Chapter 666 - 659_1
Master Xue returned home, weathered from his ordeal, and found everything he had grown accustomed to over the past few months particularly endearing. Suddenly, he felt a sense of home - a place that could shelter him from the elements and allow him to live peacefully. If in the past his loyalty to Madam was for a good refuge, now he considered himself a member of this family, especially upon returning to the courtyard and seeing his long-missed family. At that moment, tears streamed down Master Xue’s face; when the Hidden Guard of the Yin Family had taken him, he thought he would never see his family again.
"Mother, wife, son, hey!" Master Xue didn’t expect such a pleasant surprise upon returning home; Madam had actually arranged to have his elderly mother, wife, and son all brought over. At first, Master Xue was stunned, then he cried out in joy and even held his son in his arms.
Ever since Master Xue’s family had been brought over by the Zhao Family, they felt uneasy not seeing their son and waited at the entrance of the yard, longing for Master Xue’s return. At that moment, when they finally saw Master Xue, they were overjoyed but somewhat startled, and it took a brief moment before they quickly welcomed him into the courtyard with great joy.
"My son, you’ve finally come back. These past few days we’ve been staying here, well-fed and taken care of, but it was unsettling not to see you. Now that you’re back, it’s good, so good," Mother Xue said happily, incessantly.
"I have been unfilial for not personally fetching you due to my duties, Mother. I pray you don’t blame your son. Now that I have settled in the Zhao Family, though I may not become very accomplished in the future, I am living an honest and stable life. The lord and Madam are kind people and treat us servants well. I have not fulfilled my filial duty by being away from home for so many years, but I will make sure to take good care of you from now on."
Lin Yue had kept the news of Master Xue’s misfortune from his family. Furthermore, since the departure of Mdm. Xu and a few others, many weren’t fully aware of Master Xue’s situation. As a result, his family had remained clueless about his abduction. Master Xue realized from the conversation that his family was unaware, so he decided to keep hiding the truth to spare them from worry and sadness.
"We need not say such things between the two of us, Mother. As for my wife, these years she has not only had to take care of the household but also respect and look after my parents and to care for our child, which has truly been hard on her. If anyone deserves my gratitude, it’s my wife whom I should treat well," Mother Xue, a kind mother-in-law, had always had a good relationship with her daughter-in-law, who was filial. At this time, she did not forget to acknowledge her daughter-in-law’s effort, hoping that her son and daughter-in-law could lead a harmonious life together in the future.