Chapter 16 Li's Rebuke!

Zhan Xinzhang glanced sideways at the rows of spirit tablets in the Zhan Family ancestral hall; the patriarchs of the Zhan Family ancestors were all left-handed, and so was he, as was Zhan Beicang.

From their ancestors, the Zhan Family had inherited the advantage where their left hand was stronger than their right.

However, unless facing a formidable enemy or in a life-threatening moment, Zhan Family members generally did not use their left hand.

Few people knew about this.

Zhan Lan was only fourteen years old; how did she manage to operate a gun so fluidly, something that even he couldn't achieve at the age of fourteen?

Old Mr. Zhan was utterly baffled by this.

Of course, Zhan Lan also noticed that Zhan Xinzhang was standing there, stunned, as if shocked by something.

In fact, these were things she had deliberately revealed to Old General Zhan.

Since childhood, she had used her left hand to eat, but Zhan Lan didn't understand why using her left hand would earn her a beating from Madam Li.

Madam Li's voice echoed in her ear like a spell, "You girl, using your left hand to eat and work is lowly, change it now!"

Now she finally understood that Madam Li was afraid the Zhan Family would discover she was also left-handed.

So, from a young age, she was not allowed to use her left hand.

Including when she was on the battlefield, she used her right hand to hold a gun.

She had tried using her left hand, but the moment she thought of Madam Li's reprimands, her left arm would uncontrollably start trembling.

But, Zhan Lan knew that her left hand and arm were stronger and more flexible than her right.

If it weren't for learning the truth about her own identity right before dying in her previous life, she might not have paid attention to this detail.

Ever since she discovered Madam Li's true nature, Zhan Lan no longer trembled when using her left hand.

For she harbored only hatred for the "mother" she had called for so many years!

She didn't care at all about what the other person thought of her!

"Fourth daughter, later you'll follow dad to offer a jar of Nu'er Hong!" Old General Zhan said with a hearty smile, his eyes gleaming.

Seeing Zhan Lan laugh, Zhan Xinzhang's old face turned red, and he awkwardly said, "Ah, I mean to follow your grandfather, ahem..."

Seeing Zhan Lan, his heart filled with joy, and he seemed to return to the battlefield, his speech becoming more casual.

Now, among the Zhan Family's grandchildren, not one was adept at attacking with their left hand.

But Zhan Lan could!

A flame that had long been extinguished was instantly reignited in Old General Zhan's heart, making him feel warmth in his chest.

It wasn't that he was biased towards Zhan Lan, but from her, Old Mr. Zhan always managed to glimpse shadows of the Zhan Family ancestors.

That stubbornness, self-confidence, unwillingness to admit defeat... These feelings, he had not found in any other grandchildren!

"Fourth daughter, do I remember correctly that a month ago you still couldn't lift this battle gun?" Old General approached and asked.

Zhan Lan placed the gun back in its original position and said, "Maybe I've grown up!"

Old General nodded his head, and after speaking for a while, the two left the ancestral hall together, an old man and a young girl squatting under an ancient tree, digging up Nu'er Hong.

A brown jar of wine, tied with a red silk ribbon, approached with a fragrant aroma. Zhan Lan quickly took the wine jar and excitedly ran toward the back yard, "Thanks, grandfather."

"Hey, slow down when you run." Old General watched Zhan Lan's retreating figure until she became a small black dot in the distance.

A short while later, he returned to the ancestral hall and respectfully turned to kneel before the ancestral tablets.

"May the ancestors bless our Zhan Family's descendants with glory!"

Although Zhan Lan merely followed the surname of the Zhan Family, the more he interacted with her, the more he liked the child.

Initially, he was worried that Zhan Lan would face discrimination for not having a father and growing up with a widowed mother, so he allowed Zhan Lan to adopt the Zhan family's prestigious surname.

Unexpectedly, fourteen years later, not only had the child become a disciple of the Qingfeng Scholar, but she was also skilled both in literature and martial arts.

