Chapter 21
Seeing his father’s strong reaction, Tao Yu’s heart skipped a beat, but he honestly didn’t deny it, and nodded lightly.
Ji Yangzong’s eyes widened: “The villagers privately told me that this person is difficult to get along with. Not only does he not greet people when he sees them, but he doesn’t even pay much attention when others greet him. How can he repeatedly look out for you? Could this kid…”
“Dad, can you stop thinking wildly? You think anyone who talks to me has some ulterior motive.”
Ji Tao Yu quickly stopped his father: “It’s a pointless joke, making people think I’m some celestial being who’s a hot commodity.”
Ji Yangzong glared at Tao Yu with furrowed brows: “You’re a young omega, you don’t understand anything.”
After speaking, he patted Tao Yu’s hand again: “Besides, my omega is a hot commodity.”
Ji Yangzong said: “At the gathering in the city today, the headman of Hongli Village also asked me about you, saying that their second son has also reached the age of marriage.”
“I’ve seen the second son of the Zhou family, the headman. Although he’s not as handsome as that little bastard from the You family, his features are decent. Dad has understood it. Scholars are good, but they have high aspirations. Our ordinary families can’t handle them. It’s good to find someone who can live a steady life.”
“The second son of the Zhou family is a down-to-earth and diligent person. He has already enclosed a pond to raise fish and shrimp, and he can make money. It’s not bad…”
Seeing his father babbling endlessly, more than his mother, Tao Yu didn’t wait for him to finish before turning and leaving: “I don’t understand anything, I’m going back to the house to grind medicine.”
“Oh my, Dad knows you’re still sad about You Erlang, but life has to go on.”
Ji Yangzong watched his omega leave without looking back and quickly stood up to chase after him: “Alright, alright, if you’re unwilling, we won’t rush. Let’s take our time and see. Don’t be angry with Dad, your mother will nag me again…”
The next day, Ji Tao Yu got up early, a change from his dispirited state in previous days.
He bottled all the frostbite cream he had made and put it in boxes. He told Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing that he was going to the city to sell things.
In October, Ji Yangzong was busy with tax collection. He was worried that he wouldn’t have time to comfort Tao Yu, but seeing that he was willing to go out on his own, he felt relieved.
He naturally didn’t stop him from going to the city. Instead, he took out some loose silver and gave it to Tao Yu, telling him to buy some food and playthings in the city.
“Your great-grandfather doesn’t know about the annulment of the engagement yet. Since you’re going, let him know first.”
After saying that, Ji Yangzong couldn’t help but sigh: “When he has time, he’ll definitely come to the village.”
Huang Manjing picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it into Ji Yangzong’s bowl: “You can’t blame yourself for this. In the beginning, didn’t you consider little Tao for this decision?”
Tao Yu bit into his steamed bun, hearing that his father was worried about his great-grandfather coming to scold him.
He raised his face and said in a low voice: “Dad, are you also afraid of your father-in-law?”
“You don’t understand anything, and you dare to laugh at your dad.” Ji Yangzong pinched Tao Yu’s face and took the steamed bun from his hand: “Eat less. If you have an empty stomach, you can eat wontons at the breakfast stalls in the city. Don’t you like that?”
Huang Manjing slapped Ji Yangzong’s hand: “What do you mean by Dad stopping the child from eating enough?”
Ji Yangzong laughed, sweeping away the gloom in the house for the past few days. He put down his chopsticks and got up: “Alright, I have to hurry and collect taxes early.”
While putting on his outer coat, he said: “Little Tao, if you’re staying at your great-grandfather’s house tonight, you need to send a message back in advance.”
Tao Yu also put down his chopsticks: “Got it.”
As soon as Ji Yangzong left the door, Tao Yu picked up a small box and prepared to go out.
Huang Manjing originally wanted Tao Yu to take some preserved meat to his great-grandfather’s house, but thinking that he already had a box and was also carrying preserved meat, he wouldn’t be able to carry it with that little strength.
So she gave up, adjusted his cloak, looked at his thin face, and said with heartache: “Have fun. Go.”
