The callous Liang Shujun sang merrily, while the child opposite him cried even more sorrowfully, suddenly clutching his chest and wailing, "Waaah, Sister Qiu, Sister Qiu, come back!" His crying was pitiful, with snot and tears streaming down his face.
Liang Shujun paused for a moment, then felt a sense of melancholy.
His own children from the Liang family had been forced by life from a young age to live in the shadows.
Little Wu had always been precocious since he was young, his greatest wish was to grow up as quickly as possible to help the family earn silver. There were people who had cursed his brothers, saying they had a father but were unraised, and others who had cursed their mother as a negligent steward. Before her paralysis, she was indifferent to both her husband and six sons, and after her paralysis, she became even more neglectful, often devoid of any warmth at all.
Little Wu was a stubborn lad, the type to swallow his teeth and blood without a word. Even if he was bullied outside, he would just wipe the blood off and strut around as if he owned the sky and was second only to heaven. Of course, if it weren’t for the small figure with a swollen nose and bruised face, perhaps Little Wu’s facade would have been a little more convincing.
His memories had been stirred by this child today, thinking to himself that perhaps he had been too harsh. So he lazily got up, an utterly bored look on his face, and said, "Enough, enough, I’ll stop singing, okay? I’ll stop; are you happy now?"
The child hiccuped between sobs, "Why? Why stop singing? Keep singing, I want to listen more!"
Liang Shujun twisted a lock of his hair with an expression of disgust, he himself was actually very clean. These past few days, he had fallen victim to an unexpected disaster, getting thrown into jail out of the blue and truly suffering for it.
"Back in the day, I was the unrivaled performer in our building, and countless ladies outside spilled real gold and silver just to hear me hum a tune or two. Just now, I sang a song because I was in a good mood, but now your crying has put me in a bad mood, I really can’t muster the energy."
The child said fiercely, "Ten taels, a hundred taels, I have it all, and I even have a silver note in my pocket!"
Liang Shujun cracked a smile. Is this kid stupid?
"Come on, wipe your tears. It’s not even dawn and you’re already crying like a crowing chicken. It’s bad luck to my ears to hear you."
"Then I’ll stop crying. Will you continue singing?"
"Fine, I guess I’m idle anyways. Today, I’ll indulge a child."
The child flipped his mood again, "I have a name and a surname. I am the Young Master Li from the Li family, and my mother is the wealthiest magnate in Pingchang Prefecture!"
A twitch appeared at the corner of Liang Shujun’s eyes.
The magnate of Pingchang Prefecture? Impressive, very impressive. Here I am, in a family so poor we’re almost reduced to eating the northwest wind, with a sickly bottomless pit at home. After living in poverty for twenty years, I suddenly feel spiteful towards the rich.
He really wanted to strangle this infuriating Young Master!
This Young Master Li looked just like a little beggar, dressed in tattered clothes, his face caked with dirt and a sour smell about him; who knew which beggar’s clothes he had snatched.
But he had fair skin and tender flesh, deliberately smeared his face with dirt. Having just cried, he panted heavily, looking as pitiable as a little cat, yet the clear and innocent eyes of this young master revealed a background of great wealth, clearly someone who had never suffered.
Liang Shujun rested his arm on his knee and, chewing a grass stem, asked, "The Li family? I know of this family, they were the leading magnates of Pingchang Prefecture over a decade ago. However, I’ve heard that they’ve declined in the last few years?"
Young Master Li was taken aback, "My family is rich, very rich!"