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墨書 Inktalez
You really have to walk the path laid out for you; there's no need to barge into hell uninvited. Just when I was worried about how to breach the defenses of Six North, someone conveniently handed me a way in.
Ye Xiaohan avoided Six's Second Aunt and sneaked into the kitchen to find Six North.
Since Ye Xiaohan got busy, Six North had taken it upon himself to share the burden at home, including cooking. Every few days, he would whip up something delicious to treat everyone.
When Six North saw Ye Xiaohan, he exclaimed with joy, "Xiao Han, what brings you here? It's a mess in here; you should wait outside. The food will be ready soon."
Ye Xiaohan raised a finger to signal him to be quiet and pulled him along as if they were thieves sneaking away.
"Xiao Han?" Six North hadn’t been this close to Ye Xiaohan in a long time. Being pulled along so closely allowed him to catch a faint whiff of her fragrance, stirring something within him. He instinctively grasped her hand.
Ye Xiaohan snapped back to reality and shot him a glare, forcefully pulling her hand free and pushing him forward. "Stop fooling around; I need to talk to you. Tell me, your Second Uncle's son took ten taels of silver for school fees. Where is that money?"
Six North was puzzled by her question. "I gave the silver to Second Uncle. He personally handed it over to my brother for school fees. What’s wrong?"
Ye Xiaohan scoffed, "I fear the teacher may never see that silver." She recounted what she had just witnessed: "That money was likely used as gambling stakes by your brother, and he’s already lost quite a bit."
"What?!" Six North was taken aback, skepticism creeping in. "My brother wouldn’t be foolish enough to do something like that!"
Ye Xiaohan pointed ahead. "If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself; it’s right there."
Following Ye Xiaohan, Six North's expression grew serious as he retraced their steps.
The gambling scene was lively, with Six Brother completely engrossed in the game of Cricket, oblivious to the two new spectators.
Only then did Six North realize that the tuition fees had indeed been squandered and were not being saved for his brother's education as promised.
A surge of anger welled up within him, threatening to explode. Ten taels of silver was no small amount; in the countryside, it could sustain a family for two or three years.
He believed he had been more than fair to Second Uncle's family, doing his utmost to meet their every request. Little did he know they regarded him as a fool, brazenly deceiving him.
He didn't mind taking a loss, but he would never allow anyone to trick him.
Moreover, the money wasn't his; it was Ye Xiaohan's earnings. He always felt a pang of regret when it came to spending Ye Xiaohan's money, treating every coin with care, knowing how hard she worked for it.
Now, however, it was being squandered recklessly, thrown around without a second thought.
Anger mixed with heartache surged within him, blood rushing to his eyes as a fierce aura began to spread. He stepped forward, heading toward Second Uncle.
Seeing this, Ye Xiaohan quickly grabbed his arm. "Calm down! If you drag him out and beat him up now, won't that just tear apart your family's relationship? We've been enduring all this just to maintain stability with them!"
"How can they do this and still expect to stay in the Liu family?" he retorted angrily.
"Enough! I know you're furious—I'm even angrier than you! But acting impulsively will only make things worse; it won't solve anything!" Ye Xiaohan urged. "Listen to me: if we escalate this now, it won't benefit us at all. Remember, this is all for the sake of your family's honor."
In truth, there was something even more important at stake. With Second Uncle's character, once the relationship soured, he would no longer be able to gain any benefits from Liu Bei and might even turn hostile on the spot. There were many who eyed them covetously, eager to take advantage of any fallout.
In ancient times, filial piety was highly valued. Just dealing with Second Uncle's family and their emphasis on filial duty was enough trouble for Liu Bei. If someone with ulterior motives got involved, it could lead to significant complications.
Liu Bei might not have considered these implications yet; perhaps he had but was unwilling to face them. Although he appeared rough and tough at times, he could also be quite sensitive. Ye Xiaohan didn't want to burden him with these thoughts.
As a way of repaying his life-saving grace, she decided to handle these matters herself.
Finally managing to calm Liu Bei down, she dragged him back home.
"Put away that expression," Ye Xiaohan advised him. "You look like you're ready to bite someone; anyone who sees you will know something's wrong."
Beijing rubbed his face seriously, trying to make himself look as usual.
Ye Xiaohan advised, "We still don't know if he took the money to gamble on his own or if Second Uncle is deliberately trying to swindle us. For now, let's test the waters."
She leaned closer to Beijing's ear and detailed her instructions.
During dinner, when everyone had gathered and they were halfway through the meal, Beijing casually struck up a conversation with his younger brother. "How's school? Is the teacher good?"
His younger brother, devouring his food, quickly replied, "It's good, really good."
"Is that so?" Beijing said. "I heard that teacher is quite strict. If you can't recite your lessons, you get your palms smacked. You just started learning; have you been punished yet?"
