CHAPTER 204: CHAPTER 199 OLD AFFAIRS

Zhao Hanzhang looked eagerly at Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang couldn’t bear her gaze and glanced around, motioning for the maidservants to leave, even Qing Gu laughed and retreated.

Only the mother and daughter were left in the room. Mrs. Wang looked out the window again and saw Fu Tinghan and Zhao Erlang looking up at the falling snow, paying no attention to the room. Only then did she say quietly, "Your Seventh Ancestor is unreliable."

Zhao Hanzhang leaned in seriously to listen, nodding solemnly at the words, on this point she had deep experience.

"Ever since your uncle declared he would sever his bloodline, your Seventh Ancestor began matchmaking for him all over, even publicly scolding your uncle for being unfilial, causing quite a fuss. In the end, it was your grandfather who stepped in to reprimand the Seventh Ancestor, calming the farce."

Zhao Hanzhang was surprised, "Grandfather reprimanded the Seventh Ancestor?"

Mrs. Wang nodded, "Yes, he said the father was unlike a father, hence the son unlike a son, and asked the Seventh Ancestor not to pressure your uncle, to let things be, perhaps there was still a way out."

"But is your Seventh Ancestor someone who listens?" Mrs. Wang said, "After being reprimanded by your grandfather, he behaved for two years, then began matchmaking for your uncle again."

"But your uncle’s reputation in Xiping was already ruined, making it hard to find a good family girl, the Seventh Ancestor wasn’t picky, spending a large sum of money at Yu Yang to arrange for your uncle a girl from a scholar’s family."

Zhao Hanzhang asked, "Was the marriage arranged?"

"It was arranged, but your uncle went and annulled it," Mrs. Wang said, "Your uncle was candid, he went to Yu Yang and found a go-between to explain the situation, indicating it was his own reason for not wanting a bloodline, outsiders misunderstood him as infertile, so..."

"Anyway, this marriage was easily annulled. After learning about this, your Seventh Ancestor was furious and had someone bind your uncle and bring him back, then quickly brought in a concubine for your uncle," Mrs. Wang said vaguely, "Then there was your youngest brother, but their father-son connection nearly broke off. Before the child was born, he left for another land. He returned because the concubine died in childbirth, he came back to see the child, and took the child away directly."

Zhao Hanzhang opened her mouth wide, although Mrs. Wang didn’t say it outright, she could guess what happened, making her feel somewhat disgusted, "The Seventh Ancestor is truly unreliable."

Mrs. Wang nodded in agreement, "At that time, your father had already passed away, your brother exhibited unusual behavior. Our family wholeheartedly searched for renowned doctors, it was a long time before we knew of this."

She sighed, "He had only your father as a friend, with your father gone, only your grandfather could counsel him somewhat, but at that time... so he was self-imposed, unwilling to return to Wu Castle for many years, as long as your grandfather was there, no one said anything."

Zhao Hanzhang then began rummaging through the good vacant houses in the county.

The next day Zhao Hanzhang woke up, opened the door and saw a thick layer of snow outside, Fu Tinghan was holding a small wooden shovel to shovel the snow, patting it solid after gathering it together.

Zhao Hanzhang was curious, having never seen Fu Tinghan play before, she ran up, "Are you building a snowman?"

"Yes," Fu Tinghan laughed, handing her the small wooden shovel, "Do you want to play?"

Since Zhao Hanzhang went blind, she hadn’t played with snow, she felt a strong urge and immediately took the small wooden shovel, shoveling the clean white snow in the yard into a pile.

The two worked hard together for half a day, finally making a snowman as tall as half a person.

Zhao Hanzhang placed the round head on it, then began making eyes for it, "After every heavy snow in winter, there were kids from other families who came to build snowmen outside my house. One time I went home, slipped on some ice and hit a snowman before I realized it was there. I later carefully felt it, found it was about as tall as me, and as I grew taller, it also grew taller."

"I’ve always wanted to build one myself, but with my eyes blind, I had to rely on my hands to feel and determine the shape bit by bit. Playing snow without gloves was just too cold, my grandfather feared I’d get sick and wouldn’t allow me to play. After so many years, I can finally build one myself."

Zhao Hanzhang stepped back two steps, carefully examined the snowman she made, very satisfied, "The snowman I built is indeed good-looking."

Fu Tinghan smiled and handed her a cloth to wipe her hands, "Don’t catch a cold."

Ting He came forward timely to report, "Lady, it’s time for breakfast. Mr. Ming sent someone over to say, asking if the lady could go over when she’s free."

"Got it, I’ll go after breakfast."

Zhao Hanzhang pondered for a moment and called Fu Tinghan, "Let’s go together."

Fu Tinghan raised an eyebrow, "Am I going just to sit idly?"

"Today, I’m taking you to meet someone, you might become friends."

Fu Tinghan said, "Is it the young man we met when returning yesterday?"

"It’s him, his name is Zhao Cheng, styled Zitu, son of the Seventh Ancestor."

Fu Tinghan asked curiously, "Why do you think we might become friends?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Because pure people like to find pure people to be friends."

Though she had only met him once, from Mrs. Wang’s information, Zhao Hanzhang believed Zhao Cheng was a pure person.

The Fifth Uncle’s family was very lively, not only the Seventh Uncle’s family were there, but also the youths who had just returned from their study travels yesterday.

They were all here to pay respects.

Zhao Song loved children very much, he especially loved those in the clan who enjoyed studying and symbolized the future, full of smiles.

Upon seeing Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan coming, his smile deepened, and he directly waved them over, "Hanzhang and Tinghan are here, come up and meet your brothers and younger brothers."

Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan smiled as they approached, greeted him, then looked at the standing youths.

They were as old as seventeen or eighteen, the youngest around ten, all looking at her and Fu Tinghan curiously.

Though they had seen them yesterday, the encounter was not pleasant, the youths quietly watched Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan, both about their age, finding it hard to imagine she was already a County Lord.

Their impression was still stuck on her rudeness yesterday.

In front of elders, even if they were unhappy, they had to hold back, the oldest introduced himself, "Hello Third Sister, I am Zhao Kuan."

Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan saluted, smiling politely, "Brother Kuan."

Fu Tinghan said, "I am Fu Changrong, styled Tinghan."

Zhao Kuan was surprised, "You already have a courtesy name?"

The Fifth Uncle immediately interjected, "Not only does your sister’s husband have a courtesy name, but Third Lady has one too."

He smiled, "Your grandfather picked it, called Hanzhang. She’s a County Lord now, you should call her by her courtesy name, don’t always call her Third Sister, it lacks authority."

Beside him, Zhao Hu sneered, "Third Lady’s authority is not dependent on her name."

Immediately a youth asked in jest, "Then what is it dependent on?"

Zhao Hanzhang looked at the other, recognized him as the youth who sat with Zhao Cheng in the ox cart yesterday and ate her dust, she couldn’t help but grin, then looked at Zhao Hu with interest, asking, "Yes, Seventh Uncle, what do I rely on?"

Zhao Hu’s intended sarcasm got choked off.

The youths were shocked, looking at the two, Zhao Hu’s face clearly unpleasant, yet he wouldn’t speak.

At this moment, everyone felt a jolt, secretly becoming cautious.

Who in the Zhao Family doesn’t know Seventh Uncle is unruly, even the Fifth Uncle finds it hard to control him, only the grandparent of the main branch, Grandpa, can somewhat manage him.

So, is the Seventh Uncle really under Zhao Hanzhang’s control, or is it due to Grandpa’s influence?

The youths who visited various places during their studies keenly felt it was the former.