Chapter 220: Heir or son? That is the question
"Catch the thief!"
A dark figure was running wildly on the street, with several soldiers chasing after him.
"catch him!"
The thief looked back and cursed: "I'm chasing the wind..."
Da da da!
The sound of hurried horse hooves could be heard.
The thief looked back and saw several riders turning from the street corner in front. The riders on horseback naturally tilted as the horses turned sharply, showing their excellent riding skills.
"Stop!"
Several soldiers shouted.
"You are not allowed to gallop at night. Dismount!" Several soldiers drew their swords.
Da da da!
The knight on horseback seemed to hear nothing, and the thief was overjoyed, knowing that this was a man in a hurry, so he took the opportunity to escape.
If someone is in urgent need, who would help the officers and soldiers catch the thief?
The knight in the middle pointed at the thief, rushed out on his horse, leaned over, and smashed him in the waist with the wooden stick in his hand.
Bang!
The thief fell.
Several riders continued to gallop forward.
"Stop!"
Several soldiers stood with swords in hand.
The leading knight shouted, "Long Wilbur is in a hurry, make way!"
"No..." A sergeant shouted at the top of his voice, and the old soldier in charge cursed: "Get out of the way!"
Several soldiers stepped aside and watched the horses galloping past. The young soldier asked, "Captain Wang, didn't you say that we are not allowed to ride horses at high speed at night?"
The old soldier said, "That's Long Wilt. Do you think we can stop him from galloping at night? Boy, let me teach you a lesson. Rules are dead, but people are alive."
The young soldier was at a loss, and the old soldier patted his shoulder. "It's okay for others, but Lord Wei has never troubled us, so it seems that there is something urgent tonight. By the way, catch that bastard, he dared to steal things from the Marquis's mansion..."
“This is a credit!”
"No."
The old soldier said, "If it were any other nobleman, he wouldn't care about the thief. Only Long Wei Bo would. Boy, this nobleman, let alone breaking the law, even if he wants to beat someone up, I'm willing to keep watch for him. Go and see what the thief stole."
Several soldiers went over and held down the howling thief. One of them picked up the bag and was suddenly startled.
"wrong."
The old soldier asked, "What's wrong?"
The soldier's hand shook, the bundle opened, and a round object fell out.
"Wangtou!"
Wang Tou rushed over with a scream.
"lantern!"
Wang Tou took the lantern, and the halo spread...
A grinning head was grinning at him.
"problem occurs!"
"Something happened!"
……
Jiang Qingzhi rushed all the way to the Duke's Mansion, where the butler and a maid were waiting outside the gate.
The wind was cold and biting. Jiang Qingzhi dismounted with a few guards. Seeing his red cheeks, the butler said, "Hurry up and serve ginger tea to the second master."
"Let's get down to business first." Jiang Qingzhi coughed dryly a few times and felt itchy in his lungs.
He quickly lit a medicinal cigarette, took a deep breath, and coughed a few times, "Lead the way."
Before I even got there, I heard Zhu Xizhong yelling, "I'm a Duke, how could I have a rebellious son like you? You've been a sly student since you were little, you fooled me when I asked you to recite, you did a perfunctory job when I asked you to write... A fool like you, if you inherit the Duke's Mansion, you'll only bring shame to our ancestors!"
"Da Lang, come down! If people find out, will you still be a human being? It's so shameful!"
Zhu Xizhong's wife's voice became hoarse.
Jiang Qingzhi walked into the yard, and Zhu Xizhong turned around when he heard his voice, "Qingzhi."
Zhu Xizhong's wife smiled bitterly, "Qingzhi is laughing at me."
"Why did it happen tonight?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"I don't know." said a maid.
Seeing the maid's lively expression, Jiang Qingzhi frowned and asked, "Who's on night duty?"
When children from wealthy families sleep at night, there is someone on duty in their bedrooms to prevent any accidents.
A maid came forward, "Second Master."
She turned out to be an ugly woman.
The corner of Jiang Qingzhi's mouth twitched, and he thought that the couple was worried that Zhu Shitai would eat the forbidden fruit too early, so they got a woman who made it difficult for him to do it to keep watch at night.
"explain."
"The little Duke didn't sleep well last night. He kept pulling up the quilt. In the middle of the night, I heard him pull up all the quilts. I wanted to persuade him, but as soon as I opened my mouth, the little Duke got angry."
