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Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning rested for a while at the stall before heading back. As they left, they were worried their father might get bored, so they left him some fruit to snack on when he had nothing else to do.

Once the two had walked far enough away, Old Man Wang came over again. “Zhou Da, what’s going on? Things were fine before—why did you suddenly fall out with your nephew?”

Having known each other for so many years, Zhou Da didn’t hide anything from him and told Old Man Wang the whole story. Old Man Wang let out a sigh of regret. “All those years of hard work have been for nothing.”

Zhou Da sighed helplessly, “He’s grown up now, after all. He has his own ideas.”

Old Wang grabbed Zhou Da’s arm. “Zhou Da, listen to me. All that hard work can’t go to waste. Your nephew isn’t just any commoner—he’s a Tongsheng candidate. No matter what, he’s still better off than we peasants. If he really makes something of himself in the future, I reckon your family will be the first he’ll come after. You absolutely can’t let him get so angry he’ll turn against you.”

It was no wonder Old Wang thought that way. He and Zhou Da had been neighbors for over ten years, and he knew that Zhou Da was supporting his nephew’s education in town, yet he had never once seen the boy.

Zhou Da was a straightforward, simple-minded sort of man, and Old Wang had long since realized that his nephew looked down on Zhou Da for being a butcher. Otherwise, since they were both in town, how could it be that he hadn’t even seen him once in over a decade?

Clearly, he’s a narrow-minded sort. Now that the two families have fallen out, who knows—once the nephew makes something of himself, he might just take it out on Zhou Da’s family.

“Well, what should we do then?”

Zhou Da was getting a bit anxious, too. He didn’t expect Zhou Youcheng to repay his kindness, but if he ever made something of himself, he certainly didn’t want him to take it out on his family! Zhou Da’s heart sank, fearing that Zhou Youcheng might one day harm his sons-in-law.

“I think you should swallow your pride and go see him. Have a heart-to-heart with your nephew. After all, you’re family. Even if you stop supporting him, he’s still family.”

Zhou Da waved his hands repeatedly. “No way, no way. That day was a real scene. My brother made some pretty harsh threats.”

“Ah, he’s one thing, and your nephew is another. You haven’t been kind to him all these years for nothing. Think of your own ger—who knows if your nephew might make something of himself someday? The real fear is…”

Hearing Old Wang say this, Zhou Da also feared that if Zhou Youcheng really did make something of himself, it might harm his own son. They were just ordinary folks, and he was quite content with the life he had now.

“Well, then, should I go see him and put in a good word?” 

“I suppose so, as long as you don’t end up making a mortal enemy of him.”

Zhou Da didn’t think twice. There were still some cherries and grapes left on the cart, so he wrapped them up in a clean cloth.

“Could you mind the stall for me? I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Zhou Da hurried off to the school with his things. He didn’t know where Zhou Youcheng’s school was located; he only knew which teacher was in charge. After asking around, he finally found the place. From a distance, the blue-tiled roof and white walls looked quite beautiful, but Zhou Da, carrying his things, hesitated to approach.

It was the old man who opened the door who called out to him, “Hey, Zhou Da, what brings you here?”

Zhou Da recognized him as the man who often bought meat from his stall. Delighted, he stepped forward. “I’ve come to see my nephew. Could you please call him for me, sir?”

“Your nephew? Your nephew’s actually studying here? What’s his name? I’ll go get him for you.”

“His name is Zhou Youcheng.”

“Alright, wait a moment, I’ll go get him.” The old man called out again, “Why are you standing out in the sun? Come over here to the shade by the door.”

Zhou Da chuckled, “I’ve been helping someone chop meat since early this morning. I’m a bit grubby, so I’d rather not go over there.”

Zhou Da had never been to a place where scholars gathered. He felt that even the school itself exuded a hint of arrogance, so he decided not to go in. The old gatekeeper tugged at his sleeve. “Come on, what’s the big deal?”

Only then did Zhou Da stand somewhat awkwardly in the shade by the doorway. The old man quickly went inside to fetch someone for him. Today, the school was holding a poetry gathering, so the students were free to move about, and Zhou Youcheng came out shortly.

The old gatekeeper told him someone had come to see him. He assumed it was his father—after all, he’d just paid his tuition.

Why else would his father be looking for him?

When Zhou Youcheng stepped outside, he saw his uncle standing at the door, dressed in a dark brown tunic, wearing straw sandals, and holding something in his hand. Zhou Youcheng was so startled his eyes nearly popped out of his head. What on earth was he doing here!

Zhou Youcheng’s face darkened, and he snapped, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. Lingchuan and Ning-ger bought some fruit, so I brought some over for you.”

