Chapter 17

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Chapter 17: Gratitude

     

When Liu Qian’s father and brother arrived at the Zhangs’ house, it was already midday.

     

Butcher Liu was basking in the sun and chatting with Zhang Cai in the small courtyard when he noticed Mr. Liu and Liu Kai being escorted over by villagers. The walls surrounding the Zhangs’ courtyard were too short, so Butcher Liu spotted them from afar. Both of them were dressed in brand-new attire, with Liu Kai following behind his father, carrying several large gift boxes.

     

Butcher Liu quickly got up, motioned to Zhang Cai, and went out to greet his brother. Zhang Cai shouted into the house: “Wife, Liu Qian’s father is here.”

     

Upon hearing the shout, Liu Qian didn’t discard her needlework and rushed out like Liu Yueyue. Instead, she carefully placed the half-finished item on the table and waited for Guo Sufei to go out first before following behind.

     

By the time Liu Qian reached the courtyard, Butcher Liu and Liu Yueyue had already escorted her father and brother to the gate, where Zhang Cai, leaning on his cane, was welcoming them. After the initial introductions and greetings, Liu Qian approached her father and older brother to pay her respects. Mr. Liu took his daughter’s hand, carefully examining her expression.

     

He noticed no traces of the incident from the day before on her familiar face, and there was no sign of panic or fear in her eyes, just a slight redness around them. Mr. Liu couldn’t help but feel guilty; it was all due to his lack of foresight. He patted his daughter’s shoulder and said: “You’ve been through a lot, my child.”

     

Liu Qian wiped her eyes and smiled, saying: “This daughter is fine. Thanks to the help of Brother Xiaolong and his family, we managed to escape from danger.”

     

Mr. Liu gestured for Liu Kai to hand over the gift boxes and said to Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei: “We can’t thank you enough for this great favor, but these humble gifts are a token of our gratitude. I hope benefactors can accept them as a heartfelt expression of our gratitude.”

     

Zhang Cai quickly pushed the gift boxes back, politely saying: “We just happened to be there at the right time and we didn’t contribute much. In the end, they and us were also saved by other people.”

     

Mr. Liu insisted on handing them over, saying: “It’s thanks to all of you. If it weren’t for your assistance, our children might have met with disaster long ago, and those two young heroes might not have come to their aid.”

     

Seeing the back-and-forth between the two, Butcher Liu couldn’t help but feel anxious. He reached out and took the gift boxes, saying: “No need to be polite. Brother Zhang, my elder brother’s intentions are sincere. There’s no need for you to refuse.” With that, he carried the gift boxes into the main room.

     

Mr. Liu smiled at Zhang Cai and said: “My younger brother has always been hot-tempered. Please don’t mind him, Brother Zhang.”

     

Zhang Cai also smiled and replied: “No problem. Your brother is straightforward. It’s us who are being too polite. Please, let’s continue our conversation inside.”

     

Zhang Cai ushered Mr. Liu into the main room. The Zhangs’ main room was quite small, with only a few chairs, so there was no need to worry about seating arrangements. Everyone sat wherever they pleased.

     

After Mr. Liu had settled down, he once again expressed his gratitude for the Zhang family’s kindness. He then took out some scattered silver from his pocket and placed it on the small table in the room, saying: “Brother Zhang, your family was injured while trying to save my daughter from the bullies. It’s only right and proper that we take responsibility for this. Please take this silver to seek medical treatment. Our family is not wealthy, so this is all we can offer. I hope you understand.”

     

This time, Zhang Cai firmly refused to accept it. He said: “Xiaohua has already explained the situation to you, right? The bullies have already compensated us with silver, but we were afraid they might come back for the rest, so we didn’t dare to use it. Besides, the Young Hero Wen who saved us has already given us plenty of silver, enough for medical treatment and buying medicine. We absolutely cannot accept this silver.”

     

Liu Kai chimed in: “Uncle Zhang, we owe you this silver. It wouldn’t be right for you to bear the medical expenses after your sons were injured while saving my little sisters. There’s no logic in us standing by idly without contributing anything.”

     

Butcher Liu scratched his head and said: “Brother Zhang, just take it. In a few days, I’ll bring you some silver and meat.”

     

Zhang Cai said: “My two brothers, absolutely not. We didn’t rescue anyone for the sake of silver. Besides, we already have silver for medical treatment. We cannot accept this.”

     

So, they went back and forth, refusing to accept each other’s offers. After a while, Zhang Cai remained adamant about not accepting.

     

At this point, Liu Qian spoke up, addressing her father: “Dad, since Uncle Zhang won’t accept this silver, you can take it back first. I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?”

     

Mr. Liu replied: “Alright, you’ve always been exceptionally clever since you were young. What’s your idea this time?”

     

Liu Qian said: “Since Uncle Zhang and his family got injured while saving us, why don’t the two of us stay here to take care of them until they fully recover? Firstly, with three members of Uncle Zhang’s family injured and with an elderly person to take care of, Aunt Guo alone will be overwhelmed. By helping out here, we can ensure that their household runs smoothly. Secondly, with Uncle Zhang and his family unable to move around easily, they’ll need someone to attend to them. It’s the least we can do. What do you think?”

     

Mr. Liu pondered for a moment and said: “I didn’t consider this properly. Qian’er’s idea is excellent. What do you think, Second Brother?”

     

Butcher Liu slapped his chest and said: “Very good, very good. I was thinking the same thing.”

     

Liu Yueyue also nodded in agreement.

     

So, the matter was settled like this for the time being.

