Fang Fu Gui was distracted in the rice shop, constantly thinking about the advice he had received earlier. He had wanted to maintain his fatherly dignity in front of his son and refused to go to the Xue family to apologize, but secretly he was tempted.
In the past, his disputes with Fourth Lady were often without clear fault or with both at fault, usually over trivial matters not worth arguing about. Fourth Lady would be angry but would calm down after a few days. When he went to bring her back, it always worked.
However, this dispute was different. He had truly wrongly accused her and so perhaps he should go…
Fang Fu Gui stood up, hesitated, then sat down again. Because this was his fault and Fourth Lady was at her angriest, if he went to the Xue family now, she would likely throw him out, probably not even giving him a chance to say “sorry.”
But if he didn’t go, would she become increasingly angry? After all, this wasn’t a trivial matter.
Go?
He was afraid of being beaten. Don’t go? He felt uneasy.
Fang Fu Gui stood up and sat down repeatedly, finally stamping his foot and gritting his teeth in decision: Go!
But before going, he must protect himself. Fang Fugui searched around the rice shop for something suitable.
He searched for half a day but couldn’t find a suitable protective item in the shop. Suddenly, he noticed the lid of the rice barrel on the ground, flat, thick, and round, very much like a shield. He untied his robe, placed the lid over his chest and abdomen, and then fastened his robe again. After tying it, he looked down and saw a large, round, hard object protruding from his chest and abdomen – clearly not ideal!
Just as Fang Fugui was about to untie his robe and remove the lid, an urgent voice called from outside the rice shop: “Master Fang, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here,” Fang Fugui heard the person outside say: “Master Fang, please come quickly, Madam Fang has been injured!”
Fang Fugui’s heart skipped a beat, no longer caring about the lid, and rushed to the front of the shop. Seeing the messenger wearing Xue’s martial arts school uniform, he anxiously asked: “Is Fourth Lady injured? Where is she now?
Zheng Tianrui glanced at the large, flat, round object on Fang Fugui’s chest, quickly averted his gaze, and nervously replied: “Madam Fang is at the martial arts school.”
Fang Fugui pulled Zheng Tianrui from the rice shop towards the backyard, calling out: “Fang Sheng, prepare the carriage.”
While waiting for Fang Sheng to ready the carriage, Fang Fugui asked Zheng Tianrui: “Did you walk here?”
Zheng Tianrui wiped sweat from his forehead: “I ran.”
Fang Fugui stomped his foot anxiously: “Such an urgent matter, why didn’t you take a carriage? Running here takes so long, and now we’re waiting for the carriage to be prepared! Did you call a doctor?”
“I did. I’m here just to inform Master Fang.”
“Oh, if a doctor has been called…” Suddenly, Fang Fugui remembered something: “Wait, Fourth Lady is so skilled. How could she have been injured?”
Zheng Tianrui repeated what Yu Yi had instructed him to say: “Madam Fang is extremely skilled, but she had been drinking and seemed to be arguing with Master Xue. She jumped onto a plum blossom stake over a person’s height and accidentally fell.”
Fang Fugui angrily said: “What was she doing drinking during the day!”
Zheng Tianrui dared not respond.
After a few words, Fang Sheng prepared the horse, and Fang Fugui hurriedly urged Zheng Tianrui into the carriage, then ordered Fang Sheng to rush to Xue’s martial arts school.
In a blink, they arrived at the martial arts school. Fang Fugui got out and hurried inside, with everyone staring in surprise at his chest. Fang Fugui, completely forgetting about the barrel lid, rushed towards Fourth Lady Xue’s room.
Yu Yi stood guard at the door, meeting Fang Fugui with a worried expression: “Father, you’re here.”
Fang Fugui anxiously asked: “How is your mother? Are her bones injured?”
Yu Yi sadly shook her head.
Fang Fugui, seeing her expression, felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Could the injury be worse than a bone fracture? He didn’t ask further, pushed open the door, and called: “Fourth Lady! Are you seriously injured? Don’t leave…”
Xue Siniang was even more puzzled now, “Why are you wearing a bucket lid on your chest?”
Fang Fugui looked embarrassed, “I came to pick you up, afraid you might still be angry with me…”
Xue Siniang now believed he had originally intended to come pick her up. If he only came because he knew she was injured, why would he need to guard against her hitting him?
Looking at Fang Fugui’s awkward appearance, she chuckled, “With this huge pot lid on you, it’s obvious at first glance. If I really wanted to hit you, wouldn’t I find another place to do so?”
Fang Fugui pulled his clothes together, “As soon as I heard you were injured, I was so anxious that I forgot about the bucket lid in my robe and rushed over here as quickly as I could.”
Xue Siniang felt his concern. She was not a petty woman who held grudges. With the knot in her heart resolved, she no longer held anything against Fang Fugui. She smiled warmly, “Fugui, since you’re already here, stay and have dinner with us tonight before going back.”
Hearing her call him affectionately, Fang Fugui knew she had calmed down and happily nodded in agreement. However, thinking about his father-in-law’s drinking capacity, he would inevitably have to drink with him until they were both drunk, which made him shudder.
Meng Qing said: “Perhaps Young Master Liu is telling the truth. If it’s a lie, it will eventually be exposed.”
Liu Zhizhong said: “What I’ve said is the absolute truth.”
Meng Qing advised: “Since things have come to this, Second Brother, let’s go back.”
After a short while, the earpiece transmitted the sound of a carriage moving, and Fang Xingye’s voice carried heavy worry: “Fourth Brother, if we can’t find that swindler, we’ll be in trouble. I… I borrowed money to buy those fake drugs.”
Meng Qing said: “Then we’ll just have to ask the person who lent you money to wait until we find the swindler.”
Fang Xingye spoke with a crying tone: “Fourth Brother, you don’t know, I used the Fang family’s rice shop as collateral to borrow the money.”
Meng Qing was slightly surprised: “Second Brother, you borrowed money from a bank?”
Fang Xingye silently acknowledged.
Meng Qing paused before asking: “How much did you borrow? What’s the interest rate?”
Fang Xingye whispered: “Fifteen hundred taels, two percent interest.”
Meng Qing sighed: “Let’s first report to the authorities, then find a way to raise money to repay. I’ll give my savings to you, Second Brother.”
Fang Xingye felt guilty: “Wen Da, thank you for your strong support during my difficult time. I will definitely repay your money.”
Raising over a thousand taels in silver would be quite challenging for Fang Fuguai.
Meng Qing and Fang Xingye reported the case to the authorities, but without knowing the swindler’s whereabouts, they could only file a preliminary report. While the county’s constables promised to catch the swindler, who knew if they would seriously investigate? Many constables simply collected their salary and perfunctorily handled assigned tasks.
Then Meng Qing accompanied Fang Xingye to borrow money from his friends. After running around all day, they only borrowed just over three hundred taels, mostly after much persuasion and promising additional interest. The largest sum came from a friend Fang Xingye didn’t usually interact with. Fang Xingye was filled with mixed emotions, realizing that only in times of difficulty does one truly know who are real friends and who are merely fair-weather companions.
By evening, Fang Fuguai was chatting with Xue Jinsong when Fang Xingye and Meng Qing entered.
