My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 5

Chapter 5: Mutual Delivery

Back at home, Song Changxu wrung out a cloth, washed his face, and returned to his room to continue his studies. After reading for a while, he rolled up his sleeves and began copying the book.

He would earn six hundred copper coins for this one book, and he could practice his handwriting at the same time. In his spare time, he could help others write letters. Living at home didn’t cost much, anyway.

When he went to Scholar Li’s house in Lingshui Village to study, he would bring a lunchbox in the morning, heat up his meal with firewood at noon, and then return home for dinner in the evening.

Today, Xu Cheng was instructed by his father to go to the back mountain to pick wild fruits, star anise, and soapberries. He was six years old and could handle some of the simple chores at home.

Xia Ya, who was the same age as him, often played with him. She took out a piece of hard candy and licked it, making Xu Cheng’s mouth water.

“My mother bought this for me, and I can only have this one piece. My big sister got married and came back for a visit. Every time she comes home, they bring out some good things, and that’s when I get to enjoy some treats.”

Xu Cheng picked a wild fruit, wiped it on his sleeve, and popped it into his mouth to satisfy his craving. With his mouth full, he mumbled, “That’s nice. I don’t have a sister.”

Xia Ya said, “You may not have a sister, but you’re about to have an uncle-in-law! There’s going to be a big wedding celebration. When that happens, you can grab a big handful of wedding candy and cakes and stuff them in your pockets. It’ll last you a long time.”

Xu Cheng finished picking the soapberries and filled his basket with wild fruits. The clothes he wore now were hand-me-downs from when Song Changxu was a child, which saved the family the expense of buying new ones.

The material of Song Changxu’s childhood clothes was of good quality, so they still looked brand new after all these years. Since coming to the Song family, Xu Cheng had put on some weight, and now he had a pair of small dimples when he smiled.

After finishing the tasks his father had given him, he picked some small wildflowers to hold and play with. Since coming to the Song family, his personality had become much more cheerful, and he had gained a touch of innocent charm.

He was happy every day.

Xia Ya wore her hair in two small pigtails. She had also come up the mountain to pick wild fruits. The two of them walked and talked.

“Everyone in your Song family is so good-looking. When Brother Xu marries in, he’ll be another good-looking one.”

At six years old, children were already conscious of their appearance.

Xu Cheng hadn’t paid much attention to his looks when he was at the Xu family’s home, but hearing Xia Ya say this made him a little happy.

After copying the book for a while, Song Changxu chopped the family’s firewood. When Xu Cheng returned from outside and saw his uncle chopping firewood, he was startled.

His uncle never did these small chores, and no one in the family let him.

Xu Cheng looked at Song Changxu cautiously and said, “Uncle, the chore of chopping firewood can wait until Grandpa and Grandma, and Father get back.”

“Reading was frustrating me, so I’m chopping some firewood to feel better.”

Xu Cheng nodded meekly. He glanced at Song Changxu again, then went into the house, brought out a teacup, and poured him a cup.

“Uncle, if you’re tired, rest and have some tea.”

Song Changxu acknowledged him, then sat down to drink the tea. Xu Cheng hadn’t been idle on the mountain either. Besides the soapberries and wild fruits, his basket was also half-full of grass he had cut for the chickens. At home, he would often feed the chickens and ducks, and their current robust state was partly his credit.

There wasn’t much entertainment in the countryside. Song Changxu couldn’t stay in the house reading all the time, or he would surely get sick from boredom. Now, after coming out to chop firewood and working up a sweat, he felt much better.

“Cheng Ge’er, stay at home and don’t run around.”

Xu Cheng agreed. The sun was strong now, and he was too lazy to go outside anyway. It was just right to stay at home, cool off, and eat a few wild fruits.

The roasted barley tea his father made wasn’t very popular in hot weather. His father didn’t know how to make herbal tea. He had heard that the elder Xu ge’er was skilled at making it, so his uncle-in-law probably knew how as well.

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Song Changxu rummaged through the chests and cabinets in his room and found another hundred copper coins in a forgotten corner. He carefully put the coins in his purse and went back to reviewing his books.

The harvests had been poor in recent years. With little rain and hot weather in the summer, the crops were prone to drought. The Song family’s high-grade paddy fields still yielded a decent harvest; otherwise, he would have had to put away his book box and go back to working in the fields instead of studying.

He was engrossed in his book when a breeze blew in through the window. It grew stronger and stronger, and the sky darkened.

“It’s going to rain! Bring in the clothes!”

A few children shouted loudly, some running to the fields to call their parents back to bring in the drying beans and peppers.

Clothes were hanging in the courtyard, washed by Song Mingyan at noon. Xu Cheng ran out of the house, stood on his tiptoes to reach the clothes, and pulled them down by the hem to carry them inside.

Song Changxu came out to help with the “rain rescue.” Fortunately, they weren’t drying soybeans or anything similar, just a few pieces of clothing, which was manageable.

Just as they brought the clothes and the pole inside, large raindrops began to fall, quickly soaking the ground. When it rained, people in the fields had to go back as well.

The men sighed. A rainstorm would cause a significant delay. Song Mingyan and the others, who were wearing straw hats to shield themselves from the sun, now used them to block the rain. After tamping down the soil in the fields, the family picked up their bamboo baskets and headed home. The baskets still contained half a basket of seedlings.

“I guess we can only do some needlework at home.”

“I’ll go to the kitchen and chop some firewood.”

Even on a rainy day, the diligent people in the family didn’t slack off.

Xu Zhizhou felt a cool sensation on his face. The air smelled of damp earth. His eyes curved into crescents, and he was very happy.

It was his turn to work in the fields today, and it started to rain. It was as if heaven couldn’t bear to let him work. Now he could go home and rest again.

When he got home, his clothes were half-soaked. He went to his room to dry off and change. He caught Xu Zhici, pulled him in, and said with a wink, “Elder Brother, I have something good for you to taste.”

Xu Zhici sat on the edge of the bed. “What delicious thing could you have? I don’t remember you going to town these past few days.”

Xu Zhizhou took out the fragrant and soft mung bean cakes and said generously, “Elder Brother, hurry and try them. They’re the mung bean cakes from East Street.”

“Where did you get them?” Xu Zhici asked, taking a piece.

“They were bought by the person who was supposed to buy them. Just eat and don’t ask,” Xu Zhizhou said, feeling that this was something Song Changxu ought to do.

Xu Zhici had a guess. He smiled without saying anything, only reminding him, “Don’t accept things from strangers.”

Xu Zhizhou mumbled a vague agreement.

The spring rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning. The villagers of Qishan Village lit their candles as they ate dinner, the rooms filled with a soft, glowing light.

After the Song family finished dinner, Song Ye smoked a pipe, puffing out clouds of smoke. Liang Su looked at the dark sky outside. An occasional flash of lightning would illuminate the house.

“It looks like this rain won’t stop for a while. The day after tomorrow, Changxu has to go to Lingshui Village. I hope this rain passes soon.”

“He’s been walking the road to Lingshui Village for years. Changxu is used to it,” Song Ye said. He was still thinking about buying an ox. They would have to wait until after Changxu’s wedding to think about it. Buying an ox would make plowing the fields much easier.

A young ox cost eight taels of silver, while a fully grown, strong ox cost ten. To save two taels, Song Ye planned to buy a young one. It would grow tall and strong with enough grass.

The family had fifteen chickens and five ducks. When the weather warmed up, they would let the hens hatch eggs and raise a few more. They were excellent for both laying eggs and for making soup later.

“Wash up and go to bed, everyone,” Liang Su said.

After washing up, Song Changxu lay in bed, listening to the sound of the rain, and drowsiness came over him. He buried his face in his pillow, and soon, the sound of steady breathing could be heard from the bed.

Song Mingyan took Xu Cheng back to their room. Xu Cheng had a small bed placed next to the large one. When they returned to the Song family, Xu Cheng was only four years old. In the blink of an eye, they had been in his maiden home for two years.

Right after the divorce, Xu Peng had come to beg for forgiveness, wanting to take his husband and son back. But less than half a year later, under the arrangement of the Xu family elders, he married a new husband and completely forgot about Song Mingyan and Xu Cheng.

The following year, he had a big, healthy son. During the first-birthday celebration, the Xu family was very smug, all but saying outright that there was something wrong with him, that he had only given birth to a ge’er after marrying into their family, and that after he had insisted on a divorce, the Xu family’s life had gotten better and better.

It was as if with the Xu family’s new husband, Song Mingyan, the old one, had never existed.

In the end, this marriage was like a grain of rice stuck to one’s clothes, a constant, uncomfortable reminder. The Song and Xu families had also become enemies.

“Father, I want to sleep with you,” Xu Cheng said, afraid of the thunder. He climbed into Song Mingyan’s bed and snuggled up to him.

“I’ll go blow out the candle,” Song Mingyan said, tucking Xu Cheng in.

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The rain fell for two days. Song Mingyan got up early to pick chives from the fields, planning to make flower rolls.

He also pulled up a handful of scallions and dug up some ginger. After scraping off the mud, they were clean and fresh.

The dew was heavy outside. The villagers got up early, and every household began to make breakfast. Those who raised pigs also had to cook pig feed.

Xu Zhizhou came to the fields to pick scallions. Xu Zhici was in charge of cooking. This morning, they were having scallion noodles. He called out when he saw Song Mingyan.

“Brother Song is also out picking vegetables.”

Seeing it was Xu Zhizhou, Song Mingyan smiled and nodded. “I’m thinking of making some flower rolls.”

Xu Zhizhou: “Brother Song is so capable.” He didn’t know how to make flower rolls.

He grabbed a handful of Sichuan peppercorns from his family’s field. “Brother, take these to add some flavor.”

Sichuan peppercorns were a good thing and expensive. The Xu family’s peppercorn tree had been bought when times were good. Sometimes they would give the peppercorns away as gifts to build relationships.

The address changed from “Brother Song’s family” to “Brother Song,” and then directly to “Brother,” dropping the surname to sound more intimate.

Song Mingyan accepted this well, a little surprised. “How can I accept this?”

“Just take them, Brother. We have plenty in our fields,” Xu Zhizhou said. The hair tied back with a ribbon behind him swayed in the wind, creating a cheerful arc.

Sichuan peppercorns were excellent for making flower rolls. Song Mingyan didn’t refuse again, and his impression of Xu Zhizhou improved considerably.

He went home and kneaded the dough until it was smooth, then let it rise. He could make the flower rolls at noon.

For breakfast, the Song family had dough drop soup.

Song Changxu drank a bowl of the soup, which warmed his stomach. The soup had pickles in it, giving it a sour taste that Song Changxu liked.

At noon, Song Mingyan came back and made the flower rolls. He thought he should send some over to the Xu family. It wouldn’t be appropriate to ask Changxu to go, so he filled a large bowl with the freshly steamed flower rolls and handed it to Xu Cheng.

“Cheng Ge’er, take these flower rolls to the Xu family.”

“I know, Father.”

On his way, Xu Cheng, carrying the large bowl, ran into his friends. They sniffed at the fragrant smell of the flower rolls.

“Cheng Ge’er, what are you holding? Where are you taking it?”

“I’m taking it to the Xu family.”

Xu Cheng didn’t say much more. When he arrived at the Xu residence, there were people at home, and the courtyard gate was open. He walked into the main hall. Xu Sunzheng was drinking from a teacup like an ox. He was a bit stunned to see a child come in.

A short while later, Xu Cheng returned, carefully carrying a large bowl, afraid of spilling the meat soup inside.

Song Changxu went to take the large bowl from his hands.

“The elder brother of the Xu family gave me this meat slice soup. It’s so hot,” Xu Cheng said, sticking out his tongue. He took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant aroma of the soup.

“What were you doing at the Xu residence?” Song Changxu’s eyelid twitched when he heard the name “Xu family.”

Xu Cheng took a piece of candy from his pocket. “Father asked me to deliver flower rolls to Uncle Xu. The elder brother of the Xu family gave me a bowl of meat slice soup, and the second brother stuffed a few pieces of candy into my hand. They’re so sweet.”

Author’s Note:

Little Song: He’s got a sharp tongue [Angry]

Little Xu: Beautiful, kind-hearted, and sweet-tongued [Shrugs]