Chapter 166 - 163: The Brothers-in-law’s Arrangement
After settling Li Bao’s travel plans, Li Xiu finally sat down for a casual chat with the family elders. He told them all about his life in eastern Beijing, Zhou Lian’s decision to take time off from her studies, and his plans for her postpartum confinement. He also outlined what Li Bao could expect to do once he got to the Capital City. Sure enough, after hearing all this, the elders felt much more at ease.
The next day, Li Xiu gathered his offerings, entrusted Nuonuo to Grandma Li, Li Miao, and the other girls, and headed up the mountain, carrying everything on a shoulder pole. He was going to pay respects at his master’s grave. He needed to let him know that all his old friends were now in the Capital City, and they had all come to know him.
After pulling the weeds from the graves of his master and his master’s wife, setting off firecrackers, and burning joss paper, Li Xiu began to speak. "Master, I don’t even know how to tell you this. All your old friends are gathered in the Capital City now, and somehow, they all know who I am. Well, it’s not really ’somehow,’ is it? They must have been asking about you all along. In the upper echelons, your name is just too renowned, Master. It was only a matter of time before they found me."
He thought for a moment, then added with a smile, "Master, your legacy continues to shelter me. Don’t you worry. I haven’t forgotten your teachings for a single moment. I will never tarnish your great name or bring you any shame. I’ve even been to the Imperial Palace and met Elder Ping and the others. You can rest easy; I won’t lose sight of why I started. Your spirit is in the heavens now, so please watch over me."
"Oh, and Master, my wife is pregnant again! It’s probably a boy this time. Once he’s born, I’ll come back and share the good news with you, all right? I came back mainly to tell you that your old comrades, the ones who faced life and death alongside you, are looking after me. They miss you dearly and were heartbroken to hear you’d passed. They are all admirable heroes, and I won’t cause them any trouble. You can be proud of the student you raised!"
He rambled on, telling his master all about his life in the Capital City and detailing his plans for the future. He believed that his master’s spirit in heaven would be happy for him. When his master was alive, he had doted on him, never expecting him to build a grand career, but only hoping he would live a happy and fulfilling life. And now, he had accomplished just that.
Back home, Li Xiu smiled and scooped up Nuonuo, who was ecstatic to see him. Cuddling her, he said to Grandma Li, "Grandma, I’m taking Nuonuo to Zhou Family Village tomorrow."
"You should go," Grandma Li said as she placed dishes on the table. "Let your in-laws see Nuonuo and tell them about the pregnancy so they can stop worrying."
"Mm. Grandma," Li Xiu asked softly, "what do you think? My three brothers-in-law... should I bring them to the Capital City?" ’His brothers-in-law were good men, but people could change, and he wasn’t sure if altering the course of their lives was a good idea. Li Bao was his own cousin; if he dared to cause trouble, Li Xiu could beat some sense into him. But his brothers-in-law... he couldn’t be too soft or too hard with them.’
Putting down the things in her hands, Grandma Li sat in a nearby chair. Her brow furrowed slightly as she asked him, "What do you think? Have you discussed it with your wife?"
Li Xiu gave a bitter smile. "I can’t decide, and neither can my wife. We’re just afraid... people are unpredictable. What if our good intentions end up causing trouble?"
"You should discuss this with your father-in-law tomorrow," Grandma Li said after a moment of thought. "You can’t hide the fact that Li Bao is going with you to the Capital City, and you shouldn’t. Your father-in-law is a reasonable man; he’ll understand your predicament. Let him decide whether they go or not. However, if they do go, you must have a clear plan for them!" This really was a tricky situation.
"Good idea," Li Xiu nodded in agreement. "I’ll explain everything to my father-in-law and let him make the final decision. That way, my wife and I won’t get blamed." ’His father-in-law really was the only one who could handle this. Otherwise, if things went well, fine. But if they went poorly, he and Zhou Lian would never hear the end of it.’
Early the next morning, Li Xiu took Nuonuo, strapped the gifts for the Zhou family onto the bicycle Li Bao had brought, and said goodbye to Grandma Li. Then, they set off to visit his in-laws in Zhou Family Village.
The Zhou family was quite surprised to see Li Xiu and Nuonuo arrive. ’Why is he back? It’s not a holiday,’ they wondered. After craning their necks and seeing no sign of Zhou Lian, all eyes landed squarely on Li Xiu.
Li Xiu found the scene amusing. He quickly had Nuonuo greet everyone. A delighted Mrs. Zhou immediately swept Nuonuo into her arms, cooing, "My little treasure, my darling!"
After drinking a cup of tea, Li Xiu ignored everyone else’s curious stares and spoke directly to Zhou Kun. "Dad, Lian’er didn’t come back with me. She’s pregnant, and the journey would be too difficult for her."
After fielding a barrage of questions and reassuring everyone that Zhou Lian was fine—that both she and the baby were healthy—things settled down. His sisters-in-law and mother-in-law took the kids off to play or went to start on the meal, leaving only Li Xiu and the Zhou men—the father and his three sons—in the room.
Li Xiu said softly to Zhou Kun, "Dad, I’m starting to get my footing in the Capital City. This time, my cousin, Li Bao, will be heading back with me. What do you think... would it be possible for the three brothers to come too?"
Zhou Kun glanced at his three sons, then back at his shrewd-as-a-fox son-in-law. He smiled knowingly. "Wouldn’t that be an imposition on you?"
"It’s not about the imposition, Dad," Li Xiu said pointedly. "It’s just that once they go, there’s no telling if it will be for the better or worse. My cousin grew up under my thumb, so he behaves himself when I’m around. Besides, if he dares to act foolish, I can beat him black and blue!"
Zhou Kun laughed as he looked at him. ’This kid is really something,’ he thought, but didn’t call him out on it. Instead, he turned to his three sons. "What do you all think?"
The three Zhou brothers glanced at one another, remaining silent for a long moment. ’Of course it would be great to go to the Capital City. But judging by the conversation, they were getting confused. Was there something they were missing?’
Zhou Kun shook his head. ’His three sons still thought too small; their horizons were too narrow. They’d never accomplish anything major on their own. Still, he wouldn’t have to worry if they were with his son-in-law. It was just obvious that his cunning son-in-law didn’t want to take the risk, afraid he’d lose control of the situation and end up with the blame.’
"Nuonuo’s dad, just say it. What are you worried about? We’re all family here; there’s no need to hold back," Zhou Kun said to Li Xiu, getting straight to the point.
"Dad, we’ve been in the Capital City for nearly a year, and many things there aren’t as simple as they are in the countryside," Li Xiu said, smiling at the four men. "The Capital is home to the Imperial Palace. While it might be an exaggeration to say imperial relatives and powerful officials are on every corner, it’s not far off. In a place like that, you have to stay true to yourself. If you can’t... well, it’s hard to say what might happen." ’There were some things he couldn’t spell out too clearly. They were his in-laws, after all.’
’When he had first considered bringing Li Bao to the Capital City, he had discussed the matter of his brothers-in-law with Zhou Lian. She had been just as hesitant. He knew he could keep Li Bao in line. But if her three brothers went, neither he nor Zhou Lian would be able to control the consequences. Whether things went well or poorly would be up to them. Yet if anything went wrong, he and Zhou Lian would be the first to be blamed. But simply ignoring the issue and doing nothing wasn’t an option either. He and Zhou Lian were truly caught between a rock and a hard place!’