Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: Gratitude

When Liu Qian's father and brother arrived at the Zhang family's house, the sun was already high in the sky.

Liu the Butcher was basking in the sun and chatting with Zhang Cai in the small courtyard. The Zhang family's courtyard wall was so low that Liu the Butcher could see Liu Xiansheng and Liu Kai being led by the villagers from a distance. Both were dressed in new clothes, and Liu Kai, following his father, was carrying several large gift boxes in his hands.

Liu the Butcher quickly got up, called out to Zhang Cai, and went out to greet his brother. Zhang Cai shouted into the house, "Wife, Liu Qian's father is here."

Hearing the call, Liu Qian did not, like Liu Yuanyuan, throw down her needlework and rush out of the inner room. Instead, she carefully placed her half-finished work on the table, waited for Guo Sufei to go first, and then followed.

By the time Liu Qian reached the courtyard, Liu the Butcher and Liu Yuanyuan had already gathered around their father and brother at the gate, where Zhang Cai, leaning on a cane, was welcoming them. After the introductions and pleasantries, Liu Qian approached her father and brother and bowed. Liu Xiansheng held his daughter's hand, carefully examining her face. He saw no traces of the incident from the other day, no panic or fear in her eyes, only slightly red rims. Liu Xiansheng felt a pang of guilt, blaming himself for not being more thoughtful. He patted her shoulder and said, "You've suffered, my child."

Liu Qian wiped her eyes and smiled, "I'm fine, thanks to the help of Xiao Long and his family, we managed to escape the danger."

Liu Xiansheng gestured for Liu Kai to hand over the gift boxes and said to Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei, "Words cannot express our gratitude. These small gifts are a token of our appreciation. Please accept them."

Zhang Cai quickly pushed the gift boxes back, politely saying, "We just happened to be there and didn't do much. Besides, there were others who helped us as well."

Liu Xiansheng insisted, "It's all thanks to you. Without your help, my child would have been in grave danger. Those two young heroes might not have been able to help us."

Seeing the two of them pushing the gifts back and forth, Liu the Butcher became impatient, took the gift boxes, and said, "You don't need to be so formal, Old Brother Zhang. My brother's heart is sincere, so please accept them." He then carried the gift boxes into the main room.

Liu Xiansheng smiled at Zhang Cai, "My second brother has a fiery temper. Please don't mind him, Old Brother Zhang."

Zhang Cai also smiled, "No problem. Your brother is a man of passion. We are the ones who are being too formal. Please, come inside and talk."

Zhang Cai led Liu Xiansheng into the main room. The room was small, with only a few chairs, so there was no need to distinguish between host and guest. Everyone sat down casually.

After settling down, Liu Xiansheng again expressed his gratitude to the Zhang family and took out some loose silver from his pocket, placing it on the small table. "Old Brother Zhang, your family was injured while saving my daughter. It's our responsibility to cover the medical expenses. Please take this silver to see a doctor. Our family is not wealthy, but this is all we can afford. Please understand."

This time, Zhang Cai firmly refused, saying, "Xiao Hua has already told you what happened. The bully had already compensated us, but we were afraid they would come back and demand it, so we didn't use it. The young hero who saved us has already given us enough silver to cover the medical expenses and buy medicine. We cannot accept this silver."

Liu Kai, standing beside him, said, "Old Uncle Zhang, this is different. We should pay for the medical expenses. It wouldn't be right for you to get injured saving my sister and for us to do nothing."

Liu the Butcher scratched his head and said, "Old Brother Zhang, please take it. In a few days, I'll bring you some silver and some meat."

Zhang Cai said, "No, no, we can't accept it. We didn't save you for the silver, and we already have enough to cover the expenses."

Thus, they continued to argue, with Zhang Cai firmly refusing to accept the silver.

At this point, Liu Qian spoke up, addressing her father, "Father, since Old Uncle Zhang won't accept the silver, why don't you take it back? I have an idea. What do you think?"

Liu Xiansheng said, "Sure, you've always been very clever. What's your idea?"

Liu Qian said, "Old Uncle Zhang and his family were injured while saving us. Liu Yuanyuan and I will stay here to take care of them until they recover. First, Old Uncle Zhang has three injured family members and an elderly person to care for. Aunt Guo can't manage everything alone. We can help out. Second, the three injured people need someone to look after them. It's the least we can do. What do you think?"

Liu Xiansheng thought for a moment and said, "I should have thought of that. It's a good idea. What do you think, Second Brother?"

Liu the Butcher patted his chest and said, "Great idea, great idea. I was thinking the same thing."

Liu Yuanyuan also nodded in agreement.

The matter was thus settled.

