Shen Linchuan was right; compared to the pork cutlets sold for ten wen each, this “pagoda-shaped” pork is a much better fit for the Wangye Pavilion.

Many in town knew the price of that pork belly. If someone bought the recipe for it and sold it at a high price at the Wangye Pavilion, it would, to some extent, reveal the cost. Wealthy people love novelty—they love what’s fresh and one-of-a-kind.

Li Zhong was thoroughly satisfied. Before he knew it, his chopsticks had flown through the air, and he’d eaten nearly half the dish—though, of course, the other half had found its way into Zhou Ning’s stomach. Li Zhong cleared his throat and set down his chopsticks. “Mr. Shen, I’ll certainly inform our boss about this. When the time comes, I’ll need to trouble you to prepare this dish again.”

“Naturally.”

Li Zhong and Shen Linchuan agreed on a time. His boss would be free that day, so it would be the perfect opportunity to present this “Baota Pork.” Wu Xing was finished this time—he’d tried to force the issue but ended up being outmaneuvered instead. It was about time the head manager of the Wangye Pavilion was replaced.

Shen Linchuan and Li Zhong exchanged a few more words before parting ways. It was nearly noon now; his father should be returning from the countryside with the silver soon. “Let’s go. We’ll wait for Father at the livestock market.”

Zhou Ning was still craving more after eating that Baota Meat; even the glutinous rice inside was delicious—savory and flavorful, with the aroma of meat wafting through the air.

The two walked toward the livestock market together. Shen Linchuan seemed in high spirits; his sash fluttered as he walked.

“Shen Linchuan, how come you’re good at everything?”

“Who says that? If it weren’t for my fulang’s skill with the knife, I couldn’t have made this pagoda-shaped meat look so beautiful.”

Zhou Ning laughed as well; perhaps their little food stall would be up and running again in a few days.

“Come on, let’s go to the drink shop and have a bowl of perilla leaf drink. Oh my, after all that hustle and bustle, the silver left in my hands is just enough to treat my fulang to a bowl of perilla leaf drink. Once we make a fortune, we’ll be able to drink whatever we want!”

“Sounds good.”

The two sat at a refreshment stall not far from the livestock market, waiting for someone. They ordered two bowls of refreshing perilla leaf drink—the cheapest option the shop had to offer. There was no helping it; Shen Linchuan and the others had to spend all the silver they’d saved on that blue-and-white-spotted mule.

They didn’t have to wait long before they spotted Zhou Da hurrying over. He was drenched in sweat from the round trip to town and back, practically flying over as if his feet were on wings, eager to lead the mule home as soon as possible.

“Father, here you go. Have some refreshing tea and rest your feet first.”

Shen Linchuan ordered another bowl of perilla leaf drink, which Zhou Da downed in just a few gulps. “Come on, come on, let’s go lead the mule back.”

Zhou Da couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “When we get back, I’ll have your older brother’s family help build a mule cart for us. I’ll cover the cost.”

“Alright, I won’t argue with you over the money, Father.” Shen Linchuan said with a smile.

When they reached the merchant, Zhou Da paid the full amount—exactly twenty-nine taels of silver. Not only had Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning spent all their savings, but Zhou Da himself didn’t have much left either.

Zhou Da patted the mule twice. 

“Good mule, good mule. This will make Father’s business much easier from now on.”

Zhou Ning was also overjoyed; after all these years of hard work, his father had finally managed to buy a beast of burden.

With the mule purchased, there wasn’t much left of the family’s savings. Lunch was paid for by Zhou Da with his own copper coins—a bowl of wonton noodles for each of them, plus half a roasted chicken. If they hadn’t had to head home, Zhou Da would have even treated himself to a couple of sips of wine; he was truly overjoyed.

After eating, the three of them led the mule home. Zhou Da walked proudly in front, with the big blue-and-white mule, its coat glossy and shiny, following close behind.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning strolled leisurely behind him. It was May, and a warm breeze blew across their faces; the wheat growing in the dry fields had already begun to fill out, and in another month or so, it would be ready for harvest.

“When we harvest the wheat this year, our family will finally have a mule to use.”

Zhou Ning hummed in agreement. “Father’s so happy—he looks happier than he did on the day I got engaged.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled. “How can you compare me to an animal? I remember on the day you and I got married, Father used half a pig for the banquet. He was smiling so hard, the corners of his eyes were creased.”

The two of them chatted and gossiped together in the back, while Zhou Da walked ahead, leading the mule like a general returning from a victorious battle.

