Chapter 100: Teasing

Chapter 100: Teasing

Qiu Huanian selected an empty plot of land by the small river behind the village. Since it was for building the clan school, there was no need to spend extra money to buy it.

He invited craftsmen to measure the land and chose an auspicious day to start construction.

Qiu Huanian personally designed the layout of the clan school, referencing the construction method of the Qingfeng Academy. It was divided into two courtyards, front and back, with six large classrooms, four resting rooms for lodging, and a large kitchen for boiling water and heating meals.

The classrooms were specially designed with larger windows to allow ample natural light.

The courtyard was spacious, planted with flowers and trees to beautify the environment, cultivate sentiment, and alleviate eye strain.

A small courtyard was also built next to the school for the teacher who would come to teach.

Qiu Huanian, not short on money, purchased bricks, tiles, and wood in one go and hired several masons. With the voluntary help of the villagers, the construction of the clan school quickly began in full swing.

According to the experienced Bao Ren's estimate, the building would be completed within half a month.

After discussing with Du Yunse, Qiu Huanian decided to stay in the village until the clan school was completed and teaching was on track before returning to the city.

It was the crisp and clear autumn days, and life in the village had its own charm. Every morning, they could see the clear waters and autumn mountains, and the neighbors were all familiar faces to chat with. A short walk would take them to the back hills for a stroll.

When the weather turned colder, it would be better to return to the city for easier heating and shopping.

Du Yunse wrote a letter to a classmate from Qingfeng Academy and had already received a reply. The classmate would come to Du Village in half a month to serve as the teacher for the clan school.

Not everyone could be like Wang Yinzhi, who suddenly had an epiphany before pausing his studies and directly passed the provincial examination.

Scholars from poor families who were not quite up to par in their studies could only temporarily drop out, find a livelihood to settle for a few years, save enough money, and then continue their studies with full concentration.

For ordinary scholars, whether it was like Du Yunse, who passed the provincial examination at a young age, or like Li Ruicong, who had a wealthy family invest in him early on by marrying their daughter, both were aspirations beyond reach.

"Liao Cang is gentle and disciplined, meticulous in his work, and his academic level is quite good among the scholars. He studied at Qingfeng Academy for three years, and his perspective and knowledge are much higher than many scholars."

"Moreover, he was born into a farming family and can adapt to village life. He is unmarried and has no family ties, making him very suitable to come and teach in the clan."

After reading Liao Cang's reply, Qiu Huanian nodded to Du Yunse.

"You know more about this than I do. If you think it's suitable, it must be right. Once the courtyard is built, we'll furnish it for Mr. Liao. The monthly salary will be two taels of silver, and meals will be provided by the families of the children studying in the clan school on a rotating basis."

Wang Yinzhi, a provincial scholar, only earned six taels of silver a month teaching at the magistrate's house. Liao Cang, as a scholar, was offered two taels a month, which was quite fair.

The Du clan school also provided food and lodging, with a ready-made school for teaching, unlike running a private school where one had to consider the venue and student source. The entire salary could be saved.

Therefore, Liao Cang did not hesitate much after receiving Du Yunse's letter and immediately agreed.

"I didn't realize you had such good connections at the academy." In his reply, Liao Cang regarded Du Yunse as a close friend, with sincere and heartfelt words, not feigned or false.

"Pine and cypress have their own elegance, naturally attracting like-minded people."

Qiu Huanian chuckled, "Do you want me to keep complimenting you, huh?"

Du Yunse's expression was natural, not denying it.

In the flickering candlelight, Qiu Huanian couldn't help but lean forward, propping himself on the table, and tilted his head up to kiss Du Yunse's lips.

Du Yunse raised his hand to hold the back of Qiu Huanian's head, deepening the kiss, and the sound of wet kisses filled the room.

By the time Qiu Huanian could catch his breath, he was already sitting in Du Yunse's lap, though he didn't know when he had gotten there.

Qiu Huanian punched Du Yunse's solid chest, only to hurt his own hand.

"Your skin is getting thicker and thicker, Du Jieyuan."

Du Yunse smiled without saying a word.

Qiu Huanian simply wrapped his arms around Du Yunse's neck, bringing them closer together.

"It's late, let's talk about anything else tomorrow. Husband, it's time for us to rest and sleep."

"Sleep?"

"Sleep." Qiu Huanian deliberately emphasized these two words, while his legs wrapped around Du Yunse's waist.

"It's been three days since the last time, it's time to pay the 'tribute'."

Du Yunse was about to speak, but Qiu Huanian covered his mouth.

"Don't say it's for my health, I'm not asking you to do it every day. Three days without meat, my mood is bad, how can my health be good?" Qiu Huanian spoke with confidence, his face not reddening nor his heart racing.

After the formal marriage, his skin had indeed thickened.

Du Yunse's eyes were inscrutable, "...I didn't take the medicine in advance today."

