Chapter 2: How to Cultivate a Ten-Thousand-Mile Empire for the Young Emperor Qin? Part 1

Chapter 2: Steamed Eggs with Pork Fat (1/2)

 

After the child finished drinking the sheep milk soup, he licked his lips and remained silent.

 

Xue took the initiative and brought another bowl, advising him to drink it slowly, as it was still hot.

 

The child glanced at Xue, then continued to bury his face in the bowl, resembling a little puppy.

 

Beside him, Lin Zhi simply lifted the bowl and drank from it, behaving like a greedy dog.

 

After another bowl, the child patted his belly and said, "That's enough." However, Lin Zhi seemed to have no concept of moderation. It was only when Zhu Xiang mentioned that they needed to leave quickly before the city gates closed that he reluctantly set the bowl down.

 

Zhu Xiang first helped the child wipe off the milk mustache that had formed around his mouth, then tossed a handkerchief to Lin Zhi, saying, "Don't use your sleeve to wipe your face; it's unhygienic and sets a bad example for the child."

 

Lin Zhi muttered, "You live a more refined life than I do... Anyway, the carriage has been prepared for a while; let's set off."

 

Zhu Xiang once again cradled the child in her arms and turned to Xue, saying, "Don't worry; when I see her, I'll definitely give her a good scolding!"

 

Xue pursed her lips and bent down to Lin Zhi, saying, "I'm entrusting my husband to Lord Lin."

 

Lin Zhi chuckled, saying, "Zhu Xiang, your wife doesn't trust you!"

 

"Hmph," Zhu Xiang glared at Lin Zhi and walked out in a huff.

 

Lin Zhi followed with a smile.

 

After watching the two of them leave, Xue sighed deeply and instructed the servants to clear the table.

 

Zhu Xiang boarded the carriage with the child and asked along the way what the child's name was.

 

Perhaps because of his young age, the child simply shook their head and didn't answer.

 

Zhu Xiang introduced himself, and Lin Zhi took the opportunity to mock Zhu Xiang for the pitiful state he was in when she had fallen ill and knocked on his door.

 

Zhu Xiang initially didn't want to disclose to the young child the complicated relationship between himself and the child's mother. However, Lin Zhi, being quick with his words, didn't hold back.

 

Later, he thought that despite feeling sorry for the child, given the tangled history between him and his elder sister, if she refused to take the child, he would most likely have to give the child to someone else for upbringing.

 

Confucius was right: how can one repay kindness with resentment? Besides, with his own inopportune circumstances, reluctantly raising this child might even bring trouble to the child's future.

 

A healthy and young boy would always find kind-hearted people willing to adopt him, no matter the time. Handing over this fortunate nephew to the Lin family to find a reliable wealthy household would be a better option.

 

So, whether the child understood Lin Zhi's words or not, he felt he should explain to the child the reason he couldn't adopt him.

 

The child's expression remained blank, making it unclear whether he understood Lin Zhi's words.

 

The carriage soon fell into an awkward silence, with even the lively Lin Zhi closing his mouth. Soon, inside the carriage, all that could be heard were the sounds of the carriage rocking and the clatter of horse hooves, accompanied by the breathing of the three individuals.

 

Lin Zhi closed his eyes, pretending to nap, and the child also closed his eyes. Only Zhu Xiang stared out of the window in a daze.

 

Zhao State had prospered under the rule of two wise monarchs, and Handan City had long become a bustling metropolis, a city of a thousand feet and countless households, brimming with prosperity.

 

However, when Zhu Xiang had first arrived in Handan City, it was during the last year or two of the rule of Zhao Hui, the father of the current Zhao King. At that time, Handan was bustling, but the streets were filled with people in nomadic clothing with swords and horses, and there were fewer people in elaborate attire adorned with jewels.

 

After Zhao Hui's death and during the rule of Zhao Wei, not much had changed in Handan. But after Zhao Wei passed away, the changes within Handan accelerated day by day, and a culture of extravagance began to emerge. Every time Zhu Xiang brought goods from his fields into the city to the Lin family, he could visibly see these changes.

 

The carriage jolted harshly as it seemed to hit a stone on the road, causing the curtain at the window to slide halfway down.

 

Zhu Xiang didn't bother to lift the curtain and also closed his eyes to rest.

 

After about an hour, the carriage came to a stop beside an imposing mansion with a private entrance.

 

The grand gates of the imposing mansion stood wide open, with people coming and going to transport goods. Lin Zhi exchanged a meaningful glance with one of his guards, and the guard stepped forward to inquire about the residents of this house.

 

"This house? They moved out several days ago. Our master has bought this mansion now," the man in charge of moving items replied. "Are you looking for the previous occupants, my lord? Our master is not sure, as we bought this property from the previous owner's son. Perhaps the son might know."

 

As Zhu Xiang disembarked from the carriage with the child, he overheard the old servant's response.

 

The child's slender hand tightened its grip on Zhu Xiang's clothing, and he abruptly turned his head to look at the old servant.

 

His bright eyes instantly filled with tears, and large drops spilled from his eyes. With each tear that fell, his eyes dimmed a little more.

 

Previously, when the child had cried hysterically at Zhu Xiang's home, he had thought he was about to throw another tantrum. To his surprise, the child simply stared with empty eyes, silently shedding tears without making a sound.

 

Zhu Xiang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly pressed the tear-streaked face of the child gently against his chest. He took a few steps forward and found the nosy neighbor who had been poking around, asking, "Elderly sir, do you happen to know the people who lived here?"

