4 004

Fu Yuzhang was dressed up to look like a giant red envelope. He wore a tiger-head hat made of ivory-colored silk with a red satin finish, a short jacket embroidered with bat motifs, and tiger-head shoes. The tiger’s eyes and whiskers on the shoes were so lifelike that they showcased the embroiderer’s exquisite craftsmanship.

Fu Yuzhang loved his tiger-head hat the most. It was lined with moon-white silk and stuffed with cotton, keeping his little head warm and cozy. The character "Wang" (King) on the forehead was embroidered with so many shades of yellow thread that it shimmered with a metallic luster, looking incredibly luxurious.

The hat was perfectly sized, with that shimmering gold character sitting right in the center of his forehead. Fu Yuzhang was so delighted that he would reach up to touch it every now and then, feeling absolutely wonderful.

Fu Huai'an was also dressed in his festive best, ready to pay his respects to Fu Yuan and Xie Yaoniang. Seeing his older brother, Fu Yuzhang became excited, waving his hands continuously and calling out happily, "Brother!"

The room was filled with the tinkling sound of the bells on his clothes, each chime a reflection of Fu Yuzhang’s overflowing joy.

Fu Huai'an adored his younger brother. Hearing Fu Yuzhang call him, he hurried over, his movements quickened by excitement, and asked with a smile, "Did Zhang-ge’er sleep well last night?"

Fu Yuzhang flashed a smile showing his four little rice-grain teeth. He touched his tiger-head hat, then curled his hands into claws and held them by his cheeks. With his chubby face, he tried to look fierce and let out an extra-loud, "Roar!"

"Majestic!"

Fu Huai'an was completely charmed. He smiled and nodded, playing along, "Zhang-ge’er is the most majestic of all."

Having successfully received praise, Fu Yuzhang was fully satisfied. He preened, showing off his precious hat and occasionally shaking his hands to enjoy the sound of the bells. With Fu Huai'an there to cheer him on, every little movement Fu Yuzhang made was met with enthusiastic praise, such as, "Zhang-ge’er’s legs are getting stronger by the day; he’s healthy and thriving!"

Xie Yaoniang felt a warm glow in her heart hearing this. She looked at Fu Huai'an and thought he was becoming more pleasing to the eye; now a year older, his future handsomeness was already beginning to show.

When they arrived at the Old Madam’s Rongshou Hall, she was already dressed in her finest, sitting in the main seat awaiting their arrival. Seeing Fu Huai'an, her composure softened; she pulled him into a hug and asked with a beaming smile, "Did you sleep well last night? Were you frightened by the firecrackers outside?"

Fu Huai'an shook his head, stepped out of her embrace, and performed a respectful New Year’s greeting.

Fu Yuzhang, nestled in Xie Yaoniang’s arms, watched on. He thought that Fu Huai'an truly lived up to his role as the male lead; even at such a young age, he possessed the grace of a noble scion. Every movement was a pleasure to watch. In ten years, once he had fully matured, who knew how breathtakingly brilliant he would become?

Xie Yaoniang never allowed Fu Huai'an to steal the spotlight entirely. She immediately stood up with Fu Yuzhang and said with a smile, "Our Zhang-ge’er cannot walk yet, so I must hold him to pay his respects to you."

The Old Madam’s smile remained bright. "Good, good, both are such filial children."

As they spoke, maids entered in an orderly fashion, carrying various bowls and plates. In the center was a tray of five pungent vegetables, accompanied by spring rolls, noodles, and sixteen dishes of fruit. In one of the dishes, besides persimmons and tangerines, there was a sprig of cypress.

Fu Yuzhang watched with curiosity, unable to grasp the symbolism.

Fu Yuan reached out and snapped off a piece of the cypress, then peeled a persimmon and a tangerine. Xie Yaoniang, quick-witted, immediately smiled: "May the whole manor have good fortune this year, with happy tidings every single day!"

*So it’s another pun!* Fu Yuzhang realized with a start. The people of the Daqi Dynasty really had a soft spot for wordplay.

