The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

"Oh, little Xi went to see a woman. It would be inconvenient for a grown man like me to go with her. Since she can do it, we'll let her go." Fang Wenfu explained to everyone with a smile, his tone full of trust and approval.

After hearing these words, the originally curious villagers stopped talking and dispersed.

Xie Tianyi took the two children and slowly walked back home.

Some careful villagers discovered that it was Xie Tianyi who took the initiative to hold the children's hands instead of the children dragging him. This scene is very rare on weekdays, and it caused the onlookers to rub their eyes to confirm that what they saw was true.

However, when he wanted to get closer to see more clearly, Xie Tianyi and the children had already disappeared into the house.

In the small courtyard of the Xie family, an aunt was chatting with Xie's mother Qin, and the topic of their conversation inadvertently turned to Xie Tianyi.

"Sister-in-law Qin, I heard that your third son, who was separated from the family, is getting better?"

This aunt was the one who saw Xie Tianyi leading the child at noon, and her words were full of curiosity.

"Where did you hear this?" Qin narrowed her eyes, with a hint of doubt in her tone.

"I didn't just hear it from others. I saw Xie Tianyi walking with my own eyes this afternoon. I don't know if he is really well." There was some certainty in the aunt's tone.

"Then you may have seen it wrong." Qin said so, but a trace of doubt arose in her heart.

Night fell again, and when the two sons returned home, Qin specifically mentioned the matter and asked them to pay attention to Xie Tianyi's eye condition.

All these conversations were cleverly avoided from the eyes and ears of Mr. Xie. Qin was afraid that after Mr. Xie found out, he would favor Xie Tianyi as usual.

In the Fang Mansion in the town, Mrs. Fang lay quietly on the bed, with several thin, shiny silver needles inserted in her head and feet, and each needle was precisely placed on an acupuncture point.

On this chilly winter day, Chen Xi and Fang Yuanwai sat by the warm stove, accompanying Mrs. Fang.

The candlelight in the room flickered, illuminating the faces of the three people.

Mrs. Fang was wearing a soft fox fur coat and her face looked slightly pale, obviously in need of careful care.

The maid Qingtao tiptoed into the room, holding an exquisite porcelain bowl in her hand. The bowl was steaming and exuding an enticing aroma.

Her eyes sparkled with concern for her master, and she whispered softly, "Madam, let me feed you."

Before she finished speaking, Mr. Fang had already taken the bowl of carefully cooked porridge from her hand, his eyes full of love for his wife.

"This porridge was specially sent by my cousin from the seaside. It is slow-cooked with fresh crabs. It is a rare delicacy in our inland area." Mr. Fang said with a bit of pride.

Mrs. Fang gently scooped up a spoonful and tasted it slowly, a look of satisfaction showing between her brows. Indeed, this porridge was extremely delicious and left people with an endless aftertaste.

However, Chen Xi's originally relaxed expression froze instantly when he heard the word "crab".

He keenly sensed something unusual, stepped forward quickly, and gently blocked the spoon that Mr. Fang was about to pass to Mrs. Fang's lips.

"Wait a minute, what exactly was added to the porridge?" Chen Xi's tone was a little anxious. He quickly took the bowl, put it close to his nose, and took a deep breath.

The rich crab aroma wafts into the air, and in the bowl of porridge, large chunks of crab meat are clearly visible, the amount is astonishing.

As the bowl in Chen Xi's hand fell heavily on the table, making a dull sound, the atmosphere in the whole room suddenly became tense.

Mr. Fang and Mrs. Fang looked at each other, obviously not understanding why Chen Xi had such a big reaction.

"Doctor Chen, is there anything wrong with this crab porridge?" Mr. Fang asked doubtfully, his tone uneasy.

"There is something wrong with this." Chen Xi's brows were tightly knitted together, and his face was full of seriousness.

Qingtao, who was standing aside, held the empty plate in her hands, her legs shaking uncontrollably, as if she had a premonition of something ominous.

"Doctor Chen, we are far away from the coast. You may not know that crabs are an excellent food. Not only are they non-toxic, but they are also often eaten by people living by the sea." Fang Yuanwai tried to explain with a hint of laughter in his tone, thinking that Chen Xi was just not familiar enough with crabs.

Chen Xi shook his head gently, his voice steady and powerful: "Of course I know that crabs are delicious, fish and shrimp are equally tempting. But do you know that crabs are cold in nature and have the effect of activating blood circulation? For pregnant women, eating too much may be extremely harmful."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Fang and Mrs. Fang's faces suddenly changed, and they obviously realized the seriousness of the problem.

Chen Xi pushed the bowl towards Fang Yuanwai, letting him see with his own eyes the weight of the crab in the porridge. He was secretly worried that if he didn't stop it in time, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Immediately dispose of all the crabs in the house and do not allow them to appear on the table again." Mr. Fang's order was firm and decisive. Qingtao timidly reminded him that this was the young lady's kind intention.

But Mr. Fang insisted that health always comes first, and although the intention is good, safety cannot be ignored.

Chen Xi noticed Qing Tao's guilty expression, and felt that there might be some secrets behind this matter, and things were not as simple as they seemed.

Facing Fang Yuanwai's worries, Chen Xi comforted him, "Madam only tasted a few bites, there's no need to worry too much, I'll check her pulse right away."

Mr. Fang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.

Afterwards, Mr. Fang proposed to give these precious crabs that came from afar to Chen Xi as a gift to express his gratitude.

Seeing this, Chen Xi thought of his two children at home who had never tasted such delicious seafood, so he gladly accepted the kindness.

When Chen Xi returned home and saw the basket of plump crabs, he couldn't help but stop.

As night fell, Chen Xi decided to take a detour to Chen's Dessert Shop to share this unexpected surprise with his brother and sister-in-law.

The lights in the shop were dim and there were few customers. Chen Xi's arrival surprised Chen Pingan and his wife.

After a brief greeting, Chen Pingan took out his recent gains and generously shared them with Chen Xi.

Chen Xi did not refuse, but gladly accepted it. He took out six huge crabs from his arms and said with a smile: "I brought these crabs especially for you. Let us enjoy them together."

Chen Ping'an looked at the crabs that were bigger than his fists, and he was surprised and happy.

Crabs can occasionally be caught in small rivers in the country, but they are as small as eggs and no one cares about them.

Chen Pingan curiously asked about the origins of these crabs. After a brief explanation, Chen Xi reminded them that crabs are cold in nature and should not be eaten too much, especially for the second sister-in-law, three are enough.

In the darkness of the night, Chen Xi's action not only conveyed Mr. Fang's kindness, but also built a warm bridge between family members, making this winter night no longer cold.

Chen Pingan nodded solemnly, with determination flashing in his eyes.

"Then I won't disturb you. These harvests are already rich enough. I will bring them to my parents properly. I hope your life in town will be smooth and your business will be prosperous."