Zhou Youcheng had already walked into the courtyard carrying his things, while items that hadn’t been put away were still sitting on the table. “I’ve come to see Uncle.”

Shen Linchuan quickly rewrapped the stir-fried ginkgo nuts and dried pears on the table. The square package was covered with red paper bearing the character for “fortune.” With his deft hands, he repackaged it so neatly it looked as if it had never been opened.

“Ning-ger, take these things inside first.”

Zhou Ning gave a nod and carried the two bundles into the house. Shen Linchuan gestured for Zhou Youcheng to sit down. “Brother Youcheng has arrived.”

The two were the same age, though Zhou Youcheng was actually a bit older than Shen Linchuan. But since he was on Zhou Ning’s side, Zhou Youcheng still had to address Shen Linchuan as “older brother.”

Shen Linchuan took a cloth and wiped the fruit peels and peanut shells off the table. “Brother Youcheng, please sit down! Father! Youcheng has come to see you.”

Zhou Da was inside the house putting his new clothes away in the cupboard. When he heard someone arrive in the courtyard, he thought it was a neighbor dropping by. Upon hearing that it was his nephew coming to visit him, he put his things away and hurried out.

“You’ve come back, Youcheng. School’s out for the holidays.”

Zhou Youcheng performed a traditional bow. “Uncle, it’s been quite a while since I last came to see you. How is your health?”

“I’m doing fine, I’m doing fine. Youcheng, come sit down.”

Zhou Da was quite pleased to have his nephew visit. He invited Zhou Youcheng to sit down and have some tea. His nephew was a promising young man—he had already passed the preliminary examination to become a “Tongsheng,” and next year he would take the exam to become a “Xiucai.” He was a child with a bright future.

Zhou Ning had put the things away and came out as well. Seeing that the plate of roasted nuts on the table was running low, he took the plate back inside to refill it, then brought it back out.

Shen Linchuan watched as Zhou Youcheng paid his respects to his father, but his brow furrowed. Zhou Youcheng had actually performed the “yijian” bow toward his father; Shen Linchuan looked at him, wondering what he was up to.

Although country folk didn’t observe such elaborate etiquette—they mostly used the bowing and kowtowing gestures—scholars generally followed the Rites of Zhou, and the yìjian bow was a common form of greeting. How could Zhou Youcheng have made such a mistake?

Shen Linchuan didn’t offer the tea; he simply picked up a bowl, took a sip himself, and asked calmly, “Brother Youcheng, which master in town are you studying under?”

“My teacher is Old Master Wang Mei, a Juren from the first year of the Yonghe era, who once served as magistrate of Ningyang County.”

Zhou Youcheng spoke of his teacher with great pride. He had studied under three masters in town, and now he was studying under Old Master Wang Mei—the only person in town who had passed the Juren examination to become a teacher, and who had even served as a county magistrate. Zhou Youcheng was immensely proud to be studying under Old Master Wang Mei.

The first year of the Yonghe era—that was only a few years ago. It is now the fifth year of Yonghe; the new emperor has been on the throne for just five years. For Wang Mei to have passed the provincial examination is quite an achievement in itself. No wonder Zhou Youcheng is so proud.

“Brother Youcheng is truly impressive to have caught Old Master Wang’s eye.”

Hearing Shen Linchuan’s flattery, Zhou Youcheng felt a bit elated and feigned modesty: “It was just luck. Thanks to the old master’s guidance, I barely passed the preliminary exam to become a ‘Tongsheng.’ I’m hoping to pass the ‘Xiucai’ exam next year in one go, so as not to disappoint the old master’s expectations.”

Zhou Da also laughed and said: “Indeed, indeed. A ‘Juren’—I’ve heard that those who pass the Juren exam are like the Literary Star from heaven incarnate. That’s truly remarkable.”

