When Shi Wuxiang returned home, the first thing he saw was the pile of flatbreads on the table. It was obvious—they would be eating flatbread for the next few days.
“This is something new I made—try it!” Yuan Zhao urged eagerly. If Ah Xiang said it was good, then it had to be good!
Shi Wuxiang picked one up and examined it closely. This familiar-looking flatbread… he had somehow reinvented a stuffed egg pancake on his own? The only difference was that instead of pouring the egg inside, the egg mixture was brushed on top.
He took a bite. “It’s very good.”
Yuan Zhao immediately leaned in, excited. “It’s made with white flour, and I used lard in the dough. The ingredients are mostly the same, but white flour is expensive. Can I sell this for fifteen coins?”
“Yes,” Shi Wuxiang replied.
People in town could generally afford it. The regular wraps already sold for ten coins, and many were willing to pay extra for more meat. A fifteen-coin egg flatbread would naturally find buyers.
With higher costs came a higher price.
“Can you handle everything by yourself?” Shi Wuxiang asked, taking a gulp of soup.
“Mother said she’s willing to help. A-Yue and Ranran can come along too. We’ll discuss it more,” Yuan Zhao said. There were only so many people in the household.
As long as their hearts were united, there was no fear of failing to make money.
Everyone at home was willing to help—unlike before, at Yuan Daguang’s house, where everything fell on him and Yuan Yuan. Even a fallen broom had to be picked up by them, and everyone harbored their own selfish thoughts.
A household like that was no good place—and would never prosper.
“Then handle it as you see fit. If you need my help, just say so,” Shi Wuxiang said, frowning slightly as he finished the soup, then drank a cup of tea. It was a bit too salty.
Yuan Zhao cheerfully cleared the dishes. When he went inside, he saw Shi Wuxiang already washing his feet. He pouted a little, but remembering he still had something to discuss, he didn’t dare provoke him.
After washing up, the two lay down, each holding a fan, trying to stir away the lingering heat of the night.
Yuan Zhao fanned Shi Wuxiang especially attentively—whatever breeze he created would drift back to himself anyway, so it wasn’t a loss.
“You’ve been holding something back all evening, like a gourd with its mouth sawed shut. Go on—what do you want to say?” Shi Wuxiang exposed him calmly.
Night had a way of emboldening the timid.
Yuan Zhao tossed aside his fan, shuffled closer, and lay beside him, trying to figure out how to begin.
Just from that, Shi Wuxiang knew it had to be about him—otherwise Yuan Zhao wouldn’t be this cautious, clearly afraid of making him angry.
“Ah Xiang…”
His tone was soft and clinging.
“If you’re taking the exams next year… shouldn’t you go to the academy?”
That question came carefully.
Shi Wuxiang could already guess the rest.
“Working at Xiangxiang Restaurant all the time might affect your studies. Why not go back to the academy? Don’t worry about tuition—we’ll earn the money.”
So it was indeed influenced by what the magistrate had said.
Shi Wuxiang sighed softly as he fanned himself. “The exams are next autumn. There’s no need to enter the academy this early. I know what I’m doing.”
“What do you mean you know? What’s your plan?” Yuan Zhao edged closer, resting his forehead weakly against his shoulder. “Why don’t you ever tell us anything?”
He felt a bit resentful. He didn’t like families where things were hidden and left unsaid. In his mind, family meant sharing everything openly.
Shi Wuxiang tapped his forehead. “If you have something to say, just say it. Why act pitiful? Didn’t I already say I wouldn’t go to the academy for now?”
Caught.
Yuan Zhao pouted. “Then when will you go? Next spring? Will that still be in time? Everyone else is studying hard—I heard they write essays every day…”
“In time,” Shi Wuxiang said. He had integrated well with the original body’s knowledge. “I’ll go in the spring. By then, you might even be rolling in wealth.”
“Hehe, I think so too!” Yuan Zhao beamed at the praise.
