Chapter 591 – Persuading the Feng Family (Part 2)
Feng Jin wasn’t valued much at home; his elder brother was the heir to the Xi Clan, his younger brother was adored, their father was occupied with government affairs, and their mother was busy managing the household. Sandwiched in between, he often found himself overlooked. Fortunately, his dependable elder brother Feng Gui maintained a good relationship with him and their other siblings.
After years away from home, he initially intended to use this opportunity to hint at some things, but Feng Gui swiftly cut him off.
“Let’s just discuss family matters, not public affairs.”
This forced Feng Jin to swallow back the words that rushed to his throat.
Changsheng was just a little tot; she had no idea about the undercurrents between her father and uncle and hung onto Feng Gui’s beard, giggling and refusing to let go.
Feng Gui was composed and stable, but he didn’t hold back his expressions when it came to family.
He gently supported Changsheng’s knees, letting her perch on his arm, while wrapping the other around her shoulders to prevent her from toppling over.
With both hands occupied, there was no way for the little tyrant to spare his newly acquired beard.
“This kid has quite a grip—”
Feng Gui’s gaze turned a tad envious as he thought of his two sons.
Feng Jin internally sighed; that mischievous child had already bullied him at home, and now she was bothering his elder brother too!
“Daddy—”
Just as Feng Jin was about to get angry, his daughter sweetly calling out “Daddy” extinguished all his fire.
Feng Gui brought Feng Jin and his family back to the main residence of the Feng family.
The Feng family had a nearly thousand-year legacy. In Shangyang County, if someone had the surname Feng, all they had to do was look back through their family tree to find a blood relation to the Feng clan.
For such a prominent and noble family, their ancestral home was surprisingly plain, unlike the gaudy mansions of nouveau riche—everything was understated.
After last year’s earthquake, some parts of the Feng ancestral home had collapsed, but the house was sturdy, made from wood that was claimed to be resistant to decay for ten thousand years. While an earthquake had caused devastation in the capital, the Feng residence only lost a few old rooms that were rarely used, with only a few people injured.
“Daddy?”
Changsheng, snuggled in Uncle Feng Gui’s arms, peered around with her bright, wide eyes. The unfamiliar and somewhat solemn building made her uneasy, and she desperately wanted to spot a familiar face. Noticing Feng Jin nearby, she rested her chin on Feng Gui’s shoulder, gazing intently at her father.
“We’ll see Grandpa and Grandma soon; remember to greet them politely and don’t misbehave, alright?”
“Grandpa and Grandma?” Changsheng tilted her head in confusion.
Feng Jin sighed inwardly, regretting that he hadn’t taught her much.
At his age, he had already been drilled by his wet nurse and maidservants in proper etiquette; he couldn’t act recklessly or be rude.
In noble families, even toddlers were expected to be polite and well-mannered; age was no excuse for misbehavior.
But Changsheng…
She had been in their care since before she was born, stuck in the capital during an earthquake, and it had taken a lot for them to finally settle in Xiangyang. Feng Jin cherished this hard-earned daughter, even indulging her a bit.
He hadn’t taught her any of the etiquette that should have been given to her from a young age.
Now, recalling it at the last minute, he wasn’t sure if it would be of any use.
Feng Jin felt anxious, fearing that Changsheng would mess things up at a crucial moment.
What he didn’t know was that despite her age, her instincts were sharp.
As Jiang Pengji would put it, the girl had an uncanny judgment, almost as if she was born for it.
For example, while other children feared Jiang Pengji, Changsheng was particularly affectionate towards her. Whenever she visited the government hall and accidentally caused a ruckus, if Jiang Pengji was present, what would her first instinct be? To stumble her way over to her, clutching her leg to hide from Feng Jin.
If Jiang Pengji wasn’t there, however, Changsheng would cling to someone else’s leg, escaping faster than a rabbit.
With such a clever daughter, would she not know how to navigate her surroundings?
Upon learning of Feng Jin’s return, the Feng ancestral home was particularly lively today.
However, this liveliness simply meant more people were present, not that it was noisy.
House maids hurried back and forth, while maidservants moved so silently you’d think they were ghosts.
When Feng Jin entered the main hall, his parents, whom he hadn’t seen in years, were seated at the highest place. He led Wei Jingxian to pay their respects.
Seeing this, Changsheng kicked her legs to get down. Feng Gui smiled and let her down, and she mimicked Feng Jin’s movements as best as she could.
But with her thick clothing and a body only a third of an adult’s size, maintaining her balance was tricky. As she knelt to pay her respects, she tumbled forward.
Rolling a couple of times, she probably hurt herself a bit, as her eyes quickly filled with tears.
What had started as a warm and tender moment turned into chaos in an instant.
Feng Ren couldn’t maintain his authoritative demeanor, and Mrs. Feng immediately called over a maid to fetch Changsheng.
Mrs. Feng sighed, “Children of Huaiyu and Jingxian are all grown up now…”
When she initially chose Feng Jin and his wife as hostages to go to the capital, she was filled with reluctance.
Hearing that Wei Jingxian was pregnant midway through their journey only heightened her worries.
Then came the earthquake in the capital, which killed countless commoners. Mrs. Feng wept bitterly, nearly going blind from crying.
Feng Jin said, “Mother, Changsheng can be a handful; don’t let her cause too much trouble.”
Mrs. Feng took Changsheng, who cozied up to her, being unusually well-behaved.
“A handful of trouble means she’s at least healthy,” Mrs. Feng remarked without looking up while coaxing Changsheng. “Do you know what to call me?”
Changsheng chirped back, showing signs of confusion.
“Grandpa?”
Without a point of reference by her side, Changsheng couldn’t distinguish between the two figures.
Feng Jin could barely look up now.
Mrs. Feng couldn’t help but chuckle, pointing at Feng Ren beside her. “That’s your grandpa.”
Changsheng, quick-witted, corrected herself and said, “Grandma!”
“Oh! Changsheng is so clever!”
Mrs. Feng took off a string of prayer beads she had worn for over a decade and placed them on Changsheng’s neck, her face glowing with joy.
Seeing this gesture, Feng Jin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; they had passed the first hurdle.
Wei Jingxian understood the importance of those prayer beads to her mother-in-law and felt a wave of satisfaction.
But one person in the room looked upon this scene with a hint of malice, her clenched hand within her sleeve leaving several indentations from her nails.
Feng Gui’s gaze turned icy as he discreetly pulled his wife’s sleeve, trying to snap her back to reality.
Noticing her husband’s serious expression, Feng Gui’s wife shrank back slightly, lowering her head and nervously twisting her fingers and handkerchief.
Feng Jin caught sight of this hostile gaze and frowned slightly.
Was that his sister-in-law?
He had a bellyful of complaints, but he waited for Feng Gui and his wife to leave before asking.
“Sister-in-law, just now…”
In the past, he would have tolerated it for his elder brother’s sake, but he couldn’t sit idly by when someone was showing malice towards Changsheng just because of a string of prayer beads.
Mrs. Feng had an awkward look on her face as she softly replied, “Unfortunate family circumstances.”
Feng Jin was taken aback. What had happened in the last two years that made his mother so displeased with someone she had once been completely satisfied with?
He vaguely sensed that his return home wouldn’t be as smooth sailing as he had hoped.
