CHAPTER 465: CHAPTER 238: VEGETARIAN BANQUET (PART 2)

"You’ve all been so worried! Aren’t I perfectly fine? Let’s go, let’s head back to the Shi Mansion!" Shi Fengju also felt emotional, sighing softly as he spoke with a smile.

"Yes, yes, young master and madam, please get on the carriage. Leave the luggage to the slaves to handle. Mrs. Wang must be getting anxious waiting!" Butler Jin said hurriedly with a smile, leading Shi Fengju and Sang Wan inside the carriage.

Once aboard, the carriage rattled toward Shi Mansion, with neither of them speaking. Seeing Butler Jin’s demeanor made both of them feel a sense of heaviness. If even Butler Jin was like this, one could imagine how worried Mrs. Wang must be.

Unexpectedly, Shi Fengju and Sang Wan found Mrs. Wang, Second Master Shi and his wife, Third Master Shi and his wife, Gu Fangzi, Mrs. Li, and others waiting at the main gate of the Shi family they motioned the driver to stop from afar.

"My son! You’re finally back!" Shi Fengju quickly stepped forward and was about to kneel to greet his mother, only to be grabbed by Mrs. Wang who then embraced him, crying. Those around hurried to console her.

After a while, Mrs. Wang regained her composure and looked Shi Fengju over, while he put on a relaxed smile and let her scrutinize him. "Mother, see, I am perfectly fine!"

"What ’perfectly fine’! Your complexion is a bit off, and you’ve lost weight!" Mrs. Wang said, sniffling.

Shi Fengju laughed and said, "It must be the fatigue from the journey. A few days of good rest at home, and having the kitchen make some delicious food for me should do the trick!"

Everyone laughed internally at how the young master talked with his mother, while Mrs. Wang solemnly nodded and said, "Of course! You need to rest well at home for a few days and worry about nothing. I’ll have the kitchen prepare ginseng black chicken soup for you daily! With added longan, lotus seeds, and snow fungus, it’s the most nourishing. Also, drink a bowl of blood bird’s nest morning and evening, you need to replenish your blood and energy!"

Listening to her, Shi Fengju’s scalp tingled, and he could only keep smiling and absentmindedly agreed. Second Master Shi and others then hurried to invite them into the main courtyard, surrounding them as they walked towards Mrs. Wang’s main courtyard.

Once seated briefly, the wives of the brothers of Second Master Shi knew that the sister-in-law would have many words to exchange with Shi Fengju. After greeting him briefly, they left, leaving mother and son to talk privately.

"Dear cousin, you are finally back! Aunt has been so worried about you these days. No matter how others tried to console her, she wouldn’t listen and had been fasting and praying daily!" Gu Fangzi sighed softly on the side.

"Right, right, come my son, quickly wash your hands and face, change your clothes, and offer incense to the Bodhisattva first, then to the ancestors at the ancestral hall! We’re truly blessed by the Bodhisattva and the ancestors, allowing my son to turn misfortune into fortune!" Mrs. Wang hurriedly said.

Shi Fengju nodded and then said, "Mother, in that case, I and Miss Wan will first go back to Ningyuan to change clothes."

Only then did Mrs. Wang remember her daughter-in-law who had returned with her son, and she nodded and smiled at Sang Wan, "Miss Wan, you took good care of Fengju. You’ve been very good, and I understand that in my heart! Go change clothes, and later join us in praying to the Bodhisattva and ancestors!"

Sang Wan briefly mentioned something about ’doing her duty,’ agreed, and went off with Shi Fengju.

Back in Ningyuan, there was another set of conversations when the master and servant reunited. Mrs. Li inevitably had many questions, to which they briefly replied. Knowing Mrs. Wang was waiting, Mrs. Li had someone help them change clothes, setting aside any further inquiries after hearing everything was fine.

After paying respects to the Bodhisattva and the ancestors, Mrs. Wang sent Sang Wan back first and then started checking on Shi Fengju from head to toe, pulling up his sleeves to examine his arms, wanting to see the injury on his leg.

Shi Fengju was quite embarrassed and tried to dodge her, laughing, "Mother, the doctor has already said I’m fine! Look, do I not walk just like before? There’s no difference, right? You don’t need to look anymore!"

To prove his point, Shi Fengju immediately walked back and forth a couple of times in front of Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang scrutinized him closely, and feeling reassured that there really was no difference, she then asked, "Did you get a scar on your leg? How severe was the injury initially? Let me see, otherwise I won’t be at ease!"

Shi Fengju, barely holding back laughter and tears, thought to himself that he was standing perfectly healthy in front of her, why wouldn’t she be at ease? Seeing her insistence, however, he sighed, resigned to his fate, and sat down on the couch, took off his shoes, lifted his robe, and rolled up his trousers to show the injured part to his mother frankly.

The area on the leg, treated for over a month with potions, showed a yellowish-brown discoloration that hadn’t faded, highlighted by a hideous scar still looking dreadful.

Mrs. Wang trembled and gently touched the scar, tears welling up again, "This, how painful must it have been at that time! My son, why were you so careless! What would I do if something happened to you!" Mrs. Wang scolded Shi Fengju both out of distress and anger.

Shi Fengju hurriedly tried to console her, saying the wound might look bad, but the highly skilled doctor’s treatment was very effective, and it truly wasn’t painful. He mentioned that he was still applying ointment and that the scar would eventually fade.

Mrs. Wang, slightly less distressed, then burst into anger, harshly scolding Chang Huan, Steward Zhang, and others, almost calling them in for a reprimand then and there before Shi Fengju finally managed to calm her down.

"Dear cousin! How did your leg become like this!" Gu Fangzi suddenly cried out as she rushed in and bent down, reaching out to touch Shi Fengju’s leg.

"Cousin!" Shi Fengju shouted sharply, quickly moving his foot away, clumsily pulling down his trouser leg and tugging his robe, visibly displeased by furrowing his brow.

Gu Fangzi was utterly embarrassed, her hand frozen in mid-air, and after a moment slowly retracted it. With her head bowed, she quietly said, "I’m sorry, dear cousin, I’m sorry! I—I just lost control for a moment! Seeing your injury— I, I—"

Half embarrassed and annoyed, half sad and tearful, Gu Fangzi covered her face, turned, and rushed out.