Chapter 124

Chapter 124

After a day of rest at the old house, the group set off by carriage to the estate the following morning.

Uncertain when they would next return after this ancestral worship, they had purchased an exceptionally large quantity of incense and joss paper.

After two hours of travel, the carriage arrived at Chen Family Village. Along the way, apart from Chen Family Village, which remained intact, almost all other villages had been virtually deserted.

Upon entering the village, everyone eagerly pulled back the carriage curtains to gaze out. They recalled that when they had last departed, not a single well-preserved house remained in the village. Now, every household had rebuilt new homes, making it appear as if nothing had changed!

Wang Ying remarked, "If we hadn't witnessed the village houses being swept away with our own eyes, we would never believe these were all newly constructed."

"You can say that again!"

Village houses were built simply, mostly from mud bricks and thatch. Constructing a house typically took no more than ten days.

In the face of such a disaster, the Manor Head's leadership proved invaluable. Led by Chen Xi, the able-bodied men of the village, after finishing their farm work, collectively dug mud and made bricks. Based on the village population, each household was required to have at least one room, with larger families receiving one or two additional rooms.

All the houses were completed by autumn, ensuring the entire village could endure the harsh winter in warmth.

Soon, people on the road noticed the approaching carriage. Strangers had not visited the village in a long time, and everyone quickly surmised that the manor owners must be returning.

Word spread rapidly, and soon all the villagers emerged, crowding both sides of the road, eagerly asking, "Have the manor owners returned?"

The carriage halted, and Wang Ying lifted the curtain and stepped down. "Dear villagers, are you all well?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then everyone knelt and kowtowed in unison. "Greetings, Manor Owner. We hope you are well."

Wang Ying was taken aback, quickly reaching out to help them rise. "Please get up! How can someone of your age kneel to me? You'll shorten my lifespan!"

Granny Li held Wang Ying’s hand and said, "If you hadn’t provided us with grain seeds, we would have starved to death long ago. You are the reincarnation of a living bodhisattva. Who else should we kneel to if not you?"

"Exactly! Praying to gods and Buddhas couldn’t save us, but you, Manor Owner, saved us. You are even greater than the gods!"

"You mustn't say such things!" Wang Ying quickly clasped his hands and bowed to the heavens in feigned fear.

Chen Xi, standing at the back, squeezed through the crowd, his face etched with smile lines. "A few days ago, Er Shun returned and mentioned your impending arrival. We’ve been eagerly awaiting you. Your rooms have been prepared. Please, Manor Owner, come and rest."

"Let’s go."

Uncle Chen drove the carriage toward Chen Xi’s house, while Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan, surrounded by a crowd, followed behind.

Along the way, Wang Ying inquired about this year’s millet harvest and whether there had been any crop diseases.

Chen Xi replied truthfully, "The harvest was better than in previous years. On average, one *mu* of land yielded two *dan* of millet (about 200 pounds). Even the previously lower-yielding fields produced around one *dan* and seven to eight *dou*!"

"That’s good. Have you planted the spring wheat?"

"Yes, we exchanged millet for wheat seeds in Baishi Town. They lacked millet seeds, and we lacked wheat seeds, so each household contributed a few *dou* to exchange for wheat seeds."

"Good. I also brought a bag of drought-resistant seeds I've been developing. It’s too late to plant them now, but when the weather warms up, we can find some open land to sow them. After harvesting the wheat in autumn, we’ll distribute it to everyone. Replacing the seeds will lead to higher yields next year."

"Wonderful!" Chen Xi nodded excitedly.

Entering the courtyard, Li Shi and the others also disembarked from the carriage. Fang Ling, visiting the old estate for the first time, couldn’t help but feel curious.

Li Shi introduced her, and Chen Xi knelt to greet Fang Ling.

"Please, there’s no need for such formalities, Elder."

