Chapter 8: The Ghost Appears Alive

  The days after Fang Xing brought the carpenter were abnormally busy, because the carpenter was really too quick to learn and soon finished all the things in Fang Yi Ai's mind.

  "Second Master, those masters have almost finished learning, so you won't be so busy in the future, right?" Linglong helped Fang Yiai wipe away the sweat on his forehead. Looking at Second Master's exhausted state, she felt a pang of sympathy. Fang Yiai took a sip of water and smiled wryly: "I think it's almost done, I hope these masters will spare me, I'm about to collapse from exhaustion. Each one is like asking ten million whys, how am I supposed to know so many things?"

  When Fang Yiai saw that bitter melon face, Linglong covered her mouth and smiled secretly. This second young master spoke too much, what's the meaning of ten million whys? After this day, those masters rarely came to ask questions again, and Fang Yiai finally breathed a sigh of relief. For the rest of the time, Fang Yiai lived very comfortably, wandering around every day, and playing Go with Linglong when he had nothing to do.

  On this day, the sun was shining brightly in the sky. It was a beautiful spring day in March with gentle breezes, lush grass and fragrant scents filling the air. After attending court, Fang Xuanling returned to his residence accompanied by a man of similar age with a long beard. Stroking his own beard, Fang Xuanling chuckled and said: "Keming, I didn't deceive you. You'll experience for yourself just how comfortable this reclining chair is in a moment."

  "Xuan Ling, hearing you say that, I'm getting impatient, haha!" This nearly fifty-year-old man laughed heartily. If Fang Yu Ai were here, she would definitely be frightened silly, because this person was none other than Du Ruhui, the old Du from "Fang plans and Du decides".

  Fang Xuanling brought Du Ruhui to the courtyard, placed a reclining chair for him and let him sit down. After a while, he asked with a smile: "Keming, how do you feel?"

  "Xuan Ling, this recliner is a great thing! Lying on it is very comfortable and not tiring at all." Du Ru Hui smiled with comfort, sitting on it without wanting to get up. "By the way, Xuan Ling, where did you custom-make this recliner? I'll go make one too. It's really strange, such a great thing, and I haven't even heard of it!"

  "Ke Ming, I'm afraid you won't be able to buy this recliner, because it was made by my son Jun'er with his own hands to show filial piety. If you want one, you'll have to get that kid to make another one himself." Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and chuckled, thinking that his own useless son had finally produced something worthwhile.

  "Oh, is this really true? This thing was actually made by Fang Junxian's own hands?" Du Ruhui became curious now. Fang Jun's reputation had always been associated with the young masters, and he had never heard that he also understood carpentry.

  "Keming, I wouldn't deceive you. That stinky little brat in my family has no proper skills, but he's always thinking of some crooked ways to make a living. I don't even know where he learned this craft from." Fang Xuanling was also helpless about this issue. He knew his own son well, and since birth, he had never left Chang'an, let alone learn any carpentry skills. Therefore, Fang Xuanling thought there could only be one explanation - that this stinky little brat was the type who could figure things out on his own without a teacher.

  "Haha, Xuanying, this is a good thing, you should be happy! " Du Ruhui stood up from the recliner and patted Fang Xuanying's shoulder excitedly, saying, "Xuanying, how is Junxian's injury? I've been busy with official duties lately and didn't have time to come see him. Now that I'm at the Fang residence, I should go take a look!"

  "Let it go, don't mention it. This little brat's body is fine, but he hit his head and forgot everything that happened before." Upon hearing Du Ruhui's words, Fang Xuanling's face was filled with worry. He had even asked the imperial physician about this matter, and the imperial physician said that recovering his memory would depend on fate. As soon as Fang Xuanling thought of this, he felt anxious in his heart.

  "Xuan Ling, don't be like that. As long as Jun Er's body is fine, it's already a blessing from heaven," Du Ruhui comforted.

  "Haha, never mind that, Ke Ming. I'll take you to see Jun'er first. Don't know if this kid is around or not, he's been wandering off with his injury all this time." Fang Xuanling muttered to himself as he led Du Ruhui towards the western courtyard.

  As they entered the courtyard, they saw that the door of the main house was actually open. Inside, Fang Yiai and Linglong were intently playing Go. Fang Xuanling had wanted to call out to Fang Yiai, but was stopped by Du Ruhui. Du Ruhui, on the other hand, was curious about what these two young people were doing that they were so engrossed in.

  Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui walked to the edge of the table, but Linglong and Fang Yiai didn't react at all. The two were in a critical moment. Fang Yiai carefully stared at his old general, using eighteen kinds of martial arts to block Linglong's attack. However, he only had one chariot and one horse left, while Linglong had a chariot, horses, and twin cannons. In the end, Fang Yiai's old general was still defeated, suffocated by Linglong. Looking at the chain cannon on the midline, plus the old general with the chariot, Fang Yiai had a sorrowful face, "Linglong, are you not going to let me be? I'm about to lose confidence!"

  "No way, Second Master, you're a man after all!"

  "Hum, Linglong, I'm only fourteen today, just a boy, not a man!"

  "...... Second Master, you're being unreasonable!"

  Fang Yi Ai Zheng and Ling Long were playing peek-a-boo, when suddenly a voice came from beside them: "You stinky little brat, I've been standing here for half a day already, and you still haven't noticed? Are you planning on making me continue standing?"

