Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 27

“Young Master, you’re back!”

As soon as Pei Che enters the door, people gather around to help him change clothes, wash his hands, and serve him tea.

“Distribute the things I brought back to each courtyard. I’ll take the items for Grandmother and the young master myself,” Pei Che says, taking a sip of hot tea, feeling warmth spread through his body. The downside of going out in winter is that, despite having a stove in the carriage, the cold wind still seeps in from all directions, piercing through to the bones and stripping away all the warmth.

“Yes!” Chan Yi walks out to carry out his instructions, steaming the longevity peaches again before distributing them. Several baskets are taken back to the courtyard, and the rest are sent to each courtyard by maids and servants.

Pei Che asks Wen Jing to bring the food box, and he heads to his grandmother’s place first. He finds her secluded in the small Buddhist hall, praying. So, he hands the food box to Granny Gao nearby.

“Granny, please keep this warm on the stove. When Grandmother comes out, let her have some. They’re all filled with red bean paste, so there’s no worry about breaking her vegetarian fast.” His grandmother eats vegetarian during these few days each month, avoiding any meat or fish.

“Young Master is very thoughtful. When Madam comes out, this old servant will serve it to her right away.” Granny Gao looks at Pei Che kindly. She has never married and has long regarded the children of the household as her own. Among all the younger generation, she favors Pei Che the most.

“I brought a lot, so please have some too, Granny. With someone to accompany her, Grandmother might eat a bit more.” Ever since her last panic attack, Grandmother’s health has become increasingly frail. Pei Che often comes to dine with her, hoping she will eat more.

“With your filial heart, Madam will surely eat more.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Granny.”

After leaving his grandmother’s courtyard, Pei Che walks into a small courtyard nearby. The people there quickly greet him respectfully when they see him.

“Xing’er, what did the young master eat today? How much did he eat? Did he speak to you?” he asks the maid at the front.

“Reporting to the young master, the young master eats quite a bit today. He has a cup of pigeon soup, a chicken leg, two pieces of steamed fish, and a bowl of fragrant rice. I speak to him for a long time, but as usual, he doesn’t say a word,” Xing’er replies softly.

Pei Che sighs inwardly, takes the food box from Wen Jing, and says, “You can all leave now. There’s no need to attend to things here for the time being.”

He carries the food box into the bedroom, where it is completely silent. There is no one on the bed or the small couch. Pei Che places the food box on the table and walks to the cabinet by the window. He pulls the door open, and inside sits a child of about six or seven years old. The child is playing with a small jade fish, and even though he notices the cabinet door opening, he doesn’t move at all, not even to glance up.

Pei Che bends down and lifts the child out, placing him on a stool.

“Mu’er, Brother brings you longevity peaches. You ate two last time; you liked them, right?” Pei Che lifts the lid of the food box, letting the aroma of the peaches waft out. “Look, there are so many. After you finish, Brother will leave them here so you can eat them when you get hungry.”

Pei Mu, sitting upright on the stool, still doesn’t speak, continuing to focus on the little fish in his hands, only twitching his nose slightly.

Pei Che, who is watching closely, doesn’t miss this reaction. He washes and dries his hands on the rack, then picks up a longevity peach, breaks it in half, and places it in front of Pei Mu. The savory scent fills the air, tempting Pei Mu to stop his actions and stare directly at the peach with his clear, black-and-white eyes.

“Mu’er, do you want to eat it? If you say you want, Brother will give it to you. Say it, want…” Pei Che draws out the word, guiding Pei Mu as if teaching a child to speak, hoping he will say the word “want.”

Pei Mu turns his head, finally fixing his gaze on Pei Che. His thin eyebrows knit together slightly, seemingly puzzled by Pei Che’s words.

Pei Che feels a pang in his nose from his brother’s gaze. He quickly hands over the peach, but halfway through, he remembers that his brother hasn’t washed his hands. So, he puts the peach back in the box, turns around to wet a cloth, and cleans Pei Mu’s hands before handing the peach over again. Pei Mu watches him, seemingly waiting to see if he will take it back again. Once certain it is for him, Pei Mu reaches out his small hands, takes the peach, and begins eating it slowly, bite by bite.