Zhou Youcheng swatted the cloth bundle away, sending the grapes and cherries inside scattering all over the floor. He snorted coldly. “So you’ve finally decided to regret it now? Just wait until I pass the Xiucai exam next year—then you’ll all see!”

Zhou Da hadn’t expected Zhou Youcheng to actually hold a grudge. He wasn’t one to take things lying down either. “Youcheng, Uncle knows you look down on me for being a butcher, but haven’t I, a pig butcher, been the one supporting your education all these years?”

Zhou Youcheng waved his sleeve dismissively. “Get out of here, get out of here! I don’t have an uncle who slaughters pigs. Hurry up and leave—it’s embarrassing if my classmates see you.”

“Embarrassing”—that word pierced Zhou Da’s heart like a sharp knife. He knew Zhou Youcheng looked down on him, a pig butcher, but he never imagined the contempt ran this deep.

Zhou Youcheng walked away, his sleeves fluttering in the breeze, looking clean and polished, as if his current ability to study at such a fine school were a windfall from heaven.

Zhou Da’s heart was completely broken. The scholar looked down on him, a pig butcher. He crouched down and silently picked up the grapes and cherries from the ground.

He picked up a cherry with one hand. “What a pity,” he muttered. “Such fine cherries, and they’ve been crushed.”

Before him stood an old man dressed in a plain robe and wearing a black headscarf. His bearing was clearly different from that of ordinary folk like them.

“Old man, let me do that.”

“You don’t remember me.”

Zhou Da looked at him closely upon hearing this, but couldn’t place him. The old man gave a hearty laugh. “Your memory’s worse than an old man’s! Last winter, I slipped and fell on the outskirts of town, and you happened to be passing by with your cart and gave me a ride home.”

Zhou Da slapped his forehead. “Oh, I remember now, I remember now.” 

“Come inside for a cup of tea.”

The man took Zhou Da by the arm, trying to lead him inside, but Zhou Da pushed him away, refusing to go. “I’m not going in, I’m not going in. Scholars are clean and pure, but I’m just a pig butcher—I reek of blood.”

The old man glared at him. “What’s wrong with being a butcher? They say the most loyal are often butchers, while the most untrustworthy are scholars. I’ve heard of your reputation, Zhou Da—you’re a man of honor. Come inside and have some tea.”

Zhou Da refused to budge, thinking the old man was just a servant working inside. Unable to drag him in, the old man gave up.

He didn’t press the matter. Instead, he pulled Zhou Da over to squat by the wall, grabbed a handful of Zhou Da’s fruit, wiped it off, and started eating. “I saw that young man knock your fruit to the ground earlier. Do you two know each other?”

“I suppose so.”

“What a waste of such good fruit—some of them even have their skins cracked.”

Zhou Da grabbed some and started eating them too. Country folk aren’t so fussy; these things are expensive—more expensive than meat, even. How could he bear to throw them away?

“How’s your ger doing these days?”

Zhou Da was delighted. “You even know about my son.”

“Of course I do. Who in town doesn’t know the Zhou family—the butchers? Your son’s quite a character. If he can’t find a wife, why not take this old man as his godfather? I’ll boost his standing—he’ll have nothing to worry about.”

“He’s gotten married, he’s gotten married! Right after the New Year this year, he married into the family—so he won’t have to leave his old man here.” 

“He’s already married? Well, congratulations! What’s he like?”

Zhou Da said proudly, “I won’t hide it from you, sir. My son-in-law is a fine fellow—and a scholar, too.”

“A scholar? Who did he study under?”

“Mr. Feng is in town. But my son-in-law felt that years of hard study were useless, so he dropped out this year.”

As soon as he heard the name “Mr. Feng,” Wang Mei knew exactly who he was—a Xiucai. But he’d heard that he was fond of accepting gifts from his students, and the students he taught were mediocre; not a single one had passed the Xiucai examination in years.

“What’s your nephew-in-law’s name?”

“Shen Linchuan. His family runs a carpentry shop.”

Wang Mei shook his head; he’d never heard of a student named Shen. He was likely mediocre at best. Since Zhou Da had helped him out back then, he’d return the favor.

“Why not send your son-in-law to study at my academy? I’ll help mold him a bit—would that be alright?”

Zhou Da didn’t quite catch the drift. “What do you mean, Sir?”

Wang Mei pointed to the school behind him. “This school is mine. Don’t worry. Have him come by three or five days a week. I won’t charge your family tuition. If he turns out to be a good-for-nothing, I’ll send him home—that way, I won’t be wasting my energy.”

Zhou Da was startled. “You’re Master Wang Mei!”

