Mrs. Liu saw Lu Ling’s father coming back with one wet foot, his face drawn and long like a horse’s, looking utterly miserable. She set aside her work.
“What happened? It’s a clear sunny day, how did your shoes get wet?”
Lu Ling’s father opened his mouth but seemed unsure how to explain, sighing twice and storming into the house. Mrs. Liu grew more anxious and followed him inside.
“Don’t leave me hanging—what happened?”
“Your eldest has a lover outside!”
Lu Ling’s father took off his wet shoes and socks and could no longer keep it in.
Mrs. Liu froze for a moment, then relaxed with a hint of joy. “He’s barely twenty, left home young, cold and reserved. Having someone who knows him well isn’t a bad thing. Why are you so upset?”
“He’s always had his own mind. Marriage is his choice. Don’t worry about matching him with someone else.”
“I’m not forcing him to marry someone I chose. But do you even know what kind of person he likes?”
Lu Ling’s father shuddered at the thought. “A skinny boy with a dark face, covered in pockmarks—I don’t even want to look!”
Mrs. Liu, hearing this, said, “You mean the shopkeeper’s son next door? You must be mistaken. He helped your eldest before—they are close.”
“You think my eyes are as bad as yours? Their hands were together—who else holds hands like that if not lovers?”
He shook his head, calling out to the heavens: “And he’s an orphaned merchant’s son! My eldest was sick with his head injury—he wouldn’t have ended up there otherwise. How could he go straight into a pit like this?”
“He left home young, had no family guidance, stuck among men, never saw the good things in life,” he muttered like a prophet.
Mrs. Liu was both surprised and skeptical, unsure what their real relationship was. Seeing him so anxious, she believed him.
Before she could speak, he glared and said, “When your eldest was ill, that boy helped him—did he coerce him then? Otherwise, why would he provide food and shelter out of kindness?”
“Alas! Poor eldest suffered so, selling himself just to have a roof,” Mrs. Liu said, frowning. “I’ve been with that boy several times—he has a good nature. He wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Lu Ling’s father shook his head, still unconvinced. To him, the boy could not have charmed his son, which only strengthened his resolve: “No! We must get our eldest back. See how much wealth we have and offer the boy something to let go.”
Mrs. Liu, overwhelmed by his words, still believed the shopkeeper’s son wasn’t that kind of person. “If he were, could we even buy him off?”
“My money isn’t enough. Then he’d have to attach himself to my business—merchants seek scholars to avoid taxes. That’s the only way he’d let go.”
“You never wanted to protect outside merchants before—why now?”
He panicked. “Otherwise, would we watch our eldest waste his life with an ugly boy?”
Mrs. Liu thought the boy wasn’t so unattractive. Before she could comment, the sound of the door opening caught her attention: “Eldest has returned!”
Lu Ling’s father, initially angry, now felt pity for his son. He cleaned up and went out.
Lu Yu had been studying, but hearing the noise, closed his book to check. Just as he reached the main hall, he saw Lu Ling returning, composed and stern.
“Eldest,” Lu Yu greeted.
“Father knows,” Lu Ling replied briefly.
Before Lu Yu could speak, both parents came out. The atmosphere resembled when Lu Ling first returned home.
“Eldest, your father says you and the boy next door…”
Mrs. Liu spoke first.
Lu Ling cut her off. “Yes.”
His father saw no denial and was pleased with the boy’s sincerity. He maintained his parental authority while appearing capable of handling any trouble:
“You’ve been on your own, without family support, and it hasn’t been easy. You may have faced situations beyond your control. Now your parents are here. We’ll back you up. You can be at ease.”
Lu Ling’s brow furrowed. “I won’t break up with him.”
His father, realizing he had no leverage, thought: so he’s truly smitten.
“Whatever he holds over you, tell us—we’ll resolve it with money or gifts.”
Lu Ling looked puzzled. “What could a boy possibly hold over me?”
If anything, he had taken his heart. Could that be bought back?
Lu Yu, reluctant to speak, cleared his throat: “Father, eldest means he truly loves the boy. Not coercion—they’ve shared hardships together, not taken advantage of each other.”
Lu Ling’s father nearly jumped. “What ‘sister-in-law’? Where did you get that title? Go study properly and stop babbling!”
Lu Ling, hearing this, understood his father’s intent. “I am sincere toward him.”
“You mean you’re willing?”
His father, finally calming down, was surprised by Lu Ling’s earnestness.
“That boy’s appearance—when I had my head injury, did the doctor say you got an eye disease too?”
“Though he isn’t conventionally handsome, I don’t care about looks. Good looks are a bonus; bad looks don’t change my heart.”
“By the heavens!”
Seeing Lu Ling’s firm expression, like when he insisted on leaving home to learn martial arts despite hardship, his parents knew he meant it.
Lu Ling’s father collapsed onto a chair, steadying himself: “So we won’t discuss his looks. His parents are gone—who was he raised by?”
Lu Yu exchanged a glance with Lu Ling, signaling him not to rush. Lu Ling took the chance to speak openly:
“His surname is Ji. His father worked in tax supervision in Chaoxi Prefecture. His parents died when he was around seven, and he was raised by his maternal uncle’s family.”
Lu Ling’s father’s frown softened—he came from a respectable family, his upbringing not so different from theirs. He realized his son was not blindly enamored.
It was clear that Lu Ling’s father was softening his tone somewhat. “So, what does his maternal uncle’s family do? How did a single boy end up running a shop?”
