My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 41p1

Chapter 41 p1: Quarrel

The days at the county school were peaceful yet tiring. Song Changxu gradually adapted to the rhythm of life here.

His comprehension of the books had improved, and he could feel himself improving bit by bit, which brought him a sense of satisfaction.

Cheng Maoxue had always been curious about Song Changxu. At the end of this month, they were going to climb a mountain in the outskirts. He smiled and said to Song Changxu, “Brother Song, we have a five-day holiday at the end of the month. Would you like to go climbing with us?”

He added specifically, “No composing poems. It’s just a few people I know going to see the scenery and chat.”

Song Changxu thought for a moment and said, “Alright.”

Cheng Maoxue had not only invited Song Changxu, but all the classmates in the class. Feng Xin’ou did not go, as he could not handle such a scene. Some other classmates also declined, saying they had other things to do.

Cheng Maoxue was still smiling after being rejected, without a hint of gloom.

As long as the people he wanted to invite all went, that was fine.

After Song Changxu had left with his book box, Luo Shuang said, “Brother Cheng, even Brother Xie couldn’t invite this Brother Song. You’re really good with your words.”

Cheng Maoxue: “When Brother Xie invited Brother Song before, I overheard him asking about composing poems. I knew then that he was probably not good at it.”

Xie Feng: “I asked the question and paved the way for you.”

Cheng Maoxue smiled and said, “Then let’s test this Brother Song together. I see that he gets along well with the other people in the class.”

The mountain climbing trip was organized by Cheng Maoxue. As the leader, he naturally had to arrange all the details, such as where to eat after climbing and where to go for fun.

People like Xie Feng, Luo Shuang, and Cheng Maoxue had all organized such gatherings before. On the one hand, it was to train their abilities, and on the other, it was to build connections.

The three of them went back together.

Song Changxu had run out of paper and ink. He went to the bookstore to buy some. He had to write his essays on paper. Otherwise, he could write on the ground with a wooden stick to save money.

The main reason was that after he finished writing, he had to read it over himself to check for any omissions, which was not easy to do if it was written on the ground.

After buying the cheap paper, Song Changxu also asked, “Boss, do you accept copied books here?”

The bookstore owner sized him up and said, “We do. Some books are too rare, and the government won’t let the printing workshops print them in large quantities. Write a few characters for me to see first.”

Song Changxu understood the process. He wrote a few characters, and the bookstore owner was satisfied.

“Good. These few books are selling very well. This one is the most expensive because it’s in high demand. If you finish copying it with few mistakes, I can give you one tael of silver.”

Song Changxu nodded. “Then I’ll choose this one.”

“You’ll have to pay a deposit of three qian of silver first and also sign a contract.”

Song Changxu wrote down his name and address and then pressed his handprint. At this moment, someone else came to buy a book, so the bookstore owner waved his hand to dismiss Song Changxu.

“Brother Song, are you here to buy a book?” a classmate asked when he saw Song Changxu.

Song Changxu was not evasive. “I’m here to buy paper, and also to see if there’s any work to earn money.”

“I see,” the classmate said with a sudden realization.

The two of them separated. Most of the people studying at the Jinhe County School were either rich or noble. They didn’t have to worry about food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and they didn’t have to be too calculative when buying books.

Song Changxu hurried back home, cooked a meal first, so that Xu Zhizhou could eat when he came back.

Today, they had earned more money than in the previous days. Most of the workers from the docks came here to eat, which was a huge profit. The Bobo Chicken had many returning customers.

At the same time, after a month of selling, they found that there were three other stalls selling the exact same Bobo Chicken as them. Fortunately, their taste was better, and many people were still willing to come to their place to eat.

Xu Zhizhou patted his face and brought the dishes to the table.

“Boss Xu, are you married?” someone asked curiously.

Xu Zhizhou was handsome and had a good figure. Otherwise, the young men who loved to eat Bobo Chicken also appreciated the boss here.

“I’m married. The price sign was written by my husband,” Xu Zhizhou said with a smile, as the five tables were full. He chatted with the customers.

Those who knew their stuff could tell from the handwriting that it was a scholar. Someone asked unwillingly, “Is Boss Xu’s husband a scholar?”

Xu Zhizhou nodded happily. “He has become a xiucai and is studying at the county school.”

He’s actually a xiucai. Well, that’s not too bad.

After selling all the Bobo Chicken for the day, the weather had been getting hotter these past few days, and the herbal tea had also sold out. Xu Zhizhou and Jiang Zhuo packed up and went back.

The other vendors, seeing that they had earned so much money this month, were jealous. Hearing that Xu Zhizhou’s husband was a xiucai, their malice subsided a little.

The Ningxing Dynasty revered scholars. Among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, although a xiucai was the lowest rank in the imperial examination system, he had already entered the ranks of the scholar-gentry.

They had a natural fear of the scholars from the county school.

After Xu Zhizhou and Jiang Zhuo had packed up, the small vendors on the side whispered.

“He says he’s here to set up a stall, but how many people are coming for his face? I think he’s just seducing people behind their backs.”

“Don’t say it’s not true. Otherwise, his business wouldn’t be so good. And he’s the husband of a xiucai. I don’t think he’s a good ge’er. Does his husband know about this?”

“A ge’er like this has no sense of propriety and shame. Peh, he’s fallen into the money pit.”

…

The vendors’ things had not sold as well as Xu Zhizhou’s today. Many of the tea drinks and snacks were no longer sold here. With the Bobo Chicken, they were just wasting their time here. It was better to find a new place to set up their stall and earn some money.

After they had vented their frustrations in private, they packed up and went home.

