Chapter 108
Previously, they had always lived in the countryside, where having six or seven servants was considered normal for ordinary families. They were used to doing everything themselves, so having two servants, Huangqi and Gancao, to help with household chores was already very convenient.
Occasionally, Wuzi would return to handle heavy tasks, and later, when hired laborers brought over some young girls, boys, and ge'ers, the couple felt that the existing servants were more than sufficient. Taking care of the children, cleaning the house, cooking, and other household matters were already well managed.
Back in the village, they had already surpassed the former landlord in terms of household size, and no one dared to disrespect them. However, upon moving to the city, the number of servants they had now seemed pitifully few, especially after buying two additional study companions for the children.
This stark contrast in treatment made them realize why the landlord in their village had never moved to the city despite living in Jijiu Village for many years. It was because the city was full of complexities and required dealing with new challenges, making it easier to stay in a familiar place.
Zhang Fangyuan hadn’t considered these matters before, as he had been fully focused on the children’s education. Now, he realized that the villagers’ respect for their family wasn’t just because of their large house or the servants they could order around. It was also because the Zhang family had many strong men, and no other household in the village could match their strength.
Now, in the city, they only had servants for household chores, with no strong men to guard the house or help from their clan. Their family seemed desolate, and city people, being opportunistic, often judged others based on their status.
Even when Zhang Fangyuan was causing trouble in the city in his previous life, he would assess the number of strong men in a family before deciding how to deal with them.
Zhang Fangyuan thought about it and decided they needed to buy some strong servants.
“Strong laborers are hard to come by. If a man is strong and capable, he can usually make a living by selling his labor, and few are willing to sell themselves into servitude unless they face major hardships. The slave market has few strong men, and they are expensive and hard to buy.”
Xu He quickly calculated and felt that buying servants wasn’t the best option. At the beginning of the year, it was easier to find a few men in the slave market, but now the good ones had already been picked, and the market had cooled down. Buying one or two strong men might be feasible, but more than that would be difficult.
“What if we hire some long-term laborers from the village?”
“Long-term laborers would need to sign contracts for three to five years, and few farming families would be willing to do that.” Zhang Fangyuan sighed. “Forget it, I’ll think of another way. For now, you focus on taking care of Ruijin and Ruili.”
Two days later, Zhang Fangyuan returned to the village and called Zhuang Qi over at the inn.
The two hadn’t interacted much since Zhang Fangyuan started causing trouble in the city, but the bond from their childhood, hunting in the mountains and fishing in the rivers, was still there.
“It’s been many years since we last sat at the same table and drank together.”
Zhang Fangyuan poured a cup of lamb wine for the strong, robust man sitting across from him. Back in the day, he was just a short kid, but now he had grown into a tall, muscular man. Zhang Fangyuan rarely reflected on the passage of time, but now he couldn’t help but sigh at how quickly it had flown by.
Zhuang Qi had grown tall, but his temperament remained the same as in his childhood, quiet and reserved. Zhang Fangyuan poured him a drink, and he downed the half-bowl-sized cup in one gulp, just like he used to when they were causing trouble in the village.
The guy rarely spoke, but he was braver than anyone. Back when Zhang Fangyuan was showing off in the village, leading a group of boys up the mountains and down the rivers to catch snakes for wine, all the boys would boast about how brave they were. But when they encountered a venomous snake as thick as a wrist, everyone except Zhang Fangyuan fell silent, too scared to catch it.
Even as a child, Zhang Fangyuan was cunning. He used this incident to pressure the village boys, urging them to step forward, but none dared. It was Zhuang Qi, who was younger and smaller, who pushed through the crowd of older, taller boys and swiftly grabbed the snake by the neck, lifting it up. The snake coiled around Zhuang Qi’s arm, but the boy showed no fear.
This incident left a deep impression on Zhang Fangyuan. If there was ever a person who was fierce but quiet, it was Zhuang Qi.
Although they were both grown men now, Zhuang Qi still acted like he did as a child. He put down his cup and called out, “Brother Zhang.”
Zhang Fangyuan raised an eyebrow. “Still so respectful?”
“Back then, I called you that because everyone else did. Now, I’m calling you that because of Xiaomao.”
“You’re really good at climbing the family tree.” Zhang Fangyuan slammed his cup on the table. “But with all the chaos in your family, maybe you shouldn’t call me ‘brother’ because of Xiaomao.”
Zhuang Qi raised his sharp eyes, which often looked like they were sizing up prey. “If Brother Zhang is here today to persuade me, then I, Zhuang Qi, won’t waste your time.”
Both men were used to dealing with tough situations. Over the years, Zhang Fangyuan had smoothed out the rough edges of his butcher’s demeanor, becoming more polished and worldly. But that didn’t mean he had lost the fierceness he had cultivated since childhood. Their eyes met, and neither backed down.
Zhuang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly turned to leave.
As he reached the door, Zhang Fangyuan spoke. “Come back. I’m here today to resolve Xiaomao’s situation, not to play the role of someone who beats the mandarin ducks with a stick.”
[棒打鸳鸯 (bàng dǎ yuān yāng): lit. Beat the mandarin ducks with a stick; fig. To separate a loving couple]
Zhuang Qi, who knew when to bend and when to stand firm, sat back down without a word.
“When Xiaoe got married, my fourth uncle asked me to keep an eye out for a suitable son-in-law. He had already made up his mind about this a long time ago.”
“I know. I don’t mind being a live-in son-in-law.”
Zhang Fangyuan said, “You may not mind, but your mother does. She’s been causing a huge fuss, and there’s also that little cousin of yours who’s been clinging to you.”
“I won’t marry my cousin. I’ve already told my mother that we should split the family. She’ll have to agree, whether she likes it or not.”
Zhang Fangyuan’s eye twitched. What he wanted was Zhuang Qi’s attitude, but he couldn’t help testing him further. “Aren’t you afraid your uncles in the clan will call you unfilial?”
“A child can only be filial if the parent is kind. She’s been making decisions without considering my wishes, so I don’t care what others say.”
Zhang Fangyuan looked at Zhuang Qi’s cold expression. The guy was as stubborn as ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment