Lu Ling’s gaze shifted from Shu Rui to the youth behind him. Seeing the astonished look on the boy’s face, Lu Ling’s brow tightened. He clearly had not expected to run into him here.
“How did you end up here?”
Hearing Lu Ling speak to him, the youth’s nose stung slightly, and he quickly stepped closer.
The joy and surprise in his phoenix eyes were impossible to hide. Yet because it had been so long since they last met, he was also a little restrained, not daring to get too close. He stared intently at Lu Ling as he explained, “Father has just taken up a new post as Director of the Works Office in Chaoxi Prefecture. Mother and I followed him to his post. We only arrived two or three days ago.
“Big brother sent a letter home at the beginning of the year, saying you might return. The whole family waited happily, but after half a year passed, there was no further word from you. How is it that you’re in Chaoxi Prefecture instead?”
Lu Ling had indeed written home early in the year. At the time, he had been injured, and the Heir Apparent advised him to return home to recuperate. Having left home young, this would give him a chance to recover quietly and also stay by his parents’ and siblings’ side, making up for the regrets of his youth.
He hesitated, but after consulting many physicians in the capital, his injury showed no sign of healing. He knew that under those circumstances, he could no longer continue serving the Heir Apparent, so he agreed to return home.
Later, on the journey from the capital, by the time he reached Jizhou Prefecture, it was already April. There he met Shu Rui, and through a series of turns, ended up in Chaoxi Prefecture.
“I sent another letter home at the beginning of this month,” Lu Ling said.
“It must have missed us,” the youth replied. “By the time the letter arrived, we were probably already on the road. Only an old servant was left at home, and he didn’t dare open the letter casually. He didn’t know it was from you. He probably went back to the courier station to forward it again to the address here!”
Lu Ling never had a fixed address when sending letters home. The family could only send replies to whatever address was on the letter. And even that address changed—sometimes letters came from the capital, sometimes from elsewhere. For the most part, they relied on him writing first to know anything about him.
At the beginning of the year, when they received news that he would return, the whole family was delighted. But after waiting and waiting with no sign of him, they didn’t even know where to send inquiries. They sent two or three letters to his old addresses in the capital, but none received a reply.
In the past two months, Lu Ling’s father received an official appointment and had to leave home to take up his post.
Chaoxi Prefecture’s Dongshan Academy was well known, so it was decided that Lu Second Young Master would accompany his father and study there. Since father and son were both heading to Chaoxi Prefecture, how could they leave Lu Ling’s mother alone at home? Naturally, the whole family went together to look after one another.
Lu Ling’s mother originally wanted to stay home and wait for Lu Ling, but she worried about her husband’s temperament. After much persuasion, she agreed to come first and get things settled here.
They also left word back home: if Lu Ling returned, he would learn that they were in Chaoxi Prefecture, and they could then discuss what to do next.
Lu Second Young Master poured out everything that had happened in the family over the past few months, and how they had missed each other.
Lu Ling listened in silence, saying little about himself.
Finally, Lu Second Young Master grabbed Lu Ling’s hand. “Big brother, what about you? We haven’t seen each other for so many years. Are you well? In every letter, you never say whether you’re doing well or not. The family has been very worried about you.”
“And how is it that you’re in Chaoxi Prefecture?”
Lu Ling lowered his eyes slightly and looked at Shu Rui beside him, as if about to speak.
Seeing this, Shu Rui quickly shook his head gently at him.
Lu Ling saw that Shu Rui did not want him to say anything, and in the end complied. “I caught a head ailment earlier. I heard that there’s a doctor here in Chaoxi Prefecture who specializes in it, so I came to have it looked at.”
Hearing that Lu Ling had been ill, Lu Second Young Master anxiously asked, “How did you get a head ailment? Did you find that doctor?”
“It’s better now,” Lu Ling said lightly, not wanting to explain further. The illness involved too many things and was complicated.
After that, he did not dwell on the matter. He looked at Shu Rui and introduced him. “This is my second younger brother, Lu Yu.”
Shu Rui had remained silent throughout the brothers’ conversation. Earlier, he had noticed that the youth’s features resembled Lu Ling’s. Who would have thought they were truly brothers, and that they would meet here?
He greeted him politely. “Second Young Master Lu.”
Lu Yu had not seen Lu Ling for many years. His elder brother had always been somewhat distant even with family. Yet today, he had rushed back in such haste. It was obvious that the relationship between these two was far from ordinary.
Lu Yu could not help but look at Lu Ling, wanting to see how his elder brother would introduce this ger. Instead, Lu Ling did not speak. It was Shu Rui who picked up the explanation.
“I plan to reopen an old family inn. At that time, Brother Lu arrived alone in Chaoxi Prefecture and needed a place to stay. The shop had not yet been repaired, so the lodging was cheap, and Brother Lu stayed here.”
Hearing this explanation, Lu Ling cast Shu Rui a resentful glance. His skill really hadn’t diminished—he could spin a perfectly rounded story at the drop of a hat.
Cheap lodging, my foot. He had spent several hundred strings of cash, and still had no proper status to speak of.
Lu Yu did not press further on the explanation. Whether it was fully believable did not matter. What mattered was knowing that the relationship between the two was good.
“My elder brother has wandered outside for many years and has had a hard time. Thank you, shopkeeper, for giving him such convenience. Our family will certainly repay you in the future.”
As he spoke, Lu Yu looked at Lu Ling. After years apart, both of them were now grown men. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Back at the beginning of the year, when he learned that Lu Ling would return home, he had longed for their reunion. He never imagined they would meet again in Chaoxi Prefecture. In that moment, he felt both joy and a touch of sorrow.
“Big brother, come home and see Father and Mother. No matter what, family ties are still ties. To think that by sheer coincidence, we reunited here in Chaoxi Prefecture—and our new house is rented right across the way.”
“We’ve been busy settling in these past few days and didn’t even know you were so close. Mother has mentioned you several times, wondering whether you returned to Gan County.”
Seeing that Lu Ling looked somewhat uneasy, Shu Rui spoke up, seemingly supporting Lu Yu, but in truth persuading Lu Ling. “Family reunion is a good thing. Of course you should go back.”
Lu Ling lifted his eyes to look at Shu Rui, then turned to Lu Yu and said, “You go back first. I’ll come over shortly.”
Seeing that the two of them seemed to have something to discuss, Lu Yu did not cling to him in a childish way. He simply responded and said he would go back first to bring the good news home.
After watching him leave through the courtyard gate and then enter the house from the rear door on the opposite side, it became clear that the Lu family truly had moved in across the street from them.
Shu Rui found the whole thing almost unbelievable, yet at the same time a trace of worry rose in his heart. He sincerely hoped that he and the Bai family would never experience such an encounter.
“Now that you have news of your family, why do you still look so unhappy?” Shu Rui asked. “Is it that nervous feeling of being close to home?”
Lu Ling carefully took Shu Rui’s hand. “I truly didn’t know they would come to Chaoxi Prefecture.”
“You didn’t deceive me over this,” Shu Rui said gently. “I know that.”
He soothed him further. “These days I know you’ve been worrying about your family. Now that you’ve happened to reunite with them here in Chaoxi Prefecture, you should go back and spend time together properly.”
Lu Ling tightened his grip on Shu Rui’s hand. “I want you to go with me to see them.”
Shu Rui placed his other hand over the back of Lu Ling’s hand and said seriously, “Now is not the right time. If I went with you, I’d inevitably be questioned, and in that moment it wouldn’t be easy to explain things clearly.
“Let’s slow it down for now. When the time is right, we can talk about it then. Are we really in such a rush? We have a long life ahead of us. There’s nothing we can’t take slowly.”
Hearing Shu Rui speak so patiently, the restless unease in Lu Ling’s heart finally eased. He had originally been worried that his family’s sudden arrival would disturb the quiet life they had built, and that Shu Rui might think too much and retreat, severing their relationship.
“I’ll listen to you in everything,” Lu Ling said. “Just don’t abandon me. No matter what happens, we can discuss it properly.”
Shu Rui smiled. “What nonsense are you talking about? We already agreed long ago that we’d face things together. How could I casually talk about breaking off or abandoning anything? I’m not that kind of person.”
This foolish boy—being able to see his family again was clearly a happy thing, yet he made it seem as if they were about to be separated.
Lu Ling said, “Then leave the door for me. I’ll come back later tonight.”
“Even if I didn’t leave the door, you could still get in,” Shu Rui replied. “What are you worried about?”
