When Jiang Ji led Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya back, all three were dragging huge piles of firewood. Jiang Ya, in particular, was hauling a bundle of firewood nearly as tall as he was.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, he called out to Ye Li to come see the firewood he’d gathered: “Li-ge, Li-ge! I gathered a huge pile!” Ye Li was standing at the cutting board, slicing cucumbers, when he heard the call and stepped out of the kitchen.

Seeing the firewood behind Jiang Ya, he was a bit surprised: “You gathered that much? You’re really something, Jiang Ya!”

Flattered by the praise, Jiang Ya grinned proudly and shook his little fist: “I’m really strong!” He hadn’t been eating all that food for nothing.

Ye Li chuckled at the sight: “All right, all right. Strong-armed Ya, that’s impressive. We’re steaming rice tonight—you can have an extra half bowl.” 

“Great!” Jiang Ya’s big eyes lit up the moment he heard the word “rice.”

He loved rice!

“Then go wash your hands quickly. I’ll just whip up a cucumber and celery salad, and we’ll be ready to eat,” Ye Li said with a smile. Jiang Ya gave a hearty “Mm-hmm,” tossed aside the hemp rope he was holding, and skipped off toward the well.

Ye Li then called out to Jiang Ji and Jiang Mai to wash their hands as well.

Then he returned to the kitchen and placed the sliced cucumbers into a clay bowl.

The clay bowl already contained shredded lettuce and dried tofu—he had pressed the tofu that morning, so it was thin and firm; it didn’t need to be marinated, just blanched and served cold.

In addition, he had stir-fried some cold noodles and fried four eggs. Such a sumptuous spread made Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai cheer with delight the moment they stepped into the kitchen.

Jiang Ji couldn’t help but sigh a little; half of the money they earned really did go toward food.

The stir-fried noodles had a tender, smooth exterior and a chewy interior. Ye Li hadn’t had it in a long time and had missed it quite a bit, so he basically focused on this dish.

Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya also ate quite a bit. Knowing that Gong Lisheng was coming tomorrow, the two decided they wanted to properly thank him.

Besides, Gong Lisheng had bought a lot of watermelons yesterday. While the two of them were eating watermelon, Ye Li also told them to make sure to thank Brother Lisheng properly.

Ye Li asked curiously, “How do you two plan to thank him?”

Jiang Ya’s big eyes darted around a few times, and he asked with a hint of uncertainty, “Should Second Brother and I make some jasmine tea? We’ve already watched how it’s done.” Jiang Mai, who had been deep in thought, immediately nodded upon hearing this: “That’s a great idea!”

Ye Li smiled at this: “Alright, then I’ll teach you how to make iced jasmine watermelon tomorrow.”

“Iced Jasmine Watermelon Tea?” Jiang Ya tilted his little head, his chubby cheeks brimming with confusion. Jiang Mai was also puzzled: “Do we put jasmine tea leaves on top of the watermelon?”

Ye Li played it coy: “You’ll find out tomorrow.” Seeing this, Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai grew even more curious.

Just then, Jiang Ya had finished eating. He hopped off his stool and squeezed into Ye Li’s arms, tugging at his sleeve and begging him to tell him. The little guy called out “Li-ge” in a voice that grew sweeter with every word. Unable to resist his coaxing, Ye Li explained the recipe:

Cut the watermelon into chunks, put them in a bowl, and mash them into juice with a rolling pin. Then pour in some jasmine tea, add a little cane sugar, and you’re done.

The method was so simple that Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai listened with great enthusiasm and full confidence, wishing Gong Lisheng would arrive right then so the two of them could roll up their sleeves and make the watermelon drink.

Jiang Ji let them get excited for a while, then sent them off to wash up. He picked up the mugwort himself to fumigate the house.

He started with the west room.

As soon as he entered the west room, he spotted the new robe lying on the kang.

