Joy of Life - V1C15
Prologue: Nice Guys Finish Last
1- A Child of the Tanmai
2- The Truman Show
3- The Legacy Book
4- Studies and Ghost Stories
5- The Noctural Visitor
6- Master Wu Zhu
7- Master Fei Jie
8- One Year Later...
9- Grandmasters and Divine Temple
10- Overpowering Bàdào Zhenqi
11- The Sea Salt Merchant
12- Farewell for now, Master Fei Jie
13- Mail Order and Newspapers
14- It Hurts Like Hell!
15- Housekeeper Zhou
16- Ay-ya-ya-yaaa
17- The Three Goals
18- The Attempted Poisoning
19- The Assassin
20- Clean Up After Yourself!
Chapter 15
Housekeeper Zhou
Fan Xian enjoyed a level of freedom that most illegitimate children could only envy. His circumstances were unique—his mother was not acknowledged by the Hall of Elders of the esteemed Fan clan. Consequently, he was never officially recognized and should not have borne the title «young master». The Danzhou estate was an exception. Due to its distance from the capital and the Old Mistress’s affection for Fan Xian, everyone in the mansion began calling him ‘Young Master’ when they heard Master Fei Jie use that term, and the Old Mistress never objected.
In the strict hierarchy of this new world, where tradition allowed only one 'young master' per family, Fan Xian's position became even more complicated when his father took a concubine who had already given birth to a son seven years prior. That child was officially recognized as the "young master" and named the heir to the Fan clan's significant legacy. In every household, it was nearly impossible to keep secrets, especially from the servants, who were regarded as inconsequential. As a result, both estates were fully aware of who the ‘bastard’ was and who the ‘young master’ was, yet each mansion decided to go along with the unfolding situation. The directives of the heads of each household, whether Old Mistress or Madam, were considered the correct course of action to follow. This was particularly true because Count Sinan never mentioned it, and thousands of miles separated the two mansions. But it was also due to Fan Xian himself.
Despite his circumstances, Fan Xian remained indifferent. He valued his independence and held on to the principles he had learned from his previous life, which emphasized personal freedom and viewed children born out of wedlock as nothing to be ashamed of. However, after spending twelve years in this new world, he understood the complexities of social hierarchies and the importance of respecting established norms, even if he chose to navigate them on his own terms. No matter where a person lives, the strongest is always right.
He benefited from the modern education he received in his past life, enriched by his grandmother's tolerance and love, as well as the knowledge he gained in this new life. This unique upbringing allowed him to develop the attitude, charisma, and mindset of a "young master." Those who knew him accepted this without hesitation, especially since the real young master lived far away in the capital. As a result, every servant referred to him as "young master" with the respect and fear associated with the position.
The Old Mistress, who arrived earlier and witnessed the scene in the back garden, looked at the groaning housekeeper on the ground and thought of that child; she couldn’t help but show a hint of meaningful happiness.
Chasing the head servant out of the house last year and slapping Housekeeper Zhou silly today, the twelve-year-old Fan Xian finally established his authority in the Count’s villa.
Morning came, and Fan Xian awoke, rubbing the dust from his eyes. He rose from his bed and slipped under the servant girl's blanket, content as he inhaled her familiar scent.
His favorite servant girl, SiSi, was combing her hair when she noticed he was awake. Smiling, she walked to the edge of the bed and pulled the covers off the boy, who had wrapped himself like a cocoon. She gathered her hair and prepared hot water for his bath.
Fan Xian climbed off the bed and sat on the cotton pillow he had given SiSi. He lifted his pants, looked inside, and recited the words from a drinking game he used to play in his previous life, making rock-paper-scissors gestures. “Who's horny? I'm horny! Who's horny? You're horny!”
He raised his eyebrows and lifted his pants again, looking down. “I'm horny,” he said dejectedly to himself. “And you still don’t know how to use it yet.”
Having spent many years in this world, he was used to being waited on hand and foot. As a healthy teenager, he was no longer shy about touching the young maids to gain satisfaction, but he wasn’t ready for intercourse yet. He kept putting it off.
He yawned and waited for SiSi to return. After what felt like an eternity, he fell asleep, only to be awakened by a hot towel on his face.
