Tao Zhi was five years old when an unexpected guest arrived at their home.
…No, it was two of them.
A small car that they had never seen before parked in front of their house.
Tao Zhi curiously poked his head out to look. The person who got out of the car was a little boy about his own age.
The little boy looked very unhappy. Someone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the car.
The first thing he did after getting out was to pull a toy gun from his backpack. He aimed it at the other person and fired, making “rat-a-tat-tat” sounds with his mouth while shouting loudly, “Fu Si Heng! You’re dead meat!”
“…”
The other person couldn’t be bothered with him.
The fifteen-year-old boy stood there facing the light. He glanced at the little boy, his face showing undisguised disgust.
This only made the little boy angrier. He charged forward, yelling that he was going to teach him a lesson.
The water gun shot into the teenager’s eyes.
The teenager wiped his face and then kicked the little boy away.
…
He actually kicked him.
With one lift of his leg, he sent him straight into the nearby dirt.
The little boy was stunned.
He sat on the ground looking at his older brother, dazed for a long while before realizing he’d been kicked. He burst into loud wails, screaming and throwing a tantrum, rolling from the doorway all the way to the road. His voice was so loud that the entire village could hear it.
Father Tao and Mother Tao heard the noise and hurried out. Seeing the scene at their doorstep, they exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had happened.
The first to react was the accompanying bodyguard.
Several men in black clothes rushed over to coax him, picking up Fu Zheng and patting his back. “Young Master, Young Master, don’t cry. The eldest young master was just playing with you.”
“Don’t be mad. The eldest young master didn’t mean it.”
“Wah wah wah woo—!” The more they coaxed, the louder Fu Zheng’s cries became.
The village chief who had come along: “…”
“Noisy. Take him farther away.” Fu Si Heng frowned and instructed the bodyguards.
The bodyguards: “…”
Only after Fu Zheng was taken farther away did the adults have a chance to speak.
The village chief led Fu Si Heng inside. Seeing the Tao couple standing there at a loss, he took the initiative to introduce him. “Little Tao, this is the young master from the big city I told you about.”
“Young Master Fu… Hello, Young Master Fu.”
The couple looked at each other awkwardly, greeting Fu Si Heng hesitantly.
It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but these two adults actually felt an oppressive presence from the fifteen-year-old boy in front of them.
They didn’t dare to look directly at his face. The noble and aloof aura surrounding the teenager was something they had never seen in anyone before. His looks were even more exceptional, like a big star from television.
He just seemed a bit fierce.
One glance made their hearts race, fearing they might offend him and cause trouble.
“Um… We’ve heard about the situation.”
The village chief had given them advance notice that a young master from the city wanted to discipline his rowdy younger brother and was bringing him to the countryside to experience a hard life.
The Tao couple had initially thought the young master coming for the experience would be around ten years old. Now it seemed… uh, five?
The couple was quite baffled.
Although the compensation offered was generous—one week with the little young master at their home meant ten thousand yuan.
They knew that their income from farming was less than ten thousand yuan a year.
This was a pie falling from the sky. Anyone else would have joyfully agreed immediately, but Father Tao hesitated.
Honest people spoke plainly. Even if tempted, he had to clarify the situation. “Young Master Fu, you’ve seen the conditions of our home.”
A small earthen house, not very spacious, without even a floor inside, though it was kept quite clean.
Father Tao said, “Having a child come here to suffer is really…”
“What’s the big deal?” Fu Si Heng said indifferently, his voice flat. “Don’t you have a five-year-old child at home too?”
As he spoke, he lifted his eyes and looked toward Tao Zhi, who was hiding behind the door, peeking out.
He had noticed this little dumpling long ago.
The child clung to the wooden door, showing only half his face, curiously watching for a good while.
Fu Si Heng had heard about him.
Their family’s child had been following his parents to the fields since he was three or four.
Obedient and sensible, never fussy, and quite clever.
It had to be that little dumpling.
So young…
What could he do in the fields?
Fu Si Heng frowned slightly, looked away, and said flatly, “If yours can manage, so can mine.”
“No need to treat him like a young master.”
“…This.” Father Tao still hesitated a bit.
“Or how about the new house over there?”
They had built a new two-story house last year.
Though they didn’t have money for furniture or soft furnishings yet, it was still better than this small earthen house…
“No need.” Fu Si Heng refused.
He had come specifically to make things tough for Fu Zheng. If he really wanted Fu Zheng to be comfortable, he wouldn’t have brought him here on purpose.
Home was much more comfortable.
Fu Si Heng unilaterally decided Fu Zheng’s fate for the next seven days.
He had the accompanying bodyguards pack Fu Zheng’s spare clothes into a backpack and, in a rare act of kindness, left him three pieces of chocolate.
Fu Si Heng smiled as he put the three pieces of chocolate in.
Just imagining Fu Zheng sitting miserably on a little stool, pitifully licking the chocolate, put Fu Si Heng in a good mood. “He’s in your care for this time. If he doesn’t behave, just beat him. It’s fine.”
Fu Si Heng added specifically, “He can take it.”
Father Tao: “…”
They didn’t beat children at home.
Let alone someone else’s child.
“Are you heading to the fields?” Fu Si Heng’s arrival happened to coincide with the couple preparing to go to the fields, tools like hoes in hand.
Seeing this, Fu Si Heng grabbed Fu Zheng from a bodyguard. “Then take him along.”
“He might not be able to work, but getting some sun is good too. Of course, it’s best if he does some work.”
“…Okay, okay.” Father Tao didn’t dare object and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
The boarding arrangement was settled just like that.
Fu Zheng had no idea what had happened. He stood nearby eating a lollipop. When Father Tao tried to take him along, he didn’t want to go, but Mother Tao coaxed him, saying there were little animals like rabbits and frogs in the fields. The young Fu Zheng innocently followed along.
