Chapter 78 - Expressing Gratitude ◇

◎ Can the lady of his master be wrong?! ◇

The young lad rushed in and bowed deeply before Zhu Ying, who helped him up. Though inwardly pleased, he maintained a composed demeanor and said, "It's alright, no need for such formalities."

"One ought to draw one's sword to aid the oppressed when encountering injustice – that is the duty of a person from the jianghu."

The youth's expression turned serious and respectful as he clasped his hands together, asking, "Why have you come?"

The twins chimed in, "Master, the Hero saved us! We were being chased by a pig – not our family's pig, but a big, wicked boar from the mountain!"

Hua Tianqu was somewhat surprised. He had assumed the Hero had left the area, but it seemed he was still here and had even rescued the three missing children. As these children were his students, the debt of gratitude naturally fell on him. The youth's face grew more solemn, and he bowed once more, saying, "Many thanks, Hero, for coming to their rescue."

Zhu Ying felt both elated by the lad's poetic compliments and slightly vexed. Placing a hand on the youth's shoulder, he earnestly advised, "No need to bow and scrape so often. I'm just a wanderer of the jianghu, and helping those in need is my duty."

He secretly winked at the lad.

How astute Hua Tianqu was; he instantly grasped the situation. The Hero had previously mentioned that the entire Hua family were his benefactors, so it was only natural that he would save their three children.

He even imagined that perhaps the Hero had stayed here out of gratitude, wishing to look after the family who had once helped him. After all, they had returned to the countryside due to hardship, and their lives were undoubtedly more challenging than before. It was only natural for the Hero to be concerned.

The youth filled in the blanks on his own, finding the explanation both plausible and admirable. He felt even more convinced that the Hero was a man of honor and loyalty.

Hua Zhan asked doubtfully, "Did you know Zhu Ying before?"

The boy snapped back to reality and bowed, "This Hero is the one who saved me last time. He even flew up the mountain to fetch medicine, which ultimately saved my mother."

Upon hearing this, Hua Zhan furrowed his brow. That meant... Zhu Ying was the one who rescued him and Sanshu down the hillside that day.

He vaguely recalled someone addressing him as Lord at that time. However, having tumbled down the slope and been injured, he had been unconscious and disoriented. He couldn't determine if the voice calling him Lord was just a hallucination or something he had truly heard.

If it was real... how could a person from the jianghu like Zhu Ying know to call him Lord?

A nagging doubt lingered in Hua Zhan's mind, but he kept it hidden. As the host, he invited Zhu Ying to sit down and enjoy some tea.

Aunt Mei and Mrs. Chen retreated to the kitchen, with Aunt Mei casually grabbing a chicken, planning to prepare it for their benefactor. The hero had mentioned that he hadn't had a chance to taste the roasted chicken before rushing off to save someone.

Mrs. Chen took charge of washing the vegetables and soaking the dried mushrooms in water.

Aunt Mei's lips curled into a smile as she said, "Although that young hero is a bit dark-skinned, he's clearly an attractive lad with a good temperament. He's upright, skilled in martial arts, and seems like a fine man."

Mrs. Chen, not accustomed to discussing unrelated men, replied bashfully, "So what if he is?"

Aunt Mei continued, "In my opinion, he would be a match for Lian'er too…" Upon hearing Mrs. Chen's startled exclamation, she quickly stopped herself, realizing she had spoken out of turn.

How could she discuss a suitor for her daughter-in-law in front of Mrs. Chen?

Moreover, Hua Ji was always a sensitive topic for Mrs. Chen, a wound in her heart.

Aunt Mei patted her mouth and said, "My apologies, I spoke nonsense. Please pretend you didn't hear it."

She merely thought it unjust for a fine girl like Lian'er to spend her entire life as a widow for a deceased man, especially since she wasn't born into a lowly background like hers. Why should she devote herself to a dead man?

Besides, it had been so long since Hua Ji's passing. It wouldn't be a big issue for Lian'er to find another young and handsome man.

However, these were thoughts she dared not share with Mrs. Chen. Nevertheless, Mrs. Chen was startled by Aunt Mei's unexpected words, dropping all the vegetables she was holding into the water, splashing herself in the process.

