Chapter 138

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Yuan Changqing noticed the change in Head Escort Luo’s expression and quickly stepped forward to explain: “Head Escort, please don’t misunderstand. This young boy is actually our Boss Zhang’s biological younger brother, Zhang Xiaohua. We happened to run into him in town, so we brought him back to reunite with his brother. Even if he weren’t Boss Zhang’s brother, at such a young age, and being from Pingyang City, we couldn’t just let him roam around here alone, could we?”

Hearing this, Head Escort Luo’s expression softened slightly as he asked: “You’re sure you recognize him? You know he’s Zhang Xiaohu’s brother?”

Yuan Changqing smiled and replied: “Head Escort, you must be joking. I can’t say I know him well, but look at this boy’s face, doesn’t he look just like our Boss Zhang? There’s hardly any reason to doubt it.”

Head Escort Luo looked suspiciously at Zhang Xiaohua for a while, then smacked his bald head and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, right? I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “That’s probably right, Head Escort Luo. I was injured last year and spent some time recovering at the escort agency. Perhaps we crossed paths back then.”

Head Escort Luo thought for a moment, then smiled and said: “Maybe so. Last year, the agency had a lot of work, and I was often out on assignments, so I wasn’t around much. We probably met once or twice.”

After that, Head Escort Luo turned to Yuan Changqing and said: “Zhang Xiaohu is out on some business and won’t be back until the evening. You’d better take the boy to his brother’s room for now.”

With that, he raised his head high and strode out of the courtyard.

Once Head Escort Luo had gone, Yuan Changqing dropped his smile and muttered under his breath: “Ignore him, Zhang Xiaohua. That man just likes to throw his weight around because he’s the head escort. He’s always looking down on us escorts and nitpicking over the smallest things. Boss Zhang, oh, I mean your second brother has had more than a few run-ins with him because of it. That’s probably why he was giving you a hard time.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t take it to heart. He thought to himself that he was just a stranger suddenly appearing here, so it made sense for the head escort to question him carefully. If he had been let off too easily, what kind of head escort would that make him?

Yuan Changqing saw Zhang Xiaohua just smiling and said: “Let’s go. I’ll take you to Boss Zhang’s room. You look tired, so you should rest a bit first. We’ll wait until this evening for your brother to return.”

With that, they led Zhang Xiaohua to a simple little room. The door was slightly ajar, and as they pushed it open, they found the room sparsely furnished. Yuan Changqing smiled and explained: “This courtyard was temporarily rented when we arrived last year. It’s quite simple, and we’ll probably be leaving soon, so we didn’t add any new furnishings.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “This room is quite similar to the one my brother has at the escort agency.”

Yuan Changqing said: “This room is alright since Boss Zhang lives here alone and likes to keep things clean. It’s tidy. However, the place where we stay is quite a different story. It’s so messy that it’s beyond simple description. Anyway, Zhang Xiaohua, you should rest now. When Boss Zhang returns, you can give him a big surprise.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s heart warmed at the thought and said: “Alright, but make sure no one tells him beforehand.”

Yuan Changqing and the others all smiled and said: “Sure, it’s a promise. Boss Zhang is very generous with us. He hasn’t been this happy for a long time, so this will definitely make him excited.”

Zhang Xiaohua then asked: “But what about Head Escort Luo? He knows about this too, doesn’t he? He won’t tell my second brother, will he?”

Yuan Changqing and the others laughed and said: “Haha, don’t worry. Head Escort Luo is out now, probably looking for some amusement. With Boss Zhang here, he’s very reliable and handles everything well. He won’t be back until nightfall.”

Zhang Xiaohua felt reassured and agreed.

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua looked tired, Yuan Changqing and the others didn’t linger and took their leave.

Zhang Xiaohua had been on the move since early morning, dealt with troublemakers at the tavern, showed off his skills, and then had to fight them off. By this time, he was naturally exhausted. He glanced at his arm where the wound had stopped bleeding and wasn’t hurting much, so he decided not to worry about it. He spread out the blanket on Zhang Xiaohu’s bed and quickly curled up under it, closing his eyes and falling asleep almost immediately.

Time passed swiftly, and the short winter day gave way to the early onset of dusk.

