Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 189

“Since you’ve been there as well, I won’t hide it from you anymore,” Grandmother Pei sighs. “After experiencing today’s events, I came to realize—life is uncertain, and we never know when it might end.”

Pei Che quickly reassures her, “Grandmother, you’re still in good health, and this grandson still needs your care.”

Grandmother Pei smiles slightly. “I know you’re filial, Che’er. But life and death are in the hands of fate. No one can say for sure. Haven’t you always wondered why, after I fell ill, I distanced myself from your second uncle and the others?”

“I used to not understand, but after all that’s happened, I come to see them for what they really are, and I can’t blame grandmother for staying away from them,” Pei Che says quietly. What he once thought of as a loving and harmonious family, full of filial piety and peace, now seems like a falsehood.

“Yes, I’ve been softhearted these past years, thinking that, although they are foolish, they share the same blood as you, and it’s good to have someone to support you. But I never imagined they would grow so indifferent,” Grandmother Pei frowns, recalling the time when she fell ill a few years ago.

…

That time she had been sick, and it happened to be Shijie’s memorial day. Overcome with sorrow, she couldn’t sleep at night. She caught a cold just as the weather was changing, and one morning, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and fainted.

This illness had been different from her usual ones. It was called “shock syndrome,” implying that it was a disease brought on by fright. There had even been rumors outside that it was the result of the former heir’s wrongdoings. She had lain in bed for over half a month with no improvement, suffering from occasional heart pains that made her wish for death.

Many doctors had been invited to the mansion, but they had all said the illness was difficult to cure. In the end, the imperial doctor had prescribed a remedy. However, he had said that the formula required a thousand-year-old ginseng as the main ingredient, which could soothe the spirit, stabilize the soul, and was perfect for treating shock syndrome.

In a family like theirs, a thousand-year-old ginseng hadn’t been exactly rare. But it was something that could only be encountered by chance, and unfortunately, no one in the entire Liangjing or surrounding areas had been able to find it when she needed it the most.

Grandmother Pei felt her body growing weaker by the day. She feared that one day she might fall asleep and never wake up. But it hadn’t been death she had feared—she had been more concerned that, after her death, Che’er would be left without anyone to rely on.

He had been the rightful heir to the title, but now, the Duke of Zhongguo was his illegitimate second uncle. Though his uncle had sworn before the ancestors’ tablet that he would return the Duke’s position to Che’er, betrayers had been countless throughout history. While she was still alive, perhaps she could have kept things in check, but once she was gone, there was no telling what would happen. Even if he had been good then, it would never have been as good as when Pei Che had been in charge and free from being undermined.

Thinking of this, Grandmother Pei decided she must resolve this matter before her death. So, one day when she felt a bit better, she purposely called the second, third, and fourth sons to her bedside.

These three had always shown great respect for her, the legitimate mother. At that moment, standing by the bed, each of them had expressed filial piety, speaking with earnest words, as if they had wished they were the ones who were ill.

Grandmother Pei had felt comforted by this and had thought that her years of nurturing had indeed borne fruit. After saying a few words, she had gotten to the main topic and brought up the matter of the title.

The Second Pei, Pei Shiyuan, had obviously not expected her to bring this up and had been momentarily stunned. When he had regained his senses, his words had been filled with promises, saying that as long as Pei Che achieved success in his studies, he would fulfill the vow he had made back then.

Grandmother Pei had felt displeased. “Achieving success in studies” had clearly been an excuse. When would that have been considered achieved? When he had become a Juren (provincial scholar)? Or when he had become a jinshi (advanced scholar)?

She had frowned and had been about to speak when suddenly a familiar, sharp pain had struck her chest. It had come quickly and fiercely, so intense that she could not bear it, and she had fainted right away.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been unconscious, but when she had woken up, those people had still been in her room. She had tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids had felt as heavy as lead and wouldn’t open. In her panic, she had struggled with her own body and had had no mind to listen to what they were saying.

It hadn’t been until Granny Gao had gone out to urge the doctor, and the words “Pei Che” had been mentioned, that she had paid attention.

