Chapter 4: Beggars, Maidservants, and Scions of Wealth

"Aaah!"
A wretched scream pierced the entire courtyard. Zhao Si's eyes rolled back in his head, and he fainted dead away from the pain.

"Ning Xiu, you—!"

At that moment, a tall young man dressed in lavish robes, surrounded by maids and servants, strode into the courtyard. His gaze swept over Zhao Si and saw that his entire right leg had been broken in a single blow. Even if a physician could set it, it was likely ruined for life. The young man's face darkened. "Do you even know what you're doing?!"

This was Ning Qing, Ning Xiu's cousin, eldest son of the main branch of the Ning family. At his outburst, the maids and footmen cowered, bowing their heads in fear.

Only Ning Xiu let out a soft laugh. "I'm helping you teach your servants a lesson, cousin. If a servant dares to defy his master and isn't disciplined, today he offends me; tomorrow, what if he offends Grandfather? Even you might be implicated."

"Don't use Grandfather to threaten me. The servants of the main house are ours to discipline—it isn't your place!" Ning Qing's expression was hostile, his voice cold. "Yet you, you dare spend a hundred taels of silver rewarding a beggar? The Ning family may be wealthy, but we can't stand for such extravagance. If I tell Grandfather about this, I wonder how he'll react."

"First, that man isn't a beggar. Second, the hundred taels weren't a reward, but the price for his life. Third, the money is mine to spend as I please; I don’t see how it concerns you," Ning Xiu replied with a light chuckle. "Besides, haven't you already gone to Grandfather to complain about this?"

Ning Qing's face turned livid. He jabbed a finger at Ning Xiu and sneered. "A joke, truly! You have no written contract, you don't know his name, you don't know where he lives—how do you know he isn't a fraud? He tells you he's selling himself to save his mother and you believe it? As the eldest son, am I wrong to discipline you? That money you spend, which coin did you earn yourself? Isn't it all from the family coffers?"

Three questions in a row, and Ning Qing's momentum only grew, as if ready to chastise his wayward younger cousin at the slightest provocation.

"I told him to come find me in three days—he won't break his word." Ning Xiu tossed aside the wooden staff he held and headed for the courtyard gate.

"That's what your maid said yesterday too," Ning Qing snapped, blocking his path.

"Oh, did she?" Ning Xiu glanced back at Xiaocui, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes. Then he turned to Ning Qing. "But today is the third day, isn’t it? What, cousin, are you now championing a servant who has broken the rules?"

At Ning Xiu's gaze, Ning Qing involuntarily took a step back. For a fleeting moment, he sensed that his once weak cousin had become someone entirely different.

In that instant, a chill and an authority emanated from Ning Xiu that actually made him afraid—a gravity and coldness he had only ever seen in their grandfather, Ning Mingfeng.

"Young master, where are you going?"

"To the gate, to meet someone." Ning Xiu waved his hand and walked out of the courtyard without looking back.

The little maid was stunned for a heartbeat, then hurried to catch up to him at a trot.

Ning Qing watched the two figures, one large and one small, recede into the distance. His eyes flashed with malice, and he bit his lip. "Let’s go as well. I want to see if anyone actually shows up today!"

...

After the first snow, winter had truly arrived. Even at midday, the air outside was bitterly cold.

On the path leading from the residence, Ning Xiu glanced down at Xiaocui, who walked beside him. He said softly, "There’s no need to argue with them over such trivial matters in the future. It’s not worth getting hurt over."

"For me, anything concerning your reputation is no small matter," the little maid replied, clenching her fists with fierce determination.

Xiaocui had always been a quiet, obedient presence at his side. Ning Xiu was used to this, and for a moment was taken aback by her earnestness. He looked at her, then couldn't help but smile.

"Young master, how can you still smile? If the main and second branches use this against us, who knows what they’ll do to suppress us..."

She hadn't finished before her shoulders hunched and her lips quivered, tears rolling down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string.

"Alright, alright, it’s my fault," Ning Xiu said with a smile, wiping her tears away with his hand.

"But young master, I—I’m serious..." the little maid choked out, but her words trailed off as Ning Xiu, having just wiped her tears, pinched her cheeks and pulled her face into a comical pancake.

She stared at him, eyes wide, momentarily forgetting to cry. Though they’d always been close, never had there been a moment of such intimacy between them.

Before she could recover, Ning Xiu let go.

"Come on, let’s go. We shouldn’t keep our guest waiting."

She mumbled under her breath, following after him. As they reached the gate, her face lit up with surprise. "Young master, it's that uncle who knelt in the snow that day!"

...

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

On the silent, snow-covered ground, faint footsteps approached.

The sound was soft, yet every step seemed to weigh heavily on the chests of Ning Qing and his followers, who had trailed after. Finally, he flung his sleeve and turned away.

Bathed in sunlight, the one striding over the snow was a beggar—or rather, not a beggar, but a man whose clothes were so tattered as to barely conceal his body. And yet, slung across his back, something was tightly wrapped in a cloth band.

He appeared to be in his forties, powerfully built despite his age. His face, weathered by wind and frost, bore an uncommon strength and depth.

This was Zhang Heng, whom Ning Xiu had long been awaiting.

"Who are you? The Ning residence is not a place you can enter at will! Someone, drive this beggar out!" Ning Qing, who had hurried after, shouted imperiously.

The group of house servants behind him, clubs in hand, rushed toward Zhang Heng at the order.

"How dare you!" Ning Xiu stepped forward, blocking Zhang Heng, and demanded loudly.

The servants hesitated, but a moment later, under Ning Qing’s orders, they raised their clubs again. For them, offending Ning Xiu was nothing compared to crossing their master.

Just as Ning Xiu prepared to intervene, a voice sounded at his side.

"Leave it to me."

Before the words had faded, a powerful gust swept past Ning Xiu.

Then came a series of agonized screams. Seven or eight burly servants were no match for Zhang Heng; in the blink of an eye, they lay sprawled on the ground, groaning.

Zhang Heng glanced coldly at Ning Qing in the distance, then approached Ning Xiu. He clasped his fists and dropped to one knee. "Benefactor, I am here."