Mrs. Wang hurriedly said, "Your Fifth Uncle is still ill. Tomorrow, people from various families will come to deliver gifts, and the day after is the main ceremony. I’m afraid your Fifth Uncle won’t make it in time. How about choosing someone else to preside over the wedding?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "I was hoping that this happy event would cheer up Fifth Uncle. Who knows, maybe his spirits might lift, and he’ll come around. We can’t just change the wedding officiant at the last minute, can we?"

Mainly because she really couldn’t find anyone else suitable.

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu were both unsuitable, and the most suitable ones, Zhao Song, Zhao Ming, and Zhao Cheng...

Zhao Ming was in Yu State, and Zhao Cheng, well, Zhao Hanzhang was satisfied with him, but Mrs. Wang disagreed, and the Zhao Family relatives also thought Zhao Cheng was unsuitable.

At least Zhao Ming had a harmonious marriage, but Zhao Cheng...

Having him officiate would be like cursing Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan.

None of the relatives who had a say would agree, even Zhao Cheng himself thought Zhao Hanzhang was out of her mind for considering him to officiate.

So, throughout Luoyang City, Zhao Song was still the most suitable.

No matter how you look at it.

Mrs. Wang furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before accepting, "I’ve already sent someone to invite Fifth Uncle today, but the servants at the manor said he went out of town to recuperate."

Zhao Hanzhang was slightly taken aback and frowned, "Why leave town to recover from an illness?"

"To relax, I suppose. Don’t you all say that Fifth Uncle’s illness is of the heart?" Although Mrs. Wang didn’t understand what heartache Zhao Song had that had caused such severe illness, if it was unhappiness, going out was the best remedy.

She herself liked to go to Taoist temples and Buddhist shrines to offer incense when bullied by the second family. It wasn’t that she truly believed in gods and Buddhas; it was just that she didn’t want to see those people in the mansion. Going out to clear her mind, even seeing the roadside wild grass, was happier than seeing the precious flowers in the mansion.

If your heart is unhappy, going out might not cure it immediately, but it wouldn’t worsen it either.

Zhao Hu carefully observed Zhao Song’s face, and seeing his complexion improve, he said joyfully, "See, as I said, it’s much more comfortable outside than at home. If you keep lying down all the time, you’ll eventually fall ill, let alone since you’re already sick."

Zhao Song adjusted his cloak, glanced at Zhao Shen, who was riding alongside, and said quietly, "I think you’re doing this on purpose to trouble Shen’er. That bit about it being more comfortable outside than at home doesn’t sound like something you’d say."

Zhao Hu: "Just tell me, does your heart feel a bit lighter?"

Zhao Song sighed as he looked out the window, "It’s going to snow. Is there enough charcoal at tonight’s lodging place? I have to return to town for the wedding the day after tomorrow and can’t afford to catch a chill."

"Snow?" Zhao Hu stuck his head out to look at the sky, then doubted, "The sun’s so bright and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. How could it snow?"

Zhao Song pointed silently at the horizon with his hand.

Zhao Hu took a couple of looks and said, "That’s at the edge of the sky, isn’t it? Even though it’s gray, it doesn’t look like a moving cloud. Fifth Brother, aren’t you overthinking this?"

Zhao Song opened his mouth to speak, but Zhao Hu continued rapidly, "In my opinion, your illness is caused by thinking too much. We’re at our age and should be drinking happily, doing whatever makes us happy each day. Otherwise, after a few years, we won’t even have the energy to enjoy ourselves before passing on."

"I still don’t know whether ghosts and gods exist in this world. Of course, I believe they do, because then I could still live in luxury when I get to the afterlife. But what if they don’t?" Zhao Hu wasn’t happy at the mention of this. He hoped ghosts and gods existed, so he could continue enjoying life as a ghost. "Therefore, to be safe, we should enjoy life as early as possible and not squander time."

Zhao Song held back his words with difficulty and replied in annoyance, "If there are ghosts and gods, where do you think they’ll send you in Hell?"

Zhao Hu spat twice and said, "I wouldn’t go to Hell. I’d live as a rich man in the underworld. No matter how disrespectful Zitu is, he won’t slack on his annual offerings, plus there’s Zheng’er. I’m wealthy here, so I’m sure to be wealthy there too!"

Zhao Hu was smug. Zhao Shen turned his horse back to the two in the carriage and asked, "Grandfather, Seventh Uncle, do we really have to stay outside tonight since it might snow?"

Zhao Song glanced lightly at Zhao Hu.

Even though it was his somewhat respected Fifth Brother predicting snow, Zhao Hu didn’t believe it. But if another person, without prior discussion, was equally sure it would snow, then even if it was his disliked grandnephew, Zhao Hu had to believe it.

He pondered seriously, "The country house is well-equipped and should have no problem keeping us warm, even if we stay for ten days or half a month. But if the snow is heavy, can we return to the city the day after tomorrow?"

Zhao Song ordered the carriage to stop and, supported by his follower, stepped out. Zhao Shen immediately dismounted to assist him.

Zhao Song stood by the roadside, gazing at the gray-black horizon, then closed his eyes to feel the wind. After a while, he slowly said, "Don’t worry, the snowfall won’t be heavy."

With that, he no longer wished to get back into the carriage, choosing instead to walk slowly with Zhao Shen’s support.

Zhao Hu sat on the carriage shaft, prompting the driver to speed up the horse and catch up, "Fifth Brother, you’re still unwell. Aren’t you getting back on the carriage?"

Zhao Song waved him off.

Zhao Hu shrank his neck in the cold, glanced at the servants, and someone immediately brought him a fox fur coat. He wrapped himself and continued to slowly follow Zhao Song on the carriage shaft, constantly lecturing Zhao Shen, "Shen’er, why aren’t you convincing your grandfather? What if he falls ill in this cold weather? You’re not as attentive as Zheng’er. Although he’s younger, he reads more and is a better person..."

Zhao Shen selectively ignored him and only asked Zhao Song, "Grandfather, can you still walk?"

Zhao Song: "I’m merely ill, not dying."

Zhao Shen grinned, "Then let’s walk. Before leaving, I did a divination. This trip will bring Grandfather an unexpected encounter, curing your heartache."

At this, Zhao Song couldn’t help but glare at him, "Don’t let your father know you’re playing with turtle shells again, or he’ll break your hand."

This father and son were polar opposites. Zhao Ming kept a respectful distance from supernatural matters, while Zhao Shen plunged headfirst into them, actively seeking ghosts and gods.

It exasperated Zhao Song to no end.

Thinking of this, Zhao Song felt suffocated again. He felt he must have committed sins in a past life to end up with such offspring and to encounter a grandnephew like Zhao Hanzhang.

He felt uncomfortable about everything.

Zhao Song became so absorbed in his own musings that he lost track of time. Fortunately, he had disembarked not far from Zhao Hu’s country estate, soon reaching a downhill path. Zhao Hu’s villa was built on a hillside, facing vast fields, all of which were his, forming a large estate.

The estate had irrigation channels, but only about twenty acres of wheat were planted. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to plant more, but he couldn’t find the manpower.

Those twenty acres were planted with highly paid temporary labor.

Despite the large estate, he had few tenant farmers, eventually having to spend a fortune hiring servants.

Whenever he calculated the costs, Zhao Hu felt heartache.