Chapter 2, The Prodigal Son

"Do you still remember, young master?" Rui Sheng, seeing that Xu Xun was not angry but instead spoke in a gentle tone, couldn't help but hesitate. He counted on his fingers and stammered, "I have only been here for one month and three days... However, young master, please rest assured that I will work hard to learn everything I do not know, and I will serve you well in the future. My mother used to say that I belong to the young master and must listen to the young master, even when it comes to marrying a wife..." My mother used to say that I belong to the young master and must listen to the young master, even when it comes to marrying a wife..."

Within the tavern, the young man and several similarly aged rascals called each other brothers, toasting and exchanging cups.

In the spacious and bright lobby, several smiling elders enthusiastically praised the calligraphy of a few young individuals, while a solitary youth stood in the corner, ignored by all

Rui Sheng's words suddenly came to an abrupt halt, yet that last childish remark instantly amused Xu Xun. Following that, he murmured softly, unable to help but express his good fortune.

Young Master, the Master has come to see you

Whether he is willing or not, from now on, his life must start anew

Adaptability is not taught, a gentleman's revenge is not late even after ten years is not taught, striking a snake at its seven inches is not taught, yet what is taught is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth ... No wonder that fellow is doing so poorly!

He, "Xu Xun," is the only descendant of the second branch of the Xu family. However, he was not born to his father Xu Bianming's legitimate wife, but rather is the son that Xu Bian brought back suddenly from outside many years ago. Since his legal wife passed away early and left no children, he naturally became the only son of this branch, recorded in the family genealogy. Following this, Xu Bian left again, and for many years there has been no news of him; it is unknown whether he is alive or dead. In the early years, there were some old servants in the house, but either they grew too old or could not tolerate his mischief and resigned, leaving him almost entirely alone.

Coincidentally, this unfortunate fellow is also named Xu Xun, exactly the same as his own name, so he does not have to abandon a name he has used for over twenty years. Of course, perhaps it is precisely because of this coincidence that the King of Hell might have mistakenly written down the wrong name.

After all, they are two completely different individuals. It is truly difficult for him to call someone he was entirely unfamiliar with "father" and "mother." Fortunately, his new identity is almost indistinguishable from that of an orphan. After all, even if he has accepted all the memories, his actions and demeanor will inevitably reveal flaws when he is around close relatives and old friends.

Ah! Rui instinctively reached out to cover his face, then forced a smile and said, "Young Master, it's nothing..."

"Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes!" Xu Xun interrupted him and asked directly, "What did they ask you? Also, whose hand left that mark?"

The loud shouting pierced his ears, yet Xu Xun had not fully reacted when he turned his head and found that the servant had already entered the room, repeatedly signaling him with his eyes without saying a word. Looking again at the doorway, a middle-aged man strode in, followed by a man who appeared to be a servant. The middle-aged man was dressed in a bright purple robe, with a few strands of meticulously groomed long beard on his chin, but his eyes were filled with gloom. The combination of his appearance and the title he had heard earlier instantly reminded Xu Xun of this person's identity: he was indeed the esteemed Xu Da from the clan.

Exhaustedly leaning back against the thick cushion of the bed, Xu Xun felt a mix of emotions he could not quite articulate. While it was certainly fortunate to have survived a great calamity, waking up to a strange identity and facing an entirely new environment in an ancient era, not to mention having to fully absorb the grievances of others, left even someone as carefree as him feeling bewildered, his mind in disarray, unable to find peace in that moment.

Xu Xunzheng was deep in thought when someone entered from outside, quickly stepping forward and nervously placing both hands on the edge of the bed. He stared at the face with the palm print that had yet to fade for quite a while, and suddenly furrowed his brows: "Ruisheng, what happened to your face?"

The current situation is unclear, and Xu Xun is too lazy to speak up in defense, so he simply lowers his head and remains silent. At this moment, the visitor pauses for a moment and then sneers coldly: "Considering that you are still injured, I won't bother to ask you now; I'll settle the score with you later"

Outside the window, the cicadas on the trees are crying out incessantly in a heart-wrenching manner. In front of the window, a young boy is practicing calligraphy with great effort, his forehead glistening with sweat, while a thick stack of writing paper lies beside him.

