After finishing his meal, Xu Zifan drank the last dose of his medicine. His parents asked him with concern how he was feeling. Xu Zifan got up, walked around for a bit, and said with a smile, "I'm all better now, really. I've read a lot of medical books and know my own body. I don't need to take any more medicine. In a couple of days, I'll be back to normal."
"You've even read medical books?" Xu's mother asked in surprise. "You enjoy treating patients?"
"Yeah, I saw it in the library. No one in our family usually gets sick, and I wasn't home when they did, so I didn't mention it. I really like it, but I've never had the chance to."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu exchanged a glance. Mr. Xu pondered and said, "How about we find a way to become an apprentice at the clinic? If we can learn the skills, it'll be much better than being a peasant."
Xu's mother hesitated and said, "This apprenticeship... will last for several years, right? What if he doesn't learn anything by then and it delays the third son's future?"
Xu Zifan waved his hand and said, "Please don't. I hate being told what to do. I'm not going. Parents, don't worry about me. I'll figure it out myself. There's a saying, 'There are golden houses in books.' There are self-taught people too. I'll talk to you if I really can't learn it."
Xu's father sighed, "I think you have no sense of direction. First you said you wanted to study, and now you want to practice medicine. I think you should get married first, settle down and start a family. Only when you have a family will you be able to understand things properly."
Xu Zifan hurriedly said, "Father, please spare me. With my current reputation, where am I going to find a good wife? If I just marry one, it's better not to marry at all, or the family will be in turmoil."
Xu's parents and Xiaolian immediately thought of Su Qianyun. You couldn't really say what was wrong with her; she'd been doing quite well these past few years since she married into the family. But even when she was cheerful and saying nice things lately, she still managed to make them unhappy. The main reason for the Xu family's separation was Su Qianyun; any family in the village would have escalated the situation to this extent. If Xu Zifan were to marry someone like Su Qianyun, the two elders and their unmarried sister-in-law would likely be disliked.
Xu Zifan then said, "How about giving me a year? If I'm still as unsuccessful as I am now after a year, I'll do whatever you ask me to do. Father, Mother, a year isn't long. What if I'm capable by then? Not only can I marry a good wife, but I can also find a good marriage for my sister. So this year, don't rush to arrange marriages for me and my sister. Just think about whoever you like, and we'll talk about it after a year, okay?"
Xiaolian blushed and dared not look up when he proposed marriage. Xu's father and mother thought that a year was not a big deal and that they could support the family. So they nodded in agreement. Xu's father said in a deep voice, "Remember what you said today. You are not allowed to go back on your word after a year. You will have to support the family yourself from now on."
Xu Zifan nodded repeatedly, then took the bamboo hats he had woven for them and said, "Father, Mother, a year is neither too long nor too short, and I can't let you work so hard all the time. How about we make more bamboo hats to sell? We can sell quite a few to people in the surrounding area, right? Whether it's money or food, it will bring in some income for the family. I'll think about making some other things, and we can make more when we have free time and sell them at the market in town. We don't need a lot, just enough so that the four of us can eat better."
They thought bamboo products wouldn't make much money; everyone could weave them, and even those who couldn't could figure it out just by looking at the pattern. What was the point of selling them? However, this was the first time Xu Zifan had mentioned making money, and they were all very supportive, praising him for being clever and promising to sell bamboo products in the future.
Before it got dark, Xu Zifan went to the yard to teach his father how to weave his straw hat. Seeing this, Su Qianyun laughed and said, "Third brother, you're so skillful! Could you weave one for your second brother too? His straw hat is a bit worn out."
Xu Zifan said without looking up, "Second sister-in-law, I'll make it up when I have time."
To Su Qianyun, these words were a clear rejection. He had time? He was always idle at home; when was he ever not free? Wasn't he currently writing something? So petty! He lied and cheated, shirked work, and yet he had the nerve to complain about their separation? People like that were utterly useless. Su Qianyun turned and went back to her room without saying another word.
Xu's father glanced at Xu Zifan and said in a low voice, "Have you upset your two older brothers?"
Xu Zifan chuckled and said, "It's not that bad. It's just that I have a bad temper, and I can't say nice things to people who look down on me and want to order me around. Father, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Don't worry about the affairs of the three of us brothers. I promise, I'll be good to whoever is good to me."
Xu's father felt that his third son was a complete failure, neither married nor able to earn money, and that his words were childish, as if he hadn't grown up yet. So he shook his head and remained silent. As for Xu Zifan's disdain for Su Qianyun, he ignored it, because he was also very dissatisfied with Su Qianyun, his second daughter-in-law. If Su Qianyun hadn't made such a fuss that day, shouting in the yard about Xu Zifan slacking off under the guise of studying, Xu Zifan's reputation wouldn't have suffered.