A distant sound of angry shouting echoed from the courtyard. Curious, Fan Xian dressed himself and stepped out the door, quickly coming upon a rather disturbing scene.
In the garden, Housekeeper Zhou fiercely admonished the servant girl SiSi. His frustration was because, in her hurry to prepare hot water, she neglected to dress appropriately. The other servant girls stood by, clearly frightened.
Housekeeper Zhou had relocated from the capital a year earlier. Fan Xian was aware that the Count’s concubine had sent Zhou to spy on the household, but Fan Xian hadn’t observed any suspicious behavior from him while he discreetly observed. Therefore, he allowed Zhou to proceed as he wished.
However, Fan Xian was deeply bothered by the scolding directed at the servant girls, as he was quite protective. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped forward, but Housekeeper Zhou was not in the mood to be challenged. SiSi was to face punishment.
Fan Xian furrowed his brow, looking up at the housekeeper with his charming expression. “She is my personal maidservant,” he said with a smile, “and I’ll handle this myself.”
This day, Housekeeper Zhou was particularly arrogant. He forced a hollow smile and replied, “Little Master, regarding household matters, the Old Mistress has instructed me that I am still in charge.”
He deliberately stretched out the title “Little Master,” making his disrespect unmistakable.
Still smiling, Fan Xian caught the flicker of contempt in Zhou's gaze. While he felt no shame about being an illegitimate child, being looked down upon and treated as inferior still made him feel uneasy.
As the tension escalated, a quick-thinking girl slipped away to fetch the Old Mistress, while the other maidservants watched anxiously. Despite the superficial connection between the two houses, everyone recognized that Young Master Fan Xian’s status was far from prestigious. Moreover, all the supplies for living in Danzhou were sourced from the capital and overseen by the second wife.
Although Fan Xian was illegitimate, he was still a direct descendant of Count Sinan. His status could change, but housekeeper Zhou would remain a servant regardless of serving as the representative for Count Sinan's concubine. The hierarchy was complex.
Nevertheless, today the housekeeper felt justified in disrespecting the young master. To everyone present, the true heir to the grand Sinan estate was the new young master in the capital, not the twelve-year-old boy standing before them.
Fan Xian held SiSi’s hand tightly. Only his personal maidservant had the right to hold his hand in that manner. Fan Xian clearly understood what the servants were thinking. Anyone striving for a better life faced challenges and could not afford to take sides openly.
Housekeeper Zhou ranked second in Count Sinan’s household after the concubine, managing household affairs in Jingdu. After some mistakes in the capital, he was sent far away to the remote Danzhou. However, he neither believed he had left behind the city’s luxury nor mourned it.
Count Sinan’s first wife had passed away many years ago, leaving them with a daughter named RuoRuo. As a widow with his social standing, he could not remain single for long, particularly without an heir. He chose not to remarry and instead took a high-status concubine who bore him a son seven years earlier. Her status remained below that of a wife; she sought to strengthen her position, especially with the arrival of Housekeeper Zhou in Danzhou. Her true motives were clearly not genuine.
To fulfill his duties, he managed the Count’s villa meticulously. He was exceptionally respectful to the Old Mistress and kind to the servants, rarely interfering in their private affairs. However, every time he saw that little mongrel—the one whose existence had led to his disguised exile—he could not help but reveal his true feelings.
No one knew why, but he instilled fear in the housekeeper despite being only in his early teens. No matter where he went, that boy’s faintly smiling face and perceptive eyes seemed to be always watching. As beautiful as his face was, anyone would feel disturbed if it followed them around constantly from the moment they woke up.
When Housekeeper Zhou kindly greeted the servants, little Fan Xian's pretty face could be seen among the flowers, staring blankly at the housekeeper. When Housekeeper Zhou frowned over the statements of account, little Fan Xian propped his face on the windowsill of the accountant's chamber, looking at the housekeeper with an innocent expression. While making his report to the Old Mistress with the utmost respect, Housekeeper Zhou would find little Fan Xian resting his face next to her, staring at him with infinite curiosity.
After a year of this, Housekeeper Zhou was nearly driven mad. He could always see that innocent, stunning face; it resembled a ghost drifting in white mist. Such a beautiful face could only belong to a ghost staring at him so intensely.
