Chapter 102: Loving Father

Chapter 102 The Benevolent Father

The next day, Lin Ji summoned Lin Qingbai to his study.

Lin Ji was, as usual, practicing calligraphy during his leisure time.

With the recent arrival of envoys in the capital, he had been preoccupied with maintaining public order and had little time for family matters. However, Chen Yuhu had sought him out, so he felt obliged to pay attention.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Ji set down his brush and glanced up at Lin Qingbai entering the room. He asked, "What did you say to your mother? She's urgently asking me to discipline you?"

Lin Qingbai blinked. "I didn't say anything! Does Mother think there's something amiss with me?"

Lin Ji looked at his son, who seemed inclined to argue, but said nothing more, merely advising, "Listen to your mother more."

Lin Qingbai nodded. He believed he already listened to his mother quite well—after all, in this household, only his mother would unconditionally look out for him.

Because he was her son.

But his father had far too many sons.

Lin Ji added, "Your cousin returns tomorrow. Remember to take your younger brother to welcome him. Let Jin Yao stay at our residence; it will save your mother from worrying."

Suppressing his disdain, Lin Qingbai bowed respectfully and said, "Yes."

His father had never shown such concern for his cousin before.

Perhaps it was because, although his cousin’s grandfather had passed away, the grandfather and grandson had still triumphed in the family's power struggle.

That must be why his father was paying attention now.

Lin Qingbai left and returned to his own study, casually picking up a copy of the *Analects*.

His mother had urged him to focus more on the sections concerning filial devotion and brotherly respect.

Lin Qingbai obediently complied.

Even when his mother wasn’t watching, Lin Qingbai remained compliant.

A close servant asked, "Young Master, why are you doing this? Are you trying to make Madam pay more attention to Young Master Qing Gui?"

Lin Qingbai glanced at him and replied calmly, "A child without a mother, with just a little care from Mother, would overflow with gratitude and filial affection for her."

"Given the current state between Father and Mother, once we secure our positions at court, it’s likely that Mother will become disillusioned with Father."

"I’m afraid that by then, some 'good son' might suddenly appear to curry Father’s favor—that would be truly disgusting."

"So it’s better to keep him under my thumb."

"Mother isn't a ruthless person to begin with. If I show a little concern now, it’ll be easier for me to act if such a situation arises later."

Once the necessary courtesies are observed, Mother won’t feel guilty when the time comes to act.

To put it bluntly, Lin Qingbai was still planning to deal with him.

Lin Qingbai had no liking for Concubine Jiang.

But he also knew that what Mother had done was already the best solution.

Otherwise, if Mother had taken more extreme actions, Father would likely have intervened, further straining their relationship.

Men understand men best. In Father’s eyes, his failure to stop Mother’s petty harassments against Concubine Jiang was already a sign of favoring Mother.

Grandmother was different from Mother. Even if Concubine Jiang were at death's door under Grandmother’s watch, she was still Father’s own mother.

But with Mother, it was entirely different.

A dignified, hypocritical, benevolent father...

Lin Qingbai had discussed this many times with Lin Qingzhuo. Both brothers agreed that their father was rather pretentious.

Somewhat effective, but not by much.

Was the current harmony in the household truly maintained by Father?

He had entrusted everything to Mother but turned a blind eye to her years of suffering.

If Mother were to do something, he might let it slide for now, but there would inevitably come a day when he would bring up old grievances. Lin Qingbai was almost certain of this.

When Mother had Concubine Jiang remarried, Lin Qingbai had even wondered if Father would be unable to resist seeing her in secret...?

It wouldn’t be surprising.

In the capital, there were even cases of men having affairs with their brothers' wives. As for a former concubine who was now the wife of a clansman—it would seem almost natural.

If such a thing were to happen, Lin Qingbai would... take his younger brother to see the spectacle.

His thoughts drifted far away, and he found himself unable to focus on the book in his hands.

Setting down the *Analects*, Lin Qingbai checked the hour. "It’s still early. Let’s go pay my respects to Grandmother."

Faced with her well-behaved grandson, Old Madam Lin appeared especially kind.

"Qingbai, what brings you here?"

Among the many children in the family, only Qingbai and Qingjiao came to see her most often.

He takes after his mother. No matter how much they might complain behind her back, they still performed their filial duties when it mattered.

"Qingbai, to what do I owe this visit?"

Lin Qingbai replied calmly, "I was thinking of you, Grandmother, so I came."

Old Madam Lin smiled. "Will you stay for lunch with me?"

"Of course."

...

When Lin Ji learned that Lin Qingbai had gone to Pine Crane Hall again, he narrowed his eyes. Compared to Qingzhuo, Qingbai really had an advantage.

He might not be as brilliant a scholar as Qingzhuo, who grasped everything immediately, but in other aspects, Qingzhuo was not as capable.

Moreover, this child had never been particularly fond of him.

As men, he understood Lin Qingbai, but he didn't like this attitude. This was why the children in the household were not very close to him.

Lin Ji knew he was partly to blame for this situation.

However, both children were outstanding and had a good brotherly relationship, which made Lin Ji quite proud. As for the rest, he didn't sweat the small stuff.

Lin Qingbai went to have a meal at Pine Crane Hall.

Lin Qingzhuo was sitting nearby, watching his mother, his aunt, and his older sister play cards. On the heated *kang*, An Zhi and Yuzhi were playing with the chicks.

Lin Qingzhuo, meanwhile, was keeping his mother in the loop, telling her everything that had happened between him and his brother outside, holding nothing back.

In front of the children, Chen Yuhu showed no trace of worry about them. Instead, she piled on the compliments.

“Qingzhuo is amazing—so young yet so brave and clever. Truly worthy of being my child. He’s bound to achieve great things in the future…”

No matter how embarrassingly sweet the words, she could always praise them effortlessly.

Her best friend had studied early childhood education in college, and her friend would lay it on thick with Chen Yuhu too.

Lin Qingzhuo appeared calm as he drank his tea, but he made a point of not looking at Chen Yuhu.

The children in the household were already used to Chen Yuhu’s exaggerated praises and didn't bat an eye.

While Chen Yuhu listened and praised aloud,

she thought to herself: Kids in ancient times are really precocious, huh? So young and already thinking about how to kill people.

Way too mature for their age!

But Chen Yuhu wouldn't teach the two children nonsense like valuing other people's lives.

Teaching them to leave people a way out was already the extent of her kindness.

If her children ended up being naively compassionate because of her teachings, that would be no good.

If someone tried to kill them in the future, and they still hesitated—forget that!

She couldn't teach them modern ideas and lead them astray.

While Chen Yuhu was talking to Qingzhuo and the others, a maid suddenly came in and said, “Madam, the cat has stolen the bird that the Old Madam keeps.”

The maid spoke nervously.

The kitten had always been under her care, and if blame were to be assigned, she would be the first to suffer.

Chen Yuhu "tsk"ed.

“What a troublemaker! Why did it have to be the Old Madam’s bird?”

But then again, the Old Madam’s birds were supposed to be cared for by special keepers. How did her cat manage to get hold of one?

“Go to the second storeroom and see if there’s anything valuable. Pick something and take it to the Old Madam as an apology.”

“Yes!”

The maid bowed and withdrew.

The second storeroom contained the private stash she had previously taken from Lin Ji. Now, they were being put to good use—to honor the Old Madam.

Chen Yuhu could always be more filial.