Chapter 111

Fang Heng's mother, her boudoir name was Fu Xue.

If this was Wang Fuxue's Hairpin Flower Manor when she was young, it would not be hard to understand why one would feel a sense of intimacy upon entering.

Jiang Sheng suddenly understood.

Zheng Ruqian was as if struck by lightning.

Wang Fufeng turned around calmly, looking at this younger cousin whom he had only met once, and gave a faint smile, "It appears that this has returned to its rightful owner."

That meant he was acknowledging this was Wang Fuxue's manor.

Fang Heng forcefully held back his grief, and lovingly caressed the bricks, tiles, stones and earth of the small courtyard, as if he had travelled through the years to see that graceful dancing girl among the flowers. After a long while, he hoarsely cried out, "Mother."

Tears rolled down his cheeks.

Wang Fufeng watched with sighs.

When a mother and child were separated by life and death, their thoughts would always be entwined, and difficult to forget for a long time.

And for some, although still in this world, they did not understand to cherish and love, and were cold and indifferent.

Perhaps, the affinity between parents and children was just so inexplicable.

After Fang Heng finally calmed his emotions, he accepted the yellowed deed without refusing again.

Zheng Ruqian was drooling to the side, once again regretting that he was not from an esteemed family, without rich relatives. Although he had started a small business, he didn't even have enough money to buy his sister a house.

Suddenly that deed reached out again.

Zheng Ruqian raised his head to see Fang Heng holding out the deed directly, reaching past him to stop in front of Jiang Sheng.

Zheng Er...

"Jiang Sheng, this deed is yours from now on." Fang Heng looked at the cute little girl, his eyes unconcealed tenderness, "From now on, you are no longer a street urchin." The reason street urchins wandered was not just because they didn't have a place to live, but more so because they didn't have a home, in the literal sense of family.

Now, Xu Mo had registered her in the household registry, Zheng Ruqian was earning money for her, and Fang Heng was giving her the deed. She no longer had any connection to the term "street urchin".

The stability she had always dreamed of was right before her eyes.

That nine year old boy who had collapsed in the snowy night also lightly sighed, smiling at her with a wave of his hand: Little Jiang Sheng, I can finally stop worrying about you.

Her nose felt a little sour, and her eyes started burning around the rims.

But Jiang Sheng didn't want to cry, and didn't want those who loved her to shed tears with her. So she sniffed up her snot, and hugging the deed, ran in front of Zheng Ruqian and said loudly, "Second brother, we don't need to pay rent anymore, but you still want to give up the workshop?"

Zheng Ruqian was dumbfounded.

Hey, wait, wasn't I feeling touched just now? How did she suddenly turn the conversation to him?

Although they didn't need to pay rent for Hairpin courtyard, closing the workshop was closing the workshop. He really couldn't afford to run it!

Zheng Ruqian said bitterly, "Little Jiang Sheng, cured meat really isn't selling anymore, and no one wants it even if we make it. It would be more profitable to rent the workshop out than to keep running it ourselves."

Business relied on weighing gains and losses.

Jiang Sheng also knew Zheng Ruqian was right, but when she saw the aunties secretly wiping away tears when the workshop closed, saying their families would go hungry again, and also Uncle Zhang Qiquan and Aunt Cui sighing, saying they didn't want to return to Shili Village to face the Zhang family.

Although Auntie Zhang didn't say anything, she probably didn't want to return to Xieyang County either.

So little Jiang Sheng understood that the workshop was not just a workshop, it was the livelihood for over a dozen people. It could not be easily closed.

But she also didn't want to make things difficult for Second Brother. Since Third Brother had already given her the deed, Jiang Sheng steeled her heart and said, "Then Second Brother, give this workshop to me from now on."

All eyes turned to her.

Xu Mo raised his brows in surprise, Zheng Ruqian's eyes bulged, Fang Heng smiled with pressed lips, Wen Zhiyun leaned his head on Chang Yan's shoulder, both hooking up the corners of their mouths.

Jiang Sheng was very young, these last two years the pressure to earn money and develop had all fallen on her three elder brothers. To them, it was enough if their younger siblings could live happily.

They didn't expect that after Wen Zhiyun's unwillingness to fall behind and determination to study medicine, little Jiang Sheng would now summon her courage to take over the workshop.

Although the younger siblings were young in age, they were unwilling to keep hiding away in an ivory tower. This kind of spirit was worthy of encouragement.

After his initial surprise, Xu Mo was the first to step forward, "Little Jiang Sheng, as long as you don't lose money, this workshop is yours to mess around with however you like. What do you think?"

"What do you mean mess around, I can earn money too!" The little girl turned into a tea kettle fairy again, both hands propped on her waist, completely dissatisfied.

Xu Mo held in his laugh, rubbing her little head, "Alright alright, you're right about everything. As long as you don't lose money, anything's fine."

Jiang Sheng raised her little head, "I won't lose money, definitely won't!" She sought confirmation from Uncle Zhang in the distance, "Right, Uncle Zhang?"

Zhang Qiquan was stunned. Liu Cui stretched out a hand to fiercely pinch his waist.

Zhang Qiquan came to his senses and hurriedly nodded, "Yes yes, definitely won't!"

At this moment, facing the trusting gaze of the little girl, and his wife's hand on his soft waist flesh, Zhang Qiquan made up his mind that no matter what, he had to keep the workshop running and make it bigger and bigger.

Jiang Sheng nodded satisfactorily and retracted her gaze. Her little face was gleeful.

Xu Mo's gaze grew increasingly gentle, and he rubbed her little head again.

Only after raising his head did he notice Wang Fufeng had been staring at him the entire time, his eyes full of incomprehensible emotions.

"Brother Fufeng, what's the matter?" Xu Mo asked politely.

Wang Fufeng returned to his senses, his dimples faintly appearing, "Brother Xu is truly a good elder brother."

Xu Mo took it as praise and gave a faint smile before ending the conversation.

Wang Fufeng also didn't continue, and turned to chat with Fang Heng about their mutual (grand)father, Lord Wang, and the Wang family's next actions.

Their discussion went back and forth, and they both felt it would be best to let the Wang family make trouble for a while.

As long as the Wangs didn't determine a winner or loser, they wouldn't have the energy to manage Fang Heng, nor harm the Fang siblings.

That would be enough.

As for Zheng Ruqian and Jiang Sheng, it was the first time the siblings had a conflict of opinion.

Seeing that April had arrived, the best season for planting green beans, Zheng Ruqian was anxious to return to Xieyang County to buy land and hire workers.

But Jiang Sheng wanted to expand the workshop, so she naturally had to stay in the prefecture city.

The siblings had differing opinions, and didn't want to separate from each other either, so they could only rack their brains to persuade the other.

Jiang Sheng said, "Second brother, let's just plant beans in the prefecture city. Renting land might be a bit more expensive, but we can dry the beans in the workshop, wouldn't that be so convenient?"

Zheng Ruqian shook his head, "We still have to go back to Xieyang County, land here in the city is too expensive."

"Renting land isn't that expensive!" Jiang Sheng didn't understand.

Zheng Ruqian hemmed and hawed for a bit before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "I don't want to rent land, I want to buy land."

Renting land might differ by a few dozen coins, but buying land could differ two or three taels of silver per mu, so naturally Xieyang County was more cost-effective.

Jiang Sheng pouted her lips, happy for Second Brother's ambitions, but also worried that the siblings had differing opinions.

In the end it was Zhang Qiquan who stepped forward to mediate, "We can first return to Xieyang County to plant the beans, then come back to the prefecture city to run the workshop. How about that?"