Chapter 319: Picking a Fight, Nothing to Consult
Pei clan leader landed the stone in hand, turning his head to look towards the approaching Min Yu Han, just like seeing a beloved younger generation of one’s own family, and not even the kind towards the son generation. After all, people paid particular attention to the concept of ‘holding one’s grandson, but not one’s son’. Towards the son generation, that was all being stern and solemn. The more one cared, the more harsh one was. Towards Min Yu Han, it was just fondness plainly displayed on the surface, seemingly as if the other party simply wasn’t a forty some to almost fifty year old person, just like at this very moment, carrying an affectionate smile as he waved his hand towards Min Yu Han.
When not knowing anything at all, he perhaps would even be moved. That feeling was just like as if this twenty to thirty years of time all didn’t exist. Who uncle Pei fondly recalled was his own daughter, and that was ultimately the woman at the bottom of his heart, so he didn’t mind at all. In the past, even if frequently out traveling, he would still occasionally come back. His relations.h.i.+p with the other party was very friendly, even able to naturally retract the cold frost on his body, having the other party treated as his own father. But after finding out, everything was all just lies, all a disguise. The person that appeared kind was actually the most vicious and merciless, cold-blooded and cruel. For him to continuously maintain his ‘good’ towards him, it was nothing more than wanting to better maintain the relations.h.i.+p between the two families. And now, he also saw clearly, exactly what kind of situation the Pei clan was in. Actually, after carefully thinking about it, for the Pei clan to be able to preserve for this long, it was practically inconceivable, and can be considered a miracle.
Min Yu Han neither quickly nor slowly walked over, and without waiting for him to greet, the Pei clan leader already beckoned him to sit down. Prior to this, regardless of being sincere or pretending, facing Pei clan leader’s politeness, this etiquette of his would always be done in full. But today, he already didn’t want to pretend. That’s why, regardless of what att.i.tude the other party held, this etiquette, he all won’t perform.
Pei Xiu Ying already voluntarily yielded her seat. When Min Yu Han looked over, she pursed her lips and smiled, “Xiu Ying greets the Min family’s great-uncle.”
Min Yu Han didn’t sit down, but rather landed his gaze on Pei Xiu Ying. Reasonably speaking, even if an elder, someone of one’s grandparent generation, and the two families have a close relations.h.i.+p, as a man, this openly sizing up the other family’s young lady was all very mannerless and even rude. This long wasn’t the first time meeting Pei Xiu Ying, yet this was his first time doing this.
When he’d returned last year, seeing Pei Xiu Ying, Min Yu Han felt the other party was a refined and also gentle young lady, very much having a bit of Guan Guan’s graceful bearing in those years. As for even earlier, the other party was still just a little girl, so he simply didn’t have any impression, but just thought, if Guan Guan was still alive, the daughter she gives birth to would also be this outstanding. But looking at it now, the more he looked, the more disgusted he felt. There was a saying called, ‘to fail at drawing a tiger instead resembling a dog[1]‘, especially after learning that the other party not only didn’t reject her great-grandfather’s arrangement, she even personally went to go meet the person. In Chuanzhou Fu, he’d asked Yuan Yuan about the matters on the way from Chongzhou Fu to Chuanzhou Fu. Hearing Pei Xiu Ying’s conduct, Yuan Yuan didn’t understand what was going on, but he was very clear.
Nothing has even happened, yet already starting to pry into one’s ‘love rival’, attempting to challenge Jin w.a.n.gfei’s authority, practically just ‘jackals of the same tribe’ with her great-grandfather, arrogant, self-centered, and conceited. What do you take Jin Qinw.a.n.g as, a wooden puppet? Think everything will all progress according to your a.s.sumptions? Even as a person’s old man or mother, there still won’t be any that would force their own son to sleep with a certain woman. Moreover, where is this confidence coming from, believing that the other party will certainly sleep with you? Just based on that face? This is thinking that all the men in the world are all the same, shallow and stupid, seeing a beautiful woman and just unable to control one’s waistband? Moreover, to say something unpleasant, women are already at a disadvantage to begin with, and in terms of family background, you’re also in a weakened state. Then, getting slept with, it’s also getting slept with for nothing, you, Pei Xiu Ying to Jin Qinw.a.n.g is precisely this kind of situation!
To abandon oneself and voluntarily offer oneself up as a concubine, can one be any more lowly?
n.o.ble daughter of an influential family? As expected, when the clan’s reputation does not reflect the reality, even the upbringing also becomes this unbearable, losing one’s pride, losing true honor, and further losing that lofty character.
Pei Xiu Ying was somewhat uncomfortable under Min Yu Han’s stare, but still from beginning to end hung her head and lowered her gaze, maintaining a faint smile.
If you don’t want to smile, then don’t smile. Actually, this kind of believing to be perfect smile was very nauseating, not a smile coming from the bottom of the heart, not a genuinely happy smile………..
Min Yu Han sat down, casually picking up a stone, “Is it white’s turn?” And without waiting for Pei clan leader to respond, he just landed the piece.
