My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 60

Chapter 60: The Capital

In the afternoon, Song Ye found a butcher to come and slaughter the pig. The kitchen had been boiling hot water all day.

Many people from the village came to watch the excitement. Slaughtering a pig was a major event in the village.

Song Changxu didn’t like to watch these things and hid in his room. Xu Zhizhou and Xu Cheng watched together. After a while, they couldn’t bear it and also hid.

Half of the pork was sold, and the other half was kept for the family. It was enough to send some to their in-laws and relatives.

Making crispy pork, sausages, and smoked meat all required meat, and a lot of salt. The meat on the day of slaughter was fresh and cheaper than in the town, so the villagers were all rushing to buy it.

After Song Ye had paid the butcher, Liang Su started to tidy up the courtyard. Too many people had come, and the snow on the ground was black.

Xu Zhizhou brought some hot water from the kitchen and sprinkled it on the ground, sweeping even faster with a broom.

After a lot of effort, it was time for dinner.

Xu Zhizhou wiped the sweat from his forehead. He muttered, “It’s so strange. I don’t feel like I’ve done much at home, but time passes so quickly.”

In the evening, they had a bowl of old hen chicken soup. Song Changxu’s eyes lit up, and he had several bowls.

The chicken was also braised until it was tender. Song Changxu had several bowls, and both of them were full.

The two of them wouldn’t eat so finely at home. Although there was meat and vegetables, they wouldn’t spend too much time in the kitchen.

They rarely made things like braised chicken soup and ribs.

At night, Song Ye went to check the pigsty. There was only one pig left. He sighed after feeding it.

Feeding the chickens and ducks was not a problem. They just had to go to the field ridges and the back mountain to cut grass in the morning.

After soaking their feet at night, Song Changxu saw that everyone in the family was asleep. He went to pour out the washing water.

He put the basin away. The whole house was dark except for a faint light in their room. Xu Zhizhou was lying on the bed, reading a storybook.

Song Changxu took the storybook from his hand. A trace of confusion flashed in Xu Zhizhou’s eyes.

The storybook was thrown on the table. Song Changxu leaned over and kissed him, their lips and teeth intertwined. The two of them hadn’t been so intimate in a long time. In the past, a kiss was enough. Now, Xu Zhizhou felt that it probably wouldn’t be just a kiss tonight.

Song Changxu’s gaze was deep. His fingers nimbly untied his sash. He panted and said, “Let’s be a little quieter.”

Knowing where they were and still fooling around, Xu Zhizhou thought of this and glared at Song Changxu, but his waist went soft.

There was only one charcoal brazier in the room. His skin was a little cool when exposed, but it soon turned pink. The quilt rose and fell.

Song Changxu came quickly and urgently.

Xu Zhizhou wrapped his arms around his neck, his fingers leaving red marks on his back. Seeing that Xu Zhizhou’s head was about to hit the headboard, Song Changxu reached out to protect it.

The two of them were both panting. Hearing the sound, Xu Zhizhou was suddenly a little embarrassed.

He lay on his stomach on the pillow, his dark hair damp.

…

The winter was a bit cold. Everyone woke up late in the morning. When Xu Zhizhou woke up, his body was refreshed. He had breakfast, hit Song Changxu, and said in a low voice, “We can’t fool around at home in the future.”

Song Changxu smiled and agreed. “I know. You should eat more.”

Xu Zhizhou had actually enjoyed it too. After all, Song Changxu’s face was so handsome, and his abs were strong.

Song Changxu looked at the wind and snow outside and said, “It’s best not to go out today. It looks like it’s going to snow heavily.”

Song Mingyan was teaching Xu Zhizhou how to make wontons. Even if they didn’t go out, there was still so much meat to deal with at home. Liang Su and the others were also not free.

Song Ye had come back early from cutting grass.

Yesterday, they had sold half a pig and had earned a total of five taels of silver. Song Ye and Liang Su had discussed it. Song Changxu would need to spend a lot of money to go to the capital. They would give him these five taels of silver when he was about to leave, for his travel expenses.

On the thirtieth of the twelfth month, the Song family had a lively meal and also set off fireworks and firecrackers.

After they had stayed up for the New Year, they went back to their respective rooms.

Song Changxu was leaving tomorrow. Xu Zhizhou pulled him and stuffed some silver into his hands. “Don’t wrong yourself when you get to the capital.”

He said, “My brother-in-law gave me twenty taels of silver. It’s enough.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhizhou was surprised. He said, “I didn’t expect him to be so generous.”

He still stuffed the silver into Song Changxu’s hands. “I don’t know how much it will cost to go to the capital. It’s always good to have a little more.”

Song Changxu’s hand was scratched by the sharp edges of the silver. It was not easy for Xu Zhizhou to earn money, getting up early every day to set up his stall. He felt a sense of indignation.

“Alright, I’ll take it for now.”

Xu Zhizhou: “Alright, go to bed early. Remember to wake me up when you leave tomorrow morning. I’ll see you off.”

He spoke vaguely. Song Changxu kissed him. “Don’t you like silver the most? I still have money, and you’re giving me more.”

Xu Zhizhou wanted to sleep and felt that Song Changxu was being very long-winded. He reached out and pushed his face away. “Money is money. You can’t be wronged when you’re outside. We can always earn more money. You study hard. If you do well, it will be the most worthwhile for me to be the husband of an official.”

Thinking of being the husband of an official, the corners of Xu Zhizhou’s lips turned up. “Don’t tire yourself out, and don’t rest either.”

Song Changxu: “…”

Xu Zhizhou fell asleep.

Song Changxu was a little too excited to sleep. He was reluctant to leave Xu Zhizhou. Fortunately, he was in Qishan Village, with his parents to take care of him, so he was a little more at ease.

