Zhao Si’er felt that ducking just now had cost him some face, so he retorted defiantly, “Shen Linchuan, are you really going to hide behind a ger?”

“So what? As the ancients say, ‘A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.’ It seems all the books Brother Zhao has read have gone straight to his dog’s belly.”

Shen Linchuan wasn’t annoyed; instead, he wore a faint smile, appearing utterly unconcerned. Compared to the few men across from him who were fuming with rage, he was the picture of composure.

As soon as Zhou Ning saw Shen Linchuan smiling like that, he silently shed a tear of sympathy for the others in his heart. If Shen Linchuan was smiling like that, it meant they were finished.

The shoppers around them burst into laughter at Shen Linchuan’s words. Someone remarked, “It’s only April, and yet someone’s already using a fan.”

Zhang Dong flapped his wide sleeves as if shooing away flies, stepping in to defend Zhao Si’er. “Get lost, get lost! What do you commoners know?”

Zhao Si’er was so embarrassed that he couldn’t bear the ridicule. Shen Linchuan had once been nothing more than a dog wagging its tail at him, yet now he dared to insult him. He flung the fan he’d been fanning himself with at Zhang Dong and, furious with humiliation, snapped, “You’re nothing but a kept man living off others—what’s so great about you?”

Zhou Da had been keeping a close eye on the situation, afraid Shen Linchuan might get bullied. Seeing the young man speak so insolently, he rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. “What are you saying?”

“Father, don’t pay him any mind. He’s just taking out his own misfortunes on others. People like that are the most petty.”

“Who do you say is struggling? Even if my life is a mess, it’s still better than you selling stuff on the street. I heard you even sell pig offal—that kind of low-class stuff. Ugh, it’s disgusting.”

“Everyone makes a living by their own skills. If it weren’t for us small-time vendors, Brother Zhao, you probably wouldn’t even have enough to eat.”

“Exactly, exactly. What’s so special about scholars? Does being a scholar make you noble?” A peddler selling sundries chimed in from the side. “We all make a living through our own skills—what gives you the right to look down on others?”

“Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—scholars are naturally noble.”

Zhang Dong came to Zhao Si’er’s defense with a retort. This time, not only were the villagers waiting to buy food around them displeased, but the circle of street vendors nearby was also upset. Many shouted, “Go ahead and say that again if you dare.”

Zhao Si’er and his companions were gradually surrounded by the crowd. Only then did Zhao Si’er feel fear; he wanted to run but couldn’t find a way out.

“Brother Zhang, that’s not right. If it weren’t for the old farmers toiling in the fields, where would we get our grains and vegetables? If it weren’t for the weavers working day and night, where would the cotton clothes on your back come from? If it weren’t for the peddlers and street vendors going door to door, where would your convenience come from?”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

“Exactly, exactly. And you call yourselves scholars? Your words are so offensive!”

Shen Linchuan’s smile grew even gentler. “I think you two—Brother Zhao and Brother Zhang—shouldn’t bother with books. Our current sovereign is renowned for loving his people as his own children. As for you two, I fear that if you ever enter officialdom, you’ll end up as corrupt officials who exploit the common folk.”

The onlookers burst into even louder laughter, pointing at the men surrounded in the center. “You lot claim to be scholars? Do you even understand what you’re reading? Pfft!”

“Pfft, these must be some of Old Xiucai Feng’s students. No wonder they’ve turned out this way. I hear that Feng Huisheng looks down on everyone, too.”

Someone threw a clump of dirt at the group, hitting Zhao Si’er and making him yelp, “Who was that? Some blind fool!”

Zhao Si’er’s outcry only made things worse; the crowd around them began shoving and jostling. No one knew who started it, but soon several people were surrounded in the street, being shoved this way and that. Zhao Si’er’s square headscarf fell to the ground, and his hair was a tangled mess.

Seeing they’d stirred up the crowd’s anger, a few of them clutched their heads and scrambled to get away. Zhang Dong followed suit, though he lagged a step behind—even as he ran, he didn’t forget to pick up Zhao Si’er’s square headscarf for him.

