The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 925 - 206: The Wife-Protecting Fiend_4

Chapter 925: Chapter 206: The Wife-Protecting Fiend_4

Fang Fu nodded, "I’m back to take part in the autumn examinations!" His insights had grown considerably over the past two years, and his essays had matured and become more polished. He would try his luck again this year! If it still didn’t work out, he would make other plans!

Mo Heng, on the other hand, had someone bring back two large watermelons, which he had grown himself in the desert.

During Xixi’s first birthday celebration, that fool Chang Yonglin placed a watermelon on the zhuazhou ritual table. When the little one saw the large watermelon with its green skin and patterns, he crawled over, hugged it without letting go, and grinned with a small mouth, "Mama! Mama!"

But when the watermelon was cut open, it was half white and completely unripe.

Two days after the first birthday party, Shen Songming finally arrived, out of breath, "I’m late! I’m so tired!"

"Godfather! Godfather! You’re finally here!" Jiujiu, like a little bumblebee, rushed up to him.

Shen Songming laughed as he hugged her, "Jiujiu my darling! Come give godfather a hug!"

"This is my goddaughter!" A figure rushed over and scooped up Xixi, who was playing with building blocks.

The wet nurse jumped in fright, before she could see clearly who it was, "Young Master Ji!?"

Ji Bingchu held Xixi, touched her soft and tender little face, and grinned, "This little face is like a bun, much cuter than your mother! Xixi! Call me godfather, I’m your godfather!"

Seeing this, Shen Songming immediately felt a sense of unfairness, "Jiujiu! He’s stealing your sister! He’s not a good person!" Why should his goddaughter have the face of that blind fool, to look like Pei Qin and be given to someone like Ji Bingchu as a goddaughter!?

Jiujiu got down and ran over to snatch her, "Sister is mine!"

When Pei Qin returned home, she found the two grown men and Jiujiu, vying for Xixi, "You all..."

Seeing her return, Shen Songming let go, and Jiujiu couldn’t snatch her away, letting Ji Bingchu carry Xixi off.

"Xiao Qinqin! It’s been a while, have you missed me?" Ji Bingchu, having finally snatched little radish Xixi, greeted Pei Qin with a cheeky grin.

"It’s been a very long while, little Ji Ji!" Pei Qin smirked.

Ji Bingchu’s handsome face cracked, tremblingly pointing at her, "You... are you even a woman!?" Little Ji Ji, what on earth!?

Pei Qin raised an eyebrow.

Shen Songming laughed out loud from the side, "Little Ji Ji! Next time, you should think before you speak!"

Ji Bingchu’s face stiffened for a long while before he snorted, "I didn’t call you ’Little darling’!"

Pei Qin withdrew her gaze and glanced over at Shen Songming.

Shen Songming stiffened all over, forcing a laugh, "I’ve brought back a lot of great things from this trip! Several large boxes! Although I missed Xixi’s first birthday, I had prepared her annual gift well in advance!" He reached out to pull Jiujiu over, "What did Xixi grab during the zhuazhou?"

"She grabbed a big watermelon! Mama said she’s definitely going to be a foodie in the future!" Jiujiu replied.

"Hmm? Who put the watermelon on the zhuazhou table?" Shen Songming asked her.

Jiujiu said it was Uncle Lin, the watermelon was sent by her dad, and it was neither ripe nor sweet.

Pei Qin watched, then turned and headed to the kitchen.

Shen Songming coughed twice and followed her, "After traveling so far, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a good meal! Prepare all my favorite dishes! I’m going to eat my fill before I leave!"

Pei Qin looked up at him, and laughed softly, "That’s not so far. You haven’t even taken a trip around Europe or directly to America to discover a new world and establish a new nation! You could be the founding father then!"

"I traveled farther this year because there was nothing much going on. But the trip wasn’t for nothing, I found two jadeite mines, I’m definitely going to make a fortune..." Shen Songming’s voice trailed off, getting quieter.

"Two jade mines? A huge profit? Where do you think you are!? Chu Nation is so vast, and you still can’t find your place here!?" Pei Qin scolded angrily.

