The moment raindrops fell onto the ground, the common people were first stunned, then they knelt down and burst into tears.
This drought of nearly two months, though it seemed short, had caused countless deaths. It came fiercely and took lives without giving them any chance to react—just like this rain.
“Heaven has really sent rain!”
“My youngest son… why couldn’t you hold on a little longer? Why did you have to believe that demonic monk!”
“Wuu wuu wuu…”
The same voices echoed throughout Mingqu County. They all cried out—if their relatives and friends had just lined up properly to eat the alms, would they not have died? Would they now be enjoying this rain like them?
But no matter how much the living suffered, the dead would not return.
This rain came fiercely, almost instantly driving away the heat. The dense rainfall hitting the ground caused a white mist to rise into the air.
“So cool!” Yuan Zhao kept cheering, happily jumping around under the eaves. “If only it could rain all night! But Sister Xiaomei hasn’t come back yet.”
“If it’s raining, naturally they can’t continue distributing porridge. She should be coming back soon,” Shi Wuxiang said.
As they said, Jia Xiaomei returned quickly and told them what had happened in town.
It was nothing more than how the people cried and cheered, running into the rain shouting wildly. Though it looked almost mad, it made people feel especially uncomfortable.
Jia Xiaomei understood the people’s behavior quite well. If the Shi family had not bought her back, she would have been the same. She didn’t know how to repay them, so she could only do her best to serve them.
After hearing this, Yuan Zhao couldn’t help but sigh. Those people were indeed pitiful, but sometimes heaven was merciless and always needed to consume some people as nourishment.
This rain seemed determined to make up for the days it hadn’t rained. It started at noon and continued for a full day and night.
Even at dawn, everything was still damp and misty.
Yuan Zhao was no longer restless from the heat. He got up early to cook, deliberately making a pot of rice porridge, steaming buns, and pairing them with stir-fried chili sauce—a hearty breakfast.
Jia Xiaomei looked at him somewhat flustered. “Young master, it was my laziness. I should be the one cooking.”
“I woke up early. Don’t be nervous, Sister Xiaomei. Bring the food over.” Yuan Zhao said with a smile. They were all kind people and wouldn’t get upset over such a small matter.
“Then tomorrow I’ll wake up earlier to cook. We haven’t had sugar pancakes in a long time—I’ll make the ones you like.” Jia Xiaomei said ingratiatingly, glancing at Yuan Zhao’s expression from time to time.
“Anything is fine.”
When the meat buns were brought to the table, the Shi family was stunned.
“Eating meat buns in the morning—Sister-in-law, you must have woken up very early to make these.” Shi Qingyue sat down smiling. “Then I won’t hold back!”
“He started working before dawn,” Shi Wuxiang said.
Yuan Zhao was startled. “Did I wake you? Then why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“It’s rare to see you as diligent as a little bee. Naturally, I wouldn’t disturb you.” Shi Wuxiang smiled slightly. When it was hot before, Yuan Zhao had been like a wilted eggplant.
Yuan Zhao smiled proudly and didn’t bother arguing with him. As long as it wasn’t as hot as before, he could have energy again.
Today there was no need to distribute alms, so everyone rested at home. Yuan Zhao planned to observe the weather for a couple of days before making plans and also go to town to check the situation.
The shop was secondary—the academy was what mattered.
The drought had eased before the autumn examination, so the exam would definitely proceed. After a delay of two months, even if Shi Wuxiang was confident, Yuan Zhao still felt a bit nervous.
“I’ll go to town tomorrow,” Yuan Zhao clapped his hands. “The workers will probably go straight to the shop once they see the weather improving. The grain there might not be enough.”
Jia Xiaomei said, “When we parted today, I told Chen Yishu. He said he would go to the academy and also find others to go.”
“He’s really diligent.” Yuan Zhao smiled, eyes curved.
The light rain drizzled on, but it didn’t stop the villagers’ urge to visit each other. Everyone seemed to have been pent up by the drought, and even in the rain they still went visiting.
The Shi family was naturally the liveliest place. During this time, villagers had often secretly come to borrow grain from them. Now that the hardest days had passed, even though they had nothing valuable to offer, they still came to express their thanks.
