Chapter 100: Master Xie is very understanding

"As long as you don't bother me, I will stay at home peacefully."

"..."

Hearing this, Shi Fengguan immediately stopped, stepped forward from behind, put his arms around the woman's neck, and said, "You are my only relative, I can't bother anyone but you, I just feel sorry for you--"

"Auntie knows."

Feeling the increasingly soft edges on Feng'er's body, Shi Fengque felt comforted but also a little sad.

"But you will get married one day. Sometimes I wonder if I will become a burden to you one day. If that day comes, you will -"

"Aunt! What are you saying?"

Shi Fengguan, who was originally very shy when hearing about getting married, suddenly changed his expression and said, "Whether I marry or not, you are my only relative in the world. Don't mention me, even if someone dislikes you, I won't agree!"

"Keep your voice down!"

Even though there was no one in the courtyard, Shi Fengque was still very panicked and said hurriedly: "That's all I'm saying. Don't let anyone else hear it."

"..."

Seeing her cautious look, Shi Fengguan felt uncomfortable, but he also knew that she had developed this character in the palace, so he softened his tone and grabbed her hand and said:

"Aunt, please don't talk about me, just talk about him. Do you think he is that kind of person?"

"...It's okay if you just say your last name is Wei."

"Gu——"

Seeing Feng'er was extremely embarrassed, Shi Fengque's smile faded a little, and she thought of the several times they had met in the palace in the past. Although he had often teased her, his aunt, which seemed very disrespectful, the child was undoubtedly a kind-hearted person.

The slap in the face for standing up for her made her shudder every time she thought about it, but that was also why she felt complicated.

"He's a good one, but..."

The woman's face was quite tangled, and her clear eyes and eyebrows were even more attractive. She couldn't help but pick up a piece of cloth and twist it with her hands, saying:

“I always felt that he was disrespectful to me.”

"..."

If someone else heard this, they would probably misunderstand, but Shi Fengguan would not. Staring at the little aunt's eyes that were too childish to have the dignity of an elder, Shi Fengguan asked directly for the first time:
"Aunt, are you afraid of him?"

"what?"

Shi Fengque was startled and instinctively wanted to say no, but since no one was home at the moment, she mustered up the courage to nod slightly:
"A bit..."

Although he had guessed it before, seeing her admit it directly, Shi Fengguan suppressed his anxiety and asked, "Why? What disrespectful thing did he do to you?"

"No no!"

Shi Fengque shook his head like a rattle.

Although the child said a lot of 'disrespectful' words, and it was worth talking about them, Feng'er's heart was now entirely on him, and Shi Fengque didn't want to sadden his niece who had finally seen through her true feelings.

Moreover, if you think about it carefully, compared with what happened to that woman in the palace, her situation is considered good. Maybe that child just has this kind of personality.

Anyway, it won't delay her from getting scared...

Shi Fengguan, who was standing next to her, breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't even dare to think about what she would do if Wei Mingqi had really bullied her aunt.

"Aunt, he is that kind of person——"

Shi Fengguan, who felt relieved immediately, was busy trying to make amends for Wei Mingqi: "He is so awkward and twisted. He is always so stubborn towards everyone except his master, even if it is for your own good."

Just like the beginning, she was worried about him getting hurt, so she forced herself to prepare some phoenix blood for him despite her weak body. Even though she didn't use it, it was a good intention, right? In the end, she didn't give her any face in front of her aunt?
People who hate this kind of man hate him with gritted teeth, and people who love him also love him with gritted teeth, but there is nothing they can do, because the man she likes has just this kind of personality.

"I know what kind of person he is."

Shi Fengque understood what Shi Fengguan said, but he still said the same thing -

"But I just can't help being scared of him..."

"..."

The woman's words were awkward, and Shi Fengguan was stunned by her childish and aggrieved expression. After thinking for a moment, she felt that she had grasped the key.

"Gu."

Shi Fengguan raised his chin and stared at her: "You look too young. Normally, you can't give me the feeling that you are an elder."

"Ok?"

"You need to try to act like an elder! Like this—"

Looking at the confused young lady, Shi Fengguan showed her how to do it coldly, looking at the empty space next to him and said solemnly:

"Mingqi, you're back. I heard you did very well outside this time."

"..."

Shi Fengque held his breath for a while, then said in a weak voice:
“Ming, Mingqi—”

"The voice should be several degrees higher, and the tone should give people a sense of respectability!"

"Mingqi ah——"

"Too soft. Think about how you talked to those eunuchs and palace maids during your heyday!"