News of Zhou Da’s purchase of the mule spread like wildfire throughout the entire Dayangshu Village. Many people flocked over to gawk at the spectacle—this was a large beast, after all, not like chickens or ducks that every household could keep a few of.

The Zhou family’s courtyard was soon filled with people. The mule stood in the center, surrounded by the crowd, who examined it from head to toe. Curious, they couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it now and then. “My, what a fine mule you’ve bought! There isn’t a single one in the whole village as sturdy as this one.”

“That’s for sure, Zhou Da. How much silver did you spend on this mule?”

Zhou Da led the animal, his face beaming. “Not much, not much—just over twenty taels. It was Linchuan and Ning-ger who chipped in their own savings.”

“Oh, so you didn’t buy it yourself?”

“Those two kids are such good kids. They saved up some silver from their small business, and I chipped in a little extra so we could afford this beast. You know, those two really are something—as soon as we bought the mule, their pockets were empty again.”

Granny Wang chimed in from the side, “That’s because the two boys are so dutiful to you. Zhou Da, you’ve had it rough these past years—buying and selling pigs, hauling them back and forth. Now that you have a mule, it’ll be easier on you from now on.”

Hearing people praise his two children for their filial piety made Zhou Da even happier. Yes, he was well aware of the gossip in the village before. Whether it was Ning-ger or Linchuan, both had been the subject of idle talk. He just wanted to show the villagers how good his children really were.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning were huddled together in the room, practicing their calligraphy. Since they’d been in town this morning, Zhou Ning had to make up for his calligraphy practice this afternoon. The two had shut the door to their room; Zhou Da was afraid that visitors might disturb their studies, so if anyone asked, he’d say they’d gone to the back mountain to cut grass for the mule.

Although Shen Linchuan’s calligraphy was considerably better than Zhou Ning’s as a novice, it still fell a bit short. If other scholars saw it, they would likely comment that it had form but lacked spirit.

“Father is very pleased.”

“Thank you, Shen Linchuan.”

“What’s there to thank me for? The silver we earned from the business was earned by the two of us together.”

“But you taught me; I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

Zhou Ning felt that if Shen Linchuan hadn’t known how to make braised pork, they wouldn’t have been able to buy a mule so quickly, and his father wouldn’t have had to work so hard in the future. It was all thanks to Shen Linchuan.

“That’s because my Fulang is so clever—he picked it up right away.”

Shen Linchuan leaned in and planted a kiss on Fulang’s cheek. “Let me rest for a moment—reward me.”

Shen Linchuan felt quite satisfied after that kiss, but just as he pulled away, Fulang cupped the back of his head and pulled him back in for another kiss. Their lips met, and Shen Linchuan was taken aback. Fulang was usually a bit prim and proper when out of bed, yet this time—this time!

After the kiss, Zhou Ning went back to practicing his calligraphy. He just picked up the brush and made an ink circle on the paper. He looked so serious—if it weren’t for his lips still being damp, Shen Linchuan would’ve thought he was dreaming!

Shen Linchuan chuckled softly, and Zhou Ning’s handwriting became even more crooked. “Someone might hear us.”

“It’s fine, I’m laughing quietly.”

Outside, the noise was deafening, but the two of them, tucked away inside, had created their own little world.

Upon hearing that his eldest brother’s family had bought a mule, Zhou Er and Hu Caiyun hurried over as well. Hadn’t they just been saying how tight things were at home? How could they suddenly afford a mule!

Hu Caiyun flung her sleeves in exasperation. “We’ll have to pay tuition fees again soon. Why did Big Brother choose this time to buy a mule? Really!”

“Who knows? It might not even be Big Brother’s idea. I’d bet it’s Shen Linchuan’s idea! Big Brother hasn’t bought any livestock for years—why did he buy one the moment Shen Linchuan showed up?”

The two hurried over. By now, quite a crowd had gathered in the courtyard to look at the mule. Zhou Er put on a smile. “Big Brother, you bought a mule? You never mentioned it. Why did you suddenly decide to buy one?”

“Exactly, Big Brother. Times are tough at home right now. If we have some silver to save up, having grain on hand gives us peace of mind, doesn’t it?” Hu Caiyun chimed in.

Ever since Zhou Da learned that Zhou Youcheng looked down on him—a butcher—he’d grown increasingly disappointed in Er’s family. But since they were blood brothers, there was no need to burn bridges. From now on, he’d just focus on his own little family.

Zhou Da was the kind of man whose thoughts showed on his face. Now, his smile had vanished, and he simply said, “Lingchuan and Ning-ger bought it. The two kids feel for how hard their old man works.”