“What’s with all this running? You call yourselves scholars? You’re no better than this old woman who can’t read a single character.”

Shen Linchuan called out loudly, “Zhang Dong, you won’t gain anything by following Zhao Si’er and his crew. You’d be better off focusing on your studies—that’s the right path.”

Zhang Dong heard Shen Linchuan’s words, but he merely glanced back once before running off with the others.

Shen Linchuan had only meant to give Zhang Dong a friendly reminder. Zhang Dong came from a rural family; his parents were honest farmers, and it was no easy task for a rural family to support a scholar.

Zhou Ning stood by, watching in astonishment. At first, hadn’t these men come to pick a fight with Shen Linchuan? Yet by the end, they’d managed to provoke the crowd’s wrath. Without Zhou Ning even lifting a finger, the surrounding people’s verbal tirades were nearly drowning the men in a torrent of abuse.

Zhou Ning was still in a daze when Shen Linchuan tugged at his sleeve. “What’s the matter? They’re still waiting for us.”

“Oh, oh, oh.” Zhou Ning hurriedly started collecting the copper coins.

After selling everything in the pot, the two packed up and headed home, carrying some heavy items as usual. “Father, Ning-ger, and I are heading back first.”

“Alright, Linchuan, you and Ning-ger should take the ox cart back. Don’t skimp on those few copper coins—I’ll pay for you.”

Zhou Da grabbed a handful of copper coins from his money box, but Shen Linchuan didn’t take them. “Dad, Ning-ger and I have some here.”

“Take them, take them.”

Zhou Da wouldn’t hear of it; he shoved the coins into their money boxes. “It’s hot out there. Get back early.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re family.”

Leaving the town, there were oxcarts and mules heading out to the countryside to haul goods; you could flag one down and hop on for a few copper coins.

Ever since they’d been doing business in town, Shen Linchuan and his companion had always walked back. It was a journey of just over half an hour, but it took them nearly an hour and a half. On the way back, they’d hold their books in one hand and read them silently as they walked—it was good exercise and didn’t interfere with their studies.

Shen Linchuan was one to enjoy life; whenever he had money, he never denied himself anything. He simply felt that his physique was a bit frail, so he walked more to build up his strength.

Today, his father had told him to flag down an oxcart for the ride home. As soon as Shen Linchuan reached the roadside, he hailed a passing oxcart and climbed aboard. The fare for the two of them, each carrying a backpack, came to eight wen.

Shen Linchuan thought that from now on, they could take an oxcart back after finishing their business—it was faster. He’d been training for so long now that he wasn’t as frail as before, and getting home early was a good thing.

The two sat in the back of the ox cart, which was packed with odds and ends, making it far from comfortable. Zhou Ning motioned for Shen Linchuan to squeeze closer to him. Shen Linchuan teased him with a smile, “If I squeeze any closer, I’ll end up sitting in your lap.”

“Shen Linchuan, you’ve got a sharp tongue. I can’t come up with those kinds of lines—even Yi-ger used to say I’m tongue-tied.”

“Reading a lot naturally sharpens your tongue. You should read more, too—no slacking off. With just a few guys like Zhao Si’er, it’s not worth getting into a fight with them.”

Mainly, Shen Linchuan was afraid Zhou Ning would be swindled money earned by his family. He told Zhou Ning this, thinking it would tarnish his noble image. Without shedding a drop of blood, these were just a few rowdy little thugs—he figured they wouldn’t even dare walk down this street again in the future.

Back home, as usual, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning studied together. After Zhou Ning finished writing his large characters, he went to water the vegetables and collect the eggs. In the courtyard, Dahuang wrapped himself around Zhou Ning’s legs, acting all affectionate. Shen Linchuan watched the scene with deep satisfaction.

