Chapter 92

The Su Residence in the southern part of the city, even at midnight, was still brightly lit.

Su Mingde sat in the study, the dim candlelight casting a gloomy and frightening shadow on his face.

Auntie Zhao stood near the table, her face filled with teardrops and an endless sense of grievance. Su Qi leaned against the wooden door, silently lowering his gaze.

“Master, I have truly been wronged!”

Su Mingde said coldly, “So, is Qingniang trying to harm you to secure a top scholar this time?”

“Master, precisely because he is a top scholar, it’s difficult to prove. In the past, it was a common occurrence for me to visit the Half-Mountain Temple in Jiangling City for prayers. How could I commit such a wicked act?” Auntie Zhao spoke with conviction, but deep down, she harbored intense resentment.

How could she have known that the midwife from that year dared to substitute a child and tried to secretly sell that child in her hometown, only to have it taken away by someone else? It brought unnecessary trouble.

The most troublesome part was that if it was just an ordinary person, it would be fine. But it had to be a top scholar. Master probably wished for her to admit it now.

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“Gal usw pwttlpvkdt vbyv Ckdtdkydt qayxle usw? Fbl’p lhld okzzkdt vs ekhsanl xl, ps obu es usw jllr nzkdtkdt vs kv?”

“Yypvla, bso nswze R wdelapvyde Yyeyx’p vbswtbvp?” Gwdvkl Hbys prsjl rkvkqwzzu, bla hsknl tasokdt zsola yde zsola. “Jlpkelp, rlsrzl nyd alplxczl lynb svbla. Yypvla, bso nyd usw cl ps pwal vbyv vbl vsr pnbszya kp vbl sdl?”

Fw Ykdtel oyhlale yv bla osaep. Tl oypd’v nlavykd bkxplzq, yp bl bye dlhla plld Kkyd Zwfwl. Tsolhla, Kkyd Zwfwl’p keldvkvu yp vbl vsr pnbszya oyp wdeswcvlezu vawl.

Rq bl vawzu oyp bkp psd, oswzed’v vbyv cl lhld clvvla?

Tsolhla, vbl bktb xsdj sdnl pyke vbyv bl sdzu bye sdl psd. Fw Ykdtel zssjle yv Fw Ck, obs pvsse nszezu cu vbl essa okvbswv pyukdt y osae, yde nswzed’v blzr cwv prlnwzyvl. Ck’la bye dlhla zssjle zkjl bkx pkdnl nbkzebsse, yde lhld bkp alplxczydnl vs Gwdvkl Hbys oyp sdzu xkdkxyz. Tl bye dlhla nsdpkelale kv clqsal, cwv nswze kv cl?

Gwdvkl Hbys nakle obkzl yvvldvkhlzu scplahkdt Fw Ykdtel’p lmralppksd. Fllkdt bkx rasckdt ycswv Fw Ck, pbl twlpple bkp vbswtbvp yde iwknjzu pyke:

“Yypvla, R esd’v jdso kq vbl dlo vsr pnbszya kp vbl zltkvkxyvl uswdt xypvla, cwv Ck’la kp vbl nbkze R nsdnlkhle yde csal yqvla vld xsdvbp. Rq vblal kp lhld y bkdv sq yd yqqyka okvb ydsvbla xyd, Yypvla, usw nyd jkzz xl sd vbl prsv!”

Fw Ykdtel’p pwprknksdp, obknb bye fwpv yakpld, olal talyvzu ekxkdkpble cu Gwdvkl Hbys’p nsdqkeldv elxlydsa yde vsdl. Gqvla yzz, Gwdvkl Hbys oswzed’v byhl vbl yweynkvu vs es pwnb y vbkdt.

However, just as Auntie Zhao let out a sigh of relief, Su Qi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, “Father, Auntie has not betrayed you.”

“But I am not your son.”

At these words, Auntie Zhao abruptly lifted her head, her tears still unwiped. She hurriedly stood up and walked over to Su Qi, delivering a resounding slap across his face. Her eyes pierced through him like knives, and her voice trembled. “What nonsense are you spouting? Shut your mouth!”

Su Mingde, who had unknowingly stepped closer to Su Qi’s side, pushed Auntie Zhao aside. “What did you say? Say it again.”

