"No, we live in harmony with the people down the mountain."
"Were they bandits before?"
Qiu Su smiled and said, "I don't think so, we..."
"That Yuan'er, how dare he lie to me!" Madam Pei quickened her pace and, without waiting for Qiu Su to finish speaking, hurried to the front hall.
Qiu Su slumped her shoulders and listlessly quickened her pace to catch up. Qingfeng Village was truly carefree; there was no need for such caution. She could do whatever she wanted there. Now, she dared not make a single mistake. Sigh, Qiu Su sighed inwardly.
*******************************
Qingfeng Theater:
Pei's mother: Yuan'er, you actually brought back a female bandit for your mother?
Qiu Su: Zi Qing, I'm in pain all over my body, are you going to take care of me or not?
twenty four
24. Always getting into trouble as soon as you step out the door...
The front hall was brightly lit, and some of the food had already been served. Pei Yuan and Pei Xiang were sitting at a table on one side, talking quietly. When they saw Qiu Su and Pei's mother enter, Pei Yuan smiled, stood up, winked at Qiu Su, and took Pei's mother's arm from Yu Hua, saying, "Who made Mother angry? Tsk tsk, look at her dark face!"
"You're still laughing!" Pei's mother gave Pei Yuan's arm a light pinch, and Pei Yuan pretended to jump back a step.
"You say your wife is from a prominent family? Well, a truly impressive family. Hmph, indeed, she's from a mountain! What mansion has that kind of grandeur!"
Pei Yuan helped his mother to one side and whispered something in her ear. His mother's expression was strange, sometimes surprised, sometimes nervous, and she would glance at Qiu Su from time to time. Qiu Su was puzzled and felt uncomfortable being stared at, so she could only look away. Her eyes turned and met Pei Xiang's gaze.
His eyes, sharp yet piercing, glanced at Qiu Su before softening, and he gestured for her to sit down. Qiu Su looked at Pei's mother not far away, and dared not move, only shaking her head in place.
Pei Xiang was only forty years old, but he didn't look old at all, and he didn't resemble Pei Yuan much. Well, it wouldn't be accurate to say they weren't similar; his eyes were still very sharp when they flashed, and like Pei Yuan, his face was gentle but with hidden features.
The two chattered for a while, and Qiu Su felt her legs, which hadn't had a chance to rest since being tormented by someone, were about to give out when she finally saw Pei's mother look enlightened, nod at her, and soften her expression. Qiu Su didn't have the energy to figure out what her nod meant; she just wanted to rush back to bed and sleep. Fortunately, after her enlightenment, Pei's mother went back to the table, waited for Pei Xiang to sit down, and then sat down as well, nodding to Qiu Su and waving to Yu Hua beside her.
Yu Hua took the soup from the maid and placed it on the table, after which the other maids began to serve the dishes one after another. Oh, alright, we can finally eat.
During the meal, Pei's mother didn't say anything more. After the meal, she told Qiu Su, "Go back and get some rest."
Qiu Su was flattered and, quite impolitely, let out a burp. Madam Pei's face stiffened again. Qiu Su quickly covered her mouth, shook her head, and mumbled, "It's not from being full."
Pei Yuan grinned behind him, while Pei's mother laughed in exasperation and left at Pei Xiang's signal.
As the two elders walked along the road, Pei's mother spoke first, "Although Qiu Su has saved Yuan'er's life twice, she is still a bit dull. Alas, she is also a former bandit."
Pei Xiang shook his head and said, "It's only a matter of time before Yuan'er ends up with her. It's not just about a life; Yuan'er's future is also in her hands."
"What do you mean by that, sir?" Madam Pei asked, puzzled.
Pei Xiang avoided answering, "Don't you think this girl looks a bit like someone?"
"Looks like whom? I don't know any bandits, and they look..." Pei's mother paused, took a breath, and asked in surprise, "Those eyes, theirs?"
Seeing Pei Xiang nod, he hurriedly said, "How could that be? Back then it wasn't..."
"Too much talk leads to mistakes. Madam, just remember that she is a daughter-in-law of the Pei family. As for everything else, whatever Yuan'er says is true. But Madam, regarding that girl..."
"Sigh, I know, I was afraid our Yuan'er wouldn't have that blessing." Madam Pei lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "Judging from his behavior, he really doesn't seem like it at all. Poor thing, he's been without parents since he was little."
