Chapter 8: Family Get Together
Xiao Yun pushed the now calmer Qin Lan as both of them made their way over to the private courtyard belonged to the third elder's branch of families. Because she was exerting some energy to push the wheelchair as they're moving forward, a thin layer of blush can be seen on both of her cheeks.
Furthermore, she was still slightly affected by the embarrassment earlier.
As a servant, it is forbidden for her to develop a romantic feeling towards her young master. Putting the gossip aside, those that were married into the family this way usually have a lower social status compared to the others.
But any forbidden thought is bound to be broken eventually.
"Oh my heaven... How can our young master look so dashing just now? That medicine fragrance... Is he a pill master in secret? But I remember that he was crippled by that bad expert that day..." Xiao Yun's mind kept running around wildly as they made their way towards the third elder's courtyard.
"Xiao Yun," Qin Lan's call wakes her up from her daydreaming.
"Ah?" her wandering soul finally returned to her petite, demure body.
"We have to turn left here, not straight." Qin Lan said.
"Y - Yes!" she quickly turned the wheelchair towards the left and continued. Close to ten minutes later, both of them entered a much more lavish courtyard with plenty of golden decorations.
"Move aside! The third young master is here!" Xiao Yun's words made the other servants moved aside and opened a path for both of them to move forward.
"Young master..." Xiao-Ke was bleeding on his forehead, cracked lips, and nose. But all those injuries did not stop him from greeting his respected young master.
"What is the problem here?" Qin Lan questioned. He stuffed a Blood Clotting Pill into Xiao-Ke's mouth as he used that opportunity to adjust the wheelchair slightly.
Xiao-Ke is still clueless about what he just swallowed. But the warm sensation that came from his stomach has started to help him to recover his strength and wounds while his young master questioned the servants.
"Reporting to the third young master. The fight started just now because somebody mentioned something about him having it easy for working with a cripple." someone answered while hiding amongst the crowd.
"Ah! So, from what you mean, a cripple like me has less work for him to do, correct?" Qin Lan, who's still acting like he was a cripple, decided to give these groups of the servant a lesson they will never forget.
"We dare not to speak ill of the third young master." they bowed before Qin Lan, afraid that he will be angered. But inside their heart, none of those present here has a hint of respect towards Qin Lan, due to immobility to walk by himself.
"It's been quite long that I am getting holed up inside our family's private courtyard. What about we have a bet here?" Qin Lan struggles to reach his hand inside his sleeve's pocket and took a bottle of medicinal pill out. If there was a reward for acting, perhaps those gifts would have all been won by him already.
"There are fifty Flesh Foundation Pills inside here. For those that managed to push me around this courtyard once, I'll reward you with a pill until there's no more. What do all of you say?" Qin Lan shook the bottle to show his generosity.
The servants looked at one another, and even before the count of an incense stick of time started, more than half of them had queued and ready to push Qin Lan forward.
"One by one. I'm looking forward to your performance." Qin Lan smiled. And nobody felt a shiver that coursed through their body, except Xiao-Ke and Xiao Yun.
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"What is happening there? They're so lively," Qin Huang and Qin Hu returned to their family's courtyard to found out that all of their servants are gathering around the core garden for some entertainment.
It is even more puzzling to them when close to ten servants have collapsed on the ground catching their breath like they just escaped from getting chased by a tiger.
"This is disappointing. To think that the servant that our Qin Household is so weak. Even Xiao Yun could push me from my courtyard to here without losing her breath." Qin Lan shows an expression of disappointment as he remained seated in the wheelchair.
"Next!" he said. The sixteenth servant merely pushed him ten steps further before he fell down onto the ground. Worst of all, he even vomited what he ate this morning from using too much force when pushing the wheelchair.
"Third brother," both Qin Huang and Qin Hu greets Qin Lan. Although they're all at the same age, Qin Lan's status as the third to be born into the family has a higher social standing compared to them.
Especially to Qin Huang, who's mother is still working as an entertainer at a nearby teahouse because his father forced himself on her fifteen years ago.
Although there's no follow up after his father's "good deed," his animalistic act can be said to be similar to the idiom "kicking the monk aside after the ceremonial rites." The woman whom his father disgraced and sullied still ends up on the street working to feed herself.
"Ah, sixth and seventh brother, it's been quite long we've last met. I believe both of you are healthy as always. Next!" Qin Lan greeted both of them as he ousted the seventeenth challenger.
