“Brother Chen,” she pulled Chen Shitou aside and lowered her voice. “Since the Second Young Master didn’t eat it, why wait until now to take it back and throw it away?”
Chen Shitou scratched the back of his head. “Well… I wanted to remove it right away, but the Second Young Master wouldn’t allow it. He even had someone place it on the table. Every time, he would stare at it for a long while. Sometimes he’d even reach out to trace the edges, turning it over and over to look at it…”
Hearing this, Shen Lingwei immediately let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing in her eyes.
So the Second Young Master didn’t dislike it—he simply couldn’t bear to eat it!
Her fault.
She had overlooked this earlier.
Without another word, Shen Lingwei turned and went into the kitchen. When she came out, she was holding a food box containing two plates of poria jelly shaped like little rabbits.
Chen Shitou looked confused. “Madam Shen, this… I’m afraid the Second Young Master still won’t eat it.”
“He will,” Shen Lingwei said firmly. “But I need you to pass along a message.”
“What message?”
A curve formed at Shen Lingwei’s lips. “Just tell the Second Young Master…”
“These little rabbits will give birth to new little rabbits every day. If he eats one, there will be two more tomorrow. If he refuses to eat them, there will be too many rabbits, and this courtyard won’t be able to hold them all.”
Chen Shitou’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Th-this… will that really work?”
Shen Lingwei smiled. “You’ll know if you try.”
In the end, Chen Shitou carried the food box toward the courtyard, still utterly puzzled.
Behind them, Liu the cook and the others sneered when they saw this.
“Still sending food? She really won’t give up until she hits the wall. The Marquis residence’s ingredients aren’t meant to be wasted like this.”
“Just wait. Tomorrow we’ll report it to the Old Madam and see how she still has the face to stay.”
Shen Lingwei glanced at the three of them. “Instead of worrying about whether I can stay, you might want to think about where you’ll put your faces if the Second Young Master actually eats my pastries later.”
“You—” Granny Tian fumed, about to step forward, but Granny Guo quickly pulled her back.
“What’s the point of arguing with her now? Let’s just wait until that food box comes back untouched. Then we’ll see what she has to say.”
Only then did Granny Tian stop, shooting Shen Lingwei a vicious glare.
Shen Lingwei didn’t bother arguing with them. She turned and returned to her own courtyard—An’an was probably getting anxious waiting.
As soon as she pushed open the courtyard gate, a small figure ran toward her.
“Mother!”
The little girl looked up, her eyes sparkling, holding something in her arms.
Shen Lingwei took a closer look—it was a small orange kitten with pale yellow fur.
“An’an, what is this?”
“Mother, look!”
An’an held up the kitten, her soft voice filled with pleading. “It’s so pitiful. I found it by the wall. It kept crying. I was afraid it might run into big brother’s room, so I brought it back.”
“Can I keep it?”
Shen Lingwei looked down. The kitten was thin, only about two or three months old. Its orange fur was messy and matted, with dirt on its body. But its eyes were round, large, and bright, looking at her timidly.
Shen Lingwei crouched down, took the kitten, and examined it carefully.
Although small and thin, its ears were clean, its nose moist, and its eyes clear—it didn’t look sick.
“Mother, is it ill? I tried feeding it carrots and rice, but it wouldn’t eat at all.”
Shen Lingwei couldn’t help but smile, gently rubbing her daughter’s head. “Silly girl, kittens aren’t rabbits. They don’t eat carrots.”
An’an blinked. “Ah? Then what do they eat?”
“Cats eat fish, meat, and pork liver. They’re not like rabbits.”
An’an memorized this carefully and nodded firmly. “Mother, from now on I don’t have to eat meat. I can give it all to Tuanzi, okay?”
Shen Lingwei raised a brow. “Tuanzi?”
An’an looked a little shy. “I… I hope it grows round and chubby in the future, so I named it Tuanzi.”
Shen Lingwei handed the kitten back to her. “Hold it. I’ll get it something to eat.”
She turned and went inside, scooping some rice broth from the morning’s porridge and mixing in a bit of minced meat before placing it in the corner.
Before long, the kitten caught the scent and began licking the broth.
An’an’s eyes lit up instantly. “That’s great, Mother! It’s eating! Can we keep it? I promise I’ll take good care of it.”
Looking at her daughter’s hopeful gaze, Shen Lingwei couldn’t bear to refuse.
“Alright. But remember—feeding it, cleaning up after it, and bathing it will all be your responsibility.”
During the day, she worked in the kitchen, leaving An’an alone in the courtyard, which was indeed lonely.
Now, with this little pet, it could at least keep her company.
At the same time, in the Marquis residence’s study.
Pei Jinzh i had just finished handling official documents when Chen Fan pushed the door open, holding a report.
“My Lord, the investigation is complete.”
He handed the report to Pei Jinzhi and said, “This Shen woman is originally from Zhao Family Village in Tonglu County. Her husband went to war five years ago and died in battle. She became a widow, managing the household alone while caring for her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. The villagers say she was beyond reproach as a daughter-in-law.”
Pei Jinzhi lowered his gaze to read, saying nothing.
Chen Fan continued, “Half a year ago, a flood struck Tonglu. The entire Zhao Family Village was submerged. Her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and most of the villagers perished. It’s said that Shen Lingwei survived only because she took her daughter up the mountain to gather wild vegetables.”
“And then?” Pei Jinzhi asked.
“After that, she brought her daughter north. About half a year ago, they arrived in the capital. It’s said they nearly starved to death, but our residence’s porridge distribution saved them. Since then, she set up a stall at the city gate selling… egg cakes—yes, the kind Chen Shitou bought recently, which happened to suit the Second Young Master’s taste. What happened afterward, My Lord, you already know.”
Pei Jinzhi fell silent for a moment, his brows knitting tightly.
“That’s all?”
“For now, that’s all we’ve found. Her background is clean—nothing suspicious.”
At first, Chen Fan had also wondered if Shen Lingwei, who resembled the Madam so closely, might be a long-lost sister.
But after investigating, it turned out not to be the case.
The Madam had no lost sisters. Shen Lingwei did have an elder sister, but she was already married.
There was truly nothing suspicious.
Pei Jinzhi said nothing. His gaze rested on the document, as if a thread had gently tugged at his chest, causing a dull ache.
He knew he shouldn’t harbor such hopes, but ever since that night he saw that woman, he hadn’t slept well for two consecutive days. His dreams were filled with…
Even upon waking…
He couldn’t suppress the long-buried thoughts, forcing himself to have Chen Fan investigate.
Five years.
He had never been willing to move on.
Now, seeing a face so similar to Yuniang’s, how could he not overthink?
After a long while, Pei Jinzhi raised his hand and dismissed Chen Fan.
“Yes, My Lord. If there are no further instructions, I will take my leave.”
The door closed softly, leaving him alone in the study with the cold moonlight.
After some time, the door opened silently again. A tall figure stepped out, wandering aimlessly through the garden.
Yet, as if guided by fate, he eventually arrived at the small courtyard where Shen Lingwei was staying.