Chapter 15 : His hands were still hot

Are you feeling wronged?

Huo Chengpu himself wasn’t quite sure.

He was the weakest member of the family, even weaker than his second sister.

As a child, he would always sit in the warm house, watching his parents praise his elder brother and smile at his second brother. But when it came to him, all that was left were careful attentions and frowns.

He didn’t want to be sick, but it was beyond his control. As he grew older and his health improved somewhat, his father suddenly passed away. At that moment, Huo Chengpu felt as if the sky had fallen.

He knew his mother was deeply sorrowful, though she appeared calm on the surface, she would cry in the night hidden in her room. He also knew that his elder brother joined the army at fifteen to support the family, and would return home at night covered in blood.

His mother had it hard, and so did his elder brother, so he felt there was no need to burden them with his own troubles.

Later, when his elder sister married, her husband quickly died in battle, leaving her a widow.

During those times, the atmosphere at home was very somber.

Even his talkative grandmother became quiet.

It was then that the boys at the martial academy started bullying him.

These boys, Huo Chengpu recognized, were distant relatives from his sister’s husband’s family. They bullied him for a simple reason, because of the death of the brother-in-law, they vented their anger on the innocent sister.

But as the elder brother became more prominent and the elder sister remained a widow at home, they were powerless to reach her, so they could only talk behind their backs.

But those words reached the children.

At first, it was just verbal abuse, but seeing him clumsy and unable to defend himself, they became more extreme.

Perhaps it wasn’t really about the brother-in-law.

They were just looking for someone easy to bully.

Huo Chengpu was well aware of all this. He also knew that his second brother was very happy at the martial academy and was well-suited for it, thriving every day.

So Huo Chengpu said nothing.

With the father dead, the brother-in-law dead, and the family having moved from Qiyang to Bo Ling, the home finally found some peace.

As long as the family was together, life wasn’t so hard.

So Huo Chengpu kept silent.

He hadn’t expected that his new sister-in-law, just two days after marrying, would uncover these issues.

To be honest, Huo Chengpu was somewhat relieved.

Finally, someone noticed his suffering.

But seeing the expressions on his elder brother’s and mother’s faces, he suddenly realized he might have been wrong.

At only eight years old, he didn’t fully understand where he had gone wrong or if he was indeed being wronged. But at this moment, after all his suffering was revealed, he felt an incredible sense of relief. He felt light and comfortable.

The people and nightmares that troubled him every day seemed to have disappeared.

Huo Chengpu cautiously lifted his head, looking at his mother’s wrinkled face, and suddenly felt a pang of shame.

“Mother, I didn’t know. I thought I wasn’t wronged.”

Huo Chengpu’s voice was very soft and low, but each word was clear.

Hearing this, Cui Yunzhao felt a sense of relief.

It seemed that this younger brother wasn’t feeling wronged but perhaps thought it was inappropriate to trouble the family with his issues.

Lin Xiugu was also stunned for a moment. She glanced at Huo Tan, feeling somewhat awkward.

The twelfth brother was different from the eleventh brother. The eleventh brother could be punished or scolded for his mistakes, but the twelfth brother was different.

He was too silent, and from childhood, he had rarely made mistakes.

Lin Xiu gu felt a bit helpless, unsure how to question Huo Chengpu.

Huo Tan, seeing his mother’s discomfort, thought for a moment and then looked at Huo Chengpu with a lowered gaze.

“Twelfth Brother, we are a family,” Huo Tan’s voice was steady and powerful. “No matter how much you are wronged outside, the family will always stand by you.”

“If you had told your second brother about this from the beginning, perhaps all this pain could have been avoided.”

Huo Chenzhang stood up, excited to say something, but when he saw the pale face of his younger brother, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Ah Pu, tell me the names later.”

“I’ll go see them tomorrow.”

“Our Huo family is not to be trifled with.”

Huo Tan shot him a glance, not reprimanding him but continuing to address Huo Chengpu “Twelfth Brother, you see, the situation was actually very simple.”

Cui Yunzhao saw Huo Chengpu’s tightly furrowed brows gradually relax. It seemed that the young boy had indeed misunderstood.

An eight-year-old child, still immature in dealing with the world, often acts on impulse.

Even if they made mistakes, they did not have any malicious intent.

Huo Tan clearly understood this and, speaking to him, softened his tone.

“Twelfth Brother, as long as you understand…”

“Afterwards, you need to speak up about everything. Some grievances are unnecessary to endure. Do you understand?”

“Furthermore,” Huo Tan’s voice paused slightly, “even though our Huo family is not as strong as when Father was alive, I believe soon no one will dare to bully us freely.”

“So, Twelfth Brother, from now on, you can hold your head high and walk out without fearing anyone.” The concern and guidance from his elder brother made the frail and pale young boy’s eyes light up instantly.

His eyes, large and round, were very similar to Lin Xiu Gu’s.

