Due to many other matters concerning the Fang family that needed to be handled, the two of them stayed in the mountains for only two nights before heading back.
The Fang family’s domestic servants had already been completely dismissed, and the news of Wang Xiuhe hanging herself spread throughout the entire Tea Merchant Association within a few days. Some clapped their hands in cheer, while others remained indifferent. Over the years, the Fang family’s maternal relatives and clan members had long since had their spirits crushed by Wang Xiuhe’s suppression; hearing of this, they initially thought they were daydreaming. Only when they clearly saw the seal of the Fang family’s head accountant stamped on the invitations delivered by servants did they hurriedly throw on their clothes and rush to the Fang residence.
Several carriages were parked at the entrance of the Fang residence with the uncles and aunts gathered in the flower hall of the outer residence, waiting for Fang Zesheng to arrive. They had not seen Fang Zesheng for a long time. In earlier years, they would still confront and contend with Wang Xiuhe over Fang family affairs, but they gradually grew tired and weary. After being tripped up by Wang Xiuhe’s schemes too many times, they honestly accepted their fate, handed over their shops, and stopped struggling.
Some had even ceased doing business in the tea trade entirely, thinking the Fang family would decline from then on and that its fate could hardly be reversed.
Fang Changrong was Fang Zesheng’s eldest uncle. His hair and sideburns had long since turned gray now that he turned sixty-seven years old. A few years ago, he followed his children and grandchildren to the He County for his retirement. Upon hearing the news, he rushed back overnight. The moment he saw Fang Zesheng, his sunken eye sockets glimmered with tears. He knelt tremblingly before the wheelchair while holding Fang Zesheng’s hand. “It is Eldest Uncle who was useless. I could not avenge your parents and even allow you to suffer so many grievances.”
Fang Zesheng hurriedly supported Fang Changrong’s arms and gestured for the mute uncle to help him up.
The Fang family had closed many shops over the years, and with the loss of individual customers, there was not much business left to do. On the official front, matters were overseen by Prefect Feng, who had long been in a mutually beneficial arrangement with Wang Xiuhe and had reaped considerable gains from the Fang family.
Now that Wang Xiuhe is dead and gone, the Fang family’s business must start over from scratch.
Fang Zesheng did not say much to his uncles today; he simply gave a brief account of the current situation and then sent them home.
When Fu Jingxuan woke up, Fang Zesheng had just returned from the outer residence. The two of them sat together in the study and ate lunch that was neither early nor late while discussing what was to come.
“The tea stock in the warehouse has been almost entirely destroyed by the fire, and ‘Carved Lotus’ has lost its clientele due to the steady decline in craftsmanship over the past few years. With winter drawing near, if we intend to reopen the shops, we’ll have to wait until next spring before making a final decision.” Fu Jingxuan stirred his porridge before adding a spoonful of sugar to the bland white congee. He added a bit too much, so he scooped some out and put it into Fang Zesheng’s bowl. Fang Zesheng waited for the fine granulated sugar to dissolve in his bowl, took a sip, and said, “We must wait for the first batch of spring buds to arrive before we can process tea again. This winter, I will go visit the former workers to see if they are still willing to return and help the Fang family.”
Fu Jingxuan said, “Uncle Fang was a man of integrity and kindness; many of your tea workers received favors from him. If you visit them personally, they will surely all return.”
Fang Zesheng nodded. After a long silence, he looked at him and said, “Accompany me.”
Fu Jingxuan blinked and asked with a smile, “Why?”
Fang Zesheng’s lips twitched as he whispered, “You are… naturally, you must accompany me.”
“What?” Fu Jingxuan didn’t hear him clearly and leaned his ear closer to his mouth.
Fang Zesheng let out a feigned cough and looked up at the bamboo lantern hanging from the roof beam. “You are the spouse of the Fang family and half a master of the house. For such a major matter, naturally, you must accompany me.”
The corners of Fu Jingxuan’s mouth curved upward. He sat up straight and asked with mock humility, “Then may I ask the Head Merchant, are there any other titles for a ‘spouse’ of the Fang family?”
Fang Zesheng remained silent, his earlobes turning red as he thought of a particular term. “Naturally, there are.”
Fu Jingxuan asked, “What titles?”
