The cannon fodder original wife's bad story

Chapter 1391

Xiao Bei originally planned to take his wife and children back to Jiangzhou. When he went to Zhengxian Pavilion to report to Pei Jian, Pei Jian listened and pondered for a moment. He then sent someone to call Pei Hai over and gave him some instructions before saying to Xiao Bei, "I have not heard of any changes by His Majesty or the Ministry of Rites for next year's imperial examination. It will be held in the spring as before. So it will only be seven or eight months long. Why not stay in the capital?"

Xiao Bei sighed briefly, "Uncle is absolutely right. It's just that I've been away for several months, and failing this imperial examination has left me feeling quite frustrated—"

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. You are only in your early twenties, the time is just right, don't lose your ambition because of one or two failures."

Xiao Beilian said he dared not.

"The imperial examinations have always been highly competitive, with only one in ten thousand candidates. You see, those who can make it to the capital for the examinations are not mediocre talents; they are all accomplished scholars. If you fail to pass once or twice, you must keep a calm mindset and try again."

Encouraged by his elders, Xiao Bei dared not disobey.

"Since Mr. Liu Zhi is in the capital, you should visit him whenever you have free time. Although he did not take the imperial examination route in his life, he was very knowledgeable and broad-minded. He can teach you a few words, which will only benefit you greatly."

A few years ago, Pei Jian was severely scolded by Jiang Qu because of Pei Che's matter.

But Pei Jian was not such a narrow-minded person as to hold a grudge. On the contrary, he greatly admired the old gentleman.

Xiao Bei stood up and solemnly agreed.

"The mansion is empty. You and your husband can stay at Biluo Zhai. For ordinary matters, just ask your elder sister. We are all family, so there is no need for formalities or distance."

"I will always remember my uncle's wise teachings, but my wife, Zhang, is pregnant—" If she stays, she should give birth at our residence...

Pei Jian heard this but didn't think much of it; in fact, he was quite pleased.

"Since Huan-ge'er was born, this household has not heard the cry of a newborn baby for a long time. Such a joyous occasion, can't I, as his great-uncle, witness it?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bei immediately bowed deeply.

“Uncle is magnanimous and doesn’t care about these formalities. I’m just being old-fashioned. I think it’s unlucky for a woman to bleed during childbirth. If it disturbs the peace of your household, then it’s my fault.”

"Nonsense!"

Pei Jian gestured for Xiao Bei to sit down. "I have fought on the frontier and killed countless enemies. Perhaps because of this, my family has very few children. I have seen many die. Now that I am old, I would like to see my newborn child. You and your husband should stay here and enjoy yourselves."

Xiao Beisi had no choice but to obey his elders' orders.

"Besides, it's not just you and your husband who are here. Ling Bai and his sister will stay after the New Year. He passed the imperial examination this year. If he can become a second-ranked scholar in the palace examination, we'll know after the New Year whether he stays in the capital to study or goes out to take up an official post."

Since they are all the same age, it would be beneficial for Xu Lingbai and his sister to interact more with each other, as they are humble and polite.

“Ling Bai is intelligent and perceptive, and his talent is extraordinary. My child took an instant liking to him, so Uncle can rest assured.”

“Go back and stay here in peace. I have already asked Dahai to inquire. If Longen Academy is suitable, you might as well go there and study hard for half a year.”

what--

Longen Academy occasionally hosts lectures by renowned scholars, but such opportunities are rare. Pei An sent someone to inquire, but was told that they were not accepting students.

Unexpectedly, his uncle had thought of this earlier, and his gratitude was beyond words. Pei Jian smiled sincerely and said, "Si Lang is willing to help you, but unfortunately, he is currently in the Hanlin Academy and doesn't have many connections. Jiang Buyi doesn't like him running around doing favors too early, so I'd rather ask him for you."

Back at Biluozhai, Zhang Fanghui was discussing the return journey with Granny Li. Granny Li explained in detail, "I've thought the journey has been arduous. Perhaps we should wait a few more days until you recover from your morning sickness before we set off. The weather is also bad now, either too hot or too rainy, making the journey even more difficult than usual."

“What you say is true. When Silang comes back in a little while, I will discuss it with him.”

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Bei had already walked around the screen and entered the inner room. "There's no need for a big fuss about it. My uncle has instructed us to wait until after the imperial examinations next spring."

Zhang Fanghui was somewhat surprised when she heard this.

"Uncle feels sorry for you, having traveled back and forth so much that you've missed studying. How about I take everyone back to Jiangzhou?" Zhang Fanghui thought that only Xiao Bei was left behind.

Xiao Bei, upon hearing this, realized she had misunderstood. He smiled and said, "Your uncle knows you are pregnant. He only told you to rest and give birth in the Duke's mansion. If you pass the imperial examination next year, wouldn't that be double happiness?"

"Uncle... you don't mind?"

"Whoa!"

Xiao Bei waved his hand, "Uncle didn't care about these things. On the contrary, he was very happy, saying that the Duke's mansion had not had any newborns for many years, and the birth of a baby was a great thing."

Zhang Fanghui used a handkerchief to suppress the sour taste rising at the corner of her lips. "Fortunately, my uncle is very tolerant and generous, otherwise I would have been suffering from belated morning sickness these past few days, which has really been tormenting me."

Granny Li had already called for a maid to prepare some sour plum juice. Zhang Fanghui took a bite and immediately felt better.

"The broth is quite good."

Granny Li collected the cups and dishes, her face beaming with smiles. "The Fourth Young Mistress found a prescription from Miss Hua outside, but it's not quite a prescription. It doesn't contain any common herbs, just plums, maltose, rose petals, and icing sugar. It's said to be helpful for morning sickness and acid reflux."

Zhang Fanghui nodded, "It was useful, so I must thank Guanzhou."

Xiao Bei shook his head, thinking of the joke about Song Guanzhou giving gifts. "It's fortunate that she's so sincere, otherwise An-ge'er would have a lot to worry about."

"This is a blessing for Guanzhou."

Zhang Fanghui held her lower abdomen and gently stroked it back and forth. "Eldest sister and Guanzhou are getting along more and more. As her cousin-in-law, I shouldn't say too much. To be honest, my sister-in-law told me a long time ago that as long as eldest sister doesn't misunderstand things, she'll have a good life."

"It's naturally better."

Xiao Bei took a sip of her cold tea. "My eldest cousin's wife is widowed and has a calm temperament. She never competes with me. As for her concubines, although my second cousin, the young master, is a womanizer, once they've entered the household, they're all cautious and weak-willed. In front of my eldest sister, they're like mice in front of a cat, and they can't amount to anything."

"That's true!"

"Guanzhou is an open-minded person and doesn't care much about her trivial household affairs. He has never been impolite to her in his daily life, but he just can't stand her no matter how you look at her. I asked An'er in private, and he shook his head and said he didn't know."

"How could I not know? Si Lang knows perfectly well. It's just that there's nothing I can say to you or me. Let alone us, I'm afraid I can't say anything to my uncle either."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bei's doubts deepened. "What exactly is it? Could it be about how my elder sister and aunt criticized Guan Zhou in the past? But everyone knows about that, and Guan Zhou mentioned it too, only saying that she would let it go and not dwell on it anymore."

"enemy!"

Granny Li brought in another dish of candied plums. Zhang Fanghui took a bite with a silver skewer, and Xiao Bei, seeing this, felt his mouth watering from the sourness even without eating any. "Am I wrong?"

"Take you and me for example. You almost killed me before. Tell me, on what basis would I say I don't hold a grudge?"