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Long San walked in, and the smell of medicine immediately filled the room. Feng Ning's face immediately scrunched up. Unfortunately, Long San completely ignored her expression and said sternly, "Drink your medicine."
Feng Ning dared not disobey, and reluctantly took the medicine bowl and drank it. Her obedience made Feng Zhuojun feel sorry for her, and he hurriedly asked, "Is it bitter? Do you want to find some honey to remove the bitterness?"
Feng Ning downed the medicine in one gulp, handed the bowl to Long San, and replied, "If it were jujube cake with a sweet filling, it would be even more refreshing."
Feng Zhuojun echoed, "Yes, yes." He looked at Long San, who didn't speak, but turned around and put the bowl on the table. Then he turned back to look at Feng Ning, who quickly said to Feng Zhuojun, "But I'm taking medicine to detoxify now, so I can't eat. I'll just have to bear the bitterness. Father, please don't find me anything to eat."
Her words only made Feng Zhuojun feel more sorry for her. How could his daughter be so mistreated by his son-in-law? Feng Zhuojun turned to Long San, wanting to plead for his daughter, but then he saw the bite marks on Long San's neck. The words he was about to say caught in his throat, and he stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape. Who was suppressing whom here?
Long San glared at Feng Ning, who grinned foolishly at him. The couple's eyes were locked, and Feng Zhuojun's old face turned red. He hurriedly took his leave and couldn't help but think of the Xia Kingdom that year.
That night, Feng Zhuojun suffered from insomnia again. He lay on the bed fully clothed, pondering the ins and outs of the whole matter. He couldn't figure out who was trying to harm Feng Ning.
Just as his thoughts were racing, he suddenly saw a figure flash past the window, seemingly a woman. Feng Zhuojun was startled. Could it be that Feng Feng had finally given in and was sneaking out to steal something to eat? He jumped up and opened the door, only to see a dart whistle past his face and embed itself in the door. A note was pinned beneath the dart. His heart tightened, and he reached for it with trembling hands, when suddenly he heard the sound of a bell coming from a side room. He glanced at Feng Ning's room and suddenly shouted, "Sister-in-law!"
Before he could finish speaking, Long San had already rushed out of the small side room. Feng Zhuojun looked closely and saw two men in black carrying a woman on the rooftop, disappearing quickly. In that fleeting glance, Feng Zhuojun could already tell from their clothes and figures that the woman was Feng Ning. Without a word, Long San chased after the direction in which the two men had disappeared, with Zhong Sheng and the other man quickly following behind.
Feng Zhuojun leaped onto the roof to give chase, but could only see the backs of Long San and the others. He jumped down and entered Feng Ning's room, which was empty. There were no signs of a struggle, so he figured those people had taken advantage of Feng Ning's sleep, sealed her pressure points, and taken her away. Feng Zhuojun's heart ached with anxiety. Remembering the woman's figure outside the window and the dart, his heart skipped a beat for no reason, and he hurried back to his own room.
Shi Yulang was staring at the dart at his doorway. He took a handkerchief and wiped it, then saw him return and said, "It shouldn't be poisoned."
Feng Zhuojun took the dart down, opened the note, and upon reading it, his vision blurred, and he nearly collapsed. Shi Yulang quickly helped him up and led him into the house to sit down.
"Master Feng, what does it say in here?" The characters weren't from the Xiao Kingdom, and Shi Yulang didn't recognize them.
Feng Zhuojun read it again with trembling hands. The few words on the note were heart-wrenching.
“I’m taking my daughter with me.”
Author's note: I hope Jinjiang (the Chinese online literature platform) doesn't crash today, so I can publish my story smoothly. Amen.
55
55. The Dragon Couple, each harboring their own fears...
Feng Zhuojun was speechless, sitting there stiffly with a deathly pale face. He could no longer hold the note, and it fell to the ground. Seeing him like this, Shi Yulang naturally didn't press him for more information. He picked up the note, glanced at it, put it in his pocket, and turned to go out and search the surroundings.
Feng Zhuojun's mind went blank. He sat there blankly for a long time until the noise outside startled him. He rushed out of the room and saw Long San carrying Feng Ning, escorted by Zhong Sheng and several others, returning.
Feng Zhuojun rushed over and carefully looked at Feng Ning, who was nestled unconscious in Long San's arms, seemingly unaware of what was happening around her. Feng Zhuojun guessed that this was because she had been drugged with a sleeping potion when she was kidnapped.
