Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Unable to explain the experimental field situation to Li Shi, Wang Ying could only lie, "These vegetables were actually brought from the manor."

"The manor still has greens this time of year?"

Wang Ying's mind raced, "There's a warm spring on our manor's hill. The area around it has a mild climate. I had the Manor Head plant some vegetables nearby in the autumn. When I checked last time, they were thriving, so they're perfect for selling in the winter."

"So that's how it is."

"Keep this to yourself. If someone with ill intentions finds out, our business will be ruined."

Li Shi nodded repeatedly. She didn’t understand business matters, but since her son-in-law had instructed her, she naturally would comply.

Wang Ying wiped the sweat from his forehead, relieved to have smoothed things over.

Soon, customers arrived—several friends of his mother-in-law who had come to show their support. These ladies came from affluent families and could certainly afford fresh vegetables.

"These vegetables are so fresh, they look like they were just picked."

"Absolutely! Isn't it strange how people are? In the summer, no one seems interested in eating cucumbers, but as soon as the weather turns cold, everyone craves them."

"Same here! I don’t feel like eating eggplants when they’re in season, but once autumn comes and they’re gone, I start longing for them. In previous years, I’d have servants dry eggplants for storage. This year, I’m lucky enough to enjoy fresh ones!"

As Wang Ying weighed out the vegetables for them, he said, "If you like them, ladies, please come again. Our shop will have fresh vegetables like these every day."

These ladies understood the rules. Though curious about where the vegetables came from, none of them asked. After all, this was someone else’s business—if the secret were revealed, how would they make money?

Still, the prices were exorbitant, roughly ten times summer prices. Eggplants, which usually cost three wen per jin, were now sold for twenty-eight wen, and string beans, typically two wen per jin, were now twenty wen. Buying a few jin of vegetables could easily cost over a hundred wen. Eating them occasionally was manageable, but even wealthy families couldn’t afford to eat them every day.

After seeing the ladies off, Wang Ying tossed the money into a box and called Chen Qingyun over.

"Did you remember all the prices of the vegetables?"

"Yes!" The clever girl had listened carefully and remembered most of them.

"If I’m not around in the future, I’ll entrust the shop’s business to you."

"Don’t worry, sister-in-law. I’ll definitely manage it well!"

Li Shi stood nearby, hesitating to speak. In the upbringing she had received, women were taught that virtue outweighed talent, and unmarried women and girls were not supposed to show themselves in public, lest their future husbands look down on them.

But after her husband passed away, she gradually began to see the flaws in her upbringing.

Without her son-in-law’s support, the family would likely have fallen apart long ago. She had slowly come to accept Wang Ying’s way of educating her daughter. It was good to let her gain experience early on, so she wouldn’t end up incapable like herself.

Two ladies from the Feng family’s grain shop arrived. The Fengs were one of the wealthiest families in town, and upon hearing that Wang Ying’s vegetable shop had opened, they naturally came to take a look.

"Do you still have those red fruits you gave my child last time? He loved them after trying them once and has been pestering me to buy more every day."

"Yes, I saved some for you, sister!" Wang Ying quickly brought out a small basket of tomatoes from under the counter.

He hadn’t put these out earlier because, first, people who didn’t know what they were might not buy them, and second, he wanted to sell them at a high price.

"Tomatoes have high water content and don’t keep well. We lost quite a few during transport, so the price might be a bit high…"

"How much?"

"Ten wen each."

"Oh, is that all? Give me ten." Madam Feng waved for her servant to pay, and Wang Ying swiftly picked out ten large ones and placed them in her basket.

The second madam also asked for ten. Seeing that both of them had bought so many, Wang Ying taught them a hot dish recipe—tomato scrambled eggs.

"This can be stir-fried too?"

"Of course! It’s sweet and sour, and the kids are sure to love it!"

Madam Feng’s eyes curved into happy smiles. "Alright then. If it tastes good, we’ll come back for more."

Noticing other vegetables nearby, the two ladies bought plenty more, spending over four hundred wen in total.

After they left, a few more customers came by to inquire about prices. Some found them too expensive and couldn’t bring themselves to buy, while others bought just a little to try.

