My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 59

Chapter 59: Village Daily Life

The two of them walked slowly on the snow, greeting a few people they ran into.

“Changxu and Zhizhou are back. Are you going to the Xu family’s? It’s getting more and more lively with you two around,” someone said.

Song Changxu answered, “We should go and see my in-laws since we’re back.”

When the two of them arrived at the Xu family’s courtyard, they first knocked on the door and then walked in. The fire in the main hall was burning brightly, and there were voices in the room.

Xu Sunzheng stood at the threshold. Seeing that it was Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou, he quickly said, “Come in. Have a cup of hot tea to warm up.”

Song Changxu pulled Xu Zhizhou in. Xu Zhizhou saw Xie Huaichuan sitting next to Xu Zhici at a glance.

He snorted softly in his heart, not daring to make a sound.

“You’ve come back a little early this year,” Cao Qin said, handing them two cups of green tea.

It smelled like good tea. His parents would buy such good tea. It must have been bought by a certain someone.

Xu Zhizhou took a demure sip. It was good. He finished the whole cup.

“I’m going to the capital for the metropolitan examination after the New Year, so I came back early,” Song Changxu explained.

Xie Huaichuan looked over. He had learned a lot from Master Wu and knew that it was time for the metropolitan examination. He hadn’t expected this brother-in-law of his to be so promising.

They were all one family now. Xie Huaichuan also felt a faint joy for Song Changxu’s success.

After the New Year, he would be going to the capital to take up his post. If Song Changxu could become an official in the capital, Zhici would also have a companion.

Xu Zhizhou was a bit bolder. With him there, Xie Huaichuan was also more at ease.

Xu Sunzheng knew that Song Changxu had passed the exam to become a Juren. He only knew that it was higher than a xiucai, but he didn’t know that he had to go to the capital for the exam this time. It was truly amazing.

Xie Huaichuan said, “I’m also going to the capital, but a little later than you, probably around the third month.”

Song Changxu: “The third month? We’re taking the metropolitan examination in the second month, and the palace examination in the third.”

Xie Huaichuan didn’t have to be stationed at the border. Instead, he would be going to the capital with the Xiao family. Xu Zhici would naturally have to go with him.

“Don’t leave after you’ve finished the exam,” Xie Huaichuan said thoughtfully. “I’ll take Zhici, as well as my in-laws and Zhizhou, to the capital.”

The Xie family had no elders he cared about, but Xu Zhici had two parents and a younger brother who doted on him. If he only took Zhici away, he wouldn’t be at ease with no one to take care of his parents.

If Song Changxu really did pass the Jinshi exam, they could look out for each other in the capital. If he didn’t, he could go back to the village with Zhizhou. It would be up to his in-laws whether they wanted to stay in the capital or go back with them.

Hearing that he could also go to the capital, Xu Zhizhou nodded and said, “That’s a good idea, brother-in-law.”

Song Changxu nodded. “Then we’ll do as you say, brother-in-law.”

Xu Zhici was also a little happy.

Xu Sunzheng said, “You can all go to the capital. Your mother and I will stay in the village. We don’t want to be a burden. When you have children, we’ll go to the capital to help you take care of them for a while. For the rest, we’re still young and want to live a peaceful life in the countryside.”

Cao Qin also said, “That’s right. Our elders are all here. Even if you leave, no one will bully us here. We’re not used to the capital. It’s too much of a hassle to go back and forth.”

Xie Huaichuan had to agree.

Today was a rare occasion for the family to be reunited. Cao Qin took her two sons to the kitchen to make a good meal.

Xu Sunzheng took a puff of his pipe. Someone was calling him from outside, so he went out to see what it was.

Song Changxu was warming himself by the fire and asked, “Now that the barbarians have been driven back, is the army alright?”

Xie Huaichuan sighed at the mention of the army. “The soldiers have suffered heavy casualties. Although General Xiao has submitted a memorial to His Majesty to give them a pension, it has not yet arrived.”

