Shen Linchuan snorted derisively. “Where would Zhou Er’s family get the silver to pay for him to switch to another academy?” 

“So that’s how it is,” Shen Linchuan muttered under his breath.

So Zhou Youcheng was behind this after all. Although Sun Shiping was arrogant, he wasn’t entirely without sense—he knew better than to mess with Shen Linchuan or his family’s shops. The family ran two shops: one supplied pork to the garrison camp, and the other supplied pickles to the academy. Sun Shiping couldn’t touch either of them.

Who would have thought he’d set his sights on his eldest brother? Come to think of it, his brother was often out taking on odd jobs and was the easiest target. Zhou Youcheng—Shen Linchuan silently mulled over the name in his mind.

On the day Zhang Xiaoyi was to be betrothed, Shen Linchuan heard from Zhou Fang that because she had insisted on calling off the engagement, Zhou Er and his wife—fearing the Huang family wouldn’t let them off the hook—had packed their things and fled back home even before the engagement had officially been annulled.

Zhou Youcheng had found another academy and stayed in the county seat; Zhou Er and his wife probably didn’t even know about this yet.

Shen Linchuan closed the book in his hands. Zhou Youcheng’s aptitude was average; even if he were to pass the Juren examination by sheer luck, that would likely be a matter of ten or twenty years down the road. If Zhou Er and his wife were to bear the financial burden of his education all these years, they would likely end up bankrupt, just like his original self.

Back then, the Shen family at least had the trade of carpentry. What did Zhou Er’s family have—besides a few mu of poor farmland—could that afford Zhou Youcheng’s education? Shen Linchuan rested at home for a few days before returning to the academy, though he now carried himself with a bit more composure.

When he encountered Sun Shiping grinning smugly at him, Shen Linchuan merely gave him a casual glance—which only served to infuriate Sun Shiping. 

“Pfft! He’s nothing but a good-for-nothing who married into a pig-slaughtering family. It’d be a piece of cake for me to teach him a lesson!”

Before long, the weather grew even colder. Since the incident, both the Zhou and Shen families had become increasingly cautious, living quiet yet happy lives. Shen Linchuan devoted himself entirely to his studies, working even harder than before. Zhou Ning, concerned about the strain of his studies, made sure he was well-fed and well-dressed.

After a snowfall, the weather grew even colder. A one-liang cart pulled up at the Zhou family’s gate. A cotton curtain had been hung at the entrance to the main hall to block the wind, and a charcoal fire burned inside as Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning sat together, poring over their books.

The curtain was lifted, and Zhou Fang, resplendent in jewels and finery, walked in. “Ning-ger, I’m getting married.”

Even Shen Linchuan looked up in surprise. He saw Zhou Fang, decked out in jewels and jade, with a white fox-fur vest draped over her shoulders—an ensemble that made her appear far more opulent than usual. For a moment, Shen Linchuan almost didn’t recognize her.

Zhou Ning was also quite taken aback. “Fang, you, you…”

Zhou Ning didn’t know what to say. How had she suddenly become so wealthy? Zhou Fang owed his family thirty taels of silver, yet she earned less than one tael a month working at the tavern—and she gave his father five hundred wen every month. Where on earth could she have gotten the money to buy such luxurious items?

Zhou Fang pulled a red invitation from her sleeve. “I’m getting married this month—it’s just a few days away. You and Uncle Shen are all invited!” Shen Linchuan took it. “Why are you getting married so suddenly?”

Zhou Fang called out toward the door, “Oh my, hurry up and come in! What are you dawdling for?”

Zhou Fang grinned at Shen Linchuan. “You might even know my husband. His family is quite wealthy, and he’s a scholar, too.”

Shen Linchuan raised an eyebrow slightly. A student at Bailu Academy? It wasn’t that he looked down on Zhou Fang—scholars tended to be proud, and now that he’d passed the Xiucai examination, he’d earned an official title.

