My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 54

Chapter 54: Return to the County

In the morning, when Song Changxu woke up, the family had steamed meat buns and made dough drop soup. He ate three meat buns in a row. The ones made at home had more meat and thin skins. One bite and you could taste the filling.

Xu Zhizhou had two meat buns and a bowl of dough drop soup. Recently, with nothing to do, he would chat idly with Song Mingyan.

Of the three hairpins he had bought, besides giving one to Xu Zhici, he had given the other two to Song Mingyan and Cheng Ge’er.

Xu Zhizhou hadn’t seen Sun Luzhen in the village and asked, “Why didn’t I see Luzhen come back for the New Year?”

“He’s pregnant and is resting at home, so he didn’t come for the New Year’s visit.”

Xu Zhizhou: “He’s pregnant so soon? Luzhen can’t come back, but I can go and see him.”

Song Changxu was drinking tea on the side. Xu Zhizhou grabbed him. “Husband, come with me to town to buy some things. We’ll go to Xigu Village together.”

The two of them took the ox-cart to Shuibo Town. Xu Zhizhou had three taels of silver in his pocket and looked around.

Song Changxu was wearing a cape. It was still the New Year, and some of the shops in town were already closed. The ones selling firecrackers and fireworks were not.

“I see a place selling large red dates. Let’s go and have a look,” Song Changxu said, pointing to a grocery store.

Xu Zhizhou was dazzled by everything. Hearing Song Changxu’s words, he agreed.

Besides red dates, the grocery store also had brown sugar and goji berries.

Song Changxu: “Let’s buy these, and then a basket of eggs and some fruit pastries. That should be about it.”

Xu Zhizhou thought it was a good idea. “Alright, I’ll listen to you, husband.”

After buying everything, Xu Zhizhou bought a rattle-drum, a wooden carving, and some scraps of cloth and colored thread. “He’s at home and can’t go out. He must be very bored. He likes to embroider purses and handkerchiefs. It’ll be convenient for him if I buy some.”

It wasn’t snowing in the morning. When the two of them arrived at Xigu Village, a low-lying village, an old woman was standing at the door, looking out. Seeing the two strangers, her gaze was appraising.

Xu Zhizhou still remembered the way to the Bai family’s. He walked in front, his steps light. Song Changxu resignedly carried the gifts.

“Is anyone home? Luzhen!” Xu Zhizhou knocked on the door and called out.

Someone in the Bai family heard the noise. The one who opened the courtyard gate was the Bai family’s eldest daughter-in-law. She was a bit hesitant when she saw Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou’s appearance and clothes. “You are…”

“We’re from Qishan Village. I’m Luzhen’s friend, here to see him. My name is Xu Zhizhou, and this is my husband, Song Changxu.”

Seeing that they had mentioned Qishan Village, the Bai family’s eldest daughter-in-law opened the courtyard gate and let them in.

“Luzhen is in his later months and it’s not very convenient. He’s a bit more delicate than us and can’t take much hardship,” the eldest daughter-in-law said unconsciously.

When they reached the main hall, they didn’t see Sun Luzhen. The eldest daughter-in-law led them in. “He’s in his room.”

Seeing that they were carrying a lot of things, the smile on the eldest daughter-in-law’s face was more genuine. “You’ve come all this way. Why did you prepare so many things? I’ll help you put them away.”

Song Changxu smiled. “We won’t trouble you. Anyway, they’re for him. We’ll just put them in his room ourselves.”

The eldest daughter-in-law’s face stiffened. She led them to the front of Sun Luzhen’s room and left without saying anything.

Xu Zhizhou pushed open the door. Sun Luzhen’s room was warm with a charcoal brazier. He was sitting on the bed, embroidering a pair of tiger-head shoes. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

“Zhizhou?!” Sun Luzhen’s surprised voice came.

Xu Zhizhou quickly went over, sat on the edge of the bed, and held his hand. “It’s me. We’ve come to see you.”

Song Changxu put the things in the room.

“It’s enough that you’ve come. Why did you bring so many things? Come, sit. My husband and my in-laws have gone to pay respects to our ancestors and haven’t come back yet. Only my two sisters-in-law and I are at home. We don’t have the hands to receive you.”

Xu Zhizhou: “Why are you being so polite with us? We’re here to see you, not your husband and your in-laws.”

Hearing Xu Zhizhou’s words, Sun Luzhen smiled.

“Alright, it’s never wrong to listen to you.”

