Zhou Ning turned to Shen Linchuan. “See? No one’s looking down on you. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Yeah, wallowing in self-pity.”

Shen Linchuan almost chuckled. This ger really was something. Who would ask someone such a direct question to their face? They weren’t stupid—they definitely wouldn’t say they looked down on him.

Shen Linchuan squeezed out a smile, half-mocked, half-affectionate. “I knew it. Everyone in our great Dayangshu Village is a good person. They definitely wouldn’t say that about me.”

Granny Diao counted out the copper coins. Hearing this little brat say such things right after she’d paid made her realize that if she ever badmouthed Shen Linchuan in the future, she’d just look petty. The anger welled up in her chest, nearly choking her.

She handed the coins to Zhou Ning with a sour expression. “Here, take it. It’s only a couple hundred wen—like my family’s broke or something.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled, “Look at you, look at you! I just came to ask for some silver, and you yourself said you didn’t have it. What’s the meaning of refusing to give it to my family for no reason? Now that we’ve just celebrated a joyous occasion, we can barely afford to lift the lid off the pot. You’re just bullying us by exploiting your seniority!”

Granny Diao was so furious that she nearly fell backward. That little brat—what a sharp tongue!

Zhou Ning frowned too. “Granny Diao, didn’t you say you didn’t have it when we asked before?”

“I, I…” Granny Diao stammered for ages without making sense. She flung her hands in a tantrum. “I already gave you the silver! Now put my chicken back down!”

Zhou Ning hummed in acknowledgment, tossing the chicken he held into the coop. Shen Linchuan flung his chicken aside and clapped his hands. “Why didn’t you just give it back earlier? Look at me, Ning-ger, I’m covered in chicken feathers. Help me pluck them out when we get home.”

“Mhm.”

The two tossed the chicken aside and started to leave. But Granny Diao wasn’t blind—she was sharp as a tack. “What about my eggs?!”

Shen Linchuan grinned, showing his teeth. “I forgot, I forgot. Sorry, sorry.”

Shen Linchuan fished the eggs out of his chest again. Hmm, he still wanted those chickens. His own flock was small, but if he got these, they’d lay several eggs a day.

After causing quite a scene at Granny Diaozi’s place, they finally got back what had been withheld for years. There were still some outstanding debts, but those families kept their word—they paid up every year at the end of the year when accounts were settled, unlike these few who stubbornly refused to pay.

Shen Linchuan strode away proudly with Zhou Ning in tow. This time, they’d recovered over two taels of silver. After setting aside five taels as business capital, only a few taels remained at home.

Though the Zhou household never went without meat at every meal and seemed to live well, Zhou Youcheng’s schooling over the years had required considerable financial support. Their prosperity was merely superficial—otherwise, how could they have gone so many years without even being able to afford a working animal?

The journey to town took over an hour, and Zhou Da had to push a cart loaded with over a hundred pounds of meat all the way there alone. How could that not be heavy?

As the two men stepped out of the Diao family’s gate, they saw Hu Caiyun’s hasty retreating figure. They hadn’t spotted her in the courtyard earlier, so she must have been hiding outside watching. She was afraid Shen Linchuan and the others would come to her house to cause trouble, too. She hadn’t run fast enough, which is why Shen Linchuan had seen her.

Zhou Ning spotted her too and started to chase after her, but Shen Linchuan grabbed his arm. “Don’t go. Her family owes a lot, and she’s the type to renege. She won’t pay it all back, but she’ll have to cough up what she owes.”

Shen Linchuan called after Hu Caiyun’s retreating figure, “Second Auntie, you promised to bring meat money to our house yesterday. Don’t forget!”

Terrified, Hu Caiyun didn’t dare turn her head. She hurried away, kicking up dust with each step—proof of how much she dreaded them coming after her for silver.

Shen Linchuan chuckled, tugging at Zhou Ning’s sleeve. “Any other families? I recall one more from our Zhou clan.”

“Nan’er’s family,” Zhou Ning pointed at the shuttered, weathered wooden door. “They owe about two hundred wen. They’re truly struggling, and since they’re kin, we’ll let it slide for now.”

