Xiao Man suddenly stepped forward, her eyes brimming with tears, as if they could fall at any moment. “Great Uncle, it’s my fault. When Mother wasn’t home, I climbed onto the roof to repair it and accidentally fell, injuring Uncle Fu. That’s why Mother stayed to care for him. If anyone is to blame, it’s me, not Mother. Please don’t make her leave us.”
“Waaah! I want Mother! I don’t want her to leave!”
As Xiao Man cried, Xiao Chen began to cry too. The little ones clutched Pei Luo’s legs, sobbing, making Pei Luo’s head ache. These two little crybabies were at it again.
Upon hearing this, the adults realized it had been a misunderstanding. Adults might lie, but children do not. They might not believe Pei Luo, but they would trust Xiao Man’s words. After all, she was only five.
The village chief, seeing the children cry, felt a pang of sympathy. “Good children, don’t cry. Your mother won’t leave you.”
Hearing this, the two little ones looked at Pei Luo, and when she nodded, their faces immediately brightened.
Previously, villagers claimed that the Pei family mistreated the children, but now it seemed those claims were unreliable. Judging from how dependent the children were on Pei Luo, they clearly regarded her as their real mother. Children’s hearts are sensitive; if Pei Luo had treated them badly, they would not have been so attached.
“Elder Brother, don’t let these two kids fool you. Just yesterday, Pei Luo bought them candied hawthorns. They’ve clearly been bribed. A woman like her should be dunked in a pig cage.”
Madam Lu, having just sold hides, had bought snacks for the two children—her own precious grandchildren didn’t even get any. She had heard Pei Luo had gone to the mountains yesterday and assumed she would be gone for a while. When she saw the two children playing in the yard with a strange man in the main room, she panicked and called people over.
She expected Pei Luo to be flustered or to deny everything. Instead, Pei Luo not only admitted the man was her lover, she even pretended she wanted to elope with him, leaving the children behind—a bold act of defiance.
Pei Luo’s audacity was partly a matter of throwing caution to the wind. Although Da Qi was still a male-dominated society with harsh standards for women, physical punishment like dunking in a pig cage no longer existed. A woman’s reputation could be tarnished, but she would not face corporal punishment.
“Enough. I see this as a misunderstanding. Madam Feng, stop constantly meddling with the Third Daughter-in-law. She already struggles to manage two children. You needn’t make things worse. If you anger her, she might really leave, and then how will you care for the children?”
Madam Lu, unwilling but seeing the village chief’s authority, could do nothing. She had no desire to feed two extra mouths. Xiao Chen, at least, was her grandson, but Xiao Man was entirely unwelcome. She cried all the time, and she couldn’t sell her—must she really raise her?
Hearing the village chief, Pei Luo had no objection. But Fu Yunqing politely interjected, “No need to trouble the village chief. I had intended to leave today anyway. The incident today has already harmed Miss Pei’s reputation. My attendants have gone to the county to fetch a carriage. Once they return, I will depart.”
Seeing Fu Yunqing say this, the village chief couldn’t insist further. The villagers dispersed, and Madam Lu was reluctantly pushed out of the courtyard by a few aunties.
Pei Luo sighed, feeling Madam Lu truly energetic in making trouble.
“You’re leaving today?” Pei Luo looked back at him. She had thought his earlier words were just to delay matters, but he truly intended to depart. When did his attendants arrive? Could it have been while she was away?
“The medicine you prepared worked very well. Just two doses and the illness is cured. You should be able to leave.”
Speaking of leaving, Fu Yunqing felt a faint reluctance. It was amusing: countless noble ladies in the capital had sought him, but he had never noticed them. Yet this married woman, whom he had known for less than two days, stirred feelings of attachment. Did he not only have a heart condition but also poor eyesight?
Fu Yunqing rubbed his temples. Pei Luo, seeing his pale complexion, checked his pulse. He extended his hand for her to feel.
“Though your fever has subsided, your body is still weak. You shouldn’t travel long distances yet. It’s best to stay in the county to recuperate. I’ll take a few days to prepare medicine for your heart condition and congenital weakness. Your body seems normal, but appearances deceive. Without proper treatment, surviving past thirty would be difficult. Even with my medicine, full recovery may take two to three years, and dietary therapy must accompany treatment to restore balance and supplement deficiencies.”
This was the second time Pei Luo had said she could cure him. For some reason, Fu Yunqing found himself believing her. Perhaps she really could heal him.
“Very well. I will stay in Anping County a few days to recover before leaving.”
Pei Luo nodded. “I’ll visit the county every other day to purchase supplies and will deliver the prepared medicine to you.”
Fu Yunqing looked around the house and smiled wryly. “You really need to stock up on things; otherwise, living here would be difficult. If possible, the house should be rebuilt, or surviving this winter will be tough. Take this 100 taels of silver as a prepayment for your treatment. Once my condition improves, I will give you the remaining payment. Use this to rebuild the house, buy furniture, and stockpile food.”