The meaning behind those words was deep. Fu Tian’s ears flushed again. Rubbing them, he cursed the rogue silently and ignored him.
The carriage arrived at Sifang Town just before noon. Fu Tian had snuck away before but now felt particularly guilty.
He made a shushing gesture to Chu Xiangtian, who quietly eased him inside the courtyard.
“Where are you sneaking off to again?” Fu Youqin came out to check after hearing the noise. She saw Fu Tian skulking like a thief and scolded, “Why are you always sneaking around?”
Fu Tian froze, then shuffled over to her and called out sweetly, “Mother.”
Fu Youqin touched his forehead. “Sneaking out like this—if you wanted to go, would I lock you in your room?”
Fu Tian coquettishly shook her arm, admitting his fault with a good attitude, finally allowed to go.
“Fu Ji sent news yesterday, saying there’s something at the shop that needs your attention. You should go check it out.”
Fu Tian exclaimed and turned to find Fu Ji.
When Fu Ji heard Fu Tian had returned, he also came over. They met halfway and went to the study together.
The news Fu Ji brought wasn’t bad but annoying. He worried Fu Youqin might get angry, so he waited until Fu Tian came back to mention it.
“Wen Bolì opened a new rice shop diagonally across from ours.” Clearly trying to steal business and cause trouble.
Fu Tian frowned. “Is he still guarding the entrance?”
Fu Ji nodded with disgust, “He goes every day.”
“Don’t tell mother or sister about this,” Fu Tian pondered for a moment. “I’ll go handle it. You bring some men to guard the Zhuangzi and have them help the ladies relax there.”
Fu Ji bowed and left to make arrangements.
At noon, Fu Tian greeted Fu Youqin, saying he had to return to the shop to handle business and told them to continue resting at the Zhuangzi. Then he left with Chu Xiangtian for Sifang Town.
Fu Tian went straight to the shop.
The storefront that used to sell sugar had been replaced by “Wen Family Rice Shop,” decorated with red silk ribbons for the grand opening. Wen Bolì was bustling at the door, greeting customers with great fanfare.
Fu Tian glanced at him disdainfully and turned to enter, but Wen Bolì spotted him and called out, “Youling, how long do you and your mother intend to keep avoiding me?”
“Stay away from us and you won’t have to avoid anything,” Fu Tian replied bluntly. “If you don’t keep your distance, I’m afraid Mother will see you and get her eyes dirty.”
Passersby stopped curiously to watch. Wen Bolì’s face reddened. “Do you talk to your father like this?”
Fu Tian sneered, “A divorced live-in son-in-law at best, what face do you have to call yourself father? Besides, my surname is Fu now—the Fu of the Fu Family. You’re nothing to me.”
“You!” Wen Bolì’s face turned green with rage. Hearing whispers around him, his expression grew more embarrassing. He could only slam his sleeve and storm back across the street. “You’ll regret this!”
Fu Tian wasn’t afraid of him anymore. He snorted and told the shop steward, “Don’t let him near the shop. I’m afraid he’ll dirty the Fu Family’s land.”
Slamming the sleeve, Wen Bolì returned to his rice shop, picked up a teacup, then slammed it down hard, making a crisp sound. Tea spilled and trickled down the table.
The shop was full of customers buying rice. Since it was the grand opening, they were giving half a dou free for every two dou bought, so there were many people inside.
Wen Bolì’s outburst caused a stir. People peeked secretly from behind screens, whispering amongst themselves, curiosity and speculation flickering in their eyes.
Wen Bolì felt as if sitting on a bed of needles, unable to stay long. He waved his sleeve again and left.
His newly acquired residence on East Main Street was a three-courtyard house, not small, but surrounded by riffraff who made noise all day. Unwilling to return home, Wen Bolì went straight to a brothel to drink.
There, two girls sang beautifully, their voices gentle and more pleasing than the woman at home who was always hung up on status.
Leaning against a bamboo couch drinking, the two girls snuggled up and sang, occasionally pouring him more wine……………..
Fragrant and soft, fine wine and beautiful women, all failures and worries seemed to drift far away. Wen Bolì caroused until dusk, then dressed, stuffed two silver ingots into the girl’s bosom, and staggered down the stairs to go home.
After divorcing Fu Youqin, he no longer had to hold back or endure. Drinking, singing, and chasing women, no one dared control him, and he didn’t have to fear his troubles being known.
