Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 151: Chapter 147, Grandpa, is this Grandma?

Danian New Year’s Eve.

The Yang family gathered for the New Year’s Eve dinner just like in previous years.

However, there were three differences this year. First, Yang Mingzhi’s family was far away in Jianning Guard, unable to come back and reunite with everyone.

Second was that Jiang He and Yang Yunyan’s family stayed with the Yang family for New Year’s.

And third, the Yang family had an additional member—Yu Qingyi.

That’s right, Yu Qingyi had stepped right into the family gathering. Though Yang Zhenshan hadn’t explained anything to the others, he had invited Yu Qingyi to join them for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

In fact, Yang Zhenshan’s thought was straightforward; on such a major holiday as New Year’s, it was quite heartless for Yu Qingyi to dine alone while staying at the Yang residence.

His intention was good and there was no fault in it, but it seemed that he had overlooked someone else—Miss Yu Lu.

Yu Qingyi was alone, but Miss Yu Lu was alone too, yet Yang Zhenshan had completely forgotten about her.

Naturally, the New Year’s Eve dinner of the Yang family was grand. Now that Yang Zhenshan didn’t lack silver, the household’s lifestyle had become much more comfortable, let alone during New Year’s. Yang Mingcheng and Ms. Wang had prepared a table full of delicious dishes.

However, the atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat odd.

Yang Zhenshan sat in the main seat eating his meal leisurely. Yu Qingyi sat on the left, her face blushing red, almost burying her head in her bowl. Yang Mingcheng and the others were also eating with their heads down, but from time to time they would look up at Yu Qingyi.

What should have been a lively New Year’s Eve dinner had become quiet and weird because of Yu Qingyi’s presence.

Yang Yunxue looked at Yang Yunyan, ’Big sister, is Dad planning to remarry?’

Yang Yunyan tasted her meal blandly, shaking her head faintly, ’Dad isn’t saying, how would I know?’

“But this woman is at the dinner table!”

“Dad probably means something like that!”

“Alas, this person seems not bad, but there’s a saying—where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather. What if Dad stops caring for me in the future?”

“…”

The sisters exchanged glances and silent communication.

Just then, a sudden voice shattered the stillness.

“Grandpa, is she Grandma?”

Swish, swish~~

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the source of the voice, including Yang Zhenshan.

The speaker was none other than the little girl, Yang Qingwan.

Only this little girl in the family would make such unrestrained remarks.

Yang Chengye, though rugged, was almost six years old and had started to understand things.

And Wang Mingzhe had always been reticent, rarely interrupting on regular days, let alone at this time.

There was also the little grandson, Jiang Ning, who had only recently learned to speak and still stuttered.

Hearing her daughter’s thoughtless words, Ms. Wang was startled and hurriedly reached out, wanting to cover the young girl’s mouth.

But the words were already out, and she couldn’t cover them even if she wanted to. All she could do was turn towards Yang Zhenshan with a simple-minded smile.

Yang Zhenshan watched the little girl with a mix of helplessness.

Actually, he regretted his decision.

Before, he only thought that it was too lonely for Yu Qingyi to eat alone during the great New Year holiday, but he overlooked that inviting Yu Qingyi to dine would make everyone feel awkward.

Everyone’s silence had kept the awkwardness under wraps, but the little girl’s remark laid all the awkwardness bare on the table.

Oh girl, if you weren’t so young, Grandpa would surely spank you!

To let you learn that trouble comes from careless talk.

Yang Zhenshan felt helpless with the little girl and could only grumble internally.

“Hehe, Dad, Qingwan has eaten enough. I’ll take her away first!”

Seeing that Yang Zhenshan did not look very pleased, Ms. Wang quickly picked up the little girl, rushing out of the main hall as if fleeing.

“Mom, I haven’t eaten enough yet; I still want roasted meat!”

However, the little girl really hadn’t had enough, and she longed for that delicious roasted meat.

“Alright, alright, the girl hasn’t eaten enough. Hurry and bring her back!” What else could Yang Zhenshan say? He certainly couldn’t starve the child during the New Year’s holiday.

“You don’t need to overthink. Sect Leader Yu cannot return for some reasons temporarily and can only stay at our place. She is a guest in our home—don’t let your imagination run wild!”

Yang Zhenshan could only clarify a bit.

Actually, he had not yet made up his mind about the whole situation.

He understood Yu Qingyi’s circumstances and knew that she was not married.

Indeed, he felt a small flutter of attraction for Yu Qingyi, but he always felt that flutter was more physical than emotional.

Simply put, he was craving her body more than he really wanted her as a person.

Whether to take Yu Qingyi into his household, Yang Zhenshan hadn’t really decided yet.

Upon hearing his words, Yu Qingyi stiffened, her head bowing even lower.

Yang Zhenshan hadn’t come to a decision, and her thoughts were also highly complex.

Given her status and age, finding a suitable husband was not a simple matter.

At this age of twenty-eight, she was already considered ’no longer a girl in her prime.’ Moreover, she was the Sect Leader of the Sky Blue Sword Sect. If she truly wished to marry, the consent of the elders of the Sky Blue Sword Sect was necessary.

Previously, she merely wanted to ingratiate herself with Yang Zhenshan, but his recent behavior had raised some expectations in her heart.

Yang Zhenshan’s words made her feel a mix of sadness and grievance, but she couldn’t voice these feelings.

