Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Zhou Qingzhu knew exactly what he was thinking and muttered under his breath, "What a jealous, stingy guy."

Huo Jilin pretended not to hear, but Zhou Qingzhu's sister-in-law Zhang Xiuer agreed with Huo Jilin and said with a smile, "Dalin is right. Qingzhu, if you find someone suitable, just have him marry into the family. Your elder brother and I both approve."

Every year around this time was the busy season for matchmakers, and this year quite a few had come to their house to propose matches for Zhou Qingzhu—far more than last year.

Zhou Qingzhu had turned fifteen last year, but no one had come to their house then, because they had been poor.

Now that they saw Zhou Qingzhu valued by Chen Jue, they were all scrambling to come.

Zhang Xiuer supported her brother-in-law's plan to bring in a son-in-law.

Her brother-in-law was the one who could keep the family going. When Qingshan had just returned from the battlefield with a broken leg, it was this younger brother-in-law who had held things together. So she fully supported his decision.

Besides, now her brother-in-law was Doctor Chen's right-hand man—she definitely had to help him.

Uncle Liu was climbing down from the carriage, and he didn't object—that was as good as saying yes. Their family now leaned on Dalin's family for support, and Chen Jue was the one mentoring him. They needed to be grateful, and most importantly, he never wanted his son to marry far away again.

Zhou Qingzhu never expected to be urged to take in a son-in-law, and even his own father had agreed—silence meant consent. He sighed, thinking that he had Chen Jue to thank for all of this. Chen Jue had influenced the villagers without even realizing it.

He was the first boy to understand medicine, the first to treat villagers while heavily pregnant; the first to establish "Chen's Pharmaceutical" and sign his name on the deed; the first boy to leave the village to practice medicine in town.

He had shown everyone that boys could hold their heads high too.

He remembered when his own brother had broken his leg and he'd said he wanted to stay home and hold the family together. No one had believed him, and they'd even mocked his father behind his back.

But now, aside from those who whispered sour words, no one called him ungrateful to his face anymore.

And those who made snide remarks were just jealous that he'd caught Chen Jue's eye and become his capable assistant.

Chen Jue hadn't just given him a way to make a living; he'd given him the confidence to stand on his own. He felt that as long as he followed Chen Jue, he'd never have to be afraid for the rest of his life.

So Zhou Qingzhu wondered, where could he ever find someone like Chen Jue who could give him such peace of mind?

Zhou Qingzhu looked at Chen Jue with a look of reliance, and that feeling was bound to turn into something more.

That had to be nipped in the bud!

Huo Jilin stepped in front of Chen Jue, looked at Zhou Qingzhu, and took Huo Yu—who was reaching out his little hands, waiting to be held—from his arms, and said to him, "You can take your pick from a few more candidates."

Don't keep staring at Chen Jue all day.

It was only natural to fall for Chen Jue; Huo Jilin had no doubt about that. Even though boys in this world were expected to marry into another family.

But Chen Jue was different.

Whether it was his looks or his skills, you couldn't take your eyes off him. Especially in this small mountain village.

And Chen Jue was into men—he had to be careful.

He couldn't let someone steal his man right under his nose.

So he still had to confess, if only to plant the idea in Chen Jue's head. Even if Chen Jue turned him down, he had to say it.

Zhou Qingzhu had no idea his actions had put Huo Jilin on guard.

He said nonchalantly, "Fine, I'll take in a son-in-law, but I have to find someone I actually like. You can't rush me."

"Nobody's rushing you—come help unload the goods!" Uncle Liu called out.

The two families had already agreed to have the New Year's Eve dinner together this year.

All the holiday preparations had to be done in a hurry.

The pharmacy had only closed yesterday, so he finally had time to stock up for the New Year.

"Coming, coming! Wow, you really bought a lot! So many couplets—right, right, the pharmacy needs them all too. Once they're written, I'll go put them up! And we need to put up the God of Wealth over there too!"

"I think you're money-obsessed—why would you put the God of Wealth there? It should be the Medicine King!" Uncle Liu set down what he was carrying from the kitchen and came out, unable to resist whacking him with the fire poker.

Uncle Liu had specifically asked Huo Jilin for advice and bought a New Year picture of the Medicine King.

Zhou Qingzhu kept circling around Chen Jue, while Huo Yu, in Huo Jilin's arms, watched them go round and suddenly let out a little laugh—"heh." Huo Jilin looked down at him, and he was grinning with his toothless mouth. Huo Jilin wrapped his cloak tighter around him, pulled him close to his chest, and said to Zhou Qingzhu, "Stop circling—Huo Yu is laughing at you."

The New Year arrived in the midst of everyone's busy preparations.

Red couplets were pasted all over the pharmacy, inside and out, neat and tidy. Chen Jue had written them himself—his calligraphy was neat and precise, every bit as good as the county scholars'.

