This type of response isn't the standard answer.
By common logic, he should shake his head with great difficulty.
"Grandmother shouldn't hypothetically say that." he would say painfully.
Or with a cheeky grin.
"How could Grandmother suggest such a thing?" he would refuse to answer.
Never would I have thought he would directly choose like this, and choose eldest sister and second sister.
Old Lady Fang was startled for a moment, then furrowed her brows.
Who would believe that!
Fang Chengyu spread his hands with a wry smile.
"Grandmother already has her own answer in her heart. If I say what you want to hear, you'll believe it and then angrily scold me. If I say what you don't want to hear, you'll still angrily scold me." he said, "So why ask me at all?"
"That's because I've seen through you." Old Lady Fang retorted.
"Since Grandmother has seen through me, you should believe what I answer." Fang Chengyu said, looking earnestly at Old Lady Fang, "If such a situation really arises, the gongzhu would definitely have me save eldest sister and second sister."
"You!" Old Lady Fang raised her brows, then sneered, "Your answer is truly convenient."
"Grandmother, in this world, how can things be convenient for both sides?" Fang Chengyu sighed, the sigh of a young person always seems somewhat amusing.
Old Lady Fang didn't laugh, but sighed too.
"I know you're not a heartless person." she said, "I also know that our Fang Family's days were not peaceful before and won't be peaceful in the future, whatever you decide to do, Grandmother will surely be with you, but as for your sisters, let's not talk about them, being born in the Fang Family, they are already unfortunate enough."
"I'm not heartless." Fang Chengyu said, eyes smiling, "I let my sisters choose for themselves."
"What kind of choice are you talking about?" Old Lady Fang sneered, "I'll make the choice for them, I'll have them get married."
"Grandmother, you should let my sisters choose for themselves." Fang Chengyu said with a smile, "After all, they were born in the Fang Family."
He repeated her words again, is there any difference?
Is being born in the Fang Family so unfortunate that there's no choice?
Old Lady Fang waved her hand with a bit of annoyance.
"Bring the young ladies here." she said.
.....
.....
Girls are different from boys, when the three daughters walked in, even if they weren't chattering, the room became lively.
Various pastries were laid out on the table, just like before.
Old Lady Fang didn't often chat and laugh idly with her granddaughters, they came to her to talk business, but every time she would prepare snacks.
Fang Yuxiu sat down as usual.
"Bring me some plum stew." she said to the maids, "Give Miss ginger honey water."
Saying this, she looked at Fang Jinxiu.
"Jinxiu, has your taste changed? Deer pear juice or Chenxiang water?"
"I now like drinking cardamom soup." Fang Jinxiu said.
"Sure enough, you have the taste of the capital." Fang Yuxiu said, nodding to the maids.
The maids withdrew and soon returned with sugar water, all the maidservants left, leaving only them, grandmother and grandchildren.
"Don't listen to your brother; this household isn't his to command." Old Lady Fang said directly, "You should all get married. The dowry won't be less than the family wealth, and I'll choose a suitable family for you."
Fang Yunxiao didn't speak, looking at Fang Yuxiu.
"Grandmother, no matter how much dowry there is, it's not as valuable as a flourishing money business." Fang Yuxiu said with a smile.
"I want the money business." Fang Jinxiu also straightforwardly said.
Old Lady Fang frowned at them, but didn't burst out in anger as Fang Yunxiao feared.
"Alright, stop with the rebellious talk." she said, "Do you know why Chengyu wants to split the family? Because the Fang Family will face danger, he intends to shoulder it alone, but also to create back-up plans to avoid total destruction. We also know why you choose to separate the family, to work together and help him in the future."
Although she had guessed, upon hearing the truth, Fang Yunxiao finally felt completely relieved.
"There's no need for that. You should marry and live good lives. With the support of your husband's families, when the Fang Family faces difficulties, they will also assist us. Even if that day truly comes, it would count as preserving the Fang Family from complete ruin." Old Lady Fang continued.
Fang Yuxiu smiled and put down the sugar water in her hand.
"Grandmother, you said it wrong." she said, "If that day really comes, we won't live good lives, because we bear the name Fang."
Old Lady Fang frowned at her.
"Are you saying that bearing this surname will still bring harm to you even after marriage?" she said, her expression turning blank, "I believe with your wisdom, you can live well in your husband's family."
"Of course, that's beyond doubt." Fang Yuxiu said, "But that's not what I mean. What I mean is, Grandmother, do you think that watching the Fang Family collapse, witnessing something happen to your mother and Chengyu, we could still live well?"
