A Good-for-Nothing

155. This Is Sheer Madness (1)

Translator: Dragon Rider

After giving He Zheng away to Li family as one of the terms of the deal, He Changchun, though not really in fear or trepidation, had been worried all along that He Zheng, his troublesome son, might offend Supt. Li very soon.

But after these days’ observation, He Changchun found that He Zheng and Li Zong got along famously, and there hadn’t been any unfavorable rumors so far.

He Changchun finally felt a sense of relief, and his spirits gradually rose.

If word got out that he’d become the father-in-law of the youngest vice-superintendent of SMB ever, people would definitely think even more highly of him.

Although he’d lost a son not long ago and been in deep grief for quite a few days, He Jin hadn’t been his favorite. He Qin was the most talented, and He Yu, his daughter and youngest child, was the one who had added the most luster to the family name. All elders of He family were proud that a member of this family was eligible to participate in the recruitment examination of SMB.

On this day, He Changchun went to attend a convention held by the Coastal City Municipal Committee of Families of Cultivators. He’d been in a pretty good mood when he’d left home, but when he returned, his face was fairly sullen.

Honour goes on crutches while discredit flies apace. Though the specific reasons were still unknown to him, Li Zong’s removal from his position as vice-superintendent had reached He Changchun’s ears. Consumed with anger, He Changchun had directly left the convention with a flick of his sleeves and returned home.

He Changchun smashed several teacups in rage the moment he entered the living room.

He Yu was having a sweet and loving talk with Zhou Yihao on the phone in her bedroom.

He Yu had made the acquaintance of Zhou Yihao by chance at He Jin’s funeral who’d come to offer his condolences. Zhou family’s business was much larger than that of He family. Though He family was a family of cultivators, He Yu was a girl after all, so she was more inclined to marry a rich and handsome man.

On top of that, Zhou Yihao had made the first move… Of course He Yu wouldn’t say no to a man like this.

These days, because of Zhou Yihao, He Yu had even brushed aside the matter of He Zheng.

On hearing the noises, He Yu hurriedly hung up, walked outside to the top of the staircase, sneaked a downward glance and saw the pieces of teacups beside He Changchun’s feet as well as the hunched housekeeper gingerly cleaning them.

He Yu’s face paled at the sight. Some of her father’s recent conduct had really scared her. Fearing that it was her mother’s speaking ill of He Zheng that had angered He Changchun, He Yu dismissed all other thoughts from her mind and hastened to knock at the door of Qiao Peiyu’s bedroom.

Unexpectedly, she had just arrived at the doorway when the door opened automatically.

He Yu’s eyes briefly lit up.

“Mom!”

Qiao Peiyu was wearing a beautiful blackish green calico cheongsam and light make-up as if her spirits had finally rising to normal. She was a pretty woman and had been taking good care of her health, so years hadn’t aged her very much. Though in her forties, she looked as radiant as though she were still in her twenties.

In comparison between the withered woman she’d been over the past half a month, she appeared even more charming than she’d been before the misfortune.

“Mom, you are finally back!” He Yu, eyes brimming with tears, was only too anxious to have a good cry in Qiao Peiyu’s embrace. “Mom…”

Qiao Peiyu had a trace of smile on the corners of her mouth, her eyes glinting coldly. She gracefully patted He Yu on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go and find out why your father’s so mad.”

Since He Jin’s death, Qiao Peiyu hadn’t been in the mood for gussying up, and neither had she and He Changchun spent any time together, and He Changchun, in the knowledge that she’d been in grief, had left her alone, so the conjugal relationship between them was now not as close as before.

“Changchun.”

He Changchun was in a fit of rage. On hearing this sudden call, he spun around and saw Qiao Peiyu walking down the stairs. The sight of the woman with whom he’d shared a bed for so many years melted his heart.

“Peiyu, you…”

Qiao Peiyu glanced at him with a smile in her eyes. Seeing the mess on the ground, she crouched down to help pick up the pieces of ceramics. “What is it that makes you so angry?”

He Changchun’s anger instantly subsided at her soft voice. He slumped onto a sofa, kneading his forehead. “Alas, something big.”

He Changchun was sitting with his back to Qiao Peiyu, so he didn’t see the iciness in her eyes. She slightly turned her head aside and winked at He Yu, who immediately took the hint, went to the tea-room and brought back a cup of freshly-made tea.

Qiao Peiyu walked up to He Changchun and started gently massaging his temples. “What’s wrong? I felt blue in the past few days, but I’m okay now. Why don’t you fill me in on what’s been going on?”

“Alas, you won’t be able to understand…” Though quite fond of Qiao Peiyu, deep down He Changchun believed that matters of this kind were beyond her grasp, for she was just a woman, one who’d grown up in a common family.

Qiao Peiyu had a ghost of sneer on the corners of her mouth, but her voice was still tender. “It doesn’t matter whether I can understand it or not. Just talk to me about it. You’ll feel much better after spitting it out.”

He Changchun found the massage she was giving him very comfortable and gradually relaxed, but his brow abruptly corrugated in a deep frown at these words of Qiao Peiyu’s.

Qiao Peiyu was fully aware of what it was about, but she chose to pretend otherwise. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. I’m just worried that anger is taking a heavy toll on you. What are we supposed to do if you fall ill because of this?

Was it about our family? The Gu (a legendary venomous insect, or a poison made with poisonous insect, worm or beetle) in you should have already been expelled from your body a few days ago. Changchun, if there’s really something serious going on, don’t you keep it back from me.”

“It’s not me.” He Changchun’s lips twitched. The very thought of this matter made his tempers fray. He tossed Qiao Peiyu a glance and continued, “Li Zong was dismissed from his post as vice-superintendent!”

“Ah?!” Qiao Peiyu assumed an air of astonishment to a nicety and then knitted her eyebrows. “It doesn’t make any sense. How did it happen? They couldn’t just dismiss Li Zong for no good reason, could they?”

“It’s said to be because of problematic handling of some incident, but I don’t know any details.” He Changchun’s face wore a harassed look.