It had been very hot before, and the snacks and fruits at home had already been eaten up. Only some fried foods made by Shi Wuxiang remained, and the villagers hesitated for a long time, not daring to take them to eat.
“I didn’t expect so many people to have borrowed grain.” Village Chief Niu felt somewhat ashamed. He had also thought that many families might not have surplus grain, and he had asked before—everyone in the village had said they did, but it turned out they had borrowed it.
“Neighbors are close like kin. If one can help, then one should.” Shi Wuxiang said gently. “Our family has also received a lot of help—it is only right to do so.”
After hearing this, the others kept praising him. “A’Xiang is truly a good child. In the future I’ll also send my Huzi to study—let’s see if he can grow up to be as good as A’Xiang!”
“Aren’t you dreaming? In ten li and eight villages you won’t find a better scholar than A’Xiang. Your dull-headed one won’t grow into that!”
“Hey, my Huzi is very good, don’t talk nonsense!”
As they talked, it all turned into envy that Madam Shi had such a good son. They praised back and forth, praising everyone in the Shi family.
Seeing that the chatting was about done, Village Chief Niu called for everyone to leave. The drought had just passed—they still had to go check the fields to see what could be done, though this year’s autumn harvest would likely yield nothing.
After sending the villagers away, Uncle Yang, who had helped with farming before, also came. He held a single egg in his hand.
“Uncle Yang, what are you doing!” Yuan Zhao became anxious the moment he saw the egg. “Take it back and eat it yourself, or give it to Little Niuniu to nourish her body—why give it to us!”
Uncle Yang said in a low voice, “It should be given. From now on, I’ll farm your land without pay.”
“How can that do? If you don’t take payment, how could we still let you help farm our land?” Yuan Zhao frowned. “Even if you don’t think about yourself, you must think about Little Niuniu. She’s so young—she needs to eat her fill and stay warm.”
Uncle Yang was also a pitiful man. He had only one son; his son and daughter-in-law left behind a little girl before passing away. His family had already been struggling, and after losing their pillar, it became even worse.
When Little Niuniu was young, the women in the village had fed her mouthful by mouthful. Now that she had grown up, they could not continue to burden others. Yet Uncle Yang could not do heavy labor, so now he went wherever help was needed in exchange for grain.
Moreover, although Uncle Yang was usually taciturn, if someone asked him for help, he would agree without hesitation. For such a good person, Yuan Zhao was naturally willing to help more.
When Little Niuniu was mentioned, Uncle Yang said no more and silently put the egg away.
“When the rain stops, I’ll continue farming,” Uncle Yang said.
“Alright. Oh right, we made some food here. I’ll bring some over for you—Little Niuniu should like it.” Without waiting for him to refuse, Yuan Zhao ran into the house, since Uncle Yang never stepped into the courtyard when he came.
He came out carrying a plate of fried foods—chicken balls, meatballs, battered vegetables, and more.
Seeing the pile of food heaped high, Uncle Yang waved his hands repeatedly. “This won’t do! These are all such precious grain foods!”
“These were made in excess. Take them back for Little Niuniu—she’s still growing.”
“Thank you.”
The sky was gray, with light rain falling. Occasionally a breeze passed through, carrying threads of coolness that lifted some of the stuffy heat, making one feel much lighter.
The light rain drizzled on for two or three days before it finally cleared completely. The weather returned to normal and no longer scorched people to the point of being unable to live.
The eatery reopened, and after a few days, the people had time to recover. Poor farmers came to the shop to express thanks, while those with better means came to support the business.
After all, the almsgiving had been initiated by Yuan Zhao. Everyone knew how important it was to extend a helping hand to the people in such a crisis, and all of them admired their righteousness and kindness.
For these few days, the shop only made wraps and egg pancakes, just like when they used to set up a stall. They also cooked a few extra pots of porridge, and if there was any left over, it would still be given to the beggars as usual.
Yuan Zhao had thought that no customers would come with such a simple menu, but unexpectedly many regulars came to support.
“The disaster came suddenly. Even with money, there was nowhere to spend it. My family’s servant even brought his whole family to line up at the eatery—he spoke with great gratitude toward Boss Yuan and the merchants!”
