Previously, the senior officials of Jin City had estimated Grand Marshal Lin’s arrival time. But they just didn’t expect Lin Shiheng would arrive a little earlier than they expected, and as soon as he entered the city, he went to the Fang family first. Therefore, by the time they received the news and rushed to meet him, they could only stay cautious outside the Fang family door. They passed a message inside to request a meeting.
Lin Shiheng had just sat on a chair in the Fang family’s hall, and within half an hour, three waves of people had come, one after another, to request a meeting with him. Mother Fang hadn’t heard of most of the names, but some were the names of people she would have to be respectful to if she met the madams in their meetings. Seeing Lin Shiheng’s outright refusal, her heart was a little worried.
Although she had seen Lin Shiheng’s prestige and heard the soldiers call him Marshal, she was still worried that Lin Shiheng would offend people for nothing to talk to his family. When Lin Shiheng refused the third wave of visitors, she couldn’t resist asking.
“Brother Heng, they’re all from prestigious families. Will anything happen if you disregard their pride like this?”
"It doesn’t matter.”
Lin Shiheng was still sitting in the lower position as he did five years ago, holding Fang Zheng in his arms. After listening to this, he raised his face and smiled. He warmly explained, "Today, it could be said that I have taken over Jin City. Those groups of people are thinking of meeting me to find out the details. If I let those people with loose mouths meet me, I'm afraid they woulcl line up from toclay to tomorrow. Rather than being tired, I might as well relax first. When the repairs are done, I’ll also invite them all over for a party.”
Although Mother Fang hacl been struggling to support the family after her husband left, in the end, her communications were only with the ladies. After she heard his words, she nodded, “It’s my thoughtlessness. Brother Heng has really grown up.”
The fact that he was so thoughtful made her heart feel even more comfortable.
“Aunt must be joking. Even if I’m older, in your eyes, I’m still your child.”
Lin Shiheng answerecl her words with a smile but glanced at Fang Licheng sitting opposite him. After five years, her appearance remained the same. Because she completely put down the matter with the Shen family in these five years, she looked more attractive and elegant. Just as she was sitting there, people couldn’t take their eyes off her.
Fang Licheng also felt his gaze and looked up slightly. She almost choked on her own breath.
If nothing else, Lin Shiheng’s gaze wasn’t that of a younger brother looking at his sister, but a man looking at a woman. It was full of aggressiveness.
She dicln t dare to think too deeply, so she looked down and avoided his gaze. Lin Shiheng didn’t continue but talkecl with Mother Fang sitting above as if nothing had happenecl over the years.
He could sit in this position. Naturally, there were some clangers. But to avoid worrying Mother Fang, Lin Shiheng only talked about how everything went well and how the late Marshal valuecl him, and he finally became a Marshal.
After they finished talking, Fang Zheng, who was sitting in Lin Shiheng’s lap and listening quietly with his head tilted obediently, finally found the opportunity to interject and askecl in a crisp voice.
“Grandma, is this gentleman my Uncle?”
Before Mother Fang answered, Lin Shiheng responded happily, “I was so focused on catching up, I forgot to get to know you, little guy.”
As he spoke, he stretched out his slender fingertips and gently squeezed the little white face with baby fat, “Do you know me?”
“I know my Uncle’s nickname is Brother Heng, which my Grandmother and Mother always talk about.”
Fang Zheng had always been a small adult in front of unfamiliar elders, and even now, being helcl in his arms didn’t prevent him from sitting up straight and answering questions seriously.
“Sir, you called my Grandma as aunt, ancl my mother as sister, ancl they called you Brother Heng. It’s not hard to guess that you’re my Uncle who left home to join the army when I was just born.”
“This child is really smart.”
Lin Shiheng was even more fond of him. He moved the boy from his left leg to his right leg ancl poked his nose.
“When I left. you were still in swacldling clothes, blushing red and wrinkling, quietly trying to sleep, looking like a little monkey. At that time, I was still thinking quietly in my heart. You are so ugly; what should I clo if you can’t find a wife in the future? I didn’t expect that you woulcl grow up to have such a charming appearance.”
“You are so cute! I don’t want to be your Uncle. I just want you to be my child.”
His words sounded like a joke. but his eyes looked at Fang Licheng. After getting a red face and an annoyed look in return. he took his gaze back with a triumphant smile.
Fang Zheng was smart but still young, so he didn’t recognize that this uncle was telling the truth through a joke.
Mother Fang, who was sitting above, never forgot that Lin Shiheng wanted to marry Fang Licheng. When she heard this, she immediately raised her attention ancl saw the eye movements between the two.
She didn’t expect that after five years, Brother Heng hadn’t changecl his mind. Now, he was no longer the young man who would act impulsively because he was young. His behavior and speech were stable. If he said that five years ago, she was worried about the child, sacrificing himself to repay them. But now, Brother Heng was successful. If he wanted to repay them, he had plenty of other ways. Why woulcl he bother to get married?
In other words, he hadn’t changed his mind ancl was actually serious.
Mother Fang’s mood was complicated for a while. She didn’t know how to deal with the relationship between these two children, who grew up by her side.
Fang Zheng didn’t think too much. After listening to this unknown person mentioning taking him as his child and also saying such intimate words. His straight back that hacl been tense previously hacl now relaxecl a little. His heart also had a sense of closeness. He only sipped his lip and whispered to defend himself, “I know that children are just like that when they are born and look better when they grow up.”
“Hey, you are such a small child. How did you know this?”
“When my Younger Uncle’s little daughter was born, I visited her with my Mother and Grandmother ancl saw her.”
Lin Shiheng laughed and hugged him and asked a few more questions. After asking ancl answering questions, Fang Zheng had completely relaxed. His little body was no longer sitting straight but showed some trust and relaxed in Lin Shiheng’s arms.
