Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 83

Chapter 83

Naturally, Ye Xi didn’t tell Lin Jiangshan yet. These days, he was busy from dawn till dusk, helping the Ye family with their harvest, then working as a hired hand for another family. Seeing how hard Lin Jiangshan worked, he didn’t want to raise his hopes prematurely.

With a newly filled granary, Ye Xi asked Liu Xiufeng to inquire in the village about anyone with pregnant cats. Grandma Wang from the village center had a cat that recently gave birth to a litter of kittens, a month old. Ye Xi wrapped some salt in oilpaper and went to Grandma Wang’s house to ask for a kitten, planning to visit the doctor on the way back.

Grandma Wang’s house wasn’t far from the Ye family’s, and Ye Xi knocked on her door.

Grandma Wang was pickling vegetables and, seeing Ye Xi, smiled and greeted him. “Xi-ge’er, you’re here for a kitten? Come in and sit.”

Ye Xi smiled. “I heard from my mother that you have kittens, I came to ask for one to guard our grain storage. We can’t do without a cat, the mice are ruining our food.”

Grandma Wang brought out a stool and smiled. “Isn’t that the truth! The mice become active after winter, burrowing everywhere. They even ate half of the vegetable buns I left on the stovetop yesterday! My cat is nursing her kittens, so those pests are taking advantage of it!”

Ye Xi sat down and said, “Your cats are known for being good mousers and watchdogs, that’s why I came to ask for one.”

Grandma Wang said, “The mother cat is still nursing her kittens, they should be weaned soon, you can take one then. Wait for a while.”

Ye Xi nodded and handed her the package of salt, a village custom, bringing salt as a gift when asking for a cat, so the cat wouldn’t run away and would recognize its new home.

He also brought a small jar of tea dust, the tea he processed during Dragon Boat Festival, as a small gift.

Although tea dust was considered lower grade tea, it was commonly consumed in the village, strong and affordable. Grandma Wang, seeing this, was pleased. “Xi-ge’er is always so thoughtful, bringing tea leaves, unlike others, who just bring salt. I’ll accept it, we’re just finished with the busy farming season, and we’re running low on tea.”

Families always drank a lot of tea during the busy farming season, to quench their thirst, relieve fatigue, and also for the flavor. Without tea leaves, they would use bamboo leaves or wild herbs, but the taste wasn’t as good.

As they were talking, someone knocked on the door, and Grandma Wang went to answer it. A middle-aged man in a long robe stood at the door, and Ye Xi immediately noticed the shrewdness in his eyes.

He must be a traveling merchant.

As expected, after exchanging a few words with him at the door, Grandma Wang gestured with her fingers, and the man left.

Grandma Wang returned, looking pleased.

Ye Xi took a sip of water. “Grandma, who was that?”

“A grain merchant,” Grandma Wang replied.

Grain merchants would come to the villages after the harvest, knowing that the farmers had stored grain, and buy the new grain.

Ye Xi nodded. “The imperial tax is lower this year, every family has surplus grain after paying the tax.”

Grandma Wang smiled. “The price of grain is higher this year, seven or eight wen per catty in previous years, but eleven or twelve wen this year. Many families are selling their grain, hoping to save some money.”

Ye Xi asked, “The price is that high this year?”

Grandma Wang said, “My husband went to town a few days ago and heard that there might be a war in the north, those Hu barbarians are causing trouble again, and the Emperor is angry and wants to wipe them out. War means hoarding grain, so the price will definitely increase.”

The dynasty had been prosperous in recent years, the people living in peace, with the resources to wage war. If there really was a war, the price of grain would naturally increase, no wonder every family was willing to sell their grain.

Nanchuan Prefecture was far from the capital and the northern border, a peaceful place unaffected by the outside world. The people here weren’t worried about war, just focusing on farming and paying their taxes.

Grandma Wang then asked, “It’s just you and Lin lad, you can’t possibly eat all your grain, aren’t you selling some?”

Ye Xi shook his head. “We don’t have much land, and it’s our first harvest, we have to save for next year, in case it’s a bad year, we don’t want to starve. Unlike you, Grandma, you have grain stored from previous years, you can afford to sell.”

Grandma Wang didn’t say anything more, the young couple had their own plans, and their thinking was sound.

“Most families in the village are selling their grain, Shanxiu Village will be richer this year.”

Ye Xi smiled and couldn’t help but advise, “Grandma, you should still save enough grain, money is good, but food is more important.”