Shi Wuxiang patted his head and pushed him back onto the pillow. “Aren’t you hot? Lie down properly. You have to get up early to set up your stall tomorrow.”
That reminded Yuan Zhao of something. Turning to him, he asked, “What happened later today? The magistrate made it sound serious. What exactly is going on? I couldn’t understand what they were saying.”
“That’s because you’re slow,” Shi Wuxiang replied bluntly.
“I’m not talking to you anymore.” Yuan Zhao turned over heavily, as if trying to crush the bed beneath him—making it very clear he was angry.
Shi Wuxiang couldn’t help laughing. He always found teasing Yuan Zhao amusing—he had never seen someone so obedient and easy to coax.
“You’re so annoying! If you keep laughing, go sleep outside and feed the mosquitoes!” Yuan Zhao snapped, annoyed that he wasn’t being comforted.
“Some merchants in town have been evading taxes. Their account books are problematic. Worse, some have been secretly selling Hanshi Powder to academy students.”
“Hanshi Powder?!” Yuan Zhao whipped around in shock. “How can that even exist?”
Hanshi Powder was a slow-acting poison. It caused addiction and heightened excitement. Continued use would lead to death—six months at the shortest, one or two years at most.
Even without formal education, Yuan Zhao knew it was something never to be touched. Yet merchants were selling it to students!
“It can make students more focused and excited,” Shi Wuxiang explained. “It gives them the illusion that studying is easy, so some who want shortcuts buy it.”
But it was all false.
All medicine carried poison, and Hanshi Powder was particularly vicious—not only draining the body, but also breaking down one’s will.
Only those with weak resolve would walk such a path.
“People like that don’t deserve sympathy even if they die from it,” Yuan Zhao huffed. “It’s already banned, yet they still sell it. They should be beheaded!”
“Laws aren’t something you or I can change. There will always be people operating outside them,” Shi Wuxiang said quietly.
The law… often only restrained the poor.
Yuan Zhao turned back to face him. “That’s true. Then we’ll just focus on earning money and supporting the family. I’ll earn for you.”
“That’s your money, Yuan Zhao,” Shi Wuxiang said softly. “Everything in this household belongs half to you. There’s no need to overextend yourself for me. As long as we have enough for daily life, the rest can be saved.”
Money saved now would truly be savings—something for unforeseen needs.
They continued talking quietly. Before long, Yuan Zhao fell asleep against his shoulder, while Shi Wuxiang kept fanning him until he was fully asleep.
—
The next day, Yuan Zhao was full of energy again.
This time, Madam Shi would go with him to the stall, bringing along the handkerchiefs she had made to sell at a shop.
There was more to prepare. Yuan Zhao drove the cart, Madam Shi sat in front, while Yuan Yuan and Shi Wuxiang rode in the back.
The morning breeze still carried a hint of coolness, making it especially pleasant.
“Will A-Yue and Ranran be okay at home?” Shi Wuxiang asked, still a bit concerned about leaving the two children alone.
“They’ll be fine. They can just eat something simple at noon,” Madam Shi replied. “A-Yue is already fifteen—he should be able to take care of his sister.”
Shi Wuxiang said nothing more. As long as they stayed home safely, it would be fine.
When they reached town, Shi Wuxiang led the ox cart to Xiangxiang Restaurant, while Madam Shi went off first to sell the handkerchiefs. Yuan Zhao, as usual, set up his stall.
But he felt something was off today. The other vendors kept looking at him, yet whenever he glanced back, they quickly looked away—as if they had been sneaking peeks.
He hadn’t done anything, so he had no idea what was going on.
Just as he finished setting up, customers began lining up. They chatted as usual, but their eyes would subtly drift toward him.
Finally, one of them couldn’t hold back and asked, “Boss, who was that scholar yesterday? I heard he works as an accountant at Xiangxiang Restaurant?”
“That’s my husband,” Yuan Zhao replied.