The cotton curtain was lifted, and a familiar figure walked in. He was naturally plump, and in the winter, dressed in a brocade-lined cotton coat with a fox-fur scarf wrapped around his neck, he looked even rounder.

“Qian Dazhi?”

Shen Linchuan truly hadn’t expected the two of them to run into each other. Qian Dazhi stepped forward with a broad smile. “Brother Shen.” Shen Linchuan stood up and poured some tea; after all, he was a guest. “How come you two are together?”

Zhou Fang spoke in a carefree manner, “The restaurant where I work belongs to the Qian family. That’s how we met. I never would have guessed that my Dazhi was actually a classmate of yours, Shen Linchuan.”

Zhou Fang took out a bundle. “I had the betrothal gifts converted into silver—thirty taels—to give back to my uncle.” Shen Linchuan glanced at Qian Dazhi, who rubbed his hands together and chuckled, “It was love at first sight for the two of us—mutual affection.”

By the time Zhou Fang arrived, she had already sent someone to the butcher shop to fetch Zhou Da, who was now rushing back. “Fang, why didn’t you tell your uncle about such a big matter sooner?”

Zhou Da’s tone carried a hint of reproach. After all, this was a matter of marriage—he’d feared that as a young woman, Zhou Fang might have been deceived. In the countryside, when arranging a match—whether it went through or not—didn’t every family make sure to thoroughly investigate the groom’s family background beforehand?

Looking at the two of them, dressed in such fine clothes, Zhou Da couldn’t help but feel something was off. They were certainly better off than the Huang family had been—they had all their limbs—but with such high-quality fabrics and such a large jade ring on his finger, what kind of girl couldn’t he find?

Zhou Da, who was always straightforward and outspoken, asked, “Sister Fang, are you going to be his legitimate wife?”

Zhou Fang’s face glowed with joy. “Of course, Uncle. Zhou Er once told me that when I was a child, a fortune-teller predicted I was destined for wealth and prestige. After the Huang family fell into ruin, I thought the fortune-teller had just been spouting nonsense. But look at me now—I, Zhou Fang, have truly become wealthy and prestigious.”

Qian Dazhi also chimed in, “Uncle, rest assured. My household is spotless—there are absolutely no unsavory characters involved.”

Qian Dazhi rattled off his explanation so quickly that even Zhou Da frowned as he listened. “With a family as wealthy as yours, you could find any young man or woman you want—why did you set your sights on Sister Fang?”

Zhou Fang let out a soft sigh. “Uncle, I’m doing just fine—I’m expecting.”

The room fell silent. Although Zhou Da was an elder, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to say anything more—the die had already been cast, and further comments would be pointless. He merely asked which relatives from her maternal family they planned to invite to the wedding.

Zhou Fang pursed her lips. “There aren’t many relatives to invite. There’s Zhang Xiaoyi—other than that, there’s no one else.”

Zhou Fang had come over this time solely to repay the money and deliver the invitations; after sitting for a while, she took her leave. “Uncle, please come early that day.”

Zhou Da nodded repeatedly in agreement. After seeing her out, he was still completely baffled. “You mean the Qian family—such a wealthy and distinguished household—would set their sights on a country family like ours? And Fang’er isn’t exactly a great-looking girl. How could this be?”

“Father, Zhou Fang is pregnant. There’s no way around getting married now,” Shen Linchuan interjected. “You’re right. As long as the Qian family has no objections, it’s settled.”

That night, snow fell outside once more. The two of them huddled together under the warm blankets. Outside, the cold wind blew against the window frames, producing a faint rustling sound, but inside the bed, sheltered by the canopy, it was as warm as spring. Zhou Ning broke out in a sweat; she took a couple of deep breaths and tried to stick her hands and feet out to cool off.

Shen Linchuan pulled her hand back inside. “You’ll catch a cold if you do that.”

“I’m hot.”

“Just rest a bit; you’ll cool off in a moment.”

