The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 740 - 729: Not Making Sense

Chapter 740: Chapter 729: Not Making Sense

Chen Erlang: ...

So in the end, Zhou SiLang had Zhou Liulang carry a large pack of money, and after haggling over the price with the owner of the carriage service, they rented sixteen mule carts.

Then, Zhou Lijun did the accounting, counted out the money to pay the bill, and made sure the accounts were recorded correctly.

In the end, they left the city early this morning, sixteen empty carts, oh, not exactly empty, as they carried some goods, like provision for the sixteen of them.

Zhou Liulang was in charge of the food, and then Zhou Lijun took responsibility for managing everything. As for the rule that it’s best not to bring women along when doing business, the Zhou brothers never even considered it.

When you think about it, the family’s current prosperity started with Manbao.

So for such a rule, both Zhou SiLang and Zhou Liulang ridiculed it.

Early this morning, Manbao was the first to see them off before going to the pharmacy. When she returned home, only Aunt Rong and Zhou SiLang were in the small courtyard.

Manbao rushed into the kitchen and asked, "Haven’t the gentlemen returned yet?"

Aunt Rong chuckled and said, "Not yet, I reckon they’ll only be back at supper time."

Manbao nodded and then ran to check on Zhou SiLang, only to find Zhou SiLang sound asleep on the bed.

She felt a bit displeased and nudged him, saying, "Fourth Brother, the sun is so nice outside, why are you sleeping?"

Zhou SiLang shifted a bit and replied, "I can’t do any work, so what else would I do besides sleep?"

"Going out to sunbathe would be nice too. I heard that sunbathing helps bones grow."

"Are you trying to fool ghosts? Sunbathing helps bones grow? I’ve only heard that gnawing on bones helps them grow. If sunbathing really helped bone growth, children wouldn’t need to eat or drink. They could just go out and sunbathe every day."

Bai Shan, who was outside the window, heard this and burst into laughter, her chuckles growing more joyful and unstoppable.

Manbao leaned towards the window and glared at him, "What are you laughing at?"

Bai Shan, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, replied, "I was thinking, according to what Fourth Brother Zhou says, children would only grow bones but not put on flesh."

Manbao nodded repeatedly, finding a point to argue back, "Exactly, exactly. You eat to put on flesh."

Then she looked disdainfully at Zhou SiLang and said, "Look at you, spending these days without sunbathing or moving around much, eating well and plenty, only putting on flesh without growing bones, and now you’ve gotten fat."

Zhou SiLang’s eyes lit up with surprise and he asked, "Really?"

"Really."

"That’s great," Zhou SiLang touched his face with his good hand and asked, "Did I really get fat?"

Manbao nodded.

Zhou SiLang turned to Bai Shan to ask the same question.

Bai Shan studied him carefully and then nodded, saying, "You have indeed gotten a bit fatter."

Zhou SiLang regretted it so much he could barely bear it. "I should’ve gone back home with Sixth and the others. I didn’t have to drive the carts or do any work anyway; I just had to sit there."

"What would you do back home?"

"To let Fourth Sister-in-law see," Zhou SiLang said dreamily, "I actually gained weight, so now I must look even more handsome than before. I definitely need to let Fourth Sister-in-law see me. What if I lose weight later on?"

Manbao stepped back a few paces and gave Fourth Brother Zhou a serious look-over, then couldn’t help nodding, "Don’t mention this, but Fourth Brother, you really do look more handsome with a bit of extra weight."

Bai Shan also nodded in agreement.

Zhou SiLang’s heart ached even more with regret, to the point of eating half a bowl less at dinner.

He didn’t know that Zhou Liulang, who had just made his impressive return to the village, was stopped by Ms. Fang as soon as he hopped off the mule cart. She cradled Six in her arms and asked him, "How is your Fourth Brother? Is he a bit better? Can he get out of bed and move around?"

Zhou Liulang was taken aback and replied, "He can. Couldn’t Fourth Brother always get out of bed?"

Then he looked at his Second Brother, wondering what on earth he had told Fourth Sister-in-law when he returned. It almost seemed like Fourth Brother was on his last legs.

Ms. Feng shot him a sidelong glance and said, "Just answer Fourth Sister-in-law’s questions honestly. Why are you looking at your Second Brother?"

Then she comforted Ms. Fang, "Don’t worry. If both your Second Brother and Sixth say he’s doing well, then he most certainly is. Besides, aren’t you planning to go see him? You’ll get to see him by the end of the day, at the latest."

"Ah? Fourth Sister-in-law is going too?"

Ms. Fang wore a worried expression, "I’m just not at ease."

Zhou Liulang said, "What’s there to worry about? Apart from not being able to use his left hand, Fourth Brother is doing very well. Just yesterday, he took us to rent the carts. He argued so fiercely with the manager that those unaware might have thought they were about to fight."

Zhou Liulang glanced at Six in her arms and blinked, asking, "Fourth Sister-in-law, you’re not thinking of bringing the child along, are you?"

"Of course. His dad’s hand is broken, so how could his son not go to see him?"

Zhou Liulang said, "You really shouldn’t go. The cart is already heavy with the wheat loaded on it; where can we... ouch—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhou Liulang’s ear was grabbed and tugged away by Ms. Feng.

Ms. Feng was frustrated with him, saying, "No wonder you can’t find a wife. Serves you right for not being able to get married."

Zhou Liulang felt miserably wronged; he hadn’t said anything incorrect because they had rented extra mules, and the carriage service had even sent a person along to make sure they didn’t mistreat the animals.

Everything loaded on the cart was precisely accounted for. Bringing along two more people meant they had to unload a sack of wheat seeds.

The entire Zhou family was bustling with activity; there were so many people at home that there simply wasn’t enough space for everyone. Fortunately, the weather wasn’t too cold, so people could just pitch a tent and curl up in blankets for a couple of nights.

However, they couldn’t skimp on food and drink. Although Old Zhou was stingy, he knew that guests should be treated well. Since these were all people his sons had hired, it was only right to host them properly. Otherwise, how could they work effectively?

So everyone at home was busy cooking. Zhou Wulang, feeling pity for his wife who was squatting and washing vegetables with cold water, went to her and squeezed her aside to take over the task himself.

Ms. Feng, still gripping Zhou Liulang’s ear, saw this and said in a low voice, "Do you see that? Do you see? You and Wulang are only two years apart; why can’t you be more sensible?"

Zhou Liulang freed his ear and protested, "To marry a wife just to help her wash vegetables? That would be madness, right?"

And with that, he ran off.

Ms. Feng couldn’t catch him.

Unable to help it, she complained to Junior Ms. Qian, "Sixth is not that young anymore, yet he still acts like a child."

Junior Ms. Qian laughed, "He just hasn’t come to his senses yet. Give him a few years, and he’ll be fine."

"In a few more years, he’ll be an old bachelor, and it won’t be easy to find a bride."

"Not really. We aren’t short on money at our house now. If he wants to get married, what kind of wife couldn’t he find?" Junior Ms. Qian seemed very unconcerned and laughed, "Besides, Mother isn’t even worried yet."

Ms. Feng knew that her eldest sister-in-law and the mother-in-law were closer and understood the mother-in-law better. Since she said this, it meant the mother-in-law really wasn’t in a hurry, so she could only drop the matter.

Yet, for some reason, seeing that all others of suitable age were married except for that one, it just seemed especially irritating to her.

After making sure all the guests were attended to and everyone went to rest, Old Zhou then took a smoking pipe and sat on the threshold to smoke.