parentshiftbook Chapter 39 Going to the Dock
Chapter 39 Going to the Dock
Wang Ma's hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on her face cracked little by little as if frozen.
She slowly turned her head, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Chen Zhong and Fang Shuwen twice.
His lips trembled twice, and he managed to squeeze out a dry, hoarse voice:
"Butler Chen...you must be joking, right? Fang Shuwen? What...what was his ranking?"
Chen Zhong didn't look at her. Holding the wooden box wrapped in red silk, he walked straight to Fang Shuwen.
"Xiao Fang, the master specifically instructed that this is a congratulatory gift for you. You ranked ninth in the elite class, and the entire Zhao family is proud of you."
Ninth place.
These two words, like two stones, crashed into the pond in the yard, one after the other.
Wang Ma's mouth opened and closed, then opened again, like a fish thrown ashore.
Hu Da poked half his body out of the kitchen doorway, his apron still covered in flour, his mouth wide open enough to fit an egg.
"Ninth place? Xiao Fang came in ninth?"
He murmured something, his gaze shifting between Fang Shuwen and Cuicui before finally settling on Old Fang.
Old Fang stood by the corridor, holding the bowl of porridge steadily in his hand, but the porridge inside was swaying slightly.
His lips were trembling, and something was flickering in his cloudy eyes.
Ninth place.
His son ranked ninth in the elite class.
Just hearing about it makes me think it's amazing.
"Old Fang! Old Fang, did you hear that? Little Fang came in ninth place!"
Hu Da was the first to come to his senses, and his voice was so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire alley.
He rushed to Lao Fang in three strides, grabbed Lao Fang's shoulder, and shook him hard twice.
"Ninth place! Ninth place in the elite class! Your Xiao Fang has really done well this time!"
Old Fang was shaken so much that he almost dropped the bowl of porridge, but he didn't care.
His eyes were fixed on the wooden box wrapped in red silk in Chen Zhong's hand, and he made a muffled gurgling sound in his throat, as if something was blocking his throat.
"Old Fang?"
Hu Da was startled when he saw him like this and quickly grabbed his arm.
"Old Fang, are you alright?"
"No...it's nothing."
Old Fang finally managed to squeeze out two words, his voice so hoarse it didn't sound like his own.
He shoved the bowl of porridge into Hu Da's hands, rubbed his hands vigorously on his clothes, and then took a step toward Chen Zhong.
"Butler Chen, this...this..."
He stammered, unsure of what to say.
Chen Zhong smiled and handed the wooden box to him.
"Old Fang, this is a small token of the master's appreciation. Young Fang has done us proud, bringing honor to the Zhao family. The master is delighted."
Old Fang reached out his hands, trembling, and took the wooden box.
"Thank you, sir... thank you, sir..."
His voice was trembling.
Fang Shuwen stood aside, watching Old Fang's expression of both crying and laughing, and couldn't help but shake his head.
This is Lao Fang; he only wants Xiao Fang to succeed.
Old Fang's lips trembled for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a complete sentence:
"Shuwen, you...you've really made your father proud."
Fang Shuwen smiled and didn't say anything, but simply supported Lao Fang's arm with a firm but not too strong grip.
Seeing this, Chen Zhong had two servants bring over the other gifts.
"Xiao Fang, this is also from the master."
"Please thank the master for me," Fang Shuwen said.
Chen Zhong waved his hand and left with his two servants.
........
After Butler Chen and the others left, Xiao Fang and Lao Fang also apologized and took the boxes and gifts back to their own houses.
Old Fang placed the wooden box on the table, his hands still trembling.
Fang Shuwen didn't rush to open it. First, he poured a bowl of water and handed it to Dad: "Dad, have some water and calm down."
Old Fang took the bowl, drank a couple of mouthfuls, took a few deep breaths, and finally calmed down a bit.
He put down his bowl, looked at the wooden box wrapped in red silk on the table, his voice still trembling slightly:
"Shuwen, you...you open it and take a look."
Fang Shuwen nodded, reached out to untie the red silk, and lifted the lid of the wooden box.
