NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
Upon hearing this news, Liang Jue’s servant hurriedly and clumsily tidied up his hair, in his panic, several beautiful strands of hair were pulled out.
Liang Jue didn’t have time to blame him, and he didn’t even care about the pain. He just focused on straightening his slightly disheveled clothes and put on a smiling face to greet Shen Meng’s nominally biological father.
Before seeing the person, his sharp voice reached Liang Jue’s ears.
“I’ve always heard that the Duke’s family nurtures outstanding individuals, and the young men they produce are all exceptional. Not only handsome and talented but also virtuous and courteous. Now it seems that rumors are indeed not entirely trustworthy.”
The one speaking was not Shen Meng’s stepfather, Mr. Shen Li, but a middle-aged man dressed in gold and silver beside him. He was dressed as a servant, and from the color of his clothes, he belonged to the top-tier servants. Judging by his age, he should be Shen Li’s attentive servant.
As long as one’s ears were not deaf, even a fool could hear the sarcasm in his words. Liang Jue’s accompanying servant immediately felt hot on his face, feeling both angry and uneasy as he looked at his master.
Of course, Liang Jue was very dissatisfied with the man’s attitude, but the man was his elder, and the word “filial piety” pressed down on his head was enough to prevent him from acting recklessly.
He wore a smile on his face, pretending he hadn’t understood anything, and said with a smile, “How coincidental that you’re here. I was just about to finish dressing up and go serve tea to my dear father.”
Shen Li didn’t speak, but the man beside him sarcastically remarked at Liang Jue, “Yes, some people really have high airs. I’ve only heard of sons-in-law paying respects to their fathers-in-law, but I’ve never heard of fathers-in-law waiting for their son-in-law for so long. And yet, they still have to come in person.”
The servant standing beside Liang Jue wanted to defend his young master: Newlyweds sometimes take a few days to come out to bed, and the mistress considers her husband’s discomfort, letting him rest properly. There was nothing wrong with that.
Shen Li, who had no business meddling, brought such a sarcastic old man with him, clearly looking for trouble.
Before he could speak, he was warned by Liang Jue’s eyes, and he swallowed all his words. Liang Jue’s face remained unchanged, still very good-natured as he spoke, “The mistress was considerate, and I overslept a bit today. I didn’t dare to meet you with a disheveled appearance. Please don’t blame me, dear father. I’ve always heard that my wife respects you very much, praising you as a kind-hearted father. But dear father, you are indeed too kind. You should know that a kind master is often taken advantage of. Some wicked servants always speak out and act before their master even says anything, doing things they shouldn’t, and even misinterpreting the master’s intentions.”
With one sentence, Liang Jue labeled Shen Li as a wicked servant who took advantage of his master. This was a big accusation. These weak masters allowed the servants to oppress them, but once someone sincerely invited them and laid out the law, and twisted their fingers, they could deal with these unruly servants.
If Shen Li was truly an unruly servant, Liang Jue would have to thank him. Unfortunately, this unruly servant was equivalent to his mouthpiece. Although his words were harsh, they represented his intentions. Liang Jue’s words were equivalent to slapping him in the face.
But Shen Li wasn’t as reckless and direct as his own stepfather, and he didn’t dare to fall out against his most promising stepdaughter over such a trivial matter.
Originally, he came today to test Liang Jue. If he was a soft persimmon that’s easy to handle, but he didn’t expect to encounter a tough nut. Shen Li had also seen the world. As soon as Liang Jue finished speaking, his face changed color alternately, but in the blink of an eye, all his displeasure disappeared, revealing a flawless kind elder expression.
He even took a few steps forward, gently took Liang Jue’s hand, and said in an affectionate reproachful tone, “Look at what you’re saying. We, fathers who raised sons, know best the hardships a young man has to endure. How could I be angry with you? I came today just to see if you’ve rested well. We don’t bother with formalities in our house. Since you’ve married into the family, don’t treat yourself as an outsider.”
Of course, Liang Jue wouldn’t treat himself as an outsider, so he just smiled and agreed. The two of them exchanged some hypocritical words, and in the end, Liang Jue warmly escorted Shen Li out by holding his hand.
Once they parted, they each changed their expressions again. Shen Li naturally comforted the aggrieved servant, “I was really wronged earlier. I thought he would be easy to deal with, but I didn’t expect him to be so cunning. I don’t know how Shen Meng got such good luck. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have agreed to this marriage.”
The servant comforted him back, “It’s not the young master’s fault. It’s that surnamed Liang’s cunning mouth. But since he’s entered the mansion and you have the status, you won’t have any trouble dealing with him.”
These two were whispering bad ideas, while the servant on the other side was asking Liang Jue, “That Master Shen Li is the young master’s mistress ‘s stepfather, and their relationship isn’t particularly good. Didn’t you say there’s no need to pay too much attention to him? Then why are you so polite to him?”