Fortunately, Su Qianyun was still wary of implicating the schoolteacher and didn't say outside that Xu Zifan had given the teacher gifts and asked someone to lie for him; otherwise, Xu Zifan's reputation would have been ruined. They were family; they should resolve their issues behind closed doors. They weren't against her wanting to separate the family, so why spread it outside? Although they didn't say it aloud, their feelings towards their second daughter-in-law had cooled.
Xu Zifan didn't take the matter of the schoolteacher to heart. There were a million ways to resolve it. He wasn't deliberately arguing with Su Qianyun, a woman. It was just that regardless of whether she was a man or a woman, it bothered him that she looked down on him and treated him like a entitled servant. Besides, Su Qianyun's actions after transmigrating were extremely repulsive, and he had no reason to cater to someone he disliked.
Xu's father often wove bamboo baskets and hampers. Xu Zifan taught him, and he learned quickly, marveling at the ingenuity of the method. While he was weaving, Xu Zifan clicked on a beautifully designed food box on the screen and took out a bamboo...
The bamboo strips were woven together. After Xu's father finished weaving four bamboo hats, he also finished weaving the food box. It was woven with bamboo strips of different colors on both sides, with regular patterns, a beautiful shape, and an exquisite style. It looked so delicate that it seemed like it would be a waste to use it in the village.
When Xu's father saw Xu Zifan weaving the fabric beside him, he exclaimed with delight, "Third son, you really have talent! This is better than anything I've ever seen in town!"
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "It's not as good as a master craftsman, but it's better than an ordinary one. Dad, do you think it will sell?"
Mr. Xu was unaware of this. He had never earned much selling bamboo baskets before, and he hesitated before saying, "Let's give it a try."
Xu Zifan nodded, got up and stretched, and said while tidying up the bamboo strips, "It's getting dark, Dad, you should go to sleep early. I've been weaving these at home these past few days when I have nothing to do. When I feel better, let's go to town and take a look. I have something to do at the library."
Before he could say anything, Xu's father hadn't even noticed how long it had been. He quickly said, "We'll talk about it after you've recovered. Go back to your room and get some sleep; you're still not better."
"Okay, Dad, I'll go to sleep now."
Xu Zifan went back inside, took off his clothes, and used the fine wooden splinters he had sharpened during the day to prick more than a dozen acupoints on his body, working up a sweat again. He couldn't bathe every day in this kind of environment, so he changed into dry undergarments and lay down to sleep. Next door, Xu's parents chatted for an hour, talking about Xu Zifan. Their son was sensible and quite clever, which made them very happy. They had been worried about what would happen to Xu Zifan in the future, but now that they saw he was ambitious, they were relieved. They even discussed how to sell the straw hat and food box, their minds completely focused on these things, forgetting all about the troubles of dividing the family property.
The next day, the Xu family went to the fields after breakfast as usual. Xu's father and mother even happily wore the straw hats that Xu Zifan had woven for them. Xiaolian had already asked Xu's mother, who agreed with Xu Zifan's suggestion that Xiaolian shouldn't meddle in the family affairs of the other two families. Since they had separated their households, they shouldn't get entangled in these trivial matters to avoid future conflicts. Sisters-in-law and aunts weren't easy to get along with, so it was better for Xiaolian to relax before her marriage. Therefore, Xiaolian felt much more at ease, smiling at Xu Zifan and asking him what he was doing that morning.
Xu Zifan considered the personalities of the second wife and her husband. Their tendency to belittle the Xu family while praising themselves must have been built up little by little from small incidents, making it easier for people to believe. Now that the family had just separated, it was precisely the time when villagers were curious and asking questions, so they had to put on an act. Their expressions of restraint, hesitation, sighs, and disappointment would be incredibly convincing. Xu Zifan's mission was to ensure his parents lived a good life, so he couldn't let the second wife tarnish the family's reputation. He felt he should take a stroll around the village.
"Xiaolian, roast two sweet potatoes later, and we'll go to the field to bring some food and water to our parents, and help them with anything else."
"Okay, I'll go right now."
Xu Zifan assigned Xiaolian some work, so she sat in the courtyard weaving straw hats and sunbathing.
In the fields, everyone noticed the straw hats worn by Xu's parents and curiously approached to ask about them. The two elders chuckled and proudly explained that Xu Zifan had figured out how to weave them, fearing their old straw hats were too heavy. The men were fine with it, but some of the women and girls were itching to wear Xu's mother's hat. The patterned hats were so pretty! They didn't have much to dress up for on ordinary days, so wearing a nice straw hat would be nice.
A woman standing close to Su Qianyun asked her, "Did your third son really make this? Didn't you give some to the rest of you to change?"