The ancestral hall in Linshui Village was built under the initiative of the previous village chief and has stood for several decades now. Since the hall enshrines more than one family, the village chief is responsible for its daily upkeep. The two mu of ritual fields attached to the hall are also managed by the village chief.

Each year, a portion of the income serves as the village chief’s compensation, another portion covers the maintenance and offerings for the ancestral hall, and the remainder is used to care for the village’s orphans, widows, and the elderly.

The main hall of the ancestral hall serves as the daily place of worship. The room on the left stands empty, while the one on the right is a simple dwelling—a wooden bed and a set of tables and chairs—which is usually vacant as well. Occasionally, when a family in the village suffers a misfortune—such as a fire or a collapsed house—they temporarily take shelter in the ancestral hall.

On ordinary days, the ancestral hall is quiet, even desolate, but today it is unusually bustling, with bright windows and clean surfaces, and the air filled with the sound of voices.

As soon as the Shen family arrived at the courtyard gate, they were surrounded by well-wishers, with congratulations pouring in: “This is the first time our village has ever held a ceremony like this at the ancestral hall—it’s truly remarkable. Huai has truly brought honor to our ancestors.”

“Is that a Xiucai robe? It looks even better than the cotton ones, and the color is so bright.”

“Is he going to take the Juren exam next? Our town hasn’t had a Juren yet. If our village produces one, that would be something—we’d all walk with our heads held high when we go out.”

“Thank you all, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters-in-law, and younger siblings.”

Shen Huaizhi blushed—a rare sight—not out of shyness, but with a touch of embarrassment. The title of Xiucai was merely the beginning for a man of letters; in fact, one could only be called a scholar after passing the Xiucai exam. Such praise was truly undeserved.

Aside from Shen Huaizhi, the entire Shen family was showered with lavish praise. Some spoke of Shen Zhengchu and Song Xunchun’s foresight—how they had gritted their teeth to send Shen Huaizhi to school all those years ago. Others praised Lin Yue for his discernment and good fortune, noting that his husband had passed the exam just a few months after he’d married into the family. Still others teased Shen Lingzhi, asking if he too would marry a scholar someday.

Of course, there were those who took a different approach, choosing not to praise the Shen family but to sing the praises of Old Master Shen instead. After all, Old Master Shen and Old Madam Shen were present today, and not only them—even Uncle Shen’s family had come. In their eyes, this was a source of pride for them as well.

“If you ask me, Old Uncle Shen really has no discernment—he treats a treasure like a weed. His eldest son is clearly no match for his second son, and the younger generation is even worse. Before Huaizhi passed the Tongsheng exam, he was a capable, hardworking young man, unlike his cousin, who never set foot in the fields once he decided to study.”

“Oh my, keep your voice down—they’re right up ahead. But you’re right; who knows what they’re thinking.”

Old Man Shen and Uncle Shen were now completely focused on Shen Huaizhi up ahead. Old Man Shen was still his usual self—his perpetually furrowed brow hadn’t relaxed one iota—but Uncle Shen was grinning from ear to ear, as if it were his own son who’d passed the Xiucai exam.

Grandma Shen found their expressions utterly tiresome. This father and son were truly cut from the same cloth. How had Xiao’er managed to split off and start his own household back then? It seemed their father and older brother had completely forgotten. Now they wanted to ride his coattails, without even considering whether Xiao’er’s family would agree. Did they really think they could still boss him around like they used to?

But she didn’t say a word. She pretended she’d come today solely to see her eldest grandson. She was practically one foot in the grave; no one had ever listened to her all her life, so naturally she wouldn’t bring it up now. Perhaps there really were brothers in this world with no kinship at all. As their mother, she couldn’t control them, and she wouldn’t try to anymore.

Shen Huaizhi spotted them as well. He and Lin Yue walked over together and called out, “Grandma Shen.” Shen Huaizhi then walked straight into the ancestral hall, while Lin Yue supported Grandma Shen as they followed.

If Lin Yue had previously worried that getting close to Grandma Shen might cause him trouble, he no longer had any such concerns. Shen Huaizhi’s title as a Xiucai might not mean much outside the village, but in Linshui Village, within the large Shen family, it carried significant weight. Even if Old Man Shen wanted to do something, the others would step in to stop him.

