I'm the Farmgirl You Can't Mess With

Chapter 1379: Side Story: Qi Xiuyuan (11)

Editor: Atlas Studios

Diligently, Qi Xiuyuan studied and practiced martial arts. Other than fighting with his two half-brothers from time to time, he rarely interacted with the others in the Qi Residence.

After mourning for Old Madam Qi for two years, it was unknown what means he used, but somehow he got himself reinstated. The Zhu family did not stop him this time though. Zhu Qing knew that Qi Feng was a narrow-minded person. If he interfered and forced him to a corner, he would probably fly into a rage out of humiliation and attack the two children.

His ultimate goal was for his two nephews to grow up safely. This was also the most important reason why he kept the cause of Zhu Wan’s death under wraps.

Qi Xiuyuan had personally given that bowl of medicine to Zhu Wan after brewing it. If he knew that Madam Wu had made use of his filial piety to kill his mother, this child would probably blame himself for the rest of his life.

After Qi Feng was reinstated, his mood improved a lot. Although he still didn’t like his eldest son and youngest son, he would occasionally think of them. Every festive season, he would call the two of them over for a reunion meal.

Qi Xiuyuan was used to keeping quiet, but Qi Haoran was a brat. Almost every time they gathered, he would cause trouble. He would either tease Madam Wu or beat up his two half-brothers. Qi Feng was so angry that he would flare up every time he saw him.

Although Qi Xiuyuan was silent, he protected his brother every time. This made Qi Feng’s expression worse, so his strategy when it came to the two children was ’out of sight, out of mind’.

Therefore, it was very easy for Qi Xiuyuan to leave the Qi Residence.

Qi Feng never dreamed that Qi Xiuyuan would dare to run away from home at such a young age. At that time, he had just celebrated his 13th birthday and could call himself 14 years old.

He felt that his martial arts skills were already not bad, and seeing that the war at the border was becoming more and more intense, he felt it was time for him to make contributions. Therefore, he handed the servants from the Zhu family to Qi Haoran, brought a bag and went to the border with Uncle Zhu to seek refuge with his uncles.

When Qi Feng realized that his eldest son had gone missing, it was already more than two months later. And he only discovered it because it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Qi Residence wanted to have a reunion meal, and only then did everyone realize that Eldest Young Master was not at home!

It was no wonder that no one noticed. It was just that Qi Xiuyuan was too low-key usually. He only used the servants Zhu Qing gave him and pretty much never bothered with any of the servants from the Qi Residence.

Moreover, he didn’t have to go to school and went out by the side door every day. No one cared if he went out. Most importantly, the people in Qi Xiuyuan’s courtyard had been living as usual for the past two months. Every day, they would go to the kitchen to pick up Qi Xiuyuan’s food. They would also collect the clothes made for Qi Xiuyuan by the sewing room, as well as the monthly allowance for Qi Xiuyuan. Who would have thought that Eldest Young Master was not at home?

He was an invisible person to begin with.

The two servants took the letter left behind by Qi Xiuyuan and handed it to Qi Feng. “Before Eldest Young Master left, he instructed us to hand over the letter when Master discovered that he was missing. If Master never realizes it, then pretend that this never happened.”

Qi Feng’s expression darkened, but the servants were not afraid of him. One of them continued, “Eldest Young Master said that he would transfer us to Fourth Young Master. From now on, we just have to serve Fourth Young Master. Does Master Qi have any other instructions? If not, we’ll take our leave.”

Qi Feng’s face was ashen, but he couldn’t do anything to them because they weren’t servants of the Qi Residence. They were from the Zhu family, and their monthly allowance and even food and necessities were provided by the Zhu family. Other than them staying in the Qi Residence to serve his sons and greeting Qi Feng as ’Master’, they didn’t have a master-servant relationship.

Seeing that he didn’t say anything, the servants took it that he had tacitly agreed and silently retreated.

However, Qi Feng was so angry that he ripped up Qi Xiuyuan’s letter. He knew then that his eldest son had escaped his control, or rather, he had never controlled him.

