When the old man was mentioned, Li Dashan sadly wiped away tears with his sleeve: "Yes, he was fine here, how come he couldn't take it after we went back?"
The servant who had been so arrogant just moments before was now completely dumbfounded after hearing Li Dashan's words, his face gradually revealing an expression of utter terror as if he were about to be struck by lightning.
This servant boy was only about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was the son of a manor owner and had just been selected from the manor to work in the manor last year. He had only seen the eldest young master of the manor once from afar.
Moreover, Shi Guang's entire demeanor has undergone a complete transformation.
It's not surprising that they don't recognize it now.
Despite his young age, this servant was a notorious bully on the estate. Even after joining the household, he didn't temper his temper much. He looked down on the poorly dressed couple, categorizing them as some distant relative who had come to beg for money, or as people who had mistaken their home for someone else.
Ever since the old man was buried in his hometown, poor relatives have been coming to our door to beg for money from time to time.
Those who are beyond the fifth degree of kinship are still considered to be related by ancestry.
Some people, who were completely unrelated to the master, shamelessly came to his door to borrow money or grain, while others begged him to find a job for their children.
The master and mistress were both extremely annoyed.
Originally, after the old man was buried in the ancestral grave, the old man planned to stay in the town for a while to show his filial piety, so that he could visit the ancestral grave to pay respects to his father more often.
After three months, the family returned to their ancestral home in the county to observe mourning.
The Shi family's ancestral graves are located on a small hill north of the town, less than half an hour's walk from the city gate.
Because of these annoying relatives who came to bother them all day long, their parents couldn't even properly fulfill their filial duties. After only a month, they moved back to the county town in a fit of anger.
A few days ago, as soon as the master and mistress returned to town, those freeloaders came knocking on their door again.
It's no wonder he has a bad temper, having to entertain these unsophisticated country folk all day.
However, this time he was blind and mistook his own young master for a freeloader, keeping him out of the door.
Am I going to get punished?
Immediately, his courage returned.
Hmph! I'm not afraid at all.
This young master is the son of the first wife. The current wife is the master's second wife, who has children of her own. It's good enough if she doesn't see this young master as a thorn in her side.
Besides, the eldest son might not dare to complain to the master and mistress.
According to the servants in the mansion, the eldest young master married a peasant girl, arranged by the late patriarch.
Upon noticing the girl standing next to the young master, he wondered to himself, "Could this be her?"
It doesn't look that great.
Tsk tsk tsk, a young master from an official family marries a girl from a country family.
Even if you're lowering yourself to marry a wife, you shouldn't be this low!
It's clear that this young master is not well-liked by the master.
If the master truly cared about this son, how could he allow such a thing to happen?
*
Time stood still for a moment.
Seeing Li Dashan's sorrowful expression, he offered another word of comfort before taking Lin Momo's hand and walking into the house.
Benben followed closely behind the two of them.
The servant who was blocking the doorway was startled and quickly stepped aside, no longer daring to utter a word.
Although I had just mentally prepared myself and felt somewhat disrespectful to this young master and mistress, I ultimately didn't dare to go too far on the surface.
There is indeed a difference between master and servant.
Even if the master has no status at home, he is still the master. If this young master takes it seriously, he will be in big trouble.
"The young master is back!"
"Young Master, you're back!"
Shi Guang led his wife into the main courtyard, and along the way, old servants would respectfully bow and greet him from time to time.
Some quick-witted ones, upon spotting it from afar, would hurriedly slip away to report the situation to their husbands and wives.
Before the two even reached the front door of the main house, they heard a furious shout coming from inside: "That unfilial son finally knows to come back! Tell him to get in here!"
She really has quite a temper.
Lin Momo's steps faltered subconsciously, and her hand, which had been clasped with Time's, loosened.
As they paraded through the city, their servants and maids invariably turned their gazes to their clasped hands, as if they were watching some kind of spectacle.
"This is our home, what's there to be afraid of?" Shi Guang stubbornly held her hand again, smiling meaningfully at his somewhat timid wife, and pulled her up the stone steps.
The maidservant guarding the door quickly lifted the curtain to let the two of them into the room.
In the hall sat a middle-aged man in his thirties, glaring angrily at Shi Guang and Lin Momo as they entered.
A middle-aged woman sat in a chair just across the table, her face beaming with smiles.
However, upon seeing that the two had entered hand in hand, the smile that had barely reached his eyes faltered.
Lin Momo, the ugly daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws, glanced at the two people below.
He thought to himself, "These must be my father-in-law and stepmother."
Before she could think further, her stepmother greeted her warmly, "Oh, Guangyao, you and your wife are finally back! Where have you been? Why didn't you tell your family? Otherwise, you wouldn't have missed your grandfather's funeral."
This stepmother was very good at stirring up trouble without making a sound.
Shi Yu's anger instantly flared up, and he slammed his fist on the table, roaring:
"You unfilial son, kneel down! Have you even read the 'Standards for Being a Good Student and Child' to the bone?"
The *Di Zi Gui* (Standards for Being a Good Student and Child) contains the phrase, "When going out, one must inform the other; when returning, one must report in person."
It means that you must tell your parents where you are going before you leave home, and you must also inform your parents in person when you return home, so that your parents can feel at ease.
It has a similar meaning to "While parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, one should have a fixed destination."
However, time paid no heed and pulled Lin to sit down in the armchair nearby.
Kneeling is out of the question.
Even if they were to kneel, he and his wife would only kneel before that grandfather.
Yes, the couple will go to his grave to pay their respects first thing tomorrow morning.
With the plan settled, Shi Guang smiled faintly and said, "Anger easily damages the liver. For your health, I advise you to try to control your temper in the future. This whole family still needs your help."
"You, you unfilial son! If you... really cared about my health, you wouldn't have angered me like this!" Shi Yu clutched his chest, pointing at his son with another finger, saying with exasperation.
Every time he saw his good-for-nothing son, his anger would surge to the top of his head, and his chest would ache.
So, the saying about time isn't just empty talk.
From a small gesture in his memory, he could guess that the father had a heart palpitation problem.
Time had no intention of getting entangled with him, so it changed the subject: "I wonder if Grandfather left any words for his son before he passed away?"
Given how much that grandfather doted on his grandson, he must have left him some words before he died, since he couldn't see him one last time.
That was his real reason for staying; otherwise, he would have left with his wife long ago.
Two people who hate each other are better off not seeing each other at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