“Mhm.”
Tao Yu carried the small box and walked through the morning mist. Before he reached the village entrance, he saw a person walking slowly along the village road, leading a horse.
The big black horse walked slowly with its owner, occasionally lowering its head to eat a few withered yellow grasses on the roadside.
Huo Shu did not call out to the omega. He stopped and waited for him to approach. Seeing that there was no one around, he took the small box from his hand.
Then he mounted the horse: “I’ll wait for you at the village entrance.”
After speaking, he drove the horse away.
Tao Yu rubbed the back of his hand, which was exposed from holding the small box and had turned a little red from the chilly late autumn wind, and quickened his pace towards the village entrance.
The two of them, like last time, one riding a horse and the other in an ox cart, entered the city one after the other.
When they arrived in the city, the fog was still a bit thick. Tao Yu took off his cloak hood and searched around, but couldn’t find Huo Shu in the fog.
Just as he didn’t know where to find the person, a familiar voice sounded behind him: “Here.”
Tao Yu saw the person carrying the box alone and breathed a sigh of relief: “Why is it only you, where’s the horse?”
Huo Shu said: “It’s been sent to the stable.”
Tao Yu nodded. He went to get his small box back: “Let’s go sell my ointment first.”
Huo Shu walked beside Tao Yu and glanced at the box: “What ointment?”
“It’s frostbite cream.”
As he spoke, Tao Yu suddenly remembered: “Does Brother Huo get frostbite in winter? This frostbite cream is very effective. You can take two to use.”
“Next time.”
He looked at the small box, thinking it was not easy to bring it to the city, and dividing it with him again would be equivalent to taking it back.
“Okay.”
Tao Yu followed the road, and the two of them went to Linhe Fang. There were many traveling merchants in this area.
They bought and sold little in the state capital, mostly going to the counties under the state capital to travel from street to street. For this reason, they would usually collect good things from the state capital to take to the counties.
Although these self-organized small merchants did not carry as many goods as merchant caravans of several dozen people, the state capital had policies to support the people. Small merchants reselling goods within the state capital did not have to pay customs duties.
In this way, they could still earn a few thousand copper coins on one trip, which was a good livelihood for ordinary people.
“If you’re lucky, you might even encounter merchants who have just returned from the county. They will also bring back some specialties from small places. Although the county is not as prosperous as the state capital, it also has its local specialty products. You might even be able to find some good things at a low price.”
Huo Shu lowered his head slightly, listening to the slightly soft and clear voice of the omega beside him, his gaze swept across Linhe Fang.
On one side was the river, and on the other side were houses, most of which had small storefronts.
The shops were not clearly divided into what they sold. They were mainly general merchandise, but clothing, food, housing, and transportation were roughly divided.
The people coming and going were mostly ordinary people, some bringing homemade pickles and flatbreads, some bringing woven baskets and winnowing fans, some bringing hairpins and textiles, all sorts of things.
These things were generally not expensive to produce, and were for ordinary people to use.
The merchants were also happy to collect them. Goods that were too expensive to produce had higher costs to collect, and were not easy to sell. And for merchants like them who did not have large caravans, carrying valuable items with them when traveling far away was high risk.
“Little Doctor Ji!”
Huo Shu heard someone call out in front of him. He narrowed his eyes slightly and saw a slightly overweight middle-aged man calling out to Ji Tao Yu.
As he spoke, he walked up. The man glanced at Huo Shu, who was standing beside him, nodded a greeting with some reservation, and then said to Ji Tao Yu: “I haven’t seen Little Doctor Ji for a long time. Do you have any goods this time?”
Since someone had greeted him, Tao Yu raised the box in his hand slightly: “I have some frostbite cream. Master Ma, will you buy it?”
“Buy, buy!”
The man said: “Master Ji’s things are good. The insect repellent medicine from before was very effective for our own use. Old Ma went to the local area this time, and those who know him are asking if there is any other medicine.”
The man led the two towards his shop: “Winter is coming. Frostbite cream will surely sell well this time.”
Ji Tao Yu asked: “Is Master Ma not doing business outside?”
