Chapter 94

Lin Hua and Zhao Chen worked very fast. They said that they would send the things to Xu Ran the next day, and it indeed was done on the next evening. Chilies were not easy to find in this season, so they didn’t get much. However, they found a lot of soybeans.

Xu Ran thought that there was still chili paste at home, which could support his family until the new chili harvest. In addition, he could add some little fish or chicken into it so that he was also able to make a lot of paste.

The carriage was just filled with these things that Xu Ran couldn’t buy and put anything more in it.

Xu Ran planned to go home tomorrow. Then at night, he took the shopkeeper to have a slap-up meal with Lin Hua and Zhao Chen, which was regarded as the business talk over the dinner table.

Then they drank the wine and exchanged banalities for a while.

By the time they parted, they were already a little drunk. After Xu Ran and the shopkeeper returned to the inn, they immediately fell asleep.

Then they certainly got up late because of being hungover.

When Xu Ran woke up, the sun had already risen, which put the mockers on the plan of getting up early. And the shopkeeper was still asleep.

He quickly sprang from the bed, got dressed, asked the waiter for water to wash his face, and then went to wake the shopkeeper up.

The two of them went downstairs and had breakfast in a hurry before preparing the carriage for going back.

Because they had told Lin Hua and Zhao Chen yesterday not to see them off for they would leave early this day, Xu Ran estimated that they were still asleep. After all, they were really drunk.

The shopkeeper also had prepared the solid food for the journey. This time, he had just accompanied Xu Ran on the trip to take the exam and was very competent.

The carriage would take two days jolting and rattling over the ground. Besides, there were so many more things than usual inside, which made the carriage’s height much heavier than before. Xu Ran was also not comfortable sitting in the carriage, so he decided to get out and drive with the shopkeeper.

Fortunately, it was not so cold in March.

It was already green with new growth along the roadside where the buds were sprouting.

The cherry tree was also full of green leaves, which had produced little fruits.

In March, the peach blossom was really beautiful. The peach trees which grew wild or planted by families were in blossom in rows along the roadside, which looked very pretty.

The rape flowers were growing well. And there were many places divided into pieces of land. Xu Ran knew it was the hope of farmers this year in those places, which was also known as rice.

It was a good time of year as well as a good hope of people.

On March 15th of the Chinese lunar calendar, ten days after leaving home, Xu Ran finally returned to Xu Village. It was already dusk, and light rain began to fall, as if helping the travelers who would return home get the grime off their body.

Xu Ran and the shopkeeper started to unload the luggage from the carriage. The sound of their action was a little loud that the people in the house realized it.

The construction team had already wrapped up the work, so Xu Ran didn’t see where they were. Tangtang and Guoguo in the house realized there was movement outside, and they immediately ran out and shouted, “Dad!”

Liu Tong also went out behind them.

Xu Ran caught the two children who were running towards him and tightly held them in both arms. He gave them big kisses on their foreheads; then he just looked up at Liu Tong.

Liu Tong stood in the yard and watched them with a smile.

Before Xu Ran could say anything to Liu Tong, the people of the construction team over yonder also emerged from the hut.

They all greeted Xu Ran enthusiastically and Xu Ran also responded to them one by one.

Then Ge’ers called Xu Ran to have dinner together later.

They talked for a long time and Xu Ran was standing in the rain whose clothes was almost wet, and it was the shopkeeper who came to get him out of trouble.

“Gentlemen, please let the couple have a talk. Don’t you see him standing in the yard for a long time?”

His words were greeted by other hoots of laughter, which made Liu Tong and Xu Ran feel a little embarrassed.

However, when the shopkeeper finished, these people indeed didn’t talk to Xu Ran; instead, they pulled the shopkeeper away.

Xu Ran led the two children towards Liu Tong.

Then the family walked into the house.

Although Tangtang and Guoguo stood in the rain for a while, they didn’t get wet for it was raining lightly, so Liu Tong didn’t change their clothes; he just asked them to crouched around by the fire for a while.

Tangtang and Guoguo had just seen Xu Ran so they wouldn’t go anywhere for they just wanted to stay with Xu Ran. Then Xu Ran just simply followed them near the fire that his body was also a little wet.

Liu Tong thoughtfully went to take out a handkerchief and dried Xu Ran’s hair, listening to the chat of the father and his two kids.

A family’s life would be nothing better than it

……

The next day Xu Ran was inevitably interrogated.

Especially the people of the construction team were always curious about a place where they had never been, even Liu Tong, Tangtang and Guoguo were eagerly looking forward to listening to Xu Ran. Last night, Xu Ran didn’t have a good rest during a two-day trip by carriage, so he slept early after dinner that he almost hadn’t told anything to them.

Therefore, it was certainly inevitable for him to be interrogated now.

Luckily, Xu Ran escaped from the interrogation on the pretext of going to Zhuo Yun’s house with the shopkeeper to take Mr. Hu home.

