My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 7

Chapter 7: Scalded

The grass grew and the warblers flew; wildflowers bloomed brilliantly by the roadside. Butterflies landed gently on them, and dewdrops dripped from the leaves onto the ground, staining a patch of earth.

A rustling sound came from the grass. Song Changxu’s shoes were a bit damp. The morning dew was heavy, and it would wet one’s shoes. He had another pair of shoes in his book box to wear when he got to Scholar Li’s.

Last night, his elder brother had kneaded dough and made a meat filling, getting up early to steam buns for breakfast. Song Changxu was in a hurry, so he grabbed two meat buns and ate them on the way.

Scholar Li’s lectures followed the textbook and its annotations. Occasionally, Song Changxu would ask Scholar Li questions.

Song Changxu’s rare diligence brought Scholar Li a bit of comfort. However, according to Lin Pu, the teacher’s favorite was Feng Xin’ou from Linglai Village.

Song Changxu had met Feng Xin’ou. His handwriting was neat and proper, and he was serious about his studies. He always ranked first at Scholar Li’s, so it was no wonder Scholar Li liked him.

As long as Scholar Li taught as usual, that was fine. Song Changxu wasn’t competing for empty fame; he just wanted to build a solid foundation and learn.

When he arrived at Lingshui Village, he put down his book box, took out a book, and began to read.

Lingshui Village was situated by a river, nestled against a mountain. It was a village with a good location. Scholar Li served his old mother breakfast before coming out to teach.

He saw that Song Changxu had arrived early and nodded. Changxu has improved a lot recently. The notes he had collected yesterday were neatly written, with appropriate detail.

Although he was still far behind in his studies, diligence could make up for a lack of natural talent. The fifteen disciples he had taken on were still young, and being young meant having opportunities.

He was fifty-four this year, with a wife, an old mother, and children. If he had devoted himself to studying for the imperial examinations, there would have been no one to earn money for the family. Besides, only he knew that a sense of fear had already grown in his heart.

He had passed the county, prefectural, and college examinations on his first try, with average to low scores. He had failed the provincial examination four times. His wife and daughter had supported his studies, but as a result, he had no income for a long time. His wife and daughter had ruined their eyes embroidering handkerchiefs. By the time he looked back, his old mother was sick, his wife and daughter were bone-thin, and his son, neglected, had become timid and sensitive.

It was time for him to turn back.

His family needed him.

Seeing that all his disciples had arrived, Scholar Li tapped the table with his ruler, and the courtyard fell silent.

“The extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things. This means that to extend our knowledge, we must investigate things and exhaust their principles. The spiritual intelligence of the human mind is never without knowledge, and there is nothing in the world that is without principle…” [1]

After class, Scholar Li called Feng Xin’ou away. Lin Pu nudged Song Changxu with his elbow.

He whispered, “See? The teacher really likes him. I think he could become the teacher’s prized son-in-law.”

Song Changxu: “The teacher has his reasons for calling him over. We just need to learn the material well.”

Lin Pu hadn’t expected Song Changxu to be so indifferent. In the past, when he had said such things, Song Changxu would have looked indignant.

Seeing that Song Changxu wasn’t interested, Lin Pu also lost interest. He leaned in and whispered, “Do you really think you can pass the exam to become a xiucai?”

They were in Jinhe County, under the jurisdiction of Yunzhou Prefecture. Records showed that each county selected about thirty people per session. Considering those who had failed multiple times and were still trying, their skills were stronger than theirs, making their chances even slimmer.

Lin Pu planned to try once, and if he failed, he would go to town to be an accountant. After learning to read and write, he wouldn’t have to do farm work in the village.

He didn’t have much hope of passing.

Song Changxu said thoughtfully, “How will we know if we don’t try?”

Lin Pu was still in a state of shock during class.

At noon, they borrowed Scholar Li’s kitchen to steam their iron lunchboxes on the stove lid.

Song Changxu took a sip of water from his bamboo tube. He sat on a chair with his head down, weaving a grasshopper out of a foxtail grass.

The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting a layer of light on his face. He had a high nose bridge and fair skin. The long robe he wore neatly outlined his tall figure.

