Wei Mingze, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, carried a bundle and a water pouch, looking at Su Xiuer and Su Xiaobao with heartache and anxiety.
He quickened his steps, arriving before Su Xiuer and Su Xiaobao, and crouched down to touch Su Xiaobao's bandaged arm, his voice choked with emotion.
"Xiaobao, it must hurt a lot. It's all my fault for being useless and not protecting you."
Su Xiaobao shifted his body, avoiding Wei Mingze's touch, and pointed to a dense cluster of bamboo behind them: "When the dog was chasing me just now, I saw you hiding behind there."
Wei Mingze hadn't expected Su Xiaobao's eyesight to be so sharp, and his outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
He clenched the bundle in his hand, which contained some chestnut cakes and steamed buns.
These were provisions he had specially prepared to help after learning that Duan Zhenzhu intended to drive Su Xiuer and her son back to the countryside.
He had never intended to harm Su Xiuer and her son's lives; he was even somewhat pleased to learn yesterday that they were still alive.
Thinking this, he felt a bit more confident.
Wei Mingze raised his eyes and caught a glimpse of Su Xiuer standing to the side, arms crossed, watching the scene like an audience. He pursed his lips and stood up, gently reaching for Su Xiuer's hand.
"Xiuer, I have never forgotten your kindness to me over these past three years. I do care about you. But as you've seen, Miss Duan is so spoiled and fierce. If I had shown myself just now, she would have made things even more difficult for you."
"Who asked her to be the Minister's daughter? In her eyes, we are nothing but ants. After this experience, you should understand the means of those noble people."
"Be good, listen to me. Let's forget all the unpleasantness from before, and you will still be my wife."
"When I establish myself in the Capital City in the future, I will bring you and Xiaobao back. Then Miss Duan won't be able to bully you anymore, and your husband will make decisions for you."
In Wei Mingze's mind, he had already assumed Su Xiuer would leave the Capital City.
As long as she left the Capital City, Su Xiuer would no longer be able to threaten him.
As long as it didn't hinder his future prospects, he was naturally unwilling to give up on Su Xiuer.
Su Xiuer did not dodge Wei Mingze's outstretched hand; instead, she raised her hand and slapped his hand hard, making a "snap" sound.
Wei Mingze, who had been a son-in-law in the Su family for three years without doing any work, only using his hands to read and write, had a red hand.
Su Xiuer curled her lips in a sarcastic smile: "Do you think all the men in the world are dead? Just because you beckon, I will turn back? It's hard to find a three-legged toad in this world, but there are plenty of two-legged men."
Wei Mingze flinched his hand back from the blow.
He never expected that even at this point, Su Xiuer still couldn't see the situation clearly.
She had already married him, yet she still wanted to find another man, not adhering to wifely virtues.
Wei Mingze was furious, straightened his chest, and a hint of unrevealed ruthlessness appeared in his eyes.
"But I am the Top Scholar, the first place in this year's imperial examination, the only one in three years across the entire empire. You, a pig-slaughtering woman who is constantly covered in blood, what men can you possibly come into contact with in this life, besides laborers and peddlers? Is there anyone with a higher status than me? How can you compare with me?"
Su Xiuer rolled her eyes, clenched her fist, and was about to strike him when she heard steady footsteps approaching from behind.
She turned her head and saw Shen Hui in a black robe appearing at the same time as Ye Jiu.
His eyes were still aloof, and his gaze swept over the dead dog on the ground and Su Xiaobao's injured arm, with a hint of imperceptible coldness in his eyes.
"Uncle Shen!" Su Xiaobao's eyes lit up, and he ran over with his short legs, hugging Shen Hui's long legs tightly: "Are you here to save me and Mother again? Are you a savior sent by an immortal?"
Shen Hui crouched down, gently touched the cloth strip on Su Xiaobao's arm with his fingertips, and remained silent. As he stood up, he picked Su Xiaobao up.
Su Xiuer's gaze met Shen Hui's. Thinking of their parting yesterday when she said she would leave the Capital City, she felt an awkwardness of being caught.
To ease the atmosphere, she flashed Shen Hui a big smile: "Young Master Shen, we meet again."
Ye Jiu pursed his lips. Of course, they met again.
His Young Master had already guessed that Su Xiuer would not leave the Capital City and had arranged for people to keep an eye on her.
If his Young Master hadn't known that Duan Zhenzhu had taken Su Xiaobao hostage and arranged for someone to leak this matter to Minister Duan, Su Xiuer wouldn't have escaped so easily.
Shen Hui's gaze fell on the dried bloodstains on Su Xiuer's face. He unhurriedly took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to her, tapping his own cheek: "It's unsightly!"
Su Xiuer immediately understood what Shen Hui was referring to. She casually took the handkerchief and wiped the dog's blood off her face.
