This whole matter had been stirring for several days.
Father Fan stubbornly refused to let Chen Sanfang go, and the other side wasn’t exactly willing to simply send Lord Fan over either.
Kang He and Fan Jing stayed out of it, both busy with business.
The situation remained tense. One day, the two of them returned from the shop in good spirits because He Xiaoqiu and Zhang Shiguo’s wedding was approaching.
At noon, the four of them dined together, talking about how the banquet preparations were going and when they could deliver the chickens and ducks, and so on.
After lunch, He Xiaoqiu even took Fan Jing to see the wedding clothes she had made. Fan Jing seemed to be in a good mood that day.
When they got home, however, they found Qiao’er looking pale. She came up to tell them that Father was ill.
“He suddenly fainted in the fields around noon. The tenant farmers brought him home in a hurry, and they quickly called Doctor Zhu. He said it’s due to overwork and worry, causing liver qi stagnation and illness. With the season changing, it’s the easiest time to catch diseases.”
Fan Jing heard Qiao’er’s words and hurried into the room, with Kang He right behind him.
They entered the room and saw Father Fan lying in bed, his lips dry and chapped, his face sallow and sunken, his eyes dull and lifeless.
This wasn’t an act—he was truly sick.
Chen Sanfang sat on one side, wringing a cloth to wipe Father Fan’s face. She was silent, but her eyes were red as if she had been crying.
The two men were still troubled by the feud with Lord Fan.
Kang He asked, “Father, where do you feel uncomfortable?”
“It’s nothing serious, just a bit dizzy. A nap will make it better. There’s still work in the fields that needs to be arranged.”
Hearing Father Fan’s weak voice, Kang He said repeatedly, “At a time like this, Father, you must rest well and recover. Don’t worry about the farm work anymore. You can tell the others to handle it, or if necessary, we can hire some laborers.”
Fan Jing frowned but said nothing, though his worry was evident.
They tended to Father Fan for a while before Da Fu’s family arrived. Father Fan said he wanted his eldest grandson to stay with him and told the others to mind their own tasks.
Da Fu took out some documents and read them aloud one by one for Father Fan lying in bed to hear. Kang He and Fan Jing then left the room.
Qiao’er and Xiao Xiang were outside brewing medicine for Father Fan, while Kang He went to the kitchen to make some warm, nourishing porridge for him.
Everyone in the house knew what kind of illness Father Fan was suffering from. Apart from his feud with Lord Fan, spring was a busy season for farming and sowing. Father Fan had been going out early and coming back late, exhausting himself.
His body was already worn out from fatigue, and coupled with the emotional turmoil in his heart, it was no wonder he fell ill.
Father Fan’s illness dragged on for four or five days. Doctor Zhu had come three times but saw no improvement, only noting how thin Father Fan had become.
That night, Chen Sanfang came to Kang He and Fan Jing’s room, wiping her tears. “What are we going to do with your father? Seeing him so ill breaks my heart. I regret having quarreled with him before. He never argued with me before, just sulked on his own. Now the anger has made him sick. I’m afraid he won’t have a peaceful rest of his life.”
Kang He comforted Chen Sanfang: “How can you blame him? Couples quarrel all the time; it’s not as serious as you say. Father just happened to fall ill with the changing season and overwork. Everyone gets sick sometimes—it’s normal.”
Chen Sanfang felt somewhat relieved by Kang He’s words. She sighed, “That’s true. Father’s been thinking about bringing your grandfather here. He’s a filial son and always said to me that between the two Fan sons, he feels inferior, not as capable as your eldest uncle. No wonder your grandfather prefers him.
Now that the family is wealthier, your grandfather wants to come live here. Father thinks he needs family now—how could he refuse that?”
Kang He sighed inwardly. In families with many children, those who are less favored often end up being the most filial, always trying to prove themselves to their parents.
Father Fan was the second son, with a capable elder brother above him and a younger sister below. Being stuck in the middle, he was often neglected by his parents, and his temperament was blunt. He probably received the least care growing up.
Kang He asked Chen Sanfang, “So what do you want to do?”
“I came to discuss with you two. Otherwise, just agree to have him bring your grandfather here. The knot in his heart won’t untie, and he won’t recover like this. It won’t work to keep going like this.” Chen Sanfang added, “Of course, it depends on your opinion.”
Kang He glanced at Fan Jing.
Fan Jing said, “If you want to bring him, then bring him. Just explain to Father well. If your grandfather comes and lives peacefully, the whole family will respect him. But if he causes trouble, whatever his temperament, he’ll know himself.”
Chen Sanfang agreed. The three of them talked for a while longer before she returned to her room.
