Chapter 215
Fang Zichen gently stroked his head: "Because it was injured. It will be clear again once it heals."
The eyeball had suffered severe trauma, and there would be some symptoms of blurred vision in the early stages. Physician Xu had examined it and said it was fine. The most critical injuries now were the ones on his legs—tendons and bones hurt, and it would take several months to recover.
Speaking of this, Physician Xu couldn't help but sigh.
A bone fracture was no joke. Ordinary people couldn't bear the pain of a sprained ankle. Guaizai's leg bone was broken. Although medicine had been applied, it must surely be painful. He had encountered a few cases before—grown men who had fallen in the mountains, howling in pain for days. Guaizai, however, since waking up, hadn't cried out in pain once. Who knows what he had been through before to become so tolerant of pain.
"Oh, so that's how it is! No wonder! Guaizai thought he was going to become a one-eyed dragon!" Guaizai relaxed and looked at Zhao Ger: "Daddy, does it still hurt?"
Zhao Ger didn't react for a moment. Guaizai spoke again: "Daddy got hit, does it still hurt?"
The more sensible he was, the more it pained Zhao Ger's heart.
"It doesn't hurt anymore," he said, holding Guaizai's soft, overly small hand against his cheek, his voice choked. "I'm sorry, it was Daddy who didn't... didn't protect you well."
"Yo! Daddy is not allowed to say that." Guaizai grew excited. His body still hurt, but he was always talkative: "Guaizai is a man. Guaizai should protect Daddy. But Guaizai is still too small now. Guaizai will eat lots of rice, grow tall, then he can protect Daddy and Father. Daddy, don't be scared. When Guaizai hurts, he sleeps to recharge energy. Daddy, don't be scared oh."
Zhao Ger's tears wouldn't stop: "Mm, Daddy isn't scared. Now that you're awake, Daddy isn't scared anymore."
Guaizai laughed.
He seemed to have no shadow over what had happened. Fang Zichen thought he was naturally carefree and optimistic, like himself.
Only Zhao Ger knew that actually, it wasn't like that.
Why Sun Shangcheng treated him that way, Guaizai didn't know. He didn't even need to know, because the Ma family would hit him on a whim—happy, they'd see him and kick him, telling him to get lost and not be an eyesore; angry, they'd grab his hair and beat him.
He clearly hadn't done anything wrong, yet the Ma family still hadn't let him off.
Guaizai didn't understand; he just thought Sun Shangcheng was the same as those people from the Ma family. It's just this time, the beating was a bit more severe.
He didn't dwell on it. Once awake, he was talkative. Seeing Fang Zichen there, he wasn't scared at all. He said he knew Father would definitely come to save him, and he told Fang Zichen to go beat up the bad guy, to get revenge for him.
"Hit him..." Guaizai frowned. He still couldn't move, and his face was obviously swollen, but his little expressions were still vivid. Talking about Sun Shangcheng, he was furious, even clenching his little fists, about the size of a tangyuan (Glutinous rice balls): "Hit him, Father help Guaizai hit him. He is a bad guy, a big bad guy. Father, beat the shit out of him, get revenge for Guaizai, okay?"
Fang Zichen kissed his forehead again: "Okay, Father will go deal with him, get revenge for my little treasure. You wait here with Daddy obediently for Father."
"Mm!" Guaizai nodded: "Guaizai will be good."
As soon as Fang Zichen came out of the room, someone came running towards him.
It was Sun Zongze.
"Young Master Fang," he fell to his knees with a heavy thud, right at Fang Zichen's feet: "Young Master Fang, I beg you, please let my son go. My son is young and inexperienced, he acted foolishly in a moment of confusion..."
Fang Zichen kicked him over.
"Young and inexperienced? In what way is he 'young'? Last time I asked you for your son, you didn't give him. This time the tables have turned, and it's your turn to ask me for your son. What makes you think I'll give him to you!" Fang Zichen's gaze fell on Sun Zongze's face, filled with extreme disgust: "You, a perfectly fine person, how did you give birth to such a beast!"
