Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning had finished their business for the day and were getting ready to head home.

“Linchuan, Linchuan!”

Hearing someone call his name, Shen Linchuan turned around to see his older brother. He was quite pleased. “Big Brother, what brings you here so early?” Zhou Ning also called out, “Big Brother.”

Shen Da let out a sigh. “With such a big incident at home, why didn’t you tell me? I only found out because someone from town came to the cart and started spreading rumors.”

“It wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t mention it to you.”

“You call that not a big deal? I heard from that person that the Wangye Pavilion is causing trouble for you guys.” 

“It’s all over now, Big Brother. Look, I’m back to setting up my stall.”

Shen Linchuan pulled his older brother aside and briefly explained the situation. Only then did Shen Da breathe a sigh of relief. He’d only found out about it yesterday afternoon; if it hadn’t been getting dark, he would’ve gone to the Zhou family’s place yesterday.

He really couldn’t put his mind at ease. As soon as dawn broke, he rushed to Dayangshu Village. When he saw no one there, he hurried to town—if they were being bullied, he could at least lend a hand.

“As long as everything’s fine, that’s all that matters. But how could you not tell your older brother about something this big?”

“It’s all over now, big brother. It wasn’t really a big deal. If I’d told you, it would’ve just caused you and your wife to worry too.” Zhou Ning stood nearby, nodding in agreement. “Exactly, exactly.”

“You two, next time something happens, you must tell your big brother.”

“We know, Big Brother.”

Zhou Da called out, “Big Brother, take a piece of meat with you when you leave. It’s from a pig we just slaughtered yesterday.”

“No, no.” Shen Da wouldn’t accept it—it was meat meant for business. “Zhou Da, the mule cart will be ready soon. Leave someone at home the day after tomorrow, and I’ll bring it over to you.”

Zhou Da was delighted to hear that the mule cart was nearly finished. “No need to bring it over. I happen to have nothing planned the day after tomorrow, so I’ll just drive the mule over myself.” 

“That works too. Since there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now.”

“Ning-ger and I are heading back too. Big Brother, let’s go together.”

Seeing that everyone was about to leave, Zhou Da hurriedly cut a piece of meat to take home. Shen Da quickly ran off, so Zhou Da handed it to Shen Linchuan, “Carry this for your older brother.”

“Dad, there’s no need to bring any. My eldest brother’s family is making money now— they’re not going to go without meat.” 

“Oh, that’s not the same at all. Your eldest brother was worried about us, so he rushed over here first thing this morning.”

Shen Linchuan didn’t wait for a reply; he grabbed Zhou Ning and hurried after them. “It’s fine, Father. I’ll just buy some snacks for Hu-zi and Xiao Yu at the market!”

Shen Da was waiting for the two of them up ahead. Shen Linchuan pulled his Fulang over to him. As they passed a general goods stall, the two picked out a silk doll for Shen Xiaoyu and a clay figurine for Shen Hu-zi.

The items weren’t expensive, so Shen Da finally accepted them. On the way back, Shen Da couldn’t help but scold the two of them a bit, saying they were being too formal. Shen Linchuan apologized profusely, but when he saw his older brother was still talking, he sidestepped and hid behind his Fulang.

Shen Da couldn’t bring himself to scold Zhou Ning, so he let the two off the hook.

The day after tomorrow, Zhou Da drove his mule to Xinghua Village to haul a cart. Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning tagged along as well; they hadn’t seen the two little ones in quite some time, so they picked some vegetables from the garden to take with them.

By now, the wheat in the fields had already filled out. Row upon row of wheat swayed in the breeze. Zhou Da led the mule ahead, saying, “In another ten days or so, we’ll be able to harvest the wheat. This year, we’ll finally be able to use our livestock for the farm work.”

“Dad, when the time comes, our whole family will go out to the fields to harvest the wheat.”

Shen Linchuan said sweetly, making Zhou Da burst out laughing. His son-in-law had never done any farm work, and he hadn’t asked him to help in the fields—he and his own son would be enough.

Shen Linchuan whispered to Zhou Ning, “Look how happy Father is.”

“Dad’s laughing because he’s worried you won’t be able to handle the work. Big Brother and his wife told him you’ve never worked in the fields before.”

Shen Linchuan choked on his words. “I won’t be able to learn it, will I? You’ll just have to teach me when the time comes.” 

  “I’ll teach you?”

Zhou Ning’s eyes lit up. That’s right—if Shen Linchuan could teach him to read and write, why couldn’t he teach Shen Linchuan how to work? He was quite skilled at farm work; he’d been following his father into the fields to harvest wheat since he was six or seven.