The handkerchief surprisingly carried a faint, cool scent of gardenia.
It smelled unexpectedly pleasant.
Su Xiuer sniffed, unable to help but inhale the scent.
This action was like sniffing his scent. Seeing Su Xiuer's small gesture, Shen Hui averted his gaze, his ear tips quietly turning red.
Wei Mingze stood rooted to the spot, watching Shen Hui holding Su Xiaobao and handing Su Xiuer a handkerchief, looking more like a family than he did. He froze completely.
Recalling Su Xiuer's words about finding another man, his heart skipped a beat, and a sense of panic and anger surged within him.
"So that's it, Su Xiuer. No wonder you wouldn't turn back; you already have a lover!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Su Xiuer's expression darkened. She unclasped her fist, clenched it again, and punched Wei Mingze's nose: "Do you think everyone is as despicable as you? I met Young Master Shen in Taolin Village. If he hadn't saved me and Xiaobao the day before yesterday, we would have died in the fire."
Wei Mingze gritted his teeth in pain, touched his bruised nose, and retreated a few steps to prevent Su Xiuer from hitting him again.
He had thought Shen Hui, despite his simple attire, possessed a noble aura, assuming he was some important figure in disguise.
Upon hearing Su Xiuer say she met him in Taolin Village, he dismissed his doubts.
How could an important figure possibly go to a poor village like Taolin Village?
This Shen Hui was at most a merchant who traveled far and wide to collect goods; he was not a threat.
Although he was still bothered by Su Xiaobao's greater reliance on Shen Hui than on him, he quickly regained his confidence.
With an outsider present, he didn't want to waste any more time on useless arguments.
"Xiuer, think carefully about what I told you when you return to Taolin Village. Consider what you will gain by being with me versus being with these commoners."
"Xiaobao can't be without a father forever, being called a bastard like you. If people know he has a Top Scholar father in the Capital City, he will be looked up to more when he studies in the village."
After speaking, Wei Mingze threw the bundle and water pouch he was holding onto the grass beside them, his tone softening slightly.
"This is the dry food I prepared for you. Take it to eat on the road."
Wei Mingze believed he had said and done enough for Su Xiuer.
If it weren't for the three years of kindness between them, and if Su Xiuer weren't so beautiful, why would he have gone this far?
Ever since he became the Top Scholar, countless merchant daughters and daughters of minor officials had been eager to get close to him.
Yet Su Xiuer coaxed him not to leave, pushing him away.
Wei Mingze sighed and saw his mother and younger brother approaching him head-on.
"My son, what's the situation now?" Madam Zhao, Wei Mingze's mother, asked anxiously.
Wei Mingze supported Zhao Shi's hand and glanced back: "Xiuer has agreed to return to Taolin Village."
Zhao Shi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Looking at Su Xiuer and Su Xiaobao's disheveled state, she said arrogantly: "An arm can't twist a thigh. No matter how fierce some people are, they are still just village women. A noble person can crush them with a flick of their finger."
Wei Tian said admiringly: "Miss Duan is truly formidable... No, Eldest Brother is going to the Duan Mansion to propose marriage tomorrow, so we should call Miss Duan Eldest Sister-in-law."
"Some people should stop trying to incite ignorant common people to slander my Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law, and don't think about suing them. If Eldest Sister-in-law truly gets angry, she might have some people thrown into the Heavenly Prison or exiled a thousand miles away."
Wei Tian had been afraid earlier that Su Xiuer would use the marriage-in-law document to sue them. But after witnessing Duan Zhenzhu's arson attempt on Su Xiuer and her son, and her forceful attempt to take Su Xiuer away from the Capital City, he was no longer afraid.
No matter how strong Su Xiuer was, could she be stronger than a noble lady?
Lowly people should know their place.
Of course, his brother was now the Top Scholar and no longer belonged to the ranks of lowly people.
Wei Mingze was still hoping Su Xiuer would change her mind and didn't want Wei Tian to speak too harshly.
He frowned and said, "Aren't we still preparing things for the proposal at the Duan Mansion tomorrow?"
"Yes, yes, yes, this is the main business. The proposal cannot be taken lightly." Mother Zhao's face lit up with joy at the mention of tomorrow's proposal, and she proudly touched the newly bought plum blossom golden hairpin on her head.
She was busy. If she hadn't been afraid that her eldest son would secretly chase out of the Capital City and soften his heart towards Su Xiuer, she wouldn't have bothered to come.
Hearing her eldest son's implication, it seemed that as long as Su Xiuer returned to Taolin Village, he would still want her.
She found it troublesome, but Su Xiuer was indeed good-looking. Since her eldest son was unwilling to let go, then he should keep her.
After all, she wouldn't be an eyesore if she stayed in the countryside.
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