Chapter 96 Kiss

Chapter 96 Kiss

Although Pei Wu has not yet truly gained Jiang Ru's forgiveness, Jiang Ru is no longer so concerned. Over the past month, Jiang Ru's resentment towards Pei Wu has almost completely dissipated. As long as Pei Wu says a few kind words, she feels that she can forgive him.

Therefore, Jiang Ru took Pei Wu's invitation very seriously. That night, she spent a long time choosing clothes for herself, since it was their first date and she naturally wanted to look her best.

The next day, Jiang Ru wore a thin, light yellow silk robe, a light white shawl, and even her hair was adorned with a catalpa leaf crown. She wore embroidered shoes and lightly painted with vermilion. In front of the mirror, she looked like the bright moon, with fair wrists and a waist as slender as a willow leaf. It was no wonder that Jiang Ru got up early to dress up.

Jiang Ru pushed open the door. Pei Wu was earlier than her and was waiting for her to have breakfast together. They ate a light breakfast, just congee and side dishes. Jiang Ru ate about half a bowl. The people at the table knew that they had arranged to go out, and they all looked at the two of them with knowing eyes, as if they were watching a spectacle.

Just like a young couple teased in their school days, Jiang Ru blushed after being teased, quickly finished her meal, and dragged Pei Wu out the door.

Pei Wu was dressed today in a blue brocade robe with a jade belt. He always dressed like a scholar, which was the most common attire for scholars in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Running out of the courtyard gate, Pei Wu scrutinized Jiang Ru's face with a look of curiosity and inquiry. His undisguised gaze made Jiang Ru unable to help but examine herself: "What are you looking at?"

Pei Wu stated, "Your cheeks are a little red. Did you run too fast just now?"

He couldn't even tell that Jiang Ru had applied a light layer of makeup this morning. Jiang Ru looked up at him with her bright almond-shaped eyes and said, "I put on rouge."

Pei Wu finally realized: "So that's how it is."

Jiang Ru rarely wore rouge before, and Pei Wu had never seen her like this before. He was curious and looked at her a few more times. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Did you also use rouge that day in Tangzhou?"

It's been so long since then, and Pei Wu is only now realizing what happened. Jiang Ru nodded in agreement.

That day, seeing that Jiang Ru had clearly lost weight and looked pale, yet her complexion was inexplicably rosy, Pei Wu said in a low voice, "She looks good even without rouge."

With rouge on, Pei Wu couldn't tell Jiang Ru's condition, nor did he know if she had eaten or slept well. Besides, Jiang Ru was already beautiful without makeup; these were just icing on the cake.

Surprisingly, Pei Wu suddenly seemed to have a breakthrough, spouting sweet nothings effortlessly. Jiang Ru was completely charmed by him, and muttered under her breath, "You don't understand at all."

No girl would be unhappy to be praised, and Jiang Ru was no exception. Although she said that he didn't understand, she was actually very happy inside. Seeing that Pei Wu was about to continue talking, Jiang Ru quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Let's go, if we keep talking, we'll waste time."

Pei Wu was pulled out of the house by her. The carriage was already waiting outside. Jiang Ru stepped into the carriage first, her movements were very careful, as if she was afraid of stepping on her skirt.

Even when riding in a carriage, he was no longer as unrestrained as before, sitting upright and proper.

The carriage finally stopped at the nearest shopping street. Pei Wu led Jiang Ru down from the carriage, and the two went into a rice shop first.

Jiang Ru was filled with doubt as she stared blankly as Pei Wu bought several bags of rice and the waiter helped carry them onto the carriage.

When Jiang Ru first arrived at this shopping street, she thought Pei Wu was just passing by and buying things on the go. However, Pei Wu then took her to buy various daily necessities such as flour, sugar, salt, oil, and meat.

The people of Daxia can also eat oil, but only very occasionally, during festivals. Pei Wu bought a lot, enough to last them a long time.

