her.
Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and said, "Since they chose to throw me away, they definitely don't want me anymore. Why should I look for them? I have my brother and grandma, and that's enough for me."
Mu Xi also agreed with this view. Compared with blood relationship, the grace of raising a child is obviously more important.
Mu Wen's tears welled up, and she walked over and hugged Xiaoxiao. "Even if your parents don't want you, you still have us. I'll be your real sister from now on!"
Seeing her bringing up such a topic, Mu Xi couldn't help but rub her forehead. Fearing that Xiao Xiao would be upset, she said, "Who knows what happened back then that caused your parents to abandon you. It might not be because they didn't want you anymore."
Xiaoxiao curled her lips and said seriously, "Thank you, Sister Xi, and thank you, Sister Wen. I'm really fine. No matter why they abandoned me, I'm very satisfied with my current life. I'm very lucky that grandma picked me up. It's because of staying in Zhangjia Village that I met Brother Pei and you guys."
Her smile was very bright. Seeing that she was indeed not sad, Mu Xi couldn't help but smile too. "Where's the watermelon? Cut it up and eat it quickly. It's so hot after walking all the way."
The weather was very hot, and Mu Xi was particularly afraid of the sun, so his cheeks were still burning.
Xiaoxiao curled her lips. The watermelon had been soaked in cold water to keep it cool. She carried the watermelon to the rosewood table, took a knife and started cutting it.
Mu Wen came over curiously, wanting to see how she cut it. Mu Xi sat on the armchair without moving. She was too lazy to move in the summer. Seeing that she felt hot, the maid picked up a round fan and fanned her.
Mu Xi has not yet reached the age of marriage. Her hair on both sides is divided into two equal parts and combed into a simple double bun. The hanging black hair just reaches her waist. She has changed a lot in the past one or two years. Her facial features, which were originally fresh and refined, look extremely lively.
Most of the time, she looks lazy and weak. Only those who know her know that under her harmless face, she hides a personality that is not easy to mess with.
Her arms were resting on the armrests of the armchair, her small hands supporting her cheeks, and she was watching Xiaoxiao cutting the watermelon nonchalantly.
Xiaoxiao has delicate features and her every move is pleasing to the eye, and Mu Xi watched her with great interest.
Xiaoxiao cut the watermelon into two halves, leaving one half for Pei Xiuhan, and the others shared the other half. Maybe it was because they grew it themselves, but Xiaoxiao felt that the watermelon was extra sweet.
While they were eating watermelon, Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jun had an argument. Zhang Jun wanted to go to the government to identify Zhang Lan, saying that it was Zhang Lan who stole the jewelry and asked the government to arrest Zhang Lan.
Zhang Cheng didn't want to take his son to the government office.
He was cowardly by nature and was often bullied by Wang Jinju when she was around. He was not without feelings for his only daughter, otherwise he would not have secretly fed Zhang Lan food after she was beaten.
Theft is a serious crime. If Zhang Lan goes to jail, her life will be over. She is still so young, and Zhang Cheng simply cannot bear to do it.
Zhang Jun rolled on the ground crying, "I want my mother! No wonder my mother said you were partial, you're just being mean! Zhang Lan is just a money-loser. If we keep her, she'll just eat up the family's food! Why don't you trade her for my mother?"
"That's your sister!"
It was the first time he spoke so loudly. Zhang Jun was stunned and his tears stopped. After a long time, he crawled up from the ground crying, "I want my mother. I don't care. If you don't want to exchange Zhang Lan, then try to save her. If you can't save her, I will never forgive you!"
After he finished speaking, he went into the kitchen and slammed the door of the kitchen with a loud bang.
Zhang Lan was hiding under the bed and heard the two people's movements. Seeing her father finally stand up, Zhang Lan's tears fell one by one, and her slightly trembling body gradually returned to normal.
Zhang Cheng also didn't want anything to happen to Wang Jinju, even though she often called him a grandson. To Zhang Cheng, she was the pillar of the family. He had been under her control for twenty years and was used to listening to her in everything. Now that she was arrested, Zhang Cheng felt like the sky was falling.
