Chapter thirty five

Talking about Lantian, after she saved Caihong, she quickly returned to the palace and found out that her mother had already left.

When she arrived home, she was informed to go to the library room.

Lantian knew exactly that it was the summon of her father and she realized why he called her to meet.

Next week, the ambassador from the neighboring country would visit Song. Lady Chen was called by the queen to assist to organize the welcome feast, and she took Lantian with her by telling that she needed an assistant but her real purpose was to promote the daughter – with hope to tie her with any good young man.

Lantian didn't know about that. The reason she agreed to go with her mother was because she wanted to help her. However, her mind was not at ease when she was reminded of Ehuang inviting her brother to her house; she felt the eldest girl would do something to her sister. Hence, before she left the house, she told Xiaolan to check on the Yang's homestead. When Xiaolan saw Caihong climb on the carriage, she went to report her mistress, then Lantian quickly left the palace by taking the carriage of her mother. Even though she couldn't allow her mother to walk home. When she arrived at the hill, she told the carriage driver to go back and she walked on foot up the hill to search for Caihong.

This was a small matter, but her father would take this as big as a mountain and make it an excuse to blame her. Nonetheless, she was not scared; she walked into the study room with bravery.

Inside, there were not only her father and her mother, lady Mei, lady Mu, Longwei and Dongmei also present.

Within a tense face, Wu Guang stood in the middle of the room, while lady Chen stood by his side – with a worried expression.

Just seeing the daughter, the high minister showed his powerful voice, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from the palace," Lantian stated.

"You lie."

"I don't lie. You can send your people to check."

"I was told you left the palace, now you said you came from the palace, do you think I am stupid to believe in your word?"

"I had left, but I returned to it before I came here."

Hearing the words of the daughter and seeing her speak with eyes looking straight at him, Wu Guang believed that she did not say untrue. This made his temper drop one level; however, he still held his hard expression.

"Where did you go?"

"I had a task."

"What is that task?"

"It's a personal task."

"What is that personal task?" Wu Guang raised his voice one level. "Is it important?"

"It's urgent."

"Urgent! Was the sky falling down or the sea draining? That made you even not care and leave your mother alone like this."

Listening for a while, Lantian felt that she did not understand what her father was talking about. His speech seemed out of topic and he was trying to accuse her more than searching for justice for her mother. Clearly, she saw even though she tried to explain, he would not listen; therefore, silent was better. But this action made her father become more anxious; he thought she was mocking him, he was in rage, then yelled strongly, causing even Longwei and Dongmei to tremble.

"You are getting worse day by day. Last time you left the party without informing, today you left your mother without care. What will happen tomorrow? You are a woman, but look at you. You are a destroyer. Drink wine, gambling, go to brothel. I tell you, don't bring illness to this house."

All the words were like pieces of fire burning inside mind, but Lantian tried to remove it – before it became a big flame.

"Are you finished?" She said.

"Not yet," Wu Guang shouted. He wanted to continue but at that time lady Chen hurriedly cut in because she saw Lantian was not having a happy expression.

"It's enough, master. Don't blame our daughter. She didn't leave me alone. She told me already that she had a task and I allowed her to go."

"Stop finding excuses for her." Wu Guang turned to yell at his wife. "Because she has a mother like you, that's why she is bad like this."

Hearing the abused words of the father towards mother, Lantian became irate immediately, "Why do you blame mother?"

"I blame her because it's her fault," Wu Guang said. "She is the mother, she has to educate the children, but she does not. She does not respect her duty, she spoils you, that's why you are terrible."

"Oh! It's all mother's fault, and you are not at fault!"

This sentence made lady Chen panic. She tried to warn her daughter, "Lantian, that's enough." But the daughter did not listen because the fire filled her chest already; there was no day she agreed to lose – especially to her father.

The same; the father didn't agree to lose to his daughter either.

"What is my fault?" Wu Guang said. His voice was hard and loud.

"She is a mother, and you are a father. You said she doesn't respect her duty, what's about you? Do you respect your duty as a father?"

"What is it that you said I don't respect? I go to work, I earn money, I buy this house and I feed everyone in the house."

"What's about taking care of children?"

"Taking care of children is the duty of women."