At twilight, Zhang Xiaohu returned from his errands, visibly tired but also a bit pleased. Although he was just an assistant to Head Escort Luo, he often felt like he was being treated as if he were an indispensable worker. Today, he handled negotiations with merchants about their return route, and Head Escort Luo seemed to have left everything to him. While it was a lot of responsibility, Zhang Xiaohu saw it as a valuable learning experience. He felt confident that he could handle solo assignments in the future. Yet, he couldn’t help but smile wryly and shake his head. He was still just an escort, how could the escort agency put him in a position to be in charge?

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohu had already finalized the return schedule and route with the merchants. With the journey back to Pingyang City imminent, he couldn’t help but feel eager to return. He had been away for New Year’s, running two long escorts, and hadn’t spent the holiday in Pingyang City. He wondered how his brother Zhang Xiaohua was faring at Huanxi Villa. However, considering that Zhang Xiaohua mentioned he was well cared for and looked after by many people at the villa, he likely had a pleasant New Year. Zhang Xiaohu also remembered Young Master Li Jinfeng, who was supposed to bring a message and some money back for his family before the New Year. But Zhang Xiaohu had been so rushed that he hadn’t had time to meet him. Mr. Li was now probably enjoying family time, He wondered if he still remembered to make the trip to Guo Villa.

As Zhang Xiaohu entered the courtyard and greeted the people there, he quickly headed to his room. He pushed open the slightly ajar door and walked to the small table inside. He took out a fire striker from his pocket, lit the oil lamp, and poured himself a cup of water. After sitting on a small stool and taking a deep breath, he relaxed a bit.

As he finished his water, Zhang Xiaohu noticed someone lying on his bed. He shook his head, thinking: “Which of the escort agency’s brothers is this? Could he have stumbled into the wrong room after drinking?”

Zhang Xiaohu then stood up, picked up the oil lamp, and walked to the bed. The person was lying on their side, soundly asleep. Zhang Xiaohu, in a bit of a bad mood, pulled them over and cursed with a smile: “Wake up already. It’s dark outside. Go eat something. If you want to sleep, go back to your own room.”

The person was small and light, and Zhang Xiaohu easily turned them over. As he looked at their face more closely, he couldn’t help but exclaim: “Xiaohua!”

The oil lamp nearly fell on Zhang Xiaohua’s face.

Zhang Xiaohu was startled and quickly steadied the lamp to avoid any harm to Zhang Xiaohua’s face. He then took a closer look, rubbing his eyes, and confirmed it was indeed Zhang Xiaohua’s small face. Who else could it be?

Could this be a dream?

Zhang Xiaohu walked to the door, observing the guards and escorts moving around the courtyard. The snow in the courtyard was still deep, just like the small courtyard he had entered. Then, to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, Zhang Xiaohu pinched his own cheek. The pain confirmed that he was indeed not dreaming!

But how did Xiaohua end up on his bed all the way from Pingyang City?

Thinking about it, Zhang Xiaohu quickly walked to the edge of the bed, intending to wake Zhang Xiaohua and question him. However, seeing how deeply Zhang Xiaohua was sleeping, he realized his brother must be exhausted. So, he decided to let him rest, no matter what had happened. Even if it was a major issue, as long as Zhang Xiaohua was under his care, it was Zhang Xiaohu’s responsibility as an older brother to handle it. His younger brother had clearly endured a lot to come here, and regardless of the situation, it was better to wait until he woke up to discuss everything.

With this in mind, Zhang Xiaohu carefully blew out the oil lamp, set it down gently, and tiptoed out of the room. He quietly closed the door, trying not to make any noise that might disturb Zhang Xiaohua’s sleep.

In the courtyard, Zhang Xiaohu stopped a passing escort and asked: “Is Head Luo around?”

The escort replied with a smile: “Boss Zhang, don’t you know? When was the last time Head Luo had dinner here in the evening? He’s definitely out now.”

Zhang Xiaohu chuckled and said: “I know that. I’m asking if you’ve seen him today.”

The escort replied: “I haven’t seen him since the afternoon.”

Zhang Xiaohu continued to inquire: “Did you see anyone else enter my room?”

The escort thought for a moment and said: “I don’t recall seeing anyone. Our courtyard is quite isolated, and we rarely get strangers. If someone had come, I would remember. Is something missing, Boss Zhang?”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled and said: “No, nothing’s missing. I was just asking.”

