Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Translator: Silvery Butterfly
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“Kneel!!”icOgwbIATFynhAFROPNPsxXoEUkeGl

Master Jin’s rosewood cane struck the floor heavily, the sound causing Xiao Bao’s shoulders to tremble.yXyjuByVwRXsFOYMLGAOeqBnMaLXla

Xiao Bao pouted, hung onto his father’s shoulder, and pleaded, “Father, don’t be angry. See, I’ve come back safely. The weather is getting colder, you wouldn’t really make me kneel, would you?”JrqoohchlCvJkVtEwSOjJvPzbXXAAb

Master Jin glared at him, “I’ll get you a cushion!”qZJaVKwMXVdPeCafIxOkOADTCJxwpp

“Father, I know you can’t bear to see me suffer. I was wrong. I promise I won’t do it again. But I did it for you. Last time, you scared us all. If I had taken Zhao Cai and Jin Bao with me, it would have taken much longer.”DaHbyWWQQxrVSxrTfyFnEneMFiWphu

Master Jin glared at him for a while, then sighed, his tone softening, “I know you’re filial, but you can’t just go running off with a stranger to such faraway places. These are turbulent times…”GhuWAKlgxSkSBfTsxBkyziEAxVrffq

“Turbulent times? Father, what’s happening?”XwnefMEQRWUIxYybVqDbIoNUaoYdKn

Master Jin coughed and turned his face away, “Many people have their eyes on our family. Don’t you remember the times you were kidnapped when you were younger? If it weren’t for my protection, who knows how many times you could have died?”zWBRSgyLVPnolITCJBsEPIONpAdAtl

“Father, Huai En, my friend, is very skilled in martial arts. Zhao Cai and Jin Bao together wouldn’t be his match. I was very safe with him.” Xiao Bao thought to himself, it’s a good thing he had silenced the servants. If his parents knew they were attacked outside Feng Chuan, this would never end.jaxzSwAMdumtyPKjJzZBZdoqtfimrQ

Master Jin barked, “What do you know about him? He’s a person of unknown origin. What if he took you out to sell you? What good is all that flesh if you don’t use your brain?”FikPLaYHirXeyfcbxQgYyWdRBXfAoe

Xiao Bao mumbled under his breath, “Sounds just like what Su Yin said.”BGaYxMFNljudKDCCIuMLFyPXAJDyfl

Master Jin grabbed him for another round of scolding. Xiao Bao could only smile and endure until his father calmed down. His mother and Xiao Yu were still sitting on the side, glaring at him.CbVRPaFgtMQSyaUtuPlnasjXqXxRzb

Xiao Bao hurried over to sit beside his mother, smiling obediently, “Mother, I missed you so much.”EyfKMiAwxvMZPFZcibDkUchHbdkWSu

Madam Jin snorted and turned her head away, her eyes a little red. Xiao Bao hugged his mother and coaxed her softly for a while. In this family, his mother was the easiest to appease. A few soft words, and she couldn’t bear to give him a hard time.XGNQEQfLeCPZBEqUZHdmaRbQxnrYtz

Xiao Bao then picked Xiao Yu up and sat her on his lap, pinching her little cheeks, “Come on, let gege see. Oh, oh, you’ve been crying? Don’t cry, gege is back and brought you something fun.”GBleTcFHJxXnTKEZTWBEZZaMMwhqba

Xiao Yu turned around and bit his hand, her little sharp teeth biting down hard.yWhoUtayitwBRVkpUxsfXHWukfIFHG

“Ow, ow, ow, it hurts! Xiao Yu, let go! Gege was wrong, gege was wrong!”nuMBcWbkJhrztGsRTkNHoyDDSQXnck

Xiao Yu finally let go, sniffling, “You said you wouldn’t run off again. You lied to me.”JZOROjwMHfSYRiwDceZUhuxlApvEHH

“Gege was wrong, alright? I won’t do it again. From now on, I’ll tell you wherever I go, okay?”GZhZFgCHehYkpItZzfXdjCbFSguiBv

“You’re lying!!”sRYSAcglScFokYGHWTjYmAquqmBRvR

“I promise, I won’t lie anymore. Really, this time it was because Father was sick. It was a special situation.”WShjPqzUVQHDlccDpAwWVILpiosztX

Xiao Yu looked at Xiao Bao with her big red eyes and said seriously, “When I take over the Jin family in the future, I won’t let you run off.”ZXxyucRnASKzZrRewbsJYBbETRamTq