When the box was opened, the room was filled with the gleam of silver dollars.
Three rows of silver dollars, a total of one hundred.
Old Fang peeked out and saw that the person was frozen in place, their mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.
"One...one hundred dollars?"
His voice trembled as he reached out to touch the silver coins, then withdrew his hand as if burned.
He had never seen so much money in his life.
"This...this is too much...Master...why is he giving so much..."
Fang Shuwen, however, remained calm.
One hundred silver dollars was indeed a huge sum of money back then.
But with his current strength, which allows him to crack his bones three times, he could easily earn thirty to fifty silver dollars a month if he went out to work.
Not to mention, this level of strength is not his limit.
He will become even stronger in the future.
"You can just accept it since it's from the master."
Fang Shuwen pushed the box in front of the old man.
Although he was short of money, he did not intend to take all the silver dollars.
"Oh, this, this, how can this be?"
"This is from the master; just take it."
Upon hearing this, Lao Fang looked anxious.
He doesn't spend any money; this money should go to Xiao Fang.
Xiao Fang is quite capable; he'll have plenty of expenses in the future.
"Just take it!"
Fang Shuwen's expression was solemn, and he somewhat stiffly pushed the box over.
Old Fang is good in every way, except he never thinks about himself.
Knowing his temperament well, Lao Fang would "obey" as soon as he got angry.
Old Fang was indeed fooled by this.
Fang Shuwen's face darkened, and his tone became harsh. Old Fang immediately dared not refuse anymore.
He shrank back, carefully took the box, and muttered to himself:
"Then... I'll keep it for you for now, and give it to you when you need it."
Old Fang locked the box in the cabinet, tucked the key close to his body, patted it to make sure it wouldn't fall out, and then sat back down at the table with peace of mind.
This is a hundred dollars; he's never seen so much money in his life.
He picked up the now-cold porridge, took a sip, smacked his lips, and then, as if remembering something, looked up at Fang Shuwen.
"Shuwen, are you going out later?"
"Yeah, I'm going to East Street to buy some things."
Fang Shuwen responded and walked to the basin in the corner to wash his face.
Then he took a gray shirt from the clothes rack next to him.
In the courtyard, Hu Da was squatting by the kitchen door smoking his pipe. When he saw him come out, he opened his mouth, but then stopped himself from speaking.
Fang Shuwen walked over: "Uncle Hu, is something the matter?"
Hu Da tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe, stood up, and looked somewhat unnatural.
He rubbed his hands repeatedly on his apron, his lips moving as if he was hesitating about something.
"Xiao Fang, you...you're going to East Street this afternoon?"
"Yeah, I need to take care of something at the dock."
Hu Da's eyes lit up for a moment, but then dimmed again. He turned and went into the kitchen, and after a while, he came out carrying a blue cloth bundle.
The bundle wasn't big, but it was bulging and tightly tied.
"Xiao Fang, if you're going that way, could you please give this to Xiao Hu for me?"
Fang Shuwen took the bundle and felt its weight; the contents inside were quite substantial.
"Okay, I was just heading to the docks."
Seeing that he had agreed, Hu Da's expression became even more uneasy. He rubbed his hands together, then rubbed them again, muttering an explanation:
"It's nothing special, just... it's my braised pork knuckle, he loved eating this when he was little. And two pieces of clothing, it's getting hot, he doesn't know how to take care of himself, he doesn't even know how to change clothes for the season..."
Fang Shuwen listened without interrupting.
"Xiao Fang, when you see him... don't say I asked you to bring him. Just say... just say you gave him a ride on your way."
Fang Shuwen was slightly taken aback, looking at Hu Da's dark and rough face.
Hu Da is only in his early forties, but he looks like he's in his fifties.
He worked in the kitchen of the Zhao family for more than ten years, working from dawn till dusk, and his hands developed calluses layer upon layer.
He's a very easygoing person, with a voice loud enough to lift the roof off. He can be buddy with anyone, and the kitchen is always bustling with activity.
He was at a loss when it came to his own son.
Just like Lao Fang.