Chapter 59: Call Me Brother
Ling Zhang was stopped by Yuwen Tong before he could get off the carriage. He glanced at the crowd and found they were looking at him and Yuwen Tong with strange eyes. So he withdrew his anger and stared at Yuwen Tong. “I can get off the carriage by myself.”
Yuwen Tong put his hand back and stood there looking at Ling Zhang.
Ling Zhang “…”
Just as he was ready to jumped off the carriage, an unknown thing hit his knee, which weakened his foot.
Then he was immediately caught before falling and carried down from the carriage!
Ling Zhang swore that he heard the gasps of the people around.
“You!” Although Ling Zhang didn’t know what hit him, his instincts told him it was Yuwen Tong’s trick!
But Yuwen Tong looked at him with a questioning look, “What’s wrong? I saw that you were falling, so I give you a hand. Why are you so angry?”
He was a master of disguise. Angry as he was, Ling Zhang couldn’t find any evidence to prove it to himself. He gnashed his teeth and said, “Let go of me!”
Yuwen Tong put him down readily.
“Zhang’er, don’t be rude to His Excellency,” Ling Xingzhong reproached.
“Never mind, he is joking, don’t take it seriously.” Yuwen Tong explained for Ling Zhang.
But Ling Zhang didn’t want to appreciate his kindness, and said to Ling Xingzhong, “Grandfather, I am fatigued with the journey. Let me to change my clothes first.”
“Hurry up!” Ling Zhaowen said first before Ling Xingzhong spoke.
Ling Zhang looked at his uncle with grateful eyes. Then he went back to his courtyard with Ling Maomao.
Ling Xingzhong was embarrassed to apologize to Yuwen Tong. He said, “I am so sorry. Zhang’er has always been polite. He must be tired with his journey, so he acted so impolite just now.”
“I see. Forget it. How about we find a place for some chat first?” Yuwen Tong said.
Ling Xingzhong said in a hurry, “Right, right. This way please, my lord.”
Before Yuwen Tong left with Ling Xingzhong, there was a gleam of joy in his eyes when he looked at Ling Zhang’s back.
Ling Zhaowen didn’t follow them, but told the servant to prepare dinner. To be precise, he went to Ling Zhang’s yard.
“Zhang’er, what’s going on? Why did he go to the herb farm? You…” Ling Zhangwen couldn’t help but aske Ling Zhang after entering the room.
Ling Zhang answered quickly, “We are fine! Nothing happened between us!””
When he finished, he felt that he had overreacted. At first he was a little annoyed, but he calmed down as he spoke. “Something happened there, and Yuwen Tong happened to show up.”
Hence, he told his uncle that the patrols detained the farmers and Yuwen Tong helped them out of the trouble.
“That’s outrageous!” After hearing this, Ling Xingzhong burned with rage. He said, “Zhang Chong expected you to arrive the Farm and was trying to trick you into the encampment. In fact, he was trying to kill you. But luckily, you didn’t take the bait.”
“I was trying to stall the time and send someone back to Tanyang to inform you. I have even thought of a more extreme way to save the farmers. But I didn’t expect Yuwen Tong would suddenly appear and deterred the patrols.”
Ling Zhaowen said, “We really need to thank him. Just now he…”
“He was joking. Uncle, don’t worry about it,” Ling Zhang said.
Ling Zhaowen nodded, “It seems that he is not like the kind of ungrateful person who looks down on people.”
Ling Zhang’s eyes glinted, “Who knows? We can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Ling Zhaowen patted Ling Zhang on shoulder and said, “Anyway, he saved you. If he is really as bad as the rumors stated, I will cancel this engagement for you.”
‘But what if he is not a bad guy? Would uncle let him marry Yuwen Tong?’
“Uncle, no matter what kind of person he is, I think we can’t match their family. So it is better for us to…”
“Bullshit, you are so perfect. Why do you think you can’t match him? Don’t belittle yourself!” Ling Zhaowen said harshly.
Although Ling Zhang was very moved when he heard his uncle’s words, he really didn’t want to marry such a dignitary. At this moment, self-mockery was a wise approach to save himself.
“Uncle, Yuwen Tong…”
“Young master, Old Master told you to be quick.”
He had hardly finished when he was interrupted.
“I think your grandfather appreciates Yuwen Tong.” Ling Zhaowen’s words really shocked Ling Zhang.
“Didn’t he arrive only this morning? Why did Grandfather appreciate him so soon?” Ling Zhang asked with a puzzled look.
“It is difficult to break off the engagement, as you are now an adult. And your grandfather always wants to help you facilitate this engagement as soon as possible. Moreover, he is the best Marshal of Great Yue, a man of many merits that is hard not to be appreciate by your grandfather,” Ling Zhaowen said.
What he didn’t mention was that if he didn’t know in advance what happened in Ling Zhang’s dream, he would now be satisfied with Yuwen Tong, too.
As soon as Ling Zhang thought of how Yuwen Tong teased him many times today, he felt that Yuwen Tong was not a reliable person. What advantages did he have to make Grandfather like him so much?
“Change your clothes, and I should go first,” Ling Zhaowen said. Meanwhile he called Maomao, “Maomao, let’s go.”
Ling Maomao answered and followed his father obediently.
