The Bully Throws His Weight Around

Not long afterward, Lu Liang finished preparing everything for Jiang Ziya's wedding the next day, then came in carrying a food box.💢😝  ♝🍪

Lu Chuan was sitting by the table, staring off into space.

"What are you spacing out for?" Lu Liang asked. "It's so late. Aren't you hungry?"

"I am."

"If you know you're hungry, why don't you go to the kitchen and find something to eat?"

Lu Liang rolled his eyes at him, set the food box on the table, and said, "This is what was left in the kitchen tonight. Make do with it for now. I'll make you something tasty tomorrow."

Lu Chuan grinned as he took the food box and opened it. Inside were two steamed buns, a plate of vegetables, and a pair of chopsticks.

Chopsticks had already appeared as eating utensils at this time. Supposedly, either King Zhou or Daji had invented them, and they had eventually spread far and wide.

"Dad, have you eaten yet?"

Lu Chuan was just about to eat when he suddenly thought to ask Lu Liang.

A trace of warmth flickered in Lu Liang's eyes. "Your dad already ate in the kitchen. Go ahead and eat!"

"Oh!"

Only then did Lu Chuan wolf down his food.

It was already very late, and after coming back he'd been thinking things over. Now that he'd snapped out of it, his stomach was ravenous.

Lu Liang smiled. "Take it slow. If that isn't enough, I'll go find you some more in the kitchen."

"It's enough, it's enough. I shouldn't eat too much at night, or I'll be so full I can't sleep," Lu Chuan hurriedly replied.

After dinner, father and son chatted for a while before Lu Liang went to sleep in the room next door.

After all, Jiang Ziya was getting married the next day, and Lu Liang had to oversee all the arrangements, big and small. He needed a good night's rest.

The next day.

Lu Liang got up early and gathered the many maids and servants at the mansion to decorate the place and prepare the banquet.

Song Yiren had also sent people to invite the neighbors from Song Family Village and their relatives and friends from all four sides to come celebrate Jiang Ziya's wedding.

The celebration was every bit as grand as the one held for his own son, if not more so.

Lu Chuan got up very early that day, too. When he went outside, he saw people bustling around Song Mansion, hanging red decorations everywhere. It was lively and festive.˜"*°•.˜"*°• •°*"˜.•°*"˜

Jiang Ziya had also gone out with the others to fetch his bride.

"Today's his big day. It's a rare opportunity. Maybe... I should give it another try tonight."

Lu Chuan chuckled to himself. "Tonight I'll block him outside the bridal chamber and make him take me as his disciple. If he refuses, I won't let him in. Let's see if he takes me or not..."

He had to admit, the idea was a little... wicked.

The great tribulation had begun. This time, all the beings of the Three Realms—immortals, mortals, demons... none of them would escape.

But the two of them, father and son, had neither power nor money.

People like them were bound to be conscripted when war broke out. Otherwise, with corrupt officials holding sway, having money would at least let them pay their way out when the time came.

Suddenly, Lu Chuan felt someone toss something into the back of his collar. It was alive, furry, and scurrying all over his neck.

Lu Chuan jumped in fright. Goosebumps raced over his whole body like an electric current. He reached behind his collar, grabbed the creature, and flung it hard to the ground. A mouse lay there, upside down, all four paws in the air, its eyes rolled back.

He turned around and saw a boy about his age, though taller, with fair features and dressed in luxurious brocade, standing behind him.

A few other boys his age, also dressed in fine clothes, stood beside him, laughing.

It was obviously their prank, but it had certainly scared him.

"Who are you?" Lu Chuan asked coldly.

"Who am I? Hahaha, who am I?"

The boy stared at him in disbelief, then laughed. The other boys with him doubled over, laughing so hard some could barely stand.

"Foolish Lu Chuan, looks like you still aren't well. You don't even recognize your Third Master?"

"Third Master?"

Lu Chuan looked at the fair-faced boy in fine clothes and furrowed his brow. "You're Song..."

Song Yiren had three sons: the eldest, Song Shan; the second, Song Ze; and the youngest, Song Yu.

Song Shan and Song Ze were already grown, while Song Yu was the son Song Yiren had late in life. He was about Lu Chuan's age and was deeply spoiled by his family.→

It was on Song Yu's wedding day that Jiang Ziya had come down the mountain and helped him awaken his spiritual aperture.

"Hahaha, still a little fool!"

The others pointed at Lu Chuan and roared with laughter.

Lu Chuan looked at them without saying a word.

In truth, he wasn't a servant of the Song family.

It was only because his spiritual aperture had remained unopened when he was young that Lu Liang had no choice but to keep him by his side and look after him. Lu Liang was capable enough to get away with it; otherwise, why would Song Mansion have let him bring an extra fool into the household to freeload?