Inside the house, Chen Xi’s wife, Yang Shi, stood nervously to the side. The new house wasn’t particularly spacious, but it featured two large *kangs* built along the north and south walls. Once heated, the room became so warm that thick clothes were unnecessary.

Wang Ying breathed a sigh of relief as he entered. "Nothing beats the comfort of a *kang*."

Chen Xi said, "Absolutely! Everyone built their *kangs* using the method you taught us. They’re much more comfortable than beds!"

Most importantly, making proper beds would have been too much trouble. There were only two or three carpenters in the entire village. If everyone had to wait their turn for a bed, they might not have moved in until next spring.

But *kangs* were different. They were constructed with mud bricks and stones, built concurrently with the houses. A single fire was enough to heat them for sleeping, eliminating the need for stoves or braziers in winter.

"Please, sit on the *kang*. It’s warm."

Everyone removed their shoes and sat on the *kang*. Chen Dashun brought a small *kang* table, and his wife brought boiled water and clean bowls.

In rural households, there was no tea, only a bowl of sweetened water. After drinking it, everyone felt warmed from head to toe.

After warming up, they chatted about daily life. Chen Qingyan asked, "After the flood, did the government send relief grain?"

Chen Xi replied, "They came, but not until almost November. Each household received five *dou* of grain and thirty *wen*. To be blunt, if we had relied on those five *dou* of grain, we would have starved to death long ago. Those thirty *wen* couldn’t even build an outhouse!"

Chen Qingyan frowned. His teacher had previously stated that the court had allocated ample disaster relief supplies, ensuring their hometown would be safe.

Little did he expect that after layers of embezzlement, the people received only a few *dou* of grain. How could they possibly survive on that?

As Mencius said: "The kitchen has fatty meat, the stables have well-fed horses, yet the people look hungry, and there are starved bodies in the wild. This is leading beasts to devour people." Today, officials only line their pockets, leaving disaster victims to starve. Is this not a policy of leading beasts to devour people?

During the Han dynasty, Emperor Wen of Han reduced his meals and canceled entertainment to personally distribute relief during a drought, leading to the prosperous Rule of Wen and Jing. During the Tang dynasty’s Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong dispatched inspectors to investigate disasters, executing anyone who embezzled relief grain without mercy, resulting in an era where a *dou* of grain cost only three *wen*.

Now, officials are perfunctory, merely producing documents, falsely accepting imperial favor, and in reality, exploiting the people. They leave the hungry without food and the cold without clothes, leading to widespread grievances. How can this last?

I must write to my teacher about this!

After discussing this, Wang Ying inquired about the situation in other estates.

Chen Xi said, "Do you remember Zheng Village nearby?"

Wang Ying nodded. "Those who tried to rob our cave when we were on the mountain?"

"Exactly. They also survived. After the flood receded, they returned to the village to continue living. But I heard something..." Chen Xi lowered his voice mysteriously. "That Song Daming who was driven away from our estate—didn’t he leave with them? But no one saw him again after they descended the mountain."

After a moment of thought, everyone understood. Qing Yun said, "Could he have been harmed by the people of Zheng Village?"

"Harmed? He was eaten..."

"Ugh..." Chen Qingyun couldn’t help but retch in disgust. Li Shi quickly patted her back and handed her water. "Drink some water to settle your stomach."

Wang Ying wasn’t shocked. When people are starving, they are no different from beasts. History is replete with tragic tales of families exchanging children to eat during famines.

After resting for a while, the group ascended the mountain to worship their ancestors. Uncle Chen brought a shovel to build up the graves, which had nearly been washed flat by the rain.

They lit incense, and Chen Qingyan, Chen Qingsong, and Chen Qinghuai knelt in a row to kowtow, informing their ancestors that they had passed the county exam and praying for their success in the Prefectural Exam.

After they finished offering incense, the others also knelt and kowtowed. Yuanbao, too, earnestly kowtowed three times with his little bottom sticking up.