“All you think about is being the husband of an official. You should also care about me,” Song Changxu said, pinching Xu Zhizhou’s palm.

In the morning, he did not wake Xu Zhizhou up. He left quietly. It was Song Ye who took him to Shuibo Town to take a carriage. He took some of the meat buns from home, and the father and son set off.

At the horse station, Song Ye gave Song Changxu five taels of silver. “Take good care of yourself when you get there. There’s no one you know in the capital. You’ll have to rely on yourself for everything.”

Just as Song Changxu was about to refuse, Song Ye said, “Take it. It’s an unfamiliar place, but life is easier with silver.”

Song Changxu saw the wrinkles and furrows on Song Ye’s face. He suddenly thought that he would be seeing him less often now. He was always working in the fields.

After the family had gotten an ox-cart, every time he had to go to town, Song Ye would take him.

When Song Changxu went to take the silver, he held his hand. It was a world of difference from the hand he used to write with.

His hands were fair and well-defined. It was clear that he had never done any hard work. But Song Ye’s hands were dark, with cracks, and as rough as tree bark.

He now understood that whether he had transmigrated or not, his family had always been supporting him along the way. That was why he didn’t have to go to the fields, but could stay in his room to learn to read and write.

They had already given him their best.

His parents were in this small place of Shuibo Town, but he was standing on their shoulders to go to Jinhe County, to Yunzhou Prefecture. He had met more people. It was they who had given him the courage to measure the world with his footsteps.

Song Changxu said, “Father, you should go back. It’s cold outside. I’ll get on the carriage first. I’ll take good care of myself when I’m out.”

Song Ye answered.

Song Changxu sat in the carriage. He lifted the curtain and saw Song Ye watching the carriage go far away with his neck shrunk, and then he slowly walked away on the snow with his back hunched.

This time, there was no Brother Feng with him in the carriage.

Song Changxu put away the silver. Besides his parents and elder brother, Xu Zhizhou had also worked hard for him.

He let out a breath.

After Song Changxu had left, Xu Zhizhou woke up. He felt the lingering coldness on the side of the bed. He quickly got up and saw that the person was already gone.

“I told him to wake me up. Why didn’t he?” Xu Zhizhou’s nose tingled when he didn’t see Song Changxu.

He was going to be away for so long this time. He just wanted to watch him leave.

Song Mingyan patted his back. “Changxu didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

“How can sleep be more important than him? I’m so angry,” Xu Zhizhou said. He thought of going to the capital with no one he knew. This time, Feng Xin’ou was not there either. He was all alone.

Xu Zhizhou was in low spirits for a few days. He went back to the Xu family’s. Hearing from Xie Huaichuan that he would be setting off for the capital in the third month, he was a little happy.

“I’ve only been gone for a few days and I’m already thinking about it. I can’t think about it. I won’t be able to see him even if I do,” Xu Zhizhou warned himself.

The bed was too big for one person. Ever since Song Changxu had left, he had not been sleeping well.

Especially at night, he couldn’t help but think of the little things with Song Changxu, and he wanted to cry again.

He cried and pounded the wall.

As a result, a brick fell out.

Xu Zhizhou was startled.

Is my strength already so great?

He got down, stuffed the brick back in, blew out the candle, and jumped onto the bed with a guilty conscience, pulling the quilt over himself.

His heart was pounding.

After a while, there was no movement. He relaxed and thought of Song Changxu again, reaching out to wipe the corners of his eyes.

.

From Shuibo Town to Jinhe County, he transferred to Yunzhou Prefecture, and then to the capital. The journey to the capital was long. A carriage could seat three people. Song Changxu and two other scholars hired the same carriage.

They exchanged names and went to find an inn together. The inns in the capital were too expensive.

The lower rooms were too noisy, so they chose a middle room. As for the upper rooms, one tael of silver a night was too expensive.

The food at the inn was even more expensive. Song Changxu would go out to find a small stall to eat. For the rest of the time, besides going out to familiarize himself with the environment on the first day, they were all cooped up in their rooms reading.

When it was the day of the metropolitan examination, Song Changxu took his exam basket and went out. By the time he arrived, there were already many people. It was a sea of people before dawn.

This time, there were only three hundred places for the metropolitan examination.

Song Changxu didn’t have to wait for long. He was led to his own examination cubicle and sat down to wait.

Hearing the sound of a gong, everyone had arrived. Liu Wangsheng was the chief examiner this time. He was the current prime minister. He sat at the top and nodded.

The officials started to distribute the exam papers.

Liu Wangsheng had been appointed by the late emperor as a regent minister. Although Empress Dowager Xiao was currently in a heated struggle with His Majesty, Liu Wangsheng had not participated. He had just remained neutral and did his job in the court.

The Grand Secretariat was in his hands, so he had no worries. Besides, in this struggle, he was more inclined towards Emperor Pingjing. After all, His Majesty was young and intelligent, and he was the legitimate heir.

Song Changxu first browsed through the exam paper, then drafted his answer and started to write. Once he started, he would not stop. He finished the paper in one go.

Liu Wangsheng took a sip of clear tea. He saw a few people had started to write, and his heart was calm.

Writing fast did not mean writing well. Liu Wangsheng was a calm person and always liked to be steady in his work.

There were also two vice examiners for the metropolitan examination. They were both very nervous.

Song Changxu was focused. He only stopped when he ran out of ink, then he rubbed his wrist and continued to write.

He was so focused that he did not realize the passage of time.

After he had finished, he put down his brush, checked it over, and then completely relaxed. At this moment, a shadow fell on his desk.

Song Changxu sat up straight.

Liu Wangsheng looked at his name.

***

Author’s Note:

Little Song: The next time we meet, you’ll be the husband of an official. [Laughs]

Little Xu: I miss him, I miss him, I miss him. [Crying]