Wang Mei burst out laughing. “You’re something else. I remember telling you that back then.”

Zhou Da scratched the back of his head. “I just thought you were an ordinary old scholar.”

Zhou Da grew even more respectful. Getting into the Wang family’s academy wasn’t easy—back when Zhou Youcheng wanted to enroll, he’d had to pull strings to get in. Zhou Er had to find some relatives and spend a fair bit of silver; he’d even asked him for money back then. This academy was no easy place to get into!

“I, Wang Mei, also studied hard for many years before I was lucky enough to pass the provincial examination and become a Juren. If you don’t mind, bring your son-in-law over for me to take a look. If he really has what it takes for scholarship, I’ll help you guide him a bit; if not, he’d be better off just living a peaceful life.”

Zhou Da stood up and thanked him repeatedly. “I’ll go buy some fresh cherries for the old master. These are rotten—rotten—they’re no good.”

“That’s enough.” Wang Mei also stood up. “An old man like me doesn’t eat much; don’t waste your money on this. I haven’t even said I’ll definitely teach him—I’m just going to take a look.”

“Oh, oh!”

Zhou Da was overjoyed and hurried back, so happy he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Wang Mei shook his head with a smile. Zhou Da was a man of honor, and his son was quite a character. If his son-in-law really had what it took to study, he’d teach him. If he could pass the exam to become a Xiucai, it would bring some prestige to the family back in the countryside.

After all, passing the exam to become a Xiucai meant one was considered a member of the gentry. They were exempt from taxes, could wear long boots, and didn’t have to kneel before officials—a tremendous honor in the countryside.

Zhou Da hadn’t expected such an opportunity from this trip. He’d been distracted while selling meat, so he sold off the remaining stock at a discount and hurried back in his mule cart.

When he returned, both children were at home. His ger was reading, and his ger was washing clothes in the courtyard. “Father, why are you back so early today?”

“Good news—I’ve got good news!”

Zhou Da told him that Old Master Wang was willing to teach him a thing or two for free. Shen Linchuan paused for a moment.

“Isn’t that Zhou Youcheng’s teacher?”

From the memories of his original self, he knew that Master Wang Mei’s school wasn’t easy to get into—many people would do anything to get in—yet he was actually willing to teach him for free.

Zhou Da had only mentioned how he’d once helped Old Master Wang out by chance; he hadn’t mentioned that he’d gone to see Zhou Youcheng today. He couldn’t help but feel that what he’d done today was a bit inappropriate.

Zhou Ning didn’t quite understand the whole schooling business. “Mr. Wang’s school is quite prestigious. Zhou Youcheng had to go through a lot of trouble to get in, and within two years of enrolling, he passed the preliminary examination to become a ‘Tongsheng.’”

“Of course it’s impressive! He’s the only Juren in Qinghe Town!”

Zhou Da felt quite proud whenever he brought this up. If his son-in-law could study under Master Wang, just imagine how envious people would be.

“Thank you, Father. I’ll go pay a visit to Old Master Wang tomorrow.”

“Ah, make sure to bring plenty of gifts. I’m so happy today that I completely forgot to buy some pastries or cloth in town to bring back. Let’s go early tomorrow and make sure everything is ready.”

“Father, there’s no need to go to such trouble. It’s not like we’re holding a formal initiation ceremony, and he hasn’t even said he’ll teach me. Just bringing some things from home will do. Bringing something too valuable might actually be a bad idea.”

Zhou Da thought about it and agreed, “Then tomorrow we’ll take a basket of cherries over, and wrap up some of our homemade blood sausage and egg-yolk pork liver as well.” 

“Got it, Father.”

Zhou Ning seemed even more excited than Shen Linchuan. That night, he couldn’t sleep, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan in the cool breeze. “That Master Wang is a Juren, you know. The highest-ranking official I’ve ever seen in my life is a Xiucai—I’ve never even met a Juren before.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled. “Then one day, your husband here will pass the Juren examination for you.”

Zhou Ning laughed out loud, “Deal.”

Shen Linchuan took the palm leaf fan from Zhou Ning’s hand and set it aside. “It’s getting late. Go to sleep.”

As he spoke, he moved closer to Zhou Ning. Feeling a bit too warm, she pushed him away. “Don’t get so close—it’s hot.”

Shen Linchuan clicked his tongue. “So you’re already fed up with your husband? Oh my, I guess being a son-in-law really has no status. We’ve only been married a short while, and already I’m being rejected by my Fulang.”

Zhou Ning was at a loss for words. He wanted to explain, but didn’t know where to start. It was so hot—sleeping in each other’s arms would only make it worse—but his husband was just too clingy.

