Vol 2 Chapter 257 (2/2)
The news of the diplo since reached Fan Manor They thought it best to stand on cere able to enter the city, but the young lady of the : ”He will arrive today” Everyone knew that Master Fan and Miss Lin were no ordinary people Since she had said Fan Xian would arrive today, he would So they all waited, exhausted
They were still unaware of the news of his struggle with the Great Prince Otherwise, they would undoubtedly have been rather worried
”He's here, he's here” The sharp-eyed servants saw him approach on horseback in the distance, and they rushed out to the stone steps, for two lines
With a stoht his horse to a halt and vaulted down fro's buttocks as he waited to help hi,” he said, scolding hih ”You don't need to take after the servants”
”Welco master,” called the two lines of servants
Fan Xian s a hot towel froirl to wipe his face, and then took a sip from a warm cup of tea that he had been offered He knew that this was a necessary for all the familiar faces of the servants and maids made him feel quite happy Even Lady Liu's smile as she stood by the doorway appeared different froone past It was more sincere than before
”Your father is in his study,” said Lady Liu, taking the towel from his hand
Fan Xian nodded, then suddenly frowned and shook his head ”Step” he couldn't bring himself to say the word ”mother” He smiled ”I shall visit Ruoruo and Wan'er first, and then I shall visit Father”
Lady Liu knew that she could not control the young man with notions of filial piety, and so she had no other choice but to nod her head
Fan Xian entered the reet hi of how he had not seen hirown as robust as an iron tower Yet he did not enquire after hio over the accounts! There are things I need to do!”
Fan Sizhe was stunned He took a step back and scolded hinorewith you when you won't understand them anyway”
Fan Xian was also stunned He chuckled For soht about the four princes that he hadout of his breast pocket and gave it to Sizhe, chiding hiless to ive ”
”It's not like I feel like playing garumbled to himself, but as he stared blankly at Fan Xian as he entered the rear of the house, he felt a slight uneasiness
After Fan Xian had gotten otten his own house at the back of Fan Manor The buildings were connected, so it was one residence with two houses He was fond of his sister, and Wan'er and Ruoruo also got on well, so Ruoruo spent much of her time in their house
On the day that Fan Xian returned hoely, Wan'er and Ruoruo had not coreet him This was rather odd It irl beside hi lady is still here, as is thefor breath
Fan Xian frowned The servant girl's words sounded rather oht her
He gently pushed the door of his bedchamber only to find that it had been locked from the inside Fan Xian was surprised Unsure what to say, he called out, but nobody answered He was somewhat puzzled, and knocked harder on the door If it weren't for his respect for his wife, he would have already knocked the door down A irl Sisi's uneasy voice ca Please don't knock”
Fan Xian's frown deepened He wasn't sure what had happened He had travelled a thousandto see him
He saw the di, and waving his sleeves, he walked into another room This time he did not knock, but si wo Fan Xian coilance on her face gradually dissolved There was a look of genuine happiness in her eyes She kneeled down and spoke in a quiet, joyful voice ”Brother, you're back”
Fan Xian looked at Ruoruo, and his previous unhappiness colad to see me?”
Fan Ruoruo s hi,” she said ”Did you want me to hoot and holler? Would that make you happy?”
Fan Xian could only shake his head ”You've always been so cale”
Fan Ruoruo laughed ”If I change, am I still Ruoruo?” she replied She picked up a teacup as she spoke and carefully handed it to her brother
Fan Xian took it but did not immediately drink from it Instead, he looked at his sister's not-particularly-beautiful, but coe silence in the roohly patient people, waited for the other to speak
In the end, Fan Xian sighed, s toward his sister ”Why bother with this? It's best to wait for s out”
There was a momentary sadness in Ruoruo's eyes She knew her brother had already seen through her plans ”I intended to wait until you came back so I could see you, so it was delayed until today”
Fan Xian stood up, walked over to her bed, and pulled out a package from underneath From the wardrobe behind the bed, he pulled out an unre box, and e with a few beaded hairpins and some silver coins which clanked as they hit its surface He frowned and looked at the objects on the table ”Leaving ho all this stuff with you It's nowhere near enough”
Fan Ruoruo was silent for a er from her sleeve
Fan Xian was angry, pleased, and heartbroken all at once He looked at his sister ”You are a young woman
a young woman with money What do you know of the hardshi+ps of this world? Even if you don't want to get married, did you not think of the worry it would cause father, running away so hastily like this? Or me? Did you not think about hoould feel?”