Drunk, he laughed low and mumbled, “You’ll regret it, you definitely will regret it……”
Staggering along the wall, he didn’t notice he stepped into spilled water and fell hard. Cursing loudly, he got up and shouted curses, but no one answered. Spitting, he limped home.
Neither husband nor son returned home. Bai Ruihe waited anxiously. Hearing noise at the door, she hurried over.
Wen Bolì pushed open the door, saw Bai Ruihe smiling and reaching to help him, and pushed her away viciously, his face dark. “Even you’re laughing at me?”
Bai Ruihe’s smile froze. She instinctively stepped back. “Brother Wen, are you drunk?”
Hearing this, anger surged in Wen Bolì’s eyes. He slammed his wine jug down on Bai Ruihe and then threw himself on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
“It’s all your fault, you wretch!”
He slapped Bai Ruihe’s face hard. The crisp sound snapped her out of shock.
She wildly pounded his chest, but Wen Bolì was stronger, holding her down. Venting rage, he slapped her twice more while drunkenly shouting, “If it weren’t for you all, I wouldn’t have ended up like this!”
“Wretch! Wretch! I’ll kill you!”
He struck her hard again. Bai Ruihe’s cheek swelled as she screamed, clawing at him. He winced from the pain, staggered up drunk, kicked her, and then swayed back inside.
Bai Ruihe barely managed to sit up, her neatly done hair now a mess, cheeks swollen high. She stared blankly, finally covering her face and sobbing quietly.
She had thought that by taking him from Fu Youqin, she would have a prosperous life—a clever son and a husband who adored her. This was her dream for over ten years, but now everything had changed.
Her nails dug into her palms as frustration rose like a tide, roaring madly.
“Mother?” Drunken Wen Zeming stumbled in through the wide-open door and saw Bai Ruihe sitting on the floor, hair disheveled.
Bai Ruihe looked up. The redness and swelling on her face shocked him. Sobered a bit from the wine, he helped her up. “Who did this?”
“Your father…” Bai Ruihe cried softly. Wen Zeming drank heavily. Hearing this, a wicked fire flared inside him. “I’ll get him!”
“I’ll take you to—”
“No…” Bai Ruihe grabbed him, pleading, “We still depend on him to live. Mother’s fine, it’s just a little injury… Your father drank today……”
Wen Zeming’s temples throbbed painfully. He’d drunk heavily—or rather, since being released from prison nearly two months ago, he’d drowned himself in alcohol to numb himself.
His promising future had been destroyed. If it weren’t for Wen Bolì, he wouldn’t have ended up like this!
Now Wen Bolì even despised them. Wen Zeming grinned fiercely. “If he died, we wouldn’t have to depend on him anymore.”
Bai Ruihe was scared by his expression but finally said, “Killing means death penalty. As long as he’s sick, we can handle him however we want.”
They exchanged a glance, their eyes glowing with the same eager light.
***
Since Fu Huo publicly humiliated Wen Bolì, the latter hadn’t appeared at the Fu Family’s gate. Fu Tian was quite pleased.
But the peaceful days lasted barely two. Wen Family Rice Shop started causing trouble again.
The steward reported that Wen Family Rice Shop had cut their prices nearly in half.
Naturally, the townsfolk bought the cheaper rice. Although Wen Family rice always contained many husks, even so, at half price, it was a bargain.
The steward’s tone was resentful, “Business in the shop has dropped a lot. A few big customers seem to have been bribed by Wen Family.”
“They didn’t pick up grain at the agreed time this month. The waiters said they saw them going to Wen Family Rice Shop.”
Fu Tian frowned. He could guess Wen Bolì’s dirty tactics but didn’t expect him to be so foolish.
Slashing prices to annoy him and compete with Fu Family Rice Shop was like smashing a stone with an egg.
Even if Fu Family Rice Shop sold not a single grain, the backing of the Fu Family could keep it afloat. Wen Bolì couldn’t last a month like this.
“No problem, let him sell,” Fu Tian smiled. “You bring some men to buy rice from Fu Family Rice Shop. See if they can lower their prices. If they can, good; if not, buy as much as you can.”
The steward didn’t understand. Wen Yan hesitated, “Why buy rice? Our warehouse is still full.”
Fu Tian waved his hand, unable to explain now. “Just do as I say.”
The boss had spoken, so the steward left with doubts to follow Fu Huo’s orders.
Fu Tian happily paced around the room. Wen Bolì must have been made stupid by studying, to deliver grain to him at such a moment. He just hoped Wen Bolì wouldn’t die of frustration next year.
“What’s so funny to be grinning like that?”
