RMCF: Chapter 48

 

Chapter 48

Xu He carefully covered the two bolts of fabric with a wrapping cloth and stowed them at the very bottom of the cart. Only then did the two head back to the village.

The village was restless during this period. Collecting taxes wasn't something that could be finished in just a couple of days; the yamen runners came daily, making everyone anxious and troubled.

After entering the village, seeing the cart had a carrying basket and a knife, Xu He told Zhang Fangyuan he’d go cut some grass from their vegetable plot to feed the livestock, saving a trip later.

So, Zhang Fangyuan dropped him off on the main road. “Alright. I'll go back first and tidy up.”

Xu He acknowledged and, carrying the basket on his back, headed to their family plot.

The cabbage patch was especially prone to weeds—things like chickweed, crabgrass, and purslane—all growing quite tender. Cutting them would both clear the weeds that hindered the cabbage growth and provide greens to chop up for feeding the chickens and ducks.

The two pairs of chickens and ducks kept in the yard had grown. The ducks grew especially fast; in just a month or two, they'd transformed from little yellow ducklings into big yellow ducks, doubling in size. The chickens, which had been larger when first bought, couldn't keep up with the ducks' growth.

One pair of the little chicks seemed to suffer from the change of environment. They didn’t eat or drink much, moped around with drooping wings all day, huddled by the chicken coop. He tried feeding them fine bran mixed with cabbage, but that didn’t work either. He thought they might not make it. But then Zhang Fangyuan got some medicine from somehow, ground it up, and mixed it in water. After drinking, the chicks perked up again.

Xu He thought since they had land, and fourth uncle's family was growing vegetables on their behalf that needed harvesting, maybe they should raise a couple of piglets. Not necessarily to sell, but to butcher for themselves at New Year's. However, Zhang Fangyuan disagreed. First, he said the family hadn't raised pigs for many years; the pigsty was unusable and needed repairs, and they didn't have the time. Then he said it was too much trouble; raising pigs would tie them down at home.

With just the two of them in the household, sometimes they really were short-handed, so he didn't persist with the idea.

“Ah, it's good to have a scholar in the family. The yamen runners are so respectful when they visit, they don't even dare breathe heavily. I hear, if a family has no money, they can even borrow from the yamen.”

Xu He was squatting in the field cutting grass when he suddenly heard voices. Looking up, he saw villagers hoeing under the chestnut tree on the upper plot.

“That family gets a monthly stipend from the government yamen now. Why would they need to borrow?”

Listening for a while, Xu He realized the villagers were discussing the Fei family. Today, the tax collection had reached the Fei household. Fei Lian had passed the county-level imperial exam and become xiucai. Although not yet a juren who could be exempt from taxes, a xiucai still had some standing with the county officials and received certain privileges.

“When Fei Lian passed the exam, that Madam Fei never stopped showing off, saying the yamen would give them two thousand wen every month just for sitting at home. It's been two or three months now, that's five or six thousand web, right? If villagers go to her house to borrow money, let's see if she'll lend or not.”

“You think she cares about village kinship? If anyone shows up, she just wails about how her son borrowed a lot for his studies and still has to repay, and how the wedding cost a fortune, so she can't lend.”

The woman snorted. “She's still using that excuse? Which family with a son doesn't spend money on a wedding? Besides, after Liu Xianglan went over and caused that scene last time, didn't she say clearly that marrying Xu Shaochun didn't cost much?”

“That Xu family girl, really... both families are as bad as each other; they're a perfect match. Since that fight, Madam Fei doesn't pretend to be a magnanimous mother-in-law anymore. That Xu Shaochun was also fond of putting on airs. After revealing their true faces, everyone knows what they're really like. Madam Fei keeps Xu Shaochun working every single day.”

The woman leaned in, intrigued. “Doing what?”

“Just the usual daughter-in-law chores: cooking, washing clothes, working the fields, tending livestock—what else is there in a farming household? It's just that Xu Shaochun, when she was a maiden at home, didn't bother learning these things properly. Now that she's married, her mother-in-law has to supervise her learning. Every single day, it's either crying or making a scene. I've seen it several times myself.”

“And Fei Lian doesn't feel sorry for her?”

“Fei Lian only comes home a few times a month. And he's such an obedient, filial son. When he comes back and sees Xu Shaochun busy all day, he actually praises her! Calls her a thrifty, capable, virtuous wife. So Xu Shaochun can't even complain to him—whatever bitterness she has, she has to swallow it.”

The woman chuckled. “And Liu Xianglan, who dotes on Xu Shaochun so much, hasn't she gone over to make trouble again?”

“What for? Make trouble again and she might lose her son-in-law altogether. Last time Xu Shaochun went home and stayed so long, the Fei family didn't even come to fetch her. If she makes trouble and goes home again, she'll just have to slink back on her own. Do that a few times, and her husband's family might belong to someone else.”

The woman clucked her tongue. “Who'd have thought it would turn out like this? Seems instead, that He…”

Seeing the conversation about to land on him, Xu He deliberately made some noise. When the two women looked down, he greeted them. They laughed and exchanged a few pleasantries with him, smoothly glossing over their previous words.

After cutting a full basket of grass, Xu He also tidied up the vegetables in the plot. The pumpkin vines had grown long, with huge leaves spreading everywhere. Under the fuzzy, broad leaves lay young pumpkins shaped like long-necked bottles. He was quite pleased; once they ripened and turned yellow, they'd surely be sweet.