“Second Brother, were you really going to hand the Duke’s position to that brat Pei Che? Since Father’s death, this family has been supported by you. Why should she just say a word and make you give up your position?” Seeing that the old maid had left, Third Pei had spoken up. He had always been close with Pei Shiyuan and had now stepped forward to speak up.

Pei Shiyuan had smiled helplessly. “Mother has already spoken. What could I do?”

“Second Brother, that’s not how it should be said. Even if it’s Mother, she needs to be reasonable. When the Duke’s estate had no one to support it, she had turned to you. Now that Pei Che had grown up, she wanted you to give it back. Wasn’t this like making a dress for someone else?” Moreover, the Fourth Pei had replied, unwilling to back down.

“But, the legitimate branch still has heirs…” Pei Shiyuan’s voice had faltered.

“So what? Mother was already too ill to do anything. What kind of storm could that brat Pei Che possibly stir up?” Third Pei had said with disdain, his tone clearly dismissive of Pei Che.

“Alas, you can’t say it like that. Even if our family agreed, how could the Feng family just let it go?” Pei Shiyuan still had some concerns.

Third Pei had said, “The Feng family? No matter how powerful the Feng family is, can they really interfere in other people’s family matters? Besides, mother had always kept Pei Che away from them. Over time, would the Feng family still care about him? You just need to stall and wait for mother… That would be enough.”

After listening to their conversation, Grandmother Pei had felt as if something had clenched around her throat, her heart aching so much she could hardly breathe. She had blamed the Feng family for Shijie’s death, so she hadn’t let Che’er have too much contact with them. Now, she realized she had misjudged people, brought wolves into her home, and had caused Che’er to be isolated and helpless. It had all been her fault!

When she had woken up again, the three of them had resumed their usual demeanor, fussing over her and offering comfort, carefully taking care of her. Grandmother Pei had wanted to tear her mask off and confront them, but she had feared pushing them too hard might drive them to desperate measures, so she had dared not act rashly. Instead, she had privately sent someone to contact Old Master Feng, hoping he could speak up for Pei Che and seek justice while she was still alive.

Unfortunately, Old Master Feng had just left Liangjing a few days ago, having received an imperial decree to go on a royal inspection tour. He hadn’t known when he would return.

Grandmother Pei had sunk into despair. Was it destined by heaven that she wouldn’t die in peace?

However, the turning point had come quickly. As Pei Che had been searching for thousand-year-old ginseng, the Zhu family from the outer city had suddenly come to her door one day, offering the precious ginseng in the hopes of establishing a connection with Pei Che and seeking the protection of the Duke’s mansion.

With the ginseng as a medicinal ingredient and a prescription from the imperial doctor, after only three doses of the medicine, Grandmother Pei’s heart palpitations had greatly improved. After recovering, she had considered dealing with these ungrateful people. But after further thought, she had refrained from taking action. No matter what, Second Pei was now the Duke. If he had died suddenly, it would undoubtedly have attracted the attention of the imperial court. Considering the grudge between Pei Shijie and the current emperor, Grandmother Pei had to suppress her rising anger and carefully plan her next steps.

…

After hearing everything, Pei Che finally understands why his grandmother has acted the way she did after recovering, even advising him to maintain relations with his maternal family to avoid becoming distant.

Thinking about how his grandmother has still been looking out for him even when she was critically ill, Pei Che feels a complex mix of emotions rise in his heart, and his throat seems to be blocked by something.

Jiang Miao is also moved. Grandmother Pei truly cares for Pei Che. He can’t help but think of his own grandparents, who have always been devoted to him until their deaths, planning for his future until the very end.

After Grandmother Pei finishes recounting the past, she feels a bit relieved. She hasn’t mentioned it earlier because she’s worried that Pei Che, in his youthful enthusiasm, might act rashly and reveal everything. Now that he is capable of standing on his own, there is no harm in him knowing the truth.

Life is unpredictable. She only hopes that before she dies, she can pave the way for Pei Che, ensuring that his later years will be comfortable and worry-free.