Qiu Huanian's eyelashes fluttered quickly, and he cleared his throat slightly.

"I made that thing for you with sheep intestine, let's try it and see if the size fits."

Du Yunse kissed him helplessly, his lower body already burning like fire, his body tense, and his rationality on the verge of collapse.

At such a time, the only thing to do was to make the husband "satisfied."

Du Yunse picked up Qiu Huanian with one arm, extinguished the oil lamp, and walked into the bed with the silk curtain drawn.

The night grew deeper and thicker, the occasional low moans and high cries were quickly muffled, leaving only scattered fragments, a room filled with spring's radiance.

...

Qiu Huanian unsurprisingly woke up late the next day. When he opened his eyes, the bright sunlight shone through the half-drawn silk curtain, making him feel lazy.

The kang was empty except for him. He moved his sore body slightly and stretched.

Although he would always end up begging for mercy, Qiu Huanian couldn't help but provoke, the type who regretted it every time but dared to do it again next time.

He knew Du Yunse endured hardship every day, so his reactions were always so intense after being provoked. But even so, Du Yunse always put him first, making Qiu Huanian feel too embarrassed to even pretend to find fault.

—Because he was indeed very satisfied.

Qiu Huanian rolled over, burying his face in the pillow, his exposed ear tips turning pink in the sunlight.

One of the major achievements of last night was verifying that the thing he secretly made with sheep intestine fit perfectly, after all, it was a size he personally "measured."

"..."

Qiu Huanian whimpered, burying his face even deeper.

Du Yunse opened the door and came in, seeing Qiu Huanian playing ostrich on the kang, he couldn't help but laugh.

He walked over, trying to pull his little husband out.

Upon hearing the familiar footsteps, Qiu Huanian's graceful neck and shoulders stiffened instantly.

Du Yunse had no choice but to reach into the blanket, slowly massaging Qiu Huanian's back and waist. With just the right amount of pressure, Qiu Huanian gradually relaxed, turning onto his side to grab Du Yunse's hand.

Du Yunse concealed his smile, not wanting to provoke Qiu Huanian's fragile pride at this moment.

Brother Hua's thickness of face was inconsistent—bold and shameless in teasing beforehand, yet always shy and prone to playing dead afterward.

Unfortunately, to avoid disturbing Brother Hua's sleep, he had gone out earlier to handle some matters and missed seeing Brother Hua's expression upon waking.

"What did you go out for?"

Barring any unexpected events, Du Yunse would usually wait quietly for Qiu Huanian to wake up the morning after, spending some intimate time together before getting up.

Occasionally, things would escalate into a morning session.

Du Yunse scooped Qiu Huanian up into his arms, continuing to massage him.

"The news about opening the clan school has spread, and many people came to inquire. I just went out to respond to them."

According to Qiu Huanian's idea, the children of married women and boys from the Du clan were also eligible to attend the clan school. Most people who heard the news were tempted, bringing their families back to the village to visit relatives.

As long as the free schooling at the clan school was genuine, the distance didn't matter. The children could bring their bedding and provisions and stay at their maternal grandparents' or uncles' homes.

Qiu Huanian had prepared a roster, and after verifying eligibility, he added the children's names to it. They could come to study once the clan school opened.

"How many children are on the roster now?"

"Two were added this morning, making it twenty-seven in total. Eighteen boys, six girls, and three boys."

Qiu Huanian shook his head and sighed softly, "Even though it's free, many families are unwilling to send their girls and boys to school."

The reason was that they believed it was useless, thinking it better to keep them at home to help with chores.

Du Yunse reached up to smooth the slight frown on Qiu Huanian's brow, "You've already done well enough. The work of water dripping through stone isn't accomplished in a day."

Qiu Huanian nodded. He did want to implement compulsory education, but given his current status and influence, it wasn't feasible.

Allowing children of all genders to attend school for free, and even the children of married women and boys from the Du clan to enter the clan school—these two measures alone were already groundbreaking enough to spark much discussion.

Taking too big a step before achieving a higher status could easily lead to trouble.

"Let's set the rules first and open this door. Things will surely improve over time."

...

For lunch, old lady Jin made pork pancakes and cooked corn porridge with a bit of sugar, which tasted delightfully sweet.

After returning to the village, Qiu Huanian had old lady Jin simplify the meals. Fresh ingredients with plain dishes were enough.

Having eaten refined dishes in the city for over half a year, the whole family missed the village's way of cooking.

For lunch, Qiu Huanian ate two pancakes and a bowl of porridge, feeling a bit full, so he took Du Yunse out for a walk.

The two headed toward the clan school being built at the back of the village, and along the way, they encountered someone.

Qiu Huanian noticed the figure sneaking around beside them and whispered to Du Yunse, "Isn't that Yun Zhe from Bao Li's family?"