At noon, Chen Qingyan arrived carrying a food box. From afar, he could see the large sign at the entrance of their shop. Walking in, he found Wang Ying teaching Chen Qingyun how to keep accounts.

"How’s business?"

"Big brother, you’re here! We made over seven hundred wen this morning!"

Wang Ying tilted his chin up proudly. "My business isn’t bad, right?"

Chen Qingyan cupped his hands in mock congratulations. "Not bad at all. I’m impressed."

"Cut it out. It’s only the first day, and everyone’s just curious. Probably fewer people will come to buy tomorrow."

Hearing this, Chen Qingyun’s face fell. "What should we do then? Won’t these vegetables go bad if they’re stored too long?"

"Think about it—what can we do?"

Chen Qingyun scratched her head, thinking hard. "Sell the vegetables at a lower price?"

Chen Qingyan said, "If you lower the price, even fewer people will be willing to buy at the high price. They’ll just wait for you to sell the unsold stock at a discount."

Wang Ying gave Chen Qingyan a look that said he was teachable. "Selling at a lower price is feasible, but not to ordinary townsfolk. Aren’t there several restaurants and taverns in our town? They need vegetables too. We can sell the unsold stock to them at a cheaper price."

As the three were discussing this, the owner of the town’s Welcome Guest Restaurant arrived.

The owner, surnamed Zhao, was a middle-aged man in his forties with a goatee. He wore a dark green gown, his hair neatly tied in a Taoist bun. His eyes were narrow and upturned, giving him a shrewd appearance.

"Who is the owner of this vegetable shop?"

Wang Ying stepped forward. "That would be me. What would you like to buy, sir?"

Zhao Lan looked Wang Ying up and down and got straight to the point. "Where did these vegetables come from?"

"From Laizhou."

"Such a long distance—must be hard to transport, right?"

Wang Ying smiled without answering. No matter who asked, the answer would always be Laizhou.

Seeing that he couldn’t get an answer, Zhao Lan didn’t press further. Instead, he picked through the vegetables in the baskets. "The selection is quite complete. If I buy in bulk, can you give me a discount?"

"Of course. How much are you looking to buy, Manager Zhao?"

Zhao Lan turned to him. "You know me?"

"The manager of Welcome Guest Restaurant—of course I recognize you."

"Then I won't beat around the bush. I want to buy vegetables from you. Please give me your prices."

Wang Ying quoted the price for each type of vegetable, at five coins less per jin.

"At such high prices, how can I make any profit? In summer, a bundle of chives costs just one coin, but now you're charging ten coins per jin. That's far too expensive. Can you go any lower?"

"Boss Zhao, you’re joking. Of course chives are cheaper in summer. Where else can you find such fresh chives in winter? I really can’t go lower. If I reduce the price further, we won’t make any profit either."

Zhao Lan turned to Chen Qingyan. "Lower the price a bit. I’ll take ten jin of each vegetable per day."

"Please discuss this with my husband. This is his shop, and I don’t handle these matters."

Wang Ying knew this was because Zhao Lan looked down on him for being a *gēr* (a male of lower status). How absurd—buying vegetables and still caring about gender! He felt a surge of anger.

Zhao Lan curled his lip and walked over to pick up a tomato. "What kind of fruit is this? I’ve never seen it before."

"This is a tomato, also shipped from Laizhou."

"How do you eat it?"

"Cut it open, sprinkle some sugar on it, and it makes a great side dish with wine."

"Give me a few."

"Ten coins each."

Shopkeeper Zhao paused. "I’ll take two."

Wang Ying picked two and handed them to him. Zhao Lan dug into his money pouch and reluctantly paid. "If you sell at such high prices, the remaining vegetables will just rot. Wouldn’t it be better to sell them to me at a lower price?"

"I really can’t go any lower, Boss Zhao. Perhaps you could reconsider."

Zhao Lan flicked his sleeves and left.

After the customer left, Chen Qingyan asked, confused, "Why didn’t you sell to him at a lower price?"

"Knocking off five coins per jin is already a significant discount. If we lower it any further, no one will come to buy from us. Restaurant food surely tastes better than home-cooked meals. If prepared dishes cost about the same as fresh raw vegetables, who would bother coming here to buy raw vegetables?"

Chen Qingyun suddenly understood. "Sis, that makes total sense!"

"Besides, we’re the only game in town selling these. We’re not worried about lack of business. Even if he wanted to buy elsewhere, he wouldn’t be able to."

There was one more point Wang Ying didn’t mention: the vegetables from the experimental field were grown himself. Even if they rotted, he wouldn’t mind. He simply refused to sell them cheaply to Zhao Lan!

Chen Qingyan nodded. "That makes sense. You’ve got a better head for business."

Wang Ying brought a stool for him to sit. "How was the private school today? Did the kids behave?"

"Children are naturally mischievous, but since you introduced the little-red-flower rewards, they’ve become much more obedient."

The so-called little-red-flower reward system was something from Wang Ying’s past experience—a common incentive for elementary school students. It encouraged children to study more actively.

The Feng family’s children had attended school for a few days and realized Chen Qingyan was gentle and never yelled or hit them, so they grew unafraid of him. Sometimes their mischief became uncontrollable.

Chen Qingyan was at his wits’ end and complained to Wang Ying one evening. The next day, Wang Ying made a reward chart for him.

On it, he wrote the names of the three Feng brothers, with a row of blank spaces after each name. He also cut out little red flowers from red silk. Well-behaved children would receive a flower, and earning ten flowers would earn them a reward from Chen Qingyan.

The rewards weren’t expensive—there were copies of the *Three Character Classic* handwritten by the teacher, fruits from Wang Ying, and some small toys contributed by Chen Qingsong.

These things might not cost much, but they held great significance for the children. From that day on, Feng Xiaopang, who often arrived late, stopped showing up late. Feng Bin, who liked to talk in class, stopped chatting, and Feng Lin began listening in class. All three children were determined to get little red flowers.

The change in the Feng family’s three children was noticeable to the neighbors. Some considered sending their own children to the school, and before long, he had six kids enrolled.

With more students, Chen Qingyan taught with even more enthusiasm, and his health improved significantly. He was almost back to his pre-illness condition.

But while he was thriving, others were feeling the pinch.

The teacher at the school where Chen Qingsong studied had been giving him the cold shoulder lately, often ignoring his questions about studies.

As the saying goes, "in the same trade, cutthroat rivals." There were already few scholars in town, and since Chen Qingyan opened his private school, several students had left the old scholar’s class. How could the old scholar not be angry?

That day, when Chen Qingsong submitted his essay, the old scholar didn’t even look at it. He tossed it aside and said, "Since you have an older brother who runs a private school, why are you still studying here?"

Chen Qingsong was taken aback. "I… I’ve always studied here…"

The old scholar sneered. "Go home and let your brother teach you. I’m not capable enough!" With that, he threw Chen Qingsong out.

Chen Qingsong walked home carrying his book basket, wiping tears along the way. As it happened, Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan were returning from the shop and saw him in this state. They hurried over to ask what happened.

"Third Brother, what’s wrong? Were you bullied at school?"

"Elder Brother, Sister-in-law." Chen Qingsong tearfully recounted what had happened that afternoon.

After listening, Wang Ying frowned. "This is too much. I’ll have words with him!"

Chen Qingyan quickly grabbed his arm. "Forget it. Confronting him won’t help. I also studied under him when I was younger. If we make a scene, it’ll seem like I disrespect my teacher. Since he doesn’t want you studying there anymore, you can stay home and study with me. Once you pass the Student Scholar exam, you can attend the county school."

Hearing this, Chen Qingsong stopped crying. Studying at home meant only half a day of classes and no getting the ruler. The thought made him break into a smile.

Chen Qingyan seemed to know what he was thinking. "You’ll follow the same routine as at the teacher’s school. Don’t think about slacking off. If you don’t study well, I’ll still use the ruler on you."

At this, his face fell, but at least he didn’t feel upset anymore.

During dinner, Chen Qingyan mentioned the situation to Li Shi, leaving out the part about the old scholar’s mistreatment and simply stating that Qing Song would study at home with him.

Li Shi had no objections. In her eyes, her eldest son was exceptionally capable.

"Mrs. Qiu’s family has sent an invitation. Tomorrow we’re going to her house for the full moon celebration."

Wang Ying said, "I’ll get Er Shun to help prepare the gift."

