Chapter 51

Chapter 51

After dinner at the Zhong family’s old residence, Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu returned together to the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

The empty land on the left side had already been marked. Pei Mu took Zhong Yizhu over to take a look. The markers left by the officials were very clear, and they could see the boundary from where they stood. With this enclosed area, almost all the empty land at the foot of the mountain was now theirs. Even if someone wanted to build next to them, they could only build further forward. At least no one would be behind their house.

While Zhong Yizhu looked around, Pei Mu pointed and explained his building plans to him. Zhong Yizhu had long told Pei Mu about his requirements for making incense, and now seeing Pei Mu gradually bring these ideas to life on the adjacent land gave him a wonderful sense of security.

After they finished looking, the two went inside and locked the courtyard gate.

Now that it got dark early, there was hardly any light left in the house.

Pei Mu took the land deed from his chest and handed it to Zhong Yizhu. Zhong Yizhu lit a candle for illumination and carefully stored the deed in a box that already held the deed for this small courtyard and the deeds for their farmland. Their belongings had long since been mixed together, no longer separate.

Zhong Yizhu found the paper and brush he had bought the day before, cut the large sheets of hemp paper into smaller pieces, then took out needle and thread to stitch them into a booklet.

Pei Mu watched as he opened the brush, dipped it in ink, and quickly began writing in the booklet.

This was the ledger Zhong Yizhu was making.

Zhong Yizhu planned to expand his spice business. He had spent a considerable amount of silver on purchasing spices yesterday, and there would be more expenses for ceramic jars and wooden boxes later. This reminded him that it was time to start keeping accounts, or things would get messy. So he had bought paper and brush the day before.

Excluding loose copper coins, the silver they had on hand included the over thirty taels Pei Mu had saved, the over twenty taels Zhong Yizhu had brought, the sixteen taels he had earned from selling incense pills and balms, and the money Pei Mu had made from hunting—eighty-two taels in total.

This time, Pei Mu’s injury had cost over thirty-three taels for the doctor and medicine, and nearly ten taels for social expenses. After deducting those, that was the cash on hand they had left.

Yesterday, when he bought spices for fifty taels, he had directly changed the banknote his mother had given him, exchanging it for two hundred-tael banknotes and one hundred taels in cash. Considering they would need to build a house later, it was inconvenient not to have more silver on hand.

Zhong Yizhu recorded the fifty-tael expense for spices and the one-tael expense for ceramic jars. As for the wooden boxes, Pei Mu said he would make them himself.

As long as he didn’t have to move heavy logs, making wooden boxes wasn’t considered heavy work. Zhong Yizhu couldn’t let Pei Mu do nothing at all—that would be too boring.

Besides that, they also needed to build shelves for drying incense in the new house.

The day after Pei Mu bought the land, villagers came to ask about hiring workers for building.

It was still some time before the second rice harvest, so there wasn’t much work in the fields. Many in the village were looking for odd jobs to save up silver for the New Year.

In town, there were day laborers paid by the day, and occasionally wealthy landlords or gentry would hire workers. But with so many farmers waiting for work in the surrounding villages, and with specialized laborers in town, these jobs weren’t easy to get.

Most villagers building houses paid fifteen to eighteen coppers a day, less than the twenty-five coppers of a day laborer. But day labor was backbreaking work that could ruin one’s health. Unless there was no other option, most people wouldn’t choose that.

Building a house in the village was close by, the work wasn’t heavy, and the pay was reasonable. So when families with idle able-bodied men heard the news, they came to ask immediately.

No one was surprised that the Pei family was building a house. The reason Pei Mu had given the village chief was convincing, and everyone believed it.

Hunter Wang had died from hunting. Now that Pei Mu had gone through the same ordeal, it was good that the young man had learned to be cautious—that was how to live long.

The old rumor that Pei Mu was broke fell apart once word got out that he had hunted a deer and sent it to the county. Though no one knew exactly how much silver he had earned, he must have some savings. Building a mud house wasn’t too expensive, and since it was for making a living, it was only right to put some money into it.

With so many inquiries, word quickly spread about the Pei family’s hiring terms: twenty coppers a day, no meals but tea and water provided, with an hour at noon to go home for lunch or have someone bring it.

Since everyone lived in the village, eating at home was convenient. Having the employer give extra coppers instead of providing meals was clearly more advantageous. Soon, many people eagerly signed up to build the house.

Pei Mu didn’t know many villagers well. When he had built his first house, he had asked Wang Ping’an to oversee things. This time, he again put Wang Ping’an in charge, while he himself served as a presence to keep order.

Wang Ping’an and Chen Xiaorong were selecting workers in front of the Pei family courtyard. Chen Xiaorong pointed and called out several names: “We don't want anyone from your family. Go on, get out of here.”

Those he pointed at grew anxious: “Why not? Who do you think you are?”

Chen Xiaorong said, “Don’t think I don’t know how you slandered Yizhu before. For that reason alone, you won’t earn this money.”

