Fang Zichen truly didn't know what to do, and he couldn't describe what he was feeling right now. He didn't even know how to handle it. If it hadn't been said out loud, then even though it was Qin Hengxuan and Meng Ruqing's first meeting, they had been sending things to the house all along, and Fang Zichen would definitely have treated them warmly, making them feel like they'd come home.
But now that it was all out in the open, he suddenly didn't know how to face them.
It was completely unexpected, and it caught him off guard.
If he had to describe it, it was like being in a dream.
"Husband, do you resent them?" Zhao Ger suddenly looked up and asked.
Fang Zichen opened his mouth, but in the end didn't answer.
Did he resent them?
He couldn't deny it—when people pointed at him and gossiped about whether he was sick, when those idle words piled one after another on top of him, in that moment, he had resented them. He'd also thought countless times about whether his biological parents had some hardship they couldn't speak of. But what hardship could possibly justify throwing him away in a trash can like garbage? He wasn't even that big. Couldn't they have just left him outside? He didn't take up much space.
Only unwanted, useless garbage gets thrown in a trash can.
He couldn't figure it out, and he didn't know why, so he couldn't help feeling awful and resentful.
There had even been a period when he frantically signed up for all sorts of hobby classes, repeatedly fantasizing—if he became outstanding enough, would his parents come?
Would they regret it?
If they said they regretted it and begged for his forgiveness, what should he do?
He'd thought of many kinds of answers—some blunt, coolly telling them to get lost; some subtle, saying he already had a family.
He'd fantasized countless times.
But later he stopped thinking about it. He was still young then, but his grandfather knew he was smart and didn't fool him. He just held him, pointed into the distance, and said people always have to look forward. If you keep staring at your feet, all you can see is that tiny patch of ground. Lift your head, and there's more beautiful scenery in the distance.
There's no need to keep fixating on one thing. The more painful something is, the more you should bury it. Dwelling on it constantly does nothing but make your own life miserable—you gain nothing else from it.
He hadn't thought about this matter for over a decade. Now, suddenly facing it, he truly didn't know what to do or how to face it.
Zhao Ger didn't know how to comfort him either. Putting himself in his shoes—if it were him, even though they were biological parents, he hadn't seen them in over twenty years. Right now they were barely better than strangers. How could he possibly accept them right away and immediately be all affectionate with them?
Feelings are built through time together, accumulated day by day, a slow, settling process.
Fang Zichen "hid" in his room and didn't dare come out. If the three children wanted to play with him, they had to go into the room.
"Father, let's play the imitate-animals game!"
"Okay!"
Meng Ruqing stood perfectly still outside the room, listening carefully to the sounds inside. Though he couldn't see, his eyes stayed fixed intently on the door. He couldn't see Fang Zichen, but just hearing his voice seemed to be enough for him.
Zhao Ger saw him standing motionless in the howling cold wind, his figure looking even thinner and more frail, and from a distance, utterly lonely and desolate.
Zhao Ger ultimately couldn't bear it. "Uncle Meng, go inside and warm up by the fire!"
Meng Ruqing was silent for a moment, then nodded.
A fire basin was set up in the main hall, the charcoal burning brightly.
When Guaizai, Gungun, and Dandan came back, Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu were overjoyed, and they were excited to see Yang Mingyi too.
Uncle Liu was busy nonstop. He set an iron rack over the fire basin and placed several sweet potatoes on it.
Although he was somewhat afraid of Qin Hengxuan and didn't know his exact identity, seeing Meng Ruqing, he and Aunt Liu had guessed some things. Still, he asked if he wanted to eat? Sweet potatoes roasted this way were very fragrant.
Qin Hengxuan originally wanted to refuse, but for a moment he didn't know what else to do. He didn't dare push too hard, so he said, "Then roast two for me too."
"Good, good, good." Uncle Liu said happily, "When I dug these sweet potatoes up, I specifically picked the big ones and dried them under the eaves. It's been almost a month now, so they're definitely sweet. Back in the day, Guaizai and my grandson loved eating these the most."
