Chapter 73: Meeting

Before Qiutong could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps came, and the two of them looked up to see the one-armed old man quickly walking into the hall. The old man approached and greeted the two, the young lady nodded, but Qiutong hurriedly returned the greeting. The young lady asked, "Old Yu, what has you so flustered?"

Old Yu said with a stern face, "Young lady, Liu Er, who was weeding the medicinal field yesterday, took leave to return home due to his mother's passing. The medicinal field is short of hands, and I told Qiutong at noon. But just now, I saw a little boy of about ten years old standing in the courtyard. Is this the help Qiutong found? Has Lotus Dart Agency run out of adults to stand guard? Isn't this just a敷衍 (敷衍 means敷衍, but in this context, it means 'a敷衍' or 'a敷衍')?"

A series of questions made Qiutong's face turn red.

At this moment, the young lady's expression softened, and she comforted Old Yu, "Old Yu, Qiutong is always cautious in her work. Please sit down and listen to her. If you are still unsatisfied, we can make adjustments later."

Old Yu's expression eased, and he apologized to Qiutong, "Qiutong, you know I have a quick temper. Please speak."

Qiutong hurriedly said, "It's nothing, Old Yu. The medicinal field is very important. I just happened to bring Zhang Xiaohua over. I was about to report to the young lady. Why don't you listen and then make a decision?"

Old Yu nodded, found a chair, and sat down. Qiutong poured tea and placed it in front of Old Yu.

Then, Qiutong recounted the events of the day in detail. When she mentioned that Zhang Xiaohua had helped her retrieve the money bag, both the young lady and Old Yu nodded, thinking he was a good child. But when she mentioned that Zhang Xiaohua had lifted a 500-pound stone lock, the young lady was deeply moved, while Old Yu was skeptical. He asked, "Were you there? Did you see that the stone lock weighed 500 pounds?"

Qiutong said, "I wasn't there when he lifted it. I was talking to Uncle Qusan. When I saw Zhang Xiaohua, he had already lifted it. I can't be sure if the stone lock weighed 500 pounds, but people around said it did, so it's probably correct."

Old Yu shook his head and said, "That's just hearsay. The stone lock might not weigh 500 pounds, maybe 300 or 400 pounds."

Qiutong, lacking experience in this area, could only agree, "That's possible. I haven't seen the weight of the stone lock at the dart agency."

Old Yu laughed and said, "Qiutong, the weight isn't written on the stone lock. You wouldn't know even if you saw it, ha ha."

Qiutong blushed and said, "Old Yu, you know I don't understand martial arts, yet you tease me about it."

The young lady, seeing no more tension between them, was pleased and said, "Old Yu, even 300 or 400 pounds is remarkable for a child of ten. However, as Uncle Qusan said, it's a bit awkward for him at this age. If he had been discovered earlier, he could have joined the Ethereal Sect and become a great asset. Now, it's a bit late. But since he can join our Huaxi Manor, we shouldn't let him be overlooked. Old Yu, place him under your care for now. Let him do some rough work, not in the medicinal field. Once Lotus Dart Agency confirms he can be trusted, let him work in the medicinal field. If so, you will need to take good care of him, observe his martial arts talent, and if he shows potential, give him all the help he needs. I want to see if Huaxi Manor can also produce a Shi Niu."

Old Yu, seeing the young lady's meticulous arrangement, had no more to say. But hearing the last part, he immediately thought of the giant Shi Niu and the young, somewhat naive Zhang Xiaohua, and shook his head. They were clearly not on the same level. He then bowed and left.

Seeing Old Yu leave, Qiutong couldn't help but pat her forehead and said, "Young lady, I was so focused on arranging things for Zhang Xiaohua that I forgot about Old Yu. Thank you for speaking up for me, otherwise, Zhang Xiaohua wouldn't have caught his eye."

The young lady playfully poked Qiutong's forehead and said, "You little thing, you don't do many good deeds throughout the year, but today you're so helpful to Zhang Xiaohua. If I didn't know better, I'd think you...?"

Qiutong immediately disagreed, laughing, "Young lady, you misunderstand. I just saw Zhang Xiaohua and thought of my younger brother. Seeing his difficult situation, I wanted to help. Why would you think otherwise? Besides, I'm younger than you, and you haven't settled down yet. What am I thinking? Ha ha ha."

Qiutong even teased the young lady, showing that she was indeed approachable and had a good relationship with her subordinates.

