Zheng Chuan was sitting at home alone, contemplating her marriage. No one had taught her about this, so she knew nothing. After thinking for a long time, she could only ramble on and on, unable to come up with any conclusions. All she could be sure of was that she really enjoyed being with Xu Zifan.
Meanwhile, Xu Zifan returned home and was surprised to find that everyone was still awake, and the yard was filled with the rich aroma of braised food. Seeing the family gathered around a small table in the yard, Xu Zifan asked curiously, "What are you all doing?"
Xu Erlang said, "Third brother is back? Your second sister-in-law made some braised meat, let everyone try it and see how it tastes."
Su Qianyun stood up and said with a smile, "Has Third Brother eaten yet? Would you like to come and have some with us?"
Xu Zifan raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for the second wife to be so generous. He responded, washed his hands, served himself some rice, sat down, and picked up a slice of braised pork. It tasted good, but that was about it. It was worse than many braised dishes he had eaten before. Before Su Qianyun transmigrated, she was just a food enthusiast who liked to make snacks at home. This was already quite good. The most important thing was that there were no braised dishes sold in town, which was an advantage.
Xu Zifan nodded and praised, "It tastes great. Are you planning to sell this? You're sure to make a lot of money."
Xu Erlang smiled smugly, "Of course! Your second sister-in-law is a lucky charm. Ever since she figured things out, all the food she makes sells very well." He glanced at his father and mother, picked up his wine cup, and said, "Father, Mother, I'd like to toast you. When we make money, we'll definitely take good care of you."
Su Qianyun smiled gently and said, "Yes, Father, Mother, Erlang and I will definitely work hard to earn money. When we are successful in the future, we will move to the town and bring you there to enjoy a better life."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu were naturally happy to see their son earning money, especially since he hadn't stolen or robbed and had earned it by making food himself—there was nothing wrong with that. The two elders cheerfully raised their wine cups and clinked them together. Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "It's a good thing that you have a way to make money. From now on, live a stable life, don't spend money recklessly, save money to send your child to school, and life will gradually get better."
Mr. Xu nodded. "Your mother is right. Be calm and things will get better. As for the two of us, your kindness is enough. We're doing fine here, so don't worry about us."
Xu Erlang and Su Qianyun exchanged a glance. Xu Erlang smiled and said, "I knew my parents loved me, so of course I, as their son, have to take good care of you." He poured everyone a glass of wine, sighed, and said, "Qianyun's braised dishes haven't been sold yet, but once they are, someone might copy them and steal our business. Then it will be difficult for us to make money from braised dishes again."
Xu's mother asked anxiously, "Is this braised food recipe so easy to copy? What should we do then?"
Xu Erlang said, "Mother, I've thought about it, and the best way is to make a big profit all at once. When we divided the family property before, each family received some silver. Recently, Father and Third Brother have been busy and have earned quite a bit. I'm thinking of borrowing some silver from you first, whatever amount you have, to make braised food and sell it. Before anyone learns how to make it, we can sell it a few times, like a snowball rolling downhill, and the silver will definitely double. When someone else makes braised food and steals our business, we'll think about other foods, and then we'll definitely pay you back every single penny. Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Third Brother, what do you think?"
No wonder they were so kind as to invite the whole family to dinner; so this is what they were waiting for—to borrow money. Xu Zifan put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, "Second Brother, what you're saying is too vague. There's no telling how long we'll be able to borrow the money. What if we need it urgently? Besides, no one has ever sold this braised food before, and it's not cheap. How can you be sure you'll make a profit instead of losing everything?"
Xu Erlang's face fell. "Third brother, why are you saying such discouraging things right away? Can't stand to see your second brother doing well?"
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "Whether you are well or not doesn't affect me, I really don't care. Second brother, I'm not deliberately going against you, but my money really does have a use, and I'm afraid I can't help you anymore."
Su Qianyun tugged at Xu Erlang's sleeve under the table. Xu Erlang looked at Xu Zifan and said, "What use are you? The imperial examination is still a long way off. I will definitely return what I borrowed from you. Don't you trust me?"
Xu Zifan thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded and said, "I really don't believe that you can make a lot of money from a little food. If it's that amazing, why didn't I make any money before? Even if it's really as amazing as you say, it's not a good thing for ordinary people to have such a secret recipe, is it? Aren't you afraid of attracting too much attention and causing trouble? Just think of me as being stingy. I have a great use for my money and I can't gamble it on you. Besides, I haven't benefited from it, so why should I take such a risk? It's not like I have spare money."
Xu Erlang slammed his hand on the table, his face stern, and said, "Third brother, you just won't lend it to me, right? We're brothers, don't you have any consideration for us?"
Xu Zifan smiled knowingly and looked at him, asking, "Second Brother, we're brothers after all. You haven't forgotten how eager you were to separate the family and get rid of me, this burden, when I was unconscious, have you? I'm only calling you Second Brother for the sake of our parents. Don't even think about anything else."
Xu Zifan stood up and said to his father and mother, "Father, Mother, Xiaolian, please come to my room later. I have something to tell you."
