Chapter 6, Father

Gao Jian detected the hint of mockery in Gao Huaiyuan's words. Although Gao Huaiyuan claimed he had never harbored resentment towards him, Gao Jian felt a sense of guilt within himself, and he found those words somewhat unpleasant to hear, as if they were mocking him. After a slight change in his expression, he shifted the topic and said: "I heard everything you just said very clearly. Your performance today has indeed exceeded our expectations. It is certainly a good thing that you have regained your clarity of mind, but it is inappropriate for you to confront your stepmother in such a manner! Can you tell me what exactly has happened to you? Why did you suddenly... regain your clarity?" Gao Jian raised the questions that were on his mind.

Looking at the tall and upright figure of Gao Huaiyuan, dressed in a set of short, worn-out clothes patched in several places, Gao Jian suddenly felt a sense of guilt. Reflecting on the years gone by, he realized that from a father's perspective, he had been an extremely incompetent father in front of Gao Huaiyuan, failing to fulfill even the most basic obligations. As a well-read scholar of the classics, his actions undoubtedly contradicted the teachings he had learned. Thus, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, breaking the suffocating silence in the hall.

After seeing that everyone had left, Gao Huaiyuan stood quietly in the hall, surveying his surroundings. The environment here felt both unfamiliar and familiar to him, yet it did not evoke any sense of home.

Upon hearing this, the pig-headed servant immediately panicked, cried out in despair, and shouted: "My lord, spare my life! My lord, spare my life! He is lying; I did not hit him! I only scolded him a few times! I pushed him a little, and then he attacked me; this matter cannot be blamed on me! My lord, spare my life!"

As a father, he had never paid attention to his son Gao Huaiyuan, considering his existence a blemish and a source of embarrassment. However, today Gao Huaiyuan is no longer foolish and can no longer be treated as such. As a father, even a tiger does not eat its young, and he is quite pleased with the sudden awakening of his once foolish son

Gao Jian looked at Li Shi's antics and realized that she was not in the right today. If he allowed her to continue her nonsense, it would be difficult for him to resolve the situation. He muttered a curse at Li Shi, feeling that this woman was indeed becoming a bit too arrogant at home. He then coldly snorted and said: "Li Shi, you should stop your nonsense. I will let this matter go without further pursuit, so why don't you hurry and get out of here?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian's expression immediately darkened further. This fellow still had not come to his senses and had actually uttered such words, which amounted to a complete self-incrimination. This matter was thus thoroughly substantiated. He immediately erupted in anger, saying: "Nonsense! Rebellion! Rebellion! As a servant, you dare to insult your master and even lay hands on him. Is it wrong for me to punish you? Come here! Drag him away and give him a severe beating! Today, I will properly discipline you ungrateful servants who do not know your place. How can this continue? As a servant, you dare to insult your master and even lay hands on him. Is it wrong for me to punish you? Come here! Drag him away and give him a severe beating! Today, I will properly discipline you ungrateful servants who do not know your place. How can this continue? If I hear of any servant in this household speaking so disrespectfully again, that person will meet your fate!" Gao Jian shouted while slamming his hand on the table beside him, adopting a posture of strict justice, and the other servants were also collectively reprimanded.

Gao Jian turned to Gao Huaiyuan and said, "Sanlang, are you harboring resentment towards our father?"

Li finally understood her situation upon hearing Gao Jian's words. She realized that no matter what she said today, it would not change the outcome. Continuing to make a scene would only provoke Gao Jian's disdain, and it might even lead to her own discomfort in the future, making it difficult for her to navigate life in the Gao residence. Moreover, her unwarranted punishment of Liu'er was indefensible; Liu'er was not her personal maid, and she could not strike her at will. Persisting in her outburst would only bring humiliation upon herself. Thus, she quickly ceased her crying and wailing, but still shot a fierce glare at Gao Huaiyuan. Then, she lifted her skirt and swayed her slender waist as she walked out of the hall, returning to her courtyard.

Gao Huaiyuan saw that the matter had been resolved. Although his performance today was impressive, it did not bring him much benefit. This time, he had effectively offended the Li family to the core, and in the future, the Li family would surely seek an opportunity for revenge. Moreover, it seems that pretending to be foolish and getting by will no longer be possible.

Gao Jian sat in the chair, carefully scrutinizing this son he had never paid attention to before. After so many years, it was the first time he observed his son so closely. Today, upon this observation, he suddenly felt that this foolish son was not ugly at all; in fact, one could even say he was quite handsome. His face bore a faint resemblance to his own, and for some reason, he exuded an indescribable aura. It was as if this son before him was not merely twelve years old; his eyes not only lacked the previous dullness but were also filled with a kind of wisdom. Gao Jian continued to observe Gao Huaiyuan closely, and for a long time, he remained silent.

Upon hearing that Gao Jian intended to hold her subordinates accountable, Li immediately resigned on the spot, collapsing into a chair and weeping loudly. She pointed at Gao Jian and exclaimed, "Sir! How can you believe the words of this foolish boy? That servant was sent by me to summon that little wretch Liu'er, and he has already been beaten to this state by this foolish boy. Why do you not seek justice for me, punishing that little fool instead of reprimanding him?"