"This is a sin!" Zhu Xizhong sighed.
"It's a misfortune for our family!" Zhu Xizhong's wife said angrily.
"You are also the ones who created this evil karma." Jiang Qingzhi said.
"Qingzhi." Zhu Xizhong looked at his son on the roof, "Dalang has never been so crazy before. I'm afraid he will jump down."
"What method did Qingzhi use to cure Dalang last time?" asked Zhu Xizhong's wife.
"Give him a slap."
"How about..." Zhu Xizhong said, "Give him another slap."
Zhu Xizhong's wife was a little conflicted, but between getting a slap and jumping down and breaking her leg, she chose to let her son get a slap.
"Do you think that child can allow me to climb up slowly?"
Jiang Qingzhi said.
"What should I do?"
"Cold salad!"
Jiang Qingzhi held a cigarette in his mouth and refused the stick handed to him by Sun Bu Tong. He thought that a little scare would solve the problem. But now it seems that this kid has a total explosion tonight.
Behind the eaves of the roof, Zhu Shitai stood there quietly, looking like a sculpture in the dim light.
"Qingzhi, we've been talking for a long time, but it's useless!" Zhu Xizhong smiled bitterly. The couple had tried their best to persuade and threaten him... they had used all the means, but it was of no use.
"You are in the middle of the situation, how can you know what this kid is thinking!"
Jiang Qingzhi said unhappily, then raised his head and said, "Boy, are you upset?"
The sculpture moved.
Jiang Qingzhi smiled slightly, "I have a story here."
Uncle, brother, it’s already this time and you’re still telling stories… Zhu Xizhong covered his forehead helplessly.
"How about we invite some eminent monks?" Zhu Xizhong's wife whispered, "Da Lang is clearly possessed by evil spirits. Yes, he must be possessed by evil spirits."
"Let them go quietly and don't make any noise." Zhu Xizhong had no other choice but to seek help from any doctor in desperation.
"It is said that there was a wealthy family in the past. They had a huge fortune and a noble title..."
Zhu Xizhong smiled bitterly, thinking to himself, if you just say you are my brother, I will be fine.
"It was difficult for this family to have children, and they finally had a son. The couple wanted to hold him in their hands. When the child grew up, they invited great scholars to give him lessons, invited famous warriors to teach him martial arts, and invited him to teach him music, chess, calligraphy and painting..." Zhu Xizhong's wife said, "Isn't Qingzhi talking about us and the eldest brother?"
"This child has no rest all day long. He has to study from the moment he opens his eyes in the morning until he can rest before going to bed. Even so, his parents and people around him still keep finding faults with him and even scold him every day."
Jiang Qingzhi exhaled a puff of smoke and coughed dryly, "My parents always say that you are the only heir to this huge family business. If you don't study hard, how can you inherit the family business in the future? You will only be embarrassed if you go out."
The sculpture on the roof trembled.
Jiang Qingzhi saw this and sighed, "This couple is so disappointed with each other that they keep finding faults and scolding each other every day, thinking that this is for the good of the child."
The sculpture has clenched fists.
"This child has to endure a lot of homework every day, which is already a torment. In addition, his parents scold him every day, and people around him keep urging him... If I were in their shoes, I would also feel that the days are like years."
Jiang Qingzhi thought of the future generations' chicken children, involution, "At an age when they should be playing, they have to study hard. It would be fine, but they are also scolded every day... Amid the scolding of their parents, the children feel that they are useless. And this huge family business, in the eyes of the children, gradually becomes a burden."
Zhu Xizhong was stunned, "Isn't this... right?"
"He was tired, but he couldn't get relief. Every time he said he wanted to rest, his parents would scold him. The child was in great pain, but no one comforted him. Every night, when he thought of those scoldings and the full workload tomorrow, he felt that life was meaningless."
"So he became restless and hot all over..."
Several maids exclaimed.
"Isn't this the little duke?"
"Shut up!" Zhu Xizhong's wife shouted at several maids, then waved her hand and someone took them away.
Jiang Qingzhi looked at her and shook his head slightly. "Day after day, whenever he couldn't stand this kind of torture, the child would feel stuffy in his chest and abdomen, and the torture would turn into flames and burn there. He wanted to take off his clothes and let the cold wind blow... to blow away all the anxiety and pain..."
