Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 577: Sophistry

The Lian siblings were all joking and laughing, talking about today’s excitement when Madam Li came over to announce Lian Li and Madam Qiao.

The room went silent and everyone’s smiles collapsed.

Lian Fang Qing muttered: “What a disappointment! Why are they back again?”

“Well, they’re already here.” Lian Fang Zhou smiled. “Qing’er, Che’er, please stay away for now. Third Aunt, you should take my grandmother into another room. I will meet them with Ah Ze and Ah Jian.”

Third Aunt was fine but if Lian Li tried to use good words to run over Old Madam Cai, Old Madam Cai would be in a dilemma.

Old Madam Cai and Third Aunt agreed but Old Madam Cai couldn’t help but glance at Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze. “Don’t lose your sense of proportion.”

“Don’t worry, grandmother!” Lian Ze smiled indifferently. “This is not the first or second time.”

“Alright.” Old Madam Cai’s heart felt sour when she heard these words but Third Aunt was already leading her out of the room.

Lian Fang Zhou, Lian Ze, and Ah Jian went to the front yard together. They barely got close when they heard the loud shouting and banging on the gates.

Hearing such a voice, one couldn’t help but feel a very unpleasant feeling. It was even more disgusting knowing who was knocking on the door.

“Why are these people like this?” Lian Ze muttered, walking forward a few steps to open the door.

On the other side, Lian Li’s hand was still in the air where he had raised it to knock. Missing, he put it down and sneered. “What an arrogant air! It’s different after being rewarded by the emperor.”

Lian Ze bared his white teeth and said: “I think it is Uncle who is different. We have always been like this!”

Snorting coldly, Lian Li raised his foot to go in.

“She can’t come in!” Lian Ze said, pointing at Madam Qiao and refusing to move.

Madam Qiao’s body froze. She glanced at him and lowered her head guiltily.

Seeing that Madam Qiao didn’t jump and yell like before, Lian Li cursed inwardly: Trash!

Sneering, he said: “Why not? Don’t think you’re a big deal just because you got some rewards! Like I said before, even if all of you become high-ranking officials, I am still your uncle and she is still your aunt!”

Lian Ze’s eyes were cold. Raising his eyebrows, he said icily: “Everyone knows this, you don’t need to keep explaining it. It’s just fact. She almost destroyed my sister and we said this in front of everyone: from now on, she is not allowed the enter the gates of our house! I will have to offend my uncle. There is a saying that a person’s true nature is hard to change. Who knows if she might try something again?”

Madam Qiao’ body trembled and her hands were squeezed tightly, feeling miserable.

In her heart, she screamed: No, never again! She would never do anything to these siblings again in this life! Never again! She is really scared!

But she knew that no one would believe her anymore.

Lian Li did not expect Lian Ze to say this. Looking at Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian, who were standing casually not far away with an air of watching a play, he felt even more resentful in his heart. Gritting his teeth, he scoffed: “You really are brother and sister! Ah Ze, you have become so eloquent. It’s just that you are a man trying to be aggressive with his tongue, like a shrew! This is not a good thing. Your sister,” he pointed at Lian Fang Zhou and smiled without humor, “is already married. Hehe, Ah Jian is quite capable, why can’t he protect your sister? You still have to treat your eldest aunt like a thief?”

“This is not entirely true.” Ah Jian sighed, glancing at Lian Li with a look of pity and helplessness. “You are a smart person, why are you acting so stupid now? I can protect her but that doesn’t erase what happened in the past. Besides, preventing thieves is only effective if you persist to the end. Why does eldest uncle’s words ignore this?”

Lian Li gave Ah Jian a hard look and said in disgust: “Don’t call me eldest uncle, I’m not your uncle!”

Lian Fang Zhou glanced at Ah Jian and smiled. “This is true, you used the wrong word, Ah Jian. Ah Ze too! Uncle*— oh, no, Uncle Lian is right! We are two separate families now, so naturally we can’t use that term.”

“Lian Fang Zhou!” Lian Li flushed with anger.

Ah Jian smiled and shook his head slightly. Lian Ze suddenly realized the mistake and rubbed the back of his head. Smiling, he said: “My sister has reminded me. Uncle Lian, don’t mind it if I use the wrong word just now.”

“I said long ago that your blood and bone belongs to the Lian family! We are of the same blood! You want to separate from us, keep dreaming!” Lian Li said angrily.

“That is strange,” Lian Ze looked at Lian Fang Zhou, puzzled. “But didn’t Uncle Lian say not to call him uncle just now? Isn’t this saying that you aren’t our uncle? But though Uncle Lian’s age is not small, it’s also not that big. Could it be that my memory is not that good?”

“You!” Lian Li’s chest rose and fell rapidly, panting heavily. His face was ashen and he didn’t know what to say.

Ah Jian was just married to Lian Fang Zhou, so what if he refused to acknowledge them in a fit of anger?

Whether he admitted it or not, people didn’t care at all. It didn’t affect anything!

And on their wedding day, the scene was very lively. Except for those relatives that were far away, everyone in the village participated. It could be said that everyone had given their blessings.

Lian Li hated them so much that he suddenly felt powerless, wishing he could take a hammer in his hand and smash everything that was against him into pieces!

“I don’t want to talk about these small things!” Lian Li panted, forcing himself to calm down. “I heard that the county magistrate brought someone here today. And brought a plaque inscribed by the emperor himself. Were there many other rewards?”

“Yes!” Lian Ze smiled. “Uncle Lian is correctly.”

The corner of Lian Li’s mouth twitched and he snorted coldly. “This is the honor of the Lian family. The plaque should be hung above the ancestor’s incense burner. Those rewards are for the Lian family, not for you alone!”

Lian Fang Zhou called Madam Li over and asked her to invite Village Head Zheng and the village elders over. Lian Ze nodded. “Let’s wait until Uncle Zheng and the elders come to talk about it.”

Lian Li scoffed: “So what if the Heavenly King Lao Tzu comes? I heard that the imperial decree was for the Lian family, not for the second branch of the Lian family! Taking the imperial decree for yourselves, this is deceiving the emperor!”

Lian Ze, Lian Fang Zhou, and Ah Jian did not speak. It was clear that he was allowed to sing a one-man show.

This feeling was extremely uncomfortable. Lian Li would have preferred they argue than stay silent, which made him feel like they didn’t care about him at all.