When the two families were on good terms, they did jokingly say they wanted to become even closer through marriage.
Although young Fang Heng didn't quite understand what marriage meant, he resolutely patted his chest and promised, "I will protect my little sister well."
But that was in the past.
With the passing of his uncle and the decline of the Fang family, the beautiful scene of the past was long gone, like a mirage.
"You need me?" Fang Heng lowered his eyelashes, his tone indifferent. "Sister Yuyao, you are already engaged to my cousin Fang Yuan."
In short, a thunderclap.
Wang Yuyao seemed to have just remembered this matter. Her beautiful eyes widened, and tears welled up, growing from a thin layer to a thick layer and then surging. She forced herself not to let them fall, and only tremblingly cried out, "So, Brother Heng doesn't want to help me anymore?"
“Now that you are engaged to Fang Yuan, you should naturally ask him for help if you need anything.” Fang Heng raised his head and said sincerely, “If it’s a small matter, you, the eldest daughter of the Wang family, would not come to me for help. If it’s a big matter, I, an orphan, cannot help you. I’m really sorry.”
Wang Yuyao was stunned.
Fang Heng stopped talking to her and took Jiang Sheng's hand to walk back. "I told you to go back earlier but you wouldn't. Lunch is going to get cold. You'll get an upset stomach if you eat it."
"No, no, Jiang Sheng has a great stomach. She can even eat leftovers." The little girl stuck out her tongue, not expecting the battle to shift so quickly.
Fang Heng glared at him, "Just listen to me. The past is the past. Who would want to feed you leftovers now?"
Having run out of options, Jiang Sheng could only resort to her charm as her trump card, "Third Brother, I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please don't be mean to me."
The brother and sister walked along, whispering to each other, displaying the demeanor of family.
Wang Yuyao watched helplessly as something bittersweet sprouted and broke through the soil in her heart.
Back to the courtyard with flowers in the hair.
Aunt Zhang was indeed reheating the food. Seeing them, she greeted them with a smile, "Little Jiang Sheng is back! Hurry up and eat, it's still warm."
Jiang Sheng lowered her head shyly.
Third Brother was right. Everyone was indeed waiting for her and wouldn't let her eat leftovers anymore.
After sitting down at the small wooden table, Aunt Zhang brought over a steaming bowl of dumpling soup. Jiang Sheng took a deep breath and sighed contentedly, "I declare that from now on, dumpling soup will be my favorite soup in winter."
The other brothers chuckled, but the fierce-looking third brother remained silent.
Jiang Sheng turned her head and saw his somewhat dazed expression, and knew that he was probably still thinking about what had just happened.
After all, they were siblings who grew up together. How could they just become indifferent and refuse to help?
Just like the nine-year-old brother that Jiang Sheng met when she was five, even though her brother later abandoned her, he still carries beauty and warmth in Jiang Sheng's heart, and will never fade.
"Third Brother, if that sister really needs help, you can consider helping her." Jiang Sheng held up one finger. "Just help her a little, but you can't hurt yourself, okay?"
Fang Heng snapped out of his reverie and frowned. "I have no intention of helping her."
Jiang Sheng, "..."
“I have no intention of helping her.” Fang Heng paused slightly. “I’m not new to the city. She already knew about me, but she chose this particular time to appear. Even if I’m not as smart as my older and fifth brothers, I know there must be something fishy going on here.”
Moreover, did she really know nothing about what Madam Wang did?
Now that they've reappeared before him, what exactly are they up to?
Fang Heng didn't know, or rather, didn't want to know. He wasn't hiding his head from the sand; he just didn't want the already vanished cousin relationship to deteriorate into deeper hatred and resentment.
The boy lowered his head, a hint of pleading in his heart that Wang Yuyao should never appear again.
But after listening to the entire banquet, both Chang Yan and Xu Mo knew that she would come again.
Before we know it, the year is drawing to a close.
The entire Anshui County was immersed in red celebration. Jiang Sheng enthusiastically bought red lanterns and red couplets to paste throughout the courtyard, and also bought new clothes, new shoes and new purses for her brothers.
Fang Heng also gave his eight servants a holiday, allowing them to go home to visit relatives or to eat, drink, and go sightseeing.
Although these things happen every year, people never find them boring. The main reason is that the whole year is boring, and there are only entertainment activities around the Lunar New Year to relax and have some fun.
The aunties in the workshop also stopped working and went home one after another, carrying the New Year's gifts and wages they had prepared in advance, and they all smiled with their gums showing.
Jiang Sheng's mindset this year is very complicated.
She was happy to have food, drink, and clothing, but also worried that her mentally challenged second brother wouldn't be able to return in time to reunite with the family, missing an important member of their family.
Because of this, the little girl almost turned into a nagging old lady, looking out at the entrance of the flower-adorned courtyard all day long, "Second brother, come back quickly, second brother, come back quickly, second brother, come back quickly."
Xu Mo passed by and couldn't help but chuckle, "Are you chanting a spell?"
“I call this eagerly hoping,” Jiang Sheng began to use fancy words. “The book says that sincerity moves mountains. If I pray so sincerely, Heaven will surely send a wild dog to bring my second brother back.”
Xu Mo rubbed his forehead.
When lunchtime arrived, there were still only cheerful passersby at the end of the road, but no sign of Silly Brother Er.
Jiang Sheng turned away in disappointment, preparing to go eat.
Suddenly, a figure rushed over.
She was startled, thinking it was Wang Yuyao again, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was a strange girl.
The girl neither entered the courtyard nor suddenly attacked anyone. Instead, her legs went weak, and she knelt at the entrance of the courtyard, frantically kowtowing towards the inside. "Young Master Fang, Young Master Fang, please see our girl! Our girl didn't come to harm you. It's the Fang family who came to harm you. Our girl came to deliver a message, but you won't even let her say a word. She can only cry when she gets home. Please, please let her see Young Master Fang!"
There was so much useful information in those words that Jiang Sheng's little brain went blank for a moment.
Fortunately, Xu Mo was reading nearby. Hearing the noise, he came over, shielded his younger sister behind him, and frowned as he shouted, "Fang Laosan, come and deal with this."
Although everyone knows that people don't visit temples without a reason, it's clearly inappropriate to let Wang Yuyao keep disturbing the flower-adorned courtyard like this.
She's relentless in achieving her goal; what if she scares Jiang Sheng?
Before long, Fang Heng appeared with Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun.
Seeing the maidservant kowtowing incessantly, the brothers' faces all turned cold.
"Third Brother, this is going too far! Even at this critical moment, you still say you're thinking of me? Do you think we brothers are fools?" Changyan said, pursing his lips. "If Third Brother handles this, that's fine. But if he doesn't, then I'll have no choice but to overstep my bounds."
Even Wen Zhiyun, who didn't usually meddle in other people's business, pulled out a handful of paper packets from his sleeve and asked, "Third Brother, do you need any help?"
Fang Heng gave a bitter smile, knowing that he could no longer avoid this.
He nodded to his two younger brothers, strode up to the maid, and said in a deep voice, "Stop kowtowing. What does Wang Yuyao want me to help with? I'll go."
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