Shen Linchuan nodded. As fellow clan members, they naturally owed each other some courtesy. “How dire is the Nan family’s situation?”

“Nan-ger’s father is a drunkard. They don’t even have enough grain to eat, trading their food for liquor. Nan-ger and his younger brother struggle to get by. Let them owe us for now.”

“Alright, let’s head home first.” Shen Linchuan tugged at Zhou Ning’s sleeve. Zhou Ning, feeling a bit embarrassed, tugged back at his own sleeve but couldn’t pull free. The onlookers hadn’t even dispersed yet!

Shen Linchuan shot him a look. “What’s there to be shy about? I’m not holding your hand.”

“Who… who’s being shy?”

Zhou Ning strode home in long strides. Shen Linchuan couldn’t keep up. Tsk, he’s getting annoyed. Adorable, like a cranky little rabbit. Makes me want to kiss him.

Zhou Xiaonan was home. The wall around his yard wasn’t high—anyone tall enough could peek over and see if anyone was inside. He feared Zhou Ning would come looking for him to settle the debt, and he simply couldn’t hold onto all those copper coins.

Only after hearing them walk far away did he breathe a sigh of relief. Right now, he was hiding inside the house with his younger brother, fearing that the little one might make a sound and even covering his mouth. But you can hide for a moment, not forever. Thankfully, Ning-ger hadn’t come looking for him, so he finally relaxed.

Upon returning home, Shen Linchuan and his brother counted out the coins. It totaled two taels and eight wen, all neatly strung together with a cord. They would give these coins to their father when he returned from town.

That afternoon, Shen Linchuan leisurely cleared a patch of ground in the eastern part of the courtyard. The family’s five chickens roamed freely, and though Zhou Ning kept the place tidy, the chickens inevitably scattered droppings throughout the yard. No matter how diligently he shoveled, he couldn’t keep up.

Zhou Ning approached. “Shen Linchuan, what are you doing?”

“I said I’d build a chicken coop to keep our birds contained. That way, they won’t wander off. In a couple of days, I’ll head to town to buy some vegetable seeds—I don’t want the chickens pecking them up.”

Zhou Ning nodded. “Go chop some bamboo from the back mountain. We’re running low here.”

Shen Linchuan brushed dust from his hands. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Zhou Ning fetched a machete from the kitchen shed and handed it to Shen Linchuan. “Let me take it.”

Zhou Ning shot him a skeptical look. Shen Linchuan’s mouth twitched. “What’s that look for? I’m your man, your husband!”

“I’m worried you can’t handle it.”

His husband didn’t look any more sturdy than he did. When other ger in the village courted, they’d have the man do some farm work. If he couldn’t even handle that, how could he be any good?

Zhou Ning knew Shen Linchuan well. His brother and sister-in-law hadn’t hidden it—he was a scholar who disliked farm work. Over the years, he’d been pampered to the point of never even stepping near the fields. Zhou Ning feared Shen Linchuan, unused to manual labor, wouldn’t be able to chop through the bamboo.

For the past few mornings, Shen Linchuan had been fetching water. Seeing the bucket swaying unsteadily, Zhou Ning hadn’t dared suggest he take over, lest it hurt the man’s pride. Still, Shen Linchuan’s eagerness had pleased his father greatly.

Shen Linchuan snorted. “Zhou Ning, I’m your husband. Don’t look down on me.”

“Oh? Tell me if you can’t handle it. I’m your Fulang—I won’t laugh at you.”

Shen Lichuan was flummoxed. This ger knew exactly how to get under his skin!

To work more comfortably this afternoon, Shen Linchuan had donned a short brown coat—Zhou Ning’s. It fit him perfectly; their builds were similar. Now, eager to show off, he dramatically tucked the axe behind his waist. “Let’s go!”

Zhou Ning followed Shen Linchuan to the back mountain. Spring was in full bloom, and many people were out gathering pig feed and wild vegetables. The back mountain was quite crowded.

A vast bamboo grove covered the hillside, where numerous bamboo shoots had begun sprouting. From afar, they could see people digging for bamboo shoots. Shen Lichuan strolled around, drawing the attention of many nearby villagers. After all, their Dayangshu Village had only one son-in-law, and he was a scholar to boot.

