Chen Xi was surprised to find someone collecting books.
Seeing Chen Lan's astonished face, Chen Xi shrugged. He had no qualms about teaching others. Sharing his method of cultivating mental power with Chen Lan was just a way to pass the time. As he put it, doing nothing was boring, so he might as well use the opportunity to review what he had learned.
"Thank you, young master." A hint of eagerness appeared in Chen Lan's eyes.
Over the next few months, Chen Lan followed Chen Xi's teachings. Besides learning to cultivate mental power, she also spent a lot of time reading and recognizing characters. With one willing to teach and the other eager to learn, and with the subjects being simple and focused, Chen Lan quickly got the hang of it. Now she could read books on her own.
Looking at the wanted notice on the wall, Chen Xi sighed. The time had come.
[From a certain temporal perspective, this isn't impossible. But regardless of the viewpoint, I now have my own capabilities.] Chen Xi thought to himself as he glanced at the wanted notice of Cao Mengde.
"Let's go, Uncle Chen, to the Fan family," Chen Xi said to the housekeeper behind him.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Chen's face darkened, but he nodded. Now that Chen Xi had recovered, there was renewed hope for the fallen Chen family. It was time to discuss the marriage with the Fan family.
Chen Xi was well aware of this marriage. It had been arranged when he was very young. After his father passed away, the Fan family had intended to marry their second daughter to him to continue the Chen family line, but Chen Xi had postponed it due to mourning.
When Chen Xi fell ill and became bedridden, the Fan family stopped coming, but Chen Xi understood. If he continued to decline, the Fan family wouldn't want to push their daughter into a doomed marriage.
From the Fan family's perspective, they had already done their best for Chen Xi. They didn't break off the engagement when the Chen family fell into decline and even considered fulfilling their promise when Chen Xi's father passed away. When Chen Xi fell ill, they stopped coming, fearing they were pushing their daughter into a miserable situation.
For Uncle Chen, this was unforgivable. Despite the engagement not having the traditional three matchmakers and six couriers, the two patriarchs had agreed that Chen Xi would marry Fan Jian, the Fan family's second daughter, when he turned sixteen. Now that the patriarchs were gone and Chen Xi was seventeen, the Fan family had stopped mentioning the engagement. What did that mean?
"Young Master Chen!" The Fan family's servant was surprised to see Chen Xi but quickly bowed and went to report.
"I am here to see Uncle Fan," Chen Xi said calmly. He estimated that the Fan family was unlikely to break the engagement. The Fan family's intention to proceed with the marriage when Chen Xi's father died showed their sincerity.
"Young Master Chen, please come in. The master is waiting for you in the main hall," the Fan family's housekeeper quickly responded.
"Alright," Chen Xi nodded. He now worried about how to broach the subject. If the Fan family was unwilling to marry their daughter to him, it would be easier. But it was clear they had no intention of breaking the engagement.
"Xi'er, come sit here. Your uncle has been worried about your health. If anything happened to you, I wouldn't be able to face the Chen family," Fan Jian's father said with a smile as he sat in the main seat.
When Chen Xi was mourning, Fan Liang had wanted to send his daughter to take care of him. After all, if the Chen family line ended, mourning wouldn't matter. But Chen Xi had refused, then fell into despair and became bedridden, leaving Fan Liang torn between his daughter's happiness and brotherhood. He could only keep a silent watch, postponing the marriage for three years as per Chen Xi's wish.
Half a year ago, Fan Liang heard that Chen Xi had recovered, which was a great relief. However, having delayed for so long, he felt embarrassed to bring up the matter again, thinking he'd wait for Chen Xi to do so, planning to double the dowry to make up for it.
"Go, call Fan Jian here," Fan Liang instructed the housekeeper.
"Uncle, there's no need to call Jian'er. I've come to bid you farewell. I'm planning to travel the world. My recent illness made me realize how sad it is to never leave one's hometown. I hope to see the world," Chen Xi said respectfully.
Fan Liang was taken aback and hesitated before speaking, "Xi'er, I admit I didn't handle things well before, but you should reconsider. The world is not peaceful, and your father entrusted you to me. If anything happens to you, I can't face him."
"Uncle, rest assured. Though I may lack talent, I have some means of self-protection," Chen Xi said, his spirit showing a hint of determination.
"Sigh, it seems I can't stop you," Fan Liang sighed, looking at Chen Xi with a mix of relief and admiration. "But you must formalize the engagement before you leave. Fan Jian is not getting any younger."
Chen Xi slightly pursed his lips. [Even if you gave her to me, I wouldn't dare touch her. She's two years younger than me. Asking me to marry a fifteen-year-old feels wrong...]
Chen Xi knew that in the Han Dynasty, a fifteen-year-old girl was considered a spinster, and her taxes would double unless she married.
"Uncle, how about I write the marriage contract now and complete the marriage when I return?" Chen Xi suggested helplessly. He couldn't avoid the engagement with the little girl who had followed him around calling him brother. If he dared to break the engagement, the Fan family would never forgive him. Besides, marriage didn't seem to affect him much.
A marriage contract at that time was a simple exchange of birth dates. Writing this down was almost equivalent to a legal bond. They were already compatible, and this contract made it official.
After completing all the formalities, Chen Xi took a carriage and headed west. The heroic Cao Cao, who had declared his intentions, was recruiting soldiers. Chen Xi intended to catch a ride on this opportunity. Joining the military provided a sense of safety, and he hoped he might encounter Liu Bei in this historical journey.