Shu Rui walked him to the door and reminded him again, “You haven’t seen your family in years. No matter what happened in the past, being reunited today wasn’t easy. Speak properly with them.”
Lu Ling nodded. After a few more words, he returned to the Lu family home.
Lu Yu had returned just moments earlier and was already eagerly telling Lu Father and Lu Mother, Madam Liu, about Lu Ling being in Chaoxi Prefecture and how they had missed each other on the road.
When the couple first heard the news, they thought it must be false. But knowing that their younger son would never joke about something so important, they finally believed it and immediately wanted to go straight to the inn to see Lu Ling.
Fortunately, before they could leave, Lu Ling—who had been standing silently at the gate for a while—finally entered the house.
The two sides met in the courtyard, staring at each other, and fell into silence for a long moment. Then Madam Liu’s sobbing slowly broke the quiet.
“You’ve grown so tall… so grown-up.”
Although Lu Father did not cry like Madam Liu, his eyes were rimmed red as he looked at Lu Ling, murmuring, “You haven’t changed much. You still look a bit like me…”
“It’s been ten years,” Madam Liu cried. “When you left, you were only ten years old. How could you not grow taller and older after all these years?”
Hearing Lu Father’s words, Madam Liu couldn’t help snapping at him even as she cried, “What nonsense are you saying? If our son doesn’t look like you, who else would he look like?”
Lu Father had always been bad with words. If not for the emotion on his face, one might have thought he was deliberately saying something awkward to provoke Lu Ling.
“That’s what I meant,” he muttered. “Why are you scolding me in front of our son?”
Seeing this, Lu Yu hurried to smooth things over. “It wasn’t easy for the whole family to reunite. From now on, we won’t be separated again. Look at how overjoyed Mother and Father are—they’ve lost their heads!”
Thanks to Lu Yu’s efforts—comforting Lu Father and Madam Liu and pulling Lu Ling, who didn’t quite know what to say, to sit down—the long-separated family finally gathered together. Otherwise, the atmosphere would have remained stiff.
When Lu Ling left, his parents’ faces had still been young. Now, signs of aging were already visible. His emotions were complicated, and his heart felt heavy.
Year after year had passed without him ever returning home. He probably no longer knew what state of mind he should have when facing them.
Remembering Shu Rui’s words, although Lu Ling still felt somewhat awkward and ill at ease, he remained calm enough. Whatever Madam Liu asked, he answered. As for Lu Father, whenever he wanted to ask something, Madam Liu tugged at his sleeve, stopping him from talking too much—afraid he would once again blurt out something thoughtless and make things unpleasant.
In truth, it was nothing more than going over again what Lu Yu had already said earlier.
Lu Father and Madam Liu had not seen their eldest son for many years. Seeing that his temperament had also changed from before, they felt a distance. In childhood, he had only been cold at heart, but still had some childish liveliness. After years of wandering outside, however, he had become cold both inside and out, no longer easy to approach.
After such a long separation, how could three or five sentences restore closeness? They could only try their best to say more, to talk about circumstances and lives.
Shu Rui stood in the back street for quite a while, his heart still worried about Lu Ling.
After spending these days together morning and night, how could he not know that Lu Ling thought constantly of his family, yet deliberately acted indifferent? Now that the family had reunited, he didn’t know whether things would go smoothly or not.
As he was thinking this, Yang Chunhua came running back, panting.
“That nearly wore me out,” she said. “Lu Ling’s legs are faster than a donkey or a horse. I only told him once that the officials had come to your shop and that you might not be able to handle it alone. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.”
She wiped her sweat. “Good thing I ran into one of his colleagues and asked that Instructor Zhong to help him take leave. So? Have those officials left? How was it handled?”
Hearing that Yang Chunhua had run all the way to the martial arts hall to call Lu Ling back, Shu Rui felt a warmth in his heart. He helped her into the courtyard, poured her tea, and had her sit and drink.
He briefly explained what had just happened.
“There was no fine,” Shu Rui said. “Fortunately, his younger brother came and resolved it. I only paid the tax for selling beverages during this period, and then sent them away.”
He didn’t hide the matter of Lu Ling’s younger brother. Now that the Lu family had come to Chaoxi Prefecture for an official posting and were living right across the street, it was all neighbors on the same street—there was no way to conceal it anyway. Besides, Yang Chunhua had always treated him sincerely.