“Mu’er, does this longevity peach taste good? Brother made a few too, but the vendor said Brother didn’t make them well and wouldn’t let me pack them, so I ate them over there. By the way, the vendor has a younger brother about your age. He doesn’t look as good as you, but he’s quite cute. He helps his brother with the work. Mu’er, when will you be able to happily call out ‘Brother’ like him…?”

Pei Mu finishes one peach and reaches out his small hand again. Pei Che hands over another one. These peaches are small, so eating two isn’t too much. But after Pei Mu finishes, he reaches out again.

Pei Che frowns. “Mu’er, you can’t eat any more. You already had a lot for lunch, and eating more will make you sick.” It has only been an hour since lunch, and eating too much isn’t good.

Pei Che refuses to feed any more and turns to get a cloth to wipe Pei Mu’s hands, missing the flash of disappointment in Pei Mu’s eyes.

“Xing’er, take good care of the young master. Remember to talk to him often when there’s nothing else to do.” After coaxing his brother to sleep, Pei Che gently closes the door and steps out.

“Young Master, don’t worry. I will take good care of the young master and not betray your trust,” Xing’er says.

Pei Che nods and walks out. Xing’er was born to a maid who accompanied his mother as part of her dowry. Her parents died in the same accident, and out of pity, the old madam allowed her to grow up in the household and later assigned her to look after Pei Mu.

“Young Master, the old madam has summoned you,” Pei Che is stopped as soon as he leaves the courtyard.

“Grandson greets Grandmother. May I ask what matter Grandmother called me over for?”

“Come, sit here.” Pei Che’s grandmother pats the spot beside her, and Pei Che obediently sits down next to her. “I just ate the longevity peaches you brought back; they were delicious.”

“As long as Grandmother likes them, I’ll get more for you next time.”

“No need for that. The journey to the outer city is far; let the servants handle it. Do you know that your maternal grandfather is returning soon?”

Pei Che shakes his head. “I haven’t visited the Feng residence for a while.”

“His Majesty has appointed him as an imperial envoy, and he has been on a tour on behalf of the emperor for almost a year. With the end of the year approaching, it’s time for him to return to the capital. The day after tomorrow, take your younger brother to Hongde Inn to wait and pick up your maternal grandfather when he returns,” says Grandmother Pei.

“Grandmother…” Pei Che is reluctant, not because he doesn’t want to see his grandfather, but because he doesn’t want to appear to have an ulterior motive.

“I know you dislike such tasks, but your mother passed away early, making it inevitable that you are more distant from your maternal family. The Feng family is prosperous; if you don’t take the initiative, when will your grandfather think of you? In the future, when you become the heir, you will need your grandfather’s support!” The old madam’s tone is stern, her gaze leaving no room for refusal.

Pei Che opens his mouth but ultimately doesn’t argue. He responds with a low “yes.”

As the morning bell rings, everyone in the Duke of Zhongguo’s household is already up. Since Pei Che and Pei Mu are going to Hongde Inn, which is over a hundred li away from Liangjing, the journey is long, and they don’t know how many days they will be gone. So, everything needs to be prepared in advance. After a while, three carriages are loaded.

“That’s enough. Chan Yi and Wen Jing, you two will accompany me. The rest of you stay in the residence. During our absence, guard the courtyard well, do not wander around, and do not gossip about others,” Pei Che instructs.

“Young Master, please let me accompany the young master,” Xing’er suddenly speaks up, her eyes full of pleading.

Pei Che looks at Pei Mu, who has his head lowered and shows no reaction to Xing’er’s words.

“Forget it. I am usually very busy, and these few days I have some free time. I should spend it with him,” he says as he picks up Pei Mu and places him in the first carriage. Then, he climbs in himself.

Chan Yi and Wen Jing exchange smiles and board the carriage at the back carrying the supplies, where there are still some spots left for them.

