Chapter Seventeen: A Visitor Arrives at the Zhang Residence

  It's daytime, Zhao is lying on the kang counting today's tasks, the grass in the ground should be weeded out, the chicken coop hasn't been swept, Xihe's clothes are too small and need to be altered, Ximei can still wear them.

  It's getting late after taking a look outside, and there's still some household chores to do at home, so I couldn't sleep. After tidying myself up, I opened the door and prepared to sweep the yard. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black shadow beside the west house, and walked in to take a closer look - it wasn't Rui Xuan, who was it?

  "Rui Xuan, why are you up so early? Didn't sleep well last night?" Zhao's mother looked down at the ground, Rui Xuan hastily stood up to block her view, "Mother, it's nothing, I went to bed early last night so I couldn't sleep this morning. Mother, let me help you sweep."

  After finishing, he took the broom from Zhao's hand and started sweeping. Although Rui Xuan quickly got up and erased the marks on the ground with his feet, Zhao still saw that he was practicing writing with a small twig on the ground.

  As Rui Xuan walked away, Zhao's tears could no longer be held back. She knew that her eldest son's only wish was to read books, and she and his father had been saving up to send him to school, but with many children at home and her father-in-law being ill, the money they had just received had already been spent before it had even warmed their hands.

  Among several children, the eldest one worries them the least. The child is obedient and filial, never asking for anything on his own initiative, but he is also the most neglected. As the eldest grows older, if he doesn't start school soon, it will really be too late.

  "Mother, what are you doing there? Aren't we going to cook dinner? I've already fetched the water, you can just start cooking." Rui Xuan's words successfully startled Zhao Shi out of her daze.

  "Alright, I'll be right there." After saying that, Zhao immediately rushed over. "Rui Xuan, go wake up Rui Hao quietly, don't disturb Young Master Zhang, he's been playing too much these past few days. Later, have him and your father go to the south mountain to collect some firewood."

  "Mother, it's all right, I'll go with Father later. Let Second Brother have a good play for two days," Rui Xuan said gently. "He's still young? You were even younger than him when you took care of your sister. Look at him now, every day he's either running wild or getting into trouble. He's a complete little monkey."

  Rui Xuan smiled, "Our family's is still called making trouble? Eldest Uncle's Rui Xiang Ge is the one who's really thick-skinned. What's this? Not as good as before but better than later. Mother should be secretly pleased." Madam Zhao thought for a moment and agreed. She didn't say anything more.

  When the Chen family and Zhang Zishang had all finished gathering, Zhao Shi and Rui Xuan had already served the rice and were urging everyone to start eating. Just as they had eaten half of it, they heard the sound of horse-drawn carriages outside, and Chen Tianfa put down his chopsticks.

  "Our village doesn't even see a horse carriage for ten days or half a month, maybe we just misheard." Zhao handed him a steamed bun, "Who cares if it's true or not, anyway it won't be looking for us, you're worrying too much over nothing."

  Chen Tianfa didn't say anything after hearing it, he just stretched out his hand to take the steamed bun and smiled slightly. Zhang Jia's little overlord turned his eyes around, put down his chopsticks on the bowl and said "Aunt Zhao, I'll go out and take a look." After that, he ran out like a rabbit.

  Zhao didn't even finish speaking when he saw a distant figure leaving, and with a worried expression, he turned to Ruihao and said: "You quickly go and keep an eye on him, don't let anything happen."

  "Alright, got it. I'm going now." He took a big gulp of the millet porridge, wiped his mouth and ran out following her.

  Before running far, Zhang Zhi suddenly ran back, his speed was so fast that people thought there was something behind him.

  Panting and running to the front of the Chen family, "Later, no matter who comes to find me, just say I'm not here." After finishing, quickly ran towards the east house.

