Chapter 289

Watching Ya Chang’s expression, Wang Xiu Jin frowned slightly and glanced at Lady Wang. Her face was far from pleasant; she summoned a maid to inquire what had just happened. Wang Zhi Ze glared fiercely at the maid, looking quite intimidating. The maid looked at the young master, then at the lady; she knew better than anyone whose word mattered most in the household. She recounted the events simply: the two brothers had been playing on the rug with the toys Ya Chang brought, and Wang Zhi Ze seemed intent on claiming the toys for himself, attempting to slap Ya Chang’s hand away.

After hearing this, Wang Xiu Jin raised his eyebrows. It was a small matter, really, but he picked up his son and looked at the scattered wooden blocks. “Young Ya Chang,” he said, “let me teach you something. If someone tries to take your things and you can’t win against them, remember these words: endure him, yield to him, avoid him, let him be, tolerate him, respect him, ignore him—and in a few years, watch him. This means a gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years. In those ten years, you will strive to surpass your opponent. And when the time comes, you will stand above him, needing to do nothing to best him.”

“Xiu Jin,” Lady Wang interjected, frowning at her husband’s way of teaching the child.

Wang Xiu Jin saw nothing wrong in his approach. He patted his son’s shoulder. “Pack up your things; we’re going home.” Ya Chang swiftly began to gather his belongings. Wang Xiu Jin looked at his nephew and then at his mother. “Mother, I think Zhi Ze needs proper guidance.” He had always treated his eldest brother’s children kindly—not because they were particularly well-behaved, but because he believed children with ambition or assertiveness were not an issue. However, he absolutely detested internal squabbles, especially when it meant a child bullying a younger sibling for their own possessions. If one had ability, it should be shown outside, not by bullying family at home. Wang Xiu Jin could only scoff.

Given that his son had been bullied today, Wang Xiu Jin decided to carry him home. Along the way, he gently patted his son, worried that the boy might be left with psychological scars, yet he himself felt a lingering sense of frustration.

Back home, Wang Xiu Jin handed his son over to Lin Fu for care and retreated to his room to compose himself. The more he thought about the incident, the more uncomfortable he felt. His thoughts wandered through all his past experiences, and though he wouldn’t blame his brother for spoiling his son, he recognized that his brother was always busy at the magistrate’s office, leaving the children’s upbringing to his sister-in-law. If the child was poorly taught, the root cause lay with her.

Wang Xiu Jin’s reasoning was somewhat extreme, and he knew it. He could be rational when it happened to others, but when it concerned himself, he inevitably took it more personally. He forcefully exhaled, urging himself to calm down; moments ago, he had even considered writing a scolding letter to his elder brother for raising such a wayward child.

When Li Lin Shan returned home, she first encountered her younger sister and Ya Chang. Seeing the aunt and nephew happily playing, she didn’t disturb them, but the servant responsible for Ya Chang quietly relayed the day’s events. Li Lin Shan’s already calm face grew even more intimidating after hearing the story. The servant, frightened, stepped back two paces, regretting her decision, but recalling Wang Xiu Jin’s demeanor upon returning, she felt she’d spoken up just in time.

Li Lin Shan entered her room to find Wang Xiu Jin in a foul mood. Truth be told, she didn’t think much of children squabbling, but the servant had told her what Wang Xiu Jin said, and that caused her some concern. To her, his words went a bit too far. “Did something happen today?” she asked, changing out of her official uniform, as Wang Xiu Jin seemed to ignore her presence.

“Oh, yes, something happened.” Wang Xiu Jin finally looked up, seeing Li Lin Shan enter, and quickly composed himself. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve already figured out a solution.” No matter how unhappy he was about his brother and sister-in-law’s parenting, Wang Xiu Jin would not speak of it to Li Lin Shan. If she cared even a little, the relationship between the two families would become delicate. As for his nephew, Wang Xiu Jin could only keep his thoughts to himself. If the boy changed, playing with Ya Chang wouldn’t matter. If not, Ya Chang had plenty of other friends. He only hoped that the boy wouldn’t lead his other nephews astray.

Li Lin Shan glanced at Wang Xiu Jin and understood at once. The servant’s report was definitely unsolicited. That seemingly loyal servant need not stay; she would be sent away and examined to see if she had been bribed. “How about hot pot for dinner?”

“Sounds good. I’ll have someone inform the kitchen.” Wang Xiu Jin was unaware that a servant had tattled; even if he knew, he wouldn’t say much, perhaps only spare the servant some punishment, for in his eyes, the servant was loyal. “We should have special dishes prepared for Ya Chang. Hot pot isn’t suitable for him yet. I’ll ask what he’d like to eat.”

