Ye Li and Jiang Ji entered the main hall one after the other.

Before Ye Li had even steadied himself, he was pulled into a familiar embrace.

However, Jiang Ji was still holding a string of coins, which jingled and swayed before Ye Li’s eyes as he moved.

Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh. “You’d better put the silver down first.”

Weighing eight catties, one couldn’t very well kiss while holding a string of coins like that.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji shifted his grip to his shoulders, and the two made their way into the west room.

Jiang Ji placed the coins on the table. Before he could even look at Ye Li, he took the initiative to wrap his arms around his waist. He curved his lips into a smile, seized the moment to pull his close, and with a gentle lift, set his down on the table.

One stood. One sat.

The setting sun bathed the slightly ajar window behind Ye Li in orange light, some of which spilled into the dim room.

Ye Li sat in that light, a radiant smile on his face. The scene was so vivid it felt almost overwhelming, and for a moment, Jiang Ji found himself transfixed. So his lips hesitated to touch his.

Ye Li was delighted. He wrapped his arms around Jiang Ji’s neck. “Am I really that handsome?” The question snapped Jiang Ji back to his senses, but then again, Jiang Ji had always enjoyed watching him show off.

Especially at this moment.

With Jiang Ji as the dividing line, the room behind him was dim, while before him lay a vivid, warm glow—enough to dispel all the gloom of the past. Everything that had happened over the past six years had become trivial and insignificant because of the person standing before him.

Jiang Ji chuckled softly, cupping his cheeks in his large hands as he examined him with tender care. His gaze was filled with obvious affection, its intensity almost scorching. Even Ye Li, with his thick skin, began to blush under that look.

It was rare for him to be shy, and Jiang Ji found it amusing, his heart swelling with joy. He cupped his cheeks in his large hands and gently rubbed them twice before leaning in to kiss him. The moment their lips met, the two—who hadn’t been this close in a long time—both felt a slight tremor in their hearts and instinctively drew closer. The last time they’d been this intimate was a month ago! They opened their mouths in unison, seeking out each other’s tongues.

The familiar scent made them instinctively close their eyes, so they could focus fully on the kiss.

This kiss was free of any other thoughts; they simply wanted to use this contact to soothe the longing that had been surging in their hearts for over a month.

However, the timing was clearly off.

In the courtyard, Jiang Ya caught the scent of a fragrance growing stronger in the air. Unable to contain himself any longer, he called out loudly toward the main hall: “Li-ge, is the chicken soup ready yet?”

Too eager to wait, he didn’t even wait for Ye Li’s reply before jumping up from his small stool. Running toward the main hall, he called out, “Li-ge, Li-ge! The chicken soup smells so good—is it ready yet?”

The sound of his voice growing louder from afar forced the two people inside the house to let go of each other.

Just as they wiped the droplets from their lips with a handkerchief, Jiang Ya burst in: “Li-ge, Li-ge!” Jiang Ji stepped forward, bent down, and gently pressed his hand on the boy’s small shoulder.

Ye Li took the opportunity to jump down from the table.

He was small, and his view was completely blocked by his older brother. He tilted his little head and looked around the room: “Where’s Li-ge?” 

“Right here,” Ye Li said with a smile as he walked over, reaching up to ruffle his little head. “You little glutton, come on, it should be ready.” 

As soon as Jiang Ya heard “ready,” he immediately forgot everything else and exclaimed happily, “It’s been stewing for so long, it’s definitely ready.”

He even held up his little fingers to count: “Two chickens, four drumsticks—one for each of us!” He’d get to enjoy a whole drumstick all to himself.

His big eyes sparkled, and Jiang Ji found it amusing. “Quick, thank your Li-ge. All the good times in our family are thanks to him.” 

“Thank you, Li-ge!”

Jiang Ya shouted immediately, his voice booming, and added, “Li-ge, when I grow up, I’ll definitely take good care of you!”

Ye Li hadn’t expected him to blurt that out, and he burst into laughter. Leading him outside, he asked, “Good boy, Ya-ger, can you be filial to me right now?”

“Sure!” Jiang Ya nodded his little head, though a look of confusion crossed his face. “Li-ge, how do I be filial to you?” 

“Hmm… Just being a good boy and listening to me is how you show me respect.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Jiang Ya swelled with pride. He was already very obedient, after all. It turned out he had been showing filial piety to Li all along.

