Chapter 55 Su Wanwan was kidnapped
"Brother Pei, if you are really my aunt's son, what do you plan to do next?" Yang Tianxiang asked.
"There is no other way," Pei Changfeng poured a cup of tea, "My mother has passed away. Perhaps recognizing my relatives is her wish, not mine."
"I was surprised to learn about this, but I'm not excited or wanting to curry favor with the rich and powerful to do something about it. My life is pretty good right now."
His words left Yang Tianqi and Yang Tianxiang speechless for a moment, and they were unable to utter the rest of the words. Indeed, after they had confirmed this matter, the first thing they planned to do was to remind Pei Changfeng not to use the power of the Marquis' Mansion to do anything.
Pei Changfeng could naturally think of what they could think of. He didn't care about the wealth and glory of the Marquis' Mansion. He would earn these things himself.
The conversation between the two parties came to a standstill. Yang Tianqi and Yang Tianxiang even felt a little ashamed. What they wanted to stop was something the other party didn't care about at all.
"It's like this, the Marquis' Mansion is not as glorious as outsiders see it," Yang Tianxiang explained, "Now the Marquis' Mansion has three branches, and he and I are the legitimate sons of the first and third branches respectively. Now the Marquis' Mansion has inherited the title from our grandfather, who is already old, but the emperor has been reluctant to agree to pass the title to my father. We guess that the emperor wants to take back the title."
Pei Changfeng nodded, not caring whether the Yang family could continue to inherit the title.
Fan Ling's hands were shaking as he continued to eavesdrop.
"Our original intention was to avoid causing trouble for the Marquis's Mansion, but... cousin, grandma hasn't had a good night's sleep for twenty years because of aunt's disappearance. There's not a day that she doesn't miss her. If you can go back to the capital with us to see grandma, grandma and grandpa will be very happy."
Pei Changfeng lowered his head, as if thinking.
Su Wanwan was so surprised to find out that he was suddenly connected to the Marquis' Mansion that her jaw dropped. She even suspected that these people were scammers, planning to trick Pei Changfeng away and demand a ransom. Otherwise, how could such a pie suddenly fall from the sky?
She quietly tugged at Pei Changfeng's sleeve under the table.
Pei Changfeng raised his head and said to the Yang brothers: "Maybe I need to take a few days to digest this matter."
"Sure." Yang Tianxiang felt closer to Pei Changfeng the more he looked at him, treating him as his cousin. "You can come to us anytime when you have made up your mind."
After the Yang brothers left, Su Wanwan immediately pulled Pei Changfeng into the house.
"What Marquis' Mansion? Why do I feel like they are liars?" Su Wanwan directly expressed her opinion, "Don't you have a grudge against some people? Could it be that they are deliberately playing a trick on you?"
"It's possible, because there is a character named Yang on the jade pendant, and there happens to be a marquisate in the capital with the surname Yang," Pei Changfeng nodded, "If I'm eager to curry favor with the rich and powerful, I'm very likely to fall into their trap."
Of course, it could also be true, after all, his mother really didn't fit in with that small village.
The next day, Pei Changfeng found the Yang brothers.
The Yang brothers thought he had thought it through, so they all laughed and asked, "When are you going to go back with us to see grandma?"
Pei Changfeng did not enter the house, but just stood at the door. "I can prove that the jade pendant is mine, but how can you prove that you are from the Marquis' Mansion and not someone hired to play a trick on me?"
Yang Tianxiang hesitated for a moment, but Yang Tianqi came closer and said, "Your mother is my aunt. Did you find that we look a bit alike?"
Pei Changfeng looked at it carefully and then shook his head.
"This does not prove that we are from the Marquis' Mansion," Yang Tianxiang said, "If we asked you to go to the capital with us, you would not agree. So, you must go to the capital before the spring examination in March next year. After you go to the capital, someone will naturally take you to the Marquis' Mansion. You will know when you see it."
This is a temporary solution that gets the best of both worlds.
Upon learning of her daughter's death, Lady Yang Hou fainted. When she woke up, she sobbed for a long time, "My daughter, how could I, an old man, send you off when you were young? How could you die so young!"
Ji, the daughter-in-law of the eldest wife of the Marquis's mansion, comforted her, "Mother, Sister Lu has left you a grandson. You should love the child even more. Sister Lu will be happy to see him in heaven."
"Grandson?" Madam Yang was excited. "Yes, where is the child? Where is the child? Why doesn't he come to see me?"
Yang Tianxiang came forward and said, "Grandma, he will come back to see you before the next spring exam. He is busy now and cannot come, but he misses you very much."
The servant unfolded the scroll and saw Pei Changfeng's face clearly. Madam Yang Hou burst into tears, "My Lu'er, my Lu'er..."