He walked over, picked it up, and took a closer look. He noticed a patch on the right side of the chest, and that patch was noticeably bulging. He reached in and felt it—sure enough, there was a folded silver note inside.

However, looking at the stitching around the patch, he was somewhat surprised.

Ye Li had previously despised him; he hadn’t made him a single handkerchief, let alone clothes, hats, or shoes.

But Ye Liang had assured him, patting his chest, that although Ye Li hated needlework, he had actually studied it properly.

Yet this patch before him had crooked, uneven stitches—some long, some short. To ensure it wouldn’t tear, Ye Li had even sewn three extra rows around the edges.

As for the craftsmanship, aside from preventing it from falling off, he truly couldn’t find a single redeeming quality.

No wonder Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya’s clothes, torn by firewood, were always taken to his second aunt to be mended. His surprise lasted only a moment.

He set the robe down and turned to light the mugwort. No thinking, no distractions—just get it over with.

After fumigating the west room, he moved on to the east room. Just as he was finishing, Ye Li entered the main hall.

He turned his head and saw Ye Li heading toward the west room. “Want to take a bath together later?” he asked.

Ye Li had been about to ask him to look at the robe with the silver notes sewn into it. Hearing this, she turned around. “Sure. I’ll bring the robe over for you to take a look first.” “I’ve already seen it. Put it away. Keep it safe—it’s the most valuable item in our household,” Jiang Ji said.

Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh—that was far from the truth.

But since Jiang Ji had already seen it, he did indeed put the robe away and place it in the wardrobe. Just as he closed the wardrobe door, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya burst into the main hall.

The two little ones headed straight for the west room: “Li-ge! Li-ge!”

Seeing them come in, Ye Li walked over and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Jiang Ya puffed out his little cheeks: “Li-ge, what if Brother Sheng comes tomorrow and we’re out gathering firewood? We want to thank him in person.”

“Well…”

That was a tough one to answer.

Gong Lisheng had plenty of preserved eggs now, and business was booming at lunchtime, so he couldn’t leave—he’d definitely come by in the afternoon.

But the household couldn’t go a single day without firewood.

Although the three brothers had gathered plenty of firewood today, tomorrow, he would not only be stewing meat but also making pork floss. The most critical step in making pork floss—stir-frying—takes nearly half an hour and consumes a lot of dry firewood.

Seeing that Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai were both looking at him with concern, he smiled and reached out to pinch their little cheeks. “It’s simple—we’ll just buy some firewood tomorrow.”

Beiyang County had little arable land but many mountains, and the imperial court forbade officials and landlords from seizing the forests. As a result, everything in the mountains was ownerless, and anyone could go into the mountains to chop firewood.

As a result, firewood wasn’t expensive; a load weighing a hundred jin sold for less than twenty wen.

Come to think of it, now that the family’s circumstances had improved, the two little ones no longer needed to work like busy bees. Take Jiang Mai, for instance—he was already seven years old.

Jiang Ji is a scholar; does Jiang Mai want to follow that path?

Jiang Ya can still play for another couple of years, but Jiang Mai really does need to start thinking about this.

Hearing Ye Li’s words, the two little ones were overjoyed and skipped and hopped back to the east room.

Ye Li kept the matter of schooling in mind. When Jiang Ji had put them to bed, and the two of them went to the small shed to bathe together, Ye Li brought it up with him. Jiang Ji simply said, “Let’s talk about it after I return from the Prefectural Capital.”

If he passed the examination to become a Xiucai, he wouldn’t have to spend every day poring over books at the private school anymore, and he could teach Xiao Mai himself. Upon hearing this, Ye Li hummed in agreement; indeed, it was a bit early to discuss this now.

The two carried the wooden tub into the shed and began undressing.

It was pitch black inside the small shed. Jiang Ji tried to sound as nonchalant as possible as he said, “The provincial exam is coming up. Once I return to the private school this time, I won’t be coming back in between.” Upon hearing this, Ye Li paused in the middle of unbuttoning his clothes, then reached out to embrace Jiang Ji. “That’s only right.”