But it was indeed Li-ge who had brought the good life to their home. He couldn’t just be filial in that one way. Tilting his little face up, he said, “Li-ge, from now on, I’ll not only be obedient, but I’ll also gather even more firewood!”

Ye Li couldn’t help but chuckle. “Good, good, good. You’re such a good boy.” Jiang Ji, meanwhile, felt a sense of relief.

With him away from home, his two younger brothers had to shoulder the burden. Fortunately, results will come soon.

That evening, the family ate their fill and were thoroughly satisfied.

When Ye Li was simmering the soup, he added some chunks of watermelon rind. After simmering for a long time, the rind had almost completely dissolved into the broth, not only cutting through the richness of the chicken soup but also adding a hint of refreshing sweetness.

In the village, when people stewed chicken, they’d add enough vegetables to fill more than half the pot, but Ye Li didn’t add any vegetables besides the watermelon rind. The four of them took turns eating a bite of flatbread and a bite of chicken—it was an absolute luxury.

The four of them polished off both chickens. Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya were stuffed again. They played in the courtyard for a while before reluctantly heading off to wash up at Jiang Ji’s urging.

Jiang Ya had intended to sleep with Ye Li and Jiang Ji, but Jiang Mai persuaded him to go back.

With their parting imminent, Big Brother and Li-ge surely had a lot to talk about—they wouldn’t disturb them!

The two little ones were sensible and went to bed obediently, finally giving Ye Li and Jiang Ji some time and space to be alone. After tidying up the kitchen, the two went together to the small shed to bathe.

In the pitch-black darkness, the two didn’t do anything in the small shed and soon returned to their room wrapped in large towels.

Jiang Ji was about to get down to business, and the road ahead was bumpy. Ye Li hadn’t planned to drain Jiang Ji’s energy, but Jiang Ji wasn’t as weak as he’d imagined. An eighteen-year-old lad who’d been eating and drinking well for the past six months—what’s a three-day mule ride to him?

So, once back in the room, Jiang Ji had Ye Li sit on the high table beside the kang, and they had sex on the table. However, since they had to go to the county town the next day, Jiang Ji didn’t make him do the splits; the position was quite conventional.

Later, when they moved to the kang, they used only one position: face-to-face.

By now, for both of them, emotional connection was more important than physical pleasure. How could it be called love if they didn’t look into each other’s faces?

If they didn’t gaze at each other now, how would they bear the longing during their upcoming separation?

They gazed into each other’s eyes, kissed, gazed again, kissed—repeating this cycle even after it was over. But the night was too short.

They still had to go to the county town tomorrow.

They quickly wiped themselves down and went to sleep, reluctant to part.

Early the next morning, Jiang Ji went to Jiang Tong’s house to bring the ox cart back.

Looking at Jiang Tong’s grand new house, Jiang Ji felt nothing but genuine joy for the family; he had no other emotions. His own house was indeed old and dilapidated, but he had no intention of renovating it.

It didn’t leak, it stayed cool in the summer, and it would easily last another ten years.

Besides, the house held memories of him and his parents, so the idea of building a new one never crossed his mind. By the time he led the ox cart home, Ye Li had already prepared breakfast.

After breakfast, the two of them cooked some tofu, and the two little ones went out to cut grass. He and Ye Li then took over a hundred catties of copper coins to the county town. First, they went to the money exchange to convert the copper coins into silver taels, and then the two of them went to the private school to pack up their books and writing supplies.

The private school was just starting its break today; since Jiang Ji had gone home early yesterday, Master Han was still teaching.

They waited for a while until Master Han finished his class, then went to his office to return the money for the cart rental. Ye Li also brought some tofu puffs and preserved eggs; he had specifically asked Ye Liang to set aside two catties yesterday.

Master Han had a kind and benevolent appearance, though he was actually quite young—only in his forties—and had passed the provincial examination at the age of thirty. Jiang Ji had always looked up to him as a role model.

Master Han offered Jiang Ji a few words of encouragement and praised Ye Li for his virtue, noting that since Jiang Ji’s marriage, not only had their meals improved, but he had also become much more peaceful and composed lately, free from the former gloom and tension.

Of course, Master Han glossed over Jiang Ji’s short temper from right after the wedding. These words greatly increased Ye Li’s fondness for Master Han.

