Chapter 590
The Master’s extravagance was not so much in feasting and drinking, but in causing trouble. After becoming the peak leader, he had shown a bit of humanity, but in the past, he was like a mad dog that everyone avoided.
So, what to do when trouble arises? Compensate, of course. According to the laws of Dayu, that meant medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional distress fees...
“Well, there are some benefits, aren’t there? Old Xue’s medical skills, and Old Qian, your lawyer’s credentials, all came from this. Sometimes misfortune brings good fortune.”
Shang Wu found it hard to argue back, feeling neither justified nor strong.
“I’ll cover the missing part,” Li Mo sighed softly.
“That’s not right…”
“You’ve helped me solve my troubles, and after all, this is my own engagement.”
“Alright then, let’s calculate carefully. It shouldn’t cost too much.”
By evening, the Autumn Water Pavilion had barely settled down when Gu Xueqin, Li Dalong, and the ice block they had been showing off all day returned.
Ying Bing saw him just finishing his training and slightly raised her chin, as if the Phoenix Empress had returned to her palace.
She exuded an aura that seemed capable of suppressing any childish spirit with just a slight show of force.
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**Chapter 683: She Can Even Change the Family Tree!**
Looking at her proud and beaming parents, along with the graceful and gentle Ying Bing, a question popped up in Little Li’s mind.
“Ying Bing, weren’t you the one who used to hide whenever there were outsiders?”
Li Dalong chuckled, “That was when she was little. Little Bing is all grown up now; she’s truly elegant and refined.”
“Your second aunt saw Little Bing and treated her like a little maid, serving tea and gifts.”
Madam Gu’s lips were almost curling up to the sky as she spoke.
Ying Bing looked at him with bright eyes, her tone soft and calm: “They’re not outsiders.”
“??”
Li Mo leaned back slightly, the earlier scene flashing through his mind.
He knew about the second aunt. Ever since she married into the imperial capital, she had cut ties with her family. In Dayu, there was no saying that a married woman was like spilled water, with no obligation to return.
It was simply because she had flown up the branches, afraid of being entangled with “poor relatives from the countryside.”
But where did Ying Bing stand... it was clear who the poor relatives were.
At that moment, Ying Bing accepted the tea from her second aunt, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her, softly saying: “We’re all family.”
The way her cherry-red lips spoke those words with the authority of a hostess was utterly devastating!
Just thinking about that scene made Little Li’s scalp tingle. No wonder his father’s smile was becoming increasingly crooked.
Gu Xueqin took Ying Bing’s hand, affectionately tidying her hair: “Grandpa and Grandma will be here in a couple of days. When they see you, they’ll surely find Dalong much more pleasing to the eye. Little Bing, when the time comes, are you willing...”
“I’m willing.”
“Good, good, good... truly my obedient child.”
Hearing Madam Gu say this, Ying Bing glanced at Little Li, her eyes filled with laughter.
Li Mo: “!”
Wait a minute, Ying Bing hasn’t even entered the family yet!
Wasn’t she supposed to be the aloof fairy? How come now not only her parents, but the entire Li family seemed to be under her control?
This won’t do; he was about to become an outsider!
“The domineering empress and her childish son-in-law...”
Shang Qinqing breathed heavily, as if entranced, murmuring to herself.
“I really envy Ouyang; he doesn’t even have to come up with his own plot for the comic.”
Qin Yuzhi shook her head, “No, wait, we still need to think about how to tone it down a bit, or the publishing house won’t approve...”
Li Mo sighed, getting up to tidy up.
But Ying Bing had already cleared the leftovers from the table, her movements natural and swift, then went to wash the dishes.
“You child, just sitting there without moving.”
“...I did move, Mom.”
So, does parental love also fade away?
When he was injured back then, his mother had worried so much that she lost a few pounds, often touching his face, afraid he would disappear the next moment.
And now, just a few days later.
He stayed in the Autumn Water Pavilion, and his father said he was just lazing around at home. The moment he stepped out, his mother said he was always running outside.
When he read a book, his father said he was being unproductive; when he practiced, his mother said he shouldn’t have martial arts on his mind all the time.
Ying Bing stayed in the Autumn Water Pavilion, and his mother said Little Bing was truly family-oriented. When she went out for a bit, his father remarked that this child could even hold her own in the hall.