Bringing medicine from the kitchen, Chen Sanfang gave it to Father Fan. “Don’t just lie there anymore. You’re making everyone here restless. Tomorrow, get up and go talk with your eldest brother and sister-in-law. If you want to bring him here, then just do it.”
Hearing Chen Sanfang, Father Fan seemed to perk up a little. He shifted his body and asked, “Will they agree?”
“Seeing you like this, how could they not? Who in this house doesn’t care about you?”
Father Fan looked ashamed. He felt uneasy inside.
His mother had passed away last winter. Just thinking about it made him tear up. Now his parents were left with only him, and he was old too. There weren’t many days left. Whatever wishes he had, he wanted to fulfill them.
“I understand. They have already been very respectful and filial. If you bring him here, don’t let it make you uncomfortable. If he comes, we’ll respect and serve him well. You should take Qiao’er to the upper room.”
Seeing that Father Fan still cared about his family, Chen Sanfang felt a little better.
She said, “Let’s be clear—if your grandfather comes, there won’t be any quarrels. Everyone here will respect him. But if he causes trouble for Sanlang or Dajing, the kids are considerate and won’t say anything, but I definitely won’t tolerate it.”
Father Fan nodded in agreement. If things went wrong, as a son, he’d speak to his father without letting anyone else say a word.
That night, at the eldest brother’s house, Zhang Jingui whispered with the others, “Why hasn’t the second brother come to fetch Father yet? Chen Sanfang is really heartless. It’s one thing to see Father unwell and not care, but now she doesn’t even care about her own husband’s illness.”
Lu Shi heard Zhang Jingui’s words and said, “Mother, don’t say such things. It’s already improper for Father to go live with the second brother. The family division has been witnessed by the village elders. Now Father is old and wants care. Going to the second brother’s would just make people unhappy. It would also ruin our family’s reputation.
If the second brother really agrees to take him, it should be just for a short while, to let Father rest and recover, and then bring him back.”
Zhang Jingui was about to argue with her daughter-in-law, but since she usually took care of Father Fan herself and had it easier, she didn’t have much authority.
Fan Shoushan sided with Lu Shi: “What the daughter-in-law said is true. The house wasn’t in good shape before. Father handed most of the family business to the eldest brother. Now that Father is old and can’t work, going to the second brother’s place would really be a disadvantage.”
“But don’t let caregiving ruin brotherly ties.”
Lu Shi, a businesswoman, valued kinship but also practical matters: “The second brother’s family hasn’t treated us badly. When Daxin taught at the private school, the second brother helped a lot. Now, the shop business is also done with the second brother’s help. You won’t find better prices for grain outside.”
Zhang Jingui, short-sighted and only seeking temporary comfort, didn’t consider these things carefully. Hearing her daughter-in-law, she said no more.
The next day, Father Fan actually got out of bed and went to speak with the eldest brother’s family.
Both sides agreed to prepare a room and bring Lord Fan over in the afternoon.
Lord Fan’s illness was mostly a scare. Within two days of arriving, he became lively again, eating well and cheerfully going out to chat with the old men.
Father Fan’s health, after some days of rest, finally improved.
Seeing Lord Fan wasn’t ill anymore, everyone let him go out and enjoy himself. Life continued peacefully, no different from before.
At the end of April, Zhang Shiguo and He Xiaoqiu held their wedding banquet. Kang He and Fan Jing brought gifts and went with Chen Sanfang to the He family for the feast.
The gathering was lively, with twelve tables and sumptuous dishes. Kang He drank no shortage of wine during the banquet.
After happily finishing the feast, Kang He had drunk a bit too much and was driven back by Fan Jing.
Chen Sanfang was anxious all the way, worried that Fan Jing might cause trouble with his condition. Luckily, it was a false alarm and nothing happened.
But when they got home, sweat was pouring down their backs. Chen Sanfang called Xiao Xiang to fetch some water and hurried off to wash.
Kang He, having cooled down from the wind, was sober again. He washed up with Fan Jing. It was still early, and they weren’t sleepy.
Going into the room to see Da Fu, they found Qiao’er teaching the little one to count.
“Come here, big brother, brother-in-law, I have something funny to tell you.”
Qiao’er, seeing the two come in, put down Da Fu.
She said, “Today, Father came home looking grim. Even with delicious dishes in the evening, he barely ate a few bites before going to bed.”
“What happened?”
Qiao’er said, “He had a quarrel with Old Man Kong, the one he was with all day, cursing and grumbling. He said he didn’t like him and told Father not to have anything to do with the Kong family anymore. Like a child.”