After breakfast, Fu Yuan handed his name cards to a trusted attendant, ordering him to deliver them to the various mansions one by one. Fu Yuzhang, quick as a flash, snatched one of the cards before Fu Yuan could react—*let me see, what is this?*

The paper was small, cut from plum-blossom stationery, and not much larger than Fu Yuzhang’s two hands. It was easy for him to hold, and it carried a faint scent of plum blossoms. He looked down and—*hey!*—his father hadn't used cursive script this time; Fu Yuzhang could actually read it!

No longer a "literate-illiterate," Fu Yuzhang was excited. He peered closely and saw three lines written in neat, beautiful small regular script: *Yuan, respectfully pays respects to Zijing, my esteemed brother. New Year’s Day. Written by Fu Yuan.*

*So it’s a New Year’s greeting card!* Fu Yuzhang realized. *I can’t believe these existed so long ago!*

Fu Yuan, caught off guard by his son stealing a card, saw him looking at it so intently—now examining it, now looking enlightened—and couldn't help but laugh. "You’re looking at it so seriously; can you actually understand it?"

Fu Yuzhang looked up, his face innocent, and held the card to his nose, saying clearly, "Fragrant!"

"Of course it’s fragrant; it’s the scent of ink-stained plum blossoms."

Fu Yuan joked, then reached out to retrieve the card from Fu Yuzhang’s hand and returned it to his attendant. The attendant accepted it respectfully and hurried off to deliver the cards.

Fu Yuan had to leave the house as well, so Xie Yaoniang began packing. The nannies and maids organized things for Fu Yuzhang and Fu Huai'an, ending up with two large bundles.

Fu Yuzhang was full of questions: If they were going out, why did his father have an attendant deliver the greeting cards separately?

Fu Huai'an, experienced in these matters, patted Fu Yuzhang’s back and whispered, "We are going to pay our respects at our maternal grandfather’s house."

Fu Yuzhang suddenly understood, and his excitement returned. "Going out to play!"

This was his first time going out since transmigrating into the book, so he was full of anticipation!

However, reality was harsh. After leaving the courtyard, he was carried into a sedan chair by Xie Yaoniang, then switched to another at the second gate to reach the main gate, and finally boarded a carriage. Throughout the trip, all Fu Yuzhang could see were the grounds of the Marquis’s estate; it was nothing like his imagination of wandering the streets and watching the festivities.

***

The only thing Fu Yuzhang saw was a large red paper bag hanging in front of the gatehouse of the Marquis’s estate. Its color was striking, and people kept rushing over to stuff something inside before hurrying away.

Seeing Fu Yuzhang’s dark, round eyes fixed on the red bag after they boarded the carriage, Fu Huai'an’s "good brother" instincts kicked in. He whispered, "Do you remember the name card you snatched earlier? There are too many people coming to pay their respects to the Marquis’s estate for the gatehouse to handle, so they put the name cards into the fortune bag."

Fu Yuzhang let out a "Wow." He hadn't expected New Year greetings to be so convenient. You didn't even have to visit in person; just send someone to drop off a card—how efficient!

Fu Huai'an always had great enthusiasm for teaching his younger brother. Seeing Fu Yuzhang’s interest, he pointed to two small black characters on the red bag and asked patiently, "Zhang-ge’er, do you see the two black characters on the red bag? It says 'Receiving Fortune.' It’s okay if you don't know them yet, you’ll learn them soon."

Fu Yuzhang had excellent eyesight and saw the characters "Receiving Fortune" clearly from that distance. He grinned happily, "Receiving Fortune."

"Zhang-ge’er is so smart!" Fu Huai'an was delighted by his brother's response.

Fu Yuan simply assumed Fu Yuzhang was parroting him and didn't pay it much mind.

The journey was bustling with noise. Fu Yuzhang could hear the cries of peddlers and the voices of people exchanging greetings—a scene full of festive cheer. Some were talking about "colored pavilions" and "lanterns," which made Fu Yuzhang sit up straight and prick up his ears. Those sounded incredibly fun; he wanted to see them!

Fu Yuan noticed and silently covered Fu Yuzhang’s ears: *No, you don’t.*

Fu Yuzhang pouted and buried his head in Xie Yaoniang’s arms, deciding to ignore his "bad" father.

