Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 031

Chapter 31: Good People

A few days ago, when An Zhi received the news that An Rong had abandoned Pei Yu for a wealthy businessman, she had thought that if there was such a man who gave up everything for her, she might be willing to love again.

Looking at Pei Que in front of her, An Zhi’s gaze gradually narrowed.

She didn’t know whether she was willing or not, she really didn’t know the answer.

Whether in her past life or this one, she had never paid much attention to Pei Que. All she knew about him was that he was a frequent visitor to brothels, ruthless, and someone she should never offend. But she had no idea what kind of person Pei Que was.

Pei Que had seen many people. Although An Zhi tried her best to hide her true self, she was a blank slate in his eyes. He could see through An Zhi’s struggles at a glance. “I understand. You still don’t have confidence in me. An Zhi, I will show you how to do this until you are willing to stand by my side and walk through thick and thin with me.”

After saying that, Pei Que stood up and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back home.”

An Zhi was confused for a long time after returning home.

Binglu stared at the young lady in a daze for a long time and was scared. “Miss, please don’t scare me. Can you say something to me? Did Fourth Master Pei do something to you?” Binglu had already made the worst thought and the worst plan. Even if it meant risking her life, she would avenge her young lady.

An Zhi looked out the window for a long time. She had been thinking about Pei Que’s words. Only then did she remember that Pei Que had not answered her question. When did he fall in love with her?

“Miss?” Binglu cried.

An Zhi came back to her senses and heard Binglu sobbing. She sighed, “Why are you crying? Fourth Master Pei didn’t do anything to me. He just said he wanted to marry me and would try hard to show me in the future.” She didn’t want to hide it from Binglu. In this world, Binglu was the only person she could say sweet words to.

Binglu was stunned. “He…he…actually wants the young lady to be his concubine?”

“No, it’s the legal wife.” An Zhi stood up and walked out of the house. “You’re shocked, right? I’m surprised too. I really don’t understand what he sees in me.”

“Young lady, you are smart and beautiful. It’s normal for Fourth Master Pei to be attracted to you.” Binglu immediately analyzed. She thought that if her young lady could marry Pei Que, it would be a slap in the face of Lin Shuyao and the others. The thought of it made her excited. She asked in anticipation, “Young lady, do you agree?”

An Zhi turned around and looked at Bing Lu. “Look at the way you’re smiling. What? Do you want me to agree?”

“Why not agree?” Binglu’s thoughts were different from An Zhi’s. “Master Pei is talented, handsome, and very capable. He is a man that all the ladies in the capital would be willing to marry.”

An Zhi sighed. Her theories didn’t resonate with Binglu’s. “Let’s take it one step at a time. You can’t tell anyone about this.”

“I understand.” Binglu promised, then saw Xi’er hurriedly approaching from a distance and reminded her, “Miss, Xi’er who was with Madam is here.”

In the past half month, Meng Jie has become familiar with An household’s affairs and rarely sent people over.

An Zhi saw Xi’er in a hurry and walked a few steps outside.

Binglu asked, “Sister Xi’er, why are you so anxious?”

Xi’er quickly bowed to An Zhi, her brows furrowed. “Miss, please go and help Madam. That Mistress Xu is causing trouble.”

Hearing the name “Xu”, An Zhi’s mood suddenly became worse, “What’s going on?”

“At first, Mistress Xu was crying at the gate, saying that the lady was jealous and intolerant and wanted to kill her. When the lady got the news, a group of people had already gathered outside. The lady had no choice but to bring the people in first. Now they are crying in the living room.” Xi’er was almost crying.

Here we go again, An Zhi thought.

But this time, she didn’t plan to be a bad person. She asked Madam An to help An Chengye remarry, on the one hand, to hand over the housekeeper power, and on the other hand, to find someone to deal with Mistress Xu.

