The general kneels on the washboard again

After getting rid of Fan Zhicheng, Yue Niang glanced at Lian Xing and said, "Go ahead and do your work more efficiently."

"Don't worry, master." Lian Xing disappeared around the corner.

Yue Niang was waiting outside Aunt Guan's yard.

It took a long time for Fan Zhicheng to come out.

Yue Niang was the first to speak up, breaking the awkward silence: "Has Aunt Guan gone to bed?"

Fan Zhicheng nodded.

As they walked side by side, Yue Niang continued, "I was a little hasty in my words just now. I really admire the daughter of the Guan family for being so filial. I wasn't being sarcastic."

Fan Zhicheng nodded: "I know, Miss Fu, there is no one around now, what is your real purpose?"

Yue Niang did not hide much and told the story about the bet.

But Fan Zhicheng's reaction showed he had never heard of this before: "What? Isn't this Boss Fu's behavior too inappropriate?"

It was all a test, so Yue Niang decided to go all the way. "That day in the restaurant, when you said you were attracted to me, I was really surprised and happy. Now I've told you the truth, so what's your intention? You're not really attracted to me, are you?"

Fan Zhicheng glanced towards Aunt Guan's yard and said, "I'm sorry, it was my father who asked me to do that."

Yue Niang suddenly reached out and touched the scar on the back of Fan Zhicheng's neck: "Why are you still willing to call him father?"

"I haven't achieved any fame yet, so I can't leave here. Just like Miss Fu, I can't abandon the surname Fan."

As the two chatted, the banquet time had passed unknowingly.

That night, Yue Niang suddenly felt that she was lucky to have Fu Shiqing as her father.

When the two arrived at the banquet, only Fan Qude and his eldest son Fan Zhigong were there.

Fan Qude stood on the steps with his hands behind his back, and a cold wind passed straight through Fan Zhicheng and Yue Niang.

"Tell me, you little bastard, where have you been?" Van Quede cursed as soon as he opened his mouth.

Fan Zhicheng knelt down reflexively: "Father, Master, I was in the courtyard and forgot the time."

Yue Niang quickly explained, "Boss Fan, I begged Master Fan to take me around."

Fan Qude glanced over, and at that moment, Yue Niang saw the surging black energy above his head. "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Miss Fu, but I'm educating my family. Miss Fu, you can stay and watch, but please don't say anything. It's very rude to interrupt your elders at will."

Yue Niang shut up at the right time, thinking that this man must be sick. Why didn't he listen to any explanation?

Fan Qude watched Yue Niang shut up, then turned to Fan Zhicheng: "Do you want me to help you?"

Fan Zhicheng knew that it was useless to explain himself, so he skillfully took off his shirt and knelt on the ground. The skin on his upper body was purple and covered with scars.

Fan Zhicheng took out a whip from his waist, walked towards Fan Zhicheng, and whipped him again and again.

Fan Zhicheng's upper body was covered with new wounds and old ones, and the bloodstains and scars merged together, which was shocking to Yue Niang.

At that moment, Yue Niang didn't know where she got the courage from: "Boss Fan, that's enough." She rushed forward and took the whip head-on.

Fan Qude was shocked by this unexpected turn of events: "Why? Are you worried about your lover?"

Yue Niang felt the pain, clutching her wound and frowning, "Boss Fan, he's your son, not your servant or slave. Why are you beating him to death?"

Lian Xing wanted to go forward, but Yue Niang stopped him.

Fan Qude went on to say, "Fu girl, do you really think I dare not deal with you?" Fan Qude was overwhelmed by his disobedience.

Fan Zhicheng, a bloody mess on the ground, knelt in front of Yue Niang and said, "Master, this is all my fault." Then he said to Yue Niang, "Miss Fu, it's getting late. You should go home early. Shu He, hurry up and take Miss Fu back."

When Shuhe heard what his master said, he quickly pulled Yue Niang out, and Lian Xing and Dong Zhu also came forward to help.

When we arrived at the Fan family's door, we could still hear Fan Qude's roar and the sound of the whip.

After a few people came out, the door was closed by Shuhe.

Dong Zhu supported Yue Niang, while Lian Xing asked, "Master, why didn't you let me take action just now?"

Yue Niang shook her head: "It can't be exposed now. What happened today is also my fault. I talked with Fan Zhicheng for too long."

Dong Zhu comforted Yue Niang: "Miss, how can this be blamed on you?"

Yue Niang only felt that her involvement seemed to make the situation of Fan Zhicheng and his mother worse.

"Lian Xing, secretly give Shu He some medicine for his wounds at night."