“Well, no wonder Old Man Kong dislikes him. Father is stingy. When playing with Old Man Kong, he never invited him for tea or even water, but Old Man Kong often brought him fruits and snacks.”
“Father bragged about how good our family is but is as tightfisted as an iron rooster. Over time, who wants to befriend him?”
Kang He chuckled, “What is Father doing? The family doesn’t lack food or drink. He never hides the fruits or snacks. If he offered some to them, who would refuse? Not to mention he often sends food to their rooms piled high. When he invites them over, there’s always plenty to eat.”
“Exactly. A few days ago, I joked with him about not entertaining friends but only being entertained. He said money is hard-earned, so it should be saved, or it might all be gone someday. Then he lectured me with grand principles, saying how poor the family is. I thought, ‘You weren’t born into wealth either.’ So I stopped arguing with him.”
They laughed and chatted for a while before going inside to rest.
Kang He heard Qiao’er’s description of Father Fan’s frugality and told Fan Jing that this was better than having bad company—it was at least a virtue.
Who would have thought that within two days, a new dispute would break out.
One day, when it happened to be raining heavily, Father Fan didn’t go to the fields. He was uneasy staying idle, so Carpenter Wang invited him over for a drink and fun.
Father Fan gave instructions at home and happily went out.
Since falling out with Old Man Kong, Lord Fan rarely went out to play and stayed home more.
At noon, Xiao Xiang set out dishes for Lord Fan: a plate of water celery stir-fried with minced pork, a bowl of minced meat and egg soup, a cold salad, and a bowl of bean sprout soup.
“With so many dishes, Xiao Xiang, you eat with me.”
Xiao Xiang said, “Great-grandfather, we have other dishes outside. These were specially made by Master, just in case you don’t eat well at home.”
Lord Fan heard this and wanted to see the other dishes.
Xiao Xiang led him to the other table, where there was a pot of mustard greens and radish soup, oily and glistening, with a large slab of preserved meat sliced thinly.
There was also a steamed basket of soft taro.
“Is this for you to eat?”
“No, not just for me. Yi Huan, Er Xi, Brother Mou, Brother Liu—all their dishes.”
Lord Fan’s expression immediately changed. He grabbed the big bowl of preserved meat.
“If you eat, fine. But why give them such good food? They get paid to work for us, eating both dishes and rice, and still eat so much meat! This is outrageous!”
Just then, Lian Si, who had come to ask Xiao Xiang if the food was ready, overheard Lord Fan’s words at the door. He paused, not entering.
Xiao Xiang hurried after Lord Fan, “Great-grandfather, this is how we usually eat!”
Lord Fan straightened his neck. “Before, the family was poor. For ten or fifteen days, we didn’t touch meat. These workers get meat every day. They have it better than the masters.”
After saying this, Lord Fan looked at Xiao Xiang kindly and softly said, reaching to take her hand and sit her down, “Don’t cook meat for them anymore. I see their work isn’t heavy—they don’t work harder than me. If you want meat, eat with me.”
Xiao Xiang was startled and embarrassed to eat meat with Lord Fan. She refused, saying it would break etiquette, and slipped away.
At lunch, she ate outside. The household noticed there was only vegetarian food and no meat, which made her uncomfortable. Lian Si even grumbled a few complaints.
Xiao Xiang felt stuck between inside and outside.
Lord Fan, feeling sorry to give up meat to the servants, ate meat openly at noon, not touching a grain of rice, just picking at the meat.
After being full, he went back inside and fell into a deep sleep.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, he began wailing about stomach pain.
The household sent for Doctor Zhu, who said it was indigestion.
Seeing this, Father Fan blamed Xiao Xiang, worried about Lord Fan, and spoke harshly.
Xiao Xiang, feeling wronged, went to the room and cried for a long time.
When Kang He and the others arrived, unaware of what had happened, they saw Xiao Xiang with red eyes. She said, “Thanks to Brother Kang and Brother Fan for your care these months. But I’m not young anymore. My parents sent word that I found a good marriage at home and must go back.”
Kang He felt this was sudden. He said, “You’ve done well here these months. We wanted to keep you longer. But marriage is a big matter. Don’t delay it. How about this: we’ll grant you a long leave. After your wedding at home, you can come back to work. We’ll prepare a generous gift with your husband to congratulate you.”
Xiao Xiang was reluctant to leave such a good place and took this as an excuse to go. Hearing Kang He and Fan Jing’s words, she cried even harder.
Kang He thought it strange and gently asked if something was wrong or if she had been wronged. She refused to say.
Father Fan, full of guilt, said, “In the afternoon, Lord Fan had indigestion. I spoke harshly to Xiao Xiang out of worry. The blame is on me, not her.”
