Chapter 9

Having learned his lesson last time, Jiang Yun dared not keep his money and belongings at home. Instead, he kept them tucked against his chest every day so that Liu Guihua could not find them.

Stepping out of the woodshed, he saw Liu Guihua and Jiang Mo hovering around Jiang Shunde, their faces plastered with fawning smiles. Jiang Shunde, unhappy after losing his manual labor job in town, had simply decided to become a loafer at home, living off the family’s stored grain and making no effort to find new work.

Liu Guihua gave Jiang Mo a wink. Jiang Mo understood instantly, putting on a sweet and obedient smile as he began to knead Jiang Shunde’s shoulders.

"Father~" the term of endearment was delivered with practiced intimacy. Jiang Mo continued, "The master in town says it’s time to pay the tuition for the coming year. I know how things are at home, so I begged and pleaded with him to reduce it. It used to be one and a half taels of silver, but this year he only wants one."

Jiang Shunde, who had been enjoying the massage, felt his smile vanish the moment money was mentioned, especially since he had recently lost his income.

Seeing this, Liu Guihua struck while the iron was hot. "Master, one tael really isn't much. Our Mo’er’s literary talent has been praised by the master himself. If in the future..."

"If a young master in town takes a liking to Mo’er, it will be a bright future indeed. And since you are Mo’er’s father, he surely wouldn’t forget you."

Liu Guihua had no choice; in every household in the village, the finances were managed by the men, and she was no exception. All twenty taels of the family's savings were in Jiang Shunde's hands, and both she and Mo’er were entirely dependent on him. However, Liu Guihua had a silver tongue, and her words immediately moved Jiang Shunde.

Jiang Shunde had been annoyed because, although Jiang Mo called him father, he was ultimately someone else's seed, and one tael of silver was enough to cover the family's living expenses for several months. But after hearing Liu Guihua’s pitch, he grew tempted. If Jiang Mo really succeeded, he wouldn't dare forget his old man, would he? Supporting Jiang Mo’s food and studies wasn't a wasted investment. If Jiang Mo became the spouse of a wealthy family, he would be the in-law of a town gentleman.

With this thought, Jiang Shunde turned his face and smiled. "Mo’er is my son; of course, I won't let you fall short on tuition. Study hard and make your father proud."

Mo’er immediately promised sweetly, "Father, don't you worry."

The family seemed harmonious. Jiang Yun watched this scene silently, feeling nothing. Jiang Shunde’s gaze shifted from Jiang Mo to Jiang Yun, and his face darkened instantly. He scolded, "Standing there like a log! Have you finished the work in the fields? If I have to go guard the wheat field myself, what use are you, you unfilial son?"

Being unfilial was a grave accusation, but Jiang Shunde didn't care about the son of his ex-wife; he had Jiang Mo, after all. As for Jiang Yun, he was merely there to serve them. Jiang Yun dared not resist and replied softly, "I know. I'm going now."

He had resisted in the past, but having lost his birth mother meant he had effectively lost his father. Jiang Shunde never held back when he beat him, and it was common for Jiang Yun to end up with blood streaming down his forehead.

Under the Great Li Dynasty, a farming household was entitled to five acres of land for a son, but only two for a ge-er or a daughter. The Jiang family was not prosperous; they had only received two acres of dry land when Jiang Yun was born. With the fifteen acres inherited from their ancestors, they now held ten acres of paddy fields and seven of dry land.

It was nearly June, and the wheat seeds Jiang Yun had sown in the fields had grown into waves of gold, interspersed with late-ripening green shoots—a sense of security brought by a full harvest. Jiang Yun had tended these crops with great care, yet he rarely got to eat much of it himself.

The field next to the Jiang family’s wheat belonged to Uncle Zhou Ping’s family. The two fields were separated by a clear ridge. Uncle Zhou Ping usually worked in town, leaving his wife, Wang Yunfeng, to handle the farm work. Since it wasn't time to harvest yet, Wang Yunfeng had gathered with Zhang Xiulan to chat. Wang Yunfeng looked left and right, then leaned into Zhang Xiulan’s ear to whisper something.