“Grandma, please walk slowly. Let me help you.”

As soon as the Shen family entered, the villagers waiting outside followed them inside. Shen Guangchu had already changed into a fresh set of clothes; his expression was solemn. He lit the incense stick in his hand and handed it to Shen Huaizhi.

“Huaizhi, come and offer incense to our ancestors. Tell them that our Linshui Village—and our Shen family—has produced a Xiucai.”

Shen Huaizhi respectfully performed three prostrations and nine kowtows before placing the incense stick in the incense burner. “I give thanks for the virtues of our ancestors. On this day in the middle of autumn, your descendant, Shen Huaizhi, carrying on the aspirations of our forebears and upholding our family traditions, has studied for over a decade and attained the title of Xiucai. Having bathed and observed abstinence, I now perform three prostrations and nine kowtows to honor our ancestors. With the three sacrificial animals prepared and the five grains complete,I humbly pray that the spirits of our ancestors in heaven may enjoy eternal peace.”

With that, today’s ancestral rites were complete. As the crowd dispersed, the ancestral hall returned to its peaceful state.

Shen Guangchu escorted the Shen family all the way home before taking his leave. “It’s getting late, so I won’t stay any longer. Once you’re done with this busy period, be sure to come over for a visit.”

Shen Huaizhi clasped his hands in a bow and said, “Thank you for your trouble today, Uncle Guang.”

Shen Guangchu laughed heartily twice before replying, “It’s a favor I’d be more than happy to do again and again.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Huaizhi brought up another matter. “Uncle Guang, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask for your help with.”

“Oh? What is it? Just tell me straight out.”

“On the day I returned from the county town, I learned that a Xiucai’s fifty mu of farmland had been exempted from taxes because the county magistrate awarded me a few taels of silver. So I’d like to ask you to inquire around the village if anyone is selling land—prime fields would be best, but anything else will do. Also, if there’s any fallow land, I’d like to purchase a few mu of that as well,” Shen Huaizhi said.

Shen Guangchu had thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be this. He chuckled, “I was going to ask you about this myself. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for you. However, the rice in the fields hasn’t been harvested yet, so I don’t expect any land to be for sale for the next ten days or so. There should be some available around the time the autumn taxes are due at the end of the month.”

“As for the fallow land, it’s simpler. Just come along when we go to the county town to pay taxes. We’ll have the official in charge of land affairs at the county office draw up a deed, and once you’ve paid the silver, the land will be yours. There’s plenty of fallow land on the hills behind our village; I’ll pick out a couple of plots for you that are easy to clear.”

With the top priority of buying land settled, the Shen family was overjoyed. Just thinking about the extra acres of farmland coming their way made Song Xunchun unable to sit still

Back when they divided the family estate, they’d only had a few acres of poor-quality farmland. They’d bought a few more acres over time, but it still only amounted to eight acres. With just those eight acres—and later the sixteen—they’d managed to feed a family of four. Back then, the number of days in a year when they had enough to eat could be counted on one hand. Things were finally looking up now.

“Your father and I have exactly six taels of silver left. We’ll put that in too, and we’ll buy as much as we can.”

This last bit of money was practically their life savings, but Song Xunchun didn’t hesitate for a moment. She and Shen Zhengchu weren’t in the best of health, but they weren’t about to keel over in the next couple of years. As long as they had the land, they’d have an income, and sooner or later, they’d be able to earn it back.

Shen Huaizhi hesitated for a moment before speaking up: “Mother, Xiao Yue and I still have fifteen taels of silver. If the price is right, that’s enough to buy ten mu of prime farmland—or even more if we buy wasteland. I doubt there’s that much land for sale in the village. You two should hold onto yours for now; if more becomes available, we’ll put ours in.”

Lin Yue also spoke up, “Mother, I still have about four taels of silver left from running the stall. If it’s not enough later, I’ll add these four taels. Mother, please don’t touch what you have for now; you’ve already spent quite a bit during this time.”

