Zhao Dahe kept saying he wasn’t tired, but once he fell asleep, he didn’t wake up until the evening of the next day.
When he went next door to look for his mother, she wasn’t there.
From the downstairs hall came bursts of laughter, and Zhao Dahe immediately saw his mother’s figure.
Li Chang’an, Qin Zheng, Wen Shu, Wen Nuan, Ren Zi’an, and also Yue Sihai.
Yue Sihai was standing, speaking animatedly, gesturing like a performer.
He was indeed entertaining them with his talk.
"Second cousin," Ren Zi’an, small and sharp-eyed, spotted Zhao Dahe leaning on the railing, "are you awake?"
"Not awake, do you think I’m sleepwalking?" Zhao Dahe rolled his eyes.
Ren Zi’an laughed, "Second cousin, come quickly, Brother Yue is telling jokes, I’m laughing so hard I’m hiccupping."
Yue Sihai enthusiastically waved at Zhao Dahe, "Brother Zhao, come down, I’ll tell it again."
Zhao Dahe slowly came down the stairs, thinking to himself, since when did I get so close to him?
Truly not close, at least that’s how Zhao Dahe felt. Before entering the examination hall, everyone stayed at the "Yue Ke Lai" inn, but they really had no interaction, at most just aware of each other’s existence.
During the exam, they were seated quite close, with three people in between.
During the first test, Yue Sihai suddenly had a stomachache, so painful that he was rolling on the floor.
The government officials wanted to carry him out, but he clutched the table legs, refusing to leave despite the pain twisting his features.
Zhao Dahe, feeling a moment of compassion, told the officials that he had brought medicine for stomach pain, though he wasn’t sure if it would help.
The officials dared not to give the medicine casually to Yue Sihai, but Yue Sihai himself, enduring the pain, wrote a waiver stating that should anything go wrong after taking the medicine, it was not related to Zhao Dahe or the officials. He would bear all the consequences himself.
The medicine was specially prepared for Zhao Dahe by Meng Yao, but in the end, it was used by Yue Sihai, and his stomach pain was quickly alleviated, thus not delaying the exam.
After the first test, Yue Sihai even asked the officials collecting the exam papers to convey a message of thanks to Zhao Dahe—
"From now on, Brother Zhao is like my own brother, Yue Sihai."
So now, this newfound brother is playing the role of a filial son, making his mother happy.
Zhao Dahe sat down lazily, Yue Sihai formally dusted off his coat, and solemnly clasped his hands in a salute to Zhao Dahe, "Brother Zhao, previously in the exam hall, I was constrained by the circumstances and couldn’t express my gratitude. Now, with everyone’s witness, please accept my thanks."
Zhao Dahe played with his teacup.
Meng Yao gave him a sidelong glance, "Slept yourself silly?"
"Mother, the pills were prepared by you, any thanks should be to you."
"Lady Zhao should be thanked too, but if it weren’t for Brother Zhao’s righteousness, it wouldn’t involve me either," Yue Sihai laughed.
He is the hope of the Yue family, carrying the expectations of the entire family.
To have a stomachache as soon as entering the exam hall, if it weren’t for Zhao Dahe’s help, it would have been really precarious for him.
So this debt of gratitude, regardless of how Zhao Dahe felt, was deeply remembered by him.
Of course, he also figured out the trick behind the stomachache—a certain someone he usually called brother was afraid of not performing better in the exam and had secretly given him something to cause stomach cramps. He didn’t guard against this brother, and naturally fell into the trap.
Looking again at Zhao Dahe, who could have ignored the matter, yet decisively helped,
this character shows a clear distinction.
If making friends, it should definitely be with someone .
As for that one-time good friend, as a man, dared to do but didn’t dare to admit, and when confronted, cried like a girl. Ugh, truly a disgrace to men. Such a person he won’t be fooled by anymore.
Thinking about those meaty buns given by him before, Yue Sihai felt heartache.
Might as well have fed them to a dog, at least a dog would wag its tail at him.
"Brother Zhao, I’ve thought it through, let’s become sworn brothers. From now on, your mother is my mother, your elder brother and sister-in-law are my brother and sister-in-law, your younger siblings are my younger siblings, and your wife is my... Ah, slip of the tongue there, your wife is my sister-in-law by extension," Yue Sihai boldly declared, "In short, your business is my business too."
"I’ve already told my adoptive mother, when we get home, I’ll bring my parents and siblings to visit your home," Yue Sihai said, brimming with excitement.
Zhao Dahe blinked, did he just gain a sworn brother like that? No, he hadn’t agreed yet, had he?
But seeing the ’filial piety and maternal tenderness’ scene there, Zhao Dahe felt that it was no use not agreeing.
"Brother Sihai." A frail-looking scholar timidly approached.
Zhao Dahe felt that this person vividly explained the ’no strength to truss a chicken’ saying about scholars; this small frame, he felt he could knock down with a flick.
Still calling him Brother Sihai, just like a little girl calling her love brother?
Yue Sihai impatiently hardened his expression, "Liu Feng, I’ve made things clear. Since you did such a thing, we are on different paths now. I won’t pursue it any further. I only ask that you stay far away from me, and when you return, be sensible and don’t come stepping into my house again."
Tsk, tsk, there was a spectacle to watch.
Zhao Dahe suddenly got spirited.
This man’s name was quite fitting to the scene—no wonder he was so frail, like a fluttering willow!
"Brother Sihai, how could you not trust me?" Liu Feng’s eyes turned red.
Yue Sihai was taken aback, quickly turning his head away, nearly getting deceived by this act again.
"Stop pretending, I may be crude but not a fool. Liu Feng, our brotherhood ends here," Yue Sihai declared roughly, "After this, your affairs have nothing to do with me."
Liu Feng had been frail since childhood, and his mother was a prostitute who had reformed. Thus, he was bullied since young.
Yue Sihai couldn’t bear it, helped him a few times, and from then on, Liu Feng kept calling him Brother Sihai. Yue’s parents were kind-hearted people, never looked down on Liu Feng and his mother like others, so the two families were quite close.
Later, they started schooling together, always together, like real brothers.
That’s precisely why Yue Sihai couldn’t understand why Liu Feng would harm him.
Didn’t he treat him well enough?
But at the moment, he didn’t want to dig deeper.
Better to just sever ties cleanly.
"Didn’t you see? Brother Zhao and I have already become sworn brothers," Yue Sihai patted Zhao Dahe’s shoulder, "You harm me, but thankfully Brother Zhao had a generous heart and saved me."
Liu Feng’s eyes naturally shifted to Zhao Dahe.
There was resentment in those eyes.
Zhao Dahe swatted away Yue Sihai’s hand, "Your own matters, don’t drag me into it."
"Brother Sihai, I’m going back," Liu Feng withdrew his gaze, speaking dejectedly.
Yue Sihai didn’t respond, Liu Feng left desolately, and not long after, he reappeared in the hall with a bundle on his back, glanced over at Yue Sihai, and walked straight out of "Yue Ke Lai."
"Is he really not even going to wait for the results?" Zhao Dahe asked in surprise.