Ye Li and Jiang Ji moved to the base of the wall on the left side of the county school.

Once they had settled, Ye Li unbuttoned his jacket and took out the oil-paper wrapper he’d been holding close to his chest. He handed it to Jiang Ji: “This will have to do. I came in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to prepare anything else.”

Seeing this, Jiang Ji was deeply moved: “This isn’t just ‘something to tide me over.’ Besides, it’s enough that you came.” Those words were music to his ears.

Ye Li’s heart, which had felt empty for a whole night and day, was instantly filled with joy.

Not only did a smile spread across his face, but he even stood a little straighter, and his whole demeanor brightened at once. He urged, “Eat up—it’ll get cold in a minute.”

Jiang Ji reached out and took the oil-paper wrapper. The pancake wasn’t hot anymore—it was just right to eat.

They were stuffed to the brim with fried tofu puffs and generously coated with red chili sesame paste. With one bite, the salty, fragrant, and slightly spicy flavor was absolutely delicious. He nodded: “You’ve truly mastered the art—it’s delicious.”

Ye Li smiled at this—and rightly so; every small shop owner had learned from him.

He asked, “How’s the food in the mess hall?” “It’s okay,” Jiang Ji nodded again.

He listed the meals from last night, this morning, and lunch one by one.

The corn buns were mixed with some white flour, much like the ones Liang Erxiang used to make.

Although the stir-fried dishes were a mix of radish, Chinese cabbage, tofu, and bean sprouts, the stir-fried Chinese cabbage he had for lunch was generously seasoned with chili peppers and vinegar, delivering a rich, tangy, and spicy flavor.

Although there wasn’t much oil, it was still far better than the food at the private school. Besides, he still had the walnut powder Ye Li had made for him.

After hearing all this, Ye Li realized that because he had lived such a hard life in the past, even a slight improvement now made him feel content. It wasn’t just him—the rest of the Jiang family and the Ye family felt the same way.

But now that circumstances had changed, that mindset needed to change.

Ye Li said, “Don’t hold back on the money I gave you—spend it when you need to.”  

“I’m not holding back—I’ve had a lot to do today.”

Jiang Ji replied.

Yesterday, when he came to school, Ye Li had placed one guan of copper coins and a five-guan silver note in his schoolbag so he could treat himself to extra meals and buy books. All told, his daily allowance for extra meals amounted to as much as thirty wen.

It was truly an unprecedented level of affluence.

He hadn’t been deliberately saving money; it was just that he’d been so busy today that he hadn’t had a chance to spend it. Another Xiucai named Peng had enrolled with him yesterday.

This Xiucai Peng had passed the provincial exam several years ago, but the Peng family was too poor to afford his enrollment in the county academy. Only after the Peng family had saved up silver for several years was Xiucai Peng finally able to enroll alongside him yesterday.

In the morning, the school principal summoned the two of them to his office and offered them some words of encouragement.

Afterward, he and Xiucai Peng were assigned to Class Tian, which had more than twenty students. The instructor for that class was a scholar named Lin…

As he ate a bun, he recounted the events of the day.

Finally, he said, “I really do need to buy a few new books. I’ll go buy them tomorrow; the silver you gave me will be enough for now.”

The books required for the provincial exam differed from those for the academy exam; he needed to purchase some of the textbooks specified by Professor Lin.

“All right, then go check out the bookstores tomorrow. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Ye Li nodded.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji couldn’t help but smile.

He lowered his voice and asked, “Do you miss me that much?” 

Ye Li: “……”

Jiang Ji smiled brightly and smugly; the light from the lantern fell into his eyes, like stars in a summer night sky, making Ye Li’s heart skip a few beats.

But Ye Li didn’t berate himself inwardly for being weak-willed.

He and Jiang Ji were a proper married couple; Jiang Ji was strikingly handsome, and Ye Li was the one who benefited from it. Unfortunately, with people coming and going at that moment, he couldn’t lean in for a kiss like he used to.

Still, seeing his beloved husband so pleased, he smiled faintly and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Ji’s smile vanished instantly. With a serious expression, he shook his head: “I tossed and turned all night, feeling only emptiness in my arms. It took me a long time to finally fall asleep.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Li snorted, reasonably satisfied with the answer. Seeing this, Jiang Ji let out a sigh of relief and asked, “Is everything okay at home?”

“Everything’s great. Boss Yue came by and bought over 40,000 century eggs. I got a commission of four taels and seven hundred wen today.” 

