Chapter 33: Sworn Brotherhood

"Brother! You said this room will be mine from now on?"

Zheng Shan asked Zheng Fa in a daze, her mouth stretched to her ears, as if she couldn't believe what Zheng Fa had just arranged.

"What? Afraid to sleep alone?" Zheng Fa said with a smile.

"Dare!" the younger sister said hurriedly.

Their new home in the Zhao family's house was not really big, but it was much more luxurious than the mud house they lived in before.

There is a small house on each side of the small courtyard, which Zheng Fa plans to use as a kitchen and firewood room.

There are four rooms in the main house, not to mention the living room in the middle.

There are three rooms left, and Zheng Fa plans to give one to each of the three people in his family.

This made Zheng Shan very happy. She pulled Zheng Fa's index finger and looked towards her room.

He nodded seriously and said, "My new room is so beautiful!"

Zheng Fa took a look inside. The room was empty, with nothing in it except dust on the floor.

I don't know how my little sister sees beauty.

"Your sister is still young, so this room should be left for you as a study." Mother Zheng hesitated for a while before saying, "You are the young master's servant now, and studying is a big deal. Your sister should just sleep with me."

When Zheng Shan heard this, she lowered her head but didn't say a word. She just pouted her lips and looked very aggrieved.

Zheng Fa knew that Zheng Shan and her mother had always had some difficulty sleeping: her mother had been overworked since her father's death, and could not stay up late and slept lightly, while Zheng Shan was energetic and went to bed late, but she was sensible and knew how to feel sorry for her mother.

Every time Zheng's mother fell asleep, the little one dared not move for fear of waking her mother up. This was really a torment for her, who was lively and active.

This is also the reason why Zheng Shan’s biggest wish before coming to her new home was to have her own bed.

"Although my little sister is small now, she will grow up eventually. Since there are extra rooms, we won't have to move anymore if we let her sleep there in the future," he said to his mother.

The little sister suddenly raised her head and grinned at Zheng Fa.

Seeing that Mother Zheng wanted to talk, he continued, "I want to study. I can study in Mr. Shen's classroom or in the Seventh Young Master's study. Even if I go home, can't I study in the living room?"

"This... I saw that after Wang Gui entered school, Steward Wang's house was decorated with a study room, saying that scholars should have a room dedicated to books."

Zheng Fa waved his hand and smiled, "Poor students have more stationery... Well, I mean, it's useless to put books on the shelf, you have to put them in your mind."

"Can……"

"Mom, he has already studied in Yanyu Tower. His father lost his position as a manager. If we want to learn, we should learn something good."

“That’s right!”

Thanks to Wang Gui, Zheng's mother became very obedient...

Zheng Shan raised her hands above her head and cheered, "Mom! I want to decorate my own house!"

"Then you clean it yourself." Zheng's mother also smiled when she saw her daughter so happy.

"I sweep it myself! I sweep my brother's room and my mother's room too!"

The mother and daughter were so happy that they put their heads together and began to discuss how to arrange the furniture sent by Gao's family. Zheng Fa looked at the sun and said to them, "Mom, you guys discuss it first. I have to go to Master Xu to practice martial arts."

Zheng's mother waved her hands and didn't even look at Zheng Fa. She was immersed in the joy of decorating the new house, which made him feel a sense of loss of favor.

…

In the room on the training ground, Coach Xu sighed as he stroked several thick books in front of him.

His rough face was filled with delicate sorrow.

Master Xu's young apprentice, who was also his nephew, came over and saw his master's expression. He couldn't help but ask with concern, "Uncle, what's wrong with you?"

"Hey, Madam sent me the "Spiritual Crane Body" and asked me to teach it to Zheng Fa."

"Spiritual Crane Body!" Master Xu's nephew exclaimed and looked at the book in Master Xu's hand. Sure enough, the three big words "Spiritual Crane Body" were written on the cover.

He couldn't look away: "Uncle, can I take a look?"

"Do you want to die? I have worked for the Zhao family for twenty years before my wife appreciated me and allowed me to learn the Spirit Crane Body. Unfortunately..."

"Uncle, it took you twenty years to get this qualification," Master Xu's nephew lowered his voice a little: "You are too biased..."

"Shut up! You are getting more and more daring. Do you think you can talk back to my wife?" Coach Xu slapped his nephew on the head.

Coach Xu's nephew touched his head and grimaced: "I just saw you sighing, uncle, and I feel sorry for you!"

Instructor Xu's face looked much better, and he said, "I'm not asking for this, it's... didn't I want to take Zheng Fa as my apprentice before?"

"It's too late to take it back now!" Coach Xu's nephew suddenly realized.

"Yes, I have won the Madam's favor now, how can I be so shameless! What will the Madam think of me?" Master Xu nodded: "But, I should have told Zheng Fa about taking me as a disciple earlier."

"I told you he was my junior fellow apprentice!" His nephew understood.

"Even if I can't become your disciple, I can still establish a good relationship with you if I tell you earlier!"

Coach Xu looked very regretful. He didn't notice that his nephew rolled his eyes and quietly walked out of the training ground.

…

When Zheng Fa walked to the entrance of the training ground, he saw a young man squatting there as if waiting for someone. The man looked familiar and seemed to be one of the people who stood next to Coach Xu last time.

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He stopped, bowed slightly to the other party, and prepared to walk into the door.

He saw the other party jump up, looking at him with joy on his face, and said enthusiastically: "Brother Zheng!"

"Hmm?" Zheng Fa stopped and looked at the other person in confusion: "Who are you?"

"We met last time! Coach Xu is my uncle."

"Brother Xu, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"It's nothing serious!" The other party stepped forward and enthusiastically pulled Zheng Fa's arm: "Last time we met briefly, I felt that Brother Zheng and I hit it off right away. This time it's even more of a coincidence that we met here by chance. It's really fate!"

Zheng Fa glanced at the two shallow pits made by the man squatting on the ground, tilted his head back, and dodged the other party's enthusiastic saliva: "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"How about this, let's become sworn brothers!" Before he finished speaking, Zheng Fa stared at the place where the other party had just squatted, took out an incense burner, inserted three incense sticks into it, and three wisps of green smoke rose up.

"Isn't this... a bit hasty?"

"It's said that we are close friends. This is how I felt when I met Brother Zheng."

The other party was so enthusiastic, and as the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person, Zheng Fa could only say politely: "This... there is no need to become sworn brothers, how about you and I just call each other brothers in daily life?"

“So…” Seeing that he was not very willing, Master Xu’s nephew seemed to feel that it was difficult to force him, so he could only nod reluctantly and said sincerely: “You have to remember that I regard you as my younger brother in my heart, Brother Zheng!”

"Brother Xu, I have something else to do, so I'll leave first!" Zheng Fa replied and ran away quickly.

The other party was still standing there, shouting: "Let's talk about brotherhood some other day!"

…

Zheng Fa walked into the training ground and found the room where Coach Xu was.

He saw Coach Xu standing in the room with his hands behind his back, looking at him with tears in his eyes and a face full of affection, as if he was looking at an old friend.

"Coach?" he asked cautiously.

"Xiao Zheng, do you know what day it is today?"

"What day?"

"When I was young, I had a younger brother who was very close to me. Unfortunately, he died young. Today is the anniversary of his death..."

Zheng Fa whispered, "Master, please accept my condolences."

Coach Xu wiped his face and said, "To be honest, when I first saw you, I felt that you looked like my younger brother who passed away early."

“…”

"Let's become sworn brothers!"

"Wait, this... sounds a bit familiar." Zheng Fa looked at the incense table behind Coach Xu and said with a frown.

(End of this chapter)