Fang’er first lost our child, then was forcibly taken by Liu Shiquan, and finally died in childbirth. It’s hard to imagine what kind of torture and suffering she endured. Whenever I felt I couldn’t go on, I would recall these events in detail, and the pain would be so intense, like a knife stabbing my heart. So, no matter how tough things got, they seemed insignificant. I had everything that people spend their lives chasing – money, power, a business empire, but deep down, I knew it was just the heavens pitying me. What I cherished the most, what I truly wanted, was something I could never have again.
Fu Xiaotang listened to Zhang Rong’s story with a mix of emotion, heartache, and regret. She couldn’t help but gently hold his hand, squeezing it as if to lend him strength to dispel his sorrow. Zhang Rong turned his head, smiling with relief at Fu Xiaotang. “Good child, do you hate me? If I hadn’t been so heartbroken back then, thinking you had gone with Fang’er, you wouldn’t have suffered so much later.” Fu Xiaotang shook her head, “No, Tenth Brother, I don’t.” Zhang Rong smiled slowly, “Silly child, still calling me Tenth Brother, that’s the wrong generation. I know you don’t like calling me godfather, and you definitely have no good feelings towards the word ‘father’. If you don’t mind, just call me uncle.” Fu Xiaotang nodded, and Zhang Rong had indeed touched her heart. She softly called out, “Uncle.”
Volume Two: Dancing Girl, Chapter 85: Jun Tang
In the afternoon, Fu Xiaotang and Zhang Rong were chatting and laughing about various topics. When Zhang Rong mentioned he loved eating hot pot, especially the spicy and sour kind, Fu Xiaotang felt an itch to cook, especially since she had been eyeing the superb kitchen at Zhang’s house. Now, she was eager to show off her cooking skills. Zhang Rong told her to treat the place like her own home, to do whatever she liked, even if it meant burning down the kitchen.