“…He came again?”

Jiang Ji was taken aback twice.

The first was at Mr. Yue’s speed.

The second was the scale of Mr. Yue’s investment this time.

It was half as much as last time—that’s over a hundred taels of silver spent in one go. Ye Li explained, “He has a monopoly in the Prefectural City, and his family…”

After hearing this, Jiang Ji mused, “With Mr. Yue’s drive and diligence, if he doesn’t get rich, who will?”

“That’s right. So, you should go ahead and spend—our family’s silver comes in fast.”

Ye Li urged.

Jiang Ji nodded: “Alright.”

Between building the house and setting up the workshop, they’d nearly drained Ye Li’s savings. Just a few days ago, Ye Li had even hesitated to buy coal.

Fortunately, the workshop’s profits were growing day by day, and with the income from the century eggs, their finances would soon be in better shape. He said, “Let’s go ahead and get the coal, the puppy, and our kang table and kang cabinet.”

Ye Li agreed; at the moment, their house and the ones belonging to Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya were all empty, so they certainly needed to get this furniture.

The couple chatted about household matters until the entrance to the county school had grown quiet, with no one coming or going, and only then did Jiang Ji urge Ye Li to head home.

“It’s cold out here. You should head home early.”

Ye Li said, “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Jiang Ji smiled at this, resisting the urge to pull him into his arms. He reached out to take his hand and said, “I’ll wait for you.”

Ye Li smiled as well. “Don’t see me off. The kitchen isn’t closed yet, is it? Go have some hot soup. You can’t just eat buns.”

With that, he waved to Jiang Ji, then turned and walked toward the right side of the entrance. Jiang Tong was waiting there.

Once he was on the oxcart, he turned to look back and saw Jiang Ji still standing at the entrance to the county academy. A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he waved at Jiang Ji again. Jiang Ji waved back.

Jiang Tong, who had originally intended to say hello to Jiang Ji, saw this and swallowed the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.

He was puzzled.

He was somewhat stunned.

But never mind—since Xiao Ji couldn’t see him, he’d keep quiet to avoid disturbing the two of them. Still, perhaps he should give the matchmaker’s words some serious thought…

Over the past half-year, one stroke of good fortune had followed another—including the construction of a new house—and his heart had been in constant turmoil. Under these circumstances, although the matchmaker had been visiting frequently and he’d secretly met with a few candidates, none had quite met his expectations. He could find something to criticize about every single one.

Was he being too picky?

The next time a matchmaker came calling, he would definitely calm his mind and give it serious thought, to see if he, too, could live like Xiao Ji and his Li-ger—days when even a single day apart felt like an agonizing separation.

Jiang Tong made up his mind, but it wasn’t until Ye Li’s oxcart had driven a good distance away that he realized he’d forgotten to give Jiang Ji that package of donkey-roll pastries. He’d been so caught up in their lively conversation that he’d completely forgotten about the pastries he’d left in his back basket.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a big deal.

When they reached the village entrance, he handed the package of “donkey rolls” to Jiang Tong.

In the middle of winter, these glutinous rice pastries were a bit cold, so he decided to make some cookies instead.

That way, Jiang Ji could not only add walnut and sesame powder to his porridge but also dip the cookies in it.

So, the next day, after pressing the tofu into the mold, he didn’t rest but rolled up his sleeves and started making cookies.

Since there was no cake flour at home, he put regular flour in a bowl, pressed a plate down over the rim, and steamed it in a pot. After steaming for a quarter of an hour, the flour clumped together; he broke it up, sifted it, and there was his cake flour.

He planned to make egg cookies, as they would provide both calories and protein.

He cracked a few eggs into a bowl, scooped the yolks into a mixing bowl with a spoon, then cracked two whole eggs into the mixing bowl, added cane sugar, and used two pairs of chopsticks as a whisk.

He stirred and mixed until the egg mixture turned pale and frothy, then added the low-gluten flour to the bowl.

No oil is needed throughout the entire process.

With no piping bag and no oven, he planned to bake the cookies in a small cast-iron skillet.

He heated the small cast-iron skillet and used a spoon to scoop the mixed batter into the pan. Since the skillet was round, the batter flowed uncontrollably toward the bottom as soon as it touched the sides. As a result, the cookies that came out were all long and narrow—not very attractive.

