Shuse Jinjia

Huo Ling was conflicted; should she ruin this whole thing or not?

Huo Beiyu had already heard Huo Ling's account of what happened at the Zhu family last night, and he was unable to offer any opinion on the matter.

He couldn't interfere in Zhu Feng's family affairs; Zhu Feng had to resolve them himself.

But if Zhu Feng doesn't marry that girl, will the Xie family really send her to Lord Gong as a concubine when she comes of age?

The thought of the pot-bellied Lord Gong doing that kind of thing on Xie Zhaotang made Huo Beiyu feel irritated.

Without realizing it, he pulled Huo Ling along and headed towards the shop Xie Zhaotang had entered.

Xie Zhaotang randomly entered a bookstore, only to find that there were quite a few people selecting books inside.

Since Xie Zhaotang was already inside, he decided to see if there were any books that suited him.

She was looking at the bookshelf when suddenly a familiar voice called out, "Fourth Miss, what book are you looking for?"

Xie Zhaotang turned her head and saw Pei Yu holding several books, looking at her with a smile.

"Greetings, Young Master Pei... I'm just browsing casually."

Xie Zhaotang smiled faintly. This was the truth. The books on the bookshelf she was looking at were all basic literacy books, and she was thinking of changing the bookshelf.

Pei Yu had tasted Xie Zhaotang's cooking in Madam Pei's courtyard before, and seeing his grandmother invite Xie Zhaotang to stay overnight, he thought he had guessed his grandmother's intentions.

He thought that with Xie Zhaotang's talent and learning, she was not qualified to be his wife, but it wouldn't hurt to take her in as a concubine.

Seeing Xie Zhaotang selecting books, he secretly mocked her pretentious act, assuming that the woman had come in under the pretense of meeting him at the bookstore.

He didn't expose Xie Zhaotang's lie, and said with a smile, "What kind of books do you like to read? I can recommend some."

After Xie Zhaotang was humiliated by Pei Yu and Pei Yun at Hexi Garden, she disliked them.

Seeing Pei Yu's enthusiasm, she said calmly, "I wouldn't dare to delay you, Young Master Pei. I can choose for myself."

She let Pei Yu pass and walked to the next row of bookshelves.

These are storybooks laid out here, such as "The Return of the Pearl", "The Jade Hairpin Scheme", and "The Fox Girl's Gratitude". Xie Zhaotang had no interest just from looking at the titles and was about to turn around and leave.

A hand reached over Xie Zhaotang's shoulder, took down the book "The Jade Hairpin Scheme," and handed it to him.

"This book is good. I've read it; it's very interesting. You can take a look. It's about a maid and a young master who use a jade hairpin as a starting point to tell a story of overcoming social class barriers and going through life-and-death trials..."

Pei Yu smiled and said, "But just read these kinds of books and forget about them; don't be misled!"

"A maidservant's education is not on the same level as the young master's. She may be suitable as a concubine or a maidservant for intimate matters, but she is not fit for high society and will not be of any help to the young master's future career. How could the young master possibly marry her as his wife!"

Upon hearing that condescending tone again, Xie Zhaotang had no intention of taking the book.

Pei Yu's grandfather and grandfather were both peasants. Even though his grandfather and grandfather were officials, Pei Yu accomplished nothing. Where did his sense of superiority come from?

She glanced at Pei Yu and said sneer, "Young Master Pei, if this young master's career requires women to pave the way, then he's not going to amount to anything!"

"Although the maidservant may not be very educated, she has hands and feet. When faced with war and hardship, she can farm or do odd jobs to support herself... This young master only knows how to rely on women. If she marries him, won't she have to support him? Young Master Pei is right. A man who will only become a burden should not be married!"

Pei Yu's eyes widened. Was that what he meant?

He was advising her not to covet a social class she was not good enough for!

But Xie Zhaotang explained his words from another angle, leaving him speechless.

Xie Zhaotang turned the tables on him and walked to the next bookshelf from the other side.

Looking up, I saw a familiar figure walking out of the bookstore.

Is that Huo Beiyu?

