Play with fire

  Play with fire

  “…That’s how it is. I thought to myself, Fei’er is young and of noble status, if such a thing happens again, I would rather die than see my poor sister suffer.” Xiaolin covered her eyes with her handkerchief and sobbed for a while. “After he recovers from his injuries and gets better, I will ask someone to find a good teacher to tutor him privately, it’s better than the current situation, which might harm the young master of the Hou family.”

  "How could this be, and on the first day of school too?" Yin Haicheng furrowed his brow. He had always liked those with backbone, and was most disgusted by those pampered rich kids who were as delicate as girls.

  "It's probably... can't blame Qiye entirely for this matter." Xiaolin's expression was somewhat pitiful, as if she had been pleading with Yin Ruofei to cover up some things.

  Yin Haicheng was even more furious in his heart.

  He himself was a martial general from a young age, and had a hard life since childhood. With the title of Marquis's son, he was actually struggling inside, and as a child, he was often bullied. His temperament was steady, but he was very ambitious, gritting his teeth to practice martial arts day and night, and studying hard every night, which led to the current prosperity of the Marquis's household.

  Now, thinking of his young son with many troubles, he is not feeling well in his heart. Before, Liniang had hinted to him that if Fei didn't want to go to school at home, being young and fond of playing, it's better to wait a bit.

  Although he didn't say anything, in his heart he was unconvinced. At this age, everyone else has learned it, why can't he? Whose logic is this!

  The day before, at his mother's place, he heard that the child was going to school and that his behavior was also similar. He had been thinking about it for half a year without seeing the child become sensible, and even suspected whether Lin had any private motives in teaching him previously.

  He was strict with his eldest son, but that didn't mean he was cruel to the others, especially since this was the only legitimate child born by his first wife. He would only feel disappointed and frustrated, not hateful towards him.

  But unexpectedly, this kid had only been in school for one day, strictly speaking, just half a day, and yet he's already caused such a commotion. Is it to make people give up on the idea of him attending school? The eldest son of a noble family actually got into a fight with some distant relative's child and ended up with a broken head. If this gets out, wouldn't it be humiliating, humiliating that the esteemed marquis' household doesn't even have half a shred of discipline?

  Thinking of this, Yin Haicheng was furious, slamming his hand on the table and standing up, "You ungrateful son!"

  "Master Hou!" Xiao Lin's face was still wet with tears, she hastily knelt down and hugged Yin Haicheng's leg, crying weakly, "Master Hou, sister only has this one son, even if he made a mistake or two, you have to consider the face of my deceased sister... Master Hou, Seventh Young Master is still young, I'll teach him slowly later... Wuu..."

  Yin Haicheng took two steps forward, and Xiao Lin was dragged two steps back. The one-tenth of a flame that Yin Haicheng had been holding onto was suddenly puffed up to seven-tenths. He ordered the maids on either side to hold Xiao Lin steady, "A doting mother spoils her child, is this really for his own good?"

  "Master Hou..." Xiaolin covered her face with a handkerchief and sobbed, "I didn't know how to... my sister just left, I'm not in a position to speak out of turn, all I can do is coax... but why would Seventh Master listen to me?"

  Yin Haicheng's heart softened, thinking of the promise to make her a proper wife being rejected by Old Madam with just one sentence, he felt somewhat ashamed. However, this concubine couldn't be made a proper wife, and as a noble marquis, not some common merchant family without rules. Only if Old Madam didn't stand in his way, could he possibly do such a thing, otherwise even if it was the Marquis's estate, he would still be impeached and lose his title.

  "Alright, alright, I know you're upset. Later, I'll have someone bring that set of South Pearl headdress from the warehouse for you." Yin Haicheng hugged the person and gently comforted them.

  "Your Lordship, I'm not after wealth and status, otherwise I wouldn't have willingly become a concubine. It's just that I admire you, and I'm close to my sisters-in-law. But now, as the wife of your younger brother, I don't have the position to speak as an aunt, nor am I the legitimate mother of Seventh Master, so there are some things I find hard to say."

  "Just say it if you have something to say, and get rid of all the idle chatter." Yin Haicheng knew a thing or two about the secrets and gossip in the inner courtyard, where women and servants lived. There was no shortage of rumors and hearsay, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for Lin Shi.

  She was also a young lady from a scholarly family, although she was born out of wedlock. However, the old Master Taishan treated his daughters equally, without intentionally distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate ones, and they were all spoiled in front of their stepmother. Little Lin could have been married off to be a proper madam, but she had a crush on him and was willing to be his concubine, so how could he not love her more?

  "This matter, if Master Hou is at ease, let me handle it." Xiaolin Shi waved away the maid and her soft, boneless fingers stroked Yin Haicheng's chest. "Seventh Master has been injured, Old Madame is worried, seeing Master Hou get angry won't hurt the deep affection between Master Hou and his mother?"

