Chapter 436: Are You Angry That I’m Embarra.s.sing You!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Cui Muzhi and Cui Shiji walked further and further away. Lan Jingbai looked at the ointment in his hand and smiled bitterly.
The flickering oil lamp was like his uneasy soul at this moment.
In the Cui family’s study.
Cui Shiji glared at his son for ten minutes before suddenly saying, “You’re not young anymore. It’s time to get married! Tomorrow, I’ll let your mother choose a good girl for you!”
Cui Muzhi jumped up and objected. “No!”
Cui Shiji blew his beard and glared. “Nonsense. Marriage is a big deal that you have to listen to your parents and the matchmaker!”
Cui Muzhi immediately retorted, “The Great Empress even advocates mutual love!”
Cui Shiji was exasperated. “As long as I’m alive, you have to listen to me if you want to get married!”
“Then I don’t want to get married now!”
“There’s no room for discussion. A man has to start a family to understand what responsibility is.”
Cui Muzhi complained, “Don’t I have you to support me!”
Cui Shiji looked at him coldly. “This family will be handed over to you sooner or later!”
Cui Muzhi could also tell that Cui Shiji knew so he no longer held in. “But I really don’t want to get married. If you let me marry a girl, won’t you be harming her?”
Cui Shiji smashed the table and pointed at his nose. “Get lost!”
Cui Muzhi left, making Cui Shiji even angrier.
The men in his family had been fine for generations. How did he become like this?
No, he had to think of a way to change him back.
Cui Shiji came to Lan Jingbai’s room and cast a shadow on him. He looked at the child he had seen growing up and had mixed feelings.
Lan Jingbai knelt piously. “It’s all Jingbai’s fault.”
Cui Shiji looked down at him. For the first time, he used his authority as the head of the family and ordered, “Go join the army. From now on, you’re no longer a member of our Cui family. Don’t meet Muzhi again.”
Lan Jingbai was silent for a long time. “Okay.”
Cui Shiji said, “I’ll arrange it for you. You shall leave for Baye tonight!”
“Yes.”
Cui Shiji glanced at him and sighed heavily. “Jingbai, don’t disappoint me.”
If Cui Shiji had not picked him up back then, he would have died.
Lan Jingbai looked up and had already made his choice. “Master, take care!”
Cui Muzhi did not sleep well that night. He wanted to look for Lan Jingbai, but he was afraid that Lan Jingbai would be worried, so he endured it until the next day. When he realized that Lan Jingbai was missing, he looked around for him.
Everyone in the family said that they had not seen Lan Jingbai before Cui Muzhi realized something. He panicked and immediately ran to the study to look for Cui Shiji. “Where’s Jingbai? Where did you ask him to go?”
Cui Shiji didn’t even look at him. “How would I know?” he said calmly.
Cui Muzhi was anxious. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll go look for him!”
Cui Shiji sneered. “Sure, go find him. If you find him, don’t come back. I don’t have a son like you either!”
Cui Muzhi’s eyes were red. “Father! I always thought you were a reasonable person. How can you vent your anger on him like this?”
Cui Shiji stood up and slammed the table. “So what if I’m not reasonable!”
Both sides were in a tense state and unable to communicate. Madam Cui hurriedly rushed over and advised, “Muzhi, how can you make your father angry? He’s doing this for your own good.”
Madam Cui’s words were like a thousand-pound hammer pressing on Cui Muzhi’s chest. He said fiercely, “I’ll never get married in my life!”
Cui Shiji picked up the pen holder and smashed it at him. “How dare you!”
Cui Muzhi did not dodge. He took a blow and his gaze was firm. “I’ll leave now!”
Cui Shiji was completely annoyed. “Someone, lock him up!”
Cui Muzhi rushed out with all his might. The guards rushed forward and quickly restrained him.
“Let go of me! Let go!”
Cui Muzhi was locked up. Cui Shiji sat on the desk dispiritedly, as if he had aged several years overnight.
Madam Cui comforted him carefully. “Muzhi has always listened to Little Jiu since he was young. Why don’t we let her persuade him?”
Cui Shiji did not want more people to know, so he looked hesitant.
“The young man is just being impulsive and doesn’t know what the right person is at all. With Little Jiu’s guidance, he will understand. It’s already like this. It’s not good to keep him locked up.”
Cui Shize nodded and agreed to Madam Cui’s suggestion.
The room was in chaos. Cui Muzhi sat in a corner in a daze, no longer in his usual high spirits.
Cui Lingyi sat at the table. “Muzhi, I brought lychee-flavored Phoenix Tail Wine. Want a gla.s.s?”
Cui Muzhi’s voice was hoa.r.s.e and pitiful. “Cousin, can you help me escape?”
Cui Lingyi filled his cup. “Muzhi, so what if I help you escape? Do you really have the courage to face the judgment of the world?”
The southern frontier was open-minded, but 90% of the people in Carefree City were still from the Central Plains!
Cui Muzhi stared at the wine gla.s.s and thought for a long time. He suddenly picked it up and drank it in one gulp, his gaze firm. “I can!”
Cui Lingyi filled his gla.s.s again. “What about Jingbai? Why did he leave without saying goodbye?”
The anger that Cui Muzhi had condensed dissipated in an instant.
“Jingbai…” Perhaps it was not that he did not have the courage, but that he could not face the Cui family’s kindness.
Cui Muzhi picked up his gla.s.s and drank it in one gulp. The usually mellow wine was now extremely bitter.
Cui Muzhi seemed to have grown up overnight. He no longer made a fuss to look for Lan Jingbai. Instead, Cui Shiji felt a little uneasy when he let him out, as if he had done something wrong.
After secretly observing for a few days, Cui Muzhi returned to normal. Only then did Cui Shiji feel relieved for the time being.
After many days, the crispy mountain was launched in the dessert shop. Looking at the new signboard, Cui Muzhi finally revealed a faint smile.
The various fruit-flavored crispy mountains were unanimously praised by everyone. The dessert shop’s business was booming, so Cui Muzhi had no choice but to add a new window outside the shop. There was no s.p.a.ce in the shop, so everyone could take it away.
The weather was so hot. It was an incomparable pleasure to be able to eat crispy mountains.
Madam Zhang of Qinghe could not stand the heat. She bought some ice cubes from Cui Muzhi and went back to make heat relief juice for her husband and children.
The heat relief juice made by her own family was naturally not as delicious as the one specially developed by the dessert shop. However, there was ice inside, so it was still welcomed by her family.
Seeing that her husband was drinking so readily, Madam Zhang couldn’t help but say sourly, “The Great Empress is too good to the Cui family. She only gave Cui Muzhi the method to make ice.”
“If only we could make ice too. We wouldn’t have to spend the money to dig the icehouse. We can use it whenever we want.”
“If I go to the Great Empress, will she tell me how to make ice?”
Patriarch Zhang glanced at her. “The Great Empress can give it to whoever she wants. Don’t cause trouble and let others hear it.”
“Just like how if you have something good, you will still prioritize giving it to those close to you. Do your job well and catch the Great Empress’s eye first!”
When Madam Zhang heard Patriarch Zhang mocking her, she snorted. “Do you think I’ve embarra.s.sed you? Why are you drinking the sour plum soup then!”
Master Zhang was speechless. He said, “Unreasonable,” and returned to the study..