Joy of Life

Chapter 432: Only Talking About Relatives

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Hearing him say this, Dong’er and her husband were unable to contain their happiness. They thought of all the difficulties the family had to go through this year because of this illness. Dong’er couldn’t help but raise her sleeve and gently wipe at the corners of her eyes.

Fan Xian had Dong’er prepare brush and ink. After some thought, he wrote some prescriptions. He looked it over carefully, twice. After confirming there was no problem with it, he blew it dry and handed them to her. He ordered that the medicine be taken on time and for them to not be miserly with the silver anymore.

Dong’er agreed with a slight smile.

Fan Xian looked at her expression and knew she might not listen to his words. He couldn’t help but grow angry again and said, “Where is the logic in making hardships for yourself?”

Dong’er only smiled gratefully and refused to answer this question. Fan Xian was angry. Today was hot, so he only wore an unlined garment. Since this was Danzhou, he was not very worried, thus he did not have his medicinal case with him. To Sisi, he said, “When we go back tonight, remember to remind me to make a few medicinal pills.”

He then turned his head and said warmly to Dong’er’s husband, “Mai Xin’er, you have to take this medicine regularly, but Danzhou probably can’t fill the prescription properly. In a few days, when I return to Jingdou, your whole family will come with me. After all, you are the head of your family. I have to ask your opinion first and see if there is anything in Danzhou you can’t leave behind.”

Mai Xin’er opened his mouth wide and couldn’t say anything for a moment. He understood what the young master’s words meant. If he and his family went with the young master to Jingdou, they wouldn’t have any more hardships. However, he coughed and directed his questioning gaze toward Dong’er.

To the side, Sisi watched with cold eyes and couldn’t resist smiling slightly. This was her young master’s personality. He could never be forceful for women close to him and couldn’t force Dong’er to do anything, so he could only act on brother Mai.

How could Dong’er not understand Fan Xian’s intentions? She sighed and said, “I know that the prescription you gave is a good one...I promise you that I will never borrow on heavy interest again. I also promise to take out all of the 100 liang you have sent us over these years and use it...in Danzhou. One hundred liang is enough to live comfortably for a lifetime. You don’t have to worry.”

Sisi looked at Fan Xian’s expression and agitated from the side. “That medicinal pill can’t be made even if you have money. Even if the young master finds the ingredients in Jingdou and makes it, will he have the time to send it such a long distance to you?”

Caught in a difficult situation, Dong’er glanced at her and said, “What kind of medicinal pill is it that takes so much effort?”

Fan Xian shook his head and smiled. “Do you still remember that very ugly teacher at the manor back in the day?”

Hearing these words, Dong’er immediately thought of wild hair and eyes that flashed green like a hungry wolf. Unconsciously, she shivered. Covering her mouth and feeling nauseated, she said, “Why are you bringing up Sir Fei? Back then, we felt afraid whenever we saw him.”

“This medicine is made by Sir Fei,” Fan Xian laughed loudly and said. “Although he looks rather ugly, did you know he is the famous Fei Jie of our Qing court?”

Dong’er sank into shock. Not until today did she know that that pervert-looking teacher back in the day had such an important identity. However, thinking of the young master’s past, it became relatively easy to accept.

Fan Xian turned and smiled slightly at Dong’er’s husband. “For the matter of following me to the capital, you should make some preparations.”

Although Dong’er’s husband was honest and considerate, he was not very opinionated. Hearing Fan Xian’s resolute and decisive words, he unconsciously made a sound of agreement.

However, Dong’er huffed coldly. Glaring at him, Mai Xin’er quickly shut his mouth.

Seeing this sight, Fan Xian couldn’t resist smiling. Looking at this family, Dong’er was the one with the true power.

“Look after yourself. What are you blindly worrying about?” Dong’er said without good humor toward her husband. Rising, she pulled Fan Xian and Sisi out of the bedroom and sat down in the middle hall.

They drank two cups of tea and made some light conversation. No matter how severe Fan Xian was, Dong’er remained forcefully silent on the suggestion of moving to Jingdou and refused to open her mouth to agree.

Fan Xian looked at her expression and couldn’t help letting out a sigh, thinking that such a gentle and warm sister also had such a stubborn side.