  "What you said makes sense too." Yin Haicheng sighed, that day he did see it, his mother was quite fond of Yin Ruofei. If he himself got angry, his mother would not let it go. He didn't care about himself, but his mother was already old and her body wasn't as good as before, she shouldn't be making such a big fuss. "How badly is Fei injured?"

  "According to the doctor... it's nothing serious, just that my body isn't doing well and I don't have much energy..." Xiaolin carefully chose her words, not daring to go too far, this was basically what the doctor had said.

  "Hmph." Yin Haicheng flicked his sleeve and strode away.

  Kobayashi's tears had yet to dry, but a faint smile of satisfaction appeared at the corners of his mouth.

  Things fell into dust without Yin Ruofei's knowledge, although he felt that things were a bit unusual in their calmness, but at this time he didn't have any ears or eyes, and it wasn't good to make too many moves, lest he startled the snake.

  Early in the morning, both Old Madam and Second Madam sent someone to tell him not to go to school today. Yin Ruo Fei touched his head through the cloth, although it still hurt a bit, but it was nothing serious. After washing up, he went to Fu Shou Yuan to pay respects to Old Madam.

  When she heard that Yin Ruofei had arrived, Biyu hurried out to greet her. She was brought up by the side of the old lady and knew that this young master was the old lady's heart's desire, so she didn't dare to be slow.

  The old lady had two capable mothers by her side, one surnamed Zhang and the other Gu. They were both the old lady's attendants when she was young and got married into the Hou family as a manager. After many years of no incidents at home, they returned to serve the old lady again.

  This jade is Zhang Mama's niece, she has a good appearance and clever mind, and she was born in the house. After growing up for two more years by Old Madam's side, relying on Old Madam to find a good marriage, it would be a smooth life, so her thoughts are not as complicated as other maids, but only focused on serving Old Madam wholeheartedly.

  Bi Yu was like that, and Yin Ruofei's Ziling by her side was also like that. They were all people of the old lady, and they were indeed a group of decent people. Yin Ruofei also knew this, and she had never been reserved with Biyu and the two mothers, and their relationship was actually quite close.

  "My dear little golden grandson, how come you're still not well and ran here again!" The old lady looked at her little grandson saluting neatly, feeling both fondness and heartache. She hastily asked Biyu to help him take off his shoes and sit down beside her.

  "One day without seeing his grandmother, the grandson's heart cannot be at peace. What's more, this injury is not very serious, it's just a scratch on the skin." Yin Ruofei did not exaggerate about the wound, no matter how big or small the injury was, there were doctors who could not fake it. Moreover, this matter was a behind-the-scenes affair, and whether he was lightly or seriously injured was no longer the most important thing.

  The old lady actually knew that Yin Ruofei was not seriously injured, but this blow was not just to a small child like Yin Ruofei, but to the face of the Hou Mansion. However, the old lady didn't need to ask to know that although it seemed like the Hou Mansion had lost face, in reality, it was the evil spirits at work.

  She had heard from Zhang's mother that yesterday, as soon as the Marquis returned, he was welcomed by Lin Shi, and it is said that she cried and begged, now everyone in the Hou Mansion knows that this young Lin Shi loves the seventh master of the Hou Mansion so much that she almost offended the Marquis for his sake!

  The old lady sneered in her heart, indeed a lowly woman who has learned the rules of the aristocracy but is still inherently inferior.

  But it's also hard to deny that men are like this, the son she raised knows her, although she is strict with her children, but not a violent person. Moreover, no one asked about this matter, how did Fei'er become wrong? It's just someone who stirred up trouble.

  Thinking of this, the old lady gently patted Yin Ruofei's shoulder. His head was hit without reason, and as his father knew but didn't even come to take a look, he wasn't afraid of hurting his son's heart.

  After inquiring about Ziling, Ye Ruofei had not eaten yet. The old lady ordered him to eat here and asked Biyu to inform the small kitchen to make a few more dishes.

  Before long, the small kang table was filled with a full load of fragrant and soft porridge, two kinds of millet porridge, seven or eight kinds of small dishes, mostly meat dishes, and several pastries, which made Yin Ruo's eyes dazzled.

  Yin Ruofei's face lit up with delight, and she made a greedy cat-like expression, "It's still grandma who dotes on her grandson, always giving him the good stuff..."

  The grandfather and grandson were having a great time together, which made Yin Haicheng uncomfortable. He usually returned home after the morning court session, changed his clothes, had lunch, and then went to the military training ground. It was also around this time that he would visit his mother to pay his respects.

  Listening to Xiaoshuai say that Seventh Young Master didn't go to school, but instead ran to Old Madam's place, Yin Haicheng felt somewhat displeased in his heart. In his childhood, he also fought and practiced martial arts, so the big and small wounds on his body never healed, how could he be so pampered? His son wasn't a daughter, taking two days off at every turn, and still going to bother the elderly, what kind of behavior was this!

  Yin Haicheng got angrier the more he thought about it, and stood up to hurry to the Fushou Temple where the old lady was. Today, he must have a good talk with his mother. Although this generation should be loved, they couldn't be so spoiled, otherwise wouldn't they raise a prodigal son?