My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 23p1

Chapter 23 p1: Downpour

Song Changxu returned home. Song Mingyan was cooking, and Xu Cheng was helping to add firewood.

“Uncle’s back.”

Song Changxu gave the spinning top to his nephew. Xu Cheng cried out in delight. When he was given the sugar figure, he was even happier.

“Uncle is the best.”

Song Changxu put down his book box and went to chop firewood and fetch water.

Song Mingyan watched Xu Cheng munching on the sugar figure and patted his head.

Tonight, they were having corn cakes, a few cold dishes, and a plate of stir-fried celery with meat slices. The meat had been bought today after selling out the Bobo Chicken. The business had been lukewarm recently, so he had reduced the amount of ingredients according to the number of customers.

The family hadn’t had meat in a long time, so a plate of it to go with the corn cakes was just right.

Song Changxu filled the water vat, chopped the firewood, and carried it into the kitchen.

Dinner was served after his parents returned.

While eating the corn cakes, Song Mingyan had also made a large bowl of potato, pickled vegetable, and scallion soup. He served everyone a bowl; otherwise, just eating the cakes would be too dry.

Eating the cakes, taking a bite of the cool cucumber, and drinking a bowl of hot soup, Song Ye felt comfortable all over.

After eating, Liang Su helped to clean up. Song Ye went to herd the chickens and ducks into their coop. Logically, the wedding feast should have chicken and pork. The chickens and ducks they raised were plump, but they were reluctant to eat them themselves and were saving them. It was best to buy them from outside.

An old hen could sell for three or four qian of silver in town. If they ran into one of the large households in town, they might even get one tael of silver.

Old hens were the most nourishing for making soup.

As the sunset glow faded, the sound of cicadas could be heard daily from outside the courtyard gate. Liang Su went out to visit neighbors.

With nothing else to do, Song Changxu went back to his room to read. He opened the window to let in the breeze. A classmate had lent him a book, and he decided to see what it was.

He took the book, opened a page, and the content was a bit strange. He had thought it was a book of sages, but it turned out to be a book urging the rites of Duke Zhou.

Two men, how could they do such a thing? It’s scandalous!

Song Changxu’s palms were sweating. He really didn’t look at it again. Instead, he closed the book. Tonight, he was restless and couldn’t concentrate on any other book.

He decided to just wash up and go to sleep.

The first page he had seen wasn’t actually that outrageous, but it had pulled him into a strange world he had never encountered before.

Even when copying storybooks, the words didn’t have the same strong impact as pictures.

What’s more, he considered himself homophobic.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

How could that place be possible?!

The next day, Song Changxu returned the book to his classmate. Seeing his dark circles and listless state, the classmate patted his shoulder. “Brother Song, even though you’re getting married, you don’t have to be in such a hurry.”

Song Changxu could only agree and return to his seat to continue listening to the lecture. After class, he still showed his essay to Scholar Li, not wanting to waste the teaching resources.

Scholar Li: “Your essays were a bit impetuous at first, but now they are simple and unadorned, with a hidden edge. This is very good.”

“You flatter me, teacher.”

Song Changxu knew his own limitations. Scholar Li said, “I’ll be going back to town next year. If you still have questions, you can come and find me at Number Three, Water Lane.”

Song Changxu: “Thank you, teacher.”

Song Changxu packed his book box.

Today, the wind was gentle and the air was clear. It was a good day. The sun was hidden by the clouds, and the temperature was neither hot nor cold. Song Mingyan had sold the Bobo Chicken and returned early to help with sowing beans and fetching water at home.

This time, he had sold the Bobo Chicken in town and also the bamboo baskets he had woven at home, earning a total of two hundred and fifty copper coins.

Liang Su stood on the ridge of the field and wiped her sweat. “The beans can’t be sown too densely, or they won’t grow well.”

Song Ye grunted in agreement. “I heard Changxu say before to sprinkle plant ash on the fields. I see that the fields with plant ash have fewer pests, and the seedlings are growing stronger. I’ll burn some more plant ash in the courtyard when I get back today.”

Liang Su said, “Alright. You two can burn the plant ash at home. I’ll go borrow some extra bowls, chopsticks, and plates from the neighbors.”

With a clear division of labor, the Song family got to work. Song Mingyan and Song Ye cut a large basket of grass and brought it back to burn in the courtyard. A plume of black smoke rose straight into the sky. Someone saw this and came to ask them about it.

Song Ye: “We’re burning some plant ash to sprinkle on the fields. It’s good for the land.”

The person who heard this didn’t take Song Ye’s words to heart, muttering to himself that it was a waste of effort.

But the Song family had several acres of high-grade fields. Even if they messed around, the yield would still be good.

They put the plant ash in a wooden bucket and carried it to the storage room. They were drenched in sweat from burning the plant ash.

