Sui and Tang Dynasty Generals

Chapter 12 The Lost Package
Village entrance.

Next to four wooden carts filled with large and small packages, a group of men, women, old and young were standing or sitting, all with impatient looks on their faces.

Among these people were Fu Zihou’s maternal grandfather, eldest uncle, second uncle, eldest aunt, second aunt, four cousins, one cousin, and two cousins.

"Why haven't you come yet? We've been waiting for a long time. My mother is the same. Why are you still here to see the Fu family? Isn't Fu Rui embarrassing enough for our Tao family?"

My aunt was carrying a package, so although she could stay in the shade under the wooden shed, she was very upset when she thought about not being able to go to the city earlier.

"That's right. Even Zizhen and Ziheng didn't want to go over and take a look!"

The second aunt also stood beside the eldest aunt and echoed softly. She glanced at the village in front of her and thought of the Fu family. She felt a little unhappy for no reason.

"Father, grandma is in such poor health. She got up before dawn. I think she is in good health! She even let me support her along the way!"

The youngest of the two cousins pouted and looked at her father with a resentful look on her face.

Upon hearing this, the second uncle frowned and looked at his daughter. Seeing this, the second aunt quickly signaled to her daughter not to talk nonsense. Seeing her daughter's frightened expression and seeing that her husband did not have an attack, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Among the four brothers of the Tao family, no matter whether it is the third and fourth brothers who are away from home, or the eldest brother who stays at home all year round, none of them can be as filial as their husband. Not to mention the past, even on this journey, it was their husband who took care of the old lady.

"I'm coming!"

Hearing her children's exclamations, the second aunt turned her head to look at the village. When she saw a young man supporting an old woman walking towards them in the distance, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After waiting for a while, the young man and the old woman finally came to the front.

"If you come later, you will stay here!"

The person who spoke was the grandfather, the only one sitting under the wooden shed. Both his tone and expression clearly revealed his impatience.

"Just for a moment!"

The grandmother frowned and sighed, looking at her lover helplessly.

"Hou'er greets grandpa!"

Fu Zihou looked at his grandfather and raised his hand to salute. Although his grandfather was wearing linen clothes, his neatly woven hair and long beard gave him a very energetic feeling. Compared with his grandfather, the difference was obvious at a glance.

However, to Fu Zihou, no matter how neatly his grandfather was dressed, it was not as good as the old man who always cared about him.

"Humph!"

The grandfather watched Fu Zihou perform the salute, and his eyes clearly showed his displeasure when he saw his grandson.

"Hou'er is greeting you. You, an old man, always talk about courtesy, so why do you ignore your grandson's greeting now?"

Seeing the old man's appearance, the grandmother, who was already old, was unhappy. She immediately began to protect her son and then looked at other people, especially her grandchildren.

Seeing her grandson bowing to these grandchildren, some of whom even pretended not to see it, the grandmother's eyes showed anger.

"One by one, where did you learn from the past? Could it be that you have lost your manners along the way?"

As the grandmother finished speaking, the cousins, who rarely saw her so angry, quickly returned the greetings to Fu Zihou.

Even the elderly grandfather, who had rarely seen his wife for decades, was so angry. However, when he thought that he would never have to see this disgusting grandson again, he suppressed his resistance and nodded to Fu Zihou.

"Okay, Hou'er, go back! When you get married and have a big house, you can take your grandmother to live with you! Go back and don't let your mother worry!"

The grandmother looked around and saw that everyone except her eldest son was rude to Hou'er, then she turned around and looked at her grandson with reluctance in her old eyes.

"Grandma, please take good care of yourself on this journey!"

Fu Zihou nodded and listened to his grandmother's urging, insisting on seeing him go back. Fu Zihou knew that his grandfather's family didn't like him, and his grandmother was worried that he would be sad if he stayed here, so he nodded and turned to leave.

After taking two steps, he turned around and looked at his grandmother again. Seeing his grandmother raise her hand to wipe her eyes, Fu Zihou's Adam's apple moved. This time, Fu Zihou did not speak. He just looked at his grandmother a few times and then walked back to the village.

"A merchant's son, living in a large mansion..."

Fu Zihou seemed not to hear the faint voice behind him and returned to the village.

Next to the woodshed.

The grandmother watched Fu Zihou return to the village, then turned around and glared at her grandson unhappily.

"That's what it is!"

When Tao Ziheng saw how his grandmother was defending Fu Zihou, he looked aggrieved and turned his head away unconvinced, as if he was determined to stick to his guns no matter what.

"Mother, give me the things!"

At this time, the uncle looked at his youngest son, did not say anything, but walked forward and stretched out his hand to the mother.

At this time, everyone looked at the package on the old woman's shoulder. Unlike her grandfather and uncle, the other children of the Tao family and Tao Ziheng, who looked unconvinced, could not help swallowing.

"Uncle! Your little sister was worried that we would be hungry, so she gave us food on the way. This is so thoughtful..."

My grandmother's words were interrupted by my uncle before he could finish.

"Mother, you came to visit me, and I did not stop you. I understand you, and I ask you to understand me, too. We, the Tao family, do not want the food from the Fu family!"

