After taking the measurements, Liu Sanzhen patted his chest and guaranteed it.

"Alright, I've noted down the sizes. Leave the rest to me, brother. Just come pick up the clothes in a couple of days!"

Lin Xiuer paid the deposit, and the group said goodbye to Liu Sanzhen.

Just as he stepped out of the shop, Hu Yidao was waiting at the intersection with a heavy basket on his back.

Inside was the best pork belly he always reserved for Lin Xiuer, along with a few meaty ribs.

"I saved this on purpose to take back to my aunt and Xiaobao to help them recover. The child is growing and needs to eat something nutritious."

Hu Yidao chuckled and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had a great time playing with Xiaobao yesterday and really liked the kid.

Lin Xiuer smiled and nodded, not refusing his kindness.

When leaving the market, Lin Xiuer bought two new small hoes and a small sickle that looked very sharp and easy to use from the general store next to the blacksmith's shop.

Turning around, she saw a vendor selling candied hawthorns next to her. The bright red hawthorns were coated with a shiny sugar shell. She remembered Xiao Bao's bright eyes and bought two skewers.

Remembering that two adults were with her today, she turned to Wu Liangcai and Chen Mingxuan and asked, "Would you like a skewer too?"

Wu Liangcai looked at the glistening candied hawthorn, subconsciously swallowed, but still stubbornly shook his head: "No! I'm too old for that! Why would I eat children's snacks!"

Chen Mingxuan waved his hand dismissively, feigning modesty: "That's right, I haven't eaten these for a long time."

Seeing this, Lin Xiuer didn't insist. She picked out two more cute little sugar figurines for herself before happily calling everyone to set off.

Old Hu glanced at Lin Xiuer's mountain-like basket on her back, then at the two young masters' new baskets crammed with miscellaneous items, and grinned.

"Let's go! Go home!"

Carrying various purchases on their backs, the group marched in a grand procession towards Qingshan Village outside the town, drawing curious glances from the crowd.

The dirt road back to Qingshan Village wasn't short. At first, Wu Liangcai and Chen Mingxuan found the lush green farmland on both sides fascinating and walked with great enthusiasm.

But under the increasingly scorching sun, before they had even walked a mile, they felt the baskets on their backs getting heavier and heavier.

Sweat poured from their foreheads, their breathing grew heavier, and their steps became increasingly sluggish.

Wu Liangcai's silk shirt was soaked through on the back, and Chen Mingxuan had lost his earlier nonchalant air, constantly fanning himself with his hand.

The things the two were carrying weren't particularly heavy, but for the two young masters who lacked physical training, they were already a burden.

"Sister Lin, how much further?" Wu Liangcai wiped his sweat, feeling even more tired than when he ran in the morning.

Lin Xiuer walked ahead, her steps steady. "Almost there, almost there. Consider it exercise. Look at Ping An, carrying a basket on his back and pushing a cart, he doesn't even complain of being tired."

As soon as they left the town, Ping An took the basket that Lin Xiuer had packed on her back, which was obviously heavier, and put it on his own back.

He pushed the cart steadily beside Lin Xiuer, his steps still steady and his breathing perfectly calm.

The two men exchanged a glance, both looking a little embarrassed. They were both grown men, so why was there such a big difference between them?

Driven by their competitive spirit, the two gritted their teeth, stopped complaining about being tired, and silently tried to catch up with the group, though their disheveled appearance was impossible to hide.

Lin Xiuer was only holding two earthenware jars.

Hu Yidao carried the candied hawthorns and sugar figurines for her, walking lightly at the back.

He watched the two young masters ahead of him, their increasingly disheveled steps and grimacing expressions, suppressing a laugh.

"Oh, young masters, this is nothing! We mountain folk walk like this every day, you'll get used to it."

The group continued their noisy, stop-and-go journey until they finally caught sight of the outline of Qingshan Village before noon.

Upon entering the village, we encountered groups of women chatting and relaxing under the trees. When they saw this strange group, their eyes widened and they began to whisper among themselves.

"Hey! Look! Isn't that Fatty Lin? Where did she get so many men again?"

"My goodness! Look at that refined-looking man in the silk robe, isn't he the young master of Chen's Rice Shop in town?"

"Hey! Look at that chubby guy over there... doesn't he look like that little tyrant from Wu Lizheng's family?"

"It's true! Fatty Lin has really gotten to what he's got! Having a pretty boy at home who's even more handsome than in a painting isn't enough, now he's hooked up with some rich young master in town?"

"Look, even Butcher Hu, who delivered meat to her yesterday, came along today. Tsk tsk tsk, the world is going to the dogs!"

"Pah! I think it's just shameless!"

Several women huddled together, pointing and whispering amongst themselves. Their disdainful, curious, and slightly sour gazes were like needles pricking at us.

However, they only dared to huddle together and whisper, and none of them dared to actually shout it out or spread the gossip about these people everywhere.

Let's not even talk about whether the Chen family and the Wu family are people they can afford to offend.

They had all witnessed what the unruly Lin Dapang was like when he went crazy, and they were still a little scared.

Lin Xiuer naturally sensed the gazes and whispers, but she pretended not to notice and walked forward without looking to the side.

Ping An didn't even lift an eyelid. Hu Yidao, thick-skinned, didn't care at all.

Wu Liangcai and Chen Mingxuan, on the other hand, felt somewhat uncomfortable under the undisguised scrutiny and gossip of the village women.

Wu Liangcai subconsciously straightened his chest, trying to put on a young master's air, but the heavy basket on his back and the sweat on his brow made him look rather unimpressive.

Chen Mingxuan frowned and quickened his pace.

Under the watchful eyes of several village women, the group traversed most of the village and finally arrived at Lin Xiuer's somewhat secluded fenced courtyard.

With a creak, the slightly dilapidated fence gate was pushed open.

Wang, who was collecting and drying wild vegetables in the yard, was startled and instinctively pulled Xiaobao, who was playing nearby, behind her to protect him.

She relaxed slightly when she saw that it was Lin Xiuer who had returned, but why was there a string of people following behind her daughter?

Suddenly seeing so many strangers, especially two young gentlemen dressed in silk robes who were clearly not from the countryside.

A look of confusion and a hint of nervousness crossed her face.

"Mother, we're back." Lin Xiuer noticed her mother's unease and quickly stepped forward to introduce them with a smile.

"These people patronized my stall today and gave me a lot of money for the cakes. I'm inviting them over for a meal to express my gratitude."

She pointed to Hu Yidao: "Brother Hu, you met him yesterday." Then she pointed to Wu Liangcai and Chen Mingxuan, "These two are Young Master Wu and Young Master Chen, both from the town."

Seeing that Hu Yidao was also there, with a smile on his honest face, Wang felt a little more at ease.

She quickly wiped her hands, forcing a polite but awkward smile.

"Alright, alright... Gentlemen, brothers of the Hu family, please come in. My home is simple, please don't mind."

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like