Chapter 3 Mountain Home Hearth 3

Chapter 3: A Mountain Family’s Hearth and Home 3

Liu Guyu remembered almost instantly.

In the original storyline, male spouses would have a red mole on their forehead—the brighter the color, the healthier they were, indicating higher fertility. But in ancient times, this was considered a private matter for male spouses, only visible to those closest to them, so it was usually covered with a headband in daily life.

As soon as Liu Guyu recalled this part of the plot, he rolled his eyes and immediately pulled off the "mourning headband" from his forehead.

He muttered to himself, "Talk about backwards thinking."

It was August, and the weather was still hot. Having just returned from town, he was sweating profusely, and the headband was soaked through. Liu Guyu rinsed it in the cold water from the basin and began pondering his current situation.

He was here now, and based on his experience reading novels, time travel was usually one-way—once you arrived, there was no going back. He most likely couldn’t return.

Life in the Qin family was tough, and there was even a young villain in the making. Honestly, it was a dire situation.

But ancient times were nothing like the modern era; leaving here would mean even less chance of survival. Only someone as foolish as the original host would run away with money. The book didn’t detail what happened after he left, but by the time Qin Rongshi caught up with him, he had changed drastically—emaciated like skin and bones, covered in old scars.

But then again… Qin Rongshi was still young, only twelve or thirteen, and many important events hadn’t occurred yet.

Could he still guide him right while he was young?

Though a villain, he was a remarkably intelligent one. Now, he was one of the rare scholars in the village. Perhaps he could even continue earning money to support his education and raise him to become an upright magistrate.

In ancient times, commoners were like grass—wouldn’t it be wise to cling to a powerful protector?

The only problem was they were too poor.

Money was needed for Mother Qin’s treatment, raising two children, and sending Qin Rongshi to school—expenses were everywhere, but the Qin family was clearly already stretched thin.

Although they had received Qin Dalang’s compensation money today, it clearly couldn’t be touched; it had to be saved for Mother Qin’s treatment… and even that might not be enough.

He had to earn money!

He absolutely had to earn money!

Liu Guyu thought to himself.

In his original world, he was a somewhat famous food blogger specializing in desserts. Would he have a chance to restart his old career in this different world?

As Liu Guyu was lost in thought, the wooden door of the room was knocked, and Qin Banban’s timid voice came from outside.

The little girl called out timidly, "Brother-in-law… it’s time to eat."

Hearing her voice, Liu Guyu immediately composed himself and responded loudly, "Coming!"

He answered and hurried outside, but turned back at the door to rummage through the shabby wardrobe for a clean headband, quickly tying it around his head before stepping out briskly.

In the kitchen, a small wooden table was propped against the wall. As Liu Guyu approached, he noticed one of its legs was broken, so it could only stand steadily when leaning against the wall.

There were three people in the family, including one who was ill, yet there were only two dishes on the table: a dark-green cold salad of unnamed wild vegetables and a plate of scrambled eggs.

Pitiful.

Truly pitiful.

Liu Guyu sighed inwardly.

But the Qin family usually didn’t even eat scrambled eggs. It was only because Cui Lanfang was sick that Qin Rongshi had decided to let his sister cook a plate of eggs.

There was no meat in the house, and they couldn’t afford other good food. Eating eggs was better than nothing, a small consolation.

There was no rice either—no coarse or brown rice—just a few dry yellow cornbread buns in rough ceramic bowls.

Liu Guyu sighed inwardly but didn’t immediately sit down to eat.

Qin Banban widened her dark, bright eyes, then picked up a cornbread bun from the bowl and handed it to him, saying, "Brother-in-law, eat."

The little girl was obedient, her eyes round and bright, and she smiled with curved lips as she looked up at Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu’s heart softened, and it became difficult to see the people before him as mere characters from a book. They were flesh and blood, able to speak and laugh—clearly living, breathing people.

