Chapter 155: For Myself, For All People
Chapter 155: For Myself, For All People
This was the most patience Fang Jifan had ever shown Wang Shouren, despite his persistent questioning.
Hearing Fang Jifan’s words, Wang Shouren took a sharp breath, unsurprisingly looking even more startled than before.
“Why go to such lengths? What are you truly seeking?” Wang Shouren stared deeply at Fang Jifan.
Seeing Wang Shouren’s stubborn look, Fang Jifan first pursed his lips, then declared grandly, “What I wish for in this life? For myself, and for all people.”
Wang Shouren’s eyes widened. He pressed on, “For yourself, or for all people?”
Fang Jifan glared at him. “Given my character, mostly for all people.”
Immediately, Wang Shouren’s face twisted as if he’d swallowed a fly. He wasn’t the kind of person like Fang Jifan who could fake sincerity so easily.
Spotting his discomfort instantly, Fang Jifan snorted coldly. “What? Don’t believe me?”
“I…” Wang Shouren struggled out the word. “Believe you.”
Fang Jifan shook his head. What a tragedy…
“You don’t believe me!” Fang Jifan stared at Wang Shouren, exposing his lie.
“But… what does it matter if you believe me or not?” Fang Jifan shrugged dismissively, putting his hands behind his back, radiating disdain.
He looked down on him.
…
Fang Jifan had been focused solely on his sweet potatoes the last two days, hiding out in the Western Hills. With the hope for large-scale experimental fields taking shape and sweet potato seedlings beginning cultivation, everything was ready—except for the east wind.
Despite the severe drought, Fang Jifan often stood in his cozy greenhouse with a silly, open-mouthed grin.
Happy.
Seeing this expression, Wang Jinyuan felt unsettled. His future wellbeing depended entirely on Young Master Fang. Although the young master dug coal, grew melons, and had even produced colored glaze—Wang Jinyuan saw the finished product, the colorless kind, and it was like a masterpiece from heaven—but no matter the pleasant surprises, looking at the Young Master of the Fang Family, Wang Jinyuan still felt it was all… unreliable.
Luckily, Young Master Fang was always a bit odd. Wang Jinyuan had gotten used to his constant state of worry.
…
Back at the Fang Family house, with his son away, Fang Jinglong returned from his duty at the Five Chief Military Commissions. A gatekeeper approached and lowered his voice. “Master, we have a visitor.”
Fang Jinglong glanced at a sedan chair nearby and frowned slightly. Wasn’t that the Xu Family’s chair?
His younger sister. Again?
Her last visit had plunged him into gloom.
She’d changed… changed so much he almost didn’t recognize her.
Once a girl who smiled readily, she now seemed weighed down by constant worry. It pained Fang Jinglong to see her.
Even when she came to visit her own family, she acted distant, utterly emotionless. Fang Jinglong even suspected this younger sister might never set foot in the Fang house again.
Who could have guessed she’d come back today?
Fang Jinglaw maintained a calm facade. Family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. This wasn’t really a scandal, but still, it shouldn’t be made obvious.
He nodded to the gatekeeper and strode purposefully into the main hall. There she sat, his sister, tense and upright.
The tea servants had poured for her had gone cold. She sat stiffly perched on the edge of her seat, anxious, as if ready to flee at any moment.
Fang Jinglong cleared his throat. Only then did she snap back to attention, quickly turning her face slightly away.
“Little Sister, you’ve…” Fang Jinglong began.
He stopped mid-sentence. Though a military officer, he wasn’t dense enough to miss the visible mark on her cheek. It wasn’t stark, but looking closely, he could just make out the faint, shadow-like imprint.
Rage instantly blazed in Fang Jinglong’s gut. “Who struck you?” he demanded fiercely. “What dog dared to hit a daughter of the Fang Family? What happened?”
Yes, the Fang Family were people of repute. His sister’s true family, considering the Fang lineage was sparse, was this Nanhe Bo Mansion.
As the elder brother acting as father, Fang Jinglong was head of the Fang household. What was happening? Who dared hit a daughter married from the Fang house?
His sister, Fang-shi, replied urgently, “Brother, I…” She clearly thought the mark had faded enough to escape notice. Realizing Fang Jinglong had spotted it, her eyes reddened, and she raised her sleeve to dab at them.
“Brother, don’t raise a fuss. It would only bring ridicule.”
“To hell with ridicule!” Fang Jinglong thundered. “Tell me, who laid hands on you? Do they think the Fang family is extinct? Who has the gall to bully us like this?”
Fang-shi sighed softly. “In the Xu family… my father-in-law treats me quite well. As for my husband, well… he isn’t very driven, relying entirely on his father’s position to get by, but he’s faultless towards me. Only my sister-in-law… she’s extremely difficult. We came to the Capital together for the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday celebrations. All along the journey, she found fault with me constantly. I…”
Fang Jinglong understood immediately.
