Chapter 146

This is the pain of being a good person.

Bad people can do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, without caring about the harm they may cause to innocent people.

But good people can't. Their conscience condemns them, morality criticizes them. They cannot harm innocent girls, and they are unwilling to involve themselves with clean and respectable families.

But in Anshui Prefecture, there are not many girls who are both troublesome and ordinary, with low moral character, and marrying Wang Haoran would be a girl who rids the people of harm.

The most crucial point is that she needs to be on the invitation list for the Wang family's flower appreciation banquet.

While courtesans are acceptable, the Wang family won't invite them.

Most girls from respectable families are virtuous and should not be meddled with.

Chang Yan furrowed his brow as he repeatedly considered the prominent families. Eventually, he narrowed it down to two families.

One is the Sun family, which has a deep grudge against the Wang family. Despite being tormented by the prefect He, they still have the qualifications to attend the Wang family's flower appreciation banquet.

The other is the maternal family of Third Lady Wang, Mrs. Zhou. They are also the maternal relatives of Wang Fufeng.

Because of that slap, and because of prior neglect, the relationship between mother and son has reached freezing point. Mrs. Zhou seems convinced that this weak and sickly son cannot bear the burden of the family. Although she no longer causes trouble, she also provides no support.

In Mrs. Zhou's heart, her own family is the most important. Since that's the case, it's better to strengthen the ties between the Wang and Zhou families.

Chang Yan paused and finally settled on the second daughter of the Zhou family's second branch.

The second daughter of the Zhou family is the youngest and the most beloved sister of Mrs. Zhou. Over the years, she has given most of her earnings to this sister, and as a result, her children have become increasingly arrogant and domineering. Not only do they not respect their elder brothers from the main branch, but they also attempt to seize the rights of the Zhou family.

Where there are benefits, there will be disputes.

Unlike the siblings in Jiulipu Village, who fight over coarse grains and steamed buns, wild vegetables and broth that scratches their throats, they fight over it because they're about to starve.

Chang Yan regained his senses and selected an alternative from the Sun family.

Soon, the flower appreciation banquet arrived. He changed into a black robe personally sewn by Auntie Zhang, with a bunch of antidotes given to him by Fourth Brother stuffed in his sleeve, and went alone to the Wang family.

Fang Heng was worried about him and suggested bringing the least skilled martial artists, Jiang San and Jiang Si, to accompany him, to prevent any accidents for his younger brother. Chang Yan waved his hand and declined.

This is the Wang family, ruled by Wang Fufeng. If it weren't for him on purpose last time, who could have injured him?

Once on the carriage, he sat up straight and suddenly felt a sense of excitement deep in his heart.

A long-lost feeling - the thrill of battle!

He exhaled a breath of stale air and inexplicably felt exhilarated. He raised the curtain and asked the Wang family's coachman to speed up.

The coachman complied, cracking the whip, and they sped off.

Before long, they arrived at the Wang family.

Chang Yan took out the invitation and had his identity verified before entering.

He was already a familiar guest of the Wang family, and most of the servants recognized him. They led him directly to Wang Fufeng.

"Brother Fufeng," a ten-year-old boy's eyes gleamed with hidden excitement, "Are you ready?"

Wang Fufeng chuckled, "Why didn't you bring them along?"

There were six people listed on the invitation he gave.

Chang Yan shook his head gently, "It's too filthy a scene. It's better not to taint their eyes."

Although Xiaowu's skills were limited to physical fitness and he couldn't earn money, pass the imperial examination, or run a medical clinic, he still found ways to protect his older brother and younger sister.

"Very well, as you wish," Wang Fufeng didn't dwell on the matter, "Let's go."

As they arrived at the front courtyard, most of the guests had already arrived.

The men, women, young, and old from the Wang family's main and secondary households were already seated separately at the main table. The women engaged in whispered conversations while the men joked and shouted, creating a slightly chaotic scene.

However, as soon as Wang Fufeng arrived, everyone instinctively lowered their voices.