He then let the escort go.

Next, Zhang Xiaohu asked a few other escorts, receiving the same response. He was puzzled. Did his brother fly here? Moreover, how did Zhang Xiaohua know he was here?

Just then, he ran into Yuan Changqing and a few other close escorts returning from outside. Yuan Changqing greeted him with a smile: “Boss Zhang, just returned from outside?”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled back: “Yes, just got back. Why, did you go out again?”

Yuan Changqing said: “It’s boring staying in the courtyard. Why not go out and do something?”

Zhang Xiaohu replied: “Going out to wander isn’t as useful as practicing martial arts. Why not spend time practicing your punches and kicks?”

Yuan Changqing laughed: “Boss Zhang, we’re not like you. No matter how much we practice, we don’t make much progress. If I had your luck and could learn internal martial arts at the martial arts hall, I’d practice diligently too.”

Zhang Xiaohu said: “As the ancients said, ‘Opportunity always favors those who are prepared’. If you don’t take things seriously, even if an opportunity arises, you won’t be able to seize it.”

Yuan Changqing replied: “Alright, Boss Zhang. We know you care about us. We’ll practice our martial arts properly after dinner, so you won’t have wasted your breath.”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled: “Whether you practice or not is up to you. There’s no need to look at my face.”

Then Yuan Changqing asked mysteriously: “Boss Zhang, did you just return? Haven’t you been to your room yet?”

Zhang Xiaohu was puzzled and said: “I returned a while ago; I’ve already been to my room.”

He then suddenly realized and asked: “Was it you who brought Zhang Xiaohua back?”

Yuan Changqing blinked and smiled: “It seems it was indeed me.”

Zhang Xiaohu laughed heartily: “Good brother, it’s worth it for me to treat you well. I need to properly thank you this time.”

Yuan Changqing quickly declined: “Boss Zhang, you’re too polite. You’ve always been generous to us, and although you’re not very old, everyone respects you. It’s a pleasure to do something for you. You don’t need to be so formal. Besides, we just happened to run into him, we didn’t really do much.”

Zhang Xiaohu said with a smile: “No matter what, Xiaohua is only a teenager. Without a few of you looking after him, he wouldn’t have found this place. By the way, how did you come across him? Do you know Xiaohua?”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Changqing and the others looked quite animated. He said: “Boss Zhang, as the saying goes, ‘A tiger father doesn’t produce a dog son’. In your case, it should be ‘dragon brother, tiger brother’.”

Zhang Xiaohu was taken aback and joked: “What nonsense! My elder brother is named Xiao Long, and I’m Xiao Hu. It’s only natural that we’d be ‘dragon brother, tiger brother’.”[TL_Note: Xiao Long = Little Dragon and Xiao Hu = Little Tiger]

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohu didn’t understand, Yuan Changqing smiled and explained: “I mean, your younger brother is truly impressive.”

Zhang Xiaohu was still puzzled, so Yuan Changqing recounted in detail everything that happened that afternoon.

It took a good while for him to finish his story, and Yuan Changqing’s storytelling skills were excellent. He would have been a great storyteller if not for his current profession.

The people nearby all gave thumbs up and praised Zhang Xiaohu for having an impressive younger brother. Zhang Xiaohu’s expression changed from worry to concern as he listened, mainly worrying about Zhang Xiaohua’s injury. After Yuan Changqing finished, Zhang Xiaohu said: “You all wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Under the puzzled gazes of the others, Zhang Xiaohu quickly ran back to his small room.

Before long, he returned with his expression back to normal.

Yuan Changqing asked: “Boss Zhang, did you forget something?”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled and said: “I didn’t forget anything. I was just worried about Xiaohua’s injury. I couldn’t feel at ease without seeing it with my own eyes.”

Only then did the others understand, silently sighing. While everyone else was focused on the excitement of the fight, only Xiaohua’s real brother cared solely about his injury. Zhang Xiaohu needed to see for himself that his brother was unharmed to be at ease.

Yuan Changqing also felt ashamed and said: “Boss Zhang, that’s my fault. I was so focused on bringing Zhang Xiaohua back that I forgot about this matter. Do you know how his arm is now?”