The men still grumbled unwillingly, but others pushed them away: “Stop blocking the way. You had no right to run your mouths, so get lost.”

They tried to make a fuss, and an older man sat down on the ground, ready to make a fuss, when suddenly Pei Mu walked out of the courtyard.

The cursing stopped. The man on the ground scrambled to his feet. Without needing further urging, they all fled.

Though Pei Mu’s reputation had turned around quite a bit, his harsh treatment of Pei Jin was still fresh in everyone’s minds—he had actually broken the man’s bones. Who would dare cross him?

The noisy crowd in front of the small courtyard quieted down. Wang Ping’an looked over the people who were left. Most of them had been on the crew for Pei Mu's first house. He dismissed two who had shirked their work last time and kept the rest.

Pei Mu had said he wanted the house built as fast as possible, so Wang Ping’an calculated the manpower and hired more than usual for a house build, allowing them to work simultaneously.

Soon, the area next to the Pei family courtyard was soon a hive of activity. First, they cleared the grass and leveled the ground, then dug the foundation and began building.

The gate of the small courtyard was mostly kept closed, and from time to time, a strong smell of medicine drifted out. The workers knew Pei Mu was recovering and didn’t bother him. Because Pei Mu trusted Wang Ping'an, he left most of the work to him, only occasionally going out to check on progress.

Half a month flew by. After Zhong Yizhu had set up his stall at the market twice more, the new house next door was finally finished.

They raised the ridge beam and set off firecrackers. Since the Pei family wasn’t moving to a new home, they skipped the housewarming ritual. On the final day, Zhong Yizhu set up a table at the entrance and handed out wages to the workers one by one with a big smile.

Wang Ping'an had been a very diligent overseer. Though the new house was made of mud, the walls were packed solid and sturdy, and the house was built exactly according to Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu’s plans.

Zhong Yizhu gave Wang Ping'an double wages for running the job and gave each worker an extra eight coppers. Everyone was delighted. They had already been paid more than usual for building houses, and now they received a bonus. When they returned home, they spread the word about how good Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu were.

Zhang Guihua heard this and fumed, slamming things in frustration. Others were fed up with her glum face and snapped at her: “Sister Zhang, when is your family going to hold a wedding this year? I remember Tieniu will be eighteen after the New Year, right? That’s not young anymore.”

Zhang Guihua’s face turned even uglier at this. If it weren’t for that little flirt Zhong Yizhu catching her Tieniu’s eye and making him unable to think of anyone else, her son wouldn’t have been delayed like this.

Earlier, when the Zhong family had the haunting incident, Zhang Tieniu refused to go back to her parents’ home with her. Somehow, alone at home, he scared himself into illness. When she returned, Zhang Tieniu was delirious, and she had to call a doctor and then a shaman to finally cure him.

With such a commotion, the young folks in the village figured Zhang Tieniu must have something wrong with him, so no one was willing to meet him for marriage talks.

Zhang Guihua tried to find a matchmaker to look in other villages, but Zhang Tieniu wanted a woman who was both pretty and capable. The girls who fit his criteria had no interest in him, so things dragged on.

Zhang Guihua spat at the auntie who had asked her: “Mind your own business! You want to meddle? Will you pay for the wedding?”

The auntie wasn’t one to be bullied and shot back: “Who do you think you are? You tried to scheme against the Zhong family and failed, then got scared when you heard Second Master Zhong’s spirit return, wet your pants, and had to call a shaman to summon your soul back. You want me to pay? Can you even find a daughter-in-law before asking me to pay?”

Zhang Guihua was so furious she jumped up and jabbed a finger at her: “You’re the one who pissed your pants!”

The auntie had only said it offhandedly, but seeing how worked up Zhang Guihua got, she just kept rubbing it in. Zhang Guihua wanted to fight, but everyone around pretended to hold her back while really taking the auntie's side.

She struggled and shouted but couldn’t even touch a hair on the auntie’s head, while she herself got scratched several times. Zhang Guihua’s chest tightened, her vision went black, and this time she really fainted from anger.

…

In September, dawn came later, and the temperature difference between morning and evening grew larger.

When Pei Mu opened his eyes, there was only a faint light outside. Zhong Yizhu in his arms was sleeping soundly, his cheeks flushed a warm pink from the cozy quilt.

Pei Mu had been taking medicine to recuperate for nearly a month. His body no longer felt cold like right after the poison was drawn out, and he had regained his furnace-like warmth.

In the deep autumn chill, Zhong Yizhu liked to press closer to him at night. Pei Mu was more than happy with that, holding him and sleeping more soundly than ever.

It was still early. He carefully loosened his hold, got up, and went to the kitchen. He lit one stove to heat water for washing and the other to cook breakfast.

Today was the second major market day of September in Songyun County, and they were going to set up their stall at the market.

They still had leftovers from yesterday. Pei Mu quickly mixed up some dough to make noodles. Since they had to hit the road soon and Zhong Yizhu was weak, eating something warm would help keep the cold out.

