TSWPF -Chapter 290 Obstinate and Reckless

It wasn’t long before Zhong Qing arrived. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she greeted Old Master Liu, then glanced at Liu Zhimou and the others, startled. “What happened?” she asked.

Old Master Liu cast her a sidelong glance and gestured for her to sit in the chair. “Listen to what Liu Zhimou and the others have to say, and you’ll understand.”

He had made it this far in life; how could he not see through Zhong Qing’s intentions? It was just that he didn’t want to bother arguing with her.

To put it bluntly, nobody in the Liu family was naïve.

If someone truly had no schemes, how could they survive in the Liu household?

Only Liu Zhimou and a few others who had just returned might be a bit simple-minded. As for the rest, “simple” was not a word that applied.

Precisely because of this, he was determined to protect Liu Zhimou and the others—he couldn’t let them return home only to suffer such grievances.

If his precious grandson was bullied right under his nose, how could he stand by and do nothing?

“Shan’er, as the older brother, tell us what exactly happened,” he said. This grandson of his—useless as he was—at least displayed some courage when sent to the barracks. But unfortunately, this display of masculinity was not aimed at outsiders but at his own family, which was unacceptable.

Encouraged by Jiang Yingying’s gaze, Liu Zhishan recounted the events—but naturally, he only told the parts that favored himself. Anything unfavorable was laid at Liu Zhimou’s feet.

For someone to turn facts upside down in front of so many people, Li Qingling could only admire him.

It seemed Liu Zhishan’s face was unusually thick-skinned; he could say such things without batting an eye.

Old Master Liu listened quietly, then turned to Liu Zhimou. “Is this really the case?”

Liu Zhimou let out a light chuckle, then looked at Liu Zhishan. “Third brother, your talent for twisting right and wrong is impressive.” He said no more to Liu Zhishan’s ugly expression and instead turned to Old Master Liu to recount what had truly happened.

Each party had its own version of the truth, but they were almost entirely opposite. Old Master Liu didn’t panic. Instead, he summoned the servants who had witnessed the events.

He fixed a stern gaze on the kneeling servants. His authority made them tremble.

“What happened just now? Tell me everything you saw. If I find out even half a lie…” His unfinished threat drained the color from their faces.

In the Liu household, offending anyone was dangerous—but offending Old Master Liu could be fatal. One word from him, and their lives could be forfeit.

Out of fear for their own lives, the servants rattled off everything they had seen.

After listening, Old Master Liu looked at Liu Zhishan, whose face had gone pale as paper. “Do you have anything to say?”

As members of the Liu family, they didn’t need to be rich, but they had to be upright and truthful—not speak nonsense.

Liu Zhishan couldn’t even do that. Worse, he targeted his own brothers. That was unforgivable.

“Father, how do we know these servants weren’t bribed to slander us?” Jiang Yingying jumped up to defend her precious son, her voice loud and sharp.

What she implied was nearly explicit: the servants had been bribed by Liu Zhimou and his group.

Seeing such foolishness, Zhong Qing silently scoffed. How could someone so brainless ever be her match? Yet, frustratingly, they were from the second branch, not the main branch. No matter how foolish the main branch was, by ancestral rules, the main branch still inherited the family’s legacy.

She couldn’t help but feel resentful.

Old Master Liu’s face darkened, clearly angered by Jiang Yingying’s outburst. His chest rose and fell sharply.

“Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that?” Zhang Yun’er frowned, glaring at Jiang Yingying. Her words were obviously aimed at Liu Zhimou and Li Qingling.

She didn’t consider that Liu Zhimou and the others had only just returned to the Liu household a few days ago—how could they possibly have bribed the servants?

Previously, she had thought Jiang Yingying spoke without thinking; now, she seemed outright insane, casually slandering others.

Jiang Yingying glared back at Zhang Yun’er, silently telling her to shut up and mind her own business.

“Quiet.” Old Master Liu slammed the armrest of his chair with such force that it cracked and fell to the floor, revealing his rage.

His action silenced everyone present; even the thought of being struck by his fist terrified them. They wished for a hole in the ground to crawl into, to avoid facing such a fearsome patriarch.

“Eldest Daughter-in-law,” Old Master Liu continued, his voice deadly calm, “I just want to ask—you say Liu Zhimou and the others bribed the servants? They’ve only been back a few days. How could they possibly control the servants and manipulate events?”

