You can't see into someone's heart; who knows when Ji Pingxi's words and heart will change again?
Marriage is a serious matter and should be taken very seriously. Zhizhi has been hasty in her decision, so her mother must think it over carefully for her daughter's sake.
She was so worried that she couldn't sleep at night, tossing and turning, asking the maid who was waiting outside the room, "Is she still blocking the door?"
"Your Highness is still here, Madam."
Hearing this, Liu Boyan became even more worried.
Princess kept pestering her, how could Zhizhi bear to leave her?
Unable to sleep, she got up from the bed and said, "I'll go take a look."
As the stars and moon shone brightly and the entire capital city slept beneath the celestial canopy, the vermilion gate that had been closed for the entire day slowly opened.
Hearing the noise, Ji Pingxi's eyes lit up: "Mother-in-law?!"
Liu Boyan was immediately surprised by her energetic demeanor as soon as she stepped out of the door: What time is it? Why isn't the little rascal asleep yet?
She kept a straight face. The 'beating' she had given during the day was the limit of what she could do. But seeing the energetic young man, she quickly relaxed—it didn't look like he was seriously injured, which was not good.
Thinking that her daughter had barely eaten any dinner, she looked at Ji Pingxi with increasingly critical eyes: "Did Your Highness eat well for dinner?"
Faced with her question, Ji Pingxi dared not give a perfunctory answer and replied respectfully, "I ate a plate of drunken roast chicken, half a plate of bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork, and braised tofu..."
She paused, looking shy, and dared not lie any longer: "I also drank a little less than half a bowl of congee."
"..."
The food was quite good.
My appetite is good.
Liu Boyan turned and left with a blank expression.
She was worried that the princess of the royal family would block her door and go on a hunger strike, but it turns out that it was she and her daughter who were not eating well and had no appetite!
She was so angry that her head went blank, and the door slammed shut behind her without any politeness.
Ji Pingxi was dumbfounded, her face suddenly fell, and she muttered to herself, "How can I please my mother-in-law if I don't eat my fill? But even if I do eat my fill, she doesn't seem happy..."
After thinking it over, she sighed and said, "Then I'll just eat until I'm half full."
Meanwhile, Liu Boyan went out late at night to check on her swindler son-in-law to see if he had eaten well, but when she returned to her room, she was so angry that she burst into tears.
What terrible things has Zhizhi done?!
How could you give your heart to such a heartless person?
For the next few days, Ji Pingxi drank at the entrance of the Yu family's house when he was thirsty, ate at the entrance of the Yu family's house when he was hungry, and went to the latrine of the nearest inn when he needed to use the toilet. He took care of all his needs, and it had been three days and three nights since he had slept.
My eyes are bloodshot from staying up all night.
Upon closer inspection, it resembled a fair-skinned, red-eyed rabbit.
She was naturally beautiful, but after all that hardship, she finally looked a bit haggard. When Liu Boyan saw her, he ignored her and no longer cared whether she had eaten or slept well, deliberately leaving her aside.
"mother in law!"
Finally, when Yu's mother returned from grocery shopping, Ji Pingxi blocked the doorway, his eyes red: "Mother-in-law, I truly want to marry Zhizhi..."
"Absolutely impossible, Your Highness, give up on that idea!"
“Mother-in-law…” she said softly, “It is right for you to blame me, but everyone makes mistakes in life. Once you make a mistake, there is no chance to correct it. It would be better if you beat me to death with sticks than if I suffer from unbearable longing and heartbreak.”
"Suffering?" Liu Boyan laughed coldly. "Your Highness is so elegant, where is the suffering? My daughter has been eating and sleeping poorly these past few days and is getting thinner and thinner. I bought groceries for her. Please step aside, Your Highness. If you delay my daughter's meal, only this old woman will feel sorry for her."
"How can it be just my mother-in-law? Please, mother-in-law, let me see Zhizhi!" Ji Pingxi was so anxious that tears streamed down her face, and her throat tightened with emotion: "Please, mother-in-law."
"..."
Having grown accustomed to seeing her daughter cry, Yu's mother was quite startled to suddenly see the princess crying. She felt strangely at ease, then belatedly realized that the person in front of her was also a woman.
After her initial anger subsided, she was unwilling to break up the couple, but the couple had to be a good one.
The son-in-law of the past was truly good. He carried her down the mountain, cared for her, and faced powerful enemies without backing down for her sake. He was even willing to give up the second most miraculous elixir in the world, the Rejuvenation Pill...
Thinking back to the past, Liu Boyan's heart softened: "Logically speaking, you are His Highness, and I shouldn't be ordering you around."
"How can you say I'm ordering you around? Your son-in-law is willing to share your burdens!"
Her worried expression seemed genuine. The beautiful woman carrying the vegetable basket took down the basket full of fresh vegetables, and Ji Pingxi quickly took it, almost snatching it away.
The stunningly beautiful woman was carrying a vegetable basket on her arm. Liu Boyan couldn't help but laugh at the sight, but she suppressed a laugh and asked, "Can you cook?"
At this critical juncture, you have to say you do even if you don't.
"Stop lying!"
"..."
Ji Pingxi looked guilty and cleared his throat: "I will learn."
Chapter 88 Sweet and Sour
Liu Boyan glanced at the younger generation, suppressing her inner turmoil, and graciously said, "Come with me."
