Chapter 21 Beggar or a Gold Pouch?

After the treatment, the old man's dull and muddled eyes brighten and became sharp. His childish and pitiful look is now gone, replaced by a respectable and experienced man. He gave Xulian a genuine warm smile. "Thank you for saving me little girl. I've been muddleheaded for years that I've never thought I could still be cured! Say, little girl, do you want to marry into our Hao family? I have a grandson and he is only 18! Young and vigorous and smart too, he is my pride and joy."

Xulian was startled and thought to herself 'Why does it end up in a marriage proposal every time I save someone?'. "Old man Hao, I'm about to get married in a few months so that won't be possible."

"To bad then. We should have met earlier. But you can still call me yeye."

They descended in an awkward silence. 'It's still pretty much the same. That's too intimate.' Xulian thought.

Hearing that he would get another love rival, Rui broke the silence and change the topic. "Old man Hao, if you don't mind we would like to take you home. You are still injured and we can't leave you here alone."

"Aiyoo…what a considerate young man. It would be shameful for this old man but I guess I have no options. I can only thank you." Rui lowered himself so he could carry the old man on his back.

*****

The old man guide them towards his house. They expected to end up in a poor residential area but their mouth went agape when they stopped in front of a massive manor. It is much bigger than the manor given by Feng Jun Yi.

"Old man, you are not fooling us, are you?!" Xiao Tianshi can't help but exclaim. The beggar like old man and the massive manor doesn't match at all.

"Hahaha… Silly child. Although I was previously muddleheaded but your young miss cured me already. I'm pretty sure this is my home. I'm just a bit dirty right now." Old man Hao wasn't offended at all. He could tell that these youngsters are good.

Xulian on the other hand felt a weird sense of déjà vu. 'It seems like this old man is a gold pouch!'

A guard came out from the gate. He heard someone talking outside. He was about to make them leave but his eyes widened when he saw the old man. He is a bit dirty but everyone in the manor was used to this appearance so he could recognize him.

"M-master Hao! You're back!" He then shout inside the manor. "Master Hao is back! Quick! Inform young master!"

The servants went to an uproar. Their master went missing for more than a week already. Their young master used all his resources to find him but to no avail. And now he miraculously appeared outside the manor carried by a young man with three young misses.

The servants lead them inside.

They took their master to clean up and be treated of his injuries. They were just superficial wounds so Xulian didn't really need to do it herself. Not long after, a handsome young man came running towards them. He looked flustered and panting from running. "Where's grandpa? Is he fine?"

A servant step forward. "Replying young master, Master Hao is taken to his courtyard to clean up." He then introduced Xulian's group. "Young master, these are the people who took master home."

"I am Hao Yuwen. I sincerely thank you for bringing grandpa home. We were so worried about him. We tried to search for him but failed to do so. Good thing he met good people like you. May I know how should I address you all?" Yuwen is finally calm now knowing that the old man is fine.

"I am Lin Xulian from the Lin Manor. This is my brother Lin Rui and my sisters Xiao Tian and Xiao Tianshi." Xulian introduced herself and her company. She refuse to call the Xiao sisters her servants since she doesn't see them that way.

Obviously, Hao Yuwen didn't have any idea about their identities even after mentioning the Lin manor.

"Please follow me to the main hall. I would like to offer you some tea and snacks. I heard you were carrying grandpa all the way here. You must be tired."

"Sure. I have something to say about old man Hao's condition anyway." Xulian said in a serious way. Hao Yuwen is startled and his expression turn serious as well. They were talking about his beloved grandpa after all.

Yuwen lead them to the main hall. Xulian was amazed by the building's design. At the front of the hall, there is a huge sliding door that is currently open making the hall look like an open space. But what amazed Xulian the most is because it has a view of a wide herbal plantation. It even looked familiar.

"Young master Hao, you have a herbal plantation?" Xulian can't believe what she's seeing.

"Yes. This is connected to our store. At the end of this herbal plantation is our Caoyao Pavilion. Our family owned it." With this information, Xulian and her group can't believe their luck. They've been thinking how they could meet the owner of the Caoyao Pavilion. They never expected to have this kind of encounter.

The servants entered carrying several pots of tea and a lot of snacks. Xulian loves sweets but right now she was too busy formulating her words to make a deal with the Caoyao pavilion that she didn't even pay attention to the food in front of her. She is full from eating her snack on the road earlier anyway.

Later on, old man Hao entered the hall. Yuwen seem to realize that there's something different about his grandpa. He is dumbly looking at his grandpa trying to figure it out. Then his grandpa laughed and called out to him. "You unfilial grandson, what are you spacing out for?!"

"G-grandpa?! Y-y-you can recognize me now?! You've been calling me with my mother's name for two years." Then Yuwen started to tear up. He looked like a pitiful maiden. He is definitely a handsome young man, but with a scholarly feminine type of beauty. He looked more like his mother if not for his tall stature and his male style robes and hair. You can't blame an old man with dementia to mistakenly took him as a woman.