17: They are still children!

Yang Yi slowly rose.

His sharp gaze fell on Yang Ming.

If it was an accidental occurrence,

Yang Yi would not blame Yang Ming.

However,

this was a frequent occurrence.

He had only been in the Yang family for a few days in total,

and he had already seen three people bullied by the Yang family.

This showed how severe the bullying and oppression within the Yang family were.

All of this must have had some relation to Yang Ming.

Firstly, he was derelict in his duty.

Secondly, he was also guilty of indulgence.

Just based on what he said earlier,

it was clear that he didn't care too much about such matters.

If Yang Yi hadn't instructed him,

he probably would have stood by and watched.

Under Yang Yi's gaze,

Yang Ming knelt on the ground with a thud.

“Patriarch, I deserve to die ten thousand times over.

“Please punish me.”

“What's the use of punishing you?”

Yang Yi's light words

made Yang Ming feel utterly ashamed.

Yang Yi frowned,

staring at the three youths.

“Tell me,”

“why did you bully him?”

“Is it because he has no background?”

“Or did your parents tell you to bully him?”

The few youths were already considered adults.

They were not foolish people.

They immediately clarified that they had done this themselves,

and it had nothing to do with their parents.

Yang Yi wore a cold smile.

“When a child is not taught, it is the father’s fault.”

“Even if it has nothing to do with your parents,”

“they are still responsible for lax discipline.”

At this point,

he said to Yang Ming, “Now, take them to see their parents.”

“Then expel them from the Yang family.”

“Let them live somewhere else.”

“From now on, they are never to step foot in the Yang family again.”

As soon as these words were spoken,

the three children turned pale with fright.

They couldn't stand up anymore.

Yang Ming also looked astonished.

He hadn't expected Yang Yi to impose such a severe punishment.

He immediately pleaded for the children.

“Patriarch, they are still young.”

“Please...”

“Young?

“How young are they?

“They must be over fourteen.”

“Do you know how old the five children who follow me are?

“They were so young when they were bullied.”

“Have you considered their feelings?”

“Are they still considered young at their age?

“Do they only grow up when they are eighteen or nineteen?

“By then, it might be too late to punish them.”

Leaving these words behind,

Yang Yi turned and left.

The youth lying on the ground struggled to get up.

He jogged to catch up with Yang Yi.

The two walked one after another,

disappearing into the small courtyard.

The dried blood still emitted a faint Fishy smell in the courtyard.

Following pitifully behind Yang Ming,

one child bravely asked Yang Ming,

“The Patriarch won't really kick us out, will he?”

Yang Ming paused his steps.

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

By now,

these children still didn't realize the gravity of the situation.

They still thought the Patriarch was just trying to scare them.

They had no choice but to leave.

Seeing Yang Ming remain silent,

the other two children became even more anxious.

“Uncle Yang, say something.”

“Are we really being kicked out?”

Yang Ming nodded silently.

He continued to walk forward.

The three children's legs went weak,

and they fell to the ground again.

Yang Bu Hui didn't bother with them.

He needed to negotiate with the children's parents now.

As soon as Yang Yi returned to the courtyard,

Yang Bu Hui brought the parents of the three children to him to apologize.

Three men and three women, led by Yang Ming,

knelt in front of the courtyard gate.

The parents of the three children knelt behind,

and Yang Ming knelt in front,

hoping to use this method to gain Yang Yi's forgiveness.

The youth who had just been bullied was with Yang Yi.

Yang Yi picked up a grape from the table and put it into his mouth,

spitting the grape skin onto the ground.

He asked the youth in front of him indifferently,

“They've knelt.”

“Do you think they should be forgiven?”

“No.”

The youth's answer was firm and quick.

However,

he immediately added, “But,”

“for the sake of the entire Yang family,”

“they should still be forgiven.”

“Hmm?” Yang Yi pondered, a hint of surprise in his voice,

looking at the bullied youth.

An ordinary child wouldn't be able to say such a thing.

Nor would he have such a broad perspective.

But the youth in front of him could actually say such words.

It truly surprised Yang Yi.

“Tell me,”

“why should they be forgiven for the sake of the Yang family?”

The youth tilted his head slightly,

saying with a hint of reluctance, “You've just returned to the Yang family.”

“If you punish them at this time,”

“it will cause panic among the Yang family members,”

“and lead to internal discord within the Yang family.”

“Therefore, they should be pardoned.”

“Give them a warning,”

“as a deterrent.”

“But also treat them leniently,”

“to let everyone know your benevolence.”

The people kneeling outside the courtyard heard the youth's words

and were dumbfounded.

Especially Yang Ming.

He secretly admired the youth.

The youth actually possessed such talent.

Why hadn't he noticed it before?

If such a person were nurtured,

even if his cultivation wasn't high,

he would still be a management talent in the future.

Just then,

Yang Yi suddenly burst into laughter.

“Well said.”

“In the future, you can indeed handle matters this way.”

“But I am different from you.”

The youth raised his eyes.

Yang Yi said, “I always act according to my heart's desires.”

“I go by my heart.”

“I won't consider anything else.”

“And I certainly won't be controlled by others.”

“Therefore,”

“I must punish them.”

The youth's feelings were somewhat complex.

He felt that Yang Yi insisted on doing this to vent his anger.

A warm current flowed through his body.

No one had ever been so kind to him since he was a child.

He silently watched Yang Yi,

resolving to follow Yang Yi's lead from now on.

Yang Ming and the others who heard Yang Yi's words

felt as if they had been stabbed in the back.

They were on pins and needles.

The timid woman had already collapsed onto the ground.

The men, however, were quite resolute.

They straightened their backs,

not saying a word.

“Are you willing to accept the punishment?”

Yang Yi asked leisurely.

Yang Ming wanted to plead for the others behind him.

But the words caught in his throat.

He truly didn't know how to speak.

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth,

it would instead cause greater punishment for the people behind him.

Ultimately,

he chose silence.

One of the men straightened his back.

He said solemnly, “You are the Patriarch.”

“We are willing to accept any punishment you mete out.”

“It's just that the children are still too young.”

“Can you please...”

Before he could finish speaking,

Yang Yi directly interrupted.

“It is precisely because of these children,”

“that you face this calamity today.”

“If they were to be released,”

“it would do them more harm than good.”

“My intention for you to leave the Yang family,”

“is not to make you suffer,”

“nor is it a punishment for you.”

“Rather, it is for you to take your children outside and gain some good experience.”

Yang Ming slowly rose.

He shook his head helplessly.

He said to the three children, “Come with me.”

The three children no longer had the smug expression they used to have when bullying others.

They looked like lost beggars.