"Is that so! Your grandson's name is Liuliu, right!"
"Yes, yes."
Qin Hengxuan looked around and asked, "How come I don't see him?"
"Lately there've been a lot of people coming to order goods, so he went to the factory to help his dad." Uncle Liu said.
Qin Hengxuan sighed. "I heard from Guaizai that Liuliu is only a few months older than him! So he's eight too, and at such a young age he already knows how to help out at home."
Uncle Liu laughed. "That's hardly what you'd call sensible. Most kids in the village start helping out at home when they're three or four."
Truly, children from poor families grow up early.
Meng Ruqing came in and joined them by the fire. Qin Hengxuan only patted his hand and said nothing else.
In the evening, when Liu Xiaowen and Zhou Ger returned, it was lively again.
Even though Qin Hengxuan and Meng Ruqing were dressed modestly, anyone could tell at a glance that they were distinguished people. Aunt Liu naturally didn't dare treat them poorly. She had Uncle Tang kill a chicken and a fish. She'd known earlier that Guaizai was coming back, so she and Uncle Liu had personally gone to town to buy quite a few chickens and ducks to raise in the back.
Someone in the neighboring village sold tofu, so Aunt Liu had Zhao Ger go buy some.
Yang Mingyi went with him. Zhao Ger noticed he'd grown quite a bit taller—already up to his earlobe—and his looks had become even more outstanding. No wonder someone had set their sights on him.
"Was the trip tiring?" he asked.
"Not too bad," Yang Mingyi said.
Although the journey had been a bit rushed, the bedding in the carriage was thick and it was spacious. The driver drove steadily, and Gungun and Dandan occasionally kept him company, so the time passed quickly.
Yang Mingyi rummaged in his sleeve and pulled out a stack of silver notes. "Brother Zhao..."
Zhao Ger was stunned for a moment and didn't take them. He just stopped and looked at him. "What's this for?"
Yang Mutao had felt embarrassed sending the child over—he couldn't just let the boy eat and stay at someone's home for free. He'd sold Zuixiao Restaurant and some of the farmland under his name, scraping together six hundred taels for Yang Mingyi to bring along.
"Take these silver notes back," Zhao Ger said. "Now that you're here, just treat this as your own home..."
Yang Mingyi said softly, "But..."
He was a good kid after all, not one to take advantage of others. Zhao Ger thought about it—he was alone, forced by circumstances to come to Hezhou. He had no close relatives here and was treating them as his support. If Zhao Ger didn't accept the money, Yang Mingyi probably wouldn't feel comfortable staying. If he did accept it, then it wouldn't feel like living under someone else's roof.
He counted out three bills. Just as Yang Mingyi was about to speak, Zhao Ger said first:
"Keep the rest. You should always keep some on you. Now that you're here, just treat this like your own home. Don't be polite."
Yang Mingyi lowered his eyes. "I understand. Thank you, Brother Zhao."
The neighboring village wasn't far. Walking along the cement road was quick. The villagers all knew Zhao Ger and greeted him politely along the way. When they saw Yang Mingyi, they curiously asked who he was.
Zhao Ger said, "My younger brother."
Everyone understood. "So he's Lord Fang's younger brother! No wonder he's so handsome, so handsome..."
They didn't even know what "so handsome" was supposed to mean—they just kept praising Yang Mingyi's good looks.
[The villagers started saying "一表人才" (yī biǎo rén cái)—a set phrase meaning "outstanding in appearance"—but got tongue-tied and couldn't finish it, so they just kept repeating "一表, 一表..." ("so handsome, so handsome...") instead. They were trying to use an elegant idiom but couldn't remember the rest of it, so the phrase fell apart into vague praise.]
Zhao Ger: "..."
He'd clearly said it was his younger brother, but everyone said it was his husband's younger brother. What did that mean?
Did it mean he was ugly?
But his husband loved his looks the most!
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