"Children are not women's alone, it's the children of the men too. Why do the women have to take care of the children, but the men do not?"

"It's the rule from our ancestors."

"Who are those crazy ancestors? Tell me."

"You!" Wu Guang unlocked his eyes big. Not only him but also everyone was shocked to hear Lantian's words.

"You dare to insult the ancestors! Are you not afraid of punishment?"

"If I am afraid, I won't say it," Lantian responded. "Unless they were crazy or they would not create such a crazy rule."

"You!" Wu Guang pointed finger at his daughter. In fact he wanted to scold his rude daughter, but he didn't know any words to scold her. At last he had to spin the cannon to his wife, "You see. This is your good daughter. What did you teach her? She dares to insult the ancestors. I go to work every day, from morning till night. I trust you to manage this house but look at what you have done, you make it a mess. You are useless."

The last sentence caused the fire inside the chest of the daughter to be bigger.

"Stop blaming mother," she yelled.

"Enough, Lantian," lady Chen said, but the girl did not listen and did not lock her mouth. "She is your wife, she is not your servant," she said.

"She is my wife, I can blame her," Wu Guang stated.

"You can blame her when she is wrong, but she is not wrong, so you cannot blame her."

"Lantian stop," lady Chen said.

"I am the master of this house. I can blame who I want to blame."

"Master," lady Chen said to her husband.

"You are the master of this house, she is your wife, she is the mistress of this house, so you cannot blame her," Lantian said.

"Lantian, stop it," lady Chen said.

"In this house I am the biggest. Everyone has to listen to me," Wu Guang said.

"Master, please," lady Chen turned to her husband. However, it seemed neither her husband nor her daughter listened to her.

Seeing that, lady Mei tried to help, "Lantian, stop arguing with your father." Also, she tried to ease her hubby. Not only her but also Longwei, lady Mu and Dongmei tried to help to loosen the fight, but in return, Wu Guang and Lantian shouted "Shut up" at them at the same time, so they didn't have courage to continue their brawl.

Poor lady Chen. She had to stand in the middle of her husband and her daughter. Her right and left ears were filled by the shouts of the two, also her head was full and heavy. These two people were equally important to her. She didn't want them to argue or hold a grudge against each other, she wanted them to stay together happily and peacefully. But at this time, she didn't know what to do.

From the side, everyone pointed their eyes on the first lady. They knew it was a very hard time for her, but they didn't dare to help or interfere. The yell of the last moment made the four people lock their mouths and stand quietly in their own spots.

Lady Chen knew that she had to solve the problem alone. She had to try again. She told her daughter to stop and caught the arm of her husband to beg him to withdraw from this dispute. But the flame was still big, so Lantian did not pause and Wu Guang swung his arm on purpose to pull it from the hand of his wife, accidentally, because he waved strongly, he caused lady Chen to lose balance and fell...

"Mother," Lantian yelled.

At that time Wu Guang wanted to catch his wife but he lost his hand. Fortunately, Longwei carried lady Chen on time or she would hit the chair.

"Mother." Lantian ran to her mum. Her face was pale as she was worried about her ma.

"I'm fine," lady Chen said to her daughter, before she turned to her half son and said, "Thank you."

It was like adding another topic to the quarrel. Lantian stared at her father, saying loudly, "Why do you push her?"

"I didn't push her. It was an accident," Wu Guang said.

However Lantian did not listen to her father's explanation.

"You are a husband, she is your wife. Though she does something wrong or makes you displease, you cannot harm her."

Wu Guang opened his eyes, "It was really an accident. I did not mean it."

"If you pay attention to her, that accident would not happen."

"It's not my fault at all. If you didn't argue with me, I would not be angry and would not cause your mother to fall."

The quarrel seemed to restart. Lady Chen tried to block it before it boomed again, "Master, please stop. I beg you."

"You beg me, why don't you beg your daughter? She is the one who starts," Wu Guang said.

"You always put the blame on others. You never admit to your mistake," Lantian spoke.

"You!" Wu Guang clenched his lips.

"Lantian, stop saying," lady Chen said.

"Mother, why do you always hold his feet?"

"He is your father. You must respect him," lady Chen told.

