At the crack of dawn, the lights in the outer residence were still on. Cui’er arrived in a hurry and pushed open the door to the guest room.
Madam Wang was sitting before a bronze mirror removing her makeup. Beside her sat a bowl of high-grade bird’s nest soup; she took a spoonful to moisten her throat. “Is the commotion in the inner courtyard finished?”
Cui’er said, “Yes.”
Madam Wang asked, “How did Fang Zesheng behave?”
“He didn’t seem particularly happy,” Cui’er said while kneeling to massage Madam Wang’s legs. “What do you think Second Master Fu is after by being so eager?”
Madam Wang put down her spoon and casually opened a vanity box. Inside, instead of rouge or powder, it was packed full of letters. She smiled. “A person spends their entire life driven by nothing more than seven emotions and six desires. Young Master Fu recalls the bond they shared in childhood; seeing Fang Zesheng as he is now, he can’t help but feel compassion. It’s only human nature.”
Cui’er said, “But isn’t that far too much effort?”
Madam Wang said, “The two of them were close as children; this is nothing.”
Cui’er rolled her eyes. “Then why did the Madam agree to Lady Liu’s request to let Fu Jingxuan marry into the family? Isn’t that just giving Fang Zesheng an ally? If he wants to take back…”
Madam Wang glanced at her. “The head of the Fang family has always been Fang Zesheng. I am merely helping him manage the business. What is there to ‘take back’?”
Cui’er hurriedly changed her tune: “Madam is right. But what if he helps Fang Zesheng?”
“By himself?” Madame Wang walked to the bedside and lowered the bed curtains. “It’s not that I look down on Fu Jingxuan; he’s a cunning one; even Liu Ruyan finds him troublesome, so how could I underestimate him? I only agreed to do Liu Ruyan this favor for the sake of business ties. As for whether he’ll help Fang Zesheng once he arrives?”
Madam Wang continued, “I’m afraid even if he wants to help, Zesheng won’t let him either.”
Cui’er asked, “Why?”
Madam Wang lay down and said, “With Zesheng’s current stubborn temperament, how could he bring himself to ask for help while in such a wretched state?”
Cui’er stepped forward to tuck in the corners of her quilt and straightened the gold-threaded silk shoes embroidered with peonies on the floor. She asked cautiously, “Do you think the Head Merchant really doesn’t know about what happened back then?”
Madam Wang closed her eyes to rest. “He is so clever; what is there that he wouldn’t know?”
“Then he…” Cui’er originally wanted to ask, “Then why doesn’t he seek revenge against you?” But on second thought, what choice did a cripple attended by a mute, yet burdened with safeguarding the Fang family’s century-old legacy from falling into others’ hands have but to live cautiously?
Madam Wang wore a look of mercy. “We’re all businesspeople; so long as appearances are maintained, we make do. He knows very well what I want. I’ll give him a few more years until he comes to his senses and formally hands the Fang family over to me. That would be far better than clinging to an empty shell and living under someone else’s roof; it would be much easier for him.”
The next day.
The wheelchair in the courtyard remained exactly where it had been left. Second Master Fu stretched lazily, then rose from the couch in the study, clad in a pale, frost-hued long robe. The night before, he had wheeled Fang Zesheng out and then back again, lifted him onto the bed, and afterward simply collapsed where he was, falling straight into a deep sleep. He had ignored Head Merchant Fang’s attempts to wake him or push him away with his cheerful snoring drifting through the air until the sun was high in the sky, and he finally opened his eyes to wander out.
Fang Zesheng was already up and had returned to the flower hall of the main house to receive Chen Fu, who had just arrived. Chen Fu was fifty-two or fifty-three years old with a broad forehead, a wide mouth, and a handlebar mustache. Seeing Fu Jingxuan walk in, he hurriedly stood up. “Greetings, Second Master Fu.”
Fu Jingxuan cupped his hands and smiled. “I presume this is Physician Chen?”
“Indeed, it is this humble old man.”
Fu Jingxuan said, “Please have a seat, Physician Chen.” He then moved to Fang Zesheng’s side and asked, “How was your sleep last night?”
Fang Zesheng originally intended to ignore him but seeing him watching with a beaming smile, he could only say, “It was fine.”
Fu Jingxuan asked, “Truly?”
Fang Zesheng gave a grunt of affirmation and was just about to find an excuse to send him away when he heard him say, “Then we shall sleep together again tonight.”
“Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile”—that was exactly the sort of person Second Master Fu was.
Chen Fu sat to the side with a “heheh,” chuckle, lifting his medicine chest as he said, “I shall perform the acupuncture for the Head Merchant first.”
Fang Zesheng nodded.
“During this period, has there been any sensation in your legs, Head Merchant?” Chen Fu asked while pressing down on his knee. “Does this hurt?”
Fang Zesheng said, “No.”
