CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: A BIT PRESUMPTUOUS

"Qingsheng, tell me, is there a way to get Miss Xiao’s family to move to the town?"

They have a few small courtyards in the town. Well, "small courtyards"—each actually has seven or eight rooms, much larger than the house in Shuikou Village where the Xiao family lives.

"Young master, you’re asking me, but how would I know?"

Qingsheng thought, if the master’s brain doesn’t work well, how could his own?

Truly asking the wrong person.

"Then tell me, if I directly ask Miss Xiao to move to the town, would she move?"

"Definitely not." Qingsheng knew the Xiao family well: "Although Miss Xiao’s family is..." He swallowed back the word ’poor’ and said instead, "Though they’ve fallen on hard times, they still have dignity and are a family with principles."

How to put it?

Qingsheng felt that the fallen Xiao family’s principles were stricter than the Zhao family’s.

Of course, he’d never say this out loud—wasn’t it stupid to impose rules on oneself?

"Exactly, my eldest brother clearly has ideas but doesn’t tell me. Let me tell you, my eldest brother is really sly."

Qingsheng... Young master, is it really okay to talk about your own eldest brother like this?

"Unlike my second brother..."

"Oh right, young master, why don’t we ask Second Young Master’s opinion? He’s a scholar; his ideas must be sound."

"Second brother? Do you really think we can count on him?" Zhao Minghua shook his head, "He’s someone who only reads sage books and pays no attention to the outside world, not bothering with such mundane matters."

"That’s true." Qingsheng sighed, "Second Young Master will be twenty next year and still hasn’t mentioned marriage, but he’s not in a hurry."

When the eldest young master was twenty, he was already a father, and the third young master’s marriage is already on the agenda, yet nothing has been prepared for the second young master. Qingsheng felt increasingly curious.

"Why is it that the master and madam don’t arrange a marriage for the second young master, but prioritize arranging yours instead?"

"Because your second young master—my second brother—is solely focused on books. He says there’s beauty and riches in books, and he can forgo eating and sleeping for study. So, why would he marry?"

"Not really..." Isn’t marrying and having children with an adorned beauty exactly what scholars dream of?

"He wants to study and aspire to fame. Just so, my father hopes the Zhao family can elevate its status, so he’s in no hurry to arrange a marriage for him, lest it disturb his studies. Plus, my parents definitely have another dream."

"What dream?"

Qingsheng felt his young master was getting better at creating suspense, leaving things half-said.

"Think about it, if my second brother earns a scholarly title, he’ll have a future in officialdom. Naturally, he’ll marry an official’s daughter, someone of equal standing—it’s the proper match."

Hence, marriage can’t be mentioned now.

After all, he’s just a scholar now. Who’d want their daughter to marry a scholar? And merchants’ daughters aren’t a match for a scholar, so it’s always been an awkward situation, so simply never bring up marriage.

Qingsheng indicated he understood.

"Young master, the eldest young master once said your head isn’t too sharp." Qingsheng suddenly remarked, "But your mind’s working fine, you figured out right away why the second young master isn’t marrying."

"I call it being like Zhuge Liang with others’ affairs and like a pig with my own."

Zhao Minghua found himself in another dilemma: he really didn’t know how to invite the Xiao family to stay in the town’s courtyards.

Xiao Minghua didn’t know that what he dared not do, Old Master Zhang had already taken the lead in.

Once Old Master Zhang knew the cause of his illness, he removed the allergens and took the medicine prescribed by Xiao Chunnuan, and showed significant improvement.

He used to never step out of his home, but now, feeling much better, he wanted to go out for a walk.

Moreover, with Chun Nuan’s advice, he could cover his nose and mouth with a kerchief and wrap up his neck to effectively prevent pollen allergies when going out.

So, fully geared up, Old Master Zhang went on a tour.

The world outside is so vast and the air is so refreshing.

He couldn’t wait to see Miss Xiao, the girl who gave him a new life and was practically his savior.

So, he had himself carried on a sedan chair to Shuikou Village.

The people of Shuikou Village didn’t recognize Old Master Zhang, but they knew Uncle Ma, the head steward of the Zhang family, greeting him warmly.

"Old Ma, you’re quite famous around here, huh?"

Old Master Zhang felt a little jealous, what’s going on?

"Back to the master, this old servant often brings people to collect rent and farm rent, so they all know me."

Uncle Ma said, "Master, I’ll just let them know you’re Old Master Zhang, the person they admire."

"No, no, it’s too exhausting for me." When people say hello, you have to respond and make some polite conversation—how tiring it is to talk. Old Master Zhang quickly shook his head, "Don’t mention it to outsiders."

The outsiders only knew that Old Master Zhang was rarely seen and that Uncle Ma handled everything.

While talking, Uncle Ma informed Old Master Zhang that they had arrived at the Xiao’s place.

"The Xiao family lives here?"

So narrow, so rundown!

The other day, he gave Miss Xiao a hundred taels of silver, enough to buy at least seven or eight courtyards in town. But she didn’t want to?

"May I ask who you are looking for?" Chun An was playing with Chun Qiang, saw several big men pointing at the courtyard gate, and felt wary. His sister had warned: "Our household is women and children, and there are bad guys outside, so be on guard."

"Little friend, you must be the young man of the Xiao family?"

Uncle Ma swore he had never spoken so gently in his life, all because the Xiao family girl was the master’s savior. By extension, these young kids were also the master’s benefactors.

"Yes, who are you looking for?"

Chun An grew even more cautious.

"We’re looking for Miss Xiao."

"Looking for Miss Xiao?" Chun An blinked and shouted loudly towards the house, "Sister Yan, someone’s looking for you."

"I’m coming. Who’s looking for me?"

Chunyan ran out and saw Chun An pointing at several big men, saying they were looking for her.

"You looking for me?"

Chunyan went through everything she had done recently in her mind. Aside from picking wild vegetables, she hadn’t done anything destructive. Why were they looking for her?

"Young lady, we’re not looking for you; we’re looking for Miss Xiao."

"I have many sisters; they’re all Miss Xiao. Which one are you looking for?" Chun An immediately sent Chunyan back and stood at the courtyard entrance with his hands on his hips: "Why are you looking for my sister? You have to give a reason."

With his eldest sister and Brother Ning not home, he was the oldest boy and had to protect the women of the household from any bullying.

Chun An secretly pinched the bamboo tube of chili powder in his pouch. His sister had said that if they encountered bad guys they couldn’t fight off, they should use this, sprinkle it in their eyes—the stuff that even dogs couldn’t handle, let alone people.

"Young man, we’re looking for the Miss Xiao who prescribes medicine."

Uncle Ma was embarrassed. He had forgotten to ask the girl’s first name the other day and now came to her house looking for her but couldn’t even say her name—it was indeed a bit presumptuous.