Chapter 237: Bad Idea
Tang Pozi said mysteriously: “I have one more method. If this method doesn’t work, this old servant will chop off her head and use it as a ball to kick.”
“Really? Tell me about it.” Pang Shi looked at her expectantly.
Tang Pozi looked around, leaned close to Pang Shi’s ear, and whispered a few words to her.
After hearing Tang Pozi’s words, Pang Shi’s eyes were full of light.
“This method is good, much better than that rotten idea before. Arrange it for me right away. I want to get this done today.”
At night, Su Rende was handling official duties in the study room.
Yang Qingyan came in carrying sweet soup and said to Su Rende: “Adoptive father, this is sweet soup I made myself. Try it.”
Facing Yang Qingyan, this junior, Su Rende did not scold her.
“What have you learned lately?” Su Rende asked.
Yang Qingyan said sweetly: “Qingyan has been learning zither from the Zither Master. The Zither Master said Qingyan has made great progress!”
“Excellent.” Su Rende nodded, picked up the sweet soup and was about to drink, but then thought of something and put it down, continuing to ask, “Has Tang Pozi left?”
Yang Qingyan said: “Mother has already sent her away.”
“That’s good.” Su Rende picked up the sweet soup, stirred it, and said earnestly, “Tang Pozi has improper conduct. It’s good to send her away early.”
Seeing Su Rende start lecturing again, Yang Qingyan’s eyes were full of disgust.
He is not her biological father, nor does he want to be her stepfather; he is just an adoptive father. All he does is lecture all day. Since he likes to control her so much, give her status, so she can rightfully attend various noble young ladies’ banquets, instead of having an unclear identity like now, with others mocking her behind her back.
“Adoptive father, it won’t taste good if it’s cold. Drink it soon!” Yang Qingyan said.
Su Rende glanced at the teapot opposite and said: “I don’t like sweet things. Pour me some tea. I’ll drink tea after the sweet soup.”
“Alright.” Yang Qingyan hurried over to pour tea.
She came back with the tea and saw that Su Rende’s cup was empty, and he was wiping water stains from the corner of his mouth.
“There are servants in the mansion. You don’t need to cook sweet soup yourself, and I don’t like sweet things, so don’t make it next time.” Su Rende said.
“Yes, adoptive father.” Yang Qingyan carefully observed Su Rende’s expression and saw that his spirit was still good, a puzzled look flashing in her eyes.
Su Rende pressed his head, showing some signs of coma, and said vaguely: “My head is so dizzy. Seems I’m too tired and need rest.”
“Adoptive father, let me help you to bed to rest.”
“No need, get out.”
Yang Qingyan pursed her lips and walked out the door.
Who wants to serve this old man?
Does he really think he is her father?
Yang Qingyan went out and said to the personal guards waiting outside the door: “My adoptive father said he is sleepy and has gone to rest. You don’t need to guard here anymore. Go rest early too.”
“Yes.”
Yang Qingyan left after giving instructions.
The personal guards went in to check on Su Rende, confirmed he was lying on the bed resting and did not need them to serve anymore, then withdrew to rest.
After the personal guards left, Pang Shi sneaked into the study room and approached Su Rende.
She stood by the bed, looking at Su Rende and said: “If you didn’t have power and position, and weren’t the Great General, who would want to seduce you? But the only man I can reach is you. As long as I become the General’s wife and give birth to another son, I will have endless glory and wealth in this lifetime. I want you to willingly marry me as your wife.”
Pang Shi took out a box, opened it, and poured the insect from the box onto Su Rende’s wrist.
However, before she could make the next move, Su Rende, who had been in a coma, opened his eyes and quickly grabbed her wrist, dumping the insect onto her hand.
“Ah…” Pang Shi screamed.
The insect burrowed into the skin as soon as it touched it, so fast that it couldn’t be stopped in time.
“You you you weren’t asleep?” Pang Shi touched the blood hole on her wrist, her face showing fear.
“I was asleep, or rather, I should have been drugged by you?” Su Rende said coldly. “It seems this general has been too merciful.”
“General…” Pang Shi knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing to Su Rende and saying, “Please, General, spare me. I just love you too much.”
“This general’s ears aren’t deaf. I heard clearly what you said just now. This general’s brain isn’t broken either. Even a toe could figure out your ambitions.”
Su Rende got off the bed, opened the study room door, and shouted outside: “Come here.”
The personal guards who should have been resting rushed over and stood neatly in front of Su Rende, awaiting his orders.
“Drive this mother and daughter out of the mansion. From now on, they are not allowed to step into the General’s mansion gates again.” Su Rende said. “And that Tang Pozi, sell her off directly.”
“Yes.”
“General, you can’t treat me like this. Have you forgotten my husband died saving you?” Pang Shi screamed.
Su Rende watched Pang Shi being dragged away, his eyes cold.
If he were soft-hearted, he wouldn’t have come back alive.
Precisely because they were the wife and daughter of his benefactor, he had given them chance after chance. But she had exhausted his patience.
“Investigate what that insect she tried to use on me was.” Su Rende ordered the personal guards.
“Yes.”
Su Rende felt irritated and thought of the little girl in Peach Blossom Workshop, and that Zhang Zhaodi who was always cold to him.
By the time he realized it, he was already at the door of Peach Blossom Workshop.
It was so late; disturbing them rashly didn’t seem good. Moreover, that woman was particularly unwelcoming to him, looking at him like she was stabbing with cold knives.
Su Rende paced back and forth at the door. Finally, he stopped, looked at the high wall, and climbed over it.
“I’m not a petty person, not a rooftop gentleman. I just… want to take a look. Right, just look from here.”
Su Rende sat on the rooftop, watching the mother and daughter burying a wine jar in the courtyard.
Zhang Zhaodi and Su Yaoguang were burying the wine jar, chattering about the weird customers they met in the shop today.
The mother and daughter chatted and laughed, sometimes united in cursing the same person, looking exceptionally warm—this was the feeling of home.
His General’s mansion was too cold and quiet.
Before, he was busy in the military camp all day and didn’t feel it much. But for some reason, today this feeling was particularly strong.
A person appeared at Su Rende’s side.
Su Rende vigilantly drew the sword from his waist.
Zhou Wangshu sat down beside him and said: “I’m the son-in-law of this house. I didn’t draw my sword on you, this uninvited guest, but you’re drawing yours on me.”
Su Rende sized up Zhou Wangshu, surprise flashing in his eyes.
“You’re Su Yaoguang’s husband?”
“Mm.”
“That girl isn’t very old. How did she marry so early?”
Zhou Wangshu sat lazily there, watching Su Yaoguang and Zhang Zhaodi’s busy figures, and answered: “Yaoguang is eighteen this year.”
“Eighteen! The year I joined the army, this little girl was born!” Su Rende sighed.
“So General Su joined the army eighteen years ago. What a coincidence. Today my mother-in-law said you look exactly like her late husband who joined the army eighteen years ago.”
Su Rende was stunned and looked at Zhou Wangshu in surprise: “What did you say?”
Zhou Wangshu said casually: “My mother-in-law said you look exactly like her husband who joined the army eighteen years ago. We didn’t believe it when we heard, thinking how could there be such a coincidence in the world. You joined the army eighteen years ago, my father-in-law also joined eighteen years ago, and you look exactly the same.”
“How could there be such a coincidence in the world?” Su Rende’s heart skipped a beat. “Which army did your father-in-law join?”
“Back then they conscripted strong men by force. My father-in-law was taken; I’m afraid even my mother-in-law doesn’t know which army he joined. This junior certainly doesn’t.”
Su Rende had a bold guess in his heart. But for him with no memory, it was indeed too bold; he didn’t dare voice that guess easily.
“This general will investigate it clearly.” After saying that, Su Rende leaped down from the rooftop and left quickly.
Zhou Wangshu lay on the rooftop, looking at the stars in the sky.
The stars tonight are really beautiful.
Actually, as soon as Su Rende arrived at the door of Peach Blossom Workshop, someone reported it to him. Without his permission, Su Rende wouldn’t have had a chance to climb the wall.
Peach Blossom Workshop looks no different, like most common people’s homes, but there are many spies and informants in the shadows.
Zhou Wangshu had said at the dinner table that he would investigate this matter. Since he took on this job, he would of course follow through. But no matter how many people he sent to investigate, it wouldn’t be as effective as Su Rende investigating personally. After all, only he knew the border matters clearly; what he didn’t know, he could assign to his subordinates.
Zhou Wangshu would also investigate; he would cross-check the information from his people with what Su Rende found, for accuracy.
