That Fair-Faced 'Sage' {Completed}

16. The Wang Family

.

It was after almost twelve days of travel, that LanFen arrived in the Southern province.

She had befriended a few traders, and had succeeded in hitching several rides either behind or inside their wagons, accepting hay, wine, or food stuffs, as her travelling companions.

Dahlia City was the capital of the Southern region, and since it was LanFen's first time in a city away from home, she excitedly explored the streets of the new town.

She went here and there, and even studied several of the things on sale, which she absolutely couldn't afford! But she always managed to edge away, before the vendors realised she was wasting their time.

She didn't dawdle too long however, as she was constantly reminded of her mother, so she found her way to the Wang mansion before noon, that same day.

When she arrived, she bowed politely to the gate guards, then requested audience with Clan Leader Wang. But the guards turned her down without hesitation, and didn't even take her seriously.

"Who do you think you are? You're requesting to meet our Clan Leader, just like that?! Shoo!!" The guards harshly pushed her away.

But LanFen stubbornly planted herself in front of the large household gates, refusing to budge.

The Wang Clan disciples whispered as they passed. "Oye, maybe he is Clan Leader Wang's Love Child!"

"Ei?! Another one?! What will happen now? See how he treats the first one! Won't he just kill this fellow?"

"But the boy does resemble Clan Leader Wang a lot!"

'That's because I'm his niece!' LanFen replied in her head, furrowing her brows in annoyance as they passed.

Unfortunately, the gossip didn't see nightfall, before it reached the ears of Clan Leader Wang's wife, Matron Hong *XiuYa, who was an amusing contrast to her name!

*XiuYa- Graceful and Charming... The owner of the name neither looked, nor acted like any of these things.

Hong XiuYa had come out to see the child who was 'rumoured' to be her husbands love child.

She was a huge woman with a square jaw and a mole, and those features scrunched up in extreme displeasure, as she noted that LanFen greatly resembled her husband!

LanFen bowed politely, and was about to explain that she was Lord Wang's 'nephew', but Hong XiuYa was already beyond reason.

She immediately seized LanFen's upper arm and then dragged her inside, without giving her a chance to explain how she was related to Lord Wang.

"Don't stand outside and make the whole of Dahlia City talk! Are you trying to embarass the face of the Wang family?!"

She flung LanFen to the ground, inside the gates. "What a leech! Clinging to my husband to get a name! We already have a son, so we have no need of you!"

She turned to the guards. "Beat this person till he can barely stand, and then make him leave by himself on his own feet, or crawl out! If he returns, beat him again!"

And then she stormed off, leaving LanFen at the mercy of the cruel guards.

Later that evening, Wang LiKang had heard that his wife had punished a boy who resembled him.

Assuming it was probably another useless illegitimate son, he tried to recall whether any of his outside women had ever mentioned being pregnant.

But regardless of whether this new boy was his son or not, he wasn't interested.