When the carriage stopped in front of the Xie mansion, Fu Yuzhang subtly sensed that his mother had entered "battle mode." The angle of her chin, the look that was seven parts triumphant and three parts disdainful, and her posture, straight as a pine, all signaled that she was prepared—the Xie mansion was her battlefield.

Fu Yuzhang remembered: his mother was Fu Huai'an’s aunt. Fu Huai'an’s biological mother was also a daughter of the Xie family, born to the primary wife. She had died in childbirth, and to maintain the marital alliance, Xie Yaoniang had become Fu Yuan’s second wife.

In the original book, because Xie Yaoniang was born to a concubine, she was beautiful but not very bright, and she had suffered plenty of slights from her sisters in the Xie mansion. Later, she married into the Marquis’s estate and became the Marchioness, holding a high-ranking title. Even the legitimate mother who had looked down on her in the past could no longer compare to her status. How could she not feel vindicated? Especially now that she had given birth to Fu Yuzhang, her confidence was even greater, and she wanted to show off.

Recalling this, and looking at Fu Huai'an following Fu Yuan, Fu Yuzhang felt a dull ache in his head. *I’m just an innocent baby, why do I have to endure all this?*

The eldest son of the Xie family, Xie Tan, was already waiting at the gate with his brothers to welcome Fu Yuan. After Fu Yuan stepped out of the carriage, Xie Tan stepped forward with a smile. "Marquis, you have arrived quite early."

The three Xie brothers behind him chimed in, fawning over Fu Yuan with New Year greetings.

Fu Yuzhang dug through his memories for information on the Xie family and immediately understood why his uncles were acting this way. The Xie family was in decline. In this generation, only Xie Tan, the eldest legitimate son, held a minor sixth-rank official post, while the other three were good-for-nothings wasting their lives away. In the original book, the Xie family fell completely after the deaths of Xie Dexuan and Xie Tan. Xie Tan’s wife also fell ill, and the concubine-born sons were even more useless, gambling away the family fortune until they even pawned the ancestral home. Fu Huai'an had eventually investigated the gambling dens, leading to a shocking lawsuit.

Fu Yuzhang couldn't help but widen his eyes. He had seen plenty of "prodigal sons" in the modern world, but seeing the "ancient version" was fascinating; he had to get a good look.

Xie Tan caught Fu Yuzhang’s clear eyes and was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "Is this Zhang-ge’er? Truly a clever-looking child."

Xie Yaoniang nodded with cool reserve. She wasn't close to Xie Tan; the inner chambers were her true battlefield for showing off. She said, "Big Brother, Zhang-ge’er is still young, perhaps we should go inside first."

"Look at me, I was so happy to see you all that I forgot about Zhang-ge’er and An-ge’er. I’ll give you both a big fortune bag later so you can have some fun."

Fu Huai'an bowed and thanked Xie Tan with perfect etiquette, causing Xie Tan and the others to heap more praise upon him.

Xie Yaoniang had no patience for this. She had no full siblings and only cared about her own mother, the concubine, fearing she was being mistreated in the mansion. She wished she could fly into the inner chambers right now to talk to her.

Fu Yuan walked on calmly. After passing the screen wall, they reached the flower hall. Xie Tan and his brothers ushered Fu Yuan into the main hall, while maids led Xie Yaoniang and the children into the inner residence.

Fu Yuzhang looked around curiously and concluded: the Xie mansion was not as large as the Marquis’s estate, and the landscaping wasn't as grand, but it was clever—every flower and tree showed the refined taste of an educated family.

Xie Yaoniang held Fu Yuzhang, with Fu Huai'an walking closely by her side, occasionally looking up at Fu Yuzhang. From a distance, they looked just like a mother and her own children.

When the three of them entered, Madame Gong had already composed her expression. She couldn't see any hint of her true feelings, and she beckoned to Fu Huai'an warmly. "An-ge’er, do you still remember your grandmother?"

