Chapter 23: Three Generations of Villains

Fang Xunli came back with twenty sugar figurines.

He specifically bought a large bamboo basket, lined it with oiled paper, and brought the twenty sugar figurines back.

The elderly man who sold the sugar figurines looked like his hands were about to spark from all the effort.

After returning home, Fang Xunli asked about Fang Yuean’s whereabouts and headed to his mother’s Yunxiang Residence.

Qin Xuan and Nanny Lei were still making the wedding dress.

Er’er was still sleeping inside the room.

Fang Yuean had not taken a nap in the afternoon. She was walking around the eastern Residence in the sun.

At that moment, she was holding a gourd dipper and helping her mother water the flowers.

After scooping out all the water from the small wooden barrel, she called out to Hong Ye, “There’s no water left!”

Hong Ye immediately came forward, took two wooden buckets, and went to the Residence’s water well to fill them.

Fang Yuean, busy, had sweat beading on her nose, and the stray hairs at her temples were lightly damp from the sweat.

During a brief moment of rest, she caught a glimpse of Fang Xunli’s figure at the Residence gate.

She tossed the gourd dipper aside and ran over to see what her older brother had brought back.

When she saw the basket full of rabbit-shaped sugar figurines, her eyes brightened with joy. “I knew it! Big brother is so amazing, he must have gotten the first prize!”

Fang Xunli smiled, placing the basket on a chair nearby. “And these ten are from your brother Cao Ran, as thanks for the wooden sculpture you gave him.”

Qin Xuan paused her needlework and looked up at the brother and sister with a gentle, smiling expression. “Why did you buy so many?”

Fang Xunli walked over and sat on the round stool in front of his mother, recounting the agreement he had made with Fang Yuean on the day of the exam.

Upon hearing that her son had once again topped the rankings, Qin Xuan felt greatly reassured and, as she had done when he was young, patted his head. “My son is truly impressive.”

Just like his father, Fang Xunli was talented in both literature and martial arts.

Since childhood, he had often followed his father, Fang Zhan, practicing military drills and martial arts.

Three years ago, after Fang Zhan went to war for a few months, Fang Xunli passed the imperial exam at the age of sixteen.

Qin Xuan had a long conversation with him about his future choices.

Fang Xunli said: If the country was at peace, he would serve in the court; if it was at war, he would go to the battlefield.

Qin Xuan’s eyes filled with tears. Though she didn’t want her son to live a life of danger like his father, she also respected his decision.

At this moment, the country was not in a golden age, but it was peaceful. Fang Xunli chose to continue his studies, while also practicing martial arts.

Qin Xuan was well aware of her son’s abilities. At sixteen, Fang Xunli would certainly perform well in the upcoming imperial examination.

However, as a mother, she couldn’t bear the thought of her young son entering the officialdom so soon.

Neither she nor Fang Zhan needed their children to bring glory to their family name. They just hoped for their children’s happiness and for them to take their time in life.

In the end, mother and son decided that Fang Xunli should marry first and then take part in the next imperial exam.

Now, Fang Xunli was about to graduate from the Imperial Academy and was preparing for the spring examination next year.

Fang Yuean, laughing inwardly, had already picked up two rabbit-shaped sugar figurines and was running around, showing them to everyone.

“Bi He, I have twenty sugar figurines.”

“Hong Ye, I have twenty sugar figurines.”

…

Finally, Fang Yuean approached Qin Xuan and whispered in her ear, “Mother, I have twenty sugar figurines.”

Qin Xuan came back to her senses and smiled as she looked at her, “Good, good, but children can’t eat too many sweets. You can only have one today.”

Fang Yuean scratched the bamboo skewer with her fingertip, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, paused for a moment, then smiled, “Then I’ll share them with everyone.”

Qin Xuan’s expression softened, and she nodded, “Alright. If you want more another day, Mother will take you to buy some, and we’ll see how the sugar figurine master makes them.”

