Chapter 339: Pearls Before Bedtime

Chapter 339: Pearls Before Bedtime

Xingxing was only a little over ten this year, still very much a child. After she got onto the carriage, she leaned against the carriage wall and nodded off, clearly feeling drowsy.

Fan Pingfang had a maid fetch a pillow for Xingxing to rest her head on.

There were two small blankets. One was placed over Ling Jier, and the other over Xingxing.

Yang Quanyu, curled up in the corner of the carriage, said timidly, "Mother, I want to be covered too..."

Fan Pingfang felt a sense of annoyance.

This child probably used his timid appearance as a tool for gaining advantage.

Did he really think it would work on her?

Fan Pingfang glanced at Yang Quanyu's silk attire and couldn't help sneering. The fabric's pattern looked familiar; it was probably part of her dowry.

The silk was quite warm. She had just taken a few pieces out of the private storeroom to prepare autumn clothes for Ling Jier.

Fan Pingfang closed her eyes and ignored Yang Quanyu's request.

Seeing that Fan Pingfang wasn't paying attention to him, Yang Quanyu realized his usual tactic wasn't working. He pressed his lips tightly together, stood there, and his eyes became even redder.

The wet nurse of Ling Jier glanced at him and thought, if she didn't know what this illegitimate son had done earlier, she would have thought he was suffering from some great grievance based on his appearance!

However, the wet nurse had no time for Yang Quanyu. She was already uneasy for failing to look after Ling Jier earlier and couldn't spare him any attention.

The carriage traveled for half an hour and arrived in the neighboring county.

The Yang family's residence was in the older part of the city. It wasn't a large house.

When the carriage stopped at the Yang residence entrance, Xingxing, who had woken up earlier, had already used a wet handkerchief to gently clean her face.

Now, she accompanied Fan Pingfang as they stepped down from the carriage, looking like a proper, impeccable young lady.

The doorkeeper announced them, and as they entered the main courtyard, a slender, delicate woman with a ballooning belly hurried over from the side.

The woman was dressed in a bright crimson silk garment and wore pearl hairpins, which Xingxing immediately recognized with her sharp eyes as high-quality South Sea pearls.

...So, this was probably Pei Qin, the concubine of Yang Zheming, who was pregnant with twins.

As soon as Pei Qin appeared, Yang Quanyu seemed to find his backbone. His already red eyes now welled up with tears, and he called out in a pitiful voice, "Mother."

"Yu'er!" Pei Qin looked as if her heart was aching, checking Yang Quanyu up and down, her eyes red as if she was afraid he had suffered outside.

Xingxing found it puzzling.

How could this mother and son act in such a similar manner?

She had only hosted an ordinary banquet. If Yang Quanyu hadn't caused trouble, there wouldn't have been any risk at all.

But just as this mother and son's drama wasn't finished, a man wearing a scholar's headgear hurried over from further away.

This man was likely Yang Zheming, Fan Pingfang's husband.

Yang Zheming was practically running. When he saw Yang Quanyu standing there, looking all teary and pitiful, and his favorite concubine Pei Qin wiping her tears with red eyes, he immediately frowned and interrupted Fan Pingfang before hearing her out. "Didn't I ask you to take care of Young Master Yu? This is how you've been taking care of him?"

Although his tone wasn't very harsh, the reproach in his words was clear enough that even Xingxing could hear it.

This made Xingxing frown.

In front of outsiders, he was scolding the main wife over a concubine and a son born out of wedlock. Was Fan Jie's husband acting like one of those men from storybooks? The type that spoils his concubines and ignores his wife?

But Fan Pingfang didn't show anger. She just frowned and lowered her voice, "Don't wake Sister Ling."

She turned and handed the sleeping Sister Ling to the nanny standing nearby, instructing, "Take Sister Ling to rest, and make sure nothing goes wrong again."

The nanny, who had been on edge from her earlier mistake, felt immense relief upon hearing Fan Pingfang's words. She quickly agreed and took Sister Ling inside the house.

