The Arrival of the Unruly Relatives
The “Third Uncle” Zhang Shi mentioned was none other than the man Yang Lan and Lin Qiao had encountered in Uncle Wang’s courtyard a few days prior.
“Is this child’s grandmother named Chen Yun?” Yang Lan asked.
Zhang Shi nodded. “That’s right.”
Yang Lan let out a cold laugh. “Then it’s no wonder Yang Qingnian turned out this way.”
“Why? Have you met him?”
Yang Lan nodded and recounted the incident that had occurred at Uncle Wang’s house.
Zhang Shi was immediately furious. “That Chen Yun has no filter, doesn’t know what should or shouldn’t be said. What kind of example is she setting for the children?”
As they spoke, a commotion arose at the door, and the faint sound of a man’s continuous cursing could be heard.
Zhang Shi’s expression changed. “It’s Yun Ge’er.”
Yang Lan supported him, his sharp gaze fixed on the door. “He’s the one in the wrong. We have nothing to fear from him.”
Lin Qiao came over and held Zhang Shi’s arm. “Husband is right. Father, just sit and rest for a while. With Husband here, nothing will happen.”
Yang Lan raised an eyebrow, surprised at Lin Qiao’s confidence in him.
Chen Yun’s voice grew closer, and Yang Qingnian, who was rolling on the ground, cried even louder, as if he wanted to tear the roof off.
“Grandma, Grandma! Save me! The little brat hit me!”
Zhang Shi’s heart sank at these words.
His son was so good, how could he be insulted and cursed by a mere child? If he didn’t get an explanation today, he would go to the Yang family shrine and kneel there until he did!
Yang Lan wasn’t aware of Zhang Shi’s thoughts.
He didn’t care about what Yang Qingnian said, even thinking that the harsher the insults, the better. This was a matter of catching the thief red-handed and confronting him face to face!
“Yang Lan! You little brat, a bastard with a father but no upbringing, come out here! What have you done to my precious grandson? If you’ve harmed a hair on Little New Year’s head, I’ll make you face the Yang family rules!”
He cursed all the way from his house, attracting a crowd of onlookers. By the time he reached Yang Lan’s doorstep, dozens of people had gathered behind him.
Yang Lan stood at the door, his tall figure as straight as a pine, his face set with a cold, murderous intent. Under his gaze, dozens of people felt an urge to retreat.
Chen Yun was momentarily stunned, the countless curses he had prepared stuck in his throat.
After a moment, he regained his composure and, feeling humiliated, shouted, “Yang Lan! How dare you stand there! Hand over my Little New Year and come with me to face the family rules, and I’ll forgive you.”
Yang Lan sneered, his eyes sliding over Chen Yun as if to say, “Are you worthy?”
Chen Yun was furious. “You, Yang Lan! It’s bad enough you bullied my precious grandson, but now you don’t even respect me as your elder? All those years of studying the classics were wasted on you!”
As he finished speaking, some of the onlookers, eager for drama, chimed in. “Yun Ge’er is right. Respect for elders is important. If you can’t even respect your elders, you’re worse than a pig or a dog.”
“Yeah, Lan Xiaozi, apologize to your uncle, and this will be over.”
“If this goes to the family shrine, it won’t look good. The whole family will be shamed because of you.”
Chen Yun, hearing this, smiled smugly. “Yang Lan, did you hear that? Kneel down and kowtow three times, and bring Little New Year out unharmed, and I’ll let bygones be bygones.”
Yang Lan looked at him and suddenly burst into laughter.
The crowd was taken aback by his reaction.
Yang Lan said, “Then why don’t we all listen to what Chen Uncle’s precious grandson has to say?”
Chen Yun’s heart skipped a beat, but he stubbornly denied it. “What nonsense are you spouting? My Little New Year is well-behaved and sensible, unlike you, a wild child.”
Before he could finish, a pig-like wailing erupted, followed by Yang Qingnian’s stream of curses.
Insults like “coward,” “bastard,” and “ill-bred fool” poured out, leaving even Yang Lan impressed.
He smiled slightly at the now pale-faced Chen Yun. “Well-behaved and sensible? I’ve truly witnessed it today.”
Who says bratty kids aren’t lovable? They’re quite endearing when they sabotage their own side!
Chen Yun’s face turned red and white, but he stubbornly held on. “My Little New Year is crying so miserably, you must have beaten him and forced him to say that! You’re going too far. Do you think I won’t report you to the authorities?”
The Village Head arrived just in time to hear Chen Yun’s words, nearly fainting from anger.
“Shut your mouth!”
Chen Yun, who was all bluster and no bite, immediately deflated at the Village Head’s scolding.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, he quickly said, “I was just trying to scare Yang Lan, I didn’t really mean to go to the authorities.”
In ancient times, commoners feared seeing officials. Unless it was a major issue that couldn’t be avoided, they would never willingly involve the authorities.
“Thoughtless! Do you think you can say such things lightly?” The Village Head scolded him with a dark expression.
Yang Lan, however, chuckled. “I actually think Uncle Chen has a point.”
The Village Head’s face changed, and he glared at Yang Lan. “Lan Xiaozi! Chen Yun may be foolish, but don’t you understand?”
Recently, Yang Lan had been doing well, as if he had sobered up after getting married. He was respectful and courteous to outsiders and had begun to show filial piety to his father.
