“Lady Qin, have you been able to settle in these past few days? You really should get out and take a walk to clear your mind.”
That day, Kang He and Fan Jing came together to visit Lady Qin Ying.
Entering the room, Kang He boldly sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of tea, exuding the demeanor of the household master. Fan Jing remained silent, standing respectfully to one side.
Lady Qin Ying saw the two of them arrive together and noticed that Kang He’s aura seemed quite different from the last time she saw him two days ago. Feeling a bit strange and seeing Fan Jing present, she dared not show any coquettishness.
She respectfully replied to Kang He, “I am truly grateful to my husband and your lordship for providing me a place to stay. These past days have been peaceful. Yesterday I went out to try to contact some relatives; if I can find them soon, I won’t trouble you and my husband any longer.”
Kang He smiled faintly upon hearing this. “Lady Qin, since you care so much about your relatives, it happens I have good news to tell you.”
Lady Qin Ying looked at Kang He, puzzled.
“I’ve found your relatives.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She thought that her relatives had long since left the county. How could this couple have found them? She asked cautiously, “Where are they?”
Kang He calmly took a sip of tea, then leisurely said, “Not far at all. Your relative now lives at No. 21, Suanzao Alley, Shiqiao Lane in the northern part of the city. It’s just past the martial arts school, about a fifteen-minute carriage ride, or a little less than a full incense stick’s worth of time on foot.”
The address struck her like thunder, and her face paled. “Husband, are you sure? I don’t know this place.”
“Are you really not aware? Then allow me to explain more clearly. The owner of that house is surnamed Qi, named Qi Zhi; he is a merchant.” Kang He spoke slowly, “For the past two years, he has been keeping you in a hidden alley, providing your meals and drinks, even hiring maids to take care of you. If that’s not a close relative, then that’s truly strange.”
Lady Qin’s heart pounded fiercely. She wondered how Kang He knew all this. She refused to admit it, but such private matters were hard to conceal on her face.
Seeing her silent, Kang He said, “What’s the matter, Lady Qin? You don’t recognize this? My brother-in-law is a bodyguard with a certain reputation — he has connections both legal and less so. Rest assured, he wouldn’t be mistaken.”
Lady Qin looked up at Kang He anxiously, seeing a smile on his face but no joy in his eyes, which made her even more uneasy.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Suddenly, Kang He slammed down his tea cup with a bang and his face darkened. “If Qi Zhi could see how loyal you are, he’d either be pleased or sigh that such a foolish woman exists. You’re with him but sent out to seduce others, which means he has no real feelings for you. The flock of birds he keeps — you’re probably at the very bottom of the pecking order. It’s a pity you won’t confess him even now.”
Lady Qin’s eyes flickered; her fear turned into suspicion. “You say he has others?!”
Kang He sneered, “At home, there’s a lawful wife, but he also keeps four or five others outside… I don’t know if those count as ‘others’ in your definition.”
“That’s impossible! How could Qi be like that? He told me his lawful wife was domineering and oppressive, leaving him suffocated and loveless. Once the business was settled, he planned to divorce her and bring me in. How could he have others? You’re just trying to sow discord!” Lady Qin suddenly abandoned her usual meekness, her voice sharpening.
“You really are pitiable. Maybe he says the same to every woman — sweet talk to deceive. It’s lucky you haven’t realized you were being used to lure others.”
Kang He said, “What man would willingly have the one he cares about do such things? Let alone send her out to seduce others on his orders. He just doesn’t care. After all, losing you doesn’t matter; he has plenty of others.”
Lady Qin’s body slackened, and she sank into her chair.
Her eyes glanced at Fan Jing standing beside Kang He. She sadly thought that when Kang He had spoken more to Fan earlier, his expression had turned stone cold. If he truly cared, how could he let his woman be unfaithful?
Perhaps her mind had already sensed something wrong but refused to face it. Now it was laid bare, and she could no longer hide from it.
She wiped her tears, almost as if consoling herself, “I have no support or reliance. Without his help, I might have long since perished somewhere.”
Fan Jing, who had remained silent, finally said, “During peaceful times, there is work everywhere. Anyone willing to work can find something in embroidery shops, cosmetic stores, or marketplaces.”
His words tried to mask his unease.
Fan Jing was right; if she had not agreed, Qi Zhi wouldn’t have dared forcibly take her away.
In truth, she was naive and reckless, coming from a small town and easily swayed by sweet words, throwing away all dignity and virtue.
Seeing her pale face, Kang He said indifferently, “Since you’re a woman, I won’t hold the ulterior motives of these days against you. Pack your things and go find Qi Zhi to talk to him.”
“I know all his dirty tricks. If he insists on making enemies with the Fan family, since we’ll all be in the same county from now on—”
Kang He then took Fan Jing and left the martial arts school.
Lady Qin Ying, hearing this and knowing her secret was exposed, went immediately to find Qi Zhi that day.
“I’m drowning in lawsuits. I don’t have time to see her. Tell her to behave and stay put; she’s not to bother me for a while.”