“He just arrived last night. He’s been tired for more than half a month and is still resting.”
The man poured tea for the two of them and smiled: “I was just about to sort out the goods he brought back when I saw Little Doctor Ji.”
Ji Tao Yu’s eyes lit up when he heard this. He glanced at Huo Shu beside him and then said: “Can we see what rare goods there are?”
The man was very enthusiastic: “Yes, yes! I’ll bring them out now. Little Doctor Ji, see if there’s anything you like.”
A moment later, the man moved two large boxes from the corner. These were the cargo boxes carried by merchants when they traveled.
Tao Yu quickly squatted by the boxes and uncovered them. There were many messy things inside, big and small bags.
There were local preserved meats, fruits, spices, and seeds. Tao Yu also took out a flat, black stone-like object.
His nose was sensitive. As soon as he took out the item, he smelled a faint fragrance: “Is this scented ink?”
“Little Doctor Ji truly knows the goods.” The man said: “The scented ink in our city has been selling very well in the past two years. The price is high, and it’s often out of stock.”
“Old Ma went to the production area, Nan Yu County, this time and also thought of bringing some back to resell. However, the price of scented ink in the production area has also increased. To be honest, Little Doctor Ji, this is made by local farmers. Old Ma said that although it doesn’t look as exquisite as those in the shops, it’s still fragrant, and the price is not high. So he brought some back.”
The ink sticks in the shops were carved or engraved, or gilded and painted, all very elegant and exquisite.
These ink sticks were pure ink sticks, even a bit uneven, and indeed looked like homemade items.
He took out a stick and handed it to Huo Shu beside him: “How about it? This scented ink leaves a fragrance when writing, and it remains even after the writing is dry. And the scent is not ordinary floral or powdery, but warm, mellow, and elegant.”
Scholars liked it very much. They often used it to write letters to people they fancied.
Huo Shu had not read many books. Although he could read and write, he had no research on these brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. In his opinion, as long as they could be used, it was fine.
However, after hearing Tao Yu’s detailed and serious introduction, he still brought the ink stick to his nose and sniffed: “Take a few sticks.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll wrap them up now.”
Tao Yu continued to rummage through the cargo boxes and found some medicinal herb seeds that he liked. There was nothing else.
They were both familiar with each other, so the merchant’s family did not bargain with Tao Yu. Four ink sticks cost three hundred and twenty copper coins, and the seeds were ten copper coins.
The frostbite cream was sold at thirty-six copper coins per bottle in his great-grandfather’s medical clinic, but the wholesale price was twenty copper coins.
Ten bottles would fetch two hundred copper coins at once.
Huo Shu paid for everything. As they were leaving, Tao Yu quickly took out ten copper coins to give to him.
“No need.”
Tao Yu thought that the man was really stubborn. He said he was poor and had to work, but he still didn’t like loose copper coins. He said: “Why not? Ten copper coins can buy a bowl of wontons at a roadside stall.”
Huo Shu thought about how he had just told someone yesterday that he was poor. He said: “Then you can treat me to a bowl of noodles next time.”
Seeing him say that, Tao Yu didn’t take the money and reluctantly put the copper coins back into his purse: “That’s fine then.”
“Are we going directly to Sister Wu San’s house, or do we need to buy anything else?”
Huo Shu said: “Let’s buy a set of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to complete a set.”
Tao Yu wanted to say that the gift they had spent so much money on was presentable enough, and Sister Wu San didn’t seem like a wealthy family, so there was no need to put on a show.
However, on second thought, this was for seeing the son of an old friend, who had now become a great-nephew. It was understandable for an uncle to prepare a generous gift for his nephew when they met for the first time.
So he agreed and led Huo Shu to a bookstore without saying much. Tao Yu wanted to help choose a practical set of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but these items were the most expensive. Even a decent set would cost several hundred copper coins.
After selecting, Huo Shu finally directly took several sets as options. Tao Yu, afraid that Huo Shu would overthink it, picked a more expensive one to save face, costing a full twelve hundred copper coins.