Chen Fu moved down to his calf and pressed firmly. “And this?”
Fang Zesheng said, “Still no.”
Chen Fu nodded. “Then there has been no improvement. This old man will first administer the needles and then change your prescription for the medicinal soak.”
Fang Zesheng offered his thanks and turned his attention to his book. Fu Jingxuan remained silent as well, sipping his tea while contemplating how to make the corners of Fang Zesheng’s flatly set mouth turn upward. Suddenly, he noticed the mute uncle standing to the side with downcast eyes, his fists clenched tightly and an expression of deep suffering on his face.
An hour later, Chen Fu withdrew the needles and stood to take his leave. Fu Jingxuan accompanied him to the door and, after a pause, asked, “Do you think Fang Zesheng’s legs could ever recover?”
Chen Fu said, “Logically speaking, they should have healed long ago.”
“What do you mean by that, Physician Chen?”
Chen Fu replied, “The Head Merchant’s legs were crushed by a heavy object years ago. When I took on his case, I examined him; his fractured bones and torn tendons had long since healed. With six months to a year of rest, followed by a few months of rehabilitation, he should have been able to walk. It’s very strange that he still hasn’t stood in nearly eight years.”
Fu Jingxuan frowned. “Are you implying that Fang Zesheng’s inability to stand is faked?”
“No, no, no.” Chen Fu waved his hands hurriedly. “This old man has practiced medicine for many years and seen many rare maladies. The Head Merchant truly cannot stand.”
Fu Jingxuan asked, “How can you be so certain?”
Chen Fu said, “Every time I perform acupuncture, each needle pierces one of his vital acupoints. The pain is beyond what any ordinary person could bear; it’s no exaggeration to say it’s like having one’s heart or gallbladder ripped out. If those were healthy legs, he would likely jump up at the first needle, let alone dozens of them.”
Fu Jingxuan asked, “Then why has he never recovered?”
Chen Fu said, “Madam Wang also asks me about this frequently.”
Fu Jingxuan hesitated. “The relationship between you and Madam Wang is…?”
“Oh,” Chen Fu said, “I was originally a local physician from Madam Wang’s hometown. A few years ago, she sent me to come take a look, supposedly to help the Head Merchant with his legs. When he didn’t improve, she had me stay in the city so it would be more convenient.”
It appeared that Chen Fu was just an ordinary physician; it was simply that Wang Xiuhe, naturally cautious, had personally sought out someone she knew well so she could rely on his services without worry. Fu Jingxuan had never bothered to inquire about Fang Zesheng’s legs before, so he took this chance to ask a few more questions.
“Then have you discovered the reason why he cannot stand?”
Chen Fu said, “This old man only has conjectures. I reckon it is related to the great fire over a decade ago. After all, his family met with such a sudden and massive upheaval; it was more than anyone could bear. It is very possible that a resulting deep-seated emotional trauma led to his inability to stand.”
“Is there such a theory?”
Chen Fu said, “There is. In the end, a malady of the heart demands medicine for the heart. My needles cannot reach his soul; I am truly powerless.”
Fu Jingxuan pondered for a long while and nodded. “Thank you, Physician Chen. This way, please.”
After seeing off Chen Fu, Fu Jingxuan headed straight for the study. He knew Fang Zesheng wouldn’t stay in the main house, and sure enough, in the blink of an eye, the man was back at his desk. The mute uncle’s expression had returned to normal, though his eyes were still slightly red; seeing Fu Jingxuan, he gave a helpless smile and gestured that he was going to fetch tea.
Fu Jingxuan wandered about the room, at one moment teasing the little koi in the white jade bowl and the next watering the pomegranate flowers in their pots. It happened to be the Grain Buds season; the pomegranate blossoms were fiery red, and the green leaves provided ample shade. Second Master Fu picked up a pair of scissors to prune the lush branches, even leisurely humming a little tune. He hummed for nearly an hour, lost in his own amusement as if no one else were in the room. Only when he sensed that person’s gaze occasionally drifting toward his back did Fu Jingxuan raise an eyebrow, pull over a round stool to sit opposite Fang Zesheng, and snatch the book straight from his hands.
With his hands suddenly empty, Fang Zesheng stared into the air for a long moment. He frowned, deciding not to stoop to the other party’s level, and reached for another book. Before he could even open it, that too was snatched away.
“What are you doing?” Fang Zesheng asked, displeased.
Fu Jingxuan said, “I’m not doing anything. It’s you, what are you doing? Why were you stealing glances at me?”
Fang Zesheng said, “I was not looking at you.”
“Liar,” Fu Jingxuan said. “It’s just the two of us in here, why be so secretive?”
With a stony face and without a word, Fang Zesheng picked up yet another book.
Fu Jingxuan laughed and snatched the book away once more. “What’s so good about a book? Better to just take a good, honest look at me instead.”
