Chapter Forty-Five: The Clever Little Brother

Zhou Zhi and Chief Lü Xingchuan walked into the house together, chatting and laughing, a sight that drew envy from many of the onlookers gathered around the courtyard. People thought to themselves that Zhou Zhi had truly made something of himself, to have become so close with the esteemed chief. From now on, they would need to be more cautious when speaking with Zhou Zhi.

Meanwhile, Captain Wang Qi was left out in the courtyard, ignored and awkward. He watched helplessly as Lü Xingchuan and Zhou Zhi went inside. He couldn't very well leave, nor could he simply stay, and the situation filled him with embarrassment. He also noticed, with some bewilderment, that the looks from the villagers outside were quite different from before—now filled with scorn and pity.

Especially when Zhang Hudan, standing beside him, spat fiercely at his feet before striding away. This only deepened Wang Qi’s discomfort and shame.

At this moment, Zhou He-shi finally regained her composure and let out a long breath, her expression softening. She thought to herself that the Zhou family had indeed encountered a benefactor; the chief was certainly their patron.

She turned to Zhou Lvyun and said, “Lvyun, why are you still standing there in a daze? Go boil some water and serve the chief well. Our family must properly express our gratitude.”

Seeing that her mother was all right, Zhou Lvyun nodded eagerly, “Yes, I’ll go boil water right away.” With that, she let go of her mother’s hand and hurried inside.

The family was so poor that they barely had a decent chair. Zhou Zhi led Lü Xingchuan into his own small room and invited him to sit on the edge of the brick bed.

“Brother Xingchuan, please wait a moment. I’ll fetch some hot water for you,” Zhou Zhi said with a gentle smile.

“No need for that,” Lü Xingchuan replied, giving an embarrassed chuckle as he pulled Zhou Zhi to sit beside him. “Brother Zhou, I must apologize. That day at Doctor Qiu’s home, you saved my father’s life. I should have thanked you properly. But I left in such haste that I didn’t even ask your name. Who would have thought that today, deceived by Wang Qi’s lies, I would come to your house looking for trouble? I am deeply ashamed.”

For a chief to speak so humbly to a poor youth like Zhou Zhi could not help but move him. Zhou Zhi smiled, “Brother Lü, you have already stood up for me. I’m deeply grateful. Frankly, Wang Qi has indeed gone too far. Last time, he tried to make trouble over our government horse, which was in perfect health, just to extort us. And today, he insulted my mother and me; I simply couldn’t endure it and struck him.”

“Wang Qi deserved a good lesson. By the way, I saw your younger brother in the courtyard just now. Has his illness improved these days?” Lü Xingchuan asked with concern.

Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Shaocheng walked in, clutching his stomach and looking pained.

“Little brother, is your stomach hurting again?” Zhou Zhi immediately stood up and asked anxiously.

Zhou Shaocheng grimaced, “It hurt badly just now, but now… now it doesn’t hurt so much anymore.”

Zhou Zhi frowned slightly. His brother’s fever had clearly subsided, yet he kept complaining of stomach pain. Could there be another illness? This thought made Zhou Zhi’s face cloud with worry.

Lü Xingchuan, too, frowned and said, “Could it be that Doctor Qiu missed something? Perhaps you should take your brother to town and find another physician.”

Zhou Zhi nodded gently. If his little brother continued to complain of stomach pain, a skilled doctor was indeed needed. But Zhou Shaocheng released his hands from his belly and said, “It doesn’t hurt anymore, not at all. Don’t trouble yourself, brother; there’s no need for another doctor.”

To prove his point, he puffed out his stomach importantly, looking quite adorable. Suddenly, he tilted his head and looked at Lü Xingchuan, pouting, “Chief, that captain is truly awful. He’s come to our house several times, and every time, he demands five eggs. Hmph!”

Eggs were a treasure to a poor farming family like the Zhous. Only because Zhou Shaocheng had been ill these last few days had their mother allowed him to eat a few. Normally, though he eyed them with longing, he rarely got any. To a child, those eggs were a big deal, and now he spoke of them.

It wasn’t just Zhou Shaocheng—Zhou Zhi himself cared greatly about those eggs. After all, the impoverished family relied on selling them to buy oil and salt. He had long wanted to teach Captain Wang Qi a lesson and make him return all that he had extorted. Now, finally, there was an opportunity.

Zhou Zhi glanced at his little brother, who was quick-witted. Zhou Shaocheng blinked several times, then changed his tune, “No, wait… it was twenty eggs each time. That means it adds up to… to sixty eggs!”

He had just turned six and had never attended school or learned a single character, yet he could count quickly—a marvel. Zhou Zhi wondered if this was a natural gift, and why he had never noticed before.

As the chief, Lü Xingchuan understood well enough the doings of his captains, who often extorted a few eggs or a small measure of grain from the poor families raising government horses. He was aware that, while these things seemed trivial, they were of great value to the poor. Still, as long as it was within limits, he had let it go.

A moment ago, when Zhou Shaocheng said it was five eggs each time, Zhou Zhi gave him a look, and he immediately changed it to twenty. Lü Xingchuan knew exactly what this meant but did not expose him. He smiled inwardly and then called out loudly toward the yard, “Wang Qi, come in!”

By now, the villagers who had been watching had dispersed; only Wang Qi remained, standing awkwardly alone. The chief was still inside, so he dared not leave, afraid he’d be needed again, and so he waited obediently in the courtyard.

Hearing the chief summon him, Wang Qi hurried inside, bowing and scraping, his face full of flattery. “Chief, what would you have of me?”

Lü Xingchuan’s expression darkened. “I’ve just learned that you’ve taken sixty eggs from the Zhou family in three visits. You are to return all sixty at once. Furthermore, seeing how poor this family is, and with the little brother still ill, you will go home and bring back a hen that no longer lays eggs so he can recover properly.”

“Sixty eggs? But…” Wang Qi’s face fell as he scratched his head, sneaking a glance at Lü Xingchuan. Not daring to protest further, he shot Zhou Zhi an awkward smile and hurried off to fetch the items.

Meanwhile, Zhou He-shi and Zhou Lvyun had been busy in the kitchen. Soon, the water was boiled, and Zhou He-shi came in, carrying a bowl and offering it to Lü Xingchuan with a respectful bow, “Please have some water, Chief.”

Lü Xingchuan quickly accepted the bowl and stood up, saying with embarrassment, “Thank you, auntie.”

Though Lü Xingchuan was nearly forty and Zhou He-shi only thirty-five, he was now, on account of Zhou Zhi, addressing her as “auntie”—which made Zhou Zhi feel a little awkward. But seeing Lü Xingchuan’s sincerity, he let it pass.

After Zhou He-shi left, Lü Xingchuan took a sip of hot water and looked around the humble room. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a stack of books at the head of the bed, and he was amazed.

A poor boy with books—this was unusual in anyone’s eyes.

Lü Xingchuan asked, “Brother Zhou Zhi, do you read as well?”

“Yes, I read a little in my spare time—just to pass the time,” Zhou Zhi replied with a calm smile.

Lü Xingchuan nodded thoughtfully. “We truly are kindred spirits. I, too, have read a bit in my time. But… alas…”