His nominal maternal grandparents had passed away. The ones who came bearing gifts were his two full-blooded maternal uncles.
The uncles sat on their stools, tearfully recounting how difficult their lives had been and expressing their guilt for mistreating his mother years ago.
Their eyes darted about; hardly a word they said was true. But his mother, for her part, was softening. Perhaps it was her age that made her yearn for family, or perhaps it was the way her relatives fawned over her now that he was a Scholar. Whatever the reason, she was clearly enjoying the attention, and her tone toward them had softened.
When his uncles mentioned the possibility of having his cousin come over for academic guidance, his mother didn't refuse outright. Instead, she hesitated, saying she needed to ask for his opinion first.
His mother had a soft personality; she was indecisive and couldn't stand her ground.
