Courtyard House: I'm surrounded by celestial beauties on either side.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to mentor you, it's just that your abilities aren't quite right yet."

Fang Chengxuan spoke in a calm tone.

Seeing that Liu Yang was still sullen, he changed the subject: "But you have a real talent for cooking, why don't you become my apprentice?"

Liu Yang's eyes lit up immediately: "You're willing to take me in?"

"You are hardworking and eager to learn, and you have a pure and kind heart."

If you're willing, you can formally become an apprentice; if not, you can work independently.

"With this skill, you'll never go hungry, no matter where you go."

Fang Chengxuan was planning to open a restaurant in the future.

"I'm willing, Master!"

Liu Yang shouted excitedly, his previous frustration completely gone.

"Okay, I'll call on you when I teach you how to cook in the future."

Go ahead and get busy.

Fang Chengxuan smiled as he watched his apprentice leave in high spirits.

After lunch, Fang Chengxuan instructed Xu Pei: "I'm going out on business this afternoon. Leave important documents on my desk. If it's urgent, contact Director Li."

He rode his bicycle to Ningwu Road and stopped in front of a courtyard decorated with red silk.

Who is it?

Fang Chengxuan.

A flurry of activity immediately erupted in the courtyard.

A young, unfamiliar man opened the door and tentatively asked, "Brother Fang?"

After receiving confirmation, they quickly let him into the yard.

Looking at the messy courtyard, the young man scratched his head sheepishly: "We're all single, so no one's cleaning up."

"Brother Fang, please have a seat. Let me get you some water."

"What's your name? Where's the rest of you?"

"My name is Li Shi. They all went... to find work."

Li Shi handed over the teacup with a simple smile.

Fang Chengxuan took the water glass: "Besides Guan Chi and Gao Sheng, how many other people are here?"

"There are four of us in total, including me."

Li Shi replied, "I'm usually in charge of cooking."

Fang Chengxuan nodded: "The steel rolling mill's kitchen is short-staffed; we need someone who can cook."

Li Shi's eyes lit up: "Brother Fang, let me go! My specialties are braised pork, stewed eggplant, and braised meat. How about I show you my skills right now?"

"Okay, I have some food coupons and money here. Go buy some ingredients and let me try your cooking!" Fang Chengxuan looked at Li Shi's eager and innocent appearance, and the smile on his lips became even gentler.

"How could I let Brother Fang spend so much money! Brother Guanchi bought a lot of ingredients beforehand, and there are some ready in the kitchen. I'll show you how to cook them right away." Li Shi waved his hand hurriedly and turned to run to the kitchen.

Fang Chengxuan followed him into the kitchen and found it to be much cleaner than the rest of the place, which showed that Li Shi really did enjoy cooking.

Li Shi deftly selected, washed, and chopped the vegetables, displaying skillful knife work. He was also adept at stir-frying, clearly someone who cooks often.

After tasting a few bites, Fang Chengxuan nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad. Go find Leng Si tonight, and report to the steel mill with him tomorrow morning."

"By the way, are the other two brothers still involved in speculative trading?" Fang Chengxuan put down his chopsticks and looked up to ask.

Li Shi nodded somewhat awkwardly: "We are all poor kids without parents, and we really have no other way to make a living..." As he spoke, he secretly observed Fang Chengxuan's expression, "If Brother Fang thinks it's inappropriate, I'll make them stop right away."

"Everyone has their own way of living, as long as you pay attention to safety." Fang Chengxuan's tone was calm, showing neither contempt nor disgust.

Li Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll introduce them to a friend in a few days; they should get along very well." Fang Chengxuan couldn't help but smile as he thought of Lin Feng, who was also passionate about business.

After seeing Fang Chengxuan off, Li Shi was busy doing laundry, cleaning, boiling water for a bath, and having a great time.

When Guan Chi and the others returned, they almost thought they had gone to the wrong door.

Upon hearing that Li Shi had been assigned to the steel rolling mill, the two felt both envious and jealous.

I felt a little more at ease after hearing what Li Shi had relayed.

"Brother Guanchi is right, as long as we follow Brother Fang, we can't go wrong!" Li Shi said, his eyes suddenly reddening. "I never dreamed that I could become a worker and eat government-supplied grain."

"Look at you, so pathetic!" another person laughed. "Judging from what Brother Fang said, there are more plans for the future."

"Once you're in the kitchen, you'd better hone your skills. Working with Brother Fang, you won't be treated badly."

"Speaking of which, we have to thank that kid Yang Yuande. If he hadn't gotten to know Brother Fang first, we wouldn't be where we are today."

The three became more and more excited as they talked, filled with anticipation for the future.

Back at the Xuanfang Road compound, Fang Chengxuan overheard his neighbors discussing the Luo family.

"Have you heard? Luo Ziping actually cut himself with a knife in an attempt to force Shen Qing to help him!"