“He’s also a scholar. When he was young, he taught school. Not only did he have many students, he was also somewhat respected in the local area.”
“Oh?”
Hearing this, Lu Ling’s father’s eyes brightened a little.
Beside him, Lu Yu supported a worried Mrs. Liu, fearing that father and son might clash, and couldn’t help feeling a little anxious for Lu Ling. That elder brother of his, always speaking so plainly. If he didn’t know about his sister-in-law’s past, hearing about this respectable family background would have seemed very impressive—but if the truth came out later, the fall could be even harsher.
“So, where exactly does his uncle live? Have you ever visited him?”
“I haven’t paid respects. Perhaps you have. His uncle lives over in Gan County.”
Mrs. Liu, curious, said, “Isn’t that our hometown? We’ve met them. Why don’t I recall anyone with the surname Ji?”
“His uncle’s surname is Bai. He also has a cousin.”
Lu Ling’s father’s heart skipped a beat. “Surname?”
“Bai,” Lu Ling answered. “His cousin is Bai Dalang, the one who became a clerk with donations from merchants.”
Immediately, a thunderclap seemed to echo above Lu Ling’s father’s head. “What sort of character is that family? They married the boy to an old rich merchant, then gave money to make his own son an official—selling him off for prestige. That kind of family is not trustworthy!”
“Originally, Bai Dalang was supposed to marry the boy, not his own second son.”
Lu Ling’s father fell silent. Though his words were sharp, his mind was keen; with this information, he could piece together the situation.
“So you’re saying he ran off to escape the marriage? The Bai family had no choice and married their own son to the rich merchant? By heavens! A mere boy, raised and protected by the Bai family, would betray them like that?”
Mrs. Liu, hearing this, clutched her chest. She felt pity for Shu Rui: “That Bai family treated him so well. A good young man shouldn’t have to marry an old rich man. What fault is that? It’s the Bai family’s hearts that are wrong.”
Lu Ling could hear Shu Rui’s worry. He felt guilty that, despite being raised by the Bai family, he had run away to escape the marriage. Some would understand, some would call him unfilial—but his father, a staunch scholar, would be in the latter camp. Even so, he would take responsibility for everything himself.
“He didn’t want to marry that old rich merchant. But how could a boy possibly travel alone to Chaoxi Prefecture?”
Having spent much time with Shu Rui, Lu Ling wove a story naturally: “I liked him too. I didn’t want him to marry the old rich merchant, so I brought him back to Gan County. Without a home there, I brought him to the place he grew up.”
“The shop was left by his parents. We planned to repair it and manage it, then inform the family once things stabilized. But on the way to Chaoxi Prefecture, my head injury acted up, and I forgot everything. He brought me there, sought medical help, cared for me, and worked to repair the shop. Only recently, when Doctor Yu returned, did my head get better.”
Mrs. Liu listened intently. She hadn’t known the background, only that Shu Rui had helped and cared for Lu Ling. Everything now made sense.
Lu Ling’s father, however, was shocked beyond words. “You two eloped! A boy too—how could he have such courage? The Bai family raised him, and he betrays them to run off?”
Lu Ling replied calmly, almost defiantly, “I insisted on taking him. What could he do?”
With a roguish tone, he continued, “Whether he wanted to or not, he couldn’t go back. Now he must go along.”
“By the heavens! You’re a bandit! You kidnapped a young man!”
Lu Ling’s father felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him directly; the sky seemed to collapse, and he almost fell. His emotions swirled from disbelief to sympathy for Lu Ling, then pity for Shu Rui—how could such a fine boy meet such a scoundrel?
Lu Yu marveled at how only his elder brother could anger their father like this. He knew his sister-in-law had run away before, but didn’t realize his elder brother had taken such bold action. Whether true or not, probably only the two of them knew. But in his view, it might well be true.
Lu Ling was clever and responsible, knowing the escape would be difficult to explain, so he shouldered it all himself. No matter how angry their father got, he wouldn’t blame Shu Rui. Family always leans toward protecting their own.
Lu Yu hurried to steady their father. “Don’t let your health suffer from anger. Eldest is young and hot-headed; it’s natural to act rashly.”
“Yes, yes. He’s trained in martial arts. Sometimes he doesn’t think things through, doing everything the way a fighter would.”
Mrs. Liu added, “What’s done is done. Being angry won’t change anything.”
“My life is so hard!”
Lu Ling’s father slumped into a chair. People often say a family can’t all be perfect; if one child is obedient and capable, another will inevitably cause trouble to balance fate. He hadn’t believed it before, but now he did.
Seeing Shu Rui safe, Lu Ling felt relieved. He didn’t argue with his father, knowing scolding in anger only fuels it further. “It’s fine, I’ll go over.”
“You’re going in there!” Lu Ling’s father jumped up. “Do you still think you haven’t caused enough trouble?”
“How could I stay locked at the dojo and not see him? Would he think we came to force a break-up?”
Lu Ling’s father grudgingly acknowledged the logic. Even a small boy, raised by a scholarly family, understood manners and reason; despite all this, he hadn’t caused a scene at the magistrate’s office.
“Aling, why didn’t you say all this before? We didn’t know the truth.”
Mrs. Liu patted Shu Rui’s chest gently. “Comfort him. He’s reasonable; don’t let him blame himself. We won’t refuse to see him. When your father has rested, you can bring Shu Rui home.”
Lu Ling’s father didn’t deny it, but felt a headache coming on. Lu Yu looked at Lu Ling, thinking: indeed, elder brother really is clever.