The sound of the wind gradually died down, and the weather turned colder and colder. Zhou Liulang successfully got a job as an assistant cook at the Zhiwei Restaurant, with meals and lodging provided, earning eight hundred wen per month.
Meanwhile, Zhou Silang, with a tendon and bone injury that required a hundred days to heal, wandered the streets all day with one arm in a sling, selling off the medicinal materials and other items that Zhou Liulang and the others had sent him.
Manbao put on her thick clothes and climbed back over the wall of the government school.
Because it was cold and she was wearing more layers, although it was harder to scale the wall, she could just tuck her head down and even if she walked right past a school official face-to-face, they probably wouldn’t recognize her.
So the cold weather did have its advantages.
As the end-of-year exams approached, the schoolwork of Bai Shan and Bai Erlang also increased, so Manbao more often found herself slipping into the Book Collection Tower to read alone.
Students from Class A3, and even those from Class B2 who got along well with Class A3, would help out by instinctively unlatching the rear window lock of the Book Collection Tower so that Manbao could open the window from outside and climb in.
So after Bai Shan realized he was missing the chance to catch her several times, he simply decided to hold onto his books and squat in the Book Collection Tower to read, no longer returning to the classroom.
Wei Ting couldn’t stand joining him in a few trips to the Book Collection Tower and complained, "There’s no brazier in the Book Collection Tower, and it’s so dim. If it’s just for reading textbooks, why not read them in the classroom? It’s so much better there."
Bai Shan ignored him, and Wei Ting had no choice but to leave, along with the other students who needed to study their textbooks.
Manbao glanced at him and whispered, "Why not go back to the classroom to read? Someone will help me open and close the window."
Bai Shanzheng spoke seriously, "We’re in this together. What if someone doesn’t help you in the meantime? Are you going to squat outside in the cold wind waiting?"
Manbao imagined that scenario and said, "I’m not stupid. If no one helps me, wouldn’t I just go find you in your classroom? Besides, in this cold weather, the school officials definitely won’t be moving around outside, and even if they see me, don’t worry, they won’t be able to catch me."
Manbao was very fast at running away.
Bai Shan didn’t listen to her, insisting on coming every day to open and close the window for her.
Time flew by swiftly, and the Winter Solstice was nearly upon them.
Zhou Silang finally got rid of the splint and moved his arm a little.
Manbao said, "It’s not completely healed, but you can move it now. Don’t lift heavy things, but you should move it a little..."
Zhou Silang asked, "Then can I drive back home?"
Curious, Manbao asked, "What do you want to go home for?"
"The Winter Solstice is coming up. Shouldn’t I go see your fourth sister-in-law and nephew?" Zhou Silang emphasized, "The Winter Solstice, the Winter Solstice!"
Manbao also became excited, "That’s right, for the Winter Solstice, we need to go home to worship our ancestors. Should I go back too?"
Bai Shan said, "My grandmother mentioned she wants to come, and the Bai Manor next door is also hosting a Winter Solstice feast. Aren’t you going to attend?"
Manbao replied, "That’s your relatives, not mine. Why does it matter if I go? The Winter Solstice is an important festival; we have to perform ancestral rites. If the holiday is long enough, of course, I should go home."
"Exactly," Zhou Silang encouraged, "Let’s go home, Manbao. Your fourth brother’s arm still hurts, so we can have Lijun drive the carriage. Besides, weren’t you wanting to learn how to drive? We can practice on the way."
Bai Shan immediately looked at Mr. Zhuang, "Sir, are you also going home?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "I’ll not be going back this Winter Solstice; maybe next year. This year, I was actually planning to take you all to visit Qixia Temple."
Immediately, Bai Shan said, "Then let’s go to Qixia Temple."
Manbao asked, "Weren’t you supposed to go to the feast next door?"
"I’m not close to them. When my grandmother arrives, it will be fine if she attends," Bai Shan replied.
With a chuckle, Mr. Zhuang said, "The two are not conflicting commitments. We’re going to Qixia Temple to join the festivities for the first prayers of the year; we’ll have to leave early in the morning, and will probably be done by around 9 a.m. As for your feast, it’s likely not until after lunchtime."
Manbao could only express her regret to Zhou Silang, "Fourth Brother, I’m not going home after all. Can you manage the trip by yourself?"
Zhou Silang pointed to Zhou Lijun, "Let Lijun go back with me."
He added, "That’s perfect, once I get back, I’ll bring Datou and Second Son out. We have so much ginger and ligustrum fruit at home, and my hand isn’t convenient. Lijun is a lady, but those two are not young anymore. They should be able to stand on their own two feet."
Manbao had no issues, but, "Where will they stay once they’re here?"
Zhou Silang gave her a conspiratorial wink, pulling her aside to whisper, "That’s what I was thinking of discussing with you. What do you think about renting the courtyard opposite ours?"
Manbao was momentarily surprised before saying, "I don’t mind, but would they be willing to rent to us?"
After all, weren’t they enemies?
Zhou Silang cleared his throat softly and said, "I’ve inquired; their asking price for rent is extremely low, only five hundred wen a month, even lower than our current courtyard. Let Datou and Second Son handle the rental; they’re unfamiliar faces, and the Xiao Family won’t take notice."
"By the time they find out, we would have already signed the contract. The Xiao Family members are in jail anyway, and the ones calling the shots now are just clan members. Even if they do find out, they won’t make a big fuss." They weren’t afraid of a commotion.
Still, Manbao furrowed her brows, "With such low rent, why doesn’t he just sell the house?"
"Sell what? The Xiao Family members are all in jail. If they sell now, is the money for themselves, or will others just benefit from it?" Zhou Silang felt that even if he were in their shoes, he wouldn’t sell, thus he continued, "So, they’re just renting it out. They don’t care much for the price; as long as the house doesn’t fall into disrepair, that’s what matters."
Manbao thought for a moment and then agreed, "Fine, let’s rent it."
Zhou Silang became delighted and said, "Renting the house opposite will be convenient for Liulang when he returns. We’ll have space for goods and a place for people to rest, avoiding the rushed search for a rental property each time, which is not only last minute but also expensive."
"Fourth Brother, if you’ve already thought it through, why bother asking me?"
"Your approval means it’s more likely to be approved by our father. After all, it’s our parents who need to pay for the rental," Zhou Silang explained.
Curious, Manbao asked, "Are you out of money?"
"I have money, but we need to keep business and personal finances separate," Zhou Silang said. "This is a family business, and naturally, the expenses should be covered by the family. An additional expense of five hundred wen a month will surely raise questions when Dad checks the accounts. I’d rather not act first and report afterward."
That would get him killed.
With Manbao’s verbal agreement, Zhou Silang pulled Zhou Lijun in to witness, and then he gleefully prepared to return home for the Winter Solstice.
He bought various fabrics, pastries, vegetables, and meat – anything that was cheaper and of better quality in Yizhou City than in Luojiang County.
Once everything was ready, he boarded the carriage, instructing Zhou Lijun to drive him home.
Manbao waved them off at the alley entrance, calling out, "Fourth Brother, remember to bring back some of the delicious food that Fourth Sister-in-law makes."
Zhou Silang stuck his hand out of the window to wave back and then urged Zhou Lijun, "Hurry up; don’t let your young aunt keep shouting—it’s really embarrassing."
Zhou Lijun replied, "I’ll tell my young aunt when I return."