Chapter 54 Prelude to Recognition
Su Wanwan saw the basket of kidneys that Widow Liu had sent over, including not only pork kidneys but also lamb kidneys.
"My dear, let me tell you, the weather is cold now, so it's okay to keep these things for two or three days. Just feed Changfeng a meal every day, and I don't believe that he can't be cured!"
Su Wanwan now knows what these things are used for. In fact, Pei Changfeng is not incompetent. On the contrary, he is very capable. Although she has not really experienced it, it should not be too bad.
Su Wanwan blushed a little, "He can't do it without him."
Widow Liu was horrified, "Could that be you?"
"It's not me," Su Wanwan didn't know how to explain to her, "Anyway, it's not the right time yet. When the time comes, the baby will come naturally. Don't worry."
When she said this, Widow Liu felt more and more that she was deliberately trying to save Pei Changfeng's face in order to protect his self-esteem.
"Wanwan," Widow Liu said as tactfully as she could, "this matter can be a big deal or a small one. You can't live your whole life in misery just for his self-esteem, right?"
Su Wanwan saw Pei Changfeng behind the door. Pei Changfeng smiled but said nothing.
"Really not," Su Wanwan almost swore to the heavens, "It's me who can't have a baby. Giving birth to a child is not something you can do just like that. There's nothing wrong with him. Even if there's something wrong with me, there can't be anything wrong with him!"
Her tone became serious, and Widow Liu began to wonder if she was overthinking, but she still left the basket of kidneys.
After Widow Liu left, Su Wanwan and Pei Changfeng looked at each other.
"How about..." Su Wanwan hesitated, "cook it for you?"
Pei Changfeng glanced and said, "You seem to need it more than me."
Su Wanwan: “…”
Although Pei Changfeng was unwilling to eat, a basket of kidneys could not be wasted. Su Wanwan decided to go to the street to buy some of Pei Changfeng's favorite dishes and cook them for him.
Pei Changfeng was obviously unwilling to accept the fact that he needed to replenish his body. His face was cold until Su Wanwan stretched out her hand. Then he thawed and reached out to hold her hand.
How to stew pork kidneys to make them delicious?
Su Wanwan asked Widow Liu for advice, and then went to the medicine store to buy a few ounces of Codonopsis pilosula and a few ounces of wolfberry.
Facing the gaze from the drug store clerk, Pei Changfeng almost couldn't maintain his calm expression.
After coming out of the pharmacy, Su Wanwan bought some Chinese spinach and lotus roots. She really didn't know what to buy, so she went to the dry goods store and bought some scallops and shiitake mushrooms.
“I’ll buy these today.”
"Would you like a snack?" Pei Changfeng asked.
Now that Pei Changfeng has passed the imperial examination, they have some savings. Su Wanwan is no longer as frugal as before and is willing to buy her something if she wants to eat it.
“Eat chestnuts!”
Pei Changfeng bought a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts. Su Wanwan opened her mouth and exclaimed, "Ah~"
Pei Changfeng smiled dotingly and peeled it for her to eat, "Be careful with the heat."
Although the weather was gloomy and cold, Su Wanwan felt warm in her heart because of this chestnut.
There was a sudden commotion ahead, and the two looked and saw a man lying on the ground in despair, and in front of them was a carriage that was leaving without mercy.
"Fan Ling?" Pei Changfeng frowned.
"Does my husband know her?" Su Wanwan seemed to have some impression of this name. "Is she your classmate?"
"yes."
"Let's go," Pei Changfeng didn't want to meddle in other people's business, "Let's go home."
When they reached the entrance of the alley, Pei Changfeng paused, turned around, and Fan Ling pursed his lips, lowered his head and said nothing.
Su Wanwan looked at Pei Changfeng, then at Fan Ling, and went home first.
"What do you want?" Pei Changfeng asked.
Fan Ling looked very miserable. He pursed his lips tightly, as if he found it difficult to speak. "Can you take me in for a few days?"
He wanted to explain, "One night is fine..."
"Come in," Pei Changfeng turned his back, "It's raining, let's go quickly."
He is not a good person, but he is not too cold either. Fan Ling has no grudge against him, so Pei Changfeng is willing to lend a helping hand.
Fan Ling arrived at Pei Changfeng's yard and sat down awkwardly. His face was pale and his clothes were dirty. He looked the most miserable Pei Changfeng had ever seen him.
Seeing that the two seemed to have nothing to say, Su Wanwan took the initiative to heat a pot of tea for Fan Ling, "Mr. Fan, have some hot tea and take a break."