When he looked at people with such bright eyes, there was an indescribable cuteness.

“Elder Brother.”

Cui Yunzhao suddenly heard him address her as well “Auntie, thank you for your concern. Ah Pu will remember it.”

Cui Yunzhao was somewhat surprised but understood when she looked up and saw the boy’s glistening, reddened eyes.

Huo Chengpu might have thought it was she who noticed the problem and thus saved him today. Although this guess was not entirely accurate, it was close enough.

Cui Yunzhao paused for a moment and smiled kindly at him.

Huo Chengpu’s face flushed slightly, but his gaze was brighter than ever.

He stood up and then knelt down again.

“Mother, it’s my fault. I made you sad. I didn’t mean to. I just thought… it’s nothing. I don’t really care about those people or things. They can’t really hurt me.”

The young boy was still too naive.

Cui Yunzhao thought of his broken arm from the past life and sighed inwardly.

Lin Xiu Gu sighed as she looked at her thin, kneeling son and said, “Listen to your elder brother. In the future, if there are any issues, always tell the family.”

This time, Huo Chengpu nodded earnestly.

Huo Tan, seeing that he wasn’t disheartened by the family’s scolding and appeared more enlightened, felt somewhat relieved.

He asked, “Do you want to go to school?”

Military families don’t often send their children to study, but many can read, like Huo Tan, who had diligently studied literature during his time at the martial academy.

However, very few seriously pursued a scholarly path.

Military families cannot participate in the imperial examinations.

But military officers are different.

Cui Yunzhao knew that even though Huo Tan might not have long-term aspirations yet, he certainly was not content to merely be a military envoy.

He wanted to rise higher, to change his circumstances, and to ensure his family would no longer be looked down upon.

When that time comes, perhaps Huo Chengpu will also have a future of his own.

Huo Chengpu’s eyes shine even brighter. Since childhood, he has loved reading. As a child from a military family, he was often mocked for his scholarly interests at the martial academy.

But he wasn’t afraid of that. He simply loved reading and wanted to study. He didn’t understand what was wrong with reading.

Isn’t it a good thing to understand affairs and know the beginning and end of things?

Seeing Huo Chengpu nodding vigorously, Huo Tan’s lips also curled into a smile, but he still said, “You tell me yourself.”

Huo Chengpu was taken aback for a moment before saying, “Mother, Elder Brother, I want to study.”

Cui Yunzhao suddenly thought of her own younger brother.

Cui Yunting had struggled in the Cui family’s clan academy since he was young. He had the best teachers and an impressive collection of books that others could not reach, but he never seemed to say that he liked reading.

Cui Yunzhao was so lost in thought that she missed Huo Tan’s words.

Huo Tan, looking at her slightly downturned eyelashes and gently pursed lips, reached out and held her wrist.

His hand was still warm, like a stream of warmth suddenly flowing into Cui Yunzhao’s heart.

His voice spoke again, “My wife, which academy do you think would be suitable for Twelfth Brother?”

Cui Yunzhao snapped back to attention.

She did mention that the Cui family’s academy was not suitable.

Instead, she said directly, “Twelfth Brother, there are three academies in Bo Ling City now. I think Baihe Academy is the most suitable for you.”

“Baihe Academy is the newest of the three. The headmaster is Master Zhu, whom my father knew during his lifetime. I have met him.”

“Master Zhu loves reading, is humorous and witty, and has a very good temperament. Because Baihe Academy was established later, its reputation is not as high as the other academies, and it does not only admit children from prominent families.”

Her voice was clear and pleasant, making it easy to understand.

In the end, it’s still about teaching students according to their abilities.

Given Huo Chengpu’s nature, attending those other academies might not be better than being at the Zhang family’s martial academy. If a scholar turns malicious, it can be even worse.

“Baihe Academy has few students, only two classes. Besides Master Zhu, there is also his eldest disciple. They are both talented and eloquent individuals.”

At this point, Cui Yunzhao paused and looked at Huo Chengpu seriously.

“Twelfth Brother, if you want to study, Auntie thinks Baihe Academy is the best choice. But you need to remember one thing.”

“Studying should not be seen as a last resort. You must genuinely enjoy it from the bottom of your heart and want to continue studying. There is absolutely no reason to give up halfway.”

Cui Yunzhao’s soothing voice eased the tension in the hall.

She was like a clear stream, making people feel comfortable all over.

“If you agree, I will personally go to handle your admission.”

Cui Yunzhao looked at Huo Chengpu seriously: “Twelfth Brother, what is your answer?”

The young boy knelt in the hall. At some point, he had straightened his youthful back, and his entire demeanor had changed.

His previously dull eyes seemed to be ignited by countless lights.

“Auntie, I will study hard and not let you down.”

Saying this, the young boy crisply and neatly performed a salute to the elders in the hall.

“I want to go to Baihe Academy.”