Only then did Zhou Ning settle down, snuggling obediently against Shen Linchuan’s shoulder and yawning. “Shen Linchuan, do you really think the Qian family is a good family?”

“Nothing in this world comes for free. You should have less contact with the Qian family from now on.”      

“I know. Sister Fang and Father get along well, but I can’t help feeling that this marriage is a bit strange.”

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the wedding took place. The Qian family welcomed Zhou Fang into the family with great fanfare. Qian Dazhi invited many of his classmates from the academy; Luo Qingshan and Ye Jinglan were both in attendance.

Luo Qingshan didn’t care about mingling with the powerful; if it weren’t for Zhang Xiaoyi coming over, he wouldn’t have wanted to take time away from his studies.

The group sat in the heated pavilion drinking tea. Zhang Xiaoyi looked up, blushing, and smiled at Luo Qingshan. Luo Qingshan silently sipped his tea, though the tips of his ears had turned red.

Since men and women were not supposed to sit at the same table, there was a bit of distance between them. Zhang Xiaoyi teased Luo Qingshan for a while, then, satisfied, shifted his gaze. Sitting next to him was Zhou Ning, who was sampling the small pastries on the table.

Zhang Xiaoyi murmured to Zhou Ning, “I wonder what kind of crazy luck Zhou Fang had to actually find such a wealthy family. The Qian family may not be as prestigious as the Huang family, but they’re far wealthier.”

Zhou Ning hummed in agreement and held out a plate to Zhang Xiaoyi. “Try this—it’s pretty tasty. It’s filled with rose petals.”

Zhang Xiaoyi took one, and the two of them sampled every pastry on the table in front of them. Just as they were enjoying themselves, a young maid ran over to have them come along to help Zhou Fang get ready. The two followed her.

Up in the attic, a group of maids and matrons were gathered around Zhou Fang, combing her hair. Zhou Fang was especially delighted to see the two of them. “Nothing much—I just wanted to chat with you guys. Ning-ger, could you help me out there in a bit? I don’t like it when they help me.”

Zhou Ning nodded. Although he and Zhou Fang hadn’t gotten along very well when they were children, there was no real animosity between them. Shen Linchuan had already briefed him on the way there, so he knew exactly what to do.

The two simply changed locations and leisurely enjoyed some pastries. Zhang Xiaoyi teased her, “Zhou Fang, you must be the wealthiest woman to have ever married out of Dayangshu Village.”

Zhou Fang was quite pleased with herself. “That’s right. But thank you, Zhang Xiaoyi. If I hadn’t come with you to the county seat, I wouldn’t have achieved this kind of wealth.”

“If your parents knew you’d married into such a wealthy family, they’d probably be kicking themselves.”

Zhou Fang turned her head. “Ning-ger, and Yi-ger, you two will be returning to Dayangshu Village for the New Year, right? Don’t forget to spread the word about me around the village when you’re there.”

Zhang Xiaoyi clicked his tongue. “With you riding a fine horse, decked out in gold, silver, and jewels, who in the village wouldn’t know that you, Zhou Fang, have married well?”

Zhang Xiaoyi didn’t know Zhou Fang was pregnant; he just thought she was the type to show off—after all, with such a glorious occasion, why wouldn’t she go back?

Sister Zhou Fang didn’t say much more. “Just make sure to spread the word for me. By then, everyone in the village will be envious of how well Sister Zhou Fang has married—and Zhou Er and his wife will probably be so furious they’ll spit blood.”

After Zhou Fang finished getting dressed and put on her bridal veil, Zhou Ning helped her out the door. The Qian family was a major grain merchant in Nanling Prefecture; their household was extremely wealthy, with intricately carved beams and painted rafters throughout, making it a truly beautiful sight.

The wedding celebrations continued in full swing until nightfall. After dinner, Shen Linchuan and his companions left the Qian family compound together. Just as they reached the gate, they saw a servant dragging a troublemaker. The man was kicking his legs and throwing a tantrum, refusing to leave. “What right do you have to keep me out? I’m Qian Dazhi’s brother-in-law!”

