Although Xiaolian didn't know what Xu Zifan was planning, she now had a blind trust in him and felt that listening to her third brother was definitely the right thing to do, so she agreed without hesitation.
Then they went to the library to deliver the books they had copied over the past few days and settle their accounts. In total, they earned two taels of silver from this trip! Xu Zifan entrusted all the silver to Xiaolian, intending to cultivate her composure regarding money; after all, he was right beside her, which would deter pickpockets. Xiaolian's face flushed with excitement, and she looked at things she liked the whole way, but she sensibly didn't utter a single word of "want."
As they passed a fabric shop, Xu Zifan vaguely spotted Zheng Chuan inside. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed him! He led Xiao Lian inside and said with a smile, "Zheng Chuan, what a coincidence! You're here to buy fabric? Want some clothes made?"
Zheng Chuan tensed up, turned around and nodded at him, then glanced at Xiao Lian, pointed to a piece of dark blue cloth, and said, "I want this. Give me enough to make a set of clothes."
The waiter hesitated and said, "Sir, weren't you just now..."
"This is it."
Zheng Chuan's tone was somewhat cold, and the waiter hurriedly nodded in agreement, taking the cloth and ruler to measure.
Xu Zifan stepped forward and took a look, saying, "This fabric is nice, but the color is a bit old-fashioned. Zheng Chuan, would you like to buy some other colors?"
"Dirty." Zheng Chuan simply replied with two words and stepped aside, indicating that they should choose.
Xu Zifan thought for a moment and nodded, "That's right. We often go into the mountains and sometimes we might get splattered with blood. This color is quite suitable. Brother Er, help me get a piece of this cloth too, just enough to make a set." Then he said to Xiaolian, "Xiaolian, you choose. Make a set of clothes for you and your parents, and pick the nice ones."
Xiao Lian exclaimed in surprise, "Third Brother, I have one too? This... isn't that too much? My parents' and my clothes are all fine. How about... we make you a couple more sets so you can wear them later when you come... uh..." Xiao Lian quickly shut up when she saw Zheng Chuan and changed her words, "You still have to study, so it'll be suitable for you to change into them later."
Xu Zifan shook his head, "No need to be so frugal. It's not like I'm not going into the mountains or copying books anymore. Hurry up and choose, or we'll have to walk back if we miss the donkey cart."
Seeing that he was serious, Xiaolian's heart raced a little, and she smiled, "Then I'll choose, Third Brother?"
"Go ahead and choose," Xu Zifan urged, walking over to Zheng Chuan and asking, "Zheng Chuan, are you in a hurry to leave? If not, why don't you wait for us a bit? Xiao Lian should have chosen soon."
Zheng Chuan couldn't help but glance at Xiao Lian and nodded, "Okay, I'll wait for you."
Seeing Zheng Chuan looking at Xiao Lian, Xu Zifan figured there was probably a chance. He couldn't tell them directly, at most he could arrange a few meetings, and he'd have to be there. If they were interested in each other, they would naturally show it. Didn't Zheng Chuan seem to be interested? Otherwise, what man would be watching a girl next to her brother? But Zheng Chuan was quite restrained; he glanced at her a few times and then looked outside. Good, he knew his limits.
It's tough in ancient times; marrying off a younger sister is harder than passing the imperial examinations. He needs to hurry and see his two older sisters. Maybe he can find an excuse for them to visit their parents' home. He remembers his second sister giving birth to a daughter and being complained about by her mother-in-law; she's quick-tempered and seems to have some inner conflict. His eldest sister did give birth to her husband's family's eldest grandson, but her mother-in-law took the child to raise; she's somewhat timid. The best way to help them is to support them. Passing the imperial examinations should be enough.
Xu Zifan pondered for a while and realized that Xiao Lian hadn't finished choosing yet. He glanced at Zheng Chuan, who seemed to be in a daze, and broke the silence, "Zheng Chuan, I'm thinking of going to explore the deep mountains tomorrow. Do you want to come?"
Zheng Chuan immediately turned around and disagreed, saying, "The deep mountains are dangerous. You're not familiar with the mountains yet, so don't go. Which cave do you want to go to? You can wash in the stream... it's the same."
Xu Zifan touched his nose, glanced around, leaned closer, and whispered, "It's not for taking a bath. I want to see if there are any precious medicinal herbs. No one has picked them here before, so maybe we can find something."
Zheng Chuan slightly flinched, "Are you short of money?"
Xu Zifan nodded and sighed, "We're really short of them, and I hope we can save up as soon as possible. Actually, it's fine if you don't go in. You can just cover for me. If my parents ask in the future, just say that you went with me."
"I don't lie," Zheng Chuan said without hesitation.
Xu Zifan looked at him, took a deep breath, and smiled, "You're such a good boy. Then please don't tell my parents. I reckon as long as I get home safely, they won't bother you with anything." He figured they couldn't reach an agreement on this, so he changed the subject, "Why are you always wearing so much? Doesn't it hurt your neck with such a high collar? It's not that cold yet, is it? But you don't seem to be sweating..."
Xu Zifan became more and more puzzled as he spoke. Zheng Chuan's outfit was no different from a modern suit worn under the blazing sun, was it? Wasn't he hot?
Zheng Chuan said, "I'm used to it. To avoid getting injured while hunting, I don't get hot."