"Though he is my father, it does not mean I have to respect everything he says. He has done a lot of wrong things."

Hearing the daughter's claim, Wu Guang was in rage.

"What did you say?" He stated.

"I said you have done a lot of wrong things, also bad things."

"You!" Wu Guang held a fist tightly. He looked with his eyes full of fire towards his daughter. Nonetheless, Lantian did not show any fear. She looked straight at her pa and said bravely, "Am I saying wrong? You always said you are my father, you want me to respect you, but how can I respect you when I see clearly that you hurt my mother."

"Lantian," lady Chen tried to stop the daughter, but her daughter ignored her warning.

"Since I was born, I saw my mother staying inside this home, she does not dare to go out even a step to have her own pleasure. From morning to night, she is inside the kitchen to cook, she organizes things in the house, she manages your money, she washes your feet, she does everything for you. What about you? You think that you earn for the family, you are the best. You think you are the god, you command everyone to follow your speech, you order everyone to follow whatever you want them to be. In this family the person who always follows you is my mother, but you're still not satisfied, you blame her almost every day; moreover, you betrayed her, you took concubine, not only one but three. You didn't keep your promise, that's why second mother left you."

"You!" Wu Guang raised his right palm – in a manner to slap his daughter. Actually, he did not have intention to slap her, he just acted with hope that she would be scared and locked her mouth, in contrast, Lantian didn't escape, but faced her father bravely and spoke without fear, "Want to beat me! Do it. Beat me until I vomit blood like you had done to eldest brother."

The Minds of all listeners in the room quake like they were touching the storm when they heard what Lantian was speaking. They didn't dare to breathe and their eyes kept on Wu Guang who was having a red face like the fire while his hand was quaking strongly in the air.

"You think I don't dare!" He said.

"I believe you dare. Even killing a person, you dare, how can you not dare to beat me?"

The last statement made all listeners unlock their eyes and lips. They could not believe their ears that Lantian could say this out. Even Wu Guang was shocked to hear his daughter's speech. He opened eyes and said, "What did you say?"

"I said you killed a person," Lantian yelled.

Immediately, lady Chen jumped to stand in front of the daughter and said with a tensed face, "Stop speaking and apologize to your father."

"I don't apologize," Lantian said. "It is true, he killed a person, he made my teacher die."

"If you don't apologize, stop calling me mother."

The announcement of lady Chen made everyone quiet, even the conflicting parties.

This was to prevent the fire from exploding, everyone knew about it. Lantian knew, too, that her mother wanted to maintain the peace; nonetheless, she didn't agree to her method. She watched her ma with her eyes showing that she was upset with her. A few seconds later, without a word, she walked off the room.

Turning to the father, though the daughter left already, his feeling was not better.

"Messy," he said; afterwards, he strolled off the room.

Now, the house returned to be silent and everyone could take a breath. Without a doubt, the remained people in the room could see that the family was saved tonight because of lady Chen. But the heroine was exhausted, her headache was strong and her feet were soft. Sensed that lady Chen was not well, lady Mei and Longwei hurriedly assisted her to the chair.

"I'm fine," lady Chen said.

However, everyone was still worried about her. Even lady Mu and Dongmei accompanied in the room until lady Chen called off, then the mother and the daughter withdrew themselves.

Along the corridor, Dongmei held arm of her mother without releasing. She knew that her father and her half-sister were not going along with each other, but she never saw their arguments. Tonight, she witnessed the real show, it made her feel quite scared. However, there were a lot of doubts in her mind about the story behind the conflict.

"Mother, is it true that father killed sister's teacher?" She asked.

"Nonsense," lady Mu said. "Your father never does such a thing."

"But why did sister say that?"

"I don't know but I can use my life to guarantee, your father does not kill anyone and there is no day he does that."

"What about eldest brother? I remember him, he was so kind to me. He was strong. Later on I heard he fell ill and was sent to treatment out of the house. But at the last moment, third sister said he was beaten by father. What was going on?"

"Ugh," lady Mu whined very long, "it was because he did a thing that ruined the honor of the family that was why your father beat him."

"What did he do?"

"Stop asking. Your father put the order in already, everyone in the house cannot say anything about that matter. We should hurry to go to room."