“In the face of natural disaster, how insignificant are we? Only Boss Yuan and the kind-hearted merchants possess such great compassion—we truly should be grateful!”
“Today I’ll buy more wraps to give to those beggars too—it can count as fulfilling a bit of thought and intention!”
In the face of natural disaster, people might be weak, but there were always those who leaned toward kindness. Even if they had not extended help in time, they would make up for it afterward.
Even selling only pancakes, the eatery’s business was still quite good.
There was originally some porridge left, but several regular customers bought it all and gave it away for free to the beggars. In this way, the eatery earned money, the regulars gained reputation, and the beggars were fed—three benefits in one move.
Yuan Zhao paid Dagou and the others their wages as before, and also gave them some grain, especially praising them for remembering to bring people to line up and survive even during such difficult times.
“These days have truly been hard on everyone. Seeing you all return safely to the eatery makes me very happy,” Yuan Zhao said with a smile. “Once things settle down, I will consider raising everyone’s wages.”
“Thank you, shopkeeper!” Jia Xiaomei thanked first, and the others followed.
Even if their wages were not raised, a boss like Yuan Zhao was worth following. Not to mention that during the hardest days, he had even delivered grain to them.
Shi Wuxiang sat to the side, drinking tea and watching, watching Yuan Zhao being respected and loved by the workers, surrounded by their grateful gazes.
After briefly settling matters, Yuan Zhao and Shi Wuxiang left. Closing the shop was left to Chen Yishu and Jia Xiaomei.
The two planned to go check the residence first. It had been nearly two months since they last saw it. After being exposed to the sun, it should be ready to live in. The tables, chairs, and cabinets that Wen Qingshan had made had also been delivered—who knew how they had fared under the sun.
The residence had been renovated to look completely new, bright and beautiful. The roof tiles were sturdy blue tiles, and the corridor pillars had been repainted and had long since dried under the sun.
Although there was some dust from not being lived in during this time, it only needed a little cleaning. Overall, it was very good.
Pushing the door open, the furniture inside had all been placed in their intended positions. The tables, chairs, and cabinets were finely crafted and made according to their preferences. When they moved in, everyone would surely be satisfied.
“Have we not finished paying the silver?” Shi Wuxiang suddenly thought of something. These cabinets had been delivered directly after completion; half had been paid first, and the remaining half was to be paid after finishing.
But the sudden heat had caught them off guard, and they had not gone out, so the payment had been delayed.
Yuan Zhao nodded slightly. “We’ll inspect everything and then settle the payment. Even between close brothers, accounts must be clear. He ge’er and the others will understand—otherwise it will be hard to explain later.”
Shi Wuxiang hadn’t expected him to say that. He had thought Yuan Zhao would blindly side with Zhou He, after all, the two were childhood companions who grew up together.
But Yuan Zhao thinking this way was a good thing—at least he wouldn’t lose his head over sentiment.
They checked all the furniture, sat on the chairs and tested them—steady and even, without any odor. They were truly made with care.
“I’ll go find He ge’er later and settle the payment,” Yuan Zhao said with satisfaction.
“Alright,” Shi Wuxiang replied casually. The household money was with him anyway—it could be used however they wished.
Yuan Zhao asked again, “Then should we pick an auspicious day to move in? That way you and A’Yue can go to the academy more conveniently.”
Shi Wuxiang knew his heart was full of him, so he said, “Let’s go back and ask Mother. Whichever day she says is good, we’ll move then.”
“That works. Then let’s go to Zhenlan Academy now.”
“Alright.”
Just as Yuan Zhao had hoped, there were already people cleaning inside Zhenlan Academy. The damage from this period had left the academy somewhat shabby; if it was not tidied up quickly and the students returned soon, it might cause delays.
A worker sweeping saw Yuan Zhao peeking at the gate and immediately shouted, “Who goes there! This is an academy!”
“We came to see when the academy will open,” Yuan Zhao replied kindly. “My husband is a student here—Shi Wuxiang.”
As he spoke, he pulled him to the front.
The worker glanced at Shi Wuxiang’s bearing and immediately nodded apologetically. “I see. We were told to finish cleaning today. From what Manager Ma said, the academy will open tomorrow.”
“I see. Then where is Manager Ma?” Yuan Zhao asked again. Matters like this still needed to be confirmed with Ma Fu.
