My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 27p1

Chapter 27 p1: Since I’m Already Here

Xu Zhizhou didn’t know the difference between kissing different places yet. Wasn’t it just kissing the mouth and neck? He nodded innocently.

Song Changxu’s breathing grew heavier. Images of red, soft, and messy scenes flashed through his mind.

He restrained himself and lowered his head, then turned away again. He couldn’t think about it anymore.

.

Three days passed in a flash. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou began to prepare the gifts for their return visit to the bride’s home. The Song family had prepared pork, fruits, fine wine, and a small jar of sugar and salt.

The two of them, dressed in cotton clothes, went back together, looking very well-matched. There weren’t many people in the village; most had gone to work.

The Xu family were all at home. Xu Zhici saw Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou return from the doorway, his face lit up with joy. He hurried back to the house to tell his parents.

Song Changxu felt a little apprehensive as he approached the Xu residence, but Xu Zhizhou was much more at ease. The two of them walked into the main hall, and Xu Zhizhou called out generously, “Father, Mother, Elder Brother.”

Song Changxu followed him and called out, “Father, Mother, Elder Brother.”

Xu Sunzheng said, “Come, sit. You didn’t have to bring so many things.”

Cao Qin smiled and nodded. She looked at her ge’er’s expression and, seeing that he was still happy, felt relieved. “Just treat this as your own home. Don’t bring so many gifts. It’s such a waste of money.”

After a while, Liang Su took Xu Zhici and Xu Zhizhou to a room to talk, leaving the main hall to the father-in-law and son-in-law.

Xu Sunzheng said, “We’ve spoiled Zhizhou too much. When you’re with him, if there’s anything you can’t stand, please be more tolerant of him for my and your mother-in-law’s sake. He’s not a bad person, just a bit spoiled.”

Song Changxu put down his teacup and said, “Don’t worry, Father-in-law. I will treat Zhizhou well.”

Xu Sunzheng’s expression softened. He then asked, “I heard you’re studying in Lingshui Village. Are you planning to be an accountant in town in the future?”

A few years of study were enough to be an accountant. Now that he was married, as a man of the family, he should find a job soon.

“I plan to take the imperial examination at the beginning of next year,” Song Changxu said, shaking his head.

“Take the imperial examination?” Xu Sunzheng was shocked. This was something he had never thought of. He had just thought it would be good enough for his son-in-law to be an accountant in town.

Becoming a xiucai was harder than climbing to the sky.

A xiucai was like the God of Literature from the heavens.

Song Changxu nodded. “Since I’ve already studied, I want to take the imperial examination to fight for a future, and not let down my parents’ years of cultivation. Besides, if I become an official, I can protect my family and also do my part for the court.”

He didn’t like exams, but they were a means and a ladder to move up. In ancient times, for ordinary people to live a good life, they had to rely on the kindness of the local officials and yamen runners.

Power commanded fear. He didn’t dare to bet on the kindness of others, so only by standing in a high position and holding power could his family and friends not be harmed, and he himself would not live in fear, without the ability to protect himself when danger came.

Therefore, the eagle soars to the nine heavens to seize fame and glory, its ambition unwavering.

Xu Sunzheng was too shocked to speak.

He had heard his son-in-law’s words and thought he might become a xiucai, but he had never thought of him becoming an official!

He stammered, “You, you want to be an official?”

Song Changxu nodded readily. “Being an official is my best path.”

In his modern life, he had also planned his path well: get a master’s and a doctorate, go straight into a historical research institute, and then work hard to get his name on television, to make an appearance.

After achieving a certain level of success in history, he could consider switching to administration. During the stage of choosing a supervisor for his master’s degree, he had considered many factors. The supervisor he had chosen was very prestigious in the academic world, which was perfect for him.

Through his supervisor’s connections, he could access various resources.

Riding the wind, soaring straight up.

At noon, Cao Qin and her two sons were busy in the kitchen. Cao Qin glanced at the main hall.

“Something’s wrong with your father.”

Xu Zhizhou didn’t see anything different. “Mother, isn’t Father the same as always?”

Cao Qin smiled. They had been together for so long. She knew clearly whether something was wrong with Xu Sunzheng or not.