Chu Xiangtian came in with a letter for the Little Marquis and saw him smiling with eyes curved in joy.
Fu Tian winked mysteriously. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Chu Xiangtian pinched his cheek and handed over the letter. “A letter from the Zhuangzi. Take a look.”
Breaking the wax seal, Fu Tian unfolded a two-foot square canal map. It detailed fields and rivers, with the canals to be dug marked in vermilion.
The location of each canal and the reasons for choosing it were explained carefully at the bottom.
Fu Tian had read many books on water conservancy—he was a novice but could tell this map had merit. Still uncertain, he asked Chu Xiangtian, “Do you understand it? What do you think?”
Chu Xiangtian, unaware that the letter was turning the question to himself, replied calmly, “I think it’s feasible.”
Fu Tian agreed and folded the map back into the envelope. “We need to call the Zhuangzi steward and discuss how many people and how much money we’ll need.”
“Alright, I’ll take another look at this map.”
Seeing Fu Tian so ready to act, Chu Xiangtian took the envelope back and said calmly, “Then first calculate how much silver we need.”
Before Fu Tian could answer, Chu Xiangtian strode out.
Not using the main gate, he went through the side entrance directly to the county government office.
The Ministry of Works Assistant Minister and the County Magistrate were discussing the progress of the dock project when Chu Xiangtian suddenly arrived. They both stood quickly and saluted.
“Take a look at this.” Chu Xiangtian handed over the canal map to the startled Ministry of Works Assistant Minister. “Is there any problem?”
The Assistant Minister carefully examined the somewhat rough drawing. There was no major flaw. He cautiously asked, “Is this the site where the canal will be dug?”
Hearing no objections, Chu Xiangtian relaxed and explained casually, “The Fu Family Zhuangzi is planning to dig canals. Isn’t this your jurisdiction? You might as well oversee it to prevent errors.”
Assistant Minister: “I don’t only manage water conservancy—I handle many things.”
The County Magistrate’s expression was complicated.
This Yu Wang was well known—a young war god with countless victories, feared by foreign tribes, a great contributor to Da Chu, and the current Emperor’s own brother.
No one dared say a word against him in the capital.
Fortunately, this fierce warrior was stationed on the frontier most of the time, allowing everyone else to live in peace.
Yet now, instead of seeing the war god in the capital, they had encountered him in the small Sifang Town.
The Assistant Minister whispered to the County Magistrate, “Who exactly is the Fu Family? They seem favored by the prince.”
The County Magistrate had seen Wen Bolì’s files and was impressed. Clearing his throat, he avoided speaking about Fu Family secrets in front of Chu Xiangtian, instead signaling to discuss it later.
Chu Xiangtian noticed and asked, “Are you the newly appointed County Magistrate?”
The County Magistrate nodded quickly and answered repeatedly, “Yes.”
Chu Xiangtian frowned.
“The water conservancy of Sifang Town’s farmland is normally the magistrate’s responsibility, but now the people have to pay and work for it themselves. This isn’t proper official conduct…”
The County Magistrate almost knelt on the spot. He had been in office less than a month. Though eager to reform, he was powerless and had to proceed step by step.
Hearing this, he kept apologizing. “It’s my negligence. I will prioritize the water conservancy project as soon as possible to benefit the people.”
Only then did Chu Xiangtian leave satisfied.
The Assistant Minister helped the exhausted County Magistrate to his feet. “Now you can tell me—who exactly is the Fu Family?”
Wiping sweat from his brow, the magistrate recounted the Fu Family’s story.
The Assistant Minister clicked his tongue in admiration and offered advice. “It seems the prince is close with the Fu Family. Be sharp going forward.”
“Many in the capital want to curry favor with the prince, but apart from a few noble sons who grew up with him, no one can command his attention like that.”
The magistrate nodded, committing the Fu Family to memory.
Chu Xiangtian returned with the map. Fu Tian was still in the study, planning which Zhuangzi needed canals dug.
Placing the envelope on the desk, Chu Xiangtian frowned slightly. “All these Zhuangzi fields need canals?”
Fu Tian nodded firmly. “They must be finished this year. The Fu Family has many Zhuangzi, but it’s impossible to finish them all this year. I’m choosing only the larger ones to start.”
Chu Xiangtian grew more puzzled. Increasing grain yield was good, but digging canals was no small matter—time-consuming and laborious. He couldn’t understand why Fu Tian was so anxious.
“Why are you in such a hurry? Wouldn’t it be easier to have the government handle it?”