Then, Liu Xiansheng and Liu Kai went to the inner room, where Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu were still lying in bed. When they heard Liu the Butcher calling, they had wanted to get up, but were stopped by Guo Sufei and the others. Now, seeing someone enter, they recognized Liu Qian's father and brother and quickly got up. This time, Liu Qian did not help Zhang Xiaolong, and Guo Sufei carefully helped her son sit up on the bed.

Liu Xiansheng carefully examined this brave young man. Zhang Xiaolong was a very strong young man, about the same age as Liu Kai, with an ordinary appearance and the same thick eyebrows and large eyes as Zhang Cai. However, his eyes were bruised, and his lips were cracked. Despite this, his eyes showed determination, and his clothes, though not new and patched, were clean and well-kept, making him look comfortable. His arm was in a splint, and he could not move it freely, but his rough hands showed that he was skilled in farm work.

Looking at this young man, who was about the same height and age as his son but with a different demeanor, Liu Xiansheng nodded in approval. Only such an outstanding young man could have the courage to step forward in a crisis.

Zhang Xiaolong felt uneasy under Liu Xiansheng's gaze and was a bit at a loss. After a while, Liu Xiansheng spoke, thanking him for saving his daughter and wishing him a speedy recovery. They chatted for a while before leaving the room. As they walked, Liu Xiansheng said to Zhang Cai, "Old Brother Zhang, you have a good son. You are blessed."

Zhang Cai smiled, his face beaming, and humbly replied, "Thank you, thank you. Your son is also very good."

It was almost noon, and Zhang Cai instructed Guo Sufei to prepare a meal to entertain Liu Xiansheng and his party. The Zhang family's living conditions were much poorer than Liu Xiansheng's, and the meal was quite simple. Zhang Cai apologized, but Liu Xiansheng and Liu the Butcher were both generous and did not mind, enjoying the meal with many toasts. Zhang Xiaohua was the happiest, as she had meat for two days in a row and hoped for more such days.

After the meal, Liu Xiansheng and his party chatted with Zhang Cai for a while and, seeing it was still early, set off with the two girls back to Bayili Gou.

The Zhang family was left with the injured family members in bed.

Fortunately, it was the middle of winter, and people usually stayed at home to keep warm, not needing to work in the fields. However, everyone felt something was missing that afternoon. As the sky grew dark and Guo Sufei prepared dinner, she realized that the two girls' absence made the house feel less lively. The family, which had six members, had not felt any different over the years, but the addition of the two girls had brought a new kind of liveliness. Now that they were gone, the house felt empty, and she missed the days when there were more people around.

After a simple dinner, Zhang Xiaohua and her mother helped the two brothers finish eating. They all sat under the oil lamp, and Guo Sufei said, "I wonder if Liu Qian and the others have eaten."

Zhang Cai said, "Judging by the time, they should just be getting home. They probably won't have time to cook, so they might eat at Liu the Butcher's place."

Zhang Xiaohua said, "Definitely. They might even have braised pork tonight."

Guo Sufei said, "Right, Xiaohua, you've been to their house. What's it like?"

Zhang Xiaohua described Liu Qian and Liu Yuanyuan's home based on her observations.

In fact, Guo Sufei had always wanted to ask about Liu Qian's family but didn't know how to bring it up. Yesterday, she didn't have the chance to ask Liu the Butcher, and today, seeing Liu Xiansheng and Liu Kai's demeanor, she felt a knot in her heart. Hearing Zhang Xiaohua's words, her heart sank even more, and she frowned, worriedly asking Zhang Cai, "Old man, do you think Liu Qian will like our Xiaolong?"

No one spoke, and Zhang Xiaolong's face darkened. Zhang Cai said, "It's all about fate. We can't control it. Let's leave it to heaven."

Zhang Xiaohu spoke up, "Mother, I think Liu Qian is very meticulous and well-read. She is very knowledgeable and can do a lot of housework. She is much better than the fiery Liu Yuanyuan. From how she took care of Big Brother, I think she has some feelings for him."

Zhang Xiaohua said, "Second Brother, you have to take one wife at a time. Don't be too anxious. Even if you don't mention Liu Yuanyuan, Mother will consider it for you."

Zhang Xiaohu's face turned red, and he kicked Zhang Xiaohua, saying, "We're talking about Big Brother. Don't change the subject. I have nothing with Liu Yuanyuan."

Zhang Cai said, "Second Son, even if you have something with her, you have to think of your brother first. Given our family's situation, it's already hard to marry one wife. You'll have to wait."

Guo Sufei interjected, "Old man, what about those silver notes..."

Zhang Cai cut her off, glaring at her, "Don't mention that. We have to pay it back."

After that, everyone felt dispirited and soon blew out the oil lamp to go to bed.

Zhang Xiaolong tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, unsure if it was due to his injuries or his thoughts. However, his restlessness did not affect Zhang Xiaohua's peaceful dreams.

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