Tao Yu’s eyes widened. What Huo Shu, might as well call him Huo Huo Yinzi.
He shook his head, but Huo Shu strode over to queue up to pay.
While waiting, Tao Yu glanced at the bookstore again and suddenly felt a bit dazed.
In the past, his family always bought books and brushes for You Lingxiao. He had gone to Linhe Fang to find goods and had also visited bookstores.
The brushes and ink he bought and sent to You Lingxiao were all good ones, for fear that he would be looked down upon in the academy for using simple ones.
Although he had never calculated how much money he had spent on him over the years, whenever he entered a bookstore, the amount was never less than a hundred copper coins.
A poor family might not even have a hundred copper coins in income per month.
It was quite a sigh. Ji Tao Yu tried his best not to think about it, but encountering familiar scenes and objects always couldn’t help but bring back those memories.
Just as he was lost in thought, a slightly worn copy of “Collected Cases of Injustice” was suddenly handed over.
He looked up at Huo Shu: “What is this?”
Huo Shu looked down at the omega who was lost in thought and said: “It’s a gift from the bookstore. Let’s go.”
As soon as Tao Yu took the book, Huo Shu turned and left first.
Tao Yu quickly glanced at the title of the book, which seemed to be a legendary crime-solving novel. In fact, it was a forensic science book. His eyes lit up again.
“Wait for me.”
He hugged the book to his chest and hurried after him.
Wu Lianhe’s address was in a residential alley called Xiaoshatou.
This alley was densely packed with houses, and it was an old residential area of the state capital. Outside the alley was a pier, and there were not many shops around. Therefore, apart from the residents living in this area, not many people usually came here.
However, the houses in the alley were not large, and many people lived there, making it very lively.
Huo Shu and Tao Yu walked through the narrow and long alley, turning left and right. They searched in the residential alley for a quarter of an hour before finding Wu Lianhe’s residence.
Tao Yu knocked on the wooden door with red couplets, whose calligraphy was not very mature, and even a bit immature. Soon, a voice from inside replied: “Who is it? Coming.”
The response was a female voice, but it was a boy who opened the door and poked his head out.
The boy’s face was young, but he was quite tall, and standing straight, he was almost as tall as Ji Tao Yu.
Seeing two unfamiliar faces, he was about to ask who they were when a woman wearing an apron hurriedly came out of the kitchen, crossed the small courtyard, and came directly: “Brother Huo, Brother Tao is here! Come in quickly!”
Wu Lianhe quickly pulled the boy and introduced him: “Pan Er, this is your father’s comrade-in-arms. You should call him Uncle Huo now.”
Zhao Pan glanced at the tall and fierce Huo Shu. He rarely saw a man of this physique in Jiangnan, and he was a little curious. However, he was very obedient to his mother and tentatively called out: “Uncle Huo.”
Huo Shu saw Zhao Pan, who had a slightly round face and dark eyebrows, and thought he looked like a miniature version of Zhao Changsui.
Zhao Changsui had a kind face, almost foolishly so. When he smiled, he really looked like an idiot. Even after becoming a hundred households, some new soldiers still wanted to bully him, and he often had to help beat people.
He squatted down and clasped Zhao Pan’s shoulders: “You look very much like your father.”
Zhao Pan had already heard about his father from his mother. Hearing that his father’s comrade-in-arms was coming today, he had been looking forward to it.
Seeing that the person who came was a tall and stern man, he wasn’t as timid as others who saw Huo Shu for the first time. Instead, because he had no father since childhood and particularly longed for his father’s care, knowing that this person had a deep connection with his biological father, he felt a sense of closeness.
“Uncle Huo.”
Huo Shu handed the items in his hand to Zhao Pan: “Your mother said you are attending private school, so I didn’t prepare anything for you. I bought a set of brushes and ink, take a look.”
Zhao Pan’s face immediately lit up when he heard about the gift. He couldn’t hide his excitement, and quickly held the package: “Thank you, Uncle Huo.”
After thanking him, he couldn’t wait to open it and look at the gift.
“It’s stationery from Qingzhu Fang!”
