Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The journey from town to the manor spanned over thirty *li*, typically a two-hour carriage ride. However, Uncle Chen, fearing the jostling would be too much for Chen Qingyan, drove slowly, and they didn't arrive until nearly noon.

Having learned from his last trip, Wang Ying brought plenty of snacks and munched continuously along the way.

“Want some pastries? They’re the flaky kind from *Sanxian Zhai*.”

“No.” The sight of pastries reminded him of Chen Qingfeng, making even food unappetizing.

“How about a tomato? It was picked fresh this morning.”

Chen Qingyan glanced at it and accepted. He was particular about eating—first wrapping the tomato in a handkerchief, then biting a small hole to slowly suck out the juice.

Wang Ying stared intently at his lips, lost in thought, until his face suddenly flushed bright red. The pastry in his mouth made him choke, spitting crumbs everywhere.

“If you’re going to eat, do it properly. Don’t make a mess.”

“Ah, yes, yes!” Wang Ying quickly brushed the crumbs off himself and gulped water from his waterskin to hide his embarrassment.

It was truly odd—he’d never felt this way about a man before.

Wang Ying considered himself open-minded. In his previous life, he had gay friends, but he’d never felt anything different for any man.

It must have been that strange dream last night.

They finally reached the manor. Two months had passed since his last visit. The field millet had turned reddish-brown, and many harvesters were visible.

The mule cart stopped at the Manor Head’s house. Coincidentally, Chen Xi was home and hurried out to greet them.

“Is the master here?”

Uncle Chen, familiar with him, smiled. “The young master and his young companion have come together.”

“Oh my, the young master has come too!”

Wang Ying lifted the cart curtain and jumped down first. Uncle Chen half-crouched by the cart and gave Chen Qingyan a piggyback ride to disembark.

As soon as Chen Xi saw Chen Qingyan, he dropped to his knees to kowtow. “Greetings, young master!”

“Please rise, Uncle. There’s no need for such a grand gesture.”

“Last time, I heard from the young companion that you had caught a chill. Are you much better now?”

“Much better, thank you for the dragon’s bone you sent.”

Chen Xi shyly rubbed his hands together. “It’s just something dug up in the mountains, not worth thanking. I’m glad it could help you.”

The group entered the house. Chen Qingyan glanced around. “I remember last time I came was with my father. Nothing much has changed here.”

“What major changes could happen in the village? Three years have passed already. The master was such a good man—it’s a shame he passed away so early.”

The mention of his father brought a sad expression to Chen Qingyan’s face. Wang Ying quickly changed the subject. “Where are Granny and the two children?”

“They went to the fields to bring lunch for Da Shun and the others. They’ll be back soon. I sprained my arm while working a few days ago, so I’m resting at home.”

Just as he spoke, Granny Chen returned with the two children. Seeing the mule cart in the yard, she knew the master had arrived. “The master’s here! You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I’ll whip something up for you right away!”

Chen Qingyan hurriedly said, “Don't trouble yourself. We ate on the way.”

“It’s no trouble at all! You can’t visit without eating!”

The children’s eyes lit up. “Granny, are we eating chicken again?”

Wang Ying, recalling the last time, couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, we’ll eat together today.”

“Young companion, don’t mind them. They’re just a pair of greedy little kittens.” Chen Xi waved his hand, shooing his grandchildren out to play.

“We came here for a reason. Is there anyone in the manor who knows how to raise livestock?” Ever since Tian Xiaoliu and his family were arrested, the household had suddenly lost several servants.

Now, Uncle Chen had to care for Chen Qingyan and also tend to the mules. He was getting on in years, and Wang Ying didn't want him to be overworked.

Although they could hire servants in town, it was better to find someone from the manor with a known background.

Chen Xi thought for a moment. “There is someone like that. His name is Shi Dunzi, he's a widower. He used to be a groom in the military camp and is excellent with animals. If the young companion needs him, I can go call him over.”

“No rush. We also need a purchasing servant. I was thinking of asking Da Shun and Er Shun if they’d like to come. The pay is 150 copper coins a month.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi knelt to kowtow again. A year’s work in the manor left them with little savings, but working for the master meant even the leftovers would be better than farming.

“This… this is beyond what we could hope for! Girl, Huzi, quickly go call your father back!”

“Yes!” The two children, in their straw sandals, ran out.

Wang Ying had actually planned to choose the Chen family’s sons for the purchasing role for a while. His impression of Chen Xi’s family from the last visit was good—Da Shun and Er Shun seemed hardworking and trustworthy. Plus, with their parents, wives, and children still in the manor, they’d have reasons to avoid getting into trouble.

