Yan Song turned his head to look at the small courtyard, his eyes inscrutable: "Let’s go, I’ll take you back." He held Yun Ya’s hand and walked back slowly. "Fourth Aunt is the great-niece from Fourth Grandma’s family; technically, she and Fourth Uncle are blood relatives, but do you know why she married Fourth Uncle?" Yan Song suddenly asked. "She surely isn’t a biological daughter of the Pei Family, or rather, she’s an adopted daughter," Yun Ya speculated. "That’s right. The Pei Family’s ancestors were bandits, and they still keep some customs, like child brides. The Pei Family has male heirs each generation, and when each generation’s boy is born, they pick a girl from a decent family to raise. The girl always has to be three years older than the boy. There’s a saying, ’A woman three years older is a treasure.’ In this generation, Pei Yu, who is Fourth Grandma’s brother, only had a son at the age of forty, and named him Pei Qinghe. Truly, they treasured him as if he might break or melt. Pei Yu dearly loved him, and Pei Xinyi was brought back for him as a child bride. Pei Xinyi is three years older than Pei Qinghe, but Pei Qinghe was rebellious from a young age and didn’t like Pei Xinyi at all. Later, he brought back a woman of the world and wanted to marry her, which infuriated Pei Yu greatly. Yun Ya listened quietly and pulled his arm when he paused: "And then?" "Later, he realized he was outmatched and Pei Qinghe compromised, agreeing to marry Pei Xinyi, but the day before the wedding, Pei Qinghe suddenly died." "Died?" Yun Ya was incredulous, "How could he suddenly die?" "It was said to be a car accident; Pei Qinghe was fond of racing cars, so no one suspected a car crash. Later, the police investigated and found no suspicious leads. After Pei Qinghe died, the Pei Family had no successor, and Pei Yu fell ill and never recovered. Pei Xinyi, with Fourth Grandma’s mediation, married Fourth Uncle." Yun Ya listened as if hearing a story: "How old was Fourth Aunt when she married Fourth Uncle?" "Twenty-four." Read complete version only at ɴovelfire.net "That doesn’t add up. Yan Sheng is fifteen or sixteen now, right? Could Fourth Aunt have given birth to Yan Sheng at seventeen or eighteen? That doesn’t make sense, does it?" Yan Song pursed his lips and spoke softly: "Yan Sheng is not Fourth Aunt’s biological child." Yun Ya looked at him in surprise, feeling that it was incredibly complicated. "Yan Sheng is Fourth Uncle’s illegitimate child. A year after Fourth Aunt married him, a woman came to the door with Yan Sheng, claiming he was Fourth Uncle’s son. After a DNA test, it was confirmed Yan Sheng was indeed Fourth Uncle’s biological son. Fourth Aunt said nothing, stepped forward to accept Yan Sheng, preserved Fourth Uncle’s dignity, and earned quite the good name for herself." Yun Ya suddenly didn’t know what to say. From a woman’s perspective, being a child bride with no marital autonomy was already dismal enough; then, after marriage, learning the husband suddenly had an illegitimate child would be too much for any normal woman to accept. Yet, Pei Xinyi not only said nothing and endured it, but she also actively recognized the child—how magnanimous she must be. "For a woman to endure to this extent, unless she simply doesn’t love the man," Yun Ya said quietly. Yan Song tightened his grip on her hand, leading her slowly on the road back: "The only thing I’m sure of is that Fourth Uncle deeply loves Fourth Aunt." "The best love is letting go. If he keeps binding her to his side, it’ll lead to tragedy sooner or later. Poor Yan Si, such an adorable little girl...." She seemed to understand Fourth Aunt a bit; reaching this point was perhaps beyond even her expectations. "Things are likely not as we see them," Yun Ya thought for a moment, "They say faces are shaped by the heart, and from what I see, Fourth Aunt isn’t the sort of woman to be fickle. She must have her reasons." Yan Song glanced at her and laughed: "You’re still so smart, seeing right through things." Yun Ya glared at him: "Stop flattering and just tell me." "Ever since Pei Qinghe died, and with no successor, the Pei Family gradually declined, especially with Pei Yu constantly sick. From what I know, Pei Yu’s days are numbered, and the Pei Family is already preparing for his funeral." "So, what, Pei Xinyi wants to do something for the Pei Family, or rather, Pei Ying wants her to do something?" Yun Ya thought of Pei Ying, who always fingered prayer beads with a peaceful demeanor, but given Pei Xinyi’s experiences, this woman definitely wasn’t simple. "Actually, Pei Yu has an illegitimate child living outside, and what Pei Xinyi wants to do is probably to find this illegitimate child and revive the Pei Family." "The Pei Family has another illegitimate child?" Yun Ya frowned: "Pei Qinghe, Pei Qing...?" She suddenly widened her eyes, looking at Yan Song in disbelief: "You’ve known all along, haven’t you?"