Chapter 2, Laozi beats his son

Without thinking as much as Ye Chunqiu, tears were already glistening in Ye Jing's eyes. With a thud, he fell to his knees on the ground, choked with emotion as he said: "Father above, your child is unfilial..."

One must be aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and Ye Chunqiu is precisely the one who understands his advantages the best

Lord Ye raised his gaze and coldly said, "Since we have returned, we must provide an explanation to our ancestors. Someone, bring the whip."

The actions of the two individuals were entirely different. The seemingly 'innocent' Ye Chunqiu had already figured it out; his second uncle held a prejudice against him and his son. He merely uttered a single word of praise, and the insincerity was exceedingly apparent, indicating that he did not acknowledge this nephew of his.

Well... It is very likely that if father never returns for his entire life, this home will belong to uncle.

This little fellow, with his unrestrained words, left the old man somewhat bewildered. His emotions were too complex, and as he looked at his grandson, he felt momentarily lost.

A single lash from a whip, and one would likely be unable to get out of bed for several months

The old man's whip was still raised high, and his expression was as ugly as ever, glaring fiercely at Ye Jing as if he wanted to swallow him alive. As for his grandson Ye Chunqiu, he could sense the complexity of the old man's thoughts. Ye Chunqiu was merely a byproduct of the great mistake made by Ye Jing. Although he was also a grandson, he was ultimately the offspring of the woman whom the old man had hated for over a decade.

Lord Ye Tai stood up, trembling with rage, having already taken the whip in hand. His entire body shook with anger, as if he had an irreconcilable feud with Ye Jing. He walked up to Ye Jing, raised the long whip high, and with this posture, it seemed he was intent on beating him to death.

Ye Chunqiu approached the aunts standing to the side, greeting each of them respectfully. He also warmly acknowledged several children of similar age to him.

He suddenly rushed in front of the old man, hugged him, and pitifully said: "Grandfather, please do not hit my father. It is certainly natural for a father to discipline his son, but every time my father hits me, as long as I recite a passage, he cannot bring himself to do it. Now that you want to hit my father, may I recite a passage for you? If I recite a passage, will that mean that a father will not hit his son?"

Ye Chunqiu performed a graceful bow, and then without pausing, took a few steps forward and said to his second and third uncles: "Nephew has come to pay respects to Second Uncle and Third Uncle, Chunqiu pays his respects."

The embroideress... of course, is Ye Chunqiu's biological mother, the peasant woman whom his father eloped with back then. While she is indeed pure and untainted, however...

Uncle San chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Nephew, there is no need for excessive formalities."

Elderly individuals tend to be more forgiving towards children. The expression on Master Ye's face noticeably softened, no longer bearing the fierce look it had just moments ago

On the left is an embroideress, and on the right is an embroideress

As for the third uncle, although he was also perfunctory and showed some impatience on the surface, he should not be a person with deep ulterior motives, so he ultimately acknowledged the identity of his virtuous nephew Ye Chunqiu

Uncle Er had no choice but to stroke his beard, appearing calm and composed, and reluctantly uttered a single word: "Good"

The gaze of Second Uncle also fell upon Ye Chunqiu, and he smiled as he said: "Are you the Chunqiu nephew mentioned in the letter from your elder brother? Hmm... a good child indeed, but born of a seamstress?"

Ye Jing remained silent

Ye Taigong was momentarily taken aback. Not to mention the saying that one should not strike a smiling face, but also because Ye Chunqiu affectionately ran over and called out "Grandfather" in a cheerful voice, he could hardly continue to hit his son.

With a youthful innocence still evident on their face, it is certainly hard for others to imagine that a child could harbor any sinister thoughts. Young people, after all, are always pure

He smiled and said, "Indeed, father, since elder brother has returned, this is a joyous occasion; let us set aside the matter of the embroideress."

A crisp call of "Grandfather" made the old man pause slightly, and only then did he notice Ye Chunqiu

Ye Chunqiu's subsequent actions appeared somewhat shameless

This second uncle... isn't worth anything, is he? He clearly brings up the wrong topic. What Ye Taigong is most resentful about is that his father was disobedient and ran off with his mother. Now, bringing up old matters again, thinking about being the son of a seamstress, isn't that just adding fuel to the fire?