Long San ignored him, carried Feng Ning straight back into the house, carefully placed Feng Ning back on the bed and settled her down, then turned to Zhong Sheng and the others and said, "We need to find another place quickly."
Zhong slapped his chest and replied in a booming voice, "I'll take care of this."
Shi Yulang walked to the bedside and took Feng Ning's pulse. He then said to Long San, "Third Master, don't worry, Madam is fine."
Long San nodded, then turned to meet Feng Zhuojun's eyes. He didn't speak, but Feng Zhuojun felt a pressure. He swallowed hard, pursed his lips, and knew he had to give an explanation for this series of events. Long San stared at him for a long time, then said softly, "Do you have something to say?"
Feng Zhuojun hesitated; he didn't really know what to do. Shi Yulang took out the note and handed it to Long San. Feng Zhuojun's heart skipped a beat. He saw Long San's face tighten after reading the note, then he looked up and stared straight at him. Feng Zhuojun clenched his fists, finally gritted his teeth, and said in a hoarse voice, "Let's find somewhere else to talk."
Long San glanced at Shi Yulang and nodded, saying, "Don't worry." Only then did Long San leave with Feng Zhuojun and go to the small house where Feng Zhuojun was staying.
Feng Zhuojun entered the room and plopped down on the floor. His hands trembled slightly as he poured himself a glass of water and downed it in one gulp. Long San didn't urge him on, but sat quietly to the side, watching him thoughtfully.
Feng Zhuojun remained silent for a while, then, after catching his breath, finally spoke: "My dear son-in-law, this matter concerns Fengfeng... I never imagined that such a thing could happen after all these years. It's absolutely impossible... However... I can tell you everything that happened in the past so that you can take precautions, but you must promise that you will never tell Fengfeng about this."
Long San hesitated for a moment, then said, "If it's better to keep it from Feng'er, I will keep it a secret."
Feng Zhuojun looked intently into Long San's eyes to make sure he was answering sincerely before nodding and saying, "It is indeed a secret, a secret that Ali and I have kept from Fengfeng for twenty years." He paused there, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
Long San didn't rush him, poured him a glass of water, and waited quietly for him to continue. Feng Zhuojun sorted out his thoughts and began to speak: "After my father died, my mother and I always wanted to find out the truth. We absolutely refused to believe that my father would do such a treacherous thing. But we lived in the countryside, our family was poor, we went hungry, and we had no connections. My mother was depressed and couldn't get enough to eat. Before long, she fell ill and passed away after a few years."
Feng Zhuojun's eyes reddened as he recalled the bitterness of those years: "I'm soft-hearted and lack decisiveness, but I dare not forget my father's revenge, nor my mother's dying words. I swore to find out the truth, clear my father's name, and avenge him to comfort the spirits of my two elders in heaven. I slowly investigated, hearing many rumors. I couldn't infiltrate the powerful and influential, so I had to ask some ordinary people first and then verify them when the opportunity arose. There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. One time, I finally learned that the Zhao official who reported my father to the emperor had a servant who was retiring and moving to the Xia Kingdom. He was doing well in the Xiao Kingdom, so why would he go to such a far place? I dug deeper and finally confirmed that this servant was the one who carried out the report. So, I followed him all the way to the Xia Kingdom."
Upon hearing the word "Xia Kingdom," Long San lowered his eyes and remained silent, listening to Feng Zhuojun continue.
“That servant was indeed involved in this matter. He recognized me, and when he saw me, he acted as if he had seen a ghost. He refused to say anything and even secretly used tricks to have someone harm me. At that time, I didn’t know anyone. I was all alone in Xia Kingdom, without money or power, isolated and helpless. But it was also at that time that I met A-Ling, who is…” Feng Zhuojun paused, and finally said, “that is, Feng Feng’s mother.”
"Ah Ling?"
“Yes. Ah Ling and Ah Li are sisters. That year was the worst time of my life. I had nothing to eat or wear, and I was being chased. In my panic, I hid in Ah Ling's carriage. I thought the carriage parked by the roadside was empty, but Ah Ling was unwell and resting alone in the carriage. I ran up and woke her up.” Feng Zhuojun seemed to recall the scene and couldn't help but smile. “Ah Ling has the fiercest temper. When she saw me barging in, she jumped up and beat me up. She even kicked me off the carriage. I was weak at the time and couldn't get up after falling. Ah Ling jumped down and beat me up again. Later, she noticed my condition and asked what had happened.”