“Lu Ling’s younger brother? A real brother?” Yang Chunhua asked in surprise, even setting her teacup back on the table.
Shu Rui nodded and added that they were living directly across the street now.
Yang Chunhua instinctively glanced toward the opposite side, then lowered her voice and said to Shu Rui, “Did they come specially to look for him? To make you two separate?”
Shu Rui froze slightly.
“Oh, don’t hide it from me,” Yang Chunhua said, looking as if she understood everything. “You two are so close every day—do you think I can’t tell? Isn’t it just that the family doesn’t allow you to be together, so you ran away?”
She looked worried for Shu Rui. “I just didn’t expect Lu Ling’s family background to be that good. His father is a successful scholar. You two really have guts.”
“More precisely, you’re the bold one,” she added. “To even coax a son from that kind of family to run off with you.”
Shu Rui gave a dry laugh. Perhaps it was just as well that Yang Chunhua thought this way.
“Don’t worry too much,” Yang Chunhua continued. “From what I see, Lu Ling is the kind of man who can shoulder responsibility. He won’t easily betray you.”
Shu Rui truly didn’t know what to say. He only reminded Yang Chunhua not to spread this outside.
“Don’t worry. I know my limits,” she replied.
They talked for a while longer, mostly with Yang Chunhua comforting Shu Rui and telling him not to worry.
After resting a bit, she returned to the shop.
In the evening, Carpenter Tong and his apprentice finished their work and left. Shu Rui simply prepared some food and ate alone.
After washing the dishes, the sky had not yet fully darkened. He went to look down the back street once more, but still saw no movement, so he returned to the room and waited a bit longer.
When night finally fell and there was still no sign of anyone, he went to loosely latch the courtyard gate, fetched water, and returned inside to wash up.
Meanwhile, after eating dinner at home, Lu Ling prepared to return to the inn. Seeing that he was leaving, Madam Liu hurriedly said, “Your father and I have rented a house here now. There’s plenty of room for everyone. Once I tidy up the rooms, you can stay tonight. There’s no need to go back to the inn anymore.”
“I’m used to staying at the inn,” Lu Ling replied.
Lu Father said, “What’s so good about staying at an inn? Your brother already said you stayed there only because it was cheap. Now that there’s another place to stay, why go back there?”
Hearing this, Lu Ling said nothing more and simply walked out the door.
“Hey! A-Ling!” Madam Liu chased after him, but how could she catch up? In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
“Look at what you said!” she turned on Lu Father angrily.
Seeing Lu Ling leave just like that, Lu Father also sighed. “I only felt sorry for him. I wanted him to live at home.”
“It’s not far anyway,” Lu Yu quickly said. “His lodging is right across the street. It’s only a few steps. Once we finish tidying up his room, won’t it be even more convenient for him to move back then?”
Lu Yu helped Madam Liu and continued, “Brother is living well over there. If he suddenly left without a word, wouldn’t that be rude? He should at least go back and tell the innkeeper.”
Madam Liu couldn’t help asking, “What kind of person is that innkeeper? Second Son, did you meet them?”
“He’s a ge’er,” Lu Yu replied. “Very polite and easy to talk to.”
“He seems to get along well with Big Brother,” Lu Yu added. “Brother probably received his care while treating his head illness here in Chaoxi Prefecture.”
“When I asked your brother how he got that head illness, he refused to say,” Madam Liu sighed. “It must have been hard for him outside. Year after year he sent so much money home. We told him to keep it for himself and think more about his own needs, but he never listened.”
As she spoke, Madam Liu covered her face and began to cry again.
“He practices martial arts—he can’t avoid fighting with others,” Lu Father said. “But from what I see, his limbs are still intact. From now on, everything will be better. The whole family is together again. We can look after one another.”
Madam Liu, hearing Lu Father’s words, was so angry she felt faint. “So it has to be that his arms and legs are gone before you can tell our son has suffered, is that it?!”
“That’s not what I meant at all,” Lu Father retorted. “Why would I curse my own son for no reason?”
Lu Father himself was starting to get angry as well. Lu Ling had not even been home for two full hours of reunion before leaving again, and now he was still being blamed by his wife. His heart felt bitter.
With his hands clasped behind his back and his brows drawn together, he cut a rather handsome figure even in anger, his refined features carrying a certain bearing.