Hu Caiyun, quick-witted as ever, immediately retorted, “Where would those two get the money? It’s all from you, Big Brother. Youcheng is still in school…”

Before Hu Caiyun could finish, Zhou Er tugged at his sleeve. “Big Brother, that mule you bought looks really fine. Ning-ger and Linchuan—those two kids really have a heart.”

Zhou Da gave a half-hearted “Hmm. It’s still my own kids who know how to look out for their old man.”

“That’s right, that’s right. You’ve worked hard all these years supporting Youcheng’s education, Big Brother. Once Youcheng makes something of himself, he’ll be the first to remember your kindness. Ah, I’m just a peasant who knows nothing but farming—unlike you, who has a trade. Youcheng owes so much to your care; he’ll have to honor his uncle in the future. If that boy ever forgets your kindness, I’ll be the first to break his legs.”

Hearing Zhou Er speak this way, Hu Caiyun grew a bit angry. She shook off Zhou Er’s hand as he tugged at her sleeve to say something, but he gave her a sharp pinch under her arm. This woman—she still thinks the Zhou family has only Youcheng as its scholar. What he really fears is that Shen Linchuan might actually pass the exams and become a Xiucai.

The two watched the mule in the courtyard for a while. Hu Caiyun’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but say, “How much silver would such a fine mule cost?”

Old Shi said, “Just over twenty taels. Zhou Da is truly a lucky man. Look how dutiful his children are. If my son were capable of buying a mule for our family, I’d wake up laughing even in my dreams.”

After watching the mule for a while, the two left. As Hu Caiyun stepped out the door, she remembered how Zhou Er had pinched her earlier, so she pinched him back just as hard. “Why did you pinch me just now? What do you mean he’ll be filial to his uncle later? Once our son becomes an official, the very first person he’ll be filial to is this old mother of his!”

Zhou Er’s face contorted from the pinch, and he flew into a rage, cursing, “You ignorant woman! All you ever do is look for petty advantages. Do you have a pig’s brain? Can’t you think for yourself?”

“You’re the one with a pig’s brain! Your whole family has pig brains! Why didn’t you come over when we were handing out meat earlier?”

Zhou Da was furious watching Hu Caiyun speak without thinking.

“You, don’t you dare hold our Youcheng back in the future. Times have changed. Our eldest brother’s family has taken in a son-in-law now. They say a son-in-law is half a son. Since they’ve taken him in, he’s like our eldest brother’s own son. Any children they have in the future will take the Zhou surname after Ning-ger!”

“So what? Our son is still a Tongsheng. Next year, he’s sure to pass and become a Xiucai. And I’ll be the mother of that Xiucai!”

“How can you still not get it! Before, Ning-ger couldn’t get married off, so Eldest Brother supported Youcheng, hoping our family would look after Ning-ger a bit. Once he’s married off, wouldn’t Eldest Brother still have to rely on our Youcheng to take care of him in his old age? Now look—Shen Linchuan has come along. They don’t depend on us at all anymore. You’re still living in the past!”

“Pfft! Even if they don’t rely on us anymore, once Youcheng becomes an official, his family will still benefit from his success. Eldest Brother is really something. Youcheng will have to pay his tuition fees soon, and when he goes to the county seat to take the Xiucai exam next year, the travel expenses and such will cost another chunk of silver. How can he just think of himself?”

“Enough, stop talking. Let’s go home!”

Sure enough, buying the mule had been Shen Linchuan’s idea again. He felt even more convinced that Shen Linchuan was a bad omen for their family. Regardless of whether Zhou Ning got married or not, whatever his older brother acquired would eventually become their family’s property. Now, the duck that was practically in their mouths had flown away. The more he thought about it, the more resentful he felt!

The crowd gathered in the Zhou Da family courtyard to watch the spectacle gradually dispersed. Now the whole village knew that Shen Linchuan had bought a mule for Zhou Ning’s father. People used to look down on Shen Linchuan as a half-baked scholar, but look at him—he’d only been with the Zhou family for a short while, and he’d already managed to buy a mule!

Fearing that a steady stream of visitors might disturb his son-in-law’s studies, Zhou Da led the mule out to graze. He didn’t bring it back until the sun was setting, treating the animal like a precious treasure.

The next day, he led the mule out again to Xinghua Village. Shen Linchuan had originally planned to go with Zhou Ning, but Zhou Da wanted to take the animal out for a run, so he left the two of them at home to study. He grabbed some eggs and picked a basket of small greens, then led the mule out at a leisurely pace.

