Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 54

Chapter 54

When they returned to the courtyard, Lin Jiangshan started building a kiln. Using the leftover mud bricks from building the pigsty, he built a person-high, square kiln, leaving a small opening as a door, and then built another layer of bricks around it, filling the kiln with firewood stacked vertically.

He then sealed the opening with mud, leaving only a small hole for smoke to escape.

Ye Xi had never made charcoal before. Villagers usually just burned firewood directly, saving this step. He sat curiously under the eaves, watching Lin Jiangshan throw lit kindling through the small hole to ignite the firewood inside.

Crackling sounds came from inside, but the flames were invisible from outside the kiln.

Lin Jiangshan, seeing his husband’s interest, smiled. “It takes over an hour to burn. After it turns into charcoal, we have to take it out and dry it in the sun. Once dried, it becomes high-quality charcoal, a few pieces can burn all night.”

Ye Xi found it interesting. “No wonder the families in town like to buy charcoal, it’s light, burns long, and doesn’t take up much space, a bag can last for a long time.”

Lin Jiangshan, tending the kiln, said, “I learned this method in Xiyang Prefecture. The silver thread charcoal there is very valuable in winter, ordinary people can’t afford it, only officials and nobles use it. It burns even longer than this charcoal and produces no smoke or dust. But we don’t have that kind of wood here.”

Ye Xi teased him, “You’re so knowledgeable, it’s a waste for you to stay in this small mountain village. You should be a storyteller in town. Storytellers in the restaurants charge ten wen per session, and you have to go early to get a good seat. I’ve eavesdropped by the window before, their stories are so vivid.”

Lin Jiangshan patted the dirt off his hands. “I’m not good with words, I can only talk to my husband. No matter how exciting and wonderful life outside is, it’s not as good as living peacefully in the mountains with my husband, enjoying simple farm meals, working in the fields, and maybe in a few years, my husband will give me a child, calling me ‘Daddy’ with his little baby teeth.”

Ye Xi’s ears turned red, and he scolded him playfully, “You call yourself ‘not good with words’? Your smooth talking makes me blush. I’m going to cook.”

He went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

After dinner, Lin Jiangshan lit the oil lamp and sat in the courtyard, tending the kiln for two batches of charcoal. He had learned the technique from watching charcoal makers, so the charcoal he made was black, shiny, light, and durable.

Ye Xi brought baskets, and they filled seven or eight of them with charcoal.

“Let’s store them in the cellar for now and sell them in town when the weather gets colder.” Lin Jiangshan had a plan. Selling them now wouldn’t fetch a good price, they would lose two or three wen per catty.

After storing the charcoal, Ye Xi poured the bamboo shoots he dug today into the courtyard. He needed to peel them, revealing the tender white flesh inside, and remove the tougher bottom part, keeping only the cone-shaped tips, about the size of his palm.

Lin Jiangshan helped him peel the outer layers. The moon tonight was round and bright, casting a silvery white light on the small courtyard. The mountains were quiet, and they could hear the gurgling of the stream.

The fawn came over curiously, sniffed the bamboo shoots in the basket, and even played with the discarded shells.

Ye Xi smiled, peeled a tender bamboo shoot, and fed it to the fawn, which ate it from his hand, the crunching sound echoing in the quiet courtyard.

“It’s becoming less and less picky. Husband, it seems to have grown bigger, and its antlers are also larger.”

Lin Jiangshan looked it over. “Its antlers are branching out, it has definitely grown.”

Ye Xi stroked its head. “We can’t call you ‘little deer’ anymore, you’re almost a big deer now.”

The fawn, enjoying the petting, raised its head and let out a soft call.

Knowing they had to carry things to town to sell tomorrow, Ye Xi and Lin Jiangshan quickly tidied up and turned off the lights, going to bed.

The next morning, before dawn, Lin Jiangshan left with the woven baskets and bamboo shoots.

After he left, Ye Xi went back to sleep for a while, then got up. The cold wind rushed into the room when he opened the door, chasing away his sleepiness.

The weather, which had been fine yesterday, had suddenly turned colder. Ye Xi blew on his hands and went to cook rice bran for the pigs.

The two pigs were growing well, their bellies heavy with fat.

Ye Xi thought that in two months, it would be New Year’s, and they could slaughter one pig and sell the other. The money from selling the pig would cover the New Year’s expenses, and they wouldn’t have to touch their savings.

The weather was getting colder, the wind strong and the temperature low in the mountains, and at night, the wind howled, even seeping through the cracks in the window.

Ye Xi decided to buy some paper today to add more layers to the windows and also weave some straw mats with the dried reeds they saved from the autumn harvest, to hang over the windows, blocking out the wind completely.

After finishing the chores and letting the chickens and ducks out into the courtyard, Ye Xi instructed the fawn to guard them and then left.

Paper was a rare commodity, and ordinary families wouldn’t stock up on it. They would only buy it from the shop when they needed to paste window paper in winter, for special occasions, or to write couplets for the New Year.

The village next to Shanxiu Village had a paper shop, and because there were a few private schools there, and many students needed paper, several stationery shops had opened.

