Joy of Life

The Fan manor was separated into two separate districts. The courtyard was luxurious and the buildings that peppered it were large. There were three study rooms, and the one from which erupted a high scream came from the west side, the side which contained the least security. This was the study room that most were familiar with and that people could get close to. Like the squeal of a pig being slaughtered, the sudden scream was a shock to all.

Two women who were also in the study when Fan Sizhe screamed cried out in fear. Fan Ruoruo and Lin Wan’er looked on in horror and quickly ran towards Fan Xian to tug at his arms. They were afraid that their big brother – or husband – was in the precarious position of kicking Fan Sizhe to death. It was a plausible possibility, given his fury.

In their eyes, Fan Xian always appeared to be a gentle and mature young man. Even though there had been previous bouts of anger and sadness, he had never once looked so frightfully mad. Seeing Fan Xian’s ice cold demeanor made chills ran down their spines. They were clueless as to what Fan Sizhe had actually done wrong, and they made sure to pull at Fan Xian’s arms and not let him go one step further.

After Teng Zi Jing received the order from Fan Xian to return Fan Sizhe to the manor and study room, the boy was like a cat on a hot tin roof. While contained there, he managed to catch a glimpse of Lady Si Si, to whom he hurriedly requested that a message be brought to his big sister and sister-in-law, asking them to come over at once.

Fan Ruoruo and Lin Wan’er had yet to be made aware of what had happened with the Bao Yue house, and so hearing that Fan Sizhe was calling for their help was an amusing joke. When Fan Xian entered the study room that they were in and brutally kicked Fan Sizhe without warning, they immediately knew something huge had occurred. Both of their faces turned a whiter shade of pale as they looked at Fan Xian, fear contorting both of their faces.

“Let go!” Fan Xian yelled out, with eyes as if they had been frozen for a hundred days. “Father already knows about this, so get your hands off me. I’m not going to kill him.”

Fan Sizhe was now lying on the floor amidst a mound of broken wood and splinters, playing dead. He peeped out with one eye and was able to see his big brother’s face, now a little more composed and calm, and hearing him state that he wasn’t planning on beating him to death, he felt relieved.

Unexpectedly, however, Fan Xian coldly continued, by saying, “but I am going to cripple the boy.”

As he spoke, he escaped the two girls who were grabbing his shoulders. Fan Xian was too mad and couldn’t spare the time to find the family’s book of discipline and so he just grabbed the teapot that was on the table and threw it towards Fan Sizhe

Crunch!

The teapot, full to the brim with hot tea, broke into pieces near the boy, who was continuing to play dead.

The tea went everywhere, as did its broken shards of glass. Fan Sizhe let out an audible yelp, as some of the tea scorched his face and bits of glass brought blood to the surface. He couldn’t feign death anymore. He jumped up, crying out loud, and went to hide behind Lin Wan’er. Amidst his tears and screams of fear, you could discern “Big Brother! He’s is going to kill me! Help!”

Lin Wan’er saw her brother-in-law’s face, all bloodied and in shock, and repositioned him behind her. She slowed Fan Xian’s advance, who was directly in front of her, still seething with rage, and quickly spoke. “What is this? What is going on here? Is this not something we can sort out through a mature and engaged dialogue with one another?”

Fan Xian looked at Fan Sizhe’s flustered face as he hid behind Lin Wan’er. But the anger in his heart did not quell or subside. His mind turned to the wretched deeds Fan Sizhe had committed, and it only stoked the fire. He raised his finger and pointed it towards the cowering child and yelled, “You ask him!! Go on! Ask him what he’s done!”

When Fan Sizhe attempted to speak, he could only mumble, for a foul metallic taste coated his tongue as he coughed up blood. He hadn’t realised until now how powerful his brother’s kick was, and he wondered if this was how he was to die. In this sudden fright, he mustered the courage to call out amidst his tears and weeping to say, “I just opened the house. Do I have to die for it...? Sister, ah... I don’t think I will live to see the next sunrise... Ah!”

After one last brutal scream, Fan Sizhe could no longer stand straight. He keeled over and fell to the floor in another act to play dead, which scared the living hell out of Lin Wan’er and Fan Ruoruo, who both raced to his aid. They kneeled down before him and began rubbing his temples.

