Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Yuan Feng gently descended from the roof beam and drew back the curtains: "Get up."

Little Wood was still wondering, “Uncle can’t move his legs,” when he saw Yuan Feng’s mouth agape: Where did Auntie come from?

After Yuan Feng helped Nan Fei get dressed, Nan Fei gestured for Yuan Feng to help him into the wheelchair.

Little Wood climbed off the bed and stood next to him: "Uncle, you can walk..."

Nanfei held him in his arms: "When Uncle left, Little Wood was only a few months old and couldn't even speak. Now he can face the sun and wake up early, that's amazing. What else can Little Wood recite... Recite it for Uncle..."

Little Wooden Head, flattered beyond questioning, swayed his head and sang in a childish voice: "The sun and moon wax and wane, the stars and constellations are arrayed. Cold comes and heat goes, autumn harvests and winter stores..."

Nanfei nodded and praised, occasionally saying, "Great...very great...fantastic...Little Wood is really amazing..."

Little Wood's interest grew even stronger: "...A leap year completes the cycle, the musical scales harmonize the seasons. Clouds rise and bring rain, dew condenses into frost..."

Yuan Feng smiled and pushed them into the corridor, where they saw Old Madam Nan and Jun Xinyue coming over.

Jun Xinyue picked up Little Wooden Head: "We're truly connected by blood. The moment Wooden Head opened its eyes, it said it wanted to see Uncle... Wooden Head, Uncle's leg is injured, so it can't sit on Uncle's lap..."

Madam Nan said with deep worry, "Ah Feng, I didn't sleep a wink last night. I thought and thought and I felt that this couldn't go on... People should speak and act according to their conscience. He has wronged you all these years, and our Nan family has wronged you..."

Yuan Feng looked bewildered: What can't I do?

Madam Nan said, "You're still young. If Xiaofei doesn't recover, we can't go against our conscience and harm you. If you want to divorce your husband, we have nothing to say, we won't blame you... Nanhua can always say a few words to the Emperor. If it's inconvenient for you, I'll have Nanhua speak to him on your behalf..."

Old Madam Nan, her eyes brimming with tears, said, "...It's all because Xiaofei is unlucky. If it were anyone else, no one could carry him or lift him up. He didn't know how to cherish such a good wife, and insisted on going out and having a good time, and now look what's happened..."

Yuan Feng was helpless with her tearful elders, and even more helpless with dealing with trivial family matters. Seeing that Nan Fei didn't speak, she pinched Nan Fei's arm and twisted it slightly.

"You hit me so hard? That's cruel!" Nanfei screamed in pain: "Ah—"

Madam Nan was startled and asked in a panic, "What's wrong? Where does it hurt? Is your leg hurting again?...Which leg..."

Nanfei hugged Old Madam Nan's waist: "Mother, don't worry, Ah Feng won't divorce her husband. You gave me life like this, I could stand on the street and wave, and a hundred or eighty girls would come running to me. Whether plump or slender, Mother, I'll marry whichever one you like. She'll regret it if she divorces him..."

Yuan Feng looked down at him, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Little Wooden Head said in a childish voice, "Grandma, Uncle can walk, he opened the door for me."

Before Old Madam Nan could react, Little Wooden Head added, "Auntie appeared out of the room..."

Nanfei wailed, "Mother... I'm hungry... I'm starving... Mother, let's go pay our respects to Father-in-law today and go back to the Yuan family. We'll come back in a few days..."

Madam Nan was stunned: "The Yuan family doesn't have many elders, and they have few servants. It'll be more lively if you and Ah Feng live here..."

Nanfei touched his belly: "Mother, I married into your family and live at your parents' house every day. People gossip about me. Mother... I'm hungry... I'm hungry... I'm hungry..."

Little Wooden Head's flat mouth: Nobody pays attention to him.

Madam Nan invited them to stay for lunch. In the morning, the family chatted idly in the courtyard, and Nan Fei listened to all the things that had happened in Bianjing over the past few years, becoming increasingly impressed by the abundance of gossip.

After lunch, Yuan Feng pushed her wheelchair and left amidst the reluctant gazes of the people from the Nan family.

