Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 591 - 0551 Aren’t you afraid that other women will steal Brother-in-law Pei? (2)
"Still... still alright." Pei Shenyan glanced out the window, looking at Li Yuwen with a meaningful reply.
As they were speaking, Princess Consort Luling walked in carrying a lantern.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw one person standing and one person sitting, very close to each other.
Princess Consort Luling smiled knowingly.
Seeing her walk in, Pei Shenyan who was sitting, immediately stood up, "Mother, you came so late, is there something the matter?"
Princess Consort Luling glanced at them and said while looking around the room, "No big deal, just wanted to see if the arrangement in this room is alright."
Pei Shenyan replied respectfully, "Mother, Yuwen arranged it very well."
Princess Consort Luling nodded, "That’s good, you should rest early."
After saying that, she left.
Li Yuwen exhaled, patted her sleeves, and also said, "I’m leaving too, sleep early."
Pei Shenyan watched her departing figure with a slight smile, "Alright."
.
The next day, the Li Family held a three-days ceremony banquet.
Those attending the banquet were only the Li Family members, the Eldest Young Master Chai and his wife, and the two sons-in-law of the Li Family in the area, Pei Shenyan and Mu Yuanxiu.
The full moon banquet is the day when villagers are broadly invited, but the three-days banquet only invites close family.
However, considering there were many Li Family members, plus the attendants and maids brought by Pei Shenyan and the Eldest Young Master Chai, there were quite a few people, enough to set up three tables.
Princess Consort Luling, her daughters, Sister-in-law Chai, Chai Eying, and some children ate in the South Courtyard House.
Prince Luling, the two sons-in-law, and the Eldest Young Master Chai ate in the North Courtyard Main Hall.
Uncle Gui and Nanny Jiang, along with Li Yu En’s two guards, and the servants and maids of the Eldest Young Master Chai and Pei Shenyan, set up a table in front of the kitchen.
In mid-February, on a sunny day, it was warmer to sit in the courtyard than inside the house.
Chai Eying still needed a fire pot in the house, while Uncle Gui and the others were already sweating profusely from eating.
The lively banquet went on from noon till the afternoon.
Pei Shenyan, not being able to handle his liquor, got drunk.
Mu Yuanxiu asked him, "Brother-in-law, would you like to return to your room to rest?"
Pei Shenyan swayed back and forth on the chair, about to tilt over under the table.
Prince Luling pointed at him with a smile, "How come Shenyan’s drinking capacity is so poor?"
Pei Shenyan waved his hand in embarrassment, "Father, don’t laugh at me, Shenyan has never been good with alcohol."
Li Xingsheng and Li Xingmao also urged Pei Shenyan to return to his room to rest, both offering to assist him back.
Here, as the youngest, Mu Yuanxiu volunteered to escort Pei Shenyan.
Prince Luling said, "Yuanxiu, I’ll be at ease if you send him back. After you escort your brother-in-law to his room, go inform your sister Yuwen to take care of him."
"Got it, Father." Mu Yuanxiu helped Pei Shenyan up, half-supporting and half-dragging him towards the guest room.
"Yuanxiu, I can walk on my own." As he left the North Courtyard House, Pei Shenyan waved his hand repeatedly.
"If Brother-in-law falls, Sister will surely blame me, so I should escort Brother-in-law back to the room." Mu Yuanxiu glanced at him and said.
Pei Shenyan shook his head, "Nonsense, I won’t fall."
Mu Yuanxiu looked at him and chuckled.
After settling Pei Shenyan in the guest room, Mu Yuanxiu went to the South Courtyard House to find Li Yuwen.
He stood in the main hall and called towards the bedroom, "Sister Yuwen."
Recognizing his voice, Li Yuwen glanced at Li Yuzhu puzzled, "Looking for me?"
Li Yuzhu, sitting beside her, was picking fish bones for Guoguo, "Yes, he’s calling for Sister Yuwen."
"Really strange, why would he look for me?" Li Yuwen, full of suspicion, put down her chopsticks and went out.
Chai Eying, not convenient to go out, had the women’s banquet set in the bedroom.
Everyone accompanied Chai Eying for the meal.
Li Yuwen lifted the cotton curtain and walked to the main hall. Mu Yuanxiu approached her and said, "Brother-in-law is drunk, Sister should go take a look."
Li Yuwen raised her eyebrows, "Drunk?" This Pei Shenyan! He really knows how to create trouble for her!
Princess Consort Luling, with sharp ears, heard the conversation between Mu Yuanxiu and her eldest daughter. Worried that Li Yuwen wouldn’t attend to Pei Shenyan, she also came out and said, "Yuwen, is Shenyan drunk?"
Mu Yuanxiu said, "Yes, Brother-in-law, I just helped him to rest in the guest room, but he’s very drunk and needs someone to look after him."
"Yuwen, hurry up and take a look, don’t let him throw up." Princess Consort Luling urged, "Oh, and remember to make a bowl of sobering soup to bring along."
Li Yuwen replied weakly, "I know, mother."