"Qingzhi!" Zhu Xizhong thought this was a bit ridiculous.
But Zhu Shitai on the roof was shocked, "They..."
"They are being stupid!" Jiang Qingzhi glared at Zhu Xizhong, then said, "They always thought that this child was a piece of mud that they could mold into whatever shape they wanted. They thought that this family business must have a perfect heir in order to be passed on for a longer time. But they never thought about the child's feelings."
The sculpture is shaking.
"Da Lang."
Zhu Xizhong's wife grabbed his arm and said, "Aren't we all doing this for Dalang's sake?"
"The child could no longer endure it and finally exploded. He began to pretend to obey his parents' words, learned to talk back, and learned to remain silent. After being suppressed many times, he chose to go crazy..."
Jiang Qingzhi turned around and looked at Zhu Xizhong and his wife, "This kid wants to use this method to tell his parents, don't force me anymore!"
"Hahahaha!"
The sculpture laughed wildly for a while, then slowly sat down, covering its face with its hands, not knowing what it was thinking.
"Poor baby!"
Jiang Qingzhi had long noticed that something was wrong with Zhu Shitai, and after asking his followers, he had some guesses in his mind. After testing it tonight, it turned out to be just as he thought.
"Qingzhi, if this child is left alone..."
Jiang Qingzhi asked, "Do you want an heir or a son?"
After that, Jiang Qingzhi said to the sculpture on the roof: "If your parents are still like this, then come to your second uncle's house."
This is a threat... If you keep forcing the child like this, I will raise him.
Jiang Qingzhi walked away.
"This..." Zhu Xizhong's wife said, "Da Lang is still the same!"
"Qingzhi, Qingzhi!" Zhu Xizhong shouted, but Jiang Qingzhi kept walking. "You two have to solve this problem. I'm sleepy, but I can still catch up on my nap when I get back."
"Or, let's wait for the monk to come?" said the wife.
"Okay." Zhu Xizhong was a little disappointed.
The housekeeper said tentatively: "Didn't the Second Master say that this matter still needs to be solved by the Duke and Madam? How about... give it a try?"
"Okay." Zhu Xizhong was a little lucky, thinking about what Jiang Qingzhi had said before, and tried to test him: "Da Lang, your father was wrong. From now on... your father will no longer force you, okay?"
The sculpture did not respond.
"Oh! As expected." Zhu Xizhong sighed.
"You said this?!" the sculpture suddenly asked.
Zhu Xizhong: “…”
Zhu Xizhong's wife cried with joy, "Da Lang, are you really well?"
"If you force me again, I will go to my second uncle's house!"
The sculpture came alive.
"Little bastard! You've even learned how to act crazy!" Zhu Xizhong was furious.
At this time, the housekeeper who watched Zhu Shitai grow up couldn't help but say: "The second master said before that the Duke wanted an heir or a son."
Zhu Xizhong was struck by lightning.
In an instant, Zhu Shitai's experiences from childhood to adulthood flashed through his mind.
Read, study, read, study...
Scold, scold...
Endless...
Zhu Xizhong chased after him.
Jiang Qingzhi stood outside the inner courtyard, holding a cigarette in his mouth, looking at the morning light in the sky, "Damn it! I'm gone for my nap."
"Celebrate it."
Jiang Qingzhi turned around.
Zhu Xizhong stopped and said, "I am the eldest son."
"This has been a commotion all night. How do you want to deal with this?"
"I'll give him a beating later, brother."
"Go ahead!" Jiang Qingzhi took a puff of the medicinal cigarette, "But, there is one thing."
"You say." Zhu Xizhong was very grateful to his younger brother.
"This kid is just pretending to be crazy now." Jiang Qingzhi looked at him, the cigarette at the corner of his mouth trembled a few times, and the ash fell, "But he will really be crazy!"
In history, Zhu Shitai was really crazy.
Zhu Xizhong stood there in a daze.
"Do you want an heir or a son?" Jiang Qingzhi patted his shoulder.
The morning light slowly spreads across the sky.
Zhu Xizhong's wife came over, pulled his sleeve, and her whole body was tense.
Zhu Xizhong's lips moved.
"I want...a son!"
The hand loosened.
Squat down.
"Qingzhi, please accept my gift!"
The woman bowed solemnly.
In the morning light, the young man smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, thank you for your courtesy."
(End of this chapter)
