Ger, So Proud

Chapter 65

“Bringing disgrace upon the family!” The taller elder, half-hunched, pointed a trembling finger at He Ze and Lin Yu.

“Who are they?”

He Ze didn’t look away, only gently smoothing Lin Yu’s soft hair. He could guess that these were Lin family members, but he didn’t know their exact identities.

Although the Lin family had settled in He Family Village for a long time, they were still considered outsiders. They lived in a relatively remote part of the village, and due to Lin Yu’s father’s situation, few villagers interacted with them. Those who did could be counted on one hand.

If it weren’t for this, the Lin family wouldn’t have struggled so much after the incident with Wu Cui.

Lin Yu glanced over the group, pursing his lips before speaking, “The one speaking is Lin Tiangui. The one next to him is his wife surnamed Liu. You saw Li Shanfeng last time, remember? The young one in the back is the eldest of the Lin family, and that’s his husband.”

Lin Yu’s voice was calm, but his lips were pale.

He hated these people, hated them appearing in front of He Ze, and hated himself even more—for his own helplessness.

If only they were bears…

Lin Yu lowered his eyes, hiding the hatred in them. His hands clenched unconsciously, but the next second, someone took hold of his hand.

It was as if the Lin family members were completely ignored.

He Ze carefully pried open Lin Yu’s fingers, then pointed to the red marks on his palm. “Bright red. This is the first time I’ve looked at them closely.”

He had seen similar marks on Li Shi and He An’s hands but hadn’t paid much attention.

Before he finished speaking, He Ze smiled at Lin Yu. The latter had no time to react before He Ze lifted his hand and kissed it.

The palm felt so warm.

“He Ze—”

Lin Yu quickly pulled his hand back, instinctively glancing towards the courtyard gate.

At this moment, the four individuals were all glaring angrily at him. Lin Tiangui’s mouth was twitching, one hand clutching his chest, while Liu Shi supported him, clearly infuriated.

(T/N: shi is not the name in Liu Shi. It refers to someone who is married.)

The embarrassment and annoyance in Lin Yu’s heart dissipated instantly. Seeing the nearly distorted faces of the people in front of him, he felt an unusual sense of satisfaction.

“Father, look at this! Does Yu-ge still regard you as his grandfather? In broad daylight, he’s fooling around with a wild man. He doesn’t even show us any respect, calling us by our full names. If Er Lang were still here and knew how his precious ger was treating you…”

“Shut up!” He Ze’s face darkened completely. He grasped Lin Yu’s hand firmly and gave Lin Daliang a cold, piercing look. “Lin Yu and I are engaged. Watch your mouth, or you’ll end up like Wu Cui, who had her tongue cut off by a ghost.”

“You—”

Lin Dazou swallowed hard, his eyes darting around nervously. He wanted to retort, but Li Shanfeng tugged at his sleeve, and he finally remained silent.

“Engaged? What kind of engagement?”

Seeing his eldest son retreat in fear, Liu Shi snorted, hands on his hips as he took two steps forward. “Zhang Su! Zhang Su, you shameless person, get out here! Zhang Su, Zhang Su…”

Lin Yu clenched his teeth and abruptly shook off He Ze’s hand, stepping in front of Liu Shi. “My dad isn’t here. Stop calling for him!”

“How dare you speak to me like that? Just as I thought, you’re an ungrateful wretch raised by that ger!” Liu Shi’s eyes flashed with disdain, but he quickly laughed, “Not here? Isn’t that him coming out now?”

Lin Yu turned around and saw Zhang Su emerging from the house. “Dad…”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Zhang Su glanced at the group, gently patting Lin Yu’s hand.

The sky darkened further, the cold wind cutting like a knife. The last flicker of flame in the brazier wavered and finally went out.

“Zhang Su, do you still recognize me? After all these years, you still have that seductive look. Even Yu-ge is…” Liu Shi’s words were cut short as a leaf fell into his collar, cutting his neck. He grabbed at it and found his hand covered in blood, his face turning pale.

The leaf was sharp, and with just a slight touch, it had cut a small gash in his neck.

He Ze glanced at him impassively, then stepped over to Lin Yu and Zhang Su.

Seeing blood on Liu Shi’s neck, the other three hurried over. “Dad, are you alright? This is…”

“Are you alright?”

“Dad, I told you and Father not to come, but you insisted. Now look, as soon as we arrive, we encounter bad luck!” Li Shanfeng rolled up his sleeves to help Liu Shi wipe the blood, slightly easing Liu Shi’s expression.

“Bad luck? Maybe it’s retribution. A single leaf nearly cut your throat. How much evil have you committed?” He Ze sneered, wrapping his arm around Lin Yu’s shoulder.

“You—”

“I know who you are. Shanfeng told me. You’re He Youcai’s son, right?” Lin Tiangui’s anger had not completely subsided, but he was noticeably calmer than before.

He clasped his hands behind his back, looking at He Ze with his cloudy eyes, yet exuding the authority of the head of the household.

However, He Ze was not part of the Lin family.

He Ze’s voice was calm. “Yes, what do you want?”