Fan Xian had at the very least been able to release some of his anger today upon the battered boy. As Fan Sizhe once more attempted to play dead, though, he was angry enough to begin laughing in hysteria. He looked back and noticed the door to the study room was still wide open. In the distance, servants of the manor could be seen taking a peek at the events that were transpiring in the room ,and so he approached to close the door. He emotionlessly said, “That kick wouldn’t kill you. So, you better get up.”

Fan Sizhe saw how his brother’s face was twisted with rage, and did not dare to stand up. He continued to lie on the floor, hiding behind his sister-in-law and big sister, hoping he could stall long enough for his mother to arrive.

Fan Xian had now taken a seat, and as he sat there, none could pierce the veil created by his expressionless face and think of that which coursed through his mind. Fan Ruoruo passed him a cup of tea and gently asked, “What house?”

After Fan Xian finished taking a sip of tea, he closed his eyes and said, “Whorehouse.”

Wan’er and Ruoruo were shocked. These two ladies had been shocked many times today, but compared to Fan Xian’s kick, Fan Sizhe’s opening of a brothel seemed even more ridiculous. Still, they didn’t think too poorly of the prospect; it was commonplace for rich kids of the capital to start little businesses of their own. Although running a brothel wasn’t something you should be too proud of, as Sizhe was too young to be getting involved in such a business. But did Fan Xian have to get as mad as he did, kicking him so hard?

Fan Xian laughed coldly, bringing out a scroll from his chest pocket, which he passed to his sister. It concerned the investigation of the Overwatch Council on the Bao Yue house.

Fan Ruoruo took it and looked confused. Although the document wasn’t too long, it said many bad things about the Bao Yue house. It only spoke about the evidence they had found, so it didn’t take long to read it.

The mess earlier had made her hair into a mess. Some of her hair had fallen across the forehead and blocked her eyes. It was difficult to make out her reaction. But then she started to breathe heavily, and you could see that it was a mixture of sadness and anger. She bit her lip uneasily.

Wan’er, seeing how Ruoruo was now behaving, wanted to see what was on the scroll that would make her like this. She wanted to go over to her sister-in-law and see what was on the document, but she refrained, fearing Fan Xian would beat Fan Sizhe to death if she left him unprotected for even a second.

Fan Ruoruo raised her head and looked calm, though she seemed colder than before, and her eyes looked angry. She looked at Fan Sizhe, who continued to play dead and asked, “Did he do all this?”

She asked the question calmly, but in her tone, there was an element of something else. It made the people in the room who heard it feel disturbed. Fan Sizhe had been raised by his big sister, so he was afraid of her, despite being closest to her. With a trembling voice, he asked, “What is going on?”

Fan Ruoruo looked disappointed, wondering since when had her brother become like this. Her eyes welled up with tears as she gritted her teeth and chucked the scroll at Fan Sizhe. It hit his face and she told him, “Just take a look at it yourself!”

Sizhe looked at his big brother, who was still sitting in extreme calm. Then, he looked at his sister-in-law. He picked up the scroll and read it. The expression on his face worsened. Fan Xian had learnt about everything he had done during his time in the Bao Yue house.

Fan Xian now closed his eyes and stood up from his chair.

Sizhe screamed. He leapt up and started flailing his arms around, mumbling to say, “Big Brother, I didn’t do this. Please, stop hitting me!”

Fan Xian squinted his eyes while looking at his brother, saying, “If you had personally killed someone and forced women into being whores, I would have kicked you to death by now already. But who are you? You are the owner of the Bao Yue house owner. If you didn’t issue the command, why would those kids of sovereigns commit the foul acts that they did?”

Sizhe, with a rattled voice said, “Some things were ordered by the third prince. Not me!”

“Fan Sizhe,” Fan Xian coldly laughed and said, “Ruoruo said you really are like a pig. I didn’t believe it to be true at first, but here you are, trying to lick yourself clean. I really underestimated you, allowing you to become the thug-boss here in the capital. You really are something.”

And he really was.

Fan Sizhe’s heart went cold. Although he wasn’t old, his heart was mature. He knew his big brother was not paying heed to his plight of defence. He felt wronged, and as he started crying he said aloud, “It really is none of my business!”

