TSWPF -Chapter 244 Regret

When the old man heard this, his expression grew even more serious. He looked at Liu Zhen and said, “Old Liu, it’s not like you don’t know the situation of the Liu family. Once Zhimou’s identity is exposed, what kind of consequences will he face? Before Zhimou sits for the Spring Examination, I truly don’t want him to be disturbed in any way.”

As for that whole mess of affairs in the Liu family, he really didn’t want to spell it out so plainly.

After hearing the old man’s words, Liu Zhen’s brows knitted together unconsciously. He knew that the Liu family was not as glorious as it appeared on the surface, but having someone say it outright still made him uncomfortable, as if his face had been dragged through the dirt.

“Water too clear has no fish.” He had always kept this saying in mind, so regarding some matters within the Liu family that did not endanger the family as a whole, he had always turned a blind eye and never intervened.

Yet he had never imagined that this very attitude would become the obstacle preventing him from seeing his own grandchildren.

If he had known that such a day would come, he would have dealt properly with those matters in the Liu family long ago.

“Old Xue, I only want to come and see them. Before Zhimou takes the Spring Examination, I won’t make any moves at all—really.” He planned that after seeing his grandchildren once, he would return and thoroughly handle the Liu family’s affairs. Once everything was settled, he would then bring them back home to live with him.

From the letter sent by his eldest grandson, he had learned that his grandchildren were not living very well. He wanted to bring them to his side as soon as possible and properly make up for all the hardships they had endured.

His grandchildren could not be allowed to suffer any longer.

The old man studied Liu Zhen deeply for quite a while. Seeing his open and candid expression, he knew that Liu Zhen was not lying.

Lowering his gaze, he pondered for a long moment before finally speaking frankly, “They’re really not at home right now. These past few days, they’ve gone to the estate with Mr. Luo to have some fun.” Thinking of how those little brats had just abandoned him, this old man felt quite annoyed inside.

Fortunately, Dahe was still around. Otherwise, he truly would have been left as a lonely old man at home.

“So Mr. Luo also knows their identities?” Liu Zhen asked. “Does that mean I’m the last one to know?”

“On the second day after Zhimou arrived in the capital, I took him to visit Mr. Luo, hoping Mr. Luo would give him some guidance on his essays. I didn’t expect Mr. Luo to recognize him at a glance. Actually, that’s not surprising—Zhimou looks far too much like his father.” He had momentarily forgotten that Fourth Master Liu had once been Mr. Luo’s junior disciple, but this mistake had worked out in their favor.

“The reason Mr. Luo and I didn’t want Zhimou’s identity exposed so quickly is that we were afraid the Liu family’s enemies might make a move against him and prevent him from taking part in the Spring Examination.”

Fourth Master Liu’s reputation had never been surpassed all these years.

If those old enemies learned that Li Zhimou was Fourth Master Liu’s son, they would likely never allow him to grow up smoothly.

For all these reasons, they had to do everything possible to keep matters confidential.

Hearing this, Liu Zhen’s whole body shook. Learning that his youngest son had left behind children had made him so excited, so overjoyed, that he hadn’t thought through these crucial issues at all.

Now, with the old man’s reminder, his excitement gradually calmed down.

“It was indeed my oversight. I didn’t think of that.” Although with him around, no one would dare openly harm his grandchildren, it was better to be safe than sorry. Since this concerned their future, he had to be extremely cautious.

The old man nodded in understanding. “Let’s talk about everything after Zhimou finishes the Spring Examination. Just endure it a little longer. You’ve endured it for more than ten years already, after all.”

After a pause, he couldn’t help but jab Liu Zhen again. “If you hadn’t been so domineering and arbitrary back then, Fourth Master Liu wouldn’t have left home, and you wouldn’t have—”

He didn’t say the words ‘white-haired sending off the black-haired’.

He was afraid that if he did, Old Liu would end up coughing blood again.

That would really be a sin.

Even though the old man didn’t finish his sentence, Liu Zhen understood perfectly.

He let out a faint, bitter smile. Yes—if he hadn’t been so stubborn back then, insisting that his youngest son break off the engagement with the Lu family, his youngest son wouldn’t have quietly left home.

This was all his fault.

But no matter how much he regretted it now, what use was it? His youngest son would never come back.

Never again in this lifetime.

At this thought, his blood and qi surged violently, and his face instantly turned pale.

Seeing this, the old man cried out anxiously, “Old Liu, don’t get agitated! You mustn’t get agitated! If you cough up blood again, there really will be no saving you! Think about it—you still haven’t met Zhimou and the others yet. Are you willing to die so soon?”

Old Liu really couldn’t withstand any stimulation anymore. One poke, and he’d be coughing blood again.

This was all his fault for not holding his tongue and poking at Old Liu, upsetting his emotions again.

He had to restrain himself. He couldn’t speak as freely as he used to. Old Liu was now like a porcelain doll—unable to withstand even the slightest shock.

