Fu Sili bought some pastries from Fangxing Pavilion on his way back to Yaozhi Chunxin.
When he returned, he heard that Fu Jing had already come back and was currently in the study. Just as he was about to head over with the items, Qiuyuan stopped him, looking hesitant to speak: “The Eldest Young Master is not seeing anyone right now. It would be better for the Young Master to return first.”
The last time he was stopped, they were on the road returning to the capital with Fu Jing. Fu Sili asked in surprise, “Is he busy?”
Qiuyuan looked away: “He is busy.”
Fu Sili realized: “He must have missed a lot of lessons due to coming back so frequently these past few days. If that is the case, let him continue his work.”
Qiuyuan: “…”
Fu Sili took the two boxes of pastries from Bing Chun and handed one to Qiuyuan: “This box is for him. We will not disturb him further.”
Fu Jing had given him so many things, and now that he had earned some money, he was determined to return the favor. However, Fu Jing already had everything, and what he lacked, Fu Sili could not afford. The only thing he could do was wait in line to buy some famous pastries.
The master and servant returned to the courtyard. They did not see Feng Fu there, and when they needed hot water, there was none prepared on the stove.
Bing Chun muttered, “Why has this man become so neglectful lately?”
Fu Sili looked at the sky, which was still bright: “Perhaps it is because we returned early today. Let us wait a while longer.”
They waited until dark, and just as Fu Sili was about to head to bed, the courtyard gate creaked. Feng Fu hurried over from outside.
Feng Fu was a young man so honest that he bordered on being dull. Most of the time, he was like a silent shadow behind someone, but he was usually efficient and dependable. Seeing him flustered was a rare sight.
Feng Fu arrived in a hurry, panting as he opened the gate. Seeing the light shining from the courtyard, his face went pale, and he knelt down.
Bing Chun walked over gloomily: “Well now, before, the Young Master asked if you wanted to go out together, and you refused. So the truth is you wanted to sneak out on your own!”
Feng Fu was both anxious and ashamed. He wiped his face vigorously with his sleeve: “I returned late! I beg the Young Master to punish me!”
Seeing Feng Fu acting like a deflated bun and offering no excuses, Bing Chun felt bored and turned to Fu Sili: “Feng Fu is usually very well-behaved. Maybe he has been cooped up in the courtyard for too long and lost track of time while getting some air?”
Fu Sili ignored Bing Chun’s attempt to make excuses for Feng Fu and said thoughtfully, “You also rushed back from outside in a hurry these past few days, did you not?”
Feng Fu froze in place and looked up blankly.
Seeing that he had frightened him, Fu Sili explained, “I mean when you returned. These past few days, whenever I saw you boiling water, it was either not ready yet or still scalding hot. In the past, the water temperature was always perfect when I returned.”
As soon as Fu Sili got close, he smelled the scent of medicine on him. Seeing that the man did not look like he had been injured, he helped him up from the ground: “You keep running outside; is someone in your family ill?”
Feng Fu was just rising with Fu Sili’s help, but upon hearing this, he dropped to his knees with a thud and bowed his forehead fiercely against the ground.
Feng Fu did not look up, sobbing, “My mother fell and broke her leg a few days ago. She has been lying on the bed in a coma. I found a doctor to set the bone and prescribe medicine, but she has been drinking the medicine for two days with no effect.”
“Have you looked for another doctor to take a look?”
“No. The doctor said my mother is old. If she does not wake up in the next few days, I should prepare for the funeral.”
Seeing Feng Fu so dejected and despondent, Fu Sili fell silent for a moment and asked directly, “Are you short of money?”
Feng Fu looked up with red-rimmed eyes. He saw Fu Sili walk into the room and come out a moment later holding a heavy pouch.
“Take the money first and find more doctors to look at her. Bing Chun and I go out frequently, so we do not need you to serve us. You should handle your own matters outside before returning.”
Fu Sili stuffed the money into Feng Fu’s hand and pulled him up. Feng Fu gritted his teeth, clutching the money and trying to hide it: “I cannot afford to pay you back. The doctor said she cannot be saved.”
“This is life-saving money!”
Feng Fu stiffened, and Fu Sili grabbed his hand and shoved the money into it.
“This is life-saving money. Find more doctors and hire someone to look after her,” Fu Sili said calmly. “Problems that can be solved with money are not problems. See if your mother can get better, and do not leave any regrets in such matters.”
Feng Fu covered his face with his hands and wept uncontrollably.
Bing Chun looked back and forth and said, “I have lived in the manor since I was a child. I have no father or mother; I spend my days practicing martial arts. If I had relatives, I would go begging just to cure them.”
He walked over and bumped Feng Fu’s shoulder: “Give the money back to the Young Master. I have saved quite a lot of money over the years. I will give you my money.”
Fu Sili laughed and scolded them: “Why are you fighting over this? You take care of me every day; how could I let you spend your own money?”
He walked over and nudged them toward the room: “Come, the pastries are still open. Let us go inside and have some!”
The next day, when Feng Fu took his leave and departed, Fu Sili was still fast asleep.
When he finally woke up, it was already noon. He spent a while in bed, then went out to borrow a man from Qiuyuan. He gave him forty taels and sent him to Yangzhou to make a trip to the Yuchun Pawnshop to redeem the pipa his mother had sold.