Bao Li was the third son of the clan leader. Because he had three sons in a row, he was favored by the clan leader. Last year, when it was time for the clan leader's family to send someone for corvée labor, he used his wife's pregnancy as an excuse to have his second brother, Bao Yi, go instead.

After Bao Yi went out to perform corvee labor, the resentment between the second and third branches of the clan leader's family grew deeper.

Last winter, when a pack of wolves entered the village, Yun Zhe, the eldest son of Bao Li, tricked Yun Ying, the three-year-old youngest son of Bao Yi, out of the house and left him in a tree.

If it weren't for Du Yunse risking his life to go out and search, and Bao Yi coincidentally returning from the border, Yun Ying would have been devoured by the wolves.

After the incident was exposed, Yun Zhe was punished with family discipline, Bao Li's wife fell and had a miscarriage, and the clan leader's three sons subsequently divided the family. Bao Li's family only received a portion of the family assets, moving out of the spacious brick house and into a thatched cottage in the village.

Yun Zhe had originally been studying under Scholar Sun in town, but after the family division, there was no money left to continue his education.

"Why is he following us like this?"

Du Yunse understood, "He probably wants to attend the clan school."

Qiu Huanian was momentarily stunned before shaking his head, "The clan school has a rule: those with poor conduct are not allowed to enroll."

Qiu Huanian wanted the children of the clan to study for free, but he didn't want to cultivate a group of educated but even more malicious ingrates who would harm society.

Although Yun Zhe was only eleven or twelve years old, and by age, it seemed he should be given a chance to reform.

But at that age, he had meticulously planned to kill Yun Ying, and afterward, he had even tried to push Cun Lan and Jiu Jiu, who were gathering firewood, off the mountain.

If Qiu Huanian gave him the opportunity to study, how could he justify it to Yun Ying, who had nearly been devoured by wolves at the age of three, or to Jiu Jiu, Cun Lan, Bao Yi, and Ye Taohong, the victims?

Yun Zhe was still living safely in the village because the clan leader had used his own reputation and the division of family assets to plead with Bao Yi for mercy.

But this mercy only ensured his survival; there was no way he would be allowed to attend the clan school for free.

Qiu Huanian pretended not to see him, and Yun Zhe continued to follow from the shadows, not daring to approach.

The two walked to the construction site at the back of the village, where Yun Cheng was supervising on behalf of his father, Bao Ren.

"Brother Yunse, sister-in-law," Yun Cheng greeted them.

"Has Uncle Bao Ren gone home for lunch?"

"Yes, my father watched over the site all morning, and I'm taking over for him for a while."

Yun Cheng's hands were covered in dust; he didn't hold himself above the other villagers because of his scholar status and worked alongside them.

"Where's Brother Ling?"

"Brother Ling went back to his parents' home in town. I'll go pick him up later."

Qingfu Town and Du Village are close, only half an hour away by mule cart. Meng Fuyue didn't restrict Meng Yuanling, so he often went back home.

"Has he still not caught up with Brother Wudong?"

A hint of a smile appeared on Yun Cheng's usually serious face, "Brother Wudong has been hiding, and Brother Ling is getting close to losing his temper."

Qiu Huanian laughed, "I guess Brother Wudong will be back in a couple of days. He's probably dragging it out, calculating how much longer he can delay before Brother Ling gets really angry."

Meng Yuanling wanted to clarify matters about Shen Sai and the Subway eatery with his second brother, but Meng Wudong had been avoiding returning to town, which greatly annoyed Meng Yuanling.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse inspected the progress of the clan school construction. In just a few days, the foundation had been laid, the pillars were up, and the bricklayers were working energetically.

Li the bricklayer, who had built Qiu Huanian's main house last year, was also there. His youngest son had now completed his apprenticeship and could take on jobs independently; all three of them were working on the clan school.

Seeing Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, the craftsmen stopped their work to greet them. Qiu Huanian smiled and encouraged them to keep up the good work, then ordered two chickens to be bought for dinner as a treat for everyone.

The craftsmen cheered, working with renewed vigor.

Yun Cheng, working with others to move a pillar to the right place, glanced outside and suddenly frowned.

"Yun Cheng, what's wrong?"

"Brother Yun Lei, could you keep an eye on things here? I need to step out for a moment."

"Go ahead, I'll take care of it."

Yun Cheng walked outside the construction site and stopped by a large patch of reeds by the river.

"No need to hide, come out."

The reeds swayed violently, and after a few seconds, Yun Zhe emerged from them.

"Big brother, big brother, you finally acknowledged me."

Yun Cheng's face remained expressionless. "I treat you no differently from anyone else. Why would you say that?"

Failing to coax or wheedle, Yun Zhe felt a pang of sadness. Before the family split, Yun Cheng had been very good to his brothers. When they were lazy and didn’t want to work, they would just whine a bit, and Yun Cheng would silently finish their tasks for them.

"Big brother, even though the family is divided, we are still brothers from the same grandfather. You don’t have any younger brothers, so aren’t we the closest?"