“Don’t quit because of this. It was wrong of me to say those things.”
Qiao’er, sharp and understanding, was close to Xiao Xiang and knew she wasn’t the kind to cry and run after a few words.
Her family’s situation wasn’t good; she relied on her monthly wages. She wouldn’t easily quit.
Qiao’er gently comforted Xiao Xiang: “You must have been wronged. Tell us clearly so we can understand. Brother, brother-in-law are fair—they won’t let you suffer injustice.”
After comforting, Xiao Xiang told the whole story.
“Is it all true?” Father Fan’s eyes widened. If it was about his father not sharing meat, that was his doing. But he refused to believe the part about him being improper with the young girl.
Xiao Xiang cried, “I wouldn’t dare lie. Maybe Lian Si heard a few words and got upset with me at lunch. I called him over to explain.”
Kang He summoned Lian Si, who admitted to making a few sour remarks. Nobody thought it would escalate this far. Feeling uneasy, Lian Si said, “I’m not blaming Xiao Xiang. But spring and summer farming is hard work, all heavy labor. I saw Yi Huan, Er Xi, Brother Mou, Brother Liu all exhausted. Yet Lord Fan took the meat meant for us and gave it to Xiao Xiang. We were angry and said some harsh words.”
He then questioned the other workers, who all agreed with this story.
The strong men didn’t know the full details. Only Lian Si noticed how Lord Fan favored the young lady and was strict with other men. Everyone understood what that meant.
“This is a disaster, a disaster! What kind of nonsense is this?”
Father Fan’s face flushed red with shame and anger. Suddenly, he stood up and stormed into Lord Fan’s room.
The few servants left inside looked unhappy but didn’t blame Lord Fan outright. Kang He comforted Xiao Xiang:
“This quarrel made you suffer, Xiao Xiang. Tomorrow you can go home for a couple of days to rest. Things will be settled fairly.”
Xiao Xiang cried and agreed, thanking the servants before going back to her room.
Fan Shoulin, both ashamed and angry, ran into Lord Fan’s room and scolded him: “Mother’s only been gone a few months. You’re already so old and yet shamelessly chasing a young girl. Chen Yushun is still paralyzed at home! This is what happens when you crave pretty faces!”
Lord Fan grew nervous, avoiding his son’s eyes. “Did she say this? That’s nonsense. I thought she was a skinny girl and just wanted to tell her to eat more. Don’t talk like that. Just let her go.”
“You see, you call her to eat more because she’s skinny, but you withhold meat from the strong men doing hard labor. You overeat yourself and don’t even feel ashamed! Who would want to work for you like this? They want to leave. Father, my father, what are you thinking?”
Fan Shoulin was truly angry and ashamed. After scolding, he called his brother Fan Shoushan and told him everything.
Fan Shoushan was also shocked and embarrassed. “These are hired workers, real people. Who would want to work hard without meat? Father’s thrift shouldn’t go this far. You haven’t managed the family affairs well—why interfere?”
“That aside, the girl Xiao Xiang is still so young. How will this reflect on our family’s reputation? Daxin is a teacher and scholar!”
The two brothers felt deeply ashamed and took turns scolding Father Fan.
Chen Sanfang didn’t enter the house but listened outside. Kang He and Fan Jing sent the workers out to do chores and didn’t go inside either.
“Poor Lady Fan, she’s been with Father Fan since she was little. She spent decades with him, thinking it was a deep love. Now that she’s gone, he’s lost control and his thoughts have turned loose.”
The more she thought about it, the angrier Chen Sanfang became, shouting sharply, “Men really are no good!”
Kang He rubbed his nose and gave Fan Jing a helpless look, thinking there were still some decent men.
Fan Jing saw that his father and eldest uncle at least hadn’t spoiled Lord Fan. If they ignored such foolishness, he would have to scold the elders as well.
Bored with the situation, he called Da Fu to the room to read aloud, which helped the children sleep well.
Lord Fan was scolded thoroughly by his two sons, losing both face and respect. He felt the servants whispering about him behind his back and couldn’t keep his spirits up. He stopped shouting and causing trouble.
Within a few days, nobody kicked him out. Instead, he argued about going back to live with the eldest brother.
When there, he hid away and refused to see anyone, even pushing Father Fan away. He wouldn’t let Fan Shoulin serve him either, meaning he was hurt by their scolding.
Father Fan was angry but decided not to visit. He thought Lord Fan was just making trouble and spoiling his own filial piety.
He wasn’t angry—just ashamed and guilty. Before Chen Sanfang, he grew more and more unable to raise his head.