It had been almost half a year, and he did not know if the pipa was still there. Fu Sili discussed it with Qiuyuan, only saying it had been sold for eight taels, so it should not cost more than thirty now. If it was too expensive, he told the man to just leave it there for now.
After they finished talking, Fu Sili returned to his courtyard, only to bump into Bing Chun, who was coming over with a bowl of porridge.
Fu Sili hid his hands and retreated: “I am not hungry today.”
Bing Chun said earnestly, “The Eldest Young Master had them add medicinal herbs to this to strengthen your body. It is good stuff. However, I heard that the prescription was changed this time. Why do you not taste it and see if there is any change?”
Fu Sili scoffed, “A new pot but the same old medicine. In any case, I am not drinking medicine.”
“It does not smell like medicine this time. I do not know what it was changed to. I wanted to go into the kitchen to check, but Lixia stopped me.”
Fu Sili looked tentatively at the ceramic bowl. It truly did not smell like medicine; it was a thick, mushy mixture of various beans.
Bing Chun looked at him with glowing eyes. Fu Sili dawdled before picking up the spoon and taking a bite: “…Why is this salty?”
Fu Sili felt even more depressed: “This is supposed to be Eight Treasure Porridge, right? How can Eight Treasure Porridge be salty?”
Bing Chun exclaimed, “Oh no! Could it be that the cook confused the sugar with the salt? What a waste of a good bowl of beans.”
Fu Sili stared at the porridge for a long time before finally picking up the bowl and finishing it in one go.
Bing Chun watched him from the side and took the empty bowl to pass to someone else: “I almost forgot, Gao Yi came looking for you this morning. Are we going to see him in a while?”
“Looking for me?”
“He went directly into the Fu residence. When the servant was leading him toward Yaozhi Chunxin, it alarmed the Eldest Young Master, who invited him right back out.”
Fu Sili felt both puzzled and confused: “What? Why did he come to find me? And Fu Jing did not let Gao Yi in?”
“I was squatting in the back kitchen with Lixia, so I only heard it from others. By then, the Eldest Young Master had already invited him out. He chased him out of the Fu residence. I heard that Gao Yi seemed to have come to ask you for money.”
“…He came to ask me for money?”
“He said he had no money to eat.”
Fu Sili looked up at the ceiling beams: “When I left yesterday, did I not give him silver? What did he eat?”
Bing Chun blinked, his voice bright: “I do not know!”
Fu Sili said angrily, “I have spoiled him! No money!”
It was not that Fu Sili was stingy; he had given Feng Fu thirty taels last night, and just now he had taken out forty. The money he had left was barely around twenty taels, and he had to save the rest.
It was no wonder Gao Yi’s father chased him out. At this rate of spending, was he raising a gold-swallowing beast?
Fu Sili ignored the matter of Gao Yi and only thought about how to increase the money he had left. He lay on his chair lazily for a while before heading out with renewed energy, intending to look around outside.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the gate, a small stone came flying and hit the ground near his feet. He looked up, and it was Gao Yi squatting in a tree watching him.
Fu Sili kicked the stone away: “Are you sick?”
“Whether I have other illnesses, I do not know, but I am about to starve to death.” Gao Yi jumped down from the tree and reached out for money without ceremony. “I waited for you all morning, but you never showed up, so I came to find you. Fu Jing is not a good person either. He treated me like a beggar, only giving me one steamed bun.”
“…”
Fu Sili felt both angry and amused and turned to head back into the manor. Gao Yi followed closely behind, and Fu Sili stopped, causing Gao Yi to stand right next to him.
He turned and gave him a hard shove: “I will let you eat a free meal for the last time! If you spend my money again after this, you will serve as my servant!”
Gao Yi shamelessly said, “Free room and board, such a good deal. If you need to hire someone in the future, consider me first.”
The three of them went to a restaurant together. Gao Yi ordered many expensive dishes. When they left, the shopkeeper sent Gao Yi off with a beaming smile, while Fu Sili left with a grim face, bringing Bing Chun with him.
After a while, Gao Yi caught up again. Fu Sili was walking in a hurry, but Gao Yi was taller and had longer legs, so he just followed alongside at a leisurely pace: “Where are we going next?”
Fu Sili was full of anger. He stopped and said expressionlessly, “The New Year is approaching, so I am going to buy some New Year goods to sell. If you have nothing else to do, you can go back.”
“Where would I go? What will I do for dinner after I go back? What are we eating tonight?” Gao Yi asked thoughtfully, “Which restaurant do you want to go to?”
Fu Sili was silent for a moment: “I have no more money. I am going home to eat, and you should go home to eat, too. Food at home is free.”
Gao Yi’s smile stiffened: “…What about our money?”
Fu Sili gave him a deep look: “What ‘our money’? That is my money. Why do you care how I use my money?”
After he finished speaking, he continued walking with Bing Chun. He only had that little silver left, and he had to be very careful in choosing what to buy.
Gao Yi muttered, “No, I cannot go back. My old man did not beat me last time because I ran fast. Why don’t I go to your house for a meal?”
Fu Sili did not say anything, but Gao Yi shook his head himself: “No, no. Fu Jing would definitely chase me out.”
A sudden thought flashed through his mind: “Wait! There really is a place where we can get food! They will not let me in now, but you could bring me in…”
Fu Sili did not want to pay him any mind. Was this man crazy? How could there be a place that serves free food? He turned to walk away, but Gao Yi grabbed him and pulled him in another direction.