Chapter 107
The two little babies had a fixed place to go every day. They would go to Luo's private school to learn after breakfast at 7 p.m., come back to have lunch at 5 p.m., take a nap for half an hour, go again at the beginning of 5 p.m., and go home after class at 10 p.m.
During the first few days in the private school, the two babies were full of energy and looked very curious. However, Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He were very worried and concerned about their children. He has to personally take his kids there several times a day, and after a day of teaching, he has to ask his two study partners about what happened in the day.
After all, the one they were most worried about was little Li. His brother was a steady and calm man at home, and he was not afraid of causing trouble when he went out. The real problem was the naughty little Li. However, the couple were worrying too much. When he went out of the house, little Li was much more sensible, and he didn't jump up and down like he did at home.
After several days passed like this, the couple gradually got used to their child going to school.
When going out early, you can occasionally hear the three babies reading. Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He both like to stand at the door and listen for a while.
Now that things were on the right track, the couple took time out to go back to the village to look at the fields.
It is early summer now, the crops have been harvested, and the fields are green. This year's seedlings were planted late and grow slower, but fortunately nothing was killed.
When the couple arrived at Haitang Bay, the hired farmers were weeding the corn seedlings in the field. It was their first year planting crops on wasteland, and the growth of the crops was weaker than those of the rest of the villagers. But even so, the hired farmers on the fields were still very satisfied. Looking at the crops on the land gave them hope, and their employers even lent them farm tools for farming, so they had no complaints.
As long as the wasteland is cleaned up and carefully managed for a few years, it can become fertile unless there is any major disaster.
When everyone saw Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He coming to the countryside, they greeted them politely.
Zhang Fangyuan found the old director Wang Youlian and asked, "Are there any problems with farming?"
"Everyone has seeds and fields, all good."
Zhang Fangyuan said, "If there is any damage, you can go to the other side of the house to repair it."
Wang Youlian happily agreed: "Okay."
Just when he was thinking of inviting the host to his home for a cup of tea, he heard Zhang Shicheng shouting as he walked over from a distance.
"Fourth uncle!"
Zhang Fangyuan looked at Zhang Shicheng, who was walking on the ridge of the field with his hands behind his back and a gloomy face. He didn't even hear the couple talking over there, so he had to chase after him to greet them.
"Are you back? Ruijin and Ruili have found a good teacher."
"Everything has been settled. Let's go to the village to check on the crops." Zhang Fangyuan tilted his head slightly and said, "Fourth uncle, what's wrong with you? You look so sad. What happened?"
"Hey!" Zhang Shicheng wanted to speak, but seeing the hired farmer beside him, he sighed and said to Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He, "Let's talk about it when we get home."
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He looked at each other, not understanding what was going on. Wang Youlian tactfully excused himself and went back to the fields to tend to the crops.
Several people returned to the house. After Zhang Fangyuan moved to the city with her husband and children, she let Zhang Shicheng and his family of three move into the house. On the one hand, it was more spacious and comfortable, and on the other hand, it was also convenient for her to manage the crops and hired farmers.
The main house is still there, so the couple can live there when they come back.
Having not been home for a while, Xu He felt the house was depressing when he entered. He was pacing in front of the eaves, and faint crying sounds could be heard in the house.
Seeing the couple coming back, He's face finally showed a smile and she came forward to greet them.
"What on earth is going on? I'm so worried."
Zhang Fangyuan glanced into the house and saw crying sounds coming from Xiaomao's room. He became even more anxious.
"Alas, the little brother has grown up and can't be kept." He frowned: "This child won't listen to anything."
After Xiaomao came of age, many people came to propose marriage to her. Zhang Shicheng and He also carefully selected the families who came to propose marriage. She did find one that she liked, but Xiaomao refused.
Zhang Shicheng and his wife had only one little boy, whom they loved since he was young. They didn't want the child to get married so early, and the family could afford to support him, so they were naturally happy about it. Moreover, the couple also intended to have a live-in son-in-law, so they didn't pay much attention to this matter.
As a result, I happened to see Xiaomao getting close to a hunter a while ago, so I kept an eye on him. As a result, I actually caught this kid and found out that he had an unusual relationship with the hunter.
Zhang Fangyuan laughed when he heard this and asked, "Is that hunter Zhuangqi?"
"Who else could it be but him?"
Zhang Fangyuan smacked his hands. He recognized Zhuang Qi. He was a few years younger than him and started learning hunting at a very young age. He used to go to the mountains with Wang Ju often. But later, Wang Ju got married and went up the mountains less and less. In addition, the hunter business has not been good in recent years.
That boy had been very brave and courageous since he was young. Although he was a few years younger than Zhang Fangyuan, he had played together with Zhang Fangyuan's group of kids, which left a deep impression on Zhang Fangyuan.
