Chapter 63: The Year of Birth

Chapter 63: The Year of His Birth

After a hearty dinner, the heat outside had mostly died down. The Yan family sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool evening air, and Granny Wang and Aunt Li also came over for a visit.

The courtyard, which had been sprinkled with well water, was cooler than the outside. Granny Wang sat on the bamboo chair that Wen Xi had brought out, occasionally waving her palm-leaf fan to shoo away the gnats buzzing around her.

Seeing this, Chen Lanfang went and lit a mosquito-repelling incense coil. With so many fowl raised at home, no matter how diligently they cleaned each day, mosquitoes were still bound to come. Fortunately, mugwort was plentiful in the mountains here, so twisting it into incense coils didn't hurt to use.

Granny Wang was getting on in years, and the older she got, the worse her memory became. Knowing that Wen Xi had just celebrated his birthday, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Xi Geer, are you turning seventeen or eighteen this year?"

"Seventeen." Although Wen Xi didn't know his exact birth date, he still remembered how old he was.

Granny Wang waved her fan and said with a smile, "Only seventeen—what a tender age, fresh enough to pinch water out of."

Aunt Li also chimed in with a laugh: "Time really does fly. Granny Wang, do you still remember when Xi Geer was born?"

"I haven't lost my marbles yet, how could I forget?" Granny Wang looked at Wen Xi as she recalled, "That year, who knows why, the sky seemed to have sprung a leak—it rained for over ten days straight. Several nearby villages were washed away by the floods, and later the villagers all retreated to the hillside. A noisy crowd of people squeezed into a cave, with barely enough room to turn around. There were several pregnant women in that cave. While fleeing, they got soaked and frightened, and went into labor that very night, one after another. The whole cave was filled with their screams."

Aunt Li interjected, "Your mother, Li Qiaozhen, was one of them."

Wen Xi had never heard anyone talk about how he was born. During those years in the Wen family, Li Qiaozhen never mentioned it, and he never dared to ask.

Now, listening to Granny Wang and Aunt Li chatter back and forth, he felt a strange mix of surprise and wonder. So he'd actually been born in a cave.

Aunt Li asked Granny Wang, "How many children were born in that cave at that time?"

"I can't remember that exactly." Granny Wang shook her head, and Chen Lanfang chimed in from the side, "Three or four, I think. I remember the light in the cave was poor, and the midwife, unable to see clearly in the dark, made a mistake—she mistook one of the boys for a regular male child."

"That's right, that's right." At this, Granny Wang's memory returned. "From the neighboring village—the Zhou family or the Li family, I can't recall—several midwives gathered around her, saying the child she gave birth to didn't have the birthmark on his forehead that boys have, so he must be a male child. But when dawn came and they looked again, he wasn't a male child at all—he was clearly a boy. The woman was so angry she burst into tears, insisting someone had switched her baby."

Aunt Li, who was quick to speak and had no filter, said, "When I heard them arguing back then, I even suspected Li Qiaozhen had done it. That woman is black-hearted—she'd do anything, no matter how wicked."

Wen Xi's brow furrowed sharply at these words, and his mind suddenly felt like a light had been switched on, and everything became clear.

"Something like that really happened?" He Jin's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. He pressed, "So was the child actually swapped or not?"

Chen Lanfang said, "With so many people around, it wouldn't have been that easy to swap. All the women gave birth to girls and boys—not a single one had a regular male child."

"Times were hard back then. The birthmarks on boys were very faint at birth, and the cave was pitch black, with only a few torches for light. It was only natural for the midwives to make a mistake." Aunt Li sighed and continued, "If you ask me, in a situation like that, just making it out alive was a blessing. Who had time to care whether it was a regular boy or a boy?"

"Exactly. Even now, thinking about it gives me chills. In all my years, that was the first time I'd seen such heavy rain. Houses were washed away, and plenty of people lost their lives." At this, Granny Wang said to Wen Xi, "That Shen Yun—even though you're close with him, there's something I doubt you know."

The Wen and Shen families lived close together, and the two had a closer relationship than most. What could there be about Shen Yun that he didn't know?

Wen Xi was puzzled, and then Granny Wang continued, "He and Shen Liang aren't actually biological brothers. His father and mother both died in that flood. Shen Liang's father rescued the boy and raised him as his own."

Hearing this, Wen Xi was stunned for a long moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, "Does Shen Liang know about this?"

Aunt Li said, "Of course he knows. When his father rescued Shen Yun, he was right there beside him. He was already five or six years old by then—old enough to remember."

He Jin sighed deeply, "Shen Liang really is an honest and kind man. Knowing full well Shen Yun was adopted, he still treats him like his own younger brother."

That was the truth. Growing up, the people Wen Xi envied most, besides Wen Liu, was Shen Yun.

Although Shen Yun's father had died early and his mother was chronically ill, his life was far better than Wen Xi's, who still had both parents alive.