Right here, he saw another scary scene.

Ruoruo calmly took out a stick that was the length of an arm. She gave it to Fan Xian.

When Fan Xian had come to the capital, Fan Ruoruo used a ruler to smack Fan Sizhe’s hand when he misbehaved. This ruler was the small discipline of the Fan family. What was the big discipline?

It was a stick.

It was a stick with barbed-wire wrapped around it.

It was a stick that would ensure its victim would bleed when hit.

Across the entire Fan family, only one person had been the recipient of such big discipline. That person was the bodyguard of Sinan Bo. They were the most pampered of companions, depending on the Fan family’s power and Fan Jian’s reputation, and yet they had done something bad in the Ministry of Personnel. Fan Jian used that stick to beat him. Now, he was disabled, living outside the city. One if his legs was broken; he was a sorry sight to behold.

When Fan Sizhe was at school, he saw what happened to that man. Now, he saw Fan Xian hold the big discipline in his hands. His jaw dropped. He couldn’t speak.

Fan Xian coldly said to his wife and Ruoruo, “This is something I will be responsible for; but you two will be as well.”

Wan’er took a step back to stand near Ruoruo.

Fan Sizhe watched the stick get closer and closer. When his fear reached its peak, he jumped, pointed to Fan Xian and yelled, “Sister-in-law!! Big Sister!! Don’t listen to him! Fan Xian, don’t you act like a righteous saint. What is wrong with me operating a whorehouse. What is wrong with me being a bully? Who isn’t doing such bad things like this in the capital? Why are you going to hit me? I really don’t know what you’re thinking. It’s only because you’re having a conflict with the second prince, and I happen to be caught in the middle of it! You’ll lose your reputation, and you’re now taking it out on me.”

Fan Sizhe started crying louder and he continued, “If you have the balls, why don’t you just kill me? What kind of brother are you? When I conducted business, how was I supposed to know you’d get into a fight with the second prince. This was none of my business; you never told me anything. Go beat up the third prince, if you’ve got the balls to!! You’re only bullying me because I’m not the recipient of my parents’ love. Aren’t you a commissioner? Go and arrest the prefect and beat up the third prince. Go on, go! Go, go!”

His face was slapped, but it wasn’t too loud. This had him snap out of his tirade, only to be met with the sight of seeing Fan Xian walk closer.

Fan Xian heard him spew such poppycock, and he was infuriated. His hate didn’t show it, but his forehead looked green. In the twenty years since his rebirth, this was the angriest he had ever been. What was most important about this entire thing was that Fan Sizhe was his brother. He did not expect him to do anything like he had, and he did not expect him to shout out what he was.

“Shut up!” Fan Xian yelled. “If you wanted to just do business, you know I’d let you. But if you weren’t doing bad things, why would people come and threaten me? Do you think I can accept this? Today, I am teaching a lesson. It’s one that was long overdue. This has nothing to do with the second prince or the third prince. This is all about you and what you have done.”

Fan Xian was both sad and angry. He said, “Despite your young age, you have become such a callous person. Who knows what trouble you will bring to my father? I had great expectations for you, and I will not allow you to tread the path you have currently been taking.”

“The princes are nothing; it is you I am angry with! I am mad at you and I hate you! They aren’t my brothers. You are my brother.” He stared intently at him, coldly continuing, “My investigations shows you were not involved, so you can still be saved. You walked the wrong path, and I will use this stick to correct that course.”

After he said that, the stick moved.

Under the family discipline, his pants were in tatters. Blood seeped out from the holes. Screams of agony rang out across the entire manor. The servants were all shocked, as were Deng Ziyue and Teng Zi Jing. Even the gardeners turned around in fright, feeling bad for the young master.

His screaming echoed across the yard, which made the people there feel bad. Fan Sizhe was yelling just moments ago, but now, he was crying and screaming, blubbering for help. His voice gradually weakened, but amongst his fainter cries, he could be heard calling for his mother.

“Sizhe, is going to be beaten to death!” Liu Shi was on her knees in front of Fan Jian. She clutched his legs and pleaded, “Go talk to him! Make him stop! This is enough. What if he kills him?!”