Chapter 8: Old Lady Fang

  "Zixun and Zixiong have arrived, come quickly to see grandma." In her sixties, Mrs. Fang looked like a woman in her fifties with not a single white hair due to good maintenance, and she warmly beckoned the siblings over while instructing the servant, "Quickly put away the two children's luggage and tidy up their room."

  Fang Zikong hesitated and refused to step forward, partly because of his awkwardness with Zhang Yun, and also because he was not close to Old Lady Fang. Fang Zixuan suppressed her unusual emotions and stepped forward a few steps to greet Old Lady Fang with courtesy.

  This was beyond Mrs. Fang's expectation, as Fang Zixuan had always been like Fang Zipeng, every time she came to the old mansion with a face full of reluctance, and was a very unpleasant spoiled girl. This time, although her face didn't show much closeness to her, she still understood some etiquette. Mrs. Fang's face relaxed slightly, "After all, she is a big girl now, and she finally knows how to behave."

  The Fang family is different from many wealthy families in the country. They are not a centuries-old aristocratic family that has been operating domestically, nor are they newly emerging tycoons of the past few decades. The ancestors of the Fang family were just poor people from S province who went to Southeast Asia due to difficulties in making a living. Through their own diligence and intelligence, they established themselves in Southeast Asia and prospered generation after generation. By the time of Old Master Fang's generation, they had become so wealthy that they could rival countries, even manipulating the politics of Southeast Asia behind the scenes, earning them the title of true Southeast Asian nobility.

  There are also many prominent Chinese like Fang's family in Southeast Asia, but no matter how prosperous they are abroad, they are still overseas Chinese and are considered outsiders by those countries. From the time of Old Master Fang's grandfather, he had been repeating to his descendants that fallen leaves return to their roots, but at that time the situation in China was not good, so this wish could not be fulfilled.

  As Chinese influence in Southeast Asia continued to grow, more and more overseas Chinese chose to settle permanently in Southeast Asia, no longer entertaining the idea of returning home to develop their country.

  However, Old Master Fang is after all different from ordinary people. His vision is extremely long-term, not only because of his father's will but also because he has always been dissatisfied with development in a small country like Nanyang. Although Nanyang is rich and prosperous, it is still a small country with few people, and the market naturally cannot compare to that of the mainland.

  As soon as the domestic reform bugle sounded, Lao Yezi handed over the Nanyang business to several younger brothers and brought a large amount of capital to invest domestically. In that era when the domestic economy was sluggish, all parts of the country were eager for Mr. Fang to invest, with extremely favorable conditions. Naturally, Mr. Fang, such a shrewd businessman, would not miss this opportunity. He encircled land and built houses everywhere, his capital grew thicker, and his tentacles stretched further and longer. Almost every profitable industry had the presence of the Fang family. The Fang family today is no longer comparable to that Chinese merchant who was once content with a corner of Nanyang.

  Mr. Fang never forgot that he was a native of J City, and after returning to China, he chose his base in J City, investing in improving people's livelihoods, donating to education, and renovating and expanding ancestral temples and old houses, making a big stir, even building a memorial hall in his hometown, a small fishing village, which is open to the public for free, exhibiting the Fang family's old objects, and the small fishing village has also undergone tremendous changes, becoming one of the richest rural areas in J City.

  Not only the people of J City, but also those from S Province all say that he is a great kind-hearted man. Every time a new provincial or municipal leader takes office, the first thing they do is to come and pay their respects to this elderly gentleman.

  Mrs. Fang was the wife of Mr. Fang when he was still in Nanyang, and she also came from a prestigious family in Nanyang. In her youth, she studied in Britain and received traditional British-style lady education. She was very elegant in her behavior. When she had just given birth to their third child, Mr. Fang decided to give up his business in Nanyang and return to China for development. Everyone did not look optimistic about this decision, even her own family frequently interfered, but she always stood firmly with her husband.

  After returning to the country, it wasn't all smooth sailing. However, Mrs. Fang, who had been pampered since childhood, didn't utter a single complaint and consistently supported her husband, holding up this family. Just for this reason alone, Old Master would respect her for life.

  Mrs. Fang had five sons and a daughter, and Fang Jianlin was the third son. At the age of three, he followed his parents to the mainland and moved around, and the living conditions were naturally not comparable to those in Southeast Asia. The old man was busy outside all day and couldn't take care of the family. Mrs. Fang took care of her three sons alone, which was rare for a lady like her. In those years, it was also difficult to find a suitable nanny, so there were inevitably some shortcomings.

  Once, Fang Jianlin had a high fever and almost died. Although he was eventually rescued, the incident left an indelible mark on Old Lady Fang's heart. Among her six children, this third son had been the weakest in his childhood and suffered the most. She couldn't help but have a soft spot for him and be biased towards him. It was precisely this unprincipled doting that turned Fang Jianlin into a complete prodigal son.

  However, all mothers are heartbroken for their sons. In her mind, her son is always good and there's nothing wrong with her education. Fang Jianlin's nonsense is because he didn't find a good daughter-in-law. Zhang Yun is so shallow-minded, can't control her own husband, and only knows how to stir up trouble every day, she is naturally the thorn in her side. At first, Zhang Yun tried to please her mother-in-law, but later found that no matter what she said or did, this mother-in-law could always find fault with her, so she also cooled down, and the relationship between the two women naturally dropped to freezing point.

  Fang Jianlin and Zhang Yun's marriage appears to be a free love on the surface, but in reality it is entirely a political alliance, mainly facilitated by Old Man Fang. Mrs. Fang has always been dissatisfied with this arrangement, feeling that her son was wronged, and if not for the considerable influence of the Zhang family, she would have long since urged her son to divorce Zhang Yun.

  Every time she saw Fang Zixuan's brother and sister reluctantly returning to the old house, she always felt that it was this daughter-in-law who was secretly plotting behind her back. She was a protective person, and this evil fire would not erupt towards her son and grandchildren, so naturally she had to vent it on Zhang Yun.

  Mrs. Fang elegantly held her red tea cup, without even glancing at Zhang Yun standing beside her, but instead smiled and admired the pair of grandchildren in front of her.

  "Zi Xuan has grown taller again, and is now this much taller than Zi Peng," said Mrs. Fang with a smile, holding Zi Xuan's hand. "Why does our little girl dress in such dull clothes? When your aunt was a young girl, I made sure to dress her up nicely and take her out, and everyone would say she was a lovely little princess. So, it all depends on whether one puts their heart into things, being a mother is the same, a devoted mother can take good care of her children and manage the household well, while an inattentive mother will neglect her children..."

  Mrs. Fang's sarcastic remarks hit Zhang Yun's heart, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to endure it without talking back, after all, this wasn't the first time either.