The likely culprit was Madam Xu, wife of Xu Zhengdao, the Duke of Wei’s heir.
It was sadly predictable. In these times, the eldest legitimate son was the real heir. The eldest son would not only inherit the family estate but also the noble title, becoming the future head of the household.
The younger brothers depended entirely on the good graces of this heir and his wife. As long as they remained part of the household, the heir’s authority was supreme. Offending them meant risking expulsion on a whim.
The Duke of Wei’s eldest son’s wife was the daughter of the Duke of Qian. Her birth family was extraordinary, and since she had borne the eldest grandson, her position within the Xu family was uniquely powerful.
Fang Jinglong’s expression reflected both pity and bitter frustration.
Frustration, not because the Fang family feared the Duke of Qian—a high-ranking noble stationed in Yunnan didn’t inherently intimidate Fang Jinglong.
The crux was her status. Backed by her own influential family and destined to be the future mistress of the Xu household… no matter how domineering she acted, the Fangs were helpless. Storming the Xu mansion? What good would that do? His sister would still have to live under their roof, likely facing even worse retribution afterwards.
“Ah…” Fang-shi’s face bore a look of profound sorrow.
“Had I known… I wish I’d married an ordinary man. I wouldn’t be suffering daily humiliation like this. She is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Qian, married into the main line of the Xu Family. Coming to the Capital together this time… my position as part of the second son’s branch means I have to rely on her favor to even get close to the Grand Empress Dowager. I hope it could secure some prospects for my husband… Brother, I didn’t come asking you to fight for me. Domestic matters… they are tangled, impossible to air clearly or resolve fairly. In the end… the Fang family status lags behind hers. Sharing a household with my sister-in-law… it chokes me, the resentment sits heavy. Here in the Capital, I have nowhere to go… So I decided to come sit awhile here. This place… it is, after all, half my home.”
Fang Jinglong felt tears welling. Though Fang-shi spoke calmly, he fully understood her plight. Once, they’d thought her marriage to the Xu Family’s second son an ideal match; who could have guessed such hidden grievances?
Then Fang-shi managed a weak smile. “Has Jifan’s… brain illness improved some?”
“Huh?” The sudden topic shift startled Fang Jinglong. After a pause, he replied, “Yes… yes, much better. He’s quite outstanding now.”
Fang-shi murmured, “He must be made to cause less trouble. I overheard my sister-in-law discussing something… something about Jifan teaming up with the Zhang Family angering the Zhou Family… apparently… the Grand Empress Dowager now dislikes Jifan quite strongly. Perhaps… perhaps that’s why my sister-in-law treats me even worse lately. Brother… sitting here with you, I feel somewhat better. I must hurry back now. It’s getting late. Lingering out too long… only gives her more grounds to cause trouble.”
Fang Jinglong sighed, forcing a smile. “Won’t you stay a bit longer?”
Fang-shi brushed her bangs down, trying to obscure the shadow on her cheek. She attempted another frail smile. “I’ll come another time.”
Fang Jinglaw nodded and personally saw her out. Watching his frail younger sister being helped into the sedan chair and carried away filled him with a deep, unspeakable sadness.
Fang Jifan, having finished his two days of busy work, finally returned home.
Spotting his father, whom he hadn’t seen for days, the first thing Fang Jifan noticed was Fang Jinglong’s troubled expression.
“Father…” Fang Jifan looked him over carefully. He saw the worry beneath the surface but chose not to mention it.
He gave Fang Jinglong a cheerful greeting.
“You must be weary from your duties. Come, come. I made congee for you. Servant! Bring the congee!”
At once, Fang Jinglong’s face broke into a broad smile.
A steaming bowl of congee was set before Fang Jifan. Inside were longan, lotus seeds, and a red date—all his favorites. They say noble persons stay clear of kitchens, yet sometimes Fang Jinglong cooked congee or soup for his son.
He believed these were nourishing foods and didn’t trust servants to prepare them properly. They might be careless or lazy; if the heat weren’t just right, Jifan might dislike it.
Fang Jifan sat down, took a few spoons of the congee, then wiped his mouth. “Enough for now. Tomorrow, I enter the palace for the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday celebrations.”
Seeing him eat so little, Fang Jinglong couldn’t hide a trace of distress. Such a waste! That congee had simmered for three hours. Each red date, longan, and lotus seed had been meticulously chosen.
Hearing about the birthday celebrations, however, didn’t bring Fang Jinglong joy. Instead, he looked pensive. “Have you offended… the Zhou Family?”
“Nope. Who says that?” Fang Jifan replied casually.
Fang Jinglong hesitated to probe further. “Just… be careful when you go to pay respects.”
“Huh?”
Fang Jinglaw forced a smile, shaking his head. “Never mind, never mind. Fine son, eat a little more.”