CHAPTER 1353: CHAPTER 690: MOTHER AND SON (PART 2)

Old Master Lian pitied Lady Zhou, indulging her unreasonable ruckus at the expense of his sons and grandsons. Of course, this didn’t apply to all of Old Master Lian’s offspring, and the position of Lian Shouxin’s branch of the family was self-evident.

No one in the family spoke; they just looked at Lian Shouxin, waiting for his decision.

Lian Shouxin bowed his head and pondered for a moment before slowly raising it.

"I’ll go and see." Lian Shouxin said.

Unlike how he usually dealt with such situations—full of helplessness and a desire to please—this time, he was uncharacteristically firm.

Perhaps today was crucial. Lian Manman thought, giving Lian Shouxin another chance to prove himself.

"Dad, be careful." Lian Manman didn’t stop Lian Shouxin nor did she ask to accompany him.

Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi naturally didn’t stop him either.

Lian Shouxin didn’t change his clothes and just walked out.

"Dad," Lian Manman called out to Lian Shouxin, adding a reminder, "Dad, be careful not to let Grandma scratch your face."

"I know." Lian Shouxin was slightly taken aback but then nodded in response.

After Lian Shouxin left, Lian Manman quickly sent the maid Xiao Qing to gather information.

...

As Lian Shouxin entered the old residence, both his steps and heart felt heavy. As soon as he stepped through the main gate, he heard Lady Zhou’s voice. Lian Shouxin came to an immediate halt.

The voice that should belong to a mother—kind, a sound that would evoke happiness and peace in a child regardless of time or place—when did it become so sharp, irritable, evoking such fear and unease?

Lian Shouxin stood there, trying hard to recall, as time gradually rewound in his mind back to his childhood days.

Scenes from the past flashed before him, from continuous scenarios to singular moments; the older the memory, the fainter it became, some reduced to mere fuzzy images.

When he peeled away the layer of tender illusion he’d wrapped around those memories, Lian Shouxin starkly realized that the supposed kind, gentle, and loving mother was just his fantasy. It was he who had placed that layer around Lady Zhou, while, in fact, she was never a kind, gentle, and loving mother.

At least not to him, she never was.

From a young age, his life was filled with Lady Zhou’s beatings and scoldings, yet she still fed and clothed him. This almost made him believe that such a mother’s treatment was the norm. The Zhou who beat and scolded him was endearing, whereas the Zhou who gave him a bowl of good food or altered his brothers’ old clothes for him to wear was akin to a godsend.

But being scolded hurt, and being beaten was painful. Yet, he always made excuses for Zhou’s treatment, such as Lian Shouren being favored because he was older and successful in his studies. When he was still a child, Lian Shouren was already a teenager. Or, for instance, Zhou’s favoritism towards Lian Xiuxiu.

Yes, it was indeed Zhou’s favoritism towards Lian Xiuxiu that made him realize that a mother could be so kind, gentle, and loving.

Nonetheless, he still found excuses for Zhou. Lian Xiuxiu was a girl, moreover the only daughter, naturally, she was different.

Even with such self-deception, deep inside, he was actually always aware. That’s why he always did the opposite of what Zhou did. Fortunately for him, Lady Zhang was genuinely kind, gentle, and loving.

Lady Zhou treated beating and scolding sons as a daily affair. Lian Shouxin never spoke foul language, never scolded anyone, and never beat or scolded his own children.

Lady Zhou and Old Master Lian often quarreled. Lian Shouxin considered quarreling a disgrace and always discussed things with Lady Zhang without ever raising their voices.

Lady Zhou never spoke kindly to her sons; if beating and scolding didn’t achieve her ends, she acted out, using various means to manipulate people. Lian Shouxin always spoke kindly to his children and listened to them as long as they had a point. He never forced them to do things they didn’t want to do.

He actually understood everything all along; he was just deceiving himself.

Lian Shouxin stood there and bitterly smiled.

"Fourth Uncle, please come in." Lian Jizu carefully said beside him, "...Fourth Uncle just came back from out of town, you must be especially tired. We didn’t mean to trouble you; it’s that my grandma made too much of a scene, Old Master gave orders. We want to hold her back, but we’re afraid something will really happen and we’ll be blamed."

"I understand, I understand. Let’s go inside." Lian Shouxin said.

The people of the old residence were nearly all sitting in the Upper Room. The rest were on the floor, only Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou were on the kang. Old Master Lian still sat at the head of the kang, while Lady Zhou lay in the middle, eyes closed, constantly moaning.

When Lian Shouxin first entered the courtyard, he clearly heard Lady Zhou’s vigorous cries and scolding, but now she seemed weak and sickly, even her moaning was feeble.

When Lian Shouxin entered the room, everyone except Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou stood up to greet him, and Old Master Lian quickly invited him to sit.

"Old Fourth, is it Old Fourth?" Lady Zhou, still with her eyes closed, reached her hands out sideways to grasp around as she spoke.

"Yes, Old Fourth has returned, you always thought about him. Old Fourth is here to see you!" Old Master Lian said loudly.

"Old Fourth, my son..." Lady Zhou sat up on the kang, and upon seeing Lian Shouxin, her eyes reddened, her hands trembled as she reached for Lian Shouxin.

"Mom." Lian Shouxin called out.

Lady Zhou sat up on the kang, her hands clasping Lian Shouxin’s as she began to cry.

"Old Fourth, my son, you’re finally back. If you were two days later, I wouldn’t have seen you again." Lady Zhou cried, "My son, let me properly take a look at you."

Rarely did Lady Zhou show such tenderness and dependence; if it were usual times, Lian Shouxin would have felt warmth in his heart, eager to rush into her arms and offer his everything. But now, instead of feeling warmth, Lian Shouxin only felt a chill at his back.

Lian Shouxin slowly, yet resolutely, loosened Lady Zhou’s hands.

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Here’s an additional update, with the pink doubling event’s second last day, asking for pink support.

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Recommended complete book by Ruoyan: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles," a light house fight farmland tale, family matters and entanglements in a grand house.

Book number: 1771214

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