Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Following county custom, the bride's family was also expected to join the wedding banquet at the groom's home.

Li Shi and Chen Rong, feeling weary, chose to remain at the old residence, while everyone else proceeded to the new house.

The streets resonated with the lively sounds of gongs and drums, creating a truly festive atmosphere. It was evident that Cao Kun had meticulously planned the wedding, leaving no detail overlooked. The ceremony was considered quite prestigious, even by county standards.

After a celebratory procession through the streets, they arrived at the new house. From a distance, a group of Porter Guild workers could be seen waiting at the entrance.

"The bridal sedan has arrived! Quick, set off the firecrackers!"

The crackling of firecrackers filled the air as adults and children cheered the couple's arrival.

Most of the wedding guests were Porter Guild workers and old neighbors, with only a few relatives from the Cao family.

The Cao family was small. Cao Kun's father had passed away when he was six, and his mother never remarried, raising him single-handedly.

As a widow with a child, life had been particularly challenging for her. Most relatives, looking down on their poverty, had distanced themselves. It was only after Cao Kun became the second-in-command of the Porter Guild that some relatives began to seek them out again.

Jiang Shi was no fool and understood the true intentions of these eager relatives. She maintained polite appearances but would feign ignorance and deflect whenever they sought favors. Over time, fewer relatives actively visited.

When the sedan chair halted, the wedding attendant helped lift the curtain, uttering auspicious words: "May the groom step lightly, and may your union be blessed with a hundred years of happiness."

Lin Qiu was assisted out of the sedan. With the red veil covering his head, he couldn't see anyone but felt a hand grasp his, guiding him forward.

After stepping over the fire basin and entering the courtyard, they made their way to the main hall for the wedding ceremony.

Wang Ying, not tall enough and cautious due to his pregnancy, dared not push through the crowd. He had to stand on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the ceremony.

Chen Qingyan stood protectively beside him. Watching the ceremony, he sighed regretfully, "At our wedding, we neither bowed to heaven and earth nor drank the nuptial wine. What a pity."

Wang Ying teased him, "I was brought over to ward off illness—it’s no wonder we missed those rituals. Besides, when we first met, you couldn’t wait to send me packing. Why would you have drunk the nuptial wine with me?"

Chen Qingyan chuckled wryly, "That was so long ago, and you still remember."

After the ceremony, Jiang Shi presented Lin Qiu with a large red envelope containing a generous twenty taels of silver.

Wang Ying nodded in satisfaction. He was pragmatic—the fact that Cao Kun’s mother was so generous with money indicated her heartfelt acceptance of Qiu-di. There was no longer any need to worry.

The newlyweds were escorted to the bridal chamber to drink the nuptial wine, while the other guests were shown to their seats for the banquet.

Wang Ying had been hungry for a while. Since becoming pregnant, his appetite had grown significantly. In the past, he could eat two palm-sized steamed buns at most per meal, but now even three weren’t enough.

Moreover, he got hungry quickly. He had eaten some snacks before leaving in the morning but was already so famished his stomach felt empty.

As members of the bride’s family, they were seated at the head table in the courtyard and served the finest dishes. Eight courses were served, six of which were meat dishes—generous portions that left both adults and children with glistening lips.

Two of Cao Kun’s close friends came over specifically to toast. Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai, after drinking a small bowl, couldn’t handle more and quickly waved their hands in refusal.

The two friends didn’t insist. Cao Kun had already instructed them that his husband’s family were scholars, unlike their rough-and-ready selves, and that they should not pressure anyone to drink.

After the meal, Wang Ying and the others went to the bridal chamber to see Lin Qiu. When they arrived, several young women were keeping him company.

Seeing the bride’s family, an elderly matron among them stood up and said, "Brother Qiu, we’ll take our leave now. If you need anything, just send someone to call me."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Song," Lin Qiu replied.

After they left, Lin Qiu hurriedly invited Wang Ying and the others to sit. "Where are my mother and aunt?"