“Then I’ll hold you. You don’t hold me—I’m too hot.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled. It was all the same to him. Without further ado, he settled comfortably against his fulang’s chest.

Hooking his leg around Zhou Ning’s, he said, “I guess I’ve gotten taller. Now I have to slide down a bit to lie comfortably.”

“Mm-hmm.” Zhou Ning gave a couple of noncommittal grunts and closed his eyes to sleep.

It was too hot for Zhou Da to slaughter a pig today; he’d wait until September when the weather cooled down. Even the cured

pork at home was prepared fresh in the morning.

Originally, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning were supposed to stay home and study together today, while Zhou Da drove the mule cart to town alone to sell the pork. But today, Shen Linchuan had to go to Master Wang’s school, so they rode the mule cart to town together again.

Shen Linchuan slipped into the blue robe he’d bought not long ago, tied his hair into a high ponytail, and looked every inch the spirited young man. Once he was all set, he deliberately moved closer to Zhou Ning. “Ning-ger, I think I really am a little taller than you now.”

Zhou Ning didn’t care about height differences. “Yeah, you are taller than me.” Shen Linchuan was delighted—all that hard training hadn’t been in vain!

Shen Linchuan wanted to test whether his arm strength had improved, so he bent down and picked Zhou Ning right up.

Zhou Ning was startled. Shen Linchuan spun him around in his arms, and fearing his husband’s slender frame might fall, Zhou Ning quickly wrapped his arms around Shen Linchuan’s neck.

“Don’t wrinkle your clothes.”

Shen Linchuan bounced Zhou Ning up and down a few times. Lifting him didn’t seem to take much effort at all, and Shen Linchuan felt quite smug. “From now on, your husband will carry you.” Zhou Ning blushed slightly. “Dad’s watching. Put me down quickly!”

Only then did Shen Linchuan set Zhou Ning down. Zhou Ning glanced at his husband—when had he gotten so strong? Shen Linchuan looked quite slender, after all.

Little did he know there was a saying: “Clothed, he looks slim; unclothed, he’s all muscle.” Shen Linchuan was now exceptionally pleased with his physique—beautiful, defined abs, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. He even used soap powder mixed with flower nectar when bathing to keep himself in top shape—after all, his Fulang liked that, didn’t he?

Shen Linchuan liked to pinch Zhou Ning’s pecs, while Zhou Ning liked to touch Shen Linchuan—anywhere would do. He felt Shen Linchuan’s skin was as smooth as jade, and it felt exceptionally pleasant to the touch.

Zhou Da laughed as he watched the two young men hugging and roughhousing. He hitched the mule cart and even placed a straw mat on it, afraid that Shen Linchuan might soil his clothes and cause a breach of etiquette.

“Let’s go, let’s go. It’s getting late.”

Shen Linchuan sat down on the straw mat, smiling to reveal a row of neat, white teeth. “Thank you, Father.”

Zhou Da said cheerfully, “It’s been a long time since Linchuan wore this long robe. When he puts it on, he looks so different from when he’s working the fields—he’s quite handsome.” Shen Linchuan smiled graciously, accepting the compliment.

Shen Linchuan rarely wore long robes; working in the countryside was much more convenient in a short tunic, especially in the summer. He found the short tunic and undershirt much cooler; wearing a long robe meant having to wear pants underneath, which was unbearably hot.

Zhou Da drove the mule, taking the two of them to town. As soon as they arrived, he urged Shen Linchuan to buy a basket of cherries, but Shen Linchuan wasn’t needed for that; he told him to go pay a visit to Old Master Wang’s school first.

Zhou Ning smoothed out his robe. “All right, go on.”

Shen Linchuan hooked his finger around Zhou Ning’s. “I’ll be off then.”

Shen Linchuan walked off carrying his things. An old woman selling sewing supplies across the street teased him,

“Oh my, where’s Linchuan off to dressed up like that today?” 

“Visiting relatives.”

The old woman chuckled and chatted with the man selling pickles nearby, “I used to think Ning-ger was a bit too dashing—a young man looking like that wouldn’t be easy to marry off. Never thought he’d end up with Shen Linchuan. Seeing them standing together is truly a sight for sore eyes.”

“You just don’t get it. They say a turtle goes with mung beans, and red beans go with dice. Those two? They’re like red beans and dice.”

After saying this, they both burst into laughter. And to be honest, the two of them really did make a fine pair.

Shen Linchuan arrived early. When he reached the schoolhouse, the students were in the middle of their morning reading.

Shen Linchuan spoke to the old gatekeeper, who led him inside. “Ah, so you’re the son-in-law of the Zhou Da family! I’d only heard that their son had gotten married—I’d never actually met you before.”

