If many years later he were to recall this matter again, Huo Xizhou would certainly understand that he had unknowingly employed a tactic of advancing by retreating and attacking by defending, effortlessly winning the tug-of-war with his father.

His father at this moment was actually nothing more than a paper tiger. As long as he resolutely stayed at Uncle Meng’s house, his father would not only let bygones be bygones but would also have to coax him back to the General’s Manor with gentle words.

Unfortunately, the current Huo Xizhou didn’t seem quite smart enough yet.

So with a trembling, shaking soul-like movement, he hid behind his little cousin who spread her wings protectively like a mother bird shielding her chicks.

This little cousin of his, true to her childhood name “Jiaojiao,” had mastered from a young age the earth-shaking, ghost-startling art of acting coquettish.

The adults said that when they were little, between the two of them, he learned to walk first, while his little cousin learned to speak first.

Once, a candied fruit was placed ten steps away from them, and both stared longingly at it.

But when he strode forward with confident steps to fetch it, he was defeated at the seventh step by his little cousin who, staying in place, kicked her little short legs, stretched out her chubby little hands, and called out in her milky voice “Huo Bo Bo, Huo Bo Bo” (Uncle Huo)—his father reached out with his long arm, fed the candied fruit to his little cousin, leaving him dumbfounded, eating nothing but air.

This was the first time his young self comprehended that in this life, having a good pair of legs wasn’t as useful as having a clever tongue.

Like father, like son.

Huo Xizhou remembered that when he was five years old, he and Ergou and Pangwa once hunted a plump, tender, delicious wild rabbit in the mountains—well, it only looked that way because they hadn’t killed it yet.

But his little cousin accidentally discovered it.

With red-rimmed eyes, his little cousin said, “Rabbits are so cute, how can you eat rabbits?” She followed behind him calling “Brother Xizhou, Brother Xizhou” over and over until he finally cried and released the rabbit, involuntarily swearing a poisonous oath that he would never eat rabbit meat in this lifetime, or else he wouldn’t be able to find a wife when he grew up.

Thinking back on it afterward, this involuntariness felt exactly like the time when he got into trouble and was about to receive corporal punishment, but his mother coaxed his father with “My lord, my lord” until his father helplessly put down his butcher’s knife and became a Buddha on the spot.

Except his little cousin seemed even more skilled. Because after his mother pleaded for him, she got up late the next morning. His father said his mother had taken the corporal punishment in his place.

But his little cousin? She didn’t have to receive any punishment at all. He couldn’t very well roast and eat her in the rabbit’s place.

In any case, after this incident, he was filled with awe for this formidable cousin who could conquer both young and old.

Look at now—his little cousin was calling out “Uncle Huo” in her sweet baby voice again and again. Who could withstand that? His father, whose hair stood on end with rage, seemed to have his throat seized by fate; the blade in his hand could absolutely not be unsheathed under any circumstances.

Uncle Meng commented that his father was getting old, becoming increasingly soft as he aged.

Sure enough, in the carriage back to the General’s Manor, his father softly asked about his recent situation these past few days—what he ate, how he lodged, whether his little cousin was adorable. In any case, not a single word about throwing him out. It was as if this time he hadn’t gone to seek refuge with Uncle Meng, but had truly visited Uncle Meng’s house as a guest.

But he felt this was very wrong, like before slaughtering an old hen, you had to feed it well, give it good drinks to fatten it up, and even let it listen to little tunes to make it happy so its meat would be more plump and tender… His father seemed to be brewing some major move.

Trembling with fear, he asked: “Father, are you going to slaughter me as soon as we get home?”

His father smiled and asked why he would say such a thing.

As the saying goes, men have tears but don’t shed them lightly, only because they haven’t reached their father’s presence; men have gold beneath their knees, unless their very lives are in critical danger. Frightened by this chilling smile, he dropped to his knees with a “thump,” hugged his father’s thigh, and confessed tearfully, begging for mercy.

His father sighed, lifted him up, looked at him earnestly and said: “Since you already know your error, I’ll spare you this once. But you’re not young anymore—how can you keep causing trouble all the time? You should learn to share your father and mother’s worries.”

He nodded frantically like pounding garlic: “Right, right, right, I want to share Father and Mother’s worries! What can I do to serve Father and Mother?”

“You see, your mother is still in her postpartum month, her body is weak, yet she still cares for your little sister day and night…”

“Father, rest assured, once I return home, caring for my little sister will be my responsibility!”

“But your little sister cries and fusses regardless of day or night. Your mother surely won’t bear to see you suffer and toil…”

“I’ll just say I missed my little sister so much that I want to stick with her all twelve hours of the day! Mother loves me—hearing me say this, she’ll definitely agree to entrust my little sister to me!”

His father pondered for a moment, finally satisfied: “Then it’s settled. Oh, one more thing—your mother still doesn’t know about the trouble you caused this time. You see…”

“Of course Mother can’t know! Father has already forgiven me, so why would we disturb Mother with this matter?”

“Then where have you been these past few days?”

“Visiting at Uncle Meng’s house! I ate well, drank well, and played well with my little cousin—tell Mother to rest easy!”

“But your mother most dislikes it when we lie.”

“Then we just won’t let Mother discover it! Father, rest assured, I’ll definitely act really convincingly!”

His father nodded somewhat reluctantly: “Fine, as long as you know what you’re doing.”

——

Huo Xizhou thus returned to the General’s Manor. According to his agreement with his father, standing before his mother’s bed, he carefully recited all these words once through.

His mother leaned against the bed rail, holding his swaddled little sister in her arms, looking at him suspiciously, then at his father.

His father’s expression was quite innocent. He shrugged: “See, I already said it was his own idea to visit the Qufei house. Why would I drive him out of the manor for no reason? Without consulting you, I wouldn’t privately punish him.” He looked down at him, “Right, son?”

He was struck right in the heart by this soul-interrogation, only then discovering he’d fallen into a trap.

What seized his father’s throat was never fate, nor his little cousin, but his mother.

His mother had clearly guessed his father’s tyrannical act and planned to stand up for this poor little thing, but his father, in order to escape guilt, had exploited his innocent, pure, and kind nature…

So… so utterly shameless!

But if he turned traitor now, his mother would know he had just been lying to deceive her.

That would make Mother sad.

Under his father’s death stare, he suppressed his grievance and nodded: “Right, Father didn’t punish me. Father has been so good to me!”

“Mm,” his father smiled at him kindly and affectionately, “but you just told Father that these past few days away from home, you missed your little sister?”

This determined gaze told him that when his father made a move, he would get whatever he wanted. His father never made a deal of killing one bird with one stone—with one stone, he had to hit at least two birds, or else it wasn’t worth it.

But he couldn’t figure out the details right away, so he could only steel himself and follow his father’s lead: “Yes, I want to borrow little sister from Mother to play for a few days…”

Then he saw his mother’s arms tighten around the swaddled baby, that “but Mother hasn’t played with her enough yet” reluctance leaping clearly into her eyes.

He understood.

Mother wasn’t exhausted at all from caring for his little sister. His father’s second bird was to make Mother look at him more, by driving the little sister away.