Chapter 76 – Almost Came to Blows

Chapter 76 - Almost Came to Blows

Lu Song fled the tavern in a panic.

On his way back, he was gripped by both fear and anger.

He was terrified to realize that his dismissal had been personally ordered by the Emperor, implying that his political career was irreparably ruined!

He was enraged that these people, knowing full well the situation, didn't have the decency to inform him directly. He had wasted so much silver for nothing and had even smiled through it all.

The thought of those people accepting his money to their faces, only to laugh at him behind his back, made Lu Song see red.

He returned home in a daze, only to be roughly bumped into by his younger brother upon entering. His reprimand was met with a fierce rebuke instead.

Lu Cheng's words were like pouring gasoline on a fire for Lu Song. He yanked at his brother's collar, veins popping in his eyes, "What did you say?!"

Lu Cheng had never seen his older brother in such a state and was immediately frightened. He hastily shook his head, shivering, "Big Brother... I didn't say anything, I said nothing at all."

What happened to Big Brother? Why is he so terrifying?

Lu Song seemed oblivious to his brother's words, as if possessed by an obsession. He relentlessly grilled, "Are you saying that our family's current state is all because I, and that contemptible Su Youyue, called off our engagement? Isn't that right!"

Seeing his maniacal expression, Lu Cheng was too terrified to respond, so he could only shake his head frantically.

"You're realizing your mistake now, aren't you? Who was it who used to look down on everyone at home and curse, saying that Su Youyue was a fool and not worthy of me? Huh? Now that I've finally broken off the engagement with her, do you also think I'm no longer good enough for her?"

As Lu Song gazed at Lu Cheng's face, images of the mocking expressions from others over these days flashed through his mind. He recalled the conversation between Fourth Master Qiu and those two individuals in the teahouse earlier.

In a daze, he raised his fist, ready to strike Lu Cheng's head, desperate to vent the humiliation and rage he had endured during this time.

How could he not be worthy of Su Youyue! Even if her background is superior, she's a calamity-bringing cripple; it should be her honor that he's willing to marry her!

"Song'er! What are you doing?!" Madam Kang rushed out from the house, just in time to see her eldest son about to strike the youngest. Filled with anxiety, she hurriedly intervened.

Hearing his mother's voice, Lu Song snapped back to reality and retracted his fist.

Seeing her eldest son withdraw his punch, Madam Kang breathed a sigh of relief and scolded in fear, "What are you doing? Why would you want to hit Cheng'er all of a sudden?"

Upon her immediate reproach, Lu Song's already sour mood worsened. Though he had regained his senses, he couldn't forget how Lu Cheng had just blamed him.

He immediately scoffed, "Mother, you scold me first without even asking what that brat did to provoke such anger in me!"

It was the first time Kang had seen her eldest son treat her with such disrespect. She couldn't help but frown, but she naturally needed to clarify the situation first. "Cheng-er, what did you do to anger your elder brother?"

Though she favored her younger son, she was well aware of the elder's disposition. He had always been protective of those he considered his own, and once he set his mind on someone, he would defend them with all his heart.

Having just witnessed his elder brother's frenzied state, Lu Cheng dared not own up to his actions. Reflexively, he resorted to the same tactic he often used with his mother and lied, "Mother, I didn't do anything. It was just an accident; I bumped into Big Brother, and that's when he suddenly lost his temper."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lu Song's expression turned fiercely intense, looking at him with utter disbelief.

With him present, this kid dared to lie. How lawless must he be in his daily life?

Upon hearing this, Madam Kang immediately defended her eldest son, "Song-er is your younger brother. If he accidentally bumped into you, how can you, as the older brother, be so petty and think of severely punishing him?"

Lu Song looked at his mother in disbelief. Could she not see through Lu Cheng's obvious lie? Was she still going to protect him like this? Did she have no idea how he behaved on a regular basis?

When had he ever been petty towards Lu Cheng, to the point of wanting to beat him over such a trivial matter?

Feeling a fiery rage raging within him, Lu Song endured humiliation outside, but he never expected to suffer such a great injustice at home. Pointing at Lu Cheng's nose, he scolded, "Good for you! You dare to falsely accuse me, your elder brother, with nothing but empty words. It seems you've never taken me seriously at all!"

Regretting his lie, Lu Cheng usually respected his elder brother, but having lied repeatedly in front of Madam Kang, he had instinctively done it again, not truly intending to blame his brother in front of their mother. However, just as he was about to apologize, Lu Song bypassed Madam Kang and swung his fist once more, fiercely striking him. "An elder brother is like a father. I should have disciplined you better in the past, so that you wouldn't dare to falsely accuse your own elder brother in front of our mother. Today, I'll teach you a lesson to prevent you from making a grave mistake in the future!"

Lu Cheng, who had already been beaten twice and was injured, howled in pain as Lu Song's punch landed with full force. He darted behind Madam Kang, seeking refuge. "Mother, help! Big Brother wants to kill me!"

Having seldom been disciplined before, Lu Cheng didn't feel remorse after being corrected but instead harbored some resentment.

What was wrong? Was he mistaken earlier? If not for his insistence on breaking off the engagement with Su Youyue, their Lu family wouldn't be in this situation, and he wouldn't be driven to desperation by a mere one hundred and sixty taels of silver!

All of this was his big brother's fault. How could he have the right to discipline him?

If their father were still alive, perhaps it would be him receiving the punishment!

Madam Kang was still unclear about the situation. Witnessing her youngest son's pain, she felt heartbroken and immediately stepped forward to shield him. "Song'er, what are you doing? Even if you've been wronged outside, you can't take it out on Cheng'er."

In the past, there were no disputes between the two brothers, and even though Madam Kang favored Lu Cheng, it wasn't obvious. Now, seeing them at odds, she unconditionally supported Lu Cheng, causing Lu Song immense frustration.

He couldn't bring himself to hit his own mother, so after a few futile attempts, he stopped and panted angrily on the spot. "Take it out on him? I've endured so much humiliation to keep our family afloat these days. When have I ever vented my anger on family members?"

"Yet he, after receiving some unknown grievance outside, comes home to lash out at me. He blames me for our Lu family's current state, for me calling off the engagement with Su Youyue!"

Madame Kang was taken aback by these words and turned to look at her younger son, "Cheng'er, did you really say that to your elder brother?"

Lu Cheng was no longer young; he certainly had his own temperament. At this moment, his anger had already flared, "Did I speak wrongly? If it weren't for him backing out of the engagement with Su Youyue, would we have had to humbly beg others?"