CHAPTER 349: CHAPTER 0339 LI XING’AN SETS A WRITTEN AGREEMENT (1)

Chen Danan looked at her with a smile, "What is it, Miss Li?"

"My brother wants to matchmake for you, to his friend named Mu Yuanxiu. Is that true?" Li Yuzhu asked.

They stood by the small grove outside the Chen family, a place with a wide view where any approaching person could be immediately noticed, perfect for sharing little secrets.

Li Yuzhu was the benefactor of the Chen family, and Chen Danan didn’t dare offend her, so she spoke the truth immediately, "Yes, but I don’t like the person he introduced. I already like someone else."

It was true; she had liked someone for a while. When she visited her sister’s house a few days ago, she met that person, but his family didn’t like hers either.

This caused her a lot of distress.

Li Yuzhu was even more upset. This Li Xing’an!

He had too much idle time, pairing up the wrong couples!

"Oh? Who is it?" Li Yuzhu said happily.

Chen Danan was pretty, hardworking, with a good personality, and her family was wealthy. It was impossible for her not to be liked.

Finding someone she liked in return would be even better.

Chen Danan blushed and lowered her head, "I can’t say yet." After thinking for a moment, she added, "Please don’t tell anyone about this, especially my family. I don’t want them to know yet."

Li Yuzhu said, "Alright, you’re a girl with a good sense. I believe everything will work out for you."

Chen Danan breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

Li Yuzhu laughed, "No, I should be the one thanking you."

Chen Danan didn’t understand, "Huh? Thank me for what?"

"Anyway, thank you." Li Yuzhu smiled.

.

Today, Li Yuzhu spent the entire day at the Chen family’s house, helping to look after the baby and assisting Madam Chen in sitting up.

The Chen family didn’t dare to help Madam Chen themselves.

Seeing her help Madam Chen sit up without Madam Chen feeling uncomfortable reassured everyone.

Li Yuzhu instructed Chen Danan to let Madam Chen sit up three times a day—morning, noon, and evening—for one or two moments each time.

She also revised the prescription, and when the sun was setting, she dined with Li Lixing and Qin Hu at the Chen family before heading home.

.

These recent days have been dry with little rain. Even the fish and shrimp in the marshland in front of the Li Family’s house seemed to fear the heat, with only a few surfacing for air.

Li Xing’an’s catch was very small, not enough to sell at the market, so he took it all home to feed the family.

With many family members, they consumed five to six pounds of fish and three to five pounds of shrimp each day.

Li Xing’an’s fishnet only caught this much.

With nothing to deliver, once he was free, he helped Li Xingmao manage the fields.

Currently, the two acres of rice were growing well, just waiting for harvest.

The crops on about ten acres of dry land, like corn, soybeans, millet, and wheat, were also growing well and only needed to be harvested in late summer or early fall.

Only some vegetable fields and bean fields required occasional picking or weeding.

With many fields and Uncle Gui’s injured back, Li Xingmao couldn’t handle all the work alone, so when Li Xing’an had free time, he went to help.

At dusk, when Li Yuzhu returned by carriage, she saw Mu Yuanxiu, Li Xing’an, and Li Xingmao coming out of the field together.

The three were wearing bamboo hats and carrying hoes.

Li Yuzhu got off the carriage and stood on the road, calling to them, "Big Brother, Third Brother, Mu Yuanxiu."

Li Lixing also got off the carriage for some fresh air.

Li Xingmao waved and laughed, "Back already?"

"Why are you still busy in the field at this time?" Li Yuzhu said with a smile.

"It’s hot during the day. We can’t go out at noon. We can only work for an hour in the morning, so we must wait until it’s cooler in the afternoon." Li Xingmao laughed, patting Mu Yuanxiu on the shoulder, "Yuanxiu is a versatile person; he’s even great at farming, better than Uncle Gui. He helped all day today."

Li Yuzhu looked at Mu Yuanxiu, "Impressive, impressive." She even gave him a thumbs up.

Mu Yuanxiu smiled slightly, "You flatter me too much."

Li Yuzhu patted Li Xing’an’s arm, "Third Brother, why are you silent?"

Li Xing’an said lethargically, "Oh, I’m just not talking."

He owed Mu Yuanxiu a favor again. He didn’t know how to hoe and got scolded by Li Xingmao. Mu Yuanxiu taught him all afternoon.

Plus, for introducing him to the fish supply delivery for the tavern, he owed Mu Yuanxiu two big favors.

Could it really be that he must give his sister in repayment?

Phooey, phooey, phooey, he wasn’t that kind of person!

Yet, Li Lixing kept trying to talk to him, but Li Xing’an didn’t want to respond, "I haven’t eaten, no energy to talk."

.

Mu Yuanxiu didn’t leave until after having dinner at the Li Family.

Li Xing’an followed him out.

When they were some distance from the house entrance, Li Xing’an called out to Mu Yuanxiu, "Mu Yuanxiu! Wait a moment, I have something to say."

Mu Yuanxiu stopped and turned back with a smile, "Third Brother, what is it?"

He didn’t call him Third Brother Li, just Third Brother.

Since Li Xing’an had something to say, he let it go.

Once close, Li Xing’an said, "Let’s talk about a deal."