"Thank you." Fan Ling's hands were shaking, obviously trying to calm down his extremely difficult emotions.
Although she didn't know what had happened, since they were guests after all, Su Wanwan still planned to cook more dishes. Just as she finished the last bowl of dish, Yang Tianqi from next door arrived.
"Brother Pei, what are you having for dinner?" Yang Tianqi said in a familiar manner, weighing the roast chicken in his hand, "I brought some food, can we come here and have a meal together?"
"Then let's do it together." Su Wanwan didn't care whether there was one more person or one less person. She thought about it and decided to stew the pork kidneys together. Since there were many people, they could finish it.
So, when Chen Liang came again, there were already four people in the yard.
He scratched his head and said, "Why are there so many people here today? Forget it, eating is more important."
While eating, no one recognized the pig kidney soup. Chen Liang especially liked it. He drank two big bowls and still felt it was not enough, so he asked Su Wanwan to cook more tomorrow.
Su Wanwan readily agreed. There was also a lamb kidney, just right!
Pei Changfeng originally said that he didn't like to eat, but he ended up eating two bowls. Fan Ling didn't have much appetite, so he ate a few bites and stopped. Xingzhou saw that there was no seat at the table, so he ate in the kitchen. The meal was strange yet harmonious.
Because there were only two rooms, Fan Ling slept in the boat house at night. He did not tell anyone what had happened, and no one asked him.
Su Wanwan was curious, but she guessed that something bad must have happened. She was not a person who liked to rub salt into other people's wounds, so she chose not to be curious.
The next day, when Fan Ling was about to leave, Pei Changfeng asked him, "Do you have anywhere to go?"
Fan Ling shook his head, looking depressed.
He never thought that there would be a day when he would be abandoned by his mother.
That woman was really so cruel. She asked her to study hard so that she could enter the Marquis' Mansion, and now she has left him, also to enter the Marquis' Mansion.
But... Fan Ling understood, and he had advised that his mother's only confidence now was his son, a juren. Apart from that, what else could she have to challenge the wife of the Marquis's mansion? But she couldn't see clearly!
"So where are you going?"
"I don't know." Fan Ling took out a purse from his sleeve, but it was empty. It was obvious that there was no money in it. "I still have one or two taels of silver, which should be enough to stay in the inn for a few days."
Pei Changfeng couldn't help but ask, "Why did you become so miserable?"
Fan Ling turned his head away and didn't answer.
"Give me the money." Pei Changfeng stretched out his hand. "Just stay here with me. This is the room fee. For food, you can help me work every day to pay off the debt."
Fan Ling raised his head. This unfamiliar classmate looked like he was disgusted with him, but what he said was...
"Thank you." He handed over the purse.
Su Wanwan didn't care about having a new resident in the house. Fan Ling looked like a good guy and he could even teach Su Chaochao to write. Widow Liu also felt sorry for him and bought him a set of clothes out of her own pocket.
"How pitiful! If Chao Chao could be this smart, I would sell myself to support him to continue his studies," Widow Liu guessed that Fan Ling had no money to continue his studies. "He has passed the imperial examination, what worries can he have in this life?"
Su Wanwan ate melon seeds and said, "I don't know. Just study. I heard from my husband that Mr. Fan is very good at studying. If he can really become the top scholar, I am willing to support him."
The two were chatting here, and the Yang brothers next door were also discussing something.
"Brother, from what I have observed, Pei Changfeng should be my aunt's son."
Yang Tianxiang was puzzled, "When did you go to observe?"
"I went to have a meal when you went out yesterday," Yang Tianqi smiled, "It is said that Pei Changfeng came from a small village. How could someone from a small village have such a magnanimous demeanor? He must have been born to my aunt."
Yang Tianxiang was speechless at his inexplicable guess. He rolled his eyes at him and said nothing.
"Why don't we just show him the jade? Didn't our people go and find out that Pei Changfeng is really a native of this village? He had a serious illness before and took the exam as soon as he recovered. He even won first place. If this isn't the bloodline of our Yang family, how could it be?"
Yang Tianxiang could no longer bear it and slapped him on the head, "What Yang family bloodline? Then why can't you even pass the exam to become a scholar? Stop talking nonsense. Could it be that he has been bribed by someone recently to deceive us or that he is scheming?"
"Well, we really can't be careless." Yang Tianqi touched his nose, "Alas, when can I return to the capital?"
Yang Tianxiang wanted to go back more than he did, but how could he see his grandmother? He couldn't just say he hadn't found out anything.
Just as he finished speaking, a flying pigeon circled twice in the sky and flew down. Yang Tianxiang took out the note and his face became solemn after reading it.
