Tao Wanniang braved the wind and snow to return home before the city gates closed on New Year's Eve. She knocked on her own door, shook off the snow, and led Xiao Qiao'er and Chen Lian inside. She then asked Zhang Liang and Yang Bai to help carry the things from the carriage into the house.
"You two should go back to the General's Mansion. New Year's Eve is a night for family reunion," Tao Wanniang said to Ling Feng and Chen Yan.
"Mother, you're finally back!" Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu were overjoyed to see Tao Wanniang return.
"What, are you worried I won't be able to come back?" Tao Wanniang asked back. "Even if I can't come back, there's nothing we can do. But even while I'm gone, you've managed to keep the house in good order."
The corridors were lined with bright red lanterns, and the windows of the main courtyard houses were covered with paper-cut window decorations; it was truly a grand decoration.
"I was just thinking that you would come back eventually, Mother. If you came back during the Spring Festival and saw the house was cold and deserted, you would feel uncomfortable. So Hongyu, Bai-guniang, and I decorated the house together," Ling Dahu said.
Tao Wanniang glanced at Ling Dahu. In the nearly four months she had been away, her eldest son seemed to have become more stable.
"Judging from your expression, is there something you want to tell me?" Tao Wanniang went into her room and looked around. It was still clean and tidy when she was not there.
"Mother, I'll go prepare some hot water bottles for you," Wang Hongyu said, "to warm the bed first."
"Mother, something's happened to Dapeng!" Ling Dahu said with a frown. "Even during the New Year, things aren't peaceful."
"Oh, what happened? Wasn't he living the life of a pampered young master, surrounded by women and running a small business?" Tao Wanniang knew something was wrong, but she still said sarcastically.
“Mother, Dapeng is just not cut out for business!” Ling Dahu sighed and told her about Dapeng’s situation. “Xiaoyun and I only have so much money. We’ve helped him as much as we can, but he’s really in a bad situation.”
With Ling Yunzhou watching over me, I won't die. So what if I'm skinned alive?
"It's the New Year, and it's heartbreaking to talk about this. If he came to me for help, I'd want to slap him right then and there. I raised you two, did I teach you to gamble?" Tao Wanniang said angrily. "Don't you know how much real gambling you have?"
"Gambling, prostitution, and drugs—he's always missing one player for mahjong!"
Hearing Tao Wanniang's words, Ling Dahu felt both angry and ashamed. He, as the elder brother, had failed to take good care of his younger brother!
"Mom, what do 'pornography, gambling, and drugs' mean? I understand 'gambling,' but what do the other two words mean?"
Tao Wanniang was taken aback, then said seriously, "Your brother is involved in prostitution by getting together with Shishi from the Jiaosifang, and he's involved in gambling by going to gambling dens. As for drugs, hmph, if this continues, he'll be in trouble sooner or later!"
"But Mother, we can't just stand by and watch her die!" Ling Dahu said worriedly.
"None of your business. Your mother is tired. Go boil some water; I need to wash up," Tao Wanniang said, dismissing Ling Dahu.
They were truly exhausted from the journey. Before long, Wang Hongyu brought hot water bottles and hot water to all three of them, and also brought her two children to see Tao Wan's mother.
"Grandma." Ling Rui and Ling Xiaofeng had grown a bit more, and they knelt down and kowtowed to Tao Wan's mother in a very proper manner, saying auspicious words.
"Get up, my good children. This is your New Year's money from Grandma. Keep it safe." Tao Wan's mother was prepared, but she was really tired. After giving out two red envelopes, she patiently said, "Grandma is very tired. You should go back to your room with your parents. We don't do the tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve."
"Mother, you should rest first." Seeing this, Wang Hongyu pulled her two children over to say goodbye to Tao Wan's mother.
"If I can't afford it tomorrow, don't call me even if the sky falls down," Tao Wanniang said before Wang Hongyu left. Just then, she saw Bai Yumei at the door and yawned to invite her in.
"Yu Mei, look at how I look. I'm exhausted. Whatever it is, can you wait until I get up tomorrow?"
Seeing this, Bai Yumei smiled and said, "It's nothing serious, you should rest first!"
Tao Wanniang fell asleep immediately, but was woken up the next day by the constant sound of firecrackers. She opened her eyes in annoyance and saw that it was already bright outside, but she was still sleepy. So she simply bought a pair of earplugs from the trading system and went back to sleep.
Ling Yunzhou arrived at the Tao family early in the morning, only to be told that Tao Wanniang was still sleeping. His forehead throbbed, and he became somewhat irritable again.
"Father, please have some tea." On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the restaurant was closed, and Ling Dahu served Ling Yunzhou hot tea.
"Where's your mother? What time is it? Is she still sleeping?" Ling Yunzhou said with displeasure.
"Father, Mother only returned last night. She was traveling in a hurry and is exhausted. Let her rest a bit more!" Ling Dahu said voluntarily.
Ling Yunzhou glanced at his honest and kind eldest son. So, did Tao Wan's mother know that the eldest son was reliable and the second son was unreliable, so she pushed the second son to him?
"Did she say anything when she came back?" Ling Yunzhou asked tentatively. Ling Feng and Chen Yan had already told them about Tao Wanniang's journey. "She's amazing! She went to Youzhou, and now Youzhou wants to open the Star-Picking Tower, and Sifang City wants to open the Star-Picking Tower too. Is she planning to just sit back and collect money?"
"He didn't say anything, just that he was tired and went to bed early." Ling Dahu didn't want to talk about Tao Wanniang's scolding of Ling Dapeng, but finally tentatively asked Ling Yunzhou, "Father, what about Dapeng..."
"Don't mention that unfilial son!" Ling Yunzhou said angrily. "He threw his youngest son at the gate of the General's Mansion and ran off to the countryside with his wife. Ha, what a capable man!"
Ling Dahu was also shocked. Ling Dapeng was capable of such a despicable act, but thinking about it, it wasn't impossible. "Then... Dazhuang... is he alright?"
"A baby only a few months old, and you dare to leave him at the gate of the General's Mansion? What can I say? You're unworthy of being parents!" Ling Yunzhou said indignantly.
Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu looked at each other in disbelief. This couple was really going too far! Seeing Ling Yunzhou's indignant expression, Wang Hongyu told her two children to go and wish Ling Yunzhou a Happy New Year.
"Happy New Year, Grandpa! Wishing you wealth, good fortune, and all your wishes fulfilled." Both children were dressed in new clothes and were very well-behaved.
Looking at his grandson and granddaughter, Ling Yunzhou's anger subsided, and he took out two red envelopes and handed them to the children.
"Rui'er, Xiaofeng, this is your New Year's money from Grandpa," Ling Yunzhou said, his expression softening slightly.
"Thank you, Grandpa!"
These two kids are so good. Looking at Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu, Ling Yunzhou felt a pang of sadness. How could his second son be so bad!
"Father, have some more fruit. Mother probably won't be able to get up for a while." After Ling Yunzhou finished his hot tea, Ling Dahu offered him some snacks.
"Really..." Ling Yunzhou wanted to curse, but he held back. However, he didn't plan to leave. There was still an injured little girl talking nonsense in the General's Mansion, and he didn't want to go back. But having two grandchildren who weren't afraid of him around made Ling Yunzhou feel a bit of family happiness, so he could stay at the Tao family's place.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com