After dinner, they washed up and locked the door. Just as Shen Linchuan had laid his books out on the table, Zhou Ning tugged him into the inner room. “No studying tonight. Let’s get some rest early.”

“It’s still early. I’m going to read for a bit.”

Zhou Ning pulled him toward the bed. “No way. You said today’s an auspicious day for having a baby.”

Shen Linchuan slapped his forehead. It was all that bastard Zhao Si’s fault for coming over and messing things up. He’d originally planned to look for some marital aids at the market today to make things more comfortable for his Fulang, but who knew that Zhao Si’s antics would make him forget all about it.

Yesterday, he’d just made up an excuse on the spot, and his Fulang had taken it at face value.

Seeing his Fulang so anxious he’d already torn his clothes to shreds, Shen Linchuan—young and impetuous as he was—couldn’t resist such teasing, though he feared it might cause Zhou Ning discomfort.

“Just lie still today and don’t move around—that’s how you make a healthy baby.”

“Alright, hurry up.”

Shen Linchuan rolled his eyes. Who tells their own man to hurry up? He’s eighteen—he’s at the prime of…

Shen Linchuan wouldn’t be getting any reading done today. Out of consideration for his Fulang, they carried on until midnight. Shen Linchuan nestled against Zhou Ning’s neck, sweating profusely from the heat, while Zhou Ning didn’t seem particularly tired. He patted Shen Linchuan on the head. “We’ve been at it this long today—we’re definitely going to have a baby tomorrow!”

The pink bubbles surrounding Shen Linchuan popped one by one. “Actually, we can do this even without having a baby…”

“Let’s not. It’s kind of tiring.”

Although the pain had subsided today, there was still a strange sensation. Zhou Ning found it a bit odd, though it was much better than those first few days after their wedding.

Shen Linchuan covered his mouth. “Go to sleep.”

“Okay.”

Shen Linchuan shifted his position. “Come here. Your husband’s going to hold you while we sleep.”

Zhou Ning rested his head on Shen Linchuan’s chest and instinctively slid down a little—otherwise his neck would be crammed. Shen Linchuan was exasperated. This dim-witted Fulang of his could still annoy him even when he wasn’t saying a word!

If only he could grow as tall as a bamboo shoot overnight!

Shen Linchuan had bought everything he wanted on his last trip to town. He hadn’t expected the Dafeng Dynasty to be so open-minded—erotic illustrations were a bit pricey, and there were all sorts of scented ointments. Shen Linchuan chose a box of the sweeter peach-scented ointment and a box of rose-scented balm.

For some reason, Shen Linchuan felt that his Fulang would look stunning with bright red roses—if they were scattered all over his body… Shen Linchuan quickly snapped out of it; if he kept thinking about it, he’d start nosebleeding!

Of course, Shen Linchuan bought these behind Zhou Ning’s back, afraid his Fulang might be too shy.

The shop assistant was quite attentive. Seeing that a big spender had walked in, he pointed out the most expensive item—a box of rose essence costing half a tael of silver—which the gentleman bought without batting an eye.

“We have plenty of other fine items here. Why don’t you follow me back to take a look?”

At first, Shen Linchuan thought it might be some sort of expensive ointment, but when he came out, his face was flushed red—with red candles, bells, and sheer robes—so Shen Linchuan hurried away. He’d thought he had a thick enough skin, but apparently not!

After bringing it home, Shen Linchuan hid it inside his pillow first, so he wouldn’t have trouble finding it when he needed it.

Zhou Ning hadn’t been pestering him lately, thinking he might be pregnant. But after several days without any signs, he hung his head dejectedly. “Nothing.”

Shen Linchuan pulled him close to comfort him. “It’s never easy for a man to conceive. Don’t worry, let’s take it slow.”

“Oh.”

Zhou Ning would love to do it every day, but Shen Linchuan still had to study. He couldn’t let that get in the way of Shen Linchuan’s studies—it was such a worry.

Seeing his Fulang frown, Shen Linchuan felt a bit amused—who gets this anxious? After coaxing him for a while, saying it was all a matter of fate, Zhou Ning finally calmed down.

