“Steward Wu. Come in!”

Ning Chen relieved his about-to-burst bladder, then called Steward Wu in.

Steward Wu came in with his eyes lowered and his manner meek. Behind him was a slight, pretty young maid carrying a bowl of medicine.

“Fourth Young Master. The medicine is ready. Are there any other instructions?”

Ning Chen pushed through the pain and propped himself half upright against the head of the bed. “Go empty the chamber pot for me.”

Steward Wu looked up at him, the skin of his face twitching.

“What? Am I supposed to empty it myself?”

Steward Wu said quickly, “I wouldn’t dare. This old servant will see to it.”

He came over, picked up the chamber pot with his face twisted in disgust, and carried it out. His eyes were poisonous.

Ning Ziming’s attitude toward Ning Chen had turned completely around, and Steward Wu no longer dared bully him the way he used to.

This bastard absolutely cannot be allowed to become a favorite, or there’ll be no good days left for me. Steward Wu thought it with real malice.

The young maid pressed her lips together as hard as she could, terrified she would laugh out loud.

Steward Wu bullied the servants under him plenty — taking liberties with the maids, skimming their wages — and none of them dared say a word about it, however angry they were. Today, at last, somebody had dealt with him. It was deeply satisfying.

The maid had just finished feeding Ning Chen his medicine when Steward Wu came back in carrying a tray.

On the tray was breakfast: a bowl of rice porridge, several steamed buns, a dish of pickled vegetables, and two boiled eggs.

Steward Wu set the tray on the round stool by the bed. “Fourth Young Master. Shall this old servant help you eat?”

Ning Chen looked at him.

Steward Wu’s face was all fawning smiles.

Ning Chen smiled too. He reached out and took the two eggs. “I don’t have much appetite. These two eggs are enough. Steward Wu can eat the rest for me.”

His face froze.

To get back at Ning Chen for the chamber pot, he had quietly spat in the porridge. He had squeezed several of the buns with the hand that had carried the pot, then given the porridge a stir with it as well.

And into that little dish of pickles he had worked some dirt off the sole of his shoe.

The eggs were the one thing he’d had no way to get at. And the eggs were exactly what Ning Chen had picked.

Does he know what I did?

He went cold with guilt.

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, watching him, studying the reaction.

The man’s gaze slid around and wouldn’t settle, and that told Ning Chen he’d guessed right. There was definitely something extra in that breakfast.

The reason he’d taken only the two eggs was that eggs have to be peeled. There was nothing Steward Wu could have done to them.

“This is the Fourth Young Master’s breakfast. This old servant isn’t fit to enjoy it. Even without an appetite, the Fourth Young Master should eat more. The injuries will heal faster for it.”

Ning Chen checked the eggs in his hand for cracks — if there were any, he wasn’t going to eat them — and said offhandedly:

“Steward Wu, I’m giving it to you. Eat everything on that tray. Not one mouthful left.”

Steward Wu shook his head over and over. “This old servant thanks the Fourth Young Master. But the truth is I’ve already had my breakfast. I honestly couldn’t get it down.”

Ning Chen went on peeling an egg and asked, smiling, “Steward Wu. Tell me. Which of us is the master and which is the servant?”

“The Fourth Young Master is the master, of course. This old servant is the servant.”

“Well said. And should a servant obey his master?”

Steward Wu said quickly, “A servant should obey his master, of course.”

“Good. Then I am ordering you now. Eat everything on that tray. If you don’t, you’re defying your master’s order — and by household law, that’s twenty strokes of the rod.”

His face went green.

Ning Chen’s expression hardened and his voice went sharp. “Are you going to eat, or not?”

Steward Wu jumped. “I’ll eat. This old servant will eat right now—”

He picked up a bun, misery all over his face.

If I’d known, I’d never have seasoned the thing. He had picked up a rock and dropped it on his own foot.

And while Steward Wu was standing there caught between two bad choices, Ning Ziming walked in.

He must have come straight from court. He was still in his official robes.

“Chen’er. Feeling better today?”

Ning Ziming’s face was all smiles, the very picture of a doting father.

Ning Chen’s stomach turned over. The egg in his hand didn’t look so good anymore.

“The master is back? The Fourth Young Master has just taken his medicine and has much better color. I’ll leave you to talk. This old servant will withdraw.”

“Steward Wu. You haven’t eaten yet.”

Ning Chen pointed at the tray. You old thing. Trying to slip out of it? Not a chance.

Steward Wu wailed, “Master, this old servant has already had his breakfast. But the Fourth Young Master says he has no appetite and insists this old servant eat all of it. I honestly can’t get it down.”

Ning Ziming turned to Ning Chen, all concern. “Chen’er, you’re injured. Eating more will get you well faster.”

“I don’t eat much. Two eggs are plenty. Let Steward Wu have the rest. No sense wasting it.”

And Ning Ziming nodded. “Chen’er doesn’t eat much. Steward Wu, finish the rest.”

The steward was struck dumb.

He put on a mourner’s face. “Yes!”

He didn’t dare disobey Ning Ziming.

“Then this old servant will take it away and eat it.”

Ning Chen spoke up right on cue. “No need. Eat it here. Watching another man eat is one of life’s pleasures.”

Steward Wu knew he wasn’t getting out of it.

He forced the nausea down and started eating. The look on his face was worse than Ning Chen’s had been taking the medicine.

The corner of Ning Chen’s mouth lifted. He looked over at Ning Ziming. “Minister Ning has just come from court. You haven’t eaten either, have you? Would you like some?”

Ning Ziming blinked. He glanced at Steward Wu, something flickered behind his eyes, and he shook his head.

Steward Wu forced down everything on the tray.

“Master. Fourth Young Master. This old servant will go now.”

Ning Ziming waved a hand.

“Wait.” Ning Chen stopped him. “Steward Wu. Say thank you.”

Steward Wu was angry enough to crack his own back teeth. But he still had to put a smile on his face. “Many thanks for the Fourth Young Master’s generosity!”

“Not at all. Steward Wu has worked hard looking after me. Next time there’s something good, I’ll save it for you.”

The skin of his face twitched. “Thank you, Fourth Young Master. This old servant withdraws.”

The moment he got outside, Steward Wu made straight for the flower bed and threw up violently.

Ning Chen looked at Ning Ziming. “Minister Ning came here straight from court. Is there good news for me? Something like… permission to leave the Ning estate?”

Ning Ziming’s face darkened. “Chen’er, I may have neglected you all these years, but I am your father in the end. Blood is thicker than water. How could your father bear to watch you end up on the street? So don’t raise this again.”

“Then what did Minister Ning come for? To see whether I’d died?”

Ning Ziming exploded. “Unfilial wretch, can you not speak plainly? Must you be so snide about everything? I am your father. Do you know the meaning of the word filial?”

Ning Chen snickered.

“Minister Ning is very amusing. Before, I walked on eggshells. I did everything I could to please all of you. When a dog in the yard bit me, I had to go apologize to the dog. Tell me — did a single one of you ever look me in the eye?”

“Minister Ning wants a filial son now. Isn’t it a little late? That Ning Chen, the one who took whatever came and never fought back, is dead.”

Ning Ziming’s face went dark as iron.

“Chen’er, your father is a second-rank official of the court. My duties are heavy. I did indeed neglect you. Your father will certainly make it up to you from now on.”

“I know there is resentment in your heart. But you must make allowances for how hard things are for your father.”

Ning Chen laughed coldly to himself. Make allowances for what? For abandoning a wife and child, cold and faithless? Or for being no kind of father at all, and never once asking after your own son?

(End of Chapter 11)