Shi Fengque scratched his face with his white fingers and said in distress, "It's always been like this. I'm not very good at ordering people around, so they prepare everything for me. I usually play with a group of little palace maids, and everyone is very friendly."

"..."

I almost forgot how old this most favored imperial concubine of the dynasty was when she entered the palace.

Taking a deep breath, Shi Fengguan exploded in a hurry:
"If I marry someone named Wei, you will be his elder! You know what elders are! Just like how I treated you, and how Grandpa treated my father and you, you can't forget these!"

"..."

She had an instinctive affection for Feng'er, and she couldn't imitate him, but when she talked about his father's demeanor and tone when he was at home -

Shi Fengque gradually felt the veins, and then slowly stiffened his facial muscles:
"Mingqi, you're back. I heard you did very well out there this time."

Although it is very stiff, it is a great improvement compared to before.

Shi Fengguan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to encourage her, but the woman's facial expression collapsed, she covered her face and said, "No, Feng'er, I'm so embarrassed, can you please avoid him in the future?"

How could she turn a blind eye to the problem that had already been exposed? Shi Fengguan grabbed her shoulders and gritted her teeth and said, "Aunt, you are the elder of the family! We will see you every day in the future. You can't avoid me forever!"

"...Didn't you say that you would let them go to the West Palace next year?"

Shi Fengque drooped his eyelashes timidly and said, "The West Palace is so big, it would be nice for me to just find a secluded courtyard to live in."

I'm sick! And I'm seriously ill!
Shi Fengguan's chest rose and fell twice, and he said angrily: "If you don't want to see the sun and don't want to see people, then you might as well become a monk. I'll send you there tomorrow!"

After hearing the words, Shi Fengque raised her eyes and looked at her. Although she knew that it was just an angry remark, she felt sad. Her clear eyes were filled with mist. She couldn't help but touch her small workbench with her hand and said:

"Well, can I take this with me..."

"..."

Shi Fengguan looked at his aunt who looked extremely pitiful, and suddenly wondered what bad ideas that bastard Wei Mingqi would come up with if he came.

After a while.

"That's all."

Shi Fengguan closed her peach blossom eyes, her eyes slightly red as she said, "I will take you home after the New Year. From now on, we will live as aunt and nephew and will not have any contact with the Wei family."

Hearing this sad tone, Shi Fengque, who was originally feeling sad and aggrieved, immediately panicked.

If she had no choice, she could accept that she couldn't fit in. As she said before, if Feng'er got tired of her, she could become a nun.

Anyway, she is not young anymore and it is impossible for her to get married again in the future. The future is foreseeable, so she can accept it anyway.

But if Feng'er, the only concern in her heart, delays her own happiness because of her, then she, as a girl, can really find a rope to hang herself.

"How can it be that serious!"

She stood up and put her arm around Feng'er's shoulders, and said in a hurry, "I'm just kidding you. Isn't it easy to put on airs? Wait for him to come back, and I'll make sure he respects you! Let's go out together during the New Year, and I'll buy you some sweet-scented osmanthus cake—"

"...Aunt."

Shi Fengguan, who was pretending at first, suddenly showed real affection. He hugged her and said in a choked voice, "You are my last relative in the world. I can't live without you. Please believe me, as long as I am here, no one can bully you."

"...Feng'er." Hearing this, Shi Fengque suddenly realized what was happening in his heart. He then felt extremely guilty and tried hard not to let his tears flow.

I have really let my heart be blinded by greed. I should have been the one my niece relied on, but I made her worry about me instead. When I die in the future, how can I have the face to see my relatives in the nine springs?

Shi Fengque finally hardened his heart.

She wants to be a qualified elder——

"..."

Garnet Lane.

Xie Beiling squeezed in with great effort, carrying two large baskets of chicken, duck, fish and meat. Then he let out a gentle breath to dispel the depression in his heart.

As it was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, vendors in the market were all trying to raise their prices on this last day. She was not good at talking and was in a hurry to buy the last batch of meat before the end of the year, so she was naturally ripped off.

She was so angry that she wanted to raise the price of buns for next year.

Hey.

Enduring a slight pain in his flesh, Xie Beiling just returned to the courtyard when he was attracted by a rustling noise in the corner, and then -

stare!
In the corner, the black cat that was about to eat a fat chicken sensed the "emotion" approaching like vines and claws, and immediately turned its head alertly, while its body tensed up as if it wanted to run away.

"Meow--"

Seeing the woman carrying two hangs of "meals", a hint of hesitation flashed across its cat face. Although the other person's eyes were very oppressive, it had no experience of being beaten in this house, so it finally stayed where it was and continued to feast on the food.

"..."