Jiang Ru ran around with him for a while. Pei Wu noticed that she was a little tired and kept lifting her skirt, so he suggested to her, "Why don't you go back to the carriage first? I'll buy some more and then come find you."

There was no reason for Jiang Ru to sit and wait while Pei Wu was busy, so she refused without even thinking.

Midway through, Pei Wu bought her some rice cakes from Tanzhou. Jiang Ru ate two, and when she was full, she handed them to Pei Wu to hold.

Buying these things took up half the morning, and the carriages behind were packed full. Jiang Ru's legs ached from walking, and after getting into the carriage, she could no longer maintain her ladylike posture and slumped into the seat. She looked at Pei Wu and finally asked, "What are we going out for today?"

What she thought was a date didn't seem like a date at all, and Pei Wu didn't seem to want to go on a date either. Jiang Ru didn't understand why Pei Wu was running around buying all these things. She wondered, "Why did you have to buy them yourself?"

Pei Wu had just taken office, and logically speaking, he shouldn't be so idle, let alone running around buying these things.

Last night, Pei Wu was drunk and didn't remember whether he had explained things clearly to Jiang Ru. Now, seeing that Jiang Ru didn't seem to understand, Pei Wu explained, "I want to take you to see someone."

Jiang Ru sat up straighter: "What?"

Pei Wu said, "Wu Pi's first wife."

Jiang Ru was stunned. If she had always thought that Pei Wu wanted to go on a date with her before, she finally realized that she had misunderstood. Pei Wu's invitation to her was not to go on a date with her.

Even though she misunderstood Pei Wu, Jiang Ru quickly accepted reality. She didn't blame Pei Wu; it was her own fault for not understanding.

She was overthinking it. If Pei Wu were to actually invite her on a date one day, that would truly be a blessing from heaven, opening up Pei Wu's potential.

Jiang Ru knew Wu Pi; Pei Wu had told her about him. She asked in surprise, "Lord Wu is actually from Tanzhou?"

Pei Wu nodded, and Jiang Ru said knowingly, "No wonder you were transferred to Tanzhou, it's because Lord Wu is in Tanzhou, isn't it?"

“Part of the reason is,” Pei Wu hesitated for a moment before telling Jiang Ru, “but Lord Wu is already dead.”

Surprised, Jiang Ru's lips parted slightly, unable to speak for a long time. More than ten years had passed since that incident, and too many things could have changed in those ten years. Illness, accidents, or even dying of old age were all possible.

No wonder when Pei Wu spoke earlier, he didn't say that they went to see Lord Wu, but rather that they were Lord Wu's first wife.

Since Pei Wu said that, he must know the inside story. Jiang Ru asked, "How did Lord Wu die?"

Upon hearing this question, Pei Wu took a deep breath. Although he had long accepted reality, he still revealed all his vulnerability to Jiang Ru. His eyes stung as he said, "Back then, the imperial court intended to abandon Jinzhou. Lord Wu's actions were defying the imperial decree, so he was executed by the court."

Reality is often not so satisfactory. In our imagination, a good official like Wu Pi, who was dedicated to serving the people, should have lived a long and peaceful old age. However, he died in the very year that he saved tens of thousands of people in Jinzhou.

He sacrificed his own life to save the lives of ten thousand people in Jinzhou, including Pei Wu. Without him, Pei Wu would have died more than ten years ago.

Jiang Ru was glad that Pei Wu had survived. Pei Wu inherited Wu Pi's will and continued to be a good official. Jiang Ru also felt emotional, saying, "Lord Wu should have been remembered in history, instead of ending his life so hastily."

However, fate played a cruel joke on Pei Wu. He personally compiled the national history of the Great Xia Dynasty. In the very year he entered the court as an official, he wrote in the "History of the Great Xia Dynasty": "In the twentieth year of Yongcheng, Jinzhou suffered a drought, and the transport commissioner Wu Pi relieved it."

