Chapter 14 : Huo Tan felt her gaze and looked back at her

For a military family, practicing martial arts and joining the army is the best way to change one’s fortunes. If one chooses to focus on literature, not only are military families excluded from the imperial examinations, but the scholarly youths with lofty attitudes are often quite unwelcoming.

That’s why Huo Chenzhang reacted so strongly.

However, the word “harm” was too harsh for this situation.

Huo Chenzhang was strong and lively, and he was easy to talk to, so Cui Yunzhao occasionally conversed with him.

She didn’t know why he would use such harsh words to describe his elder brother, who was working hard to provide for the family.

Cui Yunzhao didn’t look at Huo Tan, believing that he wouldn’t be angry over these trivial matters. But unexpectedly, Huo Tan wasn’t angry, though he became even more stern with Huo Chenzhang.

“You say I’m harming Twelfth Brother? And what about you?”

Huo Chenzhang was stunned.

After a moment, his face turned red with anger:“Elder Brother, how am I harming Ah Pu? I accompany him to and from school every day, never delaying or slacking off. No matter how the other students invite me, I only have lunch with him and go home with him.”

Hearing this, Cui Yunzhao sighed inwardly.

He was still just a child. Perhaps in Huo Chenzhang’s mind, sacrificing his own leisure time to be with his younger brother and ensuring they eat together was a great act of care.

Yet, despite accompanying Huo Chengpu for meals every day, he never noticed the small injuries on him.

Huo Chengpu was a very silent child. After dinner, he would return to his own room and rarely come out to play, so the family never noticed anything wrong.

Thinking back, Cui Yunzhao realized that when he didn’t have any visible injuries or was in a good mood, he would quietly sit under the jujube tree in the courtyard, watching the family play.

Huo Chenzhang didn’t realize his own childishness in his words. He remained very aggrieved “I could have gone to study at the Li family’s martial academy long ago, but Ah Pu is too young, so I stayed with him at the Zhang family’s school.”

Huo Tan had always been very busy.

Apart from these few days of wedding leave, he was out early and home late, with countless matters in the camp to attend to.

He had never worried about family affairs himself.

Seeing his younger brothers like this, a sudden, indescribable sadness arose in Huo Tan’s heart.

His second younger brother had always been cheerful and friendly, always smiling at everyone. Huo Tan had never noticed that Huo Chenzhang’s character also held a bit of selfishness.

At thirteen, he was not a three-year-old or even a ten-year-old. Many families’ thirteen-year-olds could already support their own households. Huo Tan himself had just turned ten.

At fifteen, he would be on the battlefield, becoming the head of a family.

Huo Chenzhang had never had a sense of responsibility for taking care of the family. He felt that all his “efforts” were very hard and challenging.

In other words, he felt that Huo Chengpu was a burden to him.

Huo Chengpu, however, was too weak and timid. He didn’t speak about his suffering, not even to his mother or elder brother. It was unclear whether he had lost trust in them or was waiting for someone to come and rescue him.

But in this world, there is never a way out through continuous retreat.

Huo Tan sighed.

Cui Yunzhao twitched her ears and turned her head to look at him.

Huo Tan felt her gaze and looked back at her.

At that moment, Huo Tan’s eyes showed an indescribable weariness.

Cui Yunzhao suddenly understood Huo Tan’s thoughts, the couple shared the same view on their younger brothers.

They needed to change and needed to manage things better.

Lin Xiu’s Gu also realized something. She widened her eyes and looked at her second son.

She had always been careless, often failing to notice many things unless the children spoke up, but she wasn’t foolish or dull-witted.

On the contrary, this seemingly careless woman had her own wisdom.

Seeing the resentment and grievance on her second son’s face, she suddenly reached out and stopped her eldest son from speaking.

Huo Tan paused and swallowed the words he was about to say.

Lin Xiu Gu then sat up straight.

Her gentle smile was gone, replaced by a rare maternal authority.

“Eleventh Brother, you’re already thirteen. Go take a look at Ouhua Lane and see how many thirteen-year-olds are already struggling to make a living.”

“Our family, because of your father’s protection, doesn’t require you to go out to earn a living, so you can comfortably study in the martial academy.”

As she spoke, Lin Xiu Gu’s voice was calm.

It wasn’t thunderous or casual but carried a fitting degree of seriousness.

“Eleventh Brother, do you still feel wronged?”

Huo Chenzhang’s face suddenly turned red.

Huo Chengpu slowly raised his head, looking at his mother with shy eyes.

Every word Lin Xiu Gu said wasn’t meant to compare with Huo Tan’s actions, she took the responsibility upon herself.

“Eleventh Brother, you’re not a child anymore. You should have grown up.”

“You say you’ve compromised for your younger brother and feel wronged, but have you truly cared for him? Have you asked him how many friends he has in the academy?”

“Have you asked him what kind of injuries he has?”

In martial arts training, falls and bruises are normal. Huo Chenzhang himself has many scars, but he never takes them to heart. However, he never considered that Huo Chengpu, out of fear, rarely chose martial classes and mostly took academic ones.

Huo Chenzhang’s eyes widened in shock. He suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed intensely on Huo Chengpu.