Fang Zesheng stared at the bamboo lantern, lost in thought for a long time. Just as his lips twitched and he was about to speak, San Bao came charging in headfirst while shouting loudly, “Young Master, Head Merchant! A guest has arrived! His surname is Hu; he’s called Hu Yunshan!”
Fu Jingxuan had half a mind to kick San Bao in the backside and throw him out, but upon hearing the name, he couldn’t help but exchange a look with Fang Zesheng before pushing the wheelchair toward the inner courtyard flower hall.
Sitting in the flower hall was a gentleman dressed in blue; it was Hu Yunshan, the tea-whisking recluse whom Wang Xiuhe had invited during the Tea Tasting Convention.
Fu Jingxuan had met him before and gave him a nod.
Hu Yunshan cupped his hands in greeting before paying his respects to Fang Zesheng with impeccable etiquette.
Fang Zesheng nodded. “Young Master Hu, please sit.”
Hu Yunshan sat down and said, “Please forgive my presumption in disturbing you today, Head Merchant.”
Fang Zesheng replied, “It doesn’t matter. May I ask what brings Young Master Hu here today?”
Hu Yunshan paused briefly, then rose from his seat, stepped into the center of the flower hall, and dropped to his knees before Fang Zesheng. “I have come today because I wish to take the Head Merchant as my master. I earnestly entreat the Head Merchant to accept me as a disciple and instruct me in the techniques of tea whisking.”
Fang Zesheng frowned slightly and glanced at Fu Jingxuan. Fu Jingxuan said, “You are a member of the Hu family; why have you come to seek a master from the Fang family?”
Hu Yunshan said, “I have not returned to the Hu family.”
“Why?” Fu Jingxuan asked. “Back then, didn’t you go to great lengths to find Lady Wang precisely because you wanted to win the Tea Tasting Convention and return to the Hu family?”
Hu Yunshan replied, “At the time, I genuinely wished to acknowledge my ancestry and return to the clan, but it was only after that ordeal that I came to understand clearly that my self-assured tea-whisking skills were far from worthy of the stage.”
Fu Jingxuan pulled out his folding fan and tapped it against his palm. “So, you’ve come to the Fang family to take on an apprenticeship, and once you’ve mastered the proper craft, you’ll return to serve the Hu family?”
Hu Yunshan said hurriedly, “That is not the case. It no longer matters to me whether I can return to the Hu family or not; I seek only to devote myself to mastering the art of tea whisking and to carry out my mother’s final wish.”
Fu Jingxuan knew of his father’s final wish, but as for his mother’s, he was in the dark.
“Your mother’s dying wish is?”
“My mother never wanted me to return to the Hu family in the first place; she only wanted me to study tea in peace and stay away from conflict. In the past, I overestimated myself, believing my talent for tea whisking was unmatched and that I needed to return to the Hu family to flaunt my skills and make them regret their scorn. Now, however, I see that the Hu family was not at fault;it was I who was impetuous and arrogant, unworthy of stepping into a distinguished household.”
Fang Zesheng listened in silence, with no intention of taking him in. Putting aside the question of his Hu lineage, the age difference alone made it unsuitable; he was Hu Ruosong’s younger brother, they belonged to the same generation, with scarcely more than a year or two between them.
Seeing that Fang Zesheng remained unmoved, Hu Yunshan hastily turned to Fu Jingxuan and said, “Mistress[mfn]He called him Shiniang here, which is translated as Master’s Wife.[/mfn], I beg you to grant me a chance. I have come this time in all sincerity to take a master. Once I have learned, I am willing to remain with the Fang family for life and serve it faithfully. If you do not trust my character, then you should at least trust Hu Ruosong’s; he would never allow me to carry the Fang family’s techniques back into the Hu household, not even a single step.”
Hu Ruosong’s character was indeed trustworthy. Although Hu Yunshan had some petty shrewdness, he was not a wicked person, so there was no fear of him playing any extra tricks after becoming a disciple. Furthermore, the Fang family was currently in need of people; Fang Zesheng would likely choose to keep him but not as a formal disciple.
Fu Jingxuan weighed the pros and cons. Just as he was about to check Fang Zesheng’s opinion, he saw Fang Zesheng nodding with a solemn expression while looking at Hu Yunshan with a gaze full of approval.
