Zhou Xueli was walking ho slowly, carrying a pair of empty bamboo baskets, pondering over the fields he owned. Spring had arrived, and managing the crops by himself was becoming quite overwhelming. As for his wife, she couldn’t help out in the fields as she was pregnant with his child.
Even if she could work in the fields, he wouldn’t let her. She ca from a scholarly family and didn’t mind marrying a humble farr like him. Though he couldn’t promise her a life of luxury right away, he would never let her endure the hardships of farm work.
Planting crops now was still manageable. When harvest season arrived, he planned to hire so help to gather the crops. The extra grain could be sold for silver, which would slowly allow him to buy more land, and life would gradually improve.
The more Zhou Xueli thought about his plans, the more he felt they were brilliant. Once his wife gave him a son, they would do whatever it took to send him to school. With such an intelligent wife, their son would certainly be smart too.
Thinking of this, Zhou Xueli couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
As he was about to reach ho and turned into an alley, he saw a man standing at the house of their neighbor, Zhuzi’s Auntie, talking with her.
"Hey, isn’t this Zhou Lao Er? You can ask him!" Zhuzi’s Auntie called out to Zhou Xueli.
Zhou Xueli ca forward, and Zhuzi’s Auntie said, "Zhou family’s second son, this man says he’s looking for your sister. How would I know where your sister moved to?"
"Looking for my sister?" Zhou Xueli looked the bearded man up and down, "Who are you?"
"Are you Lady Zhou’s brother? I’m nobody significant, just soone who once received Lady Zhou’s kindness. I heard she lived in this village and wanted to repay the favor!" The man smiled and handed over two gift boxes. "Since you’re her brother, giving them to you is the sa. But where did Lady Zhou move to? Has she married?"
"She hasn’t married," Zhuzi’s Auntie exclaid, eyeing the two gift boxes.
Zhou Xueli didn’t take the gift boxes and said, "Our Zhou family has lost touch with my sister, and we don’t know where she lives now. You’d better leave; if there’s gratitude, keep it in your heart."
Upon hearing this, the man frowned slightly, sighed, and said, "In that case, I apologize for disturbing you." Then he put the gift boxes in his baskets and said, "Consider it a small token of my appreciation."
Zhou Xueli watched him leave without looking back, frowning slightly on his face. This man seed a bit strange; what debt of gratitude did his sister have toward him?
"Zhuzi’s Auntie, did he ask anything else?" Doubts stirring in Zhou Xueli’s heart, he couldn’t help but ask another question.
"He didn’t ask much, just where your sister moved to? It’s been so long since your sister and her daughter moved away, and they haven’t co back even once—not even for New Year’s to visit. Are you truly not in touch with them?" Zhuzi’s Auntie asked, full of curiosity.
Zhou Xueli tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "They have their own lives to lead. Whether we stay in touch or not, isn’t that how things are? My wife is waiting for , I should head back!"
Saying that, afraid she might ask further, he quickly walked away.
Once back ho, he spoke a few words with Lady Liang and then went to talk to her mother, ntioning that soone had co asking about his sister and Wufu’s whereabouts.
Old Lady Zhou nearly pricked her finger with the needle and asked, "What kind of person?"
Zhou Xueli described the person, and as Old Lady Zhou listened, her expression subtly changed. She asked, "Does he have a small scar near his eye?"
Zhou Xueli was taken aback; how did she know?
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