Chapter 202: Beaten Up
Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Yangling shook her head. “General, I didn’t deserve this in the first place.”
“Alright.” Qi Xiuyuan agreed. “Then I’ll get someone to look for the people from Four Tray Village tomorrow and try to settle them down here. Once your corn ripens and the harvest is weighed, we can start to work on that.”
Qi Xiuyuan patted Mu Yangling’s shoulder and said, “It’s late. Go and rest first. I’ll get someone to send you back tomorrow.”
After Mu Yangling bade farewell, Steward Zhu brought her away to rest.
After Mu Yangling left, Qi Xiuyuan looked at Fan Zijin and Qi Haoran with a cold expression. “Whose idea was it to give the credit to Haoran?”
Qi Haoran took a step forward. “Mine!”
Qi Xiuyuan kicked him away and shouted coldly, “Shut up! What aspirations! Fighting to claim credit for such a glorious matter, huh?”
Fan Zijin knelt in front of Qi Xiuyuan and said, “Eldest Cousin, this was my idea. I felt it’s good for Haoran…”
“Good? In what way? Haoran can’t even differentiate between the various grains. How can he farm?”
Qi Haoran held his stomach and got up to kneel beside Fan Zijin. Qi Xiuyuan looked at them majestically and circled around them twice. In a lowered voice, he scolded, “If you continue to take the blame for each other like this in the future, I’ll throw both of you into Jialing Lake.”
Qi Xiuyuan stopped in front of Fan Zijin and couldn’t help but pick up the book on the table and slap him. He scolded, “What aspirations! You actually tried to snatch the credit from a woman? Did you hear what I said to you last time? You’re smart and scheming, but there are many people in this world who are smarter and more scheming than you. I wanted you to be aboveboard, but you keep plotting these devious schemes. How can Haoran not be stupid when he’s with you all the time?”
After scolding Fan Zijin, Qi Xiuyuan went to kick Qi Haoran’s butt. In the end, his anger was still not appeased. He punched his back with the book in his hand and said, “You too. Whatever Zijin says, you just do it without questioning. Don’t you have any brains? Don’t you have an idea of what you can and cannot do? Huh?”
Qi Haoran said aggrievedly, “I didn’t say I wanted it. According to my plan, this matter has to go through me anyway. When the time comes, I’ll just write Mu Shi’s name…”
“Still arguing?” Qi Xiuyuan kicked his butt and knocked him down. “Since you know that Zijin was in the wrong, why didn’t you teach him? You only know how to spoil him. Let’s see what will become of him due to all that condoning.”
Qi Xiuyuan scolded Fan Zijin, “Fan Zijin, remember this. My younger brothers are aboveboard even when scheming. In the future, if you use such methods again, I’ll beat you to death first so that you won’t embarrass me when you enter the court! Don’t write to your parents for the next two years. If your parents write to you, I’ll accept the letters on your behalf. You can pack your things and immediately move back to the prefectural capital tomorrow. Don’t study anymore. Just follow Rong Ze and serve tea.”
Fan Zijin looked at his eldest cousin in shock.
Qi Xiuyuan looked at him with a dark expression as he said, “Rong Ze is a magnanimous person. I hope you can learn a thing or two from him. After the corn is harvested, immediately take the data to the Shen family in Jiangling. Third Master Shen probably won’t see you himself. He’ll probably let the fifth daughter of the Shen family be in charge. Zijin, remember, whether you continue to stay in the prefectural capital or be sent to Xiangyang by me will depend on your ability.”
Fan Zijin’s eyes turned red. “Eldest Cousin, why are you sending me to Xiangyang?”
“Uncle’s family is there. I’ll send you there to train. If I don’t separate you two brats, you two won’t know how to conduct yourselves!”
Qi Haoran was also unwilling. “Big Brother, how can you send Zijin away? We’ve been together since we were born.”
Qi Xiuyuan slapped him. “If I don’t send him away, the two of you will never grow up and never know the severity of matters. If I had known that you guys would act like this, I wouldn’t have let the two of you hang out back then no matter what.”
Furious to see their dispirited expressions, Qi Xiuyuan kicked each of them and said, “Kneel down. Only get up when you figure things out. If you can’t figure it out, I’ll send both of you back to Lin’an. You can do whatever you want out of my sight.”
After he was done lecturing them, he slammed the door and left, leaving Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin speechless.
Ever since the two of them learned how to crawl, they had been hanging out together. Qi Haoran had a small courtyard in the Fan Residence, and Fan Zijin also had an exclusive room in the Qi Residence. It could be said that neither of them had ever left each other.
The longest time they did not meet was when Qi Haoran sneaked into Hanzhong Prefecture with his men. However, at least they were staying together and were not separated from each other.
Now, this pair of brothers that were as close as twins might be completely separated from each other. Even adults wouldn’t be able to stand it, let alone the two children. The duo was extremely sad.
In the end, Fan Zijin gritted his teeth and said, “It’s fine. I’ll learn from Brother Rong Ze. When I go to Jiangling, I’ll definitely be able to handle the Shen family. When that happens, I’ll be able to stay in the prefectural capital.”
Qi Haoran wiped his tears and asked, “Why did Big Brother ask you to go to Jiangling to look for the Shen family? Isn’t the Shen family General Yuan’s in-laws? How are you going to handle them? Could it be that Big Brother also wants you to marry a girl from the Shen family?”
Fan Zijin’s sadness instantly dissipated. Gritting his teeth, he looked at Qi Haoran and asked, “How much did you hear from Eldest Cousin?”
Qi Haoran looked up at him blankly and said, “It shouldn’t be difficult to marry a girl from the Shen family, right? Why don’t I find out for you what the girls from the Shen family like? You can cater to their preferences. If all else fails, we’ll kidnap the bride.”
Fan Zijin stood up and patted his knee. “Eldest Cousin asked me to bring the corn data to the Shen family to discuss the corn business with them. What does it have to do with the Shen family’s girls? Can you use your brains?”
Qi Haoran also got up and asked, “Don’t we have insufficient corn seeds? Why do we still have to do business with the Shen family?”
Fan Zijin snorted coldly and said, “Don’t forget, Eldest Cousin has a ‘good’ superior above him. If we don’t look for them, do you think Cousin can keep this thing?” Since even Qi Xiuyuan needed external help to keep this, how could Mu Yangling keep it by herself? She might even lose her life.
It was precisely because of this that Fan Zijin had wanted to snatch the credit. Anyway, even if the credit wasn’t given to Haoran, it would go to someone else. In any case, it wouldn’t go to the Mu family.
Who knew that Eldest Cousin would put in so much effort to help Mu Yangling? Yet, she was unappreciative and offered to let Four Tray Village take the credit.
Fan Zijin touched his aching back and thought to himself that only Haoran and Mu Yangling knew what he had said today. Fei Bai and Yanmo had both gone to the cornfield, and the guards they brought with them were standing far away. Then who exactly told Eldest Cousin about the snatching credit thing?
Since Mu Yangling had been with them the entire time, it couldn’t be her. Could it be Fei Bai and Yanmo? It was also possible that the guards had heard a few words…
Fan Zijin was investigating the traitor when Qi Haoran touched his chest and started hissing. Fan Zijin hurriedly went forward to open his clothes to take a look. When he saw the bruise on his chest, his eyes widened. “Why did Eldest Cousin use so much strength?”