He had also heard of the struggle between His Majesty and the Xiao family, but it was unnecessary to involve the innocent soldiers. Xie Huaichuan had eaten and lived with them, and had seen familiar people fall and die in front of him.

In the end, it was just a burial in a horse’s hide.

If they couldn’t even get the final pension, it was too absurd.

Hearing this, Song Changxu was also a little silent.

The barbarians had been driven back, but not yet eliminated. There would probably still be many conflicts in the future. The common people were the ones who suffered the most in a war.

“Let’s not talk about these things. Do you have enough money for the exam in the capital?” Xie Huaichuan said, taking two silver ingots from his pocket and stuffing them into Song Changxu’s hands.

“You have to spend money on everything when you’re outside. The most important thing is to have money in your pocket,” Xie Huaichuan said. He had military merits, and the dandies were generous. He still had a lot of silver on him.

Of course, he still couldn’t afford to buy a house in the capital. He planned to buy some land here first. After all, he still had to abide by the laws of the Ningxing Dynasty. He would buy twenty acres of land and rent it out to others to farm, and then they would just have to send him silver every year.

He was a sixth-rank military officer. This time, he had made a contribution in the war. Only after he went to the capital would His Majesty reward him with gold and silver.

Song Changxu couldn’t refuse. “Thank you, brother-in-law.”

Xie Huaichuan waved his hand and said, “It’s nothing. We’re all one family.”

If Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou were doing well, he would also be happy.

On the other side, Xu Zhizhou and Xu Zhici were picking vegetables. Xu Zhizhou asked quietly, “Elder Brother, I heard that brother-in-law has been promoted?”

Xu Zhici smiled and nodded. “He’s now a Zhaoxin Xiaowei. It sounds very impressive. I don’t know what it means.”

A large stone was lifted from Xu Zhizhou’s heart. He pulled on Xu Zhici and said coquettishly, “In the future, if brother-in-law bullies me, will you help him or me, Elder Brother?”

Xu Zhici: “Since he’s your brother-in-law, he’s your elder. How can an elder bully a junior? If he really does such a thing, I will definitely be on your side.”

Xu Zhizhou was moved to tears. His elder brother was so good to him. With him there, even if Xie Huaichuan was promoted even higher, he still had a protective talisman.

Of course, he still knew that he couldn’t be as presumptuous as before.

It was all Song Changxu’s fault for not being promising.

Xu Zhizhou thought sadly for a while, then said in a low voice, “Elder Brother, since you’re going to the capital with brother-in-law, you should have him find a teacher to teach you how to read and write. Then you can read storybooks.”

Xu Zhici: “…”

“Can I learn to read and write?” Xu Zhici couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course you can. My husband taught me to read and write. I’m very good at reading storybooks now. Oh right, he can read, can’t he? You can also have him teach you. It can also improve your relationship.”

It was killing two birds with one stone.

The capital was a place of flowers and brocades, full of temptations. Who knew if Xie Huaichuan had any bad intentions? Xu Zhizhou always assumed the worst of him.

Xu Zhici: “Alright, I’ll talk to him when I have time.”

They had lunch. Xu Zhizhou was still at home playing. He and Xu Zhici went to their room to talk. Song Changxu went out to look at the snow.

Xu Zhizhou tied a beautiful hairstyle for Xu Zhici. “I saw someone in the county with this hairstyle. It looks very pretty.”

“This hairstyle also looks very good on you, Elder Brother,” Xu Zhizhou said, holding a bronze mirror for him to see.

Xu Zhici touched his head and laughed. “Teach me how to do it, and I can do it myself in the future.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded.

In the evening, they had dinner. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou left. There was a light snow, and Song Changxu gathered his cape. Xu Zhizhou followed behind him.

“Husband, you have to keep warm when you get to the capital. Don’t get sick,” Xu Zhizhou said.

“I know,” Song Changxu said, pulling him to the front to walk side by side.

