Chapter 152: Chapter 135 – A Weight Lifted off One’s Shoulder

"It's strange and frankly, annoying, that so many people try to define what filial piety is in words and terms, often to serve their own personal agendas. It is because of these people - often hypocrites themselves - that many things were once viewed upon with disgrace in our lands, like to intermarry between the Huan and the Aqwa, or to love those of the same gender, for such unions would bear no offspring to continue the lineage.

 

My son is an example of both of those cases at once, and I am proud of him, for he was proudly being himself. That they also gave me three adorable granddaughters - adoption always works - for me to dote on, was definitely a bonus in my favor. Now if only they could visit more often…" - Zhang Wen, former Shàngxiào of the Loyalist Army of Al-Shan.

The feast that night was rich and luxurious, especially for one served in a mere farming estate. Zhang Wen's daughter and son in law showed their experience from when they had apprenticed under Ling Qi, the current royal court chef.

 

It was a feast of delicacies, of roasted suckling pig so tender the flesh and fat melted in their mouths, while the skin shattered to the bite. Chickens were stuffed with sticky glutinous rice, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, and baked together in a clay shell that was broken right at the dinner table itself to reveal aromatic, succulent flesh.

 

Ten kinds of vegetables were stir fried together in a thick, starchy, savory sauce as well, served poured over noodles that were deep fried until crisp, that softened again as it absorbed the thick sauce and have out a unique mouthfeel and flavor.

 

They spend the night huddled together in a large, communal guest room offered by their hosts, and had a peaceful night of sleep. The next morning they thanked Zhang Wen for the hospitality, and departed, though not before Cal promised the old man that she'd pull his son's ear for him and tell him to visit more.

 

It was a loping ride back to the port town, where they stayed for another day to wait for a ship to depart, which took them back to Al-Shan island after another week-long trip.

 

They were greeted with the wondrous sight of a white roofed city, where the snowfall had covered the top of most every building on the place to a surreal effect. Instead of heading straight back to Paradise though, Cal offered to take them to a little tour of the place, while she also dispensed with Zhang Wen's missive.

 

It was thus with surprise on everyone's faces - save Vark and his family as it was their second visit there - when Cal casually brought them into the Imperial Palace and the Emperor himself greeted them in a friendly manner and invited them in.

 

After they all had a pleasant bath in the imperial palace's bath - with the emperor and empress no less - and was treated to dinner at the same table as the archipelago's sole ruler, the rest of Cal's family finally understood just what kind of status she enjoyed in her homeland. Status she let go to travel the world instead.

 

Even breakfast the next day was at the same table as the emperor and empress, consisting of various pieces of small steamed or fried dumplings with all sorts of fillings. Cal's favorite had been a steamed dumpling with crystal-clear skin that had a filling of minced meat and soup within, which everyone else also took a liking to.

 

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Cal left her family as they chatted with Xain and Layla, as well as Samira in a study, while she excused herself to seek out Hu-Lao. She can hear them trade stories of the past, often linked to her, and just smiled with some nostalgia as it reminded her of the old days.

 

Zhang Hu-Lao was easy enough to find, as she found him and Mustafa watching over new recruits to the imperial guard as they were drilled in the training grounds. Cal had a smirk on her face as she stealthily approached Hu-Lao from the back, and quickly pulled his ear backwards by the lobe, not fast enough to injure, but with enough force to unbalance the man and force him to take a few steps back.

 

"Ow ow ow, hey!" Hu-Lao complained as he saw the perpetrator while his husband struggled to contain his laughter by the side. The training soldiers who saw the scene looked on dumbfounded, unsure how they should react at their general getting yanked around by the ear like a little naughty brat. "What was that all about!?"

 

"That's from your father. I'm just passing it on," Cal stated, the smirk still present on her face. She stood tall with her toned arms crossed in front of her chest as she looked down - literally as she was half a head taller than Hu-Lao was - on the man before her. "He said you ought to visit more often. He missed the girls."

 

"Ahahahaha! Can't blame father for being annoyed, Lao-er," said Mustafa as he called his husband by a more affectionate nickname. "We did last visit like two years ago. I'll arrange for some leave in the coming months for us to take the kids to visit father in law."

 

"And thanks for the message, Celeysria," added Mustafa as he thanked her.

 

"It's the least I could do. Old Zhang did help me take care of father's grave all this time after all," she replied with a smile. "Do take good care of him while he's still in good health. Age is one enemy that knows little mercy."

 

"That is indeed so," answered Mustafa as he caressed his own thick beard. He had grown a bit portlier since the rebellion days, though still in fit shape overall. "Are you staying for long this time?"

 

"Probably a week or so at most, just taking some family around to show them where I grew up," said Cal with a smile. After the visit to her father's grave, and having brought the whole family to pay their respects to the departed, she had felt lighter. It was as if a matter that always nagged her at the back of her mind, was finally resolved, and its weight departed from her shoulders at last.

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