Zhao Pan’s eyes lit up when he saw the items taken out, as if he had found a treasure. He also saw a simply wrapped cloth underneath. When he opened it, his eyes immediately shone: “Is this scented ink?”
He eagerly brought the ink stick to his nose and sniffed, his eyes squinting with joy, revealing two canine teeth: “It’s really scented ink! Uncle Huo, you actually understand these things!”
He quickly bowed to Huo Shu again: “Thank you, Uncle Huo.”
“Brother Huo, you coming here was for me and the child to thank you. Why are you spending money?”
Uncle Huo stood up and looked at the overjoyed Zhao Pan, smiling exactly like his father, and even his temperament was similar to his father’s. He was clearly an optimist.
When Zhao Changsui was a new soldier, he was bullied, starved, and frozen by old soldiers, but he could still keep talking endlessly, saying encouraging words to others. Usually, he would be as happy as if it were New Year’s Day when he ate a hard steamed bun.
He said: “As long as the child likes it.”
After speaking, he glanced at Ji Tao Yu beside him with gratitude.
“I’ll go make tea for Uncle Huo.”
Zhao Pan held the gift and looked at Ji Tao Yu beside him, asking his mother for help: “Who is this brother?”
“This is Brother from the headman’s family in Grandpa’s village. He’s of the same generation as Mom. You can call him Uncle Tao.”
Zhao Pan also called out to him sensibly, and then ran inside to make tea for the two of them.
Wu Lianhe was also a little surprised that Tao Yu had come. It was strange that they entered and exited together. Although she hadn’t returned to the village for many years, her parents and siblings occasionally visited her in the city.
She also knew about the major events in the village and knew that Tao Yu was engaged to the new scholar from the Ji family.
Seeing the child enter the house, she then said: “Brother Huo and Little Tao are…”
Tao Yu hurriedly wanted to explain, but it was a long story. He really didn’t know where to start. Huo Shu, who didn’t seem to participate in the conversation at all, spoke first: “I asked him to come with me.”
This sentence blocked Wu Lianhe’s inquiry.
Seeing this, Wu Lianhe didn’t say anything more and enthusiastically invited the two into the house to sit.
“I went to the market early this morning to buy meat and vegetables, and they’re almost ready. Pan Er also went to join the fun this morning. Crabs are plump at this time of year. I thought Brother Huo is from the north, so he must rarely eat these things, so I bought a lot.”
Tao Yu stood up: “I’ll help Sister Wu San.”
“No, sit down! It’s just a couple of dishes. You’ve come to the city with great difficulty, so why should I let you work? Sit down and rest.”
Wu Lianhe pushed Tao Yu back into his chair: “Have some fruit and tea.”
Zhao Pan quickly brought the tea: “It’s osmanthus tea.”
There was also a plate of pumpkin seeds.
Tao Yu liked floral tea and was indeed a bit thirsty on the way. Seeing this, he sat down and drank a cup.
Zhao Pan originally thought Huo Shu would ask him a lot of questions, but after entering the house, Huo Shu remained silent, as if he were mute.
He wanted to talk to Huo Shu, so he took the initiative to say: “Uncle Huo, let me show you my handwriting.”
Then he went to get a stack of written papers.
“The teacher praised me for my progress a few days ago.”
Tao Yu was eating pumpkin seeds on the side, watching Huo Shu take the papers and look at the words written on them. He was looking very seriously, but he remained silent for a long time.
Zhao Pan stood beside Huo Shu. Seeing the man with slightly furrowed brows, his face was already very serious when he had no expression, and with furrowed brows, he looked even more stern. He felt uneasy and said in a low voice: “Uncle Huo, am I not writing well?”
Huo Shu saw several pieces of paper with the same words written on them. He didn’t quite understand why, since he had already learned to write the characters, why should he write them so many times? Wasn’t it a waste of paper?
Just as he didn’t know how to start, a head with a faint herbal scent approached him from the side and looked at the words on the paper: “Mhm, the composition is beautiful, the brushwork is smooth, and the brushstrokes are light and elegant. It’s good!”