“Every time you ask, the kitchen never serves what he actually wants,” Li Lin Shan remarked, finding Wang Xiu Jin rather tricky with his son.

“Of course. If a child always gets what he loves, he’ll develop picky habits. Best to let him eat a variety.” Wang Xiu Jin’s reasoning was sound, but today he resolved that no matter what his son requested, the kitchen would prepare beef rice for him.

“When the military camp is renamed, I’ll accompany the Fourth Prince out of the capital,” Li Lin Shan mentioned, referencing the prince’s desire to inspect coastal defenses. Though he often received reports, he’d never seen them firsthand and was uneasy. The journey would be kept secret, so Li Lin Shan could only mention accompanying the prince, not the destination—even to family.

At the mention of the Fourth Prince, Wang Xiu Jin frowned. Though Li Lin Shan didn’t always encounter danger when traveling with the prince, there had been one or two close calls—enough to make Wang Xiu Jin overly cautious. He always felt that accompanying the Fourth Prince was fraught with risk. And the prince considered Li Lin Shan his own. “Be sure to select only your most trusted and capable people.”

“Of course,” Li Lin Shan replied, feeling both warmth and helplessness at Wang Xiu Jin’s concern, recalling past complaints. “Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous.”

Wang Xiu Jin rolled his eyes. Danger wasn’t something one could predict. How could he know ahead of time? He spat mentally at his own pessimism. “I’m going to check on Ya Chang.” With Li Lin Shan’s impending trip, Wang Xiu Jin pushed his nephew’s matter aside, feeling more at ease. Whether Ya Chang grew up well or not wasn’t his headache; if the boy became a true wastrel, he wouldn’t hesitate to cut ties for the greater good.

After Wang Xiu Jin left, Li Lin Shan had the complaining servant brought in for questioning.

Meanwhile, at the Wang household, Lady Wang dealt with the children’s matter without hesitation. She had always felt she owed her youngest son dearly—throughout his upbringing and marriage into the Li family. Even knowing there were external reasons for that marriage, her sense of guilt never diminished. Thus, she loved Ya Chang all the more, extending her affection to him. Today’s incident left her thoroughly displeased with her grandson and, by extension, with her daughter-in-law in distant Feng’an, and even her eldest son.

No matter how big or small the incident, no matter how a child behaves in Feng’an, parents always offer guidance before sending them out. From Wang Zhi Ze’s actions, Lady Wang couldn’t help but think more deeply, and the more she thought, the angrier she became. Considering how much her youngest son had given to the Wang family—without him, never mind the family’s standing, would her eldest have passed the imperial exams? Would he have become a county magistrate? Without scholarly merit, how could he climb the ranks? Did her husband really think a return to the capital would guarantee an official post? She knew her husband well—if anything, he’d tell their son to dream on. As for her eldest daughter-in-law, perhaps she was too complacent.

On his first day at the Wang household, Wang Zhi Ze was sent to the woodshed by his grandmother.

Zhi Yuan and Zhi Zhuo returned from their studies to hear from the servants that their younger brother had acted foolishly. Zhi Yuan frowned. “Eldest brother is as a father; when I get home, I’ll fulfill that role and give him proper guidance.” Zhi Zhuo nodded in agreement. Though they were blood brothers with Zhi Ze, they had spent more time with Ya Chang, who was younger than Zhi Ze. Bullying a younger sibling, especially one’s own, was contemptible.

When Master Wang returned home, Zhi Ze was first confined to the woodshed by his grandmother, then had his backside smacked with a ruler by his eldest brother, and finally tricked by his second brother in a way that left him badly battered. Master Wang had been disappointed in his youngest grandson from the start, and now, like his wife, his thoughts turned sour. Wang Xiu Jin managed to suppress his anger and refrained from writing his brother to reproach him, but Master Wang was straightforward—he sent his eldest son a letter, giving him a thorough scolding. Even after sending the letter, Master Wang still felt a lingering dissatisfaction and discussed it with his wife: “Perhaps we should have Xiu Bai resign?”

“Let’s first see if Xiu Bai knows about this. If he doesn’t, we’ll have his in-laws give his wife a warning. I don’t think this is Xiu Bai’s fault—it seems someone else is too complacent. If a wife isn’t virtuous, the household cannot be stable.” Lady Wang considered her son exemplary; surely it was the daughter-in-law’s failing.

Master Wang said nothing, tacitly agreeing.

Half a month later, Wang Xiu Bai received his father’s letter from the capital. He opened it with a smile, but as he read, his expression grew increasingly grim.