Shen Linchuan set down the coarse earthenware bowl he’d been holding to his lips. “It’s just that Old Master Wang Mei is such a good teacher—does Brother Youcheng not seem to have studied diligently?”

Zhou Youcheng had been smiling, but when he heard Shen Linchuan say this, the smile froze on his face. “I’m not sure what Brother Linchuan means by that.”

“I’m no scholar, but I’ve studied in town for a few years. I dare not speak of other subjects, but I’ve mastered the Rites of Zhou quite well.” As he spoke, Shen Linchuan stood up, smoothed his sleeves, bowed his upper body, raised his hands, and performed a perfectly standard long bow from top to bottom. “Father.”

Zhou Da burst into laughter. “Ah, ah, quick, stand up! It’s not a holiday or a special occasion—why are you bowing like that?”

Only then did Shen Linchuan straighten up. “My father is Brother Youcheng’s eldest uncle. By custom, the proper bow should be the long bow. At the very least, it should be the su bow that a junior performs for a senior. Why would he perform the yijian bow, which is used between peers? Could it be that Brother Youcheng and my father are actually peers?”

Shen Linchuan feigned confusion, furrowing his brow as he looked at Zhou Youcheng and asked, “I don’t understand the reasoning behind this.”

Zhou Da had been delighted to have his own nephew come to visit him, but upon hearing Shen Linchuan’s remark, the smile vanished from his face. “Youcheng, what’s going on here?”

Zhou Youcheng blushed with embarrassment and stammered, “I just forgot for a moment. I forgot.”

Shen Linchuan snorted. “How could you forget? Don’t you perform the customary bow every day when you see your classmates at school? Yet you dared to treat my father as an equal. Even if you’ve passed the Tongsheng exams, you shouldn’t be so rude. You’re practically looking down on my family. Get out!”

Upon hearing that Zhou Youcheng had been disrespectful to his father, Zhou Ning also stood up angrily. “Zhou Youcheng, get out of my house!”

Zhou Youcheng stumbled toward the door, but before he could say anything, Shen Linchuan stopped him. “Zhou Youcheng, my father is the one who pays for your tuition. Not only did you use my father’s money to buy gifts for your own family, but you actually dared to look down on him. You’re not allowed to set foot in my house ever again!”

“You, you!”

Furious, Zhou Youcheng flung his sleeves and stormed out.

Zhou Da sat at the table, sighing deeply. If it weren’t for his son-in-law saying all that, he wouldn’t have known there were so many rules to bowing and scraping. Country folk don’t know such things—he’d just thought scholars looked quite elegant when they bowed. Who would’ve known? Sigh.

“Father, don’t be angry. Zhou Youcheng is simply arrogant and full of himself. Our family isn’t some pushover to be pushed around!”

Zhou Da let out a sigh and said nothing, merely rising to return silently to his room. He had even paid for his nephew’s education—never skimping on the money—yet never did he expect the boy to look down on him, his uncle who slaughtered pigs for a living.

Zhou Ning wanted to go in and offer some comfort, but Shen Linchuan held him back. “I’ll go warm up a pot of sorghum wine for Father and roast some peanuts to go with it. I’ll join him for a drink.”

“I’ll handle it. This Zhou Youcheng has gone way too far!”

Shen Linchuan hadn’t intended to fall out with Zhou Youcheng so soon, but he hadn’t expected Zhou Youcheng to take advantage of his father and Ning-ger’s ignorance and openly pay him the courtesy due to a peer—wasn’t that looking down on him?

Zhou Ning went to the kitchen to warm the wine, and Shen Linchuan followed along to prepare a couple of snacks to go with it. His eldest brother’s family had come over today, and his father was in high spirits; he didn’t want to spoil his father’s good mood. But Zhou Youcheng had been far too unreasonable—a clash was inevitable sooner or later, so he might as well take this opportunity to let it all out.