She emphasized the word "good," adding more layers to its meaning: living well and living a good life.
Even though nothing was said, when this sentence came through, Fang Yunxiao's tears fell uncontrollably. She hadn't even reacted; she just thought about it, thought about the fall of the Fang Family, grandmother, mother, brother...
She raised her hand to cover her mouth.
Old Lady Fang was somewhat stunned.
"Grandmother, look." Fang Yuxiu gently spread her hands, "Just thinking about it caused big sister to be like this. If things really happen, what kind of life do you think we will live?"
"We will cry every day, even if we put on a brave face in front of others, we will surely be restless when eating and sleeping, haunted by nightmares at night."
"Big sister will wither away in such torment."
"Jinxiu and I will stop at nothing for revenge, either dying ourselves or dragging down the entire husband's family."
"Grandmother, do you think this is the good life we will have?"
Old Lady Fang looked at Fang Yuxiu. Although she did not cover her face and cry like Fang Yunxiao, her throat burned with pain.
"You... Why bother..." she said hoarsely.
Fang Yuxiu smiled faintly.
"It's not why bother; it's because we are named Fang." She said, "Chengyu said it right; we were born into the Fang Family, a fate decreed by Old Heavenly Father, with no choice in the matter. However, we can choose how to live."
To be named Fang means a blood bond; if grandmother and mother have an accident, they will never treat it as the business of a passerby, acting indifferent and then turning around to happily continue their lives. Moreover, being named Fang means they are as daring and capable as Fang Chengyu in taking actions.
Old Lady Fang's expression slowly eased, becoming serene.
She understood what Fang Chengyu meant by repeating that, after all, they were born into the Fang Family.
Chengyu saw it clearly long ago, so there's no need to cry and persuade each other; instead, why not act decisively and fiercely?
He would really ruthlessly drive his sisters out of the house, casually finding a husband for them, because a good or bad husband is the same; as long as people are alive, bad days can be lived well, but if people are gone, even good days become void.
Rather than letting others force them, it's better to deal with their own people themselves.
Although he, for the sake of having multiple escape plans, mercilessly forced his sisters to choose to continue managing the money business, even if he is not ruthless, the enemy will be more ruthless in the future.
"Good." Old Lady Fang straightened her back, "In that case, let everyone's wishes be fulfilled."
.....
.....
Walking out of Old Lady Fang's room, Fang Chengyu was waiting outside.
"It seems the sisters can persuade grandmother too." He laughed, "Truly impressive."
Fang Yuxiu raised her brow and smiled.
"Then you must be even more impressive, do not easily get into trouble and drag us down." She said, "It's not easy for us to earn some money, and you know that woman spends money like it's not money."
Fang Chengyu laughed heartily.
"Then sisters also need to be more impressive, so they will not be easily dragged down by others." He said.
Fang Yuxiu waved to him and linked arms with Fang Yunxiao.
"Big sister, what do you think we should call our money business?" She said with bright eyes, tinged with excitement.
Even the name has to change. The money business they acquired will no longer be De Sheng Chang; this division feels both real and complete. Fang Yunxiao's feelings were complex, but she nodded at Fang Yuxiu with a smile.
"Whatever you think is good will be good." She said.
Fang Jinxiu lightly coughed on the side.
"Big sister, I thought about it, why don't you be with me?" She said.
Fang Yuxiu glanced sideways at her.
"Oh, third sister, are you trying to snatch the person or snatch the business?" She asked.
"Snatch the business." Fang Jinxiu said, pursing her lips into a smile.
Fang Yunxiao also smiled, she smiled at Fang Jinxiu's calling her big sister, and Yuxiu calling her third sister.
The banter, arguing, and laughter of the girls in the courtyard were not heard by Old Lady Fang. She had already entered a small room behind her bedroom, shielded by a thick daily-used painting that no one had noticed was a room.
The room was dim and narrow, only furnished with a small incense table and a cushion. Hung on the incense table was a portrait.
Old Lady Fang respectfully lit three sticks of incense, looking at the person on the portrait.
The portrait was of an elderly woman, at first glance quite similar to Old Lady Fang.
"Mother." Old Lady Fang knelt down, tears flowing from her withered and wrinkled face, "I will repay you in my next life, the debt I owe you, I will repay in my next life."
She leaned forward to kowtow repeatedly.
....
....
(The second update today will be a bit later, keep it up, keep it up!)