“I don’t presume to give advice, but I’ve heard you’ve studied in town for many years. You should be a reasonable person. This is a Lin family matter, and as an outsider, shouldn’t you refrain from interfering?”

“Lin family matter? Which Lin family? What matter? Eight years ago, you expelled Lin Yu and his dad from the Lin family, declaring they had no further ties with you. The entire He Family Village can attest to that. Are you now saying your words were meaningless?”

“You brat!” Lin Tiangui couldn’t help but shout, taking several deep breaths before continuing, “There’s no point in arguing with you. ‘Lin’ is a name we share. No matter what happened in the past, Lin Yu has Lin family blood in his veins. He was born a Lin and will die a Lin!”

“Wishful thinking. One may share a name, but does that mean the famous General Lin is related to you too? Your shamelessness knows no bounds,” He Ze retorted, his smile widening. Lin Yu looked up at him, feeling his heart gradually calm down. This was the first time he had seen He Ze so sharp-tongued. Was this what it felt like to be protected?

“You’re nothing but a lying brat! Father, we shouldn’t waste words on him!” Lin Dazuo stepped forward to support Lin Tiangui before the latter could speak, his gaze sweeping over He Ze, Lin Yu, and Zhang Su. “Zhang Su, consider what my father said. Lin Yu has Lin family blood. Even if Er Lang died young, our parents are still here. You can’t decide Yu-ge’s marriage on your own. We heard about this from the villagers…”

The news of He Youcai proposing marriage yesterday had spread like wildfire in the village, with all sorts of rumors circulating. It wasn’t surprising that the Lin family had heard so quickly.

At the mention of “Er Lang” and “died young,” Zhang Su’s eyes reddened. He clenched his hands tightly, veins bulging on the backs of his hands, and after a long moment, he asked calmly, “So, what exactly do you want?”

“What a question! Father and dad want to take Yu-ge back to the Lin family and find him a proper match. As for you, if you don’t want to return, so be it.”

Zhang Su’s demeanor had changed; he was no longer the submissive person he once was. There was no point in taking her back. But Lin Yu was a different matter.

Who knows what thoughts crossed Li Shanfeng’s mind, but his eyes flickered slightly.

“Find another match? You want to find another match for Xiao Yu?” He Ze laughed angrily, his grip on Lin Yu’s shoulder tightening.

“Don’t get upset, young He. Your engagement with Yu-ge doesn’t count without our parents’ approval! You’re still young and handsome. Wouldn’t it be better for He Youcai to find you another match?” Li Shanfeng suggested.

Find another match???

“Li Shanfeng, I can decide my own marriage. Instead of worrying about He Ze, you should worry about your own sons!”

Li Shanfeng’s two sons had been affected by the Lin family’s bad reputation. The eldest was twenty-five or twenty-six, and the younger one was twenty-one or twenty-two, yet neither had managed to marry. This was no secret in the village.

“Lin Yu, you shameless thing! I’m trying to be kind, and you insult your own cousin! Say another word, and I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Li Shanfeng’s face turned red as Lin Yu hit a sore spot. “From the moment I saw your face, I knew you and your dad were no good…”

The more Li Shanfeng spoke, the nastier his words became. He Ze’s eyes turned icy, colder than the weather. He suddenly covered Lin Yu’s ears with his hands. “Don’t listen to that mad person.”

“…Mm.”

Lin Yu nodded silently, a faint smile playing on his lips, which made He Ze smile too.

He Ze’s “mad person” was loud enough for everyone to hear. Zhang Su, who had been leaning forward, straightened up and gently rubbed the crescent-shaped nail marks on his hand. Seeing the sweet interaction between the two, he suddenly felt at peace.

How could he have forgotten what kind of people the Lin family were? Arguing with them was pointless and only made them a laughingstock.

But this couldn’t go on… no, he needed to think of a solution.

Li Shanfeng naturally heard everything clearly, and with eyes glaring, he started cursing at He Ze. Even Liu Shi joined in, making it a spectacle of two people yelling like shrews.

Lin Tiangui and Lin Dazuo, the two men, stood by watching without a hint of shame.

Truly, it was a case of birds of a feather flocking together—except for his deceased father-in-law, Lin Bian, and Xiao Yu.

“Where’s your bow?”

“Bow?” Lin Yu looked puzzled.

“The game you played with He Bao’er last time, remember?” He Ze raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to Lin Yu. “This family is too troublesome, but don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“…It’s on the table in the room.” He had been cleaning arrows before his dad forced him to learn needlework.

“Good. Cheer up and think of it as barking dogs. Today, your husband will teach them a lesson.”

As He Ze finished speaking, there came a faint barking sound from the corner. Lin Yu turned to see Wang Ji, their dog, with its paws on the small wooden door, poking its furry head out. It looked at them and then barked at the Lin family.

“This dog is really smart. See, it wants to help you!”

He Ze gently pinched Lin Yu’s earlobe, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and then headed towards the room.

Moments later, an arrow whizzed past Li Shanfeng’s ear, embedding itself into a crack in the courtyard wall.

Finally, peace.

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