1 Fang Yuan (2/2)
This reaction caught Minister Lin completely off guard.
He was sure that if he had met with such an incident when he was younger, he would definitely not have been able to keep his cool.
”Could he be preparing to wage an all-out war on us?”
Minister Lin was a little scared and looked at Yu Qiuleng at his side. Yu Qiuleng shot a glance over, making his intentions clear.
Even if this youth wanted to pull a 'panicking dog jumping over a wall' [3], he wouldn't be a match for this cold-faced iron eagle.
”Uncle Lin!”
The door to the hut burst open, and Fang Yuan walked over, holding a wooden box in his hand.
”This is the marriage certificate for Miss Leiyue and myself. Since we got engaged, I've thought about this a few times, and I realised that I can't compare to Miss Leiyue. Since Uncle Lin could come today, you're actually helping me to resolve an issue that has been on my mind for some time.”
”Huh?”
Minister Lin received the box while in shock, and after he opened it he saw the marriage certificate. It was real.
Never did he expect things to go so smoothly, and he froze there for a moment, confused.
However, Yu Qiuleng stood up and walked off with a 'at least you know your place' look in his eyes.
”Sigh… Fang Yuan, I won't say much about anything else. You and Leiyue really are not fated to be together… This is a small gift, please take it!”
Minister Lin took out a small package while red-faced.
”Since it is a gift from Uncle, then I'll accept it graciously.”
Fang Yuan couldn't see what was inside either, and just accepted the gift.
”Good! Good!”
The calmer Fang Yuan was, the more uneasy Minister Lin felt. He pulled Yu Qiuleng away and left swiftly.
...
”Hmm, it's the deed to the land for the entire secluded valley. So Minister Lin could actually pull strings to get this. He's actually quite generous.”
After the both of them left, Fang Yuan opened up the package to see a title deed, a few pieces of gold and silver, and a jade bottle.
He naturally knew that this Minister Lin set up the arranged marriage between Leiyue and himself because Master Wenxin had saved Minister Lin's life before.
But now that Fang Yuan's backer had fallen, and the girl had climbed to a much higher position, being able to discuss the marriage annulment amicably instead of falling out was already a blessing.
In reality, he didn't have much of a choice.
That was why he received their compensation gracefully. Otherwise, there would only be hate and anger, which could easily land him in more trouble.
”Instead of agreeing, should I have shouted back and eventually get eliminated in an attempt to remove any future threats?”
Fang Yuan chuckled as he mumbled to himself.
Thankfully, he was an optimistic person and had only met with Leiyue only a few times, so there wasn't any love between them.
As for humiliation, reputation, etcetera…
For a person that lived isolated in the woods, could those mountain chickens and rabbits laugh at him?
As long as he didn't care about it, his reputation in the outside world was but a strand in the wind. Nothing to worry about.
Since he wasn't afraid of losing face, not taking the compensation from the girl's party would be simply a waste.
”Eh? Vermillion Jade Seeds?”
Upon closer inspection after opening the jade bottle, he exclaimed in surprise.
Inside the jade bottle, there were little grains as shiny as jade, round and full, in a beautiful shade of vermillion. They had a fiery aura about them, potentially making people salivate while gazing upon them.
This was a valuable spiritual plant that Fang Yuan had been searching for since a long time ago. He had requested for it from Minister Lin before, and he had finally gotten it.
”Mhmm, this Vermillion Jade Rice is of the yang element, but has to be planted during a yin period [4]. I'll plant them in that newly cleared patch of land tonight...”
Fang Yuan gazed at the jade bottle one more, with a silly smile on his face.
…...
Outside of the valley.
”Sigh...”
Minister Lin let out a long sigh. Although he had set his mind on this a long time ago, when he saw Fang Yuan's classy and unyielding attitude today, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret.
”What is it? Minister Lin is troubled?”
Yu Qiuleng laughed beside him.
”The marriage has been annulled, and he has accepted the compensation. Even if he decides to cause trouble in the future, we will have the moral high ground... Of course, if you're still worried, I can go back and eliminate this problem.”
”No No!”
Waving both of his hands, Minister Lin protested, ”I just feel that Fang Yuan is really a decent chap, it's a pity that Leiyue...”
”Hmph, if that daughter of yours becomes a Wu Zong in the future, she'll be able to choose any young man she wants, so why should you keep thinking about a mere mountain boy?”
Lei Qiuleng sarcastically remarked.
”Of course, if you still find it a pity, you can get another one of your daughters to marry him! As long as it's not Miss Leiyue, our sect head won't care.”
”Sigh….. Since this has already happened, how would I still have the face to bring it up...”
Minister Lin sighed again and picked up his pace.
The two of them walked on further into the distance until they vanished beyond the mountains.
[1] This is a Chinese idiom, which refers to someone very undeserving or under qualified yearning for something that is beyond his reach.
[2] It refers to a cornered person acting out of desperation
[3] Yin and Yang, a Chinese philosophical concept. The yin element is negative/passive/female in nature while the yang element is positive/active/male in nature. Both complement each other in order to become whole.