Fall in love with your enemy

Continuing from the last time, Gao Xinci suddenly came to Jinhai. I have been there for a few days. If he really came to arrest me, he wouldn’t be so slow, but it is unlikely that he has nothing to do with me.

There must be a reason to come here, and if there is a reason, most people have to hide their itinerary, otherwise too many people will come to him and he won't be able to do his business. When William first came to Jinhai, he hid in my territory and I couldn't even find him. But now he has just arrived and he has tipped off my people.

I calmly told the messenger to leave, but when I turned around I was met with Jiang Yinan's gaze. He was holding two small dried fish and feeding them to Rongrong while looking at me with a smile: "What's wrong?"

I shook my head and said, "It's okay. There are people in the ancestral hall right now. I won't go over to join them. I'll go after they leave."

"I'll go with you."

"Goodbye, you don't look very well, and you didn't sleep much last night. If you are tired, just lie down for a while. The ancestral hall is a very oppressive place."

I felt a little flustered as I gave the reason, but fortunately Jiang Yinan didn't ask any more questions. He nodded and continued to entertain Rongrong. I glanced at Feng Shizhi from the side. He probably also received the news. He looked at Jiang Yinan and me with indescribable sadness.

The people outside had been listening to the noise and were very observant. After more than ten minutes, they said we should leave. I set off with Feng Shizhi. As soon as we left the yard, he grabbed me from behind and said, "Gao Xinci is here. What are you going to do?"

"I try my best not to see him, and I try to stay as far away from him as possible. He knows his limits, so he probably won't go too far. He can't rush to the old house to look for me if I don't go out."

"That's hard to say. He has always been unreasonable." Feng Shizhi said unhappily.

I paused, feeling upset. What Feng Shizhi said made sense. If Gao Xinci really wanted to come over, it would not be convenient in the morning. He did have some concerns but not many. There were many people around during the day and everyone went to bed at night. Those gatekeepers were of no use in front of the Gao family.

"After we finish paying respects to Second Aunt, find a few people to keep an eye on him. Nan Nan is upset, and it's only been two days since he recovered. Even if Gao Xinci wants to do something, at least I'm prepared. It's not good to rush when he's right in front of me."

"Okay." Feng Shizhi agreed, and then gestured for me to look ahead.

Only then did I realize that I had spent so much time thinking. Everyone had arrived in front of the ancestral hall. The person guarding the hall opened the door, and we went in. Someone came to burn incense. After they all left, we both knelt on the mat and kowtowed. Feng Shizhi helped me up, and when we were about to leave, I glanced at the tablet and suddenly noticed something strange.

I pulled Feng Shizhi and said, "Aren't Second Aunt and Old Fu of the same generation? Why are Old Fu and his friends in the second row, and Second Aunt in the third row? Why don't you move up?"

Feng Shizhi shrugged his shoulders and didn't care much. "I don't know either. It is said that it was Grandpa who made the rule. He was still alive when Second Aunt passed away. He was supposed to put her in the second row, but Grandpa stopped him. He said that Second Uncle was a concubine's descendant, and Second Aunt didn't have a good status in either the Fu family or her natal family, so she couldn't be on the same level as Uncle Fu. He also said that in the future, anyone born in a concubine's family must lower their generation. When they are alive, they can be friendly and respectful to their brothers, but when they die, their tablets will be moved down one level. Not only Second Aunt, but also Second Grandma and Third Grandma can only be in the same row with Uncle Fu if they die. Only Grandpa and Grandma can be in the first row."

"Is this possible? How embarrassed would Second Uncle be at home?" I curled the corners of my mouth.

"After all, the Fu family was founded by Grandpa. Who can do anything about what he said? I think Second Grandma is the most embarrassed. She has always wanted to be buried with Grandpa. On the tablet, Grandma has passed away and was placed on Grandpa's right. She wanted to be placed on Grandpa's left. Didn't she fall ill last year? She talked about this in a daze, but Second Uncle poured cold water on her on the spot, saying that if she died, she would have to be demoted, and at most she could be placed on Uncle Fu's left. Then she fainted from anger and didn't want to die anymore. Look at her this year, she's alive and kicking."

"This is too much." I sighed, stretched out my hand and lit another stick of incense to offer: "Grandpa has passed away, so many years are enough, the rules should be changed, the parents' mistakes have nothing to do with the children, and the second uncle has no good life under Grandpa, he has suffered a lot, and now he has to bear the Fu family, it's enough."

Feng Shizhi looked at me as if I had a fever, touched my forehead with his hand, and leaned over to ask, "Truth be told?"

"Walls have ears, be careful." I poked the person's palm.

Feng Shizhi pulled the corner of his mouth and looked around, then made an OK gesture and coughed lightly: "Why are you meddling in other people's business?"

"I'm not meddling in other people's business. This is really hurtful to others and not beneficial to ourselves. According to the rules, I am now my second uncle's daughter. Even if Chengcheng is in the eldest house, she is still a concubine according to the rules. So if we die, should I be demoted? Should Chengcheng be demoted? We are both at Zhou Zhi's generation. All the benefits that should belong to the eldest house have become disadvantages. There is no need for that. If the family must be clearly divided, then separate the heirs of the same generation and the children without power into two rows."