Pei Xiang sighed, looked up at the vast night sky, and said, "Fate is predetermined, but perhaps even fate will change."
On the other side, Pei Yuan was still grinning, making Qiu Su hiccup repeatedly. Pei Yuan reached out to take Qiu Su's hand, but Qiu Su frowned and dodged. She hadn't had time to herself all day, and she was really missing him terribly. Qiu Su ignored the hiccups, stood with her hands behind her back for a moment, and then walked towards the east courtyard with her chin slightly raised.
"Where exactly does the mountain lord live?"
"The woodshed in the backyard."
"Could you move into my yard?"
The words "in my courtyard" clearly pleased Pei Yuan. He smiled and said, "Alright, from now on, my wife will be the young mistress of the manor, free to do whatever she wants in her own courtyard. Just keep an eye on things and make sure the mountain lord doesn't hurt anyone."
"The mountain lord does not like to eat human flesh."
"Oh, there's one more."
"Um?"
"You are not allowed to sleep in bed."
Qiu Su glanced at Pei Yuan, but her hiccup came at the worst possible time, and the glance lacked any authority. Pei Yuan, seeing the courtyard gate nearby and no one else around, bent down, picked up Qiu Su, and weighed her in his arms. Qiu Su was so startled that her hiccup turned into a loud shout, her chieftain's aura vanishing instantly. She punched Pei Yuan, saying, "What are you doing? I haven't even gone to see the mountain lord yet!"
"You'll see it when it moves over tomorrow." Pei Yuan pinched her leg maliciously. "Aren't you tired, my wife?"
I'm really tired. Qiu Su frowned and thought for a moment before asking, "What did you say to your mother-in-law?"
"you guess?"
"About me saving you?"
"Guess again?"
"boring."
"Hehe, I was wondering why my wife was so carefree and unwilling to come to the capital with me. I went to great lengths to marry her. If she doesn't like it, I can't guarantee I'll have any grandchildren to hold in the future." Pei Yuan hugged Qiu Su and pressed her onto the bed, giving her a hard peck. "And besides, who knows, there might be a Pei family child in her belly."
Qiu Su rolled her eyes, looked up at the sky speechlessly, found a relatively comfortable position, and closed her eyes. Pei Yuan didn't make a fuss anymore. Seeing that she was indeed sleepy, he skipped even the bedtime wash and told Huang Tao to leave. He then held Qiu Su and went to sleep.
She slept soundly through the night, but when she opened her eyes, Pei Yuan was no longer beside her. It was rare that they weren't in an inn or carriage, so Qiu Su's first instinct was to turn over and continue sleeping. But as soon as she turned, she was startled and cried out, "Huang Tao!"
"What is it, Miss?" Huang Tao scurried to the bedside with a smile, her gaze lingering suggestively on Qiu Su's neck. Tsk tsk, those little strawberries are so perfectly proportioned.
Qiu Su frowned and adjusted her collar. "Hurry up and help me wash up, it's late."
"Hehe, the young master said there's no need to wake Miss up, and that Miss should just be the same as she was when she was at Qingyuan Mountain. Just now, Yu Hua, who was by Madam's side, also came over and said that Miss doesn't need to go to pay her respects in the future."
Ha, if things could really be the same, I'd definitely get a cold shoulder from my mother-in-law. What did Aunt Zhou say before we left? "On the mountain, we're all family, whatever we want is fine. But once we're in the Pei residence, we're part of the Pei family, and we have to follow their rules." Of course, the Pei family is family too, but to be as carefree as in Qingfeng Village, it's a far cry. Miss, please be a little less demanding, please please your mother-in-law, and then things will be like they were on the mountain. Of course, you can't just endure it all. If anyone bullies you, you'll retaliate a hundredfold. Our Qingfeng Village chief isn't made of stone.
However, since her mother-in-law has spoken up, well, can she not go?
Thinking this, her feet still stubbornly moved towards Pei's mother's courtyard. There was a girl beside Pei's mother, a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, whose appearance clearly showed she had come from Pei's mother's womb. Seeing Qiu Su enter, she skipped and hopped to her side, circling her and smiling sweetly, saying, "Are you my brother's bride?"