The Glory After Rebirth

400 - 402

C400: Elders' Attitudes

As the wedding day neared every day, Ling Zhang inevitably began to feel strained.

The day before the imperial wedding, everything was in readiness.

In the Ling Mansion, people busting around could be seen everywhere. The imperial wedding ceremony was right the next day. Everybody appeared more tense than Ling Zhang did. Even the two little boys, Ling Maomao and Ji Xiaocong, were nervous and excited. Whitie the fox, worried that his pretty fur would be stroked bald by the two thrilled kids, refused to stay with them and insisted on crouching on Ling Zhang's shoulder. The fox had grown considerably bigger and heavier. Sometimes when he abruptly jumped onto Ling Zhang, the latter was sent staggering.

"How many times do I have to tell you this, Whitie? Don't jump at me without warning like this. You've been gaining weight. Understand?"

Ling Zhang resignedly reached out a hand with the intention to pull the fox off his shoulder. Whitie, who was quite agile, transferred to Ling Zhang's other shoulder in the blink of an eye, showing his unwillingness to leave and a total disregard for Ling Zhang's comment about him gaining weight without even giving Ling Zhang a glance.

"Big Brother," said Ling Maomao, casting a look at the little white fox on Ling Zhang's shoulder, his intention to stroke Whitie's fur manifest in his eyes. Whitie stiffened for an instant, his hair on the verge of bristling. Fortunately Ling Maomao took his eyes off the fox after a brief stare at him. "Grandfather would like a word with you."

"I see. I'll go there right away," said Ling Zhang. "I want you two to behave yourselves. Don't mess around. In the next few days this residence will be swarming with people busy with all kinds of things. You might bump into someone and hurt yourselves if you're not careful enough. Cong is still young, which makes you his big brother, Maomao, so you need to take good care of him."

Ling Maomao looked at Ji Xiaocong who was standing beside him and then said, "Cong is a good boy."

The corners of Ling Zhang's mouth twitched and with that he gave Ling Maomao a playful knock on the forehead. "It's you that I fear would misbehave."

Ling Maomao had a urge to knead his brow, but after glancing at Ji Xiaocong who was beside him, he managed to subdue it and said to Ling Zhang with a poker face. "I never messed around, and I've been taking care of Cong."

Ling Zhang lifted his eyebrows, surprised that this little guy seemed to be quite unconvinced.

"Let's go."

Holding a hand of each of the boys, Ling Zhang headed for Ling Xingzhong's place.

"Brother Ling, can you bring us to the palace to play tomorrow?" asked Ji Xiaocong, looking up at Ling Zhang.

For some unknown reason, Ji Xiaocong had been quite obsessed with visiting the imperial palace. A few days ago Ling Zhang had promised him and Ling Maomao that he would bring the two of them to the Infinite Fortune Palace and let them stay there for a couple of days, but afterward what with the matter of the Abode of the Marquess Huaiwen, he had had to delay it.

"Yes." Ling Zhang gave it some thought and then scooped up Ji Xiaocong, holding him in the crook of his arm. Ji Xiaocong reached out a hand to wrap it around Ling Zhang's neck, carefully shifted his position slightly by moving his butt and then relaxedly sat on the crook of Ling Zhang's elbow. Ling Maomao threw a look at them and then quietly tightened his hold on Ling Zhang's hand which was holding his. After thinking about it for a brief moment, he edged closer to Ling Zhang until he was walking with his side almost against his big brother.