After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Chapter 990 A Little Sensitive

Before she knew it, Fang Nanzhi had taken a nap. When she got up, she was wearing a pink floral cotton-padded jacket and light blue cotton-padded trousers.

This outfit was newly made for her by Qian Fengping; it's more convenient to wear in the village, making it easier for her to climb up and down and play.

After having breakfast, she was still feeling lazy. She moved a recliner to sit on the porch. It was snowing lightly today.

It was falling in small swirling motions, perhaps because the sun was out and the weather wasn't cold.

She lay on the chair, her hands clasped together, squinting as she watched her family members bustling about.

My second uncle and brother are putting up couplets, while my second aunt is directing them from below.

"A little to the left, hmm, it's a bit crooked."

“Yan-ge’er, go up a little higher, yes, right there.”

Meng Lan's face flushed red; she had never personally done something like pasting up couplets before.

In the past, she didn't have to worry about these things during the Lunar New Year; the servants would take care of them.

However, since it was a rare opportunity for her to participate, she felt it was quite good.

Fang Yin stood on the ladder, grinning as he looked at his wife: "Honey, shall I put up the horizontal scroll for you?"

"Me? Can I?"

Meng Lan was both expectant and hesitant.

"So what? But it's too high. It's not safe for you to be alone. I'll be down here to protect you."

He was confident he wouldn't hurt his wife.

Meng Lan smiled and agreed.

Qin Yan remained calm, turning his head away as if he didn't exist. In their family, it was all too common for elders to show affection for each other.

As a sensible junior, one should consciously avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Fang Nanzhi was rather immature; she was still staring at it.

She was thinking that if Wanru's divorce was because they were not a good match from the start and she was not liked by her mother-in-law, her second uncle was considered to have married above his station.

Despite my second uncle being a great general, he is still far inferior to the Meng family.

How can they be such a loving couple?

A fragrant aroma wafted over, interrupting her chaotic thoughts.

Qian Fengping was personally frying meatballs, fried dough cakes, and fried crispy strips... The aroma of the food made her sniff.

The next second, as if she knew her mother was craving something, her mother brought out a plate of freshly fried food and stuffed it into Fang Nanzhi's arms.

"Try it first, don't eat too much, there will be more later."

After saying that, she hurriedly returned to the kitchen.

Fang Tong pulled out several large red lanterns from the backyard. They were old ones he had bought before, but hadn't hung them up many times. He wanted to make the New Year celebrations more festive.

He carried a lantern and saw that everyone in the courtyard was busy. His daughter looked like a landlord, leaning back in a recliner with her hands clasped together, and Anmei fed her meatballs from time to time.

Fang Tong was speechless, and really wanted to lie down for a while in place of his daughter.

"Zhizhi, come help Dad hang the lanterns."

Fang Nanzhi didn't want to move: "Dad, the lanterns actually look nice on the ground too."

This gave Fang Tong a lot of anger.

Wei Dao, ever observant, appeared, took the lantern, and went to get busy.

Actually, they could do other jobs too, but since their masters wanted them to do them, they couldn't take over.

But it feels strange to just sit around doing nothing.

Fang Tong ignored the lanterns, found a stool, sat next to his daughter, and started fighting with her for meatballs.

"Dad, you're getting old, eating too much fried food is hard to digest."

Fang Nanzhi, who was originally lazy, narrowed her eyes and subconsciously became protective of her food.

"Don't worry, Dad, eat as much as you can while your teeth are still strong. In thirty years, you won't be able to chew anymore."

Fang Tong hummed.

The father and daughter were arguing when someone came from outside the courtyard.

The man who arrived was honest and kind-looking. He was quite surprised to see Fang Yin and the others putting up couplets: "This humble one greets General Fang, Madam Meng, and Young Master Qin."

Such an important person even personally puts up the Spring Festival couplets?

Fang Yin didn't pay attention to his thoughts and casually asked, "Master Wang, what's the matter?"

Master Wang is the head of the Chunlai Opera Troupe.

This year, the Qin family paid for an opera troupe to perform on a stage in the village for three consecutive days, from New Year's Eve to the second day of the Lunar New Year.

"General, the stage is set up. Would you like to go take a look? And while you're at it, book the performances for the next few days."

Master Wang was very respectful.

Fang Yin casually called out, "Brother!"

Fang Tong had no choice but to get up and follow Master Wang.

The stage should have been set up at the Qin family's house or in front of their house, but the two brothers thought it was too noisy. When villagers came to watch the play, their house would be noisy and chaotic.

Even if they enjoy excitement, this isn't the way to do it.

Furthermore, Meng Lan is pregnant and sleeps a lot, sometimes even during the day.

It's really inconvenient to have the opera troupe at home.

Fang Tong went to the old village chief and persuaded him that the opera troupe would set up near the village chief's house, and the troupe members would also stay in the village for the next few days.

