Chapter 31: Family

"Click!"

Luo Jiaorong laughed heartily while bolting the main gate.

Luo Zijun was speechless.

Was his sister afraid that the other party would run off suddenly, depriving her of the chance to show off and slap their faces?

"Hahahahahaha..."

After bolting the door, Luo Jiaorong stood at the entrance with her hands on her hips, laughing for a while longer, before walking inside, looking triumphant and radiant.

"Uncle Sun, Aunt Chen, Yan'er, why are you coming out? Go back in! Go back in! I'm already cooking; eat after you've had a meal!"

"Such great happy news! My Zijun has been exceptionally admitted to West Lake Academy. Not only is it free to attend, but they are even giving my Zijun money! Hahahahaha..."

"Oh right, Aunt Chen, you just said, what rank is West Lake Academy? How much silver does it cost to attend West Lake Academy? I forgot, tell me again."

Chen Shi: "..."

Luo Jiaorong walked straight over and affectionately grabbed her hand, her mouth splitting into a wide grin: "Aunt Chen, come, let's go to the kitchen and cook together. You've finally come for a visit, your niece really wants to have a good talk with you!"

Chen Shi's eyelid twitched uncontrollably, and she struggled in a hurry: "That, Jiaorong, I... I still have things to do, so I won't stay for a meal, I'm going home..."

"How can that be!"

Luo Jiaorong would take no refusal, gripping her arm tightly and dragging her away: "You've finally come for a visit; if you don't stay for a meal, people will say we didn't host you well! Go, go, go, you feed the fire, I'll stir-fry, it'll be very quick!"

Chen Shi said with a bitter face: "I... I don't know how to feed the fire..."

"Haha, it's very simple, you'll learn it at once! Look at my Zijun, he had never attended an academy before, and now, with just a casual effort, he was directly admitted in advance by the best Academy around here, and the Academy is even paying him to go!"

"..."

Chen Shi was forcibly shoved behind the stove and was on the verge of tears.

From childhood to now, she had never even stepped into a kitchen!

Li Zhengshan hurriedly went in and said: "Wife, forget it, forget it, Aunt Chen has things to do at home, let them go back."

Chen Shi seemed to have suddenly grasped a straw for survival; she immediately stood up, grabbed Li Zhengshan's sleeve, and said with a fawning smile: "That's right, Zhengshan, Aunt really has things to do at home, let us go back."

Luo Jiaorong hadn't intended to make dinner for them anyway; she just wanted to deliberately disgust her. Now that her goal was achieved, she had to pretend to be reluctant and said: "Aunt Chen, look at you, you've finally come for a visit, what could possibly be going on at home? Is the sow about to give birth?"

Chen Shi hurriedly said: "Yes, the sow is about to... no, it's other matters."

Li Zhengshan suppressed a laugh and hurriedly shielded her as they fled the kitchen.

Chen Shi's eyes were already red, and she didn't want to stay for another moment, saying in a panic: "Old man, the sow at home, oh no, there are things at home, let's go quickly, let's go quickly..."

Sun Jintang glanced at her, his expression complex, and said to Li Zhengshan with a smile: "Zhengshan, today is Zijun's happy day, we won't disturb your family. In a few days, when I have time, I will invite your whole family to my place for a meal to celebrate for Zijun. You must come then, don't decline."

Li Zhengshan hurriedly said: "Since Uncle Sun invites us, we naturally wouldn't dare to decline."

Sun Jintang looked again at the youth standing to the side who had grown into a handsome figure, couldn't help but sigh inwardly, and smiled: "Zijun, come with your sister and brother-in-law then. Don't stop recognizing me as your uncle just because you got into the Academy."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and said: "Zijun will certainly come to pay a visit."

In front of his sister and brother-in-law, he naturally had to give face to his elders.

A kind smile appeared on Sun Jintang's face, and he nodded, saying to Sun Yan'er, who was still standing at the living room door in a daze: "Yan'er, let's go."

Sun Yan'er was currently in a trance, feeling as if she were in a dream. She took one last look at the young girl inside the house, then looked at the youth in the courtyard, and then lowered her head and followed behind.

The family of three had different expressions, and they left in a hurry with their maids and servants.

Li Zhengshan hurriedly said: "Uncle Sun, these many gifts, look..."

Sun Jintang said with a smile: "You must accept the gifts. Don't overthink it; it's not for anything else, just consider it a congratulatory gift for Zijun successfully entering the Academy. Isn't it only right for an uncle to send a congratulatory gift to his nephew?"

Luo Jiaorong stood in the kitchen, her face full of cold sneers.

Li Zhengshan hurriedly saw the family to the door, urging them to go slowly on the road.

The family of three walked silently in the small alley, none of them speaking.

The maids and servants followed behind, all of them silent as cicadas in winter.

Finally, Chen Shi couldn't help but speak first: "Hmph, it's just entering an Academy! Didn't my Yan'er also..."

"Smack!"

Before she could finish, Sun Jintang suddenly raised his palm and gave her a fierce slap, saying with a gloomy face: "If you say one more word, see if I don't tear your mouth apart!"

Seeing his terrifying gaze, Chen Shi immediately covered her face, lowered her head, and her lips trembled, not daring to make another sound.

Sun Yan'er looked up at the two of them, looking as if she had lost her soul, with no expression on her face.

Sun Jintang continued to walk forward in silence.

When they walked out of the alley, he suddenly stopped, turned his head to look at his daughter, his expression complex.

Sun Yan'er stopped her steps.