Look at the mess this has caused.

Jiang Ji had finally managed to come back for a visit, but on his first night here, he’d made up a story only to find the two little ones had wet the bed. Yesterday and last night, they’d been discussing serious matters.

Tomorrow, this man is heading back to the private academy.

It’s all so rushed!

“When the time comes, I’ll go with Xiao Mai and Ya-ger to bring you some treats.”

His tone was thick with reluctance. He was already reluctant to let him go before he’d even left.

Hearing this, Jiang Ji felt a surge of joy. He wrapped his arms around him, cupping his face with his large hands, and then a kiss fell upon him. The light was too dim, so at first he kissed his chin, making him smile.

Before the laughter had faded, Jiang Ji found the right spot; his nimble tongue parted his lips, entering his mouth to gently tease his tongue. Jiang Ji’s kiss was tender, and this only made him feel more frustrated.

In the past, kisses like this had happened anytime, anywhere; whenever the two of them were alone, they would sneak in a quick kiss. But since Jiang Ji had returned, this was the first time they’d kissed like this.

Yet every day they spent together was so precious.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and focused on the kiss.

It was already hot inside the small shed, and what they were doing was the kind of thing that made one blush and their heart race. After a moment, they both began to undress each other, yet their lips remained unwilling to part.

It was too dark to see, so they moved to the entrance of the shed.

Freed from the constraints of their clothes, their burning skin pressed against each other’s, and the sensation only made them deepen the kiss. Ye Li jumped slightly.

Jiang Ji understood immediately and bent down to pick him up.

This position was a bit physically taxing, but neither of them wanted to go back inside. They couldn’t bear to part—they’d already wasted two days and two nights!

They held each other tightly as Ye Li urged Jiang Ji to go faster, faster still. Once they were done, they quickly rinsed off and hurried back inside.

Once on the bed, they could get a little more creative.

The lighting was perfect, too; the dim glow acted as a natural filter, concealing all flaws and magnifying only each other’s beauty.

As it happened, they both shared the same aesthetic tastes, so for the second time, they used only one position: face to face.

Whether Ye Li was on top or on the bottom, they both had to look at each other’s faces.

In that moment, the earlier awkwardness and distance vanished. Their clear eyes met, and as they gazed into one another’s, they either smiled or found themselves kissing involuntarily.

No words were needed; the touch of their bodies spoke louder than anything.

Jiang Ji took the lead, and Ye Li responded with kisses. After such a passionate encounter, though they were drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, they still felt as if they hadn’t had enough.

Jiang Ji took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from both of them, then used a fan to vigorously cool them down. His gaze fell on the high stool by the table. After a moment, he pointed at it and said, “How about we move to the stool?”

Ye Li leaned against his shoulder, glanced at the stool at his suggestion, and, recalling the wonderful experience they’d had there, immediately nodded. “Sure.” Earlier, he’d been too busy admiring Jiang Ji’s face.

But if they moved to the stool, he’d be able to see his whole body.

That young, powerful body standing before the high stool—the muscles defined yet not exaggerated, the lines smooth, firm, and fair—truly was a sight to behold. The more he thought about it, the hotter he grew, and he urged Jiang Ji to carry him over.

He was eager, and Jiang Ji was eager too.

Jiang Ji also loved seeing him bare-chested on the stool—his legs were not only long and straight but also fair. Whether draped over his shoulders or on his chest, they filled Jiang Ji with delight.

So the two of them moved to the high stool, touching and teasing each other. Though the area of skin-to-skin contact was small, beyond the physical pleasure, they were both thoroughly satisfied by the sight.

When it was over this time, Ye Li was truly spent. Jiang Ji was a bit tired as well.

However, since Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya were both asleep, he simply hoisted Ye Li onto his shoulders, and the two of them, completely naked, headed for the small shed.

