Chapter 51: Meeting the Little Loli Again

"Daddy, I'm going with you," Lou Xiaoe said, rushing over to hug Lou Zhenhua's calf.

Lou Xiaoe was the only daughter among the three branches of the Lou family, so Lou Bancheng naturally doted on her very much.

"Alright, then hurry up and eat, and come to the factory with Daddy."

"Mm, okay."

Ever since the fishing at Shichahai, Zhang Ping'an had been pedaling his tricycle to the wild rivers outside the city to fish; he could always harvest quite a bit each time, and he could also bring back a few extra wild rabbits.

At eight o'clock, Zhang Ping'an arrived at the entrance of the Rolling Mill on his tricycle, left two plump rabbits for the Security Section, and then rode toward the cafeteria.

"Daddy, it's the big brother from yesterday," Lou Xiaoe said, standing in the car and spotting Zhang Ping'an.

"Heh heh, it really is. Let's go to the office first, and we can come back out later, alright?"

"Mm."

Zhang Ping'an was busy pedaling with his head down and didn't notice Lou Bancheng's car passing by.

"Ping'an, you've got quite a haul again today."

"It's alright, Qiang Ge. I had good luck today; there are seven wild rabbits and three pheasants."

Fish were almost always available whenever Zhang Ping'an came, but the wild rabbits and pheasants were different every time.

"Done. Today, 130 catties of fish and 33 catties of wild rabbit. Take the slip and go find Director Lou."

"Alright."

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Knock, knock, knock."

Zhang Ping'an knocked for a long time without seeing anyone inside. He scanned with his space and found there really was no one. That shouldn't be; Lou Zhenyu was usually at his desk at this time. Where had he gone today?

Zhang Ping'an waited at the door for ten minutes without waiting for Lou Zhenyu, but he did wait for the little loli, looking at her with a bewildered expression.

"Big brother, it's me! We met yesterday."

"Oh, oh, it's you. I still don't know your name, and why are you here?"

"My name is Lou Xiaoe. I came with my daddy. What's your name, big brother?"

Just as Zhang Ping'an had thought, this little loli was indeed Lou Xiaoe.

"My name is Zhang Ping'an."

"Brother Ping'an, do you still have candied haws? I didn't eat enough for breakfast."

"..." Zhang Ping'an looked at Lou Xiaoe's crafty eyes and immediately understood that this girl was being greedy, so he decided to tease her.

"Xiao'e, candied haws are for whetting the appetite. If you eat them, you'll only be hungrier. If you eat until you're stuffed, I might give you one."

"I was wrong just now; I ate until I was stuffed for breakfast."

"Hahaha, here you go." Zhang Ping'an stopped teasing her and, as if by magic, gave her a skewer of candied haws.

"Thank you, Brother Ping'an." Lou Xiaoe took a bite and squinted her eyes contentedly.

"Xiao'e, why did you run over here? Your dad is looking for you everywhere," Lou Zhenyu finally returned.

"Third Uncle, I'm going back now. Goodbye, Brother Ping'an."

"Mm, goodbye, Xiao'e."

"This girl isn't afraid of strangers. Ping'an, you've been waiting a long time, right?"

"It's alright, I just arrived not long ago."

"Mm, about yesterday's matter, my big brother—oh, that is our Factory Director—told me, and I also told him about your situation."

Lou Zhenyu rearranged his wording and said:

"This factory belongs to our Lou family. That little girl just now is my big brother's only daughter. As for me, I'm from a collateral branch, responsible for logistics. Since you were recruited by me, he asked me to ask about your situation."

"Director, I understand."

"Mm, it's good that you can understand. Give me the slip."

"Alright."

"By the way, Ping'an, don't forget you still owe me a wild boar."

"..."

Lou Bancheng had completely set his mind at ease regarding Zhang Ping'an's background; he had been too nervous yesterday.

"Daddy, eat a candied haw."

"Oh? Xiao'e, where did you get a candied haw?"

"I met Brother Ping'an while playing downstairs, and he gave it to me." She wouldn't admit she had asked for it herself.

Lou Zhenhua looked at his daughter's flickering eyes and understood immediately.

"You," he said, affectionately patting her head, "the chestnuts have already been sent to be roasted. Just wait here."

