Chapter 132: Wei Li and Bing Qi

Chapter 132: Wei Li and Bing Qi

The second day after the family banquet, Du Yunse left early to give a lecture at Qingfeng Academy. He also had a banquet at Mingfeng Terrace in the evening, so he would be busy all day.

Qiu Huanian was not idle either. He needed to check the luggage to make sure nothing important was forgotten.

Jiu Jiu handed Qiu Huanian a ledger and said, "As Brother Hua instructed in the letter, all the silver and various jewelry have been packed. The fabrics, embroideries, decorations, and writing materials from the storeroom have been selected and packed, leaving behind the old, worthless, and bulky items."

Qiu Huanian reviewed the ledger while recalling the items, finding no omissions.

"Did you pack all of Naishuang’s little toys?" Qiu Huanian asked with a smile.

Naishuang, now the size of a large cat, heard her name and leaped onto Qiu Huanian's lap, startling him with her weight.

Qiu Huanian squinted and ruffled Naishuang's long white fur the wrong way. Naishuang meowed and quickly jumped off to a nearby chair to groom herself.

Jiu Jiu laughed too, "I was worried Naishuang might feel out of place in the new home, so I packed all her favorite toys."

"I also asked Brother Bing Ba to make a large cage for her, with a jumping board and a hammock. It has a door for changing water and food, and a drawer below for cleaning waste, so Naishuang won't suffer during the journey."

This large cage, inspired by Qiu Huanian’s verbal description of a modern cat cage, was crafted by Jiu Jiu's imagination and Bing Ba's skilled hands, far beyond anything modern.

As Qiu Huanian looked at the beautifully carved wooden 'mini villa' in front of him, he thought that if it were posted online in his previous life, many netizens would say, "The cat lives better than I do," or "I want to live in it too."

Speaking of Bing Qi and Bing Ba, Qiu Huanian indeed needed to see them. They were craftsmen bestowed by the emperor and were supposed to accompany Qiu Huanian to the capital.

"It's still early; let's head to the manor," Qiu Huanian suggested.

Yuan Ruo was feeling down, so Qiu Huanian left Chun Sheng at home to keep him company and took Jiu Jiu to the manor outside the city.

When Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse went to the capital for the exams, it was not yet spring planting season. This year’s spring planting at the manor was also overseen by Jiu Jiu.

"This year, the manor is still planting cotton. Old Deng has been very obedient and hasn’t dared to slack off. With Brother Wei Li's help, I only had to manage the accounts for seeds and fertilizer, and visit every few days to ensure the seedlings and transplanting went smoothly."

Qiu Huanian praised, "Jiu Jiu, you’re incredible—you’ve done even better than I expected."

Jiu Jiu smiled modestly, saying, "I'm almost twelve. Sister Zhu Xian is a year older than me and seems to be already considering marriage."

"So early?" Qiu Huanian hadn't paid much attention to the marriage situations of Jiu Jiu's friends. In his eyes, they were still a group of young girls.

"Sister Xian’s family loves her and won’t let her marry too early, but they want to choose and settle early to avoid missing out on good matches later."

The Zhu family's arrangement made sense. In ancient times, people generally married early, and even if not married, they would often be engaged early. The number of good suitors would only dwindle over time, so it was necessary to act quickly.

A sudden sense of urgency washed over Qiu Huanian.

The little girl who was too shy to speak loudly and obediently called him "Brother Hua" when she was only waist-high was now almost grown up.

Jiu Jiu wouldn’t have trouble finding a suitor. After Du Yunse became the Number One Scholar in the provincial exam, many officials in Liaozhou expressed interest in forming a marriage alliance. Now that Du Yunse was the unprecedented Six-Time Number One Scholar, the number of families seeking marriage alliances would surely skyrocket.

But having options didn't mean they were good ones. Finding a respectful and loving partner in such a marriage, intertwined with personal interests, was extremely difficult.

If his sweet, sensible younger sister ended up in a miserable marriage, Qiu Huanian would be devastated.

As the carriage creaked along, Qiu Huanian stiffly said, "You’re still young; there’s no need to rush."

Qiu Huanian decided to put off thinking about this matter for now. If anyone kept pushing, he’d just say, ‘I won’t listen, I won’t listen, the turtle’s chanting.’

Oh, and he’d have to tell Du Yunse to join him in ignoring the turtle’s nonsense.

Jiu Jiu looked at Brother Hua, her heart warming, and the corners of her mouth lifted lightly. The carriage rolled through the city gate, moving along the grassy road, with endless farmlands spreading under the azure sky on both sides.

...

It was early April now, and the cotton seedlings on the estate had all been transplanted by now. The current tasks mainly involved watering and replenishing the seedlings. Seeing the master’s carriage arrive, the tenant farmers working in the fields all stopped their tasks, and some enthusiastic ones even called out a few auspicious words.

When Qiu Huanian arrived at the estate’s residence, he told Old Deng to summon all the tenant farmers.

Last year’s cotton harvest had brought in a handsome profit, and the living standards of the tenant farmers on the estate had significantly improved. Their clothing and spirits were a world apart from before. Qiu Huanian noticed that there were several infants being held in the crowd.

Well-fed and stable, people naturally reproduce—a trait ingrained in human communities over millennia.

The tenant farmers on Qiu Huanian’s estate had become the most envied tenant farmers in Xiangping Prefecture. Since last year’s autumn harvest, many had come hoping to join the estate as tenant farmers. However, Old Deng, thinking that the estate only had about thirty acres of arable land and that adding more tenant farmers would make land distribution difficult, had not agreed.