     

Then, Mr. Liu and Liu Kai went into the inner room. Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu were still lying on the bed. They heard when they heard Butcher Liu called out just now, but they were stopped by Guo Sufei and the others. Now, seeing someone entering, knowing it was Liu Qian’s father and brother, they quickly sat up. This time, Liu Qian didn’t come to help Zhang Xiaolong up. Instead, Guo Sufei carefully helped her son sit up on the kang.

     

Mr. Liu then carefully examined this courageous young man. Zhang Xiaolong was a very masculine young man, about the same age as Liu Kai. He had an ordinary appearance, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, much like Zhang Cai. However, his eyes were swollen at the moment, and the corner of his mouth was split open. Despite this, his determination was evident in his gaze, indicating that he was a reliable person.

     

His clothes were not new, with some patches, but they were clean and well-washed, making him look very comfortable. Zhang Xiaolong’s arm was still in a splint, restricting his movements, so he kept his hands clasped in front of him. Looking at his slightly rough hands, one could tell he was a good hand in the field.

     

Mr. Liu looked at this young man, who was about the same height as his own son but had a completely different temperament. He couldn’t help but nod silently, acknowledging that only such outstanding children could step forward in times of danger for others.

     

Zhang Xiaolong felt uneasy under Mr. Liu’s gaze, not knowing what to do. After observing him for a while, Mr. Liu finally spoke, thanking him for saving his daughter and expressing his hope for a speedy recovery. He exchanged a few more words before leaving the room. As he walked away, he said to Zhang Cai: “Brother Zhang, you are blessed to have a such wonderful son.”

     

Zhang Cai couldn’t stop smiling, his mouth almost unable to close, as he leaned on his cane and remained modest: “Mutual praise, Brother Liu’s son is also excellent.”

     

Seeing that it was already noon, Zhang Cai instructed Guo Sufei to arrange food and drinks to entertain Mr. Liu and his party. The Zhang family’s financial situation was far from comparable to Mr. Liu’s, so the meal was quite simple. Zhang Cai apologized for this, but Mr. Liu and Butcher Liu were both generous individuals, not minding at all. They enjoyed the meal and drank quite a bit. Only Zhang Xiaohua was the happiest. Having meat to eat for two consecutive days, he wished for such days to come more often.

     

After the meal, Mr. Liu and his party chatted briefly with Zhang Cai before taking advantage of the still-early hour to hurry back to Baligou with the two girls.

     

The Zhang family was left with their injured members lying on the bed.

     

Fortunately, it was midwinter, a time when cats usually stayed indoors to keep warm, and there was no need to busy themselves with farming or weeding. However, this afternoon everyone felt like something was missing. As dusk approached, Guo Sufei prepared dinner and realized that with the absence of the two girls, they would need to make less food. She couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy. It was strange how the atmosphere in the house had changed. Originally, there were six people in the household, and over the years, they hadn’t felt anything amiss. But in just these few days, with the sudden addition of two girls, the house had become livelier. Now that they were gone, the liveliness disappeared as well. It made them realize how much they had enjoyed the presence of the extra company.

     

They quickly prepared dinner. Zhang Xiaohua and his mother served the two brothers, and afterward, they all sat together under the oil lamp. Guo Sufei spoke up: “I wonder if Liu Qian and the others have had their dinner?”

     

Zhang Cai replied: “Judging by the time, they probably just arrived home. It’s too late for them to cook, so I suppose they’ll have dinner at Butcher Liu’s place.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua said: “Definitely, maybe they’ll even have some pork belly tonight.”

     

Guo Sufei asked: “By the way, Xiaohua, have you been to their house? What’s their home like?”

     

Based on his knowledge, Zhang Xiaohua described the situation at Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue’s home.

     

Guo Sufei had actually always wanted to inquire about Liu Qian’s family situation, but she found it difficult to broach the subject with Liu Qian directly. Yesterday, she didn’t get a chance to ask when she met Butcher Liu, and today, observing Mr. Liu and Liu Kai’s demeanor and attitude, she felt somewhat uneasy. Now, upon hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s words, her heart became even more tangled, her brow furrowing. Worriedly, she said to Zhang Cai: “Husband, do you think Liu Qian can fall for our Xiaolong?”

     

No one else interjected, and Zhang Xiaolong’s expression darkened. Zhang Cai remarked: “This depends on fate. Talking about it won’t change anything. Let’s leave it to destiny.”

     

Zhang Xiaohu chimed in: “Mom, I feel that Liu Qian is attentive. She must have read many books and she’s well-educated and sensible. Her competency in household chores goes without saying, she’s really good. She’s much better than the lively Liu Yueyue. From the way she took care of eldest brother, there seems to be some meaning there.”

     

Zhang Xiaohua remarked: “Second Brother, these daughters-in-law have to be married in one at a time. Don’t be too hasty. Even if you don’t mention Liu Yueyue, Mom will also consider your preferences.”

     

Zhang Xiaohu looked a bit uncomfortable and kicked Zhang Xiaohua lightly, saying: “We’re talking about eldest brother’s matter. Don’t digress. There’s nothing going on between me and Liu Yueyue.”

     

However, Zhang Cai interjected: “Second child, even if you have something going on with her, you should consider your eldest brother first. Considering our family’s situation, marrying in a daughter-in-law is already quite difficult. You should wait a bit longer for that.”

     

Guo Sufei interjected: “Husband, what about those banknotes…”

     

Zhang Cai cut her off with a glare, saying: “Don’t mention that. Those are debts we have to repay.”

     

Subsequently, everyone fell into silence. Before long, the oil lamp was extinguished, and they all retired to bed.

     

Zhang Xiaolong tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Whether it was the pain from his injuries or the worries weighing on his mind, his restlessness didn’t affect Zhang Xiaohua’s twinkling dream.