Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 685 - 352 Cooling Off_1
By the second watch, requests for favors had turned pink.
***......***
It was precisely because Lian Shouxin was such a person that he could, over the years, labor and toil without complaint. Despite the multitude of incidents that had occurred, when he became independent from the family, he still treated his parents and siblings with warmth, remembering only the good in everyone and deliberately overlooking the negative.
And it was because Lian Shouxin was such a person that he would not agree to Old Master Lian’s requests to seek favors for Lian Shouren. Even if Old Master Lian brought out filial piety, kinship, and the honor of the clan as bargaining chips, Lian Shouxin would still adhere to the moral baseline in his heart.
"Dad, you didn’t agree, and came back home without even having a full meal. Grandpa must be quite angry, right?" Lian Manman asked.
"I explained my reasoning to your grandpa. He’s a reasonable man; it’s just that..." Lian Shouxin’s tone paused, leaving unstated what exactly Old Master Lian was like, "things will settle down, your grandpa will understand this matter eventually."
"Your grandpa, he’s not someone who likes to trouble or ask favors from others. All this is for your eldest uncle." Lian Shouxin sighed, "I’ve heard from your grandpa before, even when he faced hardships in his youth, he never went begging or pleading with anyone. In the end, he followed someone into the city and became an apprentice, doing the hardest of work. Your eldest uncle is just too disappointing, always making your grandpa worry, acting helpless, as if his many years of studying have been for naught, or claiming that his talents are unrecognized. Those words, I can’t say."
"For his sake, the family has struggled these years, and that’s not even the worst of it. Your grandpa has never borrowed money from anyone, but for him, we even took out high-interest loans. Now he wants to ask for favors from Master Shen Liu. All this trouble is caused by your eldest uncle; your grandpa is not that kind of man!"
As Lian Shouxin spoke, he became increasingly agitated. He resented Lian Shouren’s lack of ambition, which had burdened Old Master Lian and caused him to lose the principles he had always followed in life and work.
"Grandpa told me, said that Wu Lang and Xiao Qi are still young, studying now, hoping to make something of themselves in the future, which will also take several years. Even if Master Shen Liu wants to help, he can’t be of assistance in the immediate future; it’s better to help your eldest uncle, who is already a Jiansheng. It’s just a matter of giving him a little push upward." Lian Shouxin said, looking at Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, "You two don’t entertain any thoughts of relying on Master Shen Liu. We should study hard and if we pass the exams, so be it, but if we don’t, we can return home, open a shop, or farm. We can still lead a good life."
"We eat from bowls as big as our ability allows. Just like your eldest uncle, if he can’t become an official, then he should earnestly find a position teaching at a school. He could still live better than the average farmer. We all have to remember this lesson, to be down-to-earth, step by step."
"Understood, Dad." Wu Lang and Xiao Qi said in unison, putting down their bowls.
Lian Shouxin seldom gave such lengthy lectures, and seeing Wu Lang and Xiao Qi respond this way, he cleared his throat twice.
"Good, now eat up," Lian Shouxin said. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Wu Lang and Xiao Qi then picked up their bowls again.
Lian Shouxin talked at length but never directly answered whether Old Master Lian was angry.
"Dad, when Grandpa was telling you all this, didn’t Grandma hear it? Why didn’t I hear Grandma scolding anyone? And about my eldest uncle and the rest, they must be holding a grudge against us again inside," Lian Manman said with a chuckle.
"Your Grandma didn’t say anything. As for your eldest uncle and the others... let them think what they will; there’s nothing I can do about it," Lian Shouxin said gloomily.
In the Lian Family, men were in charge of external matters while women managed internal affairs. For major external issues, such as the previous borrowing of high-interest loans, Lady Zhou did not utter a single word from beginning to end. Clearly, this current matter was also outside of Lady Zhou’s jurisdiction. As for Lian Shouren and the others, Lian Shouxin did his duty, and how they thought about it was beyond his, and even the immortals’, control.
"Dad, you did the right thing, and in the future, we should deal with things in the same way," Lian Manman said. One should not agree to everything unprincipled out of fear of angering Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, or for fear of upsetting Lian Shouren and the others.
...
In the Upper Room East Room, the family had already finished their meal, Lady Zhao, Lady He, and a few others were clearing the table and washing the dishes. Old Master Lian sat at the top of the kang bed, having filled a tobacco pouch, and was drawing on it with a smack.
"Dad, Old Fourth..." Lian Shouren did not leave; he sat next to Old Master Lian, glanced at Lady Zhou, and started to speak.
"Let’s not talk about this matter anymore; let’s consider it settled," Old Master Lian said, cutting off Lian Shouren’s words, "It was just the thought of a last resort. Sixth Master Shen is a great Buddha, a noble personage. A minor official position does not mean anything in his eyes. A casual nod from him would save us half a lifetime of toil elsewhere. In my life, I have never liked asking for favors. For you, I’ve even put my face on the line."
