Seeing Pei Luo come out, the two little ones hurried over.
“Mom, how’s that uncle?”
Xiao Man still worried that the uncle might die—then she would become a murderer.
“He’s fine now, he’ll wake up later. Why aren’t you eating the candied hawthorn I bought you?”
Pei Luo noticed that the little girl’s candy was already starting to melt.
Xiao Man blushed, embarrassed.
“I wanted Mom to eat first,”
Though the candy was delicious, she didn’t want to eat it all herself. Recently, her stepmother had been treating them well, so she naturally wanted to share the good things with Mom.
“My sweet girl, you’re so thoughtful,” Pei Luo couldn’t help kissing her on the cheek. Such a caring little one—what luck to have her!
“Mom, Xiao Chen’s candy is for you too,” Xiao Chen held up his candy, offering it to Pei Luo. She smiled warmly, bending down to kiss him too.
“Xiao Chen is good as well. Mom won’t eat the candy—you and your sister enjoy it. Mom will go make food. In the basket, there are buns and some snacks I bought for you. Eat a little to fill your stomach first.”
The two children’s eyes lit up at the mention of buns, but they were reluctant to eat their candy first, so neither moved immediately. Watching them, Pei Luo felt a deep sense of responsibility.
Though she had never married in her previous life, and never even had a boyfriend, seeing these two children warmed her heart. Compared to the space, these kids were the greatest gift she had received since coming here. Material wealth mattered less—what she truly cherished was the warmth and familial love they gave her.
Just as the meal was ready, Xiao Man happily shouted that Handsome Uncle had woken up. Pei Luo set down her things and went inside. The man was cautiously looking at them, but relaxed when he realized they posed no threat.
Pei Luo noticed a faint golden light rising from his head, drifting slowly toward her forehead before disappearing. Could this be the merit energy?
“Awake?” she asked calmly as she approached.
“Did you save me?”
He frowned, glancing at the bandaged wounds on his body. Though questioning, his tone held certainty. Before he fainted, he vaguely remembered a child falling from the roof onto him—otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost consciousness so quickly.
Pei Luo grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse.
“Technically, it was my daughter and son who saved you. They had to drag you inside, which took quite a bit of effort,” she said, glancing at Xiao Man’s little toes peeking out from her struggle. The girl blushed, trying to hide them.
The man paused, noticing the girl’s toes—so it was this little one who had knocked him out.
“I am Fu Yunqing. On my way home, I passed Jiutou Mountain and encountered bandits. My bodyguards fought bravely to protect me, but I was seriously injured. If not for your help, I would have died at the foot of this mountain… perhaps thanks to these two little benefactors.”
“No thanks are necessary. You’re fine now, and returning home shouldn’t be a problem. As you can see, we don’t really have a proper place to stay, so you won’t be staying here long,” Pei Luo said clearly.
However, Fu Yunqing showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he took out a silver ingot.
“I realize staying might trouble you, but as you can see, my injuries are severe, and the weather has changed. Leaving now might expose me to rain before even leaving this village. Dying along the way would be trivial, but it would waste the effort you took to save me… and these two little ones would feel guilty, wouldn’t they?”
Raising his eyebrows at the two children, Fu Yunqing spoke with a persuasive, almost shameless elegance. Pei Luo couldn’t help but notice—he really was a man of a scholarly family. But who could resist silver? She saw the gleaming ingot—ten taels—and her eyes lit up. Just by helping him for a few days, she had gained a small fortune.
Grabbing the silver, she smiled brightly. “Alright, first things first: there are no spare beds. If you want to stay, it’s a floor mat in the main hall. You may stay at most three days. I’ll only care for your wounds; meals cost extra, and after three days, you must leave.”
Being married, with no man at home, she couldn’t risk leaving a strange man behind—village gossip could ruin her reputation. Money was important, but reputation mattered too.
Fu Yunqing nodded, taking out another silver ingot and tossing it to her. She caught it.
“This covers my meals, right?” he asked.
“More than enough. But no picky eating—you eat whatever I make,” she replied, stating the rules clearly.
Fu Yunqing rubbed his forehead—this woman was not only money-minded but sharp-tongued. Fortunately, her medical skills were excellent; he could feel his energy returning, which was why he insisted on staying.
“Don’t worry, I never pick and choose,” he said through gritted teeth. Pei Luo raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Indeed, when she served him the simple meal she had prepared, she could see him frown.