Shuse Jinjia

Xie Zhaotang met his gaze without flinching.

Seeing Huo Beiyu is difficult, and this might be her chance to get close to him recently, so she'll take the gamble.

Huo Beiyu stared at her for a long time. Seeing that Xie Zhaotang did not avoid his gaze, he was somewhat surprised. Was she not afraid of him?

The women he was looking at would flinch at the mere sight of him; how could she have held out for so long…?

Thinking about Xie Zhaotang bringing his dead rabbit back, he became a little interested: "Okay."

Xie Zhaotang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then you should go first."

Huo Beiyu raised an eyebrow, made a move, and the two exchanged moves, but Huo Beiyu lost again.

"I asked a question, so please don't be angry. Even if I ask the wrong question and offend you, you're not allowed to kill or beat me, okay?"

Xie Zhaotang, though on the verge of speaking, still asked for confirmation out of unease.

"Enough with the nonsense! I never take back my word once I've made a move," Huo Beiyu said sternly.

Xie Zhaotang stood up and moved a few meters away from him. Although there was assurance, she was still worried. Her life was precious!

Once they were at a safe distance, she asked, "I heard you were injured on the battlefield and are unable to have sexual relations. Is that true?"

"You're not missing anything, are you? I know someone who has a folk remedy to cure it if you're not missing anything!"

She finished speaking in one breath and then stared nervously at Huo Beiyu.

Huo Beiyu's face flushed red instantly. He stared intently at Xie Zhaotang. He couldn't see his own expression, but he saw the little illegitimate daughter taking steps back.

When she had nowhere left to retreat to, she had no choice but to stop, clasping her hands together and smiling apologetically: "You promised to keep your word, so please don't get angry if you don't want to answer."

"I'm not trying to humiliate you, I genuinely mean well. I do know a few folk remedies that can cure this kind of illness..."

Huo Beiyu took a few deep breaths, suppressing his anger, and said coldly, "You asked two questions!"

Xie Zhaotang quickly replied, "Then answering one will count too."

"No... loss..."

Huo Beiyu gritted his teeth and squeezed out each word.

Xie Zhaotang breathed a sigh of relief. If there was no deficiency, it meant there was a problem with the function, which could be treated.

She mustered her courage and asked, "Shall we continue?"

Huo Beiyu's gaze shifted to the chessboard.

This game of Go looks simple, but it's actually full of traps. This little illegitimate daughter is very cunning and probably already knew how to use this to trick me into revealing information.

Even after guarding against thieves for a thousand days, I still couldn't guard against her cunning schemes!

"I'm not logging off anymore..."

Huo Beiyu stood up and walked out with a stern face.

He shouldn't have been so kind as to invite her to play chess...

Xie Zhaotang, emboldened by some unknown source, asked in a low voice as he walked past her, "That folk remedy... are you interested?"

Again?

Are you taking advantage of my kindness?

Huo Beiyu suddenly turned around...

Xie Zhaotang was only a fourteen-year-old girl. No matter how fast she grew, she was still more than a head shorter than Huo Beiyu, who was already in his twenties and had a tall stature due to his martial arts background.

She felt that Huo Beiyu's height completely suppressed her as soon as he stood in front of her, his imposing presence like a mountain.

"I really know a lot of folk remedies... like how to prevent wounds from getting infected, quickly stop bleeding, and stop diarrhea... If you don't believe me, try it and then punish me..."

Xie Zhaotang quickly finished speaking despite the pressure.

Since it was a gamble either way, she decided to gamble on Huo Beiyu's identity.

He's a soldier. If even one of what she says piques his interest, then getting close to him is the way to go...

Huo Beiyu stopped, looking down at the top of the young illegitimate daughter's head, his eyes deep and serious.

How to quickly stop bleeding and diarrhea?

These words did indeed pique his interest.

On the battlefield, he saw many soldiers die from wounds and bleeding profusely!

During the march, many soldiers suffered from severe diarrhea due to poor diet, eventually collapsing from exhaustion and dying...