Xie Beiling didn't bother it, but went to hang the things in her hands under the eaves first. Because she had bought too many things during this period, some of them had no room to hang, so she had to hang them in the kitchen.

"Meow?"

The black cat, who was eating, looked up when he heard the noise, only to see the woman, who had finished her work, sitting down on a small stool not far away, staring at it.

It's strange that the cat is scared.

But again, it has never been beaten in this family.

After eating for a while, its eating manners gradually became more refined, but there was still half a fat chicken left. Just as it was about to walk out to eat, the black cat suddenly felt the gaze next to it become increasingly sharp.

"……belch"

I don't know why, but just by looking at her eyes I feel that this woman is terrifyingly strong.

The animal instinct made the black cat put down its front paws and take a few more bites. In the end, it became eating a bite - looking up - lowering its head to eat another bite - looking up again.

By the time it had finished eating, its hair had stood up. After looking into those dark eyes again, it lowered its head and stared at the half-eaten chicken, and then—

"yue——"

The cat's face was distorted and it vomited all over the floor.

After a while.

"……Meow"

The black cat raised its head weakly, its eyes moist. Xie Beiling saw its pitiful look and said calmly:

"Let's go."

"Meow."

After it staggered away, Xie Beiling felt that this fat chicken still had some educational value, so he stopped worrying about whether it was a waste.

She picked up the broom and swept the floor silently, then looked up at the sky. It was already afternoon, and she didn't know whether Wei Mingqi and Yu Niang could come back today.

The day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve...

A faint feeling rose in her heart, and remembering that there were two other people at home, Xie Beiling moved the bench and basin to the side closer to the door, and took out a fat chicken to prepare for today's dinner.

After a while.

The door of the side room opened, and the woman, with a changed mood, walked into the yard.

"Master Xie? When did you come back?"

"soon."

"Let me do it. You just came back and didn't even take a break."

"Not tired."

"Then I have to help out. I can't let you run the household entirely."

As he spoke, Shi Fengque didn't mind the dirtiness, he took the raw chicken and started to process the internal organs.

"..."

After being busy for a while, Shi Fengque raised her eyes when she saw no movement in front of her, only to see Xie Beiling staring at her quietly, as if thinking about something.

"What's the matter——"

A little panic rose in his heart, but Shi Fengque smiled and said, "Is it possible that I am making things worse?"

Xie Beiling shook his head, and waited until the woman lowered her head again before saying, "I just feel that you seem much more polite today."

"……what?"

Shi Fengque paused while picking the chicken, raised his head and said with a nonchalant smile: "You can't be secretly saying that I'm lazy on weekdays, right?"

Xie Beiling shook her head again.

Shi Fengque is usually not lazy and is always busy, unlike Yu Qing who claims that she is destined to be a 'lucky' concubine.

But she has a very gentle personality. When people come to grab the job, she will back off after you say a few words to her. She won't be as "disobedient" as she was today.

On weekdays at home, apart from being a little wary of Yu Niang, Xie Beiling rarely eavesdropped on the conversations in other rooms, so she didn't know what the aunt and nephew had just talked about in the room, but -

I guess they were just the same questions that Shi Fengguan had asked her before.

"It's better to take it easy on this weekday."

She said softly, true to her heart: "As long as it doesn't bother others, it's important that I feel comfortable."

"..."

Shi Fengque was so panicked that he thought Xie Beiling had eavesdropped on their conversation when she came back, but it was still her comment -

'Master Xie is a very understanding person'

Although she is usually quiet, she is a very considerate, kind and tolerant woman. It is for this reason that Shi Fengque finds her amiable and respectable.

"I have been feeling comfortable every day since I left the palace."

Shi Fengque lowered his head and said with emotion: "On the contrary, it's you, Master Xie. I've seen you running around these days, as if you don't know how to be tired."

The two were about the same age and had similar personalities. Xie Beiling wanted to use this topic to give her some advice, so she said:
"If you have hope in life, you won't feel tired doing anything. You are still young, and you have to--"

"……Um?"

Shi Fengque looked up in confusion when he saw that there was no follow-up, but he saw Xie Beiling looking sideways with a focused expression.

Da da da--

The sound of horse hooves is getting closer.

Shi Fengque was about to speak when he saw Xie Beiling suddenly stand up, walk to the door and stick his head out. In the distance, he heard a young man's distant voice:

"Master - we rushed back overnight, is there any food at home?"

"..."

Seeing the soft smile on Qingqun's face and thinking of her previous words, Shi Fengque couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

This is called--

Hope?

　All future updates will be made around 11:30, whether more or less, at this time, to give everyone a more coherent reading experience.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)