Chapter 23: The Eldest Young Master’s Comrade

It was nearing noon.

Taking a rare break from her usual routine, Xu Qingyi decided to bring Heng to a restaurant for a meal, planning to visit another place in the afternoon.

This was Heng’s first time at a restaurant, and he was excited and full of energy.

Xu Qingyi didn’t mind; she let him move around freely in the private room, as long as the nursemaid kept a close eye on his safety.

“Big Brother…” Heng stood on a chair, looking out the window, and suddenly spoke.

“Big Brother? What’s wrong with Big Brother?”

Xu Qingyi thought the child was missing his older brother.

But when she turned around, she saw Heng’s small hand pointing outside.

Xu Qingyi was taken aback and quickly walked over to see what had caught his attention.

At the end of the alley, there was indeed a figure that resembled Lin.

The person was walking quickly, and before long, they turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

“Is that Big Brother Lin?” Xu Qingyi wasn’t quite sure.

“It’s Big Brother.” Heng’s voice was clear and confident.

Children’s eyesight is generally sharper, so it was unlikely that he was mistaken.

However, this was quite strange.

During the school term, Lin should have been at the academy—what was he doing wandering around outside?

Xu Qingyi thought for a moment and asked the nursemaid and maidservants nearby, “Do you know what’s down that way?”

The maidservants and nursemaid exchanged glances, all shaking their heads. Since they didn’t often leave the manor, it wasn’t surprising that they didn’t know.

Fortunately, the waiter soon came to bring the dishes.

“Waiter,” Xu Qingyi pointed to the alley outside and asked, “Do you know what’s down that way?”

Upon seeing the direction she was pointing to, the waiter’s expression faltered for a moment.

But since the customer had asked, the waiter had no choice but to answer, saying, “Madam, that area is the brothel district…”

As soon as the answer was given, Xu Qingyi and the maidservants were completely stunned.

What?

They wondered if they had misheard. Lin was wandering in the brothel district?

The one most shocked was Xu Qingyi. Her future top scholar, her eldest son, had learned to visit the brothel district at such a young age?

This was completely out of sync with the Lin she knew.

“Young Madam, this might be a misunderstanding,” the nursemaid quickly said. “It’s possible that you mistook someone else for Young Master Lin.”

After all, Lin was only twelve years old, and most people leaned toward not believing it.

Xu Qingyi thought for a moment and agreed. Maybe it was just a mistake.

Even if it really was Lin, she couldn’t immediately conclude that he had gone to that place. There could be some misunderstanding behind it.

“Hm, let’s wait until we get home tonight to ask him,” Xu Qingyi said, trying to calm down.

She reminded herself to be a democratic and open-minded mother, not jumping to conclusions before getting the facts straight.

The book never portrayed Lin as someone with loose morals, nor did it provide much detail about the marriages of the three brothers.

After all, they were side characters, likely written as mere background to the main plot, with little attention given to their personal lives.

But now they were real people, and their existence meant more than just being stepping stones for the protagonists. They were entitled to their own rich and varied lives.

The waiter soon brought a table full of dishes.

This had been deliberately ordered by Xu Qingyi.

“Let’s all sit down and eat together. There’s no need to be so formal when we’re out,” she said. “Otherwise, we’ll waste time, and we still have things to do in the afternoon.”

“Thank you, Young Madam,” everyone said in unison.

The matters Xu Qingyi needed to handle in the afternoon weren’t anything serious.

It was still the same as in the morning—recruitment!

She wanted to hire a martial arts instructor for Zhen to help him build strength and learn martial arts.

The candidate was already available—a retired military officer named Pei Che.

He had fought alongside Xie Yunzhi in previous wars.

But he had lost one of his eyes in battle.

He retired afterward.

However, the main reason for Pei Che’s retirement wasn’t the injury to his eye.

The main issue was that, during one particular campaign, he had disobeyed his commander’s orders and led a surprise attack on his own initiative.

Although the attack had succeeded, the consequences were severe.

As the commander, Xie Yunzhi was determined to reward and punish according to merit. While he admired Pei Che’s bravery, he had no choice but to strip him of his position.

After all, military orders were as unyielding as a mountain and could not be defied.

Coincidentally, Pei Che had also lost his father, so he left the army to mourn his loss and never returned to military service.

Xie Yunzhi always felt responsible, thinking that his actions might have played a role in Pei Che’s departure. Over the years, he had carried a sense of guilt and regret over the matter.

Afterward, when he woke up and returned to the battlefield, Xie Yunzhi sought out Pei Che again.

He invited him to come back under his command.

But little did they know, this would be their last time fighting side by side.

Pei Che became the one who recovered Xie Yunzhi’s body.

What a deeply bonded camaraderie, forged in the crucible of war.