He went to the government office again, took out the only half ounce of silver he had left, and knelt down to beg for a long time, hoping that someone would give him some advice.
One of the yamen runners, feeling truly sorry for him, said, "The jewelry she stole is worth over a thousand taels of silver, including one gifted by the emperor. Tomorrow, after the trial, she will be sentenced to death by hanging. If you want to save her, there's only one way, and that's to mediate privately. If Miss Zhang is willing to spare her, there's still room for maneuver."
Zhang Cheng vaguely understood what he meant. He knelt down and kowtowed three times before leaving with gratitude. He knew that he had to ask Xiaoxiao for help on this matter, so he went to Prince Yan's Mansion. However, this time the guards did not help him inform the police and directly drove him away.
Zhang Cheng returned to Guxing Street like a walking corpse. His face was haggard, and he seemed to have aged ten years overnight, looking even more clumsy.
When Zhang Li came back, he found that they still hadn't left. His face looked a little cold, and his irritability almost reached its peak.
When Zhang Cheng saw him, he knelt down, kowtowed several times, and begged him humbly, "I will leave, and I will not rely on you in the future. I beg you, please save your mother. She is really not a good person. She really stole things. She must not know how valuable those things are. Please save her. If you don't save her, no one will help her. She will be sentenced to death by hanging tomorrow. Please save her."
Zhang Li stood still, his body straight and erect. His hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched tightly. His fists were shaking slightly with such force that he spoke after a long pause, "Why should I save her? Because she nearly threw me to death? Because she wanted to throw me into the mountains? Or because she kicked Grandma out of the house?"
Zhang Jun was very afraid of him now and hid in the kitchen and dared not come out. After hearing Zhang Li's refusal and questioning, his little face completely lost all color. It was not until this moment that Zhang Jun realized how badly his mother treated Zhang Li before.
In fact, it's not just his mother. He also always dislikes his brother. Ever since he was old enough to understand, he knew that he had a brother with an unknown birth cause. When others could eat meat but he couldn't, he would think it was Zhang Like's. Every time his mother scolded Zhang Li for not dying, he also agreed with her.
It was not until this moment, when he truly understood what death was, that he realized how ridiculous he had been before.
Is it true that my mother is beyond saving?
With red eyes, he walked out of the kitchen, overcame his fear of Zhang Li, knelt down, and began to kowtow.
This little boy who had always been domineering seemed to have grown up all of a sudden. He didn't stop even though his forehead was bruised.
Zhang Cheng also kowtowed a few more times. He raised his head and pleaded, "I know I've let you down, and I don't expect you to forgive me. After all, she's your mother. She carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. Before you were born, she was looking forward to your birth and even made several small clothes for you."
As Zhang Cheng spoke, his voice began to choke up. Zhang Li was their first child. Not only Wang Jinju was looking forward to his birth, but Zhang Cheng was also eagerly waiting for it.
None of them expected that Zhang Li would be born different. They were also afraid, afraid that it was the curse of the mountain god, afraid that he would kill them. Zhang Cheng was so upset that he couldn't speak.
He had never said such a long sentence in his life. It was as if he had grabbed the last straw, begging for mercy and organizing his words desperately, just hoping that Zhang Li would soften his heart once.
"She must have thought you bought all of Xiaoxiao's jewelry, and she was so angry that she took it. She probably didn't even know it was stealing. She's a bad person, I know, and she has a lot of flaws, but her crime doesn't deserve death. Please save her. The official said that only if Xiaoxiao is willing to reconcile can she escape death."
Zhang Li didn't say anything. He clenched and unclenched his fists. He was filled with anger and didn't know how to vent it. Whether it was towards Zhang Cheng or Wang Jinju, all he had was hatred. He hated their cruelty and hated them for ignoring his grandmother. Why should he help her?
When she hurt Xiaoxiao, he didn't kill her with his own hands, which was his greatest kindness.
In the end, he just said, "She did it herself. It's no use begging me."
He turned and went into the house.
Zhang Cheng never got up, still kneeling on the ground. The moon rose high in the sky, but he still knelt there, mumbling weakly, "Please save her, please save her."