Zhang Xiaohu replied with a smile: “It’s nothing serious. It was just an oversight. I took a rough look earlier, it’s hard to see clearly in the light of the oil lamp, but it seems to have scabbed over. It should be just a surface injury. Xiaohua must be exhausted because of the blood loss. Normally, he’s very lively.”

Yuan Changqing said fiercely: “If Xiaohua is fine, that’s one thing. But if there’s any problem, we’ll definitely make sure those responsible pay for it.”

Zhang Xiaohu’s expression also darkened and he said: “That’s right. My brother can’t suffer injuries for nothing. Although I let them off this afternoon, since he’s been hurt, it’s a different matter. I’ll definitely find them tomorrow and make them pay!”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Changqing had a strange expression. In order to protect Zhang Xiaohua’s heroic image earlier, Yuan Changqing had used some creative storytelling and left out some details. Since Zhang Xiaohu had brought it up, Yuan Changqing could no longer hide it. He glanced around, pulled Zhang Xiaohu aside, and whispered in his ear.

Zhang Xiaohu’s face lit up with excitement as he listened. By the time Yuan Changqing finished, he was nearly bursting into laughter, still in disbelief, he asked: “Did he really do that? You saw it with your own eyes?”

Yuan Changqing laughed and said: “Am I going to lie to Boss Zhang? If you don’t believe it, you can ask him tomorrow or check for yourself later.”

Zhang Xiaohu laughed heartily and said: “In that case, there’s no need to trouble myself with them. Hahaha!”

He then said: “Brothers, let’s go out for drinks later. We won’t return until we’re all drunk.”

It seemed that the news about his brother being alright had made Zhang Xiaohu so happy that he wanted to celebrate with a drink. However, it was also a celebration of the unexpected reunion with his brother.

The others were surprised to see Zhang Xiaohu, who had been angry just a moment ago, now smiling brightly. They gathered around Yuan Changqing and the others to ask about the details. A few of them could only deflect and suggest that they go ask Zhang Xiaohu. Zhang Xiaohu also kept it a secret and refused to explain, leaving everyone feeling frustrated.

By the evening, at the dinner table, the others, seeing Zhang Xiaohu was quite drunk, once again brought up the topic. Zhang Xiaohu finally made it clear. The others, hearing the story, all laughed heartily and gave a thumbs-up, saying: “Zhang Xiaohua, really something!”

Then everyone was stunned

Everyone enjoyed their drinks, and though they said they wouldn’t return until drunk, how could Zhang Xiaohu drink so much with his injured brother sleeping on his bed? The rest of the group drank to their fill and left, leaving Zhang Xiaohu to return to the small courtyard alone and sober.

That night, Zhang Xiaohu lay down beside Zhang Xiaohua on the bed, keeping a safe distance to avoid waking him accidentally. However, his concern led him to forget that with Zhang Xiaohua’s strong sleeping habits, he wouldn’t wake up so easily from a slight touch.

The next morning, when Zhang Xiaohua awoke from his twinkling dreams, the first thing he saw was his longed-for second brother. He was delighted and almost called out, but upon hearing Zhang Xiaohu still deeply asleep, he quickly covered his mouth. Despite this small movement, it was enough to wake Zhang Xiaohu, who had been anxiously watching over him.

Zhang Xiaohu opened his eyes and, seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s happy face, immediately jumped up from the bed and said with a smile: “Xiaohua, you’re awake!”

Zhang Xiaohua also smiled and said: “Yes, Second Brother, I’m awake.”

There were few words exchanged, but both were very happy.

Zhang Xiaohu then asked: “Have you slept enough? If not, you can sleep a bit more; it’s still early.”

Zhang Xiaohua laughed and said: “Second Brother, once I wake up, it’s hard for me to fall back asleep. Besides, I slept as soon as I arrived here yesterday afternoon, so I won’t be sleepy anymore.”

Zhang Xiaohu replied: “Alright then, let me take a good look at the wound on your arm.”

Zhang Xiaohua extended his arm as instructed. Zhang Xiaohu examined the wound closely in the light coming through the window and used a towel to wipe away some of the dried blood. The wound, as he had guessed, had already scabbed over, looking as if it had been healing for several days.

Only then Zhang Xiaohu feel completely reassured.