Drinking the small wine and eating the small dishes, the sky darkened without realizing it.
Old Sun looked at the empty plates and asked Fang Er with some servility, "My Lord, do you think I should add two more dishes?"
Before Fang Er could speak, Old Ma, who was beside him, backhanded Old Sun on the head. "Are you out of your mind from drinking? It's dark, how can my Lord continue to stay here with us?"
Old Sun shrunk his neck and ignored the muddled old man. "Damn it, you have no idea!"
Indeed, Fang Er's next words confirmed his thoughts. Fang Er poured himself another cup of wine, raised his cup to the two of them, and smiled. "I've been handling affairs outside for many years, and all the old and young in this village came for me back then, but in reality, they live their lives under your care. Come, come, I'll toast you two elders!"
Go back? What nonsense! I won't go home until my kidneys are reinforced into stainless steel!
"Bang bang bang!" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the cowshed, and Fang Er instantly felt a sense of foreboding. Old Ma, groggily, instructed a servant to open the door.
Not long after, the servant led two young girls. One was about ten years old, and the other was about five or six.
"Brother-in-law..." The older girl, upon seeing Fang Er, immediately opened her arms and rushed towards him.
"Changle?" Fang Er was a bit stunned, "You've grown so much?"
In Andromeda, three years had passed in the Great Tang. The little girl from back then had now grown into a young lady. She stood tall and graceful, and if not for her calling him brother-in-law, Fang Er would hardly have recognized her.
"Brother-in-law has been away for so long, and you didn't even come to see me when you returned!" Changle buried her face in Fang Er's embrace and muttered softly.
Hearing their conversation, Old Ma and Old Sun quickly knelt and bowed. "Your humble subjects pay respects to Your Highness, the Princess!"
"Get up, we are family, no need for so many formalities!" Fang Er couldn't respond to Changle with a hug in front of them. But the appearance of Changle and the little girl dashed his plans of escaping. After giving some instructions to Old Ma and the others, he led Changle and the little girl out of the cowshed and headed towards Fangjia Village.
Outside the cowshed, several eunuchs and palace maids were lined up on either side. Upon seeing Fang Er, they quickly bowed. "Your humble servants pay respects to His Highness the驸马!"
Fang Er: "..." Damn it, this must have been deliberately arranged by that fellow Li Shimin! Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to call him驸马 before the wedding ceremony!
He casually took out a handful of gems and stuffed them into the arms of one of the palace maids. "Take these things and distribute them, and all of you return to the palace!"
Under the moonlight, the colorful gems were dazzling. The palace maid was startled by this gesture. She knelt down with a thud, "Your humble servant thanks Your Highness for the reward!"
Without paying them any further attention, Fang Er, holding Changle's hand, walked slowly in the night. "Changle, who is this little girl?" The little girl looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember who she was.
Before Changle could answer, the little girl pouted and started to cry! "Father-in-law is bad! You don't even remember Gaoyang!"
Wang Defa? This is Gaoyang? As for the title "Father-in-law," he didn't take it to heart at all. This messy relationship had long made him speechless. You call me son-in-law, and I call you father-in-law, but we are actually in-laws! You call me father-in-law, and I call you daughter-in-law, but you are actually my sister-in-law...
He shook his head speechlessly, took out a handful of candies and handed them to Gaoyang, casually ruffling her small head. Seeing Gaoyang stop crying and happily put the candies into her pocket as if they were treasures, he then asked Changle, "It's already dark, why did you run out of the palace?"
"We wanted to come to Fangjia Village. Isn't it the same to come tomorrow?" Changle's expression turned gloomy upon hearing this. She looked at Fang Er somewhat nervously and asked, "Brother-in-law, if I were to die tomorrow, would you still marry me?"
Fang Er was startled, "What nonsense are you talking about! With Old Sun and the others here, even if the King of Hell really wanted you dead, your brother-in-law would chase him down, beat him up, and snatch you back!"
Changle shook her head, "But, I think I really have a terminal illness!" "I haven't even dared to tell my father the Emperor or my mother about this."
Seeing her sad appearance, Fang Er felt a bit flustered. He felt her body repeatedly with his hands. No fever. Her bones were all fine... Her complexion wasn't sallow like that of a critically ill patient; he couldn't see any problems at all. "What exactly is wrong with you? Tell me honestly, I'll find someone to cure you!"
A blush appeared on Changle's nervous face. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Fang Shan's eyes, and murmured softly. "Brother-in-law, I've noticed these days that it seems my hair is growing in the wrong place!" "If this isn't a terminal illness, what is it?" "I'm so worried that one day I'll suddenly die, or turn into a monster covered in fur..."
Fang Er: ??? Hair... growing in the wrong place? This answer made him stunned for a while before he came to his senses! Just... this?
"Hahahaha!" He laughed heartily with relief, like a silly fool. "Brother-in-law really dislikes Changle too and is mocking me." "Fine then, Changle will find a quiet place to wait for death. Please take Gaoyang back, she is wild, don't let her get lost." Tears streamed down Changle's eyes. As she spoke, she was about to turn and leave.
"Where are you going? Who said that was an illness?" Fang Er quickly grabbed her. "Did no one tell you that everyone is like this?"
"Not at all, brother-in-law, don't lie to me! My mother isn't, I saw it with my own eyes." Changle struggled forcefully, trying to break free from Fang Er's grip.
But these words made Fang Er stunned again! Holy cow, this is so much information... Slap! He backhanded himself. Damn it, what was he thinking? That was his most respected mother-in-law!
Seeing him inexplicably hit himself, Changle panicked, "Brother-in-law, what are you doing?"
"Cough cough! You didn't say anything just now, and I didn't hear anything!" Fang Er rubbed his cheek and said to Changle seriously. "Also, what you have is not an illness at all. If you don't believe me, wait until you see your sister Yue and the others..."
"No, my sisters will laugh at me like you..." Changle interrupted him before he could finish.
Fang Er: ... The little girl has grown up and it's time for her to have her own little secrets, not even telling her parents, it's a headache! This matter should have been taught to her by the palace嬷嬷s, but for some reason, it was overlooked.
"What you have is really not an illness! Believe me, brother-in-law, I wouldn't lie to you!" "Does everyone really have this?" "Really!" "I don't believe it unless you can prove it to me!" "How can I prove that to you!" "You..."