TRBDM -Chapter 5 A Growing Boy Eats His Father Out of House and Home

Xie Lan lifted his eyes in surprise. When they met Xie Sheng’s furious expression, he quietly lowered them again.

He stepped out from the doorway and stopped about five paces away from Wei Zhaorong.

Wei Zhaorong walked forward and raised his chin.

Xie Lan was very good-looking—willow-like brows, long and deep-set eyes.

The corners of his lips, which should have curved upward with youthful confidence, were pale instead from constant caution.

The right half of his face was red and swollen, marked with obvious bruises.

Wei Zhaorong’s heart clenched sharply.

“You got into a fight?”

Xie Lan gently turned his face away. “No. I just fell by accident.”

Wei Zhaorong’s heart sank. Bullied to this extent, and he’s still hiding it.

“Xie Sheng, you tell me. What exactly happened?”

Xie Sheng, already uneasy over his mother’s unusual behavior, rolled his eyes and quickly adjusted his wording.

“Third Brother, today you weren’t watching where you were going and ran into Editor Zhang’s carriage. Lord Zhang was magnanimous and didn’t argue with you, but you insisted on making trouble and even started fighting with his coachman. Just look at him—tall and strong. How could you possibly be his match? Next time, you mustn’t be so reckless.”

At first glance, the explanation seemed fine. But with a little thought, it was riddled with loopholes.

On the surface, Xie Sheng sounded as though he were advising Xie Lan. In reality, he had pushed all the blame onto him.

If it had been the Wei Zhaorong of her previous life, she would have believed Xie Sheng without question. After all, he disguised himself far too well.

Wei Zhaorong remained silent, waiting for Xie Lan to defend himself.

But after a long while, he did not utter a single word.

It was equivalent to tacitly accepting Xie Sheng’s twisted version of events.

Wei Zhaorong snorted lightly and asked again, “And why were you going to report this to the authorities?”

This time, Xie Sheng fell silent.

Xie Lan clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh—because Editor Zhang had snatched away the only keepsake his mother had left him.

Editor Zhang’s carriage had been charging recklessly down the road, knocking over Xie Lan as he was buying a writing brush at the roadside.

Not only did Zhang refuse to apologize, he even accused Xie Lan of frightening the horse and demanded compensation.

Where would Xie Lan get money? The coins he had just used to buy the brush had been secretly given to him by his eldest sister during her last visit home to the marquis estate.

At Zhang’s command, the coachman seized Xie Lan. When Zhang stepped out of the carriage, he immediately spotted the jade pendant hanging at Xie Lan’s waist.

He yanked it off and weighed it in his hand. “What junk. I’ll take this as payment.”

Who would have thought that Xie Lan, who never fought with others, would suddenly go mad and lunge at him? If not for the coachman holding him back, Zhang would certainly have been knocked to the ground.

Xie Lan was beaten several times by the coachman, then turned and headed for the government office to file a complaint.

If Xie Sheng hadn’t appeared “just in time,” Xie Lan would already have gone.

Afraid that Xie Lan would wake up the next day and continue causing trouble at the authorities, Xie Sheng hurried to Anhe Courtyard to bring Wei Zhaorong over.

Wei Zhaorong held the highest authority in the marquis residence. Everyone had to obey her.

Besides, she had never liked Xie Lan. Xie Sheng believed that once their mother arrived, the matter would simply be brushed aside.

How many similar incidents had occurred before? Without exception, they had all ended with Xie Lan being punished.

The rear courtyard was utterly quiet. The servants hid inside their rooms, not daring to make a sound.

Wei Zhaorong knew that Xie Lan would rather swallow his grievances than speak of the reason.

She let out a soft sigh and stopped pressing him. “Nanny Qi, summon the estate physician. Tonight, Xie Lan will dine in my courtyard.”

Xie Lan could not make sense of what Wei Zhaorong was up to. Not taking the opportunity to punish him was one thing—but why would she kindly arrange treatment for him and even have him dine with her?

He was not the only one confused; everyone present was.