Fu Huai'an performed his greetings with precision and recited a New Year blessing with clear articulation, which made Madame Gong look gratified, though her eyes stung slightly—if only her own daughter, Yu-jie, were still here...

With this thought, Madame Gong glanced at Xie Yaoniang. Seeing her dressed in elaborate, luxurious finery, she felt a flicker of annoyance. Then, seeing the sharp-eyed Fu Yuzhang in her arms, her heart tightened again. She tried her best to control her hands as she hugged Fu Huai'an, afraid she might accidentally squeeze him too hard.

There were about a dozen women in the room, all dressed in fine clothes with elaborate jewelry and hairstyles, their scent of powder and perfume thick in the air.

Xie Yaoniang greeted Madame Gong respectfully, then gave a lukewarm greeting to the others. When her gaze met that of a refined woman of similar age, Xie Yaoniang lifted her chin higher, her greeting sounding almost like a scoff from her nose. "Fourth Sister."

Fu Yuzhang listened in and finally understood the identities of the women: the four wives of the Xie family’s four branches, the three married daughters, and the two daughters of Xie Dexuan who hadn't yet reached adulthood.

*My cheap grandfather was certainly prolific!*

The woman who had received Xie Yaoniang’s cold shoulder was Fu Yuzhang’s Fourth Aunt, Xie Fangniang. Even as a reader of the original book, Fu Yuzhang never understood the true nature of the conflict between his mother and Xie Fangniang. After all, they were just cannon fodder in a story about a great male lead; their personal grievances weren't worth the author’s ink.

Fu Huai'an sat down next to Fu Yuzhang. He picked up a small tangerine, stopped the nanny from helping, and peeled it carefully himself. After tasting a slice, he offered one to Fu Yuzhang. "Zhang-ge’er, try this; it’s sweet."

Fu Yuzhang gave him a radiant smile. "Thank you, Brother!"

Xie Fangniang covered her mouth and chuckled. "An-ge’er has always been a child prodigy, but looking at Zhang-ge’er, he seems no less impressive."

Xie Yaoniang looked proud. "Naturally. When our Zhang-ge’er first started talking, he said four words! Which other child is this clever?"

Madame Gong looked at Fu Yuzhang carefully and, meeting his clear gaze, smiled. "He is a good child."

Fu Yuzhang tilted his head, not understanding why he was suddenly being praised, but it felt great! He giggled and grabbed a piece of Fu Huai'an’s clothing. "Brother, good!"

Madame Gong was stunned, then smiled knowingly. "Brotherly love and respect—the next generation of the Marquis’s estate is secure."

Fu Yuzhang thought to himself: with Fu Huai'an around, the estate isn't just secure for the next generation; it would be secure for dozens more. There would always be pillars of strength, unlike the spendthrift uncles of the Xie family.

Xie Fangniang lowered her eyelashes, her tone soft. "Fifth Sister is truly blessed."

Xie Yaoniang gave her a look of disdain. "My blessings are certainly better than those of someone who hides a knife behind a smile."

Xie Fangniang wanted to say more but looked helplessly at Madame Gong. "Mother, it seems Fifth Sister has a deep misunderstanding of me. We are sisters, after all; one stroke cannot write the name 'Xie' twice. If others find out, they will only laugh at the discord among the children of the Xie family. Without peace at home, how can one govern the world?"

Madame Gong frowned. Xie Yaoniang hated it when Xie Fangniang played the moral high ground, always twisting logic to make herself the victim and others the villains. Xie Yaoniang had suffered in the past, but times were different. She didn't give Xie Fangniang any face, stood up, performed a respectful bow to Madame Gong, and said quickly, "Mother, I would like to visit my mother. May I?"

Madame Gong rubbed her brow, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "I knew you wouldn't wait. Go ahead, and let your mother see Zhang-ge’er too."

Fu Huai'an wanted to go along, but Madame Gong held him back and comforted him with soft words, leaving him to watch Fu Yuzhang and Xie Yaoniang leave with regret.

Fu Yuzhang, nestled in Xie Yaoniang’s arms, soon arrived at a quiet courtyard. Before they even entered, they could smell the scent of green-calyx plum blossoms.

