Chapter 725 Don't Cry, I Was Wrong
Song Chunxue was stunned. What should she do?
This question left her completely baffled.
The second brother picked up a piece of food, poured her a drink, and asked in the most ordinary tone.
“I overheard the conversation between the master and Liu Chunshu, and I know that things are different between you and Master Xie now than before. Mother, are you planning to marry into his family, or…”
"Cough cough cough, cough cough..."
Song Chunxue glared at him. "Keep your voice down, and don't talk nonsense."
This child made her choke on her saliva; her lungs almost burst.
“What’s wrong with that? Everyone does it this way. Although I missed many years and didn’t seize the right opportunity, I naturally agree if you’re willing,” the second son said in a low voice. “Anyway, think it through, and we’ll discuss it…”
"What's there to discuss? Can't we just go our separate ways quietly?"
"Huh?" The second son was astonished. "Walking marriage?"
"..." She had heard of walking marriage, but when the second son said it, it sounded like it was nothing out of the ordinary.
"It's not impossible. Some people have several brothers who share one wife, so walking marriage isn't a big deal. And what about the mother who comes to live with the family?"
"..." Damn it, why does it sound like she's the one who's throwing herself at him?
She couldn't let the second son continue; she was afraid she would die of shame and indignation.
"It's not even close to being settled yet. If you keep talking nonsense, I'm not going to get involved anymore. Just live your lives well. We're getting old, so we'll just take care of things quietly ourselves and not bother anyone else."
“Understood. We are of one mind but not of the same family, and we will not interfere with each other,” the second son nodded, and said thoughtfully, “It’s quite novel. But Mother is a Taoist practitioner, so it’s good that she is so carefree and at ease.”
Song Chunxue's cheeks flushed, and she quickly changed the subject, "Why don't you talk about Sanwa?"
The second brother raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Lord Xie tell you? He's already sent people to avenge Sanwa. Wang Can was caught red-handed, and not only did he lose several of his men, but he also voluntarily coughed up several hundred taels of silver."
"Oh, right, there's also the Zhao family. Officials who are close to the Zhao family all side with Sanwa. After all, Sanwa is under Lord Xie's protection, and everyone knows that. Besides, the Wang family has been at odds with the Zhao family recently. Wang Can hasn't been feeling well lately and has incurred public wrath. I estimate that in a couple of years, he won't be the local tyrant of Jincheng anymore."
Does this mean she doesn't need to worry about it?
“Mother, don’t worry. Sanwa was indeed wronged that day, but he didn’t swallow his anger afterward. We even discussed that we can’t let this matter go like this. Otherwise, the grudge will never be resolved. We must make Wang Can regret this.”
When this matter was brought up, the second brother became unusually mature and composed, like a responsible and dependable older brother.
“Wang Can doesn’t get along with the generals either. Mother, just watch. He won’t be arrogant for long. Once he steps down from that position, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to seek revenge.”
Song Chunxue nodded, "It's good that you know your limits. I'm afraid I'll make things worse and cause you trouble."
"No, Mother, you're overthinking it. But if we get into trouble, we'll come to you. You can focus on your cultivation... and take care of Lord Xie. We're all grown up now and can take care of ourselves."
These words stirred both bitterness and warmth in Song Chunxue's heart.
Yes, her children are all grown up now, and she can see her second son whenever she wants, so she doesn't have to worry about him day and night.
This time, the children learned to stick together, which is the most gratifying thing for a mother.
They chatted for quite a while and drank quite a bit. The second brother was very talkative and in high spirits. He added two dishes that he wanted Song Chunxue to try, not wanting her to leave.
"Mother, stay with me a little longer. You've drunk with Sanwa and Lao Si, but you've never spoken to me like this alone. I'm quite sad about it. Anyway, I won't force you to stay in the same courtyard with me. Go back to see Lord Xie later. I'm the one you gave birth to."
"..." This kid, he gets all cocky after just a couple of words.
They dare to joke like that.
Song Chunxue accidentally ate a little too much. She put down her chopsticks, rested her elbows on the table, and looked at her second son.
"Are you taking this matter lightly because that person is Lord Xie, or is it because you all want to live your own lives and don't need to worry about me, so you feel it's good to have someone to look after me?"
The second son frowned and pondered for a moment, "Yes, we all did. When we were little, many of us wanted to find a man for Mother to support her. I remember twice, someone brought a man who had nowhere to go to our house. One was too ugly and the other was too dirty. None of us liked them, but thankfully Mother refused them both."
Is that so?
"Another time, the man looked respectable. He came by himself, and your mother invited him to stay for dinner. You even let him sleep in the same room with you that night, but after a short while, you kicked him out."
Song Chunxue was completely bewildered and shocked; she couldn't remember anything at all.
"Yes...yes? I don't remember."
Is it because it's been too long, or because you're unwilling to remember, that you can't remember it after a long time?
The second son didn't correct her. "It's good that you don't remember. It wasn't a good thing anyway. I guess Mother doesn't trust him. But Lord Xie is the best you've ever met. He won't force Mother to do anything excessive. He's a scholar, humble and gentle. Besides, Mother's temper can be controlled by him..."
"I can control him?" This was the first time Song Chunxue had ever heard such a thing, and she found it extremely novel.
The second son laughed, "I only found out from the two of them that in the first year that Mother was in the county, Lord Xie gave you thirty acres of land. Not to mention that ever since you brought your sister back, Lord Xie has expressed his feelings... Later, he also followed Mother to learn Taoism. To be honest, sometimes I'm afraid that he won't persevere and will turn around and find a young and beautiful woman to marry."
Song Chunxue initially gritted her teeth as she listened, but later became somewhat surprised.
Why?
"If there is someone in this world who can move my mother's heart, who is as stubborn as a rock, it would be better to have such a good person accompany her to spend the rest of her life with her than to watch her all alone, leaving us and going further and further away."
The second brother said sincerely, "As people grow up, they are no longer good at being alone. When we were young, we had a lot of fun playing alone, but as adults, when I see everyone settling down and having wives and children, I feel especially lonely, and this is especially true as I get older."
"no……"
"Just like Li Dazui, and the old man next to Cheng's fifth son in our village, he was a bachelor his whole life, and he was the only one left in his family. He died and it took several days before he was discovered. I don't want my mother to be like that."
The second son, wiping away tears, spoke between sobs, "Mother never had a heart-to-heart talk with me, but the fourth son and the third son both said that Mother said this a few years ago when she was angry: 'You said you didn't expect us to take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days, that you would find a Taoist temple to pass away peacefully, and that a Taoist priest would collect your body...' Waaah..."
Song Chunxue's heart tightened, and she patted his shoulder with a sense of guilt.
She did say something like that a few years ago when she was feeling disheartened. The child didn't say anything at the time, but it was hard to forget.
She shouldn't have said those things.
“It was my fault, I shouldn’t have said that. Don’t cry…” She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and smiled as she took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears. “Tell them that I said those words in anger. How could a mother not want her child to see her off in the end?”
The second son lay on her lap, crying more and more bitterly. Song Chunxue touched the back of his head and re-examined herself.
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