It was the old village chief who arranged for them to stay with which families.

This can save Fang Tong a lot of trouble.

The old village chief was quite pleased; he loved listening to opera, and being able to listen to it right outside his door was so convenient.

He even felt that Fang Tong had taken care of him because he was old and had difficulty walking, and had specially arranged for the opera troupe to be closer to him so that they could take better care of him.

The old village chief was quite moved and kept sighing at home, lamenting that Fang Tong hadn't been born with a good father.

They say Old Master Fang has gone mad, forbidding Fang Zetian and his brothers from using firewood. In the dead of winter, not using firewood to light the stove—is he trying to freeze them to death?

The two brothers outwardly complied but inwardly defied him, with He Shi covering for them. But Fang Tong and Fang Yin had truly suffered this hardship before.

How pitiful.

He didn't do a good job as the village chief back then; he didn't bring people home to spend the winter.

The village chief's son didn't understand. Did his father want to steal someone else's son?

But he didn't say that in the past, it wasn't that his family didn't take care of things; everyone was poor and struggling to make ends meet, so how could they help others?

Fang Tong walked around the stage twice, but couldn't see anything. He then nodded seriously, indicating his satisfaction.

To finalize which operas to perform, Fang Tong went to see the village elder again.

They said he was old, experienced, and a long-time opera fan, so they asked him to give his opinion.

The old village chief was so flattered that his smile never faded.

The three of them finalized the play list together, and Fang Tong then walked home slowly with his hands behind his back.

We hadn't gone far when we saw Grandpa Fang.

He stood alone at the village entrance, dressed quite warmly, his cotton-padded coat looking new, indicating that He Shi hadn't mistreated the old man too much.

The mother and her two children are mainly able to stay in the village because of the old man.

Grandpa Fang's eyes were already cloudy, but he kept staring at the road outside the village, standing straight.

Fang Tong watched for a while, and the bitterness in his heart still welled up.

He knew what the old man was waiting for.

Wait for the square gold.

For many years, it has been like this: Fang Jin studies away from home and returns to the village on New Year's Eve. The old man waits at the village entrance early in the morning, hoping that his beloved eldest son will come back.

Grandma Fang was busy in the kitchen, preparing to bring her eldest son back so he could have something hot to eat.

Fang Tong never expected that even though the old man had gone mad, he still cared about Fang Jin.

He didn't know whether the old man genuinely loved his eldest son or simply hoped his son would bring honor to the family.

Or maybe, both?

Can the old man still tell which is more and which is less?

Some people are simply not suited to be parents. They have children with selfish motives and will never change that.

Mrs. He came running from afar, she was a little angry, because in the time it took to steam rice cakes, the old man disappeared, causing her to search for him all over the village.

"Dad, what are you doing? It's so cold outside, why don't you come home and stay here?"

Her tone was complaining, but she called him "Dad" quite naturally.

Old Master Fang's voice was hoarse: "Wait, wait for the gold..."

Madam He rolled her eyes, but coaxed, "The master won't be coming back this year. He went to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination."

Upon hearing about taking the imperial examination, Old Master Fang seemed to brighten up considerably.

"Did Jinzi go to take the imperial examination?"

"The imperial examination is good! The imperial examination is good!"

Then he followed Mrs. He home.

When they passed Fang Tong, the old man acted as if he didn't see him, but Madam He gave him an awkward smile.

It wasn't that she was deliberately trying to fool the old man, but he had already gone mad, and there was no way to stop her from trying to fool him or going against his wishes.

After watching them walk away, Fang Tong strode home.

There are still many things to take care of at home.

Once the sun was higher in the sky, the whole family got ready and headed to their destination.

First, it was the Fang family's purpose, then Qin Xiucai's, and then Chen Zixi's.

They chatted on and on for a long time. Qin Yan talked about his future plans, when he would enter officialdom, and how he and his mother were doing now.

Fang Nanzhi then talked about life in the capital, the overturning of the Chen family's case, the fate of Princess Dongyue, and even asked her mother if she had reunited with her uncle in the lower realm.

If you resent your uncle, beat him up to vent your anger. After you're done, remember to bless her together. If you don't have enough money, come to her in a dream and burn some for her.

Fang Tong listened in silence for a while, then suddenly changed his mind.

"Zhizhi, let's move the grave next year. Let your mother be buried in the Chen family's ancestral grave or next to your uncle's grave."

She died young, but she always kept the Chen family in her heart.

Now that the person is gone, if you want to see your relatives, you have to fly for a long time to get to the capital, which is so tiring.

Most importantly, their family is also in Beijing, making it more convenient for Zhizhi to pay her respects.

Fang Nanzhi thought about it and didn't object.

Qin Yan, on the other hand, kowtowed three times earnestly at Chen Zixi's grave.

