"Kneel down!!"
Mr. Jin's rosewood cane struck the ground heavily, the sound causing Xiao Bao's shoulders to shudder.
Xiao Bao pouted, went up to hang on his father's shoulders, and cooed, "Dad, don't be angry, I've come back safely, haven't I? The weather has turned cool, would you bear to make me kneel?"
Mr. Jin glared at him, "I'll add a cushion for you!"
"Dad, I know you can't bear it, I was wrong, I dare not do it again next time. But I did it for you, didn't I? The last time you were so scared, it frightened us all. If I had taken Zhao Cai and Jin Bao with me, it would definitely have taken a long time."
Mr. Jin glared at him for a while, sighed, and his tone softened a lot, "Dad knows you're filial, but you can't be so careless... so carelessly run off to such a far place with a stranger. It's a time of many troubles now..."
"A time of many troubles? Dad, what's the matter?"
Mr. Jin coughed lightly and turned his face away, "So many people are eyeing our family. Have you forgotten the several kidnappings you encountered when you were younger? If it wasn't for Dad's protection, you wouldn't know how many times you could have died."
"Dad, the... my friend, his martial arts skills are very strong. Zhao Cai and Jin Bao together are not his match. I'm very safe with him." Xiao Bao thought thankfully that he had sealed the servants' mouths. If his parents knew they had been attacked outside Feng Chuan, this matter would never end.
Mr. Jin shouted, "What do you know about him, a man of unknown origin? What if he sells you off? All that growth for nothing, no brains at all."
Xiao Bao pouted and muttered quietly, "What you said is exactly like what Su Yin said."
Mr. Jin grabbed him for another round of lecturing, and Xiao Bao had to put on a smiling face until the end, finally managing to soothe his father.
His mother and Xiao Yu were still sitting on the side, looking at him with stern faces.
Xiao Bao hurriedly moved closer to his mother, sitting beside her and smiling sweetly, "Mom, I missed you so much."
Mrs. Jin humphed and turned her head away, her eyes a bit red. Xiao Bao hugged his mother and cooed softly for a while, his mother was the easiest to appease in the family, a few soft words and she couldn't bear to stay mad at him.
Xiaobao picked up Xiaoyu again and sat her on his lap, pinching her little face, "Come, let brother have a look, yo yo, have you been crying? Don't cry, brother is back now, and I've brought you something fun."
Xiaoyu turned her head and bit his hand hard with a row of little sharp teeth, exerting a lot of force.
"Ouch ouch ouch, Xiaoyu, let go, quick, brother was wrong, brother was wrong!"
Then Xiaoyu let go, sniffing and asking him, "You promised not to run around anymore, you lied to me again."
"Brother was wrong, okay, I won't do it again, I'll tell you wherever I go in the future, okay?"
"You're lying!!"
"I really won't lie anymore in the future, really, this time it was because dad was sick, it was a special situation."
Xiaoyu stared at Xiaobao with her eyes red, and suddenly said very seriously, "When I take over the Jin family in the future, I will definitely not let you run around."
Xiaobao was startled and turned to look at his parents.
The elders shrank back for a moment, then met Xiaobao's gaze again.
Mrs. Jin spoke up, "We've already talked to Xiaoyu about it."
Xiaobao was unhappy, "I said this was not okay, why haven't you given up on this idea yet? And Xiaoyu is only ten years old, why are you telling her these things now??"
The elders of the Jin family had realized early on that Xiaobao was not cut out for business. If such a huge family business were left to him to manage, it would be ruined in a few years. Xiaobao himself was aware of this, so the elders had always wanted to find him a wise and capable wife who could help Xiaobao lead the Jin family, just as Mr. Jin himself was not
educated, but had a smart Mrs. Jin to help him manage both inside and outside.
After Xiaoyu came to the Jin family, they found this little girl to be extraordinarily smart, learning everything quickly and being very diligent and ambitious. The elders hoped early on that Xiaobao would marry Xiaoyu in the future, so that the couple could work together in unity.
However, Xiaobao was firmly opposed. Firstly, he only had brotherly affection for Xiaoyu and couldn't develop any other feelings for her.
Secondly, he knew his own character; he was bound to have many wives and concubines in the future, and he could not wrong his own sister. Now that he had Huai'en, he no longer thought of having many wives and concubines, but there was still no place for Xiaoyu in his life.
The elders advised him for a long time, and he, feeling headache, could only prevaricate by saying they would discuss it when Xiaoyu grew up. If she was unwilling then, could they force her? Xiaobao thought that Xiaoyu would definitely not want to marry her own brother, how strange that would be.