Sun Zongze's face flushed red. He scrambled up and knelt before Fang Zichen again.
"Young Master Fang, I beg you to let my son off this once. I'll give you silver, alright? As long as you're willing to let my son go, name your price, I'll give any amount."
Fang Zichen raised an eyebrow: "You want to give me silver?"
Sun Zongze didn't know what he meant, but he thought that money could make the devil turn the millstone. Since the child was fine now, as long as he offered enough silver, this matter could probably be settled.
Physician Xu and a few young apprentices were resting in the courtyard when they saw Sun Zongze take out several banknotes and stuff them into Fang Zichen's hand.
Physician Xu shook his head. Although their contact hadn't been long, he knew Fang Zichen loved wealth, but what he loved most were the two in the room. Zhao Ger went without saying—Fang Zichen was disgustingly clingy with him. As for his son, he doted on him to the heavens, letting him sit on his head saying they were playing bungee jumping, kissing him over ten times a day. Few fathers outside could do such things.
Sun Zongze's silver was wasted.
Sure enough, as soon as Fang Zichen took the notes, he called out to someone outside, and Lin Xiaoxia entered.
"Take this old beast and follow me," Fang Zichen said.
Sun Zongze panicked: "Young Master Fang, what is the meaning of this?"
"The fault of the son is the fault of the father. You gave birth to him but failed to teach him properly. Today, I'll give him the lesson you never did," Fang Zichen said.
Sun Zongze said angrily: "You're going back on your word? Don't forget, you just accepted my money."
Fang Zichen flatly denied it: "When did I accept it? You forced it into my hand yourself. And I didn't promise you anything, did I!"
Sun Zongze pointed at him, his hand trembling with anger: "You, you..."
Fang Zichen frowned, moved swiftly, gripped his index finger, and exerted force.
Sun Zongze cried out. Zhao Ger heard the noise and ran out to see, only to find him kneeling on the ground, clutching his finger.
Fang Zichen grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up and meet his eyes.
"Who do you think you've messed with? You think a few hundred taels can settle this? I tell you, that's just a dream."
His aura was too overbearing. Sun Zongze was stunned by the murderous intent emanating from his eyes.
"Dare to hurt my son, hit my fulang, then I'll beat your entire Sun family, I won't even spare a dog. Xiaoxia, bring him along."
Sun Zongze was dragged all the way to Fuhe Village. Fang Zichen had given orders before leaving, so there were still many thugs surrounding the courtyard.
The villagers didn't know what had happened and wanted to come see the commotion, but the thugs looked fierce and vicious, so they didn't dare approach.
Fang Zichen entered the courtyard. Seeing the two men tied up in the corner, he directly ordered people to go beat them, saying just leave them with a breath. He didn't let off the steward or the servant boys either.
Sun Shangcheng was pushed out of the room looking somewhat disheveled. Sun Zongze called out: "Cheng'er!"
"Father!" Sun Shangcheng seemed to see a lifeline, his eyes lighting up: "Father, save me qu— Ah!!"
Before he could finish, Fang Zichen slapped him hard across the face. The force of the impact stung Fang Zichen’s own palm—whether Sun Shangcheng felt the pain, he didn’t care, but his hand was burning. So Fang Zichen simply pulled off his shoe and struck Sun Shangcheng’s face with it, again and again.
Sun Zongze was restrained by two men and could only watch helplessly as Fang Zichen administered a one-sided, vicious beating to Sun Shangcheng.
The thugs brought out an iron rod. Fang Zichen hefted it; it weighed over ten jin (5 kg).
Sun Shangcheng’s eyes widened in terror. With both hands braced against the ground, he scrambled backward, trying desperately to put distance between himself and Fang Zichen.
Several of his teeth had been knocked out, his speech slurred: "You, what do you want to do?"