It is also written: In the twenty-first year of Yongcheng, Wu Pi, the Grand Counselor, retired due to old age and returned to his hometown.

Even Pei Wu couldn't give him the truth. Instead, he added a filter to the matter, making it seem as if everything was beautiful, without any shady dealings behind it, and only peace and tranquility prevailed.

When the matter was brought up, Pei Wu regretted his past actions. They hadn't been able to communicate properly for the past few months. Everything had passed too quickly, and the incident had happened so suddenly that they hadn't had enough time to open up to each other.

It was at this moment that Jiang Ru belatedly felt sorry for Pei Wu. She reached out and held Pei Wu's excessively cold hand, warming it with her own warmth. She comforted Pei Wu, "Lord Wu would be very gratified to see that the people he saved are living so well now."

“The good deeds he did are remembered by you and by the people of Jinzhou. Don’t blame yourself too much. If there is an opportunity in the future, we will try our best to correct the distorted history. Lord Wu’s actions will not be obscured.”

Pei Wu's hands were so cold that Jiang Ru couldn't warm them up no matter how long she tried. She leaned over and hugged Pei Wu, patting his back comfortingly: "If you keep acting like this, Madam Wu will notice something's wrong when you see her later, so don't look so sad."

This matter was kept from everyone. Wu Pi's wife may not know about it, and perhaps she still believes that her husband is still alive.

Upon hearing this, Pei Wu managed to calm himself down. He rested his chin on Jiang Ru's shoulder, knowing full well that this was overstepping his bounds, but still couldn't help asking, "Can I lean on you a little longer?"

Jiang Ru hugged him, showing no intention of refusing: "You can keep hugging me."

The carriage left Tanzhou City and it would take another two hours to reach Wu Pi's house. Jiang Ru hugged Pei Wu for a long time, and when she got tired, she simply leaned on Pei Wu's shoulder. The two leaned on each other without any extra movements, as if they were huddling together for warmth.

Tanzhou was actually quite chilly in autumn. Jiang Ru assumed they were on a date and wasn't dressed warmly enough, still in summer clothes. Fortunately, it wasn't cold inside the carriage, otherwise she was afraid she would have caught a cold.

They huddled together like this until the carriage finally arrived at Shanqing Village in Tanzhou. From afar, they could see vast fields of golden yellow. After the autumn harvest, the fields were piled high with rice stalks. They ate lunch in the carriage. Pei Wu had bought some snacks and pastries to prepare, and Jiang Ru had already eaten quite a bit.

Even though it was past mealtime, a few households were still emitting wisps of smoke from their cooking fires. As Jiang Ru passed by the houses, she smelled the delicious aroma of food, which made her stomach clench. Although she wasn't hungry, she couldn't help but feel a little tempted.

She was emotional earlier, but now that the initial excitement has passed, she feels a bit uncomfortable and doesn't dare to look Pei Wu in the eye. So, Jiang Ru leans against the window and looks at the scenery outside.

The village roads weren't narrow, just wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage to pass. Pei Wu had inquired about the location of the Wu family beforehand, and after asking a few villagers along the way, he finally found the Wu family's house.

Wu Pi's family was relatively well-off. He was not very old when he became an official. For most officials, even if they were already married, it would be a huge expense to bring their families over after they entered the court.

If he could stay in the capital, he could bring his family there and be done with it once and for all. But if he was always traveling to different places, it would be inconvenient to bring his family along. So Wu Pi’s wife stayed in Tanzhou.

Wu Pi is now gone, and he has not left much savings, only his salary from when he was an official. Ten years have passed and there is not much left.

In particular, he has a wife and children, and supporting his family requires a lot of money. Now that Wu Pi's salary is gone, his family has been struggling financially for years.

When Pei Wu and Jiang Ru arrived, Madam Wu was sitting in the courtyard tending to the rice. After the rice harvest, all the rice that could be sold was sold early, and the rest was kept for the family to eat.