"What's wrong?"
"Our people said..." Yang Tianxiang's face was full of anger, "Aunt was already pregnant when she left Beijing!"
"Is that why my aunt left the capital? Then why didn't she tell us? And who was that person?"
Yes, who was it? Although my aunt was a noble lady, she was also my grandmother’s apple of her eye. Even if she really had a child, my grandmother would find a way to help keep it secret. There was no need for my aunt to leave the capital alone. Moreover, my aunt had been in the marquis’ mansion for so long, and no one had discovered when she became pregnant.
Strange, really strange.
Heavy doubts hung over the heads of the Yang brothers. They couldn't figure it out clearly. After all, Yang Lu had never been engaged and there were no rumors about her being with any young master.
They did not plan to report this matter back to the Marquis' Mansion for the time being.
The Yang brothers plan to focus on Pei Changfeng first to see if they can get any results.
When the Yang brothers came again, Pei Changfeng seemed to see what they wanted to ask. He stepped aside to let them in, "Do you two need anything?"
"Brother Pei," Yang Tianqi said straight to the point, "You do look like our aunt. Can you answer a few questions for us?"
"Ask." Pei Changfeng sat down.
"If your mother were still alive, how old would she be this year?"
"Thirty-nine." Pei Changfeng lowered his eyes.
"What is the relationship between your mother and your sisters? Do they look alike?"
Pei Changfeng frowned and seemed to start thinking. It was the first time he considered this aspect. Thinking about it carefully, his mother and those sisters had a bad relationship. Since he could remember, he had only met his grandparents once, and he had only met Wu Sanniang among those aunts. Moreover, Wu Sanniang had an ordinary appearance, while his mother was extremely beautiful.
Seeing that he didn't answer, the Yang brothers looked at each other.
"Do you still remember why your mother died?"
"Illness," Pei Changfeng said softly, "acute illness."
He looked up, with some doubt in his eyes, "My mother is indeed not like my sisters, and she is not close to my grandparents, but I don't know why, and she never told me."
Yang Tianxiang's tone was a little anxious, "Did your father mention anything?"
"My father... and my mother went there on the same day." Pei Changfeng's voice was somewhat sad. "I don't remember. They were very loving, but I really don't remember anything. Maybe they didn't tell me."
"Could it be that my aunt has lost her memory?" Yang Tianqi murmured, "Is it my aunt?"
After Fan Ling came back from buying firewood, he ignored the people in the yard and went straight to place the firewood.
Yang Tianxiang looked over and wondered, is this the concubine of the second wife? Why is she here?
Things seemed a little complicated. Did Yang Tianxiang continue to ask what he wanted to ask? Could this be a conspiracy of the second house?
Seeing that the two of them were silent again, Pei Changfeng asked, "You mean that my mother might be your aunt?"
"Yes," Yang Tianxiang admitted, "but it's just a possibility. We are not sure, and we don't have anything that can prove your identity."
"I don't care whether you are sure or not, and I don't need to acknowledge this relationship," Pei Changfeng shook his head, "All I want is an answer. My mother was very happy when she was alive, and she probably didn't have any regrets. If she really couldn't let go, she wouldn't have stayed in a small village for so long."
The Pei Changfeng in front of him was not an ordinary person, nor a ruffian, but a scholar with honors and achievements, who might be able to enter the official career soon. The relationship with their marquis's mansion was just icing on the cake, not a life-saving help.
"Do you know the Yanghou Mansion in the capital?"
Pei Changfeng shook his head. "I don't know. I have never been to the capital, so I don't know these things. I only know that there is an emperor in the capital."
Fan Ling, who was not far away, froze and looked over in disbelief.
"If your mother is really our aunt, the young lady who has been missing in the Marquis' Mansion for twenty years, we have come to this conclusion only by looking at your face. You look very similar to our aunt. Do you have anything to prove your identity?"
Pei Changfeng thought about it, took out a wooden box from the house and handed it to them.
The Yang brothers looked at each other and asked, "What is this?"
Pei Changfeng opened the box, "A box for jade."
Before they could speak, Pei Changfeng picked up the pen and drew the shape of the jade pendant on the paper.
The eyes of the Yang brothers gradually turned into shock. Yang Tianxiang took out the jade pendant from his arms, "Is this it?"
"Yes," Pei Changfeng took the jade pendant and seemed to be in disbelief. "At that time, my family was in financial difficulty and I had to pawn the jade pendant to make a living. I never thought it would end up in your hands."
The Yang brothers are already 80% convinced that Pei Changfeng might be their aunt's son.
But now, they have one last thing to do.
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