I'm the Farmgirl You Can't Mess With

Chapter 1386: Side Story: Fan Zijin (3)

Editor: Atlas Studios

Fan Zixiao was hiding under a tree and memorizing the contents of a book. His father had promised him that as long as he could obtain the teacher’s praise, he would bring him out to play on the streets on Mid-Autumn Festival. Just him alone!

Seeing Fan Zijin foolishly lead Qi Haoran to lure the fish up using earthworms, he couldn’t help but purse his lips in disdain.

He returned his gaze to the book, but he couldn’t focus no matter what.

His mother had said that if he wanted to make a name for himself, he had to study hard and do better than his younger brother. He had to be more outstanding because he was the son of a concubine while his younger brother was the legitimate son.

He had everything since he was born. In the future, his father’s hereditary privilege and the Fan family’s ancestral business would belong to him. In addition, more than half of the Fan family’s assets would go to him. The rest would be divided equally between him and the other sons of his father’s concubines.

Fan Zixiao suddenly felt frustrated as he read the words in the book. He was clearly his father’s eldest son, and his father also liked him the most. Why was he inferior to him for no reason just because he was the son of a concubine?

Looking at the two silly children, his expression turned into a scowl. Fan Zijin was so stupid, yet he had everything just because he was better at the art of reincarnation than him.

Fan Zijin was leaning on the edge of the pond, trying his best to widen his eyes to gaze at the fish in the water. Just then, a shadow loomed over him. Looking up, he saw Fan Zixiao, so he immediately said unhappily, “You’re blocking my vision.” Find the newest release on novlfire.net

Fan Zixiao pursed his lips tightly and clenched his fists. “Why are you so stupid? Fishing requires a hook, but you’re fishing with your hands.”

Fan Zijin was stunned momentarily. Then, he looked at him disdainfully and said, “You’re the stupid one. Of course we know that fishing requires a fishing hook. But where would we get a fishing hook?”

Qi Haoran stood up in a daze and stopped them. “Alright, stop arguing. Even if we can’t find a fishing hook, we can always make one ourselves.”

Actually, Fan Zijin had never seen a fishing hook before. In fact, he had never seen anyone fishing. Other children’s fathers would bring them fishing, but his father never bothered with him. Only Qi Xiuyuan would bring them out to play from time to time or teach them how to ride a horse.

Seeing that Fan Zixiao knew more than him, he subconsciously didn’t want to admit defeat. He knew that his father liked his big brother more. His father must have told him about how to fish.

Displeased, Fan Zijin tugged at Qi Haoran and said, “Let’s ignore him. Later, we’ll ask Nanny how to make a fishing hook…”

The two friends leaned against each other and discussed how to make the fishing hook. However, Fan Zixiao was immersed in his own world. As he looked at Fan Zijin’s smiling face, he muttered, “You’re too stupid. You’re not worthy of being Father’s child…”

At the thought of this, Fan Zixiao steeled his heart and felt it pounding like thunder. Then, he took two steps forward and pushed Fan Zijin into the lotus pond.

Fan Zijin screamed. The splashing sound of the water made Fan Zixiao come back to his senses. When he saw Fan Zijin struggling in the water, his face turned pale. He took two steps back and shouted, “This has nothing to do with me!”

This series of actions only took two seconds. The five-year-old Qi Haoran flew into a rage. He turned around and pushed Fan Zixiao to the ground. Then, he turned around and jumped into the water to pull up Fan Zijin…

Actually, the place where Fan Zijin fell into the water was not deep, only to the waist of an adult. Still, it was a disaster for a five-year-old child. In addition, Fan Zijin suddenly fell into the water and floated further and further away in a panic. The mud under the lotus pond was very thick, and Fan Zijin’s small feet immediately sank into it the moment they touched the ground. This soft and powerless feeling terrified Fan Zijin, causing him to choke on his saliva a few times.

