Shi Wuxiang woke early, though his side was empty. He could hear faint activity outside and got ready.
He had calculated the travel time from Qingluan Village to Qingshui Town; even with a few breaks, he would be on schedule.
Oddly, despite arriving in this historically nonexistent corner, he felt unusually at ease—perhaps aided by the original owner’s memories, which prevented any sense of alienation.
Yuan Zhao carefully carried breakfast and noticed him. “You’re already up? I was going to call you in a bit.”
“Better to start early,” Shi Wuxiang replied softly, scanning his red, chapped fingers. “Fieldwork is tough.”
“It’s all for the future!” Yuan Zhao was optimistic, smiling at the thought. “With our own food, we won’t need silver. Plus, taxes come in the autumn; if there isn’t enough grain, we’ll have to pay with silver. We must prepare well.”
None of this was Yuan Zhao’s responsibility. At fifteen, he should have been carefree, but here he was already subject to arbitrary marriage.
Shi Wuxiang said, “You think ahead. Once I stabilize my work, you won’t need to worry about these things.”
Yuan Zhao walked indoors, whispering, “That won’t do. Most of the silver you earn goes to studies, and it might not even be enough. Mother is right—you should keep studying.”
If only he could read!
Shi Wuxiang clearly saw the longing in his eyes. Teaching him a few characters wouldn’t be troublesome.
“Enough talk. Since we’re up, let’s eat.” Yuan Zhao guided him to the table and called for the others.
They had a warm breakfast of hand-pulled dough soup and cabbage dumplings.
Before leaving, Yuan Zhao packed some dumplings for him and slipped a small silver piece from his personal stash into Shi Wuxiang’s pouch, walking him to the village entrance.
Qingluan Village bordered Xianghe Village; anyone heading to town had to pass its gate.
Just as Shi Wuxiang gave Yuan Zhao some instructions, he was tugged back. He didn’t know why, but when a semi-grown child insisted, he waited.
Initially, he couldn’t guess Yuan Zhao’s intention. Then a bullock cart slowly approached, and Yuan Zhao waved vigorously.
“Uncle Daxiong!” he called.
“So this is your husband? Handsome!” Uncle Daxiong exclaimed. “Find a spot, sit, and we’ll move off.”
Shi Wuxiang hadn’t expected Yuan Zhao to spare him the walk. Though ready to go on foot, being ushered onto the cart was surprisingly comforting.
A few others were on the cart; they only slightly shifted when he boarded. Shi Wuxiang nodded, and the cart moved off with Uncle Daxiong’s commands.
“Return quickly,” Shi Wuxiang reminded him.
Yuan Zhao waved from behind; in the blink of an eye, the cart disappeared. This was much easier than walking.
He stretched his stiffened hands and headed down the path toward the fields.
Although mornings and evenings were still chilly, the daytime sun warmed the village. Families had begun prepping their fields.
Along the way, Yuan Zhao met several villagers. When asked, he spoke openly, treating it as casual conversation.
Before spring planting, at least two acres needed clearing, plus sowing, fertilizing, watering, and maintenance. Just thinking of it made him eager to sweat it all out, imagining crops sprouting instantly.
He swung the hoe skillfully while mentally planning to borrow a bullock cart for seeding. Cattle were precious during planting season, and many households wouldn’t lend easily.
After a morning of hard work, the land had been partially turned, with piles of uprooted weeds nearby.
Wiping his sweat, Yuan Zhao thought if a traveling merchant came by, he could buy a few chicks. They’d start laying eggs in a few months, providing nourishment for the family.
He kicked the weeds into heaps, picked up a bamboo bucket, and began watering. The water was cold, but refreshing after working up a sweat.
Shi Zhangshi sat wiping her own sweat, fanning herself, and occasionally tending to Yuan Zhao.
“I’ll go back and cook; you all rest a while,” Yuan Zhao said. The midday sun was already up. “I’ll fetch a few more buckets of water.”
Shi Zhangshi nodded. “All right, we’ll continue working.”
Shi Qingyue, still growing, quickly got hungry again. Seeing Yuan Zhao heading back to cook, he shyly asked, “Sister-in-law, could you make a bit more? I’m really hungry…”
Although roughly the same age as Yuan Zhao, he was more immature in behavior.
Yuan Zhao grinned, showing white teeth. “Sure, I’ll check. I’ll bring you more meat!”
“Thank you, Sister-in-law!”
Yuan Zhao was delighted by being called that, even if Shi Wuxiang didn’t approve; status still mattered!