With her hands stained with chicken blood, Aunt Mei was unable to wipe Chen's face. She urged her instead, "Go change your clothes quickly."

Mrs. Chen casually wiped her face and fell silent for a moment before saying, "You're right. It does suit Yu Lian."

This startled Aunt Mei so much that the knife in her hand almost cut her own hand.

She asked, dazed, "What did you say?"

With reddened eyes, Mrs. Chen whispered softly, "I'm not an inflexible or harsh person. I know Yu Lian is an excellent girl. Her marriage into this family is already a favor to me. These days, she has treated me, my husband, and our son kindly. Why would I be hard on her? I sincerely hope that she can let go of Hua'er and find a better match. In terms of status, that young hero isn't worthy of Yu Lian either."

Aunt Mei never expected such words from Mrs. Chen. She looked at her with newfound curiosity, realizing that during this time, not only had she changed, but Mrs. Chen had transformed as well.

Just then, Little Guo'er rushed in with swollen eyes, eager to help Aunt Mei with the fire. Aunt Mei hugged her affectionately and kissed her several times.

"Where's your sister?"

"Sister is with Grandmother in the front room. The Hero, Father, and the little scholar are there too. Brothers were sent by Father to take a bath."

After massaging the old lady's temples for a while and making her drink some warm tea, Yu Lian felt relieved when she saw her regain her energy. The incident of the children going missing and the old lady fainting reminded her of something. Last time, the barefoot doctor, after being exposed for attempting to embezzle Hua Tianqu's medicine, started acting arrogantly and raised his consultation fees out of anger. This undoubtedly added to the burden of the villagers. She needed to find a solution.

She kept this matter in mind and heard the old lady ask, "Have you sent the items to your parents?"

Yu Lian smiled and replied, "I've already sent them. The local escort agency has a convoy leaving the capital this month, and they agreed to deliver it to the Wei Duke's residence."

Yu Lian was still unaware that her parents had separated from the household and moved out of the Wei Duke's residence on their own.

How could her father, a low-ranking sixth-grade official, survive in the capital without the support of the Wei Duke's residence? She hadn't given it a single thought.

The old lady hadn't considered it either. She sighed and said, "Autumn is almost here, and the capital cools down quickly. Mrs. Chen made a cloak early on, saying she wanted to give it to your mother. Should I include it in your delivery?"

Yu Lian pouted and said, "Yes, I brought it. That cloak is excellent; Mother only made one for my birth mother, which shows her favoritism."

The old lady chuckled, "I've never seen anyone get jealous like you, even over your own mother's affection?"

In the main hall, on the other side, the men were seated. Hua Zhan engaged Zhu Ying in conversation. Zhu Ying didn't hold much suspicion or secrecy towards the Marquis, remembering only to conceal his true identity and solidify his disguise as a renowned hero of the martial world. He answered all the questions the Marquis asked, inadvertently revealing much about himself, even his fondness for chicken, which Hua Zhan now knew.

Hua Tianqu sat silently by, observing the hero's innocent demeanor and sighed inwardly.

The hero was talkative, candid, and unusually naive – undoubtedly due to limited interaction with outsiders.

The elder lady listened for a while and asked a few questions. She even inquired if Zhu Ying was married yet.

Zhu Ying's face turned red, and he dared not lift his head. "Not yet." There were plenty of bachelors in his group; he wasn't the only one, so he wasn't worried.

However, the elder lady commented, "You're already twenty, not young anymore. It's time to settle down."

Zhu Ying immediately lifted his head, his flushed face shining with excitement. "Can you introduce someone to me?"

Hua Zhan: "..."

The elder lady chuckled. "Are there any village girls you fancy?"

Zhu Ying replied, "Anything female would do."

All his master's men were rough and unrefined; they didn't even see a single female mosquito! How could he be picky?

At that moment, the twins rushed back from their bath in the yard and loudly responded, "What kind of females? We have sows at home! I feed them!"

"Big Sister said sows can give birth to piglets!"

Zhu Ying's lips twitched. "..." He turned stiffly. "That won't be necessary..."

Yu Lian covered her mouth, barely holding back her laughter, thinking that this young man was quite amusing, at least he had a knack for humor.

At that moment, a lively commotion echoed from outside the courtyard.

