The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 58 My dad isn't very ambitious, but he's definitely not the type to suffer a loss.

After hearing this, Zhu Yao couldn't help but smile, waved his hand, and said with a laugh, "You're just overthinking things. Don't doubt my dad."

"I trust my dad. He's not that kind of person. Didn't you see the shrewdness in his eyes?"

"Although he may not be very ambitious, he's definitely not the type to suffer losses!"

"The reason he wanted to slip away was probably because he was too busy with business in Nanjing and couldn't get away."

"After all, my father has married several wives and had many children. Now that he's reunited with me, he must be under a lot of pressure, constantly running around for a few taels of silver!"

"This is a snapshot of the lives of most middle-aged men."

"Stop overthinking it and hurry up and invite my father, Mr. Liu, and Manager Gu over for breakfast."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhong, though still somewhat doubtful, dared not say anything more and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes, young master, I'll go right away."

But as soon as he turned around, before he even left the hall, he saw Zhu Yuanzhang walk in with Liu Bowen, Hu Weiyong, and Erhu. The men all looked somewhat uneasy, especially Zhu Yuanzhang, whose ears were slightly red and who looked a little embarrassed.

In fact, he had arrived at the entrance of the hall a while ago and happened to overhear Zhu Yao and Chen Zhong's conversation. He heard Chen Zhong's guesses clearly and felt both angry and amused, but more than that, he felt a bit guilty.

My son has such profound insights, just like an old man!

However, it is a fact that Zhu Yuanzhang was short of money!

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yao quickly stood up and greeted them, "Father, Mr. Liu, Manager Gu, you've finally arrived! Please have a seat, breakfast is freshly made and still warm."

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled awkwardly, quickly walked to the table and sat down, avoiding Zhu Yao's gaze. He picked up his chopsticks to grab some food, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Hu Weiyong still covered his head and sat down carefully, afraid of touching his wound. Liu Bowen and Erhu took their seats in turn, and the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat subtle.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Yuanzhang cleared his throat, about to say something to explain his earlier sneaking away, but was interrupted by Zhu Yao.

Zhu Yao looked at him, his tone tinged with a hint of grievance and a barely perceptible expectation: "Dad, you're not thinking of leaving again, are you?"

"It's been a while since we were reunited as father and son. Every time you come, you're in a rush and never spend time with me properly. It's pitiful that I lost my parents when I was young. I finally found you, but I don't even have a chance to have a proper talk with you."

Zhu Yao's voice was soft, tinged with sobs, and the grievance in his eyes made Zhu Yuanzhang's heart ache.

He put down his chopsticks, the embarrassment on his face long gone, replaced by heartache and guilt. He quickly waved his hand and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Don't say anymore, don't say anymore, you're making me want to cry."

"We're not leaving today, absolutely not!"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke firmly, looking at Zhu Yao, and solemnly said, "Today, the two of us will go together to visit your mother's grave, spend some quality time with her, and let her see that we, father and son, have been reunited."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao's eyes lit up instantly, his aggrieved expression vanishing in favor of joy. He nodded vigorously and exclaimed excitedly, "Great! That's wonderful, Dad! Let's go now!"

Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong exchanged a glance, and both wisely remained silent, simply eating their breakfast and keeping the father and son company, each lost in their own thoughts.

Chen Zhong, standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his young master's joy and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Young master, sir, I'll go prepare the offerings for the grave visit right away, and I promise to handle it perfectly."

Before long, Chen Zhong had prepared the offerings and wine. Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yao carried the offerings and slowly walked along the mountain path to the grave of Zhu Yao's mother, Liu Qiao'er.

The tombstone is simple and unadorned, with the words "Tomb of my dear mother Liu Qiao'er" inscribed on it. It is surrounded by green grass, giving it a serene and tranquil feel.

Zhu Yao put down the offerings, bowed and tidied the weeds in front of the tombstone, and respectfully kowtowed three times, his eyes full of longing: "Mother, I've come to see you, and I've brought my father with me. If you're watching from heaven, you must be very happy."

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped forward and bowed deeply to the tombstone. His expression was solemn, and his tone was filled with guilt and longing: "Qiao'er, I've come to see you. You've suffered all these years, and so has Yao'er."

After the worship ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang took out two jars of wine from his baggage, opened the seals, and a rich aroma of wine immediately filled the air. He filled both bowls with wine and handed one to Zhu Yao.

"Come on, son, let's have a good drink together!"

"Yes, Father!"

The two sat on the bluestone beside the tombstone. Zhu Yao picked up his wine bowl, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, and said with anticipation in his eyes, "Father, tell me the story of you and Mother back then. I've heard my grandfather say since I was a child that your meeting was a very legendary one."

Zhu Yuanzhang took the wine bowl, took a sip, and a look of reminiscence appeared on his face. His eyes softened, and he slowly said, "That was many years ago. At that time, I was still traveling around, begging all the way to Chenzhou."

"That day, I was passing through a mountain forest when I came across a group of bandits who had kidnapped your mother. Your mother was pretty and had a strong personality. She refused to submit and was about to be abused by the bandits. In a moment of desperation, I rushed in."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang revealed a hint of pride and patted his chest: "Speaking of which, that was the first time in my life I killed someone. I personally dealt with those bandits, which can be considered breaking my vow of celibacy and tempering my courage."

"It was from that time that I made up my mind that I could no longer live such a muddled life, and that I had to make a name for myself, which led to the later establishment of this... large trading company!"

He almost blurted out "the Ming Dynasty" but quickly changed his words, his tone sounding somewhat unnatural. He then picked up his wine bowl and took a big gulp to cover it up.

Zhu Yao didn't notice anything amiss, listening with rapt attention, and pressed for more information: "And then? And then you got together with my mother?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and continued, "Then, although I killed the bandits, I was also seriously injured, covered in blood, and unable to walk."

"Your mother was kind-hearted. She didn't abandon me. Instead, she hid me in a cave in the mountains. Every day, she would come up the mountain to bring me food and medicine, taking good care of me, wiping my body and changing my dressings. She never complained about being dirty or tired."

"To be honest, that was the first time in my life that someone had cared for me and looked after me so much. In the past, I had always carried the burden on my own during my wanderings. At that moment, I felt that even if it cost me my life, I would protect your mother."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the wine bowl again and waved it at Zhu Yao: "Come on, Yao'er, drink this bowl, and we'll continue talking to you. There are still many things I haven't told you yet."

Zhu Yao felt a warm glow in his heart. Without thinking much, he picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The spicy wine burned his throat, but it couldn't dampen his joy.