My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 6

Chapter 6:

The second Xu family brother was handsome and treated him with kindness and warmth.

A few pieces of candy were enough to win him over. Song Changxu looked at his little nephew licking the hard candy on the side, a sense of desolation washing over him.

He carried the meat slice soup to the kitchen. When Song Mingyan heard the story and saw that the bowl had more meat than soup, he knew the Xu family had been genuinely generous with the meat slices.

Although their family had some money, they rarely ate meat, and every time they did, they had to plan for it. Sending Cheng Ge’er over with the flower rolls was originally to return the favor for the Sichuan peppercorns, and also with the thought that they would be family soon, so they should be polite.

But it turned out the Xu family was having meat today, so they were the ones who ended up benefiting.

“We sent over a bowl of flower rolls, and they returned it with a bowl of meat slice soup. This makes me too embarrassed to accept it,” Song Mingyan said, his face flushing.

“Another day, when our family has meat, we’ll send a bowl over to them,” Song Changxu said, smelling the fragrant soup. He thought about how hard it was to get a taste of meat in these times, and that favors should always be returned.

“Changxu is right,” Song Mingyan said, covering the bowl with a lid. His parents hadn’t returned yet, so they would eat after they got back.

Xu Cheng quickly finished one piece of candy, saving the rest for later. Xu Cheng liked to hoard things. Good things like candy were gone once eaten, so he saved them to eat slowly.

After lunch, Song Ye planned to go outside to chop firewood, but when he saw that the firewood had already been chopped, he turned back.

“You just focus on your studies. Don’t get involved in household chores.”

Song Changxu: “Studying all the time is quite boring. Chopping some firewood actually puts me in a better mood and gives me more energy to study.”

Song Ye’s brow relaxed. “Just don’t tire yourself out.”

Liang Su was doing needlework on the side, never letting herself rest for a moment. Hearing this, she said, “Your father is afraid you’ll neglect your studies. Earning a title is more useful than doing these small chores. By the way, you’re going to Lingshui Village tomorrow. I’ll have your elder brother pack you a jar of pickles and a jar of shredded radish to have with your lunch.”

“I’ll do it right away, Mother,” Song Mingyan readily agreed and turned to go to the kitchen.

Liang Su glanced at her younger son. Song Changxu was handsome, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He had been a picky eater as a child, which made him tall and slender. In the past, his eyes held a hint of gloominess, but now they were clear and bright, adding a touch of warmth to his features.

Song Changxu felt a little unnerved by Liang Su’s gaze. It was the same look one would give to a piglet in the family, checking if it was growing strong.

“Xu Zhizhou is the son-in-law I’ve chosen. Seeing how the Xu family values us, you’d better not bully him when he marries in, or I’ll have it out with you. Also, don’t mention a single word about breaking off the engagement. Let it rot in your belly.”

Song Changxu was mostly dejected, but he still nodded. “I understand, Mother. I don’t think I’ll be able to bully him.”

Liang Su found Song Changxu’s words amusing. “What did he do to annoy you? He’s a good ge’er. Although a bit spoiled, he’s a good child.”

Liang Su said it wasn’t easy for a ge’er to marry into a new family and told Song Changxu to be considerate and not throw tantrums.

Song Changxu replied, “I understand.”

“Liang Su, you’re still embroidering at noon instead of resting?” a voice interrupted the mother and son’s conversation. Auntie Fang had come over for a visit.

Song Changxu went back to his room to read.

The sound of Liang Su and Auntie Fang’s laughter came from the main hall. He sat in his chair, rolled up his sleeves, and continued to copy the book.

Tomorrow, when he went to Scholar Li’s, he wouldn’t have much time to copy. He had practically become a scribe these days. Fortunately, he had developed a fast writing speed in high school and university. Copying test papers, correcting mistakes, and transcribing materials were all a piece of cake for him.

If he had an extra brush, he could write with two at once.

Unfortunately, he only had one writing brush.

Thinking of the copper coins he was about to earn, Song Changxu’s mood brightened again. But thinking about it this way was also quite sad.

After they got married, he and Xu Zhizhou would have to live their own lives, and it would be difficult to do anything without money in hand.

During his university years, Song Changxu had studied the Analects, the Great Learning, Mencius, the Records of the Grand Historian, the Book of Songs, and more. He could review these few books, and with that foundation, Song Changxu was confident he could learn the rest well.

The key to learning ancient literature was comprehension, and Song Changxu was a top student in that regard.

.

The next day, Song Changxu carried his book box, took a coarse grain bun, and brought his iron lunchbox to Lingshui Village. It was too early for the ox-cart, so he had to walk for half a shichen to get there.

There was a morning mist, and dewdrops condensed on the tips of the trees. The air was filled with the scent of grass and earth.

Song Changxu jumped onto a large rock to cross the river. After finishing his coarse grain bun, he didn’t waste a moment of his journey. He recited the Book of Songs in his mind as he walked, multitasking.

Every trade has its master. Some were skilled in carving, some in business, farming, or hunting. Song Changxu had none of these skills, only a bit of talent for studying.

Every foot has its short, every inch its long. To succeed, one must pursue one’s strengths and avoid one’s weaknesses.

Song Changxu picked up a few small stones by the river and skipped them across the water’s surface. His long robe billowed, and a warm smile appeared in his eyes.

He walked through the mountains and fields with his book box, occasionally picking wild fruits and stuffing them into his box to quench his thirst later.

Being young, he walked quickly and arrived at Lingshui Village without any delay.

On his way into the village, he met a wheat-skinned scholar. The scholar yawned when he saw him and reached out to put an arm around him.

“Song Er, let me lean on you,” the speaker, named Lin Pu, said. His family was considered a small landlord in the village. He was cheerful and generous, but he had no talent for studying and often dozed off or got distracted during Scholar Li’s lectures.

The two of them supported each other into Scholar Li’s small courtyard. In the yard, Scholar Li was moving tables and chairs. Song Changxu put down his book box and went to help.

Scholar Li, who had a small mustache, saw him and handed over the task to Song Changxu.

Song Changxu: “…”

He moved the tables and chairs for eight people by himself. Lin Pu saw this and came to help, and together they arranged the furniture.

“You can read while you wait for the others to arrive.”

“Yes, teacher,” Song Changxu and Lin Pu said in unison.

Sitting in his chair with a book for morning reading, he felt just like he was back in high school. Song Changxu’s long legs had nowhere to go. The desk and chair were too small for him. He fidgeted uncomfortably, shifting left and right, very restless.

Scholar Li tapped Song Changxu’s shoulder with his ruler, making a slapping sound.

“Sit properly. A gentleman delights in stillness.”

A gentleman also delights in liveliness.

Song Changxu didn’t dare to say it. He could only force his long legs to curl up uncomfortably.

After sitting for a while, he actually got used to it. Song Changxu had already read two articles when his classmates began to arrive and take their seats.

Scholar Li stopped the morning reading and began to lecture on the textbook.

.

While Song Changxu was studying, the Xu family finished planting the seedlings and had some free time.

Xu Zhizhou carried a bundle of clothes to the river to wash them. As he was about to start, he overheard some villagers chatting and happened to hear his name.

He spotted a patch of tall grass nearby and immediately hid behind it, pricking up his ears to listen.

“The Xu family and the Song family are united by marriage. With both families supporting each other, their lives will be even better in the future,” a female voice said.

See, the villagers are optimistic about me and Song Changxu. Although Song Changxu had nothing to his name and wasn’t good at manual labor, he had a handsome face, and his posture was decent when he was fetching water.

He was the only son in his family.

His parents and elder brother were all hardworking people.

“Marriage is about living your own life…”

Xu Zhizhou took his laundry stick to the riverbank. The others called him over to an empty stone to wash his clothes.

Xu Zhizhou was familiar with the aunties and ge’ers washing clothes. Many of them had watched him grow up.

As a child, he had been like a little white dumpling. The Xu family was well-off, and the new clothes they made for him made him look like a doll from a New Year’s painting. In the blink of an eye, he was all grown up, tall and slender, and not bad-looking.

He was a bit spoiled, but since the Xu family only had two ge’ers, it was natural for them to dote on him. They didn’t speak ill of people in their presence and started talking about the spring planting.

They grew their own vegetables and grains in the village and went to the market in town to buy oil and salt. The market day in Shuibo Town was on the fifth and tenth of every month. If they had any surplus rice, grains, vegetables, or fruits, they would carry them to the market to sell.

They didn’t have much left to sell. They had sold all their grain last year, and the vegetables and fruits hadn’t grown yet. They could earn a few copper coins by selling scallions, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and ginger.

He could also sell the three purses he had embroidered for some extra money. His needlework wasn’t as good as his elder brother’s, just average. He could manage handkerchiefs and purses, but his skills weren’t good enough for clothes and shoes.

He had just learned how to make herbal tea a few days ago. Xu Zhizhou had studied diligently and already knew how to make it.

“Zhizhou, are you going to town these days? I just embroidered a few handkerchiefs and wanted to ask you to take them to the seamstress for me.”

Xu Zhizhou: “I’m not going to town anytime soon.”

A round trip to town by ox-cart cost six copper coins and took half a day. The people of Qishan Village wouldn’t go to town unless they had to.

Xu Zhizhou’s aunt lived in town. She had married the son of a tofu shop owner and had established herself in town, living a prosperous life.

His uncle was a yamen runner in Jinhe County. This was a stroke of luck for his uncle; otherwise, a country bumpkin like them wouldn’t even be considered for such a position.

When they were young, Xu Zhici and Xu Zhizhou had been to Jinhe County. Xu Zhizhou had seen the liveliness of the county town and longed for it. He saw that his uncle’s family lived in a private courtyard and even had a servant.

He saw it, remembered it, and yearned for that kind of life in his heart.

After finishing the laundry, Xu Zhizhou carried his washbasin and walked back with a familiar ge’er.

“Zhizhou, I haven’t seen Song Changxu these past few days. I heard he went back to study in Lingshui Village,” the ge’er said softly.

“He has to study, after all. He can’t stay at home all the time,” Xu Zhizhou said with a hint of intimacy. Usually, the ge’ers wouldn’t be so bold as to talk about an unmarried man.

Song Changxu was different from ordinary people; he represented a hope. If he could pass the exam to become a xiucai, their lives would be different.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Becoming a xiucai meant one could live by their knowledge, be exempt from taxes, receive a yearly stipend of grain from the court, and not have to kneel before officials. They could open their own private school, take in a few students, and earn a considerable income each year.

Even the yamen runners wouldn’t dare to bully them without thinking twice.

Xu Zhizhou felt much better.

The ge’er who was speaking was also of marriageable age. It would be a lie to say he hadn’t had any thoughts about Song Changxu. His family was not as wealthy as the Xu family, and with many siblings, he had hoped to marry into the Song family to live a better life.

Song Changxu was handsome, standing out among the country men. The villagers rarely saw him because he always left early for Lingshui Village and was too lazy to go out when he came home at night.

Besides, a person who had studied was, after all, different. The ge’er tightened his grip on the washbasin and let out a breath. After the engagement between the Song and Xu families was settled, his thoughts were no longer appropriate.

.

After the spring rain, bamboo shoots grew on the mountain, and the villagers all went up to gather them. They could eat the bamboo shoots themselves and sell the surplus in town.

There was a peddler in the village who specifically bought dried bamboo shoots, so the villagers were busy again. Xu Zhici and Xu Zhizhou were both on the mountain gathering bamboo shoots.

Xu Zhizhou used a small hoe from home, gently digging into the ground to expose some of the bamboo shoot’s roots before pulling it out.

He patted off the dirt and threw it into his basket.

After being dug up, the bamboo shoots had to be boiled to be preserved well.

These few days were sunny. If they were dried into dried bamboo shoots, they would fetch a different price from the peddler.

To earn a little more money, they usually dried the bamboo shoots and sold them to the peddler. After digging for a while, Xu Zhizhou wiped his sweat, took a break, and drank some water.

“Elder Brother, there’s still a large patch. We can gather more tomorrow.”

Xu Zhici: “If we don’t gather more now, they’ll be gone tomorrow.”

Xu Zhizhou thought that made sense, but he really didn’t want to dig for any more bamboo shoots.

He saw Song Changxu being led up the mountain by Xu Cheng. He was wearing a short jacket and trousers today, looking like he was here to work.

Xu Zhizhou’s eyes lit up.

Song Changxu had finished copying the book, exchanged it for copper coins in town, and taken on another storybook to copy. These few days, everyone in the village was gathering bamboo shoots. Song Changxu was tired of reading and came to help his family.

Following Song Mingyan’s instructions, he dug up a bamboo shoot and felt a sense of accomplishment. Digging for bamboo shoots wasn’t difficult, and it was good exercise.

Traveling between Qishan Village and Lingshui Village every day, Song Changxu had developed a thin layer of muscle. His waist and abdomen had a faint outline.

He treated digging for bamboo shoots as a novelty. Being young and full of energy, he worked quickly and soon had half a basket full. He couldn’t dig with his elder brother; the bamboo shoots in that area would be dug up sooner or later.

He found another spot to continue digging. Suddenly, a hand patted his shoulder.

Song Changxu turned around and saw Xu Zhizhou’s smiling eyes.

Song Changxu: “…”

He worked hard for half a day, only to return home with half a basket of bamboo shoots, his stomach full of anger.

Xu Zhizhou skipped along with his basket, his steps high and light.

“What good thing happened? The bamboo shoots in your basket are about to spill out,” Sun Ge’er said.

Xu Zhici smiled. “Zhizhou dug the most bamboo shoots today.”

“My hands are sore from digging today. Digging for bamboo shoots is hard on the back and hands,” Xu Zhizhou sighed.

After digging for bamboo shoots, those on the mountain went home to cook. As soon as it got dark, they blew out their candles and went to sleep. Farmers had work to do every day, and their tired bodies fell asleep quickly.

Having exerted more energy today, Song Changxu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The more he thought about it, the angier he got.

Xu Zhizhou, on what grounds?

He swore that he would never help Xu Zhizhou again. It made him look like a pushover.

Like the people of Qishan Village, once Song Changxu had figured things out, he quickly fell asleep.

Author’s Note:

Little Xu: Hand it over! [Laughing]

Little Song: Pathetic, truly pathetic. [Furious]