Shen Linchuan mentioned that Zhou Youcheng had come to his door. Perhaps to outsiders, refusing him entry over a mere matter of etiquette might seem excessive, but Shen Linchuan didn’t see it that way. He had never treated this world as a book; it was clearly a different world—a world of flesh and blood.

As for what happened before that, it was simply a matter of Ning-ger and his father’s past lives. After his original self absconded with the family fortune, his father fell ill from the shock, though it wasn’t just the shock; it was mostly from overwork. After all, he had to support two scholars, and he dared not rest even for a single day.

For years, he’d shuttled back and forth between the countryside and town every day, pushing a pig weighing hundreds of pounds. He dared not rest a single day except on the day he collected the pigs. After his father passed away, Zhou Youcheng—his nephew—was asked to attend the funeral. Zhou Youcheng wanted to squeeze out the last of their hard-earned savings, so he forced Ning-ger to sell off the family’s valuables before he’d even agree to come.

Later, they even seized Zhou Ning’s three mu of land, leaving him with nowhere to turn. When he went to demand his property back, Zhou Er’s family chased him away, shouting, “You’re bad luck! Don’t set foot in my house! Get out!”

Thinking of this, Shen Linchuan seethed with rage. Thankfully, in this life, he had married Ning-ger first.

“Right after my little father passed away, my father had to go to town to sell pork, so he asked my second uncle and aunt to look after me. Every time I went over for a meal, my second aunt would hide the good food in the house, and Zhou Youcheng would deliberately wave pastries in front of my face.”

“My second aunt never let me eat my fill. Once, Zhou Youcheng picked on me, but he wasn’t as tall or as strong as I was, so I pinned him to the ground and beat him up. My second aunt couldn’t stand it and hit me. After that, I never went to her house again. No matter how much my father pleaded, I refused to go. I’d rather follow him to town to sell pork.”

“When Second Aunt came to our house to get pork before, she’d always say she’d taken care of me when I was little. But back then, my dad gave her rice and meat—Zhou Youcheng and his sister both ate well off of it. Second Aunt even called me an ungrateful wretch who’d never learn.”

Zhou Ning spoke these words in a low voice, and as Shen Linchuan listened, his heart ached in waves. A young ger who had just lost his stepfather, living under someone else’s roof and being tormented and bullied—whether in his past life or this one, he would never let Zhou Er’s family off the hook!

“Does Father know about this?”

Zhou Ning shook his head. “Father doesn’t know. He’s always believed we owed his family a debt of gratitude. I never told him. Back then, when my little father passed away, he was heartbroken too—he lost a lot of weight.”

Shen Linchuan wrapped his arms around Zhou Ning from behind. “My Ning-ger has been through so much.”

“It’s okay. My father is a formidable man. If anyone ever bullied me, he’d storm into their house, wielding a butcher’s knife. Now that I’ve met you, Shen Linchuan, I’m truly happy. I have a father, and I have you.”

Shen Linchuan felt a pang of sadness. His simple-minded Fulang—he’d clearly suffered so much as a child, and though he’d grown up to be anything but delicate, he’d still been the subject of gossip. Yet he remained so kind-hearted.

Shen Linchuan didn’t consider himself a particularly kind person; he simply took what he needed.

Zhou Ning’s wine was already warmed. “All right, stop clinging to me. Go take this to Dad. No need to roast the peanuts—we have some leftovers from before. We’ve also got roasted duck today; I’ll carve some out for you. Go drink with Dad, but don’t have too much.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Everything was ready to go. Zhou Ning packed it up and handed it to Shen Linchuan to take to his father’s room. He glanced at his father sleeping in the east room, then went back to the vegetable garden to tend to the plants.

The eggplants, chili peppers, and cucumbers in the garden had all bloomed—purple, white, and yellow—in a lively display that attracted butterflies and bees.

Zhou Ning didn’t feel the hardship. He had Shen Linchuan, and his father, too. In the future, there would be children as well, and the household would grow as lively as the vegetable garden.

