Chapter 152 A Woman's Heart is Like a Needle in the Sea
Early the next morning, there was thunder and lightning.
The torrential rain lasted for three hours, and instead of decreasing, it intensified.
The rumbling of thunder echoed intermittently, shattering the dark, cloud-covered sky and waking the people of Shuzhou from their sleep.
Xiao Wuge was one of them.
He wasn't afraid, but this kind of weather always reminded him of some unpleasant memories.
He got up and looked around. The candles in the dimly lit room had long been extinguished, and only when lightning flashed did they illuminate the room for a moment.
Let him know that he is in Jiaxingyuan, not Chunheyuan.
I sat there for a moment, lost in thought.
Xiao Wuge got up, struggled to put on a long robe, and went outside.
His wide, long robe hung loosely on his body, untied by any sash.
"Master, are you awake?"
Cui'er, who was guarding outside the door, heard the sound, turned around and saw him. She quickly came over, straightened his clothes and tied the ties, and then used a warm towel to wipe his face and rinse his mouth.
Seemingly sensing that Xiao Wuge wanted to go out, Cui'er quickened her pace while asking with a smile:
"Young Master, are you going to see the Eldest Miss?"
Looking at the torrential rain and thunder outside the window, Xiao Wuge shook his head and said, "It's not hot anymore. I'm going to Chunhe Garden to find my brother-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Cui'er smiled and nodded, comforting her, "Then after Cui'er has tidied your clothes, I will take you to Chunhe Garden to find the young master."
"My son-in-law is going to Guiyun Academy today, he should be awake and having breakfast by now."
"Oh, I'll go eat there too."
As they spoke, they straightened their clothes and went downstairs.
Xiao Wan'er, who was sitting in the living room looking out the door, saw the two of them and said with a gentle smile:
"Wu Ge, are you hungry? I've already told Juan'er to bring breakfast from the kitchen. It'll be ready in a moment."
Xiao Wuge shook his head again, "Big sister, I'm going to Chunhe Garden to eat with my brother-in-law."
Xiao Wan'er's smile faltered. "It's raining heavily right now, which is quite inconvenient. It's better to go after breakfast."
"But we arrived too late, and my brother-in-law had already left the mansion for Guiyun Academy."
Seeing that he was speaking seriously, Xiao Wan'er hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said:
"In that case, I'll take you there first, so you won't slip and fall on the wet roads."
Although Xiao Wuge felt it was inappropriate to be treated like a child, he was still happy to be back in Chunhe Garden.
Then Xiao Wan'er asked Cui'er to find a raincoat for Xiao Wuge to wear, and then put an oil-paper umbrella on him before they walked out of the wooden building toward Chunhe Garden.
While carefully avoiding the puddles, Xiao Wan'er protected Xiao Wuge and said with a smile:
“When it’s hot, you come to Jiaxingyuan; as soon as the weather cools down, you go back to Chunheyuan.”
"You really think of your older sister as a fan to beat the summer heat?"
Xiao Wuge knew she wasn't angry, so he just chuckled twice.
"laugh."
Xiao Wan'er tapped his head, but could only go along with him.
However, as they approached Chunhe Garden, Xiao Wan'er hesitated somewhat.
In the past few days, apart from yesterday when she met Chen Yi because of a letter from Xiao Jinghong, the two of them haven't been in touch at all.
Most of the time, she learned what Chen Yi was doing from Xiao Wuge.
Playing chess, practicing calligraphy, drinking tea, and fishing.
I occasionally go out for a stroll.
For example, you could go to the West Market to watch a couple from out of town arguing, or go to the North of the City to watch two scholars compete in composing couplets.
Or, when you go to the East Market, you might see barbarian laborers who have escaped but have been caught and whipped.
She was certainly more carefree than the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion, seemingly without any worries.
When Xiao Wan'er learned of this, she couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions.
Whenever she recalls what happened that day, she wonders if she overreacted or overthought things.
Aside from the phrase "A fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman," my brother-in-law didn't do anything excessive.
The reason he glanced at Miss Wan Rourou a couple more times was because the Criminal Investigation Department had caught the murderer who killed Liu Jing.
This has also been confirmed by the prefectural government in the past two days.
As a result, the old master lifted the martial law in the mansion.
Thinking about all this, Xiao Wan'er couldn't help but reflect.
After thinking it over, it seems she did overreact a bit.
But...
When she saw Chen Yi yesterday, some words she wanted to explain were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.
Then, out of nowhere, she said a few words that sounded preachy.
Such as paying attention to etiquette and the demeanor of a gentleman, etc.
Xiao Wan'er didn't even know why she said those things, and afterwards she inevitably felt they were inappropriate.
She didn't sleep well last night.
When the thunder roared in the latter half of the night, she found it even harder to fall asleep.
Thinking about all this, Xiao Wan'er looked down at Xiao Wuge and asked, "Do I look unwell?"
Xiao Wuge looked up and saw only a slightly pale face with downturned eyebrows and eyes.
"No, my sister looks much better than before."
Is that so?
Xiao Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief, clearing her mind of the jumbled thoughts, and a smile appeared on her face. "Let's go."
When the two arrived at Chunhe Garden, Chen Yi had just come downstairs to have breakfast.
Seeing them was somewhat unexpected, but there was no unusual expression on their faces.
While inviting them in, he instructed Xiaodie to add two more sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing this, Xiao Wan'er swallowed back what she was about to say about going back to Jiaxingyuan for dinner, and sat down at the dining table with Xiao Wuge.