It was not good for Song Changxu to be here. He said, “I’ll go for a walk.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded. “Don’t go far.”

As soon as Song Changxu left, Xu Zhizhou held Sun Luzhen’s hand and wouldn’t let go. “You’re so fast. Let me see your belly.”

With only the two of them, Sun Luzhen lifted the quilt and showed Xu Zhizhou his belly.

“The baby is still small, but it’s quite active.”

Sun Luzhen’s eyes were full of gentleness when he mentioned the child.

“I’m glad you’re happy. Let me tell you about my life in the county town,” Xu Zhizhou said, chatting with him.

Sun Luzhen was happy for Xu Zhizhou. He said, “You have to take care of yourself when you’re setting up a stall outside.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded happily. “I will.”

Sun Luzhen talked about his own affairs. Bai Yuan was good to him, and his in-laws were also not bad. It was just that his eldest and second sisters-in-law were not friendly to him.

“When the door is closed, it’s just me and my husband. I don’t care. My eldest and second sisters-in-law got married and didn’t get pregnant. I came in later and got pregnant, so they’re not happy with me.”

Bai Yuan was the youngest son, and his in-laws doted on him a little, but they were also good to his eldest and second brothers. The eldest brother was the eldest, so he was much more fair.

“Every family has its own problems. We just have to live our own lives well.”

Sun Luzhen was very clear-headed. He smiled. “I’ve also told my husband that if this baby is a boy, he must go to study. His parents will have to work a little harder to let him learn to read and write, so that he can have a good future.”

“If it’s a girl, we’ll save up more dowry, so that she’ll have a strong backing when she goes to her in-laws’ and won’t be bullied.”

Xu Zhizhou: “You’re right.”

The two of them hadn’t seen each other for more than half a year. After a while of talking, they felt that their relationship had grown closer, and they had endless things to talk about.

A voice came from outside. It was the Bai family’s parents and the three brothers who had come back. They happened to run into Song Changxu coming in from outside.

Bai’s father said, “Which family’s young man are you? I haven’t seen you in the village.”

Song Changxu explained.

Bai’s father invited him to the main hall to sit and warm himself by the fire. “So you’re a xiucai‘s husband. Please, sit.”

Song Changxu sat down. When Xu Zhizhou had finished chatting with Sun Luzhen and had come to find Song Changxu to go home, the Bai family warmly asked them to stay.

Xu Zhizhou: “No need. The family has already made dinner for us.”

He remembered that their attitude was not like this before.

When they walked out of the Bai family’s gate, Xu Zhizhou asked with hesitation, “Did you say something to them?”

Song Changxu smiled. “I only said I was a xiucai.”

Thinking that there wasn’t a single xiucai in the surrounding villages, Xu Zhizhou immediately knew the reason.

Xu Zhizhou pinched Song Changxu’s hand. “So you’re quite impressive in the village.”

Song Changxu: “Whatever you say.”

He pretended to be reserved.

Xu Zhizhou snorted coldly. “Look at Xie Huaichuan.”

Song Changxu said, “Look at my small arms and legs. Can I go to the battlefield? The barbarians would have killed me with one slash. What military merits would there be? I would have died on the battlefield.”

Xu Zhizhou made a face. “You can be a civil official. Anyway, you have to make me the husband of an official. I want a large courtyard and money.”

At the entrance of the Song family’s house, Xu Zhizhou reined himself in a lot and went in with Song Changxu. In front of the elders, he couldn’t be too presumptuous. How the young couple bickered in private was their own business.

Back at home, there was a hot meal. After eating, Song Changxu and Xu Cheng played for a while and then warmed themselves by the fire with the family.

.

Xu Family

Xie Huaichuan was very fast. He had found a well-known local matchmaker to carry the betrothal gifts. As for his uncles, he had dealt with them decisively and had had the local yamen runners go to their door to intimidate them.

Since he already had power, why should he not use it?

After his uncles had learned of his identity, they were angry but did not dare to speak.

“You scoundrel, we are your relatives.”

Xie Huaichuan had the yamen runners escort him. “What is the crime for insulting an official?”

The yamen runner said, “Twenty strokes of the cane.”

“Then drag him down and beat him.”

Xie Huaichuan hated them, but the most important thing now was to marry Zhici and get rid of the Xie family. He had hired a craftsman from the town to repair the old Xie family house. With silver in hand, the craftsmen worked quickly and had finished the house two days before the wedding.

