The parents of Song Ce and Xiu'er's mother had both passed away. When they were worshiping heaven and earth, the teacher who served as the master of ceremonies at the manor suggested that the second young master take the seat and accept the kowtow of the newlyweds.
Zhao Jingyu had long regarded Xiu'er's mother as his future mother-in-law, and refused to accept her kowtow no matter what. However, the villagers were so enthusiastic that they dragged him to the armchair in the middle of the wedding hall.
Song Ce pulled Xiu'er's mother to kneel down and said earnestly: "Second Master is kind-hearted and compassionate. He sent us rice, flour and silver when we were in the most difficult time, and also exempted us from rent to build a new house. His great kindness is like that of a second parent, and he deserves our respect."
"Yes, yes. If it weren't for the Second Young Master, we wouldn't know what our situation would be now. Living in that shabby thatched house, we might not even be able to survive this winter." said the villagers.
Xiu'er's mother added, "When my mother and I were stranded here, it was thanks to the Second Young Master that we were able to find a place to live and survive. We can never repay the Second Young Master's kindness even if we work like slaves."
You don't have to work like a slave for me. Just give your daughter to me. Zhao Jingyu thought to himself and looked towards Xie Nanjia.
Xie Nanjia had no idea what he was thinking and thought he was asking for her opinion, so she nodded and told him to accept it calmly.
Seeing her serious look, Zhao Jingyu couldn't help laughing, so he sat upright on the chair and accepted the three kowtows from the newlyweds.
After the ceremony, the bride and groom returned to their room to change out of their complicated clothes and makeup, and came out to invite the guests to sit down and drink.
Zhao Jingyu was arranged to sit in the chief position, accompanied by several respected old gentlemen.
A handsome young man in fine clothes and handsome appearance, sitting among a group of elderly people in plain clothes and with white hair, trying his best to pretend to be a serious master. The scene was very funny no matter how you looked at it. Xie Nanjia had to try hard not to laugh.
Zhao Jingyu had never eaten a banquet in the countryside, and he couldn't eat the dishes on the table that were rough, unshaped, and had cracks on the plates. But he was the host, and if he didn't move his chopsticks, no one else would dare to move. In desperation, he had to pick up a piece of food from each plate with his chopsticks.
I originally thought it would be unpalatable, but unexpectedly, the dish, which looked ordinary, tasted very fragrant, and it has a flavor that you can't find in restaurants in Beijing.
The country chefs are really good at cooking, Zhao Jingyu thought, and when he was about to take a few more bites, six or seven pairs of chopsticks had already been put down.
He didn't despise the country people, but after all, he was used to a life of luxury and was not used to eating like that. He had to suppress his craving for food, put down his chopsticks and concentrate on drinking.
The wine was water wine, brewed by the villagers with the grain they grew themselves. Although it was not as good as the good wine he usually drank, it had a unique aroma. He became addicted as he drank it, and when he was excited, he toasted everyone and asked Song Ce if he could give him two jars so that he could take them back to the capital.
Song Ce said of course it was okay, as long as the second young master liked it, not to mention two jars, even two jars would be fine.
Everyone said that the Second Young Master was truly approachable and a good master that was hard to find in the world.
The country folks praised others without any roundabout way or flowery words, and Zhao Jingyu found it very pleasing to the ears, and under the influence of the alcohol, he felt like he was floating in the air.
Just as he was feeling very excited, Xie Nanjia came over and called him, asking him to go with her.
Zhao Jingyu didn't ask what was going on. He just stood up and staggered away with her.
Xie Nanjia took him to the west wing, brought him several dishes, and let him enjoy them quietly by himself.
"It's easy to get drunk if you drink on an empty stomach." Xie Nanjia explained, "I know you like cleanliness, and you can't eat what others have eaten, so I asked the chef to make a few dishes just for you."
Zhao Jingyu immediately smiled and felt warm in his heart.
"Xiu'er, you finally understand me." He half-closed his drunken eyes and said, "Has your hard-hearted heart been melted by me?"
Xie Nanjia: “…”
Do I have a heart of stone? How come I don’t know it
Besides, does he think he is the sun
After the lively banquet ended, everyone dispersed and Zhao Jingyu and his party also set off to return to Beijing.
Xiu'er's mother was reluctant to part with her daughter, but she didn't dare to delay the Second Young Master's journey, so she held Xie Nanjia's hand and burst into tears.
Xie Nanjia had no choice but to comfort her and said that she would come back to see her often in the future.
Song Ce also said that he would take her to the capital to see his daughter when the weather got warmer in spring.
Finally, in order to prevent her from being sad, Song Ce asked her to stay at home to take care of the final matters, while he went to see the second young master off.
Only after he had escorted the person to the main road outside the manor and watched the carriage disappear into the distance did Song Ce return with Xie Nanjia's earnest instructions.