Zhou Qingzhu and Zhou Qingshan came over early in the morning to paste them up first.

After finishing the pharmacy, they went home to put up the rest.

The fence gate got "Open View of the Mountain" and "Fortune" pasted on it, and even the stable had "Good Luck in the Year of the Horse"—and wouldn't you know it, this year was the Year of the Horse.

After the lively New Year's Eve dinner, they set off firecrackers made of bamboo. The crackling didn't scare Huo Yu one bit—he watched with wide, round eyes and occasionally burst out laughing along with Nannan.

Here, New Year's meant staying up until midnight. But the child was still young, and Chen Jue had gotten used to a regular sleep schedule, so when Huo Jilin saw him nodding off, he told him to go to bed first.

Chen Jue went to bed with Huo Yu in his arms.

After the midnight vigil was over, Huo Jilin went into the room, and the two were already fast asleep. Huo Yu was tucked in Chen Jue's blanket, snoring softly, his little mouth occasionally smacking—who knows what delicious thing he was dreaming about.

Huo Jilin moved him from Chen Jue's blanket to another, and he didn't even stir.

Huo Jilin lay down, and Chen Jue opened his eyes to glance at him, but still half-asleep, he closed them again. Huo Jilin lay still for a while until he was warm, then scooted closer to Chen Jue and drifted off beside him without realizing when.

The New Year flew by, and before they knew it, it was the Lantern Festival—the day Huo Jilin had picked for his confession.

A confession needed a proper, formal occasion.

Huo Jilin had long forgotten what month it was on the solar calendar, so he had no idea when Valentine's Day was—he'd just use the Lantern Festival for his proposal.

In ancient times, the Lantern Festival was a holiday full of romance and stories.

"I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd; then, turning suddenly, there he was, in the fading lantern light."

That lyric captured exactly that kind of beautiful moment.

On this night, young ladies and gentlemen would take to the streets to admire the lanterns. If their eyes met across the lanterns, they'd exchange keepsakes and pick a day to send a matchmaker.

He and Chen Jue were already married with a child—they didn't need that last step. But the courtship in between had been skipped, so that had to be made up for.

The baby was exactly four months old now, and had clearly grown. After lunch at home and a nap, he was full of energy by evening—perfect for taking out for a stroll.

The weather was lovely today, with not a breath of wind.

Huo Jilin dressed him in a little cloak, bundling him up like a dumpling. Chen Jue didn't even know how to hold him, saying, "He looks like a little rice ball."

Huo Jilin said, "Let's go to Wangjiang Tower and treat you to some tangyuan."

Zhou Qingzhu, Zhou Qingshan and his wife, Zhou Shun, and Zhang Yan and his wife were also going. The two married couples were heading to their uncle's place in town, so they all tagged along.

Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhou flatly refused to spend the money, saying they would stay home to keep an eye on the place.

They said they needed to stay and watch over the God of Wealth and cook tangyuan for everyone.

So the rest of them headed out together.

After arriving in town, Zhang Yan and his wife went to their uncle's house, Zhou Shun delivered the congratulatory gift for Boss Dong, and then Huo Jilin took them over to Wangjiang Tower.

This year's lantern festival was being held at the temple fair. It was a celebration as grand as the Spring Festival, and with the new emperor having just taken the throne, the temple fair was even more spectacular.

The street in front of the temple fair was packed with people, not to mention the bridge near the river—people releasing river lanterns, couples strolling, lotus lanterns hanging under the willows, rows of people on the bridge, and a bright moon in the sky.

"Lamps and lights reflecting each other—what a scene of peace and prosperity!"

From the next table, a scholar recited a poem. Huo Jilin glanced outside—yeah, it really did look like that.

It was a stark contrast to the battlefield where yellow sand had buried white bones.

This scene had been paid for with tens of thousands of lives.

Huo Jilin stood at the window, thinking quietly.

"Sir, this is the best seat in Wangjiang Tower. Is this alright?" the waiter asked, seeing Huo Jilin standing by the window.

Huo Jilin nodded. "Fine, this works."

Wait, we're really sitting in this room?

Zhou Qingzhu looked around the place and didn't dare take a seat.

It really was nice—large windows, and from sitting there you could see the people coming and going below, with the river right across the way.

"Brother Dalin, are you sure we can afford to eat here?"

Zhou Qingzhu asked nervously. Having followed Chen Jue around every day, he had a pretty good idea—their medicine workshop hadn't made much money these past few months. Building the workshop cost money, all the equipment and raw materials cost a fortune, and wages went out on time every month. After all that, how much could possibly be left?

He really worried about those two—both of them burned through money and could land themselves in big trouble in the blink of an eye.

He couldn't relax in that seat.

Sure enough, Huo Jilin said to him with a straight face, "We couldn't afford it originally, but now that you're here, you can stay and wash the dishes."