Although Zhici would not be living here, at least there would be a place for him to stay when he came.

Xie Huaichuan was satisfied with the brand-new place.

Their wedding was set for the eighth. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou had originally planned to leave on the fifth, but now they planned to leave on the tenth.

On the eighth, Song Changxu went to be the accountant. Xu Zhizhou, as a member of the bride’s family, had also gone to the Xu family’s early.

The two families had been looking forward to this marriage for a long time, and now it was finally happening. The villagers had heard that Xie Huaichuan was now an official, and they were all full of praise, a complete change from before.

“I heard that the yamen runners even listened to him and drove his uncles away.”

“The Xu family is really lucky. They have a xiucai as their second son-in-law, and now an official as their first. Look, sometimes having two ge’ers is better than having a son,” someone said, glancing at Song Changxu, who was keeping the accounts on the side. He had an outstanding temperament and handsome features.

Xie Huaichuan, who was receiving the guests with a wine cup, was tall and handsome, also a good gentleman. In the surrounding villages, there were only a few promising people, and both had become the Xu family’s sons-in-law.

They gave their gift money. When they looked at the feast, there was a lot of fish and meat, and the plates were also beautiful.

“I heard that Xie Huaichuan hired a cook from the town. It’s really extravagant.”

“He’s an official and has money. Zhici’s years of waiting have not been in vain. He can live a good life with Xie Huaichuan.”

The villagers were all talking, but their chopsticks were moving quickly, afraid that they would not be able to eat any meat if they were slow.

On the other side, after Xu Zhizhou had seen Xu Zhici off, he went to the Xie family’s and saw Song Changxu sitting properly in his seat. There were two charcoal braziers on the side, and there were also dried fruits and snacks on the table.

Xu Zhizhou: “When you’re done, we’ll eat together.”

Seeing his low spirits, Song Changxu smiled and agreed. “You’re sad to see your elder brother get married.”

Xu Zhizhou brought over a stool and sat next to Song Changxu. “My elder brother is so soft-tempered. I’m afraid Xie Huaichuan will bully him. But there’s nothing I can do. My elder brother just likes him, has always liked him since he was a child.”

Watching Xu Zhici get married, being carried by Xu Sunzheng and handed over to Xie Huaichuan, Xu Zhizhou realized that the feeling of being married was different from being unmarried.

Song Changxu held Xu Zhizhou’s hand. “Even if your elder brother is married, he’s still your elder brother. If you miss him, you can come back and see him.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded and took some snacks to eat. He had been busy all morning and hadn’t had a proper meal. Now he was hungry.

He saw Xie Huaichuan in his wedding clothes, looking very pleased with himself, and bared his teeth.

Xie Huaichuan’s senses were sharp. He sensed a hostile gaze and looked over fiercely, meeting Song Changxu’s eyes.

Song Changxu: “…”

He smiled at Xie Huaichuan.

Xie Huaichuan’s expression softened, and he also nodded, then looked away. It must have been his imagination.

Xu Zhizhou quickly hid behind Song Changxu.

Let his husband take the blame for him.

“So scary. Now I can get caught just by looking a few times,” Xu Zhizhou said, patting his chest, still shaken.

After the villagers had eaten, no one else came to give gift money. Someone came to call for Song Changxu and set up a table for him.

“Thank you,” Song Changxu said, and pulled Xu Zhizhou along.

The cook hired from the town was good. Xu Zhizhou was full. Xie Huaichuan came from somewhere and stuffed two red envelopes into Song Changxu’s hands. “Thank you for being the accountant.”

Song Changxu smiled. “What are you talking about, Elder Brother? We’re all one family. This is a small favor.”

Xu Zhizhou no longer glared at Xie Huaichuan. He was a coward in his heart.

Hearing this, Xie Huaichuan’s gaze towards Song Changxu softened. Now that they were all one family, it was indeed not good to be so formal.

“I heard you’re studying at the Jinhe County School. I wish you a smooth and successful career.”

Song Changxu: “I’ll take your good wishes, Elder Brother.”

There were still guests to receive. Xie Huaichuan did not stay for long and turned to deal with the others.

Xie Huaichuan’s alcohol tolerance was amazing. He did not need anyone to help him block the wine and was very composed.

Song Changxu saw his uncles go to Xie Huaichuan for wine. He looked at his own weak scholar’s appearance and gave up.

He might get drunk himself if he went to help block the wine.