Only then did Fan Pingfang's gaze sweep over Yang Zheming, who looked annoyed, Yang Quanyu, who appeared wronged, and Pei Qin, who looked distressed.

A hint of mockery flashed in Fan Pingfang's eyes.

This was truly a harmonious family of three.

"To put it bluntly," now that Sister Ling had been taken away by the nanny, Fan Pingfang no longer needed to worry about waking her and spoke in her normal voice, "You need to send Young Master Yu away."

Yang Zheming didn't expect Fan Pingfang to open with this request. He was extremely shocked and immediately refused, "Impossible!"

After a pause, Yang Zheming seemed to realize that his attitude wasn't appropriate and softened his tone, "...Madam, Young Master Yu has already been acknowledged by the family, and his name is in the family records. For you to suddenly say this, you should at least tell me why."

Yang Zheming's response was within Fan Pingfang's expectations.

Fan Pingfang calmly recounted what happened at the banquet.

Yang Zheming's first reaction was, "Impossible!"

Pei Qin knelt and cried in panic, "Madam, you're mistaken. Because I'm pregnant with twins and my condition isn't good, I often take pearl powder to stay healthy. Young Master Yu has seen this a lot and thought that pearls are good things to eat..."

Yang Zheming nodded repeatedly before she could finish, "Yes, exactly. Young Master Yu was showing love to his younger sister. Madam, you're mistaken about him."

Yang Quanyu also put on an innocent expression and cried, "I didn't want to eat it and saved it for my little sister. It's a good thing, mother, why were you so angry..."

Before Yang Quanyu could finish speaking, Xingxing had already taken a pearl from her clothes and, pinching it between two fingers, waved it in front of everyone—it was the same South Sea pearl that had fallen to the ground earlier.

Just as everyone was stunned by her action, Xingxing quickly grabbed Yang Quanyu by the mouth and shoved the pearl into his throat.

No one expected Xingxing to suddenly make such a move. Panicking, Yang Quanyu swallowed it whole.

Yang Quanyu's face went white with fear. "Mother, save me! I'm going to die—"

Pei Qin's expression changed drastically and she hurriedly tried to dig the pearl out of Yang Quanyu's throat.

Yang Zheming flew into a rage. "Who is this crazy girl! How dare she harm my son, throw her out—"

Fan Pingfang stepped forward, shielding Xingxing, and glared angrily. "We'll see who dares!"

She sneered at Yang Zheming, "Do you have any idea who she is? She's the younger sister of Yu Yonghuai, the provincial champion you've been trying to curry favor with these days! Her brother is General Yu Yonghuai, who is about to be rewarded in the capital!"

Yang Zheming was struck dumb, completely dumbfounded. "She, she's the Yu Xingxing who invited you here today..."

Fan Pingfang sneered, "Of course!"

Yang Zheming's expression was a vivid mix of emotions, and he stood there stunned, unable to move.

Pei Qin, half desperate and half helpless, shouted, “...It's stuck! Husband, quick, send someone to fetch a doctor!”

Yang Zheming stood stunned for a moment. As he was about to frantically call for a doctor, Xingxing spoke up, “No need.”

She raised her hand, showing the perfectly round South Sea pearl pinched between her other two fingers, and said to everyone, “What I just stuffed into Yang Quanyu's throat was just a sugar pill. Wasn't he just crying and asking Miss Fan if the pearl was a good thing? Since it's a good thing, why was he so scared when I fed him the ‘good thing’?”

Even Pei Qin's expression blanked for a moment, let alone that of four-year-old Yang Quanyu.

Yang Zheming froze for a second, as if he finally realized what had happened, and looked at Yang Quanyu with some disbelief.

Yang Quanyu, being young, knew he had been found out, but in that moment, he couldn't think of a way to cover his tracks. His eyes instinctively kept dodging, making him look extremely guilty!

Yang Zheming was now completely certain that his eldest son of a concubine had done it on purpose!