Zhang Xiulan jumped in shock. "What? Are you sure you heard that right?"

Wang Yunfeng curled her lip. "My brother delivers vegetables to the Li Mansion in town. He heard it clearly from the gatekeeper. How could it be false?"

Most people in the village could barely make a living in town, let alone get close to the wealthy families. Since Wang Yunfeng’s brother delivered vegetables to the rich and could converse with their stewards, he was held in high regard in the village. Naturally, Zhang Xiulan believed her.

Before she could recover, Zhang Xiulan saw Jiang Yun walking toward the fields. Her eyes lit up, and she waved, "Yun-er, come here!"

Jiang Yun saw them whispering and guessed they were gossiping about someone else’s affairs. He had been reticent since childhood and rarely meddled in such things; others rarely bothered to include him either. But Uncle He’s wife was different—she was always warm toward him. Unable to refuse, Jiang Yun walked over awkwardly to listen to the two women chat.

Watching Jiang Yun approach, Wang Yunfeng whispered to Zhang Xiulan, "I say, you’re so warm to this Yun-er—don't tell me you have designs on him?"

Zhang Xiulan bared her teeth and said, "So you figured it out?"

Wang Yunfeng guessed correctly. "If we're talking about the Jiang family, Jiang Mo is the good one. He studies in town, knows how to read, can use an abacus, and I heard his cooking and embroidery are excellent. He’s sweet-mouthed and articulate. Isn't he much better than that stuttering boy? I think you’re blind."

Zhang Xiulan scoffed, "I think you’re the blind one. Jiang Mo is a little fox—you’d let that kind into your family?"

Wang Yunfeng looked at her strangely. "Huh? I remember you liked Mo’er a lot a few years ago. How did you change so fast?"

Back then, like everyone else, Zhang Xiulan had admired Jiang Mo more than Jiang Yun. The change happened two years ago when she was taking her eldest son to see a doctor for a cold. Before they reached the pharmacy, she saw a familiar figure tangled up with a man in a secluded street corner. She initially thought it was some town playboy with a flower-house boy, but when the boy spoke, the voice was hauntingly familiar. She snuck a closer look and realized it was Jiang Mo.

Ever since then, Zhang Xiulan had held Jiang Mo in contempt. She began to notice Jiang Yun instead; although he was sallow, thin, and rarely spoke, he was diligent and never bad-mouthed anyone behind their back.

As her ideal daughter-in-law candidate drew closer, Zhang Xiulan patted Wang Yunfeng’s hand. "Alright, that’s enough."

Wang Yunfeng didn't understand her friend’s thinking, but she supported it. Jiang Yun was shy; he greeted the two aunts softly and sat quietly to the side. The three of them sat on the ridge, and Zhang Xiulan continued their previous topic.

Wang Yunfeng suddenly remembered. She slapped her knee, "Zhao Xiang kept saying she had arranged a marriage for her daughter, He Qiaoqiao, with someone in town. We all thought she was delusional, but it turned out to be true! My brother told me himself; it can’t be fake."

He Qiaoqiao? Jiang Yun remembered her. She was the daughter of Uncle He the Second. Last time their family was arguing loudly, Liu Yu had dragged him over to watch the spectacle.

Zhang Xiulan curled her lip. "Which family? How could they look at her? Her standards are higher than the sky, and she’s just as black-hearted as her mother."

Wang Yunfeng replied, "The Sun Mansion on the west side of town. They say she’s engaged to the Sun family’s second young master. That young master has a peculiar fate; ordinary girls' horoscopes don't match his. Isn't it a coincidence? He Qiaoqiao’s horoscope fits perfectly. That’s why they brought the betrothal gifts, even if they were reluctant."

The matter was so bizarre that Zhang Xiulan was still in shock. "Did that girl really get lucky?"