Noticing the pumpkin vines were long enough and had formed thick patches, he decided to pick the tender vine tips—the ones that curled up like big butterflies. He gathered a large handful to take home. After blanching them and stir-frying with cured meat, they'd make a fine dinner.

When he got home, Zhang Fangyuan had already split a small mountain of firewood. He was holding his axe, seemingly talking to someone.

Xu He hoped it’s not another person trying to borrow money. Entering the gate, he saw it was actually Wang Jiu, who had come to sell wild goods again.

“Hey, go get two thousand wen for Wang Jiu.”

Xu He saw the deal was already struck. This man—couldn't even offer the guest a cup of water.

He acknowledged, put down his basket, and went inside to get the money. Wang Jiu took it and didn't linger and left even though Xu He offered him water.

“He's in a hurry to get back and pay his taxes.”

Xu He looked at the delivered goods: rabbits, pheasants, and a badger—quite the pile of game. “Buying this much as a favor to him?”

Zhang Fangyuan said, “Half and half. His wife had a difficult childbirth recently and spent a lot of money. Buying all this at once helps him out in an emergency. Besides, last time's game sold well; we made close to a thousand wen.”

Xu He didn't believe he was motivated purely by profit.

“I'm serious. Although our life is decent now, we still need to save more. Later, if we have children, we'll send them to school to learn reading and writing. If we have a son, let him try the imperial exams. If he's successful and becomes a juren, we won't have to worry about taxes anymore.”

Zhang Fangyuan's initial enthusiasm for earning money was because he wanted to marry Xu He. After securing his fulang, his passion for business had waned compared to those early days. Now, seeing Xu He working harder than him, he had done some self-reflection.

Xu He found the first part of his words comforting, but at the end he couldn't help saying, “So you're pinning all your hopes on your future children already? You're quite the father-to-be. If studying were that easy and passing the juren exam simple, wouldn't everyone in the world be studying?”

“Hey, this is called hoping your children will be dragons and phoenixes. Can't say I'm just pinning hopes on them.”

Xu He muttered, “Even if you are pinning hopes, you don't have any children to pin them on yet.”

Zhang Fangyuan, sharp-eared, wagged his tail and sidled up. “Then let's give ourselves some hope.”

“Zhang Fangyuan! Put me down!” Xu He yelped in surprise, then realizing they were still in the yard, quickly covered his mouth. In a flash, he was hoisted over a shoulder and carried inside.

He realized this man had a one-track mind: whenever words failed, he just carried people off.

Zhang Fangyuan set Xu He on the edge of the bed and turned toward the cabinet. That particular item, purchased a while back, still hadn't been opened. If not for the taxes and the borrowing money issue, he would have used it long ago.

An San'er, that rascal, had provided some new goods, claiming they were cooling and comfortable, most suitable for summer use. Zhang Fangyuan thought it perfect timing. Xu He was afraid of the heat; once the weather warmed, he often refused to let him hold him while sleeping. Zhang Fangyuan could kick off the quilt, but he worried Xu He might catch a chill in the later part of the night.

“In broad daylight? No way.”

Xu He almost never outright refused him in this matter. Even when things had been awkward due to their initial ignorance, he'd never said no. But the premise was that the timing had to be appropriate.

“It's almost dinnertime. What broad daylight? With the bedroom doors and windows closed, it's just like night.”

Xu He was pressed onto the bed. “What if someone comes to borrow money?”

Zhang Fangyuan worked at untying his clothes. The beginning of summer was great; clothes came off with a single tug. With daylight still present, everything was much clearer than at night. They hadn't done this in a while. Seeing Xu He's exposed collarbone, Zhang Fangyuan felt a surge of heat.

“Whoever comes now is just unlucky. I wouldn't lend to them even if I originally intended to.”

Seeing his determination, Xu He offered a few more words of resistance but didn't say anything further. Just as they were like dry wood meeting flames, someone actually came.

Zhang Fangyuan was so annoyed he wanted to curse. They haven't even started yet, and someone's already rushing to interrupt. Infuriating!

But after a moment's hesitation, he lay back down, telling Xu He to be quiet. They'd just pretend no one was home. Xu He was blushing crimson. The thought of someone outside while they were inside with doors and windows closed, doing something else… if word got out, who knew how they'd be teased.

“We'll be laughed at. Get up.”

Zhang Fangyuan countered, “It's already been this long. If I go out now, pulling up my pants, isn't that directly telling them what we were doing?”

Xu He's face grew even redder. “Then put your clothes on properly before going out. Who told you to dress while walking?!”

“You bit my chin. At this point, my clothes are on or not when I go out dawdling won't make a difference."

“Say you were bathing!”

Zhang Fangyuan grabbed a lock of hair. “Every strand is bone dry, how did you even think of that?”

Then he grinned slyly. “But if I work a little harder and go out later, maybe they'll believe it.”

Xu He wanted to kick him off the bed, but his ankle was caught. “You're such a rogue!”

“Well, that’s right.”

Chen Si stood outside with a plate of scallion pancakes. His fulang had made them and asked him to deliver some over. He'd clearly seen someone in the yard just moments ago, but now they were gone. Strange.

He shook his head, failing at his task. Since both had married, they saw each other less, let alone spending entire days together like before. Each was busy with their own lives.

Not finding anyone, Chen Si actually hopped away cheerfully. He'd been afraid Zhang Fangyuan might keep him for drinks and not let him leave. Being newlyweds, he didn't want to drink with Zhang Fangyuan.

 

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