“Father.”

Shen Linchuan carried the food and wine into the east room. When he entered, Zhou Dazheng was leaning against the bedside, resting his eyes, though his brow was slightly furrowed, lost in thought.

“Hmm.”

“Father, clear some space on the table for me—I can barely hold all this.”

Seeing that Shen Linchuan was carrying plates in both hands, with a small wine flask hooked on his fingers, Zhou Da hurriedly cleared the small table by the bed. Shen Linchuan smiled. “Father and I have never had a drink alone together. It’s rare that we’re both free today—I should accompany you for a drink.”

“Just drink a bit. You still have to study; don’t let this interfere with your studies.”

Shen Linchuan rarely drank, and Zhou Da knew how hard he studied every day, so he usually wouldn’t let him drink, lest it hinder his studies.

“It’s fine, Father. I’ll just have a little. ” Shen Linchuan poured some wine into a small cup. “Ning-ger specially warmed some wine for Father. Even though it’s hot now, warm wine is still gentler on the stomach. Father, let me drink with you.”

Zhou Da sat by the bedside and let out a sigh. He picked up the cup and took a sip. “I really never thought that even my own nephew would look down on me, a pig butcher.”

Zhou Da knew that the pig-slaughtering trade was often looked down upon. In the countryside, it wasn’t so bad—everyone was a peasant; who looked down on whom? They were all just trying to get by. Though they were all craftsmen, in the eyes of others, it wasn’t as prestigious as being a carpenter.

“Father, what’s wrong with being a pig-slaughterer? Zhang Fei and Fan Kuai—weren’t they both pig-slaughterers by trade? Yet they became great generals just the same.”

Zhou Da hadn’t been to school and didn’t know who Fan Kuai was, but he certainly knew Zhang Fei. He’d heard the storytellers at the market recount tales of the Great Battle of Changban Slope and the Three Heroes’ Battle Against Lü Bu—he’d heard all of it. It was just that he was too busy with his business; whenever the storytellers set up their stalls, he could only stand by his own stall and listen from afar.

“Oh, so Zhang Fei was actually a butcher too!”

Zhou Da had just been feeling down because people looked down on him for being a butcher, but now that he heard Zhang Fei had been one too, his eyes widened in surprise, as big as copper bells.

“That’s…”

He hadn’t expected his father to be a fan of Zhang Fei. Shen Linchuan accompanied Zhou Da as they drank and talked about Zhang Fei and Fan Kuai, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions in Zhou Da’s heart.

Shen Linchuan took the opportunity to mention how his Fulang had been wronged at Zhou Er’s house when he was young. Zhou Da had a quick temper; upon hearing that his son had been bullied as a child, he was itching to storm over to Zhou Er’s house right then and there, but Shen Linchuan held him back.

After downing a few more cups of cloudy wine, Zhou Da’s eyes reddened. “Ah, Youcheng was raised through the hard work of this uncle of his. I’d always thought that if he could achieve some official rank, he’d be able to protect Ning-ger in the future. Ah.”

Shen Linchuan kept his father company until the room grew dark. His father had nearly finished the entire pot of wine by himself; Shen Linchuan had taken a few sips here and there, but mostly drank the weak tea brewed from the leftover leaves. Aside from a faint scent of alcohol clinging to him, his mind was as clear as a bell.

Zhou Da was already drunk by now. Shen Linchuan moved the small table down from the bed, tucked his father in with a blanket, tidied up the table, and then carried the plate with the leftover food out.

Zhou Ning was sitting in the front hall playing with the puppy. Seeing Shen Linchuan come out, he hurried over to take the plate from his hands. “Is Father all right?”

“He’s already fallen asleep. He’s fine. He was just feeling a bit down after suddenly realizing that the nephew he’d always held in high regard actually looked down on him. But he’s fine now.”

“Shen Linchuan, thank you.”