Shen Linchuan smiled.

He entered the school and walked along the path; just behind it was Master Wang’s temporary resting place. Master Wang was currently sitting in the courtyard, flipping through a book.

“Master Wang, Mr. Zhou’s son-in-law is here.”

Master Wang looked up and examined him closely. Setting aside how much knowledge he might possess, just judging by his appearance, he wasn’t half bad—Zhou Da certainly had good taste.

Shen Linchuan set the basket on the table. “My father asked me to bring a basket of cherries for you, Master, along with some homemade tofu, blood sausage, and egg-yolk-stuffed pork liver—all simple country fare.”

Master Wang saw that the gift was just right, and Shen Linchuan’s composed and unassuming demeanor—neither servile nor arrogant—was quite pleasing.

“I heard from your father that you were previously a student of Feng Ruhui. How many years have you been studying?” 

“Over ten years.”

“Have you achieved any academic honors?”

“I was fortunate enough to pass the preliminary examination to become a Tongsheng, but I made no further progress after that.” 

“Your father said you dropped out of school. Why did you leave?”

Shen Linchuan did not hide the truth. He admitted that he had previously been too reckless and lacked ambition; there was no need to conceal these matters, as Master Wang could easily find out if he chose to inquire.

Master Wang observed that the young man across from him carried himself with grace and courtesy, and he nodded approvingly to himself. He wondered how his knowledge measured up, so he tested him with a few more questions. To his surprise, his scholarship was quite solid. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow. “How is it that after studying under Feng Ruhui for so many years, you haven’t even passed the Xiucai examination?”

It was a close call—Feng Ruhui nearly let such a promising young man go to waste. Who would have thought he actually had what it takes to become a scholar?

“Tell your father and Fulang that you’ll be studying with me starting tomorrow. There’s no need to prepare any tuition fees or ceremonial gifts. If you need to stay here or eat, it will cost a little silver, but not much.”

Shen Linchuan bowed in respect. “Thank you, Master. Dayangshu Village isn’t far from town; I’ll just stay at home.” 

“Alright, go ahead then.”

Shen Linchuan stepped out of the small courtyard. The students who had been attending morning study had already dispersed; there weren’t many students in the schoolhouse to begin with. Shen Linchuan thought it would be hard not to run into Zhou Youcheng, especially since they would be studying under the same teacher from now on.

“What are you doing here!”

Could it be that he’s come to tattle to the teacher about yesterday’s incident?

Shen Linchuan ignored him and walked off on his own. From now on, he would be studying under Old Master Wang. Studying on his own wasn’t out of the question, but with an experienced teacher to guide him, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort—why wouldn’t he take advantage of that?

Seeing that Shen Linchuan had ignored him, Zhou Youcheng grew even angrier. His father was right—Shen Linchuan had come specifically to bring misfortune to his family! 

By the time Shen Linchuan returned, his family had already begun packing up. Zhou Ning gave him a smile. “How did it go?”

Shen Linchuan nodded. “We can go tomorrow.”

Zhou Da was delighted. He felt that having a tutor was better than studying on his own. Besides, with the recent heat, he wasn’t selling pork anyway, and the small family stall didn’t need the young couple to help—he could manage it all by himself.

“Let’s go. It’s not too hot yet.”

Zhou Da drove the mule, and the family of three headed home. Now that Zhou Da was in charge of the cured pork business, he didn’t have to stay at the stall all day. Once the cured pork was sold out, he could go home—it was actually much less hectic than when he used to sell pork.

With only half a year left until next year’s provincial exams, the three of them discussed it at home. They decided that in the mornings, the whole family would still go to town together, but in the afternoons, Zhou Ning would drive the mule cart to town to pick up Shen Linchuan from school.

Shen Linchuan thought it was unnecessary to go to such trouble; he could simply walk back or spend a few copper coins to ride a passing oxcart home. But Zhou Ning wouldn’t hear of it.

“The mule at home is just sitting around anyway, and I don’t have anything else to do. I’ll pick you up.”

Shen Linchuan stopped arguing. “Then I’ll put my Fulang to the trouble.”

When Shen Linchuan sat in a corner of the schoolhouse holding his books, Zhou Youcheng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “What are you doing here?!” 

“Studying. Keep your voice down—we’re in the schoolhouse.”

“Didn’t Eldest Uncle say we were out of money?”

“And didn’t Second Uncle say he couldn’t afford to support you? Yet here you are, still studying, and besides, I don’t want any money.”

A classmate asked, “Zhou Youcheng, do you two know each other?” 

“No, I don’t! Who knows him?”