“I must have been blind back then to marry you,” Madam Liu said.
Looking at that face made her chest ache. People always say not to marry a man who only knows how to sweet-talk. When she was a girl, she had listened to advice and indeed had not married one with honey on his lips—yet instead she married someone who could infuriate a person the moment he opened his mouth.
Lu Yu was helpless, but he had seen this kind of scene many times and remained calm.
With a gentle expression, he coaxed both sides and persuaded the two of them back into the house.
“Second Son,” Lu Father said anxiously, grabbing Lu Yu’s arm, “what did that shop-owning ge’er look like, the one you mentioned? Your brother suffered so much when he had that head illness, yet he still sent a hundred strings of cash home. Don’t tell me he’s wronged himself for the family’s sake, letting someone take advantage of him outside.”
He looked deeply worried. “Your brother is especially good-looking. Out there, all kinds of people and things exist.”
Lu Yu instantly felt a dull pressure in his head. “Father, please don’t say any more. If Mother hears this again, there’ll be another scene. Big Brother has strong martial skills—how could he ever fall into something like that?”
“People just happen to like men who know martial arts,” Lu Father said. “You’re still young; you don’t understand these things.”
“……”
After Shu Rui finished washing up, he was just drying his hair with a cloth when he heard a soft sound from the back courtyard door.
He quickly set the cloth aside and went out, sure enough seeing a familiar figure returning home.
“Have you eaten dinner?” Shu Rui asked.
Lu Ling nodded. Half his figure stood in the shadows, looking like a damp little dog that had just climbed out of the water.
Shu Rui asked him gently, “How was it? Is everything all right?”
“They’re in good health,” Lu Ling replied. “All is well. It’s just that time passes quickly—they’re not as young as before.”
Shu Rui smiled lightly. “You’ve already come of age. Your parents would naturally be getting older too. So, seeing your father and mother—were you happy?”
“It’s hard to say I was happy,” Lu Ling said. “But it’s also hard to say I wasn’t.”
He looked at Shu Rui, catching the scent of the bath beans on him, and unconsciously moved a little closer.
Seeing this, Shu Rui took his hand and led him into the room.
He poured Lu Ling a cup of tea and asked softly, “I only know that you left home early and wandered outside, but I never really knew why you left, or why things stayed neither close nor distant with your family. Now that you’re back, are you willing to tell me?”
“There’s nothing you want to know that I would hide from you,” Lu Ling said.
He sat down beside Shu Rui. He had never wanted to bring up those old matters, but Shu Rui was not just anyone—how could he not let him know?
“My father loved reading from a young age. My grandparents supported him for more than ten years, but he never achieved anything notable. The family wasn’t well-off to begin with, so my grandparents eventually stopped supporting his studies and arranged a marriage for him instead, telling him to establish his own household.
“He was immersed in the classics, but by the time he came of age, aside from a few sour poems, he had no skill to make a living.
“After marriage, I and then Second Son were born. He knew he had to support a family, so he put the books aside and tried to earn money. But he had no trade and didn’t know how to speak well.”
Whatever work he found, one day he would offend customers, the next day quarrel with the employer. He could never earn decent wages, and most of the household expenses were supplemented by his wife’s embroidery.
In the end, with no other options, his father returned to the countryside to farm.
Although he had set the books aside, his heart never truly left the imperial examinations. Since he himself could no longer walk that path, he wanted Lu Ling to take it instead.
But Lu Ling had been mischievous since childhood. When living in town, he fought crickets and roamed about; back in the countryside, he climbed trees and waded through rivers. He refused to read any books at all. What he hated most was studying—he had no desire to become like his father, reading for years only to end up with his wife ruining her eyesight doing embroidery to support the family.
“My father was a frail scholar,” Lu Ling said slowly, “yet he was willing to chase me all over the hills and beat me. That should tell you how troublesome I was as a child.”
“Later, when Second Son grew a bit older, he was different from me. He was sensible and obedient from a young age. When Father told him to study, he began learning at five. He was clever, truly suited for reading. My father found new hope, his temper softened, and he devoted himself entirely to teaching Second Son. No matter how I provoked him after that, he no longer lost his temper.”
It was during those years that Lu Ling’s eldest uncle, who had gone out early in life to make his way, suddenly returned.
One day he came with many gifts.