Fan Ruoruo lowered her head, her hands grasping the corners of her sleeves She was silent for a long while before she finally spoke ”When has father ever truly cared for otten? Ever since I was a child, you taught me that I should e That I shouldn't just go along hat es”
Fan Xian was struck du wo the nor it into practice Had his sister dared to bravely, impulsively run away because of the tales he had told her in her youth? Was it the morals of those stories - like the story of Cousin Mei - that had awakened her awareness as a woman? [1]
Uneasily, he tapped at the table, unsure what effect his past actions ht have had on his sister After all, this world was entirely different froer ht not all be that bad,” he said gently ”You've never e will be an unhappy one?”
Fan Ruoruo kept her head lowered, but her tone re I knohat he's like I don't like him”
If anyone else had heard what she said, itlady of the prestigious Fan faht of the , but he still tried to ease her anxiety ”Nothing's set in stone Just look at e, and noe're very happy together”
Fan Ruoruo suddenly looked up, a look of determined dedication in her eyes ”Xian, not everyone can be as lucky as you and Wan'er”
Fan Xian was stunned This was the first time he'd seen disapproval in his sister's face Ever since they were children, whenever Ruoruo looked at him, it was alith a sense of reverence and awe This was the first time that Ruoruo had expressed opposition to him, and he couldn't help but feel shocked at how ed
After a long silence, Fan Xian's stiff facial expression softened, and finally he began to laugh It was a bright, happy laugh that wasn't faked in the slightest He felt a sense of satisfaction - the silly little girl he'd once known had finally grown up, and at last learned how to stick to her own point of view
”Ruoruo, do you trust ement
Fan Ruoruo hesitated for a ave the saiven in those days, nodding her head
Fan Xian looked at the items on the table and shook his head with a se things properly”
Ever since she had learned of her ie in the palace, Fan Ruoruo had sunk into silence She knew that her own feelings were verya royal order could have dire consequences But ever since she was young, her brother had taught her with his stories He had planted a seed in her spirit, and although it looked weak, it was the seed of strong-willed freedom But she could never talk of such ideas to anyone Deep in her heart, she feared that even her brother, who she trusted more than anyone in the world, would oppose her decision
Hearing Fan Xian's promise, the uneasiness that Fan Ruoruo had felt for the past month faded with the autu nerves that had been building up for the past month suddenly relaxed Her brother had cos for her
Sos had parted, and naturally there were things to discuss But Fan Ruoruo looked at hi with their father in the study, then surely he should be with his wife Why would he run to her rooht about it, she couldn't help but stifle a laugh ”Xian, when you were advising ed e but now you're happy Yet currently you are distressed Why?”
Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat His sister and Wan'er were good friends, so of course she would knohy Wan'er had shut her door and refused to come out ”What happened?” he asked nervously
Fan Ruoruo gave a rarely-seen o see her yourself”
Fan Xian frowned He was in the right; what did he need to see her about? As he pondered, he heard the voice of a servant girl ”Master, the mistress has awoken”
Fan Xian shook his head He knew his wife had a short tereeable wos seriously? She knew he had had an exhausting journey horeet him, then fine But how could she close the door on him?
As he thought about it while he walked toward the bedroory But when he crossed the threshold of the door and heard a verse coer disappeared immediately, and was replaced by a look of wonder
The voice was clear and sweet It wasn't Lin Wan'er's, but someone else's And the verse sounded extremely familiar
”Does she not know? Does she not know? Their green leaves should be bloo, the red floithered away”
Fan Xian looked eet one over on Haitang was only known to the Eer of Northern Qi, and hi How could it have made its way south?
[1] Cousin Mei is a character in Ba Jin's novel The Family She marries, becomes a , falls ill, and dies The Family is a criticism of the Chinese feudal system