Li Shi hesitated before speaking. "This is already her second grandchild. I wonder when I’ll get to hold one of my own."

Wang Ying ducked the question and busied himself with eating. Having children was a tough job—better left to those who were capable. He wasn’t cut out for it.

*

After dinner, they returned to the backyard. Wang Ying lit a candle and began doing the books, recording the day’s expenses and the shop’s income.

Chen Qingyan prepared for the next day’s lessons. The two worked without disturbing each other.

They worked until 9 p.m. Wang Ying stretched and got ready for bed. "Stop reviewing and come to sleep."

Chen Qingyan glanced up. "You go ahead. I’m not tired."

If he didn’t come over, the things in the experimental field couldn’t be used. Wang Ying scratched his head in frustration. "Hurry over. I can’t fall asleep alone."

Only then did Chen Qingyan blush, rise, blow out the oil lamp, remove his clothes, and get into bed.

They lay half a foot apart. Seeing his shy expression, Wang Ying felt tempted to tease him. "Mother is urging us to have a child."

"No, don’t listen to her."

"We can't go on like this forever. Why don’t you take another wife to give you children?"

Seeing no response, Wang Ying turned over and muttered to himself, "Seriously, I don’t want to have children. Your mother is still hoping for you to carry on the family line. I can’t keep holding you back like this."

"I won’t marry anyone."

"If it comes down to it, she can sleep on your left, and I’ll sleep on your right. I absolutely won’t eavesdrop on you two."

"Wang Ying!"

"Hey, it was just a joke, don't get mad."

Suddenly, the world seemed to spin. Chen Qingyan pinned him down, their bodies pressed tightly together. He braced his hands on either side of Wang Ying’s pillow, trapping him beneath.

"Holy shit… what are you doing?" Wang Ying struggled to push him away, but after repeated effort, the man above didn’t budge an inch. Only then did he realize the physical difference between a *ge*—a man capable of bearing children—and an ordinary man.

They appeared roughly the same size, yet this guy, at most a few inches taller, was so much stronger?

"Do you really hate me that much?"

"No… I don’t…" Their eyes met, and Wang Ying couldn’t help but look away, his heart pounding wildly.

Chen Qingyan slowly lowered his head, his warm breath brushing against Wang Ying’s face. A tingling sensation shot from his tailbone up to his scalp, weakening his entire body. This strange reaction frightened him.

Just as their lips were about to touch, a sudden flash of white light appeared, and Wang Ying vanished.

"Heavens, that scared me to death!"

Sitting in the experimental field, Wang Ying patted his chest, his face bright red. Now he understood what it meant to play with fire.

In his previous life, he’d felt nothing for men, so why had things changed here? When Chen Qingyan pressed down on him, he’d actually felt an urge to let things continue.

Is this what it means to be a *ge*?

It’s absolutely terrifying!

Wang Ying rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, shook off the chaotic thoughts in his head, and hurried to tend to the vegetables.

He had harvested quite a lot yesterday, and the shop hadn’t sold out yet, so there was no need to pick more today. He checked the wheat field and the newly transplanted peach trees.

The wheat had already sprouted leaves. Perhaps due to the experimental field’s climate, even without activating growth acceleration, the plants grew remarkably fast.

The wheat took about ninety days to harvest, and the vegetables followed a similar cycle.

A three-month cycle wasn’t short, but it was enough to keep the shop running.

After inspecting the vegetables, Wang Ying glanced at the experimental field’s progress bar. It was still about thirty points away from reaching Level 2. At this rate, it would likely level up once this batch of wheat matured.

He wondered what new functions the experimental field would unlock.

After finishing with the vegetable patch, he still had half an hour to spare. He sat down, his mind a jumbled mess.

Truth be told, he didn’t dislike Chen Qingyan—not even the physical contact.

Wang Ying knew that if he wanted to use the experimental field long-term, deepening his relationship with Chen Qingyan would be beneficial. But he just couldn’t overcome his mental barrier. The thought of that explicit illustration—how a *ge* had to use *that* place—made him instinctively resistant.

When he returned to the bedroom, the room was quiet. Chen Qingyan was already asleep. Wang Ying breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t dare provoke this guy again.

*

Chen Qingyun noticed that her brother and sister-in-law seemed to be arguing these past few days.

