Yang Guang carry his brother to his room to refreshed himself before bringing Yang Hui that demanding his second brother to carry him to the dining room. The second young master of Yang does not really mind with some of his antics; thus, he just casually lift the 6-year-old boy and carry him on his arm like he weight nothing. Yang Hui, despite trying to emulate his brothers' personalities will obtain regress to his kid side when he is among the family members.
"Guang er, oh you have returned. How is the visit to the Wang family ?" Madam Yang smile charmingly when he see his second son enter the dining room while carrying his youngest brother. Surprisingly he is quite calm and no longer whining incessantly like when he heard his brother went to visit Cheng Jiayi.
"It is good mother. Mrs Wang convey her gratitude with your care and gift. She also give us fruits from her family orchard, I asked Uncle Ming to prepare its as dessert after our lunch," Yang Guang state as he put his brother to sit on the kid chair that would allow him to reach the height of their dining table. Madam Yang smile brightened as hearing it. "How about the boy Jiayi ? Is he getting better ? I really want to visit him, but I do not want to bother the Wang family," Madam Yang early on understand how their family status can sometimes put pressure and strain to other even if they do not mean to do so. That is why she have been refrain herself to come and visit the family. She is happy that her son go and visit his school mate on his own initiative. Yang Guang, despite of his status is still Cheng Jiayi school mate and unlike her, would not trouble the Wang family that much with cumbersome etiquette.
She know how the name and status of Yang family will always make other feel inferiority most of the times. She does not mind flaunting her status with all those ladies from prestigious family, but she could not do so toward the kind and warm lady such as Mrs Wang. She would like to treat her like her sister but there is status constrained which ingrained in the mind of common people about the Yang's. Rather than make they feel awkward, thus she choose to send gift.
"He is well and hale mother, do not worry. He also send his regards to you. Anyway, if you want to meet him, I can bring him home for a visit," Yang Guang give his answer after sitting down by his brother side.
"Oh really, I will be delighted. The boy is so sweet, and he is also quite charming. I do not expect that he is Mr Cheng Renyu grandson. Both of you grandfather regards the older Mr Cheng as a great diplomat of our country," Yang Guang only smile listened to his mother words. Yang Hui wisely keep his quiet because when his mother start talking like this, they will end up listening to a long lecture of their country prestigious achievement. That what you get when your mother is a graduate of History and Political Science major. So, he hope that his brother would not urge their mother to her long rant/lecture, he is quite hungry already.
"Yes he was. In fact, Cheng Jiayi said that he want to register as living in student so he can focus on his study. Mother, how do you think about this. Shishi 1st school dormitory is quite competitive to get in," Yang Guang casually make this statement as he see Uncle Ming already ordering the servant to bring out the lunch fare for today. Madam Yang look at his second son, then there is a light in her eyes which indicate that she absolutely know what to do about this matter.
"Oh, don't you worry about this. The school would not mind sparing one or two bed in the dorm for this lady," Madam Yang makes her remarks then smile brightly to her second child.
"Mother, you definitely are the best."
Yang Hui look up to his brother that smile to his mother and Madam Yang that chuckle pleasantly with his son praises. Somehow, he feel quite a déjà vu. Isn't this kind of attitude quite familiar ? But the six-year-old just could not remember where he sees it.
Yang Hui forget, his second brother act exactly the same as how he was acting before. Praising the people that give them what they want as the very best. Just, second master Yang Guang is much more subtle in his approach. Maybe, when Yang Hui at his second brother age will also master the act of subtle persuasion instead of whining incessantly.
While at the same time, in the main house of Yang ancestral home, the Yang Patriarch walk solemnly toward his reading room. No personnel or maid allowed to enter this room asides of the sons of the patriarch and the family retainer Mr Yang. However, today he enter it alone and has instruct Mr Yang not to disturb him and no one to enter his reading room including his two sons. Mr Yang acquiesce to his command as this is not the first time the patriarch would give him such order. Everyone in the know always consider this is Patriarch Yang having his own me-time, to rest and relax from the burden as the Yang family Patriarch.
However, only generations of Yang family patriarch know the reason why the reading room is off-limit to almost everyone, including the main family member and why the patriarch will sometimes dismiss every personnel from the entire right-wing section of the main household where the reading room situated.
Yang Hong enter the reading room and he move toward the wall that situated right behind the settee situated at the corner of the room. His finger push a button that hide within a secret panel on the wall and slowly the wall move and open like a door. The patriarch enter the secret door and enter a tunnel like structure. He walk through the tunnel after closing the secret door until he emerges in front a beautiful zen garden. The garden decorate with beautiful flower bloom during summer. In the centre of the garden stood ginkgo tree that look quite ancient, yet it still have such a luxurious green shade made of beautiful fan-shaped leaves that will slowly turn to yellow in the fall. The tree has never produced fruit as it is the male cultivar but the flower which budding early spring will release a unique fragrance, even until summer, the smell still linger.
This tree plant by the Yang family ancestor when he first occupied this place, the secret garden that situated nearby the man-made lake inside Yang family ancestral home. This place is personally built by the then Yang family head for the person that later become the Yang ancestor. Since then, this place is kept under illusion charm that hide it from any probing eyes. No one aside of the patriarch of the Yang family will know about this place or meeting that person who living in it.
This is a secret that for long only known to the successive Patriarch of the Yang family. For each Patriarch, this place is far more important than the Yang ancestral hall and there is also a reason why Yang ancestral hall does not place any tablet for Yang ancestor. It is the best kept secret by every Yang patriarch and every time a new patriarch selected, the predecessor will bring the successor to meet the person that living in this well-hidden place within the Yang ancestral home compound. It was also the same for Yang Hong when his grandfather, the then patriarch of Yang family bring him to meet the person that even until today, he never once see his appearance aside of his silhouette behind the screen.
"Yang Hong is that you," the white hair but still hale and hearty Yang Patriarch stop his pace as soon as he hear the voice that seem nearby, but it is actually said by the person that sit on a rattan lazy chair across the man-made lake. The man seems holding a fishing rod made from bamboo and by his side stood water bucket. From the place where he is standing, Yang Hong can see fish jumping from the water bucket, however he cannot even see the appearance of the person that sitting beside those water bucket.
You can see that this person is so laidback that he basically lying on the lazy chair while fishing. He even wear a bucket hat made from bamboo and before Yang Hong arrival, he is whistling a jaunty song that once popular among the folks of Liao Dynasty. This person has never shown his face, but every generation of Yang patriarch will show their deference to him.
"Greeting Ancestor, Yang Hong come to request for an audience."