Before long, Shen Dage and his family arrived. They came in the afternoon, just as the three members of the Zhou family were all at home. Shen Dage knew his younger brother had business to attend to in the morning, so he’d deliberately chosen to come in the afternoon.

Shen Hu-zi and Shen Xiaoyu were dressed in their new clothes, looking bright and cheerful. This time, Shen Dasao had come along as well. She carried a basket, wore a simple maroon cotton blouse and skirt, and had her head wrapped in a scarf with two wooden hairpins tucked diagonally on the side. She looked radiant with joy.

“Ning-ger, is Ning-ger home?” Shen Dasao entered the courtyard first, her basket slung over her arm.

Shen Hu-zi had already called out loudly, “Second Uncle, Second Uncle, Xiao Yu and I are here!”

Shen Linchuan was studying hard inside the house. He looked up and saw that his eldest brother’s family had arrived. “Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law.”

Zhou Ning was tending to the family vegetable garden at that moment. The gourds and winter melons had sent out long vines; Zhou Ning trimmed them and guided them up the wall to prevent them from smothering the other vegetables in the garden.

Seeing the two little ones run into the courtyard, Zhou Ning was also delighted. “Hu-zi and Xiao Yu are here.”

Zhou Ning went out to brew some tea and made some honey water for the two children. Shen Dasao stood nearby, folding her arms. “Ning-ger, don’t trouble yourself. Come sit down.”

Hearing the commotion from inside, Zhou Da came out as well. “His older brother is here.”

“Grandpa Zhou!” Shen Hu-zi called out loudly.

Overjoyed, Zhou Da couldn’t stop grinning. “Ah, ah.”

The group sat in the courtyard chatting. Shen Dage rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Linchuan, it’s all thanks to your idea. Now plenty of people are coming to order carts—we’ve already got twelve orders out.”

“That many?” Zhou Da was quite surprised. “Can you handle that many?”

“I’m used to it now, but it still takes me five or six days to make one. But Shen Linchuan came up with an idea…”

Shen Dage explained the method Shen Linchuan had taught him. Before, he could barely manage to make five cart frames a month at most. After deducting the cost of the wood, he earned no more than eight taels of silver a month.

Now, by subcontracting the work to others and taking a smaller cut, he could earn seven or eight hundred wen per cart frame. Not to mention a dozen or so carts a month—even twenty or thirty would be manageable. It was simply a matter of finding more people to subcontract the work to.

It’s been nearly a month since he started making carts, and he’s already earned over ten taels of silver. Shen Dage had never realized that being a carpenter could be so profitable!

Shen Dasao was beaming with joy. “Thanks to Linchuan, our family’s finances have finally improved. There are still plenty of people waiting for carts, and your older brother has even taken on two young apprentices.”

Shen Xiaoyu shyly tugged at Zhou Ning’s hand. “Uncle Ning, my mother made me a new outfit.”

“And me too! Mother made one for me as well!” Shen Hu-zi spun around in circles, showing off his new clothes to everyone. The courtyard was bustling with people.

Knowing his older brother had earned some silver, Shen Linchuan was happy for him. After all, he had two young children to support; with the silver, life would be easier for them.

Shen Dasao hurriedly took something out of the basket. “Uncle Zhou, I made you a set of clothes. Try them on. I made them a bit bigger than Shen Qingshan’s size, so if they don’t fit, I’ll alter them.”

“Oh, my, you’ve been so thoughtful.”

Zhou Da took the short tunic and went inside to try it on. Shen Dasao then pulled two pairs of blue square-toed, layered-sole shoes from the basket.

“These are for Linchuan and Ning-ger. Try them on, too. I hadn’t finished them when your older brother came last time, but I brought them along this time.”

“Thank you so much, Sister-in-law.”

Shen Linchuan first handed Zhou Ning the shoes to try on. Zhou Ning didn’t even set foot on the ground in the new shoes; a smile flickered in his eyes. “Sister-in-law, they fit perfectly.”