  Everyone heard this and knew that it must be someone from the Zhang family who came to pick him up. He was so excited, his face couldn't hold back a surprised expression, and he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Before long, a young servant came with an old man. The old man was not very old, looking around fifty years old, with a long beard and a kind face. After entering the gate, he did not show disdain due to Chen's poverty, but instead walked in front of Chen Tianfa with a respectful face.

  "Presumably this is the master of the Chen family, Old Master Chen Tianfa? I am the steward of the Zhang family. The young master has been troubling your esteemed household for the past two days. Now, not seeing the young master return, the old master and mistress have sent me to fetch him." After finishing speaking, he instructed someone behind him: "Dongzi, aren't you going to unload the things from the carriage?"

  Xi Mei stared at him with wide eyes, what a talent! He was stern but not angry to his subordinates, and humble and polite to others. This is indeed an outstanding diplomatic talent. It seems that the Zhang family sent him to her house to pick up Xiao Bao Wang, giving her family full face.

  On the contrary, her father was not good at this. He said with some panic: "Where, where. I don't deserve to be called a master, I'm just an honest farmer. It's our family's honor that Master Zhang came to my house."

  Seeing her father's uneasy appearance, Xi Mei had to step forward and intervene. In a cute tone, she said: "Are you from Zhang BoBo's family? Why did you come to my house looking for little brother? I haven't played enough with little brother yet."

  Zhang Guan saw the delicate little girl talking to him, bent down and picked her up: "Your little brother must go back, he still has to attend school. He skipped a lot of classes these two days, when he gets back, Zheng Niangniang might even spank his butt."

  The housekeeper finished speaking, and Xi Mei pretended to be surprised, covering her buttocks with one hand and exclaiming in surprise: "Ah? Still want to spank? Poor little brother." The crowd burst into laughter again.

  Inside the house came Little Overlord's flustered voice "Zhang Bo, why do you always ruin things for me? I haven't even been spanked yet. If anyone gets spanked, it should be me spanking others."

  "Huh? Who just said they weren't here, and yet there's someone talking now? Could it be that I'm seeing a ghost in broad daylight?" Undoubtedly, Xi Mei had come to ruin the scene.

  The little overlord who had already been exposed could only come out himself, and said to the butler: "Zhang Bo, you go back and tell Father that I haven't played enough yet, wait for two more days until I've had enough fun, then I'll go back, okay?"

  "That's not possible, the mistress said that if you don't bring him back this time, she'll flay me alive. I dare not make a joke of my own skin." After saying that, he gave a signal to the little servant beside him. The little servant came forward and hugged him tightly.

  Xiao Ba Wang knew he had been deceived, and anxiously kicked his little legs while threatening with his mouth, "Let me down, did you hear? If you don't listen to me, be careful I'll whip you. Watch me whip you to death! Quickly let me down, did you hear? Quickly let me down." He shouted as he spoke.

  Watching the two get on the carriage, the butler turned to Chen Tian and said: "Master Chen, I've received your guests, next time you're free, be sure to bring your family to our manor for a visit. The hour is late, so I'll take my leave now."

  The couple politely said "goodbye" and sent Zhang Guanjia off in a horse-drawn carriage.

  After the train had gone far away, Xiao Bao Wang's voice could still be heard, "I'm not leaving, I want to stay here. I'm not leaving..."

  That momentum is quite like the Grey Wolf's "I'll be back" aura, Second Sister let out a sigh of relief and said finally left. Turned around happily to go eat.

  The couple who were left behind were worried about leaving gifts. Zhao said with a headache: "What can we do? I've never heard of anyone saving someone and bringing gifts, how can we repay so many gifts?"

  Chen Tianfa was also worried about this, and Jikui said at this time: "Dad and mom, don't worry, we can't return this thing, or it will be embarrassing. We'll wait until we have some spare money to buy some valuable things, and then bring our own raised chickens and grown grains back home. Anyway, they know what's going on with us, as long as we do our best."

  Mr. Zhao thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Alright, let's do it! Come on, let's go back home for dinner." The few of them happily headed back, with the warm sunlight shining brightly behind them.