Exile

43

Jiang Mao did it on purpose. If he waited for Su Qingbai to make up his mind to tell his Dad, who knew how many months or years would it be?

Although he had never had the opportunity to meet Su Lingchuan, Su Lingchuan was a prime minister, after all. He still knew what Su Lingchuan looked like. When Third Prince persuaded him to go to the capital city, there were two piles of portraits of officials, big and small, in his study. Su Lingchuan had a special status, and his portrait was on the top.

In the evening, Su Qingbai knelt down in front of his Laozi while feeling aggrieved. Jiang Mao really didn't even inform him.

Su Lingchuan was trembling with anger. He had been making plans. While he was still in good shape, he would save a little money after he had taught for several years and marry Su Qingbai a daughter-in-law.

For a while, he had watched Su Qingbai behave well, so he didn't try to manage him and felt that he was thoughtful. He, this Lao Zi would not be good to always educate his son.

Who would have known, when he had been neglecting Su Qingbai for a long time, Su Qingbai had been stirred up with man again.

"What's up with the new man near the school? You make it clear to me." Su Lingchuan asked him directly instead of twisting around.

Su Qingbai didn't expect to be discovered by his Dad so soon, but it was Jiang Mao's obvious intention. It would be weird if his Dad didn't find out. It's just too sudden today.

"He, he is the other Dad of Caicai." whispered Su Qingbai as he knelt and hunched, bowing his head to look at the ruler in his Laozi's hand.

Su Lingchuan stared at him, pointed at him with a ruler and asked him sharply, "Didn't you say you don't know who Caicai's dad is?" Was it a lie to him?

"I don't know what his name is, but I know what he looks like, and when I meet him later, I know when I ask him." Su Qingbai had to answer honestly.

"And now?"

Su Qingbai looked up at his Dad and summoned up courage to say what he had wanted to say. "Now... I'm together with him again."

As soon as Su Lingchuan heard that, the fire that Su Lingchuan was suppressing was immediately ignited.

Still together?

"Who is together again? I disagree!" Su Lingchuan was angry with him and roared, "Break up! Break up with him!"

"Dad..." Su Qingbai looked at his Laozi imploringly. "I like him."

"Like?" Su Lingchuan pulled a cold smile, rolled up his sleeve, and took the ruler to greet Su Qingbai.

There was such a big stir inside that people outside had already discovered it.

Zhang Su was here today. He's here to meet Xu Qian. When he saw Su Lingchuan raised a ruler and was going to beat Su Qingbai, he rushed forward and pulled him. "Teacher, if there is something, sit down and discuss it properly."

Su Lingchuan was so angry. He scanned the whole family which had come over; even his second son and second daughter-in-law came. Su Lingchuan swung a few strikes and finally put away his ruler.

Even if he was angry, he still could not ignore his son's reputation. If this was spread out, how would his son behave with integrity?

Madam Su was not magnanimous; she often had grievance. She just always liked to find Su Lingchuan to complain. With Su Lingchuan good temper, he had listened to her trivial matters for so many years.

Madam Su had told him that during her recent quarrel with Su Er-sao that when Su Er-sao was mad she scolded Su Caicai a monster.

Thus, Su Lingchuan had a feeling that this second daughter-in-law's mouth was not sealed. If there was any serious matter, if he could keep it away from her, he would try to keep it away from her as much as possible.

Su Lingchuan glared at Su Qingbai angrily. "From today on, you'll stay at home and not be allowed to go out without my permission."

"You all right? Little Uncle." Su Huai raised Su Qingbai up. "Why did Grandpa hit you? Is it related... to him?"

Su Qingbai smiled thoughtlessly and nodded, "My Dad, he finally knows." The result was much better than he had expected.

Su Lingchuan went out and happened to bump head on with Su Caicai, who when he saw everyone walking into the house, he followed, but because of his short legs, he walked a long time before he arrived.

Su Lingchuan, regardless of Su Caicai's wishes, picked him up and took him away.

As Su Lingchuan carried his grandson to walk on the road to the village chief, he lowered his head and pressed a tuff of hair on Su Caicai's head.

What hadn't he experienced in his whole life? After several experiences of life and death, now that he was old, nothing was a big deal.

He refused to accept Su Qingbai's affair, wasn't because he couldn't let go of his pride or too stubborn.

It was actually that he really wasn't optimistic about Su Qingbai being with that person.

That person, he looked like a noble Gongzi who seemed to be from a rich family that had never suffered hardship. He's good-looking and fancy-dressed; a person who was the focus of the crowd. While his son looked beautiful but not very tall, wore gray clothes all day. He couldn't learn anything, had no money and no talent. For what reason would that person take a fancy to him?

Granted that person was blinded for a moment taking a fancy towards his son, how long would it last? Both of them were men.

...

When Su Lingchuan came back, he saw Su Huai standing at the door waiting for him. Su Lingchuan went forward.

"I'll hold him. This boy's heavy." Su Huai took over the sleeping Su Caicai.

The grandfather and grandson walked into the house. Su Huai looked at Su Lingchuan hesitantly and said, "Grandpa, I think Little Uncle and Jiang Si are very good together."

Su Lingchuan stopped and turned to look at Su Huai. "How do you know?"

Su Huai felt his heart hairy being stared at by his grandfather like that that. "I saw him once last year, and this year he followed Little Uncle to the village, and so I recognized him."

In the end, Su Lingchuan didn't blame him for hiding it from him. He sighed helplessly; he didn't realize that they had been together for so long.

"That person... what kind of person is he?" Su Lingchuan asked him again.

"I don't know, I just knew he is Jiang Si. He's a cook and his family seems quite rich and honorable." Su Huai answered honestly.

"A cook?"

For a while, Su Lingchuan was not very fussy about Jiang Mao's appearance. A cook; once people heard it, it gave the people a kind of steadfast feeling.