He was dumbfounded. The Eldest Daughter-in-law was getting more confused with each word, saying whatever came to mind. “If these servants were bribed, it would have been by you, after all. You’ve been in this household for over a decade; getting a few servants on your side would be easy.”

“Father, anything’s possible. Maybe the servants saw Mo’er as a top scholar with limitless potential and wanted to follow him?” Jiang Yingying countered calmly, her rare wit on display.

Today, she was determined: Liu Zhimou and Li Qingling were at fault. No way would she admit her son was wrong.

Every error in the world was Liu Zhimou’s fault. If he hadn’t wanted to rely on the Liu family, how could he so easily forgive the elder family members?

Believing everyone else acted as she did, Jiang Yingying judged others by her own standards.

If Old Master Liu knew what she thought, he might have burst a blood vessel.

Who’s daughter-in-law is so petty, so intent on scheming against her own family?

The servants, terrified by Jiang Yingying’s words, kept bowing, insisting they were innocent. They were merely gardeners; there was no way anyone had bribed them. Their low status made colluding with others to deceive impossible.

“Thank you for your praise, First Aunt,” Liu Zhimou stepped forward with a smile, taking over Jiang Yingying’s argument. “But I’m not as capable as you think; there’s no way I could have bribed these servants in just two days.”

Having just returned to the Liu household, how could he possibly win over the servants? Even if he lived here for a lifetime, he would never do such a thing. One slip, and the lives of the servants’ families could be at risk.

Jiang Yingying scoffed. “You can’t judge a person by appearances. Who knows what you’re thinking? You grew up in the countryside; perhaps you’re full of schemes. Maybe you returned to compete with the main branch for the Liu family’s legacy. If so, we’ll see how you fare!”

“Sister-in-law, that’s enough. Mo’er and the others have only just returned to the Liu household, and in just two days, you accuse them?” Zhang Yun’er’s words hinted at the main branch’s disregard for Liu Zhimou and the others. Once the Old Master passed, who knows what the main branch might do—perhaps drive Liu Zhimou away.

Old Master Liu’s eyes swept over the room, settling on Zhang Yun’er for a few seconds. Among everyone present, she genuinely cared for Liu Zhimou and would not play double games.

At that moment, Old Master Liu silently made a decision: when he passed away, he would entrust Liu Zhimou and the others to the Third Branch, so they could take care of him.

Unaware of Old Master Liu’s thoughts, Liu Zhimou turned to Jiang Yingying. Normally gentle, his expression now turned icy. “Medicine shouldn’t be taken carelessly, and words shouldn’t be spoken recklessly. First Aunt, why are you throwing dirt on me? Do you think I came back to compete with your main branch for the Liu family?”

If that were true, they would be wrongly accused.

“I… I never thought that,” Jiang Yingying’s eyes darted away. After a moment, she straightened and insisted she hadn’t meant it. As long as she didn’t admit it, no one could force her.

Unbeknownst to her, her tiny flicker of hesitation revealed the truth to the sly observers in the room.

“Who can know what’s in a person’s heart? How do we know you truly didn’t mean it?” Liu Zhimou said coolly, returning to her previous words.

Fuming, Jiang Yingying gritted her teeth. “You… you’re talking nonsense! You’re accusing me wrongly!”

Liu Zhimou shrugged. “Nephews might wrongly accuse someone, but they wouldn’t dare falsely accuse their First Aunt.”

Seeing Jiang Yingying fume, Zhang Yun’er’s eyes gleamed with amusement. This boy’s eloquence matched his father’s; if his father wanted to provoke someone, he could make them see red with rage.

Observing Liu Zhimou, it was as if they were witnessing the Fourth Brother. Truly a shame that the Fourth Brother never got to see his son’s brilliance.

Unable to argue with Liu Zhimou, Jiang Yingying looked at Old Master Liu. “What about what happened just now? How should it be resolved?”

Her topic shift was abrupt. Old Master Liu suppressed a chuckle, cleared his throat, and said, “Fine. Since you, as a mother, want Shan’er to reform quickly, then I’ll give an early punishment!”

This time, he would ensure Liu Zhishan received a punishment he’d never forget—a lesson that no matter how talented he was, he could not mistreat his family.

Family members were to support and help each other, not bully and insult each other casually.

If a family’s hearts are not aligned, the household will quickly fall apart.