What kind of person was the Pei clan leader, a cunning old fox, so towards a person’s change, his grasp naturally was also first cla.s.s. Moreover, Min Yu Han displayed it this obviously. A peculiar look flashed cross his eyes, picking up a black stone, continuing to play, “Yu Han hasn’t come to see this old man in a while.”
“Indeed, great-grandfather just now was still reminiscing about Min family great uncle.” Pei Xiu Ying also lightly smiled to the side.
Min Yu Han looked to the qi board, contemplating for a moment, and after landing a stone, finally opened his mouth, “Lately, been a bit busy, asking uncle to please forgive.”
“Oh? Busy with what?” Pei clan leader naturally asked, the kind that was very warm and very affectionate.
“Busy with what? Can be considered a major matter in one’s life.” Min Yu Han nonchalantly said.
“A major matter in one’s life? Could it be that Yu Han finally wants to take a wife? Good, good, good, this is really great. All these years, you’ve never even had a single caring person by your side to take care of you, and now, to have finally come around, naturally can’t be better.” The Pei clan leader appeared very happy, and mixed in his happiness was also a sorrowful sigh.
“Is this true? Then will have to congratulate great uncle Min.” Pei Xiu Ying also said with a smile, seemingly feeling very happy for the other party.
Min Yu Han suddenly smiled, “About this matter, actually still need to ask for uncle’s approval………..”
Once these words came out, the Pei clan leader suddenly produced a kind of bad feeling, “What does Yu Han mean by this? Could it be that you want uncle to be a matchmaker for you? No problem.”
Min Yu Han held the stone piece between his fingers, looking to the Pei clan leader, “Actually no. Because of Guan Guan’s matter, hasn’t uncle always felt sorry towards me? So why not have Xiu Ying married to me? Although Xiu Ying is far inferior in comparison to Guan Guan, but this bit of graceful bearing is also enough, what does uncle think?”
Never mind how unsightly Pei Xiu Ying’s complexion was, the smile on the Pei clan leader’s face also disappeared, replaced with a look of solemnness, “Yu Han, this joke is crossing the line.”
“Joke? No, I’m being serious.”
“Yu Han, you are Xiu Ying’s elder. The Min clan and the Pei clan have been friends for generations. You being like this, regardless whether it’s towards oneself, or towards our two families, it’s all not too………..”
“Uncle feels it’s not good?” Min Yu Han neither lightly nor heavily interrupted his words, “I feel it’s quite good. One has to know, I for a time even thought Xiu Ying was someone uncle specifically raised for me, and without a doubt, naturally it’s for adding flowers on brocade. After all, uncle has always had me treated as someone of the grandson or great-grandson generation, exceptionally taking pity on me, and towards uncle, I’ve always been deeply grateful. As for the friends.h.i.+p between the two families, since it’s a political marriage, naturally the two families’ relations.h.i.+p will be even better.”
Pei Xiu Ying at this very moment was madly roaring inside, shouting, who do you think you are, based on what, based on what?! Her hand clenching the handkerchief, her nails nearly about to tear through the skin of her palm, but because of her upbringing, she worked hard to control it. Not only so, on her face, she was even carrying a faint smile. However, unbeknownst to her, that smile at this time was just very unsightly, very malevolent.
In reality, if she really were to have exploded, Min Yu Han perhaps would even have a higher opinion of her. Unfortunately, what she was thinking was still the bearing of an influential family daughter.
Speaking of which, just as expected, it was still the Pei clan leader’s cultivation that was higher. At this very moment, he was still solemnly stroking his beard, and didn’t have signs of getting angry, instead carrying a bit of pardon as he looked towards Min Yu Han like as if looking at one’s own younger generation that made a mistake, “Yu Han, I don’t know what’s wrong with you today, whether it’s drinking a bit more before coming here, or because of some other reason, I hope that this matter can end here. This way, it’s better for everyone.”
Min Yu Han’s smile grew increasingly distinct, and increasingly vivid. Many people, in many years, all have never seen such a bright smile of his before. He seemingly even appeared more than ten years younger.
However, no matter who looked, all felt this smile was exceptionally painful to the eyes.
“Uncle feels I’m not sober? No, I’m very sober. In my several decades of life, I’ve never been more clear-headed than now. ————-I don’t understand, why does uncle feel it’s not good? Could it be that uncle actually looks down on me, and that fondness towards me in the past was all fake?” End here? If it can just easily ‘end’, then he wouldn’t have come. He was precisely coming to pick a fight, further preparing to tear face with the Pei clan. To continue feigning civility, he’ll also feel unwell.
[1] The rough idea is just when imitating someone or something, you fail at it and instead end up with a bootleg version.
T/N: Just for clarification, Min Yu Han calls the Pei clan leader ‘世伯’ (s.h.i.+bo – roughly translates as uncle) which is a respectful address used towards a friend that’s older than one’s father, or in the same generation as one’s father. Didn’t want people to mistakenly think that they are related. Well, technically their families are related by marriage.