Ever since Shen Liang had become a traveling peddler, Shen Yun never lacked for food or clothing. If any child in the village dared to bully him, Shen Liang would take him to the bully's parents to demand justice when he returned.

That older brother was more responsible than many fathers.

Wen Xi had initially felt sorry for Shen Yun, but thinking of all this, he felt Shen Yun was still fortunate.

Granny Wang and Aunt Li spent a long time at the Yan house reminiscing about the past. Wen Xi and He Jin, the two young husbands, listened with great interest. When Granny Wang and the others finally went home, both of them still felt unsatisfied, wanting more.

After finishing his first lively birthday celebration, Wen Xi buried himself in embroidering Lady Lu's batch of needlework. With him and He Jin working together to rush the project, they finally finished the pieces before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chen Lanfang remembered what Yan Fengan had said last time, so when Wen Xi went into town to deliver the goods, she specifically had He Jin accompany him, so the two could look out for each other on the road.

When Lady Lu came out to receive guests, she paused slightly at the sight of He Jin, then smiled and asked, "And this is?"

"He's He Jin, my second brother's husband." Wen Xi introduced him to Lady Lu. "He helped me make all these pieces."

Lady Lu nodded without saying much. After having the maid serve tea and refreshments, she inspected the embroidered goods they had made.

She examined each piece one by one and said with satisfaction, "Well done. You've put in great effort."

That meant they had passed. Wen Xi breathed a sigh of relief inside, then took out several rolls of unused fabric from his bundle and said earnestly to Lady Lu, "There's still a lot of the fabric you gave us last time that we didn't use up. I've brought back all the large pieces for you."

Lady Lu looked at the rolls of fabric, her gaze softening. She had met many artisans before—some with excellent skills, but those who were both skilled and not greedy were rare.

After the maid took the fabric away, Wen Xi pulled out two bookmarks and a brush roll from his chest. "I thought these were things Young Master Lu could use in his studies, so I made him a couple of items from the leftover scraps. They're nothing valuable—just a small token of thanks for letting my husband use his courtyard last time."

Lady Lu took them and looked them over. Although they were made from scraps, Wen Xi hadn't been careless at all, and the fabric was from her own leftover materials, so they wouldn't look shabby on her Xiuyuan.

She smiled and said, "You've gone to so much trouble. If Yuan'er knew you'd remembered such a small matter for so long and even specially made him bookmarks and a brush roll, he'd probably be over the moon."

Lady Lu handed the items to the maid beside her. "Put these in the young master's room. When he comes home for his monthly break, tell him these are from Master Yan's husband, and to use them carefully."

Seeing how much she valued his gifts, Wen Xi felt a warmth in his heart.

Speaking of Lu Xiuyuan, Lady Lu added a few more words: "Yuan'er's studies have improved recently, and his attitude toward learning is more serious than before. When his father and the academy head met privately, the head specifically praised him. His assessment scores still aren't outstanding, but compared to before, he's improved tremendously. That child has always been stubborn—before, no one could get through to him. Only Scholar Yan's words would he take to heart. When you go back, remember to thank your husband for me."

Wen Xi acknowledged this and added, "My husband mentioned to me before that Young Master Lu's great progress is due not only to his occasional guidance but more to Young Master Lu's intelligence and diligence. Many things, my husband only needs to give him a slight hint and he understands right away—he's really quite impressive."

"Our Xiuyuan certainly isn't stupid—he just didn't put his mind to it before." As she spoke, Lady Lu had the maid hand the pouch on the table to Wen Xi. "This is your wages. I calculated based on the number of pieces. The extra is a little bonus for your hard work."

Wen Xi took the pouch without opening it immediately—just by squeezing it, he could feel its weight. He tucked it into his chest and said thank you to Lady Lu.

Lady Lu waved her hand, then as if remembering something, casually mentioned, "A few days ago, I was having tea with several ladies from the rice shop and the restaurant, and we chatted about embroidery. I put in a few good words for your family. They were interested in giving you business, but when they heard you had no fixed place in town and it was inconvenient to find you, one by one they backed out." She took a sip of tea. "Doing business isn't like visiting relatives—people want convenience. I know your work is good, but if someone comes looking for you and can't find you, they won't bother next time."

Wen Xi knew well that this wasn't a sustainable way to run a business, but he truly didn't have the means to open a shop in town right now.

Seeing the troubled look on his face, Lady Lu gave him a suggestion: "Why not set aside one or two fixed days each month to set up a stall in town? That way, people will have a place to find you."

Lady Lu's suggestion was practical. For her, passing along a message was no trouble at all, but the ladies who wanted to buy wouldn't think the same way.

Why would they go through all the trouble of ordering from a country husband when they could just buy something while casually shopping?

Although she admired Wen Xi's craftsmanship, she had to admit that compared to the truly established embroidery houses, Wen Xi's competitiveness was still somewhat lacking.

Wen Xi and He Jin understood these principles as well. The two exchanged a glance, and Wen Xi said, "Alright. From now on, on the first and fifteenth of each month, I'll come to town and set up a stall at the early market to sell my embroidery. If you have friends who want to order custom pieces, please let them know they can come find me on those two days."

