"Big Brother has returned," Lian Xiuxiu called out from the entrance of the Upper Room, her voice brimming with joy.

Old Master Lian halted his steps, turned around, and faced Lian Shouren.

"He has?" Old Master Lian scrutinized Lian Shouren from head to toe with a tone of composed calmness.

Seeing Lian Shouren return, Lian Manman followed Lian Shouxin out of the room. Lian Manman inexplicably felt that Old Master Lian’s demeanor and tone were too placid, much like the calm before a storm.

However, Lian Shouren seemed not to notice anything unusual about Old Master Lian’s attitude.

"Father," Lian Shouren stood before Old Master Lian, "It was Graduate Huang from the county town. He dragged me into conversation and didn’t allow me to return."

"Uncle, your clothes smell really nice," Lian Manman said after taking a sniff. She was two or three steps away from Lian Shouren, but she could faintly catch the scent of powder on him, along with a much stronger aroma of alcohol.

Alright, she said that on purpose.

"Come inside," Old Master Lian told Lian Shouren after tapping the bowl of his dry pipe against the sole of his shoe. He turned and headed straight for the Upper Room.

It was at that moment Lian Shouren sensed something was amiss and had no choice but to follow behind Old Master Lian.

Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, Lian Shouli, and Lady Zhao were all puzzled and followed behind, intending to enter the Upper Room. They wanted to find out what important matters Graduate Huang from the county town had discussed with Lian Shouren and whether there had been any progress regarding Lian Shouren’s donation for an official post.

"All of you, go back and rest," Old Master Lian said as he looked back at Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli.

Lian Shouyi and Lian Shouli were left with no choice but to stop.

"The two of you go rest as well," Old Master Lian addressed Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu, who were standing at the entrance of the east room, then motioned for Lian Shouren to follow him directly into the west room.

The door to the west room was promptly shut, and Lian Manman even heard the sound of it being bolted.

"Kneel down!" Those were the words Old Master Lian spoke in a lowered voice.

Those standing outside exchanged worried glances.

Then, sounds of Lian Shouren’s pained cries came from inside the west room.

Without needing to witness it with her own eyes, Lian Manman imagined Old Master Lian, unable to contain his rage, swinging his dry pipe at Lian Shouren. Old Master Lian’s defense of Lian Shouren’s dignity did not equate to approval of his actions. On the contrary, Old Master Lian was furious and had resorted to family discipline on Lian Shouren.

"Father, stop hitting me! Mother, please save me, Father is going to kill me! Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, help..." Lian Shouren’s cries for help seemed desperate, as if he was being beaten severely.

In the west room, there came the sound of objects falling to the ground; Lian Shouren apparently was trying to save himself, knocking over a table. Old Master Lian, however, would not relent, continuing to chase and scold him as he struck.

"...Have all the books you’ve read gone to the dogs? Don’t try to fool me with your fancy language. I’m not blind. Over the years, the whole family has scrimped and saved for your education, while you’ve squandered money freely. I turned a blind eye to that. Never did I expect you to start going down a wrongful path! Today, if I don’t beat you, this beast, to death, I would disgrace the ancestors of the Lian Family..."

Lian Manman secretly stuck out her tongue; Old Master Lian was truly angry this time, different from the last time he disciplined Lian Shouren.

Lian Shouren’s screams no longer sounded human.

"Old Master, open the door, are you really going to beat Eldest to death?" Lady Zhou’s face changed as she threw herself against the door of the west room, pounding on the wooden door and calling inside, "If there’s an issue, speak to him properly. He’s been studying all these years and isn’t as tough-skinned or thick-fleshed as Old Three or Old Fourth, he can’t take your beating. If you injure him, what future does our family have..."

"Father, open the door, stop hitting," Lian Xiuxiu also rushed over.

"This kind of beating really could kill someone," Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli started to panic. It wasn’t that they were slow to react, they simply hadn’t expected Old Master Lian to hit Lian Shouren. In their eyes, Lian Shouren was just late coming home and hadn’t sent word back to the family, a couple of stern words from Old Master Lian would have sufficed.

The intensity of Lian Shouren’s cries grew weaker, while the sound of Old Master Lian’s heavy breathing could be heard.

The situation inside the room made it seem as if Old Master Lian might actually beat Lian Shouren to death, and even risk his own well-being in the process.

"Oh my heavens, what’s going on, Old Master, you may not care for Eldest but think about yourself..." In her panic, Lady Zhou repeatedly slammed herself against the door. "Old Three, Old Fourth, think of something..."

"Let’s break the door down," Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli discussed briefly. Since Old Master Lian wouldn’t listen to their words, they had to resort to this.

Lady Zhang, Lady Zhao, and Lian Xiuxiu stepped forward to support Lady Zhou to the side, while Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli called out in unison "one, two, three," and charged at the door together.

In this era, things weren’t as advanced as in Lian Manman’s previous life, but they were crafted to be more substantial. The doors were made of solid wood, the real deal, and the door bolt was a single piece of wood, not something that could be compared to plywood, sawdust, or other compressed materials. Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli were both in their prime, accustomed to manual labor and physically robust. Yet, even so, it took them quite an effort before they managed to break open the door.

When the door opened, everyone rushed inside.

Inside the room, the furniture was overturned, and Lian Shouren lay curled up on the ground, while Old Master Lian supported himself with one hand on his waist and let his other arm hang limp by his side, his face flushed red, drenched in sweat. The dry pipe had slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a quiet clink.

"Oh, heaven..." Lady Zhou, upon seeing the scene, felt her legs go weak and nearly collapsed to the floor.

......********......

Recommendation for Ruoyan’s completed book "The Most Enchanting": a fantasy version of my savage girlfriend, under five hundred thousand words, of moderate length. Below is the express link, click to access directly.

Book number: 2184407 (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets, Your support is my greatest motivation.)