Good Father

Good Father

Before Zheng Fa could respond, a middle-aged man walked out of the manor.

"Steward Huang, what brings you here?"

The speaker was also tall and thin, and bore a seventy-percent resemblance to Wang Gui. He was Wang Gui's father, Steward Wang of the estate.

At that moment, he was looking eagerly at the plump middle-aged man beside Huang Yu.

The plump man got down from the carriage with Huang Yu, but merely gave him a somewhat chilly nod without exchanging further pleasantries.

Huang Yu pulled him over to Zheng Fa and introduced him. "This is my father. I told my father about you and said I wanted to come see you."

When the plump middle-aged man—Huang Yu's father—looked at Zheng Fa, the smile at the corners of his mouth was far broader than before. His gaze was gentle as he regarded Zheng Fa. "Little Friend Zheng, since Huang Yu and you are old acquaintances, may I presume upon my age and call you nephew?"

Zheng Fa nodded, looking at the father and son, unsure what they had come for.

"This child Huang Yu is no good. I used to worry constantly about how he would stand on his own and support the household. But now that he has a friend like you, I can rest easy." Huang Yu's father pointed at the carriage behind him. "He wanted to visit a friend, and I thought that since it was our first visit, I should bring a few modest gifts."

Seeing how Steward Huang was so cold toward him yet excessively warm toward Zheng Fa,

Steward Wang's expression naturally turned ugly.

But all he could do was endure it.

Though both were stewards of Zhao Family estates, he had only taken up the position five years ago, while Steward Huang—so he had heard—had held the post of estate steward for more than three generations.

What was more, even though both managed estates, the one Steward Huang oversaw was larger than his in both acreage and output.

There was still a clear gap between their standing in the Zhao Family.

If the other man gave him the cold shoulder, all he could do was swallow it.

Wang Gui, standing nearby, also sensed his father's displeasure. He felt even more indignant at the man's warmth toward Zheng Fa.

Watching Steward Huang lead Zheng Fa and Huang Yu toward the carriage, he could not help craning his neck and peering inside.

When the carriage curtain was lifted, two large chests appeared before everyone.

Zheng Fa's mother had also heard the commotion. She came to his side, holding Zheng Shan's little hand as she watched.

Smiling pleasantly, Huang Yu's father opened one of the chests. Inside were several bolts of cloth. The material was not especially fine, but it was new cloth nonetheless.

"These are a few bolts my wife bought some time ago. She had dreamed of making this brat a few decent new outfits if he became Seventh Young Master's bookboy." He shot Huang Yu a glare, carrying the air of one who hated iron for not becoming steel.

Huang Yu shrank his neck.

"Now that nephew can serve Seventh Young Master, consider these bolts of cloth my congratulatory gift. Please do not find them too meager."

Zheng Fa turned to look at his mother. She gave him a slight shake of the head.

"Uncle Huang, it isn't that I dislike them. It's just that one should not accept rewards without merit..."

"Ah, what are a few bolts of cloth?" Steward Huang said with a smile, cutting off Zheng Fa's refusal. "As I just said, I have only one son. That he can make such a fine friend as you is his good fortune."

Zheng Fa glanced at Huang Yu beside him. The other boy's face had gone bright red, and he lowered his head without looking at Zheng Fa.

"Brother Huang and I hit it off at first sight. There is no need for this..."

"If you put it that way, then you count as my junior. Is it not all the more proper for me to give my junior a little gift upon our first meeting?"

Seeing that Zheng Fa still wanted to speak, he waved his hand again and opened the other chest.

Inside was a complete set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.

"Since you will be accompanying Seventh Young Master in his studies, you should have a set of the four treasures of the study. I happened to have an extra set at home. They are not worth much, so I brought them for you... As I said, do not disdain them."

"Uncle Huang, this..." Zheng Fa could not help but smile bitterly.

Although Huang Yu's father said every time not to disdain his gifts,

whether it was the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone or the new cloth, they were all things Zheng Fa truly needed.

