324 Filial Piety
Zhao Zhan had indeed been careless in his moment of anxiety.
He didn’t expect that those people already knew that he had to go to the relay station to send a letter every time he went to a place.
“Give me the letter, I’ll help you deliver it.”
Zhang Lingshen was still dressed like a scholar.
The passage of time had not left any deep marks on his face, especially when he stood next to the bearded Zhao Zhan. For a moment, it was difficult to tell who was the older one — Lingzhen or Lingshen.
“If you don’t give me the letter, should I just leave?” Zhang Lingshen was about to leave. “You should think it through. Don’t you want to receive a reply from your wife?”
Fang Tianliu looked left and right, then directly took the letter from Zhao Zhan’s hand and handed it to him. “Thank you.”
Zhang Lingshen took out a pile of letters from his bookcase, including Zhao Zhan’s letter. “This way, those people won’t know that you’re nearby just because you were sent to Willow Village.”
In his pile of letters, each one was sent to a different address.
The people at the relay station would not be so good-tempered as to recite them one by one.
“I’m going. If you don’t have anything urgent to do, wait here for me to come back.”
Zhang Lingshen grabbed a stack of letters and went to the relay station.
Fang Tianliu saw that he had walked away, so he went up to Zhao Zhan with a curious look on his face. “Zhao Zhan, based on his appearance, he must be the second son of the Zhang family, right?”
Zhao Zhan’s face sank. “Apparently so.”
“You don’t say, you really do look a little like these two from the Zhang family.”
“Could it be that your father is related to the Zhang family by blood?”
Zhao Zhan didn’t deny it. “It could be.”
While the two were talking, Zhang Lingshen had already returned with his bookcase. “Let’s go to the inn.”
Zhao Zhan did not move.
His breathing was erratic for a moment, and as he looked at Zhang Lingshen’s back, the adoration in his eyes gradually faded, and a mocking expression appeared on his face. “Shouldn’t you go back to the Zhang family first?
“Your mother is getting muddleheaded, but even so, she still misses you. Shouldn’t you go back to the Zhang family to see her?”
Although Zhao Zhan had never come into contact with any rich or powerful families, he was gradually emerging in the business field and had come into contact with many people.
He had learned that both Grandma Zhang and Zhang Lingzhen were very kind.
Even Grandma Zhang, who had never met him before, had instructed her servants to treat them well after knowing that he and Fang Tiandihui were going to stay in the residence for a short while.
Zhang Lingzhen and his wife were very loving, and even if they didn’t have any children, the other party didn’t take any concubines.
“Are you so troubled that you cannot go back home?”
Zhao Zhan’s eyes were locked on Zhang Lingshen.
The other party’s expression changed for a moment. “You went to the Zhang family?”
“Don’t you know everything? How can you not know that I would go to the Zhang family?”
Zhao Zhan’s tone was very aggressive.
A wave of anger was rampaging in his heart, forcing him to turn pale. “If you’re in trouble, you need to tell us. No one will be a burden to you now.”
Zhang Lingshen took off his bookcase, opened the lid, and showed it to Zhao Zhan. “Do you want a painting? I’m good at drawing. If you want, I’ll give you one.”
Zhao Zhan stared at the painting in Zhang Lingshen’s bookcase, his eyes red, and he gritted his teeth. “How much does this painting cost?”
“How much this painting is worth depends entirely on your mood. However much you think this painting is worth, that’s how much it’s worth.”
He looked as if he was sincerely selling the painting.
Zhao Zhan sneered. “There are so many people here, so it’s not convenient for me to admire your painting. Why don’t you follow me back to my residence? I’ll decide how much silver I’ll pay after I’ve seen it. If they’re worth it, I’ll buy them all.”
“That’s fine.” Zhang Lingshen looked happy. “Then I’ll go with you to your residence.”
The atmosphere between the two of them was extremely strange.
Fang Tianliu stayed at the side, not daring to say a word. He silently followed the two of them back to the Zhang residence.
“You’re back…”
When the gatekeeper saw Zhao Zhan’s figure, his face was full of respect. When he raised his head and saw the figure behind Zhao Zhan, he was tongue-tied as if he had seen a ghost. The second son of the Zhang family, Zhang Lingshen, was back.
“You… You’re back?”
Zhang Lingshen casually waved his hand.
The gatekeeper could not be bothered to greet Zhao Zhan anymore and ran back into the manor, his voice hoarse from shouting, “Zhao Lingshen is back! He has returned with Zhao Zhan!”
Zhang Lingzhen stumbled out of the house, even dropping a shoe in his panic.
“Did he come in?”
“Hurry up! Seal all the doors in the house, and order people to guard the door. Don’t let him escape!
“Also, check the walls of the manor again. See to it that everything is sealed! Send someone to guard the bottom of each wall. Don’t give him a chance to escape!
“Oh right, pay attention to the dog holes and the likes of it. Immediately check all the places that can be used to go out in the entire manor.”
Zhang Lingzhen’s wife also instructed, “Start cooking. Make everything he likes! Don’t alert the old lady about this matter yet. Let’s wait until we see his condition before we decide when to tell the old lady about this.”
Zhang Lingzhen and his wife immediately set off.
As soon as they stepped out of the door to the backyard, they met Zhang Lingshen face to face.
“Lingshen!”
Zhao Zhan stopped and stepped aside.
Zhang Lingshen subconsciously hugged the bookcase tightly and raised his head to meet Zhang Lingzhen’s gaze. “I’m here to sell paintings today.”
“All these years, all your knowledge has gone to waste!” Zhang Lingzhen had just cursed when his eyes turned red, and he raised his head and covered his face with his hands as he cried out mournfully.
A servant comforted him from the side. “Sir, now that your brother has finally returned, you should be happy.”
Seeing this, Zhao Zhan looked at Zhang Lingshen as if he was looking at a stranger.
“Lingshen! Do you know that mother… She mistook Zhao Zhan for you. If it wasn’t for Zhao Zhan’s kind intentions to stay behind and comfort her, she would have fainted from the shock!”
“Since you’ve already returned, immediately pack up and follow me to see mother. After that, you’d better stay in the Zhang family and stay with her!”
Zhang Lingshen glanced at Zhao Zhan. “It’s not a grievance for Zhao Zhan to fulfill his filial duties for me. That’s his grandmother, so he should be paying his respects.”
“What did you say?”
Zhang Lingzhen clutched his chest, his gaze falling on Zhao Zhan for a long time before turning to Zhang Lingshen.
“Is he your son?
“Where’s his mother? Why did you come back alone? Why is the child’s surname Zhao and not Zhang?
“What have you been doing all these years?! You’re just trying to anger me to death!”