Ye Li was utterly astonished. Standing at the entrance of the shed, he cupped his face in her hands and studied him. “Is this really the same virtuous and chaste husband I saw on our wedding night?”

“……”

Jiang Ji, at a loss for words, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the hut: “Let’s wash up and go to sleep. It’s getting late.” 

“Tsk, tsk. I really am quite the charmer.”

Ye Li felt a touch of smugness.

To have driven Jiang Ji to such a state of shameless, unrestrained abandon—in the end, it was all down to his own charm.

“……”

Jiang Ji was still speechless, but he loved seeing Ye Li’s smug little expression, so he pulled him into his arms and kissed him, kissing him until Ye Li went limp. Only then did he stop.

After all that commotion, Ye Li curled up in his arms, and a moment later, she actually yawned. He quickly gave them both a quick rinse, then hoisted Ye Li onto his back and carried her back.

The next morning, Ye Li, as expected, lingered in bed.

Not only was he exhausted, but his thighs ached as well. As soon as Jiang Ji led the two little ones out to cut pig fodder, he went back inside to sleep. He didn’t get up until Ye Liang came knocking on the door.

Today, Ye Liang had bought eight marrow bones and three catties of pork tenderloin.

The tenderloin was the large cut, not as tender as the smaller one, and being pure lean meat with no fat, it wasn’t very expensive. But with the large bones added, the original price would have been over a hundred wen.

But this time, Ye Liang had paid for half the meat.

The day before yesterday, Gong Lisheng bought watermelons. He had originally planned to buy meat yesterday, but since Ye Li was making pork floss today, he postponed it by a day and bought it today. If he had bought it yesterday, two catties of pork would have sufficed, totaling forty wen.

But buying it today doubled the cost. In the past, he certainly wouldn’t have been willing to spend that much. Liu Yi wouldn’t have agreed either.

But now, with the preserved eggs selling like hotcakes—a fact set in stone—and Jiang Ji about to head to the Prefectural Capital for his exams and in need of extra nourishment, he spent the money without a second thought.

Ye Li blanched the large bones and the tenderloin, then put them together into a large iron pot to boil. Once the tenderloin was cooked, he scooped it out and shredded it into strips, while the remaining large bones continued to simmer. To make the meat on the large bones easier to gnaw off, Ye Li simmered them for over an hour.

By the time they sat down to eat, mealtime had long passed.

However, the fragrant bone broth was enough to soothe their rumbling stomachs. Everyone ate until their bellies were as round as drums. After putting down their bowls, even Jiang Ya—who had been clamoring to make watermelon juice—went back to his room to lie down for a while before regaining his energy.

Ye Li had tossed the watermelon into the well to soak while he was washing the large bones. Now, as he fished it out, the whole melon was ice-cold, as if it had been rolled in ice.

Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya brought out a small stove and boiled some water. Then, following the steps Ye Li had taught them, the two began to mash the watermelon to extract the juice. If the juice is squeezed out, it doesn’t taste good—it has a foamy texture.

But if you pound it yourself with a rolling pin, it tastes much better. Add some jasmine tea and a little sugar, and the flavor becomes even more refreshing.

The two used half a watermelon to make a small bowl of iced watermelon jasmine tea. However, since everyone was still full, they only took a sip before setting their bowls aside.

But the flavor was unbeatable.

The three adults kept praising Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya’s culinary skills, so much so that the two boys couldn’t stand staying at home and insisted on going out to see if Gong Lisheng had arrived yet. By the time Gong Lisheng arrived, the sun’s fiercest heat had passed.

Business was booming at the shop, so he couldn’t leave. After entering the village, he came straight to the Jiang household.

As soon as he walked in, he was greeted with a warm welcome by the two little ones, and Jiang Mai even brought him a glass of watermelon juice that was no longer cold. Such hospitality naturally made him smile uncontrollably; he drank it in one gulp and praised the two little ones profusely.

After chatting with the two little ones, he got down to business.