Feng Shizhi nodded and measured with his fingers. Fortunately, there was enough space for a few small tablets on the large altar table. "Okay, then I'll find a few people to move the tablets?"

I thought about it and shook my head: "No, I'm not the head of the family, I don't have that power, don't let Chengcheng think too much, wait for him to come back and tell him, there's no need to make a big fuss, just change it quietly, treat it as it is, so as not to bring up the past and embarrass Second Uncle and Younger Uncle, they will understand when they see it one day."

Speaking of this, I do feel a little regretful for the power that I once had, but I have given it up, and there is nothing to say about the choice I made. As for some of the things my second uncle has done for me over the years, I think it is because there are too many injustices in the family. I have no say in the past of my elders. Maybe my second uncle and others really should pay a price for their birth, but in the current situation, we can't just vent our anger without considering our present.

Feng Shizhi sighed deeply, full of resentment: "You're pushing all the good things onto the young master again. You really don't want to leave any for yourself."

"Even if I didn't say it, Second Uncle would have guessed that it was my idea. It's a good thing for both of us, so why not do it?" I patted his arm and said, "Let's go. I just thought that I should go to Third Grandma's place. After all, we live under the same roof. Even if we offend each other, she is older than me. Even for my uncle, I have to save some face there and drink some tea and show superficial respect. Then she won't really blame me if there is a quarrel in the future."

"it is good."

After Feng Shizhi agreed, we went to Xiuchunlou together. Fortunately, Third Madam was very good at saving face, so we stayed there for the whole afternoon without any trouble. However, the pink color and the heavy smell of powder in the courtyard of Xiuchunlou were really disgusting. When Third Madam saw this, she asked someone to extinguish the incense and bring up lighter tea.

"Doesn't Third Grandma dislike such gaudy colors?" I couldn't help but ask.

The Third Grandma was stunned for a moment, and she waved the round fan in her hand, feeling it was strange and interesting, and asked: "How do you know I don't like it?"

"My uncle replaced the furniture for Yunjiao Pavilion before, and selected many kinds of materials to show different colors. You didn't even look at any light colors. You even wanted elm, black walnut, and broad-leaved rosewood. You don't like strange smells. When you go out, you only put a bunch of flowers next to you and don't light any incense. Why is it like this in the room you live in?"

"You are very observant." Third Grandma lowered her head and smiled. The broken hair on her temples slid down. She reached out to lift her hair and hooked her fingers behind her ears. She was so beautiful at that moment. She drank a sip of tea: "What does it matter whether I like it or not? I am someone's concubine. I just need to make your grandfather happy. I used to be an opera singer. He just liked my heavy makeup and the heavy smell of powder on my body. He could just hook his fingers and drag me into a world of decadence and drunkenness. I will continue to do this after I marry into the family."

"But grandpa is dead now, and you could obviously get what you wanted." My heart sank, and I realized that although Third Grandma said it with a smile, her words were full of mockery towards me. It is true that everyone has their own destiny, and she accepted it so easily, but how could I possibly muster any sympathy for her? It was just a thought, though.

Third Grandma was still calm: "He's dead, but he won't come during the day. Your grandfather's body is buried at home. Who would have thought that he would come to my room one day when he was bored. It's convenient for me to be prepared."

I laughed out loud after saying this. I thought that my grandfather's ashes were enshrined in the family ancestral hall, and he was the only one who had not been buried. But even if his ghost was still in the old house, he was an eighty-year-old man. How could he still have the courage to do that?

When I left Xiuchunlou, I looked back and inexplicably felt a little more emotional. This place with bright pink gauze floating everywhere may not trap my grandfather's ghost, but it is destined to trap a sad person. My third grandmother is only in her fifties this year, and she is only four years older than my father.

"Come on, don't think too much. It has nothing to do with us." Feng Shizhi patted my shoulder to bring my thoughts back. I came to my senses and found that I almost stepped on a dog. The dog showed resentment and took a bag of freeze-dried food from my pocket without any hesitation.

Just when I was about to tease this outgoing little white boy, I looked up and saw Jiang Yinan already in front of me. I don't know when he came out, but he took off his coat and put it on me, and wiped the dirt that had gotten on my face at some point.

"Why did you come out? Didn't you get some sleep?" I asked, holding his hand.

Jiang Yinan smiled very gently, but his words startled people suddenly: "I lay down for a while, but you haven't come back for too long. I always felt something was wrong, so I came out to check. I went to the ancestral hall, and the gatekeeper said that you left early and went to Xiuchun Tower. I was planning to go back, but before leaving, I thought of one thing. Who rushed to go in and burn incense before you this afternoon? I was afraid that someone in this family wanted to suppress you. Who knew that when I asked, they said that no one except you had gone in today. Shishi, the person who reported the news to you... is there something wrong?"