A Good Father

Zheng Fa had yet to respond when a Middle-aged Man walked out of the estate.

"Steward Huang, what brings you here?"

The speaker was also a Thin Tall Guy, bearing a seventy-percent resemblance to Wang Gui. He was Wang Gui's father, Steward Wang of the estate.

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

The fat middle-aged man led Huang Yu down from the carriage, 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 him about you and said I wanted to come see you."

The fat middle-aged man—Huang Yu's father—smiled much more broadly when he Looked Towards Zheng Fa. His gaze was gentle as he said, "Young Friend Zheng, since Huang Yu is an old friend of yours, may I presume upon my age and call you nephew?"

Zheng Fa nodded, looking at the father and son without knowing what they had come for.

"This boy Huang Yu is no great prospect. I used to worry constantly about how he would hold up the family household. But now that he has a friend like you, I can rest easy." Huang Yu's Father pointed to the carriage behind him. "He wanted to visit a friend, and since this was our first visit, I brought a few modest gifts."

Steward Wang's expression naturally darkened as he watched Steward Huang treat him with such coldness while being excessively warm toward Zheng Fa.

Yet he could only endure it.

Though both were Managers of Zhao Family estates, he had only assumed his position Five Years ago, whereas Steward Huang—so he had heard—had held the position of estate Manager for more than three generations.

What was more, though both oversaw estates, the estate under Steward Huang's management surpassed his own in both yield and size.

There was also a clear gap between their standings within the Zhao Family.

Even if the other man showed him a cold face, he could only swallow it.

Wang Gui, standing nearby, sensed his Father's displeasure. He felt even more indignant at the man's closeness 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 heard the commotion as well. She came to his side, holding Zheng Shan's little hand as she watched.

Huang Yu's Father smilingly opened one of the chests. Inside were several bolts of cloth. The material was not particularly fine, but it was new cloth nonetheless.

"These were several bolts of cloth my wife bought earlier. She had dreamed that if this boy became Seventh Young Master's bookboy, she would make him a few respectable new outfits." He shot Huang Yu a glare, carrying a hint of disappointment that iron had failed to become steel.

Huang Yu shrank his neck.

"Now that my 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 her head.

"Uncle Huang, it is not that your nephew finds them lacking, but one cannot accept rewards without merit..."

"Ah, what are a few bolts of cloth?" Steward Huang said with a smile, cutting off Zheng Fa's refusal. "I said it already—I have only one son. For him to make such a good friend as you is his good fortune."

Zheng Fa glanced at Huang Yu beside him. The other boy's face had flushed bright red, and he lowered his head rather than look at him.

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

"If you put it that way, then you are my junior. Is it not only proper for me to give my junior a small meeting gift?"

Seeing Zheng Fa about to speak again, he waved a hand and opened the other chest.

Inside was a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

"Since you are going to study alongside Seventh Young Master, you ought to have a set of the Four Treasures of the Study. I happened to have extras at home. They are not worth much, so I brought them for you... as I said, do not find them lacking."

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

Though Huang Yu's Father said each time not to find them lacking,

both the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and the new cloth were precisely things Zheng Fa truly needed.

He had even thought of things before Zheng Fa himself had.

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

As though sensing Zheng Fa's hesitation, Huang Yu's Father burst into laughter and had Huang Yu carry the two chests down from the carriage. Then he simply said, "Nephew, I still have matters to attend to at my estate, so I shall take my leave first..."

Having said that, without waiting for either of them to react, he cracked his whip, turned his horse around, and galloped away.

He made sure Zheng Fa had no chance to speak.

Huang Yu stood there holding a chest, staring blankly at his Father's retreating figure with his mouth wide open. "Father! What about me? I'm not 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, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Still, it was not appropriate to leave him here now. The two of them each carried a chest and headed for the Zheng Family home.

Younger Sister hugged the Food Box in her arms and followed behind them.

As for Wang Gui and the others...

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

Fortunately, they had the Food Box given by the Old Man who drove the carriage, so there was something at home with which to entertain Huang Yu.

But for sleeping, Huang Yu could only share a room with Zheng Fa.

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

"I know."

"My Father has always said I do not know how to behave." Huang Yu did not look at Zheng Fa, only continued speaking. "He is afraid that after he dies, no one will protect me."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Huang Yu was clearly not the sort of person who could charm everyone from every direction.

It had been clear in the Waterside Pavilion. He had wanted to curry favor with Gao Yuan, but a single remark from the 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 bring disaster upon the whole family."

At this point, Huang Yu fell backward, propping both hands beneath his head as he stared at the Rooftop, looking somewhat depressed. "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 am only a bookboy. I do not even know whether I will be able to help you in the future. Why would he travel all this way to bring me these things?"

"...For me."

Zheng Fa shrugged.

"So you do not think he..." Huang Yu's face reddened. "Is calculating?"

"Who in this world is not calculating?" Zheng Fa smiled. "Wasn't our competing for that bookboy position calculating? Who is born willing to serve others? Are our bones cheap?"

"What you said..." Huang Yu was utterly shocked as he looked at Zheng Fa. "Disrespectful! Our families have belonged to the Zhao Family for generation after generation. Is it not only right that we serve them?"

Zheng Fa Stopped Talking.

Huang Yu was stunned for a while, then suddenly said, "Why do I feel that becoming friends with you might truly bring disaster upon my whole family?"

Within the estate, at the Wang Family home.

Wang Gui was still full of indignation. "When I became a bookboy, why did no one come curry favor with me?"

"They did. Plenty of people gave silver." Steward Wang took a bundle from the bedroom. "But when I was getting you the position of Seventh Young Master's bookboy, I borrowed money to grease the right palms."

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

"Not quite. There is still this." Steward Wang patted the bundle in his hands.

"That is quite a lot." Wang Gui looked at the size of the bundle, feeling somewhat satisfied, before suddenly realizing something was wrong. "Father, where are you taking that bundle?"

"Of course, to deliver it to Zheng Fa's home."

"Huh?"