His keen and meticulous observations truly marked him as a teacher who cared deeply for his students.

After returning from the private school, the two went to buy some daily necessities, such as washbasins and tooth powder. Now that they were fully stocked, they wouldn’t need to buy these items once they arrived in the Prefectural Capital.

Moreover, the anniversary of Jiang Ji’s father’s death was approaching.

Since Jiang Ji would still be in the Prefectural Capital at that time, the two decided to pay their respects today.

After their shopping spree, by the time the two returned home, Ye Liang and the two little ones had already eaten lunch.

In the afternoon, Jiang Ji and Ye Li took the two little ones to the Jiang family ancestral gravesite to pay their respects to Jiang Ji’s father. They also bid farewell to Jiang Ji’s mother, praying that the spirits of both elders in heaven would watch over Jiang Ji as he worked to earn the title of Xiucai.

Upon returning from the cemetery, villagers began arriving one after another.

This time, the villagers didn’t bring any money; they had already shown their goodwill. Now they were simply stopping by to chat. Though they didn’t understand the ways of scholarship, Jiang Ji was already the most learned person in Yezaopo.

Moreover, their circumstances had improved; studying no longer required Jiang Dahu and the Ye family to tighten their belts, so they could relax and simply do their best. Ye Li and Jiang Ji both cherished the villagers’ goodwill in their hearts.

Before long, Bao Beiyuan and Gong Lisheng arrived in a mule cart.

The two presented Jiang Ji with a set of writing implements—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Just like the villagers, they urged him to keep a level head and simply do his best. Receiving so many well-wishes all at once, Jiang Ji was deeply moved.

This day felt almost too good to be true. Everyone in the world was a good person!

However, as Bao Beiyuan and Gong Lisheng were leaving, he pulled Bao Beiyuan aside and urged him to take care of himself. The self-punishment had gone on long enough; Bao Bo absolutely did not want to see Bao Beiyuan tormenting himself like this.

Bao Beiyuan listened to his words and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing. You just focus on the exam; I’ll be waiting for your good news.”    

“Really, do your best. If I don’t pass, you’ve got to make sure I have a brother who’s a Xiucai.”

“I hope you’ll make something of yourself!”

Jiang Ji: “……”

He took a deep breath, intending to say more, but Bao Beiyuan turned on his heel and started to walk away. He even called over Ye Li, asking him to pull him away.

Bao Beiyuan jumped onto the mule cart and urged Gong Lisheng to drive on. Jiang Ji had no choice but to swallow his worries. Well, he’d try to persuade him again when he returned from the Prefectural Capital.

After Bao Beiyuan and Gong Lisheng had left, Ye Liang had finished frying the tofu puffs and wheat dumplings. He had already given all the necessary instructions; since the two households were far apart, the Ye family wouldn’t be able to come over tomorrow to see him off.

Ye Liang simply told Jiang Ji to rest easy and not worry about matters at home or in the fields. With his instructions given, he slung the tofu puffs over his back and left.

The courtyard fell silent.

Jiang Ji looked at Ye Li, who smiled at him and said, “Go back and check your luggage to see if anything is missing.” Of course, nothing was missing.

Compared to last time, Jiang Ji had an extra small sack this time, filled with daily necessities. The silver in his backpack had also increased; it felt heavy and substantial.

Everything really was looking up now; all that was left was for him to pass the Xiucai examination and return home.

Dinner tonight was rather light. Ye Li made pumpkin soup, steamed white flour buns, and stir-fried pork with green peppers. Since they were setting out on a long journey, it wasn’t wise to eat anything too greasy.

After dinner, the two little ones went to bed without a fuss.

Jiang Ji and Ye Li climbed onto the kang. Since they had to get up early the next day, they blew out the oil lamp and went straight to sleep. However, despite trying for a long time, sleep refused to come.

Jiang Ji gave up, opened his eyes, rolled over, and looked at Ye Li lying beside him.

Ye Li hadn’t fallen asleep either. Hearing the sound he made, he rolled over as well and met his gaze. The moonlight cut through the darkness of the room, allowing them to barely make out each other’s faces.

Jiang Ji raised his hand and gently stroked Ye Li’s face twice. “Next time we go to the Prefectural Capital, we must go together.”

Those words made Ye Li beam with joy; this was exactly what he’d been thinking about and couldn’t sleep because of.