Pei Mu was quick. He'd planned to call Zhong Yizhu to get up only after the noodles went into the pot, but before the water for washing had even started steaming, Zhong Yizhu had already dressed and slipped into the kitchen.

Sleepily, he rested his head against Pei Mu's shoulder, swaying with the motion of Pei Mu kneading the dough. Pei Mu turned his head and pressed against his ear: "Why didn't you sleep in a bit longer?"

Zhong Yizhu clung to him sleepily, his voice fuzzy with sleep: "I woke up because I felt you were gone."

His demeanor really softened Pei Mu's heart. Pei Mu didn't rush him and let him cling on.

After they had washed up and eaten the noodles, ready to leave, it was already broad daylight outside.

The sun had not yet risen, frost formed on the leaves in the corners, and sticking your hands outside was biting cold.

This weather was the worst. If you dress too much in the morning, you're not cold, but by noon you'll be hot in the sun. And there's nowhere to change at the market, so it's even worse.

However, Zhong Yizhu did not have this worry.

Pei Mu carried a basket on his back and also held another basket, leaving only a light basket for Zhong Yizhu.

Zhong Yizhu was wrapped in a blue-white cloak. When he put the hood up, it covered his forehead and ears, keeping him really warm.

This was a cloak Pei Mu had given him a few days ago, made of tightly woven cotton on the outside and warm animal fur on the inside.

Zhong Yizhu had never bought such a cloak even when he was with the Zhong family. Firstly, because it was expensive—such a cloak would cost at least five taels of silver in winter—and secondly, he didn't really need it. He didn't have to go out against the wind; when it was cold, he could just curl up in a room with a charcoal burner.

When Zhong Yizhu received the cloak, he happily smiled and said he liked it, but later, in private, he hugged it and cried. He thought of the animal pelts Pei Mu had strapped to himself and dragged down the mountain when he was hurt. How could he not understand?

Pei Mu had even deliberately avoided giving it on his birthday.

Seeing Pei Mu carrying so much, Zhong Yizhu reached out to take some. Pei Mu waved him off: "It's just a few steps."

The sound of wheels came from outside. They had arranged with Old Zhang earlier to take them to the county to see the doctor today.

Old Zhang had taken Pei Mu to that clinic before, so he knew how serious the injury was. He readily agreed to pick him up at the door.

Pei Mu put the items on the cart, then helped Zhong Yizhu get on. Old Zhang rubbed his hands, cracked the whip, and drove toward the village exit.

The two first went to the medical clinic. The old doctor took Pei Mu's pulse and, without much hesitation, said he could stop taking the medicine.

This meant Pei Mu had no problem with physical labor. On the way from the clinic to the market, Pei Mu took all the items onto himself. Zhong Yizhu's hands were empty, but his mind was fully at ease.

Pei Mu was better!

Even his steps became much lighter.

Because they had been delayed, the sun was already quite high when they arrived at the market.

Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu had come here many times and were already very helpful. Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu set up the stall together and arranged all the display items.

Because the incense-making room at home had been built, Zhong Yizhu was finally able to fully display his skills, adding two new incense products: stick incense and incense beads.

Pei Mu, following the dimensions Zhong Yizhu described, made many wooden boxes for packaging the stick incense and incense beads.

Their little stall was now full of a dazzling array of goods. Zhong Yizhu had ingeniously used various bamboo racks to separate different areas, so it looked cluttered but not chaotic, instead attracting a lot of attention.

Over the past two months, Zhong Yizhu's small stall had accumulated many repeat customers and new customers introduced by word of mouth. Whenever he launched a new incense product, many people were willing to try it.

The little incense stall was doing booming business. The money box Zhong Yizhu used was full. Pei Mu quickly bought a new one so they wouldn't have to dump money into a basket and draw unwanted attention.

Once the busiest period passed, Zhong Yizhu put a prepared wooden box into the basket, handed it to Pei Mu, and watched him walk out of the market.

Today was the day to deliver incense pills to the Liang residence.

Last time, they packed up early and went together to deliver, getting to know the staff. This time, the prepared goods weren't all sold yet, and they couldn't wait until they closed the stall and it was dinner time to deliver — that would be too rude.

Last time, Zhong Yizhu had wanted to give some of the new incense paste to Miss Liang to try, but there were many fragrances. He couldn't send a box of each, and if he sent only one box, what if it happened to be a fragrance Miss Liang didn't like? That would be more harm than good.

So this time he thought of a good idea. He specially ordered a porcelain jar with compartments and put a bit of each incense paste in them. Although the scents would mix if stored for too long, it was perfectly fine for short-term scent testing.

In addition, he also sent a sample of the new stick incense and incense beads. Although this almost ate up all the profit from Miss Liang's incense pill order, as long as she liked them and was willing to place other orders, then he would have gained.

Zhong Yizhu shared all these ideas with Pei Mu, so Pei Mu understood. All the way to the Liang residence, after handing over the incense pills to the servant, he took out the prepared incense products and handed them over, saying to the old woman opposite: "These are