Chapter 132 - 116: Unexpected Guest
’How can this be? How is my name not on the list? I already... I already sent the silver...’
Gao Shide felt the world spin, but he forced himself to stay on his feet.
At first, he assumed the higher-ups wanted to appoint a few genuinely meritorious Martial Artists, and that was how Fang Hu had gotten so damn lucky.
He had pulled strings, spent silver, and was a Martial Scholar—there was no reason he shouldn’t have been chosen.
After all, even a few men from families slightly less prominent than his had been granted official posts.
’So, my name must be further down the list.’
But he never imagined that, even by the end of the announcement, his name would still be missing.
Mr. Wang had already left, and the red announcement list was posted for all to see.
Still refusing to believe it, Gao Shide went to check the list one more time.
But his name was still nowhere to be found.
"Well, if it isn’t Eldest Young Master Gao. Still looking at the list? Weren’t you supposed to be a shoo-in?"
"Exactly. To think he looked down on us, and in the end, he’s in the same boat."
Gao Shide was known for his arrogance, and his condescending attitude toward Fang Hu just moments ago had rubbed many people the wrong way.
Seeing that he had failed, they couldn’t resist a few taunts.
Gao Shide took a deep breath, but uncharacteristically, he didn’t rise to their bait.
Keeping his expression as placid as possible and forcing a smile, he walked right up to Fang Hu.
"Congratulations, Squadron Commander Fang. I never realized you kept your skills so hidden. Had I known you had such means, I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself."
By now, Gao Shide had already composed himself. To achieve success and endure the rigors of martial training, Noble Family Descendants had to be made of stern stuff.
Clearly, not all of them were arrogant fools who overestimated their own importance.
"Thank you."
Fang Hu clasped his hands in return. He was honest and stubborn by nature, not one to make an enemy over a few words.
"I have other matters to attend to today, so I won’t impose on you, Brother Fang. I will be sure to pay you a formal visit in the future."
Gao Shide clasped his hands again, then turned and left.
Sure enough, his display of composure stopped anyone else from taunting him. Their opinion of Gao Shide improved significantly.
That was how Martial Artists were; a great many of them had straightforward temperaments.
"Heh heh, Brother Fang! Brother Fang, I really didn’t expect this. I see you’ll be off to Xiahe County to take up your post soon. I’ve heard the local Guard Army is quite unruly. It won’t be easy without your own men around you."
Zhang Youde sidled up at that moment and immediately began to tell Fang Hu about the ins and outs of the local Guard Army.
The implication between the lines was clear: he wanted to go with Fang Hu to his new post.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang, but I have an appointment to keep with Mr. Wang, so I must take my leave."
Fang Hu, of course, understood the man’s intentions. Had this been fifteen minutes earlier, things might have been different.
But now, although he didn’t give him the cold shoulder, he had no intention of developing a deeper relationship with Zhang Youde.
’This kind of two-faced person isn’t someone you can trust.’
Having dismissed Zhang Youde in his mind, he turned and walked away.
"Of course, of course."
Zhang Youde watched Fang Hu leave with a strained smile, but his expression was stiff. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, the veins on his hands popping out.
Clearly, he despised Fang Hu to the core.
~~~~~~
「Da Liushu Village, in front of the Fang Family Mansion.」
"What did you say? County Magistrate Liu has invited me to the Government Office?"
Fang Yue looked at the visiting government constable, taking the invitation with a hint of surprise.
It was an exquisite red invitation, adorned with gold-leaf patterns that gave it a luxurious air.
It was a folded invitation. Perhaps because Fang Yue was merely a Martial Scholar while Liu Zheng was the County Magistrate, a vast gap existed between their statuses.
Liu Zheng’s invitation did not adhere to the usual etiquette of honoring the guest while humbling the host; it simply stated the time and location.
"That is correct," the government constable replied respectfully.
He might throw his weight around in front of the common villagers, but before a Martial Scholar, he was exceptionally deferential.
"Understood. Please inform Lord Liu that I will be there on time."
After a moment of thought, Fang Yue looked at the invitation again. It only stated that the meeting was in five days, at the Yingbin Building in Xiahe County Town.
There was nothing else written on it.
Although he didn’t know what Liu Zheng wanted with him, the fact that he had sent a formal invitation suggested it couldn’t be anything bad.
Of course, even if it wasn’t good news, he was in no position to refuse.
After all, he still had to live here.
He had his parents, brother, and sister’s family to think about. He couldn’t just act recklessly.
If he offended the County Magistrate, the man could easily make his life miserable, and that would be more than enough to make him suffer.
~~~~~~
「The next day」
Just as Fang Yue was preparing to bid his parents farewell and head for Xiahe County Town, an unexpected visitor arrived.
At that moment, Ms. Chen was busy packing food for Fang Yue’s journey.
Suddenly, a frantic B-BANG-BANG rattled their courtyard gate. "Fang! Open up! Fang, quick, open the door!"
The voice was loud, booming, and unmistakable.
