HLnovel Chapter 990 The fox pretends to be the tiger's power
Chapter 990 The fox pretends to be the tiger's power
The weather was gradually getting warmer in early June.
The household was bustling with activity as preparations were underway for Xiaoyuer's marriage.
But Zhang Ping'an could never be happy.
Zhang Lao Er had always been concerned about farming and had heard about the locust plague. He assumed his son was worried about that, and while resting under the eaves, he gently offered some words of comfort:
"You child, you've always been a worrywart, wanting to take on everything yourself. That's too tiring. I see that they haven't written here for help from your hometown yet, which means the situation might not be as serious as you think. Besides, you're the Privy Councilor, in charge of the military, not agriculture. Thinking too much won't help. Let Xiaoyu'er's father-in-law worry about it. I think he's a shrewd man!"
Zhang Ping'an had nowhere to express his true worries, and he was afraid that even if he told Zhang Lao Er and the others, they wouldn't understand and it would only cause more trouble.
He didn't want to cause his two elderly parents any worry.
Moreover, if even his fellow villagers, who own hundreds of acres of fertile land, have to write to him for help, then who knows how far the disaster has developed? It might not just be a disaster, but a civil uprising.
So, shaking his head and smiling, Zhang Ping'an put down the copper watering can and turned around to casually reply, "Hehe, Father, I wasn't thinking about that. There are plenty of capable people in the court, and someone will naturally solve the problem. I was just thinking that Xiaoyuer is getting married soon, and I'll be a father-in-law. Time really flies. I still feel young, and I'm just a little unaccustomed to it!"
Upon hearing that this was the reason, Zhang Lao Er's expression relaxed even more, and he joked, "What's the big deal? In our countryside, there are plenty of people who got married before Xiao Yu'er. You might even be a grandfather by now."
After saying that, he couldn't sit still any longer and peeked out the door, asking, "Hey, why isn't Xiaoyuer back yet? He said he'd be back today. He's been out for ages since he ate and left with everyone. He should be here by now."
"What? My dear grandson hasn't returned yet?" Xu's voice came from afar as soon as she finished speaking.
She went out early in the morning with her maids and servants to the fabric shop to look at fabrics in preparation for Xiaoyuer's wedding, and only returned now.
Looking at the large and small bags in the servants' hands, Zhang Ping'an said helplessly, "Mother, didn't I tell you that we could have the cloth shop send over the fabric samples for you to choose from? You still insisted on going out yourself. It's hot now, be careful not to get heatstroke."
Xu was in good spirits. After gulping down a large cup of herbal tea, she waved her hand with a smile and said, "Anyway, there's nothing to do at home. It's good to go out for a walk. When you get old, you're not afraid of the heat, but you're afraid of the cold. You don't understand!"
After saying that, he got up with great interest and spread out the fabric for Zhang Lao Er and Zhang Ping An to see.
The two grown men had never been interested in these things, and they looked on with little interest. They had to offer compliments, but their praise was half-hearted, which made Xu feel quite bored.
"If only my precious grandson were here, only he would understand me. These are all people I carefully selected!"
Before Zhang Ping'an could reply, a clear voice came from the screen wall: "Let me see who's talking about me."
"Oh my, my dear grandson is back!" Xu was taken aback at first, then quickly stood up and walked towards the door, with Zhang Lao Er following closely behind. The old couple's eagerness made Zhang Ping'an both amused and exasperated.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, I'm back! I'm so sorry you missed me all this time. I brought you gifts, come and see!" Xiaoyuer stepped forward with a big smile and helped Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi up. He had missed home too, after not seeing them for more than a month.
The two elderly people and the young boy were there, asking and answering questions, showing great affection and concern for each other.
After a long while, seeing that Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi were no longer so excited, Xiao Yu'er turned to the side and introduced the people following behind him one by one.
Some were relatives from his hometown, while others were talented retainers he met along the way.
These people were all very polite, and they stepped forward to greet Zhang Lao Er, Xu Shi, and Zhang Ping An one by one according to their seniority and etiquette.
Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi thought they were guards who had accompanied them, and they were a little confused when they heard others calling them Second Grandfather and Second Grandmother.
After realizing what had happened, they asked a lot of questions before finally letting the person eat their fill and taking them downstairs to rest and settle in before having another meal.
Zhang Ping'an was squeezed at the back. He looked his son up and down and found that although the brat was a bit darker and thinner after the trip, he was in good spirits. He looked a bit tired from the long journey, but his eyes were bright.
"Oh dear, my dear grandson suffered so much on this trip back home. He's gotten so tanned and thin," Xu said, feeling extremely distressed after the others left.
Zhang Lao Er wasn't as blatant as Xu Shi, but he still patted his grandson's hand repeatedly, saying, "You need to eat more now that you're back!"
After winking at Zhang Ping'an in greeting, Xiaoyuer continued to reassure the elderly couple: "Grandpa, Grandma, it's not as serious as you think. Who am I? Wherever I go after I go back, everyone will treat me like an honored guest. I'm tanned and thin now because of the sun. I'll be fine after a few days back home. Besides, why should a grown man be so pale? Come, come, let's go back to the main room first."
“Oh, right, right, sit down and rest for a while. Look how senile I am,” Xu said quickly.
The group then escorted Xiaoyuer back to the main room.
After returning to the main room, Xiaoyuer first distributed the gifts before telling everyone about her trip back.
"It was a lucky coincidence that I went back this time. On the way, I ran into Brother Li, Li Chengye. He had visited our home before. He was also going back to Xiangxi to visit relatives. Fortunately, his posting was not far away. He was serving as the magistrate of a remote county under Kaifeng, which is not bad."
"How are the people back home? Are they doing well? Did you bring all the things I gave you on the list to bring them?" Xu asked.
Zhang Lao Er also looked over, clearly very concerned.
Little Fish picked up the fan and opened it with a "whoosh." While fanning himself, he pouted and said, "They're doing very well. Now our Zhang family is the most prominent family in Wushan County. I think my great-grandfather and third grandfather are more powerful than our family. They've really had their fun being bullied by others!"
"What, you mean something's up?" Zhang Ping'an raised his eyes and asked with a smile.