Qi Zhi was impatient upon hearing Lady Qin had come looking for him. He wanted to chase her away, as he was struggling himself and had no mind to care for her.
“She says it’s urgent and she must speak with you. She looks anxious; maybe it really is important.”
Qi Zhi’s anger flared, and he wanted to rebuke the messenger. Then his eyes flicked, remembering the matter Lady Qin was handling. After a moment of silence, he said, “Fine. Tell her to go back to her lodgings. I’ll come over.”
Unbeknownst to Qi Zhi, no sooner had he left than Zou Fulang secretly followed him.
“We only met once a few days ago, and now you rush over again? There’s a problem with the family business, and I’m dizzy from the stress.”
Lady Qin had wanted to pour out her grievances to Qi Zhi, but he launched into a tirade first, cooling her heart. Feeling rejected, she said blankly, “They already know.”
Qi Zhi was momentarily confused. “Know what?”
“They know I was arranged by you to deliberately get close. Kang He already sensed something was wrong. To find out who’s behind this, your husband has been pretending with me these days.”
Qi Zhi jumped up. “How did you escape? Did you betray me?”
Seeing Qi Zhi’s cruel side revealed, Lady Qin sneered, “Qi Zhi, you promised that once this was settled, I’d enter officially after you divorced your lawful wife. Why would I betray you? Or maybe you were lying all along, tricking me into doing dirty work for you. With so many women and men on your side, losing me wouldn’t matter.”
“Don’t talk nonsense! Where have I wronged you?” Qi Zhi’s face showed guilt. To cover it, he raised his voice and scolded her, “That tigress of a wife already suspects us. I protected you by taking her abuse and tearing my face. And now you doubt me!”
Lady Qin refused to argue, replying coldly, “You know the truth in your heart. Now the Fan family sent me to talk with you — if you refuse to go, working together in Luan County will be impossible, and you’ll be against them.”
Qi Zhi’s heart skipped. Suddenly it dawned on him how his affairs had been uncovered. He had thought his men had been loyal to the tigress wife, but now suspected the Fan family.
He grew anxious. He had thought his schemes were safe, but now they were exposed. The Fan family’s influence was formidable.
Uneasy, he left Lady Qin behind and hurried home.
Going to apologize in person was humiliating for a respected merchant like him. But refusing would mean permanent enmity.
Qi Zhi thought to himself that at worst, it would just mean business rivalry; after all, his lawful wife handled most domestic affairs. He could pretend ignorance and let his wife deal with the trouble.
Feeling slightly relieved, Qi Zhi had yet to settle when Zou Fulang appeared with a grim face.
“I always thought you were a philanderer, but I didn’t know you were so foolish.” Zou Fulang already knew Qi Zhi’s behavior. His anger from yesterday hadn’t cooled, and after losing another bet, he was near boiling over but surprisingly calm.
“No need to say more. Get yourself cleaned up and go apologize in person.”
Qi Zhi was intimidated by Zou Fulang’s calm, cold demeanor. Since the matter was public, he gave up: “I won’t go. It’s just a small merchant family — why be so afraid? If I go, others will look down on Qi family.”
“If you don’t go, do you know how the Fan family found out? Yao Yuan, the chief of the Yao escort agency, is the Fan family’s son-in-law! You can’t treat civil households lightly and cause trouble, thinking nothing will happen. But the Yaos are martial households; they won’t tolerate your behavior!”
Hearing this, Qi Zhi’s face showed fear. The Fan family was truly someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
Zou Fulang laughed bitterly, “I told you to go make peace with the Fan family, but you offended them. Now you want to blame me?”
“Don’t waste words. Get ready and go apologize. I’ll prepare the gifts.”
Qi Zhi dared not argue anymore. Reluctantly, even if he wanted to offend the Fan family, his husband would force him to go.
“My apologies for speaking out of turn. Lord, what you did has left your husband to clean up the mess — truly unfair to you.”
The old servant who cared for Zou Fulang saw his husband’s dark circles and the sores on his lips from stress. With one wave of trouble following another, it pained her deeply.
Zou Fulang closed his eyes and pressed his throbbing temples. “I’m exhausted. No matter how difficult the business these years, it never felt like this. Qi Zhi’s reckless behavior will cause big trouble sooner or later.”
He then said coldly, “I’ll go to the Fan family and apologize. You, quietly find Hei Liu and tell him I have matters for him.”
The old servant tensed. Hei Liu was a fierce thug, rarely called out by her husband in recent years. This meant big trouble. She nodded without comment.
The next morning, Kang He and Fan Jing were at home helping Dafu sort through some account books.
Taking advantage of a rare sunny day, Dafu took out the records he’d been studying over the years to air them out. He planned to give a copy to Shiwu and another to his eldest uncle.
The family was busy in the garden when Shenghan came in with news: the Qi family had come to visit.
Kang He straightened his back and said, “They came quickly. I thought Qi Zhi was too proud to come.”
He patted his pocket and told Fan Jing, “Let’s go meet the old acquaintances.”