But the taste of the cookies was unbeatable—fragrant, crisp, and flaky, with just the right amount of sweetness—no worse than the store-bought cookies he used to buy. Ye Li ate several in one go, then scooped a few into a bowl and brought them over to Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya.

The two little ones’ love for their new home showed no signs of waning, and with the cold outside, they simply couldn’t bear to leave the kang. When he pushed the door open, Jiang Mai was sitting under the covers, his little hand clutching *The Three-Character Classic*, reading it softly to himself.

Jiang Ya, on the other hand, was admiring herself in a small mirror.

Seeing him come in, one put down her book and the other set aside her little mirror, both calling out “Brother Li” at the same time.

“Come eat some cookies.” Ye Li set the bowl on the trunk at the head of the kang.

The old table from the east room hadn’t been moved over, so the two little ones had to use a large trunk filled with clothes as a makeshift table.

As soon as Jiang Ya spotted the cookies, he showed no hesitation in leaving his warm, cozy bed. He jumped out immediately, his little face breaking into a wide smile: “Brother Li, when did you make these? Why didn’t you let me stoke the fire for you?”

“Exactly, exactly. Ya-ger didn’t do his homework; he’s been looking in the mirror the whole time.”

Jiang Mai said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ya looked a little embarrassed, and he explained, “Brother Li, I forgot how to recite it.” After all, he wasn’t taking the imperial examinations.

That’s why, when Jiang Ji had been teaching Jiang Mai to recite the text earlier, he’d only been going through the motions. He hadn’t put as much effort into it as Jiang Mai had.

Although Jiang Ji had been staying at home for a month, he’d been busy building a house, so he’d only actually spent a week teaching Jiang Mai to read.

In such a short time, Jiang Mai hadn’t managed to memorize the *Three-Character Classic*.

As for reading it aloud, he couldn’t manage that either, since he didn’t recognize most of the characters in it.

Consequently, even though Jiang Mai had been poring over the book just now, he was actually completely unable to match the sentences he’d memorized with the ones in the book. If Jiang Mai was in this state, Jiang Ya—who wasn’t studying very seriously—was even more lost and confused.

So just a moment ago, Jiang Ya picked up his favorite little mirror and started fiddling with his hairstyle.

After hearing this explanation, Ye Li saw that Jiang Mai looked a bit embarrassed, so he smiled and said, “It’s okay. Today we’ll go deliver some cookies to your older brother, and we’ll have him teach you then.”

“We’re going today?”

Jiang Mai’s eyes widened. That soon?

“Yes, we’ll go this afternoon.”

Ye Li nodded.

This made both Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya happy.

Jiang Ya grabbed a cookie and, munching on it, wiggled his little body with joy: “Zengzi slaughters a pig, Zengzi slaughters a pig—Brother Li is so kind!” Jiang Mai also said earnestly, “Brother Li is so kind!”

His Brother Li truly kept his word—he never lied to children.

Having received praise from the two little ones, Ye Li was just about to pinch their little cheeks when he heard Ye Liang calling from outside. Ye Li stepped out of the room.

Jiang Ya hurriedly put on the new jacket Liang Erxiang had made for him and ran out, his little feet pattering.

“Big Brother, you’re here early today. Is it cold out? I just made some cookies—come try some.”

Ye Li pointed toward the kitchen.

“I’ve got nothing to do at home. Dad and Xiao Wen are both here, so there’s no work for me to do.”

His family had also paid the exemption fee this year, so they were exempt from corvée labor.

So, household chores like shelling corn and grinding flour had all been taken over by his father and Ye Wen.

He’d become quite the idler.

After Ye Liang finished explaining, not seeing his father anywhere, he asked, “Where’s Dad?”

“He went to Second Uncle’s house to get some shoe soles. He can’t sit still—he wants to make shoes for Xiao Mai and Ya-gers.”

The “thousand layer sole” served as the sole of the shoe.

They’re made by gluing rags and scraps together with a paste, layering them several times, and then drying them in the sun. Once dry, several pieces are cut out to fit the shape of the shoes and stacked on top of each other—hence the name “thousand-layer sole.” The stacked soles are then wrapped in fabric, and the next step is to sew them onto the shoe.

Ye Li wouldn’t touch such delicate work as making the soles. So Ye Fulang went to Liang Erxiang’s house to get some.

“Let him do it if he wants to. There’s not much work at the workshop these days, and he’d just be sitting around anyway.”

Ye Liang said with a smile.

“There’s no such thing as idle time—the workload has doubled.” 