Zhou Ning knew he wasn’t good with words; if he’d been asked to comfort his father, he wouldn’t have known what to say. Shen Linchuan was much better at it.

“Oh my, my head is spinning.”

As Shen Linchuan spoke, he bumped his head against Zhou Ning’s chest. They were about the same height, but since Shen Linchuan liked to tie his hair up in a high ponytail with a headband, he actually looked a bit taller than Zhou Ning when they stood together.

“I made some hangover tea for you. Let me bring it over.”

“Oh my, I can’t stand up straight~.”

Shen Linchuan took the opportunity to rub himself all over Zhou Ning’s chest. His Fulang’s pecs were truly gorgeous!

“Then I’ll hold you up. You… you stop moving around. Stay where you are.”

Zhou Ning was holding a plate in his hand at the moment, so he could only wrap one arm around Shen Linchuan’s waist and lead him inside. Shen Linchuan took full advantage of leaning against his Fulang, “I’m too drunk. I need a kiss from my Fulang to feel better.”

Even if Zhou Ning were as thick-skinned as a log, he’d know Shen Linchuan was teasing him right now. Zhou Ning loosened his grip, “Stand up straight.”

Shen Linchuan wouldn’t have it and kept rubbing against Zhou Ning. “My legs are weak; I can’t stand up.”

Zhou Ning had already set the plate on the square table. Seeing his husband clinging to him like a limp rag, Zhou Ning stood as stiff as a tall poplar tree. The more nervous he got, the more proper he acted—what was he supposed to do?

Younger men really do love to be spoiled—why is his husband so clingy?

Shen Linchuan was happily rubbing against him like a puppy when suddenly everything went blurry, and his feet left the ground. He was securely lifted into a princess carry by Zhou Ning!

“I’ll help you lie down for a bit.”

Shen Linchuan was speechless. Wait, who in their right mind carries their man in a princess carry?

Zhou Ning carried him steadily to the bed. “I’ll bring you some tea to help with the hangover.”

Shen Linchuan leaned back on the bed, feeling utterly defeated. Fine, it actually felt pretty good. But no more of this next time.

Zhou Ning thought he was absolutely brilliant. Since his little husband loved to be pampered, he’d just spoil him. If his legs were too weak to walk, he’d simply carry him—he had plenty of strength.

Zhou Ning went out to fetch Shen Linchuan some hangover tea, while Shen Linchuan obediently leaned against the bedside, hoping to sneak in a kiss while he had the chance. Little did he expect to end up in a princess carry instead.

While Shen Linchuan was keeping Zhou Da company over a few drinks, Zhou Youcheng walked out of his uncle’s house and turned right back home. He’d said from the start he wouldn’t come, but his parents insisted he drop by. What was there to see? His uncle was a burly, strong man, and he’d even wasted a bunch of silver on snacks for no reason.

Zhou Youcheng had never mentioned to anyone outside the family that he had an uncle who was a butcher. Although Zhou Da had run a pork stall in town for over a decade—doing such grubby work—if his classmates found out he had an uncle who slaughtered pigs, they would surely look down on him.

Zhou Youcheng was furious that he, a scholar, had come all this way to save face, only to be kicked out. He was a Tongsheng—the only one in the entire Dayangshu Village!

Zhou Youcheng stormed home. Zhou Er’s family was all there, and it was Hu Caiyun who had prepared that box of pastries.

“Youcheng, why are you back so soon?”

“Hmm, I just exchanged a few words and came back.” Zhou Youcheng didn’t mention being turned away—he found it humiliating. “Mother, you were the one who told me to pull strings with Uncle Zhou. That Shen Linchuan is so arrogant; he wouldn’t even give me a bowl of water when I went over.”

He’d seen it all with his own eyes: his eldest uncle’s family seemed to have some distinguished guest over, and they’d even brought a gift of stir-fried ginkgo nuts. Shen Linchuan had simply pocketed them without so much as offering to entertain the guest.