Upon returning, Shi Qingran and Yuan Yuan had cleaned the house and started the stove early, following his instructions.
Yuan Zhao washed his hands and cooked. His skills weren’t impressive, but ensuring everything was cooked was enough.
Thinking of Shi Qingyue’s hunger, he added extra coarse grain and steamed a few more large buns, making sure there was enough meat and vegetables.
The Shi family only had one pot, making cooking inconvenient, but this was typical for ordinary households, and they were accustomed to it.
“Brother, didn’t we just celebrate the New Year?” Yuan Yuan stood by the stove, staring at the meat and vegetables, his waxy little face in awe, saliva nearly spilling.
“Brother will work hard so that you can eat like it’s New Year every day,” Yuan Zhao said, gently pinching his cheek, thinking that once his face filled out a bit, it would be even better to pinch.
Shi Qingran, having experienced hunger before, even if picky, had been corrected by life; he murmured in his mouth about how delicious the food smelled.
Yuan Zhao first picked two pieces of meat for them to squat and eat. The big pot of meat and vegetables was ready, and he continued to stir the pot—steamed buns on top, rice porridge simmering below.
Doing labor in the midday sun naturally required eating more, especially foods with some oil.
Yuan Zhao packed the food into lunchboxes, ate a bit at home himself, and then planned to go back to continue working. This way, the grandmother and A-Yue could rest in turns without any delay.
“After lunch, you two go to the mountain and cut some thorny branches. Not too thick, like the ones I used to weave baskets. Yuan Ge’er knows—take Ranran with you and be careful not to get hurt, understand?” Yuan Zhao arranged the task while sipping the rice soup.
Shi Qingran looked puzzled. “Aren’t there enough baskets at home? Why do you still need to weave more?”
Yuan Zhao mumbled an affirmative while finishing his meal, wiped his mouth, and stood up. “Don’t fall into any traps. Only cut thorny branches. Boil water to wash the dishes. I’m off now.”
“Take care, brother.”
“Goodbye, sister-in-law.”
Though Yuan Zhao ate enough to feel full, he hadn’t eaten many pieces of meat, intentionally saving most for A-Yue.
He didn’t know if Shi Wuxiang had eaten lunch; working at the tavern, his midday meal would certainly be richer.
Indeed, Shi Wuxiang’s meals were quite good.
Their lunch was eaten in the small courtyard behind the tavern. No one being in the accounting room for a moment didn’t matter, and Shi Wuxiang got along well with the other two clerks.
The meal was one vegetarian dish, one meat dish, and two buns. Sitting in the accounting room with little activity, the meal was enough.
“Wuxiang, are you really not planning to continue your studies?” Zhang Xiang asked cautiously. They all knew Shi Wuxiang in town.
He was often seen walking with students from the academy before, and people praised his profound knowledge. It was said that the academy’s teachers admired him.
Just bad luck with choices.
Wen Hao lightly nudged Zhang Xiang; they weren’t even close enough to ask such a blunt question.
Shi Wuxiang didn’t mind. He knew these two weren’t really concerned for him; they were just curious.
He said gently, “Even if I were to continue, I must first solve the money issue. The family is struggling now; I cannot act on impulse.”
This statement resonated with Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao. If their families were wealthier, they also wouldn’t give up the imperial exams.
Money flows like water; spending it never stops. Studying for the exams was livelihood; working now was also livelihood—both the same.
“Wuxiang, we heard that your previous injury was related to a teacher’s daughter. Is that true?” Zhang Xiang asked with genuine curiosity.
Though not widely known, some gossip circulated from Shi Wuxiang’s academy, and now that he was away, curiosity naturally arose.
“Not at all,” Shi Wuxiang replied firmly. “I had no connection with the teacher’s daughter. The injury was purely accidental.”
“I see.” Zhang Xiang’s imagination had been wrong. He lost the desire to probe further and focused on eating.
The accounting room only allowed for a brief rest during lunch, so Shi Wuxiang, having a bit of time left, decided to stroll outside. After greeting Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao, he left.
Yuan Zhao delivered the food and immediately resumed work with the hoe. Despite his thin frame, he swung the heavy tool without a single complaint.
“Grandmother, there’s a bamboo grove on the opposite hill. Shall I dig some bamboo shoots? Does Wuxiang like them?” Yuan Zhao said while piling the pulled weeds aside.
“He doesn’t fuss over food,” Shi Zhangshi swallowed and answered.
Shi Qingran immediately chimed in, “Sister-in-law, I love them!”
Yuan Zhao grinned. Since Wuxiang liked them, he would dig plenty—lots and lots!