“Father, you should ride that mule. Don’t spoil it—it was bought to be used,” Shen Linchuan called out, watching his father’s retreating figure.

“I know, I know. You go home and get back to your chores.”

Zhou Da was absolutely smitten with it right now; he was leading the mule by the reins but couldn’t bear to ride it. Last night, he was so excited he couldn’t sleep, so he quietly slipped out of bed, put on his clothes, and went to look at the mule. He didn’t come back to sleep until well into the night.

Shen Linchuan didn’t know about this; his father had gone to bed even later than he, the diligent one, had.

Shen Linchuan went back to the courtyard. Zhou Ning was currently sweeping the chicken coop with a small broom, clearing away the rotten vegetable scraps and chicken droppings. Then he bent down to collect eggs from the nest. With their three hens, they could gather two eggs a day.

Zhou Ning grabbed a hen by the feathers on its rear and shooed it aside. Seeing the nest was empty, he muttered, “If she’s not laying eggs, why is she always sitting in the nest? I thought she’d laid one. Shen Linchuan, look—this hen’s hogging the nest again and won’t budge.”

Shen Linchuan looked over, too. The hen had been shooed aside by Fulang, but she waddled right back, flopped down in the nest, and refused to budge.

Shen Linchuan raised an eyebrow slightly. “Is she about to hatch eggs?”

“Hatch eggs? I don’t know. Every year, there’s always a period when the hens like to linger in the nest.”

“I’ve never raised chickens before. I’ll ask Granny Wang to take a look for us.”

“Alright.”

Shen Linchuan stood in the courtyard and called out, “Granny Wang, Granny Wang, are you home?”

The two households were separated by just a courtyard wall; conversations in the courtyard could be heard by both families. Hearing Shen Linchuan call her name, Granny Wang replied, “Yes, I’m home.”

“Granny Wang, could you please take a look at my hen? She’s not laying eggs anymore.”

Granny Wang came over quickly, took a look from outside, and said, “Oh my, she’s not just stopped laying eggs—she’s about to go broody. Are you planning to raise chicks this year? If so, just put a few eggs under her, and in twenty days, you’ll have a brood of chicks.”

Zhou Ning was delighted to hear this. “So she’s going to hatch chicks! Shen Linchuan, let’s put in a few more eggs and hatch a whole brood!”

“Sure, let’s raise them together!”

Zhou Ning used to follow his father around town selling pork. The chickens at home roamed freely in the yard, so he’d never paid any attention to hatching chicks—let alone Shen Linchuan, who’d been struggling to make it in the big city and had never raised chickens or ducks before.

When Granny Wang realized neither of them knew anything about it, she slapped her thigh. “It’s not like you can just hatch as many as you want. If there are too many, the hen can’t keep them all warm—it’s a waste. And what about the eggs? Do you have any right now? I’ll check to see if there are any infertile ones. If you put infertile eggs in there, they won’t hatch.”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning exchanged bewildered glances. They’d thought you just put the eggs in—who knew you had to pick them out?

Granny Wang laughed. “One of you is a young man busy selling pork, and the other is a scholar who’s never done farm work. You’re both completely clueless. Never mind, never mind—I’ll help you pick out the eggs.”

Zhou Ning hurried to the kitchen to fetch the eggs. He brought out a total of five. Zhou Ning frowned. “Who knew she was going to hatch chicks? We’ve already given all the eggs we’d saved to Dad and Big Brother’s family. These are all we have left.”

“I have some at my place. Let’s go over there and pick some out for you.”

The two of them took the few eggs they had and hurried over to the neighbor’s house. Granny Wang kept seven or eight chickens and had saved up a whole basketful. She usually took them to town to sell when she had a spare moment, but now that the weather had turned hot, the chickens were laying eggs—four wen apiece.

Granny Wang found a dark corner in her room, lit an oil lamp, and held the eggs up one by one to examine them in the light.

Although Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning didn’t understand what she was doing, they craned their necks to watch. They could see the oil lamp illuminating the eggs clearly, but they couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“This one will hatch, this one won’t…”

Granny Wang quickly set aside quite a few. Shen Linchuan asked curiously, “Granny, how do you know which ones will hatch into chicks and which ones won’t?”

“You two take a closer look—your eyesight isn’t any worse than this old woman’s. The ones with a dark spot on the shell will hatch into chicks; the ones without won’t.”

Shen Linchuan roughly understood how to tell which ones would hatch. The two of them selected ten eggs from Granny Wang’s, and since all five of their own were usable, they placed all fifteen eggs under the hen to incubate.

