Chapter 16

By the time everyone left the Suanjujube Forest, the sky had already darkened. Their journey back had been uneventful. The moment they walked out of the dense forest, both Yanming Jushi and the remaining juniors let out a long sigh of relief. This "harmonious" treasure hunting trip had finally come to a successful conclusion.

They had kept their lives, completed their mission, and obtained the treasure. This treasure naturally belonged to them. When they thought of this, everyone's hearts felt warm, as if a cat was tickling their hearts.

Yanming Jushi looked at everyone with a smile and said, "Everyone Shaoxia, please be patient. Wait for us to reach the 'thumb' peak before we speak in detail." Then, he led everyone back to the 'thumb' peak.

Everyone sat in a circle in front of the Crouching Ox Rock. Yanming Jushi opened his mouth and said, "Everyone Shaoxia, this mission has been successfully completed. Next, please bring back the results of this mission to your respective schools and sects. In addition, please bring back my greetings. Everyone, please raise your heads on the second of February and meet at the same old place. Let us drink and chat merrily."

After he finished speaking, he didn't seem to want to stay any longer. Without waiting for anyone to speak, he cupped his hands and used his qinggong to leave down the mountain.

The remaining people looked at each other and nodded. The Tan brothers were the first to walk away in their unique way, followed by Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing. They cupped their hands to Ma Xiangyang and Situ Ping and turned to leave. Suddenly, Wen Wenhai seemed to think of something and stopped. He said to Situ Ping, "Chief Situ, I was passing by Lu Town the day before yesterday and poked my nose into other people's business and saved a group of farmers. I'm afraid I've offended you in any way. I hope Chief Situ will be magnanimous enough to forgive me."

Situ Ping was also a quick-witted person and hurriedly returned the greeting, "Our Clan's subordinates have been rude in any way. Please forgive them, Shaoxia. If something like this happens again in the future, I hope that Shaoxia will take action again and help me maintain the Clan's reputation." Wen Wenhai smiled and said, "Of course, of course. We'll meet again someday." After he finished speaking, he and his junior sister quickly left the way they came.

In the blink of an eye, only two people were left on the Crouching Ox Rock.

At this moment, Situ Ping felt a little uneasy in his heart. Fortunately, Ma Xiangyang spoke up at this moment, "Sect Leader Situ, I won't say anything else. Since you know about this matter and are also involved, please follow me to Myriad Sword Peak as a guest for a period of time. Everything will be decided by my Sword Lord. How about it?"

Situ Ping nodded. "I'll follow Shaoxia's instructions." Then, he followed Ma Xiangyang back the way they came.

For a moment, the area around the Crouching Ox Rock was deserted.

It was already dusk. Just as a few people from the Jianghu were galloping on their horses, Zhang Xiaohua and Butcher Liu had also rushed back to the Guozhuang House.

Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue were originally sitting in the Zhang family's small house and chatting. At the same time, they were also helping Guo Sufei with some needlework. When Butcher Liu approached, Liu Yueyue happened to raise her head and look outside. Her gaze passed over the short walls of the Zhang family's small courtyard. When she saw the sturdy figure that she had been looking outside the door for an entire day and had lost count of how many times she had looked outside, Liu Yueyue could no longer hold it in. "Wah!" She burst into tears and ran out, throwing herself into Butcher Liu's arms. "Father!"

Her tears were like pearls falling onto a jade plate, dripping down in a pitter patter. Butcher Liu hugged his daughter and patted her shoulder with heartache. His own eyes were also red.

He had thought that he could let his daughter go out and have fun during the New Year, but he did not expect such a thing to happen. It seemed like his daughter was scared out of her wits.

Liu Qian, who walked out after Butcher Liu, was also teary-faced. After the incident, she finally saw her family after so long. She could no longer control her emotions.

Zhang Cai also walked out of the house with crutches and invited Butcher Liu into the house.

With so many people coming in, the narrow central room seemed even more crowded. Fortunately, the people from the same village went home first after exchanging some pleasantries. Zhang Cai sent them to the door and thanked them profusely.

Zhang Xiaohua also returned to the small house to visit her two older brothers.

Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaolong's injuries were more serious. At that time, they had blocked Zhang Cai inside for their father's sake. Eighty percent of the vicious servants' kicks and punches had landed on their bodies. However, Xiaohu did not suffer any fractures. At this moment, he was lying on the kang bed and listlessly talking to his older brother. Xiaolong's injuries were similar to Xiaohu's, but his arm was fractured after all. Last night, he was tortured by the veterinarian, Old Chen, and woke up in pain. He had been in a daze the entire day and could not hide his listlessness.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua come in, Zhang Xiaohu asked, "Liu Qian's family is here?"

Zhang Xiaohua said, "Yes, they just entered the house."

Zhang Xiaohu asked again, "Is there no one else?"

Xiaohua asked curiously, "Who else is there?"

Xiaohu said, "The matchmaker!"

Zhang Xiaohua was at a loss.

Zhang Xiaolong laughed and said, "Don't listen to Second Brother's nonsense."

Zhang Xiaohua immediately understood what was going on and joked, "Soon, they won't come today. They'll have to come tomorrow. It takes time to prepare a betrothal gift. No matter what, we have to thank our brave and righteous big brother. Think about it, twenty to thirty villains. Big Brother, you're angry for a woman. Sister Liu Qian is already touched. If she doesn't give her heart to you, the world will age because of love."

This time, it was Zhang Xiaohu's turn to be puzzled, "Why would the world age because of love?"