Pei Wu explained his purpose, and Madam Wu quickly wiped her hands, unable to hide her joy: "Have you eaten yet? I'll cook for you."

Before she could refuse, Madam Wu had already gone to wash the pot and steam the rice. Jiang Ru and Pei Wu exchanged a glance. Pei Wu went to unload the things from the carriage and put them in the yard, while Jiang Ru went to help Madam Wu cook.

During the conversation, Jiang Ru learned that Madam Wu's name was Jin Li, and she was also from Tanzhou. She and Wu Pi had a son who was now in his twenties and had recently passed the imperial examination to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

When Wu Pi was mentioned, Aunt Jin seemed to complain: "When he first became an official, he used to write home all the time, but now he hasn't written a single letter in all these years."

In ancient times, communication was not advanced and not easy. It was considered good if someone sent a letter home once every year or two. But she used to send letters all the time, but now she has stopped. She hasn't contacted anyone for so many years and hasn't sent any money home. Yet, Aunt Jin seems unaware that something is wrong.

Jiang Ru didn't dare to ask any more questions and vaguely replied, "Perhaps he's too busy."

Grandma Jin sighed, "Ten years have passed. At least send a letter home so I know if he's alive or dead." Then she added, "Fortunately, my son has passed the imperial examination and will be going to Bianjing in the future. I'll have to ask his father why he hasn't sent us any letters."

Jiang Ru didn't dare to expose the reality and quickly ended the conversation.

Upon entering the courtyard, Aunt Jin saw the room full of things and repeatedly refused, telling them to take them back.

Pei Wu explained, "Lord Wu and I are colleagues. When he learned that I was coming to Tanzhou to take up a post, Lord Wu asked me to bring some things for you and your child. I didn't buy them myself."

Whether Aunt Jin believed this explanation or not, she didn't ask Pei Wu to take everything back. Instead, she looked at the things all over the yard and didn't say anything for some reason.

She was nearly forty years old and had some gray hair. Her hands were rough from years of hard work, and her face was wrinkled, like withered grass.

Wu Pi once said he would bring them to the capital, but he never got around to it. Even now, they still believe Wu Pi is alive and continue to guard this land, waiting for his return.

Jiang Ru lowered her head, wanting to say something to break the ice, but she couldn't say anything. She couldn't bear to lie to Aunt Jin.

The afternoon sun was the strongest, its scorching rays bathing the entire courtyard. Jiang Ru was so blinded by the light that she could only blink twice with difficulty, causing two drops of water to squeeze from the corners of her eyes.

Even though no one spoke, it seemed as if dark clouds were always hanging overhead, making everyone feel depressed.

Just then, Pei Wu moved a step to the right to shield Jiang Ru from the glaring sunlight. Pei Wu was tall and strong, and he was already capable of standing on his own. He wore a blue robe and was as sturdy as bamboo. He still looked like a scholar, and in Jiang Ru's eyes, he had never changed.

Jiang Ru gently grasped the clothes around his waist, as if seeking reassurance, or perhaps to confirm Pei Wu's presence.

She should be grateful that Pei Wu is still alive. After everything that has happened, he is still alive. A few months ago, when they had a quarrel, Jiang Ru suddenly changed her mind and started a cold war. Apologizing now would be meaningless. Nothing is more important than being alive.

If Pei Wu hadn't returned alive, Jiang Ru would have had to wait for him forever. They wouldn't have even been able to hug each other properly or say a few kind words when they parted, and Pei Wu might have died just like that.

Jiang Ru clutched his clothes, grieving for Aunt Jin and Lord Wu, her grip wrinkling Pei Wu's clothes without her realizing it.

Grandma Jin looked at everything they had bought, and with each item she examined, she would cover her eyes, trying to hold back her tears.

She raised her child alone, and the hardships she endured are unimaginable. She held onto this hope, waiting for someone who would never return.

Pei Wu bought a lot of things; the grain was enough for the mother and son to eat for almost a year. Pei Wu would also be staying in Tanzhou for a long time, so he could come over often to take care of them.