Perhaps they were afraid of being too noisy and causing harm to this delicate and graceful young man, or perhaps they were apprehensive of his recent decisive actions. Some even chose to remain silent, opting for a quiet atmosphere.

"Uncles, aunts, and elders, it's rare for the Wang family to host a flower-viewing banquet, and it's even rarer for me, a little brat, to be the host. If there are any inadequacies, I hope you can forgive me," Wang Fufeng spoke confidently as he raised his teacup.

Most people were unaware of his capabilities and chose to remain silent.

But there were always some fools who jumped up and shouted, "Everyone is drinking wine, why are you drinking tea? Are you a woman?"

This garnered laughter from a portion of the brainless individuals.

Wang Fufeng's expression remained unchanged as he glanced at Third Master Wang. Regardless of the circumstances, the Wang family was still a family. They could fight amongst themselves and vie for power, but outsiders couldn't bully them.

As expected, Third Master Wang stood up with a dark expression and scolded the person, "Fufeng is the head of the Wang family. Have you ever seen a woman in such a position? Stop saying inappropriate things. Are you perhaps disguised as a woman?"

The person fell silent, lowering their head and shrinking back.

They thought Wang Fufeng was isolated and without support, but they hadn't expected that he had capable individuals from the Wang family backing him up. It was nearly impossible to embarrass Wang Fufeng with their intervention.

But it didn't matter; everyone knew that the Wang family had intense internal conflicts, with their surface and true intentions not aligning.

Trouble was bound to happen sooner or later. A hint of cunning flashed in the person's eyes as they raised their wine cup and changed the topic, restoring the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

The early autumn flower-viewing event was essentially an occasion to enjoy elegant pastries, floral wines, and fruit wines, while also admiring the beautifully arranged flower gardens.

On the surface, it appeared to be a banquet, but in reality, it was an opportunity for the mother-in-law to assess her son-in-law and the mother to select a daughter-in-law, with everyone well aware of the underlying purpose.

The elders remained calm and composed, while the younger generation began to showcase their talents.

Some composed poetry, some wrote prose, and others painted on the spot.

If the family atmosphere was relatively relaxed, there might even be a chance to exchange a few words with the young man of one's affection, as long as the intimacy didn't cross any boundaries.

Wang Fufeng should have been a lively and active young man, but once he took on the position of family head, he created a divide between himself and the other young men. Although he attracted the attention of young girls with his noble bearing, no one dared to approach him.

Wang Fufeng didn't mind and calmly sipped from his teacup, feeling the tasteless liquid slide down his throat.

Indeed, what was in his teacup wasn't tea but plain water. Doctor Wen had advised against drinking tea for those recuperating their bodies with herbal medicine, fearing that it would dilute the effects of the medicine.

As Chang Yan approached, the taste in his mouth had already faded away. "Why don't you go find some young girls to appreciate the flowers and engage in poetry and literature?" he said.

While shaking his head, Chang Yan discreetly poured a whole bag of powdered medicine into the teapot, using his wide sleeves as cover.

A strong aroma of ginseng wafted to their noses. It was a concoction meticulously prepared by Wen Zhiyun over fifty years, using a portion of ground ginseng mixed with powders of astragalus, atractylodes, red sage, and seven or eight other medicinal herbs. It could be described as a highly nutritious and invigorating tea.

Just as Wang Fufeng finished his tea, Chang Yan considerately poured him another bowl.

Turning his head, he looked towards Third Master Wang in the distance, and they both nodded slightly, revealing satisfied smiles.

Before long, Wang Fufeng excused himself, claiming his health was not well, and went to rest in the back chambers of the flower courtyard.

Not much time passed before a young lady from a prestigious family had an accident and dirtied her skirt, thus requiring a change of clothes.

At the same time, Wang Haoran was summoned by his aunt's message.

The Miss from the Zhou family was also led by her maidservant to the corner room.

The climax was about to begin.

After about half an hour, screams erupted from the room, "Ah..."