Soon, the Chen family members returned. On the way back, Da Shun and Er Shun had already heard the news and were overjoyed. Seeing Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying, they kowtowed sincerely.

Da Shun was twenty-two, and Er Shun was eighteen. Initially, Wang Ying preferred Da Shun, but as the eldest son with a family, he couldn’t leave his wife and children. So, it was decided that Er Shun would go to town.

For lunch, Granny Chen stewed another chicken. Although Wang Ying repeatedly insisted that the women and children join them at the table, they refused, taking only a bowl of meat and vegetables to eat by the stove.

During the meal, the topic of Master Chen came up again. “The old master was beyond reproach. All the villages around envied us in Chen Manor. Some tenants were even willing to pay 70% rent to move here.”

Wang Ying was surprised. “Paying that much, would they have enough to eat?”

“If it’s not enough, they can clear wasteland. The wasteland here isn’t taxed—they can grow beans to supplement their food. Other manors aren’t like that. Even if you clear land yourself, you still have to pay grain tax.”

Wang Ying nodded in understanding.

“One year, there was a late frost, and the wheat in the fields nearly failed. Everyone worried daily about not being able to pay the rent. But when the master came and found out about the poor harvest, he waived the rent for that year outright.

The neighboring manors weren’t so lucky—their masters demanded full rent. People even stripped bark from trees to eat, and some ended up eating dirt. Many starved to death that year.”

Hearing about the late frost, Wang Ying shared some prevention tips. “You don’t have to fear late frosts. Next time, press down the wheat seedlings before the cold, irrigate the fields just before the temperature drops, and cover them with wheat straw after it gets cold to keep them warm. That can prevent or reduce frost damage.”

Chen Xi looked serious. “Irrigate the fields? Wouldn’t that freeze the seedlings?”

“Adding water increases the soil’s thermal conductivity. When frost forms near the ground, it releases condensation heat, protecting the wheat sprouts from freezing.”

This knowledge was quite advanced for ancient times. Chen Xi was puzzled but said, “Next time it happens, we’ll try your method. By the way, last time you mentioned the millet had powdery mildew. I followed your advice—thinned out a few acres and sprinkled sulfur water. It worked very well!”

Wang Ying said, “The yield was lower in the fields that weren’t treated, right?”

“Yes, the millet heads in those fields were small and shriveled!”

“Let’s go take a look later.”

Chen Qingyan watched the person beside him. Whenever the topic turned to farming, Wang Ying seemed like a different person—confident and persuasive.

After the meal, Wang Ying wheeled Chen Qingyan out to the fields. The land here was completely flat, and as far as the eye could see, fields of ripe millet stretched out, their heavy ears bending the stalks low—a heartwarming sight.

"This field was treated with pesticide—look how plump the ears are! The two fields next to it, which weren’t treated, have much smaller ears, and many of them are hollow inside."

Wang Ying walked over, picked two stalks to compare them, when suddenly Chen Qingyan behind him let out a small 'ah'.

"What’s wrong?"

"Something bit me, I think."

Chen Xi quickly said, "You didn't get bitten by a snake, did you? Snakes are often seen around the fields!"

Wang Ying's face fell instantly, and he immediately crouched down to examine the wound.

"It’s fine…"

"If it’s a venomous snake, it could be fatal!" Without another word, Wang Ying pushed up his pant leg, revealing two small bite marks on his calf, with tiny beads of blood welling up.

Wang Ying knelt on the ground, lifted his leg, and put his mouth directly to the wound to suck the blood out before spitting it out.

The soft, warm lips pressed against his leg felt like a feather lightly tickling him, reminding Chen Qingyan of a kitten he'd had as a child.

When that little creature wanted to be pampered, it would circle around his legs, gently brushing against him with its tail, the tickling sensation making him restless.

Chen Qingyan’s throat moved, and he turned his head away, but his heartbeat thundered like a drum.

Only when no more blood could be drawn did Wang Ying release him. "How's your leg? Does it hurt? Is it numb?"

Chen Qingyan, his face flushed red, shook his head.

"Who knows what bit you? I hope it wasn’t venomous—otherwise, with the medical conditions here, there’d be little we could do. I won’t bring you to the fields again."

Not far away, Chen Xi suddenly shouted, "I found the snake! It’s a non-venomous rat snake!"

Wang Ying patted his chest in relief. "You scared me to death."

Chen Qingyan pulled a handkerchief from his chest and wiped the blood from the corner of Wang Ying’s mouth.

"That snake really has a way of picking on the weak. You already have trouble walking, and now you’ve gotten yourself bitten and made lamer."

Chen Qingyan tossed the handkerchief back to him—this guy really couldn’t say anything nice.

Author's Note: