Qin Ding naturally understood that Qin An's mistake had been unintentional. Still, even an unintentional mistake was a "mistake," and he needed to teach him a lesson, so he would be more careful in the future.
After all, the Young Master was going to live in the village for several years.
If Qin An were to make a similar slip in front of the Young Master again, the consequences would be severe.
Qin Ding observed Qin An, who was nearly at his limit, before withdrawing his martial aura. He said,
"All right. Be mindful of your words and actions in the future."
Qin An panted heavily, trembling as he clutched the chair to sit upright. Though utterly disheveled, he still managed to clasp his hands respectfully and say,
"Thank you, Uncle Ding, for your guidance."
Looking at Qin An in this state, Qin Ding could not help but compare him to his contemporary Qin Yong. The difference was immediately obvious. With a helpless sigh, he shook his head:
"Compared to little Yong, you're far behind."
Back then, Qin Ding had placed great expectations on Qin An and treated him with special care while at the Hou Mansion. Yet even after all that, he had not lived up to those expectations.
After returning to the village due to injury, Qin Ding had treated Qin An more kindly than Qin Yong—but he had to admit, he had misjudged him.
Exhausted in body and mind, Qin An had originally intended to leave and return later to inquire once Qin Ding's temper had calmed. But upon hearing Qin Yong's name, and the words "compared" and "far behind," his heart ached. Clutching his chest, he forced a smile, forgetting even his own body, and blurted out,
"What… does that mean?"
Qin Ding immediately recounted the visit to Young Master Xu. When Qin An heard that Qin Yong had been publicly praised by Young Master Xu, his throat went dry, his vision blurred, and he fainted.
Qin Ding had not expected such a dramatic reaction and was startled by this sudden turn. He quickly stood and checked Qin An's condition.
Every martial practitioner was half a doctor by training.
Upon inspection, Qin Ding knew immediately what had happened.
"This… is extreme anger affecting the heart?"
Indeed, it was one of the most common conditions among martial practitioners.
Looking at the unconscious Qin An, Qin Ding shook his head:
"Not skilled in martial arts, but quite temperamental."
It seemed that even after leaving the Hou Mansion and returning to the village, Qin An had spent all these years treating Qin Yong as his imagined rival.
Overcome by rage, Qin An had lost control, and his heart had skipped a beat, causing him to faint.
Fortunately, it wasn't serious. He only needed a period of rest to recover.
Seeing Qin An faint, Qin Ding could not hide a trace of helplessness. Using his remaining left hand, he lifted Qin An like an old hen and carried him back home, reminding Qing Niang with a few words before leaving.
Outside, Huang Lao approached respectfully.
"Young Master, the wind outside is strong, and the room has been prepared. Please come in and rest," he said to Qin Xu, who was enjoying the view from the pavilion.
"Very well," Qin Xu replied. He adjusted the tightly wrapped white fur cloak and descended the pavilion. On the way, he said to Huang Lao,
"Please, Huang Lao, fetch that child and bring him to see me."
Huang Lao hesitated.
"Young Master, will the child be able to handle it?"
Without looking back, Qin Xu replied calmly,
"If he cannot handle it, then he need not come."
Huang Lao was taken aback—he had not expected Qin Xu to value the child so highly.
"Yes, Young Master."
After hearing about martial practitioners from his father, Qin Yi had been frowning and preoccupied ever since. Observing this, Zhen Niang scolded Qin Yong with a sharp glance, then approached and lifted Qin Yi, smoothing his brow and saying,
"Da Tou, why do you always frown at such a young age? If you frown again, I'll spank your bottom."
Upon hearing this, Zhuzi perked up, bouncing around:
"Mother, look! Da Tou is frowning again! Spank him, spank him!"
Zhen Niang lightly tapped Zhuzi on the back of the head in frustration:
"Is this how you act as an elder brother?"
Zhuzi felt wronged:
"Mother is unfair! You never spank Da Tou, only me! Wuwu… Mother is unfair…"
As he spoke, his cries grew louder.
"Qin Yong, are you home?" A deep, strong, aged voice called from outside.
Lying on the bed pretending to rest while secretly watching Zhen Niang teaching the children, Qin Yong leapt up immediately. He grabbed his shoes, opened the door, closed it behind him, and ran at top speed to the courtyard. There he saw the elder who served the Young Master. He lowered his head respectfully and cupped his hands:
"Greetings, Sir. How may I serve you?"
"Do you have a two- or three-year-old child? Bring him to me," Huang Lao said bluntly, without any preamble.
Qin Yong was stunned. He looked up in disbelief:
"Sir, Da Tou is not even three years old. How could he face you directly?"
Huang Lao regarded Qin Yong appreciatively. Even in this state of shock, Qin Yong had responded in a way that protected the child without offending him—a sign of commendable character.
Huang Lao showed no reaction and simply said calmly,
"This is the Young Master's order."
Qin Yong's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. Taking a deep breath, he said,
"Yes. I will follow the Young Master's instructions."
Respectfully cupping his hands, Qin Yong bowed and stepped back three paces. Then he slowly turned and went to the door, where he saw Zhen Niang holding Da Tou with a worried expression. Shaking his head slightly, Qin Yong approached, took Da Tou in his arms, and softly instructed:
"Da Tou, do you remember your father's teachings just now? You must never be disrespectful to the Young Master, never look a martial practitioner directly in the eyes. Do you understand?"
(End of Chapter)