As his mind neared a breakdown, he started to feel paranoid. Could that boy possibly know he was sent there to deal with him? Housekeeper Zhou then thought. This little mongrel is too young; how could he understand the risks of the adult world? But... why is he always staring at me? Why? Like now. If I were him, I’d feel humiliated; how can he still smile like that?
Housekeeper Zhou smiled coldly, thinking, This situation will be over soon; I don’t need to get upset over this brat.
Fan Xian didn’t realize how taxing his unruly observation was on Housekeeper Zhou's mind. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have felt sorry about it. He was curious about what methods this aunt in the capital would use to handle him.
However, after witnessing Housekeeper Zhou scolding his personal maidservant, Fan Xian's expression grew grim. Hearing how the housekeeper pronounced "Little Master" caused Fan Xian's smile to fade.
“I heard Little Master chased a maidservant out of the house a few years ago; such unruly behavior certainly won't do,” Housekeeper Zhou remarked disdainfully, ignoring the youth's worsening expression. “You are still young; it would be best to stop worrying about household matters.”
Fan Xian laughed, “Are you warning me to stay in my place?”
Housekeeper Zhou claimed he wouldn’t dare to do such a thing, yet his tone was arrogant. “Who would dream of it? It’s just that before coming here, Madam ordered me to look after you since you are still of tender age.”
“So then, are you not afraid of me using my authority as your master to slap that big mouth of yours?” Fan Xian asked, curious.
Housekeeper Zhou chuckled, stroking his sparsely grown beard on his chin. “Little Master, although you lost your mother as an infant and lacked discipline growing up, everyone knows you were still raised as a learned scholar. You wouldn’t treat your servants so harshly.”
The housekeeper looked at the beautiful youth before him and silently laughed at his naivety. A mere child thinks he can use his authority to threaten me.
“Oh.” Fan Xian suddenly turned and left.
The maidservants, secretly hoping for justice for the young master, breathed a sigh of relief tinged with disappointment, since no conflict had arisen. SiSi held Fan Xian's hand, her eyes welling with tears. She felt sorry for him but was afraid he would become distraught. She finally found comfort after glancing at Fan Xian and noticing a sense of calm in his eyes.
Taking SiSi's hand, Fan Xian led her inside and placed two stools by the door. He made SiSi sit on one of them before heading into the garden with the other stool.
The maidservants had not yet dispersed; Housekeeper Zhou was still enjoying his earlier display of bravery and authority.
Fan Xian placed the stool right in front of Housekeeper Zhou. Those nearby exchanged puzzled looks, and Housekeeper Zhou started to ask what was happening. But before he could say anything, Fan Xian had already climbed onto the stool. At just twelve years old, Fan Xian wasn’t very tall. Standing on the stool at arm's length, he was finally the same height as Housekeeper Zhou.
The onlookers were bewildered, uncertain of what Fan Xian planned to do. He exhaled twice into his right palm and held it high.
“What are you doing?” Housekeeper Zhou's words came out with a splash, caught off guard by the suddenness of the scene.
Fan Xian brutally swung his little hand forward!
With a loud and crisp “smack,” Housekeeper Zhou tumbled to the ground. A red handprint appeared on his face, and there was some blood on the corner of his mouth. He was stunned by the hit. There was no way he would have expected such strength to come from a child, let alone that this child dared to hit him in the first place!
Fan Xian hopped down from the stool, flexed his wrist, and took a handkerchief from a nearby maidservant. He wiped his hand as he looked at the housekeeper, who was groaning while holding his face, and said in a light voice, “Even a learned scholar would resort to violence when disrespected. Even though I don’t abuse my servants, I am more than happy to show you the style of a son from a wealthy family.”
Housekeeper Zhou lay on the ground miserably, the mark on his face as red as a peach blossom. He spat out a few broken teeth and felt half-dizzy from shock. He cast a weak, fear-filled, horror-stricken look towards Fan Xian.
“I seriously don’t understand what you thought,” Fan Xian said quietly. “Did you really believe I wouldn’t hit you? You seem to have forgotten your place. Perhaps a more refined master wouldn’t do anything to his servants, but that is not me. Don’t tell me you’re going to hit back. So, that’s that. All you can do is deal with it and endure, cry about it to the Old Mistress, or return to the capital. But from now on, don’t go into the back garden. I dislike seeing you.”