Zhang Xiaohua said proudly, "If the heavens have feelings, the heavens will also age. Big Brother's feelings will move the heavens and the earth."

Zhang Xiaohu retorted, "Why are you showing off? What betrothal gift? It's called dowry. Besides, Liu Qian's father is a teacher. This future sister-in-law has read thousands of books. Big Brother will be influenced by her and will be more scholarly than you."

Zhang Xiaolong couldn't keep his face and couldn't help but scold Zhang Xiaohua, "What does a brat like you know? Don't talk nonsense with Second Brother. We brothers are just having fun. Don't drag Liu Qian into this. Wouldn't it be bad if someone heard?"

Just as they were talking, someone came in from the central room. A crisp and slightly hoarse voice said, "Who's talking about my sister?

Why are you talking nonsense? I just happened to hear it. "

The three brothers raised their heads. It turned out that Liu Yueyue had brought Butcher Liu to see them.

They saw Butcher Liu's eyes smiling as he looked at them. Liu Yueyue also had a teasing expression. Behind them, Liu Qian's face was flushed red. She lowered her head and didn't say anything. As the host, Zhang Cai fell behind them with his walking stick. He didn't listen carefully to their conversation.

When Zhang Xiaohua saw them come in, she jumped down from the kang bed. Just as she was about to clean the kang bed and invite Butcher Liu to sit down, Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue nimbly tidied up before her and helped Butcher Liu sit down. It seemed that on the day that Zhang Xiaohua wasn't here, the two girls had tidied up the room more than once. Zhang Xiaohua's eyes widened as she thought, "Today, did the two sisters feed First Brother and Second Brother?"

Seeing a group of people suddenly barge in, Zhang Xiaohu didn't know what to feel. Zhang Xiaolong's face turned red, as if he had done something wrong.

Zhang Xiaohu sat up and was about to get down from the kang bed when Butcher Liu pressed him down and said kindly, "Nephew is still recuperating. Don't move."

Zhang Xiaohu struggled for a bit but couldn't break free. He could only lie down obediently. Zhang Xiaohua looked at the forced "kindness" on his face and cursed in her heart.

Zhang Xiaolong also wanted to get up, but it was inconvenient for him to do so with one hand. He tried but couldn't get up. Liu Qian hesitated for a moment and went over to support his shoulder. She helped him up. The two of them looked at each other and then separated as if they had been electrocuted.

Butcher Liu also saw it and his smile bloomed like a flower. He said to Zhang Xiaolong, "Nephew is really righteous ah, to be able to step forward in front of a bully and save my daughter and niece. Old Liu salutes you."

As he spoke, he got down from the kang bed and bowed deeply to Zhang Xiaolong. Zhang Xiaolong quickly reached out his hand and said, "Don't be like this, Uncle. It's what I should do.

Aren't you shortening my lifespan by doing this?

Xiaohua, hurry and help Uncle up. "

Zhang Xiaohu also took the opportunity to get up. Zhang Xiaohua quickly held Butcher Liu back, but he wasn't as strong as Butcher Liu. This salute was finished.

Zhang Xiaolong was at a loss again. He turned to look at Liu Qian as if asking for help. Liu Qian didn't dare to speak, and neither did Liu Yueyue.

Zhang Cai spoke, "Uncle, don't be so polite with them. Young people are very hot-blooded. Weren't we like this when we were young?

There's no need to be so polite.

The children's injuries aren't serious. They'll be fine after a bit of rest. Let's go outside and drink some wine. "

Butcher Liu stopped talking and beamed with joy, saying, "Heroes are still young. We're all old. Alright, you young people have a good chat. I won't disturb you anymore. We old people are going to drink."

As he finished speaking, he turned around and went back to the central room. Zhang Cai also followed, leaving Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue in the Zhang brothers' small room.

Zhang Xiaohua looked at Liu Qian's peach blossom face and Liu Yueyue's eyes darting around. She felt the awkward atmosphere in the room and immediately said, "Sister Liu Qian, you're really beautiful today. You guys talk, I'm going out to play." As she finished speaking, she ran away, leaving behind a single man and woman.

The feelings between men and women were very strange. Zhang Xiaolong and Liu Qian met once in the cloth shop. If they hadn't met Lu Zhen's gang of bullies, they probably wouldn't have met a second time in this lifetime.

Lu Zhen's disaster highlighted Zhang Xiaolong's hot-blooded side and gave Liu Qian an excellent impression. Now, in just a few hours of getting along with Zhang Xiaolong, Liu Qian really felt a little attached to Zhang Xiaolong. Thinking that there was such a person who would take care of her for the rest of her life, perhaps it was a fate arranged by God. Looking at Zhang Xiaolong's handsome face, although tanned by the wind and sun, he had a masculine aura that her brother did not have. Liu Qian's heart became more and more scheming.

Butcher Liu stayed the night at the Zhang residence. It was a silent night.

The next morning, Zhang Cai accompanied Butcher Liu to talk about farming and mulberry seeds. Guo Sufei accompanied Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue to Zhang Xiaohua's room to take care of the injured brothers.

At this time, the more Guo Sufei looked at Liu Qian, the more she liked her. No matter if it was her looks, her figure, or her ability to do housework, there was nothing to nitpick about. This girl actually had a lot of housekeeping skills that she didn't know. Early in the morning, Liu Qian helped her get a few pots of plants and placed them in the central room. She also placed a few pots of flowers in Xiaolong's room. The entire room immediately became brighter and more pleasing to the eye.

She really was a good daughter-in-law … candidate ~