Lin Pu was starving. He watched the fire in the kitchen, and as soon as he saw that the lunchboxes were ready, he quickly said, “Time to eat!”

Feng Xin’ou withdrew his gaze from Song Changxu. Song Changxu had been attentive in class recently, and Feng Xin’ou had noticed that his personality had become much calmer, which suddenly gave him a sense of crisis.

Song Changxu put the woven grasshopper in his sleeve and went to get his lunchbox. As soon as he sat down, Lin Pu sat down next to him, looking eagerly at his lunchbox.

Lin Pu’s lunchbox contained Mapo Tofu, stir-fried greens with garlic, and eggplant with green peppers, which looked very appetizing.

Song Changxu’s lunchbox also had three dishes: scrambled eggs with chives, the golden yellow of the eggs revealing the fragrance of the chives; a cold salad of water spinach; and tiger-skin green peppers.

Lin Pu: “You eat mine, and I’ll eat yours.”

Song Changxu nodded.

This way, they could have six dishes.

Seeing them eating happily, others also brought their lunchboxes over to share.

Song Changxu also had a jar of pickles and a jar of shredded radish to share with his classmates.

They quickly became familiar with each other. The pickles and shredded radish from Song Changxu’s family received endless praise.

Feng Xin’ou did not join them.

.

The bamboo shoot season was over. Xu Zhizhou had earned two hundred copper coins from selling dried bamboo shoots, and he was very happy. The family didn’t require them to hand over the money they earned, so he could keep it all for himself.

Xu Zhici was more diligent than him and had earned three hundred copper coins. It was unknown how much their parents had earned.

“If we could have good opportunities like this from time to time, we could save up more money,” Sun Ge’er said, casting a fishing net to catch fish.

The weather was good, and the forest was deep and quiet. With nothing else to do, Sun Ge’er had borrowed his brother’s fishing net to catch fish in the river. It would be wonderful to have fish soup for dinner.

Xu Zhizhou took off his shoes and socks, revealing his fair ankles, and waded in the water to play.

“I don’t need to fish. I’ll just wait to eat later.”

Sun Ge’er laughed. “When the fish are in the net, I’ll need you to help me pull it in.”

Sun Luzhen was about the same age as Xu Zhizhou and had also recently gotten engaged. The person marrying him was the third son of the Bai family from the neighboring village. The family had three brothers, and Sun Luzhen was marrying the third one.

It was said to be a friendly and harmonious family. The three brothers helped each other, and their lives were quite good. The third son was a skilled hunter. He had met Sun Luzhen at the market in Shuibo Town, taken a liking to him, and asked a matchmaker to propose.

The Sun family didn’t know what was going on at first, but after inquiring about the Bai family and learning that they were a good family, they agreed.

The two families met, were satisfied with each other, and settled the engagement.

Xu Zhizhou held Sun Luzhen’s hand. “I don’t think that Bai family boy looks good. You should think it over carefully.”

Sun Luzhen: “I’ve only told you about my matter with Bai Yuan. It hasn’t gotten out yet. I actually think Bai Yuan is a nice person.”

Xu Zhizhou snorted softly. He felt that no one was good enough for his friend.

Seeing the fishing net move violently, Sun Luzhen said, “Zhizhou, let’s pull the net in quickly before the fish escape.”

Xu Zhizhou didn’t hesitate and pulled on the net.

This one cast yielded seven or eight fish, as well as some small fish and shrimp that had gotten caught by mistake, a nice bonus.

After two casts, Xu Zhizhou divided the fish and shrimp. Sun Luzhen said, “My casting isn’t as good as my elder brother’s.”

“Having fish and shrimp to eat is already very good,” Xu Zhizhou said. He played in the water with Sun Luzhen for a while, and the two of them went home with smiles on their faces.

Xu Zhizhou put the fish and shrimp in the kitchen. Seeing this, Xu Zhici said, “It looks like you had a good harvest today.”

“It’s just right for a steamed fish. The rest can be dried.”

When the Song family made buns, they had sent some over to their family. This time, after catching the fish, Xu Zhici made fish soup and had Xu Zhizhou deliver it to the Song family.

It was getting dark, just the time when Song Changxu would be returning from Lingshui Village, right on schedule.

Xu Zhizhou carried the fish soup. He had even asked his elder brother to add more small shrimp, as he had heard that shrimp was nourishing and made people smarter.

The evening breeze blew, and a few strands of Xu Zhizhou’s hair fell in front of his face. He paid careful attention to the path under his feet and didn’t notice.

As soon as he reached the main road, someone asked him where he was going.

Xu Zhizhou pursed his lips and smiled. “I’m delivering something to someone.”

The aunties in the courtyard had somewhat ambiguous expressions. Even without saying a name, they knew who it was for.

It was normal for engaged youths and ge’ers to exchange things. Besides, sending food was a common practice in the village. Whenever a family made something delicious, they liked to share it with those they were close to.

Smelling the fragrant aroma of fish soup, they thought the Song family was in for a treat.

A faint blush appeared on Xu Zhizhou’s cheeks. He had never been teased like this before, so he was naturally thin-skinned.

He quickened his pace. After passing a section of the path with few people, he breathed a sigh of relief. In a moment of carelessness, he almost bumped into a wall.

A hand stopped his head, and he bumped right into the person’s palm.

Song Changxu was carrying his book box, wearing a long robe, standing tall in front of him. His face was handsome, his thin lips lightly pressed together.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going when you walk?”

Hearing Song Changxu’s voice, Xu Zhizhou felt embarrassed, and then a spark of anger ignited.

“My family made fish soup, and I’m bringing it to you. I was in a hurry and almost bumped into a wall. In the end, it’s all your fault.”

The corner of Song Changxu’s mouth twitched. “…”

He looked down and saw that some of the soup had spilled. Xu Zhizhou’s fingers were red from the heat, and one area was already flushed.

Xu Zhizhou glared at him, not yet realizing he had been scalded.

Song Changxu put his book box on the ground and took the bowl of fish soup from Xu Zhizhou’s hands. The bowl was full to the brim, and even he was scalded.

He placed the fish soup on the book box.

“You should just take the fish soup back…”

He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve. Finding Xu Zhizhou’s words annoying, he grabbed his hand and wiped the soup off.

Xu Zhizhou fell silent.

Song Changxu looked down at his hand. Xu Zhizhou’s hands had thin calluses. Although he was a bit spoiled, he still had to do chores at home. His fingers were long and fair. Now, the area between his thumb and forefinger was red. Through the handkerchief, Song Changxu could feel that it was burning hot.

“Soak it in a wet cloth when you get home. And don’t bring soup over anymore,” Song Changxu said, taking out some wild fruits he had picked on the road from his book box and stuffing them into Xu Zhizhou’s hands.

“The soup has spilled, and you didn’t even notice.”

Song Changxu put the fish soup in his book box and held it.

The tips of Xu Zhizhou’s ears were bright red. He looked at Song Changxu with watery eyes, then glared at him and stammered, “What-what do you know? I just wasn’t paying attention for a moment.”

“And don’t grab my hand in the future. It’s not good to be seen by others in public. Are you trying to ruin my reputation?”

There was no one else on this small path, only the sound of a dog barking at the village entrance.

Song Changxu was speechless. “Remember to soak your hand in cold water when you get back.”

After saying that, Song Changxu left. Xu Zhizhou held the wild fruits and clutched the handkerchief.

“What was that all about?”

Xu Zhizhou complained under his breath. His heart beat rapidly for a few moments, the warmth of Song Changxu’s fingertips still lingering on his hand.

The hand he had touched was burning, whether from the scald or something else.

Xu Zhizhou’s fair face was flushed red. This was the first time he had had physical contact with an unmarried man.

His heart was on fire, a strange feeling.

How could Song Changxu grab his hand? He must have been trying to take advantage of him.

Xu Zhizhou went back, puffing his cheeks in anger.

When he got home, Xu Zhici asked, “Did you deliver the fish soup?”

Xu Zhizhou nodded vaguely. He had intended to go straight to his room, but then he remembered something. He turned and went to the kitchen to rinse his reddened fingers with water.

“Did you get burned? I won’t let you carry soup anymore,” Xu Zhici said, his heart aching a little as he looked at his younger brother’s fingers.

Xu Zhizhou: “I accidentally spilled the soup myself.”

Seeing Xu Zhici come over, he felt a guilty conscience and quickly stuffed the handkerchief Song Changxu had given him into his sleeve.

Xu Zhici remembered that they had a tube of ointment at home that Xu Sunzheng had used for a sunburn last year. It felt cool and soothing when applied. Zhizhou’s face was also very red.

“It’s just a little red. I don’t need to apply any ointment.”

After saying that, Xu Zhizhou went into his room. He carefully bolted the door and took out Song Changxu’s handkerchief to look at it.

The wild fruits he had been given were on the table.

“This handkerchief seems to be made of good material,” Xu Zhizhou’s eyes lit up after looking at it for a while.

If he ran into him, he would have to ask Song Changxu if he still wanted this handkerchief. Otherwise, he would keep it for himself.

He patted his burning cheeks.

His mind was racing with thoughts, always coming back to Song Changxu looking down and grabbing his hand.

Speaking of which, Song Changxu’s eyelashes are really long.

A moment later, Xu Zhici called him for dinner.

.

The Song family saw the full bowl of fish soup and all said that the Xu family was too polite.

“They’ve been sending back and forth such good things. They’re too sincere,” Liang Su said.

“We weren’t that close with the Xu family before. We should visit them more often in the future,” Song Ye said.

The Song family was small, with few relatives. They were on polite terms with the Xu family. The marriage was arranged because the two families were a good match, lived in the same village, and knew each other well. They would support each other in the future.

“That’s right,” Liang Su said, genuinely happy. If the two families were close, and the two young ones got along well, life would be good.

Song Changxu didn’t pay much attention to his parents’ conversation.

After washing up, he went back to his room and remembered that he had some ointment. The mosquito bites were too severe, so he had bought some ointment in town to apply. He remembered that it was effective for reducing swelling and relieving pain.

It was already late, and it wasn’t appropriate to go to the Xu family’s house now. Song Changxu looked at the sky. It was spring now, and the days were getting longer, the nights shorter. After dinner, there was still a lingering glow from the sunset.

In the evening, the village seemed to be immersed in the sunset glow. The sky was orange, and the withered branches stretched crookedly towards the sky. Unpruned, they had a natural beauty.

The cats and dogs in the village walked around with agile and vigorous steps.

The setting sun was like molten gold. Smoke curled up from the chimneys of the village houses. The figures of people were scattered, and a cat or dog would meow or bark once or twice, its voice clear and loud.

Song Changxu walked along the village path. When he reached the Xu residence, he saw that an elm tree shaded the back eaves of their house. The courtyard must be cool in the summer. He knocked on the door.

Xu Zhizhou was cooling off in the courtyard after dinner. Hearing the noise, Cao Qin was about to go and see, but Xu Zhizhou said, “I’ll go.”

When he opened the door, only one thought crossed his mind: It’s a good thing I came.

There was no one at the door. Xu Zhizhou thought it was some kind of prank. Only when Song Changxu saw it was him did he reveal himself and stuff the ointment into his hand.

“Use this ointment on your hand.”

Xu Zhizhou closed the door. Cao Qin asked, “Who was it?”

“No one. It was probably some kid playing a prank,” Xu Zhizhou said, squeezing the ointment in his sleeve, his face flushing and his heart pounding.

There were a few mischievous children in the village who liked to play knock-and-run, so Cao Qin didn’t ask any more questions.

Xu Zhizhou lay in bed, opened the ointment, and applied it to his hand. It felt cool and refreshing.

He was too restless to sleep. He opened the small window. A full moon hung in the sky, with no stars to adorn it.

A black silhouette appeared in the small window, its black hands resting on the windowsill as it looked at the moon. A moment later, the silhouette stretched its sore hands, disappeared from the small window, and avoided the moonlight.

A boat of clear dreams.

Author’s Note:

Little Xu: Time for bed. [Hugs]

Little Song: .

Translator’s Notes

[1] A quote from the Great Learning, one of the Four Books of Confucianism. It discusses the relationship between acquiring knowledge and investigating the principles of things.