Ji Bingchu, holding Xixi, stretched his head over to see Shen Songming with a contrite expression, shrinking his body. Pei Qin glared with darkened face and scolded severely, "Uh... that..."

"Get out!" Shen Songming chased him away.

Ji Bingchu pouted in dissatisfaction. That scolding he got, look at his face, brimming with satisfaction and happiness! Why did he feel a bit jealous!?

After a thorough scolding, Shen Songming was thoroughly relieved. After finishing his meal, he rummaged through his things, pulling out several chunks of jadeite raw stone, already cut. There were other jades, various specialties from the extreme south, dried seafood from Qiongzhou, and more.

"I brought all these things for you, considering the miles I traveled to bring them back, make me some delicious meals! I’ve lost over ten pounds this year!" Shen Songming pleaded pitifully.

"You should!" Pei Qin huffed.

Shen Songming laughed, holding Jiujiu while picking out things for her.

Now that he was staying here, Ji Bingchu also settled in and spent the days holding Xixi without letting go, "This is my goddaughter now! I’ve come prepared with gifts!"

"As long as my husband agrees, I have no objections!" Pei Qin grinned at him.

Mo Heng, that wife-protecting maniac, even interfered when he came to Yuanyang County; if he wanted to acknowledge Xixi, Mo Heng certainly would not agree! So, holding Xixi tightly, "I don’t care! From now on, Xixi is my goddaughter! Otherwise, I’ll just stay here and not leave!"

Shen Songming hadn’t even entertained the thought of not leaving! After dinner, following Lu Hai’s orders, Liu Feng and Cao Li directly drove him out.

"How heartless! I’m not trying to snatch your daughter, I just want to acknowledge her as my goddaughter!" Ji Bingchu complained.

Shen Songming mocked him relentlessly, "You’re not me, so just forget about it and hurry back to the capital to have fun! If you miss the excitement, you’ll regret it for three years!"

Ji Bingchu raised an eyebrow at him, "Aren’t you going back?"

"Not going back! I need to recharge!" Shen Songming had no intention of returning; he had been traveling outside for a year and needed to stay long enough to make it worth his while before venturing out again.

Ji Bingchu yelled loudly, he too had been away from the capital for a long time and had business to attend to there. After staying for a few days, he left reluctantly.

The room was cool with ice, Shen Songming sat on a rocking chair, legs crossed, eating chilled mung bean jelly, and telling stories to Jiujiu and Xixi, "So comfortable!" If that blind fool knew he was here avoiding the heat, he’d surely be so angry he’d jump up and down, and might even come back to kill him.

Last time he came over, Mo Heng was at home. This time, Mo Heng was not, Ji Bingchu left, but he stayed and settled down in the town, and immediately rumors began to spread again. A lone man and a widow, together every day, who knows what unspeakable things they did!?

If not for Jiujiu and Mo Heng being cut from the same cloth, and Xixi also resembling Mo Heng in her nose and mouth, she might have been pinned with the reputation of an illegitimate child. However, the rumors of Pei Qin being unfaithful only increased, never decreased. Otherwise, why would Shen Songming stay when Mo Heng was not home, what was he up to?

The rumors spread far and wide, even reaching the ears of Old Scholar Fang.

Grandma Fang swore in anger, "It must be those shameless, despicable people who can’t stand to see others doing well, deliberately slandering Qinqin and looking to stir up trouble!"

Pei Qin and Old Scholar Fang felt assured, but thinking of Shen Songming, still unmarried, Fang became somewhat worried and used the excuse of delivering vegetables to come over with Grandma Fang to discuss bringing Fang Li and Yang Yulan back.

"Just let Fang Li come back to attend to the illness!" Shen Songming was no fool; he could hear what Old Scholar Fang was implying. Having already yielded his place, he would not forcibly interfere. But no one was going to sever the only bit of meagre happiness he had in this world.

With his words, the matter was resolved, leaving Old Scholar Fang with nothing else to say.

Lady Zhu was all set to blow things out of proportion, her family’s reputation ruined, and that despicable little wretch! If not dead, she must be brought to total disgrace!

Then the battle news arrived; the Waci People had crossed the border.

"There’s going to be a war! The Waci People are coming!"