Xiao Bao was taken aback and turned to look at his parents.rWBLnLjjItxaUPYDwAEhfdedgEGkUG

The elderly couple avoided his gaze, then met his eyes. Madam Jin spoke up, “We’ve already told Xiao Yu.”PffAqkfJVKfQlhYoxASYinngBgTaSS

Xiao Bao was a bit unhappy, “Didn’t I say that wouldn’t work? Why haven’t you given up on that idea? Besides, Xiao Yu is only ten. Why tell her this now?”XxtnhhevWxeVCoIaYcCgGgubShoTXn

The Jin family elders had long realized that Xiao Bao was not cut out for business. If they entrusted such a large family business to him, it wouldn’t be long before it was ruined. Xiao Bao knew this himself, too. So, the elders had always intended to find him a smart and capable wife who could help him manage the Jin family, just like how Master Jin himself didn’t have much education but had a shrewd wife in Madam Jin, who helped him inside and out.rWJWTYWFubCOcxQEJFHgWiBVyWozyr

After Xiao Yu came to the Jin family, they discovered that this little girl was exceptionally intelligent. She learned everything quickly and was diligent and ambitious. The elderly couple early on hoped that Xiao Bao would marry Xiao Yu in the future so that husband and wife could be of one mind.UbwRBikMMxdOuJPNrZfLMwgfrGVEQm

However, Xiao Bao firmly opposed this. Firstly, he only had sibling affection for Xiao Yu and couldn’t develop any other feelings. Secondly, he knew his own nature, and in the future, he would inevitably have many wives and concubines. He could wrong anyone but not his own sister. Now that he had Huai En, the thought of having many wives and concubines had faded, but there was still no place for Xiao Yu.nBLSNVnXYXFbkhAxAtAxLVgbfmFBAJ

The elderly couple had persuaded him for a long time, and he was so troubled that he had to decline, saying they should wait until Xiao Yu grew up. If she didn’t want to by then, how could they force her? Xiao Bao thought Xiao Yu would definitely not want to marry her own gege—it was so strange.gArHBqCncHinWeweILOxKiWnKfWZcr

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yu’s small face was full of stubbornness as she looked at him without any shyness. “Mother and Father have told me. I want to be Madam Jin. I want to marry gege.”cSebFBObpBMXSHLmWmJLyIezomIXBE

Xiao Bao’s face changed immediately with fear. He quickly put Xiao Yu down and swallowed, choosing his words carefully, “Xiao Yu, you’re still young. You don’t know what it means to marry gege. When you grow up…”vRHUAJPBbXwUMeMUzLHGsZGlReejuH

Xiao Yu shook off his hand and shouted, “Of course I know! I know more than you! I want to marry you, be your wife, and give you many children…”wOUfBTvZJmfIKypYoysVnoREbrAksG

Xiao Bao quickly covered Xiao Yu’s mouth and turned to his parents for help.EBKjLglTcVAhtDmuEVRPKLPIWswoqB

The Jin family elders simultaneously turned their heads away in a tacit agreement.jAfuHRpWBYTOUZUNzaibVKbBZxzgTm

Xiao Bao sighed and tried to explain to Xiao Yu, “Xiao Yu, listen to gege. I… I’m your brother. You can’t marry me. Xiao Yu is so beautiful and smart. You will definitely marry the best man in the world. How about this? I’ll make sure your brother Su Yin doesn’t marry anyone. When you grow up, okay? Look, your brother Su Yin is handsome and capable…”OLCCqBQZwPnnUfZtUBWiGIeMZCTmrD

Xiao Yu angrily pushed Xiao Bao, making him fall back into his chair. She shouted, “I don’t want Su Yin. He’s two-faced and full of tricks. Talking to him is exhausting. I don’t want anyone else. I only want to marry gege. You’re not even my real brother. Why can’t you marry me? I will manage the Jin family well and let you live just like now. What’s wrong with that?”WgIbvSgyEWWqdsALFrboCfKaRrhzYL

Xiao Bao panicked, “Xiao Yu, you’re still young. You will understand when you grow up…”WOiHZyYDqIDBQtIwQafzPrVyNCWuZp

“I understand now!! You just despise me!! You despise me because… because… I am…” The little girl couldn’t finish her sentence and burst into tears.EtaMyunEwIhcGlOFusXGpRKgBxmFhy