“You can come in and wait. He seems to have gone to the dining hall.”
“Thank you.”
Yuan Zhao was already very familiar with the academy. He and Shi Wuxiang sat under a corridor to wait—once Ma Fu came out, he would see them.
Ma Fu was giving instructions at the dining hall, telling them to cook properly—even if simple, the taste must be good.
He watched the cook clean the dining hall thoroughly. Seeing no issues, he still nagged a few more times before leaving.
As soon as he came out, he saw the two sitting not far away and immediately jogged over.
“Boss Yuan, Wuxiang!” Ma Fu waved. “Why are you here?”
“The eatery opened today, so we thought to come check the academy. If you’re preparing to receive students, we can prepare in advance,” Yuan Zhao said with a smile. “The worker said you might open tomorrow, so we came to confirm.”
“That’s right, though the notice was rather sudden, so the cleaning has been rushed,” Ma Fu said somewhat embarrassed. “Later we still have to send people to notify others—that’s also troublesome.”
Yuan Zhao thought for a moment and said, “Our eatery workers can be lent to the academy, but you’ll have to pay them wages.”
“Of course,” Ma Fu said immediately.
“Then I’ll have them come find you later. They’ll know what to do.” Yuan Zhao said with a smile. “We’ll be leaving first then. Manager Ma, you must be busy.”
Shi Wuxiang also gave a faint smile and followed Yuan Zhao out.
Before long, a group of little beggars began calling out through the streets and alleys of the town. The news spread instantly, as if it had grown wings.
After returning home, Yuan Zhao went straight into the cellar to rummage through supplies, and even ordered Shi Wuxiang to go to the kitchen to make more fried food.
Madam Shi Zhang watched with growing unease. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me there are more refugees to help again? Is it serious?”
“No… I’m going to Weng Family Village later. The furniture I ordered from Brother He’s family is finished. I’m going to settle the remaining payment and bring some extra things over while I’m at it.”
“I see.” Madam Shi Zhang relaxed a little, though she had originally thought another drought crisis had come.
Shi Wuxiang was completely obedient to Yuan Zhao’s instructions, willingly going into the kitchen to stand by the stove. He busied himself pickling meat, wrapping it in batter, and frying it once the oil was hot.
Before long, a small basin was filled with fried meatballs and meat strips. There were also vegetables coated in batter and fried. They were crispy, fragrant, and rich without being greasy.
Yuan Zhao packed everything into a food box, also loaded up the rice and flour he had sorted out onto the carriage, and then set off with Yuan Meng.
The two villages were not far apart; by carriage, it was only about a quarter of an hour.
He Jihua was washing clothes in the courtyard. Hearing the movement, she first thought it was someone from her maternal family visiting. But when she looked up and saw Yuan Zhao, she realized he counted as half family too.
“What brings you here?” He Jihua said happily, quickly wiping her hands. “Yuan Meng is here too. Come in and sit!”
“Brother He, hello.” Yuan Meng greeted obediently.
Yuan Zhao placed the food box into her arms and lifted the rice and flour himself. “There’s fried crispy meat inside the box—my husband made it. It’s especially good. I know you’ve separated on your own now and might not have enough grain, so I brought some over.”
He Jihua was shocked. “Your sickly scholar husband can actually cook? It’s fine if you come, why bring so much rice and flour? I still have grain at home. Now that the drought is over, we can start earning money again.”
“Others aside, I only care about you. Just accept it.” Yuan Zhao said with a smile. “I came mainly to settle the bill. I’ve seen all the cabinets and tables—they’re made really well.”
He Jihua led them into the house, scolding as she walked, “You bring so much, how am I supposed to collect your money?”
“One thing is one thing, business is business.” Yuan Zhao said firmly. “What should be paid must be paid. This is just a visit from me. That’s different.”
“Alright, then I’ll accept it. Next time I’ll come visit you.” He Jihua said, even patting Yuan Meng’s round head.
Once they were seated in the main hall, Yuan Zhao finally realized there was only He Jihua in the small courtyard.
After the family split, Wen Qingshan had only recently married his partner. His parents were not living with him yet—but where was Wen Qingshan himself?