"Sixth brother is curious. What is my beloved third brother doing here?" Qin Huang inquired.
"Well, the servants got caught into a small fight because they're comparing about who gets it easier while serving a cripple like me. So we're now having a friendly competition to see who can push me around the courtyard."
"But looks like none of them is better than my little Xiao Yun here. She just pushed me from my courtyard till here without even a bead of sweat is rolling down." Qin Lan's hand shivered as he tried to stuff the bottle of Flesh Foundation Pills into her hand.
"Stand up! What a group of disgraceful monkeys you are!" Qin Hu's short fuse was ignited after he listened to what Qin Lan said. How can not even a single person manage to push Qin Lan around their courtyard?
"Xiao-Ke, push me around while I chat with my siblings here, would you?" Qin Lan revealed a tired and disappointed expression as he invited his so-called siblings to have a talk with him as they appreciate the scenery.
"Sixth brother, seventh brother, please forgive your third brother for not able to walk side by side with both of you as we appreciate the lotus pond and koi river." Qin Lan's polite and well-mannered speech brought them into his flow as they start.
Xiao Yun remained where she stands earlier as the group of female servants came to her side immediately.contemporary romance
"Big sister Yun!"
"Elder sister."
"Yun sis."
Her status amongst the female servants was elevated from a few words of Qin Lan. With that bottle of fifty Flesh Foundation Pills in her hand, her name echoed even louder amongst the male servants.
"Why can't I see how beautiful is sister Yun before this? Look at her rosy cheek and ample breast line... I'll go to the mountain and slaughter the entire pack of wolves just to impress her," one of the male servants said.
"Keep dreaming. You can't even kill a fish properly." another servant added.
"Do you think she's interested in me before this? She was standing behind me all the time as we're making the breakfast this morning."
"Bah! That's because you're hogging two fire stoves and left nothing for us to use! Can't you try to use your pee to look at your own face before you talk?"
"Both of you are like coal pointing at charcoal competing who's darker. There are no differences."
"And you? Pot saying kettle is black."
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"From what I've seen, our third brother is recovering very well. Eldest grandfather must be delighted if he sees the three of us walking side by side now," Qin Huang said.
"It was thanks to our fellow brother's good wish. I've heard from grandfather yesterday that the annual hunting festival is going to start next month. Are both of you ready for it?" Qin Lan acted like he's cared about their preparation for the upcoming festival.
"Thank you for asking, the third brother. We'll try our best with the fourth and fifth sister, and also the eighth brother to bring an excellent result back," Qin Hu replied. He wanted to made the sound of arrogance before this third brother but decided it wasn't worth the effort.
"What makes the siblings get together today?" a middle-aged lady in her forties appeared with two young maidens following her from behind.
"Qin Lan, (Qin Huang, Qin Hu) pay their respect to the sixth aunt." they greeted the lady as she came closer to the three young masters.
"Third brother, sixth brother, and seventh brother," the two maidens greeted their older and younger siblings of the same generation.
"Fourth and fifth sisters are getting more beautiful." Qin Lan jokes.
"Xiao Qin, Xiao Qi, accompany your siblings for a moment while your mother meets with your grandfather." Qin Hua gracefully excused her as she left her daughters with the three boys.
"If our fourth and fifth sisters don't mind, please be a guest of our third elder's courtyard and enjoy a cup of tea as we talk inside," said Qin Huang. There was a slight hint of lust from his eyes, eying at the sister's pair of ample melons.
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(Author's Recap: The first son and the second son of Qin Tian died early without offspring. His third son, Qin Yuan, has three children. Qin Fan, 19, Qin Chan, 17, both in the nearby sect, which will be introduced later, along with Qin Tian's fourth son, Qin Xuan. Qin Xuan's son is Qin Lin, the eighth and youngest of Qin Lan's generation.
Qin Long is the fifth in the parent's generation, and also the only son of the third elder [Also note: The third elder don't screw around, but his son, Qin Long, learned from the first elder, lolz] and father of Qin Huang and Qin Hu.
Then it's the first elder's only daughter, Qin Hua, who is now being introduced, with her two daughters, the fourth and fifth of Qin Lan's generation. Fellow readers also have to remember that the second and fourth elder's family are disowned for some reason and will be introduced later in the story)
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done.co