A few coughs came from the bedroom. Fan Xian listened carefully then lowered his voice slightly and gently said, “Dong’er, back then before you got married, I had taken you to secretly meet brother Mai because you two saw eye to eye. I didn’t acknowledge this back then...brother Mai had lost both his parents young, and he was honest and considerate, and didn’t have any troublesome relatives in Danzhou. I trusted he would be good to you after marriage. Only then did I feel at ease.”

All of this was true. When Dong’er had gotten married, Fan Xian was only 11 years old. Yet, he had investigated a great deal in secret. Only then did he feel at ease having his serving girl marry into the Mai family.

Dong’er rubbed her red hands together nervously and shyly said, “He is still very good to me...someone picked out by you, how bad could they be?”

“Since neither of you have relatives in Danzhou, why are you not willing to come with me to Jingdou?” Fan Xian asked. “I made a mistake back then to put you outside. Your life doesn’t seem much more peaceful.”

Without waiting for Dong’er to speak, he continued, “Don’t worry about me looking after you in Jingdou. You will continue to run your tofu store. However, you’ll be right beside me, so we can look after each other.”

Fan Xian would not need Dong’er to look after him, so the meaning of this was very clear.

Sisi encouraged the sentiment. “Exactly, Dong’er, did you know, after the young master got to Jingdou, his first business was to make a tofu store. Now, the kings’ manors all eat the tofu from our family.”

Fan Xian’s brows twitched and forced a smile, wondering why her words sounded so awkward?

Sisi smiled and continued, “If you went, wouldn’t this tofu sell even better?”

Dong’er hesitated for a while then said, “I understand young master’s intentions, and I am grateful. However...I truly do not want to go to Jingdou.”

‘Why not?” Fan Xian asked, furrowing his brows.

Dong’er thought for a bit and a glimmer of warm smile suddenly flashed across her face. She slowly said, “I’ve lived in Danzhou for a long time. Who is willing to leave behind their home? Although Jingdou is a good place, it is too big. I’m afraid I will panic if I go...besides, I don’t want to trouble you to look after me.”

“Jingdou doesn’t have any demons. What is there be panicked about?” Sisi muttered from the side.

Dong’er covered her mouth and smiled, “Not everyone is like you. You’ve always been very daring.”

As they were talking, the clear voice of a young child suddenly rang out outside the courtyard. Dong’er’s expression suddenly became very warm and gentle. Rising, she walked to the door and gazed out.

The sun had already risen high in the sky. The blazing sunlight spilled past the eaves and shot down, landing on the woman’s still beautiful face. The sunlight immediately became warm, and the woman’s expression appeared to be peaceful and content.

The little girl who had been playing outside had returned.

Dong’er led her daughter into the room, pointed to Fan Xian sitting in the middle, and said, “Call him ‘young master.’”

Fan Xian looked at the little girl led by Dong’er and a true smile rose to his face. In a blink, two years had gone by and this child had grown into her looks. She had inherited her mother’s beauty and begun to steal people’s gazes. The elegance between her brows also made one feel tenderness toward her. In particular, her pair of darting and agile eyes that were currently looking curiously at him.

“Or call me uncle.” Fan Xian extended a hand and pulled the little girl into his embrace. Looking at the slightly anxious and uneasy girl, he smiled and said, “We haven’t met for a few years. Do you not recognize your uncle?”

The little girl raised her face and looked at Fan Xian’s beautiful face. She tilted her head and thought for a while. She suddenly giggled and said, “Uncle, where did you run off to play?”

Just like how Fan Xian had been held by Dong’er as a child, Fan Xian had spent his childhood often hanging around the tofu stall. This child had been held by him countless times. Furthermore, he would always spoil her, treat her tenderly, and often bought little things for this girl, so this girl had an especially deep impression of this “uncle.” Although she was young, she remembered clearly.

“You’re nine, right?” Fan Xian looked carefully at the face of the girl in his arms and asked Dong’er.

Dong’er smiled warmly and said, “You have a good memory, in a few more months she will be 10.”

Fan Xian looked at the big cloth pocket on the girl’s body and lifted her above his head, weighing her up and down. With satisfaction, he said, “Her body isn’t weak. However, as a girl, don’t go out being crazy every day. At such a young age, Dong’er don’t let her do anything to make our girl’s life difficult.”

