Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 039

Chapter 39: Identity

“No, I’m not that… I don’t mean you’re pitiful.” Lin Shuyao stood up and hurriedly explained.

But Pei Yu didn’t want to listen to her. He bowed to An Zhi without even looking at Lin Shuyao. “Miss, the cousin from the Weiyuan Marquis Mansion just sent a box of gifts and has placed it in the courtyard.”

An Zhi nodded and said she knew. She had a good relationship with Li Sihui and her siblings, and they often gave each other small gifts.

After replying this, Pei Yu left without looking back.

An Zhi withdrew her gaze from Pei Yu’s back and said, “Sister Lin, are you still willing to buy for 100,000 taels I mentioned earlier? As long as you are willing to pay, I can pack Pei Yu up and send him to your house.”

One hundred thousand taels, Lin Shuyao didn’t have that kind of money. Her father’s annual salary was only a few hundred taels of silver. If she took out one hundred thousand taels of silver at once to buy Pei Yu, her family would probably be immediately reported to the emperor by the censor.

After Pei Yu’s cold face, Lin Shuyao hated An Zhi. She felt that An Zhi had deliberately arranged for Pei Yu to come at that time, otherwise how could Pei Yu come so coincidentally? She actually said she felt sorry for someone as arrogant as Pei Yu?

“Sister Lin, do you want to buy it or not? Just give me something.” An Zhi asked with a smile.

“No… no.” Lin Shuyao stood up. “I’m not feeling well today, so I’ll go back first.”

“Then I’ll see you off.” An Zhi stood up and walked to Lin Shuyao’s side.

Lin Shuyao was about to say no, but An Zhi held her wrist and seemed very intimate.

The two walked out of the An family’s gate together.

“Sister Lin, come visit us often when you have time. If you really like Pei Yu, I will let him come to see you in the future.” An Zhi’s voice was loud, attracting the attention of many passers-by.

When Lin Shuyao heard this, she didn’t dare to stay for a moment. She got on the sedan chair and asked the bearer to leave immediately. The silk handkerchief in her hand was wrinkled by her. “An Zhi, I will definitely settle the score with you!”

Elsewhere, after An Zhi returned home, she instructed Binglu, “Go spread the word quietly that Lin Shuyao came to our house today and specifically asked to buy Pei Yu.” Seeing Binglu’s questioning look, she explained, “Lin Shuyao didn’t get any favors from me today, so she’ll definitely exaggerate and smear me, saying something about Pei Yu and me. We have to strike first. It’s true that she came to our house, and it’s also true that she wanted to buy Pei Yu. Once this gets out, no one will be so gullible when she says bad things about Pei Yu and me.”

“Miss is really smart. I’ll do it right away.” Binglu smiled and went to find someone.

An Zhi felt a little tired after dealing with Lin Shuyao.

When she returned to the courtyard, she found Pei Yu there too.

“Is there something wrong?” An Zhi asked.

Pei Yu hummed and asked, “Today, if Lin Shuyao is really willing to pay 100,000 taels of silver, will you really sell me off?”

“Of course, that’s one hundred thousand taels!” With one hundred thousand taels, An Zhi didn’t need to do any business anymore. She could just live a carefree life. “Why do you look like that? You’re my servant now. I can beat you or sell you. Besides, if I really sell it, you should be happy. There’s no one in this world worth more than you.”

“An Zhi, you have no bottom line!” Pei Yu said angrily.

“How dare you!” Cuisi stood up, “How dare you call the young lady by her name?” She didn’t care whether Pei Yu was a rich man in the past, he was just like her now.

Hearing this, Pei Yu frowned and showed displeasure, but he did not intend to apologize.

An Zhi narrowed her eyes and looked at Pei Yu for a long moment. “Pei Yu, you’ve forgotten your identity again. Go and accept your punishment. Don’t eat today’s meal.”

Seeing Pei Yu didn’t move, An Zhi’s mood gradually worsened. “Why, you feel dissatisfied? Do you think that whatever I say is the final word?” She paused. “Because this world is unfair. When you were so high and mighty, you certainly didn’t understand the feelings of the servants. Do you remember that year on your birthday, a maid accidentally wet your clothes, and you punished her by not allowing her to eat for three days and deducting half a month’s salary. What’s going on? Only the governor can set fires, but I’m not allowed to light lamps?”

After saying that, An Zhi turned and walked back into the house, shouting, “If he doesn’t leave, have him dragged away and then have him beaten with ten boards.”

After a while, Cuisi came in and said Pei Yu had left.

“Miss, I think he is very dissatisfied.” Cuisi was a house-born child. She was told by adults since she was born that she would serve others for the rest of her life. So in her mind, she couldn’t understand why Pei Yu had the idea of being so rebellious as to call his master by her name.

“If he’s not convinced, he has to hold it in.” This was what An Zhi felt good about. In her previous life, she wanted to be a good wife and mother, always tolerant and considerate of Pei Yu, so she was gentle and considerate, and never contradicted Pei Yu, but that didn’t mean she was a bad person.

Cuisi nodded and poured tea for An Zhi with a smile, “Anyway, the young lady is the most capable. No matter what, he has entered our An family and he has to work.”

An Zhi nodded and went to take a nap.

When she woke up, Binglu had returned. Seeing that Binglu didn’t look well, she asked what was wrong.

“It’s not my fault, it’s Concubine Cheng.” Binglu was kind-hearted and got along well with the two aunts at home. “Her brother is here again.”

Concubine Cheng was bought from outside. Her family was a small family. Because her father had some skills, the family lived a good life in the early years. But later her father passed away, leaving behind an idle brother Cheng Pingjin. The family’s life became worse and worse, and finally Concubine Cheng was sold for money to make a living.

Over the years, Cheng Pingjin had often come to the An family to ask for money. Concubine Cheng was soft-hearted and easily deceived. Every time her brother cried, she gave all her limited savings to him.

When Madam Bai was in charge, no one would say anything because she was kind to others and always pretended not to see anything.

But now Meng Jie was the head of the family. When Cheng Pingjin came to the An family last month, Meng Jie warned Cheng Yi Niang not to use the An family’s money to support her parents’ family. After all, she was sold to the An family and had nothing to do with the Cheng family anymore.

In fact, what Meng Jie said was not wrong, because Cheng Pingjin was a bottomless pit.

“When I came back just now, I heard the Cheng family’s wife crying again. She made such a big fuss, the madam will definitely know.” Binglu was particularly sympathetic to those with good tempers and tragic life experiences. “If Concubine Cheng gave her brother money again this time, the madam would probably punish her to death.”

An Zhi also liked this about Concubine Cheng, but she was younger than her and couldn’t say anything. In fact, she thought it was a good thing that Meng Jie punished Concubine Cheng and made her wake up.

“That brother of Concubine Cheng is a blood-sucking leech.” An Zhi sighed, “If Madam can get her to stop paying, I will support Madam.”

However, just as she finished speaking, she heard An Jing crying.

An Zhi stood up and walked to the door. She saw An Jing stumbling in. He knelt down in front of An Zhi and cried, “Sister, please go and save my aunt. Madam wants to beat my aunt to death.”