After several days, Ji Pingxi finally stepped through this door again. He was in a great mood, and his face lit up: "Thank you, Mother-in-law!"
She'd gotten used to calling her "mother-in-law," and now she was the kind of mother-in-law who was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. The princess eagerly followed the woman into the mansion.
Now that Liu Boyan's eyesight has returned and she can see clearly, at least the joy on His Highness's face doesn't seem fake.
She was not that kind of hard-hearted person after all.
Considering the princess's status, it would be inappropriate to stand at her gate every day. There are many people on the street, and putting aside other matters, people value their reputation. Some people might tolerate a mother-in-law who tries to separate lovers in order to win back their beloved woman, but they might not be able to tolerate the mixed opinions of the world.
In just a few days, the story of Princess Changyang "taking a concubine as a wife" and "changing her mind" became known to everyone. Although Liu Boyan did not say it, she was quite satisfied that she had been able to hold on until now.
Not wanting his daughter and son-in-law to become the subject of gossip, he softened his heart and let her into the family.
Even if her mother was unwilling to admit it, her daughter had become His Highness's woman and was wholeheartedly in love with the golden branch and jade leaf in the clouds.
Liu Boyan only has this one daughter, so naturally she can't spoil her too much.
Unable to change her daughter's mind and make her forget her love for the prince, all she could do was to properly train her son-in-law, who was of noble birth.
Things that come too easily are often not cherished. If Xixi can't endure this hardship, giving up early might not be a bad thing for Zhizhi.
A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. It's better for everyone to see a person's true colors sooner rather than later.
Liu Boyan remained silent on the way into the mansion, while Ji Pingxi obediently followed behind, ignoring the subtle glances cast at him by the servants. He followed his mother-in-law to the kitchen with an open and honest demeanor.
"You can't cook, but you can make plum juice?"
"This one," Ji Pingxi added shyly, "is just that the brewed version doesn't taste very good."
"..."
Speaking the truth earned him a sharp glare from his mother-in-law, who said, "What use are you?"
Ji Pingxi was also helpless. She had learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, swordsmanship, and classics well. Who would have thought that one day she would have to wash her hands and cook for others?
She has only been in the kitchen a handful of times in the past nineteen years, so cooking skills are definitely her weakness.
To avoid lowering her mother-in-law's expectations of her cooking, she had to be upfront about the worst possible outcome.
With a few swift strokes, Liu Boyan wrote down the recipe for brewing sour plum soup. As expected of someone from the Jinghe Liu family, she had written beautiful and elegant characters.
"Follow these steps."
"Is this brewed for Zhizhi to drink?"
"Yes." Liu Boyan told her frankly, "But I won't tell her that you made it."
"That's fine, whatever makes your mother-in-law happy."
After reading the prescription once, Ji Pingxi quickly memorized it and smiled broadly.
As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. She was in a good mood, and the woman pursed her lips: "Can you start a fire?"
"meeting!"
This answer was crisp, decisive, and resounding.
Liu Boyan nodded: "You make the plum juice first, and I'll bring it to Zhizhi when it's done."
"Alright, Mother-in-law, watch carefully."
On a hot summer day, a bowl of chilled plum juice is both appetizing and refreshing. Cooking for the girl he likes fills Ji Pingxi with high spirits.
Her words and actions were nothing like those of a princess; she was approachable and spoke in a simple and down-to-earth manner, just like a child from an ordinary family, without any unnecessary frills.
Yu's mother's previous affection for her was genuine, and seeing her roll up her sleeves and start working now, she felt a mix of emotions.
Every mother dreams of her child finding a good husband.
Unfortunately, the man was a complete scoundrel.
She couldn't even imagine what would happen to her precious daughter if Xi Xi didn't fall for her in the end.
Liu Boyan sat on the round wooden stool, staring blankly at her back.
At first, Ji Pingxi would be flustered by her influence, but once he really put his mind to it, he forgot that there was a pair of eyes behind him.
Sour plum, hawthorn, dried tangerine peel, mint...
One by one, the ingredients were added, the fire was blazing, and then turned into a simmer. Princess Changyang's inner garment was soaked with sweat, and her hair was damp with a thin layer of moisture. Even so, her face was still breathtakingly beautiful.
Sweat dripped from his pointed chin, and Ji Pingxi hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe it away.
As it turns out, cooking is no easier than playing the piano, painting, or practicing martial arts. Looking at the boiling soup in the pot, she thought of it as a bowl of plum juice filled with love, and felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She turned her head and gently thanked her mother-in-law for giving her this opportunity.
The princess, dressed in a brocade robe with begonia blossoms, moved about the stove amidst the smoke and fire of the human world, her apron tied around her waist. Liu Boyan looked around and slowly began to understand something – no wonder her daughter liked her so much. With such a captivating face, plus a lot of charm and a little bit of thoughtfulness, how could her Zhizhi possibly be a match for her?
Zhizhi was twenty-three years old and still unmarried. She was considered old, poor, and had a blind mother who was a burden to her. She had never been in love before and did not know the horror of love. She fell head over heels for him under the guise of being a concubine and lost her soul...
Liu Boyan's expression shifted, and she suddenly asked, "How do you usually bully her?"
"ah?"
The person blushed and stood there speechless, which only added to the discomfort of watching.
"Go about your business."