Chapter 107: Never Coming Without a Purpose

Zhou Zhi urged Hu Zhe that since the fire had already occurred and could not be undone, the most important thing now was to pull himself together and focus on the future of the Hu family.

Finally, with a cold glint in his eyes, Zhou Zhi said sternly, "If this fire was truly set on purpose, even though no traces were left behind, the perpetrator will eventually reveal some flaw or leave a trail. This matter must be considered carefully and investigated quietly in the shadows. If we ever find out who set the blaze, we must make them pay for everything we have lost today; we must make them pay a much more painful price."

He seemed to be speaking to Hu Zhe, but even more, he seemed to be speaking to himself.

His family was Zhou Zhi’s untouchable scale, and since Hu Zhe was his future brother-in-law, he already regarded him as kin. Whoever bullied Zhou Zhi’s family would surely be made to pay back a hundredfold. Perhaps his current capabilities were limited, but he believed that one day, he would be able to do it.

Everything would get better; it just required time.

After leaving the Hu residence, Fan Jin said his goodbyes, and the father and son walked back to Bailuo Village.

Regarding the fire at the Hu house, Zhou Zhi was more inclined to believe Hu Zhe’s suspicion that it was not an "act of God," but a deliberate act of arson. Therefore, on the way home, Zhou Zhi told his father, Zhou Tie, and then detoured toward Nanzhuang.

He hadn't seen Liu Hui of Nanzhuang for some time. Zhou Zhi went partly to visit him, and partly to ask Liu Hui to quietly investigate the fire at the Hu silk and cotton shop in Gaochang Town.

In Zhou Zhi’s view, whoever dared to commit arson could not be a simple, honest commoner; they were most likely the type of local thugs or scoundrels. Birds of a feather flock together, and people like those thugs around Gaochang Town would inevitably have some connection to Liu Hui. If Liu Hui mobilized his subordinates to investigate secretly, it was possible to find the truth.

After meeting, Zhou Zhi told Liu Hui about the fire. Liu Hui didn't even hesitate, immediately concluding that it was the work of someone.

Clearly, Liu Hui and his men had committed their fair share of arson; he was an experienced man. In Liu Hui's words, how could there be so many "acts of God"? If it were truly an act of God, why didn't the other shops catch fire, and why were the shops adjacent to the Hu store left completely unscathed?

Of course, Liu Hui did not yet know who had set the fire. However, he replied quite readily, "Brother Zhou Zhi, I have said before that we are brothers for life. Your business is my business. Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this and hand the arsonist over to you."

He spoke with great determination and resolve.

What is a brother? This is a brother—as soon as you speak, he agrees wholeheartedly, taking your affairs as his own, or even treating them with more importance than his own.

There was no need to voice thanks to Liu Hui. Zhou Zhi chatted with him for a while longer, and as dusk approached, he left Liu Hui's house and headed home.

The fire at the Hu shop was a mere interlude; after returning home, Zhou Zhi set the matter aside and returned to his studies.

The preliminary exam was drawing closer, and there was nothing more important than studying. Zhou Zhi could now write standard eight-legged essays, though they still lacked the polish to be truly excellent. This required constant contemplation and reading more books.

Every half month, Zhou Zhi would visit Lu Xingchuan’s house to have his essays reviewed by Lu, Fan Jin, Wei Haogu, and others, seeking their advice. Although they were only *xiucai* or *tongsheng*, they had read extensively and were quite adept at writing eight-legged essays. Having no master teacher, humbly seeking their guidance was Zhou Zhi’s best option.

Days passed, and nearly another month flew by, bringing them to the eighth day of the seventh lunar month.

The four acres of potatoes had all been planted. Zhou Tie had been busy in the stable, looking with great delight at the large belly of the government-owned mare. According to his calculations, the mare would give birth within these few days.

According to the regulations of the Great Ming government, those raising government mares were required to hand over one foal every three years. If they failed to provide one, the government would impose a fine of six taels of silver.

The Zhou family had only been raising the mare for a year, and it was already about to foal. If this foal were handed over to the government, and the mare produced another during the remaining two years, the government would purchase it back for five taels of silver.

Raising government horses was originally a thankless, arduous task imposed by the officials upon the people. But if there was a monetary reward, it turned into a stroke of good fortune!

Just as Zhou Tie returned to the courtyard, Old Man Wang, known as the "Riddle-Solving Lad," entered with a look of frustration, followed by an elderly man of about fifty. Zhou Tie recognized the man as Chen Deng, the old steward of the Chen family.

As the Chen family’s steward, Chen Deng usually held his head high and acted with arrogance and tyranny. Yet now, he was holding two large gift boxes and looking at Zhou Tie with a beaming, joyful face. He seemed like a completely different person; one had to know that in the past, he wouldn't even lift his eyelids to look at Zhou Tie, let alone smile so kindly.

Since the Zhou family had money, Zhou Tie’s spine had stiffened as well. He greeted Old Man Wang first, asking, "Brother Wang, what brings you here today?"

For some reason, Old Man Wang’s face turned purple, and he stammered, unable to speak. Chen Deng, standing behind him, stepped forward and said with a chuckle, "Zhou Tie, Brother Zhou, I’ve come to see you for a good reason—a wonderful reason!"

Zhou Tie was stunned. The Zhou family had never had dealings with the Chen family. Although Zhou Zhi had offended Chen Wenju in a bet last year, the Chen family had shown no signs of retaliation.

Just then, Zhou Zhi came out of the house. Zhou Tie quickly said, "Zhier, come over. The Chen family’s steward has some business."

Zhou Tie figured that while Chen Deng’s visit might not necessarily be for a "good" reason, it was certainly an important one. Whenever the Zhou family encountered significant matters, Zhou Tie had grown accustomed to letting Zhou Zhi handle them; after all, Zhou Zhi always managed things with clear logic and to his satisfaction.

Zhou Tie often thought that even if Zhou Zhi couldn't earn a high official title through his studies, his ability to manage affairs alone was reason enough to support his education.

Zhou Zhi smiled bitterly to himself, thinking that his father had no desire to handle anything anymore and simply offloaded it all onto him. But thinking about it carefully, it was likely his mother had nagged his father many times about it. When faced with major issues that he couldn't handle, Zhou Tie’s decision to defer to Zhou Zhi showed a degree of self-awareness and cleverness.

Zhou Zhi greeted Old Man Wang and Chen Deng, then gestured for them to enter the house.

Although Zhou Tie didn't handle the affairs directly, he had to sit in to listen and occasionally interject when necessary.

After they were seated in the inner room, Zhou Zhi asked, "I wonder what brings you here, Old Man Wang?"

Old Man Wang was extremely embarrassed, his face brighter than a rooster's comb, and he mumbled, "I won't say it. Let Steward Chen tell you himself!"