Huo Beiyu had just entered the bookstore when he saw Xie Zhaotang talking to Pei Yu, and his face immediately darkened.

This little girl, she just realized Zhu Feng wouldn't marry her, and she's already looking for someone else?

Thinking about her casting a wide net, Huo Beiyu turned around and left in frustration.

He could no longer distinguish whether Xie Zhaotang's actions were right or wrong!

It's wrong to call her promiscuous, but she was doing it to make a living!

With her background, is there any other way out besides finding a good marriage for herself?

However, Huo Beiyu could not agree with this kind of indiscriminate casting of nets!

Forget it, out of sight, out of mind!

Huo Ling didn't even see what Xie Zhaotang was doing inside before Huo Beiyu pulled her away.

Xie Zhaotang turned around and saw Pei Yu still coming over, unwilling to give up. Not wanting to say anything more to him, she walked out of the bookstore.

When she came out, Huo Beiyu and Zhu Feng were nowhere to be seen, so she went to buy silk thread for Aunt Shen according to her plan.

Just after buying the silk thread, the sky darkened, and Xie Zhaotang, seeing that it was going to rain, quickly ran towards the city gate.

They had only gone halfway when the rain started pouring down.

She had no choice but to run into a roadside restaurant to take shelter from the rain.

Many passersby were stopped by the sudden downpour and rushed into the restaurant, which was instantly packed with people.

Fortunately, the restaurant owner was kind; those who wanted to dine were invited upstairs, and those who didn't were allowed to stay in the lobby to avoid the rain.

When Xie Zhaotang arrived, the second floor and the tables in the hall were full of people, so she could only stand in a corner with the other people who were taking shelter from the rain.

The second floor is open, and guests sitting on the railing can see the people below. Pei Yu and Pei Shu, sisters, went out together today and agreed to dine here. They are currently sitting up there.

Pei Yun was facing the fence when Xie Zhaotang ran in to take shelter from the rain, and she saw her at a glance.

Pei Yu had his back to Xie Zhaotang and didn't see her. He was telling Pei Yun and Pei Shu about how he met Xie Zhaotang.

He laughed and said, "You all said before that Fourth Miss was ignorant and incompetent, but now I find this little concubine's daughter quite interesting. She's quite quick-witted and even knew how to outwit me... You don't know, she just left me speechless, and I didn't know how to refute her for a moment!"

Pei Shu hadn't told Duan Chengyu and Xie Zhaotang about what happened in the carriage yet; Pei Yun had told her not to tell anyone after they returned.

She thought her sister didn't want people to know that Duan Chengyu had an affair before she was even married, which would be embarrassing.

Hearing Pei Yu praise Xie Zhaotang, Pei Shu looked at her sister with a questioning gaze, asking if she could tell Pei Yu about it.

Pei Yun shook her head, her gaze fixed on Xie Zhaotang.

Xie Zhaotang not only seduced Duan Chengyu, but also tried to seduce her own brother?

How could she be so promiscuous?

The plan that had been swirling in my mind for the past two days has resurfaced.

Should we do it or not?

Do it, today is the best opportunity!

If she doesn't do it, what if Duan Chengyu really takes her as a concubine? Then she'll have to compete with Xie Zhaotang for his favor every day...

Pei Yun clutched her handkerchief tightly, caught in a mental struggle between her conscience and her inner voice.

"Yun'er, do you think Grandmother would agree if I told her I wanted to take her as a concubine? Or we could just not marry her, so Grandmother and Mother wouldn't have to keep sending me to find wives all the time, and I wouldn't have time to study..."

Pei Yu said with great interest.

"No, even if Third Brother marries her or takes her as a concubine, it's not good enough for you..."

When Pei Yun saw that Pei Yu had such thoughts, she no longer hesitated.

She was going to make her move today; she absolutely wouldn't allow Duan Chengyu and Pei Yu to have a falling out over this woman...

"Third Brother, I'll go to the outhouse and we'll talk when I get back..."

Pei Yun gave her maid Zisu a wink, then got up and led Zisu toward the outhouse.