The young lady didn't argue, sighed, and looked at the dark sky outside, saying, "Indeed, family ties are always strong. Thinking of your brother makes you want to help. But I wonder if my brother's mission is going smoothly?"

Qiutong, seeing the young lady's worried expression, quickly said, "Young lady, there's no need to worry. Master Ou has achieved great martial arts. Few can harm him in the martial world. This time, it's not an attack on a major sect, just a small Luoshui Sect. Our Ethereal Sect has planned for a long time, and there's no reason we can't succeed. Moreover, our Ethereal Sect has grown stronger, and we won't give Luoshui Sect any chance. You're worrying too much."

This young lady was actually Master Ou Peng of the Ethereal Sect's younger sister, Ou Yan.

Although Qiutong's words made sense, Ou Yan still sighed, "Standing by the river, how can you avoid getting your shoes wet? Bloodshed and danger are common in the martial world. Who knows when a mistake might happen? We see Luoshui Sect as a piece of fat, but others might see our Ethereal Sect as a piece of fat too. I hope Buddha will protect my brother and bring him back safely."

Qiutong said seriously, "Not to mention Master Ou's benevolence and good fortune, but with the young lady's kindness, he will surely be safe and unharmed."

Ou Yan laughed and said, "I know, little girl. Go and arrange things for your brother. Make sure Old Yu doesn't mistreat him."

Qiutong said, "I won't go. Although I brought him in, he should be treated like everyone else. Otherwise, Zhang Xiaohua might become lazy, and Old Yu won't be able to manage him."

Ou Yan said, "Qiutong, you're usually smart, but why are you confused now? Zhang Xiaohua is just a child, newly arrived from the countryside. He might be bullied among the young people."

Qiutong then understood Ou Yan's meaning and said, "I see. I'll go and check. The people in the medicinal field are not easy to deal with. I don't want this child to be bullied."

After saying this, she bid farewell to Ou Yan and turned to leave the hall. Suddenly, Ou Yan called her back, "Qiutong, wait."

Qiutong returned and asked, "Young lady, is there anything else?"

Ou Yan said, "You don't need to go. Let Old Yu arrange it."

Qiutong, caught between laughter and tears, said, "My dear young lady, what do you mean? You tell me to go, then you tell me not to go?"

Ou Yan laughed and said, "I'm not teasing you. I told you to go because I was worried the child might be mistreated. Now, I'm telling you not to go because I want the child to experience some hardship. It will help him understand the world and grow. Zhang Xiaohua grew up in the countryside and isn't used to scheming. Let him experience it. As the saying goes, 'Heaven will bestow a great mission, but first, it will test his will.' A little hardship isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Qiutong nodded thoughtfully, secretly happy for Zhang Xiaohua. The young lady's words clearly meant she wanted to cultivate him. This was a great opportunity for Zhang Xiaohua. She then decided not to go out and stayed to chat with Ou Yan.

Speaking of Zhang Xiaohua, after Old Yu's harsh words, he was anxious, unsure whether to sit or stand, fearing that the hateful one-armed old man would return and tell him to leave. Where would he go in this vast night?

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was worrying, there was a commotion and the sound of footsteps from the outer gate. Zhang Xiaohua quickly stood up and cautiously watched the round door. Soon, a group of people holding torches or lanterns entered the courtyard.

The first one was a young man, thin like a bamboo pole, about twenty years old, wearing a blue robe and a small hat, holding a lantern. He saw Zhang Xiaohua standing under the frame and asked, "Who are you?"

Before Zhang Xiaohua could answer, the group had already entered the courtyard. Zhang Xiaohua didn't count, but there were about ten people. Most were holding lanterns and wearing blue robes and small hats, while some were holding torches and dressed in martial attire. Zhang Xiaohua noticed that the martially dressed people did not mix with those in blue robes and small hats. The blue-robed group entered first, followed by the martially dressed group. The martially dressed people were clearly more robust and strong, while the blue-robed group looked more ordinary.

Zhang Xiaohua knew that the young man in front of him was likely the leader of the group, so he respectfully answered, "I am Zhang Xiaohua, here to work in the medicinal field. However, there seems to be a problem. An old one-armed man went inside to find someone."

"Zhang Xiaohua? Ha ha ha, Xiaohua, that's a good name." Hearing Zhang Xiaohua's name, some of the blue-robed people couldn't help but laugh, whispering, "That name sounds like a girl's name. But he looks ordinary. It's dark now, so it's hard to tell what his skin is like. How does he match the name Xiaohua?"

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