"Hee hee, okay Daddy."

After sitting for a while, Lou Xiaoe couldn't sit still once she finished the candied haw. She wiggled back and forth in her seat, and seeing her father didn't react, she snuck out of the office.

"This girl."

Lou Zhenhua wasn't worried; everyone in the factory knew his daughter, and besides, Lou Xiaoe had sense and wouldn't run out of the office building.

"Third Uncle, where is Brother Ping'an?"

"Him? He should have gone home."

"Ah~" Lou Xiaoe felt bored instantly.

"Xiao'e, the chestnuts will be brought up in a moment. I heard your daddy say he's going to eat them all, so you'd better go back to your daddy's office and wait."

"Oh, okay." Thinking of the sweetness of the chestnuts from yesterday, Lou Xiaoe couldn't be bothered with Zhang Ping'an and hurried back to wait.

"Heh heh, I can't handle you?"

Zhang Ping'an didn't go home either, but went straight to his master's place to continue his studies. Now, his daily schedule was almost set in stone: exercise at 4:30, fish until 8:00, then study. His time was packed full.

Zhang Ping'an had already finished copying almost the entire Yin-Yang Medical Arts Chapter and placed it in his space to settle; he planned to give it to his master within the next two years, for while he only had a smattering of knowledge, Lao Wang would certainly be able to understand it.

Yes, Zhang Ping'an had gone from being completely bewildered at the start to having a smattering of knowledge now; he had made progress! Even if it was still only at the level of a little apprentice.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine classics Zhang Ping'an had spent the better part of the year copying and reading had not been in vain; many obscure passages of classical Chinese became clear to him after the Divine Doctor Wang's explanations, which also enabled him to understand some of the content within the Yin-Yang Medical Arts Chapter.

Returning to the Siheyuan in the evening, he ran into Damao who had just finished school.

"Damao, why are you bruised and swollen?"

"Cough, cough, I fell by accident," Damao said with an embarrassed look.

"Damao, you've only grown in height but lack strength; I have a kind of Medicinal Wine that can increase a person's strength and strengthen their muscles and bones."

"Really, Zhang Shu?"

Damao needed this too much right now; he was currently at an age where he was growing, but while he had the height, he was weak and frail, clearly a sign that his nutrition couldn't keep up.

"Mm, but it's not cheap."

"No matter the price, I want it."

"Five hundred thousand per bottle, no cheating the young or old; it can last you nearly two months, and you can pay me once you see results."

"Damn it, I'll buy it."

Right now at school, everyone said he was weak; he had the height but would fall over in the wind, and he couldn't get the upper hand in fights, though he could run quite fast.

Moreover, he still had three or four million in his little treasury; if a mere five hundred thousand could trade for a body full of strength, then it wouldn't be a loss.

"Deal, I'll go get it for you."

In the show, Damao ended up without heirs; some said it was because Shazhu kicked him, others said it was congenital, and no one knew the specific situation. Regardless, after getting along for this year or so, Zhang Ping'an felt this little brother was not bad.

Selling him the Tiger Bone Wine could also be considered nourishing Damao's skeleton-like body; tiger bone itself was hard to come by, and since the medicinal herbs were also from his space, even if Damao's condition was congenital, long-term nourishment might just fix it.

Besides, with his current level, he couldn't tell anything anyway, and he couldn't exactly tell Damao that he would be without heirs in the future; he would surely be berated to death by Xu Fugui and his wife.

"Zhang Shu, here is the money for you."

"Damao, remember to take one to two qian each time, once a day, just drink it at night; drinking too much will do more harm than good to your body."

The Tiger Bone Wine Zhang Ping'an gave Damao had been diluted with Space Water; after all, a tiger is a body of pure yang, and he was afraid that if Damao had an excess of yang energy and acted recklessly, it would be troublesome.

"Okay, I've remembered, Zhang Shu, I'll come find you to buy more when I finish it."

In order to "restore his masculine prestige" at school, Damao was going all out; he wanted to prove that his body was not weak!

Furthermore, he wanted to beat everyone who had hit him today until they were completely submissive; thinking of this, Damao couldn't help but let out a "Jie-jie-jie" laugh in his heart.

"Alright, remember my words, don't drink too much."

"Oh, okay."