Seeing everyone’s look of disbelief, Auntie Qiu was afraid Shuanzi wouldn’t believe her and hurriedly said, “It’s true, Shuanzi. Your father really has come back! And he even brought…”
She was about to continue, but seeing the gossipy looks on everyone’s faces, Auntie Qiu thought better of it and abruptly fell silent.
At her words, Zhao Xun could hardly miss that something was wrong.
After all, his biological father’s return should have been cause for universal celebration. But ever since Auntie Qiu came in, there hadn’t been the slightest hint of joy on her face.
She had even abruptly cut herself off halfway through her sentence. Clearly, there was some hidden circumstance she found difficult to speak of.
In an instant, Zhao Xun made up his mind.
He bowed apologetically to the Teacher seated at the front of the room and said:
“Teacher, something has come up at home. I’ll have to leave for today…”
“Go ahead.”
Before Zhao Xun could finish, Teacher Chen spoke.
He wasn’t foolish, either. This woman had just said that Shuanzi’s father, who had supposedly died in battle, was back. Yet there was no joy on her face, nor any hint of congratulations. Instead, she seemed anxious at every turn. Something was clearly amiss.
Zhao Xun bent over and bowed to Teacher Chen again. “Thank you, Teacher.”
Seeing this, Auntie Qiu immediately closed her open mouth.
Zhao Xun met her eyes. Neither of them said anything more; they left Class Bing in silence, moving quickly.
“Tap, tap, tap—”
At the sound of Teacher Chen lightly tapping the desk with his Ruler, the Students of Class Bing reluctantly turned their gazes away.
…
Only after they had left the Academy did Auntie Qiu look around to make sure nobody could hear them. Then she could no longer hold back and urgently said to Zhao Xun:
“Shuanzi, your father isn’t dead after all—he’s even returned home in glory! He looked so impressive today! Like a Great General—no, he is a Great General! I heard the people around him call him ‘General.’ He had such a magnificent carriage, and there were so many armored Guards following behind him. What a grand procession!
“He’s completely different from before. I almost didn’t recognize him. Your father must have become a high-ranking official!”
As she spoke, Auntie Qiu thought of something. The excitement instantly faded from her face, and she looked worriedly at the pale but delicate, pretty boy before her, who looked like a porcelain doll.
“…It’s just that your father brought back a… a… very beautiful woman. Your mother saw her, too. Now… they’ve all gone back to Kaoshan Village.”
At her words, Zhao Xun’s expression darkened.
His father, who had supposedly died in battle, had returned with a beautiful woman by his side. Anyone could guess what had happened.
He didn’t care about anything else, but—
“What about my mother!?”
“A Wu… when she saw your father, she didn’t say a word—she rushed straight over and called out to him. She nearly got hurt by those Guards. Later, your father got out of the carriage and stopped them, but he didn’t say anything to A Wu. With a cold expression, he told someone to put your mother in another carriage, and they set off for Kaoshan Village.”
At this, Auntie Qiu felt that A Wu had been treated unfairly. After all these years, he had finally come back, yet he was so cold toward her.
Seeing the little child fall silent, Auntie Qiu’s gaze flickered.
Shuanzi had always been decisive. Last year, when the man in her family beat her and she had nearly died, it was Shuanzi who saw what was happening and called for help, saving her life.
Though he was young, he was orderly and calm in the way he handled things. So she hadn’t planned to hide anything from him, and told him everything she had seen earlier.
“Also, there was a very beautiful woman in the carriage your father rode in. He was very different with her, and they were quite intimate. I’m afraid…”
Auntie Qiu didn’t finish, but Zhao Xun understood what she meant.
“Shuanzi, when you get home, make sure to keep an eye on your mother. Don’t let her act rashly. Whatever happens, you have to tell Auntie Qiu, understand?”
At her words, Zhao Xun understood.
“Auntie Qiu, thank you for telling me all this! I’m leaving now! Could you look after the shop for my mother for a while? We’ll definitely thank you later!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he shot off like a little cannonball, before Auntie Qiu could say anything.
Auntie Qiu’s worried voice rang out behind him.