Xie Sheng nearly voiced his objection, but held himself back.

Unlike the foolish Xie Chuan, he always kept an extra layer of caution.

Tonight, their mother’s attitude was clearly unusual.

Xie Sheng had always played the role of a dutiful son who would never defy his mother. Whatever decision she made, he would obey.

He was shrewd and skilled at reading people’s expressions. With the situation still unclear, he could not afford to act rashly.

When they returned to Anhe Courtyard, where Wei Zhaorong resided, the household physician was already waiting.

Wei Zhaorong instructed him to examine Xie Lan.

Xie Lan’s injuries were mostly superficial, though the worst was on the right side of his face.

As the physician applied the ointment, even someone as tough as Xie Lan couldn’t help but hiss in pain.

But that was the only sound he made.

After the physician finished applying the medicine and packed up his kit to leave, Xie Lan stood, preparing to depart as well.

“Sit. Eat with me.”

Wei Zhaorong suddenly spoke.

“Thank you, Mother, but I’ve already eaten.”

On ordinary days, Xie Lan ate with the servants—simple tea and plain rice, without even a hint of meat.

As the saying goes, a half-grown boy can eat his father into poverty.

Xie Lan was in the midst of growing; how could such meager food possibly be enough?

Wei Zhaorong knew that her stern and unapproachable image could not be changed overnight, so she deliberately kept a cold face and said,

“What, you can’t stomach the food from Anhe Courtyard?”

“Mother, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then sit down and eat.”

With no choice, Xie Lan sat.

Meanwhile, Xie Sheng stood to the side—completely ignored by Wei Zhaorong.

“Mother, I also want to—”

Before he could finish, Wei Zhaorong cut him off. “It’s getting late. Go back.”

“Me?”

Xie Sheng stood there dumbfounded for a long moment. Seeing that Wei Zhaorong had no intention of asking him to stay for the meal, he could only leave resentfully.

Anhe Courtyard was the power center of the entire marquis residence; naturally, its treatment was the finest.

The table was filled with all kinds of exquisite dishes. In Xie Lan’s memory, he had only ever been allowed to sit at such a table during major festivals.

The succulent fish and rich cuts of meat were nothing like the servants’ coarse fare. Xie Lan exerted all his self-control to keep himself from reaching out with his chopsticks.

Seeing him lower his head and eat only plain rice, Wei Zhaorong picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it into his bowl.

When the principal wife served you food, you had to eat it. Xie Lan thanked her softly and ate.

At the table, neither of them spoke. Yet Wei Zhaorong’s chopsticks never stopped moving, until Xie Lan was truly full. Only then did she set hers down.

This was the fullest and most sumptuous meal Xie Lan had eaten since the old marquis passed away.

“Nanny Qi, have Lan Courtyard cleaned tomorrow. Let the Third Young Master move in. How can the dignified Third Young Master of the marquis household continue living in the servants’ rear quarters?”

Lan Courtyard had once been the residence of Xie Lan’s birth mother. After her death, Wei Zhaorong had ordered it sealed.

Inside Lan Courtyard were many belongings left behind by his mother.

Xie Lan shot to his feet and dropped to his knees with a thud. “Thank you, Mother.”

Wei Zhaorong told him to rise.

As he stood, a tear slipped from the corner of his eye. Afraid Wei Zhaorong might be displeased, he quickly wiped it away.

She chose not to comment on the small gesture and asked again, “Now can you tell me what Scholar Zhang did to you?”

Gentle persuasion was indeed effective. Xie Lan was still young. Wei Zhaorong had summoned the household physician for him and arranged for him to move courtyards—by now, the little vigilance he had left had completely vanished.

“He took the jade pendant my mother left me.”

Smack!

Wei Zhaorong slammed her hand hard against the table.

Startled, Xie Lan almost dropped to his knees again.

“This is outrageous! Zhang Xiuzhuan has gone too far—daring to lay hands on a child of my marquis household. Does he think I, the mistress of this house, am dead?”