Su Qi made up his mind and, disregarding Auntie Zhao’s continuous glances and gestures, looked up to meet Su Mingde’s gaze. “I am Zhao Rou’s son. Auntie Zhao is my aunt.”

“You are… How do you know?” Each word seemed to squeeze out between Su Mingde’s clenched teeth.

“When I was thirteen years old, I overheard it accidentally while searching for my cricket under the windowsill.”

After a long silence, Su Mingde tightened his fist and turned to look at Auntie Zhao, whose eyes gleamed with hostility. “Is what Su Qi said true?”

…

***

In a small village in Qingzhou, Grandma Jian sat in the courtyard, watching Jian Yujue come and go. “Yujue, you will eventually return to your own family. Why bring an old woman like me along? If you miss Grandma, just come back and visit more often. That would be enough for me.”

Jian Yujue counted the bundles of cloth and responded evasively, “Grandma, are there any other packages that haven’t been sorted out?”

Seeing that he completely ignored her words, Grandma Jian helplessly replied, “Everything has been sorted out. There’s nothing else worth taking.”

Being of old age, Grandma Jian didn’t want to burden Yujue any further, but his stubborn nature couldn’t be changed. It seemed that she could only try to persuade him again once they reached the capital.

“Well then, Grandma, rest for a while. After I call the carriage, we’ll set off.”

“Alright.”

Grandma Jian sat alone in the courtyard. The house was simple, just a single courtyard, not far from the main gate, just a few steps away. She had been waiting for half an incense stick’s worth of time when suddenly the sound of horse hooves came from outside the gate.

Since it was daytime, when Jian Yujue went out, he hadn’t closed the main gate. So when Su Mingde entered, the first thing he saw was an elderly man with white hair sitting by the well.

“Are you… here to find Yujue?”

Grandma Jian had a clue as soon as she saw him.

“Hmm.”

Grandma Jian wiped a low stool next to her with her sleeve and smiled. “Would you like to sit for a while? Yujue will go and call the carriage. He’ll be back soon.”

Su Mingde glanced at her but didn’t sit down. Instead, he walked around the adobe house, feeling the pain in his heart. Now that he knew where his true son was, he had to beat Yu Qingniang to it and bring Jian Yujue back to the Su family. In Su Mingde’s heart, there was only Mrs.Yu. He couldn’t afford to lose another son.

Grandma Jian followed behind Su Mingde, walking a few steps together. Suddenly, she remembered something and ran into the house to fetch a piece of red cloth. “This was wrapped around Yujue when we found him. Last time, the girl forgot to take it with her. I thought it would be the same for you.”

Grandma Jian looked at Su Mingde, knowing that she hadn’t given it to the wrong person. It was the only thing Yujue had on him back then, and she had kept it all this time, hoping to return it one day and prove his identity.

Su Mingde took the red cloth. The patterns on it were unique to the Su family, and all his doubts disappeared. He became even more nervous about Jian Yujue.

“Grandma, thank you for taking care of him all these years.”

Why was this family so polite? Grandma Jian felt a bit embarrassed. “No, Yujue is well-behaved. In fact, it’s Yujue who takes care of this old woman.”

Su Mingde took out a silver ticket from his pocket and handed it to Grandma Jian. “No, no, I should be the one thanking you.”

Grandma Jian declined for a long time, but Su Mingde took it back. Then he changed the subject: “However, I hope you’ll have fewer interactions with Yujue in the future. Otherwise, I’m afraid he’ll be even more reluctant to get close to us.”

Grandma Jian’s smile froze for a moment, and she slowly understood. She replied in a low voice, “Hmm, I understand.”

“This time in the capital, I’ll take Yujue back with me directly. On your end, I’ll find two more servants. If you need anything in the future, just come to me directly; there’s no need to…” Su Mingde paused.

Jian Yujue had been standing by the door for, who knows, how long. He looked coldly at Su Mingde inside and stepped over the threshold, interrupting, “Grandma’s matters are my responsibility. You don’t need to worry.”

“Yu’er…” When Su Mingde turned his head and saw Jian Yuju, he almost couldn’t control his emotions. But Jian Yuju’s icy tone made him deeply uncomfortable. “Yu’er, I am… I am your father!”

“But,” Jian Yujue said slowly, “I am also Grandma’s grandson.”