Fu Chengyi took a deep look at Pei Jin and said in a low voice, "Once I leave, I don't know when I'll be back. A Jin, I don't expect you to take notice of me right away. I only ask for a chance. Once I've secured my position as the head of the Fu family, I'll surely come back to propose marriage and make you my wife."
"I sneaked out to see you. Brother Pei mustn't want me to meet you privately, but if I don't say this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. A Jin, I truly like you."
His voice was hoarse, his gaze eager, and every word was full of determination.
After saying that, he took another look at Pei Jin, placed the gilded flat box in the basket filled with osmanthus branches, and then climbed over the wall and left.
Watching his figure disappear, Pei Jin's heart seemed to be split in two. One half was hot and beating, while the other was cold and bitter.
What should she do?
With weak steps, she returned to her room. Pei Jin put down the basket and opened the flat box that Fu Chengyi had given her.
Inside was a pair of flawless mutton - fat jade bracelets.
Under the bracelets, there was also a piece of green jade plaque lying quietly.
Pei Jin had seen this jade plaque on Fu Chengyi before. He always wore it around his neck and never left it behind.
Pei Jin, with her delicate mind, noticed that there were six new characters, "May your heart be like mine", carved on the green jade plaque that originally had four auspicious words.
At the very bottom, there was a letter.
Pei Jin stroked the jade plaque with her hand. Although she was determined not to get entangled with Fu Chengyi anymore, she couldn't help but tear open the envelope.
There were seven or eight pages in it, and every page was filled with writing.
Unlike the thank - you letter Fu Chengyi had written to her family last time, in this letter, after a brief greeting at the beginning, the rest were just random thoughts.
"A Jin... After the Fourth Concubine died, my father's inner courtyard became much quieter. The Eleventh Concubine was framed by the Fourth Concubine. Although she was innocent, she was not a kind person. That suicide note was actually forged by her. Isn't it terrifying? The handwriting was exactly the same as my father's. It really took her ten years to perfect this. I'm scared of this woman..."
"A Jin, my head hurts so much. I want to go to the seaside to get some fresh air, but it's already night. The butler and the others are so nagging that they won't let me out. If you're free, go for a walk by the seaside and enjoy it for me."
"A Jin... I ate braised pork knuckle today. It tasted good, but it was a bit greasy if you ate too much. The carved honey - glazed pork knuckle I ate at your place before was much better. At that time, you didn't like me, but you still gave me quite a lot of knuckle. Hehe."
"A Jin... My second niece, Qing Nian, said that a good man should only love one person in his life. I thought she made a lot of sense. At that moment, I only thought of you without thinking."
"A Jin..."
The name "A Jin" appeared countless times in the letter.
She didn't know how long she had been reading. Her eyes were sore, but there was a sweet undercurrent in her heart. This fool...
After sitting in silence under the lamp for a long time, Pei Jin carefully put all these things back into the box, planning to return them to Fu Chengyi when she had the chance.
In the east wing, Pei Xia came back from the window. Qi Jiao unfolded the quilt and let him lie down.
"How's it going?" Qi Jiao asked in a soft voice.
Pei Xia put his arm around her fair shoulder. "It's okay. A Jin has gone to sleep."
It turned out that Pei Xia had noticed when Fu Chengyi climbed over the wall.
He was always vigilant, especially after the previous disaster. He paid more attention to nighttime security.
He was about to go out, but when he saw the strange situation between Fu Chengyi and A Jin, he stopped abruptly.
Jiao Niang was very interested in the conversation between Fu Chengyi and A Jin. She eavesdropped with him by the window for a while. After Fu Chengyi left and A Jin entered the house, they went back to bed.
Pei Xia's face darkened. He didn't expect that this young man, Fu Chengyi, had his eye on A Jin. He really underestimated him.
Qi Jiao pointed at Pei Xia's chest with her finger. "Although the Seventh Young Master Fu is a bit naive, his heart is pure. Given some time and experience, he'll be fine. If he really wants to marry our A Jin, it's not unacceptable. It all depends on what A Jin thinks."
