Chapter 31: One of Our Own

"Click!"

Luo Jiaorong burst into laughter as she bolted the door.

Luo Zijun was speechless. Was his sister afraid that their guests would suddenly run away before she had the chance to show off and slap them in the face?

"Hahahahahaha..."

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

"Uncle Sun, Aunt Chen, Yan'er, why are you all getting up? Sit back down! Sit back down! I'm already cooking; we’ll eat before you leave!"

"This is such a grand occasion! My Zijun has been specially admitted to the West Lake Academy. Not only is tuition free, but they’re even paying him to attend! Hahahahaha..."

"Oh, by the way, Aunt Chen, you said earlier, what rank is West Lake Academy again? And how much silver does it cost to go there? I’ve forgotten, do tell me again."

Madam Chen: "..."

Luo Jiaorong went straight over and affectionately grabbed her hand, her mouth stretched in a wide grin. "Aunt Chen, come, let’s go to the kitchen and cook together. It’s been so long since you visited, and your niece has so much to tell you!"

Madam Chen’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably as she struggled. "Um, Jiaorong, I... I have something to attend to, so I won't stay for dinner. We should head home..."

"How can that be!"

Luo Jiaorong insisted, gripping her arm firmly and pulling her along. "You’ve finally come to visit! If you don't stay for dinner, people will say we were poor hosts! Come, come, you handle the firewood, I’ll do the stir-frying, it’ll be done in no time!"

Madam Chen said with a bitter face, "I... I don’t know how to tend the fire..."

"Haha, it’s simple, you’ll learn in a second! Look at my Zijun, he never went to a school before, and now, with just a casual effort, he’s been specially admitted in advance by the best academy in the region, and they’re even paying him to go!"

"..."

Madam Chen was forced behind the stove, nearly in tears. She had never set foot in a kitchen in her life!

Li Zhengshan hurriedly stepped in. "My dear, leave it, leave it. Aunt Chen has things to do at home, let them go."

Madam Chen, as if grasping at a lifeline, immediately stood up and grabbed Li Zhengshan’s sleeve, offering a fawning smile. "Yes, Zhengshan, your aunt really does have things to attend to, so let us go..."

Luo Jiaorong hadn't intended to feed them anyway—she just wanted to disgust them. Seeing that her goal was achieved, she pretended to be reluctant. "Aunt Chen, look at you, it’s such a rare visit, what could possibly be going on at home? Is the sow about to farrow?"

Madam Chen quickly replied, "Yes, the sow is... no, it's something else."

Li Zhengshan suppressed a laugh and quickly escorted her out of the kitchen.

Madam Chen’s eyes were already red, and wanting to stay no longer, she hurried, "Husband, the sow at home, oh no, there are other things, let's go, let's go quickly..."

Sun Jintang glanced at her with a complicated expression and said to Li Zhengshan with a smile, "Zhengshan, today is a joyous day for Zijun, we won't disturb your family any longer. In a few days, when I’m free, I’ll invite your family to my place for dinner to celebrate Zijun’s success. You must come, no excuses."

Li Zhengshan quickly replied, "If Uncle Sun invites us, we certainly wouldn't dare refuse."

Sun Jintang looked over at the youth, who had grown into a handsome young man, and sighed inwardly before smiling. "Zijun, come along with your sister and brother-in-law. Don't forget your old uncle just because you've been admitted to the academy."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and said, "I will certainly come to pay my respects."

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

Sun Jintang nodded with a kindly smile, then turned to Sun Yan'er, who was still standing at the entrance of the living room in a daze. "Yan'er, let's go."

Sun Yan'er was currently in a trance, as if she were in a dream. She cast one last look at the young woman in the room, then at the youth in the courtyard, before bowing her head and following behind.

The three of them, with their maids and servants, left in a hurry.

Li Zhengshan said, "Uncle Sun, these gifts, you see..."

Sun Jintang laughed, "You must keep the gifts. Don't overthink it; it’s nothing more than a congratulatory token for Zijun’s success in entering the academy. Isn't it only right for an uncle to send a gift to his nephew?"

Luo Jiaorong stood in the kitchen with a cold sneer on her face.

Li Zhengshan saw them to the door, urging them to travel safely.

***

The family of three walked silently through the alley. The maids and servants followed behind, terrified to make a sound.

Finally, Madam Chen couldn't help but speak up. "Hmph, so what if he got into the academy! Didn't our Yan'er also..."

"Slap!"

Before she could finish, Sun Jintang raised his hand and struck her hard across the face, his expression grim. "If you say one more word, don't blame me for tearing your mouth apart!"

Seeing the terrifying look in his eyes, Madam Chen covered her face, lowered her head, and trembled, not daring to utter another sound.

Sun Yan'er looked up at them, her expression blank, as if she had lost her soul.