Yuan Zhao immediately became a little displeased. “Why did he leave you alone at home? That’s not acceptable.”
“He went to cut firewood. I was washing clothes at home. It’s not what you think.” He Jihua quickly explained, her face slightly red. “He treats me very well. Washing clothes at home is nothing serious.”
“If he ever mistreats you, come stay at my house instead so my aunt won’t worry.” Yuan Zhao said.
He Jihua felt warmth in her heart and nodded. Then she asked about Yuan Zhao’s recent situation. “How have you been lately? That bracelet on your wrist—was it a gift from Master Shi? It’s very beautiful.”
This time, it was Yuan Zhao’s turn to feel a little embarrassed.
“A birthday gift. He even said something strange in poetry, but I didn’t understand it. He said I’ll understand after reading more books. It should be praise.” Yuan Zhao said with a grin, lifting the bracelet for her to see. “There’s even a sun engraved on it. He said it matches my name.”
Sunlight.
It really did resemble the sun.
He Jihua sincerely felt happy for him. “Then when you have time, just look at it more. You’ll understand sooner what he’s praising you for!”
Yuan Zhao nodded repeatedly. The two of them chatted for a while longer. The more Yuan Zhao looked at He Jihua, the more he felt something was different about her—like she had changed, as if she were a flower nourished by water and sunlight.
“Your red mole looks so bright…” Yuan Zhao murmured.
“You—y-you didn’t know?” He Jihua’s face immediately turned red, as red as the winter sun. Her eyes darted away, and her voice grew softer and softer. “It’s because of… that kind of thing…”
“Huh?” Yuan Zhao leaned in closer, almost pressing his ear to her lips. “What kind of thing? Doing that kind of thing makes the mole turn red? Tell me more.”
He Jihua blinked at him, looking helpless and embarrassed.
Yuan Zhao also looked at her in the same way—pure, innocent, and completely ignorant.
“Wait… you and your husband haven’t done that yet?”
“Which thing?”
“You know—” He Jihua gestured awkwardly with her thumb. “The wedding night… that kind of thing.”
“Oh!” Yuan Zhao suddenly understood. Then his face instantly flushed all the way to his neck. “We… we haven’t… n-not yet…”
He Jihua froze.
They had been married for a year already. Even if Shi Wuxiang had been unconscious for part of that time, and then needed months to recover, there was no reason they still hadn’t consummated the marriage.
Unless—
“He… can’t?” He Jihua was shocked. “If he can’t, then you’re done for! You won’t be able to have children!”
Yuan Zhao had actually thought about this before. After a moment, he said, “Can it be treated? Do you need medicine? It’s okay if we don’t have children, but illness should be treated.”
He Jihua wasn’t very knowledgeable either. “You should ask a physician. He’s still young—he should be able to recover. You can’t let yourself suffer in silence forever!”
“I don’t care about that.” Yuan Zhao said stubbornly. “I thought he didn’t consummate the marriage because he didn’t like me. Now I know that’s not the case—I can’t give up even more.”
From the way things sounded, Shi Wuxiang had always seemed like a very proper, self-restrained person, almost without desire. So it turned out he truly couldn’t perform.
He Jihua hesitated, unsure what to say. In truth, she wanted to tell him that if Shi Wuxiang really couldn’t, then from Yuan Zhao’s naïve reaction it was obvious they had never even tried.
Maybe Shi Wuxiang simply didn’t like him.
But saying something like that would be too cruel, shattering Yuan Zhao’s hopes.
“Then… have a doctor prescribe him some medicine. Maybe it can be cured. If you have a child, you’ll have a stable footing in the Shi family,” He Jihua said, then gently added, “Even if it really can’t be fixed, don’t be too sad.”
“I understand. This is an illness. If it’s an illness, it must be treated. You can’t delay or avoid it…” Yuan Zhao said very seriously.
He Jihua said nothing more.
After sitting a little longer, Yuan Zhao left with Yuan Meng. He even went to the village doctor in Weng Family Village to get some medicine.
No matter what, he had to try it on Shi Wuxiang.
When Shi Wuxiang heard he had returned, he quickly got up to greet him. Before he even had a chance to hold his hand, he was already thrown a bag of medicine.
“Drink it!”