Cui Lanfang, sitting on the other side, also nodded and managed a faint smile, saying, "Yes, sit down and eat quickly."

The three of them sat down to eat in silence.

Liu Guyu found the atmosphere awkward and wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but after glancing at each of them, he decided to keep his head down and pretend nothing was wrong.

Looking at Mother Qin’s expression, it seemed like she might burst into tears if anyone spoke.

Sigh… her eldest son had just died; it was hard for her to keep it together.

After the meal, Qin Rongshi cleared the table and went to wash them.

Although he had been studying since childhood, he didn’t adhere to the outdated rule that gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen. He had always helped his sister tend the fire when cooking, and now he voluntarily took care of washing the dishes.

Liu Guyu watched quietly, thinking to himself that this kid wasn’t bad by nature and still had a chance to be set straight.

After cleaning up, they heated water for washing up, and the family members returned to their respective rooms.

The house didn’t have many rooms. Qin Banban and Cui Lanfang shared one, while Qin Rongshi and Liu Guyu each had a small room—barely enough to live in.

When night came, all was quiet, everyone went to sleep, and the day was over quickly.

*

Qin Dalang had died on the battlefield, his body never found, his soul wandering a foreign land, but a funeral still had to be held.

The Qin family was short on money, so they didn’t hold a grand ceremony or invite villagers to a funeral feast. They only made a wooden coffin to set up a cenotaph for Qin Dalang, so they would have a place to pay respects during festivals like Qingming.

The Qin family carried on as usual, too poor to even afford mourning banners. But on this day, a few burly men barged into the house.

"Qin family! We heard your eldest son died? The government provided compensation money, so shouldn’t you pay back what you owe us?"

"Exactly! This debt has been overdue for over two years! How long do you plan to drag it out?"

"Pay up now! Or we’ll chop your son’s coffin into firewood today!"

…

It was August, the busy farming season, but dusk was approaching, and villagers were returning home. Many craned their necks to look curiously at the commotion. Nearby households even opened their doors to watch the spectacle as if it were a rare show.

Debt?

The Qin family still owed money?

The book never mentioned this!

As Liu Guyu was thinking, Cui Lanfang stepped forward.

She was a timid woman, but upon hearing these men threaten to chop her son’s coffin, she stepped forward angrily, her lips trembling as she said, "The debt to your family was paid off last year! Both principal and interest! What more do you want?"

Cui Lanfang was already sick, and now she was so mad she was shaking, her face turning pale.

The man, unafraid of causing trouble, gave a shameless laugh and said bluntly, "That interest isn’t nearly enough! You still owe another three to five taels!"

The Qin family had indeed borrowed money a few years earlier when Old Qin was severely injured. They had borrowed heavily from neighbors to cover his medical expenses, but he still died. Later, the family tightened their belts and gradually repaid the debts.

The other families had accepted the repayments without issue, promptly tearing up the IOUs. Only the Wang family were acting like shameless thugs, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the debt was settled and insisting that interest remained unpaid.

The problem was, the Wang family had many members—four or five strong men—while the Qin family consisted only of a widow and her kids, who were no match for them.

Cui Lanfang was so enraged she was gasping for air, pointing at them and shouting, "You scoundrels! Your family only lent us four taels to begin with, and now you’re demanding five taels in interest? What kind of calculation is that?"

Hearing this, the villagers watching nearby muttered in agreement, yet no one actually stepped in.

Finally, one auntie stepped up, hands on her hips, and scolded, "Wang family, don't go bullying people just because you have more people! We’re all from the same village—let’s be reasonable!"

The auntie who spoke was the Qin family’s next-door neighbor, the same one who had lent them the donkey cart a couple of days earlier. She was also a widow. Though both women lived across from each other, their temperaments were completely different.

Cui Lanfang was meek and timid, always yielding in conflicts. But the neighbor, Lin Xingniang, was the opposite—bold, straightforward, and warm-hearted, never willing to take a loss.

Truth be told, Liu Guyu actually preferred people with her kind of temperament.

