Woodcutting?

What does it have to do with instinct?

What instincts does woodcutting require?

Manager Gao didn’t understand it and turned to look at Miss Jun.

“Take a detour,” said Miss Jun. “Go around this forest.”

Right, the person in charge spoke, so he must comply.

“Detours, detour,” Manager Gao said loudly.

“We’ll waste a lot of time if we take a detour,” someone couldn’t help but remind.

“Would you rather work harder by passing through a longer route, or save time and walk into the King of Hell’s palace, eyes shut?” Zhu Zan asked.

‘This person is really… annoying.’

The man shrank back and did not reply.

“Let’s go,” Manager Gao said as he urged his horse to the front.

The group shifted course.

………

Travelers were like arrows when their hearts were set on return, and people at home awaited them anxiously.

The sky was no longer bright when someone galloped through the streets into the Fang Family’s residence. A few moments later, a young servant girl ran into Old Lady Fang’s room.

Old Lady Fang quickly went over to Lady Fang’s place.

Fang Yunxiu and Fang Yuxiu were there too.

“They are almost at Huaiqing,” said Old Lady Fang.

They all immediately rejoiced.

Although the news about where Fang Chengyu was came almost every other day, every time they heard it, they were happy.

“That’s good, we might see Little Brother on the fifteenth,” Fang Yunxiu said, clasping her hands together.

“It’s really quite slow going,” Lady Fang said suddenly.

By now, they should have made it to Huaiqing already.

“Young Master’s condition is better. He’s walking slowly but steadily,” Concubine Yuan said.

“Yes, and from time to time, he meets with people from the exchange firm on the road,” said Old Lady Fang. “Always delaying one or two days.”

“Yes, these people have never seen the young master,” said Concubine Yuan, wiping away tears of happiness.

Perhaps they had never even expected to see the young heir.

Old Lady Fang’s eyes were sparkling with tears.

Lady Fang was a bit uneasy.

“But, it’s okay to see him afterwards. Now that he’s fine, he should come back home to relieve us of our worries,” she said. “What if something goes wrong?”

Worrying that something was going to go wrong was part of the fear a mother had for her son’s well being. It also showed a mother’s deepest concern for her son.

Concubine Yuan could not help laughing.

“Lady, don’t worry. Young Lady is there, as well as many guards. They’re walking down the main road, and everyone from the exchange firm is meeting with him. Even the government has been alerted. In such bright light, there can’t be too much danger,” she soothed.

She looked to Old Lady Fang.

“Old Lady, when you got married, you must have seen such a thing. Wouldn’t you say?

No one answered her. She looked to Old Lady Fang and saw that the old matron was dazed.

“Old Lady?” Concubine Yuan could not help but call out.

Startled by Concubine Yuan’s voice, Old Lady Fang snapped out of her reverie.

“Wouldn’t you?” Concubine Yuan repeated herself..

“Yes,” said Old Lady Fang, and got up. “I’ll go to county office.”

The change in topic was a very sudden one.

“Grandmother, don’t be anxious.” Fang Yuxiu smiled. “There is enough time to prepare for Little Brother’s return.”

Everyone here was reminded of what was to come.

Although the people in Yangcheng now knew that Head Shopkeeper Song had plotted against the Fang Family and the government had also collected evidence regarding it, the details had not yet been disclosed to the public. The Fang Family had arranged for Head Shopkeeper Song’s beheading and public denouncement to be held when Fang Chengyu returned.

Then, everyone would have a deeper understanding of the truth. They would also see Fang Chengyu’s recovery, and they would be able to thoroughly cleanse the rumors of the curse.

Old Lady Fang wanted to go to the county to discuss the arrangements.

“Yes, Old Lady, no hurry,” Concubine Yuan said, smiling.

Not waiting for Old Lady’s response, she smiled at Lady Fang.

“Ah, these words are too empty. How can we not be anxious? Really can’t wait till Young Master comes back and see that vile person’s head roll.”

The people in the room laughed.

Watching Old Lady Fang dispatch somone, Fang Yuxiu sighed softly and clasped her hands together.

“May Buddha bless and protect,” she whispered.

Fang Yunxiu looked at her with some surprise.

“Why are you praying to Buddha?” she asked.

Because when the matter was at its height, Lady Fang had prayed to the Buddha while Fang Yunxiu sometimes abstained and chanted sutras, but Fang Yuxiu had never done either.

She said if you could request a blessing from Buddha, that wasn’t the Buddha.

But now she was asking for his protection?

“Is there something wrong?” asked Fang Yunxiu.

“No, nothing,” Fang Yuxiu said, shaking her head. “Only good things. I’m not really praying to Buddha. I’m asking for a favor. For this day, let there be many people who do a lot of things. I hope that Buddha won’t make it hard for people and will be fair.”

Fang Yunxiu nodded and held her hand.

“Yes, sure enough, you’ll see that everything is better, little by little,” she said.

Fang Yuxiu smiled and nodded.

“Well, everyone is doing their own thing. Let’s go and do something,” she said.

………

“You relax. I’ve already planned for this,” County Magistrate Li said warmly when he saw Old Lady Fang coming over to pay a visit.

Old Lady Fang bowed to him and thanked him.

“It’s just…” She paused, then asked, “Song Yunping has accomplices?”

County Magistrate Li nodded.

“He does. Some of the servants at your house, and some of the people in the exchange firm,” he said. “And some of his relatives.”

All of those people had been cleared out. The ones deserving were jailed, the ones deserving to be cut down by the Fang Family were cut down.

“I mean,” said Old Lady Fang, “was he receiving instructions from some other people?”

Here, she sighed again.

“We really had no enmity with Song Yunping. And now we’re here.”

County Magistrate Li laughed.

“So who do you have deep enmity with?” he asked.

Old Lady Fang sighed again.

If she could think of them, she wouldn’t need to ask.

“Don’t run off with your imagination. You might not know what kind of people I’ve seen in as an official for decades,” County Magistrate Li said, pointing at the jail. “People commit crimes for all sorts of crazy reasons. You can’t imagine it. If you heard about it, you wouldn’t believe it.”

Old Lady Fang sighed and was happy again.

“I won’t worry about him no more. Chengyu is coming back,” she said. “This thing is all over, and we can live our lives now.”

County Magistrate Li nodded.

“Yeah, that’s what you should be thinking.” He laughed. “When Young Master Fang arrives, remember to let me know ahead of time. I will also come receive him.”

Old Lady Fang thanked him and departed.

County Magistrate Li stood on the porch and watched her leave. After he couldn’t see her anymore, the smile on his face disappeared. He turned around and went into the back courtyard. He passed through several doors, till he arrived in front of a cell.

The dark, stuffy stench coming from the cell was suffocating.

County Magistrate Li used a handkerchief to block his nose when he stood at the entrance of a cell.

“It’s really so annoying. They’re coming so slowly,” he complained. “Moving left, moving right, so many times, just impossible to catch.”

“That’s only natural. Once bitten by a snake, will be scared by the well rope for ten years,” said a hoarse voice from the prison cell. “Master Fang was killed. Eventually the younger will follow the same disastrous fate.”