"Oh, you've got something strapped to your shoulders and elbows, that's quite protective. But when you're not hunting, you should wear lighter clothes. Although carrying heavy loads can strengthen your body, carrying them for a long time without removing them can easily cause joint problems. You're still young and don't feel it yet, but these problems will show up after you turn thirty, so you need to be more careful." Xu Zifan hadn't paid much attention before, but now that he saw it, he said a few more words, which is kind of an occupational habit.
Zheng Chuan nodded somewhat awkwardly and said thank you, "Thank you, I understand."
Xu Zifan thought Zheng Chuan probably hadn't interacted with people for many years and wasn't used to chatting with them, always managing to kill the conversation. Fortunately, he...
He sensed that Zheng Chuan didn't dislike him; in fact, he liked Zheng Chuan's personality and quite wanted to befriend him. He found the thought of Zheng Chuan being afraid of him pestering him with a bunch of excuses amusing and continued, "Actually, since you live on the edge of the village, and hardly anyone passes by, you can easily lock the gate, wear only your undershirt, and enjoy the freedom and comfort of being at home. Those light, soft fabrics are the most comfortable. I can't do that; it's inconvenient to even take a shower at home, I have to go to the mountains."
Zheng Chuan stiffened for a moment, pursed his lips, and remained silent.
Xu Zifan nudged his arm and tentatively asked, "Hey, have you thought about getting married? How will you find a suitable wife in the future if you don't like socializing with people like this?"
Zheng Chuan took a deep breath and said, "I suddenly remembered I have something to do, so I'll take my leave first."
Xu Zifan was stunned for a moment. Seeing Zheng Chuan walk out, he quickly chased after him, calling out, "Zheng Chuan, Zheng Chuan!"
He called out twice, then asked Shaohua in surprise, "[What's wrong with him? Did I say something offensive?]"
[No, it was just normal banter between friends. His reaction was normal; according to the information gathered, Zheng Chuan is a quiet, reserved person who doesn't like socializing.]
[I thought we were friends. We got along really well in the mountains. He even kept watch for me and let me bathe.] Xu Zifan was completely baffled. [It seems making friends in ancient times is different from modern times. Much more difficult. I'd better make some money first. Shaohua, remember to scan carefully tomorrow. Whether I can get back safely from these mountains depends entirely on you!]
[Don't worry, the scanning range is 500 meters, which is enough for you to avoid wild animals or escape.]
[Excellent! Let's go earlier so we have more time to find precious medicinal herbs.]
"Third Brother, I've made my choice." It was Xiaolian's first time buying fabric by herself. She had been looking for a long time and said shyly, "Third Brother, were you getting impatient? I think there are a few that are quite nice. I hesitated for a long time before deciding."
Xu Zifan said nonchalantly, "It'll be over soon. That's how it is with choosing things. You pay for it."
Xiao Lian happily went to pay. The feeling of having all her money on her and being able to buy things herself was wonderful. On the way back, Xiao Lian kept smiling and chattering away with Xu Zifan. Xu Zifan and the others rode a donkey cart back, but they didn't see Zheng Chuan along the way. Xu Zifan reflected on his actions; perhaps he should try to adapt to Zheng Chuan's pace. Less talking wasn't necessarily a bad thing; they could be friends. At least that way, Zheng Chuan wouldn't have to walk home, which was quite tiring.
When they got home, Xiaolian couldn't wait to go to Xu's parents' room to show them the money she had earned and the fabric she had bought, excitedly talking non-stop. However, she deliberately lowered her voice and told Xu's parents not to make a fuss. She said, "My second brother and sister-in-law are wary of us, so we have to be wary of them too. Father, Mother, we've separated the family property, so you must all be on the same page as my third brother. This money was earned by my third brother through his own efforts, so we can't give it to my eldest and second brothers!"
Xu's mother tapped her on the head and said with a smile, "You little girl, you still worry about these things? Your parents aren't made of wood, do you need to tell us?"
Xiaolian rubbed her head and said, "I was just afraid you'd be too soft-hearted. Some parents are like that, using the money from one son to subsidize the other children, and look how poorly they all are doing. Third Brother is a good and capable man, and he's so good to us, so of course we should be on his side. Besides, I'm just taking precautions. Look at how my sister-in-law acted the other day, wasn't it all because of money? It's better to avoid trouble."
Xu's mother and father exchanged a thoughtful glance. Xu's mother sighed and said, "You really have become quite the smooth talker since following your third brother. That's good, so you won't be bullied when you get married."
"Who would dare bully me? My third brother will definitely help me," Xiaolian said nonchalantly. She gave all the money to Xu's mother and said, "Mother, this is what my third brother asked me to give you. He said you should keep it."
After thinking for a moment, Xu's mother said to Xu's father, "Old man, I don't think it's appropriate for us to take this money. Xiaolian is right, it's better to avoid trouble. This is all earned by the third son, let him keep it himself. We have some income from farming, and if something happens to the eldest and second sons in the future, we can still use our share. Let's not get involved with the third son's money."
Xu's father nodded. "Take it to the third son, and take all the money from selling bamboo products. The third son is filial. We'll only keep what we earned from farming, as a way to save for our coffins. We can't let the third son suffer."
Xu's mother readily agreed and immediately knocked on Xu Zifan's door. When Xu Zifan opened the door, he saw Zheng Chuan walking by. Since Xu's mother was carrying a money bag, he went inside with her without calling out to Zheng Chuan. However, he was a little puzzled. Why did the cloth bag Zheng Chuan was carrying seem much bigger than before? Had he gone shopping again?