The Slender Waist-Chapter 596 - 430 The Sadness of Life

Pei Jue personally pushed the wheelchair, taking Pei Chong for a tour around the residence.

"I remember, you once told Mother that when you grow old, you’d retire from the military to a small place with mountains and rivers and live a leisurely life."

Pei Chong remained silent.

Pei Jue said, "Andu is very nice. If you wish to live in the city, then stay here. If you want to stay in the manor for a while, Lady Yun will arrange it properly for you."

Pei Chong’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he turned to glance at him.

"Your wife is a good woman, don’t let her down."

Pei Jue replied, "I wouldn’t dare."

Where did he have the opportunity to let her down?

He could only wait and see when she would let him down, that’s all...

Pei Chong continued, "Our family is not entirely destitute, and the fact that we didn’t properly manage your grand wedding is already a debt we owe. You should be more understanding of her in other matters."

He added, "Your father has served in the military for many years and hasn’t saved much for you, but we can still afford this residence."

Originally, when Pei Yao wanted to buy a residence in Andu for Pei Jue, he disagreed, not because he was stingy, but because he wanted to see how the young couple would manage. He, a disabled man, had long become indifferent to worldly matters, how could he be stingy with money?

After some thought, he said, "I see that you’re not someone who can manage household affairs. When the time comes, give the authority to manage the Pei Family to your bride."

Pei Jue’s eyelids twitched.

His father rarely praised anyone.

Pei Jue was surprised that Lady Yun had earned such trust from his father after only a few encounters.

When the two of them sat down in the floral hall, a servant brought over some writing brushes and ink, saying with a beaming smile, "The Princess said the house has been renovated for so long without a name plaque. She would like to request the Old General to bestow some characters."

Pei Chong was taken aback.

He intended to decline, but as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them.

It was a face-saving gesture from his daughter-in-law. If he refused, it might make her feel that her father-in-law did not treat her warmly enough...

After pondering for a moment, Pei Chong waved his arm and wrote on the paper.

"Feng Residence."

The servant’s eyelids jumped. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

In his or anyone’s mind, Feng Yun asking the Old General to inscribe the characters meant it should be "Pei Residence" instead.

After all, the Princess had been living in Huaxi Village for a long time and would not often come here, while Pei Jue had the intention of settling his elderly father and sister in Andu.

No matter how one thought about it, it should be "Pei Residence," not "Feng Residence."

Seeing the servant not moving, Pei Chong looked up, "What’s the matter? Take it to your master."

The servant awkwardly nodded his head, looking to Pei Jue for help.

When Pei Chong saw this, he asked in a stern voice, "Do you have any objections?"

Pei Jue answered, "No."

For him, there was no difference between Feng Residence and Pei Residence. As long as his father did not feel awkward, what was there for him to fear?

Feng Yun was somewhat surprised when she received the powerful and vigorous calligraphy. It was not because she was generous enough to give a residence to someone at the drop of a hat, but because she had the means to settle down and buy a house due to Pei Jue’s support. Moreover, he had already entrusted her with the family fortune.

Now that his father and sister lived there, it was only reasonable for her to transfer the residence.

"Never mind," she said indifferently.

Without any intention to fuss over such matters, Feng Yun spoke calmly, "Take it and have a plaque made."

-

After having some snacks at noon, the group headed to Ao Qi’s new house.

Despite having a new house, why was Pei Yao unwilling to live here? Because it was bought by the Ao Family for Ao Qi.

She reckoned that since she separated from Ao Zheng, she needed to maintain a distance. If she still lived in the Ao Residence, what difference would it make from not being divorced?

Ao Zheng arrived at dusk.

Feng Yun was discussing the wedding chamber decoration with Pei Yao and the Wedding Matron when she heard the news and went out to welcome him.

Pei Yao was indifferent, "I won’t go. If he brings along his concubine, it would be awkward."

Feng Yun knew she was uncomfortable and simply smiled, letting her be.

Ao Zheng got off the carriage looking travel-weary.

It was evident he had hurried on the road, his face worn and evidently thinner than when Feng Yun saw him last year. His reduced fullness also lent him a more refined and elegant appearance.

At midlife and with the status of Prime Minister, his composure was incomparable to his younger days.

"Prime Minister Ao, you’ve had a long journey," she greeted.

Without seeing Pei siblings, Ao Zheng probably guessed the situation and inwardly smiled wryly, while his mouth voiced only gratitude.

"Since the wedding was arranged, my wife and I have not come from Xijing, relying entirely on our brother- and sister-in-law’s arrangements. Thank you, truly appreciate your efforts," he said.

He gave a deep bow to Feng Yun, the epitome of etiquette.

Feng Yun, of course, politely returned the gesture.

After exchanging pleasantries, Feng Yun noticed that the Prime Minister brought fewer than ten attendants, yet there were as many as fifty boxes. She wondered what they contained.

She hurriedly sent people to start unloading.

Ao Zheng said, "The journey is long, many relatives could not come to Andu in person, so they sent their gifts instead. The rest were all prepared by his grandmother..."