“Then write a diary. Write about what you see along the way, and how you feel each day. When you return, reading those words will be like having gone to the Prefectural Capital with you.”

In the darkness, as soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ji’s eyes visibly brightened. Jiang Ji then took hold of the hand Ye Li had casually placed on the mat: “All right.”

Ye Li added, “It’s a pity I really can’t write very well.”

“Besides, living in this village, every day is a repetition of the one before. Even though you’re far away in the Prefectural Capital, just by looking up at the sky, you’ll be able to guess what I’m doing.”

If he were a native of this place, he wouldn’t see anything wrong with this life. But he wasn’t the real Ye Li.

Having seen the vast world, yet with no other entertainment, he would only feel increasingly empty inside once his basic needs were met. Fortunately, there was Jiang Ji.

His dear husband was truly the greatest source of vitality and the only hope in his monotonous days.

When Ye Li said this, he didn’t seem particularly melancholy, but to Jiang Ji’s ears, it made him frown involuntarily. Every day was a repetition of the one before.

There was something off about what he said. But that was just how the villagers were.

And when it came to Ye Li, he never speculated or overanalyzed. He simply said, “Then shall we go out for walks more often from now on?”

Ye Li hadn’t expected him to respond that way; his heart instantly felt a little warm. He really knows how to get to the point.

Still, in this era, every place felt the same to Ye Li.

He’d watched plenty of period dramas in his past life.

Besides, given the state of the roads in this era, riding in a carriage would shake you to pieces. So Ye Li smiled and said, “No need.”

“Why not?” Jiang Ji asked, puzzled.

“I’m too busy to get away. Besides, I’m afraid of the bumpy ride.” Ye Li only told half the story. Before Jiang Ji could ask further, he added with a smile, “But at least we’re right next to the South-North Canal. Once we have the money and time, we’ll take a boat south.”

Jiang Ji understood what he meant and didn’t press further, merely nodding. “Alright, we’ll take a boat.”

“Now that you’ve agreed, there’s no need for you to lose sleep over it. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to travel far together in the future. Go to sleep,” Ye Li said. Jiang Ji nodded in response.

Indeed.

There was no point in overthinking it; time to sleep.

He lay back down, and this time, the God of Sleep came for him quickly. Ye Li, his heart filled with sweetness, also fell asleep soon after.

The next morning, Ye Li got up and made breakfast first. Once breakfast was ready, Jiang Tong arrived, leading the ox cart.

The Prefectural Capital lay southeast of Beiyang County, so Jiang Ji and the others had agreed to meet at the southern gate of the county town. To cross through the county town, they naturally needed the ox cart.

After breakfast, Jiang Ji loaded their luggage onto the ox cart. Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya also climbed aboard, and of course, Jiang Dahu was there as well. The group arrived at the city gate, but it hadn’t opened yet. As soon as it did, they were the first to enter.

After passing through the main street and reaching the South Gate, the cart drivers from the cart service were already waiting with their mule carts and horse-drawn carriages. Shi Yi, who attended the same private school as Jiang Ji, was also there.

Jiang Ji introduced everyone to one another. Before they had even finished exchanging pleasantries, the two guarantors and the remaining three Tongsheng arrived one after another.

They, too, had family members there to see them off.

Moreover, aside from their group, other scholars heading to the imperial examinations were setting out today as well. A large crowd had gathered here, making the scene quite lively.

But time was tight; now that everyone was gathered, it was time to set off.

The group loaded their luggage onto the cart service’s mule carts; the luggage alone filled two of them. The two guarantors boarded a horse-drawn carriage, while Jiang Ji and Shi Yi climbed onto the same mule cart.

The remaining three Tongsheng shared a mule cart. He had already given them all the necessary instructions.

Jiang Ji’s gaze swept over Ye Li, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, and Jiang Dahu and Jiang Tong, before settling once more on Ye Li. He forced a smile, then waved his hand. “Go home. You’ve got a pile of things to take care of at home.”

The remaining Tongsheng and students also urged their families to return. Amidst a chorus of parting words, the mule cart began to move.

Ye Li hurriedly called out, “Wait for us to come back!”

As soon as those four words were spoken, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya joined in, calling out repeatedly. At that, the smile on Jiang Ji’s face deepened considerably.

Ye Li was waiting for him. His family was waiting for him.

Now it was his turn to step up.