Die Faust zerschmettert alle Himmel und unzählige Welten - Kapitel 23
"Mm," Feng Ning replied, her eyes looking innocent; she really wasn't looking for trouble.
"It'll only be three days. You won't go hungry, and you'll sleep well. It's just a ritual to exorcise evil spirits. There's no river around the temple, and there are guards with you. You won't be in any danger. Stop making a fuss and obediently go with Granny Yu."
"Oh." Feng Ning's disappointment was obvious. She walked towards the carriage with her head down, then turned back after a few steps: "Long San, if I am exorcised and disappear, don't blame me, it's not what I wanted."
"Hmm, it's not your fault," Long San replied, thinking to himself that it wasn't a ghost or monster, so how could it have been exorcised?
Feng Ning pursed her lips, turned around to walk towards the carriage, but before she could take a step, she turned back and said, "Long San, it's only three days, can't you come with us?"
“Feng Ning…” Long San warned, drawing out his words.
Feng Ning quickly turned and ran towards the carriage, saying, "I know, I know." She jumped onto the carriage and waved goodbye to him vigorously. This time, the carriage finally started moving smoothly, its speed increasing until it gradually disappeared from Long San's sight.
Long San entered the mansion and, after thinking for a moment, went to Feng Ning's room. The maid who was left behind was surprised to see him, but Long San waved his hand and said it was nothing, sending her away.
The room was very clean and uncluttered. The sugar figurine and wooden doll he bought for Feng Ning were displayed on the table, and the kite hung on the wall, adding a touch of charm to the room. Long San poked the wooden doll, watching its head bob back and forth, and thought to himself that he really rarely bought her anything.
He reached out and picked up the jewelry box, touched it, and pried open the inner compartment. He discovered that this time there was a piece of paper covered in writing inside, like a letter.
Long San's heart skipped a beat. Could it be the work of some mysterious person again, sending a letter to Feng Ning? He opened the letter and was shocked to find that it was actually a letter written by Feng Ning to herself.
It turned out she was genuinely afraid. She feared that going to exorcise the evil spirits might lead to unforeseen consequences, given the bizarre nature of her recent experiences. She was terrified that she would lose herself during this time, so she wrote a letter to warn others.
The letter said that if she didn't remember what happened during this period, but still remembered that there was a hidden compartment in the box, then she must have returned to the old Feng Ning. She hoped that the old Feng Ning would listen carefully to what the current Feng Ning had to say.
She said she didn't know what had happened in the past, but during her time with the Long family, she was certain that they were all good people. She hoped that whatever Feng Ning had done or planned to do in the past, she would first be true to her conscience and not make any mistakes.
She said she felt she shouldn't be a bad woman, so she believed that whatever she had done in the past must have had a reason and a hardship. She advised herself that if she really had difficulties, she should first consider the relationships with all parties and then have an open and honest talk with the Long family. She believed that they could definitely reach a good solution through negotiation.
She even wrote that Long San treated her very well, and it was thanks to him that she was able to find a sense of security and some joy in this strange and hostile place. She said that although Long Er was stingy, he was not a treacherous or malicious person; although Granny Yu was strict, she was not mean or cunning; and even the rarely seen and rarely spoken Iron Steward was actually a kind and honest person. She said that her amnesia allowed her to see these people and things from a different perspective, and she hoped that her past self could let go of prejudices and make better decisions.
The letter also stated that she had agreed to divorce Long San and set him free, and hoped that Feng Ning would not break her promise and, at the appropriate time, persuade her family to settle things with the Long family.
At the end of the letter, she wrote: If you treat others with sincerity, you will surely be rewarded. Since you are me, you will surely know my heart. Do not make mistakes. Treat others with kindness, and they will treat you with kindness in return.
At the very bottom, there was a line of smaller print: "To prove my identity, I have left my fingerprint here. If you doubt the origin of this letter, please compare your fingerprint to see the truth." There was indeed a clear fingerprint next to this line of text.
After reading the letter, Long San was truly at a loss for words. This Feng Ning, who seemed carefree, thoughtless, and only cared about food, was actually so meticulous.
He sat in her room for a while, thought for a moment, then took out the letter she had given him and decided to open it and peek at it secretly. The contents of this letter were largely the same as the letter in the box, except that the opening explanation was that she was worried she would forget what had happened during this period, so she wrote a letter for Long San to deliver.
Long San suddenly felt that he knew what Feng Ning would do. He searched Feng Ning's room and found identical letters hidden in her closets, boxes, and under her bedding.
Long San sighed. Feng Ning, this strange woman, had a simple smile and a straightforward personality, sometimes acting rudely and carelessly. But hidden behind this was her helplessness and confusion. She cautiously tried to please and test the people and things around her, merely seeking peace of mind and sustenance. No matter what she wanted, she had no choice but to accept the Long family's dislike, distrust, and all their arrangements for her, given her amnesia.
"Don't blame me, it wasn't my choice." Long San thought of Feng Ning's words and felt a pang of pity.