If she really knew these folk remedies, then...

Huo Beiyu didn't speak, glanced at Xie Zhaotang again, and left without saying a word.

Once she felt the mountain that had been pressing down on her head had been removed, Xie Zhaotang looked up, wiped her cold sweat on her skirt, and wiped it away.

Although Huo Beiyu left without saying anything, Xie Zhaotang was not disappointed.

At least he didn't get angry, so her words could be like a seed planted in his heart, and given the right opportunity, they would take root and sprout...

……

The flower banquet has ended.

The inner courtyard of the Pei family.

Pei Yu's mother, Madam Pei, and Madam Pei from the third branch of the family gathered in Madam Pei's room.

Zhao, the old lady's maid, reported to the maids and servants what the young ladies and concubine's daughters had seen.

Madam Pei glanced at Pei Song's mother, Madam Pei the Third, and smiled, "Pei Yu has good taste. The Li family girl he chose for Pei Song is fine. If you agree, have Zhao Mama find a middleman to pass on the message."

Madam Pei hesitated to speak.

Madam Pei's face darkened slightly: "If you're not happy, just say so."

Madam Pei said, "Mother, this Li family girl is of good character, but she is too straightforward. I don't think she is suitable for Song'er. Song'er is straightforward enough. If we marry someone who doesn't know how to advise him, I'm afraid the two of them together will bring trouble to the Pei family."

"My daughter-in-law still prefers the gentle, virtuous, and well-mannered Miss Zhu."

Madam Pei lifted her eyelids slightly. She knew exactly what her third daughter-in-law was thinking. Wasn't it just that she thought Li Qin's father was only a royal physician and his family background was not as high as the Zhu family, so he was of no use to Pei Song?

She didn't like to give advice, and said indifferently, "Then you go and talk to Pei Song yourself. I'm just helping to keep an eye on things. They still have to live their lives. As long as he's happy!"

Madam Pei quickly changed the subject, bringing up Xu Muyuan, whom Old Madam Pei was most concerned about.

Xu Muyuan was born to Madam Pei's only daughter, and he was also Madam Pei's most valued grandson.

The Third Madam smiled and said, "Mother, Mu Yuan and Miss Sun got along very well today. Does that mean it's settled?"

Madam Pei glanced at Madam Pei and waved her hand, "Xia, you go talk to Song'er first. I'll keep your sister-in-law here to talk."

The Third Madam glanced at Madam Pei and then left.

Madam Pei was a little nervous. Although this mother-in-law was not pretentious or difficult, she still couldn't help but feel nervous when she was alone with her.

"Was it Pei Yu and Pei Yun's idea to make things difficult for the Xie family's youngest illegitimate daughter, or yours?"

Madam Pei asked calmly.

Granny Zhao also looked at the First Madam from the side.

Madam Pei forced a smile and said, "My aunt sent word before the flower banquet that she wanted people to keep an eye on Fourth Miss so she wouldn't get close to Mu Yuan. Yu'er and Yun'er both know this. They probably received a report from the servants and went to see Fourth Miss on their own."

"Mother, they didn't make things difficult for Fourth Miss; they just said a few words!"

Madam Pei's face darkened: "To expose someone's shortcomings in public, isn't that embarrassing? Li, although Yun'er is betrothed to Prince Duan, they're not married yet! Are you really going to allow her to spread a reputation for being intolerant?"

These words alone sent a chill down the spine of the First Madam, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

Old Madam Pei only said one sentence before coldly saying, "Tell Pei Yu and Pei Yun to mind their own business. The Huo family has never had a rule about taking concubines. Don't take it upon yourselves to harm someone else's daughter!"

Madam Pei added, "One should cherish one's own daughter; she has a mother too..."

Madam Pei sensed the old lady's disgust, and her vest was soaked with sweat. When the old lady told her to leave, she walked out tremblingly.

"Once you've gotten to live a good life, you forget your roots!"

Madam Pei rubbed her temples and looked at Granny Zhao: "What do you think of this fourth young lady?"