The revelry went on until the evening. Xie Huaichuan walked to the door of the bridal chamber. He had already had someone send some food in, afraid that Xu Zhici would be hungry.

At the door, he took a deep breath before he pushed it open. He lifted the head covering and couldn’t take his eyes off Xu Zhici.

Xu Zhici was wearing light makeup. Seeing the burning heat in Xie Huaichuan’s eyes, he couldn’t help but lower his eyes.

.

Song Changxu hadn’t drunk much, but Xu Sunzheng and Xu Zhizhou had. His father-in-law was an old drunkard. He drank a lot but didn’t get drunk. Xu Zhizhou was drunk.

Song Changxu supported him, or he would have fallen into the snow.

He helped him home. After he had washed up, he lay in bed. Sensing that Song Changxu was coming, Xu Zhizhou immediately burrowed into his arms.

“I don’t have an elder brother anymore,” he said with a dry sob.

“You’ll have two elder brothers in the future,” Song Changxu comforted him kindly.

Xu Zhizhou’s mouth turned down. He turned around, leaving his back to him.

Song Changxu: “…”

He had left his back to Song Changxu before he went to sleep, but when he woke up, he was in his arms.

Xu Zhizhou rubbed his eyes. He felt a bit of a headache. He pulled away from Song Changxu’s embrace and rubbed his head.

Song Changxu was woken up by Xu Zhizhou’s movement. He looked up at the window. It was just dawn.

“It’s still early. Let’s sleep a little longer.”

Xu Zhizhou: “My head hurts. Can you massage it for me?”

Song Changxu yawned, reached out, and massaged him for a while. He fell asleep again after a short while.

Xu Zhizhou felt much better. He looked at the window and snuggled up to Song Changxu to sleep.

The two of them didn’t get up until noon. Song Mingyan said, “You two can sleep, but you should still have breakfast before you go back to sleep. Otherwise, your bodies won’t be able to take it.”

The two of them nodded.

“You’re going back tomorrow. Mingyan and I have packed some sausages, crispy pork, and fried meatballs and tofu.”

Before Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou left, they ate and took some.

Song Ye was sending them to town to hire a carriage. Seeing his elder brother and mother become black dots, Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou were both a bit reluctant.

When Song Ye had sent them to the carriage station, they had to say goodbye to their father again.

“You can go. Take good care of yourselves outside. Your health is the most important thing, no matter what,” Song Ye reminded them.

“We know, Father. It’s so cold. You should go back first.”

Song Ye nodded but still watched their carriage until it was far away before he left.

When the two of them had first come for the New Year, they had been expectant and excited. Now, on their way back, they were a little disappointed.

When they arrived at Jinhe County, they saw the familiar streets. Song Changxu carried his box and got off.

They saw that the Feng family’s gate was still tightly closed. Feng Xin’ou and Jiang Zhuo must not have come back yet.

Song Changxu pushed open the door. The house was covered in a layer of dust after only a dozen or so days. The two of them cleaned for half a day.

“I’ll go and boil some hot water for tea,” Xu Zhizhou said.

Song Changxu agreed and went to put away the things in the box. Halfway through, Xu Zhizhou called him out for tea.

Xu Zhizhou held his teacup to warm his hands. He said, “I feel a bit empty now that I’m back.”

Song Changxu: “What do you want to eat tonight? Shall we go to the street to buy some?”

Xu Zhizhou’s attention was diverted.

“I want to eat steamed pork with preserved vegetables, and also lamb soup.”

Song Changxu bought them all in the evening. They had a meal, then went to the night market. Xu Zhizhou felt much better.

Not long after, Feng Xin’ou and Jiang Zhuo also came back. Xu Zhizhou and Jiang Zhuo had something to talk about again.

The winter wind was biting. Everyone was huddled by the fire, unwilling to go out. If they did, they would have to be dressed like bears. After the New Year, those who had to leave had to leave. Some had to go to the city to work, and some had settled down elsewhere and had to go back.

In a flash, more than half of the people in Qishan Village, both familiar and unfamiliar, were gone. Xu Cheng pushed open the door and saw the little boy he used to run into being carried away by his parents.

He sighed. See, it’s a good thing we didn’t become friends. Otherwise, it would have just been for a while. So he never played with unfamiliar children during the New Year, because it was very likely that he would never see them again.

On the other side, Xie Huaichuan had tidied up and was also leaving for the army camp. Xu Zhici packed his bundle for him and saw him off. He reminded him, “Take care of yourself at the border.”

