freenovelworld Chapter 199 Revisiting old matters
Chapter 199 Revisiting old matters
"Xiao Tang, I saw this when I went to the study to buy writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. I think the little fox's eyes are round and bright, just like yours, so I bought it to give to you. I hope you like it."
Lin Xiaotang was struck dumb. She glanced at the jade fox, then at Xue Hanxing, feeling utterly speechless.
How old is this child? Why are you suddenly giving her a gift?
She immediately waved her hand in refusal, saying, "No, I can't accept it. It's too precious. You should keep it for yourself." She then took out the gold bean with the red string attached from her pocket and shoved it into Xue Hanxing's hand.
"And this, the things you sent are all too valuable, I can't accept them. We're not related, I'd feel bad accepting your gifts for nothing."
She not only refused the jade fox he gave her, but she also returned the red string he had given her before, leaving Xue Hanxing dumbfounded.
He said urgently, “Xiao Tang, we…we’re not strangers. You and Uncle Qingchuan saved Ruifeng, so you’re part of the Xue family…”
Lin Xiaotang quickly interrupted, "That's right, Dad and I saved your brother, but we are at most his saviors, not your entire Xue family. So you shouldn't send these things, lest others see and misunderstand."
"Xiao Tang, I just..." I just think she's special, and I like her.
Lin Xiaotang, however, only regarded Xue Hanxing and Xue Ruifeng as children.
She laughed and said, "Oh, we're all kids. How can kids give each other such expensive gifts? Even friends shouldn't. If you insist on giving me one, it means you don't consider me a friend."
Xue Hanxing's words were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't refute them at all.
He said with some disappointment, "Xiao Tang, I...you, I considered you a friend."
In the end, Xue Hanxing failed to deliver the gift and even had the gold beans and red string returned. He could only dejectedly follow Lin Xiaotang to find her father.
After giving instructions to his servants, Xue Ruifeng returned to find that only Uncle Qingchuan was still there. He was so angry that he felt like his lungs were about to explode.
That jerk, he tricked him again!
Xue Ruifeng, in a fit of rage, dragged Uncle Qingchuan to find his elder brother and Xiaotang, but before they had taken more than two steps, they saw the two of them return.
My older brother looked like a wilted eggplant, which was quite strange.
He immediately beamed and said, "Big brother, are you finished talking? Can I take Xiaotang to feed the goldfish now?"
Xue Hanxing raised her eyes and glared fiercely at her younger brother, too angry to pay him any attention.
Lin Xiaotang was already focused on her business and had no time to think about anything else. Now that she saw the Xue brothers secretly competing with each other, she felt overwhelmed.
He had to keep his distance from the Xue brothers to avoid causing them any misunderstandings.
So she immediately said, "Dad, let's go sit in the front hall and wait for Uncle Xue. Maybe he'll be back soon."
Lin Qingchuan didn't want to wander around the Xue family's house. After all, his own home was small and simple. The more he looked at the Xue family's house, the more ashamed he felt. He didn't want to pretend to know what he didn't, nor did he want to be like a naive bumpkin who had never seen the world and exclaimed in amazement everywhere.
He immediately nodded in agreement, took his daughter's hand, and said, "Alright, let's go to the front hall and wait for your Uncle Xue."
Since Lin Qingchuan had already said so, Xue Ruifeng couldn't force Lin Xiaotang to tour his house.
So the Xue brothers had no choice but to obediently follow them to the front hall to keep them company. Xue Hanxing was in a bad mood after his gift was rejected, while Xue Ruifeng kept chattering away.
The servants brought over freshly made peach blossom pastries and osmanthus cakes from the kitchen. Xue Ruifeng quickly invited them to eat together. Lin Xiaotang tasted them and praised them repeatedly. Xue Ruifeng felt very proud and proud.
Lin Xiaotang felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Sitting there was even more unbearable than being under torture. After the servants brought three cups of tea, she and her father finally saw Xue Zhiyuan.
When Xue Zhiyuan entered the house and heard that the Lin family father and daughter had come to visit and brought gifts, he was surprised for a moment, but immediately smiled and went to the front hall to greet them.
"Oh dear, if I had known that Brother Qingchuan and Xiaotang were coming, I wouldn't have gone out. I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."
Lin Qingchuan stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said with a smile, "Brother Xue is very busy. It was us who disturbed you. How can it be Brother Xue's fault? We haven't been here long either, and we haven't been waiting for long."
When he returned to the manor, the servants told him that they had been waiting for a long time. Xue Zhiyuan knew that Lin Qingchuan was honest and did not want him to feel guilty, so he said that. Therefore, he respected Lin Qingchuan even more.
Although the father and daughter were from the countryside, they were kind-hearted, of good character and personality, and very considerate in their words and deeds.
It was fortunate that Ruifeng encountered them back then; if it had been someone else, he really didn't know if Ruifeng would have been able to return unscathed.
"Brother Qingchuan, Xiaotang, we're all family here, so please don't stand on ceremony. Come on, sit down and have some tea. We haven't seen each other in a long time, so we should have a good drink together today." Xue Zhiyuan was friendly and his laughter was hearty.
Lin Qingchuan had never drunk alcohol before, so he quickly refused.
“Brother Xue, I’ve never drunk alcohol in my life, and I’m afraid I’ll get drunk if I do. Xiao Tang is still young, and I need to drive the carriage to take her home. I’m not comfortable letting a little girl drive the carriage if I get drunk. We just wanted to talk to you about something, and then we have to go home. We’ve already bothered you for a while, so we won’t stay for dinner.”
"We've come all this way, why are you in such a hurry to leave? You absolutely cannot leave today. My two children and I already had a meal at your house during the New Year. As a courtesy, you should stay and have a meal too. If you insist on leaving, it would be a sign of being overly polite and distant."
Lin Qingchuan looked embarrassed and said, "If that's the case, then we won't stand on ceremony."
The Xue brothers, Xue Hanxing and Xue Ruifeng, certainly hoped that Lin Xiaotang and her father would stay for dinner, since they hadn't seen Lin Xiaotang for several months and missed her very much.
There were only two children in the family, no maids. There were a few maids in the clan school, but they were spoiled and unruly, not nearly as sensible or kind as Lin Xiaotang. They didn't like playing with the maids in the clan school, but they preferred someone like Lin Xiaotang.
Xue Ruifeng clapped his hands happily, "Great! Great! Uncle Qingchuan agreed to stay, so I can play with Xiaotang a little longer."
Lin Xiaotang thought to herself that she wasn't here to play around; she was here to do business.
Lin Qingchuan wanted to speak, but he didn't know where to begin. He was hesitant to ask Xue Zhiyuan to agree to help make the connection.
After all, it was he who flatly refused back then, and now he's come to bring up the old matter again, troubling Xue Zhiyuan. I wonder if Xue Zhiyuan will mind.
Lin Xiaotang, however, was straightforward. She smiled and said, "Uncle Xue, we have a favor to ask of you. I wonder if you could help us?"
Xue Zhiyuan was somewhat puzzled. The Lin family was in the business of selling braised pig's trotters. He had wanted to help by talking to his brother-in-law about having his brother-in-law's restaurant sell the Lin family's braised pig's trotters, but they refused outright. Apart from this matter, he really couldn't think of any other way he could help the Lin family.
However, no matter what the favor is, he will help as long as it is within his power. After all, they saved their son's life, and if they really encounter difficulties, he will definitely not sit idly by and lend a helping hand.
"Xiao Tang, tell your uncle what happened first, and your uncle will see how to help you."
Since he said that, there must be hope, and Lin Xiaotang breathed a slight sigh of relief.