His younger brother snorted dismissively through his nose. "That old stick just knows how to hit people. I memorize well; I pick things up easily. There's no way I'd get punished."
Second Aunt chimed in eagerly, "My son is smart; he learns everything quickly. He'll definitely achieve great things in the future!" She turned to Sixth Yang and added, "Yang, you should learn from my son. Look at you; every evening you don't seem to be studying anything and haven't shown any talent."
Sixth Yang focused on his meal. He ate elegantly but swiftly, often managing to take food before his younger brother without drawing attention.
Beijing observed the family dynamics.
His younger brother lied without a hint of shame, while Second Aunt piled good dishes in front of her husband and son, desperately serving them until their bowls were overflowing. As for Second Uncle, he clutched a bottle of liquor, pouring himself drinks without caring about what was happening around him.
Seeing his expression off, Ye Xiaohan worried he might lose control and flip the table. She quickly pinched his thigh under the table, hoping the pain would help him calm down.
Beijing lowered his head and silently continued eating.
The matter was left unmentioned; the family acted as if they were unaware. However, everyone had their own thoughts as they watched his younger brother occasionally pretend to go to school.
After this incident, Liu Bei's attitude towards Second Uncle Liu's family changed.
Previously, no matter how unreasonable Second Uncle Liu was, Liu Bei tried his best to meet his demands. Now, he treated him like an ordinary guest, just managing to get by.
Ye Xiaohan and Liu Yang were pleased with this change; it was about time. They owed him nothing, yet he acted as if he were entitled.
"Sister-in-law, has my elder brother seen the light, or do you have some way of keeping him in line?" Liu Yang said, giving a thumbs up and praising her without reservation.
Ye Xiaohan swatted him away. "Stop buttering me up! We can't let our guard down until they leave, understand?"
Liu Yang nodded. "I understand; the road ahead is long and arduous."
What surprised Ye Xiaohan was that her initial worry about Liu Bei losing his patience and revealing his true self was unfounded. Liu Bei remained remarkably composed. Although his attitude had changed significantly compared to before, Uncle Lu's family still hadn't noticed anything amiss. If they were dissatisfied, they only vented their frustrations on Ye Xiaohan without suspecting Liu Bei.
The longer Ye Xiaohan spent with Liu Bei, the more she felt he was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
At first glance, she thought he was just a plain countryman, and her subsequent experiences seemed to confirm that impression. However, in the fleeting details that occasionally surfaced, Liu Bei often exhibited unexpectedly remarkable behavior.
Ye Xiaohan's curiosity was piqued; she wanted to see what the real Liu Bei was like. Were those surprising actions mere coincidences or illusions? Or did they hide some untold secret?
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Remembering the mysterious figure she had seen at night—the Mysterious Man in Black—Ye Xiaohan decided she would pay more attention and carefully observe Liu Bei's every move.
For several days, Ye Xiaohan quietly kept watch, even following Liu Bei when he got up at night.
However, Liu Bei appeared to be an ordinary person without revealing any suspicious behavior. Ye Xiaohan yawned; perhaps it was time to give up. Continuing this way would only tire her out.
Just as she was about to head back to sleep and hadn’t moved yet, a figure flickered in the distance. Ye Xiaohan blinked in surprise; when she focused again, a man in black seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Upon the appearance of this person, Liu Bei remained completely unfazed, as if he had known all along that he would show up, clearly indicating they were in cahoots.
Ye Xiaohan pressed herself against the wall, straining her ears and widening her eyes, afraid to miss even the slightest clue.
The man offered a simple bow and began to speak, but his voice was so low that she could barely discern it was a man's voice. As for the content of his words, it was utterly inaudible.
Ye Xiaohan dared not get too close, fearing she might be discovered, so she had to make do with observing from a distance.
It was too far to see clearly, and the man's face was covered by a black cloth. She could only tell from his bone structure that he was not the same person she had encountered last time.
It seemed there was indeed an organization behind this, which raised her suspicions. Ye Xiaohan looked on as Liu Bei stood face to face with the man; they were of similar height, yet the man exhibited a hint of humility, seemingly showing great respect towards Liu Bei.
What kind of identity could command such a skilled individual who moved like the wind?
Certainly not someone who relied on physical strength to hunt and provide for their family like a simple villager.
Liu Bei had secrets, or perhaps the Liu family harbored some hidden past?
Various melodramatic plotlines flashed through Ye Xiaohan's mind like lightning, each one more outrageous than the last, leaving her feeling a chill down her spine from her own overactive imagination.
She needed to investigate thoroughly. Since she had to stay at the Liu residence for now, she at least needed to ensure that everything around her was under control. Not even knowing who she was interacting with made it impossible for her to feel at ease.
Ye Xiaohan frowned. For some reason, having grown accustomed to Liu Bei's honest demeanor, the thought that his true self might not reflect what he presented but rather be someone deeply concealed and calculating made her feel uncomfortable.
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