Xie Huaichuan kissed Xu Zhici’s forehead with cherish.

“I know. You should go back and warm yourself by the fire. I’m leaving.”

Xu Zhici watched Xie Huaichuan leave until he was out of sight before he went back to warm himself by the fire. He planned to stay at the old Xie family house for a few more days before going back to the Xu family’s.

His long-held wish had been fulfilled. The two of them were affectionate and just wanted to drown in these days.

Just after he had separated from Xie Huaichuan, Xu Zhici started to miss him. A few days later, he returned to the Xu family. Xu Sunzheng and Cao Qin were both happy and wished he would come back.

Their son was not familiar with that village, and there was no one to talk to. It was more familiar in Qishan Village.

“Alright, Zhici, you can stay. When Huaichuan can really come back, you two can live your own lives. You can stay at home for as long as you want,” Cao Qin said with a smile.

Xu Zhici’s lips curved into a smile. “Thank you, Mother.”

“Silly child, no matter where you marry, this is your home. There will always be a room for you here. What’s there to thank?”

Cao Qin was very welcoming of Xu Zhici staying at home for a long time. She had raised him for so many years. It was impossible that they couldn’t afford to keep him at home now that he was grown up.

Although the neighboring village was close, there were still times when they were not considerate. And he was in an unfamiliar place there. It was better at home.

.

After the New Year, the days passed quickly. Soon, Song Changxu’s school started again. He went to the school to review his books.

Many of his classmates had come, and they were all still sleepy. During the holiday, they didn’t have to get up early at home. Now that they had to come to the county school again, they were a bit unaccustomed to it.

After Teacher Zhou’s class, their energy came back when the class was over. Someone grumbled, “I played leaf cards with my third aunt and eighth aunt during the New Year. I lost all my red envelope money and even owe ten taels of silver.”

The others also talked about their New Year.

Xie Feng had gone to the capital this year. He had been on the road and had had no time at all. His father had taken him to visit the main family, and then school had started again when he came back.

Luo Shuang had gotten a lot of red envelope money from his family. Cheng Maoxue had gone back to his hometown.

Song Changxu: “I also went back to my hometown.”

They talked for a while and then about the provincial examination. Their faces were filled with worry.

Song Changxu was calm. There was still half a year until the provincial examination. He had to work harder.

Teacher Zhou said in the afternoon class, “There will be an entrance exam tomorrow to see if you’ve regressed during the holiday.”

The people in the classroom were immediately dejected.

Song Changxu got second place in the test. The first place was still Xie Feng.

Luo Shuang gave a bitter smile. “It’s my own fault for not improving.”

Cheng Maoxue patted his shoulder. “It’s just a temporary setback. There’s still a long way to go.”

Song Changxu cupped his hands. “You flatter me.”

Life at the school was tense and regular. Song Changxu had been a bit unaccustomed to it during the holiday, but now he had completely recovered.

Xu Zhizhou and Jiang Zhuo’s stall was set up. They had made a name for themselves and had many returning customers.

“Boss Xu, did you go home for the New Year?”

Xu Zhizhou agreed with a smile. “Yes, I did. I rested for a while and then opened for business. Here’s your Bobo Chicken.”

Those who knew Xu Zhizhou would ask a few questions, and he would chat with them. He was not afraid of talking.

They had made a small portion, and it was sold out by the evening. Xu Zhizhou pushed the pushcart to his room.

He had heated up a plate of the sausages and crispy pork he had brought from home and had made a vegetable soup for Song Changxu when he came back.

“You’re back. How was business today?” Song Changxu asked, putting down his book box and taking off his cape.

“It’s the same as always. It’ll be better in the summer. Let’s eat first,” Xu Zhizhou said. He liked the fried crispy pork and sausages from home. They were more fragrant than the ones bought outside.

Song Changxu told him a few interesting things that had happened at the school.

The candlelight shone on the wall, casting two mottled shadows. It was colder at night. Song Changxu had burned two charcoal braziers in the room.

“No, husband, come up quickly. It’s warmer with you,” Xu Zhizhou said, looking at Song Changxu with wide eyes.

Song Changxu took a book and got into bed. “I’ll read for a while and then sleep.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded. He finally felt that there was some warmth in the quilt.

***

Author’s Note:

Little Song: I’m not afraid of exams. [Rainbow fart]

Little Xu: I just want to be the husband of an official. [Pity]