Liu Zhen reached out and patted his chest, taking several deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the surging qi within him.

Old Xue was right. He still hadn’t properly spent time with his grandchildren—he couldn’t die so early.

If he died, who would protect his grandchildren?

Seeing Liu Zhen’s expression gradually ease, the old man finally relaxed. As long as he wasn’t agitated, that was good.

He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and then said helplessly, “Old Liu, you’ve really become a porcelain doll now—can’t be spoken to, can’t be touched.”

Who would have thought that the once mighty and imposing Liu Zhen had grown old like this, unable to endure any stimulation?

Liu Zhen smiled helplessly. He truly was old. Many things now left him willing but powerless.

Still, he couldn’t go meet his youngest son yet. He had to protect his grandchildren until they grew up and married before he could leave with peace of mind.

“Old Xue, just put your heart at ease. I’m not that fragile, and I don’t plan on dying so early. No matter what, I have to see my grandchildren grow up and get married before I go to meet their father.”

At the word married, the old man’s brow twitched. He stared intently at Liu Zhen. “Old Liu, did your eldest grandson tell you about Zhimou being married?”

If Old Liu dared to repeat what he’d done back then, he’d make sure he paid for it.

Stunned, Liu Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the old man. “Zhimou… is married?”

His eldest grandson hadn’t mentioned this in his letter at all!

He had even been planning that after Zhimou finished the Spring Examination, he would choose a wife for him.

He never imagined that his grandson was already married.

“Looks like your eldest grandson didn’t tell you,” the old man snorted coldly in displeasure.
Thinking of how Liu Zhihao had once tried to stop Li Zhimou from marrying Li Qingling, he felt even more annoyed. “This marriage was personally arranged by Fourth Master Liu. Thankfully, Fourth Master Liu had good judgment. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t even get to see those grandchildren of yours.”

Truth be told, if it weren’t for Li Qingling, Li Zhimou and his siblings might not have survived the great famine a few years ago.

If Old Liu dared to interfere and stop them from being together, he would truly be heartless.

“T-this… what exactly is going on?” Liu Zhen asked urgently.

“Old Xue, how much do you know? Tell me!”

His eldest grandson hadn’t written about these things—did he not know, or did he simply forget to mention them?

The old man glanced at Liu Zhen’s anxious face, and the displeasure in his heart eased somewhat. He cleared his throat, took a sip of tea, and then told him about Li Zhimou and Li Qingling.

He didn’t go into much detail, only giving a rough account. Yet even this rough outline made Liu Zhen’s heart ache unbearably.

His eldest grandson had told him in the letter that the grandchildren hadn’t been living well, but he never imagined it was this bad.

He closed his eyes heavily, steadied his emotions, and then forced a strained smile at the old man. “Old Xue, I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry—I won’t repeat my old mistakes.”
After all, that was a wife personally chosen by his youngest son for his grandson. He wouldn’t interfere lightly.

What’s more, they were already married and had gone through so many hardships together. He had even less reason to meddle in their affairs.

He didn’t want to push his grandson farther and farther away.

Back then, he had been so resolute in opposing his youngest son and daughter-in-law, and he regretted it deeply now. He couldn’t make another decision he’d regret again.

“It’s good that you can think it through,” the old man nodded in satisfaction.

“To put it bluntly, even if you wanted to separate them, you couldn’t. In Zhimou’s heart, Xiao Ling is far more important than a grandfather he’s never met.”

Unpleasant as it might be, this was the truth.

Unless Old Liu didn’t want to acknowledge Li Zhimou and his siblings at all, he could try using forceful methods.

Even though Liu Zhen knew this himself, hearing it said aloud by the old man still made him uncomfortable.

“I am his grandfather. Blood ties can never be severed.”

The old man leisurely took another sip of tea. “So what if you’re his grandfather? When they were at their most difficult, where were you?”

Some people really couldn’t see the situation clearly—he had to spell it out.

Liu Zhen’s face alternated between pale and flushed. Afraid of provoking him again, the old man quickly added some words of comfort.

“I say this only because I don’t want you to make another mistake, understand?”

He understood—but hearing it was another matter altogether.

Liu Zhen opened his mouth, about to speak, when a voice suddenly rang out.

“Grandpa, we’re back!”

The next moment, a small figure rushed in and dove straight into the old man’s arms. “Grandpa, did you miss me these past few days? I missed you so much!”

A little sweetheart with such a sweet mouth—this had to be Li Qingning.

Seeing Li Qingning, the old man was pleasantly surprised. He had thought those little ones were having too much fun to come back.

“I missed you—so much! Ningning, how was playing at the estate? Were you happy?”

From the moment Li Qingning rushed in, Liu Zhen’s eyes had been fixed on her. Only when he heard the old man call out “Ningning” did he lower his gaze in disappointment.

This was not his granddaughter.