The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family-Chapter 1206 - 279: Xie Yi Escapes

Wei Shu had been busy all day and had cried a lot, her eyes red as she packed up two calligraphy and painting scrolls, bringing them along to express her gratitude to Pei Qin.

Pei Qin wasn’t home; Jun Suxue received her, "The period before and after the New Year has been especially busy for the General. Ms. Wei, your visit is rather untimely; the General is currently at the Manufacturing Bureau!"

"I have come uninvited and disturbed you," apologized Wei Shu as she set down the two paintings. "The General kindly gifted me a portrait. These paintings are of no use to me, so I am giving them to the General as a token of my appreciation."

Jun Suxue looked at the exquisite brocade box, suspecting both paintings were masterpieces. The General hardly had any spare time to take up a brush; she had often admitted her lack of interest in such crafts. These two paintings... Jun Suxue didn’t accept them. "Our General assisted Ms. Wei out of genuine concern. There’s no need for thanks! And such a gift is even less necessary! Our General never seeks anything in return!"

However, Wei Shu insisted on leaving them, "It’s my way of expressing gratitude."

Seeing this, Jun Suxue temporarily accepted them, "We’ll wait for the Marquis and the General to decide." She then saw Wei Shu out.

Pei Qin did not return until late, having had dinner at the Manufacturing Bureau.

She was still unaware of the gossip spreading outside; Wei Shu had visited again, specifically when Pei Qin was not at home. What was her purpose? As a widow whose husband had just died, she was seen wandering about—rumors were rife, criticizing her lack of propriety and questioning her virtue.

Meanwhile, others defended her, claiming Wei Shu was there to express her thanks since receiving the portrait. Not everyone could receive a painting from General Pei!

Pei Qin looked at the paintings; although she didn’t understand art, they seemed more than ordinary. "Just take them," Mo Heng suggested.

"Are you talking about the person or the painting?" Mo Heng leaned over.

"Both the painting and the person," replied Pei Qin.

"I’m not interested in paintings," Mo Heng said as he made a note in the ledger and closed the book.

Pei Qin spoke ominously, "If you’re interested in the person, why don’t you take them too?"

"The person is already mine!" Mo Heng pulled her into his embrace, his face close to hers. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I was talking about Wei Shu, you’re being unreasonable!" Pei Qin glared at him angrily.

Yet Mo Heng held her closer, straddling him as he kissed her cheek, "So tell me, is it better to ravish first then murder, or to violate after death?"

Pei Qin’s lips twitched fiercely, "I’ll ravish you first then kill you!"

"Fine! As long as you still have the strength to kill me!" Mo Heng laughed, kissing her deeply by the ear and starting to undo her robe.

Of the two paintings, one had previously been sent to Mo Heng after Pei Qin saw it at Songshan Academy, but she had it returned. "If you want to give a gift, give Silver! That one painting is worth at least three thousand taels!"

Jun Suxue couldn’t help but laugh, "Yes, General! Money might be better! We’re all a bit strapped for cash!"

Zhang Gengshan and Nanny Qin, Jiujiu’s wetnurse, took the two paintings to the Wei family.

When Pei Qin returned, the two had triumphantly secured three thousand taels of silver.

"Lady, you don’t know! They may seem distinguished, being an aristocratic family for centuries, but they aren’t that wealthy. That three thousand taels of silver wasn’t easy for them to part with! It was Ms. Wei who took it from her dowry," Nanny Qin narrated vividly upon her return.

"These kind of families, their wealth lies in their libraries," Pei Qin did not mock like she did.

Nanny Qin pursed her lips, "You think too highly of them, lady! They are a family with a long legacy of accumulations and a lineage of squanderers. Even with those books, they’re probably just gathering dust at home! And the more educated they are, the more cunning and venomous their hearts become! The craftier their methods, hurting people unseen! Just watch and see, lady!"

Pei Qin actually agreed with her.

Seeing her nod, Nanny Qin was somewhat reassured, but she couldn’t help hinting that Pei Qin should get along better with Mo Heng. Don’t let some vile people exploit any loopholes! They could ward off threats from this side, but not from the other!

Indeed, the Zheng family was in a state of urgent distress. Over the New Year, neither Xie Yi nor Xie Ze had visited the Zheng family to give their greetings, and even if relations were severed, Xie Ze should have been seen out and about. With no sight of Xie Ze and their messages undelivered and meetings ungranted, Wei Shu had already started making her moves. The New Year was a critical time, yet there was no news from Xie Yi.

Xie Yi and Xie Ze were both recuperating in a small courtyard, the messages they attempted to send remained undelivered, as if screaming into a void.