Chapter 2: The Stubborn Father and Son

  After a long gaze between father and son, Yang San forgot to put away his oppressive tone and asked, "You tell me, how many days should you be locked up this time?"

  "Whatever." Yang Yuxi lowered her head and patted off the dust on her body, nonchalantly pursing her lips.

  "Then let's start with twenty lashes, and then lock him up for two months!" Yang Sanfeng said coldly, his tone stern and unyielding.

  "Old master, it's not possible! Twenty strokes would be unbearable for an ordinary adult, let alone Third Young Master who is only eight years old, something will happen!" Yang Lin changed color and hastily spoke up.

  "Hmph, isn't he quite formidable? How is it that you can't even accept this little punishment?" Yang Sanwang looked down at Yang Yuxi from his lofty height, but the words coming out of his mouth were actually Yang Lin's.

  Yang Yu Xi felt that he was being looked down upon by this man once again. Although he clearly knew the power of twenty slaps, last time with just five slaps, he couldn't sit for two days. But in his heart, twenty slaps compared to being looked down upon, undoubtedly the latter's blow was greater. So he gritted his teeth and pretended to be fearless, saying: "Hit me then, who's afraid of you?!"

  "Hey, Third Master, this isn't a joke! If things go wrong, you could lose your life!" Yang Lin was fed up with the father-son duo, who were as stubborn as each other and refused to give in. Every time, it was him, the steward, who ended up anxious.

  Yang Lin knew that once Yang Yu Xi's temper flared up, eight horses couldn't pull him back, so he could only hope that Yang San would quickly change his tone: "Master, it really will result in someone dying! If you must hit someone to vent your anger, then I'll substitute for Third Young Master, give me twenty lashes instead!"

  "Grandpa!!" Yang Yu Xi shouted loudly, but was glared back by Yang Lin and didn't dare say anything else.

  Yang Sanwang looked at the son in front of him, who was as stubborn as himself and even more so, and he really didn't know what to do with him. He thought that twenty strokes of the cane would intimidate him, but in the end, he had underestimated him.

  "You're such a stubborn kid!" Yang San glared at Yang Yu Xi, who was only up to his abdomen, and let out a sigh. He no longer had that sharpness, only a helpless frustration in his eyes.

  "Still because of you?" Yang Yu Xi gently blew on the bruise on her wrist, without even looking at Yang San Fong.

  Because he knew it was his own fault, Yang San forgot to respond and just stared at Yang Yu Xi with a hint of apology. Yang Yu Xi looked up at him, and her sparkling eyes suddenly appeared crystal clear. Yang San forgot was slightly stunned, just about to say something, but was abruptly cut off by Yang Yu Xi's loud shout: "It's all you, it's all because you don't care about me!"

  Just finished speaking, Yang Yu Xi again muttered to herself: "Other people's parents will take care of this and that, although sometimes it will make people unhappy, but at least someone is taking care of you! You are the city master, you are busy, so there is no time to take care of me. No matter what I do outside, you don't care!"

  "Last autumn, Grandma Sun's fruit trees produced a lot of delicious fruits that were big and round. I thought Grandma Sun was old and couldn't climb the trees, so I called on Xiaoyan and Erhuizi to help out. We picked fruits for a long time and filled several baskets. In the end, Grandma Sun gave each of us two fruits. I and Xiaoyan were very happy as we walked back home. When they returned home, their parents praised them, and Xiaoyan was beaming with pride. As I watched them, I thought to myself that I also have a family and I want to be praised too. So I quickly ran back home. But when I got back, you were just about to go out. I showed you the fruits, hoping you would praise me like Erhuizi's father did, but what did you say to me?!" Yang Yuxi became more agitated as he spoke, tears streaming down his face mixed with dust, his small fists clenched and trembling from exertion, his entire body shaking. He had lost all his stubbornness and looked like a wronged child."

  Yang San was shocked, looking at Yang Yu Xi in front of him. He already knew he was very wronged, but didn't expect it to be to this extent. He suddenly felt heartache and wanted to hold him in his arms, loving him dearly.

  But in an instant, he thought of the words he had said to Yang Yuxi at that time, and his body trembled slightly. Overwhelmed with self-reproach, he no longer dared to step forward and pick up his son.

  He said: "Where did you steal the fruit again? Wait for me to come back and clean you up!" At that time, he saw that Yang Yuxi's left knee was scraped and the blood had dried on it. He thought it was just a scrape from stealing fruit and didn't think much of it. Now thinking about it, it should have been when Yang Yuxi rushed home in a hurry and accidentally fell and scraped her knee.

  And why was he in such a hurry to go home?

  It's just for the sake of getting praise for oneself!!

  But oneself however...

  "Old master……” Yang Lin's eyes reddened as he stepped forward and hugged Yang Yu Xi into his arms. He clearly remembered that day when Yang San forgot to come back, Yang Yu Xi had already crushed those two fruits into juice and smeared them on the walls, tables, and chairs in the main hall. As a result, he was beaten several times on the buttocks and locked up for a week. However, at that time, this child didn't make a sound, silently enduring all the punishment. When he was being beaten, his eyes were just as stubborn as they were when he was oppressed earlier!

  "This kid is really too stubborn." Yang Lin muttered to himself silently.