Lady Lu, seeing that he was receptive to advice, showed a satisfied expression. "As long as you have a fixed place in town where people can find you, the rest isn't hard to manage."

After a few more exchanges, Wen Xi and He Jin took their leave. Lady Lu had the maid pack up two portions of lotus cake and one portion of osmanthus cake to hand over. "Our cook made them—they taste decent. Take them home for your parents to try."

After leaving the Lu residence, He Jin weighed the package of pastries in his hand and said with genuine admiration, "I've never dealt with ladies from wealthy households before. I barely dared to speak in front of Lady Lu, but I didn't expect her to be so kind and approachable." He paused, then added, "At least she doesn't put on airs and look down on people like I imagined."

"Lady Lu is indeed kind, but not everyone is as gracious as she is." Wen Xi, afraid that He Jin might think too highly of all wealthy ladies, couldn't help adding a word of caution.

He Jin was pretty easygoing about it: "Doing business isn't like making friends. It doesn't matter if she's friendly or not, as long as we can make some money."

The mention of money got him all worked up again, and he whispered to Wen Xi, "I wonder how much silver Lady Lu shelled out for us this time?"

Wen Xi was curious too, but they couldn't pull out the pouch on the street. They managed to hold out until they got home, then finally opened it.

Inside the pouch were two ten-tael ingots and two five-tael ones, and the rest was loose silver.

Wen Xi guessed that Lady Lu probably knew he would have to share the money with his family, so she prepared it that way on purpose. No wonder she was a lady from a big household—she really thought of everything.

A warm feeling welled up inside him, and he heard He Jin exclaim in surprise, "Lady Lu is really generous! The pay is as good as what the top embroiderers at the workshop get, and there's even a bonus."

The amount was more than Wen Xi had expected, but he didn't feel undeserving.

He had put time and effort into making those items, and Lady Lu was no fool. If his work hadn't measured up to her standards, she wouldn't have been so free with her money.

With Lady Lu valuing his skills that much, Wen Xi figured he ought to be more confident too.

They split the money the same way they'd agreed last time. Li Wan hadn't been doing as much work since she got pregnant, and she felt bad taking that much silver without earning it. She tried to give a share to He Jin and Wen Xi, but they wouldn't take it.

Since she'd gotten pregnant, the household expenses had gone up, and Chen Lanfang was always buying her chicken or fish every few days, so she handed a share of the silver to Chen Lanfang to help with family costs.

With the eldest sister-in-law setting the example, the other two brothers-in-law couldn't just keep the money for themselves.

They could only do their embroidery and earn money because the family had their backs. He Jin and Wen Xi each added three taels, and the three of them pooled together ten taels to hand over to Chen Lanfang.

Chen Lanfang was happy and a little emotional holding that silver. Before, she'd had to help support the daughters-in-law, but now they were earning money to pitch in themselves. Who could say life wasn't good now?

On Mid-Autumn Festival, when Yan Fengan returned from the academy, Wen Xi made a point of bringing out the money box and counting the silver they had saved in front of him.

Besides the loose silver for everyday spending, the big ingots alone came to sixty taels. Compared to the wealthy families in town, this wasn't much, but in the village, many people couldn't save that much in a lifetime.

After putting the silver away, Wen Xi told Yan Fengan that he would go to town to set up a stall on the first and fifteenth of every month from now on. Yan Fengan said, "It's not great to keep borrowing tables and chairs from others. I'll ask Dad and the older brothers to make you a hand-pushed wheelbarrow. That way, it'll be more convenient when you're hawking in the streets, and it'll look more presentable too."

Wen Xi lowered his head and thought for a moment: "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Dad and them?"

"What's the trouble with family?" Yan Fengan joked. "At worst, we'll pay them for the work once it's done."

Wen Xi laughed at his remark: "Dad and them wouldn't take our money."

Yan Shichang certainly wouldn't charge for something his own child wanted. When he heard that Wen Xi wanted a cart for his stall, he called the young couple and the other two sons over and asked Wen Xi to describe what kind of cart he wanted in front of them.

Wen Xi thought for a moment and said, "I'd like to have more hooks to hang small items like pouches and sachets, and preferably two drawers to store tools like threads and scissors."

This wasn't difficult for a carpenter like Yan Shichang, and Yan Fengan had even thoughtfully drawn a design for the cart. Once the three of them understood, they immediately started working on it, hoping to finish it before Wen Xi's next trip to town.

Wen Xi was still delighted that he would finally have a proper tool for his next trip to town when Wen Liu suddenly showed up at the Yan household with red eyes and said to him, "Mother is on her last legs. She wants to see you one final time. You need to come quickly."

The sudden news left Wen Xi stunned. How could Li Qiaozhen be so ill all of a sudden?

Seeing him silent, Wen Liu thought he didn't want to go. Wiping his tears, he added, "Mother said she has something very important to tell you. If you don't go see her, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."