In the worldly society, her status was not low, but in front of Yang Zhenshan, she felt no confidence at all.

It’s the difference between an official and a commoner.

Yang Zhenshan noticed the change in Yu Qingyi’s emotions and realized that his words were somewhat inappropriate for her.

Although the two of them hadn’t made any promises, he had indeed done something over the line.

Like holding her hand.

If it were in the modern world, that would not be a big deal, but here, it was inappropriate.

After some thought, Yang Zhenshan picked a piece of venison and put it into Yu Qingyi’s bowl, saying, “Don’t feel constrained, just as if you’re at your own home!”

Yu Qingyi, taken aback, raised her head. Their gazes collided, and Yu Qingyi’s face turned red at once.

Other people watched the scene in stunned silence.

Yang Mingcheng’s head couldn’t quite make sense of it. Didn’t Dad say Sect Leader Yu was a guest? But this behavior didn’t seem like how one would treat a guest!

Yang Minghao’s eyes shone with the light of gossip. So Dad also says one thing and means another, huh? Just before, he had told us not to wildly guess, but isn’t this recklessness?

Ms. Wang squinted her eyes, smiling cheerfully, but she tightly grasped Yang Qingwan’s hand. Girl, you better not talk nonsense again!

The Liang Family’s matron’s eyes sparkled, realizing Dad too had such a tender side.

Yunyan and Yunxue exchanged a glance, seeming to think they would soon have a stepmother!

Yang Zhenshan retrieved his chopsticks, feeling an even greater sense of resignation.

Such a bunch of troublesome light bulbs! All I want now is to have a simple romance, can’t you all pretend not to see it?

“Grandpa~~”

The little girl’s voice rang out again, instantly shattering the oddly quiet atmosphere.

Clatter~~

Ms. Wang, too tense, knocked the bowls and chopsticks in front of her onto the floor.

“Ah, my silly girl, can’t you speak a little less!”

“…”

Yang Zhenshan was somewhat at a loss for words.

Eldest daughter-in-law, can’t you talk less too?

The little girl, with her head held high, looked at her biological mother and said in a wronged tone, “Mom, I’m full!”

“…”

Everyone fell silent.

Was the girl actually full, or had she wised up for once.

“Cough cough, if you’re full, go play then!”

Yang Zhenshan had no choice but to break the silence again.

The little girl looked at the meat in her bowl, reluctantly leaving the room.

Wuu wuu, I’m not full, I’m just too scared to speak!

How wronged the girl felt in her heart.

You won’t let people talk, how can they not feel wronged?

A silent and awkward New Year’s Eve dinner was quickly finished.

“Dad, I’m going to add some forage for Red Cloud, so it can celebrate the New Year too!” Yang Mingcheng found a very clever excuse to run away.

After that, Ms. Wang also slipped away with Yang Chengye. She didn’t even need an excuse, busying herself with the dishes and then disappearing.

“Dad, I’m going to check on Ming Zhen and the others!” Yang Minghao blinked and pulled the Liang matron away.

Soon after, everyone found excuses to disperse, leaving only Yang Zhenshan and Yu Qingyi in the hall.

Yang Zhenshan stroked his long beard, his mouth slightly turning up at the corners.

Let it be awkward.

As long as I don’t feel awkward, then the awkward ones are them.

Hmph, I’m the father, I’ll do as I please.

Thinking this, his gaze turned to Yu Qingyi, who was blushing.

So bashful at twenty-eight years old, this heroine is truly pure!

“Come on, accompany me to look at some books!”

During the New Year celebrations, without any entertainment, they could only kill time by reading books.

“Oh!” Yu Qingyi snapped back to reality and hurriedly stood up to follow Yang Zhenshan to the study.

…

The Spring Garden had no hint of spring, with only the dim light of a candle.

Yu Lu sat under the flickering candlelight, seriously embroidering a handkerchief.

“Miss, they’ve dispersed from the main house!”

The mammy by her side softly informed her.

“They’ve dispersed, so be it, what does it have to do with us?” Yu Lu said indifferently.

The mammy hesitated to speak, but after a long hesitation, still said, “Miss, don’t forget the master’s orders.”

Yu Lu abruptly looked up, her bright eyes filled with coldness.

“Do your duty, I don’t need you to teach me what I should do!”

The mammy trembled all over, and with a plop, she knelt on the ground and began to slap her own face, “It’s this old servant who was too talkative, please forgive me, Miss!”

Yu Lu watched her coldly and did not stop her.

The two maids by her side bowed their heads, not even daring to breathe heavily.

Not until the mammy’s face was swollen and red did Yu Lu say, “You may leave.”

“Thank you, Miss!” The mammy kowtowed three times before leaving the room.

After her departure, Yu Lu bent down to continue her embroidery, but after a while, she let out a deep sigh.

“In the midst of the curtain’s shadow, I rise in the chilly night; the frosty moon as clear as water. Jade dew fails to form a sphere; the precious zither mourns a broken string.”

She turned to look at the guzheng next to her with a broken string.

Her delicate face showed no trace of a smile, only sorrow that could not be dissolved or wiped away.

“Alas, prepare yourselves, tomorrow we will pay a visit to the master!”

She said gloomily.

Having been in the Yang family for over ten days, she had yet to step out of this courtyard.

She did not want to meet Yang Zhenshan, and he did not come to see her.

It was all but a farce, and who would take it seriously.