“This is a matter between father and his mistress, so I can’t get involved.” An Zhi saw Xi’er about to kneel down, and hurriedly asked Binglu to support her. “Xi’er, it’s not that I don’t want to help Madam, but because of Mistress Xu, my father and I have already argued several times. If I interfere again, my father will disown me as his daughter. But there is one thing I can say to Madam, Mistress Xu is two-faced and very clever, using little tricks to make men think she is innocent and beautiful. Madam doesn’t have to be too tough when dealing with Mistress Xu. She can pretend to be a good person.”

“But…” Xi’er was ordered by her master to call the young lady. If the young lady didn’t go, she would be in trouble.

“Just go ahead and tell her without worry. Madam is so smart. She will definitely understand what I say when she hears it.” An Zhi asked Cuisi to send Xi’er over.

After watching Xi’er walk away, Binglu asked An Zhi, “Miss, won’t we go over and take a look?” She really wanted to see Mistress Xu get her comeuppance.

“If I had to step in, I would have done it.” An Zhi smiled as she walked into the house. “After the past few times, I’ve finally understood. I was too foolish before. I always confronted everything head-on, which gave Mistress Xu an opportunity. Now that the new wife has come in, it’s not my place as an unmarried girl to get involved in this matter. We can just wait and see.”

It was Pei Que who reminded her of this.

Thinking about it this way, Pei Que seemed to have really taught her a lot.

At the same time, in the living room, Xi’er went back and told Meng Jie what An Zhi said.

Meng Jie understood that An Zhi was completely putting the blame on her. No wonder her grandmother praised An Zhi for her cleverness.

Seeing Mistress Xu still wiping her tears in the hall, Meng Jie learned that An Chengye had returned. She immediately sent someone to call An Chengye over, and then personally helped Mistress Xu up. “Sister, please don’t cry. I know all about the relationship between you and the master. I am a woman, and I understand your hardship. I will arrange for you to come in when the master comes.”

Concubines could not be included in the family tree, so it was decided by the madam.

Mistress Xu didn’t expect Meng Jie to really agree to let her in, but if she was going to agree, why did she let her cry for so long just now?

Mistress Xu didn’t show it on her face, but she sobbed and praised Meng Jie for being kind-hearted and the best wife she had ever seen.

When An Chengye arrived, he saw Meng Jie chatting enthusiastically with Mistress Xu. When he learned that Meng Jie was willing to let Mistress Xu in, An Chengye smiled so hard that his mouth was crooked, and he kept praising Meng Jie for her virtuousness and magnanimity.

“But Mistress Xu came suddenly today, and I didn’t prepare anything. I treated her so badly.” Meng Jie helped An Chengye sit down and softly explained her plans. “I was thinking of letting Mistress Xu stay home for two days. Once I have cleaned up the courtyard and arranged for people, I will send someone to pick her up.”

An Chengye was very happy to hear this and said yes repeatedly without thinking too much about it.

Mistress Xu dreamed of having a legitimate status, and didn’t care whether she accepted the offer or not. Instead, she was afraid of more trouble. “Madam, I don’t care about those things. As long as you let me stay, I will be very grateful.”

Meng Jie smiled. “You’ve got the wrong idea. It’s not about whether you want it or not, but we, the An family, have to maintain our reputation. We can’t have a reputation as mean concubines in the future. Master, don’t you agree?”

An Chengye tried hard for more than ten years but failed to get Mistress Xu to marry him. He had almost given up the idea, but Meng Jie started to consider him in every way as soon as she came in. What else could he say no to? He asked Mistress Xu to go back and pack her things.

After Cuisi sent Xi’er back, she stayed in the corner and eavesdropped. After Mistress Xu left, she hurried back and told An Zhi about Meng Jie’s plan.

“This…what is Madam thinking?” Binglu was so angry that she almost dropped the flowerpot in her hand.

An Zhi, however, remained calm. “Why are you so anxious? Madam will never let Mistress Xu come in. Right now, Mistress Xu is giving her a headache even before she even comes in. So, she understood what I said and is putting on an act for Father.”

Binglu: “Miss, what are you saying?”

“Just wait.” An Zhi put down her brush and looked at her landscape painting with satisfaction. “In just two days, Mistress Xu will die.”