He also took care of some business and ordered ten jars of realgar wine.
Boss Ding received the zongzi and silver with a smile and said, “Boss Lu, you’re getting more generous every year.”
Lu Yang laughed heartily. “Don’t laugh at me, Old Brother. These are gifts. If it’s not enough, I’ll come buy more.”
Boss Ding knew Lu Yang had many acquaintances—officials recognized him, wealthy merchants knew him, his husband was studying, mentors had to be visited, and private friends needed attention. With such connections, ten jars of wine would hardly suffice.
But relationships vary. Not every family was a close friend. Seeing Lu Yang’s youthful face, though he was savvy, Boss Ding reminded him gently: “With wealth comes many friends. Earning silver isn’t easy, and there’s a scholar at home spending it, too. Sharing a little here and there is fine. Life’s about balance—if you’re too concerned with appearances, you’ll lose out.”
Lu Yang felt a warm glow and said, “Don’t worry. I’m stingy—I’d barely give to ordinary folks!”
After chatting briefly, Lu Yang headed home to catch the carriage to the new house. He barely had a moment to rest, running around nonstop.
Xie Yan touched his forehead, which was already sweaty. “You don’t know how to slack off at all.”
Lu Yang grabbed his handkerchief. “It’s our own matters—what’s there to slack off on? Anything we do ends up being ours anyway.”
He had given input on the house and, before finalizing it, eliminated some troublesome options. The remaining few were similar, so he chose based on location: a fifteen-minute walk to the private school, a little over fifteen minutes to the shop.
Most street-front houses opened as shops, like their little shop. He specifically chose a civilian house, two alleys in from the street. Once inside the courtyard, they could enjoy their private life. The front and back were hidden, unsuitable for business, peaceful and quiet.
Several scholars lived nearby. Unlike them, these scholars shared houses—two or three families renting together, with wives or husbands staying to help with studies. They did laundry to supplement income and mended shoes when free.
In the county, bamboo and grass weaving were inconvenient. Materials were hard to find.
As the carriage entered the alley, neighbors came out to watch. Lu Yang greeted them all with a smile.
At the new home, they dismounted and looked at the courtyard gate.
The walls were mud bricks, with a wooden door. The doorboards were worn, some vertical slats uneven. Two rusty rings showed worn spots but no rust, and a long iron lock secured the door.
Not during the New Year, so no couplets were pasted. Maybe the Luo brothers had put a “Fu” character on it.
Zhao Peilan had the key. She pulled it from her pouch and handed it to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang respected household heads. The key to the new home belonged to his mother.
He pushed it back, grinning. “Mother, open the door! Let us see inside!”
Xie Yan urged, “Mother, hurry! I’ve never been here and can’t wait!”
Zhao Peilan, supported by both of them, laughed and unlocked the door.
Earlier in the year, she had handed over a key and sold that frustrating, infuriating village house. Now in the county, they had a small place to call their own.
Though a rented courtyard, stepping inside gave a sense of shelter—a roof overhead to block wind and rain, a comforting feeling.
Lu Yang specifically chose a larger courtyard so both fathers or younger brothers, and Li Feng, could stay for a few days when visiting.
The house was indeed large, top-notch for civilian homes.
A stone path ran straight into the courtyard, branching off toward the east and west wings. The path was laid like a flourishing tree, extending to the main house. The front yard had scattered stones, some tight, some loose, like sunlight filtering through leaves.
Xie Yan entered and exclaimed, “So elegant!”
The house’s size lay in the wings. The courtyard had three houses forming a U-shape. Each wing had two rooms; the main house was divided in half, two rooms on each side. The stove was in the main hall, separated by a wall from the kang bed.
The family first inspected the main house—clean and orderly, furniture old but usable.
All rooms were empty. The main house had two equally sized rooms, doors on both sides. Entering, a long kang came first, then a long table along the windows. Beneath the table, a chair with a backrest for writing and studying.
Zhao Peilan said, “You two will stay here.”
They went to the other room, set up the same way. Previously, this was a shared courtyard. The east room for grandmother, the young couple in the west.
Zhao Peilan explained: they were the household heads; she was the matriarch but didn’t control the house, so she stayed in the west.
The east wing’s stove was at the kang’s foot, holding a small pot and a teapot. Meals could be eaten here. Both rooms were the same.
Seeing the west wing, Lu Yang finally relaxed.
The west wing was the kitchen!
Perfect—he loved the kitchen! Otherwise, it wouldn’t feel like a home.
The other room in the west wing was empty, just a wooden bed. The owner was obsessive about shared rentals.
Lu Yang calculated—they could rent this house to five families. He imagined the scene: opening the door, the house filled with people.
Lu Yang thought, “…”
Thankfully, only their family lived here now!
With a separate kitchen, now that it was warm, the main hall’s stove didn’t need attention.
They went to the small rooms, unpacked, spread bamboo mats on the kang, and lay down for a while.
Lu Yang looked at the beams, then the mud walls, squeezing Xie Yan’s hand. “I’m going to cover this mud wall with draft paper, so when we’re working, no dust falls. You can study under the sage’s supervision and aim for top scholar. Hahaha!”
Xie Yan thought he would say something sentimental, but Lu Yang immediately veered off.
He said helplessly, “How do you still remember that?”
Lu Yang whispered, “You haven’t become a top scholar yet, how could I not think about it?”
Xie Yan had a good memory; he remembered Lu Yang had said once that if they succeeded inside, he’d be nominated. Why hadn’t it happened yet?
“I’ve already passed many times,” Xie Yan said.
Lu Yang denied it. “That would be too easy for you. If passing were so casual, you’d be a top scholar every time. Only when I’m pregnant will you really count as having passed.”
Xie Yan seriously discussed, “One top scholar every three years—so you’ll have one child every three years?”
Lu Yang touched his belly, imagining the lively home, not minding many people around. “If you can, I can have as many as you like.”
Xie Yan hugged him, nuzzling his neck. “Jingzhi, you’re willing to give me a child. I’m so happy.”
Lu Yang was puzzled. “I’m your husband; isn’t having a child normal?”
Xie Yan said, “Having a child could affect your big money-making plans.”
Lu Yang laughed, rattling on. “Old Master Wu told me, to do big business, the owner can’t stay in a small shop. This trip to the city opened my eyes. After the festival, I’ll rest and think. I’ll train more hands. Look at Wu Pingzhi’s family—Old Master Wu is recuperating, Wu Pingzhi studying, yet they’re not short of money or failing in business. That’s all manageable.”
As he spoke, he felt truly content. This year would be busy, coinciding with his treatment.
