Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 13 - A Good Father

Zheng Fa had not yet responded when a middle-aged man walked out of the manor.

"Steward Huang, why have you come?"

The speaker was also a tall, thin figure, resembling Wang Gui by about seventy percent. He was indeed Wang Gui's father, and the manager of the estate, Manager Wang.

Right now, he was eagerly looking at the portly middle-aged man beside Huang Yu.

The portly middle-aged man stepped off the carriage with Huang Yu, nodding his head slightly in a somewhat cold manner, and did not engage in much small talk.

Huang Yu led him to Zheng Fa and introduced, "This is my father. I've told him about you and said he wanted to come and see you."

The portly middle-aged man, Huang Yu's father, smiled a much wider smile as he looked at Zheng Fa, his eyes warm and gentle, "Zheng, since Huang has an old acquaintance with you, may I be so bold as to call you my wise nephew?"

Zheng Fa nodded his head, looking at the father and son, not knowing what they were here for.

"This boy Huang Yu is useless, I have always been worried about how he would set up his own household. But having a friend like you, I now feel reassured." Pointing to the horse carriage behind him, Huang Yu's father said, "He wanted to visit a friend, and I thought for a first visit, it only made sense to bring a modest gift."

Seeing how Steward Huang treated himself with stark coldness yet extended warm enthusiasm towards Zheng Fa, Manager Wang naturally didn't look pleased.

But he could only endure it.

Although both were stewards of the Zhao Family's estates, he had just ascended to his position five years ago while Steward Huang—reportedly had held the position of estate steward for over three generations.

Moreover, even if they both managed estates, the estate under Steward Huang's oversight—whether in terms of output or size—was much larger than his own.

The gap in their status within the Zhao Family was evident.

Others showed him a cold shoulder, and he had no choice but to endure it.

Wang Gui, standing by the side, also sensed his father's displeasure, and felt even more indignant at the man's affection towards Zheng Fa.

Watching Steward Huang take Zheng Fa towards the carriage, he couldn't resist craning his neck and peering inside.

Lifting the curtain of the carriage, two large boxes appeared before everyone's eyes.

Zheng Fa's mother, having heard the commotion, came over to Zheng Fa's side, holding Zheng Shan's small hand as they watched.

Huang Yu's father, beaming, opened one of the boxes; inside were several bolts of cloth. The quality wasn't exceptional, but they were new.

"This is some cloth my wife pulled out recently, originally thinking that if this boy became the Seventh Young Master's Attendant Student, she would make him some proper new clothes." He glanced sideways at Huang Yu, with a sense of frustration that steel had not turned into gold.

Huang Yu shrank his neck a bit.

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"Now that the learned nephew is able to serve the Seventh Young Master, consider these bolts of cloth my congratulatory gift; I hope my nephew won't find them too humble."

Zheng Fa turned his head to look at his mother who slightly shook her head at him.

"Mr. Huang, it's not that I disdain them, it's just that without merit, one should not accept rewards..."

"Ha, what are a few bolts of cloth?" Steward Huang laughed as he interrupted Zheng Fa's refusal, "As I said just now, I only have one son. For him to make a good friend like you is his good fortune."

Zheng Fa glanced at Huang Yu, who stood beside with a flushed face, avoiding his gaze.

"Huang, you and I hit it off at first sight, there's no need for these..."

"If you talk like that, then you are akin to my junior, and isn't it right for me to offer a greeting gift to a junior?"

As Zheng Fa was about to speak again, he waved his hand and opened the other box.

Inside was a set of the Four Treasures of the Study.

"Since you are going to study with the Seventh Young Master, it's only fitting to have a full set of study supplies. I happen to have some extra at home, they're not worth much, so I brought them for you... Again, don't disdain them."

"Mr. Huang, you are being too..."

Zheng Fa couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Despite Steward Huang's repeated statements not to disdain the gifts,

The ink, brush, paper, and inkstone, as well as the new cloth, were indeed things Zheng Fa needed.