Pei Xia grabbed her fidgety hand and showed a hint of worry in his eyes. "How could a family like the Fu family allow the Seventh Young Master Fu to marry A Jin as his wife? A Jin must never be a concubine. It'll be easy if A Jin has no feelings for him, but if she does, things will be troublesome."
Qi Jiao understood Pei Xia's concerns, but she thought it was very rare to meet someone who was a perfect match.
If A Jin liked Fu Chengyi, with her current status as the owner of Jiao Niang's Restaurant and the future richest woman in Lingle County, it wouldn't be considered overreaching for the younger sister - in - law to marry into the Fu family.
Moreover, Pei Xia had now joined the patrol and inspection department. Once Pei Li graduated from the private school and entered the county school, the status of the Pei family would only rise.
A Jin was such a wonderful young lady. As long as she was willing to learn, why should she be afraid of not being able to be the mistress of a family?
After listening to Qi Jiao's analysis, Pei Xia's frown gradually relaxed. He kissed Qi Jiao's earlobe lightly. "My Jiao Niang is unique in the world. It's A Jin's fortune to have a sister - in - law like you who always thinks about her."
Qi Jiao wrapped her arms around Pei Xia's neck, smiling coquettishly. "It's also your fortune."
The autumn moonlight shines through the open window. The candles are blown out and the silk clothes are taken off. They laugh together in the curtained bed, and their whole bodies emit the fragrance of orchids and sweet - smelling herbs.
**
After the Mid - Autumn Festival, there were several autumn rains in succession, and the weather turned cold.
After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, Tang Guiniang and Aunt Zheng took advantage of the good weather to cut clothes indoors, preparing autumn and winter clothes for the whole family.
"Hey, this girl A Jin must have grown taller again. I need to take her measurements."
Tang Guiniang replied, "Yes. Since Jiao Niang married A Xia, the life at home has been getting better day by day. She's good at cooking. A Jin and A Li are in a good time. They eat well during their growing - up years, so they naturally grow fast."
Aunt Zheng said with a smile, "Who doesn't know that you, sister, have found a daughter - in - law like Jiao Niang, who's hard to come by in eight generations. But A Jin is a girl. She'll come of age next year. It's time to start looking for a suitable family for her."
Tang Guiniang sighed softly. She was both worried and happy. "Seeing A Jin grow up, many families in the surrounding villages have sent messages, either openly or secretly. Even the wife of the county candidate, Master Fan, from the town has mentioned it once. But Master Fan's son is short and ugly. Even I don't like him. Do you think A Jin would be willing? As for the other families, it goes without saying. All those mediocre people want to get close to A Jin. It makes me feel annoyed just looking at them. So I just refused them all, saying that I couldn't bear to part with my daughter and wanted to keep her for a few more years."
Aunt Zheng thought carefully and nodded. "The Pei family is different now. The eldest son has joined the patrol and inspection department, and Jiao Niang's business is booming. Our A Jin won't have any trouble getting married. We need to choose a son - in - law carefully to avoid wronging A Jin."
"Who says it isn't so? There's no use being in a hurry."
Tang Guiniang leaned closer to the cut fabric. After making sure there were no flaws, she started to sew.
As days passed, with Pei Jin's help, Qi Jiao seemed to have gained a capable assistant.
It was the least tiring to get along with a smart person who knew where to draw the line.
Qi Jiao intended to train Pei Jin and entrusted some matters related to the cooperation with the county government to her.
She also took Pei Jin with her when she visited the wealthy families in Lingle County.
After a while, it not only exercised her social skills but also broadened her horizons.
And Pei Jin seemed to be a second Jiao Niang.
She learned very quickly and did a great job.
Every time Qi Jiao checked Pei Jin's achievements, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "Our A Jin is really an incredibly smart girl."
Pei Jin had suffered a lot in her childhood. She knew better than anyone that the good days now were hard - won.
She respected and loved Qi Jiao and admired her even more.
Pei Jin whole - heartedly helped Jiao Niang share the workload and handled things with great care.
Soon, all the major merchants in Lingle County knew that Jiao Niang had a smart and capable younger sister - in - law.
Before they knew it, winter came. When Pei Jin returned to Yinwan again, Tang Guiniang and Aunt Zheng hardly recognized her.