The only slightly disharmonious incident at Jianghuai's first birthday party still caused a bit of a stir.
Jiang Shan stared at the lock, grinding her teeth, for half an hour. She just couldn't understand it. When did Jiang Huai and Fu Qiyuan develop such a deep relationship? It didn't make sense!
He only had a limited time with him, and several months had passed in between. This kid shouldn't be so infatuated with him!
That's not scientific!
Moreover, it was at Mr. Xunmei's suggestion that she put some small items that Jiang Huai had worn inside, which is why she put it in, representing her deep affection and loyalty.
He is loyal and righteous, but what about having a father?
An Jing felt even worse.
That man has better innate qualities than him, his appearance is no worse than his, and his loyalty to Jiangshan is no less than his. However, that man's status is not a match for Jiangshan, he does not have the advantage of being close to the source, and he is not as rich as him. He also has a good chance!
But what frustrated him was...
This little guy seems to like that man more! He calls him "Dad" so fluently and easily!
He knew that Fu Qiyuan was not Jiang Huai's biological father, but he couldn't resist the speculation of those who were interested. Even Manager Li had asked him about it more than once.
So annoying!
An Jingming was both bright and melancholic, and suffered from insomnia for an entire night.
What pained An Jing even more was that Fu Qiyuan's first birthday gift for Jiang Huai arrived the next day—two beautifully illustrated booklets!
In modern terms, it's called a comic book.
The two comic books received high praise from Jiang Shan and unanimous acclaim from everyone at Zhushe.
The small golden abacus that An Jing gave to Jiang Huai was too valuable, so Jiang Shan locked it in a cabinet and it didn't even appear on the table during the baby's first birthday celebration.
Fu Qiyuan won this round completely!
An Jing had also read that comic book. With just a few words and vivid illustrations, it told a series of lively little stories, which was very suitable for children's early education.
Even he enjoys watching it, let alone children!
It takes so much patience and meticulousness to create such a small picture book!
Being a dad isn't easy!
Jiang Shan was genuinely surprised by Fu Qiyuan's hand-drawn comic book, and he really liked it.
When they were in Guxian Town, Jiang Shan told Sanlang and Jiang Huai bedtime stories such as Andersen's Fairy Tales and Grimm's Fairy Tales. Fu Qiyuan also listened in, but she did not expect that he would remember them and give them back to Jiang Huai in this way.
This sentiment is truly rare!
Fu Qiyuan's popularity soared to a new peak, even earning praise from Mr. Xunmei.
These two picture albums are made of special kraft paper, which is not easy to tear, fade or deform, and is easy to preserve. The colors are also bright and vibrant, which Jiang Huai likes very much.
As soon as it's bedtime, she'll grab her little notebook and run excitedly to Jiangshan, wanting to hear a bedtime story.
Sanlang secretly and tirelessly instilled his ideas in Jiang Huai. Whenever Jiang Huai saw the picture book, he would think of Fu Qiyuan. In the days without a father, he would talk about his father all the time, making An Jing extremely jealous.
Fu Qiyuan, who was worried about his son, received a letter a few days ago from Li Minghe, the heir of the Marquis of Qingyang. At this moment, he was frowning and had no time to think about his son.
The county magistrate and the registrar in the yamen hung their heads, seemingly lost in thought, while only the clerk stood by anxiously.
"My lord, Zongyang County is only about a hundred li away from Guyang County. It's not uncommon for those bandits to wander into Guyang County and cause trouble. Please think this over carefully!"
Fu Qiyuan glanced at him. "They're not bandits, they're pirates. The Hai Sha Gang has been running rampant at sea for over a decade. A few years ago, their leader had a close encounter with the Shandong navy and was seriously injured, so they were quiet for quite some time. They dare to commit crimes in Zongyang County because they know that Chongqing has no navy. To them, the ships coming and going in Zongyang County are like pieces of fat meat that are already in their mouths."
The clerk's face turned pale. "What should we do, sir!"
The county magistrate clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and calmly said, "Yuzhou has no navy, and the imperial court will not easily dispatch a navy to Yuzhou to suppress bandits. We can only rely on ourselves!"
"My lord, why don't we seek help from the surrounding county governments? With pirates running rampant, all the counties in Yuzhou are bound to suffer losses. Why don't we all unite and fight the enemy together?" The registrar also offered his opinion.
Fu Qiyuan tapped lightly on the desk and said in a deep voice, “You don’t know about the Hai Sha Gang. Their leader, Boss Sha, is known for his ruthless and cruel methods. He will kill anyone he takes. We don’t know how many people they have yet, so we can’t act rashly. We will discuss it with the young master before making a decision. You should issue a notice to inform the people in the city to be on guard.”
"Yes, sir!"
When Fu Shu came in carrying the food box, Fu Qiyuan was still deep in thought.
"Young master, you should rest for a while, lest you suffer from another headache!"
Fu Qiyuan snapped out of his reverie, smiled, and said, "It's alright. I've been thinking about many things lately, but I haven't made the same mistake again, so it should be fine!"
Fu Shu was overjoyed, "Young Master, you've remembered everything?"
Fu Qiyuan accepted the food box without comment. It contained a bowl of noodle soup and a few plum blossom pastries, which were his favorite snacks.
"The old lady made several summer outfits for the young master, and there's one for you too!"
Fu Qiyuan's smile grew even brighter.
Fu Shuyan stared at his master's expression, hesitated for a while, and then said hesitantly, "Young master, news has come from the capital that the madam is ill and wishes for you to return to take care of her."
Fu Qiyuan's smile froze and slowly disappeared.
He refused the marriage alliance with the Pei family in Yuzhou, causing Old Madam Cheng to lose face, his mother to lose face, and the Pei family to be filled with resentment. He knew that the Pei family and Old Madam Cheng would not let it go, but he did not expect that it was his mother who outmaneuvered him.
Taking care of someone who is ill? That's a perfect excuse!
In Qing Kingdom, filial piety is paramount. At a mother's command, no matter where he is or what position he holds, he must return to care for her. Failure to uphold filial duty will result in the censors spitting at him, and as a protégé of the emperor, he will face even greater criticism; even his father's intervention will be futile.
His mother could never have imagined this; it was probably his maternal grandmother who suggested it to her.
Excellent! Absolutely excellent!
"It seems that Grandmother has been living too leisurely these past few years, and she has probably forgotten most of the things that were once vivid in her memory! Tell An San that my uncle's position can be moved up a bit, let him climb higher and fall harder, preferably break some bones or something, so that he will remember the pain!"
Fu Shu's expression changed slightly. He thought of that uncle, who had been cornered by his master for so many years without uttering a sound. That old lady Cheng had also endured it for so many years, but at this moment she couldn't hold back and went out of her way to make the young master unhappy. Was she tired of living and looking for a beating?
Fu Shu silently shed three tears of sympathy for that uncle, though without much sincerity.
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