Old Mr. Zhan felt greatly comforted and offered three more sticks of incense to the ancestors.

...

Last night, Zhan Lan didn't sleep well. She had reburied the Nu'er Hong under the tree in her own courtyard and washed the mud off her hands.

Rubbing her sore neck, Zhan Lan was about to push the door open and enter the room when, suddenly, she heard a familiar voice behind her. Her left hand uncontrollably trembled.

Just now, when she was practicing with the spear, her left hand didn't shake at all.

Zhan Lan also never expected that she would tremble like this again, as if her body remembered, upon hearing the voice of Lady Li in this lifetime.

In her past life, the mother she had loved dearly was not her real mother.

Zhan Lan turned around and met Lady Li's direct gaze. She was dressed very plainly, with a benign facial expression indistinguishable from that of countless other homemakers, with her dark hair fastened with a simple silver hairpin.

Certainly not luxurious.

Lady Li's appearance was not particularly beautiful, only her eyes bore some resemblance to Zhan Xuerou's. Even in middle age, there was a shimmering light swirling in her eyes.

Like a little kitten, she looked pitiable.

Zhan Lan had never paid attention to this detail before and thought to herself: If Zhan Xuerou looked like her father, Zhan Beicang, he would definitely have noticed!

Strange to say, Zhan Xuerou's facial shape and figure also resembled Qin Shuang to some extent, so at a glance, they wouldn't arouse much suspicion.

"I'm back!" Zhan Lan greeted her as usual, taking the embroidered pouch from Lady Li's hand.

Lady Li coughed lightly, "You girl, have you caused any trouble recently?"

Zhan Lan immediately shook her head, "How could I? I've been very well-behaved."

"Nothing has happened recently in the house, has it?" Lady Li entered the main room first.

The furnishings inside the main room were quite simple, modest but clean.

In the side room, there was also a spirit tablet made of nanmu with the words "In memory of the late husband Xue Wei" inscribed on it.

The wood used for the spirit tablet was the most luxurious thing in the room.

Originally, Zhan Beicang even specially found a place for Lady Li in the west courtyard, which had much better conditions than the backyard, for the two of them to live.

But Lady Li had declined, insisting on staying in the backyard, a choice that Zhan Lan only now fully understood.

This way, Zhan Beicang couldn't see Lady Li or Zhan Lan often, and it would also prevent Zhan Xuerou from running into them frequently.

Except for holidays and festivals, they hardly ever sat together, which prevented the discovery that Lady Li had secretly switched daughters.

At least, less contact would protect Zhan Xuerou's status as the legitimate daughter.

Zhan Lan lowered her eyes moodily.

"Lan'er, offer incense to your father," Lady Li said as she walked into the side room.

Zhan Lan responded without changing her expression, took three sticks of incense from the desk, lit them, and placed them into the incense burner.

Lady Li stood in front of the spirit tablet, muttering something under her breath.

Behind her, Zhan Lan looked at the spirit tablet, thinking that after all, Xue Wei had saved the life of her biological father, Zhan Beicang.

If not for him, Zhan Beicang's fate might have been grim.

But in this life, she felt no longing for this "father" whom she had never met.

Lady Li went back to the main room and sat on a chair. She looked at Zhan Lan seriously, "On my way back, I heard that you have become a disciple of the Qingfeng Scholar. Is that true?"

Zhan Lan nodded calmly.

After getting the answer, Lady Li suddenly stood up, her brow creasing into a "川" character.

She suddenly looked up and snapped, "Kneel!"

Zhan Lan met Lady Li's angry eyes and said in a low voice, "Why should I kneel?"

Lady Li slammed the table and quickly stepped forward, raising her hand to give Zhan Lan a slap.

Just as the slap was about to reach Zhan Lan's face, Zhan Lan firmly caught Lady Li's hand.

Lady Li, taken aback, met Zhan Lan's cold gaze.

"You unfilial daughter, what are you doing!"