“Alright, I’ll teach you.”

Shen Linchuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking in good spirits. The mule ahead was ambling along, swishing its tail. Shen Linchuan couldn’t resist giving the mule’s hindquarters a slap. The mule reared up, and Zhou Ning, quick as a flash, yanked him aside. “It was fine, just fine—why did you have to touch it?”

“Who told it to wag its tail?” It looked like it deserved a smack. “It’ll kick you back later.”

“I’m watching.”

“If Father sees this, he won’t let you off the hook.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled. His father doted on this mule. Since the cart wasn’t ready, the animal didn’t have to work; instead, it was pampered with fine food and drink at home. His father used to get up early to make a round of the fields, but now he’d first take the mule out to graze.

When they arrived at the Shen household, there was a flurry of activity. Knowing that the three of them were coming today, Shen Da and Shen Dasao had gotten up early to buy vegetables and slaughter a chicken in preparation for their visit.

On the way back, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning climbed into the mule cart. Zhou Da drove the mule from the front. Their mule was sturdy and strong; pulling the cart, it trotted along steadily, without a single jolt.

A gentle breeze blew, and Shen Linchuan, feeling lazy, leaned against Zhou Ning. “You know, this mule cart is actually pretty comfortable to sit in.” Zhou Ning hummed in response. “Shen Linchuan, thank you.”

“Then give me a kiss.”

Zhou Ning pushed the head off his shoulder—his father was driving the cart up ahead!

Zhou Da was overjoyed. With this mule cart, buying and selling pigs was so much more convenient. Plus, the mule cart was bigger than a handcart and could carry more goods. Now, when they went to town for business, all three of them could ride in it—it was much faster than before.

Ever since getting the mule cart, Zhou Da hadn’t stopped smiling. Wielding his whip, he drove the cart toward town. The journey was faster now, so they could arrive earlier and return home sooner in the afternoon.

Old Wang looked at Zhou Da’s mule with envy. “When did you get this mule?”

“I bought it a while back, but the cart wasn’t ready yet. It just got finished. Linchuan and Ning-ger bought the mule for me—they spent every last penny of their savings,” Zhou Da said proudly.

“That’s wonderful. I wish my son would buy me a mule someday. Then I wouldn’t have to push this pancake-making stove around every day—it’s awfully heavy.”

A few days later, a middle-aged woman began appearing at Old Wang, the pancake seller’s stall. She’d come early in the morning to help make pancakes, and with Old Wang teaching her the ropes, an extra pair of hands made the work go much smoother.

On her very first day, the woman brought three washed peaches for Shen Linchuan, Zhou Ning, and the others, smiling as she said, “Thank you for looking after them.” Old Wang replied cheerfully, “This is my daughter-in-law. She’ll be taking over my flatbread business in the future.”

A while back, Old Man Wang had called his son and daughter-in-law home to help him make flatbreads, reasoning that it was better than working as servants for others. But his son looked down on his father’s trade, thinking he’d earn more working as a servant—especially since the masters would give him a little something during the holidays.

When Old Man Wang brought out the money he’d earned these past few days, it gave the couple quite a start. They saw that the children were all wearing new clothes, the rice jar was full, and there was even meat sitting by the stove.

Only after asking in detail did they learn why he’d earned so much. Old Man Wang was getting too old to work much anymore; he’d previously made pancakes to supplement the household income, but now he was earning more than the couple had ever made working as servants for others.

The couple discussed it and decided to have the daughter-in-law go along to learn the trade first and see how things went. If it really was as good as her father claimed, then the Wang family’s son would join them later. With his daughter-in-law’s help at his pancake stall, Old Man Wang found things a bit easier. Ever since the Zhou family set up their stand there, life for his family had improved.

The days slipped by. The weather grew hot, the wheat turned yellow, and harvest was just a couple of days away. The town’s schools had closed for the farming break, and students from the countryside were returning one after another.

Zhou Da checked the weather forecast and set a date for the wheat harvest. The forecast for the next few days looked good—rain was the worst thing during harvest time, as it made it difficult to dry the wheat.

Shen Linchuan sat in the main hall reading. It was hot now, but thankfully the thatched cottage remained cool; it wouldn’t get this hot until July or August. Zhou Ning went to Zhang Xiaoyi’s house and bought quite a few spices; he sat there for a while before returning with a basket.

As soon as he got home, he saw a plump little creature running around the courtyard. Zhou Ning was startled for a moment.

“Shen Linchuan, how did a little chick end up in our courtyard?”

Shen Linchuan heard his fulang calling and came out. He saw a black ball of fluff pacing back and forth in the courtyard on its red little feet, chirping frantically as it spun in circles, unable to find its way.