After finishing this speech, the visitor unexpectedly let out a heavy cold snort without saying a word and left with a flick of his sleeve. Seeing the servant behind him smile at him, he soon followed his master out, while his own attendant stole a glance at the book and then chased after the other, disappearing beyond the door curtain. Xu Xun furrowed his brow, rubbed his chin, and sighed wearily.

Hmm? Recently, he has heard this form of address quite often, and Xu Xun has gradually become accustomed to it. At this moment, he casually responded and, without raising his head, asked, "What is it?"

The visitor glanced at the stool in front of the bed, frowned slightly, but did not sit down. Instead, he stood there looking down, coldly saying: "You usually indulge in reckless behavior, and this time you have gone even further, causing such a huge incident! Engaging in brawls with bandits, my Xu family has always been a reputable and honorable family, and you have brought us nothing but disgrace!"

I vaguely remember that this uncle looked down on me the most. Xu Xun did not expect any improvement from this meeting today, so he immediately put on a feeble appearance as if he were still recovering from a serious injury, and with a voice lighter than that of a mosquito, he murmured: "Uncle..."

After waking up that day, Xu Xun felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare, sometimes dazed and sometimes awake. Scenes flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, as if he had watched a mundane film lasting one hundred and twenty minutes, yet the film consisted entirely of various fast-forwarded montage segments, with a plot that was utterly unremarkable. Nevertheless, the decision of whether the screening had ended was not in the hands of him, the protagonist, and thus he could only endure and wait for the film to conclude.

This time, after squinting slightly, Xu Xun's expression shifted from mockery to helplessness, and he finally eased up with the books. He examined the dust on Ruisheng's knee and glanced around the simply furnished room, as if casually asking: "Ruisheng, you have been here for almost a month, haven't you?"

In the narrow alley, a young man rolled up his sleeves and brandished a wooden stick, striding fiercely at the forefront

According to the memories he had previously digested, it is now the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty. Aside from the north, which seems to have been somewhat unsettled, overall it can be considered a prosperous time. The Xu family, where he currently resides, has been rooted in Nanjing for over a hundred years, with dozens of male members in both direct and collateral lines. Tracing back, there have been five or six scholars and two or three successful candidates in the family, and an elder once served as a county magistrate during the Xuande period. Currently, an elder whom he refers to as Sixth Uncle holds a minor official position in the Yingtian Prefecture, thus the Xu family enjoys a modest reputation in this peaceful era.

However, apart from the hired couple who do odd jobs outside, he only has this son left by the deceased wet nurse, who has been with him for just about a month. This undoubtedly resolves his greatest dilemma. As for the Xu family members, he sees them only a few times throughout the year, so any changes he experiences can easily be attributed to this recent serious injury

A few days ago, I felt weak and hadn't properly expressed my gratitude for the life-saving favor I received. Do you recognize the home of my benefactor?

Young master, the elder has left! Are you alright?

It has only been a month

Without any constraints and with other relatives in the clan intentionally neglecting him, along with peers being distant and mocking, this individual naturally becomes increasingly indulgent. He pays no attention to family finances or livelihood, spending his days outside mingling with others, truly a prodigal who has given up on everything.

Young Master, Young Master

Rui Sheng hesitated for quite a while before stammering, "It was the master who asked me which people you usually associate with. I only said I didn't know, and then the uncle who was following me slapped me... Young master, I really didn't tell him anything, but he is strong, and I couldn't resist him. There was no way to retaliate in kind!"

Young master, your injury has just healed, and you are already going out

However, what left him greatly disappointed was that when the timeline finally advanced to the most critical segment, the protagonist was seen following those ruffians into a shabby alley. Suddenly, a blow to the back of his head came unexpectedly, followed by a garment being thrown over his head and a violent beating. The final shot froze on a face lying on the bed, gasping for breath, filled with unwillingness. Once the fast-forwarding like a projector finally ceased, his tormented mind gradually returned to normal.

Rui Sheng suddenly realized and repeatedly said he recognized it, then hurriedly went out to tidy up. Once he left, Xu Xun propped himself up with one hand on the bed, slipped on his shoes, and walked to the window, forcefully pushing open the window. As the fresh air rushed in from outside, he felt the indoor stuffiness dissipate completely, and his mind became much clearer.

Alright, hurry and fetch a bucket of well water to wash and apply it, and see if it can remove this handprint; otherwise, how will you face others