Favoring Concubines and Neglecting the Wife? The General’s Wife Calls it Quits and Divorces! – Chapter 11

Ch 11: Scolding Son

In the Pear Garden, a burst of laughter and cheerful voices could be heard.

Xing Ge’er had just finished his evening meal and was playing with Cuiping and two other maids, making quite a lively scene!

They were kicking shuttlecocks to each other, jumping and skipping about.

General Guo Liangxian came in and, upon seeing this, instantly became angry. He went straight for Xing Ge’er and fiercely grabbed him by the collar!

“Who told you to play around? You should be preparing your lessons properly! In less than two months, you’ll be going to school!”

Guo Liangxian’s aggressive manner scared Cuiping and the two maids, who quickly knelt down.

Cuiping said, “General, please calm your anger!”

“Where is your Madam? Tell her to come out!” Guo Liangxian said coldly.

Seeing him like this for the first time, Xing Ge’er was so frightened that he trembled all over, tears welling up in his eyes!

“Fath, Father…” Xing Ge’er sniffled, very scared.

Cuiping said, “Madam is having her evening meal; she will come out shortly.”

The maid also said, “Madam still needs to change her clothes; she’s not feeling well today from being made to kneel!”

“……”

Looking at the servants and Xing Ge’er, Guo Liangxian’s anger slowly subsided.

He calmed himself and said coolly,

“What did you learn today?”

These past few days he had no gains, so he came to ask if Xing Ge’er had made any progress, hoping to get some comfort.

Xing Ge’er said timidly, “Reporting to Father, your son copied five poems today.”

Guo Liangxian’s eyes lit up. “Bring them here for me to see!”

So, they arranged chairs on the spot and sat down, and Xing Ge’er fawned over as he ran to get his homework.

Seeing this, Cuiping quietly went to find Madam.

The Pear Garden was neither too big nor too small, and the commotion here faintly attracted Yuan Xueyue in the room.

Listening carefully, she knew that Guo Liangxian had come to make trouble.

She unhurriedly finished her meal and then went to the side room to lock the door tightly and take a bath.

“Madam…!” Cuiping knocked on the door and called out softly.

“I know, I’ll be there in a bit.”

After Guo Liangxian finished reading the poems Xing Ge’er had copied, he became even angrier, knocking Xing Ge’er on the head with his finger!

“Look at what you’ve written! What is this garbage? It’s been so long, over a year, and your handwriting is still crooked! What does it look like?!”

Guo Liangxian said angrily, venting his dissatisfaction from the past few days on his son’s poor performance.

Xing Ge’er sobbed softly, constantly sniffing. He had originally thought that leaving his birth mother and coming to live with his maternal uncle would be a different, warmer place, but he never expected it to be the same here!

He hated fierce people! Hated anyone who treated him badly and forced him to do things he didn’t like!

“I, I…” Xing Ge’er covered his face, constantly wiping away tears, but dared not cry out loud.

The two maids on the side lowered their heads, watching silently, not daring to step forward.

“Didn’t your mother teach you? Or did you not study properly? You should have learned at least half of it by tracing, right? You’re eight years old this year! Can’t you make any progress?”

Guo Liangxian continued to lecture him.

Only after Xing Ge’er had cried enough did Yuan Xueyue arrive late.

Looking at the scene before her, it had to be said that the sister and brother had the same temperament, but in her previous life, Yuan Xueyue played the stern role, and Guo Liangxian would smile and comfort Xing Ge’er.

Yuan Xueyue would not give up such a good thing again.

She would no longer play the unnecessary villain, nor would she force Xing Ge’er to do things he didn’t like.

◈◈◈

“He’s still just a child.”

As soon as Yuan Xueyue came out, she said the most classic line, leaving Guo Liangxian speechless for a moment.

Yes, Xing Ge’er was only eight years old; he was too impatient.