Xiao Bao’s heart ached as he hugged her tightly, “Who dares to despise our Xiao Yu? You have Father, Mother, and gege. No one dares to despise you. Gege will definitely find you the best man in the world. You’re still young. We’ll talk about this when you grow up, alright? Don’t cry.”vzqXUInEOMOsFVxTqEsrhocitleEYK

Xiao Yu cried silently in his arms. Xiao Bao could only comfort her while sighing. He didn’t expect to face such an awkward situation as soon as he came back. He could only hope that Xiao Yu would give up these thoughts when she grew up. She must have gotten these ideas from their parents. Otherwise, if Xiao Yu really grew up with such thoughts, he wouldn’t know what to do.adnXLYxmBKYOAAGfVQPUfSrvNKYIJR

Madam Jin saw that it was almost enough, so she took Xiao Yu away. Before leaving, she gave Master Jin a meaningful look. Xiao Bao saw it and knew that today’s discussion was far from over. He found an excuse to escape.BiZZDRFdPKnlMHiQJyqeiEclCHLKkT

Master Jin tried to persuade him a few times but couldn’t keep him. He also felt that this matter couldn’t be rushed and had to be approached slowly. Someday, Xiao Bao would accept Xiao Yu.OuBIBdkwaUrGifrpZHsecOMuqBkDgY

Before Xiao Bao left, Master Jin suddenly remembered something and told him to go to Master Liu’s house in the east of the city.MVoFRcEnrStoRQYeycTDSwLRzXiMLv

Xiao Bao asked curiously, “What am I supposed to do at Master Liu’s house?”NmHFbQCOTBeqElnFbRyfMpEkxoxhBi

“Oh, I recently learned that Master Liu’s late father also suffered from asthma. They have a recipe from a famous doctor who loved culinary arts, which is specifically for treating asthma and is very effective. I’ve already spoken to Master Liu. Why don’t you go and fetch it for me tomorrow?”XzEOFDJmFSMoOfpgqjCnqNNKQDohRf

“Great, great!” Xiao Bao was both happy and touched. He knew his father couldn’t bear to see his filial efforts go to waste, so he arranged for him to run this errand.XFGeOBPhrJxlMBsoAdCKsqhSyJIDyo

“Bring plenty of gifts and be courteous.”oqvLqHPbIhhTtsSaGbMUGhlfzhCbnC

“Yes, Father, don’t worry.”cFoerbmdDMwtgzOpEuPgsdwghsEnKT

“Ah, Xiao Bao, about Xiao Yu, please give it more thought…”ithfTBFgupkIeTmLhPeKstCqoUgVTV

As soon as Xiao Bao heard this, he dashed out of the door at the fastest speed, “I’ll go prepare the gifts and be back by dinner.”HLODDumTujxNSEEBxlLbvrjFeurnux

Master Jin watched his son disappear into the corridor, a look of weariness and sadness in his eyes, letting out a barely audible sigh.YpRGsEIqwXrgLZzYtgzwrqWPpJeXpR

“When will You Ying return to Suzhou?”EsWyqgakEbMXjlsQpngmYnwGfayacz

“We received a flying message two days ago saying the items have been safely delivered to the Sect Leader. He departed immediately, and by the current schedule, he should be back in Suzhou tomorrow or the day after at the latest.”gFVoWkegCyvWcWkUfYgIbZUnmgrbyq

Huai En held a thin piece of paper, his expression complex. After hesitating for a Motherent, he finally asked, “Why does my father want……”JpGinUUQQKrhgmpbOQamLbEJOsFNfU

“…She is, after all… the Sect Leader’s wife’s……”SuLSAaCZwCamPKcrwgKrpDdbYzAJgn

The paper turned to ash in Huai En’s hands. He stood up and walked a few steps to the window.tWdUUgkGJYFfmllSjCcSAZhrRrgWux

Zuo Ying, still kneeling, turned towards Huai En. “Young Master, there are only a few days left until the third of next month. If we don’t issue the order now, it will be too late.”LspcBFfmGGQPflkwUzJvgspLrKGFgT

The room fell into a deep silence, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.tBoArGBCZMMbGoCJjgaoWPdzsloPsZ

After a long time, Huai En finally said softly, “Leave it. I will make the arrangements myself.”CZmSSouZoBCrMDIDrWGIfkOXYEnLzg

SB’s Note: Big thanks to Laura Wilke for the Ko-fi! As a token of appreciation, I’ve uploaded an extra chapter just for you—enjoy!eQjSroItOmtDqjnMwvNhOIzKJxwljB

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