Meanwhile, the rice in the pot was ready. Aunt Jin wiped away her tears, turned around and went to the stove to serve the rice. She added cured meat to Jiang Ru and Pei Wu's rice. The cured meat rice smelled delicious, and Jiang Ru had a great appetite just from the aroma.

Because the rice husks weren't removed properly, it was brown rice, which had a rough and bitter taste. Jiang Ru still ate it very carefully, leaving not a single grain, and Pei Wu did the same.

After finishing their meal, they sat in the courtyard helping Aunt Jin sort the rice. Jiang Ru's long skirt dragged on the ground, and her hem kept sweeping up the dirt. Aunt Jin felt a pang of heartache seeing such a beautiful skirt, so she found some straw to lay on the ground for Jiang Ru, afraid that her skirt would get dirty.

Jiang Ru sat beside Pei Wu. She had done these kinds of jobs before, but she was a little rusty because she hadn't done them in a long time. Pei Wu had also done them, but he was always clumsy at these kinds of things and had to ask Jiang Ru to teach him from time to time.

Aunt Jin would sometimes ask about Wu Pi, but not much. Occasionally she would talk about their son and inquire about Pei Wu and Jiang Ru. She would never ask about anything that crossed the line, which was very considerate.

She knew that Pei Wu and Jiang Ru were cousins, but she could also see that there was an ambiguous atmosphere between them. She had experienced it herself, so she could see it and felt both pity and relief for the two of them.

They had been helping out in the courtyard all afternoon, and as the sun began to set, they knew they should leave now if they wanted to get back today.

The setting sun shone into the courtyard, illuminating the golden rice paddies spread across the ground and filling the air with a pleasant aroma.

It was getting late, so Pei Wu stood up and said, "Aunt Jin, it's getting late, my cousin and I should head back now."

Only then did Aunt Jin come to her senses, and reluctantly patted her clothes: "Why don't you stay here for the night and leave tomorrow morning?"

Pei Wu felt it wasn't appropriate and shook his head in refusal.

Aunt Jin sighed regretfully, "Alright, wait a moment, I've prepared some things for you to take with you on the road."

Aunt Jin boiled some eggs for them, along with some fruits and vegetables she grew herself, filling a whole basket. Given Aunt Jin's current circumstances, she probably wouldn't even eat these things herself, but she still gave them to Pei Wu and Jiang Ru.

Pei Wu naturally refused, but Aunt Jin said, "Take it, consider it a gift from me on behalf of Wu Pi."

Upon hearing this, Pei Wu paused in his refusal and finally accepted it.

The two took their things, said goodbye to Granny Jin, and got into the carriage. Just as the carriage was about to leave, Granny Jin, who had been standing at the gate of the courtyard, spoke up.

Having kept it all bottled up for so many years, she had a suspicion when the two of them came today, but she just wanted an answer. She asked, "Wu Pi is dead, isn't he?"

The two had just boarded the carriage when Aunt Jin's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for them to hear. Pei Wu seemed stunned by the question, and his eyes went blank for the first time.

He didn't know if keeping it from Aunt Jin was the right thing to do. He just felt that telling Aunt Jin the truth would hurt her, just like how the hope he had been holding onto was just a series of bubbles. When the illusion shattered, no one could accept it without changing their expression.

But could it really be kept secret? Was Aunt Jin truly unaware? That was impossible. Wu Pi used to always send letters home, but suddenly one day he stopped, and then disappeared for ten years. Of course, Aunt Jin would suspect that.

Inside the court, everyone said that Wu Pi had retired and returned to his hometown, but Wu Pi never returned to Tanzhou. Aunt Jin thought that Wu Pi was still serving in the court. This statement, which was full of loopholes, was imprinted in everyone's mind.

The imperial court was not afraid, and besides, the emperor from back then was already dead, so even if they came to investigate again, there was no one to look for. Moreover, Aunt Jin was just a peasant woman, and the only thing she could do was raise their son.

