A Couple's Rebirth to 1977 Before Marriage

Chapter 182: Chapter 179: A Talk with Elder Ping

Li Xiu looked at Elder Ping in the doorway and guiltily wiped his face. He felt like a bad influence who’d just been caught red-handed by the kid’s father. Ping’an looked at Elder Ping’s expressionless face and stammered, "Dad, I... Jincheng was..."

Glaring at Ping’an, Elder Ping closed the door and walked into the study. He looked at his younger son standing there anxiously, then at Li Xiu, who was already sitting calmly in a chair. It gave him a headache. When he’d returned, his wife had told him the two boys were talking in the study. He’d assumed they were just discussing a book they were reading. Who knew he’d walk in on such an explosive conversation? They were both in their twenties, but the difference was immense. Li Xiu was like a finely polished jade pendant—not dazzling, but clearly a masterpiece. His own son, on the other hand, was just a stubborn rock not even worth a second glance.

"Alright, stop scaring Ping’an, Elder. But seriously, he’s a bit too timid. It’s not like you’re a tiger who’s going to eat him. He just needs more experience!" Seeing Ping’an holding his breath, Li Xiu had kindly intended to smooth things over for him, but ended up just roasting him after a couple of sentences.

Ping’an stared at Li Xiu, speechless. ’Who was I even doing this for?’ he thought. ’I was just worried Dad would get the wrong impression of Li Xiu, so I wanted to explain. But then Dad put on that stern face, and I was afraid I’d only make things worse, so I didn’t know what to say. And this Li Jincheng... he has the nerve to make fun of me!’

"You’ve got some nerve, talking so boldly. What happened to your cautious words and deeds? How dare you spout such nonsense here today!" Elder Ping looked at Li Xiu, perplexed, and asked irritably.

Li Xiu was silent for a moment. He glanced at Ping’an, then turned to Elder Ping with a calm expression. "I didn’t want to say anything, and I didn’t want to get involved. But the Eldest Young Master is completely absorbed in his studies, practically oblivious to the world outside his window. Ping’an is still young and malleable. We can’t just let him fool around indefinitely, can we? How long can you protect him, Elder? He has to grow up eventually. You and Aunt Zhou don’t have the heart to push him, so what happens then? What happens to the Ping Family?"

Elder Ping looked at Li Xiu in shock. It wasn’t that he was unaware of these problems; he just couldn’t bear to force his younger son to do things he didn’t want to. Furthermore, he always believed his network of contacts would protect the Ping Family out of respect for him. But today, Li Xiu had pierced right through to the heart of the matter, and Elder Ping realized he had been taking things for granted. It wasn’t just his son who was naive; he had been naive, too. The world of officialdom was full of schemes and power struggles, and while some friendships did exist, they only held up when power and interests didn’t clash. Could he really count on his so-called sworn brothers?

"Jin Chen, you’ve always adamantly refused to join the system. So why today...?" Elder Ping didn’t finish his question. He truly couldn’t figure out what Li Xiu was thinking. Why would he suddenly try to enlighten Ping’an and even promise to help him? Didn’t Li Xiu despise these things most of all?

Li Xiu understood Elder Ping’s unspoken words and suddenly smiled. Elder Ping and Ping’an, who were watching him, both smiled along with him before they caught themselves and straightened their faces. ’This guy is dangerous,’ Ping’an thought. Even though he saw him often, Li Xiu’s smile still felt like the blooming of flowers in spring. Ping’an coughed lightly, recalling the demonic aura and the wild, unrestrained, wicked grin Li Xiu had worn before his father arrived. ’Is Li Jincheng some kind of fox spirit?’ He glanced up again, then quickly lowered his head and shook the thought away. ’I’d better not provoke him in the future. It would be a miserable, miserable fate to be targeted by him!’

"Don’t overthink it, Elder. It’s exhausting. I still have no intention of joining the system. But based on the friendship between my master and you... honestly, you two hadn’t seen each other in decades, and my master has already passed away, yet you’ve shown me, his disciple, every kindness and protection. You are a man of honor. Besides, I don’t have much going on right now. Aunt Zhou sent Ping’an to my place, so I’ll just consider him a little brother she gave me. As for my brothers... well, you only need to look at Li Bao in the Capital City to know. If he dares to cause trouble, I’ll discipline him within an inch of his life! It’ll be the same for Ping’an. You’re too busy, Elder, so just leave his education to me!" Li Xiu said to Elder Ping with a smile. ’In my hands,’ he thought, ’even a stubborn rock can be polished into a beautiful piece of jade!’

Seeing his younger son’s vexed expression, Elder Ping let out an unsympathetic laugh. It seemed Ping’an knew how Jin Chen handled his own brother. But his smile quickly faded, and in a more subdued tone, he said, "Jin Chen, I thought you disliked these sorts of things. But now...?"

Li Xiu just smiled and said nonchalantly, "You don’t need to worry about that, Elder. In this life, who can truly remain untouched by worldly dust? We all eat the same grains and are raised by parents. No one can live in such splendid isolation. You think too highly of me. What my master taught me from a young age was how to live freely and without restraint, not how to be so aloof and arrogant that I’m untouched by the world. I may admire the free-spirited style of the Wei and Jin dynasties, but I care more about the unrestrained happiness of the people I hold dear. Ping’an is a man of noble character and a kind heart. If he were to become an official, he would surely bring fortune to his people. If he were to achieve even greater things, it would be a blessing for the entire nation!"

Seeing Ping’an’s shock and the disbelief on Elder Ping’s face, Li Xiu smiled and said, "Ping’an has his own moral compass. If he becomes an official, I’m not worried he’ll become a local tyrant or be cursed out by the people. You should trust in the Ping Family’s upbringing. Your family could never raise a man who would bring ruin to the country. Leading by word and deed is crucial. Besides, Ping’an is still young and very impressionable. Don’t you worry, Elder. I’ll guide him as I would my own brother. With a good example to follow and a cautionary tale to avoid, it’d be a miracle if he went astray!"

"Hey, Li Jincheng, if I remember correctly, you’re only two years older than me! Can you please stop treating me like a child?" Ping’an protested, exasperated. ’This Li Jincheng, with his constant talk of me being young and a child... I’m over twenty, for crying out loud! Can’t he show me a little respect? My pride as a man is completely shot!’

"Oh? My uncle’s six-year-old son acts about the same as you. You want me to think more highly of you? Fine. We can talk after you’ve met my standards," Li Xiu said with an innocent smile, looking at the frustrated Ping’an. ’My six-year-old cousin, Li Bo, is more mature than he is,’ Li Xiu thought. ’At least he knows what to do to protect his family and how he’ll one day protect me, his big brother! As for Ping’an... it’s not that I look down on him, but the kid has the mentality of a child. A little brat who doesn’t even understand his own responsibilities. And he has the gall to talk to me about pride? He can try again when he’s grown up.’

Even the perpetually serious and stern Elder Ping was amused by Li Xiu’s words. He now understood Li Xiu’s true meaning. ’This is his way of repaying me for my protection,’ he thought. ’Jin Chen is going to train a responsible head for the Ping Family because he can’t bear to see me without a successor. Fine. It’s time for An’er to grow up and shoulder his responsibilities. My eldest son lost heart because of me, and my wife and I couldn’t bear to force him. We felt the same about our youngest. But Jin Chen has just ripped away the veil of peace we were all trying to maintain. Very well. For my son, and for the Ping Family, I’ll swallow my conscience and trouble Jin Chen. I’ll just have to apologize to Yun Qi when I see him in the afterlife for dragging his beloved disciple into this mess.’

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