Sun Jintang continued to walk forward in silence. As they exited the alley, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at his daughter with a complex expression.

Sun Yan'er stopped as well.

Sun Jintang sighed. "Yan'er, I don't know what you are thinking, but I can see that Zijun is no ordinary person."

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

Sun Jintang studied her for a moment. "Although you two never formally betrothed and have no marriage contract, I still have your grandfather’s letter, and you once exchanged tokens."

Sun Yan'er was startled. "Tokens?"

Sun Jintang nodded and took a silk pouch from his pocket. "We gave him a jade pendant engraved with your birth date, and he gave you a hairpin. I heard it was something his mother left behind."

Inside the pouch was that very hairpin.

Sun Yan'er stared at it blankly, whispering, "What do you want me to do, Father?"

Sun Jintang placed the pouch in her hands and looked into her eyes. "I just want to tell you that this matter is yours to decide. Return it to him, or keep it yourself."

He said no more, glanced back at the alley, and turned to leave.

***

"Hahahahaha..."

"Did you see Aunt Chen’s nose and mouth? They were almost twisted with rage, hahahahaha..."

Seeing that the guests were gone, Luo Jiaorong couldn't hold it in any longer and began to laugh at the kitchen door.

Li Zhengshan quickly said, "Alright, alright, we have a guest, keep it down!"

Luo Jiaorong looked around. "A guest? What guest?"

Then she laughed. "You mean Ling'er? Ling'er is one of our own, I’ve long since accepted her as a sister, what’s there to fear?"

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

Luo Zijun was looking over the gifts in the courtyard. "Sister, brother-in-law, these things look quite valuable, and we can’t eat them all. Why don’t we sell them at the market tomorrow?"

Luo Jiaorong rolled her eyes. "Why are you worrying about such things? Think about your reporting to the academy tomorrow, what you need to bring, and which teachers you need to visit. Let your brother-in-law give these pieces of junk away tomorrow. Don't embarrass yourself by selling them!"

Li Zhengshan added, "Indeed, we can't sell them at the market. It would be too embarrassing if Uncle Sun and the others saw."

Luo Jiaorong said, "Alright, alright. Zijun, go inside and talk to Ling'er, I’ll have dinner ready soon."

With that, she hummed a little tune and went into the kitchen.

"Xiaohuan, come and help with the things."

Luo Zijun shouted into the house. Xiaohuan hurried out to help him carry the gifts inside.

As Luo Zijun went to pick up the second load, he looked at the young woman standing on the veranda. "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 of the kitchen and scolded, "Ling'er is a guest! Look at those fair, delicate hands—are those hands meant for doing rough work?"

Luo Zijun immediately replied, "Sister, you just said she was one of our own."

Luo Jiaorong put her hands on her hips. "Oh? You dare talk back? Now that you’ve been admitted to the academy, your wings are getting stiff, aren't they?"

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

"Hey! You brat..."

Luo Jiaorong began to look for a broom.

"Here it is!"

Li Zhengshan immediately grabbed the broom from the corner and handed it to her, laughing. "Give him a good thrashing!"

To everyone's surprise, Luo Jiaorong took the broom and hit him with it instead, fuming, "I’ll start by thrashing you!"

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

Xiaohuan stood by the door, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Su Qingling watched this scene, then looked up at the silver moon that had quietly climbed above the branches.

Dinner was ready soon.

Throughout the evening, the smile on Luo Jiaorong’s face never faded, and she was warm to everyone.

"Ling'er, eat more! Look at how thin you are, the meat is only growing in one place!"

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

"Xiaohuan, sit down and eat with us, no need to stand, we’re all family."

"Zhengshan, you eat more too, work hard to earn money so we can save up for our brother's dowry and get him a wife!"

Luo Zijun said, "Sister, you should eat more too. Eat until you’re sturdy, so when you argue with others, you’ll have more spit to spray further, with even greater lethality!"

"Get out!"

Luo Jiaorong raised the end of her chopsticks and tapped his head a few times.

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

After dinner, Luo Jiaorong suddenly remembered someone and asked, "Oh, by the way, Ling'er, where is your grandfather? Didn't I tell you to bring him along for dinner?"

"Zijun, did you call your master?"

As soon as these words were spoken, both Luo Zijun and Su Qingling were stunned and looked at each other.

"Senior Sister, did you forget? Why didn't you wait for Master to return? I remember the key to your house was still on the counter, that should have been Master’s, right?"

"You were the one who locked the door."

Luo Jiaorong: "..."

Meanwhile, Su Dafang was sitting alone on the steps in front of the pharmacy, drinking cold water and gnawing on a steamed bun.

The night wind was desolate, blowing through his gray hair and thin robes.

His figure looked so lonely.

"Sigh, two unfilial wretches..."