Bastard 03

The next day, it was clear that Fang Zhiyi still got up early, which surprised the Fang family. Everyone had heard him hammering and banging in his room until late into the night, so no one expected him to be up so early.

As soon as Fang Zhiyi stepped outside, Fang’s parents called Second Brother Fang to follow him, while Eldest Brother Fang and his wife still went off to work.

From a distance, they watched Fang Zhiyi set up his stall. Then he gave some instructions to a few local ruffians, who scattered in different directions. After a while, as more pedestrians began to fill the street, those ruffians came back from all sides.

“That inventor guy is back again!” someone dramatically pointed at Fang Zhiyi.

“Let’s hurry and see what new stuff he’s got today! We didn’t get anything yesterday!”

“His stuff is pretty handy and saves money too!”

Though the acting and lines were over the top, these words still drew quite a crowd.

Soon, a throng gathered in front of Fang Zhiyi’s stall.

“What’s going on here?” Fang’s mother asked, puzzled.

Fang’s father snorted, “What else? He’s got those scoundrels working as his plants!”

“Dad...” Second Sister Fang whispered.

Fang’s father waved her off, “You go to work first.”

Second Sister Fang nodded and left, but before she went, she glanced back at Fang Zhiyi’s stall, a trace of relief softening her eyes. If her little brother was really doing business, that wasn’t so bad after all.

“Old man, what should we do? Should we call the third son back?” Fang’s mother grew anxious as the crowd in front of the stall swelled. She wasn’t sure if what their son was doing was illegal.

Fang’s father watched for a moment, then shook his head. “That rascal, let him be. Let’s go home.”

That day, Fang Zhiyi came home carrying a piece of meat. Eldest Brother Fang and his wife arrived just after him, their expressions quite different.

“Third son, where did you get the money?” Eldest Brother Fang asked.

Without turning his head, Fang Zhiyi replied, “Won it gambling.”

“You’re gambling again!” Li Cuixia’s face said, “Just as I thought.”

Fang’s father came out from the inner room, “Nonsense. He earned it from selling at the stall today.”

“Really?” Eldest Brother Fang looked at Fang Zhiyi with some doubt.

Fang Zhiyi curled his lip, “So what if it’s true or not? You don’t believe me anyway.” Then he spotted Second Sister Fang, her head bowed as she worked on some handicraft, and immediately changed his tone.

“Second sister! I want to talk to you about something.”

Second Sister Fang was a bit flustered. She had come to realize she might have wrongly accused her little brother, and was feeling guilty. Fang Zhiyi’s sudden warmth made her uneasy.

“W-what is it?”

Looking at her timid expression, Fang Zhiyi gave the original character a mental slap. She had married an old man for his sake, only to suffer long-term abuse that led to a miscarriage and eventually, mental illness.

“I have a business idea, second sister. I need your help.”

Second Sister Fang turned her head slightly to look at him, as if weighing the truth of his words.

After a long pause, she asked, “What kind of business?”

Fang Zhiyi glanced around, then leaned close to whisper in her ear.

Her expression shifted from confusion to excitement, and finally she grabbed Fang Zhiyi’s arm tightly. “Really?”

Fang Zhiyi nodded, “Really.” And it was true—he had never once messed up. As he spoke, Fang Zhiyi dragged over a large sack, filled to the brim with scraps of fabric and yarn he had collected that day.

“Th-then, what about that invention of yours...” Second Sister Fang thought about the things Fang Zhiyi had sold before.

Fang Zhiyi gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “That’s not doable anymore. We small-time folks can’t get supplies from the factory, and relying on scavenging at the recycling station only gets you so far. At least I made some money from it. Now it’s up to you, Second Sister.”

“Do you really think I can do it?” Second Sister Fang hesitated.

Fang Zhiyi nodded firmly. “Absolutely. And I’ll be here to guide you.”

The rest of the family, watching the two whispering siblings, all felt something was off. Fang Zhiyi was always bossy with his second sister—how come he suddenly changed his tune?

That same day, Second Sister Fang threw away the handcraft work she used to take from the factory and started making small items according to the designs Fang Zhiyi had drawn.

Key pouches, hair ties, coasters—all made from floral scraps and yarn. Fang Zhiyi only sketched out the patterns, but after a few tries, Second Sister Fang managed to make a decent batch. Fang Zhiyi enthusiastically called her a prodigy in the world of handicrafts.

Next came the little toys Fang Zhiyi had designed—teddy bears, little fish shapes—none of which posed any challenge for Second Sister Fang.

Caught up in Fang Zhiyi’s endless praise, Second Sister Fang gradually lost herself in the work.

“Still just standing there? Hurry up and bring me the materials!”

Fang Zhiyi got a slap on the back and immediately jumped up to rummage for supplies.

The two elders of the Fang family nearby were stunned by the scene. Even Second Sister Fang only registered what she’d done after the slap and hesitated before asking, “Little brother, did that hurt?”

Fang Zhiyi turned around, “Huh? What?”

Seeing he didn’t mind, Second Sister Fang suddenly burst out laughing.

The next day, the stall had a new addition: Second Sister Fang. Fang Zhiyi wanted her to experience firsthand how popular the things she made could be.

“Oh wow, this is nice! I bought one yesterday...” A small-time hustler came over to flatter them, but he was quickly shot a glare by Fang Zhiyi before he could say much more.

He took a closer look at the items on display.

“I’ll buy—buy these for my little niece! She loves this stuff!”

Fang Zhiyi nodded approvingly; this guy had potential.

“What’s this?” A young girl leaned in to ask.

Fang Zhiyi didn’t say a word but turned to look at his second sister.

Second Sister Fang, feeling Fang Zhiyi’s gaze, understood what he meant—she was supposed to introduce the products herself. She bit her lip, her face flushing bright red.

“This is a little pouch for keys—you can put your keys inside.”

The girl nodded. “It’s pretty. How much is it?”

Second Sister Fang instinctively glanced at Fang Zhiyi, who smiled encouragingly at her.

“Well, if you like it, it’s...”

Fang Zhiyi jumped in to finish, “One yuan.”

“Huh?” The girl looked up in surprise. “That expensive?”

Fang Zhiyi chuckled, “Wait, I didn’t finish. One yuan gets you two, two yuan gets you five.”

The girl did the math, her expression turning surprised. “That’s actually a good deal. Then I’ll take two yuan’s worth of key pouches. No, wait—two yuan’s worth, plus a hair tie, a little bear, and a coaster too.”

Second Sister Fang’s eyes widened in surprise. She had always been honest and hardworking, never imagining she would sell anything herself. Seeing a sale about to go through, she couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

“Sis, collect the money.”

Fang Zhiyi stood there, frozen.

“Oh, right, okay.”

Having some experience with handiwork, Fang Zhiyi had stayed up late the night before and used up almost all the materials she had brought back. Once the small items were in hand, they became much easier to manage.

As the girl left, more people gathered around. Most customers were children or women, though occasionally some men came by to buy gifts for their wives or daughters.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that everything on the stall was sold out.