Her Husband is Both Delicate and Fierce; The Little Stutterer Coaxes Him Through Tears - Chapter 4

“I. I am willing.”

Yu Tingzheng lowered his head, a suspicious flush of crimson creeping up to the tips of his ears.

Pei Qingyu frowned in displeasure, opening his mouth to speak, but before he could, Madam Pei produced a deed of sale. Fearing the little stutterer might change his mind, she moved with lightning speed, prompting Madam Jiang and Yu Xiangbo to sign it immediately.

Madam Jiang happily pressed her thumbprint and took a heavy pouch of silver from the butler. She couldn’t wait to open it; the sight of the glittering white silver sent her into a fit of joy.

She hadn’t expected Yu Tingzheng to be so valuable. Seventy taels of silver! That was far more than any other child sold in the village, who usually only fetched about ten taels.

Yu Tingzheng did not understand what that document was. He looked on blankly as his parents cradled the heavy pouch with ecstatic faces. A sense of panic surged from the depths of his heart, and he turned to look at Pei Qingyu.

Pei Qingyu glanced at him, swept his gaze from head to toe, and let out a soft huff.

“…” Yu Tingzheng blinked, thinking he had misheard.

However, the beautiful Young Master clearly hadn’t favored him from the very beginning, and this realization made Yu Tingzheng feel a twinge of sadness.

When his parents hurried him into the room to pack his things and leave with the Peis, Yu Tingzheng felt even more miserable. He finally understood: his parents had sold him. Sold him to the Pei family from the city.

He had almost nothing to pack. After searching for a long time, he only found two tattered sets of clothes. He sat in the room, silently shedding tears.

Qiao Xie came in from next door, telling him that the Peis were a wealthy family and that going with them meant he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. He called it a good thing. The Qiao and Yu families were only separated by a picket fence; any word spoken in one house could be heard in the other. Qiao Xie knew all about the beatings and scoldings Tingzheng endured. To him, escaping this injustice to live in a grand household was a path to comfort.

Yu Tingzheng understood, but he was still heartbroken. His tears fell incessantly, no matter how hard he tried to wipe them away. Qiao Xie coaxed him for half an hour before Madam Jiang entered to hurry them along. Only then did Tingzheng pick up his small bundle and walk out the door.

The Pei family was waiting outside. Yu Tingzheng’s eyes met Pei Qingyu’s, and he awkwardly looked away, wiping the remaining tears from his lashes. The butler warmly took Tingzheng’s bundle; he hesitated for a second when he felt how light it was, but he said nothing.

“Zheng’er, from this day forward, you are my child, just like Yu’er. The Pei house is your home,” Madam Pei said. She took Tingzheng’s hand and used an embroidered handkerchief to wipe his eyes. “This village is still your home too. If you miss it, you can visit whenever you like; we won’t restrict your freedom.”

Yu Tingzheng was overwhelmed by this kindness. His sadness was momentarily forgotten, and his breathing grew light as he tilted his neck to let her wipe his face. His eyes instinctively drifted toward Pei Qingyu, only to be met with a cold, sharp glare.

Tingzheng flinched and shrank his neck. This Young Master truly did not like him.

Madam Jiang, having finally finished counting the silver, said to Tingzheng, “Little Zheng, go with Madam Pei. Don’t cause trouble, and make sure you’re obedient, do you hear me?”

She had never smiled at him like that before.

Yu Tingzheng lowered his head, about to respond, when Pei Qingyu, standing behind him let out a few coughs. “He’s no longer your child,” the Young Master said coldly. “Is there any need for you to manage him?”

Yu Tingzheng froze, turning to look at him in surprise. The smile on Madam Jiang’s face turned stiff, her complexion shifting between red and white.

“Mother, let’s go.” Pei Qingyu gave Tingzheng a fleeting look and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

Madam Pei was about to scold her son for his lack of manners, but seeing him cough again with his shoulders trembling, she forgot everything else. She took Tingzheng’s hand and followed.

