Chapter 49

 Breakfast has been served, steaming hot, with delicate small bowls covering the top to keep the warmth from dissipating too quickly.

While Bao Ning finished washing and changing clothes, Pei Yuan's feeding task was finally completed. The little lamb, bound by him for so long, finally freed itself and happily ran outside. Ah Huang chased after it, and the lamb and the dog nibbled grass under the pomegranate trees.

Pei Yuan looked outside and remarked, "Does this lamb look sick to you?"

"Take a closer look; its leg is lame, its bones aren't growing well," Bao Ning rolled up her sleeves and lifted the covers off the dishes one by one, "It might also be because of the change in its living quarters. Originally, it was in the grass shed, not eating well or sleeping well. Now that it's changed places, its mood has certainly improved."

Pei Yuan walked up behind her, draped his arm over her shoulder lazily, and asked her, "So how's your mood now?"

"Uh... it's alright," Bao Ning smiled, poking at the crystal shrimp dumplings on the plate with her chopsticks. She was quite happy after all; Pei Yuan remembered what she liked, even if they were just trivial things.

From childhood, she received little affection from anyone other than her aunt and Jiyun, shaping her into the person she was. When she received even a little kindness, she would be happy for quite a while.

Bao Ning glanced in Pei Yuan's direction and thought to herself that since Pei Yuan was her husband and they were so close, she could ask for a little more from him. Was that asking too much?

"Don't you like it?" Pei Yuan stared at her expression, furrowing his brow, "I arranged everything according to your preferences: shrimp dumplings, vegetarian buns, river shrimp, fried small yellow croaker, and gnocchi soup. Did I get something wrong?"

"No, you didn't," Bao Ning sat down, tilted her head back to look at him, swinging her legs back and forth, eyes smiling, "But do you know what else I like?"

Pei Yuan was taken aback; he racked his brain for a moment, shaking his head.

"I remember your preferences," Bao Ning began counting on her fingers, "I know you like meat and dislike vegetables. If you have to eat vegetables, you prefer bean sprouts. For meat, you prefer pork ribs over stir-fried pork, and pork knuckles over ribs, especially savory ones. Oh, and you also like to eat rice with soup, though it's not very attractive to watch. You like potato mushroom soup and winter melon meatball noodle soup, but you really dislike red dates and lotus seed soup, right?"

Pei Yuan watched her earnestly, squatting down to meet her eye level.

"So you must remember my preferences too," Bao Ning sat upright.

"I like freshwater fish, tangyuan with rose filling, sesame, and peanuts, but I really dislike anything with five nuts, including mooncakes. So, if you ever make me angry, don't try to please me with something that has five nuts. I also like noodles, especially those from Shanxi. The head chef at the Duke's Mansion used to be from Lvliang, Shanxi, and made excellent vinegar. The knife-shaved noodles were also fantastic, especially the bowl dumplings."

"Have you ever had bowl dumplings?" Bao Ning asked.

Pei Yuan listened to her chatter on, eyes squinting with a smile, "Never had them."

"I thought so," Bao Ning picked up a small plate, bit into half a dumpling, and thought for a moment, "My third brother-in-law is also from Shanxi. He can make them, but not as tasty as mine. I have a secret recipe. Someday, I'll make them for you to try."

Pei Yuan agreed.

He reached out and tucked Bao Ning's stray hair behind her ear, chuckling softly, "I didn't know you were so talkative."

"I'm only telling you the important things; don't forget," Bao Ning finished the remaining half of the dumpling, took the gnocchi soup, remembered something, and looked up, "What did you say to me last night? I was half asleep and couldn't hear a word."

"It's nothing," Pei Yuan brushed it off, sitting across from her and picking up his bowl of porridge.

He changed the subject, "How about we go over to Xiao Ling River later? I heard there's a troupe performing there today. I'll take you to see it."