Song Mingyan carried water to rinse the courtyard and then swept it clean with a broom. Liang Su had borrowed bowls and plates from a familiar neighbor and helped to move them home.

“Thank you for the bowls and plates. I’ll return them to your house after the wedding.”

“We’re all from the same village. It’s nothing. Just make sure the feast is good, so we can all have a good meal.”

Liang Su smiled. “That’s true.”

The feast would be on the first day of the sixth month, to welcome the new husband. This was the most important event for the Song family in June.

When Song Changxu returned from outside, Liang Su was washing the borrowed bowls and plates. Seeing him, she said, “Go to the village head’s house and ask his second son to be the accountant. I’ve already prepared the gift. You can just take it over.”

There were few literate people in the village. Both of the village head’s sons had studied and could read. The eldest son had gone to town to be an accountant, and the second son was about the same age as Song Changxu.

Song Changxu agreed and took the gift to the village head’s house. The village head’s second son was at home. Song Changxu explained the reason for his visit.

Wang Erlang smiled. “Alright, Brother Song. No need to be so polite.”

After speaking, Song Changxu didn’t linger and left. Liu-shi heard the noise and came out of the inner room. “Who was it?”

Wang Erlang: “Song Changxu asked me to be the accountant.”

Liu-shi: “So that’s what it was. There aren’t many literate people in the village, so it’s natural that he would ask you. I’ve been so busy in the fields recently, I almost forgot. The Song family’s boy is getting married on the first of June.”

Wang Erlang nodded. “Time flies.”

Song Changxu left the village head’s house and, on a whim, decided to go to the back mountain to pick some fruits. He hadn’t had any sugar figures. It wouldn’t be too much to have a few fruits, right?

When he got to the mountain, he ran into many ge’ers and girls. There were also some men with axes, cutting bamboo. They were also holding a few wild eggs.

Seeing that it was Song Changxu, a young man who was familiar with Liang Feng and had hung out with Song Changxu a few times called out his name.

“What are you doing up the mountain?”

Song Changxu said, “Picking some wild fruits to eat.”

The young man: “Alright.”

Song Changxu picked some wild fruits and held them in his long robe. When he came out, the others were already gone. He saw someone step out from the tall grass.

Xu Zhizhou met Song Changxu’s gaze and subconsciously crossed his arms to look at him.

The sugar figures Song Changxu had bought were quite delicious. After Xu Zhizhou had eaten them at home, he had wanted more. He regretted it. If he had known they were so delicious, he shouldn’t have thought of saving one for Song Changxu, but should have snatched both of them.

Just as Xu Zhizhou was about to speak, he heard the sound of laughter coming from another direction.

After Fang Ling and the others had finished cutting bamboo, they wanted to go deeper to see if there were any mushrooms. It wasn’t the season for wild mushrooms yet, but there were occasional scattered ones. They picked some wild fruits, dug up some shepherd’s purse, and then decided to go back together.

“Did Song Changxu leave after picking the fruits?” a young man asked, scratching his head. “I wanted to invite him to pick plums with us.”

A ge’er and a girl laughed.

“He’s busy going back to study. How could he go and pick plums with you?”

“That’s not necessarily true. You can’t just study all the time. You’ll become a bookworm.”

Fang Ling also covered her mouth and laughed.

“Speaking of which, Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou are getting married. I wonder how their life will be? Song Changxu leaves early and comes back late. It’ll be difficult for the two of them…”

Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou were hiding behind a large tree, their figures concealed by the leaves. Hearing this, Xu Zhizhou glared at Song Changxu, took a wild fruit from his outstretched long robe, wiped it, and ate it.

Song Changxu: “…”

Fang Ling and the others walked as they talked, and soon they were down the mountain, and there was no more noise.

Xu Zhizhou spat out the fruit pit. “Actually, they’re not wrong. You leave early and come back late. I’ll definitely be very lonely in the future.”

He sounded a bit sad as he spoke. “What kind of person did I marry?”

Song Changxu held back, but couldn’t. He said, “I’m going to school, not to my death.”

Xu Zhizhou: “…Peh, peh, peh! What are you talking about, death? It’s so unlucky to say that.”

“Hurry and say ‘peh’ twice, or you’ll attract bad luck.”

Song Changxu shouted “feudal superstition” in his heart and stubbornly remained silent.

Xu Zhizhou looked at him in a panic. “Why aren’t you saying ‘peh’ a few times? Do you really want to die?”

Seeing his panicked expression, Song Changxu snorted softly in his heart, a warmth spreading through him. It seemed that Xu Zhizhou did have a conscience after all, and he was worried about him.

Although it was a bit of feudal superstition, if it could put someone at ease, it was worth a try.

Xu Zhizhou: “The wedding is so close. If you die early, I’ll become a widower. I don’t want to become a widower.”

Song Changxu gritted his teeth and said “peh” twice.

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