Ye Li couldn’t give him any guarantees—what if the villagers changed their minds again?

So, the group went to Jiang Fuzheng’s house and asked him to gather the villagers.

When the gong sounded, Gong Lisheng felt a bit nervous—what if no one showed up? But his worries quickly dissipated.

Aunt Lu had been waiting at home with bated breath for the gong; as soon as she heard it, she immediately ran over with her son. The families who had gathered around Ye Li yesterday didn’t take long to arrive either.

As a result, six households soon gathered under the big locust tree. Adding Jiang Fuzheng’s family to the mix made it seven households.

Gong Lisheng was overjoyed—there were so many! Counting Ye Li, Jiang Tong, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Yu, half the households in Yezaopo were willing to sell their preserved eggs to him! But his joy didn’t last long, because more people kept arriving; in no time, over ten households had gathered!

He was taken aback, but before he could ask, Jiang Fuzheng had already gone around asking each of them. It turned out the latecomers were just there to see the commotion.

Of course, if they could sell them to Gong Lisheng, they wouldn’t mind either. After all, the price Jiang Fuzheng had been able to negotiate by going out to find buyers was about the same.

Seeing this, Gong Lisheng quickly explained that his family didn’t have the financial means to handle that many preserved eggs.

The latecomers didn’t seem disappointed upon hearing this, but they didn’t leave either; they continued to watch the commotion. So, they moved on to business.

Gong Lisheng took the matter of drawing up the contract very seriously. He had already asked Bao Beiyuan to draft the contract, and following the principle that it was better to have more copies than fewer, Bao Beiyuan had prepared a total of ten.

He had brought them all with him.

He handed the contracts to Jiang Fuzheng for him to verify.

At that moment, Ye Li began asking each of the six households how many preserved eggs they produced. This question startled Gong Lisheng once again. What? Four or five thousand per household? His shop couldn’t possibly handle that!

It wasn’t that he didn’t have enough money—after all, having run a shop for decades, his family had some savings, and preserved eggs were a quick way to make money. But the problem was, yesterday the couple had sold a total of 208 portions of preserved eggs.

Not even three hundred portions!

If they calculated based on 300 portions, the couple would only need 18,000 preserved eggs a month! Yet these six households were demanding that he get 30,000 preserved eggs!

Add in Ye Li’s household and Jiang Fuzheng’s family, and even if the couple worked around the clock without rest, they’d never be able to sell them all.

Seeing that he was taken aback, Ye Li hurried to reassure him: “Brother Sheng, four or five thousand is just an ideal figure. Everyone in the village has been buying eggs these past few days, but where in the county town could there be that many eggs?”

“That’s not a figure I’m asking you to meet all at once—don’t worry.”

“Besides, you can have your brothers come over to help. You’ve been in the county town for a long time—when it comes to running a stall, none of us villagers can hold a candle to you.”

“Your family can run the shop while also setting up a stall. With the whole family working together, it won’t be hard to sell all these preserved eggs.”

Gong Lisheng: “……”

He stared blankly at Ye Li. His mind raced.

That’s right.

He had a younger brother.

His wife’s family had people, too.

If his own family pitched in to sell preserved eggs in the county town, those tens of thousands of eggs wouldn’t be such a daunting task. Plus, they could make money—a lot of money!

His heart began to race with excitement. That’s what we’ll do!

He smiled and said, “Once Uncle Jiang confirms everything is in order, the villagers can go ahead and put their fingerprints on the agreement.”

Aunt Lu and the others smiled too and began to explain.

Now they had to rush to the county town every day to get eggs; if they were even a little late, they’d be sold out. They were all thinking of going to the surrounding villages to buy eggs instead.

“So don’t worry, Mr. Gong; these preserved eggs will definitely be delivered in batches.” Hearing this, Gong Lisheng felt much more at ease.

It’s decided. Today ,he’ll have someone send a message to his father, asking his two younger brothers to come into town tomorrow to discuss their plans for making money!