The carriages gradually move away, leaving someone behind looking after them longingly.

…

It’s easy to find a ride from the west gate to the east gate, but getting to Jiangjiawan is another story. Jiang Miao asks several coachmen, but some say the journey is too far, some say it isn’t profitable to take passengers on the return trip, and some even say they don’t know the way. Finally, when he finds one willing to go, the price quoted makes Jiang Miao shake his head. He originally thought of hiring Uncle Zhang’s cart, but Uncle Zhang has already agreed to haul goods for someone else and can’t make the trip.

Finding no one in the city, Jiang Miao decides to wait outside. He thinks if there’s anyone heading in that direction, he could hitch a ride for at least part of the way. And for the remaining distance, maybe he could still find someone from a nearby village heading out on errands.

With this hopeful thought, he and Xiao Shitou stand by the roadside waiting. But today, for some reason, almost all the passing vehicles are horse-drawn carriages. At the city gate, another four carriages appear, more luxurious than the previous ones.

Jiang Miao knows his place. Those who can afford horses wouldn’t care for his little fare, so he doesn’t even try to wave them down. However, these carriages, the least likely to take passengers, unexpectedly stop beside them.

“Brother Jiang?” Someone on the carriage lifts the curtain and calls out.

Jiang Miao takes a few steps forward and greets with a smile, “Young Master Pei? What a coincidence, you’re going out today too?” He realizes this family’s wealth is indeed substantial; the carriage this time is completely different from the last, so he doesn’t recognize it.

Pei Che looks at the items in Jiang Miao and Xiao Shitou’s hands and asks, “Where are you headed?”

“Going back to our old home. We’re just waiting for a ride here. We’ll wait a bit longer so as not to delay your business. You go ahead.” Jiang Miao steps back to the side of the road.

Pei Che notices Jiang Miao’s face and hands, red from the cold, and knows he must have been waiting here for some time.

“Get in the carriage.”

“What?”

“Get in the carriage, I’ll give you a ride.” There’s only one official road out of the city in this direction, so no matter where they’re headed, they’ll be on this road. Pei Che figures Jiang Miao’s old home can’t be farther than Hongde Inn.

“This… doesn’t seem right. I’ll wait a bit longer,” Jiang Miao hesitates. He’s been standing here for a while and is likely covered in dust. Pei Che seems to value cleanliness, and Jiang Miao doesn’t want to dirty the carriage.

“Just get in the carriage. If not for yourself, think about your brother. The wind is strong; wouldn’t it be better to get home sooner?” Pei Che is puzzled. Why is this person hesitant to accept help when it’s offered?

Jiang Miao turns to look at Xiao Shitou. Despite being wrapped in a thick coat and with his head covered, his little face is as red as a monkey’s bottom from the wind.

“Thank you! Shall we sit in the back?” There are three more carriages behind, likely for carrying goods.

“The back is full. Just get in here!” Pei Che lifts the curtain and extends his hand, ready to help him up.

Jiang Miao is startled and feels a bit overwhelmed. He quickly hands over a few bundles for Pei Che to hold, then lifts Xiao Shitou onto the carriage. Finally, he walks to the other side, grabs the handle, and jumps onto the carriage.

Pei Che, holding the patched bundles, is a bit stunned. He has never held someone else’s luggage before, not even his own.

“Thank you, Young Master Pei!” Jiang Miao tries to take back the bundles hanging from Pei Che’s hand, but Pei Che avoids his hand and places the bundles under the seat.

Jiang Miao, with Xiao Shitou, squeezes inside. Once seated, he notices there is another child in the carriage, dressed similarly to Young Master Pei, looking like a little golden boy, playing with something in his hands.

“Young Master Pei, is this your son?” Jiang Miao is a bit surprised. Pei Che looks quite young, and Jiang Miao hadn’t expected him to have a child this age. It seems true that people in ancient times married early.

Pei Che’s temple twitches. “I haven’t even come of age yet.”

“Huh?” How old is that again?