NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13 - II
After freshening up, it was already evening. Pei Xing lit an oil lamp and led them to Zhou Yan’s house, which was just a few steps away. When they entered the courtyard, they were greeted by a large round table.
“Oh, you’ve arrived, there is no need to call.” The woman who spoke had a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but she was still quite attractive. She first appeared surprised to see Shi Yi and then seemed pleased. “Young Master Pei have been looking forward to this day. Just call me Aunt Hong.”
Pei Xing explained that Aunt Hong was a relative he had rescued during his travels four years ago. She had a ten-year-old daughter named Hong Luo.
Shi Yi greeted her as Aunt with a smile and knelt down to take Xiao Liu’s hand. He pointed to Hong Luo and said, “My dear, this is your sister. You can play with her in the future. Do you want to play together?”
Xiao Liu hadn’t interacted much with children his age before, and now he felt a little shy looking at a lovely girl his own age wearing a yellow dress. He hesitated for a moment but eventually called out, “Sister.”
Hong Luo had a fiery personality, so she immediately responded and pulled Xiao Liu to sit next to her. When Aunt Hong saw this, she initially wanted to scold her daughter for being impolite, but then she noticed Pei Xing’s fond expression and decided not to say anything. She sat down happily in her seat.
She was pleased that Young Master Pei liked a person that was down-to-earth and kind.
During the meal, they also met Song Ning’s mother, a handsome shuanger in his thirties with a gentle temperament. He didn’t speak much but had a gracious demeanor.
At the table, Father Song and Pei Xing raised their glasses. “Boy, do you think my Xiao Yan can pass it this time?”
Pei Xing glanced at Zhou Yan, who wasn’t entirely sure either.
“It shouldn’t be a big problem; he should be able to manage it.” Pei Xing took a sip of wine and found it quite good. He wasn’t lying; he had been guiding Zhou Yan step by step, and unless something unexpected happened, passing the martial arts exam shouldn’t be difficult.
Father Song had been to the battlefield when he was young. His wife was pregnant when he left, and he was gone for four years. When he returned, he found his wife had passed away during childbirth, leaving only one daughter for his parents to raise.
Less than two years after he returned, the imperial court once again called for troops, and he served for another four years. When he returned this time, he had passed the scholar’s exam. He also brought back a shuanger who was Song Ning’s mother. Father Song didn’t elaborate on where he came from but simply added him to the family tree and worshiped with him in the ancestral hall.
After getting married and only had one child, Song Ning, people in the village gossiped about their relationship. Nonetheless, the bond between the two was strong.
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“Hahaha, good lad, Uncle Song believes in you.” Father Song took a deep breath and smiled widely. Though Zhou Yan was adopted, he was treated as a biological child. Moreover, he was a good-natured boy who had been close to Xiao Ning.
As long as one of them passed the exam, it would be a success. Father Song didn’t expect his child to become a high-ranking official but rather hoped that he would secure a government position, offering protection and a path for the oldest girl of their family to hold her head high in her husband’s home.
“Don’t drink so much; it’s not good for your health.” Lin Ke extended his delicate fingers and held Father Song’s thick wrist. Although he was expressing his disapproval, his words remained warm and gentle.
Father Song knew his wife’s temperament, so he truly regretted it when he warned. If he didn’t heed him, he would undoubtedly be heartbroken again.
Father Song didn’t drink wine anymore. Instead, he held his wife’s hand and ate some vegetables. His caring and considerate attitude towards Lin Ke surprised Shi Yi.
Shi Yi couldn’t help but admire how well Father Song treated his wife. The delicate and white fingers of Uncle Lin were clearly not meant for heavy labor.
Pei Xing, who always kept an eye on Shi Yi, noticed his admiration and thought he might be envious. To make him feel comfortable, Pei Xing placed some vegetables in his bowl and poured a cup of sour plum juice for him. He spoke warmly, “You’re still injured, so you can’t drink wine. You can have this instead.”
Shi Yi nodded and took a sip of the sour plum juice, finding it to be sweet and delicious.
“It’s quite tasty. Don’t worry about me; I can serve myself.”
Pei Xing gave him a deep look. Ever since he encountered Shi Yi again, he had noticed that Shi Yi occasionally displayed a submissive side, something unlike him in their previous life.
“A good man loves his wife, just like your uncle.” Father Song looked at Pei Xing as if he were his own child.
Having returned with a wife from the war and Pei Xing bringing a wife back after the exam, their similar experiences brought them closer. He liked it even more as he looked at Pei Xing, this kid truly like himself, unlike the stupid boy he raised at home.
Just as Father Song was about to say more about Zhou Yan, he observed the young man placing a piece of spareribs into Song Ning’s bowl, saying with a childlike smile, “Xiao Ning, this is delicious; you should try it.”
It wasn’t overly naive, and Father Song nodded in delight, watching his wife with a soft smile on his lips, feeling the warmth in his heart.
The greatest blessing in his life was marrying Lin Ke. His young wife was gentle and tender, causing his heart to swell with love.
When he returned from the war, he had found him on the roadside, suffering from illness and being sold for a low price. People admired his striking appearance but were too scared of contracting diseases to purchase him.
In a chaotic world where human life was considered expendable, his shuanger’s lowly status meant he had no one to protect him. The harsh circumstances moved Father Song, and he spent three taels of silver to buy him.
Father Song invited a doctor, who said it was critically ill. Under his care, the shuanger miraculously recovered. Father Song brought him back and the two lived together for most of their lives.
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After the meal, it was late at night. Pei Xing carried the sleeping Xiao Liu in his arms. Shi Yi held an oil lamp to light their way. They arrived in the courtyard, and Pei Xing didn’t carry Xiao Liu to the room in the northwest corner. Instead, he brought him to the back and entered the house where Aunt Hong lived.
“I asked Aunt Hong to prepare this house early in the morning. It’s connected to the one where Aunt Hong lives. It’s very convenient for taking care of him.”
Shi Yi thought. Xiao Liu was growing older and couldn’t sleep with him all the time.
Shi Yi didn’t object to Pei Xing’s approach and simply asked Aunt Hong to take care of Xiao Liu.
Pei Xing took him back to the original room. Shi Yi was exhausted, and he fell asleep without much thought.
Pei Xing wanted them to build a warm relationship, so he kissed Shi Yi’s beautiful face lovingly, applied medicine to his injuries, and then laid down, holding him tightly in his arms.