Wang Yunfeng said, "Exactly. Life is hard to predict. Some people seem blessed but are actually suffering, while others seem to suffer but eventually find sweetness after bitterness."

He Qiaoqiao was just like her mother, Zhao Xiang. Hearing that she was marrying a young master in town, Zhang Xiulan clicked her tongue in disdain. Neither of them liked the He family, and after a while, they stopped talking about it.

Zhang Xiulan turned to Jiang Yun and asked thoughtfully, "Yun-er, you’re fifteen this year. It’s time to talk about marriage. Haven't your father and Liu Guihua looked around for you?"

When she finished, Jiang Yun pursed his lips and shook his head, not daring to think about his own marriage. Zhang Xiulan had intended to ask if Jiang Yun was already betrothed, but she regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. She knew Jiang Yun’s stepmother was a piece of work; asking this was like rubbing salt into his wounds. She could only sigh, "Don't worry, things will get better."

Jiang Yun said, "Thank you, Auntie." He was genuinely grateful. There were few people in the village willing to stand by his side and speak to him, and Auntie Zhang was one of them. Jiang Yun was not one to forget kindness.

By noon, seeing the sun high in the sky, Zhang Xiulan and Wang Yunfeng picked up their stools to go home and cook lunch. With the women's chatter gone, Jiang Yun returned to his own small world. Looking at the waves of wheat transitioning from green to gold, his mood settled for a brief moment.

"Yun-er?"

Someone was calling him. Jiang Yun turned back and saw the Liu brothers. Liu Jinyan, who rarely spoke, was also there today, holding a box that looked expensive. With an outsider present, Jiang Yun stood up awkwardly. Not daring to look at Liu Jinyan, he focused his gaze on Yu-er.

Yu-er took the box from his brother’s hand and pushed it into Jiang Yun’s arms. "Last time I twisted my ankle, you helped me. I forgot to thank you afterward. I happened to go to town a few days ago and saw some pretty trinkets. I thought they suited you, so I bought them as a token of my gratitude."

Jiang Yun held the wooden box carefully. It was small but had exquisite carvings, looking much better than Jiang Mo’s jewelry box. Liu Yu exchanged a glance with his brother and urged Jiang Yun, "Open it, see if you like it."

Jiang Yun was nervous. He gently opened the box to find various hairpins. Though not made of gold or jade, the silk flower pins were beautiful. Especially the sky-blue hair ribbon on the side—not only was it pretty, but the patterns were delicate, and the fabric was unlike anything he had ever seen.

Liu Yu winked at him and giggled, "Pretty, right? My brother chose that hair ribbon himself."

Liu Jinyan, not expecting his brother to sell him out so quickly, was momentarily flustered and glared at him. As a ge-er, Jiang Yun had a natural love for beauty. But because of Liu Guihua’s harshness, he had never owned his own jewelry, and he usually tied his hair with ragged cloth strips, looking drab all day. This hair ribbon made Jiang Yun’s eyes shimmer, and he couldn't help but reach out to touch it.

He froze the moment his fingers brushed the fabric. He closed the box and said, "I... I can't take this. It’s too valuable. Helping you back then was just a small favor."

Seeing he wouldn't accept it, Liu Yu quickly sought help from his brother with his eyes.

Liu Jinyan said warmly, "Returning kindness is a family motto of the Liu family. When we chose the gift, we didn't care about the value; we just thought it suited you. We live in the same village and will see each other often. If we need help in the future, we’ll come to you again. Consider this a thank-you for the future as well."

Jiang Yun was still hesitant, so Liu Yu shoved the box firmly into his arms. "It’s a deal! You can't refuse when we come to you for help later!"

Jiang Yun couldn't refuse people, and he thought he could just help Yu-er more in the future. Finally, he whispered, "Thank you."

Though his voice was faint, the Liu brothers heard it. They looked at each other and smiled; seeing Jiang Yun happy made them happy too.