Although his voice was not loud, Zhang Li felt that it was like a devil's sound entering his ears, tormenting him severely.
Although no one helped Zhang Cheng to report to the Prince of Yan's Mansion, Xiaoxiao still knew that he had come to the Prince of Yan's Mansion. Xiaoxiao guessed that he wanted to come to beg for mercy, so she didn't want to forgive Wang Jinju. She was so hateful that she should be put in jail to temper her temper.
Thinking that she was her brother's biological mother after all, she finally called Luzhu to her side and asked her what sentence she would give. When Xiaoxiao learned that it was hanging, her eyes widened.
"Is it just stealing? Should I be put to death?"
Lu Zhu explained, "According to the law, if it is ordinary things, the first time you steal something, you can just tattoo the word 'thief' on your right arm. But what she stole was not ordinary things. These jewelry are worth thousands of gold, and one of them was a gift from the emperor."
Xiaoxiao was a little dazed. She didn't know much about the law and thought that she would be sentenced to three or four years at most. She was so bad that she should be imprisoned. But she didn't expect that she would be hanged. Zhang Chengdu came to beg him, and he must have also begged his brother.
Xiaoxiao's heart couldn't help but tighten, and she could almost imagine how tormented Zhang Li must be at this moment.
She walked around the room several times, her brows tightly furrowed. After a while, she asked Luzhu, "Is the only possible punishment hanging?"
Luzhu briefly spoke to her.
Xiaoxiao thought about it and finally went to Wuyatang. When she came over, she was still holding the remaining half of the watermelon.
Xiaoxiao waited in Wuya Hall for a quarter of an hour before Pei Xiuhan came back. When he saw the little girl, a smile appeared on his lips.
Xiaoxiao handed him the watermelon and said with a smile, "I brought a spoon for you, brother. You can just eat it directly."
There was half a watermelon left. Xiaoxiao didn't take a knife, but only an iron spoon, intending to let him dig and eat it. The middle part was the sweetest, so just eat the middle.
Pei Xiuhan caught the spoon, scooped a spoonful, and after eating it, he waved at her, "It's so big, how can I finish it? Come and eat with brother."
Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "I've already eaten, brother, eat it yourself."
Pei Xiu Han ignored her. He scooped a spoonful and handed it directly to her lips. Xiaoxiao's face felt a little hot. Seeing that her brother didn't realize that this was inappropriate, she didn't know whether she should remind him.
Seeing her being so shy, Pei Xiuhan raised his eyebrows and scratched her nose. "Why? Do you dislike your brother?"
Xiaoxiao's face turned red and she shook her head hurriedly. To prove that she didn't dislike it, she obediently opened her mouth and ate the watermelon in the spoon. When her lips touched the spoon, her face turned red as if blood was dripping. Woo woo woo, Brother Pei just touched this place too.
Did she secretly take advantage of Brother Pei?
Seeing the shy look on the little girl's face, Pei Xiuhan's smile deepened unconsciously. He dug another piece of watermelon and savored it carefully, only to find that this spoonful of watermelon was even sweeter. He glanced at her delicate and tempting lips, and his eyes darkened.
Xiaoxiao didn't notice his gaze. She blushed deeply. Sharing a spoon was too embarrassing!
The little girl was so embarrassed that her white and tender big toes curled up unconsciously, her eyelashes drooped, and she didn't dare to look up at him.
Seeing that the little girl was a little shy, Pei Xiu Han smiled a little, scooped another spoonful and handed it to her lips. He liked the look of her embarrassed face turning red.
"Eat some more."
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but hide back for a moment, blushing and saying, "Brother, eat it yourself."
Pei Xiuhan had a faint smile in his eyes. "How can I finish all of them by myself? You worked so hard to grow these watermelons. It would be a shame to waste them. Eat them. I don't mind you."
Xiaoxiao's cheeks were red and her heart was beating very fast. She secretly glanced at the watermelon on the spoon. When she thought of his saliva on it, she wanted to hide under the quilt like a coward.
Woo woo woo, can she really take advantage of Brother Pei like this?
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