Chapter 179: Picking Up Two Wild Chickens

Zhong Kui and Hua Sao walked to a side room, closed the door and began to talk quietly.

Zhong Xiao Mei was pacing back and forth in front of the door, looking very anxious, and from time to time she put her ear to the Wooden Door, hoping to overhear something.

But the two inside spoke really softly, so she couldn't overhear anything useful.

She could only give up eavesdropping.

Seeing Yu Lin sitting in a chair, gazing outside, she came to his side and curiously asked:

"Big Brother Yu, what do you do?"

"Unemployed wanderer."

"Huh? What's that?"

"It means freelance work."

"Oh."

Zhong Xiao Mei nodded, just about to ask something else, when the room door was opened.

"Hua Sao, just your word isn't enough; I want to go see for myself."

"If he's not up to it, I won't let Xiao Mei marry out."

Zhong Kui said this while walking with Hua Sao to the doorway.

Hua Sao wore a full smile: "Oh, just relax."

"This Young Master Wang is famous for being good all around!"

"Many beautiful girls are willing to be his concubine just to marry him! You must seize the opportunity."

"Let's go."

She patted Zhong Kui's shoulder, turned and walked into the snow.

By now the sun was about to set.

Watching her figure gradually disappear in the falling snow, Zhong Kui's eyes grew deep, wondering what he was thinking.

Until Zhong Xiao Mei came to his side, Ra pulled his sleeve: "Big Brother."

"What's wrong?"

"If possible... I am willing to marry over."

She clenched the hem of her clothes and whispered: "These years you've taken care of me have delayed your studies; without me, you should already be a high official by now!"

Hearing this, Zhong Kui raised his hand to press Zhong Xiao Mei's head, lifting her lowered head, looking at her slightly red eye sockets, he laughed and scolded:

"What are you saying, you silly girl?"

"If it weren't for you, I, your older brother, wouldn't be willing to study so hard."

"Alone, each day gets by as it is!"

Zhong Kui loosened his grip, wiped the tears from her eyes: "All right, your marriage isn't urgent."

"If you don't want to marry, I can support you for life."

"Do you remember what we said before?"

Zhong Xiao Mei lightly nodded: "I remember."

"What?"

"Us siblings will be good for a lifetime!"

"Right!" Zhong Kui patted her head: "Go on, it's late, go to sleep."

He pushed her a bit, watched her walk into the room and close the door, then turned to come to Yu Lin's side.

Seeing Yu Lin looking at him with a smile, Zhong Kui also laughed: "Let Brother Yu see the joke."

Yu Lin shook his head: "There's nothing funny or not funny."

"This sibling affection makes me quite envious."

"Too bad my parents didn't leave me a sister or brother... now I can only go around acknowledging sisters and brothers; alas, life is really helpless."

"........." Zhong Kui looked at his far more handsome face showing a proud expression, for a moment not knowing what to say, finally just squeezing out a sentence:

"Brother Yu has this ability."

"On the other hand, my looks are ugly... but that's good, it lets me devote myself to study."

"At least, showing ability gets you what you deserve; that's fair."

He smiled, appearing carefree.

Considering it, he's experienced too much over these years, so he's grown accustomed.

Yu Lin, hearing this, also didn't say anything, just nodded and remained silent.

Zhong Kui asked again: "My house has no spare room; is it okay for Brother Yu to share a bed with me today?"

"Although it's not big, it's enough for two to sleep."

Yu Lin waved his hand, pointed to the ground: "I can sleep on the floor."

Before Zhong Kui could refuse, he pulled a mat from his sleeve and smiled:

"This mat of mine is a treasure I got from a Daoist priest; it's warm in winter, cool in summer, even without a blanket, the whole body stays warm!"

"Try it?"

"Like this?" Zhong Kui's face showed surprise; he immediately touched the mat, a warm feeling immediately came, making him nod repeatedly: "Indeed it is!"

"Brother Yu, you're so fortunate! If everyone had such a mat, who would fear severe cold or scorching heat?!"

"However, this thing isn't rare, so it can't really be called a treasure..."

"Brother Yu, please wait a moment."

He rose, walked out of the house, and soon returned carrying a bundle of dry grass.

After neatly spreading it on the floor of his own room, he then said to Yu Lin: "Brother Yu, it's ready."

Okay, thank you.

Yu Lin spread his mat, gave it a try, and the hay pile was still quite comfortable.

Zhong Kui's bed could only be said to be fit for sleeping; it, too, was lined with hay for warmth, the windows were shut tight, yet cold air always seeped in through the cracks.

Thus, even if he burned the coal he usually hated to use, the house simply wouldn't warm up.

Especially as night gradually fell, the chill grew a bit more intense.

Zhong Kui could actually sleep through it, but next-door Zhong Xiao Mei struggled to fall asleep, her hands and feet staying cold no matter how she tried to warm them.

Yu Lin, being a great benevolent soul, naturally offered a little help.

He slightly adjusted his qi, raising the indoor temperature a bit, making it warm and comfortable.

This let the two sleep soundly through the night.

Until the next day.

Yesterday's all-day snow finally eased up considerably, with sparse snowflakes drifting down, no longer hindering travel.

The villagers of Zhongjia Village all came out of their houses, and the village instantly became a bit livelier.

In this small village of about a hundred people, four or five children ran and played in groups in the snow, their clear laughter especially pleasant in the morning.

Zhong Kui deliberately skipped teaching today, planning to go to neighboring Wangjiacun to inquire about that young master Wang's background.

Just after getting up and finishing washing up, he saw Yu Lin walk in from outside carrying two plump wild chickens, smiling.

"Brother Zhong, I just went out of the village to scout the road, and saw these two wild chickens fall from the trees." Yu Lin shook the wild chicken in his hand:

"We're in for a treat today."

Zhong Kui stared, then exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Yu, your luck is truly exceptional! In this icy snow, wild chickens are hardest to catch, yet they actually delivered themselves to your door."

"The last time I heard of such a thing, someone had merely picked up a rabbit knocked unconscious."

Yu Lin waved his hand: "I've always had good luck since childhood; that's why I can live comfortably on my own."

"Let's not talk about that yet."

"Hurry up and light the fire, set up the pot!"