As my uncle spoke, he looked at the package with anger in his eyes.

That year, when he was talking with his good friends and other scholars, he mentioned his brother-in-law and heard someone suddenly say that he had met a merchant named Fu Rui, and that person also described what the merchant looked like.

Tao Bo still can't forget that time when several friends and other scholars looked at him with puzzled expressions. "Bo'er!"

The grandmother still held the package tightly, and her eyes looking at her eldest son were already pleading.

When the stalemate came, the grandfather beside her also spoke up and asked the grandmother to let it go.

The grandmother looked at her husband and eldest son with a sad face. However, when she saw that even her second son remained silent, she knew that even if she took it, they would not eat it, nor would they give it to their grandchildren.

Even if it was me, they would give me the food from the Tao family and would not let me eat what my daughter prepared.

Watching her eldest son take the package forcefully and then throw it aside, the grandmother's heart was filled with pain. In the eyes of this old woman, it was not the food that she felt sorry for.

But her husband, children and grandchildren were unwilling to acknowledge the appearance of her daughter, Tao.

"Mother, has that merchant Fu Rui ever thought about our Tao family? Have he and my younger sister ever thought about the reputation of our Tao family? Don't blame my uncle!"

Tao Bo looked at his mother's lost expression and spoke softly, then asked everyone to hurry on.

Hearing what their eldest uncle said, the two women and three girls, each carrying a small package, slowly stood up. The other four boys and the second uncle came together to the wooden cart full of luggage and pushed the wheelbarrow.

Grandma sighed for a long time, turned around, looked at the village again, and then walked away in disappointment.

Tens of breaths later.

Fu Zihou, who had been hiding behind a small garden at the entrance of the village, just came out.

Next to the wooden shed, Fu Zihou looked at the figure that kept looking back but slowly went away, knelt on the ground, and bowed his head slowly.

"Grandma, that was not a dream! Hou'er also found grandma!"

Looking up at the figure that stayed in the distance for a long time, reluctant to leave, Fu Zihou felt a sour feeling in his nose and his eyes began to turn red.

This time, I won't break my promise!

This time, I won’t be deceived again!
This time, no matter where I am, I will go and bring my grandmother home!

After a while.

Looking at the figure being approached by other figures, then taken away, and finally disappearing at the foot of the mountain, Fu Zihou knelt on the ground and did not get up for a long time.

It was not until he heard footsteps that Fu Zihou wiped his tears. Unexpectedly, when he turned around, he saw that the person coming was his teacher Liu Zhiyuan.

"teacher!"

Fu Zihou quickly bowed to Liu Zhiyuan.

Liu Zhiyuan came to Fu Zihou's side, looked at the foot of the mountain in the distance, and couldn't help laughing when he saw Fu Zihou raising his hand with red eyes and tears in them.

"Why do the villagers say you are a fool?"

Liu Zhiyuan rarely smiled.

I have been in the village for quite some time. Even if I have no contact with the villagers, I can hear from them that I have a stupid apprentice.

Seeing his disciple not knowing how to explain, Liu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head, then turned back to look towards the foot of the mountain.

"I didn't see any golden mountains in the fields! But here..."

With an inaudible sigh, Liu Zhiyuan, who seemed to be hesitant to speak, smiled and said nothing more. Instead, he asked Fu Zihou whether he still wanted to receive instruction today.

Seeing Fu Zihou nodded, Liu Zhiyuan asked Fu Zihou to pick up the package.

"Teacher, why are you here? Why didn't I see you just now?"

Fu Zihou calmed himself down, picked up the discarded package, and asked curiously.

"You only had eyes for that old woman just now. What can you see?"

While Liu Zhiyuan was speaking, he took off the small bamboo tube from his waist. When Fu Zihou took the package closer, he discovered that it was full of insects. Looking at the rice fields outside the village, Fu Zihou realized that the teacher was going to the fields to catch insects.

"Take the package home. Today, I will use this to teach you how to play chess with ants! How to effectively influence the opponent's ants with the method I teach you!"

Liu Zhiyuan said.

Looking at Fu Zihou, Liu Zhiyuan still felt a little emotional, and a hint of regret emerged in his heart. After all, time was still too little!
After saying that, Liu Zhiyuan prepared to go to the riverside to wait for Fu Zihou.

"Teacher, don't take it back. My mother will be sad if she sees it!"

Fu Zihou didn't expect that the teacher would catch insects for him. He was full of gratitude. Looking at the package in his hand, he recalled the image of his mother squatting in the yard and crying. He felt indescribably distressed.

Liu Zhiyuan, who had just turned around, heard Fu Zihou's words and looked at Fu Zihou holding the package.

At this moment, Liu Zhiyuan finally understood why the old servant had been so protective of the young man, and he also finally understood why the old woman had been so fond of the young man.

Looking at the young man staring at the package in his arms with a look of heartache in his eyes, Liu Zhiyuan thought of those people's actions and for some reason, felt a hint of anger in his chest.

He walked forward silently, reached into the package, and took out a millet cake.

"Then give it to me. I'm still hungry!"

Liu Zhiyuan said bluntly, and the arrogance in his eyes when he looked at the young man was no longer there.

(End of this chapter)