“What about being a child? He’s going to school soon; if he doesn’t study hard, he won’t be able to keep up when he goes to school!” Guo Liangxian said.

Yuan Xueyue walked over, pulled Xing Ge’er, who was crying with a face full of tears, away from Guo Liangxian, and comforted him by stroking his head,

“Xing Ge’er is just a child after all. His mother is not from a scholarly background, and his father is a military man. It’s difficult for him to learn anything.”

“I wonder, General, how is the matter of finding a teacher coming along?”

Upon being asked this, it was Guo Liangxian’s turn to be unable to answer.

He was silent for a moment, then said, “There’s no progress. The teachers in the city are all refusing to see us, giving various reasons, but they’re just looking down on our family background. Besides, the regular stipend we offer is too low.”

Yuan Xueyue said, “What about those outside the city?”

Guo Liangxian said with a sullen face, “We only looked for two families outside the city. As soon as they heard that we wouldn’t provide residence in the General’s Residence and would only let them travel back and forth, they were unwilling and gave us the cold shoulder.”

It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried; finding a teacher was a thorny issue in itself!

Those civil officials all sized people up before serving them!

Besides, his good official position had now fallen through, and there was no news at all. Prince Xian was still telling him to wait!

Wait how long? There was no deadline!

After the war ended, he was completely like he had accompanied Prince Xian, the Grand General, and others on a training exercise to the frontier, without getting any benefits at all!

Although he didn’t charge into battle, he had worked hard even if he didn’t have any merit!

But if he had to say what great achievements he had, he couldn’t answer. At best, he accompanied the soldiers in charging into battle, boosting morale from the rear!

Only in this past year, which was coming to an end, Prince Xian kept saying good things to him, saying that when they returned, he would recommend him for promotion to Upper General, and that meeting the Emperor would not be difficult then.

But now…

He couldn’t criticize Prince Xian, and he couldn’t see the Emperor; he was so anxious!

Since returning, nothing had gone smoothly; it was so strange!

Yuan Xueyue listened and nodded, analyzing,

“Is this Old Madam’s requirement? Otherwise, General, could you lower your standards a bit, allow the teacher to live in the General’s Residence, and increase the regular stipend a bit? It’s just that there would be one more family servant to support in the General’s Residence…”

On one hand, they had to support a teacher living in the General’s Residence, and on the other hand, there would be one more family servant, making it difficult to plan the silver taels.

Guo Liangxian slapped his thigh and said, “Isn’t there a better way? Isn’t there any extra silver in the General’s Residence?”

He really wanted to continue asking about the dowry, but Xing Ge’er and the other maids were here, so it was not good to say it, lest word spread around the General’s Residence.

If they were in Zhongsi Hall, at least Mama Cui would be guarding outside, and not a single word would get out!

Yuan Xueyue said, “That’s the only way. General wants to take a concubine as soon as possible and also wants a cheap teacher; how can there be such a win-win situation? Besides, General’s position is currently silent, and the prospects for the General’s Residence are very bleak.”

Hearing this, Guo Liangxian became agitated. “Then…”

He still held back, got up, patted the dust off his body, and sighed,

“Let me think about it.”

Yuan Xueyue watched his retreating figure. “General, walk slowly.”

As soon as Guo Liangxian left, Xing Ge’er burst into tears!

“Mother! Father is so scary! He scared your son to death!” Xing Ge’er cried uncontrollably, reaching out his hands for a hug.

Yuan Xueyue stood coldly, saying,

“Your father is doing this for your own good. It’s not that Mother is demanding of you; Mother has already tried her best.”

These five poems were only half of what he used to do!

If he didn’t write well, she would have made Xing Ge’er rewrite them in the past, but she wouldn’t now. It was good enough that he could write at all; what more could she ask for?

Xing Ge’er was stunned, looking blank. How could Mother be so inconsistent?

“Take Xing Ge’er to rest.” Yuan Xueyue waved her hand, signaling Cuiping to take the person away.

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