Chapter 8, Anger

It is not about friends or foes, but rather the supremacy of family interests

According to Zhao Ping's character, he rarely gets angry and would never harbor such intense hatred towards others. Zhao Ping's principle is to not offend others if they do not offend him, yet he is not a fool who blindly seeks to please everyone. He places great importance on familial and friendly bonds; his family is his Achilles' heel, and he absolutely does not allow anyone to oppress his family for any reason.

Therefore, Zhao Gou today accepted the commission from Chu Chu's brother, Xu Zhong, without any hesitation, and Xu Zhong was equally unconcerned. Although it was merely a trivial matter, with the right timing, it could also become a decisive factor in certain situations

After a long time, Yuan Jia finally stopped crying, took a deep breath, and leaned on Zhao Ping's shoulder, softly saying: "Brother is still good to Yuan Jia!"

Yuan Jia's face darkened slightly, and he gently shook his head, saying in a low voice: "Ever since my elder brother taught them a lesson last time, they have not dared to come and make a fuss again"

Not far away, Zhao Gou felt an even greater hatred in his heart. Ultimately, he could not suppress the jealousy within him and secretly gritted his teeth: What is there to show off? Is being skilled in martial arts really that impressive? Yet, he could only vent his feelings internally, while on the surface he had to endure, forcing himself to maintain a smile on his face and in the picture book.

Zhao Ping certainly understood the subtleties involved, but since Chu Chu had approached him, and given that his relationship with Xu Zhong was relatively good—at least Xu Zhong was not as hypocritical as those other scions of noble families. Moreover, this young girl Chu Chu particularly enjoyed pestering Zhao Ping, often finding excuses to seek him out.

It is said that Zhao Ping was with Chu Chu. Chu Chu's surname is Xu, and the Xu family is a prominent family in Jinyang, being the niece of Lü Yuan. In the past, several families in Jinyang, namely the Lü, Xu, Zhu, and Wang families, formed an alliance through marriage to contend with the Zhao family of Jinyang. After decades of open and covert struggles, these families gradually established a firm foothold. With the decline of the Zhao family and the support of the military in Bingzhou, the two sides have reached a point of parity. Zhao Gou's initiative to escort Chu Chu home was not driven by any ill intentions; although the families were engaged in fierce competition, they maintained a facade of civility.

Zhao Ping's series of actions was swift and fluid, completed in just a few breaths. Remarkably, apart from a few passersby, none of the people on the road noticed. In a few movements, Zhao Ping had already accomplished the tasks of leaping, intercepting, and dismounting.

Zhao Ping was walking slowly, lost in his thoughts, when suddenly a familiar laughter reached his ears. Looking up, he saw a figure descending from the sky. Zhao Ping couldn't help but sigh inwardly: it's that little girl again! Yet he did not hesitate for a moment, quickly leaping up to catch the person still in mid-air. Following that, he pushed off with his left foot and used the back of his right foot to gain momentum, gracefully landing on the galloping horse.

After a brief explanation, Chuchu immediately nestled closer to Zhao Ping. Zhao Ping patted Chuchu's back and said softly, "I will take you back." After saying this, he nodded slightly to Zhao Gou, who was not far away, and without saying another word, he mounted his horse. With a gentle nudge to the horse's belly, the horse let out a long neigh and galloped away like the wind.

Zhao Ping said with concern: "If Yuan Jia has any matters, you can certainly inform your elder brother, and I will take charge for you!"

Currently, the trend of nurturing talent is prevalent. Given Zhao Ping's reputation and abilities, he should ideally be surrounded by esteemed friends. However, due to his excessive emphasis on friendship, he is more cautious in choosing his companions. The young scions he usually associates with are all individuals who prioritize personal gain, thus he has not formed genuine friendships with those who truly understand him. His family has become his focal point. Now that someone has bullied him, Zhao Ping naturally refuses to let it go.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Gou's face instantly turned ashen, and he wished he could tear the photo into a thousand pieces: this is truly outrageous! His hatred for Zhao Ping intensified. Watching Zhao Ping's receding figure, Zhao Gou forced himself to suppress his anger, urged the horse forward, and struck the horse's flank fiercely with the whip. The horse, feeling the pain, let out a mournful neigh and bolted forward.

Zhao Ping looked at Zhao Gou in confusion, not understanding why this young girl was with him. Chu Chu, comfortably leaning in Zhao Ping's embrace, noticed his gaze shift to her. She giggled and gently tugged at Zhao Ping's hairband with one small hand, saying: "Elder brother is accompanying me shopping and doesn't want to be called away by Uncle. We just happened to run into them," as she pointed at Zhao Gou, "so elder brother kindly asked them to take me home."

Yuan Jia raised his head, yet still nestled in his elder brother's embrace. He sighed, a faint blush appearing on his face, and softly said with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance: "Three days ago, Governor Lu sent someone to propose marriage for his second son. Although my mother and younger sister are unwilling in their hearts, they have no way to refuse the proposal."

Zhao Ping responded softly, looking at the increasingly haggard young girl, feeling a surge of heartache. He tenderly brushed the loose strands of Yuan Jia's hair from her shoulders. Touched by his concern, the girl couldn't help but redden her eyes and leaned on Zhao Ping's shoulder, quietly sobbing. Zhao Ping sighed deeply in his heart, gently patting the girl's back, silently comforting his sorrowful sister

Zhao Ping dismounted and, feeling apologetic, nodded slightly to a few passersby who had been startled by the horse. He then gently flicked the forehead of a little girl, who scrunched her nose at him and made a cute face. Zhao Ping helplessly said, "Chuchu, you must not be so mischievous next time!" Seeing the little girl nodding absentmindedly, Zhao Ping realized that he was once again wasting his breath. He sighed inwardly but had no choice but to let it go.

Not to mention how difficult it was for Zhao Gou to endure here. As for Zhao Ping, he reined in his horse and was about to sternly admonish the little girl in his arms. However, before he could even put on a serious face, the little girl was already giggling and skillfully draped herself around his neck, adjusting her position to comfortably lean against him

As soon as he entered, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen greeted him. Seeing that the elegant and refined girl before him looked even more haggard than when he had gone to Yanmen, her frail body seemed as if it could be blown away by a gust of wind, and her complexion bore a hint of sickly pallor. Zhao Ping felt a surge of anger; it was evident that it was the doing of those useless cousins, and his hatred for them deepened.

Who can say whether tomorrow will bring friends or foes? After all, in the eyes of these noble families, there are no eternal enemies, nor can there be eternal allies. Everything revolves around the interests of the family, and what is termed as friendship or enmity is directed by familial interests. Whether one calls these noble families hypocritical or selfish, this is simply the unique way of life that the aristocracy has adopted.

Blocking the girl who was about to bow, Zhao Ping asked with concern, "Is it possible that Zhao He and the others have come to make a fuss again"

Zhao Ping could only smile wryly as he looked at the little girl in his arms. The girl, around ten years old, had long hair tied up with a golden ring at the top of her head. Her slightly pointed chin complemented a pair of bright, expressive eyes, making her indescribably enchanting and adorable

After sending the little girl home, Zhao Ping returned to his own house, handed the family letter from his grandfather to his mother, and then brought two brocade boxes to the villa where his aunt, the Wang family, resided