Bao Ning's attention was indeed diverted. She rarely had the chance to go out, and hearing this plan made her spirits soar. But after drinking half a bowl of soup, she suddenly remembered something, froze in her movements, and glanced at Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan wasn't very pleased, "I'm taking you out to have fun; why bring up meeting outsiders?"

"But he's not an outsider," Bao Ning widened her eyes, "He's my younger brother. He's your brother-in-law. You should call him little brother-in-law. What's wrong with you?"

Pei Yuan snorted. He still remembered Jiyun's hostility; he knew this younger brother-in-law didn't like him. When Bao Ning first married over, Jiyun even thought about taking her away. Pei Yuan didn't want Bao Ning to have contact with him because he was afraid her fickle nature would be swayed by Jiyun's words and actions, leading her to leave him.

But a certain word in Bao Ning's words pleased him.

"Weren't you the one who said the other day, 'Do whatever you want, don't ask me?'" Pei Yuan threw a peeled shrimp into her bowl and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I want to see my brother," Bao Ning asked tentatively, clutching her chopsticks, "I miss him."

Pei Yuan wasn't very happy, "Why do you need to see him when I'm taking you out?"

"He's not an outsider," Bao Ning opened her eyes wide, "He's my brother, your brother-in-law. You should call him little brother-in-law and see how you like it."

Pei Yuan chuckled. He still harbored resentment towards Jiyun. He knew this younger brother-in-law didn't like him. When Bao Ning first married into the family, Jiyun even thought about taking her away. Pei Yuan didn't want Bao Ning to have any contact with him for fear that her temperament would change and she would reconcile with him.

But in Bao Ning's words, a certain phrase touched him.

"Wasn't it you who said the other day, 'Do whatever you want, don't ask me?'" Pei Yuan threw a peeled shrimp into her bowl and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I want to see my brother," Bao Ning asked tentatively, clutching her chopsticks, "I miss him."

Pei Yuan wasn't very happy, "Why do you need to see him when I'm taking you out?"

"That's not an outsider," Bao Ning opened her eyes wide, "That's my brother, your brother-in-law. You should call him little brother-in-law and see what you say."

Pei Yuan snorted. He still remembered Jiyun's hostility, he knew that this younger brother-in-law didn't like him, when Bao Ning first married, he even thought about taking her away.

Pei Yuan lowered his head and stirred the porridge in his bowl, quickly finishing it off: "Let him ride there himself, he has no reason to join us."

"You—" Bao Ning swallowed what was in her mouth, "Today is a good day, I won't argue with you. Just a reminder, you still owe me a 500-word apology letter and a small favor."

Pei Yuan lifted his head in surprise, "Is that so?"

"Do you think I'm joking with you? I'm still upset. Be more careful with your words and actions." Bao Ning stood up, smoothed her skirt, and gave him a slight smile. "Otherwise, my small favor might be to make you sleep on the floor for half a year."

Pei Yuan couldn't even finish chewing his peanuts.

Ah Huang circled around his feet. Pei Yuan kicked it away, annoyed, but it came back again.

Pei Yuan grumbled, "Just fed you, useless thing, all you do is eat." He threw a piece of garlic-flavored spare rib on the ground.

Ah Huang happily grabbed the spare rib and ran to the corner, tilting its head and nibbling away.

Bao Ning glanced at it, shook her head helplessly, and tiptoed to take down the porcelain jar containing the leeches.

Pei Yuan had just fed them in the morning, and they were full and resting in the mud, showing a hint of light blue shells.

The three egg sacs hatched a total of thirty-six small leeches, with two dead—one starved because it couldn't get food, the other eaten by a significantly larger leech. When Bao Ning saw it, it was already half-eaten, staining half the jar with its blood and viscous body fluids.

It was then that Bao Ning realized the law of the jungle applied everywhere.

Bao Ning looked at the exceptionally large and robust leech. It seemed to have innate advantages, extremely fierce, already as thick as her little finger. This growth rate exceeded Bao Ning's expectations.