When Ying Bing idled away making popsicles, his father praised her for being skillful, and when she wrote martial arts essentials for the library, his mother said she was truly talented and wise.
“So, it’s not that parental love has disappeared, but rather it has shifted?”
Little Li seemed to understand something.
In truth, he could comprehend it.
Ying Bing’s background always made his parents want to treat her extra well, fearing she might feel like a guest in the Li household. Now, it was the same reasoning.
Two days later, Grandpa and Grandma arrived, and the exotic treasures from the East Sea were about to open for business.
Early in the morning, his parents took the carriage to the mountain gate to pick up Grandpa and Grandma.
When they returned, Little Li was already waiting at the door, fully prepared to seize the opportunity to speak before his parents could!
“Grandpa, Grandma!”
Little Li shouted loudly, just in case his father later said he called out too softly for anyone to hear.
“Oh dear... eh? My good grandson?”
The old lady’s kind eyes still held a hint of the grace of a noblewoman, but as soon as she got out of the carriage, Little Li’s shout made her shiver.
“You little rascal, your grandma is already this old; why are you shouting so loudly?”
Li Dalong helped a sprightly old scholar out of the carriage, giving his son an annoyed look.
“??”
“It’s nothing; Little Mo probably just missed us since it’s been a while. He’s famous in the martial world now, so a loud voice is just a sign of a hero’s spirit.”
Grandma approached, warmly sizing him up.
She was indeed warm, but the warmth was fleeting; she quickly bypassed him and looked behind him.
“G-Grandma.”
Ying Bing, with her head lowered, her beautiful face paired with a clear voice, was simply enchanting.
She stood beside Li Mo, softly calling out.
“Good, good, good... Little Bing has grown so beautiful, like a fairy. I’m truly blessed.”
Grandma signaled to the uncle following behind to bring out a box.
Then she personally handed the item to Ying Bing.
Upon opening it, there was a fox hair brush inside. She spoke earnestly: “Little Bing, I can’t give you anything precious, but this brush was left by my grandfather when he passed the imperial examination. It was later used to write the family tree, so it carries a bit of literary spirit. It’s good for writing; don’t dislike it.”
Li Mo: “???”
He remembered sneaking into Grandma’s house as a child, playing with that brush, and nearly getting his backside beaten by the seven wolves.
“This...”
Ying Bing wiped her hands, biting her lip, unsure whether to accept it.
“Take it, Little Bing. It’s a token of Grandma’s affection.”
“Yes, it’s nothing special, just a brush with a bit of sentiment. In the future, when you have children, the girl should have a family heirloom, and the boy should have something too.”
“Um...”
Ying Bing ultimately accepted it, casting a glance filled with emotion at Li Mo.
“...”
Little Li fell into deep thought.
So now even Grandpa and Grandma knew about the existence and effects of the Dragon and Phoenix Primordial Spirit Pill?
After a long separation, the family was harmonious, and the Autumn Water Pavilion suddenly felt warm and homely again.
Grandpa, Grandma, and the little uncle chatted with Ying Bing, and Grandpa’s gaze toward Old Li softened considerably.
How harmonious was it?
Little Li and the little uncle felt like they couldn’t fit in.
“Here, I also prepared a gift for our meeting, a gem from Beifeng. You can give it to your wife later.”
The little uncle, having found no opportunity, could only hand the gift to Li Mo.
“Uncle, it’s been a long time since we last met.”
“Yeah, and then?”
Li Mo’s outstretched hand froze, then he retracted it, scratching his head: “I feel like I should get a haircut before the wedding, a fresh start for the new year. What do you think, Uncle?”
“Getting married is a good time for a haircut... huh? When are you getting married?”
“During the New Year, in the first month.”
“What do you want to do? What are you planning? We’re all family; can’t we discuss things properly?”
The little uncle, both terrified and angry, shoved two Beifeng gems toward him, fearing Li Mo would refuse.
Little Li sighed.
Good news: he and the little uncle were still family.
Bad news: the little aunt was also deeply favored by Grandpa and Grandma, so the little uncle always suspected he was an outsider.
“No, I need to find Ying Bing to share the spoils.”
Li Mo thought seriously.
It wasn’t just that everyone was on Ying Bing’s side; his name on the family tree was already in her hands.
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