Nan Fei breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally gone. That clever little wooden devil..."

Yuan Feng said, "He's young, but he's not stupid! You can walk, can't you?"

Nanfei leaned back in his chair, looking quite pleased: "The general pushes the wheelchair, the handsome man sits on the rosewood, tsk tsk... This is a magnificent sight in Bianjing, how can we not let everyone see it..."

Yuan Feng wanted nothing more than to kick him off his wheelchair: "Shut up."

From Zhuque Avenue all the way northeast to Jingling Mountain, passersby pointed and whispered amongst themselves. One was thick-skinned, the other arrogant; both seemed oblivious to their surroundings.

There was no one living beyond Jingling Mountain. Nan Fei noticed that Yuan Feng's breathing was a little heavy, so he stood up from his wheelchair and pushed it into the woods: "Let's go."

Nan Fei raised his foot forward, and Yuan Feng raised his foot to kick horizontally. Caught off guard, Nan Fei's buttocks were split in two, and his face was contorted in pain.

Yuan Feng looked down at him coldly and said, "All along the way, why didn't any of those hundred or eighty girls rush up to help you push your wheelchair? A variety of beauties, plump or slender, you could marry whichever one you liked, hmm..."

Nanfei looked up at her: "You actually believed what I made up?"

Yuan Feng said, "I don't believe it."

Nanfei remained seated on the ground, refusing to get up: "Then why did you kick me?"

Yuan Feng said, "I can kick you if I want, I can punch you if I want. You don't like it? Come on, let's fight..."

The way she struck the pose was so familiar, just like Nian Yao arguing with Luo An at the city gate. If she rolled up her sleeves, it would be exactly the same.

Nanfei murmured, "You women... you're all the same..."

Yuan Feng snorted coldly and turned to walk forward.

Nanfei shouted, "If you don't pull me up, I won't get up."

Yuan Feng ignored him and continued walking.

Nanfei became increasingly aggrieved as she spoke: "I got out of the wheelchair because I felt sorry for you. And you, on the contrary, pinched and kicked me. Do you think your hands and feet are stronger than an average girl's? Don't you know what my skin is like? It must have been bruised and purple for days."

Yuan Feng's anger subsided instantly. Nan Fei and Hu Zhi were ordinary people; they would be ashamed to even speak of getting angry over a few words.

Yuan Feng stepped back to help him up, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry."

Nanfei stood up, chuckled, and beamed with smug satisfaction.

Yuan Feng looked at him, endured, endured again, and continued to endure, until she could no longer bear it and kicked him.

Nanfei was prepared and jumped onto her back, hugging her neck: "Afeng, carry me."

Yuan Feng was suddenly pulled into his arms, and she fell backward. Nan Fei protected her head with both hands, and the two rolled down the hillside until they hit a tree and stopped.

He was so dizzy from the impact that he was furious.

Yuan Feng lay on the ground, her chest heaving, her eyes like swords, wishing she could pierce Nan Fei a hundred or eighty holes.

Nanfei helped her sit up, his face full of apology and guilt: "Ah Feng, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'll carry you."

Yuan Feng didn't stand on ceremony at all, and Nan Fei carried her up the mountain. Yuan Feng originally wanted him to carry her down for a while, but seeing that he wasn't even out of breath, she simply refused to get down.

Yuan Feng said, "You're quite strong?"

Nanfei laughed and said, "Men and women are naturally different in strength, and you're not fat. I spent a few years idly on Chongming Island, doing nothing else, but my kung fu has improved a lot. If I said you were no match for me, you would definitely disagree."

Yuan Feng said, "I'm convinced!"

Nanfei asked in surprise, "Why?"

Yuan Feng said, "That day you killed someone, although it was an unexpected and decisive move, only someone with top-notch skills could do that."

Nanfei smiled and nodded.

Yuan Feng called out to him, "Nanfei..."

Nanfei asked, "What?"

Yuan Feng said, "Nanhua once told me that you aspire to govern the country and become prime minister. The emperor is waiting for you to pass the imperial examination, become a Jinshi, and be chosen as his son-in-law..."

As a result, he learned martial arts skills and found many military books in his room.