His father's death made the already desolate Lin Mansion even quieter.
His mother, Yao Shan, would sit in the courtyard all day in a daze, flipping through the various ledgers his father had personally transcribed, lost in thought.
Lin Xiaoliu often brought her son to visit. He had grown tall and strong and had attended both the scholarly and martial academies. While he showed no special talent for either, he was honest and down-to-earth.
His parents had arranged a marriage for him, and he voiced no objections. The bride-to-be was beautiful, from a good family, and had a gentle personality.
In his own words, if his family hadn't been so well-off, she would have never looked twice at him. For that, he was perfectly content.
Liu Wu Jun also came to visit her from time to time, sharing amusing stories about his experiences at the Rain Palace. He, too, seemed to have lost the sharp drive for cultivation breakthroughs that once defined him.
