Chapter 1875: Chapter 956: The Ruse of Self-Harm
Second watch, asking for pink votes.
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"Everyone is here, shall we meet them all?" Lian Shouxin suggested.
"Then let’s meet them all." Lady Zhang nodded, looking at Wu Lang and Lian Manman.
The family discussed briefly, and then Lady Zhang and Lian Manman went to the west room to talk to Lady Li. Afterwards, the four of them headed to the front courtyard. As they stepped out of the passageway, they saw Lian Shouyi, Lady He, Erlang, Luo Xiaoyan, and Luo Xiaoying being led in from outside by the steward.
Upon seeing these people, Lian Shouxin frowned, and his steps paused slightly.
Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, and Wu Lang couldn’t help but frown slightly as well.
Of the newcomers, Lian Shouyi walked at the front. He wore a tattered jacket patched with large pieces of cloth, with two places torn and unsewn, cotton sticking out. His pants were also dingy, tied at the waist with a couple of loops of hemp rope.
Even when he first returned from Taicang in the most difficult and dire times, Lian Shouyi had never dressed like this. But that wasn’t all; on Lian Shouyi’s head was tightly wrapped with layers of gauze, too stained to discern its original color, varying between red and black patches. His forehead and cheeks bore two dark black plasters.
Lian Shouyi’s outfit portrayed him as having suffered great hardships and taken a severe beating.
Behind Lian Shouyi was Lady He. Compared to Lian Shouyi’s attire, she was dressed more properly, but still in a colorless worn-out lined jacket, grayish pants, no skirt, and her hair was disheveled without any adornment. Compared to when they lived at Thirty Mile Camp, her appearance had deteriorated significantly.
This couple’s appearance needed no words; it vividly depicted parents suffering at the hands of unfilial children-in-law.
No wonder Lian Shouxin and his family frowned.
Erlang, Luo Xiaoyan, and Luo Xiaoying followed behind Lian Shouyi and Lady He, dressed neatly. Erlang and Luo Xiaoying both wore grayish-blue outer garments, green trousers, and cotton shoes. This was their work attire from the coaching inn. Clearly, they had just returned home and hadn’t changed into casual clothes yet.
Luo Xiaoyan wore a nearly new indigo jacket skirt, with her hair neatly tied and adorned with a silver hairpin. However, from hastening on foot from Luo Family Village and windy exposure, her temples were slightly unruly.
Lian Manman recognized the silver hairpin as a gift from Lady Zhang to Luo Xiaoyan.
As these people entered, their facial expressions varied, but they all seemed somewhat uneasy. Lian Shouyi, at the front, raised his head and saw Lian Shouxin. His strides, initially swinging confidently, altered upon spotting Lian Shouxin.
"Old Fourth Master Lian, Old Fourth, my dear brother," Lian Shouyi cried, one hand supporting his thigh, the other reaching forward, hobbling toward Lian Shouxin, wailing, "I’m finally seeing you, I’ve missed you to death, Second Brother has suffered, just a little more and I would never have seen you again..."
Lady He followed behind, echoing his cries.
Lian Shouxin’s face grew darker, brows clearly brimming with anger.
Lian Manman, walking in the rear, was first startled by Lian Shouyi’s getup. Though unable to see Lian Shouxin’s face, she could guess his mood.
If they hadn’t known the circumstances beforehand and Lian Shouyi suddenly appeared like this, they might have thought he was truly in distress.
Lian Shouyi’s attire, this ruse of appealing to pity, was indeed a bold venture. However, as he walked, one could only imagine how much gossip he had stirred up in the countryside!
"Quickly support the Second Old Master!" Wu Lang instructed the servants in the yard.
Two servants came over to support Lian Shouyi, one on each side. Lian Shouyi, thus supported, remained three or four steps away from Lian Shouxin.
"Let’s all go inside; whatever needs to be said can be said indoors." Lian Shouxin commented, offering no warm reception to those who had arrived.
Despite Lian Shouxin’s cool demeanor, Lian Shouyi and Lady He seemed somewhat gratified, while Erlang, Luo Xiaoyan, and Luo Xiaoying exchanged glances of uneasy apprehension.
Everyone went inside, paid mutual respects; Erlang, Luo Xiaoyan, and Luo Xiaoying all gave formal salutations to Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang, before being assisted to rise by those beside them, then everyone took their seats.