Grandma Wang smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ve saved enough for half a year, and after planting the summer rice, we’ll have a full granary again after the autumn harvest, we won’t go hungry.”

A tabby cat came out of the house, its coat beautifully patterned, looking majestic.

“Oh, she’s finished nursing her kittens, Xi-ge’er, come and choose one.”

Ye Xi followed Grandma Wang into the house. In the corner of the woodshed was a nest made of straw, five or six kittens huddled inside, tabby, orange, all soft and adorable.

“This litter is from my cat and the village chief’s orange cat, a strong and healthy one, these kittens will be good.”

The more Ye Xi looked, the more he liked them. After looking them over, he chose an orange one.

Leaving Grandma Wang’s house, the kitten meowed softly in the basket. Ye Xi lifted the cloth covering the basket and, looking at its fluffy head, smiled. “Don’t be afraid, just guard our grain and catch mice at our house, you’ll have plenty to eat, I’ll make sure you grow big and strong.”

The kitten meowed softly a couple more times, then quieted down.

As he approached the village doctor’s house, Ye Xi’s heart started to race. Ever since Li Ran mentioned his possible pregnancy, he had been anxious, afraid of being disappointed.

This doctor was famous in the area, people from surrounding villages came to him when they were sick. He was said to be a disciple of Doctor Zhang from Xiushui Village, having learned some medical skills from the capital.

He entered the courtyard, and several women were chatting under the eaves of the doctor’s house. Seeing Ye Xi, they looked him over curiously.

Most of the women and young men who came here were those who couldn’t conceive, their bellies remaining flat after years of marriage.

Ye Xi stood awkwardly to the side, waiting for his turn.

“Look, so young, and already seeing the doctor.”

“Young men have difficulty conceiving, some even become old men without children, it’s common, and with the pressure from their families, who wouldn’t be anxious?”

“That woman inside, she hasn’t conceived after six or seven years, I heard she’s been taking medicine for over a year, how pitiful.”

“I’m hoping for a son this time, we have a lot of land, we need more sons to help with the farm work.”

“I just want a son or a daughter, my three sons are so noisy, I want a child I can dote on.”

The women chattered, and after a while, some left with their medicine, and others went in to see the doctor.

Ye Xi waited, listening to their gossip, ranging from family matters to village affairs, learning a lot about the lives of others.

Then he heard a familiar name.

“Hey, have you heard about the Cao family?”

“Which Cao family?”

“The one who married Yao-ge’er, which other Cao family is there?”

“What happened? Something interesting?” Village women always perked up at the mention of other people’s affairs, eager for gossip.

The woman who spoke sighed. “Isn’t that Cao family’s son a scholar? He didn’t pass the spring imperial exam, while Zhang Yuan, Grandma Zhao’s brother, did, and he’s now working as an official in the government office, living a good life. That Cao family can’t compare, both studying at the same private school, one becomes a Xiucai, while the other frequents brothels.”

“A scholar visiting brothels?” In their eyes, scholars were supposed to be virtuous and upright, unlike those hooligans and lecherous men.

“Not only visiting brothels, but he even got a courtesan pregnant, she came to their house demanding recognition.”

Ye Xi frowned, his disgust for Cao Bin intensifying.

“Oh dear, how embarrassing, who would want a courtesan in their family? What a disgrace, that Cao boy, unworthy of being a scholar, what did the Cao family do?”

“Of course, they didn’t want her, but since she’s pregnant, they had to pay her off. Yao-ge’er gave her five taels of silver to go away. He just gave birth to a son not long ago, his body hasn’t fully recovered, and now with this, he’ll probably suffer from postpartum complications.”

“He was said to be so lucky, marrying into a good family, but it turns out to be a mess.”

“Like attracts like, he’s not one to be bullied in the Cao family, he controls Mother Cao and the whole family, he’s the one in charge now.”

“That family must be lively.”

Ye Xi listened to their gossip about the Cao family, then it was his turn to see the doctor.

The room smelled strongly of herbs, the old doctor, with his white beard, gently took Ye Xi’s pulse and said, “Congratulations, Young Master, you’re pregnant, your pulse is steady, no need for any special medicine, just eat well.”

Ye Xi, overjoyed, couldn’t believe his ears. “Pregnant?”

The old doctor looked up at him. “You’re young and healthy, it’s not surprising.”

After paying the five-wen fee, and under the envious gazes of the other women, Ye Xi left the doctor’s house, still feeling like he was dreaming, happily clutching his wrist, he and Lin Jiangshan were having a baby!

He couldn’t wait to tell him tonight!