Liu, his maternal grandmother, was a gentle beauty from the South, as soft as water, though she was not in good health and looked quite pale. Xie Yaoniang rushed forward to hold her hand. "The charcoal fire is so bright in here, why are your hands still so cold? Should I have them bring two more braziers?"

"Why get so upset on such a festive day?" Liu patted Xie Yaoniang’s hand gently. "These are old ailments; I’ve been sick for years. The Marchioness is kind to me; as soon as winter arrives, she has the best silver-thread charcoal sent to my room. My monthly allowance could never afford such things. It is all the Marchioness’s benevolence."

"I’ve married into the Marquis’s estate; who would dare mistreat you?" Xie Yaoniang muttered. Thinking of Madame Gong’s generally fair demeanor, she added, "Haven't I been taking good care of An-ge’er?"

Fu Yuzhang touched his nose, feeling that his mother’s words were a bit disingenuous. In the original book, she and her son had even plotted to take Fu Huai'an’s life to secure the Marquis’s title.

*Wait...* Fu Yuzhang’s eyes suddenly narrowed. *I remember!* In the original book, the relationship between his mother and Fu Huai'an hadn't been hostile from the start. The turning point that caused Xie Yaoniang to change her attitude was the death of Liu!

The book didn't elaborate, but Fu Yuzhang suddenly remembered that when Xie Yaoniang plotted to poison Fu Huai'an, she had muttered, "Every cause has its effect. If you want to blame someone, blame Madame Gong for her unscrupulous methods to protect you. I want you to pay with your life!"

Of course, the poisoning attempt was easily avoided by Fu Huai'an, leading to the truth being exposed and Fu Yuan’s rage, resulting in Xie Yaoniang being confined to the Buddha hall.

Some readers in the comments had speculated that since the poisoning attempt happened right after news of Liu’s death reached the Xie mansion, perhaps there was more to her death, and Xie Yaoniang had blamed Fu Huai'an, leading to her "darkening."

Fu Yuzhang touched his tiger-head hat, feeling troubled. *Can’t the author write in more detail? Doesn't cannon fodder deserve a proper storyline?*

*Calling for Brother, Brother, save me!*

Fu Huai'an was currently busy demonstrating his photographic memory and ability to recite after one hearing for Xie Dexuan and the others.

Xie Yaoniang missed the chance to show off Fu Yuzhang and felt frustrated. Fu Yuzhang felt a bit of sympathy for Fu Huai'an: *So even the male lead can’t escape the fate of performing for relatives and friends.*

*That balances things out!*

When they returned to the main hall, Madame Gong was even more amiable toward Xie Yaoniang and had become much closer to Fu Yuzhang. She gave Fu Yuzhang gifts that were identical in style to Fu Huai'an’s, only in different sizes, so no one could find fault.

Fu Yuzhang’s worries came and went quickly. The plot was still over a decade away; what could he, an infant not even a year old, do? He’d wait until he was older.

In any case, as long as Fu Huai'an was there, all petty villains would have nowhere to hide. Fu Yuzhang felt secure and at ease.

Fu Huai'an, having received a basketful of praise, was quite happy. Because Fu Yuan was present, he couldn't show it too obviously, so he kept a tight expression until he saw Fu Yuzhang, when he finally relaxed and smiled. "Did Zhang-ge’er have fun?"

Fu Yuzhang nodded happily and waved the golden peanut in his hand. "Fun!"

That was a little trinket Madame Gong had given him—a string of hollow gold peanuts. Children could play with them for half a day. Fu Huai'an also had a bag of them but wasn't very interested.

Seeing Fu Yuzhang’s happy expression, Fu Huai'an couldn't help but pour out his own golden peanuts, and they leaned their heads together, counting them one by one.

Xie Tan and the others looked on with subtle expressions: *Such a tiny thing, following An-ge’er, counting along—he’s already learned to count?*

Looking at Fu Yuan, Xie Tan and the others couldn't hide their envy: *What kind of luck is this, to have a son who is a prodigy? When did prodigies become as common as cabbage, and why does the Fu family pick them so easily? Where do we go to claim our own prodigy sons?*