Huo Chengpu clenched his hands tightly, looking down and not daring to make a sound.

“Huo Chengpu, did you get beaten in the academy?” Huo Chenzhang’s voice was sharp with the intensity of youth. “Who did it? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Huo Chenzhang’s eyes suddenly filled with tears.

Lin Xiu Gu, observing her second son’s pained expression, suddenly said, “Kneel.”

Huo Chenzhang stared fixedly at Huo Chengpu. After a moment, he clenched his hands, turned, and knelt down before his mother.

Lin Xiu Gu said, “Your father left us early, and I have been lost in mourning his passing, failing to guide you properly.”

“The biggest mistake in this matter is mine as a mother. I didn’t notice your grievances or Huo Chengpu’s suffering. It’s my negligence.”

Upon hearing this, even Huo Tan was about to speak up, “Mother…” But Lin Xiu Gu shook her head at him, lowering her gaze back to Huo Chenzhang.

In Cui Yunzhao’s memories, Lin Xiu Gu was always smiling and cheerful, seemingly never angry. In the brief time she spent with her, she appeared carefree, always happy.

Cui Yunzhao could hardly imagine that Lin Xiu Gu would be so clear-headed about raising her children.

She didn’t stir up conflicts among the children but addressed the issues directly, taking the responsibility upon herself.

That’s why Huo Tan turned out to be such a son.

Even Huo Chenzhang, with his minor faults, eventually became a general and a pillar of the nation.

Thinking of this, Cui Yunzhao looked at Lin Xiu Gu with renewed respect.

But Lin Xiu Gu’s expression was now very grave.

She asked Huo Chenzhang, “You just said you wanted to go to Li’s martial academy?”

Huo Chenzhang was already crying, his eyes red, kneeling with his head bowed, not daring to make a sound.

Cui Yunzhao wasn’t sure if he was genuinely remorseful, but at this moment, he was certainly very upset.

Lin Xiu Gu looked down at him, her voice heavy “Answer me.”

Huo Chenzhang raised his head, his face streaked with tear stains.

He looked at Lin Xiu Gu, and with newfound courage, he said, “I want to go, Mother, Elder Brother, I want to go!”

He persisted with his decision.

Cui Yunzhao saw that Lin Xiu Gu’s expression softened considerably.

“Eleven, you’ve grown up. In a couple of years, you’ll be the pillar of the family.”

“Your father passed away early. From now on, your mother will depend on you. I’m getting old and don’t have the energy to worry about you all the time.”

Mentioning their deceased father made Huo Chenzhang cry even harder.

Even Huo Xinliu and Huo Chengpu started crying along with him.

Lin Xiu Gu looked at Huo Chenzhang and then at Huo Tan, who gave her a nod. Only then did she speak to Huo Chenzhang “Eleven, since you want to go to Li’s martial academy, I’ll resign you from Zhang’s martial academy tomorrow. The day after, you’ll go with me to Li’s martial academy.”

After she said this, Huo Chenzhang first showed some joy, but soon his expression darkened.

After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “Mother, what about Huo Chengpu?”

In the end, he still cared for his younger brother.

Lin Xiu Gu pressed her lips together, her voice relaxing slightly “We’ll talk about Huo Chengpu later. We haven’t discussed your punishment yet.”

Huo Chenzhang paused and then bowed deeply to Lin Xiu Gu.

“Son will accept whatever Mother decides.”

Lin Xiu Gu asked, “Where do you think you went wrong?”

Huo Chenzhang knelt there, his face hidden from view.

After a moment, Huo Chenzhang choked out, “I went to school with Huo Chengpu but didn’t realize he was being bullied. I was too arrogant and careless.”

“I was so focused on my own grievances that I didn’t consider that Huo Chengpu might not want to study at Zhang’s martial academy. I was too selfish.”

“I shouldn’t blame Elder Brother. He works hard for the family and has to worry about family matters. It’s my fault for not being a good brother.”

Each word was spoken sincerely.

Cui Yunzhao felt a slight relief upon hearing this. It seemed that Huo Chenzhang was indeed intelligent and understanding, and could be guided gradually.

Lin Xiu Gu’s expression also softened considerably.

“Good, you’ve admitted your mistakes and are willing to correct them. I’m proud of you.”

“But the family rules are clear, and these are the rules left by your father. Eleven, according to the family rules, you must kneel for six hours tonight. If you can still accompany me to Zhang’s martial academy tomorrow, then you can go to Li’s martial academy.”

Huo Chenzhang suddenly raised his head, his eyes red as he looked at his mother and then at his elder brother.

Seeing that Huo Tan nodded at him, Huo Chenzhang wiped his face and bowed seriously to his mother and elder brother.

“Mother, Elder Brother, I will work hard and not disgrace the Huo family’s name.”

With this matter settled, Lin Xiu Gu let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief. She clenched and then relaxed her fist, casting a complex look at Huo Chengpu.

The young boy sat on a chair, his head bowed tightly, but tears continued to fall from his chin.

“Twelve, do you feel very wronged?” Lin Xiu Gu’s voice was soft, yet it seemed to thunder in Huo Chengpu’s ears.