Quite a few people had seen him crying in Ah Xiang’s arms yesterday. If he still denied the relationship now, people might start thinking he was up to something improper.
Hearing this, the customers in line began offering congratulations, their tone laced with faint flattery.
Yuan Zhao understood—now that they knew Ah Xiang was on good terms with the magistrate, they wanted to act friendly with him too.
“I’ve made a new egg flatbread today—fifteen coins each. It’s made with pork-mixed white flour, very fragrant,” Yuan Zhao announced. “If you want to try it, today there’s a special—two coins off.”
“Then I’ll take one wrap and one egg flatbread!”
“The egg flatbread must be good—I’ll try one too!”
“Give me two!”
Yuan Zhao got to work in an orderly manner. He pulled out glossy, oil-rich dough, and after the flatbread was done, he added egg on top. Though similar to the wrap, it looked even more substantial.
Even at fifteen coins, it didn’t feel expensive.
White flour was precious, after all.
The first customers who got their egg flatbread took a bite, and those waiting behind immediately asked how it tasted. After receiving enthusiastic approval, even more people began ordering it. Who wouldn’t want a pure white-flour flatbread?
But the egg flatbread took longer to make than the wraps. Those who couldn’t wait had no choice but to buy wraps instead.
Madam Shi hadn’t expected that in such a short time, a line had already formed at the stall. It showed just how profitable the business was—if not for the trouble in the past couple of days, there wouldn’t have been leftovers at all.
“Zhao-ge’er, let me take over for a bit. You rest.”
“Alright, thank you, Mother.”
Being more experienced with such work, Madam Shi handled things deftly. Even with the change, customers showed no dissatisfaction.
With two people taking turns, it was much easier. Normally, Yuan Zhao would be drenched in sweat with no chance to rest, but now they could switch off.
Still, Yuan Zhao felt it wasn’t enough. They should get another cart and another stove—then they could make wraps and egg flatbreads at the same time!
After one wave of customers passed, the three of them fanned themselves.
“Mother, have some mung bean soup to cool down,” Yuan Zhao said, ladling her a bowl, and also filling one for Yuan Yuan. The little guy was getting faster and faster at handling money—worthy of praise.
“Take a break,” Madam Shi said, fanning him. “Business is this good every day—no wonder you can… you must be exhausted.”
But Yuan Zhao only grinned. “There’s no easy money to earn. Ah Xiang said he’ll go to the academy next spring. If I earn more, he won’t have to worry about money!”
Madam Shi looked at him with deep affection. Such a good child—and yet Ah Xiang didn’t love him.
Yuan Zhao didn’t know what she was thinking. Even if he did, there was nothing he could do, so he simply smiled obediently when their eyes met.
Setting up a stall was no easy task, especially in the height of summer. When Madam Shi followed him to sell in front of the academy, many students recognized her, which exposed the relationship between Yuan Zhao and Shi Wuxiang.
But at this point, there was no need to hide it anymore.
Once word spread, even more students came to buy his wraps. Whether they were genuinely buying or using it as an excuse to see Shi Wuxiang’s husband and laugh behind his back—who knew?
Yuan Zhao knew he was a good person, but his dark complexion made him worry that Ah Xiang might be mocked because of him.
By the time they finished selling outside the academy, it was already noon. Nearly every student carried a wrap to eat in the dining hall—it wasn’t money wasted.
—
Back at home, Shi Qingyue and his sister hadn’t been idle either. They went to check the fields, watered the crops, then returned home for lunch.
Lunch had been prepared earlier by Madam Shi. In the heat of summer, there was no need to reheat food—cold buns and chilled dishes were actually more refreshing.
“Your face is all red. Put on some ointment later,” Shi Qingyue said, staring at Ranran’s flushed face. “I still have some—I’ll give it to you.”
His skin was rough—he didn’t need such care like his younger sister.
Ranran cupped her face gently, not daring to touch too hard. It stung, but she nodded obediently, too tired even to bicker.
Before, she mostly stayed home doing embroidery or chores. She hadn’t done much heavy farm work.
“Mother said we should rest at noon. I’m going to wash up and nap—you should too, or you’ll be tired later.”
“Got it,” Shi Qingyue waved dismissively.
After cleaning up, Ranran washed her face and went to her room. It was too hot outside—she needed to apply the ointment quickly. She didn’t want to become ugly.
Her sister-in-law was actually very pretty… just that her skin was dark, which made her look less so.
Soon, both of them were asleep. Shi Qingyue, exhausted, began snoring as soon as his head hit the pillow, while Ranran slept soundly next door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The pounding on the door jolted Shi Qingyue awake. His heart raced as he sat up, taking a moment to steady himself. The banging continued.
Annoyed, he put on his shoes and walked toward the door. As he got closer, he could hear shouting from outside.
His irritation grew stronger. He yanked the door open. The person outside, mid-kick, stumbled forward and nearly fell.
“Who are you? What do you want at my house?” Shi Qingyue asked, his face openly showing disgust as he looked at Wang Xiaohua and Yuan Xiangxiang.
Yuan Xiangxiang muttered something under her breath, then snorted. “I’m Yuan Zhao’s second aunt. I came to see him. Where is he? I have something to discuss!”
So these were the so-called relatives who bullied his sister-in-law.
“My sister-in-law isn’t home. If you have something to say, say it to me.” Shi Qingyue stood tall, blocking their view inside. “Speak plainly.”
“Our Xiangxiang is about to be married. Yuan Zhao is her cousin—giving some dowry isn’t too much to ask, right? Tell him to come to our house and provide it when he gets back!” Wang Xiaohua said as if it were only natural.
Meanwhile, Yuan Xiangxiang blushed as she looked at Shi Qingyue, her greedy gaze drifting over the brick house. For a rural family to live in such a place—it was incredible.
Yuan Zhao was nothing but trash—how did he get to live here? If she could marry into this family, everything would belong to her!
Shi Qingyue couldn’t stand looking at them. He clicked his tongue and said with a smile, “Got it. I’ll tell him when he gets back.”
Yeah, right. Like I will.
Wang Xiaohua snorted. “See? That wasn’t so hard. Sleeping at home in broad daylight—no discipline at all!”
“Auntie, mind your own business,” Shi Qingyue shot back coldly, then stepped back and slammed the door shut.
Startled, Wang Xiaohua cursed angrily, but Yuan Xiangxiang stopped her. She still wanted to marry into the Shi family—if she offended them, how could that happen?
“Mother, say less. What if he complains and Yuan Zhao refuses to give me a dowry?” Yuan Xiangxiang said softly, her expression shy.
Wang Xiaohua glanced at her. “So you’ve taken a liking to that second son of the Shi family? Not bad—he’s tall and hardworking. If you marry in and have a son, the whole family will listen to you, and all the money will go to you! Just don’t forget to pay your elder brother’s tuition!”
“Don’t worry, Mother. But Brother needs to pass the exams soon. Being just a licentiate isn’t enough…” Yuan Xiangxiang said carefully.
Everything in the family revolved around her brother—but he was useless. He had been stuck at this level for three years!
Even if they spent money to send him to the academy, it might not amount to anything.
If she really married into the Shi family, she wouldn’t give him money—it was a bottomless pit.
But she didn’t dare say that aloud.
Wang Xiaohua glared at her. “Don’t say that in front of your brother. He’s the pillar of our family! If he passes, won’t you benefit too?”
“I know, Mother. I just hope he succeeds soon, so it’ll be easier to arrange marriages—and you’ll have a daughter-in-law to take care of you,” Yuan Xiangxiang said sweetly. “If I marry into the Shi family, I’ll bring a big bride price. Then we can use it to marry wives for Brother and our younger brother!”
“Good, good! My sensible daughter!” Wang Xiaohua beamed. “When Yuan Zhao comes back, I’ll have him arrange for you to marry that second son!”