"Really?"

Fang Chengxuan raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "Indeed, you can't underestimate women; when they get ruthless, they can be even more vicious than men."

"Absolutely true! I heard that Shen Qing hesitated for a moment, and then he smeared it on his face."

Later, when Shen Qing tried to reason with him, he would slash himself with a knife for every word she said, and wouldn't allow Shen Qing to call for help.

"In the end, he actually jumped from the second floor! His leg wasn't fully healed to begin with, and now he's completely crippled."

Everyone gasped in astonishment: "Is Luo Ziping really, as Fang Chengxuan said, mentally unstable?"

Fang Chengxuan never expected to be caught up in the gossip himself, and couldn't help but laugh.

"If you ask me, it's because Shen Qing spoils him too much. What kind of stepson threatens his stepmother?"

"Sigh, Shen Qing is unlucky too."

I heard that Luo's father was so angry that he suffered a stroke and became paralyzed.

Fang Chengxuan shook his head and pushed his bicycle away.

On the Rong family's side, Rong Xinrui was excitedly recounting the Luo family's misfortunes.

Upon seeing Fang Chengxuan return, she immediately went up to him and took his arm: "Chengxuan, I heard that the Luo family father and son are completely finished!"

"I just heard about it in the yard." Fang Chengxuan smiled and took out a few oranges and placed them on the table.

"Aunt Shen did a great job! Luo Ziping deserved it!" Rong Xinrui was so angry that she gritted her teeth when she thought of how Luo Ziping almost killed Fang Chengxuan, but she couldn't help but laugh when she thought of his miserable state. "I heard that he also injured a nurse at the hospital and is now being treated at home in chains."

She blinked her mischievous eyes: "Shouldn't we go 'visit' this 'old friend'?"

"Go if you want, but remember to bring a few more people," Fang Chengxuan said indulgently.

The family was chatting and laughing when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

A gentle male voice came from outside the door: "Is Grandpa Rong home? I am Shen Ao, and I have come to visit with my wife."

Fang Chengxuan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he murmured to himself, "Why is he here?"

After the door opened, Shen Ao and his wife walked in.

The two locked eyes; one was gentle and refined, the other noble and cultured, both secretly sizing each other up.

Shen Ao always carried a sense of aloofness.

"Hello, Grandpa Rong and Grandma Rong." Shen Ao greeted them politely and exchanged pleasantries with the two elders for a few moments.

Grandpa Rong said he was sleepy, so Grandma Rong helped him back to his room to rest.

Only Rong Xinrui, Fang Chengxuan, and the Shen Ao couple remained in the living room. "Xinrui, we have guests. Go to the kitchen and see if there's anything you can help with."

"Okay," Rong Xinrui replied crisply.

Madam Shen also stood up: "I'll go help too, you men can chat."

After they left, Shen Ao adjusted his glasses: "Chengxuan also knows medicine?"

"I only have a superficial understanding; I wouldn't say I know anything about it," Fang Chengxuan said calmly.

Shen Ao looked slightly surprised: "My aunt asked me to thank you on her behalf."

"If it weren't for you, she would still be completely in the dark."

No need for thanks.

"I just thought her fragrance was too strong, and I mentioned it casually. I never imagined someone would be so malicious."

Shen Ao's eyes flickered behind his glasses, thinking: So he was just guessing casually?

"Who would have thought that the plot in the storybook would actually happen in real life?" Shen Ao's tone turned cold when he mentioned the Luo family father and son.

"Good and evil will be rewarded in the end," Fang Chengxuan said calmly.

"To be honest, if it weren't for Brother Fang, the Shen family would probably have suffered a terrible fate."

"I've come today for two reasons: first, to express my gratitude, and second, to tell you something." Shen Ao decided to get straight to the point.

"I didn't do anything. The Shen family should thank your aunt."

Shen Ao nodded: "Indeed."

But there's something I need to tell you—I've heard the Rong family has a treasure map?

A hint of amusement flashed in Fang Chengxuan's eyes: "The Rong family isn't royalty, where would they get a treasure map?"

"The news spread suddenly, supposedly from a person surnamed Rong."

There are also rumors that Uncle Rong's family in Chun Ning Province may have faked their deaths and fled the country.

Fang Chengxuan's expression grew cold: "This is a deliberate attempt to kill the Rong family."

"Thank you for letting me know, Brother Shen. I will remember this kindness."

It was just a small favor.

By the way, Jiang Zuo has gone missing, I don't know...

"No need to look anymore, everything that needed to be dealt with has been dealt with."

Shen Ao was secretly surprised, then smiled and said, "It's really reassuring to befriend Chengxuan."

"Same to you."

In the kitchen, Madam Shen said to Rong Xinrui, "Back then, so many people laughed at you for marrying a country boy, but now it seems your family had a really good eye."