“That’s good. I was worried I might have made them too big—if they were too big, I’d have to stuff extra insoles inside.”

Shen Linchuan tried on his own shoes as well. They were a full size larger than his fulang’s and felt very comfortable. “Thank you for your hard work, Sister-in-law.”

“We’re all family—no need to be so formal.”

Shen Dage beamed, “Exactly, exactly. We’re all family.”

“In the future, whenever you, Ning-ger, or Zhou Da need clothes or shoes, I’ll make them for you.”

Now that the Shen family had found this way to make a living, there would be a steady stream of silver in the future. Shen Linchuan’s older brother and his wife were both kind-hearted people. Although Shen Dasao hadn’t taken a liking to Shen Linchuan before—that was just a past quarrel—it was all in the past now, and both families were living well.

Zhou Da came out wearing his new short tunic—a deep blue one paired with black wide-leg trousers. “Ah, Dasao really has a knack for this; it fits just right.”

“Uncle Zhou, I didn’t make you any shoes this time. I don’t know your size, so let me know, and I’ll bring some over next time.”

“No need to trouble yourself, no need at all. You’re busy enough taking care of those two kids.”

Shen Linchuan’s brother and sister-in-law had brought quite a few fine things this time—four rare little melons, a roasted duck, a packet of dried pears, and a packet of roasted ginkgo nuts. All top-notch goods. Back when the Shen family was poor, they couldn’t even bring themselves to buy such luxuries during the New Year.

“Ai, why did you bring so many things? Please take them back when you leave.” Zhou Da felt the gifts from the Shen family were far too valuable—clothes, shoes, and such expensive food. How much silver must that have cost?

“Zhou Da, I won’t hide it from you—now that we have such a good business at home, we’re not short on these things anymore,” Shen Dasao said with a smile.

It was only when she came over to the Zhou family’s place that Shen Dasao brought so many fine things. The items she’d take to her parents’ house in a few days wouldn’t even compare to what she’d brought here, mainly because she wanted to thank Shen Linchuan for inventing such a wonderful contraption as the cart.

It would be enough to just bring back wine, meat, and fabric to her parents’ place.

Shen Linchuan was genuinely happy for his older brother and sister-in-law. “Big Brother, once we’ve earned more silver in the future, why not send the two little ones to school? The kids don’t have much to do at home anyway.”

“School? Hu-zi is currently learning carpentry from me, and Xiao Yu is just a little ger. It’s not that I’m being biased and won’t let Xiao Yu go to school—it’s just that he’s still too young. If he were to go to school in town, your sister-in-law would inevitably have to go with him.”

Shen Dasao thought about it and agreed. No matter how much money they earned, it would eventually run out. Even if Shen Hu-zi were to become a carpenter in the future, knowing how to read and write would still be useful. As for Xiao Yu, being a ger, there weren’t any gers in Xinghua Village who could read or write yet. It would be wonderful if her ger could go to school.

“Linchuan is right. Our family business is just starting to pick up now. By the end of the year, we should have saved quite a bit of silver. Next year, we’ll send both of these little ones to town to study. Xiao Yu will be seven next year—he’s old enough now.” Shen Dasao was quite supportive of the two youngest children learning to read and write.

Especially the young ger—life is even harder for him than it is for the girls. They should start making plans for Xiao Yu as well.

Shen Dasao said, “It would be best if Xiao Yu could also learn a practical skill—cooking, embroidery, weaving, tailoring, or even bookkeeping. Having a skill means he won’t have to rely on others when he grows up.”

“You’re right, Sister-in-law,” Shen Linchuan agreed. His sister-in-law was a sensible woman.

Even if the family were to support the two younger children’s education in the future—whether they pursued a career in the civil service or not—it wouldn’t end up as it did for his original self, leaving the family penniless. Once she saw that they weren’t cut out for studying, his sister-in-law would certainly make other arrangements.