“What do you mean, ‘brother-in-law’? Pfft! My young mistress said she’s the only one in her family, and there’s just an uncle—where’s this so-called ‘brother-in-law’ coming from? Get lost!”

A few servants dragged Zhou Youcheng off to the side. When he tried to force his way inside, he was kicked to the ground.

Shen Linchuan and his companions happened to be stepping out just then. Xu Zhifan folded his arms and exclaimed, “Who’s that? Oh, it’s Zhou Youcheng. I was wondering who it could be.”

Zhou Youcheng scrambled to his feet in one swift motion and brushed off his cotton robe. “What’s it to you!”

Shen Linchuan merely glanced at Zhou Youcheng. His cotton robe looked rather shabby, with a clump of white cotton peeking out from the cuffs—it seemed he wasn’t doing very well.

Although Sun Shiping wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, his family was wealthy and influential, and he certainly looked down on Zhou Youcheng—who had likely already been kicked to the curb.

Zhou Da and the others drove off in their mule cart. In the biting cold, Zhou Youcheng tucked his hands into his sleeves and spat, “What a piece of trash!”

That Zhou Fang girl was a real ungrateful wretch too. Who would’ve thought that brat could actually climb her way into the Qian family? Qian Dazhi might be a merchant who wasn’t exactly well-liked at Bailu Academy, but his family was rich!

That little brat actually managed to find herself a good family. If he’d known back then that Qian Dazhi would take a liking to Zhou Fang, why would he have gone out of his way to curry favor with the Huang family? He could have just handed her over to the Qians right away—then he could have lived a life of luxury through Zhou Fang.

But he didn’t know where exactly he’d gone wrong. One misstep led to another. Zhou Youcheng thought it over and blamed all his misfortunes on Shen Linchuan! If it weren’t for him—he’d been supported by Zhou Da all through his studies—none of this trouble would have happened!

Before he knew it, it was the twelfth lunar month, and Zhang Xiaoyi had gotten married. After the wedding, he moved into the house right next door to the Zhou family. Zhang Xiaoyi was quite happy about it—it made it much more convenient to drop by for visits.

By year’s end, the academy was on break, so Shen Linchuan joined Zhou Ning at the shop to help sell pickles. With few fresh vegetables available in winter, business at the pickle shop was booming.

This year, with the county government in session, the shops closed unusually early. As soon as the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month passed, everyone began preparing to return home. Not only were the Zhou and Shen families heading back, but Zhang Xiaoyi—in his first year of marriage—also took Luo Qingshan with him.

The journey was quite lively. Although it had grown a bit colder, it was still relatively warm inside the covered carts. They stopped for the night well before dark. By the time they reached Qinghe Town, it was already late, and since they had plenty of silver to spare, the group decided to stay at the Wangyue Pavilion.

Li Zhong, who had been counting on an abacus behind the counter, called out, “Mr. Shen, Zhou Fulang, it’s been a long time.” He stepped out from behind the counter to greet them personally. “Mr. Shen, are you returning from the county seat?”

Li Zhong recognized Shen Linchuan’s family, but he didn’t know the rest of the group. He motioned to a waiter to hurry and arrange their rooms, then bustled about, taking care of everything.

“No need to be so formal, Manager Li.”

Li Zhong waved his hand. “I’m overjoyed to welcome such distinguished guests.”

The group requested four rooms—one for each family, and one for Doctor Zhang and Zhou Da to share. After a grueling winter journey, they had finally arrived in Qinghe Town; tomorrow, as soon as the sun rose, they would press on toward Dayangshu Village.

The two little ones, Shen Hu-zi and Shen Xiaoyu, were full of energy the whole way, completely oblivious to the winter chill; in fact, they found it all quite exciting. Shen Dasao had been worried they’d get cold on the journey, so she’d wrapped them up tight, but now that they’d arrived in Qinghe Town, she could finally relax.