Among the men was a stout, broad-hipped woman from the Wang family.

She paused for a moment, then immediately put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Nonsense! You clearly owe us fourteen taels, and just by saying so, it becomes four? Qin family, we lent you the money out of pity back then. How can you turn around and deny it now?"

Cui Lanfang, already ill, was so enraged she gasped heavily and doubled over, coughing her lungs out. For a moment, she couldn’t even speak. Qin Banban was scared to death and rushed to support her mother, patting her back with her small hands.

...As for Qin Rongshi.

Liu Guyu glanced over and saw that the boy had somehow slipped behind him. His face was expressionless, his eyes dark and cold, and he was holding a rusty chopping knife that had appeared out of nowhere.

Oh my god!

This damn kid!

Liu Guyu was startled and quickly pushed Qin Rongshi back, afraid that if pushed too far, he might actually rush out and take a swing with that knife.

Liu Guyu patted his shoulder reassuringly, then stepped forward, staring at the Wang family woman and saying, "You say we borrowed fourteen taels, so it must be fourteen taels? What, has your mouth been blessed by the gods? Whatever you say goes?"

"Alright, suppose it *is* fourteen taels! Where’s the IOU? Show it to us!"

The Wang family woman was stunned, staring at Liu Guyu as if she’d seen a ghost.

It was no surprise.

Liu Guyu had a bad reputation in the village.

He was no family man—he was infamous for being selfish. Whenever the Qin family had faced trouble before, he would either play dumb and stay silent or shut himself indoors pretending not to hear, rarely ever speaking up for the Qins.

The villagers all said he was an ungrateful wretch.

Only Cui Lanfang, kind-hearted and overly soft, felt sorry for the original host, who had married into the family only to be left a young widow.

This was the first time Liu Guyu had ever stepped forward.

The Wang woman froze for a moment but quickly recovered, hastily saying, "What IOU? We, we didn’t bring it! But there’s still silver owed! If you don’t pay up today, then nobody's going to have any peace!"

Liu Guyu let out a disbelieving laugh and retorted, "You don’t even have an IOU, yet you dare claim we owe you money? Just by flapping your gums, you think you’re something special. Go ask around—who repays a debt without an IOU? If you produce an IOU for fourteen taels today, we’ll acknowledge the debt! But if you don’t..."

He didn’t finish, but the implication was clear.

The Wang woman was clearly trapped.

The original IOU was still in their possession, but it clearly stated the amount in black and white—and it wasn’t fourteen taels.

If they didn’t produce the IOU, the debt wouldn’t be acknowledged; if they did produce it, it would prove the fourteen-tael claim was false.

Either way, they were stuck.

The Wang woman stomped her feet in anger. She wasn’t one for reasoning—when words failed, she just told her sons to get rough, ordering them to smash the wooden coffin in the courtyard.

Liu Guyu immediately stepped right in front of them, shouting, "Paying back what you owe is only right! But if you try shady tricks like this, we won’t acknowledge it!"

"All the aunties and uncles here know! My father was a scholar, and I read a book or two when I was young!"

"The Dayong Code states it clearly! It forbids charging interest above the legal limit and compounding interest. Violators are to be given forty lashes. If the interest exceeds the principal, the punishment is eighty blows and a fine of five strings of cash!"

He glared at the Wang family, who were clearly intimidated, then turned to the stunned villagers gathered at the gate.

He continued speaking, pinching his thigh as he did so to squeeze out a few tears, making himself look utterly pitiful and grief-stricken.

"My husband’s funeral hasn’t even been held yet, and you come here with your sons to cause trouble! Fine, don’t touch this coffin—I’ll dash my brains out on it today and follow my dead husband to the grave! If you’re going to drive us to our deaths, leaving us no way to live, then let's make sure nobody has any peace!"

"Erlang! Go report to the authorities! Tell them the Wang family is charging illegal interest and driving a dead soldier's family to suicide!"