The Village Head’s long-extinguished hopes for him had rekindled, only to be dashed again by his reckless words! How could he not be angry?
“Village Head, it’s not that I’m being unreasonable. According to the laws of the Great Li Dynasty, commoners who insult a titled scholar can be sentenced to up to three years of labor, and those who knowingly condone it can be fined ten taels of silver.”
Yang Lan’s casual words caused everyone’s face to change.
Chen Yun stammered, “You’re just a student, not even a scholar. How can you claim to be a titled person?”
Yang Lan looked at him and smiled slightly. “Whether I am or not can be confirmed by asking the county magistrate.”
Chen Yun’s pupils dilated suddenly. He wouldn’t dare go there!
The Village Head interrupted their conversation. “Enough! Everyone, be quiet!”
Once silence fell, he turned to Yang Lan. “Lan Xiaozi, the prosperity of Willow Leaf Village is shared by all. Reporting to the authorities is a serious matter that needs careful consideration.”
In Stone Town, none of the villages had ever been involved in a lawsuit. If Willow Leaf Village became the first, his position as Village Head would be over.
Seeing Yang Lan’s unchanged expression and unwavering stance, he ground his teeth and said, “Lan Xiaozi, I know Chen Yun was wrong today. Tell me how you want to resolve this.”
“Village Head!” Chen Yun was so anxious he was hopping mad.
The Village Head glared at him. “What do you want? To go to the county and see the magistrate?”
Chen Yun immediately deflated, lowering his head and saying nothing.
Yang Lan’s lips curled slightly as he said, “As a member of Willow Leaf Village, I naturally wish to uphold its honor. For the Village Head’s sake, I won’t hold Uncle Chen accountable this time. However, Yang Qingnian, as a junior, openly insulted my father and me. It’s outrageous and shows a lack of respect.”
The Village Head nodded. “What does Lan Xiaozi want?”
“I want him to kneel and apologize at my father’s grave, and I want Uncle Chen to discipline him properly,” Yang Lan said coldly.
Chen Yun’s eyes rolled back at these words, nearly fainting.
After a moment of contemplation, the Village Head agreed and called for two men from the family to bring Yang Qingnian out.
He cast a final glance at Yang Lan, then turned and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Yang Lan raised an eyebrow, feeling no remorse for his actions.
He had long understood that being kind only invited bullying.
Yang Qingnian was dragged out by two strong men, crying so hard he could barely breathe, his voice hoarse. He couldn’t understand why, even with his beloved grandmother there, no one was saving him.
“Chen Yun, I hate you!” Yang Qingnian shouted angrily.
Chen Yun watched as his usually doted-on grandson hurled insults at him, his heart shattering. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
Because of this incident, chaos erupted once more at Yang Lan’s doorstep, but he paid it no mind.
“My father is unwell and has been upset. I need to go in and keep him company. Could I trouble you uncles to escort Uncle Chen home?” With that, he ignored the reactions of others, stepped inside, and slammed the door shut.
The crowd outside exchanged glances, regretting having come to witness the spectacle. In the end, they had no choice but to reluctantly escort Chen Yun home.
With the door closed, peace finally returned inside. Yang Lan let out a long breath.
As the saying goes, when a scholar meets a soldier, reason doesn’t prevail. He wasn’t afraid of strong opponents, but rather of unreasonable scoundrels like Chen Yun.
He sighed and looked up to meet a pair of bright eyes.
Lin Qiao rushed to Yang Lan’s side, clinging to his hand, his eyes full of admiration. “Husband, you’re amazing! You know so much! You scared them off with just a few words.”
Yang Lan looked at him, shaking his head with a smile.
Currently, he wasn’t strong and had no support. Apart from clever arguments, he had no other recourse.
“Husband, is the law of the Great Li Dynasty really written that way?” Lin Qiao asked, looking at him.
Yang Lan nodded as they walked inside. “It is written that way, but Chen Yun was right. The law specifies that a titled person must be at least a scholar.”
Lin Qiao was taken aback. “So you tricked them…”
Yang Lan raised an eyebrow and ruffled his hair. “Do you think my grand image is shattered?”
Lin Qiao didn’t quite understand what he meant by “shattered,” but he could guess, so he quickly shook his head. “Not at all. I think Husband is even more amazing!”
Yang Lan chuckled. No matter what he did, it seemed Lin Qiao would support him unconditionally.
Feeling a warmth rise in his heart, he ruffled Lin Qiao’s hair more vigorously, then asked, “Where’s Father?”
“He went inside after hearing you talk with the Village Head.”
Yang Lan nodded and approached Zhang Shi’s room, hearing the low sound of sobbing inside, as if speaking to his deceased husband.
He paused, took Lin Qiao’s hand, and whispered, “Let’s not disturb Father. Let’s go to the kitchen and make something nice for him.”
Lin Qiao agreed happily. “What does Husband want to eat?”
“What about you, Qiao Ge’er?”
“I don’t know, I want to eat everything…”
“Then let’s make dumplings…”
Their quiet conversation gradually faded away, leaving Zhang Shi with a faint smile. But as he looked at the dark memorial tablet before him, the smile slowly faded.
“Lan’er is doing well, and the new husband is also good. It’s just a pity you can’t see it…”
He carefully cradled the tablet, finally letting out a sigh.