"I remember that he didn't like to chat with others and didn't talk much, but he was very loyal and had a good character." Zhang Fangyuan said: "In fact, the most important thing about marriage is the character of a person."
Zhang Shicheng knew what Zhang Fangyuan meant. Zhuang Qi was a good person and had a good relationship with Xiaomao, so it would be a good marriage. He is also from a farming family. Although the Zhang family is doing well now, it is also because of his nephew Zhang Fangyuan that their status has been raised.
"Your fourth aunt and I are not the kind of people who despise the poor and love the rich. We don't agree with the two of them being together because the Zhuang family is not rich. Zhuang Qi is from our village and grew up under our care. We know what he is like. He is not an idler. He is a craftsman who can make a living. There is nothing wrong with him."
Zhang Shicheng said, "I told you earlier that I wanted to find a live-in son-in-law. Those who came to ask for marriage before were either wealthy families or scholars. I thought that such families would not want their sons to marry into the family. Your aunt and I learned that Xiaomao liked Zhuang Qi. We thought that the Zhuang family was just an ordinary farmer's family, and their family conditions were not very good, so it would be easier to ask for it. But before I even opened my mouth, the Zhuang family rejected it outright."
Zhang Fangyuan frowned slightly, and then he realized what was going on at home. It turned out that his fourth uncle still agreed to the marriage, but the Zhuang family was a poor family among all the families who came to propose marriage. His fourth uncle could not consider the family property of the in-laws, but wanted Zhuang Qi to come to his house.
"That makes sense. Xiaomao is one of the best boys in our village. You can't just ignore your husband and give in to him in everything."
Xu He was a little puzzled. In fact, many ordinary families in their village knew that his fourth uncle had only one little boy and was interested in recruiting a son-in-law. Many families were willing to do so. After all, everyone knew that Xiaomao had a cousin who was a landlord and the cousin was an only child. Among all the cousins, Xiaomao was the one they loved the most. If the two families got married, they would definitely help each other in the future.
Besides, his fourth uncle had already moved into the house. Although he didn't say anything to others, seeing Zhang Shicheng taking care of the Zhang family's affairs and supervising the hired farmers, anyone with eyes knew that Zhang Fangyuan had handed over the affairs of the village house to Zhang Shicheng.
If I could marry Zhang Xiaomao, I would naturally be able to get a lot of benefits.
People from other villages came to propose marriage because of Xiaomao's good character and appearance, and also because they saw through her. That's why there were quite a few talented people who came to propose marriage, just like Xiao'e's marriage.
"The Zhuang family doesn't have an only son. Besides Zhuang Qi, they have other sons. Why don't they want Zhuang Qi to be their son-in-law?" Xu He asked, "Is it Zhuang Qi's idea or his family's?"
"Zhuang Qi was willing, but his family disagreed."
He rubbed her temples with a headache. "Your fourth uncle went to inquire about it earlier. He thought that the Zhuang family had known about the relationship between Zhuang Qi and Mao Ge'er for a long time, so they used this to raise a price and refused to be a live-in son-in-law, hoping to get more benefits. Later, I heard that there was a cousin sister in Zhuang's family who often visited her. She had a daughter who was very beautiful and admired Zhuang Qi."
"Mrs. Zhuang likes that little niece, and our family has recruited a live-in son-in-law. Considering the two, we are more inclined to the one from the cousin's family."
"Zhuang Qi is a man of few words. He said he wanted Mao Ge'er early in the morning, and then Mrs. Zhuang cried at home, threatening to die. The brothers and sisters also went to persuade Zhuang Qi. Although there is no result yet, who knows what will happen." He sighed, "I persuaded Mao Ge'er but he didn't listen. It was also a sin."
"It's been so long since this happened, why didn't Fourth Uncle send anyone to the city to tell us?"
Zhang Shicheng shook his head: "I know that you two have been busy with Ruijin and Ruili's affairs, and you just moved to the city. There are so many things to deal with that you didn't inform your family about this matter. I thought it would be settled soon, but I didn't expect it to still be going on."
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He also felt a bit troubled. This family did not agree, and it was even more difficult since it was the other family. If Zhang Shicheng and He Shi could still persuade them, how could they interfere in other people's family affairs? If the banker is just greedy for money, then it is easy to deal with. At most, he can give more dowry and some extra benefits, just like the Xu family in the past. Money can solve the problem.
But this is not just about money, it is difficult to deal with. We can't let Zhuang Qi ignore my mother's life or death and stay with Xiaomao. If so, wouldn't it be against filial piety? Besides, the life will be long, I am afraid that he will have resentment in the future.
The best thing is to call off this marriage. From now on, each person can go his own way. Xiaomao is a polite man. Although he loves Zhuang Qi and they have been in contact for a long time, they have never done anything out of line. There is no problem for the two families to arrange another marriage.
It’s a pity... Xu He took a look inside the house and felt sad and reluctant to leave.
