Chapter 44
Chapter 44: Wife, I Am Wrong!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Dear, a kind mother would bring up a son who fails!”
“However, you were meaner to your biological son, you hit him whenever he did something wrong.”
“Why aren’t you treating your son-in-law the same way?”
“Just because he is handsome? Just because he is good at sucking up to you?”
Seeing how Shen Lang looked extremely obedient in front of his mother-in-law, the Earl became furious.
“You brat, do you think I can’t do anything to you?”
The Earl said, “From today onward, Shen Lang, you are grounded again.” 1
Ah?
Shen Lang became stunned. Wasn’t he just released?
The Earl said, “You can move around in the palace, but you cannot leave the palace. Do you get it?”
Shen Lang said nervously, “Father-in-law, when… until when will I be grounded?”
The Earl said, “Until I can be assured that you won’t cause trouble.”
This condition was too vague.
Shen Lang said, “Father-in-law, why don’t you say a condition? Once I fulfill it, I can be released. For example…”
“No such thing as memorizing or studying. There shall be no conditions…” said the Earl hurriedly.
Once he heard the word “condition,” the Earl remembered some bad memories.
Then, the Earl said, “Stop trying to find ways to get out. From today onward, you shall stay inside the palace. I will release you when I feel that you won’t go out and create trouble.”
“Father-in-law, you have changed, you used to be very straightforward! Why are you so scheming now?”
The Earl had learned his lesson!
Yesterday, he just grounded Shen Lang and asked him to memorize “The Family Instructions of Master Jin.” He thought that he could keep Shen Lang in his house for a month or two.
However, who knew that he would finish memorizing it overnight. The Earl had to let him go because he could not break his promise.
However, he did not expect Shen Lang to cause such huge trouble when he left.
… Even though he won and did an excellent job.
However…
It was too dangerous!
The Earl had always been conservative and could not take risks.
Moreover, he was anxious that Tian Heng would attack Shen Lang.
However, he would definitely not say that out.
If Shen Lang knew that he was worried about Shen Lang, Shen Lang would become even more arrogant!
“Listen up, everyone. From today onward, the young master shall not leave the Palace of the Earl. If you see him leave, make sure to pull him back, get it?” said the Earl loudly, “until I release him.”
“Roger!” everyone replied in unison.
Then, they looked at Shen Lang with a strange gaze.
They were definitely gloating over his misery.
…
The Earl’s son, Jin Mucong, was reading a military book.
He was beaten by his mother that morning. He felt that he was beaten because he read the book “Classics of Poetry.”
That was because that book had many poems about boy-girl relationships.
Therefore, he decided to read about the military instead.
That should be a correct move. 2
“Father and mother definitely hope that I can take-over them in the future. Therefore, I should please them if I read a military book.”
Indeed, after a short while, his parents walked in.
“Father, mother, I am reading a military book. I will definitely follow our ancestor’s words and study well!” said the son of the Earl.
“Stop reading, get down on your stomach!” said the Earl’s wife.
After a moment, the couple pressed the fatty onto the chair.
The man used a whip while the woman used a ruler. 1
They began to hit him.
“Ah, why? Did I make a mistake because I read a military book? Why am I beaten up for this?” howled the son. 3
He had really done nothing wrong and was reading the book obediently, although he did not absorb anything.
Why were they beating him again?
“Ah, ah, father, mother, why are you beating me again?”
The Earl and his wife did not reply to him. They left after the beating.
Their son was left speechless.
In fact, the Earl and his wife came over to beat him up because they felt like it.
That was because the wittier Shen Lang was, the more stupid their son appeared to be.
The Earl wanted to punish Shen Lang initially, but before he could scold him, he was stopped. Moreover, his wife was biased and helped Shen Lang. He definitely had to vent his anger somewhere. 3
Therefore, he vented his anger on his biological son. 1
…
Shen Lang returned to his room.
Mulan, who was wearing her armor, was standing in his room.
“You’re back, have your dinner,” said Mulan.
Shen Lang was stunned and said, “Mulan, why are you wearing armor at home?”
Mulan said, “If anything happens to you in the city, I will rush over with the soldiers.”
Shen Lang was astonished and felt a gush of warmth within him.
Although Mulan sounded extremely emotionless, Shen Lang was extremely touched when he heard that.
“Come, I will remove your armor for you and let’s eat,” said Shen Lang gently.
Mulan was stunned. Then, she opened her arms and allowed Shen Lang to remove her armor.
“Thank you, dear, for waiting for me at home and worrying about me,” said Shen Lang.
Mulan said, “No worries. Today, you won, and I am pleasantly surprised. However, before doing anything in the future, you have to think twice. Think about father, mother, and me. We are all worried about you.”