At this moment, Gao Jian was still shocked by Gao Huaiyuan's earlier remarks. He was eager to understand why Gao Huaiyuan had suddenly undergone such a significant change, so he immediately called out to him, saying: "Sanlang, please don't leave just yet. The others are fine; you may step back for now"

Several servants in the courtyard, upon hearing Gao Jian's words, hurriedly rushed in. Each of them was drenched in cold sweat. They had often played tricks on Gao Huaiyuan in the past, but today, unexpectedly, this foolish young man had actually become aware. It was uncertain when he might recall his past misdeeds, and today it seemed that this pig-headed fellow was in for a stroke of bad luck, unfortunately being the first to bear the brunt. It appeared that they could no longer provoke this little ancestor in the future. The servants, not daring to delay, quickly subdued this pig-headed fellow and dragged him out.

At that moment, Gao Huaiyuan happened to see a gaze filled with desire fixated on Li's slender waist and ample hips, following her as she left the hall. He couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart, and then he cast a sidelong glance at his older brother, Gao Huailiang, who was around seventeen or eighteen years old.

Gao Huaiyuan looked directly at Gao Jian, smiled slightly, and shook his head, saying: "The child does not dare to blame anyone; he can only blame his own misfortune! It is not the father's fault! As long as my father has allowed me to live to this day, both I and my younger brother are already immensely grateful!"

Soon, the outside was filled with the cries and pleas for mercy from that pig-headed lackey, creating a scene that was utterly chaotic and spine-chilling. Thirty strokes of the rod are no trivial matter; most people, let alone enduring thirty, would struggle to withstand even twenty. By the time the thirty strokes were completed, this fellow was practically on the verge of death. He was then dragged to the side door, bloodied and tossed into the alley, left to fend for himself.

Gao Huaiyuan felt a cold smile within him as he observed the middle-aged man with a pale face before him, who appeared to be putting on a facade of righteousness, seemingly striving to portray himself as a benevolent father. However, he could distinctly sense the hypocrisy in Gao Jian's tone. Yet, he did not show it, for he understood that in order to navigate this world, this man was still very important to him. Regardless of his willingness, Gao Jian was his nominal father, and he had to temporarily feign compliance. Otherwise, he would lack the ability to protect himself in this situation.

However, every situation has its duality. The advantage is that in the future, if the Gao family wishes to bully him again, they will have to weigh their own strength. Those servants will certainly no longer dare to provoke him easily.

Seeing Gao Jian scrutinizing him, Gao Huaiyuan straightened his back and looked back at his father with neither servility nor arrogance, and the hall fell completely silent

Gao Huaiyuan watched Gao Jian's performance and sneered coldly a few times in his heart. In his view, Gao Jian's display was no different from acting. Where does the root of such a situation in the residence lie? Is it not because Gao Jian himself is unprincipled, leading to the corruption of those beneath him? Now you remember the distinction between high and low status; where were you earlier?

Observing Li's antics, Gao Jian's other wives displayed expressions of disdain. This Li, relying on her youth and beauty, enjoyed Gao Jian's special favor and had long been arrogant in the household. It was about time she faced a downfall, and today, unexpectedly, she fell into the hands of that foolish young man, Gao Huaiyuan, which was truly satisfying. Hence, no one spoke up for her. Only the eldest son, Gao Huailiang, seemed somewhat out of sorts, glaring fiercely at Gao Huaiyuan, as if Gao Huaiyuan had offended him as well.

Although the people inside the house were curious, it was still Gao Jian who had the final say, and they had no choice but to retreat. Liu Er was also helped up by Gao Huaiyuan, who softly comforted her for a few moments. With tears in her eyes, she carefully left the hall and returned to the small courtyard

Moreover, he believed that what Gao Huaiyuan said was the truth. This foolish young man had indeed been mocked frequently in the Gao residence, and everyone treated him as if he were not even human. The servants could not possibly show him any respect. Given today's incident, it was certainly this young servant who was taking advantage of his position, thinking Gao Huaiyuan was a fool and that no one would know. He beat and scolded Gao Huaiyuan, only to be severely punished by him in return. It is a serious crime for a servant to bully their master, and if word got out, it would be a disgrace to him. Therefore, if this servant was not severely punished today, it was likely that similar incidents would occur in the future within the Gao family. Thus, Gao Jian made a prompt decision and ordered the punishment of this servant from the Li family.

Thank you, Father, for making decisions on my behalf; I shall take my leave now. Gao Huaiyuan was unwilling to remain in this hall, subjected to the scrutinizing gazes of a group of so-called relatives as if he were a monster. Thus, he bowed and took his leave from Gao Jian, wishing to depart from this place. Although Gao Jian ultimately supported him, he could not muster any feelings of fondness for this father; in fact, he felt a deep sense of aversion.