"Yes."

It's time for the change of seasons again. Yue Niang started to have rhinitis, which was a disease she got during the years in Yunzhou. The wind and sand in Yunzhou were too strong.

After Fan Zhicheng's injury healed a little, he came to visit in person, but was stopped outside by Fu Shiqing: "Yue'er is not at home today, please come another day."

The moment he said this, Yue Niang appeared in the door.

Fu Shiqing was a little embarrassed and quickly tried to make amends: "Yue'er, you are here. The servant just said you were not at home."

"I'm here." Yue Niang smiled harmlessly.

Fu Shiqing had no choice but to usher Fan Zhicheng in: "Come in quickly, nephew."

Yue Niang also followed closely.

When he arrived at the hall, Fu Shiqing left on the pretext that he had to look at the account book.

Only Yue Niang and Fan Zhicheng were left.

Fan Zhicheng spoke first: "Thank you, Miss Fu, for the medicine." He then took out a hairpin from his bosom. The hairpin was jasper in color and carved with delicate plum blossoms. A white tassel fell from the end of the hairpin, and it looked very valuable.

Yue Niang felt a little guilty, but she let Dong Zhu take the hairpin. "After all, your injury is related to me, so you don't have to be polite."

Fan Zhicheng looked at Yue Niang and made a great decision: "Miss Fu, you now know the situation of my family. My affection for you was arranged by the elders in my family. I don't want to harm you."

"Do you have someone you like?"

Fan Zhicheng shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, now I am also thinking about how to achieve fame and then take Aunt Guan away from that place."

Fan Zhicheng clearly called her "A Niang" that day.

Yue Niang stood up and said, "Master Fan, since you don't have anyone you like, why don't we go out for a walk?"

Fan Zhicheng agreed: "I will listen to Miss Fu."

There are many people in the Fu family, and some things really cannot be said freely.

Dongzhu took Yue Niang's veil hat and the two of them went out through the side door.

Yue Niang did not bring any followers, nor did Fan Zhicheng.

Before they knew it, they had reached the edge of the Tao River, the moat.

The breeze brought a hint of coolness. Fan Zhicheng was also smart: "Miss Fu doesn't really like me, right?"

Yue Niang admitted generously: "Yes."

"I thought children from families like ours had no way to make their own choices, but it seems the girl is quite free."

"If I leave now, all the hard-earned foundation I've built will be gone, and I don't want that."

Fan Zhicheng's face was full of envy: "At least the girl has the qualifications to negotiate, but I have nothing."

Yue Niang saw that the time was ripe and said, "Master Fan, I asked you to come out today because there are too many people in the mansion. Now that this place is quiet, I think you are not willing to treat marriage as a joke. Why don't we make a deal?"

"What deal?" Fan Zhicheng still looked like a gentle and elegant scholar, as if he was listening to a lecture by a teacher.

"I want to marry you not just to keep a part of the property, but more importantly to find evidence that the Fan family framed the Qin family and to redress the Qin family's innocence."

Fan Zhicheng listened calmly and said, "So this can be my bargaining chip to leave the Fan family, right?"

Yue Niang nodded: "So I want you to cooperate with me to find that evidence."

"I'm a member of the Fan family and will be implicated. Why is Miss Fu willing to believe me?"

Yue Niang said, "A man who is so filial to his mother cannot be a bad person." More importantly, Yue Niang saw that he had white aura and had never been polluted.

Fan Zhicheng stood firm like a pine tree: "What do you need me to do?"

A hint of joy crept up his brows. "Let's maintain the status quo and gain the trust of Patriarch Fan first. I will send someone to infiltrate and cooperate with you. According to the Qin family's recollections, the Fan family has accounts for every business transaction with our family. I think these accounts are also evidence of the Fan family's control over other large families, so they will not be easily destroyed."

Fan Zhicheng nodded: "If I get these accounts, can I get rid of the Fan family? I want to take my mother with me."

"I promise that after you leave the Fan family, I will also arrange a place for you to go, and I will also pay for all the money you need to take the exam."

Fan Zhicheng rarely smiled heartily: "As long as I can leave the Fan family, I can support my mother by selling calligraphy and paintings, or writing letters for her. If that doesn't work out, I can also work as a handyman at the inn, or unload goods."

At this moment, Fan Zhicheng was full of hope for the future, and he was shining. However, what appeared in Yue Niang's mind was always the image of Jiang Yunxiao when he said he wanted to be a young general.

She would rather believe that Fan Zhicheng betrayed the Fan family than to give up the idea of getting married. She couldn't get over it in her heart.