The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

After hearing this, Xu Lihong raised a resolute smile and responded, "Okay, I'll try my best. Don't take my words too seriously, your own happiness is the most important. I really envy your life, and I hope that one day in the future, I can also have such peace."

Chen Xi smiled slightly, picked up a small stack of silver from his side, and handed it to Xu Lihong.

"Here, this is the reward you deserve for your hard work picking mushrooms today."

The silver coins shone faintly under the light, illuminating Xu Lihong's eyes.

Xu Lihong took the pile of silver and money with both hands, her face filled with irrepressible joy.

She counted it carefully. It was one hundred and five cents. Not much, but heavy.

At that moment, tears welled up in her eyes. It had been so long since she last felt the warmth of the silver in her hands.

In daily life, all the expenses of the family were carefully calculated by Yu Qiongying, and all the hard-earned money of her husband was managed by Yu Qiongying without exception.

Even she herself, who dug up wild vegetables one shovel at a time under the scorching sun, eventually handed over the little income she earned.

She has never had any savings, and this feeling of powerlessness often makes her feel depressed and helpless.

However, starting today, she decided to change and no longer be that silly woman who gave everything unconditionally. She wanted to leave some space for herself and think more about herself.

So she secretly hid five cents and prepared to give the remaining one hundred cents to Yu Qiongying.

That bottomless pit that seemed to be never filled, once the money fell into her hands, there would be no response.

After a day of hard work, when it was time to rest, Chen Xi's stomach protested at the right time.

Fortunately, there is a simple but warm dinner at home, which can just comfort the physical and mental fatigue.

Although the dinner is simple, it has its own unique flavor: a bowl of clear vegetable soup with the fresh scent of the fields, accompanied by a plate of spicy and colorful stir-fried chicken offal.

The green vegetables were generously donated by our neighbor, Mrs. Xiong, and the chicken offal were the leftovers from slaughtering the chicken in the afternoon.

These simple ingredients, under Xie Tianyi's skillful hands, turned into a delicious meal.

Especially the chicken offal, which is spicy but not dry, and full of freshness and fragrance, making it a perfect dish to go with rice.

Chen Xi had unknowingly eaten two large bowls of rice, while Xiaoyang and Xiaochen were giggling as they mixed the vegetable soup into the rice and enjoyed it with big mouthfuls, enjoying it with gusto.

Xie Tianyi's cooking skills are truly admirable.

Chen Xi secretly compared herself in her heart and felt that her daily skills were not inferior to his, which made her quite proud.

After dinner, Chen Xi felt exhausted both physically and mentally, and wished he could wash up immediately and get into the warm bed.

But Xiaochen grabbed the corner of her clothes, his eyes sparkling with anticipation: "Mom, don't forget to tell Xiaohua's mom, I hope Xiaohua can come and celebrate my birthday with me tomorrow."

The child's innocent wish gave rise to infinite tenderness in Chen Xi's heart.

"Don't worry, baby, mother remembers it and will go to discuss it with mother Xiaohua early in the morning."

After everything was arranged, Chen Xi washed herself, and her wet hair fell on her shoulders, revealing a lazy and natural beauty.

When I walked into the bedroom, I saw Xie Tianyi bending over the closet, as if looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" Chen Xi asked curiously, the water droplets dripping from his wet hair looked like tiny pearls under the light.

Xie Tianyi smiled innocently, scratched his head, and said with a little embarrassment: "I can't find my underwear."

"Oh, you are always so careless."

As she spoke, she walked lightly to the chest of drawers next to her, opened the drawer with intricate carvings, took out the clothes that Xie Tianyi mentioned, and gently handed them to him.

Xie Tianyi took the clothes, gave a grateful smile, then turned and walked towards the bathroom.

Chen Xi wiped her long hair with a towel, and water droplets slid down her delicate neck, leaving a trail of slightly cool traces.

She hurriedly got into bed, thinking that she could fall asleep as soon as possible before Xie Tianyi came back, so that they would not feel at a loss because of the silence in the middle of the night.

But wishes are always beautiful, but reality often does not go as we wish.

Although she closed her eyes tightly and tried hard to find the entrance to dreamland, time seemed to freeze in her endless tossing and turning, and the insomnia made her brows furrowed.

Just as her thoughts were in a state of confusion, Xie Tianyi's steady footsteps were heard outside the door.

Chen Xi pretended to be asleep, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, hiding the turmoil in her heart.

Xie Tianyi pushed the door open and saw Chen Xi lying peacefully on the bed. He mistakenly thought that she fell asleep early because of exhaustion.

He didn't say much, but gently walked around the bed and towards the window. The moonlight sprinkled on him, covering his lonely figure with a layer of silver gauze.

The cool wind outside the window ruffled the hair on his forehead.

He stared at the dark night sky outside the window, his thoughts going back to those years when he was hailed as the future top scholar. He went to the capital with several sworn brothers to seek fame and fortune, full of enthusiasm and looking forward to the future.

However, fate played a trick on him. He encountered thieves on the way. Not only did his property and documents disappear, but he was also seriously injured in the leg due to a sudden carriage accident, and has been bedridden ever since.

And those brothers who fought side by side never heard from them again after that accident.

Especially Shi Wen, the young boy who was ignorant of the world and couldn't even recognize all the characters, suddenly became a prominent prefect in the court.

Ironically, the improvement in his status did not make him recall the friendship of the past, and his hometown, Xianghe Village, seemed to have been completely forgotten by him.

Xie Tianyi remembered that he had taught Shi Wen to read, word by word.

Now, those memories were like a sharp knife, piercing his heart and making the betrayal seem particularly heavy.

Deep down in his heart, Xie Tianyi was unwilling to believe that it was his brother who planned all this and stole his identity and future.

He was afraid that this thought would tear apart the last bit of warmth in his heart, because during those years, their friendship was thicker than blood and heavier than a mountain.

Although he has never given up privately searching for the truth over the years, every attempt has ended in vain.

Now, with his leg injury gradually recovering and the appearance of Chen Xi, which brought him a new family and responsibilities, he finally made up his mind to bravely face the secrets hidden in the shadows and no longer escape.

It is not only for their small family, but also for the persistence and belief in their hearts that has never been extinguished.

Chen Xi stared at Xie Tianyi's lonely and sad back through half-closed eyes. She could feel the heaviness and helplessness in his heart, the secrets and troubles that could not be told to others.

She wanted to say something, even if it was just a simple word of comfort, but when the words came to her lips, she was afraid to break the moment of tranquility. In the end, she just silently swallowed the urge.