Xu's mother subconsciously stood up, looked at her two sons, opened her mouth as if to say something, but her mind went blank, and she didn't know what to say. They were both her children, but no one stipulated that they had to be loving and respectful brothers. With their relationship in such a state, whatever she said would probably be inappropriate.
Xiao Lian is a complete fan of Xu Zifan. She took Xu's mother's arm and said to Xu Zifan, "Third Brother, you must be tired after a busy day. Come inside and rest. We'll come find you later."
Xu Zifan nodded, said nothing more, and went straight back to his room. Closing the door, he stretched and muttered, "[The original owner's personality... sometimes his words are quite...]"
It's pungent.
[You imitated it very well.]
Xu Zifan smiled, lay down on the bed to relax, closed his eyes and said, "[After a while, I won't have to study anymore. People always have to grow up. I hope I didn't upset them just now.]"
[Based on our analysis, it's alright if the second wife gets angry. Speaking of which, when we were at the Zheng family's house earlier, Zheng Zixuan was very unhappy because you were moving away and wouldn't be going into the mountains anymore. Was it because she likes you? Based on the available data, she's the most suitable person for you to be your wife among the people you know.]
Xu Zifan's mind flashed back to the times he had known Zheng Chuan, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "[A woman dressed as a man, really quite interesting. Now that you mention it, I can't really imagine what it would be like to marry a gentle, ancient woman, but with Zheng Chuan, it certainly wouldn't be boring. She doesn't understand those constraints of obeying her husband and father; she's more like a modern woman, and her personality is open-minded. It would be very easy to be with her. We'll go see her again first thing tomorrow morning. Once we've made our move, we need to act quickly. It would be troublesome if my mother arranged a wife for me that I've never even met.]"
You will definitely succeed.
Xu Zifan rested his hands behind his head, contemplating his future path, this time including Zheng Chuan. Meeting a girl like her, unbrainwashed by feudal society in ancient times, was a godsend. He liked her even when he thought of her as a man; now that she was a woman, missing out would be foolish!
Xu's mother and her family didn't keep Xu Zifan waiting long before coming in to find him. Since the negotiations had broken down, and Xu Zifan had initiated the discussion, the eldest son's family, under Cai's insistence, hadn't lent him a single copper coin. After careful consideration, Xu's parents said they would think it over. They didn't have much money, and hearing Xu Zifan say he also needed money, they knew they would prioritize him since they lived with him. Besides, the second son and his wife weren't in a dire need; they just lacked capital. Both elders were inclined not to lend him the money.
Enraged, Xu Erlang slammed down his chopsticks and stormed back into the house, leaving behind the words that they disregarded even the slightest bit of family affection, something he would remember. The scene was quite unpleasant; Xu's father and mother entered the house with grim expressions. Only Xiaolian, unconcerned about the second branch of the family, entered and curiously asked, "Third Brother, what did you want to talk to us about?"
Xu Zifan asked them to sit down and said, "I went to Jishetang to sell medicinal herbs a few times. Doctor Tong there appreciated me and asked me to be his accountant. He also allowed me to treat patients at his clinic. At first, I will definitely only be an assistant and treat minor illnesses. After a while, I will be able to see seriously ill patients. It's a great opportunity, starting from the beginning of next month."
Xu's parents were overjoyed. "Really? From now on, you'll be the accountant at Jishetang, and maybe even a doctor?"
Xu Zifan nodded, and Xiaolian said excitedly, "I know that. When we went to town last time, Doctor Tong took a liking to Third Brother. This time it must be settled. Third Brother is amazing!"
Mr. and Mrs. Xu were so excited they didn't know what to do. They kept saying thank you. Mrs. Xu said with relief, "I've often heard people say, 'Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune.' I never thought it was true. We've really had a stroke of great luck."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "I'm very lucky. Doctor Tong's apprentice lives near the clinic. He lives alone and said he's willing to rent his house to me. Dad, Mom, why don't you move to town with me? I'll probably be back very rarely after I go to the clinic, and I'm worried about you staying here."
Mr. Xu waved his hand, "We've lived here all our lives, what's there to worry about? Besides, you're going to work, how can you take your parents and sister with you? No, no, just take care of yourself."
Xu Zifan immediately said, "How could I take care of myself? Dad, Mom, the imperial examination is in six months. I need to study medicine, work, and study. I might even forget to eat when I'm busy. I can't do without you. Besides, Xiaolian is growing up. The town is better than the village in almost every way. Letting Xiaolian live in the town will broaden her horizons."
Xiaolian nodded hurriedly, looking at Xu's father and mother expectantly, "Dad, Mom, please agree, I want to go to town. There are only four of us in our family, it's not good to be separated like this. Don't you miss Third Brother? Why don't you all go to town to live together? We can help Third Brother with laundry and cooking, and we can run errands for him if anything happens, wouldn't that be great?"
Xu's mother hesitated and said, "How much would it cost to rent a house? We still need to save money for the imperial examinations, and there are many places where we need money. We clearly have a house at home, why would we live in town? At worst... at worst, Xiaolian and I will go to town every day to bring you food and do your laundry."
"Mother, how can this be?" Xu Zifan thought for a moment, took out one hundred taels of silver from selling wild ginseng, and said in a low voice, "This is what I got from selling wild ginseng. It's enough to rent a house and take the imperial examination."