Soon, a villager rushed in and shouted, "Wood, Wood, come out and see! The hero has brought down a wild boar, we've dragged it down the mountain! This thing must weigh two or three hundred pounds!"

Hua Zhan, Zhu Ying, and Yu Lian all went out to take a look. The wild boar had already been dragged into the yard by the villagers. With his spacious courtyard, the boar didn't seem small at all. Its massive size thrilled the villagers.

Someone ran around the village, calling out, "Come to Wood's house, come to Wood's house! We're having a big wild boar feast, hurry up!"

In no time, many villagers rushed over. It was just about lunchtime, and everyone's stomachs were growling with hunger. Upon hearing that there would be pork to eat, whether it was wild or domesticated, they scrambled over as if their lives depended on it.

Fortunately, Yu Lian's house was large enough to accommodate everyone, even with all the villagers crowding in.

Even Second Uncle, leaning on his cane, came over, smiling. "I've lived so many years, but I've never seen such a huge wild boar. What a treat!"

Soon, someone sought Zhu Ying's opinion, asking how they should handle the boar since he was the one who had hunted it.

Zhu Ying initially wanted to say that they should follow Young Lady's decision, but then she reconsidered. If she spoke so directly, it might harm Young Lady's reputation. Thus, she pointed at the Marquis, "Follow his lead."

Hua Zhan raised an eyebrow in surprise. He then pointed at Yu Lian, "Let my daughter-in-law decide."

All the villagers turned their gazes towards Yu Lian.

Their eyes were filled with anticipation, hoping that Yu Lian would agree to slaughter the pig so they could enjoy a hog roast. The pig was hunted by the Hero, not by any villager, and thus, they had no right to decide its fate – only the Hero's wish mattered.

Yu Lian looked back at Zhu Ying, "Slaughter half and keep half?"

She meant that Zhu Ying, being a young man of twenty who wandered the lands, might not possess much wealth. Leaving half the pork to be sold for silver could provide him with funds for future use.

As for why she suggested slaughtering half for the villagers to eat, it was because, although Zhu Ying didn't explicitly say so, she sensed his intention to stay in this place. Perhaps after a long journey and without a home to return to, he sought a sense of belonging somewhere. This was a natural human desire.

If so, she would plan for his well-being. If half the pork could win the villagers' favor, allowing him to settle down in the village permanently, then it would be a good outcome.

Zhu Ying was unaware that the young lady had already considered so much on his behalf. If he knew, he would surely be moved to tears. At that moment, he simply nodded in agreement, regardless of what the young lady said.

Could his master's wife ever be wrong?!

Half of it was still quite substantial. The villagers' hearts settled as they assessed the pig on the ground. Upper Village was a homogenous clan village with only a few hundred people in total. Subtracting those not present, there would be at most one or two hundred people who could attend the feast. With such a plump pig, half of it would weigh over a hundred pounds—how could that not be enough? It would satisfy them to the brim, providing a month's worth of rich flavors!

Soon, someone went to invite Butcher Zhang from the village to slaughter the pig. Such a large animal was not an easy task for an ordinary person.

While the butchering was happening outside, Aunt Mei had finished cooking chicken and rice in the kitchen and even prepared two side dishes.

As she carried the food out, the aroma of the chicken wafted through the air, drawing envious glances from the villagers in the courtyard. Aunt Mei, quick-witted, explained, "The Hero saved the child, so we've slaughtered a chicken to express our gratitude."

With her explanation, no one dared to ask for a taste.

Although the Hero was kind, he was also a formidable martial arts expert!

Aunt Mei invited Zhu Ying to come inside and eat.

The Hua family returned to their house to dine, and Zhu Ying felt a surge of happiness. He was eating chicken from his master's household!

He wondered if his master would feel envious when he found out. Next time he wrote a letter, he would remember to describe in detail how delicious the chicken was.

The gratitude feast left Zhu Ying's mouth greasy with satisfaction. Everyone in the master's family treated him like a hero, even the elderly matriarch, who repeatedly served him chicken with her chopsticks, and the young madam, who used public chopsticks to give him meat.

He felt that it was truly worth it this time!

He should have done this a long time ago. If he had known he wouldn't get the chance, he would have created one himself!