Dahuang went over and chased it, scaring the little chick into running all over the place. Zhou Ning scolded Dahuang and hurriedly caught the little chick in the courtyard.

Shen Linchuan slapped his forehead. “Could it be that our chicks have hatched? It’s about time, actually.” Zhou Ning thought about it and realized he was right. “I didn’t see any chicks when I fed them this morning.”

Saying this, he hurried over to check. As soon as the chicks were set down, they scurried under the mother hen. Zhou Ning beamed, “It really is true.”

He reached out to move the brooding hen aside to take a look, but the hen, protecting her chicks, pecked at Zhou Ning’s hand. Shen Linchuan cried out, “Be careful!”

Zhou Ning acted as if nothing had happened. “I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

Zhou Ning lifted the hen to take a look and saw several plump little chicks beneath her. “Shen Linchuan, our chicks have really hatched!”

“All right, all right. Come out quickly before the hen pecks you again.”

Zhou Ning lingered for a moment before finally emerging. Shen Linchuan took his hand. “That hen’s peck really hurts. You should be more careful.” 

“It’s fine.”

Zhou Ning’s hand bore a white mark where the hen had pecked him. Shen Linchuan rubbed it gently. Shen Linchuan had been pecked himself—he’d been pecked while reaching for an egg, and the pain had made him wince. His husband, however, didn’t seem to mind the pain at all.

Zhou Ning was particularly fond of the chicks. “There are gaps in this bamboo fence; it won’t keep the chicks in. This afternoon I’ll weave some bamboo strips across them, so we won’t have to worry about the chicks running out.”

“Alright, just don’t go touching that hen again. You don’t want her to peck you again. Once the chicks hatch, she won’t be sitting there anymore.”

Seeing that Zhou Ning didn’t respond, Shen Linchuan knew he was ignoring his advice. Oh well, as long as his Fulang was happy.

That afternoon, Zhou Ning whittled some bamboo strips in the courtyard and wove them horizontally across the fence, raising the barrier to about calf height. As long as the chicks couldn’t squeeze through, it would do the trick.

The chicks at home had been hatching one after another over the past couple of days. Zhou Ning was absolutely delighted; whenever he had a free moment, he’d stand in front of the chicken coop watching them.

Out of the fifteen eggs laid, twelve hatched. The hen refused to sit on the remaining three, instead pacing back and forth in the coop with her chicks.

Worried that the remaining three eggs might still hatch, Zhou Ning took them out and kept them warm in the kitchen. In the end, they didn’t hatch, so the three of them each ate one.

Zhou Ning cherished this brood of chicks dearly. Every night before going to sleep, he would place the chicks in a wicker nest and cover them, then tie the family dog, Dahuang, to the side of the coop, afraid that the chicks might be snatched away by a weasel or a rat.

Shen Linchuan teased him, “You cherish them so much that even your husband here pales in comparison.”

“How can you compare yourself to a chicken?” Zhou Ning blurted out, then realized something was off—Shen Linchuan was far more precious than any little chick.

In two days, it would be time to go out and harvest the wheat. This brood of chicks had hatched at just the right time. Zhou Ning was worried that when the time came to harvest the wheat, he’d be too busy to take care of them.

Zhou Ning grabbed a small handful of millet and scattered it in the chicken coop. He’d asked Granny Wang about this—the chicks were too small to eat larger grains like corn, so he’d feed them millet for a while. Once they were half-grown, they wouldn’t need special care anymore.

As soon as the millet hit the ground, the other chickens came running to peck at it. Zhou Ning stood by, shooing them away to keep the adult chickens from pecking the chicks. Shen Linchuan couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Now everything was settled: his father doted on the big mule at home, and his Fulang doted on this brood of chicks. Shen Linchuan got up to stretch, then crouched by the doorway and called out to Dahuang, “Good boy, Dahuang. Father loves you.”

“Ning-ger is home.”

Zhou Ning was helping the chicks snatch food when he heard someone call his name. He looked up to see his second uncle approaching with his hands behind his back. He called out expressionlessly, “Second Uncle.”

“Where’s your father? He hasn’t come back yet.” 

“Mm-hmm.”

Zhou Er walked around the courtyard with his hands behind his back. Shen Linchuan smiled and called out, “Second Uncle,” to which Zhou Er simply hummed in acknowledgment.

“Linchuan, your father is getting on in years. You can’t handle the work of slaughtering pigs, but surely you and Ning-ger can manage selling the pork? Why are you still making your father work so hard day in and day out?”

