Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1651 - 842: Falling Short (Part 2)

After about two cups of tea’s time, Lian Shouxin finally returned with a stern face.

Lian Manman turned her head and snickered secretly, then quickly got up to hand Lian Shouxin a cup of hot tea.

"Dad, this is ginseng tea my mom made for you," Lian Manman said with a sweet smile. "The ginseng used was specially brought back by my brother from the Capital City last time, reserved just for you to strengthen your body."

Lian Shouxin had one good trait: no matter the situation, he would never take his frustration out on others. Moreover, there was nothing to fault in how his wife and children spoke or acted, and he was mindful of their good intentions. Earlier, he had been upset because of Si Lang, but now with his younger daughter’s filial gesture of offering the ginseng tea, his mood lightened, and his face softened considerably, and the block in his heart seemed to ease.

"Ah, still my own child..." The ginseng tea had been kept warm on the stove, and as he drank a large sip, Lian Shouxin felt a warm comfort in his heart and couldn’t help but voice a quiet sentiment.

"So, what did you all talk about, didn’t start arguing, did you?" Lady Zhang asked Lian Shouxin.

"You all just told me not to talk to him. I still couldn’t hold back. Seeing that he liked the girl, I tried to speak well of everything, which is understandable. But when it came to ordering around his third uncle, I couldn’t stay silent about that..." Lian Shouxin explained, "I figured it out. At any rate, this will be the last time I speak about it. If he can change, that’s naturally good. If he doesn’t, then that’s just how he is; no amount of effort from me will change that."

"People, whether smart or a little slow, as long as their character isn’t bad, they won’t cross the line in life. We can support him from the sidelines and feel at ease. But if their character is bad, then it’s better to be a little slow; at least they won’t cause trouble."

Clearly, Lian Shouxin’s remarks were inspired by Si Lang’s behavior.

"This kid Si Lang, following his parents, didn’t learn any good traits, just all the bad ones," Lady Zhang added.

Lian Shouyi and Lady He of the second wife have four sons: Erlang, Sanlang, Si Lang, and Liulang. Each one has a different character, and Si Lang seemed to have inherited all the flaws of Lian Shouyi and Lady He.

Despite how strictly Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou managed things, Lian Shouyi and Lady He remained unchanged. Where did Lian Shouxin get the confidence that he could straighten out Si Lang?

Now that Lian Shouxin’s hope for Si Lang has been dashed, he probably realized this too.

"Dad, when you talked to him, did she argue back?" Lian Manman asked Lian Shouxin.

"At first, he wouldn’t admit he was wrong," Lian Shouxin said, a bit angry recalling it, "he even told me that his third uncle was idle, and it was his third uncle’s own decision to help him. He said finding a wife was a big deal. Maybe seeing I was getting angry, he stopped talking. He didn’t dare argue with me, but from his attitude, he clearly wasn’t convinced by what I said."

"It’s partly my dad’s fault; he always gives in without question, like it’s owed to him or something," Lian Yeye added, feeling much better hearing Lian Shouxin scold Si Lang and speak up for Lian Shouli. "I don’t know what’s wrong with my dad, always...

Lian Shouli, in front of the Old Wang Family, always found it hard to stand tall. At the root of it, it was because he had no sons. Lian Yeye understood this now too and thus, stopped midway, bowing his head, unwilling to continue.

"Dad, did you only discuss this one issue all this time?" Lian Manman again asked Lian Shouxin.

"No, after this, he complained to me, saying the cart driver was snobbish, looking down on him or something," Lian Shouxin shook his head, saying.

"Did he say how our family’s driver looked down on him?" Lady Zhang asked.

"He said the driver wouldn’t take his orders and embarrassed him in front of the girl’s family," Lian Shouxin explained.

Thanks to the information Lian Yeye had gathered, Lian Manman understood why Si Lang wanted to give the driver a hard time. However, knowing that Si Lang first bossed around Lian Shouli, Si Lang’s complaint would surely lose its effectiveness.

Lian Manman glanced at Lian Yeye unintentionally.

"Fourth uncle, speaking impartially," Lian Yeye promptly recounted the events of Si Lang ordering Lian Shouli around and bossing the driver in detail to Lian Shouxin. "Didn’t you send him to drive the cart and take care of the animals? Si Lang had him drive without a word, and later it was him driving with Si Lang to deliver people to the Old Wang Family’s house. In the cold, tending to the animals outside, he did it quite diligently."

"It must have been nearly a whole day, and only then did he come back. He only drank a sip of water at the Old Wang Family’s house and didn’t even have lunch. Anyone would feel bad, so how could Si Lang talk about him like that behind his back?"

"I sent him to do the job, but it doesn’t mean he should be treated that way," Lian Shouxin nodded, "even without Yeye saying anything, I guessed Si Lang might have been bossing him harshly. His way of speaking and acting have been a bit arrogant."

It seemed Lian Shouxin understood Si Lang’s character well, thus he was quite dismissive of Si Lang’s complaint.

"Even if they work for us and earn their keep, they labor and contribute. Even in our own house, I can’t treat these workers unreasonably. They earn their keep with dignity, and we must treat them with dignity, not like some families that order people around like they’re animals. Si Lang just doesn’t get this concept." In the end, Lian Shouxin sighed, clearly more disappointed in Si Lang.

...

For now, here’s an update, asking for support; I will try to add more later tonight (to be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)