After saying this, he brushed off his clothes and turned to SiSi, who was sitting dumbfounded on the stool. He quietly told her that he wanted to go out and then left the Count’s villa.
Behind him, fears visibly appeared on the faces of the servants. None of them would have expected that this sweet, gentle boy had such a violent side. The stark contrast between the two sides shook everyone to their core, making it even more frightening.
His favorite servant girl, SiSi, was combing her hair when she noticed he was awake. Smiling, she walked to the edge of the bed and pulled the covers off the boy, who had wrapped himself like a cocoon. She gathered her hair and prepared hot water for his bath.
Fan Xian climbed off the bed and sat on the cotton pillow he had given SiSi. He lifted his pants, looked inside, and recited the words from a drinking game he used to play in his previous life, making rock-paper-scissors gestures. “Who's horny? I'm horny! Who's horny? You're horny!”
He raised his eyebrows and lifted his pants again, looking down. “I'm horny,” he said dejectedly to himself. “And you still don’t know how to use it yet.”
Having spent many years in this world, he was used to being waited on hand and foot. As a healthy teenager, he was no longer shy about touching the young maids to gain satisfaction, but he wasn’t ready for intercourse yet. He kept putting it off.
He yawned and waited for SiSi to return. After what felt like an eternity, he fell asleep, only to be awakened by a hot towel on his face.
A distant sound of angry shouting echoed from the courtyard. Curious, Fan Xian dressed himself and stepped out the door, quickly coming upon a rather disturbing scene.
In the garden, Housekeeper Zhou fiercely admonished the servant girl SiSi. His frustration was because, in her hurry to prepare hot water, she neglected to dress appropriately. The other servant girls stood by, clearly frightened.
Housekeeper Zhou had relocated from the capital a year earlier. Fan Xian was aware that the Count’s concubine had sent Zhou to spy on the household, but Fan Xian hadn’t observed any suspicious behavior from him while he discreetly observed. Therefore, he allowed Zhou to proceed as he wished.
However, Fan Xian was deeply bothered by the scolding directed at the servant girls, as he was quite protective. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped forward, but Housekeeper Zhou was not in the mood to be challenged. SiSi was to face punishment.
Fan Xian furrowed his brow, looking up at the housekeeper with his charming expression. “She is my personal maidservant,” he said with a smile, “and I’ll handle this myself.”
This day, Housekeeper Zhou was particularly arrogant. He forced a hollow smile and replied, “Little Master, regarding household matters, the Old Mistress has instructed me that I am still in charge.”
He deliberately stretched out the title “Little Master,” making his disrespect unmistakable.
Still smiling, Fan Xian caught the flicker of contempt in Zhou's gaze. While he felt no shame about being an illegitimate child, being looked down upon and treated as inferior still made him feel uneasy.
As the tension escalated, a quick-thinking girl slipped away to fetch the Old Mistress, while the other maidservants watched anxiously. Despite the superficial connection between the two houses, everyone recognized that Young Master Fan Xian’s status was far from prestigious. Moreover, all the supplies for living in Danzhou were sourced from the capital and overseen by the second wife.
Although Fan Xian was illegitimate, he was still a direct descendant of Count Sinan. His status could change, but housekeeper Zhou would remain a servant regardless of serving as the representative for Count Sinan's concubine. The hierarchy was complex.
Nevertheless, today the housekeeper felt justified in disrespecting the young master. To everyone present, the true heir to the grand Sinan estate was the new young master in the capital, not the twelve-year-old boy standing before them.
Fan Xian held SiSi’s hand tightly. Only his personal maidservant had the right to hold his hand in that manner. Fan Xian clearly understood what the servants were thinking. Anyone striving for a better life faced challenges and could not afford to take sides openly.
Housekeeper Zhou ranked second in Count Sinan’s household after the concubine, managing household affairs in Jingdu. After some mistakes in the capital, he was sent far away to the remote Danzhou. However, he neither believed he had left behind the city’s luxury nor mourned it.