“I know.” Shen Lang was even more touched and hugged Mulan gently with both arms.
Mulan was astonished and stiffened up a bit. However, she did not stop him.
That was because Shen Lang’s hug was really gentle and full of love.
“Hubby, where are you putting your hand around me?”
Shen Lang immediately pulled his hand back and spoke with a straight face, “Sorry, dear, you can’t blame me. Your skin is too smooth, I didn’t do that on purpose.”
“Hmm, never again,” said Mulan.
Shen Lang said earnestly, “I swear, if this happens again, you can chop off my hand.”
After three seconds…
Mulan grabbed Shen Lang’s hands and said thoughtfully, “Hubby, a man should keep his promises. I think I should chop off both of your hands.”
Shen Lang said, “Dear, I was simply joking. How can you take a man’s words seriously? You would rather believe that a 100-year-old man was cheating on his wife than whatever a man says.”
Mulan looked at her husband’s handsome face and could not believe how thick his skin was.
“Let’s eat!” Mulan left Shen Lang and went to the table.
Mulan was confident that if Shen Lang was not handsome, she would have beaten him. 2
After the meal, Mulan washed up and took a sip of rose tea.
Instantly, her mouth became aromatic. However, Shen Lang could not touch her. 2
Then, she wore her armor again. 1
“Dear, where are you going at such a late time?” asked Shen Lang.
Mulan replied, “I am leading the cavalry to patrol the sea borders.”
Shen Lang could not bear to see that.
Mulan said, “Hubby, stay at home and don’t create troubles.”
…
In the Earl’s son’s room, the fat boy was being tutored. 1
It was a Mathematics lesson. 1
The imperial examination did not have a Mathematics examination. Therefore, even though Mathematics was one of the six skills of a scholar, most of the scholars did not study it.
However, aristocrats placed emphasis on this subject, especially the old generation of aristocrats. That was because it was advantageous and made one appear smarter.
Jin Mucong sighed. “Teacher Xu, why am I suffering like this? In the past, when my parents beat me, they had a reason. Now, they stopped giving me a reason.”
The ‘Teacher Xu’ he was addressing was Xu Wenzhao, the most famous Mathematician in Xuanwu city.
Xu Wenzhao had an essential role in the Palace of the Earl. Not only was he the Mathematics tutor for Jin Mulan and Jin Mucong, but he was also responsible for the expenses and trade of the Palace of the Earl. 1
He was one of the Earl’s assistants and the manager of the Palace of the Earl. He had been in charge of the monetary issues of the Palace of the Earl for more than twenty years.
“Teacher Xu, do you think I am not the biological son of my parents?” asked the Earl’s son.
Xu Wenzhao smiled and continued his work.
His job was significant. The expenses and the income of the Palace of the Earl had to go through him.
Therefore, he had a rather important role in the Palace of the Earl.
Xu Wenzhao stopped writing, and Shen Lang’s face flashed past his mind. Instantly, a terrible thought flashed past his mind.
“Whoever tries to stop me is my enemy!” 1
After hesitating for a while, Xu Wenzhao said, “The reason why the Earl hit you is because of Shen Lang.”
The Earl’s son was shocked. “Why?”
Xu Wenzhao said, “Shen Lang had a bad reputation. He was evicted from the Xu Family because he had stolen the Xu Family’s money and messed around with their servants. Then, he was married to Miss Mulan because she chose him, and the Earl could not object. He is annoyed and hence blamed it on you for being useless for making Miss Mulan marry a person with a bad reputation. That was why he hit you for the past few days.”
Jin Mucong sat upright and said, “So that was the reason!”
Xu Wenzhao continued, “The Earl hit you again today because Shen Lang ruined the reputation of the Palace of the Earl by entering the casino. However, he won against Tian Heng, and since he was a live-in son-in-law, the Earl could not hit him. Therefore, he vented his anger on you.”
The Earl’s son was mad. He stood up and said, “Well, I finally found the reason why I was hit. It was because of that brat.”
At this moment, the boy attendant beside Xu Wenzhao said, “Master, I saw Bing’er crying secretly today, and she didn’t tell me the reason when I asked her.”
The Earl’s son said with more frustration, “It must be Shen Lang. Back then, he messed around with the Xu Family’s servants; now, he is doing the same to our servants! How can a mere countryside man do this to me? I will not let you off.”
Then, he rushed out.
“Shen Lang, I will kill you.”
Then, the Earl’s son asked, “How’s Shen Lang’s fighting skills?”
Xu Wenzhao replied, “He does not know martial arts. He is weak and pants after walking.”
The Earl’s son was furious and shouted, “Come, let’s go and teach him a lesson.”
Then, Jin Mucong brought several people and rushed to Shen Lang’s place angrily.
**