Chapter 1156: Chapter 1138: Caring
Zhao Hanzhang finished asking all the questions she could think of, but still felt no sleepiness. She didn’t want to keep the Posthouse Minister talking, so she waved him away.
She picked up the small bamboo basket filled with steamed buns and headed next door, where Fu Tinghan was sitting by Fu Zhi’s bedside in a daze.
Hearing the door push open, he turned his head to look at her.
Zhao Hanzhang handed him the small bamboo raft and said softly, "Have some to eat."
Fu Tinghan reached out to take it but remained seated without moving, "I was young when my parents passed away, and I don’t have many memories. I only saw my grandfather off. I was sad then because he couldn’t be at ease leaving me, and I feel very guilty for not letting him leave peacefully."
His gaze fell on Fu Zhi, who, even in a deep sleep, had his brows furrowed, with visible sorrow on his face, "So many years have passed, and I find myself in the same dilemma."
Zhao Hanzhang listened quietly, saying nothing.
Fu Tinghan let out a bitter laugh, raised his head to look at her, eyes glistening with tears, and softly asked, "When facing life and death partings, what can we do to let them leave in peace?"
Zhao Hanzhang said, "No matter what their final wishes are, fulfill what you can, remain silent for what you can’t. The greatest respect the living can give to the dead is remembering them while also learning to forget them."
"When my grandfather passed, he told me to live well and just remember to sweep his grave once a year, not to dwell too much..." At some point, Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes were also filled with tears, and their hands clasped together. She tightly held his hand and softly said, "I’ve always felt Grandfather Fu is very much like my grandfather; you should listen to him more."
Zhao Hanzhang kept vigil with Fu Tinghan for half the night before sleep finally overcame her. Fu Tinghan then pushed her to rest in the next room. Once she was asleep, he tucked the covers over her and returned to Fu Zhi’s room.
He checked the time and, following the doctor’s orders, fetched the warm medicine from the corner. Carefully, he fed it to Fu Zhi, who swallowed on his own as soon as the medicine entered his mouth. Fu Tinghan breathed a sigh of relief.
After feeding him two doses, the disheveled Si Bo pushed the door open and came in. Fu Tinghan turned back, calling, "Uncle Steward?"
Si Bo’s eyes instantly reddened, and he ran forward, "Young Master, when did you arrive?"
"I arrived at night. Just now, why didn’t I see Uncle Steward?"
Si Bo replied, "My body has failed me. After helping the old master lie down, I couldn’t manage and lay down myself. Luckily, my mind remembered it was midnight for the medicine, so I got up."
Si Bo helped Fu Tinghan feed the medicine together and quietly complained, "Fu Cheng is getting more irresponsible, not waking at night, leaving such important matters to you. Fu An is also useless, how can they let you care for the old master alone?"
Fu Cheng is Fu Zhi’s servant. He has few people around him and usually alternates with Si Bo. Fu Tinghan explained for them, "I saw their eyes dark with exhaustion, so I let them rest."
After the medicine was fed, Fu Tinghan used the stove to heat a pot of water, dampened a cloth to clean Fu Zhi’s mouth, and wiped his hands before letting Si Bo go to rest, "Tomorrow you’ll need to look after Grandfather on the carriage; how could you do that without resting well tonight?"
Seeing his meticulous care, Si Bo, although unwilling to leave, found reason in Fu Tinghan’s persuasion and stood up after a moment of contemplation.
He walked to the door, couldn’t help but turn back, and respectfully saluted Fu Tinghan, with slightly red eyes saying, "The old master would be pleased if he knew."
Once Si Bo left, the room returned to silence.
Fu Tinghan sat by the bedside for a while, couldn’t resist reaching out to check his breathing and pulse, finally at ease.
Looking around, he fetched a blanket from the cupboard, clumsily laid it open on the footrest. It seemed to be intended for night-watch servants, barely one meter wide, only enough for one to lie down without turning over.
Fu Tinghan lay down, listening to the frog’s croak for a long time before falling into a blurry sleep.
Though asleep, his sleep wasn’t deep. Shortly after falling asleep, he dimly heard the crowing of a rooster. As he wanted to open his eyes, it stopped, and he drifted back to a muddled sleep, soon hearing the rooster’s call again. Fu Tinghan’s eyelids fluttered, then gradually settled down. By the third crow, dim light seeped through the lattice window, and faint sounds arose outside. It was then that he laboriously opened his eyes.
Fu Tinghan propped himself up with his arms, squinted at Fu Zhi on the bed, and met a pair of loving eyes.
Fu Tinghan jumped, quickly knelt by the bed, leaned in close to look, "Grandfather?"
Seeing him squinting, Fu Zhi sighed, his voice hoarse, "You must have stayed up reading again? Your eyesight has worsened?"
Fu Tinghan’s eyes grew slightly red, smilingly defended, "My eyes are fine, I just woke up. Seeing you suddenly wake made my vision a bit blurry."
Fu Zhi reached out to him, Fu Tinghan hurriedly held it, sensing his exertion, helped sit him up and added a pillow behind his back for support.
Fu Tinghan rolled up the blanket from the footrest and placed it aside, quickly saying, "Please wait, I’ll call... Father and Mother."
"Hold on," Fu Zhi stopped him with a gentle gesture, "No need to rush; let them sleep a bit longer. You come here, let’s have a grandson-grandfather chat."
Fu Tinghan then approached, kneeling on the footrest to look at him, asked, "Are you hungry, would you like to drink some water first? They say you’ve slept for three days, perhaps start with warm water to wake your stomach, then have some porridge later?"
Fu Zhi couldn’t help but smile, nodding with satisfaction, "Young master can care for others now; you’re more human than before."
Fu Zhi reached out, lightly touching his head, softly said, "Seems marriage is a good thing, you’ve finally grown up."
Fu Tinghan, not expecting that in his eyes he never grew up, found himself at a loss for words.
Fu Zhi had much to say, but seeing his clear and pure eyes, chose to swallow most of it. He only asked, "Is everything well between you and the Third Lady?"
Fu Tinghan nodded, "We’re doing well; she even came with me, staying next door. I’ll call her."
Fu Zhi held his hand, halting his movement, smiling, "She came too, good, good, no need to rush; let her sleep a little longer."
He observed Fu Tinghan’s expression with a smile, "Looks like you’re truly well, which gives me peace."
Fu Tinghan hesitated briefly before asking, "Grandfather, did you have something to tell me?"
"Before seeing you, I had many words to say," Fu Zhi replied, "I had much sorrow, fear, and many instructions. But upon seeing you, those sorrows and fears vanished."
"Child, the road ahead is long. You and the Third Lady must walk together hand in hand. She faces many difficulties; as husband and wife you must understand each other. She bears the burden of a nation’s people; it’s a heavy load."
Fu Tinghan nodded, indicating he understood.