Sun Jintang suddenly sighed: "Yan'er, Father doesn't know what you are thinking, but Father can see that Zijun is definitely not a person who will remain in a pond."

Sun Yan'er looked at him, her expression calm: "Father, I have no relationship with him anymore."

Sun Jintang looked at her for a while and said: "Although you two are not betrothed and have no marriage contract, I still have your grandfather's letter, and besides, you exchanged tokens back then."

Sun Yan'er was startled: "Tokens?"

Sun Jintang nodded and took a brocade pouch from his bosom: "We gave him a Jade Pendant engraved with your birth date, and he gave you a hairpin. I heard it was left behind by his mother."

Inside the brocade pouch was that very hairpin.

Sun Yan'er's gaze was vacant, and she whispered: "What does Father want me to do?"

Sun Jintang placed the brocade pouch into her hand, looked into her eyes, and said: "Father just wants to tell you that you must decide this matter yourself. Return the item to him, or keep it yourself." He didn't say anything more, looked back at the alley once, and turned to leave.

"Hahahahaha..."

"Did you see Aunt Chen's nose and mouth just now? They were almost twisted with anger, hahahahaha..."

Seeing that the people had already left, Luo Jiaorong couldn't hold it in anymore and started laughing loudly at the kitchen door again.

Li Zhengshan hurriedly said: "Alright, alright, there are guests here, be low-key!"

Luo Jiaorong looked left and right: "Guest? Where is there a guest?"

She then smiled and said: "Are you talking about Ling'er? Ling'er is one of our own; I have long since accepted her as a younger sister, so what is there to fear?"

Su Qingling stood on the corridor, watching the figure in the small courtyard.

Luo Zijun was looking down in the small courtyard, examining those gifts, and said: "Sister, Brother-in-law, these things look quite valuable, and we can't finish eating them all. Why not take them to the market to sell tomorrow?"

Luo Jiaorong immediately rolled her eyes and said: "Why are you worrying about these things? Think about your reporting to the Academy tomorrow, what you need to bring, and which teacher you need to visit. Just let your brother-in-law take these pieces of junk to give away to others tomorrow. Why sell them? Aren't you afraid of losing face?"

!

Li Zhengshan also said: "How could we take them to the market to sell? If Uncle Sun and the others saw it, that would be too embarrassing."

Luo Jiaorong said: "Alright, alright, Zijun, go into the room and keep Ling'er company for a while. I'll have dinner ready in a moment."

As she spoke, she hummed a little tune and went into the kitchen.

"Xiaohuan, come quickly and help carry these things."

Luo Zijun shouted toward the room.

Xiaohuan hurried out and helped him carry the gifts from the small courtyard inside.

When Luo Zijun was carrying the second load, he looked at the young girl standing on the corridor and said: "Senior Sister, why are you just standing there like a fool? Don't you know how to help?"

Luo Jiaorong immediately poked her head out from the kitchen and scolded: "Ling'er is a guest. Look at those fair, tender, and slender little hands of hers—are those hands for doing rough work?"

Luo Zijun immediately said: "Sister, you just said a moment ago that she is one of our own."

Luo Jiaorong immediately put her hands on her hips: "Yo, you brat, you dare to talk back? Now that you've been admitted to the Academy, your wings have gotten stiff, haven't they?"

Luo Zijun said: "Sister, have my wings ever been soft?"

"Hey! You brat..."

Luo Jiaorong began to turn her head to look for a broom.

"Here it is!"

Li Zhengshan immediately took the broom from the corner and said with a smile: "Give him a good thrashing!"

Who would have thought that Luo Jiaorong would take the broom and strike him with it several times, shouting angrily: "I'll thrash you to death first!"

Li Zhengshan covered his head and ran, muttering: "I knew you couldn't bring yourself to do it!"

Xiaohuan stood at the doorway, carrying gifts, and laughed.

Su Qingling watched this scene, then raised her head to look at the silver moon that had quietly climbed onto the treetops at some unknown moment.

Dinner was soon ready.

All evening, the smile on Luo Jiaorong's face never ceased, and she was very enthusiastic toward everyone.

"Ling'er, hurry and eat the vegetables! Look at how thin you are; the meat is only growing in one place."

"Zijun, you eat too, eat more! Let your wings grow even stiffer so your sister can hit you even harder! Hmph!"

"Xiaohuan, sit down and eat together. No need to stand; we are all one family."

"Zhengshan, you eat more too. You need to work hard to earn money to save up for our brother's bride price so he can take a wife!"

Luo Zijun said: "Sister, you eat more too. Eat until you're sturdy, so when you argue with others, you'll have more saliva to spray further, and your lethality will be even greater!"

"Get lost!"

Luo Jiaorong raised the end of her chopsticks and struck his head several times.

Xiaohuan stood to the side, covering her mouth and laughing.

After the meal.

Luo Jiaorong suddenly remembered someone and hurriedly asked: "By the way, Ling'er, where is your grandfather? Didn't I say to let him come eat with you all?"

"Zijun, did you call your master?"

As soon as these words were spoken, both Luo Zijun and Su Qingling were stunned, and then their gazes met.

"Senior Sister, did you forget? Why didn't you wait for Master to return? I remember the keys to your house were still on the counter; those must have been Master's, right?"

"You locked the door."

Luo Jiaorong: "..."

And at this moment.

Su Dafang was sitting all alone on the steps at the entrance of the Pharmacy, drinking cold water and gnawing on a steamed bun.

The night wind was bleak, blowing his graying hair and thin robe.

His figure looked so desolate.

"Sigh, two unfilial things..."

(End of chapter)