Li Changyu said to his father, "Dad, I’ve made some money these past few months, but it’s only enough to cover a year’s rent on a small storefront. There’s not enough left to furnish it. Besides, I figure if the spicy glass noodle business does well, we’ll need to open one or two more branches. So, I was hoping to borrow several taels of silver from the family to rent two small storefronts at once. We can have them both open by the first month of the new year."

Li Gengtian and Li Mingrui exchanged a look and smiled.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart. ’My son has really grown up.’ He was now so methodical in his planning, even explaining in such detail why he needed silver from the family, afraid his father would worry.

He said to Changyu, "Do you really think your old man is some kind of tightwad who wouldn’t part with a single coin? What’s the point of me saving that nest egg if not for you and your brother? It’s not like the money is going to have children of its own just sitting there. This business sounds like a winner. You just go for it. Your brother isn’t taking the provincial exam until next year, so we won’t need the money for him for a while."

Li Changyu rubbed his cheek and grinned sheepishly. "It’s just that after getting into business, I’ve realized how hard it is to make money. That’s why I don’t want to take too much—fifty taels of silver should be enough. The start-up cost for this business is low, and once we open, the cash will start flowing back in."

Hearing this, Li Gengtian nodded, pleased.

He was growing more and more confident. He had immediately grasped the key to the business venture Changyu had just described: certain ingredients had to be sourced from Qingnan Village. The thought of it made him feel like a young boy again, filled with hope.

Once the village school let out for the holidays, Zhang Huai took a batch of cured sausages and boarded a boat with Li Changyu, heading for Qinghui County.

The Yang Family had sent Qingmu to deliver two pig heads to his maternal uncle, so he saw them off at the boat as well.

It was a bright, sunny day, and the accumulated snow had begun to melt, leaving the dock at Erli Village wet and slushy. Zhang Huai and Changyu loaded the sausages and cured meat onto the boat. As the boat pulled away from the shore, they waved goodbye to Qingmu on the bank.

Standing at the bow and watching the dock recede into the distance, Li Changyu smiled and asked Zhang Huai, "Is this your first time on a boat? Feeling dizzy?"

Zhang Huai turned his head and smiled faintly. "I’m alright. Not dizzy at all."

The two fell silent. Zhang Huai gazed at the riverbanks. His eyes took in a world of silver. The undulations of the land were muted by the uniform whiteness, making the fields seem to stretch on endlessly. Whenever a tree broke into view, it stood out starkly against the snow.

As he was gazing, Changyu’s voice reached him. "Huai Zi, you and Juhua grew up together. Has she always been this smart?"

Zhang Huai paused. Without turning his head, he stared blankly at the water’s surface. After a long moment, he replied, "She’s always been diligent and well-behaved, and very smart, too. But she used to be very timid, so it didn’t show as much. Now that she’s gotten a little bolder, her cleverness is more obvious."

Li Changyu asked again, "You and Qingmu were always playing with her. Isn’t she just like a little sister to you?"

This time, Zhang Huai didn’t answer. ’I don’t want her to be my sister,’ he thought. ’I used to think of her as one, but then... after that incident, I started to feel differently...’

When no answer came for a long time, Li Changyu asked quietly, "Huai Zi, you like Juhua, don’t you?"

Zhang Huai stiffened. He stared at the long wake trailing behind the boat, pulled his worn, padded jacket tighter around himself, and slowly turned back. Looking Li Changyu straight in the eye, he answered seriously, "Yes. I like her."

Li Changyu had expected him to deny it, or maybe just blush and fall silent. He hadn’t anticipated such a solemn, definitive answer. For a moment, he was at a loss, and an inexplicable sense of disappointment settled in his heart.

Zhang Huai studied his expression carefully, then added, "I’m going to marry her."

Li Changyu suddenly asked, "What if she doesn’t want to marry you? It seems like you’ll marry no one but her. So if she doesn’t want to, what will you do?"

Although his tone was somewhat teasing, the question was serious. He didn’t know what possessed him to ask such a thing. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

’Huai Zi definitely won’t like hearing this,’ he thought.

Sure enough, Zhang Huai’s body went rigid again. His expression darkened, and he stared at Li Changyu for a long time without a word.

Li Changyu grew uncomfortable under his gaze. He turned his head away guiltily, looking out over the water. "I was just asking," he muttered. "Looking at you, don’t tell me you’re so sure she wants to marry you?"

Zhang Huai remained silent, his gaze fixed on him.

Li Changyu began to feel awkward. ’What’s wrong with me?’ he thought. ’Now I’ve upset Huai Zi, and I have no one to talk to.’

Just as he was about to offer an explanation or try to comfort him, he saw Zhang Huai turn his head away. "If she doesn’t want to," Zhang Huai said softly, "then of course I can’t force her. As long as she’s happy... it’s alright if she doesn’t marry me."