"What do you think!" Fang Zichen raised the rod: "However you treated my son back then, I will now return it to you a hundredfold. You broke one of my son's legs; it's not too much for me to break both of yours, is it?"
Sun Zongze pleaded from the side: "Young Master Fang, spare my son this once! I beg you. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. If his legs are ruined, his whole life will be destroyed!"
If he became crippled, there would be no hope for the imperial exams. Sun Zongze was counting on Sun Shangcheng to bring glory to their family.
Otherwise, he would have reported to the authorities when Sun Shangcheng was imprisoned by the thugs.
These past two days he had sent people to investigate Fang Zichen. It was too rushed, and the information he got wasn't comprehensive. He only knew that the child wasn't biologically his.
That was why he had believed spending silver would resolve the matter. He never imagined the other party would take the money and then refuse to acknowledge the deal.
Fang Zichen paid no heed to his nonsense. He swung the iron rod and smashed it down. Sun Shangcheng let out a pig-like squeal.
"Not broken?" Fang Zichen frowned, not sure if it was intentional or not: "Your cheap bones are quite hard." With that, he smashed down several more times in succession. Sun Shangcheng fainted from the pain.
Sun Zongze first kept pleading incessantly, then started with all sorts of threats and curses. Fang Zichen had his mouth stuffed, then used water to wake Sun Shangcheng up, dragged him to the water vat, choked his neck, and pushed his head into the water.
Sun Shangcheng's leg bones were completely broken, a bloody mess. As Fang Zichen dragged him, his two legs flopped limply, leaving two trails of blood on the ground.
Fang Zichen's eyes were bloodshot. Just thinking of the bruises on Guaizai's neck and the injuries all over his body, a fire burned in his heart. He felt like killing someone.
Sun Shangcheng's struggles grew weaker and weaker. Lin Xiaoxia rushed over, trying to pry Fang Zichen's hand open.
"Young master, let go quickly, let go quickly. If you keep holding him down, he's going to die."
Fang Zichen didn't let go.
"Young master," Lin Xiaoxia pulled with force, saying: "Young master, enough, enough. A beast like him doesn't deserve to live, but young master, don't be foolish and implicate yourself as well! Please come to your senses, young master!"
"Come to my senses?" Fang Zichen shoved him away: "I am very clear-headed."
"Young master, those who commit murder cannot take the imperial examinations. You promised your fulang."
"I take the imperial exams to allow my fulang and son to live better lives, not to put shackles and constraints on myself. If I can't take revenge for my son, then it's fine not to take these exams."
"Young master..."
"I have my limits."
Even though he was furious, Fang Zichen didn't truly intend to kill the man. He didn't want to eat prison food or sit in a jail cell.
When Sun Shangcheng had only one breath left, Fang Zichen pulled him out. Sun Shangcheng gasped for air, wet hair plastered messily on his face, matching his swollen red face—a truly sorry sight.
But it wasn't over yet.
Fang Zichen repeated this several times. Each time Sun Shangcheng hovered on the brink of drowning, teetering toward death, Fang Zichen would drag him back up again.
Sun Shangcheng was scared, really scared.
He wet himself, a trickle down below. His cowardly, weak nature, only knowing how to bully others with power, was fully exposed at this moment.
Tears and snot covered his face as he began to beg for mercy.
"Begging me? You're begging me?" Fang Zichen ran a hand through his hair, placing his foot on Sun Shangcheng's shoulder: "When you were assaulting my son, did my son beg you?"
Sun Shangcheng trembled all over.
"Did he?" Fang Zichen stared at him and spoke again: "Answer me."
"He did..." Sun Shangcheng lay on the ground, soaked through, the pain in his knees making his nerves go numb: "He did."
Fang Zichen leaned close to him, meeting his gaze: "Then did you let my son go?"
Fang Zichen looked at him as if he were already dead. Sun Shangcheng began to panic.
Fang Zichen's expression darkened, looking fierce and cold.
"When my son begged you, you didn't let him go. Now, what makes you think I will let you go?"
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