FID – Chapter 750

Chapter 750: I Already Have a Son—What About You?

“Grandma, you’re the one who brought it up…” Liu Zhiqiu grumbled as he held his head, feeling wronged. But Grandma raised her hand for another smack, so he turned and bolted out the door in fright. “So the magistrate can set fires, but the common folk can’t light lamps!”

“Grandma, don’t worry, no one would dare try to steal anything,” Feng Qingbai soothed her as he walked her out. At the same time, his fingers moved ever so slightly, and the moment Liu Zhiqiu nearly reached the gate of the second courtyard, his foot mysteriously twisted, and he face-planted straight into the ground.

Hearing the screams of pain from that direction, Grandma Liu’s raised eyebrows finally smoothed out. In a great mood, she stepped outside.

Dinner was already set on the table, and of course, the priority was to enjoy the New Year’s Eve meal.

As for the transport team, after unloading all the goods, they politely declined the Liu family’s warm invitation to stay for dinner and headed back the way they came.

No matter how bold they were, they wouldn’t dare share a table with the regent. Besides, they had already received a very generous payment for helping deliver the gifts.

“Grandpa, Grandma, on my way back, I stopped by the Bureau of Astronomy and asked them for an auspicious date. They said the second day of the second lunar month is the best day this year,” Feng Qingbai said casually just as he sat down at the table and picked up his bowl.

“Cough, cough!” Liu Yusheng choked on her own saliva.

The expressions on the Liu family members’ faces were varied.

They understood that young people would get excited about marriage, but this was the first time they’d seen someone this eager.

After the Lantern Festival, it’ll be the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

If they were to start preparing for the wedding banquet right after, the two weeks left would be just barely enough time to get everything done.

There wasn’t a single day to spare.

Grandpa Liu glanced at his little granddaughter, whose face was flushed red, then at the young regent pretending to be calm. He cleared his throat and said, “Alright, then let’s set it for the second day of the second lunar month. I haven’t had a chance to go to the temple to ask for an auspicious date, but since you already did, we’ll go with that. Once the wedding is done at the start of the month and our Nannan is married, it’ll be just in time for the busy spring planting season. The timing’s pretty spot on.”

“Pfft!” The younger generation couldn’t help themselves. They all covered their mouths and burst into laughter.

Wasn’t that just too spot on?

Feng Qingbai clearly didn’t want to delay a few more days, worried that if they hit the spring planting period, no one would have time, and the wedding would be pushed back another month at least.

This time, Liu Dalin didn’t try to stir up any drama.

Now that the engagement was officially set, he figured the sooner they got married, the better. He was worried that if they waited too long, his future grandson might already be on the way.

The Liu family was all too happy to see it happen. As for Elder Jiu, he wasn’t really involved. It was enough for him to have food and drink. And Feng Qingbai’s shadow guards, Wei Hong and Wei Lan, were definitely pleased with the outcome.

Especially Wei Lan—he kept sneaking laughs through the entire meal, unable to hold it in.

His suspicious giggles earned him several side-eyes from Wei Hong.

Was he really that happy about their master getting married that he got sick or something?

Meeting the confused gaze of the nearby woman, Wei Lan grinned at her, flashing a mouthful of big white teeth.

Wei Hong immediately looked away—Yep, totally sick! And not just a little!

After dinner, the elders, considerate of Feng Qingbai’s long and tiring journey back home, told him to turn in early for some rest. 

This time, Liu Dalin was surprisingly thoughtful. Worried that he might feel lonely sleeping alone, he very kindly brought his own bedding over to the second courtyard to share a bed with him.

He effectively crushed any thoughts someone might have had of sneaking around at night.

Once all the elders had gone to bed, the younger generation stayed up in the main hall for the New Year’s Eve vigil.

Huddled around a brazier, Liu Zhiqiu leaned toward Liu Zhixia and whispered, “Brother, do you think Uncle Dalin can really block him?”

Liu Zhixia glanced sideways at him. “And if he can’t, are you going to step in?”

“No way. If I could, would I have eaten dirt and fallen flat on my face earlier today?” Whether physically, mentally, or in sheer presence, he couldn’t compare to Feng Qingbai.

