Slipping away from that spot, Meng Shuping felt a wave of relief, his steps light and quick.
He had already decided to leave the Earl's mansion immediately. After all, with so many people in the estate, and each one difficult to deal with, he knew he wouldn't have an easy time if he stayed.
Perhaps he had chosen the right path. Before long, Meng Shuping emerged from the garden, finding himself in a long, narrow alleyway between buildings, just like the one he had entered through. He hugged the wall, head down, hurrying forward. Fortunately, no one paid him any attention along the way.
After passing through the gate he had used earlier, Meng Shuping crossed a large hall. He was almost out of the Earl's mansion when he suddenly saw two people walking toward him.
The man in the lead was vigorous and bright-eyed, with graying hair and an imposing presence. The person beside him was a few years younger but also no longer young.
Meng Shuping instantly tensed up. What should he do? The man in front was clearly not a servant—he might even be an elder of the Earl's mansion. Should he greet him? But this man looked so stern! Besides, if he did greet him, what would he say? And since the man didn't know him, what if he greeted him and was ignored? Wouldn't that be awkward?
But if he didn't greet him, would that be impolite? What if they stopped him? Wouldn't that be even more awkward?
In a panic, he scanned his surroundings, hoping to quickly find a place to hide. But there were only buildings everywhere—nowhere to conceal himself.
Meng Shuping's mind instantly went blank. Without thinking, he turned around, faced the wall, and lowered his head.
The footsteps of the two men grew closer. Meng Shuping focused on counting the ants at the base of the wall, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
When he reached the seventy-second ant, he suddenly realized the footsteps had vanished.
He couldn't help but sneak a glance to either side and saw that the two men were gone. He let out a huge sigh of relief.
Just as Meng Shuping turned to continue on his way, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye: the two men hadn't left at all—they were standing right behind him, both staring intently.
Meng Shuping was startled. "Geez! They're quiet as ghosts!"
A voice abruptly sounded in the ears of Meng Houliang and Xiang Feng. Xiang Feng's expression shifted slightly, while Meng Houliang raised his eyes and carefully examined the young man before him.
The young man appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, quite handsome, though for some reason, a bruise on his face marred his otherwise harmonious features.
Meng Shuping hung his head, feeling utterly flustered. "Agh! Why isn't he saying anything? I'm so nervous with him staring at me like this!"
"Does he want to scold me? Or is he waiting for me to greet him?"
After a moment of hesitation, Meng Shuping decided to speak first. Not daring to meet Meng Houliang's eyes, he said softly, "Greetings, elder. You've worked hard."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Meng Shuping was frantic. "Ahhh! What am I even saying?!"
Meng Houliang's eyes crinkled with amusement. He asked Meng Shuping kindly, "Which family are you from? How come I've never seen you before?"
Seeing Meng Houliang's gentle demeanor, Meng Shuping felt a little less nervous. He sidestepped the first question entirely and replied, "...I just arrived today."
Noticing that Meng Shuping hadn't answered the first question, Meng Houliang seemed thoughtful but didn't press further. Instead, he changed the subject. "What happened to the injury on your face? Who hit you?"
Meng Shuping shook his head slightly. "It was no one."
"Who else could it be but someone from the Earl's mansion? Isn't that obvious? The people in the Earl's mansion are all so high and mighty—how could someone like me dare to provoke them?"
"But why is he asking me this? He's also from the Earl's mansion. Would he really side with me over his own people? There's no point in saying anything."
The smile vanished from Meng Houliang's face. He said sternly, "If someone truly bullied you, just tell me. Our Earl's mansion does not tolerate those who abuse their power. Who hit you? Tell me."
Meng Shuping was surprised. "Wow, is this elder really that upright?"
After only a brief hesitation, Meng Shuping decided to tell on the others. After all, they had ganged up on him earlier.
He succinctly described what had happened. "Sixth Young Master and Seventh Young Master blocked my way and called me a country bumpkin. Later, they both attacked me. After Third Madam arrived, she wanted to cane me. Then Second Master came and scolded me for having no upbringing."
"Sigh, I'm actually being too kind. What they did was even worse. The young bastard told me to call him 'father' and threatened to break my arm. That so-called father of mine glared at me, calling me a beast and an unfilial son, threatening to teach me a lesson. And a bunch of people were there egging them on."
Hearing this, Meng Houliang immediately raised his eyebrows and scolded, "The scoundrels!"
Seeing Meng Shuping tremble, Meng Houliang realized the young man might have been frightened by him. He softened his expression and said gently, "Don't worry, I will definitely see that justice is served for you."
Meng Shuping relaxed, his tone sincere. "Thank you, sir."
"Wow, this elder is truly impressive and righteous, impartial and strict! Look at his face—so majestic! Look at his demeanor—so dignified! You can tell at a glance that he's an exceptional man, a pillar of talent!"