Xu Zhizhou shrunk back and followed behind him. He could have his husband block the wind for him.

They returned to their room, warmed themselves by the fire for a while, and then went to sleep. Xu Zhizhou slept early. He had a dream of being the husband of an official. In the dream, there were many gold and silver treasures, so many that he couldn’t hold them all.

“They’re all mine… all mine…” Xu Zhizhou said in his sleep, holding onto Song Changxu’s hand and not letting go.

Song Changxu was sleeping soundly. He only felt that his arm was a little heavy, but he still fell asleep. When he woke up the next day, his hand was still numb. It was numb when he pressed it. It took a quarter of an hour to recover.

He stuffed the pillow into Xu Zhizhou’s hands and got up himself.

“Changxu, you’re up so early. We’re having wontons today,” Song Mingyan said.

He had just picked some scallions from the fields. The kitchen was still warm.

Song Ye and Liang Su both used large bowls for their meals. Song Mingyan had a small appetite. There was not much work to do in the winter, so he also ate less.

Seeing him go to wash up, Song Mingyan asked, “How much do you want?”

Men usually had a larger appetite. After Song Changxu had left home, he was a little unsure of his appetite.

Song Changxu wiped his face with a cloth and said, “I’ll have two liang. More scallions and chili, Elder Brother.”

Song Mingyan agreed. The chili at home had been made by him a few days ago. The chili oil was excellent for cooking and for noodle soup.

The wontons were already a meat dish, so he didn’t fry any eggs. He just added more scallions and chili to Song Changxu’s bowl.

When it was ready, everyone in the family was almost awake. Song Changxu helped to bring the bowls to the table.

As soon as Xu Cheng came out, he smelled the fragrance. He sat down and ate the wontons with a spoon. The homemade wontons had thin skins and a lot of meat. The taste was also good, and they were generous with the ingredients.

Song Changxu’s bowl was a sea of red. He broke into a light sweat as he ate, but he felt extremely satisfied.

The children in the village could all cook. Xu Zhizhou could make wontons and dumplings, but not wontons. Seeing Song Changxu eating happily, and feeling that the taste was very good himself, he had the idea of asking his elder brother to teach him how to make them.

The whole family finished their breakfast. Song Ye went to feed the chickens and ducks. The pigs at home had also grown fat. Song Ye planned to find a butcher today to slaughter one of them and save the other.

Xu Zhizhou rarely saw pigs and ducks in the county town. He had seen a few roosters. Every morning in the lane, he could hear them crowing.

In the village, you could see chickens and ducks everywhere.

Xu Zhizhou pulled Song Changxu along to collect the eggs. Liang Su stood in the chicken coop, her gaze on a few of the hens.

Xu Zhizhou called out, “Mother, what are you doing?”

Liang Su said, “I’m going to kill an old hen for the New Year to nourish you.”

With that, she had already picked out a hen and was holding it.

Liang Su was a good hand at killing chickens and fish. As long as they were washed and prepared, that was enough. To make a good braised chicken, the seasoning was indispensable.

The family had money, and they didn’t have to pay taxes on the grain. Song Mingyan still earned money from his stall. Liang Su and Song Ye didn’t let him hand it over, but he still had to give a portion every month.

It was already good that he was living and eating at home with Xu Cheng. Even if his parents said they didn’t need the money, he still had to give it.

Song Changxu saw the chicken being killed and wanted to use the feathers to make a feather brush.

Xu Zhizhou: “We can keep the feathers to make a shuttlecock. We can kick it in the winter to keep warm.”

The two of them both wanted the feathers. Xu Zhizhou went to find Song Mingyan to make a shuttlecock together.

He also asked how to make wontons.

Song Mingyan smiled. “If you want to learn, I’ll teach you.”

“You’re the best, Elder Brother.”

***

Author’s Note:

Little Song: The food at home is so good. [Milk tea]

Little Xu: Happy. [Laughs]