"Young brother, why are you so excited?" Eldest Xu said, remaining extremely calm. "Even if sister-in-law is pregnant, would it make a difference if you're home?"
"Of course!" Youngest Xu widened his eyes again. "Big brother, we shall not waste time. You have to wait for me!"
Youngest Xu started running off without saying another word to his eldest brother.
...
Just ten minutes later, Youngest Xu had already taken a leave of absence and was panting as he stood in front of his big brother.
"Big brother, let's go!"
Youngest Xu looked at his brother with anticipation. His face appeared to glisten; those who saw him would have guessed that something extremely fortunate had happened to him.
Eldest Xu sighed. "All right, let's go."
When he thought about the time when he found out his wife was pregnant, perhaps this was how he had looked as well. Unfortunately, after two years, they still only had one son.
However, it was nothing urgent, as they were both still young.
With both brothers working together, they quickly bought the clothes and cotton needed and headed back home.
As they passed by the gates, Eldest Xu was once again surrounded by the enthusiastic soldiers. They greeted him and again invited the Xu brothers to join them for lunch.
"Big brother… You—you know them? How come I wasn't aware of this?" Youngest Xu was shocked by how sociable his big brother was.
Eldest Xu chuckled, saying, "Oh, there are a lot of things that you don't know.
"This has got to do with what happened before. Remember the wooden box that father and second brother found in the woods? It was actually the tribute that was stolen twenty years ago…"
Eldest Xu was actually pretty talented in telling stories. On their journey back home, he told his youngest brother about it. It was a plain, boring incident, but Youngest Xu was still captivated by the story.
When he heard that their father had refused the hundred taels reward, Youngest Xu nodded his head. "Father did the right thing."
Eldest Xu tilted his head noncommittally and asked, "Third brother, what do you think? Do you believe that there are still people from the previous dynasty around?"
"It is possible." Although Youngest Xu wasn't the smartest in his class, he still knew a thing or two about political matters.
"I doubt there are all that many left," Eldest Xu said. "Our lives have been peaceful. Who would be silly enough to care about people from the previous dynasty? Our father was being too cautious."
"Big brother, that isn't right. There's no harm in being too careful." Youngest Xu did not agree with the things that his big brother had said. "The wise men said that old institutes die hard. For this matter, it's better to believe that they are still around. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, it'll be too late to regret!"
After hearing his younger brother, Eldest Xu smiled and said, "You're right. Our family has been living quite comfortably these days. An extra hundred taels wouldn't make much of a difference."
There weren't many families that could serve meat on their dining table every day like the Xu family.
When compared to the current situation at home, a hundred taels was only a small amount.
Soon, the Xu brothers reached the town.
They quickly headed to Doctor Zhong's place and invited him home.
Eldest Xu helped with carrying the doctor's bag while Youngest Xu held onto the clothes and cotton that was purchased at the county.
As they returned to Spirit Water Village, the joyous news of Youngest Xu's return was washed down by Doctor Zhong's consultation.