Chapter 32 2/2

Qiao Qiao was still feeling unsettling. Although her father had mentioned this apprentice he had taken in, it was the first time she had seen him.

Usually, to avoid suspicion, she had never come over to this side.

Fang took a deep breath and said, “Don’t worry, you go home first, and I’ll come find you after the shop closes.”

Qiao Qiao was also afraid of being seen by Huo Shu again, so she agreed and hurriedly picked up her lunch box. “Then I’ll leave first.”

“Go ahead.”

Fang He escorted her out, then turned back to see Huo Shu coming out with the water.

He hurriedly ran up, “Huo ge, let me help you.”

“No need.”

Fang He was a talkative and adept at flattering others. Even the first-time customers in the shop could be turned into regulars by him. He seemed to have the knack for business.

But although he was talkative, he didn’t chat much with Huo Shu. Firstly, because Huo Shu always had an air of “do not disturb,”  and secondly, because Qiao Tuzi clearly favoured Huo Shu more. He always felt that the two of them were in a competitive relationship, so he remained cautious.

Huo Shu had joined this business following the path of the Ji family and didn’t have many thoughts about it. But he was always serious about what he did. Once he started something, regardless of his intentions or reasons, he would do it well.

He could handle things seriously, but when it came to interpersonal relationships, he didn’t want to spend too much effort. He preferred to let things flow naturally.

So even though he had been working with Qiao Tuzi for some time, they still didn’t understand each other, and they even felt quite distant from each other.

“Just now, that…”

Fang He, who was usually eloquent, was at a loss for words for a moment when he saw Huo Shu’s attitude.

Just as he was thinking about how to arrange his words, he heard Huo Shu say, “When a man reaches adulthood, he should marry, and when a woman reaches adulthood, she should marry. It’s not something to be ashamed of.”

Fang He raised his eyebrows at this unexpected response, and for the first time, he realised that Huo Shu didn’t seem as unapproachable as he thought.

“Thank you.”

“Can you… not tell Master about this?”

Fang He hesitated for a moment, then pleaded with Huo Shu.

“If you get married, he’ll be happy to know. Why shouldn’t he know?”

Huo Shu said, then, seeing Fang He’s troubled expression, he added, “If you don’t want to say, then forget it. I’m not someone who likes to pry into other people’s privacy or gossip about others.”

After hesitating for a moment, Fang He lowered his voice and said, “She… she is Master’s second daughter.”

Huo Shu’s brow furrowed slightly, realising why he had felt the person looked familiar earlier. It turned out to be Qiao Tuzi’s daughter.

He suddenly understood, “You came here to learn the craft for her.”

“Huo Ge, you are sharp and insightful.”

Fang He said, “I’ve known Qiao Er for a long time. Originally, I was prepared to propose marriage, but I heard Qiao Er say that Master dislikes that none of his children can inherit his craft. He only wants a son-in-law who can inherit his skills. If not, no matter how much dowry the suitor brings, it’s unacceptable.”

“I had no choice but to come here with a brave face.”

The Fang family was originally from the city; they were not a wealthy family, but they had been engaged in small business for generations, mainly in the tea trade. Now, Fang He had six or seven shops in the city, and he was well-off compared to ordinary people.

When Huo Shu first saw him, he felt that those hands didn’t belong to a child from a poor family. Fang He was clever and could fabricate stories well, saying that his family had fallen on hard times, so he came to learn the skill of slaughtering livestock.

“I’m not afraid to be laughed at by Huo Ge. That day at Master’s house, I picked up the knife, but I haven’t had the courage to do it again since then. I can only stay in the shop.”

Fang He sighed. “I know Master probably has some opinions about me already. If one option doesn’t work out, I can only make the best of the other.”

Seeing his candidness, Huo Shu advised sincerely, “Keeping it hidden for a long time isn’t a solution. Go and talk to him sooner. Master Qiao will carefully consider it when he sees your sincerity.”

“This is your business; I won’t say much.”

“Thanks, Huo Ge. I also plan to wait until Master returns from Nan Yu County to talk to him about Qiao Er.”

Huo Shu nodded.

Just as they finished speaking, Ji Yangzong arrived.

“Business going well?”

“Master Li is here; please have a seat.”

Having seen Ji Yangzong at the Qiao family, Fang He greeted him when he arrived, “Is Master Li here to buy meat?”

Ji Yangzong waved his hand and said, “Today, the village sent tax grain to the city. I came to find Huo Shu, and we’ll go back to the village together.”

“You’ll have to take care of the shop alone then.”

“What are you talking about? Master taught me the craft, so it’s my duty to do it.”

Fang He turned to Huo Shu again and said, “Huo ge, if you have something to do, go ahead; I’ll handle the shop.”

Huo Shu nodded and went back to the village with Ji Yangzong.

As they walked out of the city, Fang He exchanged a few words with Ji Yangzong, but then they fell silent. Passing by the carts at the city gate, Ji Yangzong didn’t mention riding in them, and they continued walking along the official road together.

They didn’t speak to each other; they just walked.

“Have you gotten used to life in the village lately?”

After a while, Ji Yangzong couldn’t help but break the silence. If he didn’t speak up, the person besides him, leading the horse, wouldn’t say a word.

Others might think they weren’t travelling together.

Huo Shu said frankly, “I have no problem adapting.”

