Chapter Seven: Let Ning Zhuo Come Home

The young patriarch of the Ning clan summoned Ning Ze once more to inquire about his progress in making contact with the Child Guest.

With no way to avoid it, Ning Ze hardened his resolve and gave his report.

Bang!

The young patriarch, Ning Xiaoren, was so infuriated that he grabbed the inkstone from his desk and hurled it straight at Ning Ze. The inkstone struck Ning Ze on the forehead, immediately drawing blood.

Ning Ze dared not wipe away the blood. His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, wailing, “Young Patriarch, it’s not that I haven’t tried my utmost. Truly, I did everything I could, but that Child Guest is utterly unyielding!”

“My abilities are far too lacking—I simply can’t accomplish this task. You overestimate me greatly, Young Patriarch. I have neither the confidence nor the skill to carry out this assignment.”

He dared not mention the matter of the Huang Family’s Three Ghosts, knowing that was entirely his own doing. In truth, he’d long wanted to rid himself of this troublesome responsibility. Now that the situation had become hopeless, he made up his mind to simply admit defeat—to frankly confess he could not do it.

“You... you... you!” The young patriarch’s finger trembled with rage, and for a moment, he could not find the words to berate Ning Ze for his evasiveness. Leaning back in his chair, he took a long moment to catch his breath before waving his hand dismissively. “A simple errand like this, and you still fail? Very well, I’ll entrust it to someone else. Get out! Looking at your useless face gives me a headache.”

Ning Ze hurriedly took his leave, but as he reached the door, the young patriarch called out to him again.

“Wait!”

Ning Ze’s heart skipped a beat. He turned and bowed. “What are your instructions, Young Patriarch?”

The young patriarch softened his tone. “I’ve reviewed the roster for the coming examination—Ning Zhuo is listed.”

“He placed thirty-first this time. As his uncle, what do you have to say for yourself?”

A pained smile stretched across Ning Ze’s face. “Speaking of Xiao Zhuo, I’m deeply troubled, Young Patriarch.”

“The child’s grown up and thinks himself capable. After the exam yesterday, he quarreled with my wife and me.”

“Sigh, perhaps because he lost his parents young, we haven’t done enough for him, and so his temperament is odd and withdrawn. He’s very stubborn, refuses to take shortcuts or let us pull strings for him, saying it would shame him.”

The young patriarch’s gaze sharpened. “Oh?”

“Ning Ze, you know well: Ning Zhuo’s father, Ning Zhong—your own brother—was my savior. I promised his parents I’d look after Ning Zhuo and support his cultivation.”

“A child may not understand, but don’t tell me you still don’t?”

Ning Ze bowed low. “Young Patriarch, I understand your meaning. I will return at once and try to persuade Ning Zhuo to change his mind.”

“Good!” The young patriarch waved his hand, issuing a final ultimatum. “If you can’t handle this trivial matter, then you’re not fit to remain in charge of procurement!”

With a heart weighed down by a heavy stone, Ning Ze returned home, his face clouded.

His wife, Wang Lan, was startled at the sight of his injury. “Husband, how did you get hurt?”

“It was the young patriarch, of course,” Ning Ze sighed.

His wife, indignant, exclaimed, “That Ning Xiaoren is unbelievable! If he’s so capable, let him recruit the Child Guest himself. All he does is trouble his subordinates.”

Muttering complaints, she tended gently to the wound on Ning Ze’s forehead.

The sting of the medicine made Ning Ze’s mouth twitch. He snorted. “At least... I managed to toss that hot potato away in the process.”

“But Ning Xiaoren has entrusted me with another matter.”

“Sigh, it’s that wretched business with Xiao Zhuo!”

He gave her a brief account.

Upon hearing it, his wife bristled like an angry cat. “What? We’re really supposed to spend money to pull strings and get him into the family business?”

“No, I refuse!”

“Do you know how much that would cost?”

“We’ve raised him all these years—it wasn’t easy. Now we’re supposed to spend even more?”

Ning Ze sighed. “He attends the academy without paying tuition; all we provide are a few living expenses. That’s hardly anything.”

“Besides, his mother left a sum of money before she died.”

His wife protested, “Have you forgotten? That money is ours!”

“Back then, as Ning Zhuo’s mother lay on her sickbed, she held my hand and gave me that sum. You were there, as were several elders. She made it clear: the money wasn’t for Ning Zhuo’s care, it was a token of gratitude for us!”

“That money is ours to use as we see fit.”

Ning Ze gave a cold laugh. “Exactly. And that’s why we can’t treat Xiao Zhuo unfairly.”

“I am his uncle, after all. He placed thirty-first this time. If I don’t look out for him, what will people say?”

His wife, gritting her teeth and raising her brows, refused to yield. “You want to hand over such a large sum? You might as well kill me now.”

“That troublesome brat and that greedy Ning Xiaoren—they’re both the worst!”

“Husband, can’t you see? Ning Xiaoren only singled you out because he wants a bribe, wants you to go through his channels to arrange Ning Zhuo’s place in the family business.”

“You know what kind of person he is and what he’s after. He’s petty, cold, heartless—whatever public promises he makes, he’ll forget by tomorrow if it suits him.”

“We used to think our connection made things easier, but any time we’ve turned to him for help, he’s either dodged responsibility or demanded money.”

“Remember how much he extorted from us when we sought his help to get you the procurement position? Three times what others paid!”

“Now he just wants to use Ning Zhuo as another excuse to bleed us dry.”

“If he truly cared about repaying his debt of gratitude, why hasn’t he visited or cared for Ning Zhuo even once in all these years? If he really wanted to help, he could personally see to it that Xiao Zhuo enters the family business—he is the young patriarch, after all.”

“Hypocrite! Utterly hypocritical!”

Ning Ze let out a long sigh. “You think I don’t see it? His meaning is clear—if I don’t take this opportunity to curry favor, to give him a gift, he’ll strip me of my position.”

His wife could hardly believe it. “Husband, are you really going to give in? Let him extort us like this?”

“You have a son too. Ji’er also needs to cultivate, also needs resources. What can we give him? We can’t even provide him pastries from the Golden Banquet Hall.”

Ning Ze’s face darkened. “Nonsense!”

“That Golden Dew Cake isn’t something even the chief steward eats as a snack!”

“Don’t worry—let me think this over carefully.”

Ning Ze was filled with aversion to the idea of spending money and pulling strings to get Ning Zhuo into the family business. Unlike his wife Wang Lan, it wasn’t the money he begrudged, but his own pride.

After falling out with Ning Zhuo, who was so stubborn, how could Ning Ze then go out of his way to secure him a position? Was that the act of an elder?

It was nothing short of servitude.