“Zhizhou, come and get the dishes,” Xu Zhici called out.

After the food was ready, the family had a good meal. Xu Zhizhou was reluctant to leave his family.

Song Changxu: “How about we stay a little longer?”

Xu Zhizhou: “A grown-up son is not bound by his mother. If I miss my parents, I can just run from one end of the village to the other.”

Song Changxu: “…”

“Song Changxu, tell me about your studies,” Xu Zhizhou said, tilting his head curiously.

Song Changxu said a few words. “I go to morning reading early…”

Xu Zhizhou: “Then I have to get up early too. I’ve never slept in. When there’s nothing to do at home, I go up the mountain to cut pig feed. When the fields are busy, we all go to weed. In my spare time, I go to the river to play in the water and pick wild fruits on the mountain.”

He pulled on Song Changxu’s sleeve and said, “Do you think that while you were studying in Lingshui Village, I was working in the fields? Thinking about it, it’s like we were together in another way. I might have thought of you while I was working.”

Song Changxu: “…”

Such a chatterbox. I really want to shut him up.

Song Changxu reached out and held Xu Zhizhou’s hand. “You won’t be working all the time.”

“Of course not. I’ll have you to help me,” Xu Zhizhou said, his eyes curving into crescents.

Song Changxu was stunned. He looked at Xu Zhizhou and reached out his other hand to pat his head.

Xu Zhizhou dodged. “What are you doing? It’s scary.”

Song Changxu narrowed his eyes, lowered his hand, and the corners of his lips curved up in a good mood.

Xu Zhizhou said to him, “You’ll be an official in the future, right?”

Song Changxu: “I can’t say for sure about the future.”

Xu Zhizhou crossed his arms, then grabbed his hand. “You’ll pass. Otherwise, we’ll have to live a hard life. Look at the other men in the village. They all have skills…”

“I can be an accountant.”

Xu Zhizhou said eagerly, “Have you been to Jinhe County? The county town is so big. I’ve only been there once, and I’ve never forgotten it.”

Song Changxu: “I’ll go there for the exam.”

Xu Zhizhou breathed a sigh of relief. He said excitedly, “Anyway, you’ll know after you’ve seen it.”

“Don’t let me down,” Xu Zhizhou said with a smile.

Is it right to put all your hopes on one man?

He asked.

Xu Zhizhou said fiercely, “You’re my husband. Are you going to kick me, your wife from your humble days, to the curb after you’ve become successful?”

He let out a few dry sobs. “That would be too miserable. You wouldn’t even hire someone to kill me, get rid of me, and then climb up the social ladder, live a life of wealth and power, and enjoy yourself for the rest of your life, would you? If you do, I won’t let you go even as a ghost.”

Song Changxu: “…”

“Have you been reading too many storybooks?”

Xu Zhizhou’s tragic expression disappeared. He touched his chin and said, “Where would I get the money to read storybooks? And I can’t read.”

“It’s what the old people in the village said when I was visiting and embroidering purses. They said it as if it were true. Scholars have always been heartless. I believe it.”

Song Changxu thought to himself, If I really wanted to do something, you wouldn’t be able to find out.

.

The grass grew and the warblers flew. The summer was scorching. Xu Zhizhou had gone out with Song Mingyan to set up their stall a few times. On a whim, he had also brought along some mint tea. One cup sold for three copper coins, which was another way to earn money.

When there were no customers, Xu Zhizhou and Song Mingyan would drink a cup of mint tea and relax.

“Business is good in the summer. It’s good to be able to earn a hundred copper coins a day.”

Song Mingyan said, “It is indeed good, but more and more shops are opening up around us. Changxu said that if we can’t make money, we should sell the recipe.”

Xu Zhizhou smiled and fanned himself with a cattail fan. “Then let’s wait until we can’t earn a single copper coin. If we earn a hundred copper coins a day, that’s three taels of silver a month, which is better than farming.”

Song Mingyan couldn’t help but say a few more words. “In the beginning, when we first came, we could even earn six hundred copper coins a day.”

Xu Zhizhou’s eyes widened. “Six hundred copper coins, so much.”

Song Mingyan nodded with great seriousness.