At this rate, in about three days, it would be ready to feed on poisonous blood for the first time.

Bao Ning glanced at Pei Yuan. Ah Huang ran back to him, and the little lamb followed, all circling around him. Pei Yuan shooed away one, then another, slamming his chopsticks down in frustration.

"He's still lively and vigorous right now, purely because he's naturally strong. The poison will spread faster later on. Bao Ning can't imagine whether, in another half month or month, Pei Yuan will still be as energetic to banter with her."

"At the latest, by the day after tomorrow, she must try whether these leeches are useful."

...

Around noon, Bao Ning and Pei Yuan arrived by Xiao Ling River. There was a tea stall, very crude, just a shed set up for porters to rest. The tea was in large bowls, brewed multiple times until it tasted as light as plain water, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Ji Yun was waiting for them there.

Upon arrival, Pei Yuan frowned. The table was oily and shiny, the wooden boards on the stools were chipped. He didn't want Bao Ning to sit, but looking around, there was no better place, just a newly built small building.

Ji Yun took the initiative: "This place was originally a very large restaurant."

Pei Yuan settled in and started a more casual conversation with Ji Yun.

"It was later forcibly demolished by the son of Left Prime Minister, and now a new one is being built, which is also a restaurant." Ji Yun poured tea for him, then for Bao Ning, with a fitting smile.

Bao Ning felt that Ji Yun seemed to have really grown up a lot. Was it because of Tao's pregnancy, his position in the mansion was not as secure as before, feeling crisis, so he grew up faster? Or is it because of her original marriage? She married not very decent, even though her life now is quite satisfactory, it still doesn't look so good in the eyes of outsiders. Ji Yun was upset for a long time because of this.

If it had been in the past, Ji Yun would have been too young to hide his edge. Now he learned to chat.

Pei Yuan "Hmm" a sound, two people sitting tea, look at each other, no one speak again.

Bao Ning quietly stepped on Pei Yuan, want him to say something, Pei Yuan understood this meaning, but did not move. In his heart, a woman's mind is winding around. Ji Yun obviously didn't like him, of course, he didn't like Ji Yun. So force them to chat like this, interesting? Embarrassed both of them.

Pei Yuan stood up, smiled at Ji Yun: "I'll leave for a moment and solve a problem."

Pei Yuan didn't want to solve the problem, he just wanted to find an excuse to get out and wait for Bao Ning and Ji Yun to finish talking, then he came back.

Pei Yuan thought, he had been polite enough, this is still to see Bao Ning's face, can get his respect is not many people.

Ji Yun got up and walked away from Pei Yuan, bowed his hand, and smiled.

When his back walked far away, Ji Yun changed his face and sat in front of Bao Ning, nervously observing her: "Sister, is he good to you? I wanted to see you long ago, but I was dragged by things and didn't go. Later, when I arrived where you lived, I found you had left long ago."

Bao Ning smiled: "Pretty good, we moved to another place."

She cared and asked: "What happened that made you so busy?"

Ji Yun didn't answer for a while.

He remembered Pei Yuan's actions just now, he was still not satisfied with this brother-in-law. Bao Ning doesn't hold grudges, can forgive Pei Yuan's initial bad attitude, he can't let it go, and until now he's still resentful. Moreover, Bao Ning was forced to marry Pei Yuan. In Ji Yun's heart, Bao Ning was wronged, related to his father's inaction and weakness.

In short, Pei Yuan is not worthy of his sister. Even if he is a prince.

What's more, Pei Yuan's temperament, such identity, where can be a good husband?

Ji Yun is most afraid that Bao Ning will be angry because of him, or because of his actions, into the danger.

Ji Yun can't advise Bao Ning and divorce publicly. The Shi family doesn't allow it. It's not fair to Bao Ning. He hopes she can think it through by herself.

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