Chapter 914: Chapter 914: The Calculated Against the Unwary
That night, Song Zhicheng and his wife lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Mrs. Jiang sat up from the bed in a huff, and soon her shoulders began to tremble, sobbing quietly.
Seeing this, Song Zhicheng cursed the brat a hundred times in his heart but quickly pulled the handkerchief from the bedside table and gently wiped her tears, saying, "Donāt cry."
Mrs. Jiang grabbed his hand, sobbing, "Actually, mother was right. Itās my failure as a mother. The child was missing for days before we noticed. If I had been more attentive to him, I wouldnāt have realized only after he vanished without a trace."
Song Zhicheng said, "Isnāt it because the mansion has been in a state of chaos? One thing after another, it wouldnāt be an exaggeration to call it a troublesome summer. Besides, as mother said, those two brats planned it all along. This scheme relied on timing, location, and people. We who were caught off guard couldnāt possibly outwit them."
Mrs. Jiang sniffed, "Thatās not an excuse; itās just that we, as parents, were too careless."
Song Zhicheng patted her shoulder, comforting her silently.
After crying for a while, Mrs. Jiang calmed down and said, "I donāt even know where that boy is now. Although itās already July, Iāve heard that going west, it gets colder at night. I wonder if he brought warm clothes and if he encountered any danger on the road."
"You forgot what Jieāer said. Guards from Prince Xin Mansion are following him, so at least heāll arrive safely at Jiayu Pass."
Mrs. Jiang, caught between concern and chaos, remembered that although her son was reckless, he was quite clever, using people from Prince Xin Mansion who wouldnāt attract attention instead of their own family members.
Thinking of the guards accompanying him reassured her slightly, and her thoughts turned to what would happen after he entered the pass.
She leaned on Song Zhichengās shoulder and whispered, "If Zhaoāer is truly found, should we have him come back?"
Song Zhichengās mind stirred, and he asked, "What do you think?"
"Motherās words were fair. Zhaoāer isnāt the type for studies; heās loved martial arts these years. But I never thought heād be so bold. My husband, Iām afraid that if we forcibly bring him back, what would become of him then?" Mrs. Jiang said with some bitterness, "As Jieāer said, would we watch him remain frustrated all his life?"
That would be too cruel.
Song Zhicheng pursed his lips, squeezed her shoulder, but said nothing.
No parent doesnāt wish for their childās success; they are ordinary people too, hoping their children excel, but sometimes, one carries responsibilitiesānot just for oneself, but for the entire family and clan.
"Tomorrow, Iāll take Jieāer to see the elder brother and see what he says." Song Zhicheng said, "But if elder brother also sees no harm in letting Zhaoāer join the military, seeing him again might be years away."
Mrs. Jiang shivered.
"Being able to see him, even waiting is fine; itās just that the battlefield is ruthless, and a moment of carelessness could mean heās buried there. Yingniang, can you bear it?" Song Zhichengās voice trembled slightly.
Tears welled up in Mrs. Jiangās eyes again, and she hugged his waist.
"To say I can bear it is false, but I also canāt bear him being unhappy." Mrs. Jiang said through gritted teeth, "If elder brother agrees, Iāll vow from today to sponsor a Bodhisattva statue each month and do good deeds to accumulate more merit for him."
Song Zhicheng held her in his arms and patted her, "Alright, weāll do it together."
Mrs. Jiang began to cry softly again, "The brat is too heartless!"