Count Sinan’s first wife had passed away many years ago, leaving them with a daughter named RuoRuo. As a widow with his social standing, he could not remain single for long, particularly without an heir. He chose not to remarry and instead took a high-status concubine who bore him a son seven years earlier. Her status remained below that of a wife; she sought to strengthen her position, especially with the arrival of Housekeeper Zhou in Danzhou. Her true motives were clearly not genuine.
To fulfill his duties, he managed the Count’s villa meticulously. He was exceptionally respectful to the Old Mistress and kind to the servants, rarely interfering in their private affairs. However, every time he saw that little mongrel—the one whose existence had led to his disguised exile—he could not help but reveal his true feelings.
No one knew why, but he instilled fear in the housekeeper despite being only in his early teens. No matter where he went, that boy’s faintly smiling face and perceptive eyes seemed to be always watching. As beautiful as his face was, anyone would feel disturbed if it followed them around constantly from the moment they woke up.
When Housekeeper Zhou kindly greeted the servants, little Fan Xian's pretty face could be seen among the flowers, staring blankly at the housekeeper. When Housekeeper Zhou frowned over the statements of account, little Fan Xian propped his face on the windowsill of the accountant's chamber, looking at the housekeeper with an innocent expression. While making his report to the Old Mistress with the utmost respect, Housekeeper Zhou would find little Fan Xian resting his face next to her, staring at him with infinite curiosity.
After a year of this, Housekeeper Zhou was nearly driven mad. He could always see that innocent, stunning face; it resembled a ghost drifting in white mist. Such a beautiful face could only belong to a ghost staring at him so intensely.
As his mind neared a breakdown, he started to feel paranoid. Could that boy possibly know he was sent there to deal with him? Housekeeper Zhou then thought. This little mongrel is too young; how could he understand the risks of the adult world? But... why is he always staring at me? Why? Like now. If I were him, I’d feel humiliated; how can he still smile like that?
Housekeeper Zhou smiled coldly, thinking, This situation will be over soon; I don’t need to get upset over this brat.
Fan Xian didn’t realize how taxing his unruly observation was on Housekeeper Zhou's mind. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have felt sorry about it. He was curious about what methods this aunt in the capital would use to handle him.
However, after witnessing Housekeeper Zhou scolding his personal maidservant, Fan Xian's expression grew grim. Hearing how the housekeeper pronounced "Little Master" caused Fan Xian's smile to fade.
“I heard Little Master chased a maidservant out of the house a few years ago; such unruly behavior certainly won't do,” Housekeeper Zhou remarked disdainfully, ignoring the youth's worsening expression. “You are still young; it would be best to stop worrying about household matters.”
Fan Xian laughed, “Are you warning me to stay in my place?”
Housekeeper Zhou claimed he wouldn’t dare to do such a thing, yet his tone was arrogant. “Who would dream of it? It’s just that before coming here, Madam ordered me to look after you since you are still of tender age.”
“So then, are you not afraid of me using my authority as your master to slap that big mouth of yours?” Fan Xian asked, curious.
Housekeeper Zhou chuckled, stroking his sparsely grown beard on his chin. “Little Master, although you lost your mother as an infant and lacked discipline growing up, everyone knows you were still raised as a learned scholar. You wouldn’t treat your servants so harshly.”
The housekeeper looked at the beautiful youth before him and silently laughed at his naivety. A mere child thinks he can use his authority to threaten me.
“Oh.” Fan Xian suddenly turned and left.
The maidservants, secretly hoping for justice for the young master, breathed a sigh of relief tinged with disappointment, since no conflict had arisen. SiSi held Fan Xian's hand, her eyes welling with tears. She felt sorry for him but was afraid he would become distraught. She finally found comfort after glancing at Fan Xian and noticing a sense of calm in his eyes.
Taking SiSi's hand, Fan Xian led her inside and placed two stools by the door. He made SiSi sit on one of them before heading into the garden with the other stool.
The maidservants had not yet dispersed; Housekeeper Zhou was still enjoying his earlier display of bravery and authority.
Fan Xian placed the stool right in front of Housekeeper Zhou. Those nearby exchanged puzzled looks, and Housekeeper Zhou started to ask what was happening. But before he could say anything, Fan Xian had already climbed onto the stool. At just twelve years old, Fan Xian wasn’t very tall. Standing on the stool at arm's length, he was finally the same height as Housekeeper Zhou.