“Well, you’ve been marching and fighting battles. What place wouldn’t you adapt to?”

Ji Yangzong fell silent for a moment before asking again, “So what have you been busy with these days?”

Huo Shu replied, “Following Master Qiao, slaughtering livestock inside and outside the city.”

“Just that?”

Huo Shu didn’t understand what he meant. “What do you mean by ‘just that’?”

“I mean, you’ve learned the craft diligently, and Master Qiao praised you a lot. But apart from that, have you made any progress with Xiao Taoyu?”

Huo Shu was puzzled for a moment. “What progress?”

“How are things between you and Xiao Taoyu?” Ji Yangzong clarified impatiently.

Huo Shu paused for a moment. How were things? It seemed no different from before.

Seeing Huo Shu’s lack of response, Ji Yangzong said angrily, “What’s wrong? Have you changed your mind? Let me tell you, young people change their minds quickly. Fortunately, I…”

“No.”

Huo Shu interrupted, “What I’ve said still stands. I haven’t gone back on my word, and everything I said before still counts.”

Ji Yangzong’s eyes flickered, and he closed his mouth, visibly calming down.

He cleared his throat. “Since you still have that intention, you need to make some progress. Just talking won’t cut it.”

“A real man should be flexible. Xiao Taoyu is a bit thin-skinned and likes to throw tantrums. If you don’t approach her, don’t show her your affection; how would she know what you mean?”

“Today, you pretended to be angry. If you don’t go to appease her, and if you get angry for real in a few more days, she won’t pay attention to you anymore.”

After listening to Ji Yangzong’s advice, Huo Shu summarised and asked, “Am I not treating her well?”

“I didn’t say you’re treating her poorly! You saved her and helped restore her reputation. No one treats her better than you! But just doing those things isn’t enough; you need to show more obvious signs of affection.”

“Look at those young people. Today they give some pastries, tomorrow a hairpin, and the day after they say, ‘I’ll be waiting for you by the pond.’ How could people not understand their intentions?”

As Ji Yangzong spoke, he felt that Huo Shu was as clueless as a block of wood, not even understanding how to flatter someone. No wonder he hadn’t settled down at this age. There must be something seriously wrong with him.

He patiently advised, “I’m not saying what you’re doing is wrong. On the contrary, it’s excellent. But if you only do those big things, although it shows more sincerity and effort than ordinary people, others won’t know what you’re trying to convey.”

“They won’t think, ‘Oh, this elder brother has good character and is reliable. He’s helped me so much, I don’t know how to thank him.’ Instead, they might think, ‘This elder brother is so upright, how would they think he has feelings for me?'”

Huo Shu frowned, and Ji Yangzong’s words seemed to make sense. Taoyu had indeed mentioned these things before. The implication was, did Taoyu really ask them to help arrange a marriage for her?

He felt a bit confused. He blurted out the question he cared about the most: “Does she call me an elder brother?”

“…!”

Ji Yangzong took a deep breath. “Oh, you silly kid! I was just giving an example; she didn’t call you that. She wouldn’t think you’re too old.”

Huo Shu remained silent, not giving a response.

Ji Yangzong cleared his throat, realising he had spoken out of turn. So he changed the subject, saying, “Anyway, if you still have that intention, don’t stay silent like this anymore. You have to put in some effort to please her. Girls and young men, they’re easy to please.”

“As for Xiao Taoyu, she just likes to mess around with some herbs. If you give her a bunch of licorice, she’ll find it very useful and be very happy. Besides, she’s just a bit greedy and likes to eat some sweet pastries, fruits, and seafood. In short, she’s not picky.”

Huo Shu furrowed his brow and asked, “Is there anything else?”

“What’s the point of remembering? Just remembering won’t help.” Ji Yangzong handed the oil-paper-wrapped package he was holding to Huo Shu. “Chestnuts. Take these and eat them with Xiao Taoyu.”

Huo Shu took the slightly warm chestnuts and said, “I’ll go buy some instead.”

Ji Yangzong glanced at Huo Shu and asked, “When will you do that? It might be better for me to find another family for Xiao Taoyu.”

Since they had reached this point, Ji Yangzong decided to lay it all out: “I know that Master Qiao thinks highly of you and is considering making you his son-in-law. By then, he’ll hand over his business to you to manage.”

“Although the Ji family’s business isn’t as big as the Qiao family’s, and I don’t have any shops to give you, but I only have Xiao Taoyu as a son. Everything will be yours in the future. The Ji family’s fields and forests are enough to provide for you for the rest of your life. You won’t be treated unfairly.”

“A lot has happened in the past six months, and I’ve observed your good character and reliability. Otherwise, I wouldn’t waste so much time talking to you. If Xiao Taoyu can be with you in the future, she won’t suffer much. I don’t ask for much. If you can protect her, that’s enough.”

Huo Shu furrowed his brow. He hadn’t known about the Qiao family’s plans, but it didn’t matter. “I’ll never let her suffer.”

Ji Yangzong cleared his throat and sped up his pace, walking ahead. “Then you should act quickly.”

“Chinese New Year is around the corner, and there will be many things to deal with after the New Year. There won’t be any time for other things.”

Huo Shu tightened his grip on the oil-paper package as he watched the middle-aged man walk ahead, muttering to himself.