PNB Chapter 139 Close Friends
Chapter 139 Close Friends
In the bustling city streets, Sang Qiqi, wearing a veiled hat, was followed by two maids and two servants, wandering around. She had been in the prefectural city for eleven days, and this was the first time Sang Qiqi had left the Wei residence.
Luo'er, the little maid who came with her from the capital, chattered away like a little sparrow, introducing the trinkets on the stalls to him.
"Miss, look, this is a bamboo whistle. Just blow on it and it will make a sound. And look at this bamboo dragonfly, isn't it pretty? When I first came to the manor, Madam often made them for me to play with." Luo'er showed off the little things she bought from the street vendor.
Hearing Luo'er mention her mother, Sang Qiqi felt a pang of sadness. Before leaving, her ailing mother had called her over to give her instructions: "Moyun, when you get there, remember to pay respects at your maternal grandparents' grave for your mother. Your name will be Sang Moyun. This is the name your maternal grandfather gave you, and no one can change it, understand?"
At that moment, Sang Qiqi looked at her mother, who was already lifeless on the bed, and nodded solemnly. Of course, she remembered that before she was ten years old, she had always been called Sang Moyun. Back then, her maternal grandfather and uncle often visited her at their home.
Everything changed seven years ago. That year, my maternal grandfather was unjustly accused and framed, losing not only his official position but also having his home ransacked. Since then, my mother and I have faced immense hardship in the Sang family. Especially since my mother has no children, her back has become increasingly stiff.
The year my maternal grandfather lost his official position, my father, Sangdu, brought a noble concubine into the family. The following year, my mother fell seriously ill after contracting typhoid fever. From that time on, the noble concubine, as a secondary wife, took over managing the household affairs in place of the principal wife.
It was only after that that Sang Qiqi experienced the full spectrum of human nature, both warm and cold.
That concubine was no ordinary woman; she not only changed her name but also sent her father's own sister to the Wei family as a concubine, all in exchange for her father's further promotion.
Before that, my father was just a low-ranking seventh-grade officer with little real power. But after sending one of his younger sisters away, he was promoted to a sixth-grade captain. From then on, my father doted on that concubine even more.
He wouldn't even deign to glance at his bedridden wife. This emboldened his concubine, who became even more arrogant. Not only did she cut back on their monthly allowances and supplies, but she also refused to allow them to return for the funeral when Sang Qiqi's maternal grandfather's family died in an accident.
This incident became the greatest pain and regret in Sang Qiqi's mother's heart. Later, the concubine also set her sights on Sang Qiqi. In order to help her father rise to a higher position, the concubine would send her to stay at the Wei family's house from time to time under the pretext of visiting her aunt.
It was around that time that she met Wei Yu in the sheepfold in the backyard of the Wei residence. At that time, Wei Yu, five years her senior, was already a young boy. He hid in a corner of the sheepfold, casually feeding the sheep with hay by hand.
The handsome young man would occasionally reach out and pat the heads of a few sheep, and the sheep would obediently let him do so. Sang Qiqi couldn't resist her curiosity and went over to ask him, "Why aren't you afraid of these sheep?"
The boy seemed caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a stranger and was startled. After recognizing Sang Qiqi, he glared at her and scolded, "You little fox from that vixen's family, don't come to the backyard unless you're sure you'll scare my sheep. Get out of here right now, you're not allowed in my little garden."
Indeed, this small garden in the far corner of the backyard was built specifically for Wei Yu. And the dilapidated little courtyard next to it was where Wei Yu lived with his mother for five years after he was born.
At that time, he was still a child with a mother. Therefore, even living in such a place, he didn't feel like he was missing anything.
Now that his mother is gone, his father still indulges in his love of flowers. So, whenever Wei Yu encounters something upsetting, he comes here. Because this place is filled with warm memories of him and his mother.
Even after being rejected by Wei Yu, Sang Qiqi didn't immediately leave. She looked longingly at the sheep and timidly asked, "Could I feed the sheep too?"
Wei Yu said impatiently, "Stop pretending to be pitiful. I won't fall for it. Don't think everyone is like my father, who forgets himself when he sees a pretty face. You're just a little vixen, you're not that old and you already know how to use seductive tricks."
At that time, Wei Yu seemed to be sixteen years old, an age when he should be sensible. Therefore, every time he saw Aunt Sang, Wei Yu treated her with great contempt and disrespect. Especially recently, Aunt Sang would often bring her niece from her maternal family over, saying it was to discipline her sick sister-in-law or something like that.
What Wei Yu hated most was that whenever he was present, Aunt Sang would invariably bring the little vixen in front of her to join in the fun. Because of this, Wei Yu disliked Sang Qiqi even more.
"Brother Yu, I'm not a little fox spirit. I'm Moyun, my mother's daughter, Sang Moyun. Why do you always change my name? I don't like it, I don't like it at all. You're all bad people, bad people who made my mother sick." After being disliked time and time again, little Sang Moyun finally snapped.
Faced with Xiao Moyun's sudden outburst, Wei Yu was at a loss. Although he had been cold-hearted since childhood, and only paid attention to his mother and brother, and those around his mother, he didn't care about anyone else. But that didn't mean Wei Yu was oblivious to feelings, did it?
For example, right now, Wei Yu knew very well that it was wrong of him to take his anger out on a child who was only a little over ten years old. But getting him to apologize was also out of the question. So, in order to appease the little girl in front of him who was crying her heart out, Wei Yu had no choice but to give in.
"Alright, alright, then I'll let you feed my big sheep and second sheep. The third, fifth, and sixth sheep have bad tempers, so don't feed them." Wei Yu awkwardly took a handful of grass from the basket behind him, handed it to Sang Qiqi, and pointed to the two sheep in front of him.
Sang Qiqi had been suffering a lot of grievances lately, and once she finally cried, it wasn't something she could stop easily. In addition, Wei Yu's actions deeply moved her, so she cried even more intensely.
Seeing Sang Qiqi crying like a little baby, about to burst into tears, Wei Yu looked at her with a headache, then at the sheep. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he loudly said to Sang Qiqi:
"If you can stop crying right now, I'll let you come here to feed the sheep from now on. I'll never call you a little vixen again. Also, I'll share half of the sheep's milk with you, okay?"
Sang Qiqi stared at Wei Yu with teary eyes, her face full of disbelief, her eyes brimming with sobs, looking like she was about to burst into tears again. Wei Yu was even more exasperated. This was the first time in his sixteen years of life that he had encountered something like this.
So, he almost fawned, saying, "I swear to God, if even one word I've said is false, may I never be able to get married. Also, may I never be able to drink goat's milk again."
Finally, after Wei Yu's awkward attempts to please her, Sang Qiqi smiled. She was amused by Wei Yu's unconventional vow.
Since then, Wei Yu and Sang Qiqi have shared a secret and a tacit understanding. However, they both know that it is merely a mutual appreciation and understanding between close friends, nothing more.