  Upon hearing the voice, Fang Yi'ai and Ling Long simultaneously jumped down from the stool. Ling Long grasped her clothes and didn't dare to lift her head, "Master, I know my mistake, I won't dare do it again!"

  The house was left with love, although very curious about the man next to his father, but now it's clearly not the time to ask questions. At a glance, Linglong actually recognized the wrong person and hurriedly smiled: "Father, it was I who pulled Linglong down to play Go, you also know my temperament, can't stay idle, Linglong is also being entangled by me with no way out, only then did she play Go with me. It's just that once this Go game starts, it gets a bit mesmerizing, so didn't notice you coming in."

  "Alright, no more nonsense. I'm not blaming you guys. Jun'er, do you remember who this is?" Fang Xuanling waved his hand and didn't mind the small matter, but pointed to the big uncle beside him with a smile and asked.

  Fang Yi Ai carefully looked at him and shook his head with a bitter smile, saying: "This uncle, I'm sorry, but my brain has some problems and I really can't remember who you are?"

  Du Ruhui shook his head and said indifferently, "Jun Er doesn't need to blame himself. You've lost your memory, so Uncle wouldn't blame you either. It's okay if you can't remember, we can just get reacquainted again. My name is Du Ruhui, just call me Uncle Du."

  Fang Yuai was completely stunned, what's going on? Didn't Du Ruhui die in the fourth year of Zhenguan? It's written very clearly in history books. Fang Yuai rubbed his temples hard and muttered fearfully after confirming that everything in front of him was real: "What's going on, didn't Du Ruhui die a long time ago? How did he come back to life? Am I seeing ghosts today?"

  After hearing Fang Yuai's words, Fang Xuanling's face suddenly turned black. This stinky kid has gone crazy again and actually dared to curse his own old friend. Fang Xuanling was so angry that he raised his hand to educate this useless son, it was infuriating! Before Fang Yuai could react, Linglong grabbed Fang Xuanling's hand and urgently said: "Master, please spare the second young master this time, the second young master has a broken brain, don't blame him."

  "Linglong, let me go! Today I must teach this stinky brat a lesson. If you don't let go, I'll beat you up along with him!" Fang Xuanling's face turned iron-blue with rage, it was clear that he was really furious this time. However, Linglong wasn't afraid, she gritted her teeth and cried but refused to let go. Seeing the situation, Du Ruhui spoke indifferently: "Xuanling, you're being too hasty. I believe Jun'er isn't cursing me. Why not listen to his explanation?"

  "Alright, Kuoming, since you've spoken up for him, I'll listen to his explanation. I'd like to see what other tricks he has up his sleeve." Fang Xuanling plopped down onto the high stool with a huff. Fang Yiai had also reacted by now and was thinking about how to explain himself. After a moment's thought, he spoke up in embarrassment: "Father, I wouldn't dare curse Uncle Du. The other day when I went out on the street, I ran into a fortune teller who told me that Uncle Du encountered great difficulties in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era and passed away. You know I've lost my memory and don't remember anything from before, so I believed what the fortune teller said. But just now when I suddenly saw Uncle Du standing alive in front of me, could I not be shocked?"

  "Haha, I knew Jun'er wasn't cursing me after all. However, that fortune teller was right, in the fourth year of Zhenguan, I indeed encountered a great calamity. That time, I almost got killed by Qinglian, luckily I met Sun Daochang and managed to save my life!" Du Ruhui said with a sigh of relief.

  After hearing Du Ruhui's words, Fang Yiai felt a surge of disgust in her heart. It turned out that Du Ruhui's son, Du He, was not a good person either. He almost killed his own father, which made him the biggest scoundrel. As for Fang Yiai, she could only be ranked second.

  "I see, my nephew was indeed rude just now, please don't blame him, uncle. My nephew wants to apologize and make amends." Fang Yiai said, then clasped his fists together in a salute.

  "Good nephew, why must you be so stubborn? Your uncle wouldn't quarrel with you. Besides, your father and I are like brothers, and in my eyes, you're just like my own child. How could I blame you?" Du Ruhui said with a warm smile, waving his hand gently.

  "Hmph, you little scamp, you're right. Now that I think about it, what's the name of that fortune teller? I must get the Metropolitan Governor to arrest him, how dare he spread such rumors and deceive the people!" House Xuanling's anger was still evident, if his son couldn't be touched, then could that fortune teller be touched?

  "Eh, Father, I don't know his name, I only know he's called Xu Gu Zi," Fang Yi Ai casually made up.

  "Xu Gu Zi, where did this come from? Ke Ming, have you heard of this person?"

  "Xuan Ling, I'm afraid this person is another sly one, probably making a living by cheating. I think the name 'Xu Gu Zi' is also fake." Du Ruhui shook his head and smiled. Fang Xuanling heard Du Ruhui's words and could only helplessly nod in agreement. Fang Xuanling vowed not to let himself run into Xu Gu Zi again, or else he would definitely make him fall into the oil pot.

  Fang Yi Ai took a look at herself and saw that she had made it through this ordeal, her heart felt a little more at ease. She winked at Ling Long, who still had tears on her face, and made a silly face, instantly making Ling Long burst out laughing.