A while ago, her brother would bring meals to the shop for her sister-in-law after class every day. But these past few days, it had been Chen Qingsong delivering the food.

At noon today, Chen Qingsong arrived again with a food box containing two plates of steamed leek and egg dumplings—what they called "bian shi" (dumplings), known in later times as jiaozi.

Qing Yun took the food box from her younger brother and whispered, "Why are you delivering the food again? Where’s big brother?"

"Big brother said he needs to grade yesterday’s homework."

"Do you think big brother and sister-in-law are fighting?"

Chen Qingsong craned his neck to glance at Wang Ying nearby. "Are they? I didn’t notice."

"Ugh, never mind." It had to be said—girls were more perceptive than boys. Even Wang Ying, usually so oblivious, noticed that Chen Qingyan seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder.

Ever since he’d escaped to the experimental field that day, the guy hadn’t spoken a word to him for three days. He went to bed on time almost every day.

Seeing that he hadn’t come to deliver the meal again, Wang Ying felt a flicker of irritation, and even the dumplings didn’t taste as good.

Today was market day, and many villagers had come to town. Business was busier than usual. People saw the fresh vegetables and came in to ask about prices, but most left as soon as they heard the quotes. No one was willing to spend dozens of wen just to buy some vegetables.

Just then, a few more people entered. Wang Ying set down his chopsticks and stood up to greet the customers.

One of them suddenly spoke, "Wang Ying?"

Wang Ying froze. Upon closer look, he realized it was his original body’s eldest brother and sister-in-law.

If their parents in the Wang family were enablers of tyranny, then the eldest brother, Wang Suo, was the tyrant himself. In his memories, this man often beat and scolded young Wang Ying, treating him like a punching bag. The slightest dissatisfaction would lead to kicks and punches. The original host had developed a physiological fear of him, and even Wang Ying paled at the sight of him.

But he quickly steadied his emotions and asked, "What are you here for?"

Wang Suo smirked maliciously. "What for? You’ve been married for so long and haven’t come home to visit. Mom and Dad miss you."

"Why would they miss me? A married *ge* is like spilled water—just pretend I never existed."

"How could that be?" Wang Suo rubbed his hands together and stepped inside. His sister-in-law, Xu Shi, tugged at his sleeve from behind, looking at Wang Ying with unease.

Among the Wang family, only sister-in-law Xu Shi was somewhat decent. Since she’d married into the family, young Wang Ying had suffered fewer beatings. Every time Wang Suo was about to hit him, she would find an excuse to send him away.

Today, they had come to town for the market. After selling some grain from the autumn harvest, the family had a little extra money and planned to buy some fabric to make new cotton-padded clothes.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Wang Suo spotted Wang Ying sitting at the shop entrance and walked over without a second thought.

Wang Suo strolled around the shop, picked up a cucumber, and started munching on it noisily.

"Cucumbers are twenty wen per jin. This one is about three liang, so you owe me seven wen."

Unexpectedly, Wang Suo backhanded Wang Ying across the face. "How dare you ask me for money? Have you lost your mind?"

The change happened too suddenly. The slap left Wang Ying dazed, clutching his face in disorientation, his ears ringing.

Chen Qingyun, standing nearby, screamed in fright. Chen Qingsong grabbed the door bolt and charged forward. Seeing this, Wang Ying quickly pulled him back. "Both of you, go home quickly! Fetch Uncle Chen and Er Shun."

This Wang Suo was like a hyper-masculine bully. If a fight broke out, the two kids would surely come to harm.

"Sister-in-law, wuwuwu…"

Tears welled in Chen Qingyun’s eyes, her face full of worry. Realizing she couldn’t help by staying, she grabbed her younger brother and ran home.

"What are you doing, Big Brother? I didn't provoke you, why did you hit me all of a sudden?"

"What's the matter, just because you married into the town, I can't hit you anymore?" Wang Suo spat and said viciously, "I haven't settled the score with you for the trick you pulled on Mom and Dad last time."

He was referring to the incident where Wang Ying wrote the letter of severance. After that incident, the whole family was scorned and ostracized by the village, and they weren't even invited to weddings or funerals.

Instead of reflecting on his own faults, Wang Suo blamed Wang Ying.