So, when the idea of hiring a martial arts instructor for Zhen crossed her mind, the first person that came to her mind was Pei Che.

After completing his mourning period for his father, Pei Che had worked at the docks.

Today, as usual, he was laboring at the docks, carrying cargo. It wasn’t long before sweat began to soak through his clothes.

The scorching sun darkened his bare upper body, while his determined and handsome face still retained a youthful appearance.

Working at the docks was grueling.

But Pei Che was quick and strong, his towering frame able to carry more than others.

By the end of the day, he could carry dozens more sacks of cargo than the others.

The pay was still decent.

“Pei Che! Come here!” Suddenly, the foreman called out, his tone harsh.

Pei Che’s gaze sharpened, thinking that he was being called out for trouble again.

For some reason, despite his exceptional work ethic, the foreman always seemed to have something against him.

He’d seize any opportunity to dock his wages.

“What’s the matter?” Pei Che walked over and asked.

“Hmph!” The foreman, short and stocky, glared at Pei Che with an unmistakable air of jealousy.

So what if Pei Che was tall and handsome?

He was still a filthy blind man.

Pei Che didn’t understand what he had done wrong to deserve this hostility.

Confused, he was met with a few dismissive glares from the foreman before hearing the man say, “A noble is looking for you.”

From the appearance of the carriage, it looked like it was from a noble family, perhaps even one of the higher-ranked lords.

The stewardess called Pei Che’s name in a soft and polite manner, indicating that she wasn’t there to cause trouble but to offer assistance.

Clearly, the foreman was envious.

Pei Che was about to catch a stroke of luck.

A noble?

Pei Che remained confused. He was just a lowly former soldier, and having already retired, who could he possibly know that was a noble?

The only person who could possibly be considered a noble in his memories was…

But that person’s current situation wouldn’t allow them to come to the dock to find him.

Pei Che pursed his lips, a look of caution on his face as he walked toward the distant, ornate carriage.

He was tall and imposing, with a powerful build, and one missing eye.

Even before he got too close, the maids and stewardesses felt a sense of pressure emanating from him.

They didn’t know what it was exactly.

Only those who truly understood would recognize it: the murderous aura of someone who had been on the battlefield.

Furthermore, Pei Che wasn’t wearing a shirt, causing the young maids to retreat behind the carriage in fear.

“Are you looking for me?” Pei Che stopped about a meter away and directly asked.

The older nursemaid, being more composed, nodded and said, “My mistress is the wife of the heir to the Pingyang Marquis.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Che remained expressionless. He didn’t pay attention to the titles of these noble people.

It wasn’t until the nursemaid added, “I’ve heard that Mr. Pei served under the Eldest Young Master. My mistress has sent me to ask if you would be willing to become the martial arts teacher for the Young Masters at the Pingyang Marquis’s residence?”

Pei Che was stunned for a moment.

He had only served under that person for two years.

It was that person who had gone against the tide of opinion to promote him, raising him to the position of deputy commander within just two years.

It was also that person who, with an iron hand, dismissed him and punished him.

The past seemed distant, yet it felt like it happened only yesterday.

Pei Che stared blankly and asked, “Your mistress… her surname is Xie?”

“Indeed.” The nursemaid replied.

It must be that person!

Pei Che’s expression was complicated, unable to describe the emotions stirring within him.

“Mr. Pei,” came the voice of Xu Qingyi from inside the carriage. “The Eldest Young Master has always felt guilty, thinking that he didn’t handle your matter well back then.”

Pei Che was stunned.

Is this the wife of General Xie?

The recent news of Xie Yunzhi’s marriage had been making waves, and he had heard of it.

“The Eldest Young Master has always hoped you would return to his service…” Xu Qingyi paused for a moment and sighed, “It’s just a pity that before he could come to see you himself, misfortune struck.”

Pei Che was very surprised. So General Xie had actually wanted to come find him?

“General Xie… he doesn’t hold any grudge against me?” Pei Che couldn’t believe it.

He had always thought General Xie had been thoroughly disappointed in him.

“Of course not,” Xu Qingyi replied with confidence, though she wasn’t General Xie himself. “He values and admires you greatly, and that has never changed.”

It’s just that some people find it hard to express their feelings openly.

Two comrades who understood each other deeply, almost missed their chance.

Pei Che parted his lips, probably due to the scorching sun above his head, which made his eyes feel a bit teary.

Taking advantage of the moment, Xu Qingyi quickly asked, “Mr. Pei, would you be willing to become a martial arts instructor at the Marquis’s residence?”

Upon hearing that General Xie still wanted to employ him, Pei Che didn’t hesitate. He immediately replied, “I’m willing.”

Xu Qingyi smiled with satisfaction and nodded. “Thank you, and on behalf of Zhen, I thank you.”