Xu Zhizhou immediately perked up. “I want to sell skewers, I want to sell skewers well!”

If it was six hundred copper coins a day, then a month would be… eh, he couldn’t figure it out.

Anyway, it was a lot.

Xu Zhizhou started to hawk his wares again, full of energy. His voice was the only one that could be heard on the entire street.

A few scholars in town, in a group, heard his voice and came to buy a few cups of mint tea.

Someone saw the sign Song Changxu had written. He said thoughtfully, “This handwriting is so elegant and beautiful. May I ask who wrote it?”

Xu Zhizhou smiled and served them the mint tea. “My husband wrote it.”

“The brushstrokes are like a dragon, fluid and graceful. To see such good handwriting at a small stall,” another scholar said, taking a sip of the mint tea. His eyes lit up. The fresh and cool taste was the most comfortable thing in the summer.

That scholar ordered a few more cups.

“It seems that there are many talented people in our town. I wonder how many there are in the entire Jinhe County.”

Jinhe County had seven towns under its jurisdiction. Besides those who studied in the private schools in town, there were also people studying in the countryside. Thinking about it, it was indeed difficult to become a xiucai.

“What are you afraid of? The teacher said you’ll definitely pass. Your father is a xiucai, and your ancestors even had an official. You come from a scholarly family. You shouldn’t worry unnecessarily. It’ll just make people resent you.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Among all of us, the teacher is most optimistic about you. He’s even wondering what rank you’ll get. You can probably aim for the top twenty.”

“Good handwriting is not very useful. In the end, it’s still about knowledge. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be setting up a small stall here.”

“That’s not necessarily true. With good handwriting, he can be an accountant or write couplets in the future. It’s still presentable.”

They gradually walked away, and their voices could no longer be heard.

Xu Zhizhou looked at their backs and murmured to himself, “A scholarly family? It sounds very impressive. I wonder if it’s really impressive or just for show.”

Someone else came to buy skewers. Xu Zhizhou pushed the thought out of his mind and got busy.

On the other side, Song Changxu sat down under Scholar Li’s appreciative gaze. Even Feng Xin’ou had to admire him.

In the beginning, he had wanted to compete with Song Changxu, but he hadn’t expected him to improve so quickly.

Lin Pu’s mouth was wide open. “Have you opened your Ren and Du meridians?”

Song Changxu said, “I just answered one of the teacher’s questions. You don’t have to be so surprised.”

“It seems that you’re really going to take the exam next year.” Lin Pu only wanted to learn to read and write to make a living in the future.

“Since I’ve already chosen to do it, I must succeed,” Song Changxu smiled.

Since he had already come to study and had spent the time, he would not let it be wasted.

Lin Pu was shocked for another day.

With such determination, he felt that nothing would be difficult for Song Changxu.

In the evening, when he returned home, the two ge’ers in the family helped each other, which saved them both a lot of trouble. Today, they had bought some ribs in town and had braised them with white radish. The white radish was very soft. Song Changxu took a piece, dipped it in the sauce, and ate it with white rice.

The rice they ate at home was old rice from last year’s harvest. They would always save enough for their own consumption, as well as the grain for taxes, and sell the rest.

At night, Xu Zhizhou lay in bed and asked Song Changxu, “What does ‘scholarly family’ mean? Does it mean that everyone in the family has studied?”

Song Changxu: “At least three generations have been scholars.”

Xu Zhizhou swung his legs. Song Changxu had burned some mugwort and then taken the basin out. He had pulled up the mosquito net. He first went to the mud house to wash himself, then came back to his room, blew out the candle, and went to bed.

He fumbled in the darkness, and a kiss landed on him. His fingers touched a smooth back. Both of them were panting. The darkness amplified their senses, and their physical touch became sensitive.

Song Changxu rubbed Xu Zhizhou’s ear.

This time, Xu Zhizhou boldly touched Song Changxu’s abs. The first time he had touched them, he had only brushed past them quickly. After a moment’s hesitation, he touched them carefully, his eyes shining.

So this is what abs feel like. It’s so nice.

Song Changxu’s breathing grew heavier.

Their lips and teeth were intertwined.

…