Chapter 4: The Grand Courtyard of the Qin Manor

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  Walking into his own home, the grand courtyard of the Qin Manor, where the twelve zodiac flags stood tall, Qin Mu Bai felt a familiar thrill and excitement, similar to when he visited his father's military base in his past life as the commander-in-chief. He felt both proud and pressured at the same time.

  To be honest, Qin Mubai has never thought of basking in the glory and achievements of his predecessors, being a second-generation rich kid, otherwise he wouldn't have taken the path of an archer athlete, it was all to open up a sky of his own to prove himself.

  This world arrived at the Tang Dynasty, still so.

  The glory and achievements of Father Qin Shubao may bring convenience to himself, but those halos always only belong to his father.

  A road, no matter how bumpy or smooth, is ultimately under your feet and can only be traversed by taking one step at a time.

  "Third Master, the old master and mistress are in the main hall of the rear residence, hurry over to pay your respects!" The servant led Qin Mubai into the large courtyard before excusing himself and withdrawing. Matters concerning the master's household were not something a servant could inquire about or observe.

  Qin Shubao was a noble national duke and a three-product general of the current dynasty, with twelve halberds standing in front of his gate, but this large courtyard was relatively simple. There were no gold and jade decorations, nor were there crowds of servants coming to greet him, and it even felt somewhat deserted and desolate.

  The large eaves and flying rafters of the tile house, along with the rough bluestone path, exude a simple and rustic charm, as well as a bold and majestic beauty. The unique robust and unadorned atmosphere of a military family's home is palpable everywhere.

  The front house was only used to entertain guests, Qin Mu Bai walked towards the back house, on the way met a few servants and maids from the mansion, most of whom just stopped briefly to bow or curtsy, unlike in Qing dynasty dramas where they would kowtow and pay respects.

  "It turns out that people in the Tang Dynasty did not suffer from the severe slave mentality of the Qing Dynasty. These servants and maids, when they saw me, did not kneel down to pay respects, nor did they mention words like 'slave' or 'servant', at most referring to themselves as 'small people'. It seems that I, like many others, have been deeply poisoned by the pervasive 'Qing palace dramas', and from now on I need to learn more about Tang Dynasty etiquette so as not to make a fool of myself."

  Although the Qin's residence is simple, its area is not small. After passing through a corridor and a shaded path to the back house, it is a residential mansion. A large tile-roofed main building with a flying eave stands in the center, with two rows of cross-courtyards on either side, and a row of slightly lower servant quarters not far away.

  No matter which row of houses, they are all facing east and west. This is the uniform standard for Chang'an residential buildings - it cannot be consistent with the north-south orientation of the imperial city, otherwise it will conflict with the dragon energy and be considered disrespectful.

  Qin Mubai took a deep breath, calming his mind and spirit, and walked steadily up the steps of the main hall towards the great hall. Just as he was wondering what to look at in the hall, he suddenly felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him!

  "What a fierce aura... This is the kind of murderous intent that only those who have truly walked through the mountains of corpses and seas of blood can possess, right?" Qin Mu Bai had felt this way before, when he was with several special forces instructors, he had vaguely sensed the "murderous intent" emanating from their bodies.

  With a slight raise of his eyelids, Qin Mu Bai saw that on the main seat in the great hall, a man dressed in purple brocade was sitting upright.

  Suddenly, Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment.

  "Dad?!"

  The man in front of him actually looked almost identical to his father's military commander from his previous life!

  Same introverted and quiet as a mountain, same unangrily powerful gaze like a knife!

  Slightly different from the others, this man appears to be slightly younger, probably not yet fifty years old, with a few strands of long hair floating down to his abdomen, and a pale complexion that hints at a sickly condition.

  "Isn't Sanlang coming to kowtow to his father quickly?" A joyful female voice came from the side, and Qin Mubai suddenly came back to his senses, only to find that on the side of the main hall, a woman in her thirties was still standing by, which made him surprised again!

  This woman... looks exactly like the mother of that music professor from my past life!

  "Could it be that our fate was already sealed in our past lives?!"

  For a moment, Qin Mubai's heart beat faster, but fortunately, as an archer who had undergone countless special training, his mental quality was always strong, and he quickly calmed down and composed himself, walking forward to kneel on the ground.

  "Your unfilial son Qin Liang, greets Father!" The young man's knees had gold, kneeling to the heavens and to his parents. This one bow, made Qin Mu Bai's heart feel at peace and content, with some unexpected surprise and excitement in his heart, as if he saw the father he thought he would never see again.

  "You also know you're not worthy?" Qin Shubao's voice was unexpectedly cold, with a hint of displeasure and anger. "Speak, why were you expelled from the army? Didn't you commit another mistake and lose face again?"

  Qin Mubai felt a chill in his heart, and he didn't want to argue with his father anymore. He told the truth: "I haven't done anything wrong, I just suddenly received a transfer order, and I'm also confused and don't understand."

  A moment of silence.

  Qin Mubai felt an intangible pressure like a closed air chamber, wrapping himself in it, vaguely feeling a little short of breath.

  "I suppose you wouldn't dare deceive an old man like me."

  With a "thud", Qin Shubao stood up from the couch, leaning on his cane. The woman beside him hurried to support him, but he waved his hand and said: "You take him back and scold him properly. I'm tired, go rest by yourself."