"This child looks exactly like Lu Jie'er," Ji Shi also wiped away her tears, "My father-in-law and his family will be happy to hear this news when they return from court."
Yang Tianqi squatted outside the door without saying a word, thinking that his aunt and elder brother were just comforting his grandmother. It didn't make sense that anyone could be happy knowing that their daughter was dead.
Madam Yang had many questions to ask, "How old is he this year? What's his name? What do he like? Does he know that I'm his grandmother? Is he educated?"
"He is twenty-two years old this year. His name is Pei Changfeng. I don't know his preferences for now. I know that you are his grandmother. He is not only a scholar, but also a very good scholar. He is the top scholar in the provincial examination."
"Okay, okay." Lady Yang was relieved, but still sad. She asked everyone to leave and cried as she looked at the portrait.
In late October, it snowed, but the snow was not heavy, and looked like salt particles.
Su Wanwan was not interested in this kind of snow. It was mixed with rain, gloomy and wet, which made people dislike it.
What she likes is the kind of heavy snow that can pile up into a thick layer in one night, so that she can make a snowman the next day.
She was not interested in this kind of snow, and Xiaoxiao was not interested either, so she lay down at Su Wanwan's feet and fell asleep.
There was a stove in the room with a wire mesh on top, on which dates, peanuts and longans could be roasted. Pei Changfeng was reading a book on one side while Su Wanwan was roasting food on the other side.
Because the weather was cold and Su Wanwan didn't want to walk around, she became a little rounder.
She poured a cup of milk tea for Pei Changfeng, then poured herself a cup and started sipping it.
Pei Changfeng looked at her for a few times, and finally put down the book and coughed lightly, "Wanwan, come here."
Su Wanwan tilted her head in confusion, and the tasseled gold hairpin on her head swayed. This hairpin was specially given to Su Wanwan by the wife of Marquis Yang from the capital. There was also a pair of gold bracelets, all of which were worn by Su Wanwan.
She moved her little chair over, "Husband?"
Pei Changfeng patted his legs and motioned for her to sit on it.
Su Wanwan sat over obediently and put her arms around his neck.
For some unknown reason, Pei Changfeng felt comfortable and at ease only when he held Su Wanwan in his arms.
He buried his head in Su Wanwan's neck, took a breath, and continued reading with contentment.
Su Wanwan was not surprised by his behavior and even kissed him on the face as a reward for his progress.
Because of Hu Qi's words, even though the two of them were already sweet and sweet, they never got to that point. Even if Pei Changfeng was hurt from holding it in, he could only kiss Su Wanwan to satisfy his craving.
His legs had gotten better, and now he wouldn't feel any pain even if he stood for a long time. He could even jog a few steps, but it was still far from Pei Changfeng's goal. He wanted to pick up Su Wanwan.
Before he knew it, Su Wanwan fell asleep in his arms. Pei Changfeng smiled, hugged her tightly, and continued reading.
At dawn the next day, Su Wanwan found that it was clear outside the window. She rubbed her eyes and realized that it must be snowing heavily outside.
There was someone shoveling snow in the yard. She went out to see and saw it was Fan Ling.
Fan Ling worked for the Pei family without any complaints and was flexible and adaptable. Su Wanwan admired him very much.
Someone knocked on the door and Fan Ling went to open it.
Song Ming saw him and laughed mockingly, "Brother Fan, why are you still living here?"
Fan Ling ignored him, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to invite Changfeng out for dinner. Brother Fan, would you like to come with us?"
In fact, Song Ming learned from others that Fan Ling was now living with Pei Changfeng, so he came here specifically to ridicule him.
When he was in the academy, Fan Ling always acted aloof. It turned out that he was the son of a concubine and now he works as a servant under Pei Changfeng. If this were to be made public, it would be enough to make people laugh.
His ridicule was obvious, but Fan Ling did not feel angry. From the day he knew that he was the son of a concubine, he had made all preparations. This was why after being abandoned by his mother, he chose to seek help from Pei Changfeng. After all, dignity cannot be eaten, and he still had to take the exam.
"If you invite me, I will go," Fan Ling pretended not to hear his ridicule, "or are you welcoming guests?"
"Brother Fan is really interesting," Song Ming said with an expression of admiration. "Actually, I came here to comfort Brother Fan. You must feel bad for falling into such a situation. Is Brother Fan's mother okay?"
"Song Ming," Pei Changfeng came out of the house, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh nothing, I came to check on you and Brother Fan."
"I've already visited you, so you can go now."
Hearing Pei Changfeng's words, Fan Ling immediately closed the door.
Pei Changfeng, who was called out by Su Wanwan, saw Song Ming leaving and was about to go into the house, but was stopped.
"Did you hear everything?" Fan Ling asked.
"Well," Pei Changfeng admitted, "his voice is a bit loud."