Ling Zhang freshened up and changed his clothes. He pondered how to change his grandfather’s mind while walking towards the front hall.
Before he reached the front hall, his grandfather’s bright and clear laughter spread out. Ling Zhang had not heard his grandfather laugh so happily for a long time.
He paused, not wanting to interrupt his grandfather’s laughter. Didn’t he survive from the purgatory to make his family live well?
Ling Zhang wondered what on earth Yuwen Tong said to his grandfather.
“Zhang’er, come over here.” The happy voice of Ling Xingzhong came from inside.
Ling Zhang walked in and said, “Grandfather.” Then he greeted to Yuwen Tong in a cold voice, “Lord.”
“Don’t be so stiff. In the view of the relationship between our two family, you’d better call me brother,” Yuwen Tong said. Little brother Zhang? Big brother Tong? What the fuck? Ling Zhang’s face froze.
Ling Xingzhong interrupted Ling Zhang’s silence with a frown, “Zhang’er, what are you waiting for?”
“Grandfather, I was shocked by the Lord. I dare not to call him like this.” Ling Zhang gnashed his teeth on the sly.
“Brother Zhang, you are overcautious. Don’t be punctilious. What are you afraid of?” Yuwen Tong said.
Brother Zhang, brother Zhang, were you crazy? Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong.
“Cough, Zhang’er?” Ling Xingzhong said.
Having noticed that a dark look formed on his grandfather’s face, he had an unspoken grievance. Alright, alright, I was just going to call him brother, for goodness’s sake! There was nothing to lose.
“Brother,” Ling Zhang said with his teeth gnashed.
Yuwen Tong’s eyes were brightened then he said, “Since you call me brother, any business of yours is mine too. I will protect your forever as long as I am alive.”
Ling Zhang looked at Yuwen Tong in surpise after hearing his words. Everyone knew that Yuwen Tong was a man who acted on what he said. So it was a promise he made, not a joke. But why, why did Yuwen Tong made this promise? Ling Zhang was confused at this moment. He really didn’t understand why Yuwen Tong did this.
Ling Zhang was very confused.
“Zhang’er, why don’t you appreciate the Lord?” Ling Xingzhong frowned. ‘Ling Zhang is by no means an absent-minded boy. What’s wrong with him?’
“Never mind, brother Zhang must be tired,” Yuwen Tong said, keeping staring at Ling Zhang.
Ling Zhang looked down and said, “Thank you, brother.”
Whether he meant it or not, just as he himself said, it just depended on what he did.
So Ling Zhang told himself not to be rash and not to disappoint his grandfather.
After a while, Ling Zhaowen and Fu Caiwei appeared with Ling Maomao.
Since Yuwen Tong had already met Fu Caiwen in the morning, Fu was not strange to him.
He knew that Ling Family was a small family without many rules like other large families. He also knew that Ling Zhang’s aunt, Fu Caiwei, was also very important to Ling Zhang.
“It’s all home-made food, please don’t mind,” Ling Zhaowen said.
“How very kind of you! Uncle Ling. I like home-made food. When I was in the border military camp, I ate the same home-made food, too. On the contrary, I am not accustomed to the food of wealthy family,” Yuwen Tong said.
Yuwen Tong could please whoever he wanted to. Ling Zhangwen immediately had a good impression on Yuwen Tong after hearing Yuwen Tong call him uncle and his polite words.
The difference between the aggressive Yuwen Tong, who was majestic in the woods during the day, and the amiable one, who was talking happily with his grandfather and uncle, was too big. Ling Zhang had mixed feelings when he thought about this.
The topic soon changed to what happened at the border. Even Ling Maomao and Fu Caiwei were totally absorbed in the story. Seeing this scene, Ling Zhang felt the meal in his mouth was almost insipid.
Yuwen Tong glanced at Ling Zhang, and spooned a meatball into Ling Zhang’s bowl.
Others didn’t notice what Yuwen Tong had done, because their attention was still focused on what Yuwen Tong had said. Ling Zhang stared at the meatball in his bowl for a long time before he reacted. He suddenly turned his head at Yuwen Tong.
How did Yuwen Tong know his taste?
This meatball was made by his aunt, so this dish suited his taste; the only dish he could taste even when he was absent-minded.
Yuwen Tong noticed Ling Zhang’s gaze, so he gave Ling Zhang a questioning look, “Is it not enough?”
Ling Zhang withdrew his eyes from Yuwen Tong. He looked at the meatball in his bowl, feeling ambivalent.
“What’s wrong with you, Zhang’er? Why don’t you eat?” Fu Caiwei asked. She noticed Ling Zhang was staring blankly at the meatball in his bowl. Ling Zhang hurriedly pretended to be all right and said, “I was fascinated by what you were saying.”
“Ha-ha-ha,” Ling Xingzhong laughed, “I am really looking forward to such a life when I heard you talking about border affairs. It is a pity for a man who didn’t go to the battlefield to defend the territory and make no contributions.”
“Oh, Lord Ling, you shouldn’t have! A man doesn’t have to go to the battlefield to defend their territory. As long as it is for the welfare of the people, it is also helping to defend the country. I have heard from my grandfather that you made extraordinary achievements in benefiting the people when you held the post of Shilang (Vice Minister).”
Really? That he didn’t know. Ling Zhang couldn’t help but turn to his grandfather.