Zhao Pan’s eyes lit up again: “Uncle Tao knows how to read? It’s exactly what the teacher said!”
Tao Yu said: “I know how to read. I also studied for several years.”
The Ji family’s various branches jointly funded a teacher to teach their descendants. Originally, only boys were taught, but since he was the only child in their branch, his father said that since the money had been spent, there was no reason not to go to school. Therefore, the children of several branches, whether boys, girls, or omegas, all went to study together.
Some cousins found studying boring and, after learning to read, were lazy and refused to continue studying. He, on the other hand, found it interesting. His family did not object, so he had been studying for seven or eight years, and he had some understanding of reading, writing, and composing essays.
“Uncle Tao is really amazing.”
Zhao Pan said this. Although he was praised by Tao Yu, he was not very happy.
Tao Yu saw Zhao Pan looking a bit dejected and understood the child’s thoughts. He wanted to talk to Huo Shu and get closer to him, but his Uncle Huo was usually quiet and would not chat aimlessly.
After all, he could stand there with a stern face and say nothing without feeling awkward. Instead, it made others feel uneasy.
Naturally, he also understood that Huo Shu, who had been guarding the northern region for ten years, was not very learned.
Tao Yu waved to Zhao Pan and whispered a few words in his ear. Zhao Pan immediately became happy again and turned to go into the house.
Huo Shu looked at Tao Yu: “What did you say to him?”
Tao Yu blinked his eyes: “I said your Uncle Huo is illiterate, so don’t trouble him.”
Huo Shu narrowed his eyes and slowly uttered two words: “I can read.”
Tao Yu raised his eyebrows and did not argue with Huo Shu. Instead, he started eating pumpkin seeds again.
A moment later, Zhao Pan ran out with a bow: “Uncle Huo, can you shoot arrows?”
Huo Shu took the wooden bow and plucked the string with his finger: “Yes.”
“That’s great! Can Uncle Huo teach me?”
Zhao Pan awkwardly pulled the bowstring: “The teacher said I’m not young anymore, and if I want to achieve anything in the imperial examinations in the future, I have to keep up with the Six Arts. The school is not big, and the teacher only teaches what’s in the books. For example, archery and horse riding, I have to find another teacher.”
“My uncles don’t know how to ride horses or shoot arrows. My mother bought me a bow two or three months ago, and I still haven’t figured it out.”
Zhao Pan said: “Mom is preparing to find a teacher for me, but there are few teachers who teach horse riding and archery, and the price is exceptionally high.”
Tao Yu said: “Then you’ve met a free one now. Your Uncle Huo’s skills in horse riding and archery are from the battlefield, so he must be more skilled than outside teachers.”
Huo Shu’s lips curved imperceptibly when he heard this. He neither agreed nor disagreed, but merely lowered his gaze.
Suddenly, with a whistling sound, a short arrow shot out from the open main hall and landed firmly on the target in the courtyard.
Zhao Pan ran to the eaves when he heard the sound. He saw that the short arrow, which he couldn’t even pull, had hit the center of the target perfectly and even penetrated the target, going halfway in.
The target was a round winnowing fan painted with colored circles, simply hung on a coat rack. When it was hit, it was still shaking back and forth, showing how strong the arrow was.
His eyes widened, his mouth agape. It was the first time he had seen such archery.
He immediately felt that the horse riding and archery masters he had seen outside were nothing compared to this, and he admired Huo Shu even more.
Huo Shu looked at Zhao Pan in the courtyard and said: “Your father’s archery was also taught by me. It’s not a problem to teach you now.”
The northern region was in constant war. Boys could not be taught to read from a young age, but they could not neglect learning horse riding and archery. Huo Shu was already first-class in horse riding and archery when he joined the army, but Zhao Changsui, as a man from the south who valued literature, did not know these things.
New recruits had to learn horse riding and archery and practice daily. However, the generals’ teaching was always superficial and perfunctory. He was afraid that Zhao Changsui would die quickly without understanding it, so he privately gave him extra lessons.