Xiu'er Niang was in the yard packing up the tables, chairs and benches she had borrowed from a neighbor. Suddenly, Hu Sanmu's wife, Li, ran in like a madman, holding a shiny kitchen knife in her hand. She rushed towards Xiu'er Niang, shouting, "You evildoers, I'm going to kill you and avenge my husband and son..."
There were a few women in the yard who were helping to clean up. Seeing this, they were horrified and shouted in panic, "Xiu'er's mother, run, run!"
When Xiu'er's mother heard the sound, she turned around and was frightened by the crazy Li and the kitchen knife in her hand. She gasped, dropped what she was holding and ran away.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Li had already reached her and raised the kitchen knife high. She turned around and ran, and the kitchen knife hit her back with one blow. Blood immediately flowed out.
Xiu'er's mother staggered forward and fell to the ground. Li chased after her and stabbed her again.
"Murder, murder, Li has killed someone..." The women screamed and ran away in all directions.
Just at this time Song Ce came back. Hearing the terrified scream coming from the yard, his head buzzed and he ran inside.
Li was so angry that she raised the kitchen knife and was about to chop it on Xiu'er's head. Song Ce rushed over and raised his arm to block it without thinking.
Although it was winter and his clothes were thick, they could not withstand the sharpness of the knife and the ruthlessness of the man. A big hole was cut in his clothes and arm, and blood was gushing out.
Song Ce endured the pain and kicked Li to the ground, then pulled up his mother and ran away.
"Pay your life, pay your life, you have to pay my man's life..." Li seemed to be possessed. She got up and chased after them, slashing with her knife.
Xiu'er's mother was stabbed twice in the back and was almost unconscious, unable to run at all.
Seeing Li's knife coming at him again, Song Ce quickly protected her in his arms, exposing his back to the knife.
The expected pain did not appear, and Li screamed. The kitchen knife fell to the ground, and he fell to the ground with her.
Song Ce turned around in surprise and saw a burly, expressionless man standing in front of him, holding a long sword dripping with blood. The blood on the sword came from Li's shoulder.
At this time, many villagers heard the news and rushed over to subdue Li.
The women gathered around and watched in fear.
A happy event turned into a disaster in the blink of an eye, and everyone sighed and lamented.
"Thank you for the rescue, brave man!" Song Ce thanked the man while still in shock.
"It's okay, let's see how your wife is injured." said the man.
When Song Ce saw Xiu'er in his arms, he found that she had fainted.
"Xiu'er mother, Xiu'er mother..." Song Ce called her repeatedly, tears streaming down his face, "Our good days have just begun, you can't be in any trouble. If anything happens to you, how can I explain to Xiu'er..."
"Don't cry first, let me see if I can save her." The man interrupted his crying, squatted down, put the sword in his hand on the ground, and grabbed Xiu'er's mother's wrist.
Song Ce quickly stopped crying and stared at him nervously.
The man checked the patient's breathing, pulse, and injuries, and said that he might be able to save the patient, but he couldn't guarantee how long he could live.
Song Ce's heart was broken and he begged him to rescue him quickly.
The man then ordered him to carry Xiu'er's mother into the house, and randomly asked two women to go in to help. He also told the rest of the people not to forget to bandage Li's wound and stop the bleeding.
"This evil woman, just let her die!" Everyone was filled with indignation.
No matter what they said, they were all simple people after all, so they bandaged her wound anyway.
Inside the house, after some emergency bandaging and treatment, and taking a life-extending pill given by the man, Xiu'er's mother slowly opened her eyes.
"He's awake, he's awake..." the two women who were helping said in surprise.
Song Ce stepped forward, held her hand, and said in a trembling voice: "Thank God, you finally woke up."
Xiu'er's mother's face was pale. She opened her mouth weakly, but before she could say anything, tears started to flow.
Song Ce wiped her tears and comforted her: "Don't cry, don't cry, it will hurt if the wound is moved."
Xiu'er's mother breathed heavily and turned to look at the man and two women standing beside the bed.
"It was this brave man who saved you." Song Ce introduced, and only then remembered that he forgot to ask the man's name and origin.
"I am the Second Young Master's bodyguard." The man took the initiative to say without waiting for him to ask, "The Second Young Master dropped a jade pendant and asked me to come back to look for it. I happened to see that woman hurting someone."
"So that's how it is. The Second Young Master is really our living Bodhisattva. Even a small loss can save a life!" The two women believed it and hurried out to inform the villagers, asking them to help the Second Young Master find the jade pendant.
After a while, Xiu'er's mother regained some strength and said to Song Ce: "If I die, there is one thing you must remember to tell Xiu'er. She is not my biological child. Her biological parents are in the capital..."
Song Ce was shocked: "How is this possible? Are you talking nonsense?"
The man next to him, whose expressionless face had remained expressionless to this day, finally showed a hint of emotion.
"I'm not confused. What I said is true." Xiu'er's mother panted violently. "Xiu'er is the young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Twelve years ago..."
