On the second day after Elder Pei’s corpse was brought back, Madam Pei Li hanged herself in front of the main hall door.

Pei Wu spat out two large mouthfuls of foul blood and collapsed unconscious before the corpses of Madam Pei Li and Elder Pei. His leg ailment relapsed, he had a high fever that wouldn’t break, and he remained unconscious.

Pei Si once again rushed about non-stop to fetch a doctor, then followed the doctor to get medicine. He returned to brew the medicine and force it down Pei Wu’s throat, then collapsed exhausted in the main hall.

He could no longer summon anger, nor did he have the strength to feel sad.

He stared vacantly at the corpses of Elder Pei and Madam Pei Li, holding a bowl and gulping down cold water. After only a few sips, the water choked his throat, and he began coughing violently until his voice was hoarse.

On the third day, Pei Wu woke up. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at him, but he didn’t say a single word.

On the fourth day, the county magistrate arrived at Jade Spring Village with his men.

The villagers who had kept their doors tightly shut seemed to finally find a way to open them, standing at the village entrance to welcome the county magistrate with lined cheers.

The county magistrate went straight to Pei Si’s home and spoke with deep emotion about how he had severely punished Liu Wanfang. The advisor behind him watched Pei Si with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. When the county magistrate reached the emotional parts of his speech, he even shed tears on the spot, while the villagers were moved to call out “Upright Great Official”…

“…In addition to this, this official has good news to tell everyone – there are countless jade ore veins beneath Jade Spring Village… Thanks to little brother Pei Si… This official has already reported to the court… Everyone can live good lives now!”

The villagers cried out in jubilation, showing gratitude to the county magistrate, but their gazes toward Pei Si were somewhat strange.

“…Hiding it away… I wondered why his family had so much money to treat Pei Wu’s illness…”

“Really selfish… Fortunately we have the county magistrate…”

“The immortal surely wanted to tell everyone, but Pei Si wanted to keep it all for himself…”

“Hah, the county magistrate is brilliant and still found out. Look, isn’t their family getting their comeuppance…”

“Enough, say less…”

“I’ll say what I want – their family just wanted to live well by themselves…”

Whispered conversations surged like tides from all directions. Pei Si stood numbly in the crowd, looking at the familiar faces around him without saying a word.

“Get out! All of you get out!” Pei Wu’s furious roar came from inside the room.

“With broken legs, what can he do…”

“He actually dares tell the county magistrate to get out, he’s rebelling… arrest him…”

Pei Si took a deep breath, cupped his hands toward the county magistrate, and said hoarsely, “Daren, this commoner will take you to find the jade mine.”

The county magistrate nodded with satisfaction, and the surrounding villagers were extremely excited.

“Pei Si! Father and mother’s mourning hall is still here!” Pei Wu’s grief-stricken voice came from the inner room.

The county magistrate narrowed his eyes. The advisor beside him was about to speak when Pei Si interrupted, “My younger brother has lost both parents and is inevitably emotional. Please don’t blame him, daren.”

The county magistrate waved his hand magnanimously. “How could this official hold a grudge against a child? Let’s go.”

“Fourth brother——” Pei Wu was almost screaming hoarsely to call him.

Pei Si took a deep breath and forced a smile at the corner of his mouth. “Please, daren.”

“Tsk, indeed not blood-related – such a heart of stone, not a decent person…” someone whispered mockingly.

Pei Si lowered his eyes and walked out quickly.

The crowd surged toward the courtyard gate, their faces bearing smiles, mockery, or rare sympathy and reluctance. Ning Buwei stood under a tree, lost among these people, then unexpectedly met Pei Si’s gaze as he came out.

It was a completely different look from Ning Xingyuan’s.

Cold and numb.

But yet so familiar that his heart trembled.

He had seen this kind of gaze before – in reflected river water, in certain memory mirrors, in other people’s eyes——

It was his own gaze.

****

Jade Spring Village became unprecedentedly lively.

The neighboring county magistrate, the prefect who governed the region, censors, and even a prince from the capital who wanted to please some young lady came from thousands of miles away to select a piece of fine jade to carve. There was an endless stream of carriages and horses.

Pei Si held a carving knife in his hand, carefully sculpting a pair of paperweights. This was something the county magistrate wanted to present to the prefect, and he had given thousands of instructions to carve it carefully.

Beside him were several eleven or twelve-year-old children holding carving knives, learning from him.

The Pei family’s earthen house had long since been replaced with a tile house, but it seemed somewhat out of place among the village’s many beautiful and grand houses.

“Brother Pei Si! People from the county have come again! They want you to take them to see the jade mine!” Someone entered with a face full of smiles, setting down a basket in his hands. “These are fresh eggs from my family – give them to brother Xiao Wu to nourish his body.”

Pei Si nodded. “You go first, I’ll be there shortly.”

“Ah, alright.” The person smiled.

Someone leaning against the window said, “Our fourth brother is really amazing. His carving skills are divine – everyone calls him Master Craftsman Pei! I heard that even His Majesty and the imperial consorts in the imperial palace of the capital can’t put down his work. Fourth brother, will you go to the capital in the future?”

Pei Si shook his head, put down the paperweight in his hand, and said to the children behind him, “Continue.”

The children were obviously somewhat afraid of him, lowering their heads to seriously carve the jade in their hands.