That kid was smart. With both methods, he learned quickly, but he was always soft-hearted and didn’t shoot living things, so he progressed slowly, and no amount of talking could change him.
Later, he went to the front line twice, and his archery was very good.
The main reason was that those who were not good had already died on the battlefield.
When Zhao Pan heard this, he felt a mix of emotions. Although he had never seen his father, he still had his father’s blood, and he always thought of him.
“Thank you, Uncle Huo.”
Uncle Huo stood up, glanced at Ji Tao Yu beside him, and asked: “Do you want to learn?”
Tao Yu guessed that Huo Shu knew how to ride and shoot, but he didn’t expect his archery to be so skillful. Although he thought it was very cool, if he learned it himself, he definitely didn’t have the talent for it.
He quickly waved his hand: “Forget it, I can’t even draw a bow, and I’m weak.”
“It’s fine if you don’t learn. As long as you have someone to protect you.”
Tao Yu was stunned and didn’t quite understand what Huo Shu meant by this.
So the three of them practiced archery in the narrow courtyard for a while. By the time they ate, Zhao Pan already knew how to hold the arrow and draw the bow.
Although he couldn’t hit the target yet, he could at least shoot the arrow out. The child was very happy with his achievements and even asked his mother to demonstrate it.
After laughing and chatting in the courtyard for a while, the few of them went into the house to eat.
Wu Lianhe had prepared a large table of dishes after working all morning, and she had specifically brought a pot of good wine from the city to entertain Huo Shu.
Zhao Pan was no longer estranged from Huo Shu. He ran back and forth, pouring wine for Huo Shu and peeling crabs for him.
He was so attentive as if he were a hired laborer for Huo Shu. Wu Lianhe saw that the child had not been this happy for a long time, and she was greatly relieved.
“Uncle Huo, can you teach me archery again next time?”
“Can you still come to the city to see me?”
In the afternoon, Huo Shu saw that the sky was turning gray and feared that it would rain, so he prepared to leave.
Zhao Pan was very reluctant for him to leave. He escorted Huo Shu all the way to the main street outside the alley. Even when Wu Lianhe pulled him back and told him not to continue, he was still asking Huo Shu questions.
It was not surprising that Zhao Pan was like this. Since childhood, Wu Lianhe had been taking him to live in hiding, and he saw his maternal grandparents and uncles and aunts less often.
When he was a child, when Wu Lianhe went to work in the workshop, he was alone at home, and he wasn’t even allowed to go to the alley to play with the children.
After he understood his family’s situation, he was very sensible. In order not to cause trouble for Wu Lianhe, he went to private school to study, and he didn’t make any friends. He was mostly alone.
In the end, he was still a child. Huo Shu was his father’s comrade-in-arms, with whom he had fought side by side for ten years. Now he was also teaching him archery, so he naturally depended on him.
“Come.”
Huo Shu was not talkative, and only replied.
After speaking, he looked at Wu Lianhe: “Do you plan to let the child acknowledge his ancestors?”
Wu Lianhe glanced at Zhao Pan and said: “I plan to wait until he achieves something before saying anything. Then there won’t be so many rumors.”
Huo Shu nodded. He said to Zhao Pan: “If you have anything in the future, come to the village to find me.”
“Okay!”
Zhao Pan quickly responded.
Huo Shu and Tao Yu then left.
“Uncle Huo, I will definitely practice archery well!”
Huo Shu heard this and turned back, seeing Zhao Pan waving enthusiastically at the two of them.
“If Brother Changsui were still alive, he would be relieved to have such a good son.”
Tao Yu said.
Huo Shu looked into the distance and agreed with Tao Yu’s words.
“It’s also because his mother taught him well.”
Tao Yu couldn’t help but raise his eyes and look at Huo Shu when he heard this. He was surprised that he would recognize Wu Lianhe’s efforts and thought that Wu Lianhe had raised the child well, rather than attributing it to the good bloodline of Changsui Ge.
It was not easy for men in the world to recognize women and omegas, rather than constantly boasting about men’s achievements.
He clapped his hands together, smiled, and his eyes curved: “I think so too.”