He was young ancl had no peers to play with. After he was three years old, he began to study with Mr. Kou. He very rarely talked to people this much. In addition, he was more or less frightened today. Being helcl in such a safe embrace while talking, he yawned a little. In less than a few minutes, his eyes closed, looking like he was about to nod off.
Lin Shiheng coaxed him and went to see Mother Fang, who was sitting at the top, "Aunt, Brother Zheng is a little sleepy. And you have also been frightened today, so you should rest as well. Why clon’t you take him back to the room and have some rest?”
There were so many maids in the yard who could take Fang Zheng to sleep. Why should the Madam do it? She knew that Lin Shiheng hadn’t put down the incident mentionecl at the beginning. Now that she realized it in her heart, she got up at his request and carried Fang Zheng out of the hall, giving Lin Shiheng ancl Fang Licheng some time alone.
As soon as Mother Fang and Fang Zheng left, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became strange. Fang Licheng had guessed what Lin Shiheng was going to say. She lowered her face and stood up hastily. She spoke in a panic, “I am a little tirecl toclay, so I’ll go back to my room first.”
“Sister, why do you have to hide from me? “
Lin Shiheng got up and stopped her, looking at her original ly tender white face, which was now filled with a blush of embarrassment.
“I’m 20 now, and I’m not as young as I used to be. But, my heart for Sister is still the same.”
Fang Licheng seemed to feel butterflies fluttering in her heart. She was completely confused by his words ancl barely squeezed out her voice, “Brother Heng, why do you want me?”
“You are now a Marshal. and your future is limitless. There are countless young, beautiful, ancl virtuous family-oriented women ...”
“But they aren’t you, Sister.”
Lin Shiheng listened patiently before continuing, “I’m not going to hide it from you. I wanted to return home three years ago when I was just establishing my position. But, I was still a fledgling at that time, so I could only send Kou Yuan to look after you guys for me.”
Fang Licheng looked up in surprise, “Mr. Kou?”
She didn’t expect that Mr. Kou. who taught Fang Zheng to study, was sent by Lin Shiheng.
“Sister, in these five years, although you never left the house, you also study books, studying poetry and literature, Kou Yuan has informed me of all these. Shen Yunqing slandered Sister as a feudal woman outside, but I know that you have a ravine in your heart because you weren’t allowed to study. If Sister marries me, we will support each other. I will do what Sister doesn’t want to do, and you can do whatever you want.”
Fang Licheng’s eyes tremblecl with nervousness. She clenched her handkerchief in her hand and spoke in a low voice, “Let me think about it again. We have always been brother and sister, not to mention that I’m still a divorcee, and you are now a Marshal. It isn’t suitable...”
“I got this Marshal position to protect my family. Sister is my family. Strictly speaking, I’m just a fatherless and motherless orphan, but Sister is the Fang family’s Lady. It’s me who isn’t worthy of you, Sister.”
Fang Licheng was at a loss as to what to say and said, "Why do you have to belittle yourself? “
“Why should you belittle yourself, Sister? It’s not your fault that you married a beast. Why can that beast find new love, as if nothing had happened, but Sister is afraid to remarry because of him? He was the one who treated you like that. Sister should be happier than him. Let him see for himself that without him, Sister will live much better than before!"
Hearing this, Fang Licheng couldn’t help but feel stunned.
Since her divorce, she didn’t like to go out and socialize. In addition to not wanting to get into trouble, she also didn’t want to see those former acquaintances.
It was said that divorce was a thing of the new society, but everything seemecl to be no different from the old society. When a man divorced, he could hold a wedcling wantonly the next clay, to welcome a beautiful young new wife.
However, when a woman was divorced, she could only live in seclusion. If she started a new relationship, she was still talked about behind her back.
Nowadays, society was so clistorted. Those women who felt this kind of pain were weak. No one would listen to them, ancl they didn’t dare to raise their voice against it. Those who didn’t feel the pain would just stand around talking.
Fang Licheng was weak-tempered, and she had never thought of remarrying in the past five years. Besides being afraid of encountering another beast, she had a little longing for Lin Shiheng, who hadn’t returnecl for so long.
It just never occurred to her that Lin Shiheng was always thinking of her and standing by her side.
Mentioning Shen Yunqing, the tenderness in Lin Shiheng’s eyes clispersecl slightly as he sneered, “I’m not going to lie. I could have killed him with one shot today, but when I thought of the insult you sufferecl back then, I thought killing him woulcl be too easy for him. I want him to live, to see how our Fang family will prosper, to see how Sister, who he abandonecl and insulted, could be happy and prosperous, to see how Brother Zheng, the child he abandoned, be respected so that he would live in remorse throughout his life. This is the only way to relieve the hatred I felt when Sister was humiliated!"
“Brother Heng..."
Fang Licheng was truly stunned by this younger brother, who she grew up with.
Before she recovered, Lin Shiheng took her tender hand and seriously asked, “Sister. marry me."
“I will make you happy and take care of Brother Zheng as if he were my own son.”
“I, I...”
She hesitatecl and forgot to take back the hand held by the person in front of her. She knew full well that she shouldn’t marry Lin Shiheng, who was now at the peak of his career. However, her heart couldn’t be deceived.
Eventually, Fang Licheng gritted her teeth and hastily withdrew her hand.
“We’ll talk about this later. I still need to think about it.”
“Hmm!”
She didn’t say no, so he still had 80% hope. The man dressed in a handsome military uniform even answered with some joy, as if Fang Licheng hacl already agreed to him, making her face a little redder.
When she saw him like this, unexpectedly, her heart also felt some sweetness.