Chapter 978: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 978: Stirring Up Mischief (3)
But what he didn’t know was that, aside from the matter he kept clinging to, his grandmother was actually willing to give in to his wishes and no longer force him into anything. So, despite this whole episode of running away from home, the conflict between grandmother and grandson remained unresolved.
Old Madam Cui ordered a chair to be brought over and placed in front of her, then had Cui Ping’an sit down so she could affectionately ask how he had been over the past month at the Mo family. Her slightly thin hand held tightly onto her grandson's and never let go.
Not wanting to upset his grandmother, Cui Ping’an wisely left out the part where he chopped firewood and carried water every day. He simply said that the Mo family had treated him very well—that he ate and slept comfortably, and his body had been nourished with medicine. All in all, he said, his days were good, and he hadn’t suffered or been wronged.
Old Madam Cui could see that her grandson was indeed much sturdier than before, and his complexion had improved—no longer that worrisome pallor from before. But the thick calluses on his hands told her plainly that he had endured plenty of hardship over the past month.
Since Cui Ping’an wasn’t willing to talk about it, she didn’t ask. The two of them chatted warmly for quite a while until the topic gradually shifted to someone Cui Ping’an didn’t want to hear about.
“…When you ran away from home, your great-uncle was beside himself with worry. He ordered every servant in the estate to go out and search for you. If you hadn’t sent that letter to reassure us of your safety, he was about to send your cousin down south to look for you himself. Even your cousin-sister was worried—she often came by to ask for news of you. Only after hearing that you were safe would she be able to leave with her heart at ease.”
As she spoke, Old Madam Cui carefully observed her grandson’s expression. Seeing that he furrowed his brows without saying a word, she knew he was still resistant. For a moment, she didn’t know how to continue.
Her elder brother had indeed been worried about Little Seventh’s safety and sent people everywhere to look for him—but that worry came from concern for his grandnephew and maternal grandson, not from the perspective of a future grandson-in-law. As for her grandniece, she had merely sent someone to ask about him. Deep down, she probably wasn’t too keen on this arranged marriage and was only going along with it because of her parents’ orders and the matchmaker’s arrangements.
Her grandson had a weak constitution and was born of a concubine. With Princess Fuyun as the legitimate wife, her elder brother likely had reservations in his heart, even if he loved his grandson. But Old Madam Cui had no other options—she had thickened her face and begged for her grandniece to become her granddaughter-in-law. She didn’t even dare reveal the true reason behind Ping’an’s runaway to her natal family, or the whole arrangement would fall apart.
After a long silence, Cui Ping’an suddenly got up and knelt straight in front of his grandmother. “Grandmother, I know how good Grandfather and Cousin-sister have been to me. I don’t want to marry her. First, because I already have someone I love and cannot betray her. Second, I don’t want to deceive Grandfather or Cousin-sister. She’s a good person. If she marries me, I’ll only end up disappointing her. When that day comes, Grandfather and Cousin-sister won’t just hate me—they’ll likely blame you too. The relationship between our families would be ruined. That’s not a result I want to see. Grandmother, you don’t want to see that either, do you?”
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Cui was so angry she struck her grandson several more times. “If you already knew the consequences, then why couldn’t you pull your heart back and treat your cousin-sister properly? If you truly can’t let go of that Fangcao girl, I’ll allow you to bring her to the capital—but you must still marry your cousin-sister!”
Cui Ping’an gave a bitter smile, his expression showing a weariness far beyond his age. But his voice carried a resolve she had never heard from him before: “Grandmother, I only have one heart. If it already belongs to Fangcao, then I can’t give it to anyone else. If you don’t like Fangcao, I can choose not to marry her—but I won’t marry my cousin-sister either. Grandmother, I’m not threatening you… I just don’t want to keep making mistakes.”
In his past life, he had been foolish. He had listened to his grandmother and brought Fangcao to live by his side, while also marrying his cousin-sister, thinking he could please everyone. But on the day of their wedding, Fangcao had left the residence.
(End of chapter)
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