The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

"Yes, yes, we can play together again!" Xiaochen was so excited that he almost jumped up. His chubby little hands drew cheerful arcs in the air, and his round face was filled with an innocent smile.

"Chen Rong, how about you? You haven't been to school for a long time. Are you used to it?"

Chen Xi's eyes were gentle and concerned. She gently stroked the ends of Chen Rong's hair, and the worry was hidden in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Chen Rong frowned slightly, lowered his eyes to the ground, and struggled in his heart.

Should he confess to his sister about the unpleasant school experiences of Chen Dabao?

Chen Xi was so delicate that she immediately caught the subtle changes in her brother's heart. She asked softly, "Is there something that makes you unhappy?"

After a lot of inner struggle, Chen Rong finally mustered up the courage and decided to reveal her true feelings to Chen Xi: "Sister, I met Chen Dabao in the academy today. He is also in our class and he speaks very harshly, so it is inevitable that there will be some friction between us. Sister, you won't blame me for causing trouble for yourself, right?"

There was a hint of uneasiness in his words, and he didn't dare to look directly at Chen Xi, for fear of reading a hint of blame in his words.

"You haven't been wronged, have you?" Chen Xi pulled Chen Rong over distressedly and looked at his little face carefully.

"Sis, you won't be angry, will you?" Chen Rong's voice was cautious, as if she was afraid.

"Why are you angry? Don't I know Chen Dabao's character? He has always liked to bully us. Now that you are alone outside, you must know how to protect yourself. If a fight really breaks out, remember to run away if you can't win. Come back home. I will teach him a lesson."

Chen Xi's words were both resolute and strategic. She was worried that Chen Rong would find it difficult to deal with the scheming Chen Dabao.

The child who embodies the family's "fine traditions", but she would rather teach her younger brother how to protect himself.

"As long as you don't think I'm causing you trouble outside, it's fine. I've grown up. I'm no longer the little Chen Rong who didn't dare to resist when being bullied." Chen Rong's tone revealed the confidence and strength that comes with growth.

Chen Xi nodded with relief, and said earnestly: "Remember, when you go out, you should avoid unnecessary conflicts, but you should not be afraid to face difficulties, understand?"

"I understand, sister." Chen Rong nodded seriously, with determination flashing in her eyes.

"Okay, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner. Tonight we have your favorite braised pork and potatoes."

Chen Xi patted Chen Rong on the back and turned to introduce a warm family dinner.

At the dining table, Chen Rong, Xiaochen and Xiaoyang sat opposite each other, confusion written all over their faces. Why was only their sister there today, and their father nowhere to be seen?

"Sister, where did my brother-in-law go today? Why didn't he eat at home?" Chen Rong asked curiously.

"Mom, where is my dad?" Xiaoyang also asked, his childish voice was childish but full of expectation.

Chen Xi patiently explained: "Your brother-in-law went to town to buy books. He said that we should eat first, and he can heat up the leftovers when he comes back."

Chen Rong nodded slightly after hearing this, while Xiaoyang and Xiaochen had already been eager to dive into the food, their little bodies trembling slightly with excitement.

Little did people know that Xie Tianyi's trip was not just to buy books, he took the opportunity to ask someone for news from the capital.

As his leg injury gradually recovered, he realized that he could not always stay in this small village, and he had to work hard to change the status quo and give Chen Xi and the children a bright future.

Night fell quietly, and when Xie Tianyi finished his work and returned home, the sky was already pitch black.

However, the little episode on the way back seemed inevitable - at the village entrance, he met Xu Jing again.

I wanted to pretend that I didn't see it and slip away quietly. After all, some things can't be avoided, but I just feared that something would happen.

As soon as I got off the bullock cart, I had a vague feeling that I would meet her, and it turned out to be true.

The Chen family's affairs are already tricky enough, and Xu Jing is another troublesome existence. Once you get involved with her, she's like a sticky piece of taffy and it's not easy to get rid of her.

But how could Xu Jing miss this rare face-to-face opportunity? Seeing that Xie Tianyi was trying to avoid her, she quickly stopped him.

"Xie Tianyi, didn't you see me?" There was a hint of deliberate intimacy and dissatisfaction in her tone.

Xie Tianyi was helpless. He didn't know how to respond to such a knowing question. He couldn't just say "I saw it, but I just don't want to pay attention to it"? So he chose to remain silent.

Seeing this, Xu Jing took the initiative to step forward, smiling, trying to close the distance between the two of them: "Did you just come back from outside? Have you had dinner?"

There was deliberate concern in their words, as if there had never been any barrier between the two of them.

The voice seemed to be soaked in honey, so sweet that it could almost condense into threads in the air, gently passing by the ears, intending to linger on every casual listener.

If it were someone else, they might have already lost their way in this land of gentleness and willingly sunk into it.

However, no matter how the sickening sweetness invaded Xie Tianyi, it could not touch him at all. His expression was indifferent and his eyes were calm.

"Well, I'm going to town to take care of some chores. Do you have anything urgent to ask me?"

Xie Tianyi's voice was calm and indifferent, as if he was asking about an insignificant matter.

The woman's eyes flashed with sadness, and then she forced a smile, gesticulating with her hands and saying, "I... I parted ways with him, and now I'm back in this village, thinking that we can meet often in the future."

After she finished speaking, she seemed to have been immersed in this unrealistic expectation, with an inappropriate joy on her face.

However, Xie Tianyi was not moved by this enthusiasm, and his tone revealed a bit of impatience and determination: "Forget about meeting. It is not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together. I am already married, and I am afraid of causing unnecessary misunderstandings. Besides, there is not much to talk about between us. It is better to keep a distance to avoid causing trouble."

He said this almost reflexively, knowing full well that she might not be able to accept it, but he had no time to care about it.

Just as he expected, Xu Jing immediately grabbed the corner of his clothes, looked at him eagerly, and tried to keep him: "Don't be so cruel, we had such a good relationship before, you know how difficult it is for a woman to live alone with a child, I just hope to have someone to rely on, someone who can care about me."

As she spoke, she rubbed her eyes deliberately, as if trying to squeeze out a few tears to prove her helplessness and pleading, but to Xie Tianyi, this action seemed a bit deliberate and artificial.

Xie Tianyi couldn't help but wonder, what did her divorce have to do with him?

He stated his position directly: "You may have misunderstood something. I already have my own family. I am not someone you can approach casually. Please do not cause me unnecessary trouble. This is a good choice for both of us."

These words were firm, unquestionable, rational and resolute. Any discerning person could sense the firmness and rejection contained in them.

As for whether Xu Jing can understand and accept it, that is another matter.