Zhou Ning went to wash the small melons. The milky-white melons gave off a sweet, fresh fragrance. They were sold at the market, and these little melons were quite a luxury—a single one cost over a hundred wen.

Zhou Ning washed them and cut them into pieces. Each of the adults took just a small portion, leaving the rest for the two children. It seemed Shen Linchuan’s brother and sister-in-law hadn’t wanted to let the children have them, but the two little ones were quite fond of the crisp, sweet melons.

Shen Linchuan’s brother and sister-in-law had been sitting there for over half an hour when they were about to leave. Shen Linchuan urged them, “Stay for dinner and spend the night before you go.”

“We’ve got so much work at home; we can’t leave it unattended. We’re just too busy, so we won’t be staying for dinner.”

Zhou Ning packed up another basket of provisions. He placed the two small melons inside, sliced half the roasted duck, and wrapped up half a basket of the tofu blood sausage hanging in the house. Zhou Ning was just unwrapping the other two bundles, intending to pack them up and send them off as well.

Shen Dasao quickly grabbed Zhou Ning’s arm. “We can’t just bring things over and then take them back. Ning-ger, please don’t unpack them.”

“Shen Dasao, I don’t have any children at home. Take these back for Shen Hu-zi and Xiao Yu to eat.”

“We’re doing well financially now; we certainly won’t go without a meal or two. Keep these for yourself.”

Shen Dasao refused everything, insisting on taking the basket and the two small melons back down.

The two of them began tugging back and forth in the courtyard—one trying to put things away, the other trying to take them out—until Shen Linchuan stepped in to mediate. “Ning-ger, don’t insist. It’s all a gesture of goodwill from our older brother and sister-in-law.”

“Exactly, keep them for yourselves.” Shen Dasao gave the gift wholeheartedly. “And you’ve packed so much tofu and blood sausage. Last time I sliced some and steamed a plateful—oh my, I’ve never tasted anything so delicious! Hu-zi and Xiao Yu begged me to steam another bowl that very day.”

As soon as Zhou Ning heard this, he immediately said, “Then I’ll slice some more for you.”

“Enough, enough.” Shen Dasao was overjoyed; this Ning-ger really was a sincere, good-hearted boy.

As they were leaving, Shen Dasao insisted on giving them a small muskmelon. It was quite a precious thing—she’d only bought four of them, and she’d sent them all over. After handing it over, she quickly grabbed the two little ones and ran off. “Linchuan, Ning-ger, don’t see them off.”

Zhou Ning was still holding that jade-white little melon in his hands—it was what his sister-in-law had slipped to him as she left. He wanted to give it to them, but his older brother and sister-in-law’s family had already walked far ahead.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning entered the courtyard. Zhou Ning gathered the teacups from the table. “My older brother and sister-in-law brought far too many things.”

“It’s all right. My eldest brother and his wife are well-off now. It’s good for our families to visit each other often and keep our bond strong.”

Shen Linchuan opened the two brown paper packages on the table. One contained ginkgo nuts, and the other some dried fruit—he wasn’t sure what kind. But the ginkgo nuts clearly weren’t cheap; the gifts his eldest brother and sister-in-law had brought this time were truly quite valuable.

Shen Linchuan didn’t recognize Zhou Ning, but he did recognize the contents. “My older brother and sister-in-law actually sent roasted ginkgo nuts and dried pears. Those roasted ginkgo nuts are so expensive! I thought they were just two packets of pastries. If I’d known it was ginkgo nuts, I would’ve had Hu-zi and Xiao Yu pick some for us.”

“It’s fine. Next time we visit my older brother’s place, we’ll bring some treats for Hu-zi and Xiao Yu.”

“Is Ning-ger home?”

Standing at the door was a young man dressed in a blue scholar’s robe, holding a package of pastries wrapped in square brown paper. Shen Linchuan raised an eyebrow. It was certainly lively at home today—even Zhou Er’s family had come to join the fun.