Mu Yuanxiu looked at him seriously, "Third Brother, go ahead."

"As long as you don’t bother my third sister, I’m at your disposal for three years," Li Xing’an said, patting his chest.

In three years, Li Yuzhu would be looking for a husband.

If Mu Yuanxiu comes looking for Li Yuzhu then, her husband’s family will take care of him.

Mu Yuanxiu was surprised, "Third Brother, I haven’t been troubling Yu Zhu."

Li Xing’an looked serious, "Not troubling her? You keep looking for her, which affects her search for a husband."

Mu Yuanxiu’s face darkened, "Your family found her a husband?" How come he didn’t know? Prince Luling treated him like a son and told him everything, so why not this?

"Not yet, she’s still young, probably won’t look for a husband until she’s seventeen or eighteen," Li Xing’an said.

Mu Yuanxiu breathed a sigh of relief, "What if she looks for me? Her feet and mouth are her own."

Li Xing’an widened his eyes, "Impossible, our girls are very reserved."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled faintly, "Alright, as long as she doesn’t come looking for me, I won’t go out of my way to talk to her."

Li Xing’an said, "A gentleman’s word is as good as a promise drawn by four horses!"

Mu Yuanxiu paused for a moment, then said, "Third Brother, what if she likes someone and insists on marrying them? Would you oppose it?"

"I wouldn’t oppose it. Anything she likes, I support," Li Xing’an responded promptly.

Mu Yuanxiu said, "I’m worried that when the time comes, you might go back on your word."

"Impossible! I always keep my word," Li Xing’an declared loudly.

But when it came to Li Yuzhu, he often didn’t keep his promises, so Mu Yuanxiu said, "You’d need to sign a document for me to believe it."

"Fine, I will!" Li Xing’an felt around his clothes, "I don’t have paper or a pen with me."

"I brought it," Mu Yuanxiu took out a stack of paper and a pen from the basket on his back, along with an inkstone with leftover ink, placing them on the ground, "Third Brother, write the document."

Li Xing’an was taken aback, "You came to help us work and still carried pen and paper with you?"

Mu Yuanxiu said, "Not at all. I was chatting with Brother Tian earlier, and when he found out I was out of paper and pens, he sent these over."

"Alright, I thought you came prepared," Li Xing’an gave him a glance, picked up the pen, and started writing.

The Li Family’s handwriting was all quite good.

The content, signature, fingerprint, date—all were completed in one go by Li Xing’an.

Mu Yuanxiu took it, read it over, dried the ink, and tucked it safely in his chest.

"Third Brother, we have an agreement. It’s getting late, I’ll head back now." Mu Yuanxiu waved to Li Xing’an and walked up the mountain.

"Safe journey, safe journey, no need to see you off." Li Xing’an turned around and headed back.

After walking for a while, Li Xing’an stopped, thinking about what had just happened.

Mu Yuanxiu had such an unusual smile—was Li Xing’an caught in Mu Yuanxiu’s trap?

Li Xing’an abruptly turned around.

Mu Yuanxiu had already walked far away.

Li Xing’an scratched his head, comforting himself, no worries, no worries.

Just now, Mu Yuanxiu swore that as long as his third sister didn’t look for Mu Yuanxiu, Mu Yuanxiu wouldn’t go out of his way to find her.

.

Li Yuzhu continued visiting the Chen Family, every other day.

Madam Chen could already walk for about a quarter of an hour.

On this day, the carver Tian Dawang had finished the printing block and delivered it to the Li Family.

A day later, Mu Yuanxiu went to the county town and also retrieved the carved illustration blocks from Xiao Chengzi.

Everything was ready, just waiting to assemble and start printing the books.

Second Young Master Li had bought the necessary paper from the market.

The ink, however, was only sold in the county; it couldn’t be found in the countryside.

But Tian Dawang could mix it.

Using rosin and charcoal powder, he could make it by a certain ratio.

Printing books was something new, and everyone stood in the storage room next to the Li Family’s side house, watching how Tian Dawang printed books.

Li Lixing and Mu Yuanxiu were the most attentive.

Li Yuzhu said, "The two of you learn this well, so when Brother Tian is not here, you can teach everyone."

"Ah, my memory’s not good, I can’t be a teacher." Li Lixing quickly backed away in fear—if he couldn’t remember, Li Yuzhu would hit his calves with a stick.

Mu Yuanxiu looked at her, smiled slightly but said nothing.

Li Yuzhu asked, "Mu Yuanxiu, do you remember the process?" This Mu Yuanxiu was indeed odd; he hadn’t spoken to her in several days.

Did she look like a tiger?

Mu Yuanxiu didn’t answer.

Li Yuzhu called out to him again, "Mu Yuanxiu!"

Mu Yuanxiu pointed to his mouth but didn’t speak.

"Is there something wrong with your mouth?" Li Yuzhu asked in confusion.

Mu Yuanxiu still didn’t speak, and pointed to Li Xing’an, who was standing in front of him.

Li Yuzhu widened her eyes—was it Li Xing’an who wasn’t allowing Mu Yuanxiu to talk to her?

Li Xing’an!

This was too much!

"Third Brother!" Li Yuzhu shouted with a stern face, calling out to Li Xing’an.