Qi Haoran was only five years old, too, but he had started martial training at the age of three—so by now, he had two years of experience under his belt. His ability to handle danger far outmatched Fan Zijin’s. He couldn’t swim either, but he was clever: planting his feet on a rock at the edge, he gathered his inner strength and shot across the water in a single burst, skimming just above the surface…

In one fell swoop, Qi Haoran grabbed Fan Zijin and used his internal energy to pull him out of the water. Before the latter could react, he threw him onto the grass by the shore.

Although he tried to control his strength, Fan Zijin still suffered quite a fall as he was thrown to the ground. As soon as he fell to the ground, he couldn’t help but vomit out the water in his stomach. Then, she remembered to cry. As he wiped his tears, he went to look for Qi Haoran. Only then did he realize that Qi Haoran was struggling in the water, looking exhausted.

His expression changed instantly and he shouted, “Cousin! Someone, come quickly! Cousin fell into the water!”

Fan Zijin cried and shouted as he ran to the pond to reach out to Qi Haoran. However, Qi Haoran was already quite a distance away from the shore. He did not know how to swim at all. Previously, he had only used the recoil and internal energy to save Fan Zijin. After saving Fan Zijin, Qi Haoran couldn’t save himself.

Fortunately, the servants of the two children had been searching for the two of them and had already found their way to the vicinity. When they heard the cries just now, they immediately rushed over. When a maidservant saw the child gradually sinking in the water, her expression changed and she immediately rushed down to scoop Qi Haoran up…

Because Qi Haoran had choked in the water for even longer than Fan Zijin, his face had already turned green by the time he was rescued.

Fan Zijin sat down beside him and bawled loudly.

When Xia Tong rushed over, Qi Haoran had already vomited most of the water in his stomach. Frightened and afraid, she hugged Qi Haoran and snapped at the servants, “Is this how you take care of the children? How can you let them come to such a dangerous place?!”

The servants immediately knelt down.

Just then, Fan Zijin came back to his senses and screamed, “It was Fan Zixiao who pushed me into the water. He’s a bad person!”

Shocked, Xia Tong looked around but did not see Fan Zixiao. She asked with a dark expression, “Zijin, did you say that your big brother pushed you into the water?”

“Yes, he was the one. Brother Haoran jumped into the water to save me. Big Brother’s a baddie, a big baddie!”

Xia Tong said with a livid expression, “Go and get Eldest Young Master. I want to ask him why he attempted to murder his own brother.”

Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin were sent back to the house to change their clothes, drink ginger soup, and see a doctor.

Having suffered a fright, the two children hugged each other in seek of comfort.

The trembling Qi Haoran said, “Look, I said that I’m more impressive than you, right? Let me be your older brother in the future.”

Fan Zijin thought for a moment and nodded reluctantly after a while. “Then I’ll let you be my older brother for three days. I shan’t be calculative with you because you’re sick.”

Qi Haoran pouted and turned over. “I’m not sick.”

Qi Haoran did fall sick. Feverish and unconscious, he felt as if his entire body was on fire. As Fan Zijin sat at the side, he wiped his tears. He felt that he had to tell Eldest Cousin about this and let him avenge them.

He touched Qi Haoran’s face and whispered, “Wait here. I’ll get Eldest Cousin to visit you.”

Fan Zijin wiped his tears as he walked out. There was no one outside. From the main room came his mother’s bellowing, followed by the sound of porcelain smashing.

He frowned slightly and turned around to take a look. In the room, Xia Tong was confronting Fan Siwen. “Are you suspecting Zijin of slandering Zixiao?”

Fan Siwen looked at her coldly and meaningfully. “I’ve never said that. He’s only five years old. What can he possibly know?”

He took a deep breath and said, “I know you resent me for being biased towards Zixiao and Madam Liu, but Zijin is the legitimate son who was born with everything…”

“Do you think I instructed Zijin to slander Zixiao?” Xia Tong interrupted him coldly and asked sorrowfully, “Am I that kind of person? Fan Siwen, ask yourself honestly, am I that kind of person?”

Fan Siwen didn’t say anything, but he looked at her firmly and said, “Zixiao is only eight years old and has always been timid. Do you think he would push his younger brother into the water?”