Chapter 794 - 409: Rumors Are Rife

Chapter 794: Chapter 409: Rumors Are Rife

Zhang Huai’s heart skipped a beat. Unsure whether to be happy or worried, he didn’t leave, instead looking at Scholar Zhou, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Scholar Zhou waved a hand at him and smiled. "No need to worry. It’s just that they are my Fourth Uncle’s direct disciples, so of course they receive some special consideration."

Only then did Zhang Huai relax slightly. He bowed and took his leave.

But Scholar Zhou called him back, saying with a smile, "The dried vegetables and the pickled pig’s stomach and head you sent last time were quite good. Ming’er and her mother both liked them very much. Hmm, and I really liked the pig’s ears. Did your wife make them?"

Zhang Huai quickly replied, "Yes, my wife made them. If you like them, sir, I can send some more dried vegetables over. We still have one more pig’s head."

Scholar Zhou nodded. "Then I won’t be polite about it."

Zhang Huai smiled. "I’m just happy you enjoy it, sir. In previous years, Mr. Zhou also loved eating pig’s head meat and offal. My wife would cook it and send it over for him to enjoy with his wine."

Scholar Zhou’s eyes instantly lit up. "Oh? My Fourth Uncle liked it too? Heh heh! It seems we’re all family then. In that case, would I be too bold to ask your wife to make some for me to try?"

He felt the distance between himself and Zhang Huai had shrunk considerably, and his tone grew warmer.

Zhang Huai was very surprised but agreed readily. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he finally left the schoolhouse.

When he got home, Juhua was also very surprised to hear from Huai Zi what Scholar Zhou had said, and that he wanted their dried vegetables. ’For such a refined man to say he wants to eat pig’s head meat... it’s probably not just about the food.’

She thought with amusement that his favor had just given her another task to do.

And so, a few days later, she specially cooked a pig’s head, deboned the cheek meat, stewed the pig’s ears, and made braised large intestines with pickled vegetables. When Huai Zi returned from work, she went with him to the school to deliver the food. There, she had the good fortune of meeting Miss Zhou, Zhou Ming, a graceful and gentle girl of thirteen or fourteen with a scholarly air about her.

But that is a story for another time and not one for now.

As for Juhua, when she heard Huai Zi say he was going up the mountain to bring back the logs for growing wood ear mushrooms, she felt a sudden urge to go. Seeing that the twins were relatively quiet, she told Grandma Liu and gave Pu Pao a few instructions, saying she was just going for a stroll on the mountain and would be back soon, and asking her to watch the little ones.

Seeing her excitement, Grandma Liu chuckled. "You just go on, Young Madam. Pu Pao and I will watch them here at home. It’s no trouble. It’s not a big deal if the little ones cry a bit."

Pu Pao said to her cheerfully, "Young Madam, pick some flowers and bring them back! Red ones, too. Have my brother bring a basket and dig up a couple of wild gardenia plants to bring back. We can plant them by the gate. The gardenias are just about to bud right now!"

Juhua smiled. "Then you’ll have to tell your brother. We’re out of room in the courtyard. If we’re going to plant them, it’ll have to be outside the wall." ’Little girls just love their flowers and plants.’

As Huai Zi bustled about preparing ropes and other tools, he listened with a smile as the two schemed about what to bring back from the mountain. He sent Heipi to the undeveloped land to fetch two hired hands to help, then took Juhua up the mountain first.

Outside the courtyard, Juhua saw the lush peach and willow trees lining the road. She casually snapped off a willow branch and peeled back a bit of the bark near the base. Then, like pulling off a pair of pants, she slid the green, leafy bark down the length of the switch, all the way to the end. The bark and leaves bunched up into a little pom-pom. She gripped the now-slippery branch and waved it around, watching the green tuft bob up and down, and for a moment, her spirits soared.

She smiled at Huai Zi. "Ever since having the kids, it’s like I’ve been put under a spell. I want to go out for a walk all the time, but I just can’t get away."

As she spoke, she looked up at the peach trees by the road, noting some of the fruit was already turning pale. "Who knows how many years it’ll take for the peach trees we planted in our woodland to grow this big," she added. "I wish we could just move these ones over."

Seeing her twirl as she walked made Huai Zi’s heart leap as well. He hurried to catch up, took her hand, and said with a smile, "We have more than enough fruit at home right now—more than we can even eat. By the time Banli and the others are older, the fruit trees on the mountain will be big, too. Won’t it be perfect for the siblings to go play in the woods then?"

The two of them turned onto a mountain path and entered the forest, where the light immediately dimmed.

Huai Zi held her hand tightly, keeping her close to his side. "Don’t get distracted looking around," he said. "Watch your step." As he spoke, he used a curved blade to cut away branches and vines in their path.

Juhua complained, "If all I do is look at my feet, what’s the point of the walk? Sigh! It’s all because I come up the mountain so rarely. If I came more often, I wouldn’t be this useless."

Huai Zi laughed. "When the kids are older, I’ll bring all of you up the mountain. Our whole family can explore together. This part is just difficult to walk through because the brush is so thick and tangled. Once we get past it, it’s all big trees ahead. The ground beneath them is much more open, and there are mushrooms, too."