“Brother Pei Si, hurry up, don’t keep the distinguished guests waiting! We’re leaving first!”

Pei Si ignored them and instead turned to enter the inner room.

Pei Wu sat in a wheelchair, staring blankly at the locust tree outside through the window.

“Xiao Wu, I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.” Pei Si reached out to straighten his collar. “I’ll make you steamed egg custard when I return tonight.”

Pei Wu ignored him, still staring blankly at the tree.

When Pei Si reached the doorway, he suddenly heard a hoarse voice from behind him. “Today is father and mother’s death anniversary. They’ve been dead for three years. I want to go see them.”

It was rare for Pei Wu to say such a long sentence to him.

Pei Si paused in his steps. “I’ll take you.”

“Aren’t you going to receive those high officials?” Pei Wu asked.

“Xiao Wu.” Pei Si crouched in front of him and said in a deep voice, “I will definitely avenge father and mother, but for now, we must live well first.”

Pei Wu smiled and didn’t have any particular reaction to his words, only turned the wheels and said softly, “Go.”

****

Night fell.

Pei Wu lay in bed, grabbing Pei Si and not letting him leave. “Stay and talk with me.”

Since their parents died, the words exchanged between the two of them could be counted on one hand. Once they spoke, arguments would inevitably erupt – usually Pei Wu losing his temper irritably while he listened without a word, then patiently waited for Pei Wu to calm down.

Pei Wu didn’t want to see him, yet couldn’t be without him.

Pei Si sat on the bedside, lowering his head to tuck in his blanket. “Alright.”

Pei Wu smiled. “We haven’t talked in so long. You’re always so busy.”

Actually, even when Pei Si wasn’t busy, he rarely spoke with Pei Si. In recent years, Pei Wu’s health had grown increasingly weak. Even though Pei Si had tried every means to find many famous doctors for him, his condition never improved. He was like a piece of wood about to burn out – barely maintaining its outer form, but internally already depleted of vitality.

“I’ll spend more time with you in the future,” Pei Si said.

“No need. I know you’re so busy because you’re trying to treat my illness.” Pei Wu pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I also know that you were forced to tell that dog official about the jade mine back then…”

Pei Si remained silent.

Pei Wu said slowly, “Fourth brother, change your name.”

Pei Si looked down at him. “Why?”

“You’re an important person now. When you go out, you can’t keep being called Pei Si – it doesn’t sound auspicious either.” Pei Wu grasped his hand. “From now on, call yourself Pei Heguang, alright?”

Pei Si looked at him. “What about you?”

“I won’t change.” Pei Wu said quietly, “There’s no need.”

“Then I won’t change either,” Pei Si said.

“Then… I’ll be called Pei Tongchen,” Pei Wu said.

“What does it mean?”

“When I was studying, I learned a phrase – ‘heguang tongchen.'” Pei Wu thought for a moment. “Hide one’s light, mix with dust and dirt, merge good and bad… It roughly means not to be too sharp and prominent.”

“Good.” Pei Si nodded.

Pei Wu smiled. “Pei Heguang, Pei Tongchen… They sound quite nice.”

Pei Si keenly sensed something was wrong, looking at Pei Wu with helpless eyes. “Xiao Wu?”

“Brother, I’m a little scared,” Pei Wu said.

“Don’t be afraid. With big brother here, no one can harm you again.” Pei Si gripped his hand tightly.

Pei Wu propped himself up with his arms and took out a small box from beside him. “Here.”

Pei Si opened the box. Inside lay a lustrous jade pendant with delicate and beautiful nine-leaf lotus patterns.

“This is the only thing your relatives left you. Don’t casually pawn it again next time,” Pei Wu said quietly.

Pei Si suddenly snapped the box shut. “You are my family.”

“Brother, we have no blood relation,” Pei Wu said. “Look, sometimes when I tell you to get out of my house, you have no way to refute me.”

Pei Si looked at him with reddened eyes. “It’s not like I don’t know you’re speaking out of anger.”

“But angry words still hurt people’s hearts.” Pei Wu sat feeling somewhat tired and leaned against him weakly. “Brother, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about with me.” Pei Si reached out and held him in his arms, using perhaps too much force, but Pei Wu didn’t make a sound.

When Pei Wu was healthy before, he was even half a head taller than Pei Si, and Pei Si had struggled to carry him on his back. But now he was skin and bones, and holding him felt insubstantial.

“Brother, if people really have a next life, then I want to be your real younger brother,” Pei Wu said quietly. “Then… I could righteously forbid you from casually accepting jade pendants from others…”

“Mm.” Pei Si gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Brother, I actually don’t blame you at all,” Pei Wu said. “There was nothing wrong with you saving people. The ones at fault are those greedy people. I… shouldn’t have been angry with you. Being a good person isn’t wrong. I… originally wanted to study hard and become a good official in the future… but unfortunately our family couldn’t afford it…”

“If the county magistrate were a good official, you could save people with peace of mind.”

Pei Si grasped his hand. “Xiao Wu, stop talking.”

“Fourth brother, I want a jade pendant too.” Pei Wu closed his eyes somewhat tiredly and said softly, “The same as yours – that flower on it is quite pretty…”

“Alright.”

“Xiao Wu, don’t sleep.”

“Brother, I’m sleepy. Let me sleep…”

“Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu?”