The group returned to Baiyun Village.
Tang Guiniang and the others had waited in the thatched shed by the shore for a whole night.
Before dawn, Tang Guiniang, Pei Jin, and Pei Li rushed to the dock again and waited eagerly.
Finally, a fishing boat appeared on the vast white sea level, accompanied by two big fish.
Tang Guiniang didn't even dare to blink.
Pei Jin and Pei Li watched the fishing boat approaching the shore with full expectation.
"Mother!"
A clear and powerful call sounded. Pei Xia quickly got off the deck.
Tang Guiniang, who had regained her lost son, hugged him and cried loudly, "A Xia, you're finally back! You've scared mother to death!"
Pei Jin and Pei Li's eyes turned red. Aunt Ye and Jiang Yuniang quickly stepped forward to console.
"Don't cry, don't cry. It's good that he's back, it's good that he's back."
"Eldest Brother is a lucky man. Jiao Niang said she'd bring him back, and here he is!"
Only then did Tang Guiniang stop crying and composed herself.
Behind Jiao Niang, there followed a young man with fair complexion and red lips.
The Ye brothers were carrying baskets of fruits like coconuts and durians off the boat one by one.
Pei Jin pointed at Fu Chengyi and asked, "Big Brother, who is he?"
Pei Xia replied, "He was stranded on the desert island with me. You can just call him Young Master Fu."
There were many people at the dock, so Pei Xia didn't elaborate on Fu Chengyi's background, only saying that he had brought him back on the way.
When they got home, Qi Jiao took out a large silver note, ten gold coins, and twenty taels of silver scraps from the place where she hid money in the east wing.
She handed these to Pei Li and Pei Jin and asked them to give them to the boatmaster and the fishermen who participated in the search and rescue.
There was also five taels of silver, which was specifically for Miyi's family.
Pei Li and Pei Jin agreed and went to handle the matter.
Pei Xia felt extremely ashamed when he thought that his accident had made everyone in the family worried and cost them a lot of silver.
Looking at Jiao Niang, who looked pale and haggard, he regretted even more.
He shouldn't have gone out to sea the day before.
Pei Xia entered the room and silently hugged Jiao Niang from behind. Self - reproachfully, he said, "Jiao Niang, I've made you worried... You've suffered."
Qi Jiao was sorting out the remaining money. Hearing this, she turned her face and gave him a look, half - angry and half - complaining.
"Don't let this happen again. In the future, when you go out to sea, take Le Bao and Xiao Zhen Zhu with you."
"I'll do everything as you say."
Pei Xia hugged her even tighter. The fragrance of Jiao Niang's hair made him forget the deep fear he had felt during the accident.
He was so afraid, afraid that he would never come back, afraid that he would never see her again.
Qi Jiao felt his hands trembling slightly. She turned around and stroked the back of his neck one by one. Their breaths intertwined, and they kissed gently. Outside the window was the brilliant sunlight like a waterfall.
*
Fu Chengyi was an easy - going person.
When Qi Jiao came out of the east wing with a slightly blushing face, he had already sat down and was chatting warmly with Tang Guiniang and Aunt Zheng.
If an outsider saw them, they would surely think that Fu Chengyi was the nephew of Tang Guiniang and Aunt Zheng.
Tang Guiniang waved and asked Qi Jiao to come over and drink the nourishing soup.
Fu Chengyi also said, "Jiao Niang, I heard from Aunt Tang and Aunt Zheng that you're a well - known great cook in this area!"
His face was full of expectation.
Qi Jiao picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp, then replied, "So what if I am?"
The main branch of the Fu family was not in Lingle County but in the neighboring prefecture.
When Fu Chengyi heard that Qi Jiao had opened a food shop, he was immediately tempted.
He rubbed his hands and said with some embarrassment, "I wonder if I can apply to be a clerk in your shop?"
Qi Jiao looked him up and down, "You?"
Fu Chengyi nodded, "Yes! Actually, I'm very capable."
Qi Jiao found it funny.
Although Fu Chengyi had changed into the common clothes of a fisherman when he came back with them, there was a fine green jade pendant around his neck with a small four - character auspicious saying engraved on it.