“You’re right, Uncle. I’ll keep that in mind,” Shen Linchuan replied good-naturedly.

Zhou Er was momentarily taken aback. He’d intended to act like an elder, but Shen Linchuan’s sharp retorts—he usually had two comebacks for every remark made to him—left him at a loss.

“He’s actually being so well-behaved today. I finally found a reason to give him a little lecture, but it turned out to be a waste of effort.”

Zhou Ning said nothing, continuing to toss the corn into the chicken coop on his own. Second Uncle arrived and was displeased.

Zhou Er turned back to him. “Why are you wasting such good millet in the chicken coop? You young folks don’t know that when your father and I were young, we couldn’t even afford enough to eat. Now that times are better, you’re actually feeding this good millet to the chickens.”

Zhou Ning had been happily feeding the chickens just a moment ago, but Zhou Er’s words startled him. Still, he pinched a handful of millet and scattered it on the ground. Seeing that Zhou Ning wasn’t responding, Zhou Er grew even more arrogant. “You ungrateful boy! Your Second Uncle is talking to you, and you won’t even answer.”

Shen Linchuan frowned when he saw Zhou Er causing trouble for his Fulang. He stepped forward. “Second Uncle, Ning-ger isn’t very articulate. If you have something to say, I’ll pass it on.”

Zhou Er rolled his eyes inwardly. He certainly couldn’t say that—if he, as the elder, said one thing, Shen Linchuan would come back with three.

“Alright, watching over you young ones gives me a headache.”

“No need for you to worry, Second Uncle. My father keeps a close eye on me and Ning-ger. Now that Ning-ger has married, it’s Cheng and Fang who are getting on in years. You should pay more attention to those two, so they don’t end up getting talked about for dragging their feet.”

Shen Linchuan wore a smile, his tone full of concern. Zhou Er was so exasperated he flung his sleeve, yet dared not vent his frustration. “They’ve got me, their father, to look after Youcheng and Sister Fang.”

Shen Linchuan nodded in agreement. “My father worries about us, too.”

Zhou Er felt a lump in his throat. Here we go again. Shen Linchuan’s words were sharp and cutting, yet he couldn’t find a single fault with them.

“We’re harvesting wheat at home the day after tomorrow. Ning-ger, tell your father to drop by and lend a hand if he has time. We’re family—we should look out for one another, not just think of ourselves all the time.”

Without waiting for a reply, Zhou Er walked away. Shen Linchuan called out, “Uncle Zhou, we’re harvesting wheat the day after tomorrow too! Why don’t you come help us first?”

“Then we’ll do mine tomorrow!”

“My father’s going to town tomorrow to sell pork.” 

“Then the day after tomorrow!!”

Zhou Er left as soon as he finished speaking. Shen Linchuan clicked his tongue. He never thinks of his family unless there’s a reason—no wonder he came over today. Shen Linchuan wrapped his arm around his fulang’s waist. “All right, all right, don’t be upset. We just won’t go.”

Even though his Fulang had a face as expressionless as a coffin lid, Shen Linchuan could still tell from that impassive expression whether his Fulang was happy or not.

“Second Uncle, you’re such a pain.”

“Yeah, you’re a pain, a real pain.”

“Even if we don’t go, they’re definitely going to borrow our mule.”

“That’s no problem. We’ll just lend the mule to our eldest brother when the time comes.”

Zhou Ning thought about it and agreed, “After we’re done using the mule, I’ll send it over to Big Brother’s place.” 

“How did the two families handle farm work before?”

“Dad and I would work for Uncle’s family, and when it was our turn, only Uncle would come over.”

“This isn’t fair to us. We’re sending two people, while they’re sending just one—and they’ve got an extra acre of land, too. No way, no way.”

When Zhou Da returned from town in the afternoon driving his mule cart, Zhou Ning told his father about it. “Father, let’s not go this year. Shen Linchuan will have to share in the hardship too, and he’s frail—he can’t handle this kind of hardship.”

“Alright, then you and Linchuan stay home this year. I’ll go by myself.” 

“Dad, I’ve lent the mule to Big Brother’s family.”

The implication was clear: he wasn’t allowed to use our family’s mule to work for Zhou Youcheng’s family.

“You lent it to Linchuan’s older brother? Alright, I’ll talk to his brother’s family about it when the time comes.”

Zhou Ning went inside. Zhou Da, being thick-skinned, didn’t notice his son was upset. That night, Shen Linchuan had to coax him again: “Don’t be upset, don’t be upset, let’s kiss.”

“Father’s just too easygoing and a pushover. He’s always thinking about brotherly bonds, but it’s Uncle’s family that always comes out ahead.”