That man was basically a mutant.

“Since you know you can’t, don’t waste your time.”

Liu Zhiqiu nodded seriously—then paused, replaying that sentence in his head. Something felt off. “Wait… Brother, which part of me are you saying can’t?”

“Which part of you can?”

“I…” Liu Zhiqiu wanted to say he was absolutely capable as a man, but when he glanced around and saw there were women present, he shut his mouth with restraint. He side-eyed Liu Zhixia and muttered, “Brother, you’re my real elder brother. Do you have to throw me under the carriage every time you open your mouth?”

“It’s because I’m your real brother that I’m being honest with you.”

“…Don’t act like you’re so amazing!” Liu Zhiqiu snapped, annoyed.

“I already have a son,” Liu Zhixia replied casually, lifting his eyelids lazily. “What about you?”

Unbelievable! Why is this guy my brother?!

The two of them were speaking quietly, and the three women nearby were engaged in their own conversation, not paying attention—giving Liu Zhiqiu at least a sliver of dignity.

“When February comes and Nannan gets married,” Fu Yuzheng said, “your eldest brother and I will be returning to Yunzhou. By then, only Muqiu will be left here as the only unmarried girl in the family. Our grandparents, parents, and uncle’s family will mostly be relying on you and Zhiqiu.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I will.” Liu Muqiu nodded seriously.

Now that the lingering shadow of Matriarch Li was gone, she no longer had anything to fear.

She would give everything she had to protect this family.

Liu Yusheng gently squeezed her hand. “Then from now on, we’ll leave the house more in your care.”

“Okay.”

The three women exchanged a quiet smile. Each of them understood exactly what the others meant.

The Liu family elders had lived their lives with wisdom and openness. But of course, they had their flaws—they were kind and soft-hearted to a fault.

Kind-hearted and soft-hearted people were often easy to deceive and be schemed against.

Even Liu Zhiqiu, though clever, shared the same flaw as the Liu family elders: a deep attachment to personal relationships.

This trait made it easy for others to take advantage of him and use it as leverage for manipulation.

Just like the incident at the winery in Duanqiao Village.

Had it only been the Liu family elders present at that time, the matter might have been downplayed and quickly brushed aside.

But the consequences for the winery would have been far-reaching.

In front of their fellow villagers from the surrounding towns, they couldn’t bring themselves to be harsh.

Their family needed someone who could make firm decisions, be decisive when necessary, and show ruthlessness when the situation called for it.

Liu Muqiu happened to be that person.

The charcoal in the brazier had been added several times, and time was gradually slipping away, nearing midnight.

After feeding Xiao Maodou to sleep, Fu Yuzheng held him close and stayed by the fire, not placing him back in the small room next to the hall.

Once the midnight hour passed, the fireworks from all the homes in the village would start, and Xiao Maodou would be frightened by the noise.

As everyone counted down to the final moments before midnight, another figure slowly entered through the door of the hall. Despite having rested for less than two hours, the person looked lively and energetic, showing no sign of fatigue from the long journey.

Liu Zhiqiu looked at the person who had squeezed next to the brazier and pouted, “I knew it. Uncle definitely can’t keep you in check.”

“Uncle Liu was too tired, so he fell asleep,” Feng Qingbai said lightly.

“Are you sure you didn’t put him to sleep with some acupoint pressure or something?”

Feng Qingbai glanced at him, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint smile. Liu Zhiqiu immediately straightened his face, acting serious. “How could that be? I know you wouldn’t do anything to Uncle. If you had, it would cause problems with your marriage to Nannan, wouldn’t it?”

His nervous tone made the people around them chuckle softly.

Liu Zhiqiu rolled his eyes inwardly. It wasn’t that he was afraid; it was that he knew his limits.

Was someone like Feng Qingbai, who was a bit of a psychopath, someone you could just casually provoke?

Looking back at all the strong characters who had appeared in the Liu family courtyard over the years, including Qian Wanjin, Shi Xianrou, Xue Qinglian, Xue Honglian, and Elder Jiu… had any of them ever gained anything by going against Feng Qingbai?

Never!

So, he would never put himself in a position to suffer.

What he was doing was called knowing when to bend and when to stand firm.