NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 59
In a dark and windowless small room, surviving on meager meals of rice porridge and steamed buns, no one could have imagined that Fang Heng, once hailed as the esteemed young master of the prosperous Fengjing city, would lead such a life for a solid half-year.
People used to praise him like this:
"A tiger's son will not be a dog. Brandishing his mighty spear, he is destined to inherit his father's legacy and become the most outstanding descendant of the Fang family."
But with the sudden death of his father and the passing of his grandmother, the Fang family underwent a drastic change.
His uncle, with a smug smile, took over the family's power and imprisoned him and his mother in the Fang residence, leaving them with no escape and nowhere to go.
Later, his mother desperately sent him away to another family, only to take her own life.
Before parting, she said, "Ah Heng, from now on, you will be an orphan without parents. Be strong and don't trust anyone easily. Your mother is sending you to your maternal grandparents' home. Listen well and grow up to be obedient."
But his mother never mentioned that his maternal grandparents did not welcome him either.
His aunt locked him up in the firewood shed, sealing the doors and windows, and only gave him meager meals of rice porridge and steamed buns, intending to break him completely.
In truth, Fang Heng was on the verge of collapsing. He languished and contemplated every day, wishing to join his parents and swearing not to be human in his next life.
But it was the innocent words of his young cousin that ignited his resentment.
"Mother, are you really going to marry me off to the Fang family? Why not Fang Heng, my older brother?"
His aunt patted her head and said impatiently, "Fang Heng has no parents, what use would it be to marry him off? I've already made an agreement with the head of the Fang family. When you come of age, you will be married to Fang Yuan and become the mistress of the Fang family."
Fang Yuan was Fang Heng's cousin, the eldest son of his uncle.
The young cousin, who had been familiar with Fang Heng since childhood, didn't even know who Fang Yuan was. Upon hearing this, she started making a fuss, but was silenced by a slap from her mother. "Keep causing trouble, and I'll feed Fang Heng a bowl of poison."
The tears of the young cousin instantly stopped, and her cries turned into stifled sobs.
Each sob felt like a knife thrust into Fang Heng's heart.
He repeatedly questioned himself, "What right do I have to die? My father's sudden death, my mother's suicide, my uncle's usurpation, my aunt's indifference—aren't these supposed to be reasons for hatred? Shouldn't I seek revenge? Why did I cowardly choose death?"
With death, there would be nothing left.
But by living, there would at least be hope.
From that day on, Fang Heng began to exercise in the dark and windowless small room. If the space was small, he would run in place; if there were no suitable long spear, he would use a long stick.
He gathered his strength and immersed himself in the techniques his father taught him, ingraining them into his very bones.
In just half a year, he achieved as much progress as he had in the previous three years.
Fang Heng made up his mind to escape.
He painstakingly studied how to start a fire with friction and ignited the firewood shed, taking advantage of the chaos to make his escape while hunched over.
The Wang family was a prominent clan in the Anshui County, with numerous servants coming and going. But in the blink of an eye, the fire in the shed was extinguished, and Fang Heng's escape was discovered.
"Find him! We must find him and guard all the exits!" His aunt issued a ruthless command.
In a panic, Fang Heng fled to a small courtyard and from there, discovered a dog hole leading to the outside world.
As he crawled away on his knees, he caught a glimpse of a pale yellow figure, but no pursuers ever came after hearing the commotion.
Fang Heng escaped, fleeing from the capital city to the county town, and then wandering to the Ten Li Town.
There, he encountered his younger sister, older brother, and younger brother.
He was no longer alone; besides his cold pursuit of revenge, his life gained a new warmth.
But who could have imagined that half a year later, he would come face to face with his aunt.
The woman who appeared noble and unparalleled in the eyes of outsiders, Wang Madam, was actually wicked to an outrageous extent. And even now, she refused to let him go.
Fang Heng felt as if he had fallen into a river, being pushed by the dark currents, going back and forth, left and right, with his feet touching no ground and his head struggling for air.
He was like a drowning man, unable to catch a breath of fresh air.
Until a voice came urgently—
"Third Brother, Third Brother, what's wrong? Don't be scared, we're all here."
That's right, he wasn't alone anymore.
He wasn't the nine-year-old boy hiding in a small dark room, secretly yearning for his mother.
He had family now—older and younger brothers, and a lovely younger sister. He was already ten years old, growing up quickly, although in a cruel way.
Fang Heng slowly opened his eyes, tears welling up and pooling within them, ready to fall with the slightest blink.
Jiang Sheng was heartbroken, crying along with him. "Third Brother, what's wrong? Don't scare me."
This little girl hadn't shed many tears in her seven years of wandering.
But for the sake of her brothers, she was turning into a little crybaby.
Fang Heng reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Jiang Sheng's face. "Don't be afraid, Third Brother is fine."
He lifted his head, surrounded by his brothers, their faces filled with concern.
"Little San, tell Big Brother what happened." Xu Mo patted his shoulder.
Fang Heng's lips moved several times, and finally, he revealed the hidden secret buried deep in his heart. "That person earlier was my aunt. My family has experienced a great upheaval, and I sought refuge with her, but she imprisoned me in a woodshed, intending for me to die slowly."
"I escaped, and in my panic, I didn't realize it was Anshui County. I stumbled upon her again."
If he had known his aunt was in Anshui County, he would have... he would have...
Fang Heng paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that even if he had known his aunt was in Anshui County, he would still have chosen to accompany his older brother on this journey, because compared to the fear he felt towards his aunt, he was more concerned about the safety of his brothers and sister.
A new strength surged through his body, driving away the fear of darkness and the trembling for his loved ones.
"Big Brother, I'm not afraid anymore." Fang Heng lifted his head, his expression resolute. "But I don't want to be discovered by the Wang family again. If they catch me, it could bring trouble to everyone."
Xu Mo nodded approvingly.
When you thought about it, Fang Heng had changed quite a bit in the past half year. He had grown taller, and his face gradually shed its childishness.
In another three or four years, it was believed that even if he faced Wang Madam directly, she wouldn't recognize him.
"So, Third Brother, are you still crying?" Jiang Sheng asked timidly from the side.
Fang Heng hesitated, and a blush instantly covered his fair face.
Embarrassing, so embarrassing. He had always considered himself a tough man, a man who should be strong and not shed tears, but in front of his younger sister, he had dropped the golden beans.
How humiliating.
"Your third brother can cry whenever he wants," Xu Mo suppressed his laughter beside them. "A real man sheds tears only when he reaches the point of heartbreak."
"I understand," Jiang Sheng nodded thoughtfully. "From now on, if any of my brothers feel like crying, Jiang Sheng will give you a handkerchief. And if you all want to cry together..."
She appeared somewhat reluctant, but quickly displayed a righteous determination. "Then Jiang Sheng will lend you my jacket, considering it a way to wash the jacket."
Xu Mo couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.
Fang Heng was helpless.
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan both twitched the corners of their mouths, feeling that their little sister was truly adorable.
With her around, every day became easier to bear.
Over the next few days, the five children took turns squatting outside the county office, observing the daily activities of the county magistrate.
In the end, they reached a conclusion: the county magistrate arrives at the county office every day at the hour of si, departs at the hour of shen, and takes a rest every seventh day, with the following day's arrival slightly earlier.
It was now mid-March.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Xu Mo changed into a finely woven robe exclusive to literati. At the end of chen hour, he knelt on the central avenue that the county magistrate must pass on his way to the county office.