At this moment, he thought of his mother’s words before she died—to keep Haoran by his side to let him show his filial piety.

Qi Feng’s eyes darkened as he understood. So what if Qi Xiuyuan could really make a name for himself? With Qi Haoran in his hands, he could only listen to him.

Qi Feng immediately got someone to fetch his youngest son back from the Fan Residence. He wanted to raise his son himself.

Qi Xiuyuan had long expected Qi Feng to use this move. Before he left, he said to Qi Haoran, “If he comes to pick you up, go back. Treat the Qi Residence as your home and ask for whatever you lack. If you like something outside and don’t have money, tell them to go to the Qi Residence to collect payment. If you’re not used to living in the Qi Residence, find an excuse to quarrel with them and move to Aunt’s place. After staying for a while, run back and stay for a few days before finding an excuse to come out.” Nw novel chapters are publshed on NoveIＦire.net

Qi Xiuyuan stroked his brother’s head with heartache and said, “Big Brother knows that you’re aggrieved, but you have to let them know that you treat the Qi Residence as your home, but you’re living in the Fan Residence because you can’t get along with them, understand?”

Qi Haoran nodded repeatedly, indicating that he understood.

Hence, the Qi family began to live in dire straits.

To put it nicely, Qi Haoran was honest, but to put it bluntly, he was stupid. Other than his astounding talent in martial arts, this child was a little slow in other aspects. Fortunately, he listened to his big brother and Fan Zijin.

If Qi Xiuyuan told him to treat the Qi Residence as his own home, he would really treat it as his own. In his opinion, the entire Qi Residence belonged to his father. After his father died, it would definitely belong to his big brother and him. As for his other two older brothers, they were the children of a concubine and would definitely have to move out in the future.

With this in mind, it was only right for him to instruct the servants of the Qi Residence, and it was even more natural for him to use the Qi Residence’s money.

If Qi Xiuyuan was an invisible person in the Qi Residence and the entire Qi family ignored and isolated him, then Qi Haoran was constantly declaring his sovereignty.

When the servants at home saw Qi Xiuyuan, they could turn their heads to the side and pretend not to see him, but would they dare to do this when they encountered Qi Haoran?

Any servant who did not bow when they saw Qi Haoran would be kicked away by him and their entire family would be chased out. It could be said that when Qi Haoran first moved back to the Qi Residence, he immediately turned the Qi Residence upside down. He did not need to find an excuse to quarrel with anyone at all. Armed with a valid reason, he would return to the Fan Residence to stay after he was done making a fuss.

When Qi Feng mentally prepared himself and brought Qi Haoran back, the latter continued to make a fuss. Later on, the servants of the Qi Residence wised up and treated Qi Haoran respectfully every time they saw him, Qi Haoran would use other methods to make his presence known.

Qi Xiuyuan was only given five taels of silver a month, which was the least in the Qi Residence. If not for his uncle’s support, he wouldn’t even be able to support himself, let alone raise a horse.

But could Qi Haoran screw his uncle over?

Since his big brother said that the Qi Residence was his own home, his expenses naturally had to be paid for by the Qi Residence.

Qi Haoran was not particular about what he ate or wore, but he had also been a profligate son before. Hence, he did not show any mercy when showing off his father’s wealth, readily spending a few hundred taels of silver without batting an eyelid. Of course, he owed the money in the name of the Qi Residence.

As Qi Haoran’s father, how could Qi Feng not pay?

Of course not.

On the other hand, Qi Haoran’s interest was mostly in the precious horses and daggers. Putting aside the latter two, it was common for fine horses to easily cost 1,000 taels of silver. Qi Feng had beaten and scolded Qi Haoran before, but after that, the latter would continue to buy whatever he desired without showing any mercy.

Only then did Qi Feng realize how easy raising Qi Xiuyuan had been. While Qi Haoran tortured Qi Feng mentally and physically from the inside, Qi Xiuyuan dealt a heavy blow to him from the outside.