“Even doubled, it’s still a breeze,” Ye Liang said nonchalantly.

As he spoke, he washed his hands and then went into the kitchen to eat some cookies.

He ate the still-warm biscuits with great satisfaction. He knew Ye Li was bringing in a good income every day, so he hadn’t been nagging him lately. As long as Ye Li cooked up all kinds of delicious food, he’d just tuck in without saying a word.

However, upon learning that Ye Li planned to make some for Liu Yi and Tang Yu as well, he quickly shook his head: “No, no, they’re not short on food. Didn’t you give them some walnut powder before? They really liked it.”

“After closing up shop and getting home, I’d make myself a bowl—it warms me right through.”

Hearing this, Ye Li smiled and said, “We’re all family anyway, and I’ve got nothing better to do. I’ll make a little extra so everyone can have some while they’re working.” 

“…Alright.”

Ye Liang said nothing more.

After eating a few cookies, Ye Liang went over to the shed to check if the tofu had been pressed yet.

Ye Li, meanwhile, got back to making low-gluten flour; this time, Jiang Ya tended the fire and assisted him. Before long, Ye Fulang returned.

Since the tofu had been fried early today, lunch would have to be served early as well, so Ye Fulang wasted no time; he set down his work clothes and immediately began preparing lunch.

There was still some of the pork hind leg left over from what Boss Yue had brought yesterday, including that marrow bone, so he set about making a stew, just as he had done at noon the day before. It was cold outside, so they needed something hot to eat.

There was little meat and plenty of vegetables, but no one except Ye Li complained.

Before they had even finished lunch, Liang Erxiang, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Yu arrived.

Jiang Liu was carrying a basket, which contained shoe soles that were halfway sewn.

“Xiao Liu, what are you doing here?” Ye Li asked, puzzled.

“It’s too cold sitting at home sewing shoe soles, so I came to warm up by the hot oil in the wok.”

Jiang Liu said with a smile.

It was broad daylight, and she didn’t want to waste heat by lighting the stove.

Over here in the shed, five stoves were frying food at the same time; even though the shed had no door, it wasn’t cold sitting in front of the stoves. Besides, it was livelier with more people around.

Of course, there was another reason: if Liang Erxiang or Jiang Yu got tired, she could take their place.

With so many fried tofu puffs to fry now, the process took three full hours—and whether standing or sitting, it was quite tiring. Jiang Liu wasn’t the only one who felt this way; when Jiang Dachuan arrived, Gao Jun had also come over with her sewing kit.

Gao Jun also found it lively and warm here, and she wanted to take a turn for Jiang Dachuan while she was at it. So, that afternoon, the shed was filled with constant laughter and cheerful chatter.

When Ye Li finished making the red date and egg cookies and sent over a small basketful, the laughter grew even louder.

Everyone wore relaxed smiles, and their conversations revolved around building a new house next year, arranging marriages, and discussing what betrothal gifts and dowries to prepare.

Each and every one was a joyous occasion, a happy event.

Ye Liang listened from the sidelines; even though these matters had nothing to do with him, he felt his heart grow warmer than the fire in the hearth. After the fried tofu puffs were prepared, a few people helped load them onto the cart, and Ye Li, along with Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, climbed aboard the mule cart.

Jiang Mai still clutched a copy of *The Three-Character Classic* in his arms, ready to ask Jiang Ji for guidance. Jiang Ji was very pleased to see the little fellow working so hard.

But this meant Ye Li no longer had time to be alone with Jiang Ji. Regarding this, Ye Li had only one thought: just being able to see him was enough.

As long as they could see each other once a day, that would be enough to get him through the long nights and days. Sigh, long-distance relationships are so hard!

Over the next few days, Jiang Mai rode in an ox-drawn cart to the county school to see Jiang Ji every other day, studying very diligently. Back at the workshop, profits from the fried tofu puffs had stabilized, and Ye Li was earning a thousand wen a day.

After saving for a few days, Ye Li didn’t rush to buy coal or furniture; he planned to pay off his debts first. He felt he couldn’t afford to live lavishly until his debts were settled.

Jiang Ji owed Jiang Fuzheng and Jiang Dahu a little over eight taels of silver. Although Jiang Ji wasn’t home at the moment, both Jiang Fuzheng and Jiang Dahu were people of good character, so Ye Li paid them back before Jiang Ji returned.

Once the debts were settled, Ye Li’s first order of business was to buy coal.