According to the elderly in the village, a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) had come from that village before, so people started saying that the Wenqu Star (the god of literature) had manifested there, blessing the students with good luck in their studies, a place with good feng shui. Therefore, more and more scholars opened private schools there, and they even built a temple dedicated to the Wenqu Star.

Ye Xi walked for over half an hour and reached the village with the paper shop. It was indeed different from Shanxiu Village, no men in short jackets and rolled-up pants, carrying hoes on their shoulders. Here, people in long robes, holding books, walked in and out.

They talked about Confucius, benevolence, righteousness, and the Doctrine of the Mean.

Ye Xi didn’t understand any of it. He walked further and saw a temple, with red walls and black tiles, grand and imposing, smoke curling from inside, and the faint sound of a bell.

Ye Xi was a Buddhist. Most villagers believed in such things, spending two wen on incense and candles, praying sincerely, and kowtowing, hoping for peace and good fortune. Even if it didn’t work, it wasn’t a loss, just for peace of mind.

Ye Xi looked up and saw the plaque on the temple, “Wenqu Star Temple,” the one the elderly said all scholars would visit. Ye Xi didn’t care about the Wenqu Star, he was just a simple farmer, concerned about having enough food and clothing, he wouldn’t worship the Wenqu Star like those scholars, so he saved his two wen.

He found the paper shop and went in to inquire about prices.

The shop assistant saw Ye Xi and greeted him with a smile. “Young Master, are you here to borrow books or buy paper and brushes for your husband?”

Besides selling books, the shop also lent them out. Scholars in the countryside were often poor, and a book cost over a hundred wen, rarely affordable, so the shop started a book rental business.

For twenty wen, they could borrow a book for half a month. Many scholars would borrow books, copy them at home, and save a lot of money.

The assistant, seeing Ye Xi’s hair tied up in a bun, knew he was a married young man. There were no female scholars here, so he assumed Ye Xi was here to borrow books for his husband.

Ye Xi smiled and said, “I’m here to buy paper.”

The assistant quickly led him to the counter, where several types of paper were displayed. “Young Master, we have yellow paper, vine paper, hemp paper, and the best quality bamboo paper, please take a look.”

Ye Xi didn’t know anything about paper, they all looked white and clean. “I’m buying it to paste window paper, it needs to be strong and durable, preferably translucent.”

The assistant slapped his forehead and smiled. “So it’s for window paper, that’s easy, no need to distinguish between different types of paper. Young Master, just look at this mulberry bark paper and hemp paper, they’re strong, durable, wind-resistant, and translucent.”

Ye Xi took a sheet and looked at it against the light from outside. “It’s good, what’s the price?”

The assistant smiled. “This paper is much cheaper than the paper scholars use for writing and painting, three wen per sheet. How many sheets do you need, Young Master?”

Three wen, that wasn’t expensive. His mother bought paper every year, and it was always three wen per sheet. Ye Xi nodded, calculating that he only needed to paste the windows in their bedroom and the main room, the woodshed and kitchen didn’t need it.

“Ten sheets, please. I’m planning to paste two or three layers for better insulation.”

“Alright, I’ll wrap them up for you.” The assistant quickly counted out ten sheets and tied them with a mulberry bark string.

Ye Xi took out his money bag, counted thirty wen, and handed it to the assistant.

As he turned to leave with the paper, he bumped into someone entering the shop. He looked over and saw Yao-ge’er from their village, and beside him was Cao Bin from the Cao family.

Cao Bin’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Ye Xi, staring at him intently.

Ye Xi just glanced at him indifferently and prepared to leave.

Yao-ge’er, his head held high, said smugly, “Oh, it’s Xi-ge’er. What a coincidence, running into you here. What are you, a farmer, doing in a paper shop?”

Ye Xi said calmly, “Do you own this shop? It’s none of your business what I’m buying here. You have no right to question me.”

Yao-ge’er’s face flushed, and seeing Cao Bin still staring at Ye Xi, he angrily pinched Cao Bin’s side.

Cao Bin winced and looked away, smiling awkwardly. “Xi-ge’er’s face…”

Ye Xi ignored him.

Yao-ge’er said triumphantly, “Brother Bin and I are buying paper to write ‘double happiness’ characters, we’re getting married in a few days.”

Ye Xi smiled faintly, captivating Cao Bin.

“Congratulations.”

After saying that, Ye Xi left with his basket.

Even after Ye Xi had walked a distance away, Cao Bin was still staring at his back, thinking, what a pity.

Yao-ge’er sneered. “Unexpected, isn’t it? Xi-ge’er’s face was so badly burned, and your family rushed to break off the engagement. Now his face has completely healed. Someone must be regretting it now.”

Cao Bin frowned and glared at Yao-ge’er irritably. “What are you talking about?!”

Yao-ge’er sneered coldly. “Even if you regret it to the heavens, it’s too late, he’s already married, to that outsider in our village. They’re a loving couple.”

Cao Bin glared at Yao-ge’er coldly and turned to leave, not wanting to speak to him anymore.