Zhao Futang is Zhao Jingyu's father. He is distant from his third son Zhao Jingyu, with little father-son affection between them. He was furious when he learned about Zhao Jingyu's scandalous situation with Xu Qingning's pregnancy but could not easily scold him due to their strained relationship. He is traditional and practical, immediately going to chop pork and mutton in the yard after the conversation about the wedding banquet. He dislikes hearing his wife say the family owes Zhao Jingyu, defending their decision to send him to his grandparents during the famine.