 

As he inquired, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few knife-shaped coins, which he handed to the elderly man.

 

The nosy neighbor pocketed the coins and said, "I do know them. When they were here, it was quite a scene. Let me tell you, the family that used to live here was in a lot of debt because of their failing business. They were so troubled they were about to sell the house. But then suddenly, the man married a wealthy widow, and they started living extravagantly."

 

Zhu Xiang blinked, pondering. "A wealthy widow? Could it be that my sister's rich merchant husband passed away, and she inherited his fortune and took in a young lover?"

 

The nosy neighbor was not one to keep his mouth shut, and having received some coins, he had even fewer qualms about sharing more information. He began to chatter away enthusiastically.

 

As the nosy neighbor began to speak, other residents from the neighborhood gathered around, eager to gossip. They shared details about the family without Zhu Xiang needing to pay them, revealing more and more about their circumstances.

 

"That family must have had some incredible luck. The widow the man married was not only beautiful but also wealthy. It's a shame they have a foolish son."

 

"Yes, that child makes a ruckus every day and even threatens to kill that merchant. Is he about two or three years old? He can't even walk properly and yet he's so aggressive!"

 

"A child that young can't possibly understand all this on his own. Someone must be influencing him."

 

"Maybe it's the previous husband's family of that beautiful widow? She took away a lot of money, and I'm sure the husband's family isn't happy about it."

 

"You all keep saying the child is bad, but I think he's quite pitiful. When he first moved here, he looked quite robust. But lately, I saw him, and he's become thin and dirty, like a street urchin. I heard his mother doesn't even care for him anymore, and even the household servants despise him."

 

"Of course, they despise him. Who wouldn't?"

 

"That's true. To put it plainly, it's because the widow neglected her young son after marrying a new husband."

 

The neighbors continued to chat, and it turned into a lively conversation among the gathered crowd, completely ignoring Zhu Xiang.

 

Zhu Xiang left the chattering crowd, carrying the child, and returned to the carriage. He had a general idea of the situation now, and finding Chunhua would have to rely on Lin Zhi from here on.

 

He lowered his head to look at the child in his arms. Whether the child had understood the words of the people or not, his tears had stopped, but his expression remained extremely vacant.

 

During the Warring States period, there were few customs as favorable as widows remarrying. In fact, due to the high mortality rate of women during childbirth, widows who had already given birth were highly sought after in society.

 

Chunhua might have married someone else after her previous husband's death, using her former husband's inheritance. She was both wealthy and beautiful, and she had a son. The neighbors admired the businessman for marrying such a good new wife.

 

As for the little boy who resisted his stepfather, a mischievous troublemaker who shouted and fought back, even if people had some sympathy for his tender age initially, their pity had waned after his mother had complained several times.

 

Zhu Xiang didn't know the full story of this situation but remained skeptical of the neighbors' words. How would the neighbors know what was happening inside the mansion with the closed gates? How loud could a child's cursing be that it could be heard by people outside?

 

The negative reputation of the child was likely spread by the family themselves. Some of it might be true, some false. In any case, Zhu Xiang harbored deep-seated aversion and bias against Chunhua, and he couldn't believe she was entirely innocent in this matter.

 

Chunhua had abandoned the child to him, someone she had once abandoned and nearly killed. In her letter, she had an imperious tone and showed no remorse towards him. Her attitude only confirmed Zhu Xiang's suspicion that his bias might not be unfounded.

 

"Did she really abandon me?" The child rubbed his swollen eyes and finally choked out, "She found me troublesome and didn't want me."

 

Zhu Xiang patted the child's head and said, "It's not that you're troublesome; it's she who is troublesome. Your mother is not a good person, so don't doubt yourself for the bad things she did. I've been abandoned by her before, and this isn't the first time she's done such a thing."

 

The child remained silent.

 

Zhu Xiang had hoped to comfort the child with his own experiences, now that the child had realized he had been abandoned. However, perhaps the child was too young to understand Zhu Xiang's words, and his expression showed no sign of being comforted.

 

Zhu Xiang was at a loss. He didn't know how to console a child who was much younger than he had been when he was abandoned.

 

Fortunately, before long, Lin Zhi returned to the carriage, breaking the awkward silence inside.

 

"They've been gone for three or four days now, and I've already sent someone to look for that boy," Lin Zhi said. "It's heartless of her to leave the child at your doorstep after all this time. Let's head back for now, and I'll inform you when we have further news."

 

Zhu Xiang lowered his head and said, "Thank you, I appreciate it."

 

Lin Zhi patted Zhu Xiang's shoulder. "Why be so formal with me? If you want to be polite, then next time I come to your house, we'll have a meat feast."

 

Zhu Xiang managed a smile. "Alright, you don't need to bring the meat. You can enjoy what my house has to offer."

 

Lin Zhi grinned. "It's a deal."

 

He looked at the child in Zhu Xiang's arms. "Do you want to adopt him?"

 

Zhu Xiang sighed. "Seeing him, it always reminds me of myself back then. I'll discuss it with Xue, and if she agrees, I'll adopt him. Her feelings matter most."

 

Lin Zhi chuckled. "Most families prioritize passing down their lineage, but you're quite unusual."

 

Zhu Xiang replied, "I've always been a bit different."

 

 Lin Zhi chuckled. "Well, maybe it's time to change some things. For instance, you care too much about other people's lives, to the extent that you won't even go to the battlefield."

 

Zhu Xiang smiled wryly. "I'm changing, I promise. I'm in the process of changing."

 

Lin Zhi chuckled once more.

 

Zhu Xiang sighed.

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