Chapter 173

Xu Ran had been in the two children’s room all the time. He didn’t leave until it was time for them to sleep.

As soon as he got out, he found Gao Quan waiting outside. The two of them went downstairs together and sat in the living room warming themselves at the fire. Xu Ran asked Gao Quan, “How was it?”

Gao Quan said, “I followed Liu Tiezhu all the way to the cave where they had been hiding. Liu Tiezhu went back to inform Xu Cheng that we had found them. He didn’t expect that I would follow him up the hill. When I appeared, the two of them were about to escape. Xu Cheng’s legs were not well so he couldn’t walk fast, and Liu Tiezhu just left him alone.”

“I knew he couldn’t get too far, so I ran after Xu Cheng. Behind the cave was a cliff. Xu Cheng probably didn’t know that, and he fell down as he ran.”

Speaking of this, Gao Quan seemed to be a little regretful since he hadn’t handled Xu Cheng personally.

“What about Liu Tiezhu? Did you catch up to him?” Xu Ran asked.

Gao Quan nodded, “I did. He was quite good at running. It was just because I was running after him that I came back so late.”

“How did you handle him?”

Gao Quan said, “I brought him to the town. The Housekeeper Zhuo took me to meet those people and gave them a lot of money. After I handed Liu Tiezhu to them, I returned.”

Xu Ran nodded, “In that case, let’s just end this matter here! These two people will never appear again in the future, and we can live a peaceful life.”

Gao Quan nodded, indicating that he got it.

…

On the 19th day of the lunar January, Zhuo Yun brought his people with him to get the cured meat, and sent Qin Shuwen and the child over here.

There came a carriage and another two oxcarts. It was unknown where Zhuo Yun had found them and there were many things on it.

Xu Ran saw that and said with a smile, “Well, are you moving?”

Zhuo Yun really nodded, “Yeah! I’ve thought about it. When I come back from the business trip, I’ll move over here too.”

Xu Ran was dumbfounded, ‘How shameless of him.’ And then he said, “I was just saying it. Why did you take it seriously?”

Zhuo Yun threw up his hands, “Then why did you say that? Besides, I really like it here!”

“Hey, no matter you like it or not, don’t forget that this is my house, okay?” Xu Ran said.

Zhuo Yun consoled him, “It doesn’t matter. After all, we’re brothers. We’re on good terms. Your house is my house. Don’t worry! If you live in the town, my house will be yours.”

Xu Ran rolled his eyes. This was not the right way to do things. However, he welcomed Zhuo Yun if he would live here. The more the merrier.

On the other hand, Qin Shuwen had already directed the people to move things inside, completely ignoring these two who were bickering. As long as they were not talking about something important, they started to squabble like this. At first, Qin Shuwen had worried that they would fight each other, but later he found out that he was thinking too much. These two were simply bored and had nothing to do.

Liu Tong was also very happy that Qin Shuwen came. Since he had to take care of Baozi now, he couldn’t work in the field. Most of the time, he was alone. If he wanted to talk with someone, he had to see if that one had any time. Otherwise, he could only talk to Baozi, and he got really bored.

After Qin Shuwen came, someone would keep him company, and helped him take care of the children for him. When it got busy, he could also do some chores at home, while Shao Yu could work outside.

When Zhuo Yun and Xu Ran had done bickering, they started to get down to business. Xu Ran had prepared quite a few things for Zhuo Yun. There were many dried bamboo shoots made in last year. Besides the two-month supply left for Mr. Chen, the rest would all be taken away with Zhuo Yun. Zhuo Yun had also put the better part of the cured meat and sausages onto the oxcart.

They had lunch at Xu Ran’s house at noon. After lunch, Zhuo Yun had to go back to town. After all, the caravan had to leave tomorrow, and he needed to pack so many things today, so that they could set out early tomorrow morning.

Before leaving, Zhuo Yun told Xu Ran repeatedly to take good care of Qin Shuwen and his child. Xu Ran would be held responsible if Zhuo Yun came back and found that something went wrong with them.

Xu Ran kept nodding, “You can just rest assured! I will definitely take good care of them. Shuwen is my sworn brother and Qingshu is my nephew, so how could I not treat them well. But you, you have to be careful on your trip. Remember, what your family wants the most is your safe return. Nothing else matters.”

Zhuo Yun said, “I know that. I’ve been traveling for so many times, and how couldn’t I know these? Don’t worry! I will take good care of myself, and I will keep an eye on anything about fruit trees. I will write to you then. I will definitely be back in two months at the soonest, three months at the longest. Please take care of them.”

Xu Ran patted Zhuo Yun on the shoulder, “Okay, okay. I’ll take good care of them. Stop nagging. You might as well talk to Shuwen instead of me.”

Hearing Xu Ran’s words, Zhuo Yun also felt that he had been talking to Xu Ran for too long, so he went to Qin Shuwen and whispered to him. As for what the two were talking about, no one knew. Anyway, when Zhuo Yun left, Qin Shuwen’s eyes were red and his face was blushing.

Liu Tong was afraid that Qin Shuwen would cry when he saw this scene, so he pulled him away.

Therefore, only Xu Ran was left to see Zhuo Yun off.

When Zhuo Yun went far away, Xu Ran was still telling him to rest assured and leave everything at home to him.

Once Zhuo Yun set out, he wouldn’t be back in months. Since his relationship with Qin Shuwen had become better, they would meet each other no longer than ten days, unless Zhuo Yun was out for business. Now, suddenly they needed to be apart for so long, they indeed felt unwilling.