However, this “cotton boom” would last only one more year. As cotton was an important strategic resource, the court had to step in.

Qiu Huanian had heard from Du Yunse that next year, while the court promoted new cotton cultivation methods nationwide, it would also enact laws to control cotton prices and planting ratios, and set new tax rates to prevent wealthy individuals from monopolizing land for cotton cultivation, leaving peasants landless and fields barren.

Many of these regulations had been proposed by Du Yunse to the crown prince, who then pushed for their implementation. As a genius who rose from a farming family to ace the imperial exams, Du Yunse understood the economic and social conditions of the Yu Dynasty’s middle and lower classes better than most court officials.

Qiu Huanian looked at the crowd of tenant farmers filling half the courtyard and smiled, saying, “You’ve likely heard my husband is now the Number One Scholar. Today, you don’t need to work in the fields. Let’s mark the occasion by slaughtering a pig and a sheep from the estate, and have Deng Da buy some good ingredients. I’ll treat you all to a feast.”

The tenant farmers immediately broke into smiles, praising the master for his kindness, and a flood of good wishes poured out.

Qiu Huanian had met Little Raccoon yesterday and suddenly developed a fondness for children. He asked the tenant farmers to bring over this year’s newborns and spent some time looking at them. Then he gave each child under ten three qian of silver, and covered the cost of turning it into silver earrings or delicate silver bracelets.

The people on the estate busily prepared for the feast. The men were busy slaughtering the pig and sheep, while the women and young lads set up a makeshift kitchen, chatting and laughing as they washed and chopped vegetables.

Someone recalled Qiu Huanian’s love for fresh spring greens and directed the children to take small baskets to dig up various wild vegetables. The greens were still tender but would toughen in another ten days.

After the main group left the residence, Qiu Huanian stayed behind to speak with Bing Qi and Bing Ba.

“I’ll return to Du Village in a couple of days, and when I come back to the prefecture city, it’ll be time to prepare for the journey to the capital. Get ready—we’ll leave together.”

“I’ve bought a large house in the capital, along with shops and estates. Once we’re in the capital, I’ll arrange where you two brothers will live.”

Bing Qi and Bing Ba knew they were craftsmen bestowed by the emperor and had to follow Qiu Huanian, so they nodded in acknowledgment.

Bing Qi thought of a thin yet strong figure, and a trace of bitterness flashed in his eyes. He thought, perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be.

Seeing this, Qiu Huanian understood that Bing Qi and Wei Li still hadn’t made any progress. Given Wei Li’s past, Qiu Huanian didn’t want to stir up painful memories, so he remained silent.

...

The sun hung high in the sky, and the warm spring sunlight shone on an open area in the center of the estate.

The men had already slaughtered the pig and sheep, cleaned and skinned them, and carved out the meat. The blood, saved in two basins, would be a rare treat on the tenant farmers’ tables.

Each household brought out their tables and stools to the open area, preparing for the feast later.

Qiu Huanian had provided ample silver, and Deng Da, who had gone out to buy ingredients, had purchased many good items, including tofu, vermicelli, eggs, and a small packet of spices for stewing meat.

Once the ingredients arrived, the women and young lads helping in the kitchen quickly gathered around, washing and chopping vegetables, while those with good cooking skills boiled the meat and stir-fried dishes.

Wei Li took a large piece of tofu and, together with Granny Wei, found a corner to cut it on a chopping board he had brought from home.

With a feast to enjoy, silver to receive, and no fieldwork to do, the estate was filled with a joyous atmosphere. Wei Li smiled, though it seemed a little forced. He lowered his head, moving the knife rhythmically, but in a moment of carelessness, he suddenly let out a cry of surprise.

Granny Wei quickly leaned over to look, “Oh, my lad, how did you cut your hand? Put it down, I’ll finish the cutting.”

The knife Wei Li was using was very dull, and it cut his finger slightly. He sucked on his fingertip, the sharp pain bringing tears to his eyes.

Seeing this, Granny Wei seemed to recall something and hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice to say, "The Township Lord and the Number One Scholar are going to the capital to take up official posts, so Bing Qi and Bing Ba will have to follow, won’t they?"

Wei Li murmured in agreement.

"...I’ve always told Bing Qi not to act rashly and scare you. Actually, I know you’re a thoughtful and clever lad, and you’ve likely caught on by now. But I haven’t dared to ask what you think."

Granny Wei looked at the young man who had taken on the identity of her deceased nephew and let out a long sigh.

"Your sadness now shows he’s grown on you over the past year. Bing Qi is a good match, and since he hasn’t left yet, why not take your chance—"

Wei Li took a small breath and shook his head repeatedly. After a long while, he finally spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s.

"I’m not worthy…"

Granny Wei frowned disapprovingly and said, "Who says so? Bing Qi is skilled, handsome, and literate. But aren’t you also a talented, well-educated lad from a wealthy family?"

"You’re concerned about your past struggles and new identity, but I’ve heard that Bing Qi’s family also got into trouble, and he was conscripted into the palace as a craftsman. You’re even eight or nine years younger than him, in the prime of your youth. How could you not be worthy?"

Seeing Wei Li remain silent, Granny Wei sighed again and said, "You say you’ll just stay by my side, but how old am I, and how young are you? When I’m gone, what will you do, all alone in the world?"