“These sugar figurines will turn black if left out too long.”

Fang Yuean eagerly agreed, then went to hand out the sugar figurines to the young maids, including Bi He.

Huai Ze, twisting and squirming, said: [I want one too. You must leave one for me, and keep it in your space where it won’t spoil.]

Fang Yuean: [Got it. The matter with the Cao family was mentioned by you, so you’ve done a great deed. I’ll leave you two.]

Fang Xunli sat beside his mother and recounted the events concerning the Song family.

After listening, Qin Xuan felt deeply moved. She exchanged a long glance with her son and felt some comfort.

Although Fang Yuean was playing with the sugar figurines, she kept her ears perked, listening closely to the continuation of the story.

Next came Lin Xu.

That evening, at Mingyue Residence.

Fang Yuean relaxed in a wooden tub, enjoying her mother washing her.

After the bath was almost done, Qin Xuan lifted her out of the tub, took the towel from Bi He, and wrapped it around her to dry her.

Seeing that Fang Yuean was staring at her with wide eyes, Qin Xuan couldn’t help but kiss her red little face twice, making Fang Yuean squirm and giggle with laughter.

After dressing Fang Yuean in new clothes, Qin Xuan dried her hair halfway, then carried her to the bed and began washing Er’er.

Fang Yuean lay on the bed, propped her chin up, and watched her mother washing Er’er from behind.

This peaceful and stable feeling was something Fang Yuean particularly enjoyed.

It felt like basking in the spring sun, and her heart felt warm all over.

After a while, she changed her position.

The weight of the gold bracelet on her wrist made her look away.

[Finally, we’re going to address that person you’ve been thinking about, Sister Xu. Huai Ze, speak up.] Fang Yuean fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist.

Huai Ze, facing the wall, immediately had a golden light flash around his head.

After the golden light faded, his wings drooped, and his voice was full of shock:

[When Lin Xu was sixteen, he threw a classmate into the water and drowned them.]

[His grandfather was in the Imperial Cabinet, and his father worked in the Ministry of Justice. Both helped him destroy the evidence, and the case was closed by saying the victim accidentally fell into the water.]

[They even hired a master to perform a ritual, trapping the victim’s vengeful spirit at the crime scene, ensuring that he would never reincarnate.]

Fang Yuean’s anger surged: [You gods are useless! There’s so much injustice in this world, and you don’t do anything! Instead, you want me, a demon, to take care of it! What kind of situation is this!]

She huffed, gasping for breath, sitting up, not even sure who she was mad at.

Huai Ze quickly tried to soothe her: [Everything happens for a reason, right?]

[What reason! ] Fang Yuean was furious. [I don’t care what’s going on with the reincarnation books, and what rules you celestial and underworld folks have. As far as I’m concerned, if it makes me angry, I’ll fix it, until I’m no longer angry!]

She made a gesture to roll up her sleeves but realized she was wearing a short-sleeved garment, so she sighed and lowered her hand.

Huai Ze was a bit dissatisfied with her attitude and became somewhat pretentious: [Hmph, you’re always so harsh with me, but you’re so well-behaved with those mortals.]

Fang Yuean shot him a glance: [I can’t let them suspect, so I have to be a good child. Besides, they’re all my family. Like obedient little kittens, I can’t scare them. You, on the other hand, have such big courage, always ready to argue with me. I don’t see you being scared.]

Huai Ze pouted.

In the earlier lifetimes, he had often been so scared that he would secretly cry. He was terrified that one day this little demon would decide to roast him and eat him.

At that time, he was only a few hundred years old.

He didn’t even know how he survived it.

He was born with an immortal body, and didn’t have to go through the same kind of cultivation as others to become immortal. Perhaps heaven couldn’t bear how smoothly his immortal life had gone, so it set up this tribulation for him.

[Stop talking nonsense and just tell me.] Fang Yuean urged.