Hu Caiyun snorted. “He’s nothing but a son-in-law who married into the family. Just wait until you pass the Xiucai exam next year—let’s see what that little brat has to be smug about then. Shen Linchuan’s got a sharp tongue; even your father couldn’t get the better of him when he went to see him.”

“Mother, is Shen Linchuan really going to take the Xiucai exam next year?”

“Really. That little brat said it himself. If someone like him could pass, then the whole village could marry Xiucais. Hmph.”

Zhou Fang was sitting nearby, cracking sunflower seeds with her mother. “Brother, you absolutely have to pass the Xiucai exam next year. Otherwise, I’ll end up an old maid.”

“What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat? How old are you anyway?” Hu Caiyun scolded her gently.

Zhou Fang snorted. “Sixteen. If Brother doesn’t pass next year, we’ll have to wait another year or so. By then I’ll be eighteen or nineteen—just like Zhou Ning, an old ger. The whole village will laugh at me.”

“How could you be like him? You have a brother who passed the Tongsheng exam, and you’re a young woman. There’s no way you’ll end up like Zhou Ning, unable to get married.”

Listening to his mother and sister bickering, Zhou Youcheng felt a headache coming on. He’d already been put through the wringer at his uncle’s place, and now he had to endure these women’s endless nagging—it was giving him a splitting headache.

Shen Linchuan—just thinking of that name made Zhou Youcheng seethe with rage. Time and again, he’d brought shame upon him, and yet he was nothing more than a son-in-law who’d married into the Zhou family.

Shen Linchuan, whom Zhou Er’s family hated with a vengeance, was now leisurely sipping his hangover tea. He’d love for Zhou Ning to feed it right to him—let anyone else suffer; after all, Shen Linchuan had never been one to put up with hardship himself.

Zhou Da was back on his feet the very next day. After resting for a day, he ate his breakfast and, full of energy, set off pushing his handcart to collect pigs. His son-in-law was right: Zhou Youcheng, who was currently just a Tongsheng, already looked down on him, a pig butcher. Even if he passed the exams in the future, he wouldn’t lift a finger to help his own brother-in-law.

But he’d spent a fortune supporting Zhou Youcheng back in the day, leaving him too broke to even buy a donkey. And they were blood relatives, after all. His son-in-law, who’d only recently joined the family, was far better—not only did he dote on his own son, but he even showed respect to him, the butcher.

Zhou Da shook his head, putting the thought aside. His family was doing just fine now. Although his son-in-law couldn’t inherit his butchery skills, he was making a decent living running a small business. He wasn’t worried about the young couple having no way to make a living in the future, so he felt at ease.

Once Zhou Da had come to terms with this, he was filled with renewed vigor. He now works in moderation, which was much less taxing than before. His son-in-law had told him he couldn’t work himself to the bone—after all, how would he be able to look after his grandchildren if he wore himself out? Zhou Da chuckled at the thought.

The family of three continued to go to town to run their small business as usual. Shen Linchuan’s pork belly business was still booming; even before he set up his stall on market days, quite a few people were already waiting, and his stock would sell out in no time.

After selling out, Shen Linchuan began to pack up his stall. “Hello, Boss Shen.”

Shen Linchuan looked up to see a portly middle-aged man he hadn’t seen before, dressed in a silk robe with diamond-shaped patterns, a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and a young man dressed like an assistant following behind him—he appeared to be a steward or manager from some establishment.

The middle-aged man performed a bow typical of peers, “I am Wu Xing, manager of the Wangye Pavilion. I’d like to invite Boss Shen for a cup of tea.”

Shen Linchuan returned the gesture. “Shen Linchuan.”

Zhou Da had also noticed the newcomer approaching to strike up a conversation. Not knowing whether he was friend or foe, Zhou Da kept a close watch on the situation. If anyone caused trouble, the butcher’s knife in his hand was no pushover.