Qian Feng, feeling dizzy, led Ling Dahu and his family of four into the main hall, his mind filled with strangeness. How could Sister Tao be the general's wife? The thought of how he had spoken ill of Tao Wanniang in front of the general made him feel ashamed.
“However, my father and mother have already divorced.” Ling Dahu, who had settled down in the main hall, continued, “But my mother also said that my father is still my father.”
Divorce? Qian Feng's heart sank. How could the General be so unkind?
"Wait a moment, I'll go see where the General is." Qian Feng left with mixed feelings.
Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu looked around curiously.
"This general's mansion is really impressive!" Ling Dahu exclaimed. "Wife, did you see that? The guards are all carrying swords. How majestic!"
"I'm just feeling scared. Is it possible that they'll pull out a knife if things don't go their way?" Although Wang Hongyu found the General's Mansion imposing, the solemn atmosphere it exuded made her inexplicably nervous.
Ling Yunzhou was practicing martial arts in the backyard. Whether it was Tao Wanniang's matter or the Eldest Princess's matter, it made him feel suffocated.
"General, your son is here!" Qian Feng strode into the training ground and shouted loudly.
"What did you say?" Ling Yunzhou sheathed his spear and asked sharply.
“It’s your son, Ling Dahu, General. You’ve kept this from us for so long!” Qian Feng complained. “The General not only found his wife, but we also know her.”
Ling Yunzhou didn't let these guards know about his relationship with Tao Wanniang, especially Qian Feng. Judging from Qian Feng's tone, he spoke with a stern face.
"Knowing that I didn't tell you seems to have been a very wise choice."
"Really? General, who is the General's wife?"
"We know each other? Qian Feng, don't talk so nonsensically, who is it?!" The other guards who practiced martial arts with him immediately stepped forward and asked.
"But she's a former general's wife now, and I've also learned that our general has already divorced her!" Qian Feng said indignantly. "General, you're really being unfair!"
Ling Yunzhou was furious. His face turned as black as the bottom of a pot after being reprimanded by his subordinates.
"Where is my son? Qian Feng, you only listen to what others say. What, have you never thought that others would look down on your General?" Ling Yunzhou said and strode towards the main hall.
Qian Feng was stunned. What did those words mean?
"Qian Feng, tell us, what's going on?"
"Yes, who is the general's wife that we all know?"
"Go see for yourselves, you've already met the people who came." Qian Feng kept them in suspense and chased after Ling Yunzhou.
Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu were still reminding their son and daughter to remember to greet people when they met them.
The eldest son, Ling Rui, was somewhat understandable, but the younger daughter, Ling Xiaofeng, seemed quite resistant to this grandfather she had only met once. She buried her face in Wang Hongyu's arms and repeatedly expressed her fear.
"What do you want with me?" Ling Yunzhou stepped into the hall and asked directly.
Ling Dahu immediately stood up and nervously called out, "Father..."
Wang Hongyu immediately called out and tugged at her eldest son's arm.
"Grandpa," Ling Rui called out obediently.
Ling Yunzhou froze. The child's innocent voice seemed to fall heavily on his heart. He... was already a grandfather!
"Please sit down, don't be nervous. Tell me, what brings you here?" Ling Yunzhou's expression softened slightly as he sat in the seat of honor and asked.
"Father, we just came to see you." Ling Dahu was shy and didn't dare to ask about living matters directly, his face showing some embarrassment.
"Hmm?" Ling Yunzhou raised his voice, and Ling Dahu immediately straightened up.
"Father, it's just... it's just..." Ling Dahu felt extremely nervous as soon as he saw Ling Yunzhou's expression.
“Dad, well… Mom’s restaurant is gone, and Da Hu seems panicked. He wants to ask you for help to find him a job,” Wang Hongyu said on behalf of Ling Da Hu.
Ling Dahu nodded vigorously; that was exactly what he meant.
"Are you short of money?" Ling Yunzhou asked with a frown. That shouldn't be the case, didn't he give Tao Wanniang five thousand taels of silver?
“Mom did pay the wages, but now the restaurant is gone, and I don’t know what will happen in the future,” Wang Hongyu said. “Dad, Da Hu is young and strong, but he stays at home all day doing nothing and is very bored.”
Wages? Ling Yunzhou thought for a moment, then said, "How have you been living all these years? Has your mother been in charge of everything at home?"
Ling Dahu was taken aback, then nodded and replied, "Mother makes all the decisions at home."
"Is the money at home also included?" Ling Yunzhou then asked.
“Yes, we didn’t earn much money either; it was all Mom who earned it,” Ling Dahu said truthfully. “Before, our family was poor and relied on a few acres of land to make a living. At the end of the year, we didn’t have much surplus food. When there was a famine, we ran out of money, so Mom took us to escape the famine. Later, Mom started doing business, and she took care of all our lives.”
“Yes, although Mother complains about us and always says we’re useless, we would have starved to death long ago if it weren’t for her,” Wang Hongyu added.
"Tell me in detail." Ling Yunzhou knew too little about Tao Wanniang, so he instructed Ling Dahu to tell him everything that had happened since he left.
Ling Dahu was honest and simple, so he told me about how Tao Wan's mother had worked hard to raise the two children since he could remember.
"She's just a woman, yet she used to order you around. How come she seems like a completely different person after fleeing the famine?" Ling Yunzhou asked, puzzled.
Ling Dahu glanced at Ling Yunzhou and then said, "Mother waited for seventeen years in Ling Family Village."
"Yes, Mother probably lost all hope in the end, which is why she stopped staying in Lingjia Village and took us with her to escape the famine and survive," Wang Hongyu said. Tao Wan's mother had changed, but as they had gone through it all, she knew it was because she couldn't rely on anyone else and had to carry the burden on her own.
Hearing Ling Dahu say that Tao Wan's mother fought fiercely with wolves to save her child, ultimately injuring her back; and hearing Wang Hongyu say that Tao Wan's mother caught a large snake from the rafters just for a bite to eat, Ling Yunzhou felt a deep unease.
The Taowan girl he remembered was gentle and shy. It turns out that after he left, life forced her to become like that!
How could she not be sharp-tongued, mean-spirited, aggressive, and prone to tantrums?
"Your mother has suffered so much!" Ling Yunzhou finally sighed heavily.
"Fortunately, our hardships have finally come to an end, and we now live in a large mansion in the capital." Ling Dahu chuckled sheepishly, but then sighed.
"That arsonist is despicable! He burned down the little restaurant that Mother worked so hard to build. What will we do now?"
Ling Yunzhou fell silent for a moment; it was indeed he who had caused this trouble.
"Someone, bring me a hundred taels of silver," Ling Yunzhou called out.
"Dahu, Dahu's wife, I have wronged you and your mother all these years. Please take this hundred taels of silver and spend some time with your mother. She has worked so hard for so many years, wouldn't it be nice to be able to rest?"
Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu were dumbfounded. One hundred taels of silver? They didn't come here to ask for money!
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