Chapter 126: The Mysterious Gift-Giver

It was already a complete surprise that the Kou family had sent a congratulatory gift, so when Zhou Zhi heard that there were more visitors, he was momentarily stunned.

Thinking it over, he was merely a lad from the countryside. How could he have any fame? He did not know many people, and by his count, everyone who might have sent a gift had already done so—even those who shouldn’t have. In his memory, there was no one else who could possibly have come.

Zhou Zhi hurried out to meet them.

His father, Zhou Tie, was already beaming with joy. He never imagined that his son could have cultivated such extensive social connections in such a short time. And looking at it, these households that Zhou Zhi had befriended were clearly either wealthy or influential. It seemed the Zhou family was destined to change its status and bring honor to their ancestors.

In particular, the fact that the Magistrate himself had sent a gift was an immense honor, a source of great glory! Who in Baiyue Village could host a wedding that would stir the Magistrate? Not even the Yue or Chen families could claim such a thing. Zhou Tie’s back, which was already quite straight, seemed to straighten even further.

Furthermore, the two chests of gifts just sent by the Kou family of Tang County had essentially provided everything needed for Zhou Lvyun’s dowry. One hundred taels of pure white silver—that was no small sum.

So, hearing that there were more guests, Zhou Tie’s dark face bloomed like a flower, and he followed Zhou Zhi out of the room.

Standing in the courtyard were six men dressed as servants. Leading them was an old man with a ruddy complexion; he was not tall, but he looked spirited, shrewd, and capable.

Zhou Zhi looked them over carefully, but he did not recognize a single one, which only added to his bewilderment. Nevertheless, he wore a smile and cupped his hands to the old man. "Old sir, the Zhou family of Baiyue Village is holding a wedding today. Could it be that you have come to the wrong place?"

The old man, however, seemed unconcerned and smiled. "Is this not the home of young master Zhou Zhi?"

"I am Zhou Zhi, and it is my elder sister who is getting married!" Zhou Zhi replied.

"Haha! That is correct. I am here to deliver a congratulatory gift to you, Zhou Zhi." After saying this, the old man gestured to the five servants behind him. "Bring them in!"

The five servants carried two wooden chests inside, completely ignoring Zhou Zhi as they headed straight for the house.

Even more perplexed, Zhou Zhi cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask, old sir, who sent these gifts?"

The old man hesitated for a moment before saying, "Haha! This... this, I am afraid I cannot say. Young master Zhou Zhi need only know that my master once received a life-saving favor from you. This meager gift is not worth mentioning!"

The five servants deposited the two chests in the room and emerged. The old man immediately bowed to Zhou Zhi. "Young master Zhou Zhi, my master said that once the gifts were delivered, we were to depart! Haha! We take our leave!"

Seeming to fear that Zhou Zhi might refuse the gifts or ask more questions that would reveal their secret, the old man led the five servants out of the courtyard, climbed into a carriage, and departed immediately.

They came and went in such a hurry that they didn't even stop for a cup of water, leaving Zhou Zhi utterly confused.

*He said his master received a life-saving favor from me. Why can’t I recall such a thing? Who on earth are they?*

Beside him, Old Man Wang, the "Riddle-Solving Lad," laughed. "Young Zhou Zhi is truly remarkable to have made so many friends! Haha! A great person is going to emerge from our Baiyue Village! Just now, I observed those men; although they were dressed as servants, their movements were agile and disciplined. They clearly come from a wealthy household. Especially that old servant—though a servant, he carried an air of authority. I suspect they are not from around here. In my opinion, they must at least come from the provincial capital."

Although Old Man Wang was just a poor farmer, he always prided himself on being well-traveled. No one knew how he deduced that the old man was from the provincial capital, but his words only deepened Zhou Zhi’s confusion.

*I am just a lad from the countryside. The furthest I have ever traveled is to Qingtong County. How could I have ever been to Baoding Prefecture?*

It was completely baffling and incomprehensible.

Zhou Zhi secretly resolved to investigate their origins in the future.

After exchanging a few more words with Old Man Wang—who left while continuing to chatter about how extraordinary Zhou Zhi was and how a great person was destined to rise from Baiyue Village—Zhou Zhi returned to the house.

His father, Zhou Tie, had already gone inside and opened the two chests. He was standing there in a daze, staring blankly at the contents of the chests, speechless for a long time.

When Zhou Zhi saw what was inside, he was equally astonished.

If the gifts from the Kou family of Tang County were precious, they paled in comparison to what was in these two chests.

One chest was filled entirely with silver ingots, arranged neatly. In the dim light of the room, they shimmered with a brilliant glow; there were at least three hundred taels.

The other chest contained gold and silver jewelry, all in exquisite boxes, numbering seventeen or eighteen pieces. In addition, there were top-quality tea leaves and rolls of silk and satin, dazzling to the eye.

His mother, Madam He, and his sister, Zhou Lvyun, stood there, equally stunned.

After a long while, Zhou Tie and the others finally regained their senses. Looking at Zhou Zhi, he asked, "Little Zhi, what kind of people have you befriended? This gift... this gift is far too valuable!"

Zhou Zhi shook his head in a daze, but eventually smiled and said, "Since they have sent it, we might as well accept it. This is a good thing; our family will have an easier life from now on!"

Although he said this, he was thinking to himself that the person who sent these gifts clearly wasn't just offering congratulations for his sister’s wedding; they were using the wedding as a pretext to help the Zhou family. He must keep this kindness in his heart, and once he learned the truth, he would surely repay it.

With the wedding approaching, the Zhou family naturally organized the large influx of gifts. Some were added to Zhou Lvyun’s dowry, and the rest were handed over to Madam He for safekeeping.

In this family, although Madam He was an ordinary woman, she was a master at managing the household. She could endure the poorest of times and handle the most prosperous.

The following day, Zhou Lvyun was married. The Hu family from Gaochang Town arrived early to receive the bride. The small courtyard of the Zhou family was lively once more, and Zhou Lvyun was married off in great style.

The news that Zhou Zhi had received so many valuable gifts had already spread throughout Baiyue Village. For a time, the villagers looked at Zhou Zhi with newfound respect.

Of course, there were many who were filled with envy and jealousy, especially the Chen and Yue families. Seeing the Zhou family host such a wedding made it clear that even though Zhou Zhi was still a commoner, his influence was rapidly surpassing theirs, which put immense pressure on them.

After his sister was married, the next few days were spent on the autumn harvest.

Although there had been too much rain this year, the harvest from their four acres of rice was not too bad. Zhou Zhi and his father, Zhou Tie, spent a few days gathering the rice and then plowed the fields to sow wheat.

It is worth noting that last year, the plowing was done entirely by manual labor, but this year was quite different. Zhou Tie hired two oxen, and in just two days, the fields were prepared and the wheat was sown.

Seeing that the potatoes were also nearing harvest time, Zhou Zhi began preparing the equipment for making starch noodles and vermicelli during his spare time from reading and studying.