She went to the kitchen, found the young maid Cui Xi, and instructed her to make a bowl of hangover soup, then hurried to the guest room.
As soon as she entered the guest room, Li Yuwen indeed smelled a strong odor of alcohol.
Looking further in, Li Yuwen’s face immediately turned dark.
Pei Shenyan had fallen asleep on the floor!
Although he hadn’t vomited, lying on the cold floor after drinking, he’d catch a cold and end up vomiting anyway.
Li Yuwen held her forehead and walked over to nudge Pei Shenyan, "Pei Shenyan!"
He didn’t wake up.
"Why are you sleeping like a pig?" Li Yuwen nudged Pei Shenyan again, "Wake up, Pei Shenyan, you’ll catch a cold sleeping on the floor."
"Tired..." Pei Shenyan finally mumbled after being woken.
Li Yuwen was delighted, "You’re finally awake. Get up, you’ll catch a cold on the floor."
But after uttering just one word, Pei Shenyan fell silent, replaced by the sound of even breathing.
Li Yuwen called out several more times, nudging and dragging him, but he wouldn’t wake.
"Alright, you can’t blame me if you catch a cold, I’ve warned you," Li Yuwen said, giving up, patting her sleeves and sitting down on the chair.
The young maid Cui Xi brought in a bowl of sour plum soup, "Young mistress, the hangover soup is ready."
"Bring it in," Li Yuwen said.
Cui Xi came in, surprised to see Pei Shenyan sleeping on the floor, "Young mistress, why is the young master sleeping on the floor?"
Li Yuwen looked innocent, "He rolled off the bed himself. I tried to wake him but couldn’t."
Cui Xi placed the bowl on the table and went to pull Pei Shenyan up, "Young mistress, he’s too drunk and muddled. He won’t get up by himself, you should help him up."
"How could I manage that? It’s good you’re here; let’s do it together," Li Yuwen said as she approached Pei Shenyan.
The two of them used their strength to pull Pei Shenyan off the floor and onto the bed.
Pei Shenyan’s new robe was crumpled and dusty, and Cui Xi added, "Young mistress, this outer garment needs to come off, or it’ll get ruined during sleep."
Li Yuwen stood with arms crossed, "Cui Xi, you take it off for him."
Cui Xi’s eyes widened in disbelief, "Young mistress? You want me to take it off? I’m just a maid, you two are the couple here."
Feeling awkward under Cui Xi’s questioning, Li Yuwen had no choice but to step forward to remove Pei Shenyan’s outer robe.
After settling Pei Shenyan down to sleep, she woke him again and urged him to drink the hangover soup.
Pei Shenyan, half asleep, was uncooperative, leaving Li Yuwen exhausted.
And the young maid Cui Xi still wouldn’t help, insisting it was things she should do.
Seeing how dark it had gotten outside, Li Yuwen went to her private room to find clothes for a bath. Li Yu En slept early and was already nestled under the blanket, while Li Yuzhu was studying her prescriptions.
Seeing Li Yuwen approach, Li Yuzhu smiled, "Elder sister, why do you always look unwilling whenever you see Brother-in-law Pei?"
"You know full well," Li Yuwen replied, rubbing her sore shoulders, sitting weakly on the chair.
Taking care of Pei Shenyan earlier had worn her out.
Li Yuzhu put down the medicinal herbs in her hand, moved the stool in front of her, and looked at her seriously, "Elder sister, I’ve heard a lot of people at the market talking about Brother-in-law Pei."
Li Yuwen gave her a glance and asked casually, "What are they saying about him?"
"They say he’s handsome, has a good temper, has money, land, a house, and servants, he’s learned, and will surely become an official in the future," Li Yuzhu said with a smile.
In Qingyang County, with the old ancestral house of the Pei family around, Pei Shenyan, although just an illegitimate son and not favored by Prime Minister Pei, was still given a considerable amount of land, a mansion, and four shops by Old Mrs. Pei.
The wealth he had, though not matching that of the second branch of the Chai family or the Luo family, was significantly more than most families.
Plus, Pei Shenyan, being a scholar, didn’t care much for wealth, his shops and land rent was lower than others, giving Pei Shenyan a very good reputation on the market street.
Were it not said that he was in poor health and wouldn’t live past twenty, matchmakers would have broken down the threshold of his house.
"So what?" Li Yuwen glanced at Li Yuzhu and said blandly, completely uninterested in what Li Yuzhu had to say.
"Aren’t you afraid another woman will snatch Brother-in-law Pei away?" Li Yuzhu reminded her.
Li Yuwen sneered, "The sooner the better, I’d love nothing more."
Li Yu En, who hadn’t yet fallen asleep, turned over and looked at Li Yuwen, "No way, elder sister, do you really want someone to snatch Brother-in-law Pei away?"
"Of course I’m serious," Li Yuwen replied, raising her chin, nonchalant.
Li Yuzhu frowned, "Alright then, elder sister, just don’t regret it later."
"Haha, I never care for any man, don’t worry about me," Li Yuwen said, raising her eyebrows.
