Zheng Fan was delighted upon hearing this and softly replied "Yes," then drained the wine in one gulp.
Having finished the wine with not a drop left, Zheng Fan actually felt a sense of relief.
Relieved that his two jars of wine had been stolen and eaten by the muddled old man back then.
Otherwise, how would he have the chance to taste such exquisite wine today?
This was no longer wine; it was comparable to nectar.
"You've finished the wine, now we should talk about other things."
Suddenly hearing Shen Xiaoyan speak, Zheng Fan opened his eyes and looked at Shen Xiaoyan with a hint of bewilderment.
What else was there to discuss?
"Since I've had your wine, I naturally accept your apology, and I won't dwell on past matters. As long as he doesn't bother me again in the future."
Zheng Fan said with a frown, projecting an attitude of not caring about such trivialities.
Shen Xiaoyan shook his head upon hearing this, "What I want to talk about is not this."
"If not this, then what is it?" Zheng Fan was a little confused.
Zheng Wei, who had been sitting on a wooden chair, now chuckled and walked over, "I stole your wine and compensated you as you requested. But you beat him up, so naturally, it needs to be returned."
"What?" Zheng Fan's eyes widened in shock.
He couldn't have misheard, could he?
"Don't understand?" Zheng Wei looked at Zheng Fan with regret. "You're already so old, yet you can't even understand these few simple sentences. It's no wonder Prince Duan casually recognized strangers as his sons on the street; it turns out there's a reason for it."
Zheng Fan was stunned by Zheng Wei's words, what did all this mean?
He understood every single word, but when put together, he felt a sense of confusion.
Was this person indirectly implying he had a problem with his brain?
"Since Young Master Zheng doesn't understand, I will explain it more clearly." Shen Xiaoyan smiled and continued, "My master stole your two jars of wine, and you yourself said those two jars were not worth this cup of mine. So I've compensated you with a cup, and by all rights, you've profited."
Zheng Fan nodded upon hearing this; this statement was indeed correct.
Shen Xiaoyan continued, "However, since the wine has been compensated, how should the matter of you beating up my master back then be settled? If what is owed must be repaid, then you should also return that beating, shouldn't you?"
Zheng Fan's face instantly darkened. "You want to beat me back?"
Shen Xiaoyan let out a soft laugh and was about to speak when Zheng Wei stopped him.
"As a woman, how can my wife lay hands on a grown man like you? Wouldn't people say that you, Young Master Zheng, are bullying a weak woman? Even if a beating is to be administered, shouldn't it be me, as her husband, who does it?"
Zheng Fan's face turned as dark as ink, and he said coldly, "So, you insist on fighting back?"
As he spoke, Zheng Fan secretly glanced at Zheng Xiang beside him.
Seeing that Zheng Xiang merely had a grim expression and said nothing, Zheng Fan felt a surge of anxiety.
He was being bullied to this extent, yet why did his father have no reaction at all?
Could it be that in order to please this Zheng Wei, he was indifferent to everything else?
Thinking this, Zheng Fan's gaze deepened. "If that's the case, then it's perfect. We can also spar."
Zheng Wei, however, shook his head and chuckled, "It's not a spar. Against me, you're not qualified."
Hearing Zheng Wei's contemptuous words, Zheng Fan felt a heavy stone pressing down on his chest.
"Whether I'm qualified or not, we'll know after trying."
After speaking, Zheng Fan turned and walked away. After a few steps, he stopped and his voice drifted back, "Let's go, there's a sparring ground in the backyard."
Shen Xiaoyan and the others exchanged glances upon hearing this; they hadn't expected there to be a sparring ground.
The old man watched Shen Xiaoyan and the others leave one after another, his eyes flashing with an unreadable light.
After lingering in place for a while longer, the muddled old man finally followed them out.
The group arrived at the sparring ground, which was an open space of about 200 square meters, accessible by passing through the garden from upstairs.
Around the sparring ground were some stone tables and benches, which, from their appearance, were clearly prepared for spectators.
Shen Xiaoyan and the others chose a round table and sat down, watching Zheng Wei and Zheng Fan in the arena.
Zheng Xiang had remained silent the entire time. He was now sitting by a stone table not far away, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Zheng Caiying and Dai Yin sat next to Zheng Xiang, their expressions markedly different.
Zheng Caiying's face showed a hint of anticipation, yet she dared not express it too obviously.
In contrast, Dai Yin was very calm.
She had only met Zheng Fan a few times and didn't have much attachment.
This was the first time she had met Zheng Wei.
Therefore, regarding the upcoming sparring match between the two, she was merely an observer, and regardless of the outcome, it had little bearing on her.
In the center of the martial arts training ground, Zheng Wei and Zheng Fan stood facing each other.
"I won't hold back, be careful." Zheng Fan said to Zheng Wei with a smile.
His tone was polite, but his confidence was undeniable.
Zheng Wei merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing, making a gesture of invitation.
Seeing this, Zheng Fan no longer held back.
Since he had been asked to make the first move, he would not be polite.
Although he didn't know what his father saw in this person, he wanted to make his father see clearly that in every aspect, he was the superior one.
After Zheng Fan launched his first attack at Zheng Wei, he didn't stop.
One move followed another, continuously, and his speed was quite remarkable.
Zheng Wei did not retaliate or block; instead, he kept dodging.
After half an hour, the scene on the field remained the same.
At some point, more people had gathered around the martial arts training ground.
Upon arriving, these people quietly took their seats by the stone tables and watched the match silently.
"Are they going to fight or not? Why is he just dodging?"
Hearing the surrounding crowd begin to stir, Shen Xiaoyan merely watched the two in the arena with a smile, showing no signs of impatience or worry.
Zheng Xiang was also observing Shen Xiaoyan's reaction at this moment. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan like this, although he didn't know why, he could guess that it was definitely due to his confidence in Zheng Wei.
"Oh, he's counterattacking!"
With a cry of surprise, everyone turned their attention back to the arena.
At this moment, Zheng Wei suddenly attacked, unleashing a furious barrage of blows at Zheng Fan.
Neither of them had weapons initially. Zheng Wei suddenly broke off a slender branch from a tree outside the sparring ground.
The slender branch in Zheng Wei's hand looked as if it would snap at any second.
But the outcome greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.
The slender branch, in Zheng Wei's hands, was like a steel rod, not only incredibly sturdy but also emitting dull thuds every time it struck Zheng Fan.
Everyone present knew Zheng Fan and knew he was no mere pampered young master.
Having been trained by Zheng Xiang since childhood, his martial arts skills and resilience were exceptional.
Zheng Fan's current state indicated that Zheng Wei was indeed using considerable force.
All these factors combined made everyone realize Zheng Wei's formidable power.
This one-sided beating lasted for a full quarter of an hour.
After a quarter of an hour, Zheng Wei stopped, dropping the branch in his hand.
Zheng Fan, however, no longer had the strength to stand upright.
He swayed for a moment before finally collapsing onto the ground.
"I'm quite punctual. This last quarter of an hour was fair, I didn't take advantage of you. In fact, you benefited more. After all, you said back then that several people attacked me together."
Zheng Wei's cold words reached Zheng Fan, causing him to clench his teeth in hatred.
But at this moment, he lacked the strength to even stand, so any words would be in vain. He decided to remain silent and ignore Zheng Wei's words.
Zheng Wei spoke and then ignored him, walking towards Shen Xiaoyan and the others.
"How is it? Is my wife satisfied with my capabilities?"