Chapter 74: Followed

“Teacher! This is far too valuable!”

Xie Zhao pulled back his outstretched hand.

He frowned, thought for a moment, and said to Wei Qingzhi, “These three dictionaries are out of print. Since you went to such lengths to preserve them, you must know their value. They’re just too expensive…”

“It’s precisely because I know their value that I chose them.”

Wei Qingzhi gently stroked the books, then solemnly placed them into Xie Zhao’s hands.

“Since I have accepted you as my student, I will pass on everything I have to you. I have no wife or children. When I die and turn to dust, these books will end up with you anyway.”

Wei Qingzhi added, “What difference does it make if I give them to you now?”

Xie Zhao: “…”

He composed himself and finally reached out to solemnly accept them.

“Thank you, Teacher.”

*

Five o’clock.

The sky had already grown dark.

Xie Cheng closed the main door to the central room and lit the kerosene lamp.

The light was dim, but everyone’s face was bright with joy.

There was no draft in the room, so Xie Zhao had Lin Muyu bring the children out to join them for dinner.

He held Xi Bao’er and Le Bao’er up for Wei Qingzhi to see, then had Lin Muyu and Xie Tian pay their respects as well. Tian Xiufen and Xie Youzhen stood to the side holding the babies, their eyes welling with tears.

“Alright, alright, let’s eat. The food is getting cold!”

Tian Xiufen gestured for Wei Qingzhi to sit, then scooped him a bowl piled high with glutinous rice, topped with a glistening chicken leg that was rich, fragrant, and sticky.

“Teacher Wei, I’m uneducated and don’t know how to read!”

Tian Xiufen rubbed her hands together and handed the bowl and chopsticks to Wei Qingzhi. “I just hope the kids can go to a good school, make something of themselves, and earn a living from the state so they don’t have to suffer like their father and me! We’ll definitely be troubling you in the future. You are truly our family’s great benefactor!”

For country folk of this era, being able to pass the college entrance exam, get a state-allocated job, and earn a living from the state was the absolute best path in life.

Wei Qingzhi quickly stood up to accept the bowl and said, “You flatter me! Teaching and educating is my duty and my responsibility. There is no need to keep it on your mind!”

Tian Xiufen wrung the hem of her shirt, unsure of how to respond.

Xie Zhao quickly stepped in to smooth things over. With a chuckle, he said, “Teacher, please eat! If we keep talking, the food will get cold!”

Xie Tian also hurried to pick up a large pork trotter and put it into Wei Qingzhi’s bowl.

“Teacher, eat up! You need your strength to teach me. I’m going to get first place and go to university in the Capital City!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Wei Qingzhi nodded repeatedly, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite of the mushroom and chicken glutinous rice.

It was so fragrant.

And truly delicious!

By the time they finished the reunion dinner, it was already eight in the evening.

*

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

Xie Zhao had truly eaten his fill during the Lantern Festival dinner.

Glutinous rice was slow to digest, and with his belly full of rich chicken and pork trotters, he felt incredibly satisfied and woke up the next morning with extra energy.

“Tsk, so satisfying!”

Xie Zhao stretched, then kissed Xibao and Lebao one by one. The little ones had put on some weight, and their red skin was gradually turning fair, making them a joy to look at.

Lin Muyu quickly reached out to swat him. “Kiss them gently, don’t wake them up.”

Xie Zhao pouted.

Oh?

“Mwah~”

He suddenly leaned in and planted a hard kiss on Lin Muyu’s cheek.

“So I should kiss you harder instead, is that what you mean?”

Lin Muyu glared at him with mock annoyance.

“Hehe, my little sister will go to Teacher’s place later to get the test papers back. I’m going to the county seat today to buy some textbooks. We can’t fall behind on our studies.”

He reached out and pinched Lin Muyu’s cheek again.

It was smooth and tender, with a bit of baby fat. She looked so beautiful and pure, and she felt wonderful to the touch!

Lin Muyu blushed and swatted his hand away. “How old are you? Still so shameless.”

Xie Zhao grinned at her.

“Get some rest. I’ll bring you back some treats when I return from the county seat.”

“Okay.”

After saying that, Xie Zhao stood up and quietly slipped out.

In the yard, Xie Youzhen was already up. An extinguished candle sat beside him as he wove bamboo baskets. Three baskets, each a full meter in diameter, lay at his feet. It looked like he had been weaving almost the entire night.

“We have too many river snails at home. The buckets and water vats aren’t enough to hold them all. We’ll use these to hold them later. River snails are hardy; they won’t die over such a short distance.”

Xie Zhao nodded.

Sanliuzi arrived just before seven o’clock.

He knocked on the door, and as soon as Xie Cheng saw him, he asked, “I went to your place yesterday to invite you over for dinner, but you weren’t there. Where did you go?”

Sanliuzi scratched his head.

He chuckled and said, “Celebrating the holiday with a friend!”

A friend?

Xie Cheng was rather surprised.

He really hadn’t expected Sanliuzi to actually have friends!

But since it was his private business, he didn’t pry. However, when he glanced to the side and saw a large wild boar lying on Sanliuzi’s donkey cart, he was startled.

“You’re quite capable, kid!”

Xie Cheng gave him a thumbs-up, then looked down at the patches on Sanliuzi’s clothes. Frowning, he said, “You’ve made quite a bit of money by now. Go to a tailor shop and get a few sets of new clothes made! Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Sanliuzi muttered softly, “These pants are still wearable!”

Once everything was packed, the two carts rolled out of the yard, swaying as they headed toward Hudong County.

As the two carts left the edge of the village, no one noticed the sneaky figure hiding behind the large willow tree.

*

Twelve o’clock noon.

Xie Zhao and the other two drove the carts back to Shishui Village.

However, the moment they entered the yard, they saw Xie Youzhen pacing back and forth with an anxious expression.

Seeing Xie Zhao and Xie Cheng return, he quickly walked over to them.

“Something’s happened!”

Xie Youzhen said anxiously.

Xie Zhao frowned and jumped down from the cart. “Dad? What is it? Take your time, don’t panic!”

“What’s wrong?”

Xie Cheng also hurried over, standing beside Xie Zhao as he stared at Xie Youzhen. “Take your time, no rush!”

“Wang Erlaizi!”

Xie Youzhen gritted his teeth. “I don’t know what’s gotten into that bastard! This morning, he went around the village banging a brass gong. When we listened closely, it turned out he’s buying river snails too!”

What?

Xie Cheng’s face darkened instantly.

He kept quiet, but his eyes swept across the yard. Taking a few quick strides to the corner, he grabbed a carrying pole and made to head out.

Xie Zhao quickly grabbed him.

“Brother! Wait!”

Xie Zhao shouted.

“Wait for what? That bastard is cutting off our livelihood! I’m going to beat him to death!”

“Brother! Even if you want to beat him up, we have to see if he actually has the capability to pull this off first!”

Xie Zhao said hurriedly, “Besides, even if you beat up one, can you beat up a second or a third? Someone is bound to try and steal our business!”

Xie Cheng froze in place.

Just then, the sound of Wang Erlaizi’s broken brass gong echoed from outside the yard.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

“Buying river snails! Fifty cents a catty!”

“Collect today, pay tomorrow!”

Whether it was intentional or not, he shouted exceptionally loud as he passed Xie Zhao’s gate.