  Having said that, Qin Shubao leaned on his crutches and walked away to one side, soon disappearing at the side door of the main hall.

  Qin Mubai glanced sideways at Qin Shubo, who was leaning on his cane and walking with some difficulty, but still had a straight back. In his heart, he thought to himself: It seems that Father's body is not in good condition... Originally, "I" this illegitimate child was not very popular in the family, but it doesn't matter, I will change all of this!

  "Third Brother, hurry up!" The woman, however, had a delighted expression as she came forward to support Qin Mu Bai. Her loving eyes sized him up and down, her doting feelings evident on her face.

  Memories in his mind told Qin Mu Bai that Qin Shu Bao's first wife had already passed away, and the woman in front of him was Qin Shu Bao's second wife, his birth mother Liu Shi.

  "Mother, I'm back." Xian Yan smiled, and Qin Mu Bai felt a warmth in his heart. It was as if he had seen his own mother, the virtuous wife and good mother who had doted on him for nearly thirty years.

  "It's been almost three years since you left home to join the army, now that you're back, it's all good, Mother is happy." Liu's eyes were filled with tears as she grabbed Qin Mu Bai's arms, constantly sizing her up and down, her voice choked with emotion, "Not bad, my child has grown taller and stronger, looking just like your father, dignified and majestic. And you're even more clever and agile than before! Whoever dares to say that my child is unworthy or foolish again, I won't forgive them!"

  "What if it's Father?" Qin Mu Bai chuckled and asked with a smile.

  "He's like that... He's always been cold on the outside and warm on the inside, you don't know that after being his son for eighteen or nineteen years? Don't blame him, actually he's happy in his heart, it's just that he's too proud to say it out loud... Hmm, never mind. Hurry up, I've arranged a welcome banquet for you, come quickly!" After saying this, Liu Shi happily pulled Qin Mu Bai's hand and left the main house, heading towards the cross courtyard.

  Concubine Liu could only live in the side house of the cross courtyard, and the term "side room" was indeed appropriate. Although the main wife of the Qin family had passed away many years ago, Concubine Liu, who had not been promoted to the position of main wife, usually lived in the side house as well.

  When entering a village, follow the local customs. Qin Mu Bai temporarily had no objections, but he felt a bit awkward in his heart. Moreover, the brief meeting with his father Qin Shu Bao earlier, which could be described as 'a glimpse of a swan', also made him feel that he and his mother were not in a superior position in this Qin family.

  "It doesn't matter, it will be better later." Qin Mubai just smiled slightly at this.

  He firmly believes that blood is thicker than water, and now that he has changed his ways and is no longer the prodigal son he once was, one day he will change his father's attitude towards him and the status of himself and his mother in the family.

  Although somewhat unaccustomed, Qin Mubai still knelt down in front of the dining table, watching as her mother directed the servants to bring out dish after dish of exquisite delicacies.

  A sumptuous feast, exceptionally rich. Southern fish and northern mutton, pork was not popular in the Tang Dynasty. On the table, there were only exquisitely made lamb and fish dishes, as well as a few pieces of roasted flatbread sprinkled with black sesame seeds and emitting the fragrance of honey.

  The fragrance hits the nose, Qin Mu Bai's finger moves greatly.

  "Bai Sha Long, Yu Gan Pi, Ju Sheng Nu... San Lang, all your favorite Chang'an dishes! " Liu herself didn't sit down to eat, but instead sat beside the table and poured a cup of wine for Qin Mu Bai, handing it over, "Drink up, son! Your father's treasured Western Regions' Three Leaping Cream, I was asked to bring it out especially to welcome you back and refresh your spirit!"

  Qin Mubai gazed at his mother for a moment, smiled and took the wine cup, draining it in one gulp.

  The wine may be weak, but the emotions are strong.

  "Good wine!"

  "Then let's have a few more cups!"

  "I'll pour wine for Mother!" Qin Mu Bai took the wine jug, but found that there was only one cup on the table. Just as he was about to get up to fetch another cup, Liu Shi pulled him back and smiled: "Silly child, how can a woman like me drink with you at the same table? I've already eaten, so just eat and drink by yourself. The more you eat, the happier I'll be, it's even warmer than eating this meal myself."

  It's probably the custom of the Tang Dynasty, eating at separate tables, men and women can't sit together... Qin Mubai didn't insist on it to avoid making things difficult for his mother, he started devouring the delicious food on the table with big mouthfuls, and a sentence flashed in his mind - what I'm eating is not rice, but affection!

  "Here it is, here it is! The world's number one chef personally made 'Little Tian Su' has arrived!" Suddenly a clear and crisp female voice came from the side door, and soon a yellowish figure flashed in. A 15 or 16-year-old little girl rushed towards Qin Mu Bai with a smile, looking extremely similar to Liu Shi, with two small dimples on her mouth when she smiled.

  "Third brother, welcome back! Little sister has personally cooked this famous Chang'an dish to comfort you!"

  Liu's hearty laughter: "Mischievous little four, hurry up and come over to pay respects to your elder brother!"

  "Let's skip these trivial formalities!" Qin Mubai smiled and said: This is my younger sister, the only daughter of the Qin family, the youngest fourth - Qin Shuang'er.

  Very pretty and seems quite cute!

  .??，！