Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 435

Chapter 435: Bamboo Forest

The sunset glowed half the sky, and there were practically no pedestrians at the entrance to the Pei Mansion.

An Zhi, exhausted, had just arrived from the main residence.

Binglu’s eyes were red, and she gritted her teeth as she followed her young madam. “Madam, those people are going too far! My son-in-law was delayed returning home because he encountered bandits; it wasn’t intentional. And those elders—they’re a bunch of frivolous people, but they’re gossiping behind your back, each one more vehement than the other!”

An Zhi stepped over the threshold and listened to Binglu’s rambling complaints, but she didn’t respond. After Binglu finished, they arrived at the courtyard gate and saw Lin Feng waiting. She called him in to talk.

“What did your master say?” An Zhi asked Lin Feng.

“I didn’t see him. Shuo Feng said he led his soldiers into the mountains to suppress the bandits. The terrain there is steep and difficult for me to enter,” Lin Feng said. “But Shuo Feng said he obtained a map of the enemy’s terrain. Don’t worry, madam. We’ll have a result soon.”

Hearing this, An Zhi nodded slightly and waved Lin Feng away.

After Lin Feng left, An Zhi stared at the clear tea for a long moment, stunned. Only when Chunlan entered did she look up blankly.

“Madam, the old master’s condition is getting worse,” Chunlan said, her face filled with worry.

Ever since Pei Zheng’s suicide, Pei Huaijin had been in poor health, eating little and sleeping little. His age had already strained him, and now, having seen his son die, he suddenly looked much more haggard.

An Zhi took a sip of the teacup. It was cold, but just the right amount to wake her up. “I’ll go check on him. Binglu, get me something easily digestible.”

Binglu turned and went to the small kitchen to get something to eat.

Chunlan walked over to the young madam. “Madam, the old master is incredibly sad, so he’s been a little cold to you. Don’t take it too personally. He heard Pei Yu was waiting for our son-in-law to return, so he immediately sent someone to look for him.”

Ever since Pei Yu sold himself to An Zhi, everyone serving her addressed him by name. It had been alright before, but not anymore.

“Chunlan, go tell them later. Now that Pei Yu has returned, he’s likely going to support the First House. Old Master won’t let me use the indenture to blackmail Pei Yu again. So, let’s not mention Pei Yu’s past as a servant in the An Mansion. Don’t call him by his name, or else the First House members will overhear and find fault with us.” Seeing Chunlan’s anger, An Zhi patted her shoulder. “Don’t be too resentful. As long as the indenture remains in our hands, we have leverage to crush Pei Yu.”

Temporary concessions now didn’t mean forgiveness.

An Zhi simply didn’t want to put Pei Que in a difficult position at this moment.

Since Pei Que treated her well, she was willing to tolerate some things for him.

Of course, everything had its limits. As long as Pei Yu didn’t cross them, everyone would feel better.

After passing through the bamboo forest, An Zhi arrived at the old master’s courtyard. Hearing a faint cough coming from inside the house, she called the old master’s servant over. “It’s getting dark. Take this food inside for the old master. Let him eat at least a little. The Pei family still depends on him.”

Inside the house, Pei Huaijin, though ill, had good hearing, and he was used to interpreting everything people said. Upon hearing An Zhi’s words, he immediately thought she was reminding him that if he died, the Pei family would be completely disbanded, and Pei Que could do whatever he wanted with the main house.

In reality, An Zhi hadn’t meant that, and she hadn’t known the old master had such thoughts.

As a daughter-in-law, it wasn’t appropriate for her to enter her father-in-law’s room at night. After putting down her things, she saw that the old master inside hadn’t said anything, so she turned and left.

Passing through the bamboo forest again, An Zhi paused to gaze at it. “Binglu, how could someone as skilled as the old master like to plant a bamboo grove at the gate of his courtyard?”

Bamboo symbolizes noble character. It wasn’t that An Zhi meant to speak ill of the old master, but at this moment, she truly felt that the word “noble” didn’t quite fit him.

Binglu didn’t dare respond. As she hesitated over how to respond, she heard her young madam speak again.

“Maybe people change with age,” An Zhi muttered softly, turning and continuing on. “Let’s go back. If Pei Yu insists on waiting for Pei Que tomorrow, then I should have a proper talk with him.”

Binglu grumbled. As she caught up with her young madam, she noticed, perhaps imagining it, a glint of fierceness in her eyes, a look she only wore when dealing with the Xu family.

Master and servant returned to the courtyard. An Zhi, exhausted from the day, asked Binglu and the others to fetch hot water; she wanted to take a bath.

After the hot water was ready and she had just finished taking off her coat, she heard a sudden “click” from the window.

Then, the window was pushed open a crack.

This was the Pei Mansion, where ordinary people couldn’t enter.

An Zhi, still unclad in her coat, was too frightened to scream. She scrambled back to the clothes rack and was about to grab a stick to call for help when she heard Pei Que’s voice from outside the window.

“Don’t be afraid, Madam! It’s me!”

T/N: Window-climbing Pei Que is back ꉂꉂ(ᵔᗜᵔ*)