Dong’er smiled and said, “How could I let her do anything? She is just returning from school.”

Fan Xian turned his gaze and glanced at her curiously, smoothly he placed the little girl down.

The little girl cleverly greeted Sisi. Only then did Sisi pinch her little cheeks tenderly before taking out the present Fan Xian had prepared earlier and stuffed it in her hand.

The little girl glanced at mother. After receiving permission, she happily accept the gift. While rubbing her slightly sore face, she said to her mother, “Mother, I am going to boil medicine for father.”

Dong’er looked at her tenderly and nodded.

The little girl skipped, happily holding her gift and going into the inner room.

Seeing this scene, in addition to what she had said previously, Fan Xian suddenly had a different perspective of Dong’er. It was truly not easy for her to bring up such an obedient child. Although many young ladies from noble families in Qing Kingdom would go to nobility schools to be educated, and there were even special private schools for girls in Jingdou, in the public, the status of girls was still very low. As for going to school for an education, it was even more rare.

For Dong’er to be able to get her daughter an education, this kind of courage was not something normal women could compare to.

Fan Xian looked at her and said with praise, “You did well. This child must continue to be educated.”

Dong’er smiled warmly. After thinking for a while, she said, “But, after all, she is a girl. Although she knows some characters, it’s only to know some logic. However, I don’t know what to do in the future.”

“What to do?” Fan Xian laughed loudly. “With me as her uncle, she can do whatever she likes under heaven!”

This was a promise now. Dong’er was overjoyed. She knew the young master didn’t like her bowing, so she only glanced at him with gratitude.

Fan Xian continued seriously, “Don’t marry her off randomly. Even if she’s going to marry, you have to let me know first.”

Dong’er smiled and nodded contently.

As they chattered, it became noon and time to have lunch. Dong’er embarrassedly said, “Young master, sit for a while. I will go prepare it.”

Fan Xian knew that if he ate at her house, it would be a great disturbance. She might even have to go borrow ingredients from her neighbors. He quickly stopped her and said, “Naturally, we will eat here. Only, don’t go to so much trouble...we’ll just have the tofu rice you used to often make in the past.”

Dong’er suddenly cried out, holding her head in her hands, she angrily said, “There isn’t even any paste. I left it in the tofu. I’m afraid we won’t be able to eat it.”

Fan Xian smiled and said, “Did you forget I brought two pieces back?”

After a flurry of activity, Dong’er’s husband was helped out of the bedroom by the little girl. Although he hadn’t used Fan Xian’s prescription, when Fan Xian had examined him earlier, he had already injected a thread of Tianyi Dao’s zhenqi into him so at this moment, Mai Miao’s spirit seemed much better.

The roomful of people gathered around the kang and ate a lively meal of tofu and rice.

Dong’er and her family couldn’t help but feel apologetic and uncomfortable, but Fan Xian was eating with great joy. Seeing Dong’er’s motherly expression as she waited by the door for her child, he knew that Dong’er’s life could go on happily. She didn’t necessarily have to go with him to Jingdou.

“Uncle, is Jingdou fun?” The little girl also asked with incomparable curiosity. She had her eyes open wide and dug into dug into the soft tofu rice in the large bowl she was holding.

“Jingdou is very not fun.” Fan Xian put down his bowl. Looking at the little girl, he said seriously, “Very not fun...but if you don’t go, how will you know? Will you go visit me in the future?”

“Yes!” The little girl said happily.

...

...

Returning to the manor, Fan Xian told Wan’er what had happened. Listening to Fan Xian’s recounting, Wan’er couldn’t help but tear up. When she heard that Dong’er refused steadfastly to go to Jingdou, she felt an extra measure of respect in her heart.

Coming out, Fan Xian stretched and rubbed his slightly full stomach then gently clapped his hands.

A shadow slowly appeared from the sunshine beside the column in the corridor.

Now that the Tiger Guards knew of Fan Xian’s temper, as well as his strength, they no longer followed him as closely as they did in the past. There was only this shadow. After chasing back all of Dongyi’s ninth-level swordsmen, he had once again become a maggot attached closely to Fan Xian.

