Mr. Mu fetched a bucket of water in the kitchen, washed the mud off himself, and sat alone in the yard, smoking dry tobacco.
After a few puffs, his entire demeanor seemed noticeably more haggard.
After a while, Mu Danian hurried back.
He was in such a rush, like his eyebrows were on fire, that he ran straight to the main room, completely missing Mr. Mu under the big willow tree in the yard.
It was only when Mr. Mu called out to him that Mu Danian stopped in his tracks.
"Fifth, your father has a few words to say to you..."
Mr. Mu explained to Mu Danian the importance of not addressing him incorrectly later.
Originally, he hoped for a few comforting words from Mu Danian, but instead, Mu Danian bluntly said, "Dad, my older brother makes sense. He's a scholar now, and with so many classmates around, of course, he wants to save face.
