Chapter 46: Sworn Brotherhood

Some said his father had been killed by bandits; some claimed his father had run off with money; others whispered he had gone to the Eastern Li Kingdom. He believed none of them. He trusted no one’s words. He ran away from home alone and ventured into Mount Qiliang. Straddling the border between Hengzhou and Yunzhou, Mount Qiliang was said to be the place where his father had met his end at the hands of bandits. He searched the area for more than half a month but found not a single trace of his father. Then he remembered his father had once said that after spring began, he would make a journey south. So he followed the roads southward, passing through Feng City, crossing Kunzhou, and finally arriving at Wu City. He had thought that if he couldn’t find his father in Wu City, he would continue further south—his father must be waiting for him somewhere in the south.

After he finished speaking, Liu Qin and Jiang Li were both silent for a long while. At such a moment, words seemed hollow. Though Liu Qin suspected his father was already gone, and perhaps even he sensed it himself, still he clung stubbornly to his search. Only thus could he give himself a sliver of hope, only thus could he find the strength to go on living.

Fang Nuo seemed to see his father sitting behind the desk, a large ledger open before him. His father cradled his three-year-old self in one arm while turning the pages with the other. His eyes followed his father’s hand, darting back and forth. Seeing his curiosity, his father chuckled warmly: “Good boy, watch carefully. When you’re a bit older, I’ll teach you this craft. Our family has lived by this trade since your great-great-grandfather. I don’t expect you to become a grand success—just to carry on the family business will be enough.”

To carry on the family business—Father, as long as you come back, I’ll never again insist on studying like the young masters, nor will I look down on the bookkeeping trade as a dead-end job. I’ll learn well, I’ll give it my all, so long as you return!

At some point, tears began to slide silently down his cheeks. Fang Nuo scrubbed at them with his sleeve, rougher than his usual self. He told himself, Don’t cry. Father is still alive—alive and well. Don’t cry.

A chubby little hand reached out and wiped away the lingering tears, leaving only the warmth of its fingertips. He could not know that this warmth would accompany him for a long, long time, would remain in his heart forever—until the day he was forced to forget.

Liu Qin had quietly moved to Fang Nuo’s side. She truly could not understand why she herself lived in happiness, while some of the people she cared for suffered so much—Jiang Li, Bai Rong’er, and now Fang Nuo. Having never lost her parents, she could not comprehend the pain of being orphaned. Yet she knew that children without parental care were often left to wander the streets, unloved and unwanted, reduced to little beggars. Now fate had brought them to her side—was it perhaps so she could share a little of her own happiness with them?

She was no savior, but neither would she be stingy with her warmth and light.

“Brother A’Li, why don’t you take A’Nuo as your brother? That way, neither of you will be alone. A’Nuo can stay with us until his father returns.”

Jiang Li, sharing the same sense of loss, had already harbored such thoughts. But as he himself was only a guest in this household, he had hesitated to say more. Now, hearing Liu Qin’s suggestion, he did not hesitate. After all, whenever his sister set her mind to something, it was always accomplished, and their uncle and aunt were kind to him.

Jiang Li’s decision to accept a sworn brother met with unanimous approval in the Liu household—especially from the old madam, who had always pitied Jiang Li for being alone, without siblings or close kin. After all, the Liu family was but distant relatives. Now that he had a brother, there was some comfort. Besides, Fang Nuo’s sweet tongue quickly won over the old madam, the mistress, and even the maids and housekeepers in a matter of days. Watching all this, Liu Qin couldn’t help but sigh in amusement: Fang Nuo was a true charmer, a killer of hearts, young and old alike. He’s just a child now; when he grows up, will he not become a heart-stealer like Chu Liuxiang, leaving a trail of admirers wherever he goes?

Fang Nuo had no idea that Liu Qin secretly thought of him this way. If he knew, he would surely run to protest, “Miss, young master, how can you be so uncharitable? I’m only a child!”

In honor of Jiang Li’s new brother, the old madam arranged a grand banquet, making the matter official. The servants began to address Fang Nuo as young master A’Nuo. Changxing and Changsheng, whose injuries had improved, also came to pay their respects. Fang Nuo stubbornly refused their bows, and in the end, it was Liu Qin who settled the matter: “Oh, we’re all family here, there’s no need for such formality. Come, let’s raise a cup and celebrate.”

Her casual declaration of “family” warmed everyone’s hearts. At that moment, Jiang Li couldn’t resist teasing: “Raise a cup? What does that mean? Sister, where did you pick up such a phrase?”

Liu Qin rolled her eyes. She thought, “Even if I explained, you wouldn’t get it.” Out loud, she improvised, “It just means making a little clink—my cup talks to your cup, and together we agree it’s worth celebrating that brother Jiang Li now has a brother of his own.”

Her playful nonsense set everyone laughing, and the air in Moxiang Court was filled with joy.

As for Lei Hu, ever since he had been assigned to serve the young lady, he had reported promptly the day after returning from his master’s. Upon seeing this tall and sturdy man, Liu Qin, for the first time, did not appraise him with the eyes of a girl admiring a handsome man. Not because her tastes had changed, but because she was too moved by her father’s arrangements. Oh, Father, you truly are my father—so good to your daughter, how can I ever thank you enough?

If her father could read minds, he would surely say: “My dear girl, I want nothing in return. Just be a little more obedient, cause your mother less worry, and make life a little easier for your father—how about that?”

With Lei Hu as her bodyguard and right-hand man, Liu Qin felt a surge of courage, almost wishing she could march into the streets and give Fang Yiming a good thrashing. Of course, this was just a passing thought. She was still under discipline for her past misdeeds and dared not stir up new trouble. So she smiled sweetly and granted Lei Hu a long leave, making a show of caring for her subordinates: “Brother Lei, you can go about your own business. If I need you, I’ll call.”

Once outside, Lei Hu felt frustrated. Busy? What business could he have? The master had told him to stick by the young lady’s side, but hadn’t given him any other duties. Yet he couldn’t follow her every step—it simply wasn’t convenient. Now, where should he go? What should he do?

Scratching his head, Lei Hu recalled that his martial uncle had assured him nothing would go wrong if he followed the young lady. Still, he could not help feeling uneasy. The looks his fellow guards gave him were full of sly amusement—who knew what they said behind his back?

Unconsciously, he wandered to the training ground where they used to practice together and unexpectedly ran into Chen Zhi, who was hurrying out. Chen Zhi had never gotten along with him—the man’s skills were inferior, and he was less favored by their master, so he often spoke in a sarcastic tone. But now that Lei Hu had left, Chen Zhi had become the favored one.

Grinning slyly, Chen Zhi called out, “Brother Hu, keeping busy, are we? Ah, my memory—these days, you’re living the good life, unlike me, always running errands. The master’s sent me on important business. Just came by to say so—no time to chat. Off I go!”

Watching Chen Zhi’s cunning smile, Lei Hu itched to land a punch and wipe that grin off his face for good.