Chapter 190: Xie Shi'an Follows
Xie Shi'an lowered his head, his five fingers clenched tightly.
Even if he hadn't fallen to his current state, he would still be unable to contend with the people before him.
Now, having become a rat scurrying across the street, these people could crush him with a single finger. Besides silently enduring, he had no other path.
Though he couldn't fight back, he could remember their faces.
In the future... someday, he would rise above these people, and then he would make them regret the humiliation they had inflicted upon him today.
Yun Chu saw the ambition in his eyes.
He was a wolf—a wolf forever filled with fighting spirit.
Even if he couldn't pursue an official career, he would carve out a path of bloodshed in another way.
Yun Chu instructed the coachman to drive the carriage over.
She lifted the curtain and called out, "An Ge'er, get in the carriage."
The group surrounding Xie Shi'an naturally recognized Yun Chu—the cherished eldest daughter raised by the Pillar of the Nation Great General. They didn't dare offend her, so they scattered in disarray.
Xie Shi'an picked up the gauze that had been discarded on the ground by those people. Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, he covered his eyes with the gauze, tied it around his head, and then boarded Yun Chu's carriage.
"Thank you, Mother, for rescuing me."
Yun Chu looked at him and said, "Why are you still on the street so late?"
"I was trying to find a job to earn some money," Xie Shi'an replied, his head still lowered. "But as soon as those people heard I was from the Xie family, they refused my request. I'm utterly useless..."
Yun Chu sighed. "Here's what I think: let's sell the Xie family residence and use the money as travel expenses to return to Jizhou. How about setting off before winter arrives?"
Xie Shi'an had heard from his grandmother before that Mother wanted the whole family to return to Jizhou.
He had originally thought it was because of their living situation. Now that the Xie residence was secured, why did Mother still want to return to the old home?
He didn't understand. Mother was a native of the capital—why was she so determined to go back to Jizhou?
He looked at Yun Chu's face, trying to find some clue in her expression.
But all he saw was a face filled with concern for the Xie family.
His father was already dead, and the Xie family had lost all hope. Was Mother truly willing to stay with the Xie family? Was she genuinely thinking only of the Xie family's welfare?
His doubts resurfaced.
Lowering his gaze, he said, "Mother, I don't want to return to Jizhou."
Yun Chu smiled. "You are the eldest son of the Xie family. Since you are to support this family, we will do as you say."
She had given Xie Shi'an a chance, but he had refused it.
In that case, she would have to bring Xie Shiwei back.
As an adult, she wouldn't personally lay a hand on Xie Shi'an. Instead, she would let the two brothers contend with each other.
The carriage soon stopped at the entrance of the Xie residence.
There used to be two servants guarding the main gate, but now even the Stone Lions at the entrance exuded desolation and loneliness. The doorway was unswept, littered with fallen leaves blown by the wind.
The two of them stepped over the threshold and parted ways in the front courtyard.
Xie Shi'an entered his Pine Pavilion, where his page San Jiu hurriedly brought him the meal.
It was clear at a glance that the food wasn't prepared by a chef. It was likely cooked by his grandmother and Concubine, who had sent a portion to him.
Only in Mother's courtyard were there still many servants. Even though the Xie family's chef was gone, Mother still had maids serving her diligently. A person as noble as Mother would probably never fall to the day when she had to cook for herself...
Xie Shi'an finished the meal, the food tasting like wax in his mouth.He knew that during this period, his mother went out almost every day and only returned after dark. What exactly was she busy with?
Grandmother said his mother was working tirelessly for the Xie family. He really wanted to know what exactly she was running around for...
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Yun Chu went out by carriage, intending to personally select some fabric for the two children to make a few sets of clothes.
She knew the children didn't lack these things, but as their biological mother, clothes prepared by their own mother held a different meaning.
Just as the carriage left the alley of the Xie residence, she heard Qiutong whisper softly: "Madam, someone is following our carriage. It seems to be... the eldest young master."
Yun Chu lifted the carriage curtain and glanced back slightly, catching sight of a figure quickly hiding behind a wall.
She smiled: "No need to change our plans. Continue."
The carriage stopped on a bustling street in the capital, right in front of a fabric shop.
Yun Chu went inside, bought several rolls of good fabric, then purchased a few ready-made clothes for eight or nine-year-old children. She returned to the carriage and continued on.
The carriage slowly made its way to the west side of the city, where the lowest class of commoners lived. When they reached the entrance of an alley, the carriage could go no further. Yun Chu got out, walked into the alley, and stopped in front of a courtyard gate.
Qiutong stepped forward and knocked. A child's wary voice came from inside: "Who is it?"
Yun Chu spoke softly: "Wei Ge'er, it's me."
Hearing her voice, the door opened.
At the same time, Xie Shi'an, who had been following Yun Chu, wore an expression of utter disbelief on his face.
Wei Ge'er... was actually in the capital. Had Mother been hiding Wei Ge'er in the capital? Why? What was the reason for all this?
He moved closer.
"Wei Ge'er, you've lost weight." Yun Chu looked at the child before her. "You've been back in the capital for so many days, living in hardship here. Do you blame Mother?"
Xie Shiwei shook his head: "Mother gave me a place to stay. Otherwise, I would have been thrown in jail."
"I bought you some clothes." Yun Chu took the clothes from Qiutong and said, "Your appearance now is very different from the former Second Young Master Xie. Few people would recognize you. From now on, you can call yourself Xie Wei, a descendant of the Xie family from the old residence in Jizhou. How does that sound?"
Xie Shiwei asked blankly: "What do you mean, Mother?"
"I'm taking you home." Yun Chu asked him, "Don't you want to go home?"
Xie Shiwei immediately exclaimed: "No, I'm not going back! What would I go back to that home for? No one cares about me, no one values me. Even if I died, no one would care!"
"No, you're wrong." Yun Chu said deliberately, "Your father was still thinking of you before he died. How can you say no one cares about you? Old Madam has never blamed you... and your eldest brother—he's the most outstanding brother in the world. For the sake of the Xie family, he forced himself to grow up and worked hard to support the entire family..."
Xie Shiwei pressed his lips together and remained silent.
He was still just a child. How could he not want to go home? He was just being stubborn. Even if the family was falling apart, he still wanted to return..."Actually, I could support the Xie family, but I cannot." Yun Chu spoke with profound sincerity. "You've studied and should know the saying: 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' I hope your elder brother can grow through adversity, hope he can restore the Xie family's standing through his own efforts... But his strength alone is too limited. I hope you'll return and join your elder brother in upholding the Xie family's honor. When brothers unite, their power can cut through metal..."
Xie Shi'an, standing outside the courtyard, was deeply shaken.
So his mother truly had been working wholeheartedly for the Xie family all along... Though he didn't believe Xie Shiwei could be of much help to him, the fact that his mother had gone to such lengths was enough proof that she had never considered leaving the Xie family...
How fortunate he was to have such a principal mother.
He felt utterly despicable for having followed and spied on his mother...
Xie Shi'an wiped his face, turned around, and walked out of the alley.
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