There was no reasoning with someone like this. Wang Ying narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you still think I'm the same Wang Ying from before, someone you can beat and curse whenever you want?"

"Do I need to check the almanac before hitting you?" As he spoke, he raised his hand to strike again.

Wang Ying dodged, grabbed the bamboo pole used for hanging firecrackers in the corner, and swung it hard at Wang Suo. Was this bastard addicted to bullying? After beating up the young Wang Ying, he still dares to hit him—does he think he's an easy target too?

Wang Suo hadn’t expected his younger brother to fight back. After all, he had been beating him since childhood. When Wang Ying was younger and was too small to fight back, their mother would even hold him down so Wang Suo could slap him. Now, suddenly faced with resistance, Wang Suo was overwhelmed and couldn’t handle it.

Wang Ying had always been skilled in fighting. As a child, he lived with his grandparents in the countryside. The village children had no sense and would start fights at the slightest provocation.

Back then, he had no parents and wore ill-fitting clothes. The other children specifically picked on him, which infuriated Wang Ying. He fought them fiercely several times, beat them till they submitted, and eventually became the top kid.

Now, recalling the memories of little Wang Ying getting beaten, he felt a surge of anger. He swung the bamboo pole mercilessly, beating Wang Suo until he fled covering his head.

Just as the fight was heating up, Chen Qingyan came running.

Earlier, his younger brother and sister had run home crying, saying someone had come to the shop making trouble and had hit his wife. Terrified, he dropped the book he was holding and rushed out.

Along the way, he was filled with regret—why hadn’t he gone to deliver the meal today? Why was he angry with him? What if something happened to Wang Ying…

The fight was almost over. Vegetables were scattered all over the shop, and Wang Suo was covered in bumps, still swearing and defiant.

"Don’t hit my husband!"

Hearing this, Wang Ying was stunned. He looked up and saw Chen Qingyan holding a brick, his chest heaving.

"Why are you here?"

Chen Qingyan rushed into the room, shielding Wang Ying behind him, and glared at Wang Suo. "Who are you? Why are you hitting my husband for no reason?"

Wang Suo was also startled to see Chen Qingyan. Wasn’t this guy supposed to be dying? How did he manage to run out here looking perfectly fine?

He immediately changed his expression and said, "You must be my brother-in-law, right? I’m your wife's older brother. This is a case of family fighting family—a real misunderstanding!"

"Get out!"

Terrified, Wang Suo hurriedly backed out of the room, just as Uncle Chen and Er Shun arrived with the constables.

"Who’s causing trouble here?"

At the sight of the constables, Wang Suo’s knees buckled. He fell to his knees with a thud. "It’s a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding! The person inside is my own younger brother, we share the same parents. I just came to see him today."

Wang Ying rushed out and shouted, "Bah! Who’s family with you? You shameless bastard! The letter of severance was written long ago—it’s written in ink. How dare you try to deny it?"

Wang Suo was too scared to speak. It was his wife, Xu Shi, kneeling beside him, who kowtowed and pleaded, "This is our fault. Please spare us, officers. Second Brother, please show mercy."

"If it weren’t for sister-in-law’s sake, I’d have you dragged to the yamen today!"

The constables were familiar with Wang Ying. After scolding Wang Suo a few times, they said, "Don’t come making trouble again, or we’ll throw you in jail for a few days!"

"Yes, yes, I was wrong. I’ll never dare to come again."

"Get out of here!"

Wang Suo stumbled to his feet, almost losing his shoes in his haste. Xu Shi glanced back at Wang Ying, her eyes full of apology.

After seeing off the constables, Chen Qingyan quickly grabbed Wang Ying’s hand and asked, "Where did he hit you?"

"It’s nothing, it’s fine."

"Your face is swollen!" Chen Qingyan gently touched it.

"Ouch…"

It hadn’t hurt too much during the fight, but now it was burning.

"Come with me to the clinic. Uncle Chen, please help clean up the shop and close up!"

"Don’t worry, Young Master. Take the husband to the clinic quickly!"

"Really, it’s not necessary. I can just apply some medicinal oil when we get back…"

Without listening, Chen Qingyan pulled him toward the clinic, remaining silent the entire way.

Wang Ying thought he was still angry and kept quiet, following him to the clinic.

