Chapter 52 - 51 No More Home

At a small table to the side, a woman in her thirties or forties sat timidly. She was a concubine and thus lacked the status to dine at the same table as Old Master Xia and Madam. Startled by Old Master Xia’s question, she stumbled over her words. "Tingfeng... he..." Maternal Aunt Wen had married into the Xia Family nearly twenty years ago and had borne Old Master Xia a son and a daughter. Her elder son, Xia Tingfeng—Old Master Xia’s eldest son by a concubine—would turn eighteen after the New Year and was still unmarried. He disliked studying and had a rebellious nature. He often mingled with street ruffians, wielding blades and staffs, much to Old Master Xia’s utter disgust. Her younger daughter by a concubine, named Xia Caiying, would turn nine after the New Year and held no significance within the household. Considering how the legitimate eldest daughter, Xia Ruqing, had been abused, one could imagine how this younger girl fared. "Enough! Don’t say anymore," Old Master Xia cursed, his tone venomous. "I don’t want to know about that wretch; it would be best if he died out there!" "Eat, eat!" Finally, Old Master Xia waved his hand impatiently. "Old Master, Wei Feng and Ruyi are still here!" Lady Yao reproached gently. At the mention of the precious twins, Old Master Xia indeed brightened up. "It’s Daddy’s fault for frightening Daddy’s little treasures! Come here, Daddy has delicious food. Come, come, you eat this too!" As he spoke, Old Master Xia scooped up his son and daughter and also served Lady Yao some food. Throughout the family banquet, laughter and chatter came solely from those four. The rest remained silent. Xia Jingfeng’s gaze was downcast, his eyes brimming with despair. Maternal Aunt Wen seemed to have grown used to it, sitting at the small table, silently eating with her daughter, not daring to make a sound. After the family banquet, it was tradition for the family to stay up late and eat dumplings. At Zi Hour, servants outside lit a long string of firecrackers. The sound of the firecrackers had not yet faded when Xia Jingfeng left. A family? That was a colossal joke. If one were to speak of family, Maternal Aunt Wen, his elder brother Xia Tingfeng, and his younger sister Xia Caiying were a hundred times more like family than his own father, who might as well have been a cruel stepfather. So, why should he remain in this household? Returning to his courtyard, he found it still in disrepair. Lady Yao clearly had no intention of fixing it. Xia Jingfeng smiled faintly; he no longer cared. Time flew by, and soon it was the fifth day of the New Year; the celebrations were over. Xia Jingfeng breathed a long sigh of relief. He could finally leave. "What? Jingfeng, you’re leaving?" Lady Yao rushed over the moment she heard the news. Xia Jingfeng had already packed his belongings. "Madam, rest assured. Except for these books, I will not take anything else!" Lady Yao visibly relaxed, a strange sense of delight blooming within her. She had already ordered people to search that dilapidated courtyard thoroughly. That delicate box wasn’t found, which means it must have been taken back to the main residence.Now... those worthless books are one thing, but no one is going to take away the box filled with silver and jewelry! Just as she was pondering this, an angry voice suddenly rang out. "Let him go if he wants to leave! If he thinks his wings are strong enough, then he should never come back!" Lady Yao’s eyes darted cunningly, and she immediately went over. "Old Master, no matter what, Jingfeng is still the Second Young Master of our Xia Family. If he wanders off, people will laugh at us!" Lady Yao’s words sounded like an attempt to persuade him, but in reality, she was only adding fuel to the fire. Weren’t they already enough of a laughingstock? As expected, Old Master Xia became even angrier. "Hmph! A laughingstock? Haven’t I been made a fool of enough times? That brat Tingfeng has already thoroughly disgraced the Xia Family!" "Now, if he also wants to leave, let him! No one is to stop him! Consider me as never having had this son!" Lady Yao’s heart was secretly delighted, but on the surface, she still wore a worried expression and managed to squeeze out two tears. "Old Master, why be angry with a child? It’s my fault for misspeaking. Jingfeng, quickly apologize to your father..." "After all, he’s a child of the Xia Family; how can he keep running off outside?" Her intention was simple: she wanted Old Master Xia to drive Xia Jingfeng out immediately, or better yet, to sever their father-son relationship! Indeed, thanks to her vigorous efforts to stir up trouble, her scheme succeeded. Xia Jingfeng resolved to leave. Old Master Xia left in a huff. Lady Yao couldn’t be bothered to keep up the act anymore, shooting Xia Jingfeng a smug glance before sashaying away. Finally back in the quiet little courtyard, Xia Jingfeng calmed himself and then began to review his books. After the Lantern Festival, Mr. Du would return, and he needed to have his studies well-reviewed by then. He had to study hard; he absolutely must! Meanwhile, back in the Xia residence, Lady Yao had Xia Jingfeng’s belongings searched thoroughly but still didn’t find the box. Lady Yao was so angry she could have spat blood. "You little bastard, you dare play tricks on me!" After muttering this, she called over the Butler. "Tonight, take a group of men to the small courtyard. Use any means necessary to bring that box back. If you succeed, I will reward you handsomely!" "Did you all hear that?" "Yes, Madam!" The Butler, who had a goatee and shifty eyes, gave a smug smirk. Indeed, that night, a group of people arrived, clamoring at the gate. To conceal their identities, the men the Butler brought had their faces covered with black cloth. In the study, Assistant Fu rushed in, panicking. "Young Master, this is bad! There’s a group of masked men trying to break down the gate!" "What?" Xia Jingfeng immediately stood up. "Let’s go out and see!" Saying this, he grabbed a random stick from the courtyard and headed towards the main gate. Assistant Fu hurriedly pulled him back. "Young Master, what are you doing? There are too many of them! Even with all of us, we’re no match for them. It’s better not to go!" "I’ll have the other servants hold the main gate. You escape through the back gate, quickly!" As Assistant Fu spoke, he tried to pull him toward the back, but Xia Jingfeng suddenly broke free. His lean figure cast a long shadow in the dim courtyard light, his eyes filled with determination. "Uncle Fu, I know why they’re here. This has nothing to do with you." "Go back to your room quickly, and don’t come out no matter what you hear!" With that, he gripped the stick and went out. No matter how much Assistant Fu pleaded, it was useless. Assistant Fu stomped his foot, suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly turned towards the backyard. At the front, Xia Jingfeng had already reached the main gate from the inside. The people outside were still battering the gate. The wooden bolt had loosened considerably, and they were about to break through at any moment. Xia Jingfeng sneered. How much more did Lady Yao want to take before she would finally stop? He was the legitimate young master of the Xia Family, once cherished by everyone. But now, that woman had taken everything. He would turn eleven after this New Year. If he couldn’t even protect the courtyard his eldest sister had given him, how could he ever dream of establishing himself and supporting a household! Therefore, this time, even if it meant death, he could not retreat! However, he knew that woman wouldn’t dare to actually kill him! Taking a deep breath, he removed the nearly dislodged wooden bolt and pulled open the courtyard gate. Sure enough, a group of men with their faces covered in black fabric rushed in like madmen. Xia Jingfeng clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and swung the stick. With a dull THUD, the leader—the thieving Butler—collapsed. The others were startled and froze on the spot.