Feng Yun casually asked, "Grandmother didn’t come?"

Ao Zheng smiled, "She did, she did. But the elderly lady dislikes the bumpy ride, she’s traveling slowly and will probably arrive tomorrow. I was eager to come, so I traveled faster."

The two of them talked as they entered the gate.

Ao Zheng was visiting the new residence for the first time, walking around and nodding his head in approval, continuously saying it was good.

Feng Yun guessed he didn’t know what else to say and was making conversation, so she simply went along with it.

Ao Zheng suddenly asked, "Has Xiaoqi’s mother...not arrived yet?"

Feng Yun smiled and said, "She has, she arrived just a bit before you, brother-in-law, and just sat down."

Ao Zheng fell silent for a moment, then nodded his head.

Although he knew he shouldn’t say too much in front of Feng Yun, the term "brother-in-law" stirred something in him, and he couldn’t help but sigh.

"When I agreed to the divorce, it was due to the circumstances. She had agreed with me that once the crisis was over, she would return home. Little did I know... what I thought was fake, she took seriously."

Feng Yun gave a slight smile.

It was inconvenient to meddle in their marital affairs.

Seeing her smile without a word, Ao Zheng seemed slightly embarrassed.

"I’ve made my sister-in-law laugh."

Feng Yun said, "Not at all. Every family has its own difficulties to read, I understand."

Ao Zheng gave a bitter smile, "Your sister has a stubborn nature. If it’s not too much trouble, sister-in-law, could you put in some good words for me? It’s not for anything else, just for the sake of Xiaoqi and his siblings... Look, the boy is already starting a family, and we as a separated couple... it’s just not right. In the future, Ayou and Azuo will also be getting married, and it will be incumbent on both husband and wife to manage..."

He said a lot, and Feng Yun occasionally responded, taking him straight to the front hall to meet Pei Jue and his son, then she went to look for Pei Yao.

Before she could speak, Pei Yao started inquiring.

"Has he been nagging you about me again?"

The word "again" made Feng Yun smile wryly.

"Sister guessed right. Brother-in-law misses you deeply and hopes to reconcile with you..."

"Pah," Pei Yao snorted coldly, "I can’t believe he has the nerve to say that."

Feng Yun was least willing to meddle in other couples’ affairs, so she didn’t probe further, but perhaps Ao Zheng’s arrival had struck a nerve, and Pei Yao started talking of her own accord.

"Why do you think I was so adamant about divorcing him?"

Feng Yun pursed her lips and shook her head.

"From what I gathered from brother-in-law, your divorce was initially a sham?"

"That’s right, a sham," Pei Yao’s eyes reddened, and tears gradually welled up. "You know the situation back then. Ajue and the Li Family were at odds, tensions escalating. I didn’t want my child to be implicated innocently because of me..."

She paused and her gaze flickered slightly.

"Of course, I also didn’t want to drag the Ao Family down. If Ajue had won, it would’ve been fine, but if he lost, he would’ve been branded as a rebel. What would become of a family with both the elderly and the young..."

Feng Yun nodded.

For a dutiful wife and mother, such a choice was not strange.

"If that was what was agreed upon, why did sister take it seriously in the end?"

"Because... he agreed to it, after half-heartedly saying a few hypocritical words about how spouses should share weal and woe, and that adversity reveals true feelings."

Seeing Feng Yun remain silent, Pei Yao lifted her chin.

"What ’adversity reveals true feelings’? Hmph, he never wanted to share adversity with me. By publicly disassociating from me, he could advance or retreat, pleased with himself."

Feng Yun thought about Ao Zheng’s earnest expression just now, and with a smile, she casually said:

"Perhaps he didn’t really think that way, maybe like you, he was just considering the child and had no choice?"

"What no choice?" Pei Yao had her own logic, and with a cold laugh, she asked Feng Yun.

"If Ajue had suffered a terrible defeat and Pei Residence had been razed, do you think Ao Zheng would step forward and say that our divorce was just a temporary expedient? Would he join me in facing death?"

Feng Yun fell silent.

What choices people would make when disaster strikes is something that cannot withstand scrutiny, let alone deep thought...

"He wouldn’t," Pei Yao said, "That old man, he’s calculated everything from the start."

Feng Yun looked at her coldly speaking and said calmly:

"That’s quite common. Among all the couples in the world, how many can truly share life and death..."

Pei Yao suddenly looked sideways, staring at her.

"Ajue would. Sister-in-law, you’re fortunate."

Feng Yun: ...

After a moment of silence, she smiled and replied, "Sister, don’t speak too soon. Isn’t there a saying? ’Spouses are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly separately.’ What makes my relationship with him any different?"

Pei Yao said, "Ajue is loyal and righteous. Having married you, he would take responsibility for you for a lifetime. I know my brother well; his character was forged through hardship as a child. A child with a tragic past understands compassion and empathy even more..."

A tragic past?

Feng Yun accurately caught onto this phrase.