When they arrived, the old doctor was out on a callout and wasn’t there. They waited for a long time before he returned. After examining Wang Ying, he prescribed a box of ointment and instructed him to apply it morning and night, keeping his face dry for the next few days.

On the way back, Chen Qingyan still held his hand, his palm sweaty. Wang Ying tried to pull away, but Chen Qingyan only gripped it tighter.

Wang Ying looked up at the sky. Alright... if he wants to hold hands, so be it.

Finally, they arrived home. Qing Yun and Qing Song were already waiting at the gate and rushed over as soon as they saw them. "Brother-in-law, are you okay?"

"I’m fine, I’m fine."

Qing Yun’s eyes were teary-eyed as she tugged at his sleeve, her face full of concern. "For no reason at all—why did that person hit you?"

"Ah, it’s a long story…"

"We’ll talk about it later. First, go inside and apply the medicine."

"Okay!"

The two children followed them into the backyard.

Wang Ying wanted to apply the medicine himself, but Chen Qingyan ignored him. He opened the jar, took a small dab of the green ointment, and gently applied it to Wang Ying’s cheek.

The ointment had a smell of herbs and felt cool on his skin, providing some relief.

Wang Ying took the opportunity to explain why Wang Suo had hit him. "He’s my big brother, though not really anymore. I’ve already cut ties with him and his family. He’s always been messed up. When I lived at home, he often bullied me and would hit me at the slightest provocation. I remember the worst time—he used a stick the thickness of a finger to trap me in a creek bed and wouldn’t let me out. It was deep autumn, and the water in the creek bed had already frozen. My feet were so cold they went numb. Every time I tried to climb out, he’d hit me with the stick. It hurt so much, leaving welts every time. Eventually, a neighbor auntie saw me and pulled me out. Ouch—"

"Sorry." Chen Qingyan paused while applying the medicine and gently blew on the sore spot.

Wang Ying’s face flushed. "It’s… it’s fine."

"Alright, you two, go outside now. Let your brother-in-law rest."

The two children nodded obediently. After they left, Wang Ying tentatively asked, "Still angry? It's such a small matter, why hold onto it for so many days?"

Chen Qingyan sighed. "I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at myself..."

"Hey, it's no big deal. I just got slapped, but he didn't get off easy either—I hit him several times with a bamboo pole."

As their eyes met, Wang Ying suddenly felt his heart beat faster and quickly lowered his head.

Chen Qingyan said, "Let's hire another shopkeeper for the shop. From now on, you can just stop by when you can. There's no need to work so hard."

"I'd just be idle at home anyway. Hiring someone would cost extra money, and I wouldn't feel at ease."

"What if he comes looking for trouble again?"

"Don't worry. Wang Suo may talk big with me, but he’s too scared to even breathe in front of the constables. If he dares to cause trouble again, I’ll have Huang San arrest him right away."

"Then I'll come find you after class."

Wang Ying scratched his head. "Alright."

*

On the other side, as soon as Wang Suo returned home, he told his parents what had happened during the day.

"It was really the second son?"

"No kidding. He’s living the good life now—he’s even become a shopkeeper! And that Chen Dalang, the one he married to 'fend off bad luck,' didn’t die after all. He’s fit as a fiddle!"

Upon hearing this, Wang’s mother stood up from her stool. "The Chen family’s young master didn’t die? So that boy actually managed to fend off the misfortune."

Wang Laoshuan, sitting nearby, frowned deeply. "I knew that he was holding out on me. When he came back to sign those severance papers, he was already planning this."

Wang’s mother anxiously asked, "What should we do?"

"We’ll go to town tomorrow to see."

Wang Suo hesitated. "Mom, Dad, I really think you shouldn’t go..."

"Why?"

"Now that the second son has gotten above himself, he’s turned his back on us. Today, I went to his shop with Cuiyun, and after eating a cucumber, he charged me seven coppers. I was so angry I slapped him, but he actually dared to hit me with a bamboo pole! Look, my shoulder is still bruised!"

"What? He dared to hit you?"

"Not only did he hit me, he even called for the constables to arrest me! He said if I dare to cause trouble again, he’ll throw me in jail."

Xu Shi, standing to the side, hesitated to speak but ultimately remained silent. In this family, she had no say in things, and speaking up would be useless.