"I am the concubine of the second wife of the Marquis's Mansion," Fan Ling said in a low voice, "You know that too?"
Pei Changfeng was a little surprised, "I just found out."
"But...what does this have to do with me?" Pei Changfeng looked at him. "Your birth is not something you can decide, and you haven't done anything wrong. Instead of dwelling on these things, you should study hard. When you pass the imperial examination in the future, you will have a chance to be proud of yourself."
His words made Fan Ling feel warm in his heart, "I thought you would look down on me, after all, you are from the Marquis' Mansion..."
"But before that, I was just myself," Pei Changfeng walked over and patted his arm, "You are yourself first, and then other identities."
Pei Changfeng doesn't want to be bound by any identity.
Fan Ling suddenly smiled, "I understand."
Su Wanwan was eavesdropping on their conversation in the room and started laughing too.
Studying is boring and tedious. Su Wanwan doesn't think that it is a leisurely thing for Pei Changfeng to sit and read books every day. After all, if she were to do it, she would not be able to pass the exam to become a scholar even if she read books for a hundred years, let alone a juren.
In the evening, Su Wanwan stewed old duck soup specifically for Pei Changfeng and Fan Ling to nourish their bodies. There was also a growing child named Xingzhou, so Su Wanwan had to cook a lot of meals every day.
That day, Widow Liu called Su Wanwan to go for a walk on the street together.
The snow was not heavy, so Su Wanwan changed into thick clothes and shoes, opened an umbrella, and went out with Widow Liu.
Widow Liu had been dreaming about her dead father Su for a while. She felt scared and upset. "Why does your father always come to me? I haven't done anything to let him down."
"I don't know about that. Maybe he missed you?"
In broad daylight, Widow Liu felt a chill on her back. "Stop talking nonsense. If he had the ability, he would have gone to find another wife. I would have never cared about him. Now that he's dead, what's the point of still wanting me? Can I go down to accompany him?"
After she finished speaking, meeting Su Wanwan's dim gaze, Widow Liu realized that she seemed to have said something wrong. She was just afraid, so she couldn't help but say these things.
"Why don't I go back tomorrow and burn some incense for your father? He must be blaming me for coming to the city with you and not caring about him."
Su Dad's body has not been found, and he is regarded as a scoundrel in the village. Every time Widow Liu mentions him, she can't help but complain. If Su Dad hadn't been out exploring the world, he wouldn't have lost his life so early.
Although it was snowing, the streets were still very busy.
A group of children were chasing each other and having a snowball fight. A few naughty ones were using firecrackers to scare people. Su Wanwan watched and listened to what Widow Liu said, wondering if she could agree with them.
The kang pancakes in the stall in front were emitting a fragrant aroma. Su Wanwan asked Widow Liu, "Do you want to eat some?"
Widow Liu looked at her waist, which had thickened by at least an inch, and gently reminded her, "Don't eat it anymore. If you eat more, the pigs will be slaughtered."
Su Wanwan: “…”
Su Wanwan really couldn't control her appetite, so she ended up buying a cake to eat and also bought one for Widow Liu.
Widow Liu muttered, "I always feel like you might be pregnant. I heard that some people don't even know they're pregnant. Let me take you to the clinic to have a look. Don't mess around and lose the baby."
"Definitely not."
She kept talking about children all day long, and Su Wanwan was almost tired of hearing it, but in fact, she didn't have one. If she really was pregnant now, then this family would break up.
"Oh, by the way, after the New Year, we will go to the temple to pray and burn some incense, asking the gods to bless Changfeng to become the top scholar. I heard that there is a very powerful temple, and many family members of scholars worship there."
"Then you might as well worship him instead of Buddha. Studying is his business. He has worked hard on his own. The heavens can only help him add some fuel to the fire."
"That's true, but we still have to worship. What if we just need this little piece of firewood? Oh, by the way, I've been wondering, this damn kid Chao Chao is always unwilling to study. Can he pass the imperial examination in the future?"
Widow Liu had a lot of problems to worry about. Su Wanwan stared at her for a while, and Widow Liu felt a little uncomfortable. "Silly girl, why are you always staring at me?"
Su Wanwan pondered for a while, "Don't you think you have a few more wrinkles on your face?"
Widow Liu's eyebrows jumped and she reached out to touch her face, "Really?"
"Well," Su Wanwan said with a serious expression, "I heard that worrying too much will make you old."
Although she knew that Su Wanwan was joking, Widow Liu finally stopped nagging.
The two walked and stopped along the way. Widow Liu came to the cloth shop and saw a piece of cloth whose color was particularly suitable for Su Wanwan. "It will definitely look good if you take that cloth back and make a skirt with it."
After she finished speaking, she didn't hear any answer. Widow Liu turned around in confusion, only to see that there was nothing behind her. Su Wanwan was gone!
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