Fang Yue knew who it was the moment he heard it.
’It’s Chubby outside. What’s that guy doing here?’
’Isn’t his family in the Prefecture City? That’s thousands of miles from here.’
"Fang, hurry and open the door! If you don’t open up soon, your village neighbors are going to set their dogs on me!"
Chubby’s voice rang out again, and sure enough, it was accompanied by the sound of several dogs barking.
’Then again, a Martial Artist afraid of being bitten by a dog?’
’What a joke.’ Shaking his head, Fang Yue went to the main gate and pulled it open.
Sure enough, standing outside was none other than Chubby.
He was standing by a horse-drawn carriage, which was loaded with several large chests.
"What happened to your face? Don’t tell me you got beaten up," Fang Yue asked.
Only then did Fang Yue notice that Chubby’s face was black and blue. The bruises were already starting to fade, as if he had been beaten some time ago.
In fact, it looked as if Chubby himself had gotten a size larger.
Not from gaining weight, but from being beaten until he was swollen.
Hearing this, Chubby’s expression immediately stiffened.
"Impossible! Who could possibly bully Lord Fatty? I was just being chased by your village dogs, wasn’t paying attention, and took a tumble. That’s all."
Chubby clearly had a resilient spirit. He chuckled, putting on a self-satisfied air.
"I’m here to check on the Tea Garden, and while I’m at it, take the first batch of tea back with me. I had to come in person; I can’t trust anyone else with this."
What was there to be untrusting about? The simple truth was that a sworn rival had arrived at his family home. The rival always used him as a sparring partner, but since they were much stronger, he was no match at all and ended up getting beaten like this. To make matters worse, his family wouldn’t let him run off, insisting that he entertain the guest properly. Chubby was already plump enough; he didn’t want to get swollen a few sizes larger. Thus, he had to grasp at the excuse of checking on the Tea Garden and escorting the tea leaves just to get away. And now that he was out, he had no intention of returning anytime soon. That girl pestered him to spar every day, and she was absolutely vicious; she would definitely never find a husband.
"Alright, alright, I believe you fell, okay?" Fang Yue laughed. This Chubby was a good guy; he always knew how to lift people’s spirits.
A good laugh can make a person ten years younger.
Having a friend like him could probably add years to one’s life.
"Hey, hey, what kind of host are you? Aren’t you going to invite me in?" Bai Xingqiu said, but without waiting for a reply, he drove the carriage into the courtyard himself.
"Ah, your home is so much more comfortable. The very air here feels free."
Chubby made himself right at home, finding a stone stool to sit on. He then produced a bag of snacks from who-knows-where and started eating.
"My home is humble and crude. I hope you can bear with it, Brother Bai." Fang Yue knew that Chubby must come from a wealthy and powerful clan; his speech and mannerisms were clearly not those of a commoner.
His own courtyard might seem prosperous to the villagers, but compared to a truly wealthy family’s estate, it was probably no better than their woodshed.
"Heh heh, I’m serious. This place is really better than my home," Chubby said with a chuckle.
"Zhi’Er, we have a guest? I’ll make some extra food for lunch, then."
Just then, Ms. Chen came out of the kitchen. Seeing Chubby, she wiped her hands on her apron and said warmly, "You must be Zhi’Er’s friend. Please, come sit inside. I’ll get you some tea."
"Auntie, please don’t trouble yourself! I can manage, really, I can."
Chubby might have been casual with Fang Yue, but he was extremely polite to Ms. Chen, clearly treating her with the respect due to an elder.
"I brought some gifts for you and Uncle. Please, see if you like them."
Chubby immediately opened one of the chests on the carriage, displaying the gifts inside as if presenting a treasure.
There were fine silks and satins, all sorts of delicacies, and even some medicinal herbs and tonics.
They were all things that even Fang Yue himself had rarely seen.
The gifts in this one cart alone were likely worth several hundred taels of silver, not to mention they had been brought all the way from the Prefecture City.
The gesture was truly overwhelming.
"Oh, how could we accept all this? You’re Zhi’Er’s friend, you should treat our home as your own. You didn’t need to bring gifts."
Seeing the sheer amount of gifts, Ms. Chen was clearly stunned and flustered.
"These are too valuable, far too valuable. I can’t accept them."
Chubby was accustomed to wealth and known for his generosity; he was the kind of person who had no real concept of money.
"Since I call you Auntie, then you truly are my auntie. Besides, these things aren’t all from me. This one, and these here... Zhi asked me to buy them."
Chubby was quick on the uptake. He didn’t claim the gifts were from him, but instead said that Fang Yue had asked him to buy them.
Although Ms. Chen seemed a bit skeptical, she looked toward Fang Yue, silently asking if this was true.
"Mother, just accept them," Fang Yue said, smiling and nodding at Ms. Chen as he watched Chubby frantically giving him meaningful looks.
’In any case, he and Chubby were business partners now,’ he thought. ’He could just return the favor later.’