He had even thought ahead of Zheng Fa.

His sincerity and thoughtfulness were both abundant. Zheng Fa wanted to refuse, but for the moment, he did not know how to begin.

Perhaps sensing Zheng Fa's hesitation, Huang Yu's father laughed heartily and had Huang Yu carry the two chests down from the carriage. Then he simply said, "Nephew, there are still matters to attend to at my estate, so I'll be on my way."

Having said that, he did not wait for either of them to react. He whipped the horses and turned around, fleeing at full speed.

He was determined not to give Zheng Fa a chance to say a word.

Huang Yu stood there holding a chest, staring blankly at his father's retreating figure, his mouth hanging open. "Father! What about me? I didn't get on the carriage!"

"Huang Yu, you stay here. I'll come pick you up tomorrow!"

Zheng Fa: "..."

Looking at Huang Yu, then at the two chests, Zheng Fa suddenly felt a headache coming on.

But it was not appropriate to leave him standing there either. The two of them each carried a chest and headed for the Zheng Family home.

His little sister followed behind them, holding the food basket in her arms.

As for Wang Gui and the others...

They said nothing, nor did they want to say anything.

Fortunately, there was food to entertain Huang Yu at home, thanks to the food basket the old carriage driver had sent.

But when it came to sleeping, Huang Yu could only share a room with Zheng Fa.

After dinner, Huang Yu sat in Zheng Fa's room. He pursed his lips in silence for a long while before suddenly saying, "Actually, my father was the one who told me to come."

"I know."

"My father has always said I don't understand how to behave." Huang Yu did not look at Zheng Fa, merely continuing, "He is afraid that after he dies, there will be no one to protect me."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Huang Yu was clearly not the sort of person who could smoothly handle every situation.

It had been obvious at the waterside pavilion. He had wanted to curry favor with Gao Yuan, but one remark from the other man had angered him enough to give up.

"First, he had me compete to become Seventh Young Master's bookboy. Only afterward did he tell me that he merely wanted me to get to know people like you. He said that if I became Seventh Young Master's bookboy, he was afraid I would drag down the entire family, young and old."

As he spoke, Huang Yu flopped onto his back, clasped his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling with some gloom. "Adults are so annoying. They think too much."

Zheng Fa sat beside him and suddenly said, "You have a good father."

"Huh?"

"Your father should have some standing in the Zhao Family." Zheng Fa could tell as much from Steward Wang's attitude toward Huang Yu's father. "I'm just a bookboy. I am not even sure whether I can help you in the future. Why would he travel so far just to bring me these things?"

"...For me."

Zheng Fa shrugged.

"So don't you think he..." Huang Yu's face reddened. "Is being snobbish?"

"Who in this world isn't snobbish?" Zheng Fa smiled. "Wasn't it snobbish of us to compete for that bookboy position? Who is born willing to serve others? Are their bones cheap?"

"What you said..." Huang Yu's eyes were filled with shock as he looked at Zheng Fa. "Disrespectful! Our families have served the Zhao Family generation after generation. Isn't it only right that we serve them?"

Zheng Fa fell silent.

Huang Yu, however, froze for a moment before suddenly saying, "Why do I feel that becoming friends with you might be what truly drags down my whole family, young and old?"

Within the estate, at the Wang Family home.

Wang Gui was still fuming. "When I became a bookboy, why didn't anyone come to curry favor with me?"

"They did. Plenty of people brought silver." Steward Wang took a bundle from the bedroom. "But back then, in order to get you the position of Seventh Young Master's bookboy, I borrowed money to grease the wheels."

"So all the silver people gave us went toward repaying debts?" Wang Gui felt that he understood.

"Not all of it. There's still this." Steward Wang patted the bundle in his hand.

"That is quite a lot." Seeing the size of the bundle, Wang Gui felt somewhat satisfied. Then he suddenly sensed something wrong. "Father, where are you taking that bundle?"

"Of course I'm taking it to Zheng Fa's home."

"Huh?"