Sanlang's performance far exceeded Jiang Shan's expectations. In addition, with Magistrate Cao's wife and son leading the way, most people in Guyang County were happy to give him the honor, so much so that Jiang Shan was making money hand over fist.
Outside the crowd, a pair of venomous eyes stared at Saburo, who was jumping and dancing on the stage, and a cold smile slowly crept onto his lips.
Crowded places are prone to safety hazards. To ensure that the seaside food festival is not affected by the sea breeze, many wooden tents were built on site, one after another, so that they would not be easily blown away by the sea breeze.
The stage where Saburo performs is next to a pillar, with an empty space next to it for people to pass through.
Jiang Shan was very busy and didn't have much time to appreciate Sanlang's performance from beginning to end. So much so that she didn't even realize when the pillar next to Sanlang suddenly broke and the display stand behind him collapsed on him.
Madam Wu was the first to react. She exclaimed in surprise, but before she could warn Sanlang, several logs thicker than an arm came crashing down on him one after another.
At the critical moment, a figure rushed over, grabbed Sanlang, and rolled to the ground, barely avoiding the logs.
At the same moment, Jiang Shan had completely reacted. Heartbroken, he rushed towards Sanlang and held him tightly in his arms.
At that moment, she no longer cared about the smashed stall and the food scattered all over the ground; all she could see and feel was horror.
Saburo stared blankly at the man who had saved him, opened his mouth, and silently uttered two words: "Brother."
Fu Qiyuan's head was hit when the last piece of wood fell to the ground. He rubbed his head in pain and turned to Sanlang, asking softly, "Did you hurt yourself?"
A group of people swarmed around him and hurriedly helped Fu Qiyuan up from the ground. Magistrate Cao was terrified. He ordered his attendants to quickly fetch a doctor while others took Fu Qiyuan back to the inn.
Sanlang stared blankly at Fu Qiyuan, as if he had lost his soul, no matter how Jiangshan called him.
"Thank you for saving Sanlang, thank you!" Jiang Shan sincerely expressed his gratitude to Fu Qiyuan.
Fu Qiyuan glanced back at Jiang Shan, shook his head with a smile, and walked out with the help of his attendants.
"Erlang!"
A sorrowful cry rang out, and Jiao's mother walked up to Fu Qiyuan with tears in her eyes. She trembled as she took his hand and cried so hard she couldn't speak.
Looking at the strange woman crying her heart out in front of him, Fu Qiyuan said in a good-natured manner, "Auntie, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Erlang."
Jiao's mother reached out and stroked his face, saying sadly, "Erlang, your mother missed you so much. Shan'er and Sanlang were also waiting for you to come back. You're finally back. Your mother will never let you leave again!"
Jiang Shan's heart skipped a beat. He handed Jiang Shan over to Qiao Sheng and pulled Jiao's mother, saying, "Mother, he's not Erlang. You've really mistaken him for someone else!"
"He is Erlang! He is my Erlang, he is back!" Jiao's mother excitedly broke free from Jiang Shan's hand and hugged Fu Qiyuan's arm tightly.
Jiang Shan said apologetically to Fu Qiyuan, "I'm sorry, my mother sometimes makes mistakes. Please forgive her if she offends anyone."
After saying that, she turned to Sanlang and said, "Sanlang, quickly help me take Mother back!"
Saburo didn't move. He stared intently at that familiar face, his eyes slowly welling up with tears.
"Brother..." he murmured softly, wanting to go forward but not daring to move, afraid that if he moved, his brother would disappear again.
Jiang Shan was extremely anxious. Jiao's mother was holding Fu Qiyuan so tightly that she dared not use too much force, for fear of hurting her.
"Old lady, you've mistaken him for someone else. He's not your son, he's our young master! The son of Minister Fu of the Ministry of Works. Don't try to claim kinship with him!" Fu Zhi rushed over angrily and shoved Jiao's mother aside.
Jiao's mother staggered back several steps, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.
Fu Qiyuan glared at Fu Zhi, took two steps forward, and said apologetically, "Auntie, I was rude. Did I hurt you? I may resemble your son, but I am definitely not your son."
"Young Master Fu, you're injured. You should see a doctor first!" Magistrate Cao said anxiously from the side.
Fu Qiyuan glanced at Jiao's mother, then at Jiang Shan. Seeing that Jiang Shan's expression was not good, he could only turn away in silence.
"Brother!" Sanlang cried out, tears streaming down his face.
Fu Qiyuan didn't turn around; his head felt like it was about to explode, as if something was about to burst out of it.
The crowd buzzed with discussion, but Jiang Shan couldn't listen to what they were saying; she had no energy left to continue the food festival activities. She gave Qiao Sheng a few instructions, left Xue Zhen to help, and then, along with Yuan Wen, led the bewildered mother and son back to the shop.
Jiao's mother stopped crying, but she remained silent, ignoring whatever Jiang Shan said, completely absorbed in her own world.
You can't persuade the old folks; you can only persuade the young ones.
She held Sanlang's hand, looked into his eyes with utmost seriousness, and said, "Sanlang, you heard it all. He is the son of the Minister of Works in the capital, the son of a high-ranking official, not your elder brother! He just looks like Erlang, but he is not Erlang, do you understand?"
Sanlang wiped away his tears and looked at Jiangshan with a wronged expression: "He is my elder brother. The way he talks to me is just like my elder brother. He is my elder brother!"
Jiang Shan rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "But you heard it too. He said his surname is Fu, he has a father, and he has a family. He's not our second son! I know you miss your older brother, but what about the third son...!"
She couldn't continue. She didn't have the same deep affection that the mother and son had for Jiao Erlang, and she couldn't persuade them to let go of their obsession.
Seeing Jiang Shan close her eyes in sorrow, Sanlang tugged at her sleeve and sobbed, "Sister, I really miss my brother so much. I dreamt about him a few days ago!"
Jiang Shan silently pulled him into her arms, gently stroking the child's tender shoulders, and said in a hoarse voice, "Sanlang, you must be brave. No matter whether Erlang is by our side or not, we must live well! Your sister is still hoping that you will grow up, pass the imperial examinations, and earn a title for your mother!"
"Waaah... I also want to earn an imperial title for my sister..."
"...Yes, and I'll also earn an imperial title for my sister! Mother, did you hear that? Our Sanlang is so successful! Your good days are yet to come!"
Jiang Shan was fine until he spoke, but he was startled by Jiao's mother's reaction.
She screamed "Ah!" and began to wail, pounding her chest and sobbing, "Gone! Erlang is gone! Everything is gone! I raised him with all my heart and soul, giving him everything I had, and now he's gone! Ahhh... God, what did I do wrong to deserve this punishment? You heartless bastard... you ungrateful wretch...!"
Jiang Shan stared dumbfounded at Jiao's mother, who was beating her chest and slapping her thighs like a madwoman, completely unable to react.
Sanlang was also frightened and kept hiding in Jiangshan's arms.
"What's wrong with Mother? Has she... has she had another episode?" Jiang Shan took a few steps back and whispered to Sanlang.
“When Mother used to have an episode, she wasn’t like this. She would just look for my brother everywhere. She never went crazy.” Sanlang’s voice trembled slightly.
"Is he possessed?" Jiang Shan thought to himself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
