Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 826: Chapter 70: Zhao

All the procedures should be completed now. Song Tianyou untied the apron from his body, gave some instructions to Uncle Si in the kitchen, washed his hands, and then walked out of the kitchen.

Outside the kitchen was a separate courtyard with a small vegetable garden.

When Song Tianyou came out, he found that Song Haoran had already returned at some point. He was drawing a bucket of water and watering the plants in the vegetable garden.

Song Tianyou smiled and quietly walked up behind Song Haoran with his hands behind his back, “You’re back already.”

“Yeah, I just got back.” Song Haoran squatted down, reaching to pick off the wilted leaves, and said, “Our vegetable garden doesn’t use any pesticides, so the vegetables are pure and healthy, but one downside is that pests are quite common.”

Song Tianyou glanced at it and said calmly, “Seems like you have something to say to me?”

Song Haoran shrugged, “Not really, just feeling a bit sentimental suddenly.”

Song Haoran stood up, stretched, then turned around, glanced into the kitchen, and laughed, “It’s been years since I cooked myself. My skills must have degraded, right?”

“You brat.” Song Tianyou scolded him with a smile.

“On my way here, I stopped by Zhonghua Street.” Song Haoran suddenly said, “Luo Qiu mentioned that it would be good to bring something when visiting.”

“That’s considerate of him.” Song Tianyou was momentarily surprised to hear this, then laughed as well, feeling very pleased that a descendant of the Song Family would make such a gesture—even though it was likely just customary politeness.

But as people get older, they seem to dwell on these things, wanting to hold onto such sentiments.

“He went to some trouble.” Song Tianyou shook his head.

Song Haoran unexpectedly commented, “He only bought two pounds of apples.”

Elder Song was momentarily taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter. He looked at the adjacent vegetable garden, smiling silently. Song Haoran continued, “Sheng Men, Door of Life. Life represents living. Living signifies hope. So Sheng Men is the Door of Hope, a door that offers hope.”

These were words he had heard, Song Haoran spoke slowly, not missing a word, even mimicking the tone.

Song Tianyou gave a puzzled look. Of course, he understood what Sheng Men meant because he had specifically created that door.

“That’s exactly what Luo Qiu said,” Song Haoran shrugged, “I just took him there by the way and mentioned the name Sheng Men. That’s when he said those words.”

Song Tianyou looked up at the sunny white clouds over the Han Residence and, after a long time, sighed softly, saying, “This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish, he deserves it… Come, take me to meet him.”

Elder Song suddenly seemed revitalized. He hadn’t rested much, moving non-stop from the village.

In fact, to prepare the ingredients for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, he hadn’t rested much since the day before, because cooking the top-quality dried abalone required a considerable amount of time, and Elder Song insisted on doing it personally.

Song Haoran was undoubtedly aware of his father’s fatigue, but he also understood what drove him to do so.

It was an obsession that had lasted for decades, unwavering day after day.

“Have you taken your medicine today?” Song Haoran asked gently.

“Don’t worry, I still want to live a few more years.”

…

When Song Haoran accompanied Song Tianyou to the side hall where Luo Qiu was, Luo Qiu was standing in front of the bookshelf, leafing through a book.

Uncle Wu was a professional-level butler with excellent hearing. When Song Tianyou appeared, he made a move, but Song Tianyou slightly shook his head, indicating Uncle Wu should not make a sound.

He walked slowly to the bookshelf, looking at the rows of neatly arranged books. One was missing, the one Luo Qiu was holding.

“You like reading The History of Ming?” Song Tianyou suddenly asked.

“Not really.” Luo Qiu closed it and explained, “It’s just because this book is a bit damaged, so it piqued my interest to take a look.”

Song Tianyou genuinely took his first good look at Luo Qiu.

In his sixties but with a straight posture, giving off a robust feeling. Song Tianyou pondered, “Because of the damage?”

Luo Qiu nodded, “If it’s not frequently read, it wouldn’t get damaged. Being frequently read means someone likes it, and it has the value of being frequently perused.”

Song Tianyou said calmly, “But it could also just be one person’s interest. Some like sweet, some like salty, but it’s not necessarily what you like.”