As a bookkeeper, you always had to be ready to clean up messes. Zhou Qingzhu would have to get used to that.

Zhou Qingzhu choked at the sight of that expressionless face. He shouldn't have asked.

This Brother Dalin really wasted a handsome face and a mouth—couldn't he say something nice, or even crack a smile?

He didn't even smile when handing out wages, looking like everyone owed him a fortune. At a time like that, shouldn't a big boss show a little class?

Ah, forget it, whatever. Zhou Qingzhu watched Chen Jue calmly flipping through the menu, figuring Chen Jue definitely wouldn't let him end up washing dishes. He leaned over and whispered, "I grabbed a bite at home. Let's order less."

Zhang Xiuer was about to say the same thing when Chen Jue held up a hand to stop her: "I want to eat. You can wash dishes for an extra two days."

Zhou Qingzhu: …

Those two really were a perfect match—more and more alike every day, Zhou Qingzhu thought indignantly.

The waiter beside them smiled obsequiously. This was the soon-to-be-appointed Regional Commander Huo—no need to worry about him not having money; even credit would be fine.

Besides, how could he possibly be short on cash?

Boss Huo had become quite famous in their town recently, and his medicine workshop was well known too, so the waiter waited patiently.

Sure enough, a big boss was a big boss—he ordered generously.

"All the signature dishes, one serving of sweet rice ball soup per person, and two jars of wine to start."

After Huo Jilin finished, he said to Chen Jue, "See what else you want—seasonal dishes, desserts, order a few more."

Chen Jue didn't hold back either, ordering several plates of desserts. The waiter recommended a few new dishes, and they ordered those too.

With the waiter present, Zhang Xiuer felt too embarrassed to stop him.

Zhou Qingshan couldn't help laughing. "Enough, enough! Even I can't eat all this."

Zhou Shun also teased, "Right, that's plenty. Let's dig in."

He knew Brother Huolin was generous, but not this generous. He'd just come along to drive the cart and drop off the gift, expecting a simple meal—never imagining it would be this grand.

"Alright, let's go with that for now."

Once the waiter had poured the wine, Huo Jilin raised his cup first: "Today, I want to thank you all for your dedication to the workshop. Though our workshop is still small, I believe it will grow and thrive in the future. When that day comes, I'll host you all at the finest restaurant in the capital. Here's to you—cheers."

Huo Jilin didn't waste words—he started with a big promise.

He was used to making big promises—it came naturally to him.

Chen Jue looked at him, and Huo Jilin let out an "oh"—right, it was Lantern Festival today, mainly for fun, absolutely no talk of work.

It was Zhou Qingzhu's penny-pinching bookkeeping that had reminded him of finances again.

Huo Jilin raised his cup and drained it in one go, bold and hearty, as a way of apologizing.

But Zhou Qingshan and the others had tears welling up in their eyes at his words. Being affirmed felt better than anything. It was the first time anyone had made them such big promises.

"Dalin, don't worry, we'll work hard. The workshop will definitely keep getting better."

Zhou Shun also said excitedly, "Brother Dalin, don't worry. You gave me this opportunity—you're like a second parent to me. I'll give it my all."

He had lost his parents young and was raised by his grandfather. Huo Jilin had taken him under his wing, teaching him about transporting herbs, expanding markets, and cooperating with various herb shops and workshops. Not only did he give him a job and teach him so much, but he also saved him from hauling sacks in town year-round and allowed him to care for his elderly grandfather at home. He was deeply grateful.

"I believe in you. Enough about work—today is a family meal. Make yourselves at home."

Huo Jilin clinked glasses with the two of them. These were the two main employees he was cultivating.

Chen Jue also urged Zhou Qingzhu and Zhang Xiuer to eat: "Try the dishes at Wangjiang Tower—this dessert looks quite good."

Thanks to the big promises Huo Jilin had made and the bonds of friendship he spoke of, the meal was eaten with great enthusiasm. Everyone talked more than usual and drank more than usual. Huo Jilin had lost count of how many cups he'd had.

He didn't particularly like drinking, nor had he ever enjoyed social engagements, but it was something he had to do.

Today, though, was different from those past obligations—this was a family meal.

The wine here wasn't strong, so he treated it as drinking with Chen Jue.

He had never properly had a drink with Chen Jue before.

Huo Jilin clinked his glass against Chen Jue's. "Happy Lantern Festival, Chen Jue."

Chen Jue glanced at him and smiled slightly. "Happy Lantern Festival."

Back when they were at Zhonghai Hospital, they used to have year-end parties, but the two of them would sit on opposite sides, and with Dean Chen present, Chen Jue never had to raise a glass to Huo Jilin. So this was actually the first time Chen Jue had toasted Huo Jilin.

Thinking back to those days felt so distant now.

Back then, he never would've imagined the two of them sitting together so peacefully, drinking side by side.

Chen Jue felt a little sentimental.