The onlookers were bewildered, uncertain of what Fan Xian planned to do. He exhaled twice into his right palm and held it high.
“What are you doing?” Housekeeper Zhou's words came out with a splash, caught off guard by the suddenness of the scene.
Fan Xian brutally swung his little hand forward!
With a loud and crisp “smack,” Housekeeper Zhou tumbled to the ground. A red handprint appeared on his face, and there was some blood on the corner of his mouth. He was stunned by the hit. There was no way he would have expected such strength to come from a child, let alone that this child dared to hit him in the first place!
Fan Xian hopped down from the stool, flexed his wrist, and took a handkerchief from a nearby maidservant. He wiped his hand as he looked at the housekeeper, who was groaning while holding his face, and said in a light voice, “Even a learned scholar would resort to violence when disrespected. Even though I don’t abuse my servants, I am more than happy to show you the style of a son from a wealthy family.”
Housekeeper Zhou lay on the ground miserably, the mark on his face as red as a peach blossom. He spat out a few broken teeth and felt half-dizzy from shock. He cast a weak, fear-filled, horror-stricken look towards Fan Xian.
“I seriously don’t understand what you thought,” Fan Xian said quietly. “Did you really believe I wouldn’t hit you? You seem to have forgotten your place. Perhaps a more refined master wouldn’t do anything to his servants, but that is not me. Don’t tell me you’re going to hit back. So, that’s that. All you can do is deal with it and endure, cry about it to the Old Mistress, or return to the capital. But from now on, don’t go into the back garden. I dislike seeing you.”
After saying this, he brushed off his clothes and turned to SiSi, who was sitting dumbfounded on the stool. He quietly told her that he wanted to go out and then left the Count’s villa.
Behind him, fears visibly appeared on the faces of the servants. None of them would have expected that this sweet, gentle boy had such a violent side. The stark contrast between the two sides shook everyone to their core, making it even more frightening.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Fan Xian enjoyed a level of freedom that most illegitimate children could only envy. His circumstances were unique—his mother was not acknowledged by the Hall of Elders of the esteemed Fan clan. Consequently, he was never officially recognized and should not have borne the title «young master». The Danzhou estate was an exception. Due to its distance from the capital and the Old Mistress’s affection for Fan Xian, everyone in the mansion began calling him ‘Young Master’ when they heard Master Fei Jie use that term, and the Old Mistress never objected.
In the strict hierarchy of this new world, where tradition allowed only one 'young master' per family, Fan Xian's position became even more complicated when his father took a concubine who had already given birth to a son seven years prior. That child was officially recognized as the "young master" and named the heir to the Fan clan's significant legacy. In every household, it was nearly impossible to keep secrets, especially from the servants, who were regarded as inconsequential. As a result, both estates were fully aware of who the ‘bastard’ was and who the ‘young master’ was, yet each mansion decided to go along with the unfolding situation. The directives of the heads of each household, whether Old Mistress or Madam, were considered the correct course of action to follow. This was particularly true because Count Sinan never mentioned it, and thousands of miles separated the two mansions. But it was also due to Fan Xian himself.
Despite his circumstances, Fan Xian remained indifferent. He valued his independence and held on to the principles he had learned from his previous life, which emphasized personal freedom and viewed children born out of wedlock as nothing to be ashamed of. However, after spending twelve years in this new world, he understood the complexities of social hierarchies and the importance of respecting established norms, even if he chose to navigate them on his own terms. No matter where a person lives, the strongest is always right.
He benefited from the modern education he received in his past life, enriched by his grandmother's tolerance and love, as well as the knowledge he gained in this new life. This unique upbringing allowed him to develop the attitude, charisma, and mindset of a "young master." Those who knew him accepted this without hesitation, especially since the real young master lived far away in the capital. As a result, every servant referred to him as "young master" with the respect and fear associated with the position.
The Old Mistress, who arrived earlier and witnessed the scene in the back garden, looked at the groaning housekeeper on the ground and thought of that child; she couldn’t help but show a hint of meaningful happiness.
Chasing the head servant out of the house last year and slapping Housekeeper Zhou silly today, the twelve-year-old Fan Xian finally established his authority in the Count’s villa.
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