Lu Ling stood outside the main hall, listening to the conversation inside.
“The doctor says my illness can’t be cured,” his uncle said. “I’ve gone from Jizhou all the way to the capital, and there’s been no improvement. I won’t have any children in this lifetime.
“Second Brother, I know you haven’t truly let go of your books. If you’re willing to adopt a child to my household, I’ll provide the money so you can continue studying.”
Lu Father sighed heavily. “Why did something like this have to happen to you, Big Brother? Of all people, you’re the one with this hidden illness. Don’t grieve too much—it’s fate.”
Lu Ling’s uncle darkened his face, but for the sake of having an heir, he spoke gently. “Then take pity on your elder brother for once. Back when you were studying, I helped you a great deal too.”
“Adoption is usually done with a baby,” Lu Father said hesitantly. “Second Son is so sensible and obedient, and such a good candidate for studying. How could his mother bear to part with him?”
“Then take Eldest Son,” his uncle said. “They’re all my own flesh and blood. Either one is fine.”
Outside the door, Lu Ling heard his father suck in a sharp breath. “……Eldest Son. Eldest Son doesn’t like studying and loves wielding blades and spears. He might actually be suited to following Big Brother out into the world……”
Shu Rui’s brow furrowed tightly as he looked carefully at Lu Ling. “Then… then were you later adopted by your uncle?”
Lu Ling shook his head, his expression cold and hard. “My temper was stubborn. That very night, I packed my things and left, going to work odd jobs at a martial arts hall in the city.
“Later, the family came looking for me several times, wanting me to return. I turned around and went to Jizhou, then wandered to many other places. They couldn’t find me, and the matter eventually faded away.”
What came after, Shu Rui didn’t need to ask to know. Lu Ling learned his skills at the martial arts hall and sent his earnings back home.
The Lu family’s circumstances eased somewhat. Perhaps time softened things—Lu Father, once again unwilling to give up, eventually passed the child student examination, then later became a licentiate. Life improved.
But not by much. Lu Father’s mouth easily offended people. Even after years as a licentiate, he couldn’t secure a proper post. Continuing his studies, he eventually passed the provincial examination.
Only then did Shu Rui truly understand Lu Ling’s inner struggle—on one side, his parents and family; on the other, the memory of being unwanted, of being considered for adoption. How could there not be a barrier in his heart?
“It’s all in the past,” Shu Rui said.
He held Lu Ling’s hand. “Whether they truly intended to adopt you back then or not, the care they show now isn’t false.”
Lu Ling let out a long breath and wrapped an arm around Shu Rui, resting lightly against his shoulder. “Now I have you. None of that matters anymore. If they still care about me, that’s icing on the cake. If they don’t, I’m not pitiful either.”
Shu Rui rubbed Lu Ling’s hair. “You’re not pitiful. You have me.”
Lu Ling closed his eyes briefly. “Then can you stay with me a little more?”
Shu Rui replied softly, “Aren’t I staying with you right now?”
Lu Ling brushed his nose against Shu Rui’s cheek. “Then can I sleep in your room tonight?”
Shu Rui turned his head to look at him, narrowed his eyes slightly, and poked Lu Ling’s forehead with a finger, pushing him away.
Lu Ling looked at Shu Rui with wounded eyes. “You dislike me too, don’t you?”
“Don’t try to confuse the issue,” Shu Rui said. “That won’t work on me. Go wash up.”
“Then I’ll just go back and sleep over there. It’s all the same no matter where I stay.”
“Do you want me to pack your bundle for you?” Shu Rui asked.
Lu Ling lowered his eyes and ground out three words through his teeth. “Ji Shu Rui!”
Shu Rui blinked, and seeing him angry, couldn’t help laughing.
In the end, he still kissed him and coaxed him.
—
“……Eldest Son. Eldest Son doesn’t like studying and loves wielding blades and spears. He might actually be suited to following Big Brother out into the world……”
After Lu Father said this, there was a moment of silence. Lu Ling stormed off in anger, but the conversation inside the house did not stop, and Lu Father’s voice sounded again.
“Still, he’s been mischievous since childhood and never obeyed my discipline. How could Big Brother control him? He might even be angered into another illness. And Eldest Son is the firstborn—he really should stay by my side for proper upbringing.”
“Why doesn’t Big Brother look around outside again? Perhaps there’s a suitable child.”