Rong Xinrui smiled proudly: "The people I've chosen are naturally not bad."

After seeing the guests off, Rong Xinrui eagerly asked, "What did Shen Ao say?"

Fang Chengxuan said calmly, "The Luo family has been planning this for ten years. If we hadn't intervened, the Shen family would probably have collapsed."

After a conversation, he understood Shen Ao's purpose.

Shen Ao gently stroked his glasses and said thoughtfully, "The Shen family wants to see me, the one who uses others' strength against them."

Only through direct confrontation can one ascertain the true strength of the situation.

His gaze darkened slightly as he thought to himself, "The Shen family is probably still holding a grudge."

If I show the slightest sign of weakness, the next to suffer will be me and the Rong family.

Grandpa Rong nodded slightly, then suddenly frowned: "Didn't you just mention a treasure map?"

"The Rong family is a target of envy and criticism." Fang Chengxuan tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. "Even without a treasure map, the outside world believes that the Rong family is hiding treasures."

After my parents-in-law died, I, as their son-in-law, naturally became the breakthrough point.

"Shen Ao's move killed two birds with one stone—he tested my cunning and used me to verify the authenticity of the treasure map."

"He's not at a disadvantage either way." He sneered. "But that Mr. Rong who spread the rumors is worth pondering."

Grandpa Rong and his wife exchanged a glance, then suddenly remembered something: "We adopted a girl named Rong Yue back then, and later..."

The old lady chimed in, "That girl had some wicked ideas and insisted on marrying my son."

"In the end, she was sent back to her biological parents." She shook her head and sighed, "That happened more than twenty years ago."

"We'll meet force with force." Fang Chengxuan grasped Rong Xinrui's hand. "The Shen family is testing the waters; we'll remain calm and wait for the right moment to act."

Rong Xinrui lightly scratched his palm with her fingertips: "Mrs. Shen invited me on a trip..."

"Whatever you wish." Fang Chengxuan squeezed her soft fingertips, and the two smiled at each other.

......

Inside the Shen residence, the glasses that had been taken off were wiped repeatedly.

"We all misjudged him." Shen Ao's voice tightened. "From the musk incident to Jiang Zuo's appearance, it was all part of his plan."

The fate of Luo Ziping and his gang serves as a cautionary tale.

Mr. Shen's teacup paused in mid-air: "So that's how it is..."

"Either befriend him or stay away." A cold glint flashed in his glasses. "This man is like an ancient well; you can never fathom its bottom."

Mr. Shen recalled Fang Chengxuan's investigation.

Shen Ao said softly, "This veteran is not simple. Fang Chengxuan has been hiding his strength all along, and he is only showing his true abilities now for Rong Xinrui."

"I reviewed his experiences in the courtyard house and found that he never suffered a loss."

"Even during the first three months, I deliberately acted like a scoundrel to find out the details of the people in the courtyard."

At the time, nobody cared about him, and nobody helped Fang Lianyun, so he showed no mercy when he later attacked.

Shen Ao was confident that he could see through Fang Chengxuan's changes, but little did he know that these changes were simply due to a change in the person.

The Shen family members all echoed this sentiment.

Shen Ao suddenly lowered his voice: "Aunt, find a way to make Luo Ziping die of illness."

"It would be troublesome if he caused trouble and implicated the Shen family."

"Jiang Zuo knew too many of the Shen family's secrets, and Fang Chengxuan was the one who dealt with him in the end. His fate is now unknown."

"It would be best if he were dead. If he were alive..." A shadowy glint flashed in Shen Ao's eyes, "he could very well become a weapon for Fang Chengxuan to use against the Shen family."

He secretly regretted it.

Originally, it was thought that Jiang Zuo had nowhere else to turn but to seek refuge with the Shen family, but unexpectedly, he ran away with Luo Ziping's men.

If those desperados fall into Fang Chengxuan's hands...

"I shouldn't have gone to the Rong family to test them today," Shen Ao belatedly realized, frowning.

This meeting not only failed to uncover the truth, but also exposed that Jiang and Zuo had leverage over each other.

In the Rong family's living room, a television program was playing.

A knock sounded at the door, and Ying opened it to see a stylishly dressed stranger.

Who are you looking for?

"Excuse me, is this the Rong Sibo family?" a woman who looked to be about forty-six or forty-seven years old asked gently at the door. "My name is Rong Yushu, and my father is Rong Sizhong."

Grandpa Rong's urgent voice came from inside the house: "Please come in quickly!"

Fang Chengxuan observed silently.

The woman had beautiful features and an elegant demeanor, revealing her youthful charm.

Rong Xinrui leaned close to her husband's ear and said, "According to the family genealogy, the 'Yu' generation is the same generation as Dad."

"You've come at just the right time." She pursed her lips, a hint of doubt in her eyes.