Hai Sheng watched the other's impatient expression, feeling a pang in his heart. However, when one is under another's roof, one must bow. Things were not as they used to be; he was no longer the younger brother he once trampled underfoot, but the respected Young Master He Sheng.
From childhood, he knew of the other's bad temper and that provoking him further was a risk. If he were to truly anger him, not only would the money be lost, but the other might secretly send people to teach them a lesson. After all, such things had happened often when they were young. He shouldn't underestimate the other's vindictiveness; he often found ways to vent his grievances and retaliate in secret. Even though they knew it was him, they had no proof, and could only retaliate by bullying him more harshly next time, creating a vicious cycle where their relationship was worse than that of sworn enemies.
"Alright, I'll take this ten taels of silver. Please tell mother when you return that we miss her. If mother doesn't come to see us in five days, we will come to her. As sons, it's understandable not to know our mother's address, but to know where she lives and not visit would be considered unfilial by others." He said, reluctantly accepting the money, with an ulterior motive.
He Sheng smiled and nodded, seeing him off for now. Future matters could be dealt with later. After he left, He Sheng pulled the foreman aside, looking troubled. "Every family has its own troubles. He is the son of my father and his original wife, while my mother is his stepmother. It has always been difficult for stepmothers. When we fled our hometown, they took the grain and silver and left us to struggle in the flood. If we hadn't been resourceful, we two would never have met. From now on, if he asks you for money or help, my mother and I will not acknowledge it."
The foreman immediately understood and nodded vigorously. It was fortunate he had been told. If not, in his eagerness to please He Sheng, he would have readily offered help to Hai Sheng whenever he was in trouble. He even regretted some of his past bullying of Hai Sheng, but now it seemed they didn't recognize each other, and he should keep his distance from him in the future.
With matters settled, He Sheng lost the desire to inspect the shop and hurried home. He saw his mother playing chess with Chen Renjie. Changing his usual critical demeanor towards Chen Renjie, he pulled his mother aside and, speaking behind Chen Renjie's back, said anxiously, "Do you know who I met when I went out today? That family. Hai Sheng clung to me like a leech, and I only managed to shake him off after great effort. Mother must reward me with something to compensate for the fear and worry I experienced today."
"Didn't you used to strongly disapprove of us being together? Why didn't you say this in front of him? If he learned that my husband was still alive, he might be so angry that we would separate, wouldn't that be what you wished for?" Wu Caiwei was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected things to unfold differently from her past life because of her appearance. However, seeing her son nervously avoiding Chen Renjie, afraid he might overhear their conversation and misunderstand, she couldn't help but tease him.
"I used to strongly disapprove of you two being together. The age and status gap was too wide, and you couldn't be happy together. But compared to Zhang Dashan, he's more conscientious and pleasant to look at." While saying this, He Sheng avoided looking at his mother, glancing around instead, his face turning red.
Wu Caiwei heard the obvious flaws in his words and didn't bother to say more, fearing she might make him angry and he would run off. She quickly urged him to describe what had happened.
Seeing his mother lost in thought, He Sheng became anxious. "What should we do? Our lives were finally getting better, and now they want to get a share of the pie. I absolutely refuse to agree to this, and I'm afraid the Young Master might misunderstand and think we are heartless."
Wu Caiwei looked at his furrowed brow and couldn't help but shake her head, amused. "You've been wearing a grim expression lately. You're so young, yet you look like a little old man. Alright, since you know where he works, avoid that area. I'll have others investigate and handle it. Just act as if they don't exist. You don't need to worry about this matter."
He Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. He had told his mother about this for this very reason. Although he had behaved impeccably in front of Hai Sheng, only he knew how flustered he had been. His mother's interpersonal skills, medical knowledge, and martial arts were on a completely different level than his. He believed she could deal with those uncivilized people in a more forceful manner. Soudan Novel Network.
After sending her son away, she approached Chen Renjie and told him what her son had relayed. Chen Renjie had already known that they were among Wu Caiwei's targets. She had even investigated their whereabouts before. In times of war and chaos, it was incredibly difficult to find someone. She never expected that after searching high and low, they would come to her. They wouldn't be blamed for being impolite.
Zhang Dashan was initially overjoyed when he heard that his son had reconnected with He Sheng and that the other had promised Xiao Cao would come to find them. But when he saw the ten taels of silver pulled from his son's embrace, he felt as if they were being dismissed as beggars, and his eldest son looked pleased with himself. He was speechless. Their demands were too low.
However, thinking about how they had reached the Yang Royal Residence in just a few months, and how people addressed them as Madam and Young Master, he knew their status was extraordinary. If they had known this earlier, they could have just followed them. Why had they gone through the trouble of taking the grain and silver, as if afraid they would take advantage?
Thinking back on their journey, they shuddered. They had left their hometown early, so there were relatively few refugees on the road. But as they traveled, they never expected the rebels to catch up and conscript their two sons into the army. They thought they would be separated forever, but that night, their son was released. It turned out the imperial court had suppressed the rebels. On their escape, they had gained a small advantage and left that night, fearing further complications.
In the pitch darkness, they couldn't see the path ahead. When they came to their senses, they realized they had taken a wrong turn. At this point, they recognized an even more serious problem: they had no idea how to get out and had been going in circles for half a day. Although they didn't want to admit it, they knew they were lost.
Life in the mountains was truly arduous. There was no food or drink, and the sound of wolves could be heard from time to time. Many times, they thought they wouldn't survive. But they persevered, walking resolutely in one direction. Two months later, they finally emerged and felt tears welling up at the sight of houses.