Yu Tingzheng was restless the entire way. He feared that walking too slowly would hold Madam Pei back, yet walking too fast would leave her behind. He was afraid of bumping into people, and equally afraid of falling into a ditch. Fortunately, when they reached a narrow path through the fields, Madam Pei let go of his hand and let him walk in the middle.

For the rest of the walk, Yu Tingzheng’s eyes were fixed on the elegant sway of Pei Qingyu’s hem and his soft, dark hair. Seeing the other boy cough, he couldn’t help but whisper, “You your health, is not good. Do you need to see a doctor?”

There was no doctor in the village; one had to go to town. It was a long journey, taking over an hour each way. Most villagers simply let minor illnesses heal on their own and waited for death if the illness was grave. Only wealthy families could afford to summon a doctor to the village.

Pei Qingyu slowed his pace for two steps and turned to look at him. After another head-to-toe scrutiny, he simply said, “No need,” and turned back.

Yu Tingzheng felt as though the other boy looked down on him, but he had no proof. Pei Qingyu’s eyes were always indifferent, devoid of emotion, and his voice was cold, not just to Tingzheng, but to his mother and the butler as well. Tingzheng figured that perhaps all young masters from wealthy families were like this.

Seeing that her son wasn’t responding, Madam Pei took up the conversation. She explained Qingyu’s health condition to Tingzheng and shared some details about the Pei family. Tingzheng listened quietly, watching Qingyu’s tall, slender silhouette, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. To think such a beautiful frame was actually so frail.

When they arrived at the gates of the Pei residence, Tingzheng saw his auntie’s family peeking over their fence. His sense of loss lessened slightly at least he hadn’t left the village, and familiar faces lived right next door.

Entering the courtyard, Yu Tingzheng’s eyes widened. The yard was now paved with grass and stone paths. A pond had been dug, filled with koi fish and gold-and-silver lotuses. Large begonia trees, moved from who-knows-where, had been planted. The roof tiles were brand new, the wooden pillars freshly polished; nothing remained of the house’s original, dilapidated state.

Because the courtyard was small, they had only kept two maidservants and one manservant. They greeted the group joyfully, calling out “Young Master” and “Madam.” When they saw Yu Tingzheng, they went quiet.

Madam Pei smiled and pulled Tingzheng forward. “From now on, you are to call him ‘Young Master’ as well. Do you understand?”

The three servants answered in unison. Though Yu Tingzheng was naive, he could hear the subtle distinction. They called Pei Qingyu Shào yé (Young Master/Son of the House) but were told to call him Gōng zǐ (Lord/Young Master). Though the Peis had bought him and Madam Pei called him her son, there was still a difference.

Pei Qingyu remained cold, ignoring the concerned gazes of the two maidservants as he walked into the house. Madam Pei led Tingzheng inside. “Zheng’er, from now on, you will sleep in this room with Yu’er. If there is anything you are unhappy with, just tell me. I will have it changed.”

Mother…

The change in address felt too sudden. Yu Tingzheng panicked, and the word slipped out: “Mother, no no need.”

He froze instantly after speaking, looking up at Pei Qingyu, who had sat down at the table to pour water. The Young Master’s hand paused on the teacup. He looked up, his gaze chillingly cold.

Yu Tingzheng swallowed hard, feeling that his tongue was truly clumsy. How could I have called her that?

Pei Qingyu set the cup down, no longer interested in the water. He turned to his mother. “There are other rooms. Why must he sleep here? There is only one bed in this room, does he expect me to share a bed with him?”

“There are other beds, but if you sleep separately, how will you two brothers foster a bond?” Madam Pei replied. “Sleep together for now to get to know each other. If you need to get up in the night or if you’re thirsty, Zheng’er will be there to help you. If you want separate rooms, we can discuss it when we return to the city.”

There was no room for negotiation.

Pei Qingyu’s pale lips thinned as he knit his brows and looked at Yu Tingzheng. This time, Yu Tingzheng understood the look perfectly.

It was the look one gives to a nuisance. A very, very big nuisance.