"Auntie!" The man next to her suddenly interrupted her, "Your injuries are very serious, don't get too excited right now. It's not too late to talk after you get better."
If what Xiu'er's mother said was true, Xiu'er was the real lady of the Duke's Mansion. Naturally, her secrets could not be known to outsiders, not even Song Ce.
"Yes, yes, yes. It's not too late to talk about it after you get better." Song Ce was worried about Xiu'er's mother's injury, so he echoed her.
"No, I'm afraid if I don't tell you now, I won't have another chance..." Xiu'er's mother said, "If I die, you tell Xiu'er the truth, and she won't be sad for me..."
"What are you talking about? Even if you're not her biological mother, you've raised her for more than ten years. How could she not be sad?" Song Ce said with tears in his eyes, "If you really don't want her to be sad, you should live well."
"That's right. If you don't want your daughter to be sad, you should live well." The man took over Song Ce's words and said, "Your injury can be cured as long as it is treated properly. Why don't you come with me to the capital now and let the second young master find a famous doctor to treat you."
"Can she go to the capital like this?" Song Ce hesitated.
"It's ok. I'm here, nothing will happen. It's more dangerous to stay here." The man said, "If you really want her to live, go and prepare the carriage. Let's walk faster. Maybe we can catch up with the Second Young Master. He will definitely find a way to save her."
The second young master is the living Bodhisattva of Hongou Manor. When Song Ce heard him mention the second young master, he immediately dispelled all his worries, hurried out to prepare the carriage, and arranged for someone to take care of the affairs of the manor after he left.
After an incense stick of time, Xiu'er's mother was carried onto a carriage covered with thick straw and bedding. The "Second Young Master's Guard" drove the carriage himself and took her and Song Ce to the capital.
The villagers sent them off with great concern, and someone suddenly shouted, "The second young master's jade pendant has not been found yet!"
"Human life is of paramount importance. The Second Young Master is kind-hearted and would not care about a jade pendant." said the teacher.
Everyone thought what he said made sense.
Suddenly someone shouted again: "Oh no, Li is missing."
Then everyone remembered that they were so busy with Xiu'er's mother's affairs that they had forgotten about that evil woman.
"She can't run away. We must find her and send her to the authorities."
"Her husband is a relative of the Marquis's wife. I don't know if the government can do anything about it."
"Whether you care or not, you have to find it first."
Everyone was busy looking around.
At this time, Li had already run into the back mountain, preparing to take a detour from the other side of the mountain to the capital and go to Dingyuan Marquis' Mansion to ask his wife to make the decision for her.
…
Zhao Jingyu and Xie Nanjia had no idea what had happened later at Hongou Manor, and they leisurely headed towards the capital.
Without the rush of the trip, everyone was relaxed. When it got dark, Zhao Jingyu said it was unsafe at night and insisted on staying overnight at the post station.
Xie Nanjia was concerned about Hualou Lvliu and the Fourth Young Miss, and was worried that Qin's aunt and nephew and Zhao Lanya would harm them if she was not there, so she did not want to waste time at the post station. However, Zhao Jingyu was unwilling to travel at night, so she had no choice but to give in.
As a result, they who stayed in the post station missed Song Ce and his two companions perfectly.
At five o'clock in the morning, as soon as the city gate opened, the three dusty men entered the capital.
Thanks to the miraculous effect of the life-extending elixir, Xiu'er's mother tossed and turned all night, and apart from the pain in her wounds, nothing dangerous happened. Song Ce stayed with her all night and didn't dare to close his eyes.
It was a sparsely populated winter dawn, and the carriage drove smoothly into the alley where the back door of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was located.
The carriage stopped, Song Ce lifted the curtain and looked out, wondering, "This doesn't seem to be the Dingyuan Marquis's Mansion?"
"This is the back door. Your situation is special, so we shouldn't alert others," the guard explained.
Song Ce believed it and didn't ask any more questions.
The guard got out of the carriage, knocked on the door, whispered a few words to the gatekeeper, then turned back and drove the carriage in.
"Mother Xiu'er, just hold on for a while. You will see Xiu'er soon. She will definitely ask the second young master to heal you." Song Ce said while holding Mother Xiu'er's hand.
Xiu'er's mother nodded weakly: "When I see Xiu'er, I will tell her the truth. Don't stop me."
"Let's talk about it when we meet!" Song Ce said without comment.
The carriage turned a few corners and stopped in front of a row of low houses.
The guard got off the carriage, raised the curtain and said, "This is where the servants live. You two can rest inside for a while. I will report to the Second Young Master and then come to pick you up."
Song Ce quickly agreed, and together with him, they carried Xiu'er's mother into a low room and laid her on the bed.
The guard immediately went out, and before leaving he told him not to leave the room, so as not to accidentally offend his masters.
Song Ce responded: "Don't worry, I will stay with my wife and won't go anywhere."
The guard left with peace of mind, and hurried to the young lady's yard while most people in the mansion were still asleep.
(End of this chapter)