Su Rende returned to the General’s mansion and immediately summoned his trusted subordinate, then asked about his matters at the border.
“General, back then you were seriously injured and lost your memory. No one in the entire military camp knew your past, so we couldn’t verify your background. But the clothes you wore then should still be around, right? Even if those old clothes weren’t kept, there must be some token or such. If your family comes looking, those tokens could at least prove part of it.”
“I remember those things were brought back to the capital. My shoes and clothes should all have been brought back. Find them for me right away.”
After a while, the trusted subordinate returned to report.
“The butler said your previous things were all packed by Madam Pang; only she knows where those things are.”
“How could they be given to that woman?”
“When you first returned, General, you were busy with official duties and had no time for household matters. Madam Pang acted as the mistress of the house, so she arranged everything big and small. General, you just drove Madam Pang out. If you want her back to help find the things now, even if she’s willing, she’ll probably demand a huge price.”
“Tell her, if she helps me find the things, I’ll give her a hundred taels of silver, enough for her and her daughter to live without worry.”
“Yes.”
The trusted subordinate went to find Pang Shi as instructed by Su Rende but returned empty-handed. He said Pang Shi wasn’t found; she and her daughter had vanished like evaporated into thin air.
“What now, General?”
“Those are my things; she couldn’t have taken them, so they must still be in the General’s mansion. Mobilize everyone, find those old belongings for me right away. Whoever finds them will be heavily rewarded by this general.”
Su Yaoguang buried the wine, got mud all over her, and only returned to her room after bathing.
As soon as she returned to her room, a hand reached from behind to hug her slender waist, then the whole person stuck close, burying into her neck to sniff again and again.
“So fragrant, Yaoguang.”
“Didn’t my mother say you’re sleeping in your previous room lately?” Since they were preparing the banquet, they were redoing the wedding ceremony, so everyone made them sleep in separate rooms.
“I can’t sleep.” Zhou Wangshu hugged her, kissing her earlobe. “Let’s be quiet, don’t alarm mother.”
“Zhou Wangshu, you’re still young. Can you…”
“Where am I small?” Zhou Wangshu cupped her cheeks, looking at her with dangerous eyes. If her answer dissatisfied him, he would probably start making trouble again.
Su Yaoguang, knowing when to yield, smiled and soothed: “You’re still young. We can’t indulge in lust; it’ll harm your health.”
Zhou Wangshu strode to the bed, took off his shoes, and lay down: “I just want to sleep together like before, nothing else. On the contrary, you, Yaoguang, what are you thinking? How can you be so lustful?”
Su Yaoguang: “…”
Fine, now she’s the lustful one.
A strange light flashed in Su Yaoguang’s eyes: “Here’s the deal. If you can sleep honestly, you can stay. If you can’t sleep honestly, go back to the next door honestly during this time and don’t come here to bother me anymore.”
“Deal.”
Zhou Wangshu lay on the inner side.
Su Yaoguang lay down, leaning beside him.
Zhou Wangshu smelled the fragrance coming from Su Yaoguang’s body and leaned closer.
He wasn’t lying; he just wanted to chat purely under the quilt with Su Yaoguang, no other thoughts. After all, Zhang Zhaodi said they were preparing the banquet lately, and before the wedding wine, they should act as if not yet married, no more substantial intimacy.
However, a hand reached from under the quilt, touching his abs.
Zhou Wangshu stiffened.
His breathing hitched as he looked at Su Yaoguang’s pretty little face and said through gritted teeth: “This is a bit despicable.”
“You promised to bet before. If you feel you don’t have the perseverance, admit defeat and go back to your room now.”
Zhou Wangshu felt that soft little hand hot and scorching, like lighting a fire on his body. He gritted his teeth and endured, but soon broke.
Su Yaoguang was deliberately seducing him; this wasn’t something that could be endured by willpower alone.
Zhou Wangshu leaned close to Su Yaoguang’s ear and said: “Five days until announcement day. The third day after the list comes out is our banquet day. Sister Yaoguang, you better be careful. Later, I’ll make you pay.”
“Little brother Wangshu, you’re only good at shouting.” Su Yaoguang bit his neck and licked it.
Zhou Wangshu’s eyes changed.
Su Yaoguang looked at him smugly: “You lost. Go back to your room quick, wait to be the live-in son-in-law.”
