If his scholar husband could whisper sweet nothings in his ear every day—saying he loved him, liked him, couldn’t live without him—Lu Yang felt like he could die happy. He’d probably wake up laughing from a dream like that.
When people are happy, they’ve got energy. There’s no hurdle they can’t get over.
Lu Yang was lost in thought when Xie Yan started fussing again, trying to convince him to go see a doctor.
But Lu Yang refused. “I’m not sick. I just laughed too hard and got a stitch. You know what qi is, right? It’s energy that moves all over the body. See, the pain isn’t even in one spot—that means I’m fine.”
Xie Yan couldn’t argue with that, but he knew the real reason was money.
If they had the cash, even without any real illness, just getting a physician to check his pulse for peace of mind would be worth it.
He thought about heading out again, back to the study to check on something.
It was already the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month—why hadn’t the books arrived yet?
He wanted to earn money.
Then he remembered something: “Oh right. Mid-month, I can go to the county school and pick up my stipend—five qian of silver and thirty jin of aged grain.”
Five qian was enough for a consultation.
His eyes were full of worry. People could be strong—but also fragile. One day you’re up and working, and the next a sudden illness can take you down.
That’s exactly how his father passed. Caught a cold, dragged it through the whole winter, and by the time spring came, he was gone.
He said to Lu Yang, “We don’t have to buy medicine right away. Let’s just go see what’s causing these stitches and ask how to take care of it at home.”
Lu Yang didn’t reply, head lowered.
Xie Yan added, “After the New Year, around the second lunar month, there’ll be the child scholar exams. The candidates will need a xiucai’s endorsement. I could earn a bit helping with that…”
Lu Yang’s heart ached. He wanted to go to the clinic, but he was scared too.
Maybe money was just an excuse. But the fear? That was real.
It wasn’t something he’d ever say out loud.
So he told Xie Yan, “It’s not urgent. Once the New Year’s over and you’re back at the academy, I’ll go to the clinic. Just wait another month.”
Xie Yan tried to strike a deal. “If I go bring Li Feng for dinner, you go to the clinic.”
He put on a serious face—pretty persuasive, honestly.
Lu Yang kissed him.
Xie Yan touched his cheek, saying, “If you won’t go, I’ll let Li Feng drag you there.”
Lu Yang would never let that happen.
His whole family were soft-hearted, only he had any backbone. If he showed weakness in front of Li Feng, his brother’s life would be miserable going forward.
He told Xie Yan, “We can’t be afraid of him. And you shouldn’t be using him to threaten me either.”
Xie Yan realized his mistake. “So… will you go to the clinic?”
Lu Yang hedged. “Maybe. Try sweet-talking me a bit more, and I just might.”
To Xie Yan’s surprise, he was ready for this. He pulled a red bean from his small coin pouch.
It was plump and perfect, with a rich red shell—round and full in his palm.
Xie Yan had quietly set one aside while sorting beans. He treated this red kidney bean as a symbol of love. Like the poem said: This humble bean carries deep longing. So he gave it to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang was so charmed, he giggled like a fool.
“I paid for that!”
Xie Yan relaxed, seeing he’d softened. “Then I’m just offering a flower on borrowed bloom.”
Lu Yang stared at him. Xie Yan added, “Borrowed bean, gifted to my husband.”
That did it. Lu Yang agreed to go to the clinic.
“After I meet with my brother. You better make sure you get both Li Feng and his wife to come to dinner.”
Xie Yan nodded, “I will.”
………………………………………..
After the Laba Festival, the weather took a turn. Heavy clouds stacked thick in the sky, hanging low and pressing down, not a sliver of sunlight in sight.
At midday, the streets were still shrouded in a dull gray gloom.
This kind of weather was terrible for business. Lu Yang had just seen Old Man Chen and didn’t dare head out again, so instead he went door to door in the neighborhood, letting everyone know that their Spring Festival couplets and “fu” characters were now in stock—plus some zodiac-themed paper cuttings and decorative “fu” window charms.
When regular customers stopped by, he’d just show them the new goods. With new faces, he’d introduce the full range.
Several neighbors supported the business, buying up couplets and “fu” characters, a few of the window cuttings too. The “double happiness” characters didn’t sell well—people getting married usually shopped at the town market and handled it all at once.
Luckily, he hadn’t written many of those to begin with. After sitting on the shelf a few days, they eventually sold to regulars.