On the way home, Qin Yan suddenly said, "Father, Mother, if I get married and have two sons, one of them should take the surname Fang."

The family looked at him with suspicion.

Qin Yan clenched his fist, but his face remained calm and composed.

“I will take care of my father, and my children will take care of him. After my father passes away, there will always be descendants to worship him.”

Is it really okay to talk about this on New Year's Eve?

Fang Tong felt that he was actually quite young and hadn't thought about what would happen after he passed away.

Fang Nanzhi frowned slightly: "Brother, what are you saying? I can also raise Dad, and my child can also offer incense to Dad."

Fang Tong, whose two children were fighting over who wanted to offer incense: ...

He couldn't be moved at all; he preferred to be alive.

“Zhizhi, I’m not arguing with you about anything. Father is now the ancestor of the Qin family in the family genealogy. Naturally, his descendants will have to worship him in the future.”

Qin Yan's words were tactful, but everyone understood them.

Qin Yan acknowledges and respects Fang Tong as his father, and he is willing to be filial to him for the rest of his life.

He can teach his son and grandson to be filial, but what about after that?

If he were to pass away too, his descendants would no longer know of that affection and would simply think that Fang Tong was merely a son-in-law who married into the family, bore the surname Fang, and was just a stepfather...

He couldn't compare to his mother, who was his biological mother.

They definitely don't value it that much anymore.

In that case, wouldn't his father's lineage end?

When we started creating a separate family genealogy, we were thinking about not being controlled by others. We never thought about the trouble that different surnames would bring later.

As for Zhizhi, she is a woman, and it's impossible to say whether she will marry into the family or move in with her husband's family.

Because there are very few men willing to be live-in sons-in-law who are of good character and have good conditions, and her parents would not want to wrong Zhizhi.

If she marries, she will naturally have no children to bear the Fang surname. Even if Zhizhi teaches her descendants to visit her father's grave in the future, what about three generations later?

If they don't share the same surname, who can remember the agreements made by their ancestors? People can't control their descendants.

For example, Scholar Qin was hoping that Qin Yan could get closer to his clan, but it didn't work out. It didn't even last three generations.

Even if Zhizhi really does marry into the Fang family and all her descendants take the surname Fang, it would be Zhizhi's way of showing filial piety, not his.

Qian Fengping finally understood why her son had been acting strangely lately.

This child wasn't usually this sensitive; what's wrong with her this time?

Fang Tong came to his senses. He didn't really care about what would happen after his death. He had suffered from hunger and cold countless times since he was a child, and his only thought was to live.

Now that life is better, he cares more about living to be a hundred years old.

If he really cared about what would happen after his death, he wouldn't have so decisively exterminated his clan in the first place.

"No need, Yan-ge'er, your filial piety is enough."

Qin Yan's eyes reddened slightly: "Dad, I asked my biological father, and he appeared in my dream. He said he was willing too, and he even thanked you for raising me."

I asked him about that; it was naturally the thing he did when he went to the grave alone last time.

Fang Tong stopped and looked at the child who was almost as tall as him, feeling a mix of emotions.

What kind of dream message from one's own father is that powerful? When he was a child, he went to his grandfather's grave and asked him to teach his father a lesson, but it never came true.

"Yan-ge'er." Fang Tong reached out and touched the child's head, trying to comfort him.

Qin Yan looked up and said, "Father, I know that you and Mother got married out of necessity. You are a good man. No matter who Mother's son is, you will treat him as your own."

“Even if the son you wanted wasn’t as boring as me, you still love me very much. I, I also want to do something for you.”

That's a bit of a convoluted explanation.

Even Qian Fengping and Fang Nanzhi took a while to understand.

After understanding, I was shocked. How could her son/her brother have such thoughts?

They actually think that Fang Tong is "forced" to treat him as a son because he loves him so much, but in reality, he prefers a son who looks different?

That's a rather strange thought.

So, is Qin Yan doing this to curry favor with Fang Tong? Hoping to gain more of his father's favor?

Fang Nanzhi noticed that her brother's recent behavior was indeed vying for favor, but not against her, or against a "good son" that her brother imagined but couldn't see or touch.

She touched her chin, her big eyes filled with confusion.

The master said that some people will imagine non-existent people and do for them the things they want to do but cannot.

What does it mean that her brother imagined an enemy? Is her brother sick?

At this moment, Fang Tong fully understood his son's feelings.

It's not that I'm sick, it's that I care too much, to the point of feeling a bit inferior.

Because he had also experienced this when he was very young. His father only doted on his older brother, and he would try to imitate his older brother and be better than him in order to get his parents' attention.

Later, when his second brother became mentally unstable, he finally understood that love and affection are not something you can obtain by lowering yourself and begging.

He never expected that Yan Ge'er had this side to him. Since becoming a family a few years ago, the child had only shown composure.