Ye Taigong felt a mix of emotions; he found that this child bore a striking resemblance to Ye Jing, faintly recalling the young Ye Jing's charm. Yet, he also seemed to catch a glimpse of that detestable woman's traits. Although this young man was polite and courteous, the tone he used was still hard to swallow

Ye Chunqiu approached respectfully and said to Ye Taigong: "Grandfather, your grandson has come to see you"

Ye Chunqiu no longer thought much and quickly said: "Grandfather..."

Ye Chunqiu became anxious. After several years of interaction, the father-son bond had deepened. Moreover, this time his father brought him back for his own future, hoping that he could have a more favorable environment.

Polite and modest, like a young gentleman

In the heart of Master Ye, perhaps this young man has a side that he loves, but he also has a side that he hates

Uncle Er squinted his eyes, and he did not notice that this young man had any ulterior motives. Instead, he couldn't help but feel amused, thinking that he truly believed that a few pleas would be enough to appease the anger of the elder. Without enforcing family discipline, how could this resentment be vented?

This tender voice, however, conveys the love between father and son, drawing attention.

Ye Chunqiu has already sensed that a trace of murderous intent has once again flashed across the slightly relaxed expression of the old patriarch

The long whip had already swung through the air, producing a sharp sound as it cut through the void, and it was about to fall heavily.

Grandfather must be extremely displeased with Father for being unfilial and lacking ambition, and he is determined to give him a severe lesson

Heh..." Master Ye sneered coldly, his face stern as he said: "Do you still know how to come back? Do you still see me as your father? You... you... very well..." Master Ye trembled with anger, while Uncle Er hurriedly patted Master Ye's back.

Ye Taigong was instantly furious; upon hearing the mention of the embroideress, he could not help but want to severely punish this unworthy son.

In one's youth, being young is an asset, so Ye Chunqiu displayed a face of youthful innocence, with eyes that blinked, revealing a sense of cleverness and charm. Since the second uncle had introduced him, he naturally had to show some acknowledgment.

Unworthy descendants

However, when someone took out the whip, it startled Ye Chunqiu. The whip was only two feet long, but it was extremely thick. The most terrifying part was that the tip of the whip was actually covered with spikes. If this were to strike a person...

In terms of calculation, Ye Chunqiu is also the legitimate eldest grandson of the old gentleman, and Ye Chunqiu possesses a handsome appearance, charming and beloved by all.

Second Uncle was originally watching coldly, just waiting to see the good show. At this moment, Ye Chunqiu bowed deeply to him without arrogance or self-importance. He hesitated for a moment, feeling that he had to put on a show of courtesy; after all, the young man was behaving this way, how could he be worse than a child?

Ye Chunqiu thought to himself: "It is only natural for a father to discipline his son, sigh..." He could only mourn silently for his father.

The old man remains furious

Yet the old man merely knelt on the ground, prostrate and silent, appearing as if he were resigned to his fate.

Ye Chunqiu looked up, still hoping that someone from the whole family would plead for his father. However, whether it was his second uncle, third uncle, or the various aunts, they all wore expressions of indifference. Especially the second uncle, who had a profoundly meaningful look, appearing completely unconcerned.

The Ye family is, after all, a cultured and reasonable household; even if Old Man Ye does not accept this grandson, he would certainly not be excessively rude.

Ye Chunqiu squinted his eyes, unable to suppress a smile in his heart. After all, he had lived two lives; how could he be unexpectedly stabbed in the back by this inexplicable second uncle

Although Ye Chunqiu felt that if he had raised a son who eloped with a woman and had not returned home for over ten years, he would most likely, like the old man, wish he could beat this unfilial son to death, the situation is entirely different now that it is his father who is being beaten

"Grandfather, please do not be angry, I am going to recite the article now." Ye Chunqiu promptly alleviated the situation, sensing the deep malice from his second uncle. Could it be that... his father has returned, and this second uncle is calculating the issue of inheritance?

These words sound somewhat familiar, and Ye Chunqiu immediately felt goosebumps, causing the hairs on his body to stand on end. Every time he said this to his father, it seemed that his father would always hit him.