"They were tired and didn’t come, staying behind at the old residence." In truth, Chen Rong was afraid that his presence might make Lin Qiu tear up on his happy day.

Lin Qiu seemed a little forlorn. He had just gotten married but was already feeling homesick.

Wang Ying quickly comforted him, "We’ll come tomorrow. We plan to stay in the county for a few days before returning."

"Good! Then you must all stay here tomorrow!"

Lin Sui spent some time alone talking with him. Seeing that it was getting late, the group returned to the Cao family’s old residence.

Li Shi and Chen Rong had been waiting anxiously. As soon as everyone entered, they pulled them aside to inquire about the wedding and whether Qiu Er had faced any difficulties.

Wang Ying recounted the wedding process in detail and exaggerated the size of the red envelope from Cao Kun’s mother, making the two laugh heartily.

"That in-law is quite sincere, giving such a generous amount," they remarked.

Li Shi added, "Now you can rest assured. I always said Cao Kun is a reliable young man who knows how to handle things."

Chen Rong nodded and then asked, "Did you run into... that person during the wedding?"

Wang Ying knew who she meant. "No, we didn’t see him from start to finish."

"That’s good, that’s good." Chen Rong finally felt relieved. She had been worried that Lin Zhangbin might cause trouble.

After the wedding, the group stayed briefly in the county for three days. With affairs at home needing attention, they couldn’t linger longer, and Cao Kun arranged a carriage to take them back.

In what seemed like no time, it was already late October.

The millet in the fields had been harvested. This year’s yield was good, and though the rent remained at forty percent, they harvested over twenty piculs more than previous years. Selling the grain to the granary earned them nearly a hundred strings of cash.

As usual, Wang Ying set aside a portion of the money for the experimental field and used the rest for daily expenses.

After Lin Qiu left, the shop’s business was handed over to Chen Rong and Li Shi.

Wang Ying worried that Chen Rong, with too much idle time, might overthink things and grow anxious. Giving him work to do would not only keep him occupied but also help him earn some savings for old age.

Chen Rong understood his nephew-in-law’s intentions and appreciated his thoughtfulness. The young man was genuinely considerate, making it impossible not to like him.

Wang Ying and the others didn’t stay long in town and soon returned to the estate.

When they saw Old Liang again, they noticed another person in the household—Liang Boqing’s son, Liang Shuo.

He was around twenty-six or twenty-seven, with a mustache, wearing a dark blue scholar’s robe and a scholar's headpiece, making him appear more mature than his age.

Chen Qinghuai recognized him and greeted him excitedly, "Brother Liang, when did you arrive?"

"I’ve been here for a few days. Father has been talking about you all constantly. This must be younger brother Qing Yan."

Chen Qingyan quickly stepped forward to bow. "Greetings, Brother Liang."

Liang Shuo returned a half-bow. "No need for formalities. I haven’t yet thanked you for taking care of my father all this time."

Inside, Liang Boqing had been growing impatient. "What's the holdup? Come inside! I’ll test you on your recent lessons—see if you’ve been slacking off!"

Everyone exchanged glances, smiling, and hurried inside to recite their lessons for Old Liang.

Meanwhile, Wang Ying took the opportunity to visit the experimental field, where he harvested a bunch of fresh chives to make chive and egg dumplings for dinner.

He also asked Uncle Chen to slaughter a chicken and personally cooked a mildly spicy mouth-watering chicken dish.

This dish of Mouthwatering Chicken was inspired by a meal Wang Ying had in the county town. There was a similar dish at the restaurant, but it was somewhat bland, lacking the numbing, spicy, and aromatic flavors of the later version of Mouthwatering Chicken.

Wang Ying had made it a few times in his previous life, so recreating it was not difficult. He also prepared twice-cooked pork, garlic bok choy, and shredded cucumber with dressing. With these dishes, dinner was ready.

Uncle Chen helped while saying, "Young master, you shouldn’t be doing this in your condition. Leave these chores to me."