Not long ago, Yuanbao celebrated his birthday. By traditional reckoning, he was already three years old.

It was local custom not to make a big fuss about children's birthdays, partly out of fear that the child might not live long and partly because people couldn’t afford extravagance.

Going along with local customs, Wang Ying didn’t throw a birthday banquet for his son. He simply boiled a few eggs for Yuanbao and stewed an extra fish, his favorite dish, for dinner.

The child, the older he got, the more sensible he became, saw the adults looking somber and knew better than to run around, staying put by Wang Ying's side to watch the adults burn joss paper.

Li Shi took a bundle of joss paper and walked to Brother Xian's grave to burn it. "Brother Xian, it's been so long since I've visited you. I wonder if you've missed me.

You're so heartless—you haven't once visited me in my dreams after you left. You have no idea how much I miss you."

Qing Yun, standing nearby, her eyes reddened, turned her head, and buried her face in her sister-in-law's shoulder. Wang Ying patted her back, knowing the girl was thinking of her father.

"Now, all our children have done well for themselves. We're about to leave for the city, and once we go, I'm afraid we won't be able to visit you often.

Everything at home is fine. Don't fret about us. When our son passes the imperial exams, we'll come back to bring you the news."

After burning the joss paper while chatting away, Li Shi slowly rose, pushing herself up from her knees. Though no tear stains were visible on her face, Wang Ying knew the sorrow was hidden deep in her heart.

The loss of a loved one is never just a passing storm—it's a lingering dampness that lasts a lifetime.

*

By the time they returned from the mountain, it was already noon. Chen Xi's wife had killed one of their chickens and made a stew.

Seeing this, Wang Ying said, "Times are hard enough for you as it is. With only two chickens, you've slaughtered one."

Yang Shi wiped her hands and replied, "We don't have much to serve as a proper meal for everyone. This chicken is still plump—I hope you won't mind it, Master."

"Of course, we won't mind. Call Huzi and Er Ya over to eat together."

"Alright."

After more than a year apart, Huzi had grown almost half a head taller, and Er Ya had blossomed into a young woman.

Chen Qingyun still remembered them. When they first arrived, these two children had thrown tantrums because they couldn't get any meat to eat. In the blink of an eye, four years had passed.

Two tables were set up: the women and children ate on the *kang*, while the men sat around a low table on the floor.

During the meal, Wang Ying brought up the shop in town. "That shop is just sitting idle. If Da Shun has time, he can tidy it up, and you can start a small business."

Chen Dashun was so nervous he couldn't speak, but his wife quickly responded, "Yes! Don't worry, Master. We'll go to town tomorrow to clean it up!"

Wang Ying quite liked this spirited young woman. "Then I'll leave it to you. Since we don’t have a place to stay in town, and the old house here also needs someone to look after it, you can tidy up a couple of rooms and live there while helping us keep an eye on the house."

Not only was Da Shun excited, but Chen Xi also quickly put down his chopsticks and said, "Don't worry, Master. I'll see to it that Da Shun looks after your place!"

Chen Qingyan added, "We haven’t even thanked you for helping repair the house. When we returned, we thought it would have long been in ruins."

"Hey, I just offered some words. It was all the folks in the village who helped—I can’t take credit for it."

"It’s all the same. We’re still grateful."

Wang Ying said, "Let's not keep thanking each other, or the food will get cold from all the gratitude."

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere grew even livelier.

They had originally planned to return to town that same night, but Chen Xi mentioned that the day after tomorrow was auspicious for Er Shun's wedding.

The bride was from the same village, and everyone knew her family well. The marriage had been agreed upon two years earlier, but it was delayed last year when Er Shun went on a long trip with Chen Qingyan.

Since he had time now upon returning, Chen Xi wanted to quickly arrange the wedding for his second son. Once married, the young couple would follow them to the city, and he could rest easy.

This was certainly a joyous occasion, and everyone was happy to stay in the village for a few more days.