Then came another round of snow. Lu Yang figured the roads would be too rough for Old Man Chen to come into town, so he and Xie Yan made a trip over to the East District. They bought the rest of their New Year’s goods and dropped by the Luo brothers’ place for a visit.
It was snowing outside, and the weather made Luo Da-sao feel uncomfortable seeing them show up like that.
But Lu Yang grinned. “It’s nothing, really. The shop can’t be left unattended, and with fewer customers on snowy days, we had some time. We figured we’d stop by early to wish you a happy New Year. We’ll come again during the holidays!”
Luo Da-yong and Luo Er-wu were both working at the yamen and weren’t home today. Luo Da-sao invited them to stay for dinner, but Lu Yang and Xie Yan just warmed up inside and had some tea.
They still needed to get back to the village. From the east side of town to the west gate was a bit of a hike, and then there was still the main road to travel. It got dark early, the snow made things harder—staying over wasn’t really an option.
Luo Da-sao asked them, “When are you planning to move into the county town for good? This back-and-forth can’t go on forever. You’re up before dawn, running around in all kinds of weather, snow or rain—it’s too much. You’re going to ruin your health.”
Xie Yan looked ashamed, but Lu Yang just kept smiling. “We really appreciate your concern, sis, but we’ve got to wait a bit longer—should be good come spring. Most of the village nonsense is dealt with now, but there’s still a bit left. We’ll need your two brothers to help me find a few people. The civil route’s been tried—now it’s time for the muscle.”
Luo Da-sao snorted, “Should’ve used muscle from the start. That lot only bullies the weak. You’re the only one still trying to reason with them.”
Lu Yang chuckled. “Didn’t want to bother you all. But I’ve got no other choice. I’m showing up with New Year’s gifts and still asking for help.”
Luo Er-sao offered, “Why not have your second brother bring some men over? Look at you two, so skinny—what if you get hurt before they do anything?”
Lu Yang declined. He’d already been using the Luo brothers’ names to assert some authority. Lately even some low-ranking officials had started helping out, keeping Sha Zhu in check. It wouldn’t be right to have the brothers step in directly.
They worked for the government—it was easy to make enemies. If anyone caught wind of it, the brothers could get dragged down too. The current setup was just right: their reputation had bought Lu Yang time, and if things escalated later with a few thugs, it wouldn’t come back on them. He’d already have Xie Yan prepare a legal petition in advance.
“Oh right,” he added, “I’ll need your brothers’ help smoothing things over with Master Jin too. When Xie Yan submits the petition later, maybe Master Jin can put in a good word.”
Once the bad debts were squared away, it’d be time to collect what they were owed.
And that damned village chief—Lu Yang had no plans to let him off easy.
A village leader, leading the charge to bully honest folk. The Xie family had two xiucai—recognized scholars, handpicked talents of the empire. The officials had to give them a proper explanation.
Luo Da-sao agreed. The county was small, and the magistrate was too far removed to care, but Master Jin was local. He liked his drink, often shared wine and tall tales with the yamen boys, and dropped by their place often. Old acquaintance.
Lu Yang left them with some money to buy good wine and dishes as a courtesy, then headed back to the shop with Xie Yan before dark.
They couldn’t visit the Wu family that day, so the next morning, the two of them went together.
The father and son of the Wu household were still out, but the steward greeted them politely and, just like last time, invited them inside.
Since the hosts weren’t home, they didn’t stay long. Xie Yan left a message: “Our shop is open now. I’m there most days. When Wu Pingzhi gets back, please let him know.”
Lu Yang pinched the bridge of his nose.
Yep. It’s easy to learn how to talk—but learning how to talk well? Not so much. His scholar husband was still a bit of a blockhead.
In town, they only had a handful of relationships like this.
Lu Yang made buns and bought meat regularly, so he’d already spoken with Butcher Liu. The man had promised to save him a batch of piglets.
Two litters had been born recently, but they were still too small—ordinary farmers might not be able to raise them. After the New Year would be the perfect time. The butcher promised five, but Lu Yang talked him up to eight.
Raising pigs came with risk. With all the farmland sold, they had to go big or there’d be no profit.
He also needed those piglets to win people over—to pull the Lu clan closer so they could help each other in the future. He couldn’t risk the scoundrels in Shangxi Village stirring up trouble again.
Once the skies cleared, it’d be time for Xie Yan to head back to Lujiatun and pay a New Year’s visit.