It was not until the carriage was unseen that Xu Ran turned around and went upstairs to console Qin Shuwen with Liu Tong.

Seeing Xu Ran and Liu Tong, Qin Shuwen smiled through tears before the two could say anything.

“Alright, you don’t have to comfort me. He’s only away for a few months. I’m not a child, and I won’t cry or horse around. Don’t worry! I’m fine.”

Seeing him like this, Xu Ran and Liu Tong were relieved. Qin Shuwen was right. After all, he was an adult.

Xu Ran told Qin Shuwen, “Shuwen, take here as your own home. When you want to eat anything or use anything, just tell us about it. You don’t have to be too courteous.”

Qin Shuwen smiled, “When have I ever been courteous to you?”

Xu Ran thought about it and agreed. Qin Shuwen was not courteous at all when he asked him for food.

He said, “Then I can rest assured.”

Liu Tong helped Qin Shuwen clean up the room and put the things he had brought with him in order. Qin Shuwen had also brought that ewe of his. But since it had been a few months, that ewe was running out of milk, so Qingshu had to share the ewe with Baozi then.

When Qingshu grew a little older, he could start to eat rice paste, so one ewe should be enough.

On the 25th day of the lunar January, Xu Ran finally finished planting the 10 mu of potatoes. He also gave the potato seeds in his home to the dozen households that had agreed to buy them back then, and collected some money symbolically as the fee.

After everything with potatoes was done, Xu Ran started to work on the strawberry field. All of the longterm hands were busy with their own farm work, so Xu Ran didn’t ask them for help. He, together with Gao Quan and Shao Yu, the three of them went to the field, did the hoeing and nourished the seedlings themselves. Liu Tong would also spend half of the day working on the field and the rest half taking care of the children.

When the children were asleep, Qin Shuwen would help do the cooking.

Xu Ran thought that it was getting warmer and the children couldn’t be held whole day long then, so he might as well use bamboo to make two wheelbarrows for them. They could be put into the wheelbarrows then, so it wouldn’t be too difficult for Qin Shuwen to take care of them alone at the same time.

However, he had to finish the farm work first.

On the second day of the lunar February, just like last year, Xu Ran took the two children into the town, got them nominal haircuts and went for Qin Shuwu.

He had never seen Qin Shuwu since the second day of the lunar January, nor had he gone to the Qin’s House. It had almost been a month.

Now in such weather, everyone got busy, so the business of the fruit shop was not very good. Qin Shuwu was bored stiff, so he set up a chess game stand at the door and taught people to play chess. He only charged five pence.

Finally, the shopkeepers and the clerks of the surrounding shops were taught by him how to play chess.

When Xu Ran arrived with Tangtang and Guoguo, Qin Shuwu was counting the copper coins and saying, “Welcome to come again! If I meet the one who sells chess, I will keep one set for you.”

Xu Ran found this scene familiar. Wasn’t it the same scene when he had bought the longevity lock?

Xu Ran walked over, “Brother Qin, what are you doing?”

The two children were following Xu Ran and obediently called, “Uncle Qin.”

Qin Shuwu saw Xu Ran, Tangtang and Guoguo, he got excited immediately, “Well, you guys are here! I haven’t seen you for a long time. I’m drumming up business for you! Several people have ordered chess from me. Do you have any more? If yes, give them to me at once.”

Xu Ran said, “No, I don’t. I can’t make them until I finish spring ploughing. But don’t worry, you won’t be busy soon.”

“What? You’ve got a new idea?” Qin Shuwu asked.

Xu Ran said, “Didn’t I mention to you about the deli before? Now that spring has arrived, it will get warmer soon. We can decorate the shop, hire some people and train them. When everything is ready, then we can open the shop.”

“I’ve already selected the right shop and am waiting for your instruction. But I heard from Zhuo Yun that you wanted to do something about hills. Do you have enough cash to meet the needs?”

Xu Ran said, “Don’t worry! I know what to do and won’t be short of money. But today, I happen to want to tell you about buying the hills.”

It was inappropriate to talk business on the street, so Qin Shuwu put away the table quickly, “Let’s go! Let’s talk inside. Tell me everything about what you want to do indeed.”

Xu Ran nodded, “I’ve been busy recently, and it was not right time to tell you about it during the Spring Festival, so I didn’t say anything.”

“Alright then, tell me everything about it today! You must be busy recently. I didn’t even know when you could come to town.”

When they sat down in the room, Qin Shuwu asked the clerk to make a pot of tea. As the two were talking about business, Tangtang and Guoguo got bored listening to them aside. Qin Shuwu thought that there was nothing to do in the shop now and that one clerk would be enough, so he asked the other clerk to bring Tangtang and Guoguo out on the streets and buy them whatever they wanted.

Xu Ran asked the two children, “Do you want to go out?”

Tangtang and Guoguo nodded. To be honest, they hadn’t really hung out on the streets before, so of course, they wanted to go and take a look.

Seeing that they wanted to go, Xu Ran said, “Then you have to remember to stick to the one who takes you out. Don’t get lost, alright?”

Tangtang and Guoguo nodded eagerly, “Got it, Daddy.”

Xu Ran warned that clerk a few more times before letting them go out. The two children ran out recklessly as two birds that had just been released from the cage.

After the children left, Xu Ran started to talk to Qin Shuwu about the deli and buying the hills.