Unexpectedly, Xiaoyu's little face was full of stubbornness, and she looked at him without flinching. "My parents have told me, I want to become Mrs. Jin, I want to marry brother."
Xiaobao was so scared that his face changed on the spot. He quickly put Xiaoyu down, swallowed his saliva, and chose his words carefully, "Xiaoyu, you are still young, you don't know what it means to marry brother. When you grow up…" Xiaoyu shook off his hand and said loudly, "Of course, I know, I know more than you. I want to marry you, be your wife, and have several..."
Xiaobao quickly covered Xiaoyu's mouth and turned his head to seek help from his parents.
The elderly couple of the Jin family tacitly turned their heads away at the same time.
Xiaobao sighed and tried to explain to Xiaoyu, "Xiaoyu, listen to your brother. I...I am your brother, you can't marry me. Xiaoyu is so beautiful and smart, you can surely marry the best man in the whole world. How about this, I will ask brother Su yin not to marry until you grow up, okay?
Look, brother Su yin is handsome and capable..."
Xiaoyu forcefully pushed Xiaobao, who was leaning toward her, back into his chair. She shouted, "I don't want any Su yin; he is duplicitous, full
of tricks, and talking to him is exhausting. I don't want anyone else, I just want to marry brother. You are not my biological brother, why can't you marry me? I will manage the Jin family well, and let you live the same life as now. What's wrong with that?"
Xiaobao became anxious, "Xiaoyu, you are still young, you will understand later..."
"I understand now!! You are just despising me!! You despise me for not having...not having...I am..." The little girl couldn't continue, tears streaming down her face.
Xiaobao, feeling sorry for her, hugged her tightly, "Who would dare to despise our Xiaoyu? You have a father, a mother, and a brother. No one would dare to despise you. Brother will find the best man in the world for you. You are still young, we can talk about this when you grow up, okay?
Stop crying now."
Xiaoyu cried muffled in his arms, and Xiaobao could only comfort her while sighing. He didn't expect to face such an awkward situation as soon as he returned, just hoping that Xiaoyu would change her mind when she grew up. She must have been taught by his parents; otherwise, if Xiaoyu really harbored such thoughts as she grew up, he wouldn't know what to do.
Madam Jin, seeing it was about time, took Xiaoyu away. Before leaving, she gave Mr. Jin a meaningful look, which Xiaobao caught. He knew there wouldn't be an end to this today and looked for an excuse to get away.
Mr. Jin tried to persuade him to stay a few more words but couldn't keep him, also feeling that this matter shouldn't be rushed and had to be taken slowly. There would eventually come a day when Xiaobao could accept Xiaoyu.
Before leaving, Mr. Jin suddenly remembered something and asked Xiao Bao to make a trip to Boss Liu's house in the eastern part of the city.
Xiao Bao wondered, "What for should I visit Boss Liu's house?"
"Oh, I just learned the day before yesterday that Boss Liu's late father also suffered from asthma. It's said their family has a recipe from a famous doctor who was passionate about culinary research, specifically for treating asthma, and it's very effective. I've already notified Boss Liu, so you might as well fetch it for me tomorrow."
"Great, great, that's wonderful." Xiao Bao was both happy and touched, knowing his father must not bear to see his filial piety come to naught, hence specifically sending him on this errand.
"Bring some more items with you, and be thorough with the courtesy."
"Yes, father, rest assured."
"Ah, Xiao Bao, about Xiao Yu's matter, think it over more..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bao dashed out the door as fast as he could, "I'll prepare some gifts and return by dinner."
Mr. Jin watched his son disappear through the porch, a sigh of vicissitude and weariness barely audible from him.
"When will You Ying return to Suzhou?"
"Two days ago, the flying letter we received said that the items had already been safely delivered to the cult leader, and he set off immediately.
By estimation, he should return to Suzhou by tomorrow, the day after at the latest."
Holding a thin piece of paper in his hand, Huan En's expression was complex, hesitating for a moment before finally asking, "Why would my father want to..."
"...After all, she is... the cult leader's wife..."
The paper in Huan En's hand instantly turned to ash, and he stood up, walking to the window in a few steps.
Zuo Ying, kneeling, turned to Huan En, "Young master, only a few days are left until the third day of next month. If the order isn't given now, it will be too late."
The room fell into a silence so deep, you could hear a pin drop.
After a long while, Huan En finally spoke softly, "Leave, I have my plans.