“Shuanzi, slow down!”
But Zhao Xun couldn’t hear her anymore. All he could think about was whether his mother would be bullied.
…
He quickly found a carriage at the carriage stand, then hurried toward Kaoshan Village at full speed.
Along the way, he heard plenty of praise for how impressive and handsome Gu Yunxiao was, and how grand his return to the County Town had been. Zhao Xun’s heart, however, grew colder and colder.
“Sir, can you go any faster?”
Hoping to catch up with his mother, Zhao Xun asked the carriage driver, his voice somewhat anxious.
“Oh, child, we can’t go any faster. The road is so bumpy and rough, it’s hard to travel on.”
At this, Zhao Xun fell silent.
The old carriage driver had already been surprised that a child was traveling home alone in a carriage. Now that he heard him speak, he realized something urgent must have happened at home.
“Oh, child, don’t worry. It’s less than a Shichen from the County Town to Kaoshan Village. We’ll be there soon.”
Zhao Xun remained silent, but his anxious heart gradually calmed.
“By the way, child, you’re from Kaoshan Village, too, so you must know that your village has produced a Great General, right?” the driver asked excitedly.
Glancing at the driver’s honest-looking face, Zhao Xun replied calmly, “I just found out myself.”
“Ha! I knew Kaoshan Village must be a blessed place. How else would it produce a Great General? I hear the Great General’s surname is Gu, and his name is Gu Yunxiao. Just hearing the name, you can tell he’s destined for great things. By the way, you must know him, right? What was the Great General like before, child?” The driver was eager to chat and didn’t notice Zhao Xun’s gloomy mood at all.
Zhao Xun didn’t answer.
What kind of person was his biological father?
His mother had described him as brave, clever, literate, strong, quiet, filial, and so on.
He had every admirable quality imaginable.
But Zhao Xun had never felt anything for him. After all, he was just a “dead” father in name; they had never even met, let alone shared any affection.
But now, thinking of what Auntie Qiu had said…
Zhao Xun’s expression turned cold.
When nobody answered, the driver didn’t think anything of it and continued musing to himself. “Heroes emerge in troubled times! Daqing has another mighty general now. Truly…”
When they reached the village entrance, Zhao Xun had the driver stop the carriage, then hurried toward the Gu Family’s house.
He didn’t see a single person along the way. Everyone had probably gone to the Gu Family’s house to watch the excitement.
Zhao Xun had been running the whole way without stopping. Now he was panting like an ox, and the dull ache in his chest was so intense he wanted to simply faint away—but he couldn’t.
His mother was still waiting for him.
The Gu Family lived in the north of the village. It took Zhao Xun about half an incense stick to run home.
Seeing that the entrance to his home was completely blocked, Zhao Xun didn’t hesitate and ran straight toward the crowd.
A sharp-eyed person spotted Zhao Xun first and excitedly shouted,
“Shuanzi is back! Shuanzi is back! Everyone, make way for him!”
“Shuanzi, your father is back! He wasn’t dead, and he’s become a Great General! You’re one lucky kid!”
“That’s right! From now on, you’ll be the Young Master of a General’s household!”
“Shuanzi, your father looks so impressive! Did you rush back because you knew he’d become a General and wanted to see him?”
…
The noisy voices rose and fell all around him. Zhao Xun tried to steady his ragged breathing and gave everyone a hasty nod.
He glanced around and saw that the villagers only dared to watch from outside the courtyard; none of them dared to go in. The courtyard was full of horses, Guards, and three carriages.
Without looking to either side, Zhao Xun stepped through the gate. After only two steps, two stern-faced Guards blocked his way.
“Hey, kid, go play somewhere else!”
The two Guards looked astonished by his beauty.
This child was far too pretty!
Zhao Xun coolly raised his eyes and glanced at the two Guards. “This is my home.”
Without paying any attention to the two men, who stood there stunned, he strode toward the main room.
The two Guards exchanged glances, surprise in their eyes.
The General has a child!?
…
“A Wu, let’s get a Divorce.”
Zhao Xun arrived at that very moment.