When Xu Zhizhou returned home, there was a hot meal waiting for him. The weather was hot today, so Song Changxu had made a cold cucumber salad, a dish of minced meat with eggplant, and a bowl of winter melon soup.

He usually made two dishes and one soup.

The two of them had a satisfying meal. Xu Zhizhou started to count the money.

“Husband, we’ve earned a lot again today. We can earn twenty taels this month.”

Xu Zhizhou was satisfied with the earnings, but he also knew that it was because their Bobo Chicken was still new. There were already people imitating them, and there would be more in the future. Then their income would decrease.

Xu Zhizhou was not greedy and was already very satisfied.

Song Changxu said, “We have a five-day holiday at the end of the month. Someone in the class invited me to go climbing, and I agreed.”

Xu Zhizhou said generously, “You should go. Get to know these people more. You’ll be with them for a year, so you should get to know them.”

“I’m still waiting to be the husband of an official, but I’m also very happy to be able to come to Jinhe County with my husband,” Xu Zhizhou muttered.

“Husband, I need a back massage.”

Song Changxu went behind him and gave him a back massage.

Xu Zhizhou was so comfortable that he wanted to sleep. After Song Changxu had massaged him for a while, he gestured for him to sit down, and he also gave him a back massage.

“You’ve worked hard studying, husband.”

Song Changxu’s heart warmed.

A moment later, Xu Zhizhou withdrew his hand. He was just going through the motions.

Song Changxu: “…”

I knew it.

Xu Zhizhou lay on the bed with satisfaction. Song Changxu told him about his matters at the county school, and that he had also found a side job copying books to earn money.

He was silent for a moment, then saw Xu Zhizhou lying on the bed, swinging his legs, his cheeks buried in the pillow.

He said, “Zhizhou, do you want to learn how to read?”

Xu Zhizhou was startled. He pointed to himself in a daze. “Me?”

Song Changxu nodded. “If you learn a few characters, you can read storybooks to pass the time when you’re bored. It will also be convenient for reading contracts and doing other things in the future.”

Xu Zhizhou was a little afraid that it would be hard to learn, but he was very good with his words. “Will it be very hard for you?”

“No, it will also be a form of relaxation.”

Xu Zhizhou thought for a moment. When he became the husband of an official, he would have to know a few characters.

“Alright, you can teach me, but I can’t be too tired,” he said seriously.

Song Changxu: “…”

“Alright.”

After washing up, Xu Zhizhou hugged Song Changxu’s arm. He was a little homesick.

“We have to go back for the New Year.”

Song Changxu said, “I’ve asked. The county school has a half-month holiday for the New Year.”

“That’s great. After I learn how to write, I can also send letters home,” Xu Zhizhou said, thinking of another benefit of learning to read.

Haha, it will definitely surprise my elder brother and my parents. I’ll also be a ge’er who can read.

“My legs are sore, husband,” Xu Zhizhou said, now adept at ordering Song Changxu around.

There was a rustling sound from the side. He reached out his large hand and kneaded Xu Zhizhou’s thigh a few times.

Song Changxu couldn’t help but kiss him.

The two of them hadn’t been intimate since they had come to Jinhe County. This time, Xu Zhizhou also thought about it. His face grew hot, and he did not refuse Song Changxu.

Because it had been a long time, there was still some resistance.

…

The next day, the two of them woke up a little late. After a simple breakfast, Song Changxu went to the outskirts.

When he arrived, Cheng Maoxue was also there. He was waiting in a pavilion in the outskirts. After all, as the host, he couldn’t let others wait for him. He had arrived early.

Seeing that Song Changxu had arrived so early, Cheng Maoxue had a good impression of him.

“Brother Song, please sit.”

Cheng Maoxue took the initiative to pour him some tea.

Song Changxu took a sip. Cheng Maoxue said, “I didn’t expect you to arrive so early, Brother Song. I’ve always wanted to ask where you studied. I happened to see your essay at Teacher Zhou’s. It was insightful and every word was a gem.”

Song Changxu said frankly, “I was taught by a teacher in our town. Because his old mother was sick, he came to the village to take on disciples. I studied in the village.”

Hearing this, Cheng Maoxue met Song Changxu’s neither servile nor overbearing gaze, and his heart was filled with admiration.

“I thought that at the very least, you were from the town, Brother Song. I didn’t expect you to have come from the countryside.”

Seeing that Song Changxu was so frank, Cheng Maoxue’s impression of him improved even more. Since it was just the two of them, Cheng Maoxue also had the urge to pour out his heart.

He gave a bitter smile. “You must have a clear goal in mind, Brother Song, to be studying so diligently.”

“To be honest, Brother Song, although I’m with Brother Xie and Brother Luo, my family background is not as good as theirs. My family is not very wealthy. Our prosperity was in our ancestors’ time. Because I’m a little better at studying, my family has placed all their hopes on me. I feel a lot of pressure and fatigue.”

Song Changxu understood.

Song Changxu said, “You don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself, Brother Cheng. Just do your best, and leave the result to the examiners. You are already very outstanding. Besides, I don’t think Brother Xie and Brother Luo are friends with you because of your family background.”

Cheng Maoxue felt a sense of relief. He understood the logic, but after being enlightened by Song Changxu, he understood it even better.

“You’re right, Brother Song. Sometimes I get caught up in my own thoughts.”

Cheng Maoxue laughed heartily, as if the previous disappointment had never existed.

The two of them clinked their teacups as if it were wine.

Cheng Maoxue said, “Brother Song, I wonder if I can often come and talk to you in the future.”

Song Changxu nodded. “Of course, Brother Cheng.”