Feng Zhuojun paused, and Long San couldn't help but smile, thinking of his own Feng'er, who also had such a fiery temper. Feng Zhuojun continued, "A-Ling is a good girl. When she learned of my situation, she didn't doubt me and helped me onto the carriage, helping me escape the pursuers. Afterwards, when she heard about my experiences, she cared for me a lot. She didn't mind that I was poor or useless... and then we fell in love..." Feng Zhuojun's voice softened, "She gave me everything she had, allowing me to have a home again."
Long San knew the crucial point was approaching. Sure enough, Feng Zhuojun spoke up, "But..." He paused, "But later, I finally found out from that person that it was Old Master Long who did it. This completely matches what my father said about the treasure. I'm eager for revenge and determined to come back and settle accounts with the Long family. But A-Ling disagrees. She wants me to stay in Xia Kingdom, to stay by her side, and to live a peaceful life from now on. But I can't forget how my father looked when he passed away, I can't forget my mother's dying words, I can't forget how our Feng family was once so powerful in the capital, but in the end, we became rats crossing the street. I can't forget this shame."
Feng Zhuojun glanced at Long San, whose expression remained blank, which made him feel somewhat awkward. He rubbed his cheek, drank a glass of water, and continued, "I wanted A-Ling to come with me, but she said she had promised to guard our parents' graves for ten years and couldn't leave. I was very angry at the time. I felt she was too selfish. She kept her promise to our parents, but wanted me to be an unfilial son. I couldn't accept that. We had a huge fight that day. I was so angry that I said a lot of harsh things. Afterwards, I left a letter saying that I would never see her again. Then I left Xia Kingdom and returned to my hometown in Huzhou, intending to plan my revenge."
When the topic of revenge came up, he glanced at Long San again. Long San remained expressionless and instead asked him, "Then how did Feng'er appear later?"
Feng Zhuojun said, "More than a year later, I had just barely established myself in Huzhou and built new graves for my parents. Just as I was worrying about how to proceed with my revenge, Ali came looking for me. She was Ali's younger sister, and we had known each other since the Xia Kingdom. She knew a lot about Ali and me. She brought Fengfeng with her. She told me that after I left, Ali was so angry that she fell seriously ill. It was then that she was diagnosed with a pregnancy of more than two months. She gave birth to the child, but she still harbored resentment towards me. However, she had deep feelings for me and wanted to stay by my side. This emotional turmoil eventually led to her illness. Her illness worsened her mood. She cried every day, sometimes feeling sorry for me and the child, and sometimes feeling that I was a heartless man who had betrayed her. In the end, she could not bear it any longer and entrusted the child to Ali to raise, hoping that Ali would come to me and take care of me and the child. Then Ali sent Ali away and set herself and the ancestral home on fire, joining her parents in death."
At this point, Feng Zhuojun couldn't hold back any longer, covering her face and weeping bitterly. After a long while, she continued, "When I heard that, it was like a bolt from the blue. I've never hated myself so much. I rushed back to Xia Kingdom, only to find that the Qiao family's ancestral home had already been razed to the ground. The memory of that fire was still fresh in everyone's mind. I was devastated then. Fortunately, I had Ali by my side at that time."
Long San handed Feng Zhuojun a handkerchief and poured him a glass of water. Feng Zhuojun wiped his face, drank the water, and calmed down. He continued, "Ali and Aling not only look alike, but they also have similar personalities. They both have fiery tempers and strong personalities. She scolded me severely, telling me not to forget that I still have a child to take care of, and that I still have revenge for my parents. The road ahead is still long. I woke up and pulled myself together, but how could I, a grown man, take care of a child? Ali stayed by our side. She took care of everything for me, cleaned up the house, took care of Fengfeng, and arranged a business for me. With her by my side, my life gradually improved. Later, we naturally got married. At that time, Fengfeng was still young. Ali and I agreed that I would raise Fengfeng as Ali's own child and not impose the mistakes of the previous generation on the child, causing her pain."
Seeing Long San frown slightly, Feng Zhuojun quickly said, "Don't be fooled by Ali's stern words, she is truly good to Fengfeng. I was in poor spirits at the time and couldn't muster any energy for anything. It was Ali who took care of the children and me all by herself. She also recalled some of our Feng family's loyal servants, started a business, and rebuilt the Feng family's business. If it weren't for her, there would be no Feng family today, and Fengfeng and I would be long gone."
"So later you decided to have your daughter infiltrate our Long family to find clues and steal treasures, so as to solidify the evidence against our Long family, right?" Long San asked.
Feng Zhuojun nodded, and Long San asked again, "Who knows about this plan of yours?"