Shen Linchuan couldn’t help but notice the stares, deliberately moving further away to avoid embarrassment if he couldn’t cut it down. He selected a thicker bamboo stalk. “This one it is.”

Shen Linchuan rubbed his palms together with a deliberate flourish before drawing his machete from his waist. The pose was undeniably cool, drawing Zhou Ning’s unblinking gaze.

Shen Linchuan, a virgin who hadn’t held another person’s hand in over twenty years, had experienced quite the whirlwind in these three short days: bed, kisses, hand-holding—the sequence might be a bit off, but it all counted!

Though it wasn’t the kind of kiss where tongues tangled, they had rolled in bed together. Shen Linchuan now strutted like a peacock eager to show off.

He braced himself, swung his arm in a wide arc, and brought the machete down. The blade sank deep into the bamboo. Shen Linchuan had put all his strength into this strike—he wasn’t about to let Zhou Ning look down on him. The motion had to be swift, the posture dashing, executed with the grace of a golf swing.

Shen Linzhou’s lips curved upward. The blow made the bamboo sway. Hmph, see how strong his man is?

Though the shock made his palms tingle, Shen Linchuan remained unflappable. He had to make his display impressive—anything less would be a waste.

Zhou Ning stood nearby. He’d been ready to take over, but Shen Linchuan wouldn’t let him.

Shen Linchuan flashed him a smile. “I told you I could handle it. I am your man, after all.”

“Oh.”

Shen Linchuan pulled the machete outward, ready to strike again. But it had sunk too deep—he couldn’t dislodge it at once. His lips twitched awkwardly as he wiggled both hands, trying to free the blade.

A chuckle came from nearby. Shen Linchuan glanced over to find a young ger had appeared beside them, carrying a basket filled with several peeled, tender bamboo shoots.

“Ning-ger, your man’s no good. He can’t even chop down a bamboo stalk. If I were to look for a husband like that, my father would never approve.”

Shen Linchuan cleared his throat. “It’s an accident. Just an accident.”

This ger was delicate and refined—exactly the type favored by men of this era—but his tongue was sharp enough to poison someone with a single word.

Zhou Ning smiled at the newcomer the moment he arrived. “Xiaoyi, you’re here to get some bamboo shoots?”

“Yeah, gathering some bamboo shoots to stir-fry. Then I spotted your man over here—tsk—shaking bamboo. Hahaha!”

Zhang Xiaoyi laughed unrestrainedly. Facing another ger, Shen Linchuan couldn’t tell if he was friend or foe. Either way, this was blatant mockery.

“Ning-ger, I told you the villagers would laugh at me, but you wouldn’t believe me!”

Hearing Shen Linchuan, a grown man, actually complain in public, Zhang Xiaoyi immediately frowned. “Ning-ger, look at him.”

“Shen Linchuan, Xiaoyi is just a ger. What are you doing?”

Great, now he was openly siding with the other ger. Shen Linchuan glanced at the ger standing on the higher ground, prompting another glare from him. “What are you staring at? Ning-ger, look at your man—he’s not being proper at all! Who stares at a ger like that?”

Only then did Shen Linchuan realize how rude it was to stare at a ger like that. He quickly glanced across to see if anyone was coming over to pick a fight.

“Ning-ger, I wasn’t looking at him. I was looking at you. Just you.”

Shen Linchuan shot a few intense glances at his own ger. His own ger was simply the best—solid, broad shoulders, long legs, a slim waist, and a hint of defined abs. He was gorgeous. This was exactly his type. Those delicate, effeminate ger? He couldn’t be bothered with them.

How did he know his Fulang had abs? He’d found out during their nighttime shenanigans, of course.

Shen Linchuan’s mind wandered. “Ning-ger, step aside. We won’t entertain him. I’ll handle this.”

Zhang Xiaoyi descended from above. “Oh? Who are you two chatting with?”

This ger was clearly here for the spectacle. Shen Linchuan couldn’t figure it out—he’d never even seen this ger before. Why pick on him? Was it because he looked down on him as a son-in-law? What business was it of his? Ugh.