Xu Ran’s leaving could be regarded as a humiliating escape, and after getting in the carriage, he was still under stress. “These people are too terrifying. Fortunately, others in the village still don’t know my return.”

At this moment, the shopkeeper suddenly poured cold water on his thought. “When you take Mr. Hu home, everyone in the village will know you’re back. Let’s see how you could escape from them at that time.”

Xu Ran trembled when he imagined the scene. “What should I do then? They are too many… “And his sons and spouse all didn’t help him, what a pitiful man he was…

Xu Ran had completely lost the zest, sitting in the carriage and contemplating the methods to deal with the trouble.

But the state didn’t continue for long. When he arrived at Zhuo Yun’s house, Xu Ran was restored as usual with a smile.

Zhuo Yun came to meet Xu Ran and greeted him for a while in the doorway before they walked inside.

Qin Shuwen and Mr. Hu were talking in the living room, attended by several servants beside them.

Qin Shuwen was pregnant for four months and his belly was obviously swollen that Zhuo Yun had to keep a round-the-clock vigil at his side worrying if anything happened to him.

Mr. Hu was pretty jealous of the lovey-dovey couple. Therefore, when he saw Xu Ran, he regarded him as the savior and was immediately going to leave with him.

Zhuo Yun rubbed his nose in embarrassment, “Mr. Hu, it’s not what you say at all. We don’t have much experience for it’s our first child so I have to stay with my spouse all the time. Anyway, are you so determined to leave? Is it because that we care for you bad?”

Mr. Hu was an honest peasant. How could he bandy words with Zhuo Yun, a businessman? He could only shook hands. And he was nervous and started to gabble.

Xu Ran came to make up for Mr. Hu’s embarrassment. “Well, do you know the tradition of respecting the old and taking care of the young, Zhuo Yun? How could you embarrass him?”

“You’re right,” Mr. Hu realized it and also started to criticize Zhuo Yun.

Zhuo Yun turned to look at Qin Shuwen. Qin Shuwen just crossed his arms and was watching them, not showing the slightest inclination to help.

Zhuo Yun knew that he was unreasonable, so he had to apologize to Mr. Hu, which was greeted by hoots of laughter.

Xu Ran was left at the lunch table by Zhuo Yun before going back. Then he asked Xu Ran about Heshui Town. Zhuo Yun often went out for business and had been to many places, so he didn’t appeared surprised at his words. Instead, Qin Shuwen and Mr. Hu were listening to Xu Ran with great interest.

It was okay for Mr. Hu to be like this. But Qin Shuwen was also similar to Mr. Hu, which made Zhuo Yun become a little envious. So he said jealously, “I have been to so many places but you’re not curious about them. Isn’t it just He Shui Town? What’s the big deal anyway?” A slight feeling of aggrieving mingled with his words.

Qin Shuwen rolled his eyes at him. “Have you told me about those things?”

It didn’t seem that he had. Zhuo Yun thought about it for a while, and he indeed did not seem to have told him because every time he returned, he just centered around Qin Shuwen asking him if he had had enough, if he wanted to go out or if he liked the things. And he really did not mention anything new to him.

Zhuo Yun silently reflected on it and he immediately promised Qin Shuwen, “Shuwen, from now on, I will tell you as well as our child the novelties every day. How do you think?” The flattery was obvious in his words, which made Xu Ran and Mr. Hu feel jealous.

Xu Ran was about to leave this place after lunch. He really missed Liu Tong now! Yes, it had been more than ten days since he slept with him. He really missed it, and he especially wanted Tongtong to have a baby in his belly!

Xu Ran also started to imagined it himself.

After lunch, Xu Ran and Mr. Hu were about to go back to Xu Village. Zhuo Yun asked the shopkeeper to see them off. Xu Ran felt that it was a bother that the shopkeeper would wear himself out since he had followed him for a long time as well as he was old. And Xu Ran thought that his family could just buy a carriage; anyway, the horses would also graze. There was a wide uncultivated land near his house. Wasn’t it easy to cut grass for the horses?

Besides, he also needed to use the grass, which was much more convenient.

Having spent a lot of money, Xu Ran felt that there was no need to save such little expense, so he told Zhuo Yun his thoughts.

Zhuo Yun also agreed. He tapped Xu Ran on his shoulder and said, “In my opinion, you should have bought it so before. You must go to the town often in the future. It’s inconvenient for you to walk or borrow other people’s ox carts. And it would be quick and convenient for your family to have a carriage. Isn’t it good? Anyway, a carriage would only cost less than 50 taels of silver.”

Xu Ran was shocked. ‘It is typically what a wealthy person would say.’

‘Are fifty taels of silver a trifling sum? Enough is enough! I could only regard it as a trifling sum when I was richest in my lifetime, okay?’