Kang He and Fan Jing met Qi Zhi and his husband in the main hall. It was the first meeting after years of estrangement between the two families.
They say wealth spoils people and hard work ages them. Zou Fulang and Qi Zhi were more of the latter.
“Long time no see, Zou Fulang, your bearing is the same as ever, as if time hasn’t passed.”
Seeing Kang He and Fan Jing, Zou Fulang was momentarily dazed.
The two men were quite the pair — one talkative, one silent, but their tacit understanding remained. Kang He was more steady, and Fan Jing’s pale eyes had grown calmer.
“Kang, Fan, you still look so vibrant. It’s a pity we parted ways in this small county and couldn’t meet for so many years.”
Kang He smiled lightly, “That’s just how it is. Without effort, connections fade away.”
Zou Fulang’s heart twisted with regret. If he hadn’t been blinded by wealth and pride back then, perhaps relations with the Fan family could have remained harmonious.
Back then, he was just a shopkeeper fond of sweets and had befriended this devoted couple.
They helped each other — he supplied candles and oil; they shared delicious food from the countryside.
Those days, though not rich, were comfortable and peaceful. They were so harmonious.
Many regrets come too late.
A few polite words stirred a flood of emotions.
Though he longed to reminisce, Zou Fulang forced himself to stay composed. Today wasn’t for nostalgia; if it were, Kang He and Fan Jing might find it unpleasant.
“This time, I’ve brought my unworthy husband to apologize to you both.”
“Though we are one, I honestly didn’t know about this matter. If I had, I would never have let him act like that.”
Zou Fulang spoke with shame, “No matter what, the fault is ours, and it’s truly unkind.”
Qi Zhi, seeing his husband had said enough, didn’t want to add more. He felt the formalities were complete.
But after receiving a sharp look from Zou Fulang and noticing Fan Jing’s forced smile, he felt a chill down his spine and said, “This is my fault.”
He thought: this son-in-law keeps up appearances, as if he were in charge of the family.
Kang He had some insight. He had a past with Zou Fulang, and knew him well — a businessman, not prone to jealous, spiteful acts.
Besides old ties, it made no sense to harm the Fan family, who were flourishing. Better to be acquaintances than enemies.
This was likely the fault of his worthless husband. Indeed, it was.
Kang He saw this flashy man was glaring among men but too unlike a man when facing trouble.
Coming to apologize, his husband had to come with him to beg forgiveness — truly laughable.
Kang He wanted to knock some dignity off him.
“Qi Zhi, with this attitude, you almost made me think you were a refined, modest gentleman. But when you make mistakes, you have to have others apologize for you.”
“Now you apologize to me but don’t explain why. You should clarify the cause, process, and result — don’t act like a fool.”
Qi Zhi’s face darkened, wanting to argue, but Zou Fulang tugged his sleeve.
Breathing heavily, seeing Kang He’s solemn gaze and Fan Jing’s cold eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, “I shouldn’t have been resentful just because your family returned a gift. I set a trap for Kang He… My actions were despicable and I’m truly ashamed.”
Kang He’s lips twitched slightly, seeing Qi Zhi ashamed but forced to admit the dirty details.
In the end, Qi Zhi had to present a written apology to settle the matter.
“You’ve made things difficult for Zou Fulang.”
After the couple left, Kang He picked up the dropped letter, while Fan Jing watched.
When Zou Fulang and Qi Zhi left, Zou Fulang quietly asked Kang He to be lenient in the county. Kang He honestly said that while their relationship might never be the same, he wouldn’t hold this matter against them.
Kang He put down the paper, “I’m not angry at him. After all, our family’s success owes much to him buying the recipe for the medicinal candles, which earned us a fortune and a shop. Later, we could run a proper business.”
“Our families have benefited each other. Why turn old friends into enemies?”
Fan Jing gave Kang He a look but agreed with his words.
As for Qi Zhi, returning with his husband to apologize, he felt he had been toyed with by Kang He and lost all face. On the way back, he complained bitterly, but Zou Fulang calmly comforted him.
Qi Zhi truly felt grateful, “It’s good to have you by my side. Now I see those vulgar women outside aren’t worth you. I’ll stay loyal to you and not go after others anymore.”
Zou Fulang smiled faintly but coldly — he had heard such words too many times before, like wind-blown nonsense.
Winter was coming, the year-end approaching, and time flew.
The city gradually decorated itself with lanterns and banners. Kang He and Fan Jing visited the martial arts school, where Yao Yuan shared news.
Qi Zhi was crippled.
He’d gone out to celebrate near year-end, got drunk, and was targeted by thieves. Slipping on icy roads, he met with an accident.
Doctors visited Qi’s home repeatedly. His life was spared, but the rest of his days would be spent confined to a wheelchair.
Kang He and Fan Jing were surprised.
“This can’t be…”
Yao Yuan shook his head. “Brother and brother-in-law said they already came to apologize. The matter is closed; there won’t be any further trouble.”
Relieved, Kang He and Fan Jing breathed easier.
It wasn’t their family’s fault — it was just bad luck from Qi Zhi’s own misdeeds.