"I stayed. I told Master Lin I wanted to come to him, and he agreed."
"Master Lin invited you here?"
"I came here on my own."
Xu Jiang was speechless. This guy was shameless. But it was good that Zeng had come after her. He had someone to cook with her, and he was lively, so it would definitely be a lively occasion.
Xu Jiang walked in and asked, "How early and late did you come?"
Zeng Zhui also went to the backyard with her. "I came as soon as the gate opened. I even passed by your door, but saw you were busy, so I didn't say hello."
"Why are you here so early?"
"Come and help with the cleaning, and build a stove."
Building a stove? As Xu Jiang stepped into the backyard, she saw a brick stove with a large pot filled with water on top. Lin Hongchu was lighting a fire in front of the stove.
Zeng Zhui walked around the stove quite pleased with himself, explaining to Xu Jiang, "Now boil water and clean the furniture and chairs. Later, you can use it for cooking. When you clear the stove tonight, you can light a high fire to celebrate the New Year. After the two days are up, remove the bricks and return them to their proper places. It won't block the way anymore. Isn't it convenient?"
"It turns out that the family still needs someone who can manage the affairs of the household." Xu Jiang's face was full of admiration. Zeng Zhui was a hot-tempered person, but he was a good manager of the household. This skill must have been honed by his poor family since childhood.
"That's right. In previous years back home, I was the one who handled all these tasks."
Hearing him talk about his hometown, Lin Hongchu asked, "Won't your family miss you if you don't go home for the New Year?"
"My father passed away young, and my mother followed him four years ago. I only have one older sister now, who was betrothed last year. I've written a letter home and asked someone to take it back to let them know I'm safe. I think it should arrive in the next few days. I do have a few uncles and brothers in the family, but they all have their own families and don't care much about me. They just treat me as if I don't exist, and live peacefully."
Xu Jiang had vaguely heard of the Zeng family's decline, but she hadn't expected them to be so destitute. However, seeing Zeng Zhui's nonchalant manner, she knew he wasn't dwelling on the past and was deeply confident that he could restore his family. Remembering how he often claimed to be the best writer in Shu, Xu Jiang couldn't help but sigh: such arrogance was unmatched.
Xu Jiang thought that after the family had experienced many ups and downs, he was still able to develop such a humble character. This must be the credit of his mother and elder sister.
Lin Hongchu saw that he was always out of tune with others, but she didn't expect that his life was so rough. She couldn't help but feel a little pity for him and thought: I should be nicer to him in the future.
I comforted him, "It's okay. Since you're spending the New Year at my house, we should all be your family from now on."
Zeng Zhui's eyes lit up, and he came up to her and asked, "Are you serious?"
Lin Hongchu nodded, "Of course I take it seriously."
His eyes were almost slitted with laughter. "You said it, and you are not allowed to regret it later."
"What's there to regret?" She already has a sister like Xu Jiang, so what's the harm in having another brother?
Xu Jiang saw that the two of them were talking about something completely different and couldn't help but sigh. Then she saw that the water in the pot had begun to steam, so she called out, "The water is boiling. Shouldn't we sweep and clean up? Hurry up, or you'll delay cooking."
Zeng Zhui was full of energy at this time, so he picked up a wooden bucket to fetch water, hummed a little tune, and went to the front yard to clean the tables and chairs used by the students.
"Why is he so happy?" Lin Hongchu was puzzled.
Xu Jiang smiled and said, "It's New Year's Eve, everyone is happy." Then she asked, "Where are my aunt and the teacher?"
"Mother woke up last night and talked to Father for half the night. After breakfast this morning, she couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep again. I guess she'll sleep until noon. Father went to the West Market to buy New Year's goods and won't be back until noon."
"Then let's clean the house first, and when he comes back, we can start preparing the reunion dinner."
"That..." Lin Hongchu looked at Xu Jiang hesitantly.
Xu Jiang was puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Father saw you and Brother Lou when we were hanging lanterns the night before." His father had never failed to catch students doing bad things. Lin Hongchu said sadly, "He was standing behind me at the time."
Xu Jiang was stunned. "Huh?"
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