Cruel Family Law: Decision

Like a wisp of wind, I swept past the gates of the Zhang Family and stood quietly before my mother's chamber. The night was already deep, and the entire Aristocratic Clan estate lay silent. My mother's soft sobbing was painfully clear. A sudden, piercing pain tore through my heart, surging from the depths of my lungs through my whole body. I could no longer control myself. Tears slid down my cheeks and fell to the ground with a crisp pat. Was my hearing simply too good? I did not know.

"Who is it? Is that Little Three?" My mother's anxious voice rang out. I could endure it no longer. I pushed open the door and looked at my haggard mother.

"Mother, Mother..."

"Little Three, Little Three... I'm not dreaming..." Mother stood beside the table, seemingly still unable to react.

I rushed before her and hugged her tightly. She held me close in her arms, tightly. I could clearly hear her heartbeat—thump, thump—beating faster and faster.

After an unknown amount of time, Mother slowly released me. She kept looking at me. "Little Three, Little Three..." Her hands carefully stroked my face as she continuously called my name.

"Mother, the Court Session is over. Is my elder brother Lang Feng and his mother all right?" I calmed myself and asked Mother.

"According to the Aristocratic Clan's family law, the Court Session can only begin with the punished person present. Even if the punished person does not appear, the Court Session cannot begin until a week has passed. Tomorrow is the seventh day. You happened to return just in time. Even if you had not returned, the Court Session would still have been held. As for your sworn elder brother Lang Feng and his mother, don't worry. Your First Wife and Second Wife wanted to drive them away, but thankfully your father stopped them. Your father has still treated you well. He did it for the Aristocratic Clan's interests. Don't keep hating your father. He was helpless too. You know the Elder Council intervened at the time. The outcome could not be changed." Mother looked at me, doing her utmost to make me forgive my father.

"I know he did it for the Lineage's interests, but he should at least have considered me first! Even if the result had still been that I was driven from the Household, I would not have hated him by then. But from beginning to end, he did not say a single word for me. Do you know how heartless he was toward me when he left? Ah! You want me to forgive him? Hmph!" Whenever I thought of the way he had said "yes" before leaving, my fury shot to the heavens and I could not restrain myself.

"Little Three..."

"Mother, don't say any more. Let's not talk about those things. Let's have a good talk. There will not be many chances left in the future, but I will come back to see you often." I looked at Mother as I spoke.

"Little Three, do you know why your father drove you out of the Household over this matter? And why your First Wife and Second Wife have always been so hostile toward you?" Mother asked as she looked at me.

"Could there be some secret?" I looked at Mother. I truly found it difficult to connect these two matters.

"This is not actually a secret. All Four Great Families know it and acknowledge it. For the sake of an Aristocratic Clan's inheritance, each generation may only pass it to the eldest son of the next generation. Only when the eldest son dies may it pass to the Second Young Master. The eldest son's guards are all third-rank experts, along with one second-rank Guard Captain. If it is discovered that the eldest son's death was instigated by the Second Young Master, then the Second Young Master will be expelled from the Household without even a single tael of silver. After the eldest son takes his position, the Elder Council selects the better-performing one among the Second Young Master and Third Young Master to become an elder. Your second brother was born to your First Wife. Your Second Wife and First Wife were close since childhood, and since she did not bear a son herself, she naturally supports the Second Young Master—your second brother. Now you know why your First Wife and Second Wife treat you this way." Mother told me everything.

"Oh, I understand. Then why did Father drive me out of the Household because of this?" I asked Mother.

"The reason is the same. In every generation, the Second Young Master and Third Young Master who do not become elders must leave the Household to build their own careers. Naturally, they each receive two million taels of silver as startup funds. You are merely leaving early, except your name will be removed from the family register. Also, you only have the New Year gift money from these five years, roughly one hundred thousand taels of silver. Mother has several hundred thousand taels more here. Take them with you too, and live well!" Mother began to cry again. When I thought about being separated from her in the future, my heart also ached terribly...

"Mother, don't say that. How could I use your private savings? Besides, one hundred thousand taels is already enough. Don't worry about me." I looked at Mother and forced a smile.

"No. You must take the money with you. Your mother lives in the estate, where all food, drink, and purchases are paid for by the estate. Mother does not need to spend even a single tael of silver. Stop worrying, understand?" Mother immediately tried to persuade me again.

"Mother, no. You have to believe in my abilities, Mother..."

"Little Three, don't be so stubborn. Listen to Mother. Take the money."

In the end, I had no choice but to accept one hundred thousand taels' worth of silver notes from Mother. Sigh. I knew Mother only wanted me to live a little better after leaving the Household. The hearts of parents everywhere were pitiable. Mother, I would certainly honor you well in the future. I looked at her, and she smiled at me without blinking, as though she wanted to carve my appearance deep into her heart. Dawn was approaching. I gave a bitter smile. It was time to leave.