He had even anticipated Zheng Fa's needs.

The gifts were both sincere and considerate, leaving Zheng Fa wanting to refuse but not knowing how to begin.

Seemingly sensing Zheng Fa's hesitation, Huang Yu's father laughed heartily, instructing Huang Yu to move the two boxes down from the carriage, actually declaring outright, "Learned nephew, I have matters to attend to on my estate, so I'll take my leave now..."

After speaking, he didn't wait for any response from the two; with a quick whack of his whip, he turned his horse and galloped away.

An abrupt move that didn't give Zheng Fa a chance to say a word.

Huang Yu, carrying a trunk, stared dumbfounded at his father's receding figure, his mouth wide open: "Dad! What about me? I didn't get on the carriage!"

"Stay here, Huang Yu, I'll come for you tomorrow!"

Zheng Fa: "..."

Looking at Huang Yu and then at the two trunks, he suddenly felt a bit of a headache.

But it also didn't seem right to leave him there, so the two of them each took a trunk and headed towards the Zheng Family's home.

His little sister followed behind several people, holding a food box in her hands.

As for Wang Gui and the others...

They didn't speak and didn't want to speak.

Thank goodness for the food box given by the old coachman, or they wouldn't have anything to offer to Huang Yu.

But for sleeping arrangements, it could only be that Huang Yu and Zheng Fa shared a room.

After dinner, Huang Yu sat in Zheng Fa's room in silence for a while, and then suddenly said, "Actually, my dad sent me here."

"I know."

"My dad always says I'm not sensible," said Huang Yu without looking at Zheng Fa. "He's afraid that after he dies, there will be no one to protect me."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Huang Yu clearly wasn't the cunning type.

This was evident at the Water Pavilion; he wanted to curry favor with Gao Yuan but got so irritated by a single remark that he gave up.

"He first told me to compete for the position of Seventh Young Master's Attendant Student, and only later told me that he really wanted me to make acquaintances with people like you. He said if I became the Seventh Young Master's Attendant Student, he was afraid I might bring trouble to our whole family."

At these words, Huang Yu lay back, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, somewhat frustrated: "Adults are so annoying, they think too much."

Zheng Fa sat beside him and suddenly said, "You have a good father."

"Eh?"

"Your dad must have some status in the Zhao Family," Zheng Fa inferred from Manager Wang's attitude towards Huang Yu's father. "I am just an Attendant Student; whether I can help you in the future, even I'm not sure. Why would he go out of his way to send me these things?"

"...For me."

Zheng Fa shrugged his shoulders.

"So, don't you think that he..." Huang Yu's face reddened: "is rather mercenary?"

"Who in the world isn't mercenary?" Zheng Fa smiled. "Are we not being mercenary by competing for that Attendant Student position? Who is born wishing to serve others, to be lowly by nature?"

"Those words of yours..." Upon hearing this, Huang Yu looked at Zheng Fa with a shockingly surprised gaze: "Disrespectful! Haven't we been with the Zhao Family for generations? Isn't it expected of us to serve them?"

Zheng Fa fell silent.

But Huang Yu paused for a while, then suddenly said, "I feel like... being friends with you might actually bring trouble to my whole family."

...

At the Wang family's estate,

Wang Gui was still indignant: "When I became an Attendant Student, why didn't anyone come to curry favor with me?"

"There were plenty, lots of people sent silver," Manager Wang took a bundle from the bedroom: "But at that time, in order to get you the position as the Seventh Young Master's Attendant Student, I borrowed money to grease some palms."

"All the silver others sent was used to pay off debts?" Wang Gui felt like he understood.

"Not all of it, there is still this." Manager Wang patted the bundle he was holding.

"That's not a small amount." Wang Gui looked at the size of the bundle with some satisfaction but then felt something was off: "Dad, where are you going with that bundle?"

"Of course, to send it to Zheng Fa's home."

"Eh?"