Looking around, she asked, "Hasn't Guanli gotten up yet?"
Chen Yi sat opposite her, picking up some snacks from the table and eating them while shaking his head and saying:
"I just asked Xiaodie to inquire, and she said that he has made some progress in martial arts and is now practicing diligently."
Xiao Wan'er hummed in agreement, and when she saw his eyes looking over, she unconsciously lowered her head and drank her porridge.
I cheered myself up.
This time, we should say something conciliatory and let bygones be bygones.
Before she could even figure out how to start the conversation, Chen Yi finished a pastry and asked with a smile:
"My sister said she wanted to meet the owner of Baicaotang. Do you still want to meet him?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er's train of thought was interrupted, and she nodded hesitantly.
"I need to see him."
“The other day, Wang Ji came over and brought such a large sum of money. I should thank him in person.”
After saying this, Xiao Wan'er couldn't help but feel puzzled.
It seems my brother-in-law hasn't taken the previous incident to heart; he's still speaking and acting the same way as before.
Chen Yi, of course, couldn't see through her thoughts, and simply smiled and said:
"When I return from Guiyun Academy later, I will go to the West Market to confirm the date with Manager Wang and buy some things while I'm there."
Xiao Wan'er hummed in agreement.
She glanced at Chen Yi, who was eating by himself, and after a careful examination, she made up her mind.
My brother-in-law was indeed unaffected by what happened before, and didn't take it to heart at all.
It seems that the phrase "a graceful lady" was really just a casual joke.
So, I was just overthinking everything?
Thinking of this, Xiao Wan'er's lips twitched slightly.
A rare and unusual expression appeared on his face, a reproachful look that was neither truly resentful nor truly reproachful.
Just then, Chen Yi looked up and saw the expression on her face, which puzzled him.
He looked down at himself and saw that there was nothing wrong with him.
Dressed in white, with his hair neatly combed, he was the epitome of a refined and approachable scholar.
"Big sister, is there anything else you need?"
When Xiao Wan'er realized that he had discovered her, she calmed herself down and replied that it was nothing, then lowered her head to eat.
"..."
Chen Yi glanced at her, then at Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die, who seemed completely oblivious. Seeing that nothing seemed amiss, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
Did I just see it wrong?
Just then, Xiao Wan'er put down her chopsticks and said in a calm tone:
“My second sister wrote to me yesterday, and I plan to write a reply to her today. My brother-in-law will give it to me when he returns from the West Market, and I will send someone to deliver it to him.”
Chen Yi nodded in agreement, thinking to himself that he must have misread it.
The two of them had just cleared up what happened yesterday, and he hadn't said anything today, so it was unlikely that he would displease Xiao Wan'er.
But no sooner had this thought crossed his mind than Xiao Wan'er spoke up:
"Wu Ge, remember to change into something more formal after you finish eating."
"The etiquette teacher I hired for you is coming today, so you must not be impolite."
Xiao Wuge was slightly taken aback. Seeing her serious expression, which did not seem to be fake, he could only nod and say, "I understand, sister."
As he spoke, he gave Chen Yi a look that suggested he was about to cry but had no tears.
The expression on Pei Guanli's face was exactly the same as when she uttered twenty "help" characters in one breath yesterday.
Chen Yi shrugged, unable to help.
It was obvious that he had just offended Xiao Wan'er in some way, so there was no way he could help Xiao Wuge.
But he probably didn't say anything, right?
After thinking it over and over, Chen Yi still couldn't figure it out, so he could only attribute it to Xiao Wan'er still remembering what happened before.
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.
Our ancestors were right.
Not long after.
After everyone finished breakfast, Chen Yi refused Xiao Die's request to call for a carriage. Instead, he took his oil-paper umbrella and prepared to go to the front yard alone to see if there were any carriages left in the mansion.
After bidding farewell to Xiao Wan'er and the others, he left Chunhe Garden.
As Xiao Wan'er watched him walk away, her tense face relaxed, and she let out a soft sigh.
It seems she did something inexplicable again.
She had clearly planned to mend her relationship with her brother-in-law before she came, but...
Xiao Wuge glanced at her face, noticing the slight furrow in her brows, and couldn't help but speak:
"Sister, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"
Xiao Wan'er snapped out of her daze, turned to look at him, and asked, "Do I look pale?"
"Some, but a little worse than before."
"I see. Perhaps it's because they're worried about your studies and manners. When the teacher arrives, I'll have Cui'er stay with you."
"..."
Stay with me?
They're probably watching me.
As Xiao Wuge thought about it, a worried expression suddenly appeared on his face, which seemed out of place for his young age.
Why should I ask that question?
Xiao Wan'er glanced at him, her mood seemed to improve, and after giving a few instructions, she headed straight for Jiaxing Garden.
Next time.
Next time, I should try to smooth things over with my brother-in-law and let bygones be bygones.
...
Chen Yi arrived at the front courtyard and saw that all the armored soldiers in the mansion were there.
Even Ge Laosan, whom I hadn't seen for several days, was there.
It seems that because of what happened before, Ge Laosan is being teased by Liu Si'er and others.
"Third brother, how are things feeling in the honeymoon phase?"
"Wonderful, beyond words."
"You dog, how could you do such a thing? You're lucky the Marquis didn't kill you."
"hey-hey……"
Just as Ge Laosan was about to continue his cursing, he saw Chen Yi and quickly called out:
"Young master, are you going out?"
"Yes, let's go to Guiyun Academy."
(End of this chapter)
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