The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

"Don't promise anything you don't know in the future, and don't make us a laughing stock. We are all from the same village, and we don't want to deliberately embarrass you."

"Yes, yes, who would have thought that Chen Xi would be so ruthless?"

One of them muttered, with a tone that contained both regret and understanding, as if telling himself that the world is unpredictable and human hearts are even more unpredictable.

The storm subsided quietly.

Old Mrs. Chen's heart felt as if it was being burned by a smoldering fire. Those people, who used to be so servile when they wanted something, were now too lazy to even put on the masks of hypocrisy.

If she hadn't been worried that they could really stir up a big commotion and make the Chen family's old house restless, how could she have endured this resentment.

"I thought she would still have some regard for our blood relationship, but who knew she could be so cruel."

She pushed all the faults onto Chen Xi, while she herself was innocent.

Everyone understood it in their hearts, but did not point it out, and maintained this superficial peace with an invisible tacit understanding.

After all, what should be recovered has been recovered, and there is no loss.

Amid the gazes of the Chen family members who seemed eager to eat them alive, the few people slowly walked out of the gate of the Chen family compound, and every step seemed to be on invisible pins and needles.

"How can you let them go like this? It's so shameless. They took back the gift and acted like it was their right!"

When Zhou Xuemei witnessed this scene, her anger was instantly ignited and she couldn't help but ask loudly.

"What else can we do? Do you want our Chen family to become a laughing stock in Xianghe Village? In this situation, there are already a group of people waiting to watch the fun between us and Chen Xi."

Old Mrs. Chen sighed secretly.

She saw the benefit that was about to be in her hands slip away, and the disappointment and resentment in her heart were no less than that of others.

On the other side, after Chen Xi entered the house, he planned to fetch a bucket of clean water to prepare for Xie Tianyi to wash up. He was planning to rest early so that he could go to the back mountain to collect Chinese herbs in high spirits tomorrow morning.

Xie Tianyi looked at Chen Xi, who was concentrating on washing his feet, and asked softly, "Did the Chen family come to cause trouble again today?"

Chen Xi raised his head in surprise when he heard this, "How did you know it was them?"

"I vaguely heard some noises. Chen Rong told me everything about the family. You have suffered too much. They really went too far. Fortunately, all this is over. You and Chen Rong are safe. Now that you have completely drawn a line with them, if there is any entanglement in the future, just tell me. Even if my legs and feet are inconvenient, as your husband, I will never let anyone bully you in the slightest!"

Xie Tianyi's words were firm, and every word revealed his unquestionable desire to protect.

After hearing this, Chen Xi felt a warm current in his heart and nodded gratefully.

This man, who usually keeps silent, cares for her so attentively.

The time they spent together made her feel unprecedented peace of mind and happiness.

She stared at Xie Tianyi's handsome face - his high nose bridge was as perfect as a sculpture, and his black and shiny eyes were deep and warm, making her swallow quietly.

If it weren't for his leg injury, this handsome man would have been met by matchmakers long ago, and there would be no way she, Chen Xi, would be standing here, having the honor of marrying him.

Chen Xi carefully wiped his feet with a soft cloth, then gently poured out the slightly warm water in the basin, preparing to welcome the tranquility of the night and rest his tired body.

"At dawn tomorrow, I will set out to the depths of the back mountains to collect the gifts of nature - herbs."

Chen Xi's tone was filled with determination and expectation as he slowly told Xie Tianyi beside him about his plans for tomorrow. "Recently, everyone in the village knows that I'm collecting herbs. I'm sure the mountain road will no longer be lonely tomorrow morning. To avoid the crowds, I must set out before the first ray of sunlight falls, and try to finish my herb-collecting trip before the hustle and bustle arrives, so I can return home as soon as possible."

Xie Tianyi heard this, and his brows showed concern. "Be careful. If you encounter disputes on the road, don't act rashly when you don't know the depth of the other party's background. I am always worried that you will suffer. Or, how about letting Chen Rong go with you?"

Chen Xi's mouth curled up into a confident smile, and he gently shook his head to refuse, "Don't worry, I know what I am doing. I chose to go out early in the morning just to avoid the crowds."

As soon as the words fell, the night deepened and the two gradually sank into the ocean of dreams, leaving only the occasional whisper of the night breeze outside the window.

The morning light was just beginning to show, and the sky was beginning to turn pale. Chen Xi had quietly sat up from the bed. Although he tried to move as gently as possible, the slight noise still disturbed Xie Tianyi who was in a light sleep.

Xie Tianyi opened his eyes slightly, his eyes full of reluctance and concern, "Be careful on the road, be cautious in everything."

Chen Xi turned around, smiled gently, and comforted him: "Don't worry, you can rest for a while."

Then, he picked up the bamboo basket he had prepared long ago and set out on the road leading to the mountains.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, the morning mist was lingering, and Chen Xi's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a Nalan grass, which was of such good quality that it was rare.

She touched the soil lightly with her hands and dug carefully around the roots. Only intact medicinal herbs can display their greatest value.

Soon, another plant of Nalan grass not far away came into her sight. After a morning, a lot of precious Nalan grass was already lying in the bamboo basket, exuding a faint mountain fragrance.

As the sun rises in the east, more and more people appear on the mountain road. Each of them carries a small tool and bends down, as if searching for hidden treasures in the land.

Chen Xi knew that these villagers came because they heard about her collecting herbs. Although she felt a little helpless, she did not show any displeasure, but just focused more on her herbal collection trip.

Soon, the villagers were attracted by Chen Xi and gathered around unconsciously. Curiosity drove them to spy on what kind of magical herbs and elixirs were hidden in the basket.

Chen Xi was quick-witted and immediately came up with a plan. She cleverly covered the herbs with a few pieces of common weeds, making the disguise perfect. This strategy immediately took effect. The villagers were misled and scattered, each pursuing the imaginary "magic medicine".

Chen Xi's surroundings thus returned to tranquility, leaving only the chirping of birds, the singing of insects, and the gentle humming of the wind.

Seizing this rare moment of tranquility, Chen Xi resolutely decided to go deep into the sparsely populated forests. He was clearly aware that the herbs nearby had been trampled by frequent footsteps, making it difficult to find high-quality ones.

In a quiet place, she finally found two nalan grasses among a bush.

Just as Chen Xi was concentrating on the work in her hands, a woman about twenty-five or twenty-six years old walked into her sight silently like an elf in the mountains and forests.

The woman was dressed simply, with a barely perceptible look of anxiety, and was also looking for something in this secret place.