  As for Yang San, he couldn't say a word anymore. He finally squatted down and patted Yang Yu Xi's small shoulder with his right hand, his voice trembling as he said: "Son, I'm sorry..."

  Yang Yu Xi's small shoulders heaved, he lifted his head, the tears on his face seemed to have stopped, but his red eyes looked so pitiful, the faint tear stains bore the full resentment in his heart. He suddenly raised his hand and pushed away Yang San's hand that was on his shoulder, with a hint of crying tone: "I don't want your apology, apologies can't be exchanged for candy. I want you to return my mother to me, everyone else has a mother, why don't I have one?! If you won't return her to me, then tell me where she is, I'll go find her myself! You're busy and don't have time to take care of me, but my mother can take care of me!"

  In the end, Yang Yu Xi suddenly felt that something was off, turned his head to look at Yang San Wang, and found that his gaze had changed a lot, but he didn't know what it was.

  An eight-year-old child can't possibly understand that kind of feeling called vicissitudes.

  Yang San's gaze, at this moment, was like that. He seemed to be looking ahead, but Yang Yu Xi knew he wasn't seeing her at all. His thoughts had clearly drifted far, far away. In his eyes, it was as if a million years had passed, separating him from the woman by a distance of a silver river, never to be seen again. His love, his feelings, were buried in that silver river and those million years.

  "Master..." Yang Lin had followed Yang Sanwu for too long, and he knew things that others didn't. At this moment, he spoke up to bring Yang Sanwu back to reality, saying, "It's all in the past."

  Yang Sanwang seemed to have aged many years in an instant, the fatigue that was initially hidden deep in his eyes now filled his entire pupils and extended throughout his body.

  He stood up wearily, his body slightly swaying, he turned around, and unexpectedly no longer paid attention to Yang Yuxi, but dragged his heavy footsteps out of the hall.

  "Old Master..."

  Yang Lin bent down, gently stroking Yang Yu Xi's cheek and said: "Don't mention your mother in front of your father again. I know you miss her, but the longing in your heart can't compare to the longing your father has for her. Your father... he is in a lot of pain! Some things, when you grow up, you will understand. For now, just don't ask anymore, okay?"

  Yang Yu Xi didn't quite understand Yang Lin's full meaning, but he knew that Yang Lin was telling him not to ask any more questions. Although he felt very reluctant, in the end he could only nod his head. In his memory, every time his mother was mentioned, his father would instantly become dispirited and look even older than Grandfather Yang.

  "Good boy." Yang Lin affectionately hugged Yang Yu Xi and called a guard to send Yang Yu Xi back to his bedroom. He said to Yang Yu Xi's back, "Third young master, the old master is still in a bad mood, don't run around randomly, just stay in your room for now. I'll go find the old master and put in a good word for you."

  Watching Yang Yu Xi disappear around the corner, Yang Lin let out a sigh, shook his head lightly and turned to walk towards the study.

  "Yan'er..." Yang San stood in front of the bed in the study, his eyes gazing far away, staring blankly at the vast expanse of wilderness to the west. The orange glow on the solitary mountain had faded into darkness, and the night sky crept quietly across the horizon. A lone wolf wandered alone, occasionally lifting its head to let out a long, mournful howl, its voice desolate and sorrowful, enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

  "Old Master..."

  Behind him came Yang Lin's voice, and Yang San suddenly came back to his senses, but he opened his mouth directly: "Go to the granary immediately and take out the grain. Tomorrow morning, compensate Wang Wu, and also give him enough money to rebuild a granary."

  "Yes, sir." Yang Lin replied, but didn't intend to leave, wanting to speak but hesitating.

  Yang San forgot slightly turned his face, under the dim light, his face was haggard and tired: "What's wrong, what do you want to say?"

  "Old master," Yang Lin hesitated, but finally made up his mind and looked at the side of Yang Sanwang's face, "The things that year were not your fault, why do you have to be so self-reproachful? Third Master was just a child then, he didn't know anything about his mother, how could he not be biased?"

  Yang San forgot to look westward again, the sunset had completely fallen, and in the darkness, only the outline of the distant mountains could be vaguely seen, black and dark, like a screen that had been unchanged for ages, separating some people from others.

  Yang San lowered his head and whispered: "I don't regret it, even if I had to come again, I would still do the same. Only..."

  He raised his head again, and his eyes were slightly red: "I still can't get through this pass!"

  Yang Lin heard this and shook his head with a sigh, full of unspoken helplessness.

  For a long time, neither of the two people spoke, standing quietly like that. The evening breeze blew gently, and Yang San's black hair in front was lifted up, and there was actually a faintly visible crystal line in the air.

  Those were Yang San's forgotten tears.

  Finally, Yang San turned around and walked to the table, sat down, reopened the book and said: "Some things, when he grows up will naturally know, I don't want to let him know in advance. You go back first. Also tell him, punish him with a month of confinement."

  "This..." Yang Lin hesitated, looking at Yang Sanwang, wanting to see a sign of change from his face, but unfortunately there wasn't one. Yang Sanwang seemed to have become completely absorbed in the book and didn't say another word.

  Yang Lin could only retreat and leave, the crimson door was closed behind him, as if sealing up all the past.

  *sigh*...

  A sigh echoed softly in the empty corridor.