"Don't worry about this, you two. Just wait and see. As long as you don't make a big deal out of it, it's fine. It's not like Mao Ge'er can't get married."
Zhang Fangyuan nodded: "Fourth uncle, don't worry too much. The marriage of children is always a big issue that causes family members to worry. Xiao'e's marriage was harmonious and smooth, but it took a lot of twists and turns to get it done."
"Your aunt and I can still clearly understand this point, no problem." Zhang Shicheng laughed: "Fortunately, there is only one in the family, so I can only be annoyed once, but there are two in your family, and you will be annoyed later."
"That will be more than ten years later, and I won't keep it in mind in advance."
The family had not been together for a long time. They had lunch together at noon, and in the afternoon they went to the teahouse and the guesthouse to check the accounts before returning to the city.
Originally I left early so that I could return in time to pick up my two children from school. However, I didn't expect that the road in the city was congested with traffic, which delayed me for some time. By the time I got home, it was already past the time for the children to get out of school.
Xu He went straight to the house after getting off the carriage. Normally, if he was delayed by something and was not at home waiting for the two children to finish school, little Li liked to wait at the door for the adults to come back. Even if he was too lazy to wait at the door, he would play in the place closest to the gate.
It was strange today. Xu He didn't see any children on his way in. If Gan Cao hadn't come to report it in a hurry, he would have thought that the two kids were left behind by the teacher.
"Mr. Ruili was startled and fell at the door. He is applying medicine in his bedroom today."
Before Gancao finished speaking, Xu He heard that Xiaolige had fallen, and rushed straight to the bedroom, anxiously asking the wind: "Isn't it crying very hard!"
"Hoohoo~ it won't hurt anymore if my brother blows on it."
"But it still hurts. Xiaoli is in so much pain, can we not go to the Master tomorrow?"
"If you don't go to the academy, you won't be able to see Xiaoxing. Is Xiaoli really not going?"
When Xu He ran to the gate, he saw the two little kids in the house discussing not going to school. Hearing Little Li's coquettish tone, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Ruili was sitting on a high stool with his trouser legs rolled up high, revealing a section of his white legs. His brother was standing next to him, burying his head and giving him a warm welcome. On the other side was a maid, using ointment to clean little Li's wound.
“Daddy!”
As soon as little Li looked up, he saw Xu He coming in. He missed his father a little after not seeing him for a day. He felt even more aggrieved when he came back from the fall because there was no adult at home. Fortunately, he had his brother, so he did not cry.
When Xu He went over, he saw that the little guy had a bruise on his knee. Although the skin was not broken, it was quite eye-catching on his fair skin.
This little baby has always been held in the palm of Xu He's hand since he was little, and his skin has never been broken. Xu He felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw this.
He picked up Little Li from the stool, turned him in his arms, took the ointment from the maid and applied it to the child: "Does it hurt?"
"Yeah." Little Li brother lay in his father's arms. He didn't feel so aggrieved at first. With someone protecting him, he suddenly became soft and gentle.
Xu He first praised the child for being sensible and not crying, and then his father hurried in after hearing the news and asked what happened.
"After school, I picked up the young master and went out. I happened to see the young master of the Qu family walking his big dog in the alley. The young master looked at it a few more times because it was interesting. I don't know if the young master of the Qu family really didn't pull the dog leash properly or if he did it on purpose, but the big dog rushed over and threw the young master to the ground, and he fell and hurt his knee."
"I wanted to go up and argue with them, but the strong men of the Qu family were folding their arms and looking very unreasonable. I didn't dare to confront them rashly because I didn't have any strong men with me. I had to take the young master and the young master back to the house first."
"You did a good job. The other side has more people. If there is a conflict, the child might be hurt." Zhang Fangyuan had to scold angrily: "The child didn't pull the dog well, and it doesn't mean that the servant couldn't pull it. It's far-fetched to say that it was unintentional."
He had seen the fat little kid from the Qu family in the alley. The family hired a teacher to teach him, but he was naughty and mischievous, and he and his servants humiliated the teacher. He left in anger the day before yesterday.
The boy was only about five years old, with a chubby belly, just like his fat father. It was said that his family had a casino, and there were many skilled servants at home, who acted like they were rich, and many people in the alley were afraid of them.
Later in the day when the sun sets and the weather gets cooler, he likes to be surrounded by a group of servants. When there are fewer dogs, he would go out with one, and when there are more, he would go out with several dogs. He would just take a walk here without caring whether he would scare passers-by or not.
"I have never provoked the Qu family, yet they are so unreasonable and bully others." Xu He cursed, "Just because you think you have more people, you are so arrogant and unreasonable."
"Even families with many children and a large population in the village act arrogantly, let alone in the city, where there are even more people who bully others by taking advantage of their power."
Zhang Fangyuan said: "Our family is indeed a little short of manpower."
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