Seeing that both Lin Yue and Shen Huaizhi felt the same way, Song Xunchun didn’t press the matter further. After all, the family would eventually be left in the hands of these young people. “All right, I’ll go along with you. If it’s not enough later, we’ll add more then.”

Shen Lingzhi also spoke up, “Mother, Brother, I’ve saved two taels of silver as well. If it’s not enough, feel free to use mine too.”

Song Xunchun refused without a moment’s hesitation. “Keep yours for yourself. In a couple of years, you’ll have to start thinking about marriage. You’ll need silver in hand to feel secure then.”

She and Shen Zhengchu had previously considered buying Shen Lingzhi two mu of land as a dowry, but it wasn’t possible. Land transactions in the village were typically confined to villagers—it was acceptable to sell to fellow villagers, but not to a daughter who was to marry out of the village. The only exceptions were sons or daughters who were to take a husband or wife from outside the village. Therefore, they could only save up some silver so that when she married, she could buy land in whichever village she ended up in.

After chatting idly as a family, everyone went about their own business. It was nearly noon, so they had to hurry to light the fire and cook. They had paid their respects at the ancestral hall that morning, and in the afternoon they still had to visit the ancestral graves. The incense, candles, and joss paper were already prepared, but the offerings still needed to be arranged—meals, fruits, tea, wine, and pastries were all essential.

Since the Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, there were still plenty of chestnuts at home. Lin Yue set about making chestnut cakes: he boiled and mashed the chestnuts, mixed them with glutinous rice flour and powdered sugar, pressed the mixture into molds to form small cakes, and steamed them until tender. The result was a plate of soft, chewy, and sweet chestnut cakes.

Besides Lin Yue, Shen Lingzhi also made a pot of buckwheat cakes. During his time running the stall, he had learned to make quite a few pastries, and buckwheat cakes were his specialty.

By the time the two of them had finished making the pastries, Song Xunchun had also finished cooking the meal. “Lingzhi, go call your father and brother back for dinner.” 

“Where did my brother and the others go?” Shen Lingzhi had been so busy making pastries that he hadn’t looked up; he’d assumed they were still in the main hall.

“They’re in the backyard gathering supplies. They said they’re going to tend to the graves today.” 

“Okay, I’ll go right away,” Shen Lingzhi said.

Just past noon, the Shen family set off up the mountain, carrying bamboo baskets and hoes on their backs. The autumn forest was even more vibrant, with deep green, golden yellow, and gray-brown hues intertwining to create an atmosphere of tranquility and depth. The mountain stream remained crystal clear, and the falling leaves added a touch of charm to the scene.

It was Lin Yue’s first time walking this path; everything looked new and exciting to him. Halfway up the mountain, he even spotted a little squirrel perched on a tree, but unfortunately, it had already scurried away by the time he called out to Shen Huaizhi.

“Brother, look—there are two pine trees over there. Let’s go pick some pine nuts when we come back later.”

Lin Yue looked up in the direction Shen Lingzhi was pointing and indeed saw two towering pine trees. Even from a distance, he could make out the pinecones hanging high in the branches. “They’re way too high up. Will we be able to reach them?”

Under normal circumstances, Shen Huaizhi could climb a tree, but today, for the ancestral rites, he wasn’t wearing his everyday clothes; this robe simply wasn’t suitable for climbing. Shen Lingzhi glanced at her father and said cheerfully, “Father is really good at climbing trees; he’ll definitely be able to pick them.”

Lin Yue began to look forward to it as well. Pine nuts were delicious—subtly sweet and tender when fresh, with a different flavor when dried. They could even be used to make pastries; this season was perfect for pine nut and chestnut cakes.

Before long, the Shen family party arrived at the Shen family ancestral burial ground. Though called an “ancestral burial ground,” there were actually only a few graves, holding the remains of just three generations. They had just visited during the Qingming Festival, so there wasn’t much weeds growing around the graves at the moment. Only in some spots had the soil eroded slightly—likely washed away during a recent rain.

As soon as Shen Zhengchu and Shen Huaizhi arrived, they picked up their hoes and began tending to the graves. Song Xunchun and her two sons laid out the offerings they had brought. Once the Shen father and son had finished their work, the Shen family began to kneel and pay their respects, moving from the top of the graves downwards.