Pei Wu lifted the curtain, and from a short distance away, he finally nodded to Aunt Jin.

When she finally faced reality, Aunt Jin didn't break down as she had imagined. The years of waiting were enough for her to realize that Wu Pi had died long ago, but she refused to believe it, thinking she could wait until the end.

She forced a smile and said to Jiang Ru and Pei Wu, "I've built a grave for Wu Pi; you should go and see it."

Wu Pi's grave is on the hill behind the village. It takes about 15 minutes to climb up the hill from the backyard of Aunt Jin's house. The mountain path is rugged because people only walk on it during Qingming Festival and New Year's Day. The path is overgrown with thorns and weeds.

Jiang Ru's skirt was already tangled and messy. Normally, she would have felt sorry for it, but she couldn't care less now. By the time she reached the grave mound, her skirt was covered with weeds.

Because Wu Pi was known to the public as still alive, this place, though called a grave, was actually just a small mound of earth without even a tombstone.

Grandma Jin said, "I built this grave for him back then. I burn paper money for him during festivals, because I'm always afraid that he will die and no one will care. If he is still alive, I will burn it for the wandering ghosts."

Facing the small mound of earth, Pei Wu stared at it for a while, then bowed deeply.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, kneeling was rare; the most common form of greeting was bowing. Therefore, Pei Wu's gesture was considered the most respectful. Seeing Pei Wu's action, Jiang Ru also bowed and performed the same gesture.

The two straightened up one after the other, both feeling a mix of emotions. Aunt Jin had already accepted reality some time ago, but now she just felt a little empty inside, as if she had lost her direction in life.

Since they had arrived in haste and the tribute Pei Wu brought was too simple, he made an appointment with Granny Jin to meet again next time, and the three of them would go down the mountain together.

On the way, Aunt Jin saw Jiang Ru's skirt, which was disheveled and messy, and sighed, "What a pity for the young lady's skirt, it's probably ruined."

Jiang Ru glanced down at it nonchalantly: "It's fine, you can still wear it."

Pei Wu also looked down at the hem of her skirt. He had noticed it before they went up the mountain, but he couldn't change it for Jiang Ru due to limited resources. Pei Wu said, "I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one."

Jiang Ru lifted her skirt and said, "It's not your fault, why are you apologizing?" Besides, Pei Wu had bought her quite a few clothes, and even Pei Wu's salary was all in her hands.

The journey down the mountain didn't take too long. Jiang Ru and Pei Wu got back into the carriage, said goodbye to Aunt Jin, and left Shanqing Village.

After a walk up the mountain, Jiang Ru's skirt was covered in dry grass, and Pei Wu wasn't in much better shape, his brocade robe also a mess.

Ignoring his own safety, Pei Wu first knelt down in front of Jiang Ru, held up her skirt, and tidied it up, carefully cleaning away the weeds on it.

Fortunately, Jiang Ru's skirt wasn't torn, only stained with some dirt. Pei Wu tidied it up carefully, making Jiang Ru feel a little awkward, and she shrank back uncomfortably.

Despite the jolting of the carriage, Pei Wu remained firmly crouched, like a pine tree or a giant rock, standing tall and unyielding.

Jiang Ru looked at his serious, drooping eyelashes and said out of the blue, "Pei Wu, if you die, you must let me know."

Because of this, she put herself in Pei Wu's shoes. She didn't want Pei Wu to die without her knowing. No matter how sad she was, Pei Wu couldn't keep it from her.

She no longer cared about the past; all she wanted was for Pei Wu to be well, to live and do what he wanted to do.

Pei Wu raised his eyes, his gaze reflecting Jiang Ru's silhouette. He said, "Okay."

Looking into her clear, earnest eyes, Jiang Ru didn't care about anything else. She leaned down, nervously approaching Pei Wu, her eyelashes trembling violently, and kissed him without hesitation.

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Author's Note: I'm a little late.