The ten eggs cost forty wen, which Shen Linchuan paid.

Zhou Ning was currently crouched beside the nest, utterly fascinated, wishing the chicks would hatch the moment the eggs were placed inside. When Shen Linchuan returned from next door, he found her still crouched there.

Shen Linchuan chuckled to himself. Well, his father was currently obsessed with the family’s mule, while his Fulang was obsessed with the chicks that hadn’t hatched yet.

Shen Linchuan didn’t call out to Zhou Ning; he went back inside to study.

Zhou Da led the mule at a leisurely pace toward Xinghua Village. He planned to have Shen Linchuan’s older brother build a mule cart so that in the future, when he went about his business, he could drive the cart—not only would it be easier, but he could also travel farther.

It was his first time visiting the Shen family. He knew where Xinghua Village was, but he didn’t know where the Shen family lived. Back when the betrothal gifts were exchanged, Shen Linchuan’s older brother and sister-in-law had brought a group of people to his house. When he reached the village entrance, he asked a group of children playing together, “Do you know which house belongs to Carpenter Shen?”

“We know, we know! Are you here to ask Huzi’s dad to build a cart too?”

Zhou Da was delighted. He grabbed a handful of salted peanuts from his waistband and gave them to the children. The older kids grinned and each took a handful. “I’ll take you there!”

“Oh, thanks a lot.”

The children were fascinated by the big mule Zhou Da was leading, circling around it. “Your mule is so beautiful! When I grow up, I’m going to buy a mule—no! I’m going to buy a horse—I want to ride a big horse! Giddyup, giddyup!”

The boy ran ahead, leading the way while pretending to ride a horse. Zhou Da, who loved kids, followed along with a smile.

Before the boy even reached the Shen family’s gate, he shouted, “Huzi, Huzi! Someone’s looking for your family’s cart!”

Zhou Da stood at the Shen family’s gate, leading his mule. Inside the courtyard, Shen Da and a few teenage boys were hard at work. The ground was littered with wooden planks, and there were both assembled and unassembled carts scattered about—the courtyard was nearly too crowded to walk through.

Hearing someone call out, Shen Da looked up. He was holding a hammer and assembling a cart frame—the other carpenters had already built the parts and brought them to him; his job was just to put them together. Shen Dage gasped in surprise, “Uncle Zhou! Huzi, Xiao Yu, look who’s here!”

“Damn it, hurry out and greet him.”

Shen Dasao heard the commotion and hurried out. “Zhou Da! Please sit down, please sit down!”

Shen Hu-zi and Shen Xiaoyu also called out “Grandpa Zhou.” Shen Huzi saw Zhou Dajian leading a mule; his eyes widened as he ran over. “Grandpa Zhou, where did you get that mule? Dad, look quick—it’s a mule! ”

Shen Da looked up and saw the mule too. He wiped the sweat from his forehead; it was only May, yet he was already wearing a sleeveless shirt, revealing two muscular arms. He was so hot that his shirt was completely soaked through.

He stepped over the lumber piled on the ground and approached. “Zhou Da, where did you get this mule?”

“It’s our own. We just bought it yesterday—Linchuan and Ning-ger bought it for us,” Zhou said with a hearty laugh.

Shen Dage was taken aback; he hadn’t expected it to be a purchased animal.

There wasn’t even room to step in the courtyard. Shen Dage called out to a few young apprentices, “Zhuzi, Banzi, and the rest of you, help me move these planks to one side to make some space.”

The young apprentices hurried over and moved the planks in the courtyard to one side, and only then did the mule enter the courtyard.

Shen Da patted the mule twice. “Good mule, really sturdy!”

The four members of the Shen family all gathered around to look at the mule. Upon hearing it belonged to his second uncle’s family, Shen Huzi no longer felt shy; he hopped about, eager to climb on for a ride. “Dad, Dad, hurry up and lift me up!”

Shen Da picked up Shen Hu-zi and set him on the mule. Shen Hu-zi was overjoyed, sitting there, while Shen Xiaoyu tilted his little head and watched longingly. Zhou Da lifted the little ger and placed him on top, too. “Let our Xiao Yu have a turn too.”

The mule was tied to a tree in the courtyard, and with three adults watching over them, the children were safe sitting up there. The two little ones were overjoyed the moment they settled onto the mule’s back.

Shen Dage asked how much the mule had cost. Since they were all family, Zhou Da didn’t hide anything and told him the truth, praising Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning’s filial piety throughout his explanation.

He only spoke of the happy things; he didn’t mention the scandals in town. Why should he make the Shen family worry as well?