Espionage: I became sworn brothers with Zheng Yaoxian at the beginning, and became the Seventh Broth

Chapter Thirty-Six: A Wise Old Man Sees the Common People at a Glance

My younger sister is never well-behaved in front of Ye Shaohong.

One moment she was like a bird returning to its nest, the next she revealed her true nature.

He began to thoroughly search through the luggage Ye Shaohong had brought back, while also calling out to him with an anxious expression.

"Second brother, second brother, where's my gift?"

"When you came back last time, you promised me that you would bring me French perfume this time."

"Why can't I find it?"

Ye Shaohong couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of that sly yet slightly angry expression.

With a twist of his wrist, a beautifully packaged cardboard box the size of a palm was revealed.

"Little girl, look what this is?"

"Oh, perfume!"

"Give it to me, give it to me!"

After longing for it for so long, she finally got what she wanted. The little girl's expression became even more anxious, but Ye Shaohong still wouldn't give it to her.

His arm was raised high, the box containing the perfume held above his head.

This elicited a burst of giggles from the little girl.

"Second brother, you're so naughty!"

"Don't think I can't get it just like that, you'll see."

The little girl giggled, then suddenly took a few steps back, leaped onto Ye Shaohong's back, and while Ye Shaohong bent over to relax, the mischievous little girl had already grabbed the cardboard box.

She got what she wanted, but she also fell right into Ye Shaohong's trap.

Just as the little girl got the perfume and was about to let go, Ye Shaohong beat her to it, reaching back to hug her thighs and then running around the courtyard with abandon.

This caused the little girl to burst into laughter again.

Just then, a beautiful young woman in her twenties came out after hearing the noise.

Upon spotting the two people laughing and frolicking in the courtyard, the beautiful young woman immediately smiled.

She did not speak to stop the two siblings from their antics.

He just stood quietly to the side and watched.

Ye Shaohong was exhausted from running, and a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. Only then did Ye Shaoying, the eldest sister of the Ye family, walk down the steps with a smile.

She took out an exquisite Suzhou embroidered handkerchief from her bosom, disregarding the difference between men and women, and began to wipe the sweat from Ye Shaohong's forehead. At the same time, she began to complain.

They said Ye Shaohong doted on his younger sister too much, and that now that she had entered the family, why didn't she immediately go to pay her respects to her parents?

They also inquired about Ye Shaohong's health with concern.

She didn't mention herself at all.

Her gentle and virtuous appearance was just like that of a lady from a noble family in classical books.

The three siblings chatted and laughed as they entered the Ye family mansion.

Finally, in the main hall of the third courtyard, they saw their father settling accounts with the shopkeeper.

Seeing Ye Shaohong stride closer, Ye Shaohong's father, the younger generation head of the Ye family, merely glanced up at him.

"came back?"

"Go to the backyard and see your mother. Although you haven't been away from home for long, she has been missing you terribly."

"Go see her, be sensible, and say a few words to make her happy."

This is the Chinese way of a patriarch. No matter how old his children are or how successful they are outside, when they come home, in his eyes they are still the same children who have never grown up.

And they always tend to ramble on a bit.

As soon as his father finished speaking, the shopkeepers who were settling accounts in the hall quickly put down their ledgers and abacuses, smiled and bowed to Ye Shaohong, addressing him as "Young Master."

Ye Shaohong was also very polite.

The uncles and elders responded, inevitably engaging in another round of polite exchanges.

After a few words, Ye Shaohong finally managed to slip away, following behind his eldest sister and pulling his younger sister into the inner courtyard.

The mother had already learned of Ye Shaohong's return from the servants.

She stood eagerly at the entrance of the inner courtyard. Upon seeing her beloved daughter, the matriarch of the Ye family and the eldest daughter of the Jiangshan Ouyang family, a radiant smile immediately appeared on her face.

She walked quickly to Ye Shaohong and looked her son up and down.

One minute she's thinner, the next she's darker.

There is an indescribable heartache and pity.

In this atmosphere, Ye Shaohong also developed genuine feelings. Although his soul did not belong to this world, his sincere emotions could not be erased.

Ye Shaohong is not a cold-blooded and heartless person.

He quickly adapted to the roles of son, younger brother, and older brother.

The family of four talked about what had happened during this time in the room, and before they knew it, more than half an hour had passed.

Then Ye Shaohong's father, Ye Ming, slowly walked in after finishing discussing the shop's accounts in the front hall. When he saw Ye Shaohong still talking to his mother and sister, Ye Ming's face immediately darkened.

"Nonsense!"

"Letting you go back to the backyard to visit your mother is a matter of human kinship, but don't forget that you still have your elders in this house."

"You've been back for so long, don't you know to go visit your grandfather?"

"He's so old, do you still want him to come see you?"

As soon as Ye Ming said this, the once cheerful and lively inner courtyard immediately fell silent.

The younger sister stuck out her tongue silently and quietly moved behind her elder sister.

As if just realizing something, the mother slapped her forehead in annoyance and hurriedly urged Ye Shaohong to enter the mansion.

She then got up and went to the kitchen with her older and younger sisters. She was going to prepare a meal for Ye Shaohong that she had cooked herself.

Ye Shaohong was not surprised by this scene. Although it was now the Republic of China, the Ye family still valued the customs and virtues passed down from China for five thousand years.

He quickly got up and apologized to Ye Ming.

Then, obediently, she followed Ye Ming into the Ye family mansion.

Finally, we arrived at a quiet and peaceful courtyard.

Unlike the pavilions and towers in the previous courtyards, this small courtyard only has two small rooms, and the surrounding open space is planted with flowers, trees and shrubs.

Even in early spring, just after winter, the courtyard does not feel empty or desolate.

A few scattered flowers are still in bloom.

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in coarse linen clothes, was watering the flowers and plants with a watering can in one hand. Hearing footsteps, the old man didn't turn around, but his deep, resonant laughter rang out first.

"Shao Hong is back?"

"Come and see how my two potted plants are blooming!"

There were no questions or accusations, only an extreme composure and tenderness in the tranquility of life. His two simple sentences, falling into Ye Shaohong's ears, immediately brought tears to Ye Shaohong's eyes.

"grandfather!"

"Your grandson is back. Your grandson has come to see you."

After taking a few steps, Ye Shaohong knelt down on the ground with a thud. His voice trembled as he spoke, and he kowtowed three times on the ground.

"Good good!"

"My grandson is back! I'm so happy today, I have to have a few drinks with you."

As the white-haired old man spoke, he slowly put down the kettle in his hand, then turned around to look at Ye Shaohong.

He merely glanced at it, and his cloudy, yellowish eyes immediately shone with a brilliant light. Then, with a raised eyebrow, the smile on the old man's face vanished instantly.

"Shaohong, what happened during your study tour?"

"Judging from your mental state, you've killed someone?"