Wang Laoshuan thought it over for a long time. "Since force doesn’t work, we’ll try a softer approach. I’m his dad—even if it goes to the authorities, they can’t do anything to me."

The third son, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Second brother has long hated our family. Even if we go, he won’t forgive us."

Wang’s mother pointed at her son’s forehead. "What do you know? He’s now married into the landowner's family. He must be rolling in money! Even a little bit would be enough to feed us for a year."

Wang Suo mumbled quietly, "No matter how much money he has, it’s not ours..."

Wang’s mother raised her hand to hit him, but Wang Suo ducked away and ran off. Ever since his second brother married into another family, half the household chores had fallen on him.

His parents favored his eldest brother and often took their anger out on him. Wang Suo was seething with resentment, and only now did he realize how difficult his second brother’s life had been.

*

Early the next morning, Wang Ying got up early to straighten up the shop.

After the fight the previous day, many of the vegetables had been damaged and needed to be sorted out in advance.

Before he left, Chen Qingyan stopped him and took out a thick mink cloak from a chest. "My dad bought this in Pingzhou years ago. After he passed away, he left it to me. I’ve barely worn it. It’s cold outside—wear it."

The cloak was thick and warm, and as soon as he put it on, the cold was gone.

"You should keep it for yourself."

"I’m warm enough at home. You take it."

"Well, thanks."

Chen Qingyan adjusted his collar. "No need to be so polite with me."

"You’re so good to me."

Chen Qingyan’s face flushed bright red, and he walked off awkwardly toward the front yard.

When he arrived at the classroom, Chen Qingsong was already there, sweeping the room.

"Brother, how's your wife?"

"It's 'Teacher' in class."

"Ah, Teacher, is sister-in-law’s face alright?"

Chen Qingyan sidestepped the question. "How’s the memorizing of 'Shang Xue' I had you work on yesterday?"

"I haven’t finished yet."

"Then go memorize it now. You don’t need to deliver the meal at noon today."

"Okay." Chen Qingsong obediently took out his book and sat in the back row to start reciting.

Soon, the three Feng brothers arrived. The three children were close in age and looked alike. Although they were cousins, they seemed no different from biological brothers.

Feng Xiaopang was the most energetic. He greeted Chen Qingyan as soon as he entered, then dug in his book bag to hand in the previous day’s homework.

"Teacher, my mother made some bean cakes and asked me to bring them for you and Uncle Wang to try."

"Thank your mother for me."

"No trouble at all. My mother just mixed the filling—the servants did the rest."

The child was quite honest. Chen Qingyan smiled, wrapped up the cakes in wax paper, and planned to take them to Wang Ying at noon to let him taste them.

As everyone gradually arrived, Chen Qingyan started the day’s lessons. He didn’t follow the previous teacher’s method but had made his own lesson plan.

He taught according to each student’s needs. His younger brother, Qing Song, was preparing for the civil service exams, so Chen Qingyan concentrated on teaching him the Four Books and Five Classics.

As for the three Feng children, who would eventually manage their family’s shop, he mainly taught them arithmetic and how to use the abacus. The other children, who were just starting out, focused on learning their characters.

There were two classes in the morning. The first class was for teaching new material, and the second class was for going over and correcting the previous day’s homework.

More than two hours passed in no time. As soon as class ended, Chen Qingyan quickly went over a few things and hurried to the kitchen.

"Auntie, is the food ready?"

"It’s ready. Is the third young master not delivering the meal today?"

"He has to memorize texts and can't go, I'm free today."

Aunt Chen packed the meal into the lunchbox, and Chen Qingyan picked it up and hurried out.

"Wait, Young Master Chen, you forgot the chopsticks..." By the time Aunt Chen chased after him, he was already out of sight.

Along the way, Chen Qingyan walked with light steps, his heart leaping with indescribable joy. He suddenly understood the line from the Book of Songs: "There she gathers arrowroot—/A day without her/Is like three months passed!"

As he approached the vegetable shop, he noticed two elderly people standing at the door, peeking inside.

-----------------------

Author's note: I had a minor sinus surgery. I’m physically fine now, but the aftereffects of the general anesthesia leave me feeling constantly dizzy.