Luo Qiu replied, “But whether you like it or not, you have to try it yourself to know.”

Song Tianyou suddenly reached out his hand, and Luo Qiu handed over The History of Ming directly to him. Elder Song casually flipped through it, the pages rustling, and then he asked, “How about talking about the Ming Dynasty?”

Luo Qiu shook his head, “I observe, but I don’t comment.”

“An outsider sees clearly?” Song Tianyou gazed at him.

Luo Qiu said plainly, “I cannot enter the game.”

Song Tianyou nodded, “That’s true. Even the most completely preserved historical records can’t fully present the truth of a dynasty. What later generations write might come infinitely close to the truth, yet it still isn’t the truth. For instance, the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival only captures a corner of its era. Although it condenses a small part of an era, there are always some omissions.”

He handed this History of Ming back to Luo Qiu, “Since you like it, I’ll give you this History of Ming.”

Luo Qiu, however, placed the book back to its original position, speaking softly, “If one book is missing, it won’t be complete. It’s important to give those who come after a chance to see it too.”

Song Tianyou asked, “How old are you this year?”

“I’ll be twenty-two after the lunar New Year,” Luo Qiu thought for a moment. “Born in the first month.”

“Come, let me show you something.” Song Tianyou nodded and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Song Haoran at the door quickly waved at Luo Qiu, signaling him to follow.

The boss nodded, but before leaving, he casually covered the lid of the teacup.

Uncle Wu, the butler, noticed this sharp-eyed, but he said nothing… Yet details can reveal a person’s character. He couldn’t see anything pretentious in this young man.

But that’s what’s most terrifying. Because Uncle Wu didn’t know what kind of upbringing could produce such a young man who seemed so perfectly balanced in everything he did.

Even more incredibly, it seemed that anyone could feel a sense of closeness towards him.

“Incredible,” Uncle Wu suddenly remarked by Song Haoran’s side.

Song Haoran asked, surprised, “Uncle Wu, what’s incredible?”

Uncle Wu joked, “If this distinguished guest were a woman, I could describe them as an orchid in an empty valley. But since he’s a man, I really don’t know how to describe him.”

“Uncle Wu, so you have such interests…” Song Haoran was taken aback, then sighed, “That’s why you’ve been single for over forty years…”

“Young Master…”

…

The interior of the Han Residence seemed much larger than it appeared from the outside. This was likely thanks to the designer’s grasp of space structure.

Song Tianyou took Luo Qiu to a place almost at the deepest part of the Han Residence, a locked room.

In the homes of large families of old, there would be a hall for ancestor worship, and the Han Residence had such a place. Song Tianyou pointed at the neatly arranged ancestral tablets and said to Luo Qiu, “Our Song Family can be traced back as far as the Northern Song Dynasty.”

“Zhao?” The boss looked at the highest-hanging plaque, which read “Ancestor Duke Ruixian of the Zhao,” slightly stunned.

As if aware of Luo Qiu’s inner confusion, Song Tianyou earnestly explained, “Duke Ruixian was a descendant of the second son of Emperor Taizu of Song, King Yan. In other words, our Song Family is actually descended from Emperor Taizu of Song. Later, dynasties changed, and Duke Ruixian was committed to restoration but couldn’t contend with the vicissitudes of the world. Eventually disheartened, he died in sorrow. His descendants gradually gave up on this idea and changed their surname. We taking the surname Song is essentially to keep a memory alive. Over the thousand years, our family nearly vanished several times, but fate kept us going, and now we have this remaining legacy. Since you are a descendant of my elder brother, you must recognize your ancestors, so I have to tell you that we are actually of the Zhao Family.”

Luo Qiu nodded, indeed feeling somewhat surprised by the Song Family’s origins, but quickly regained his composure.

Song Tianyou had been watching Luo Qiu’s expression and nodded now, saying, “You’re quite steady, much better than I imagined. When your uncle Song Haoran first heard this, he wasn’t as calm as you are now.”

“Dad, comparing a ten-year-old to a twenty-two-year-old is unfair,” Song Haoran chuckled lightly.

Song Tianyou just waved his hand but couldn’t hide the affection in his eyes—Song Haoran was a son he had in his later years and his only son, naturally treasured dearly.

“How did my grandfather become separated from you back then?” Luo Qiu asked at this point.

Song Tianyou sat down, reminiscing about something. At that moment, Luo Qiu saw something called age in Song Tianyou. People his age all had this.

“It was just after the chaotic wartime period ended, and the New Kingdom was established, with everything flourishing. But in reality, quite a few parts of the country hadn’t been liberated,” Song Tianyou paused for a long moment before continuing, “In fact, if we hadn’t been invaded during the early Republic years, perhaps my grandfather would have just been a humble teacher. However, life forced him to lay down his books and take up a gun, still managing to make a small career for himself.”

“Many things I can’t recall clearly now because I was too young then,” the old man remained silent for quite a while, “In the earliest days, the Song Family was merely a small local warlord, carefully surviving among the forces. We never aimed to gain anything, just wanted to protect our home, hence the armed forces. But when the tide of the times surges, no one can stay out of it.”

“Your grandfather was much older than me. An elder brother is like a father. My childhood was spent following him around. He taught me to memorize the Three Character Classic, taught me to ride horses, read me the Records of the Grand Historian, and would secretly take me out to play. We hunted together, watched Yue opera… those were the most precious days of my life, carefree and happy.”

“Later, with the new country’s beginnings, the head of the Song Family passed to my father, your great-grandfather. Your great-grandfather had no interest in titles or founding accomplishments, only wanting to retire to a quiet life, but our Song Family still encountered misfortune.”

“During those times, the situation was still tense. Although old forces had retreated overseas, many spies remained, wreaking havoc on the hard-won peace… Our Song Family was thus sabotaged.”

The old man remained silent for another long while, “The truth of this matter still lacks a definitive conclusion. The situation was chaotic back then. The founding of the New Kingdom meant many things were overthrown, and new things had to emerge. I have never doubted the spirit of those warriors who liberated the country with their blood. But you must also understand, all of us at first came from different backgrounds, and so our thoughts weren’t necessarily the same. My father didn’t want to join some people’s camp. The consequences were foreseeable.”

“In the dead of winter, word of the liberation of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan had not long arrived…” Song Tianyou’s expression turned somber, “I remember that night when many people suddenly came to our house wearing unified black hats and traditional black Chinese gowns. They didn’t speak. None of them said a single word from beginning to end. I heard gunshots, and not long after that, I saw my older brother, covered in blood, rushing into my room to pick me up.”

“We kept running and running, with people constantly chasing us, biting at our heels,” the old man closed his eyes. “It was the first time in my life I’d seen so many dead bodies and so much blood. I didn’t know what war looked like, but I saw what death looked like.”

The old man looked at Luo Qiu, “Your grandfather tied me to him with a strap to protect me. I saw a bullet hit his shoulder and blood kept flowing. Flowing onto my face… When there was no other way, he chose to lead a few people to draw away the Men in Black and let some servants take me away. We had agreed on a meeting place, and he told me, ‘Don’t leave without seeing each other.’

Luo Qiu exhaled, “You didn’t meet him.”

“I waited a long, long time,” the old man breathed in deeply. “Later, under the protection of the servants, I traveled first to Xiangjiang, then further south, crossing the sea to Indonesia, where I grew up… Some years later, I uncovered some of the truth from those days, but secretly a mysterious force also sought me out. With no other choice, I had to leave once more.”

The old man sighed, “That time, I went even further, and then came to this place and met a girl. She was a descendant of laborers brought here as laborers. We fell in love, and I put down roots in this place.”

The old man looked at Luo Qiu, the heavy mood seeming slightly lightened, “Over the years, I made some money and got some power of my own. I’ve secretly returned many times, but I’ve never been able to find out anything about my brother. I thought I’d never hear about him again in this lifetime.”

He suddenly seized Luo Qiu’s hand swiftly and decisively, like a tiger let out of its cage, making Luo Qiu unable to dodge.

The old man held Luo Qiu’s hand tighter, fearing that once he let go, he would never see him again in this life, “Today, I’ve found you!”

Perhaps, back then, the old man’s older brother also tightly held his hand like this.

Exhausted from days of rushing, the old man could no longer maintain his decades of composure, letting two clear streams of tears fall, crying like an innocent old man.