"Ah, if it's meant to be, it'll happen. If not, there's no point forcing it. It might be better to leave school early and let Little Fang face reality."
"Later on, we'll keep an eye out for him too. We'll help Little Fang find a way to make a living, so Old Fang can finally have an easier time."
Mother Wang shook her head and sighed.
Everyone else looked as though they thought it was only right.
"Well, well, what are you all chatting about?"
Old Fang's voice rang out first, followed by the patter of footsteps.
Their expressions immediately grew a little awkward.
There was no more whispering behind someone's back, only to be caught and left embarrassed.
As for Old Fang, he had pinned all his hopes on Little Fang.
Little Fang had practically become his reason to keep going.
They had known each other for years. No matter how hopeless Little Fang was, they couldn't say it in front of Old Fang.
Otherwise, Old Fang might not be able to accept it at all.
"Heh heh, Old Fang, you just got off work. Heading out?"
Seeing Old Fang looking as if he was about to go somewhere, his expression normal, back bent, and eyes still cloudy, Hu Da felt relieved and asked.
"Little Fang still hasn't come back, so I'm going to wait for him at the alley entrance." After saying that, Old Fang didn't wait for anyone to reply.
He headed straight ahead, toward the back gate of Zhao Estate.
Once Old Fang had gone far enough that they were sure he couldn't hear them,
Mother Wang withdrew her gaze and lowered her voice. "Hu Da, Old Fang didn't hear us just now, did he?"
"He shouldn't have," Hu Da said.
"Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore. I just remembered that my Cuicui hasn't eaten yet. I'd better hurry home and cook for her."
"Oh, that girl. She took exams all day today and still doesn't know when to quit. She came back, put down her schoolbag, then went out again to study with her classmates."
"It's good for a child to be sensible. We parents have to make sure everything else is taken care of."
Mother Wang brushed the dust off her clothes and, chattering away, led her husband toward the nearby room.
"It doesn't matter if a child is sensible or not, as long as she's safe."
"Forget it, I won't dwell on it. I'd better hurry home and cook. When Little Fang gets back, I'm dragging the two of them over for a drink, no matter what!"
After waiting for a while, who knew what Hu Da had thought of.
He let out a long sigh and went back to the kitchen.
"Let go already. This is the back gate of Zhao Estate. Someone could come out at any moment. If they see us, I'll never be able to show my face again!"
"What are you afraid of? I'll just kiss you once. Just once, then I'll go."
"No. Not even once. Don't rush me. I'll come find you at our usual place tomorrow."
Fang Shuwen was just about to open the gate and enter the courtyard
when a familiar voice came from behind him.
His hand paused, and he glanced sideways.
In the shadows at the alley's bend, the pale-blue skirt of a Public Middle School girls' uniform swayed back and forth.
Cuicui had one hand against the chest of a young man in a short jacket. She was half resisting, half yielding, their faces close together.
The young man, whose body was only half visible, was the same one from last time.
Fang Shuwen looked away and pushed open the back gate without expression.
The hinges creaked softly, and the alley fell silent at once.
"Dad, where are you going?"
As soon as he pushed open the back gate, Fang Shuwen spotted Old Fang.
Old Fang was also reaching for the gate. From the looks of it, he had been about to go out.
At the sound of his voice, Old Fang quickly straightened his back, and his cloudy eyes brightened.
He looked at Fang Shuwen in delight.
"Little Fang, you're back. I was just about to go out and meet you. You're home now. That's good, that's good."
"You must be tired. Give me your schoolbag, and go home and rest. I'll see if your Uncle Hu has finished making dinner."
"Thanks, Dad."
Fang Shuwen took off his cloth schoolbag and handed it to Old Fang, along with the roast chicken wrapped up in paper.
"Dad, take this roast chicken. Let's have Uncle Hu join us today and sit down together."
Fang Shuwen knew that both before he transmigrated and during the time since,
Hu Da had often gone out of his way to prepare extra food for him.
Hu Da had never complained. He always helped.
Old Fang took the cloth schoolbag and the roast chicken wrapped in oiled paper, then froze.
"Invite Hu Da for a drink?"
He looked down at the roast chicken in his hands, then up at Fang Shuwen. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words.
Little Fang had never cared for the servants before. Forget inviting anyone for a drink—he wouldn't even spare them a proper glance.
What had gotten into him today?
But then Old Fang thought it over. Little Fang had finally grown more sensible.
The wrinkles on his face spread out all at once, and his eyes shone as if someone had lit a lamp inside them.
"Good, good, I'll go tell Hu Da!"
Old Fang carried the roast chicken toward the kitchen, his steps quick and light, his back straighter than usual.
After a few steps, he turned back as if he had remembered something, then took a paper-wrapped bundle from inside his shirt and carefully offered it to him.
"Shuwen, this is for you."
Fang Shuwen took it and opened it. Inside were two meat buns, still steaming.
The steam had turned the oiled paper translucent. The buns had thin skins and generous fillings, and the savory aroma of meat wafted straight into his nose.
"Hu Da steamed them this afternoon. I saved two for you."
Old Fang rubbed his hands, looking a little embarrassed.
"Have these to tide you over. Dinner will be ready soon."
Fang Shuwen looked at the two buns, then at the careful, eager-to-please expression on Old Fang's face. A pang of sadness rose in his heart.
"Thanks, Dad."
He picked up a bun and took a bite. Meat juices and the fragrance of scallions burst across his tongue.
Hu Da really was a superb cook.
Seeing him eat, Old Fang smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits, then happily turned and headed for the kitchen.
Fang Shuwen stood in the courtyard and finished both buns in a few bites, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
A few steps took him back into the room.
He took out the two pieces of Ghost Jade he had kept on him.
He had bought them from the National Martial Arts Hall for forty silver dollars and hadn't had a chance to absorb them yet.
Now was the perfect time to absorb both pieces while Hu Da cooked.
He placed the two pieces of jade on the table. The dim, yellow lamplight fell across their surfaces, which glimmered with a cold, eerie light.
One was bluish-green, the other nearly white.
Both felt icy in his hand, like stones freshly thawed from a block of ice.
Fang Shuwen picked up the bluish-green piece and clenched it in his palm.
[Detected anomalous energy. Absorb?]
"Absorb."
As the familiar prompt flashed, fine cracks spread across the jade in his palm.
Pale-green luminescence seeped through the cracks and crept up his arm, like tiny snakes burrowing beneath his skin.
After a few breaths,
the jade crumbled into a pile of grayish-white powder and sifted through his fingers.
[Skill Points Gained: 4]
Four points. Not bad.
After all, this piece of Ghost Jade was a grade below the one he had won from Old Master Zheng last time.
By the National Martial Arts Hall's classification, this inferior-grade jade cost about twenty silver dollars per piece.
The Ghost Jade from Old Master Zheng had been ordinary grade, twice the price at forty silver dollars.
Yet the difference in the amount of anomalous energy they contained came to only one skill point.
Sure enough, he could sense how much anomalous energy was inside.
He could spend less money to buy better Ghost Jade.
It was practically a divine skill!
Without thinking too much about it, he picked up the second, nearly white piece of Ghost Jade.
[Detected anomalous energy. Absorb?]
"Absorb."
The second piece was more ordinary, its glow a little dimmer.
As the powder fell, the number on the Panel changed again.
[Skill Points Gained: 3]