Yuan Xiangxiang was overjoyed.
—
In the afternoon, Yuan Zhao and the others returned home. As soon as they entered the yard, they saw Shi Qingyue sitting under the eaves, looking dejected, while Ranran—unusually—was quietly serving him tea.
“How strange—you two didn’t fight at all today…” Madam Shi chuckled, then asked, “What happened? Did something go wrong?”
Shi Qingran shook her head obediently. She didn’t know what had happened either—when she woke up, her second brother had been in the yard punching like a furious lion. They bickered often, but the worry was real.
Shi Qingyue’s gaze fell on Yuan Zhao. His sister-in-law was always smiling, cheerful every single day. He couldn’t understand—how could someone be so happy all the time?
Especially after learning about his past… an ordinary person might have gone mad. Yet he had escaped.
Yuan Zhao pointed at himself. “Looking at me? Is it about me?”
Shi Qingyue didn’t really want to tell him, but if Yuan Zhao didn’t go, those people would definitely come again. Sooner or later, he had to know.
“Your family came by,” Shi Qingyue said, explaining what happened, then added aggrievedly, “And I couldn’t fall back asleep after that!”
It made him furious just thinking about it.
Shi Qingran diligently fanned him, afraid he might get so angry he’d pass out.
Yuan Zhao said calmly, “When I left their house, we already agreed to cut ties. You were fooled by them.”
“Cut ties?” Shi Qingyue was stunned.
Back then, it had been Ranran who went to bring Yuan Zhao home. No one ever talked about that day, and whenever the Yuan family or Lower River Village came up, it was always with curses and resentment.
So he truly hadn’t known.
“It was a huge scene back then. We said it, but I don’t know if that counts,” Yuan Zhao admitted. He had never even heard of people formally cutting family ties before.
The Shi family didn’t dare interfere lightly in such matters. Cutting ties wasn’t trivial. Even if the Yuan family was terrible, avoiding them was one thing—but formally severing relations was… extreme.
“Azhao, I think… it might be better just not to interact with them. Cutting ties… might not be a good look,” Madam Shi said hesitantly.
She knew how awful the Yuan family was—she had witnessed it herself. Their words had sounded less like relatives and more like sworn enemies.
She wasn’t asking Yuan Zhao to forgive them. But in the village, blood ties carried weight. People would inevitably gossip and criticize him.
“It’s not bad…” Yuan Yuan spoke softly. “I don’t want them as family.”
“If even Yuan Yuan says that, then they must really be awful,” Shi Qingyue said after a pause. “If you want to cut ties, just saying it isn’t enough. You need to go to the village head and make it official—with a written document and seals.”
Yuan Zhao nodded. “Then you write it for me.”
Shi Qingyue sneaked a glance at his mother. Seeing that she wasn’t watching, he quickly nodded and slipped into the house to draft the document.
Watching all the children run inside, Madam Shi sighed helplessly. Family ties were truly complicated.
After revising the document several times, Shi Qingyue finally felt satisfied and prepared to head out.
“Don’t go alone—take A-Yue with you,” Madam Shi said. “Otherwise those wolves will think you have no one backing you and try to tear you apart!”
Yuan Zhao felt warmth in his chest but still shook his head. “No need. I’ll go myself. If A-Yue comes, they’ll misunderstand.”
He knew the Yuan family too well. They could twist anything. If they saw Shi Qingyue there, they’d assume the Shi family was behind it and might even come causing trouble.
That wouldn’t do.
“Then at least take Yuan Yuan with you,” Madam Shi insisted. “If something happens, he can run back and tell us. Otherwise I won’t feel at ease.”
Yuan Zhao looked at Yuan Yuan. The little boy was well-fed now, round and healthy, nothing like the undernourished child he used to be.
Seeing the determination and hope in his eyes, Yuan Zhao nodded.
“Alright. We’ll go together.”
Together—to make a clean break.