Fan Xian turned his head to look at him and said, “Are you not annoyed following me around like this every day?”

The Shadow considered this seriously and said, “It is indeed very annoying.”

Fan Xian laughed and said, “Is it not annoying following the cripple?”

The Shadow replied very straightforwardly, “The cripple has beautiful women beside him.”

Fan Xian was annoyed and shook his head helplessly. “You saw everything today. What do you think of Mai Xin’er’s illness?”

“Since there were no traces before and he was healthy, he shouldn’t have such a serious illness,” the Shadow said in a low voice. “He should have taken an external injury and then caught the illness.”

Fan Xian nodded silently. The judgement was extremely similar to the situation he had found after personal examination. He said calmly, “This is not something I can easily ask them about face to face. Given Dong’er’s outwardly gentle but inwardly stern temperament, I’m afraid she won’t say anything anyway. The person who dares to not give me face in Danzhou does not yet exist. This matter is probably a misunderstanding. Go investigate and teach the other party a lesson.”

“No one is to die,” Fan Xian set the boundaries and calmly said. “He had been kicked, and you will also kick him. Kick him until he can’t get out of bed for three years.”

The Shadow tilted his head and gazed at him. A moment later, he said, “You want me to kick someone?”

His tone was a little strange. This was the leader of the Overwatch Council assassins, the most powerful assassin in the world, yet Fan Xian would order him to...kick someone because of a little matter in a distant little province?

“You are the best in the world at killing.” Fan Xian smiled warmly and patted his shoulder. “I trust your kicking ability will also not be bad. Thanks for your hard work.”

The Shadow had nothing to say and once again sank into the darkness.

Entering his grandmother’s room, he followed the old rules and gave a formal bow to pay his respects. He then told her about his visit to Dong’er today. Fan Xian knew that in Danzhou, there really wasn’t anything that could be hidden from his grandmother, so in his heart he felt a faint discomfort. She should know his thoughts. How could she have allowed his serving girl to be treated in such a way in the city, to the point her husband had been bullied until he was bedridden?

Seeing Fan Xian’s expression, the old mistress knew what he was thinking and smiled, “Are you resenting me in your heart?”

“I don’t dare.” Fan Xian’s words were thus but his tone was very hard.

The old mistress looked at her grandson’s rare demonstration of pique and couldn’t resist smiling. She recounted to him the whole story. It turned out that somehow, the son of the previous guard of the province liked Dong’er. However, that man was not an idiot and did not use force in Danzhou in front of the Count’s manor. He would just go to the tofu stall, salivating and hanging around.

Dong’er found his hanging around intolerable, but as he had not used any overly despicable tricks, she could only endure it.

Even though the woman could endure, the woman’s man could not. One day, brother Mai exploded the man’s world and thoroughly beat him up.

Naturally, this matter became much larger. After all, the old man of that person was the current guard of the province. Although Dong’er’s husband’s body was solid, he couldn’t hold up against a crowd. He was slammed to the ground and even taken into prison. It was after the old mistress had spoken that the guard of the province didn’t pursue matters further.

However, in this way, brother Mai received a kick to the chest. With all the cold and damp air in the prison, he had caught the root of the trouble and had been lying in bed ever since.

Hearing grandmother’s recounting, Fan Xian’s expression was calm. Knowing the whole story, he also finally understood why Dong’er was silent. When all was said and done, it was still brother Mai who struck first, furthermore...although everyone in Danzhou knew of his connection to Dong’er’s family, in the eyes of the world, and even grandmother, Dong’er was just that serving girl that had long been chased out of the manor, a servant while the other party was the son of a guard of the province. The difference in class was always present. With this result, no one in Danzhou would think that the Fan manor had not done well. On the contrary, they would feel that the Fan manor had done a great deal to help Dong’er’s family.

However, Fan Xian did not think this way. In his heart, the separation between groups of people should not be based on class.

Only family.

The old mistress looked his thoughtful expression and couldn’t resist opening her mouth to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing?” Fan Xian raised his head and smiled. “I’ve sent someone to also kick that man.”

The old woman was startled then shortly she smiled and said, “Then kick away, as long as you’re happy.”

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