"It’s fine. I’ve been idle for so long that my bones feel lazy. Cooking helps me stretch a bit." The main reason was that Old Liang loved his cooking, and after being away for so long, he wanted to treat the old man to something delicious.

Wang Ying was now almost five months pregnant. Aside from being a bit fuller than before, there weren’t many noticeable changes. The morning sickness had subsided, and he was full of energy every day, looking even healthier than before pregnancy.

Inside the house, Liang Boqing finished examining his three disciples’ studies and stroked his beard with satisfaction. "Your foundations are quite solid. In a few months, you’ll be taking the county-level imperial exam. None of you should slack off."

"Yes."

This year, Chen Qinghuai would take the county exam to become a scholar, while Chen Qingsong planned to take the Tongshi exam (child candidate exam) to see if he could earn the title of Student Scholar. Only Chen Qingyan looked melancholy. Though he was full of knowledge, he had no opportunity to use it, which left him feeling deeply frustrated.

Old Liang noticed what was on his mind and wrote a line of poetry on a piece of paper: "The winter plum vies not with myriad blooms; alone it braves the frost, blossoming like jade."

"Take this and reflect on it. Come back to me once you’ve grasped its meaning. What delicious food has Young Master Wang made? It smells so good."

Chen Qingyan took the paper, wanting to say something but holding back. In the end, he shook his head helplessly, smiled, folded the paper, and tucked it into his book.

During the meal, everyone learned that Liang Shuo had actually come to take up a post in Changting County, Jizhou, and had taken the opportunity to visit his father along the way.

Liang Shuo had not inherited his father’s talent. He had only passed the provincial-level imperial exam last year, ranking at the very bottom. Previously, he had no official position, but this year, he was assigned to fill a vacancy as the magistrate of Changting. Since Liang Boqing happened to be nearby, he happily came to assume his post.

When it came to his son, Old Liang felt frustrated by his lack of ambition but was powerless to change it. The boy had been slower than other children since he began his studies—while others had already memorized the Thousand-Character Classic, he still stumbled over the words.

Passing the provincial exam was nothing short of a stroke of luck. Liang Boqing had no great expectations for him, hoping only that he could serve steadily as a local official and raise his family well.

Liang Shuo stayed for only two days before leaving, and the household returned to its usual routine. Old Liang resumed his daily lessons with the three, ruler in hand, admonishing and instructing them.

*

Time flew by, and soon it was late November. For some reason, this year seemed warmer than previous years. It was already the winter solstice, yet there was no sign of snow. Worse still, the wheat in the fields showed signs of sprouting.

This was not a good sign. Winter wheat has a unique growth cycle—it needs to go through the overwintering period and revive in the spring to grow properly.

If the wheat sprouts grow too tall, they cannot survive the winter. Once temperatures drop, they may freeze or die, leading to reduced yields the following year!

Experienced elders were already growing worried. Wang Ying also took the issue seriously and quickly called a village meeting to teach everyone how to control the wheat’s growth.

Based on his previous life’s experience, methods to control winter wheat growth included pressing, chemical regulation, cultivation and soil hilling, fertilizer and water control, shallow hoeing, and winter irrigation.

Chemical regulation was set aside for the time being, with pressing and soil hilling being the primary methods.

Pressing involved manually damaging the wheat plants to some extent, inhibiting the growth of the shoots and promoting deeper root growth to prevent damage from late spring cold. This was the simplest and most effective method.

Pressing had to be done under specific conditions: on sunny days, not rainy days; on dry soil, not wet soil; and at noon, not in the morning or evening. This ensured the highest survival rate for the wheat sprouts.

Wang Ying had the villagers use stone rollers to press down the wheat sprouts that had turned green in the fields.

For wheat that had grown too vigorously, pressing was no longer effective. Instead, they had to use hoes to cut part of the roots to control nutrient absorption.

As the villagers busied themselves, Wang Ying felt a growing sense of unease. The capital and Jizhou were geographically similar. If Jizhou suffered from a late spring cold snap, the capital would likely face the same issue.

The wheat seeds he had sent would surely result in lower yields...