As he put the letter back exactly as it was, he thought how fortunate it was that the person was Feng Ning. If it were anyone else, they would probably either cry themselves to death or annoy everyone around them to death in this situation. As for Feng Ning, what he remembered most was her arrogance, smugness, and mischievous laughter.
Long San felt agitated. Could this woman have gone to Fuling Temple and really turned back into her old self? Surprisingly, he didn't want her to go back to that.
Long San paced back and forth, unable to find peace. One moment he thought that Granny Yu had handled things properly and wouldn't let Feng Ning get into trouble, the next he was worried that the culprit was still unknown and that their trip might have leaked information and put her in danger. Then he wondered how he should treat Feng Ning if she really turned back to her former self. He even considered whether he should simply go to the temple to be with her.
In the end, he realized that Feng Ning was indeed a master of causing trouble. Even when she wasn't there, she could make him nervous. He had many important things to do and couldn't afford to be so disorganized and lose his composure.
Author's Note: Ta-da! The 8 PM drama is here again. When I got back last night, it seemed like Jinjiang was acting up again, and some readers couldn't get the page. Jinjiang's erratic behavior has been quite severe lately, so please bear with me.
"I Am Number Four" is similar in theme to Superman: an alien teenager with superpowers is hunted on Earth, finds his powers, fights back, and grows up. The action and special effects are pretty good, and the characters are quite attractive. Personally, I think it's much better than "The Green Hornet" and worth watching. However, it's obvious there will be a sequel. These days, movies are increasingly resembling TV dramas, always one episode after another.
Getting back to the topic, Fengfeng didn't appear much in this chapter, but I felt she was the most heartbreaking. While writing, imagining her situation made me very sad. (Okay, I can already picture Feng Ning's voiceover: You writer, who else can you blame for being so sentimental...?) (Then my own voiceover: Long San, take this annoying woman away, she's just too unlovable...)
17
17. The Third Madam Long, who wanted to be divorced...
Long San hardened his heart, deciding not to think about what might happen to Feng Ning at Fuling Temple. There, Granny Yu and guards were there, Feng Ning herself knew martial arts, and there were no rivers nearby; she should be safe. He put aside his thoughts and began arranging the search for the murderer based on the portrait.
The next day, Long Er returned. The two brothers met and sorted out the sequence of events. First, Long Er had settled the troublesome business matters of the Long family in other places during his trip, and he confirmed that it was related to the Feng family. Second, there was no news about the stolen treasure in the martial arts world, so it was either lost in the river or the other party had already discovered that it was a fake. Third, Long San had sent people to keep an eye on the Feng family and see what they were up to recently, but there was no news about the treasure or Long San's previous attack. Fourth, Feng Ning's two attacks and drownings were probably not the work of the same person.
Upon hearing this, Long Er frowned: "It seems that Feng Ning has caused more than one problem."
"I've sent out the portrait of the person she remembered, and I also inquired in the places Feng Ning had frequented before, but no one has seen him. Given Feng Ning's past temperament, she shouldn't have fallen for someone with such an appearance. Those silk cords and love tokens probably weren't for him. We'll have to wait for more information to find out his identity."
“Speaking of relationships, you should be more careful yourself,” Long Er said. “You still need to be wary when dealing with Feng Ning. As the saying goes, old habits die hard. She was able to seduce people everywhere back then, so she wasn’t a loyal woman. Now that she has lost her memory, she immediately clung to you when you showed her kindness. This also shows her nature.”
"Second brother, no matter what, I am nominally her husband. She has been feeling scared and helpless these days, so it is understandable that she would want to find someone to rely on. It is understandable that she would depend on me a little."
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Long Er said bluntly. “You’re starting to speak up for her now. Third brother, you know that with enough willpower, any action can be justified. But this Feng Ning, just when we were preparing to strike at the Feng family, she stole something, was caught, and immediately lost her memory. After losing her memory, she became a different person. The stolen items disappeared without a trace, and now it’s been confirmed that she was involved in your attack. The timing of everything is too bizarre. I don’t care what she’s become now; if she threatens the Long family, I won’t let her go.”
"Second brother, I am not being careless about her, but as you said, she has indeed become a different person, and it is not appropriate to be too hostile towards her. She has no bad intentions now, so don't worry, I will handle it properly."
Long Er said, "In my opinion, we should take this opportunity to divorce her and send her back to the Feng family, which will settle the matter with the Feng family."
Long San didn't respond immediately; he hesitated.
Long Er raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"
"Second Brother, let's decide on the arrangements after we've investigated the Feng family's situation."
"What does your divorce have to do with the Feng family's situation? Regardless of the final details of the attack and theft, it was ultimately Feng Ning's doing. She violated all seven grounds for divorce, so divorcing her is perfectly justified. Now that we have leverage over the Feng family, we can settle this matter."
"What if the Feng family doesn't treat her well?" Long San was worried about Feng Ning: "Now that she has lost her past memories, she already feels helpless and easily frightened and panicked. She finally got to know us, and then she was sent back home. What if the Feng family takes their anger out on her, or if they didn't treat her well to begin with? What will she do in that environment?"
"Third brother!" Long Er asked in surprise, "Are you showing her pity?"