Qi Jiao had just seen a jade pendant of almost the same shape and texture on the eldest lady of the Shu Mansion.
Thinking that the eldest lady's maiden surname was Fu.
Qi Jiao had a preliminary judgment about Fu Chengyi's identity.
He should be the son of the ship - merchant Fu family, the son of Fu Xian, the king of ships in the two southern prefectures.
Maybe it was due to the internal strife in the family, or maybe he was hurt at home.
This Young Master Fu had unfortunately been stranded here.
Qi Jiao frowned and thought. If she just took in Fu Chengyi like this, she didn't know if it would bring trouble.
At this time, Pei Xia came out of the bathroom.
He had changed into a crow - blue robe. With his long eyebrows and starry eyes, he was extremely handsome and graceful.
Qi Jiao couldn't help but look at her husband again and again.
How handsome he was!
Fu Chengyi was determined to stay in the Pei family.
It was not convenient for him to reveal his identity now. If his opponents found out that he was still alive, he didn't know how much more bloodshed there would be.
Seeing that Qi Jiao was still hesitating and calm - faced, Fu Chengyi sighed and turned around, looking at Tang Guiniang pitifully.
Tang Guiniang's heart softened when she saw such a look.
So she spoke up for him, "Jiao Niang, how about letting Seventh Brother work as a handyman in the shop? Don't let him show up. Let him lie low for a while."
Pei Xia looked at Fu Chengyi coldly, "Our place is too small to accommodate a great Buddha like you, Young Master Fu the Seventh..."
Fu Chengyi immediately interrupted him and started to play the victim, "Woo woo, I lost my mother when I was young. I've been bullied so much that I almost lost my life... Fortunately, God blessed me and I met a kind - hearted person like Big Brother Pei. My life is yours. I just beg you to let me hide from the storm for a while. I definitely won't cause you any trouble!"
Qi Jiao originally wanted to ask, Don't you have a sister?
But then she thought that in such a big family, Young Master Fu the Seventh and the eldest lady, Mrs. Fu, might be half - siblings, and their relationship might not be reliable.
Young Master Fu the Seventh had lost his mother since childhood. To have grown up intact, he must not be a fool.
Qi Jiao exchanged a look with Pei Xia. Now that they had saved him, they couldn't bear to abandon him.
They might as well just take him as an extra long - term laborer.
Qi Jiao seemed impatient with his pleading and said calmly, "Since that's the case, all right. My shop is short of hands. Tomorrow, you can go back to work with us."
Hearing this, Fu Chengyi was overjoyed and clapped his hands and laughed, "Thank you, Jiao Niang!"
That night, Fu Chengyi started to cry.
It turned out that Qi Jiao had asked him to peel all the more than a dozen baskets of hairy coconuts brought back from the island.
At first, Fu Chengyi thought it was fun, but after peeling three, he couldn't hold on anymore.
"Is this something a human can do? Ahh!"
Qi Jiao gave him two choices: either leave or stay and shut up and do the work.
Fu Chengyi shut up and went to work aggrievedly.
Of course, Qi Jiao wouldn't let him do it alone.
In fact, everyone was busy.
There were so many coconuts that the ripe ones had to be processed as soon as possible.
The small courtyard of the Pei family was brightly lit, and everyone was busy.
Pei Jin thought Fu Chengyi was too slow and couldn't help urging him, "Do you still want to sleep?"
Fu Chengyi felt even more aggrieved when he saw such a beautiful and bright young lady like Pei Jin scolding him.
Qi Jiao and Pei Xia cooperated with each other and piled the peeled coconuts in clean bamboo baskets, waiting to be taken to the county town early the next morning.
She opened a few coconuts for everyone to drink.
Tang Guiniang liked it very much.
Aunt Zheng thought the taste was a bit strange.
When Pei Li passed by a corner under the eaves, he suddenly shouted, "What's this? Good heavens! It stinks so much!"
Qi Jiao looked up and laughed, "A Li, that thing is called durian. If you cut open the shell and eat the pulp inside, it's very delicious!"
Pei Li didn't believe it at all and shook his head like a rattle, "No no no, I'd better not eat it."