But Lu Chuan had already looked through his old memories.

Seeing these people today brought back some unpleasant memories.

Back when his spiritual aperture was still closed, these young masters had often gathered together to amuse themselves by teasing and tormenting him.

They had tricked him into peeking at the maids while they bathed, told him to call a dog "Dad," and egged him on to poke a beehive...

Fortunately, the fool—no, fortunately, he hadn't even been able to say "Dad" back then. Otherwise, he couldn't imagine what might have happened next.

"Sure enough, sometimes you can't imagine just how vicious people can be."

A fire blazed in Lu Chuan's heart. The peeping-at-the-maids prank was one thing; it hadn't put his life in danger, so he could grudgingly accept it.

But tricking a fool into calling a dog his dad, and making him poke a beehive...

Bastards!

About a year ago.

They had led him to poke another hive, this time full of wasps. After he was stung, he had nearly died. That time, he had barely pulled through.

"Since you're better now, sign a contract in a couple of days and come serve me!"

Song Yu said coolly, as if issuing an order. "I'm still short one person to empty my chamber pot."

"Hahaha..."

The young masters burst out laughing, praising Song Yu's idea as brilliant.

Lu Chuan lowered his head and said nothing.

Seeing that Lu Chuan was being bullied but didn't even protest, just stood there like a log, they all found it boring. They called out to each other and left, shaking their heads.

Lu Chuan raised his head and watched them go.

"Sign a contract? You want me to become a servant and be at your beck and call for the rest of my life? Empty your chamber pot? You think you're worthy?"

Someone else might have been willing to grovel like a dog for wages a little higher than they could get elsewhere, but Lu Chuan wasn't that kind of person.

"Sigh, why did that idiot have to get better? I just thought of a fun idea and wanted to try it out today. Why did he have to get better?"

"I'd love to hear what your brilliant idea is, Brother Wang."

"I brought my Black Tiger today because I wanted him to fight it. What a shame..."

"Who cares whether he's better or not? Give him one or two silver coins, and he'll probably jump in like a dog."

"Then why don't we give it a try..."

They hadn't gone far, but they spoke without a care, laughing loudly. A few of them even looked back at Lu Chuan.

In the end, none of them came back. After all, it was Jiang Ziya's big day, and they didn't dare carry things too far.

"These little bastards."

Lu Chuan smiled, looking harmless enough. But a smile didn't always mean happiness. There was a saying for it: anger could make you laugh.

Thump!

Suddenly, someone slapped him on the back. "Chuan'er, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing, Dad. Has Mr. Jiang, the groom, arrived yet?"

"Not yet," Lu Liang said, then looked up at the sky. "But he should be back soon. Chuan'er, they're short-handed in the kitchen. You..."

"I'll go help," Lu Chuan said calmly.

"Heh, my son's grown sensible," Lu Liang said with a smile. "Put in some effort for Mr. Jiang, too. I found a house, and it's not bad. Once all this is over, I'll buy it for you, and you can move in."

"Mm."

Lu Chuan nodded and headed for the kitchen in the back.

But Lu Liang didn't leave.

Not only did he stay, his brows slowly furrowed.

"What's wrong with Chuan'er? Something feels off..."

Back courtyard, kitchen.

Before he even reached the kitchen, a wave of heat hit him. Inside, white steam billowed everywhere, like he'd entered a steamer.

Lu Chuan wasn't going to be cooking, of course.

So the head chef put him to work washing vegetables. He sat in the shade of a tree outside the kitchen and got to it.

Not long afterward, firecrackers went off outside, and the sound of gongs and drums rang out without pause. It sounded lively; Jiang Ziya must have returned with the bride.

"Hey, Little Hu..."

The head chef stuck half his body out of the kitchen and called over one of the household's workers. "Take this piece of meat to the dog out back."

Lu Chuan looked up and saw the head chef holding a choice cut of beef, bone and all.

The worker stared at the meat in his hands and swallowed.

The head chef glared at him. "What are you staring at? You think you can have that? I can't even afford to eat it myself. It belongs to the dog raised by a friend of Third Master's. It only eats the best beef, and they bring food everywhere they go. We can't let it go hungry, or we'll be in trouble for not looking after it properly."

"Yes, yes, of course."

The worker nodded repeatedly, sighed, and hurried off.

"Without money or power, you live worse than a dog wherever you go. That's just fate."

Lu Chuan muttered to himself. "Next life, I'll be born as—wait, a friend of Third Master's dog?"

As he spoke, it was as if an idea struck him. He turned to look in the direction the worker had gone, and a glint flashed in his eyes.

Not long afterward.

Lu Chuan carried a dish into the kitchen, which was like a steamer, full of white vapor with barely any visibility. "Chef, I've washed the vegetables. Take a look..."

"Good. Set them down for now. We'll use them later."