"Mother, I will not attend this Court Session. I'll go call Lang Feng and the others so we can leave together. Mother, I'm going." Standing at the door, I looked at Mother, not knowing how long it would be before I could see her again.

"Go, Little Three. I have known since you were young that you were different from others, that you were very sensible. Mother believes in you. Walk the road that belongs to you well. Mother will always support you." Mother smiled as she spoke. Though she concealed it well, my astonishing eyesight could still see the tears she was forcing herself not to shed.

I smiled, turned around, and headed straight for Star Peak Pavilion. I never looked back. Only after leaving Mother's courtyard, after reaching a place where she could no longer see me, did I turn back for one last glance. Before the tears could even fall, I easily evaporated them with True Primordial Energy.

I swiftly slipped past the servants who had already risen to work and entered my former residence—Star Peak Pavilion.

Chun Yu was sitting before the door to my former chamber, muttering, "Young Master, why haven't you returned yet?"

"A-Yu, go inside and sleep for a while. I'll wait for Young Master here." Uncle Wang draped his outer robe over Chun Yu's shoulders.

"Wang, I'm truly worried about Young Master. Young Master has never lived alone since childhood, and now that he has suffered such a blow, he has been outside alone for an entire week. How could I possibly sleep inside? The two of us watched Young Master grow up. You know Young Master is proud and competitive. I truly don't know how he has been living alone out there." Chun Yu leaned against Uncle Wang's chest.

I truly had not noticed before that Uncle Wang was nearly twenty-five this year, while Chun Yu was already twenty-two. They were a handsome man and a beautiful woman, truly well matched. After I left the Household and settled down, the first thing I would do would be to arrange their marriage.

"Hey, how much longer are you two going to be affectionate? I've been standing at the door for so long, yet neither of you has come over to greet me." I said with a stern face.

"Young Master! It's Young Master! Young Master, you've returned! Wonderful, this is wonderful! Madam will certainly be very happy." Chun Yu immediately cried out excitedly.

"Haha, if I have to wait until you two finish being affectionate before I can see my mother, won't Mother worry herself to death? Haha! Hey, why are you blushing? Even redder now. Uncle Wang, why is your face red too? What should I call you in the future? Brother Wang would be better, wouldn't it? Ah, hahaha..." I actually discovered that Uncle Wang, who rarely showed any expression, was smiling too. No, it was Brother Wang. Brother Wang was smiling. That was truly a rare sight, and I laughed without stopping.

Watching their faces grow redder and redder, I truly could not keep laughing. I took a deep breath and prepared to continue.

"Young Master..." Chun Yu acted coquettishly. Ha.

"Second Brother! Second Brother, you're back! You really came back! This makes me so happy. My mother has been worrying about you all this time." My elder brother Lang Feng ran over from the small wooden bridge by the west wing. The moment he saw me, he immediately shouted excitedly.

The moment I saw my sworn elder brother, I too felt deeply stirred. We had known each other for less than two days, yet we had already been apart for seven. Still, I deeply felt that bond of brothers who would live and die together...

"Elder Brother, I plan to leave the Zhang estate immediately. Will you and your mother leave with me, or will you go to the countryside and live peaceful lives?" I truly wanted to roam the world with Elder Brother Lang Feng, but his mother's illness required constant rest and recuperation.

"What did you say? We brothers swore to live and die together. Aren't you looking down on me by saying this? Do I look like the sort of person who abandons his brother the moment hardship comes?" Elder Brother Lang Feng immediately began shouting at me.

"Elder Brother, don't get worked up. If you come with me, what about First Wife? Must she wander about with us, enduring hardship and displacement? Can you bear to let First Wife suffer like that?" I said to Elder Brother.

Elder Brother fell silent. He knew his mother was in poor health and needed constant rest and recuperation, but asking him to leave me because of that was probably something he could not accept either.

"Feng'er, go with Third Young Master. Mother will go with you too." Lang Feng's mother stood on the small wooden bridge and spoke to us firmly.

"First Wife, your health..."

"Third Young Master, it's all right. I know my own body. I have been much better these past few days. Besides, going out with you would not count as hardship. It would still be better than chopping firewood in the mountains. Don't worry." First Wife appeared very happy, showing us her healthy side.

"Second Brother, we only need to take good care of my mother on the road. Besides, Mother used to live in the mountains, and her health was very good then. There are so many of us on the road too, so what is there to worry about?" Lang Feng began persuading me as well.

I looked at First Wife and thought of my own mother again. A wave of emotion rose in my heart. I would certainly take good care of First Wife.

"Chun Yu, Brother Wang, Lang Feng, go pack your things first. I'll wait for you. Take the important things, and we can buy the rest later." I immediately reminded them.

Watching them all return to their rooms, I entered my own room as well. That round table—I had sat beside it almost every night reading. Inside that wooden chest was the Mysterious Iron Armor I had worn as a child...

My entire body suddenly trembled. My Spiritual Sense clearly felt a gaze resting upon me. I could clearly feel it in my heart—that deep longing, concern, and... that guilt.

It was Father!

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