Concubine Shu-Hui

Fangsu remained silent in her room until Ming Yue came into the room, "Master! There is an extremely powerful spirit here!" Ming Yue warmed Fangsu who nodded, indicating that she was already aware of the unwanted presence.

Fangsu stared at the direction of where the presence was located at, "Ming Yue go see what our guest's intention is," Fangsu order Ming Yue who quickly flew over to the location where Dai Tai who was still concentrated on Fangsu.

Ming Yue watched the powerful spirit, they were very powerful, "Who are you?" Ming Yue spoke which startled the powerful spirit. But, before they could Ming Yue could even exchange words the spirit blasted an energy wave towards Ming Yue which immediately knocked her away. After that energy, the spirit quickly flee away.

Ming Yue was still recovering from the energy blast, stumbling in the air obviously unprepared for the attack. Whilst still recovering Ming Tue returned back to Fangsu's side, "Master! I'm sorry! I wasn't able to talk with the spirit." Ming Yue bowed.

Fangsu shook her head, "No need to worry," Fangsu took off the covers, moving herself up to sit on the window sill, "Seemingly since they didn't kill you, their intentions were not malicious yet." The cats jumped onto Fangsu's lap. Laughing at the cat, Fangsu gently patted the soft smooth fur of the cat.

Ming Yue began panicking at the thought of people coming to assassinate Fangsu, "Master! What should we do?" Pacing through the air in a panic unsure what to do.

Fangsu gently cough to grab Ming Yue's attention, "Right now, we are helpless prey ready for the picking, but if we want to the prey that is untouchable," Fangsu bluntly spoke, heaving out a heavy sigh with a sarcastic smirk, "Ming Yue I need you to be my blade, the one to fight in my stead." Gripping her fist tightly until it turned a ghostly white colour which frightened Ming Yue.

Ming Yue stopped in mid air, "Become your blade? " Scratching her head, unsure how to become a blade, "I don't know how would I be able to do that?" Ming Yue questioned as she was unfamiliar with the cultivator world.

Fangsu gestured Ming Yue to come forward which confused Ming Yue who still followed orders, "Unlike me you can cultivate." Fangsu walked over to a shelf, rummaging thought it to find a certain familiar book that was now dusty from not being used, "This book I got from a family friend who is a conservationist of Qilin." The book was filled with cultivating technique which was useful for spirits. Fangsu stared at the book with a smile, Xu Yang came into mind. Xu Yang would have already predicted that Fangsu would have made a spirit cultivator to protect herself.

Fangsu began selecting certain page so that she could copy pages of the cultivation techniques so that Ming Yue could read the manual since she could physically touch anything, "Ming Yue, your goal will be to be at the 4th level of Qi Condensation by next week." After Fangsu assigned some easy cultivation techniques for Ming Yue to practice. While Ming Yue was fully concentrated on learning the techniques and cultivating.

———

While Flowery Fragrance was still busy managing without their little boss, but the delicious snacks were the only thing keeping them motivated to work, "When will the little boss come back?" Bao Ming whined unhappily as she stocked the shelves with more products, "I want some of her homemade snacks." Bao Ming pouted unhappily as she began drawing circles on the wall.

As Bao Ming continued to sulk, an egg roll was placed next to Bao Ming cheek which startled Bao Ming who fell forwards into the ground. Fangsu giggled at the shocked face of Bao Ming began chasing Fangsu who was nimble and was able to quickly slip away from Bao Ming's grip. But, Fangsu began bowing the Bao Ming to beg for forgiveness, "My Great Lady! Quell you anger for I have bought offerings! Homemade egg rolls with kumquat and jujube jam!" Fangsu took a plate of stacked egg rolls with two side dishes filled with kumquat and jujube jam in each dish.

Bao Ming happily accepted the snacks bringing both Fangsu and Da Fu to eat the snacks before the starting the work day. Bao Ming and Da Fu were happily eating the delicious homemade egg rolls which had a very strong eggy flavour but mild jujube jam or sour kumquat jam was able to balance out the strong eggy flavour. Before Da Fu would take a bite, "Master what happened to you during your time while you were sick?" Da Fu asked curiously as she continued to eat, "I mean you got sick so suddenly." Da Fu was worried about Fangsu while Bao Ming was holding two egg rolls in each hand with one in her mouth, happily eating the delicious snacks.

Fangsu shook her head trying to brush away Da Fu's concern, "My health has always been bad and it doesn't help that it has been cold lately." Dipping her egg roll into the sour kumquat jam, Fangsu slowly ate.

Bao Ming swallowed the egg roll in her mouth, "But still you need to look after yourself better, " Bao Ming wipped the crumb from her mouth, "Your grandpa was really worried that he wanted to close up earlier than usual so that he could care for you." Bao Ming words made Fangsu nod her head in response.

A servant came up to the upper floor, "Boss! Managers! We are opening the shop up now!" Before rushing back down to help with the opening.

Fangsu, Da Fu and Bao Ming tidied up their appearance so that they could properly represent the shop since they were the face of Flowery Fragrance. It was the usual busy day for the business, but today Fangsu was working in the upper floors due to an employee on sick leave. Fangsu was consulting with a new noble customer in one of the consulting rooms. This noble customer was unaware of the procedures that was undergoing in this business. After the consultation, Fangsu took the customer to a custom package station where Fangsu was packing a set of skincare items into a beautiful box. The customer was extremely happy with the package leaving the store with a smile.

"Fangsu! My dear! Are you working at this establishment?" A young woman called out the Fangsu but this voice was familiar, as Fangsu turned around to see who it was. Fangsu froze. A middle aged woman with a beautiful complexion with a pregnant belly, Tang Shu-hui.