Even though Meng Houliang had heard plenty of flattery, he couldn't help but be pleased by Meng Shuping's praise. He cleared his throat, fighting back a smile. "No need for thanks. If someone in the Earl's mansion did wrong, it's only right to address it."
Meng Shuping nodded obediently, his impression of Meng Houliang very positive.
"This elder is so reasonable and approachable, unlike the others who act all high and mighty just because they're from the Earl's mansion. What are they so proud of? It's not like they built the family fortune—what is there to be arrogant about?"
After venting for a while, Meng Shuping suddenly remembered another issue. "By the way, when can I leave? It's getting rather late. If I don't leave soon, what if I can't find a place to stay? I can't just sleep on the streets, can I?"
Meng Houliang had been curious earlier about why Meng Shuping had turned his back upon seeing him. Now that he had learned the reason and also discovered Meng Shuping's identity, he naturally couldn't let him leave just like that. He said kindly, "It's so late already—where else would you go? Come, follow me back."
Meng Shuping declined awkwardly. "I'd rather not."
"Sigh, even though this elder is nice, the others in the Earl's mansion aren't. They all look down on people, calling me a country bumpkin over and over. So what if I'm from the countryside? Did I eat their rice? Actually, the rice they eat was grown by country folks—if they're so proud, they shouldn't eat it! I don't want to go back and be subjected to more disrespect."
Not only was Meng Shuping a member of the family, but Meng Houliang also found his personality quite likable. He said amiably, "There's no need to worry. With me here, no one else would dare bully you. Besides, if you leave now, it'll be hard to find a place to stay. Do you really want to sleep on the streets?"
Meng Shuping shook his head awkwardly. "I really must decline!"
"Ugh! I'm terrible at this! How can I refuse in a way that's both elegant and polite?"
Although Xiang Feng, who stood behind Meng Houliang, hadn't spoken until now, he also found Meng Shuping quite amusing. Seeing Meng Shuping hesitate to stay, he said, "Young Master, I wonder if you have enough taels of silver on you? From what I know, the nearest inn from here costs at least two or three taels for a night. There are cheaper common lodgings, but you'd have to sleep with several others, and it's noisy at night. If you ask me, why trouble yourself going elsewhere? It's better to stay in your own home—quiet and comfortable."
Thinking of the meager amount of silver in his purse, Meng Shuping immediately changed his mind. "...Alright then."
"Sigh, what can I do? I'm just a poor fellow. When you're broke, you can't afford to be picky."
Meng Houliang couldn't help but smile at this self-deprecating remark. In good humor, he said, "Let's go!"
And so, without having left the Earl's mansion, Meng Shuping retraced his steps. This time, however, he was headed to the main hall of the Earl of Anyang's residence—Ruiwei Hall.
In the second branch's courtyard, after searching the garden for a long time, the maids and matrons still couldn't find Meng Shuping. They had no choice but to report to Meng Wenxiu and Feng Shi. "Master, Madam, we've turned the entire garden upside down but still haven't found Fifth Young Master. Could he have left the mansion?"
Meng Wenxiu snorted, furious. "Stop looking. Let him go wherever he wants!"
If that unfilial, disrespectful son wanted to leave, so be it!
Just as Feng Shi was about to speak, someone outside reported, "Master, Madam, a young maid from Ruiwei Hall is here. She says the Earl has summoned both of you."
Upon hearing this, Meng Wenxiu hurried out of the room with Feng Shi. On the way, Feng Shi asked the maid, "Do you know why the Earl is summoning us?"
The maid shook her head. "I don't know."
Feng Shi guessed it might be about Meng Shuping and began thinking about how to respond appropriately. Before long, they arrived at Ruiwei Hall.
As soon as they entered the room, Meng Wenxiu spotted Meng Shuping. His eyes immediately widened. "You unfilial son! What are you doing here?"
"Silence!" Seeing Meng Wenxiu start scolding as soon as he arrived, Meng Houliang said sternly, "Who gave you leave to show off here? If you want to throw your weight around, do it in your own courtyard."
Meng Wenxiu had only exclaimed impulsively in surprise and anger upon entering. Now, after being scolded by Meng Houliang, he realized his mistake and quickly explained, "Father, I didn't—"
Seeing Meng Wenxiu being reprimanded, Meng Shuping felt rather satisfied. He couldn't help but compare Meng Houliang and Meng Wenxiu. "Look, this is what you call authority without raising your voice! So majestic and imposing! Not like that cheap father of mine, who swells up and glowers when he's angry, bellowing loudly without any dignity, let alone authority. Honestly, if you don't know how to be angry, just don't—losing your temper just makes people look down on you."
Earlier, between being nervous and making his complaint, Meng Shuping hadn't had time to think much. But after arriving at Ruiwei Hall, he soon discovered Meng Houliang's identity.