Corpse Recovery Diver
Chapter 352 - 63

Chapter 352: Chapter 63

Liu Ting walked into the pavilion with a smile. She was still dressed in the same plain and loose clothes she wore at Li Sanjiang’s house, suitable for chores; anyone unaware might think she had wandered out from the clubhouse’s kitchen without knowing the rules.

"I heard that Xiao Yuan is here?"

Liu Yumei glanced slightly towards the southwest corner. Following her gaze, Liu Ting saw a boy and a girl sitting together on a stone bench.

That spot, with a lotus pond on the left and a viewing advantage of Mountain City on the right, was an excellent place for sightseeing.

The boy was engrossed in telling something.

The girl, with her body turned sideways, supported her chin with both hands and watched him with bright, sparkling eyes, listening attentively.

Whenever the boy laughed, the girl’s lips would lift into a smile too; when the boy excitedly spread his hands wide while speaking, the girl would gently shake her head in agreement.

In the past, the boy seemed to Liu Ting to have a cute and animated exterior but carried a maturity and steadiness that belied his age inside. He mingled with his peers, yet perceptive people could feel a distance, a sort of patronizing tolerance from him.

Now, he was just like the village boys as he sat enthusiastically on the haystack, sharing, "I have a secret to tell you, and you mustn’t tell anyone else, okay? I’ll tell you about yesterday..."

As for their own Alii, she seemed nothing like before. No, in fact, she retained her usual aloof demeanor up until the boy arrived; then she became like a naïve little sister, endlessly curious and admiring of the stories the older boy in the courtyard told.

Liu Ting remarked reflectively, "Our Alii and Xiao Yuan, they unexpectedly play so well together."

"Ah, children are like that."

Liu Ting merely covered her mouth and chuckled softly, refraining from pointedly asking, "Which children are like these two?"

She was well aware of the old lady’s stubbornness, but that didn’t stop her from watching, somewhat amused, to see how long the old lady could resist admitting it.

"I saw a woman causing a scene in the main hall when I came in earlier. It was Boss Ding’s youngest son, just divorced from his official wife and making arrangements for his mistress, who is pregnant, to be elevated. Today she was officially introduced to everyone."

Liu Yumei asked, "He was willing to meet her?"

"He was reluctant, but couldn’t stand his son’s pitiful pleas and finally agreed."

"That Ding family, I’m afraid they won’t enjoy good times for many years. When Boss Ding was alive, he could at least enforce some propriety. Now that he’s gone, the great pretense may soon collapse too. What a joke, they even dare to blatantly practice wife dismissal for a concubine."

"Listen to yourself. The times are different after all."

"Yes, the times have changed, but certain principles remain the same. You can’t enjoy the benefits of old ways while clamoring for the freedoms of new ways.

People, whether their legs are long or short doesn’t matter much. But if you try walking in different directions with each leg, you’re bound to fall."

"Boss Ding hinted to me, hoping you would grace him by accepting a cup of tea offered in respect by the younger generation."

"Tea?"

Liu Yumei smiled and gestured towards the boy and girl who had finished chatting and were now playing chess remotely:

"Call the children over; it’s time for dinner."

Liu Ting turned and stood on the edge of the pavilion, shouting towards them:

"It’s time for dinner!"

Li Zhiyuan instantly conceded the game and held the girl’s hand as he stood up.

Being away from home for many days, the boy seemed to hear echoes of homesickness in Aunt Liu’s call.

Crossing the lotus pond and following a winding path through an open stone gate, they encountered various potted plants on stone platforms along the way, all meticulously pruned and designed, likely tended regularly by professionals.

Throughout, Aunt Liu took the initiative to introduce everything to Li Zhiyuan, as if guiding a tour.

Reaching the end, they saw two flights of stairs, one leading up and one down. Boss Ding, leading a group of sons, was quickly descending from above.

His elder brother had one son and one daughter who both passed away prematurely, hence the Ding family had been upheld by the second branch for a long time.

Boss Ding had five sons from three different mothers. The wives differed significantly in age, which resulted in even larger gaps between the sons; Boss Ding’s eldest grandson was two years older than his youngest son.

As he approached Liu Yumei, Boss Ding’s smile grew wider and more obsequious, and he bowed lower as well.

"Madam."

This title didn’t quite suit Liu Yumei’s age.

But Li Zhiyuan realized, the Ding family must have been aligned with the Qin family once.

Just like visiting a couple, if you are closer to the husband, you address the wife as ’sister-in-law,’ and vice versa.

"Madam has rarely come out; it’s rare to show her face, so I brought the younger members of my family to meet you, and we invite you to come inside and allow the younger ones to serve you tea."

The second generation of Ding men approached and lined up, each wearing a pleasing smile.

As for the ladies, they remained at the top of the stairs, also lined up, all dressed properly with hands clasped in front, except for the one at the very end with curly hair and thick makeup, holding a bag in one hand and a string of beads in the other.

She stood out distinctly, but to Liu Yumei, even the properly dressed women weren’t much better; not mentoring when they could, and staying silent when they could give advice, obviously letting her embarrass herself in front of guests.

Privately squabbling is normal, but airing dirty laundry in public only shows that the family’s rules have thoroughly rotted.