“If we’d just refused to go, the villagers would’ve gossiped. Since our two families seem to have no grudges against each other, Father was probably just thinking about our family’s reputation.”

After Shen Linchuan’s comforting words, Zhou Ning finally stopped being angry with his father.

Early the next morning, the three of them headed to town again. They hadn’t done business there for about a week. Today, they told the customers they had to harvest the wheat and wouldn’t be able to set up their stall until they were done.

When they returned in the afternoon, Zhou Ning grabbed a basket and headed out. “Shen Linchuan, I’m going to the back mountain to gather some grass seeds to feed the chickens.”

“What’s the point of that? Don’t we feed them millet?”

“Second Uncle said we shouldn’t waste grain. I’m going to gather some grass seeds, earthworms, snails, and such.”

“Who cares? You’re just looking for something to do.”

“It’s fine. Granny Wang said the chicks grow better if they eat snails and earthworms.”

Zhou Ning grabbed a small shovel and a basket and headed for the back mountain. There weren’t many people there at the

moment; many families, fearing rain, had already started going out to the fields to harvest wheat. As far as the eye could see, the wheat fields stretched out in a sea of golden yellow.

Zhou Ning walked a bit further up the hill, used his basket to gather some grass seeds, and after circling around a bit, decided he’d gathered enough. He headed back down the hill, then went to the riverbed to collect some snails, which he crushed and tossed to the chicks at home to eat.

“Let me go!”

“Yi-ger, Yi-ger, don’t go—listen to me!” 

“Get lost! If you lay a finger on me again, I won’t hold back!”

Voices drifted from nearby. Zhou Ning recognized the voice as Zhang Xiaoyi’s. A clump of small trees blocked his view, so he couldn’t see anyone, but he followed the sound and hurried over.

From a distance, he could only see a man in a scholar’s robe struggling with Yi-ger. Without a word, Zhou Ning stepped forward and kicked him. Zhou Ning was strong; with a single kick, he sent the man tumbling into the grass.

The man let out a cry and fell face-first into the grass. Zhou Ning pulled Zhang Xiaoyi toward him. “Are you okay?” Zhang Xiaoyi was so frightened his face had gone pale; he shook his head to indicate he was fine.

The man also stood up. Zhou Ning looked up and was surprised to see it was Zhou Youcheng. “Zhou Youcheng, how dare you harass Yi-ger!”

Zhou Youcheng snorted with a laugh, though his expression was slightly twisted. There were a few goji berry bushes in the grassy patch, covered in thorns that pricked his skin, causing him sharp pain. “Mind your own business.”

Zhou Ning shielded Zhang Xiaoyi, pulling him behind her. “Zhou Youcheng, if you dare to bother Yi-ger again, I won’t hold back!” 

“Go ahead, what can you possibly do to me?”

Zhang Xiaoyi cursed, “Zhou Youcheng, you’re shameless!”

“Exactly. I’m a grown man—and a Tongsheng, no less. If I were to go around saying you seduced me, who do you think would come out worse?” 

“You! You shameless scoundrel!”

Zhang Xiaoyi was so furious he started cursing wildly, though he kept repeating the same few words over and over.

“Zhou Youcheng, just try saying that out loud!” Zhou Ning hadn’t expected Zhou Youcheng to be so shameless.

Zhou Youcheng stopped pretending. He’d been circling Zhang Xiaoyi for so long. He was a Tongsheng—the only one in Dayangshu Village. What did this mere young ger have that he didn’t like about him? If he took a liking to Zhang Xiaoyi, that was Zhang Xiaoyi’s good fortune.

“Zhang Xiaoyi, let me tell you this: if I go and tell the villagers that you were the one who seduced me first, you’ll have no choice but to submit to me in the end. Why go through all that trouble?”

Zhou Ning had never seen anyone so shameless. He immediately stepped forward and slapped him across the face, knocking Zhou Youcheng off balance. Then, grabbing Zhou Youcheng by the collar, he slammed him to the ground and raised his fist to strike him viciously.

Zhou Youcheng, having spent years studying, was naturally delicate and pampered. With Zhou Ning’s immense strength, he stood no chance against him. Pinned to the ground, he tried to fight back, but in the struggle, he scratched Zhou Ning’s wrist and yanked his hair into a tangled mess.

Zhang Xiaoyi saw that Zhou Youcheng, that bastard, actually dared to hit Ning-ger. He let out a cry and rushed over, clawing at Zhou Youcheng’s face. All the pent-up resentment in his heart erupted, and he struck without any mercy, leaving Zhou Youcheng’s face covered in blood.