Fangsu nodded, hiding her hands by her side as she began clenching her fist, "Madam Tang, how I be of assistance to you?" Fangsu politely asked as if the woman infront of her was an normal customer but inside it was a raging storm.

The woman began her tyrannical demands as she asked her multiple skincare product that didn't suit her skin type saying that the ingredients are popular nowadays, complaining about the viscosity of the products saying they were too watery or thick, ordering the employees around using the pregnant card to make them bend to her will and constant comparing that this shop was taking too long and saying that this establishment is being managed very poorly. Even extending the time after work hours for the store so that she could leisurely browse through. Even Madam Shu-Hui's servant was bossing the employees around to cater for the Madam. Fangsu was beginning to start exploding but she knew she couldn't go against the Tang family even though she was a daughter of the Tang family. Tang Shu Hui was using the advantage of the seniority card against Fangsu.

After packing the suitable products for the Madam, Fangsu was ready to close up the store. "Fangsu! You have been so helpful! I hope you will visit the Tang family home soon." Shu-Hui used her sickly sweet but annoying voice, it made Fangsu want to hurl the package at the annoying woman's face.

Fangsu continued to smile but it was stiff, "I don't think I have the time to be able to visit the Tang family home." Fangsu gave package to Shu-Hui's servant who buckled against the weight of the package.

"Hey! You over there help me carry this package to the Tang Household!" The servant ordered one of the employees but the employees were reluctant to help the annoying pair, "Do you expect a servant of the Madam to do such mundane task such as carrying such a heavy package?" The servant shouted annoying as she pointed to a new employee to help her. The employee felt dejected having to deal with such an oppressive person and walked forward.

But before the employee could even come forward, Fangsu put her hand stopping the employee, "Madam Shu-Hui, I have to say that your servant can't order my employees around like servants from the Tang family," Fangsu gestures for the young employee to leave before they would be forced to obey, "Also, this establishment doesn't not provide such services to help take packages to the customer's home." Fangsu stood up against both the servant and Madam knowing that she was the only one with status similar to Madam Shu-Hui.

Madam Shu-Hui meekly smiled, "Then I would have to apologise for my servant's action towards your employees." Gently coercing the servant to suck it up and carry the heavy package, "Fangsu, dear, there is no need to carry me Madam, you can call me mother." Madam Shu-Hui suggesting knowing that Fangsu didn't address her as so.

Fangsu lightly scoffed at Madam Shu-Hui, "Sorry, but Madam Shu-Hui," Fangsu tilted her head to the side, "What gives you the right to say that I should call you mother?" Fangsu nonchalantly flicked her hair back.

"You shouldn't talk back to your elders!" The servant when on the defensive to protect her mistress, "She is of higher status than you! You should call her mother!" The servant barked loudly.

"And You! A servant dare speak rudely to someone above your station. I am still the daughter of the main wife." To Fangsu, the servant's word were like a dog, "You should address me appropriately. If I was in the Tang family I would punish you by flogging you until death." Fangsu was ruthless in her words as the servant shut her mouth, humiliated by a young girl. But, Fangsu's point was valid, the servant would be flogged to death for her disrespect to a main wife's daughter.

Those harsh words caused Madam Shu-Hui to flinch abut but she quickly recomposes herself, "Fangsu, dear, I am still your father's wife..." She spoke up but before she could say anymore.

Fangsu interrupted Madam Shu-Hui flow of word, "Correct, you are my father wife, however, the correct term I should be addressed you would be Concubine Hui." Fangsu was straightforward as she cut into Madam Shu-Hui's sore spot as Fangsu knew that Madam Shu-Hui could not rise to status of legal wife of the Tang family even after Fangsu's own mother death and the agreement between the Tang and Chen family.

Madam Shu-Hui lips began to tighten into a thin line as the blood began rushing to her head, the pressure forced her to calm herself down so that it wouldn't affect the baby, "Fangsu, I hope that you will visit the Tang family soon." Madam Shu-Hui took off with her servant right behind her like a dog with its tail between their legs.

——-

After Tang Shu-Hui returned back to the Tang household, humiliated. As the doors closed, Shu-Hui began breaking all the precious and expensive antiques to vent her anger out which frightened the servants who served the terrifying woman, "That ugly little slut! Who does she think she is?" Shu-Hui shrieked as she continued wrecking her room, "Even if she is one of the main daughters, she doesn't have a backing from the Tang family." After the wrecking of all those expensive antique, which could allow a servant to live in retirement for the rest of their lives, calmed the tyrannical woman.

A man wrapped his arms around Shu-Hui, "What's wrong?" He massaged the woman's shoulders to relieve any muscle strain, "Tell me who offend you, I will bring you justice." The man was infuriated at the person who would anger his beloved.

Shu-Hui huddled close to her husband, "Dear, I'm afraid the person might be hard to deal with." Circles her finger against the man's chest which caused the man to gently grasp her hand, kissing her palm.

This action could make any women heart to flutter including Shu-Hui, "My dear, whoever it is I will do my best to avenge you." The husband held Shu-Hui close as if they were one person.

Shu-Hui began the water works to increase the chances for her husband to empathise her, "Your second oldest daughter, Fangsu." The tears of a beautiful, pitiful and weak woman could sway any man heart.

The mention of the name of his child send ripples in his heart, "Fangsu is alive! I though the massacre would have killed everyone." The man was happy to hear that one of his children was alive, but in Shu-Hui mind this sort of reaction was the complete opposite of what she was hoping for.

After that conversation, the man left Madam Shu-Hui in her room. Madam Shu-Hui grimaced, "That child should have been killed by those assassins." Shu-Hui grounded her teeth annoyed at the fact that one of the daughter was still alive.

In the dimly lit room, Shu-Hui wrote a message on a piece of parchment before sending it off using a messenger bird.