A huge thank you to WANGXIANNURRSE for the kofis. Enjoy the bonus chapters!

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Zhou Da drove the mule away. With nothing else to do on the road, Shen Linchuan asked, “Father, why does that kid still owe you copper coins?”

Zhou Da told him about how Xiao Shizi had broken a bowl and been punished. It reminded Zhou Da of when he was that age: “It’s not easy for us working folks out here. When I was his age, I was an apprentice to a butcher, too. If I didn’t do my job right, I’d get beaten, and I had to take care of my master’s whole family.”

Zhou Da rarely spoke of his days as an apprentice, but seeing Xiao Shitou today reminded him of when he was that age. Learning a trade was just like that—it took time to get the hang of it. Xiao Shitou must be a new hire at the inn; he wasn’t very skilled yet.

“Father, was it even harder for you back then than it is for Xiao Shi?”

Zhou Ning felt a pang of unease hearing his father talk about his days as an apprentice. Although he helped his father with odd jobs, their family had never gone without food or drink. Zhou Ning felt he hadn’t suffered much hardship since childhood and lived better than many other young boys and girls.

“I picked things up fast and was strong, so as soon as I finished my apprenticeship, I was able to earn my own silver.”

Zhou Da began recounting his entrepreneurial history with a broad grin. The moment the topic came up, he was brimming with enthusiasm. Why dwell on the past? Better to talk about the good times. Half-truths and half-exaggerations intertwined as he spoke at length, and Shen Linchuan found it all quite entertaining.

“Back when I was young, I was even stronger than I am now. I wasn’t afraid to trek through the mountains alone—I even fought off bandits once…”

Zhou Da recounted amusing stories from his youth, and Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning listened with great interest.

Four days later, Zhou Da arrived at the village entrance driving his mule cart. The villagers who saw him asked one after another, “You’re back! How did the exam go? Did you pass this time?” 

“Didn’t you come back with the second son’s family? They returned a couple of days ago.”

“What’s the exam for the Xiucai like? How is it conducted?”

The villagers asked all at once, and Shen Linchuan just smiled and shook his head. “Who knows? We’ll find out once the results are posted.” The results of the county-level exams came out quickly; they would be posted in just seven days.

Zhou Da found the crowd’s chatter annoying and kept driving his mule cart without stopping. Even though the exams were over, who knew if he’d passed? If he hadn’t, his family would surely be the subject of mockery.

Even after the mule cart had driven quite a distance away, people were still craning their necks to watch. “Tsk, I wonder if he’ll pass this time.”

“Who knows? When Zhou Youcheng came back, his face was as white as a sheet. He said he caught a chill in the examination hall.”

Granny Diao whispered, “When I was there, I just happened to run into Zhou Youcheng rushing to the outhouse. He must have had diarrhea. I hope he didn’t soil his pants while he was in the examination hall.”

The crowd burst into laughter. “Granny Diao, you’re being a bit too crude.” 

“Just don’t let Zhou Er’s family hear that—scholars value their reputation.”

“I’m just telling you this as a joke. What am I supposed to say to Hu Caiyun’s face?” Granny Diao, who loved a good spectacle, added, “Just imagine—these two brothers went to the county seat to take the Xiucai exam. If one passes and the other fails, that’ll be quite a spectacle.”

“But there’s also a chance they’ll both pass, or both fail.”

“Come on, I’d say the odds of neither of them passing are actually higher.” 

“Granny Diao, you just love to watch other people’s misfortunes.”

Granny Diao retorted irritably, “I’m just telling it like it is.”

On their return trip, Shen Linchuan and the others weren’t in a hurry as they had been on the way there; they took their time making their way back. By late afternoon, they had already started looking for a place to stay, so by the time they reached Dayangshu Village, it was barely noon.

Granny Wang heard the commotion and came over. “Zhou Da, you’re back.” 

“We’re back. Thanks a lot, Granny Wang.”

“It’s nothing—just feeding the chickens and tending to the dogs.”

Shen Linchuan also jumped down from the mule cart. The family dog, Dahuang, wagged his tail and rubbed against his legs nonstop upon seeing his master return. Shen Linchuan gave him a pat. Although the inn where he’d stayed at the county seat was much better than home, Shen Linchuan still felt that home was best.

Shen Linchuan took some embroidery thread down from the mule cart. “Granny Wang, this is for you. Ning-ger picked it out especially for you.”

Granny Wang was overjoyed. “Oh my, you even brought me a gift!”

Granny Wang was skilled at needlework and could even embroider flowers. She wanted to thank the family for letting her look after their yard. The embroidery thread bought from the county government was dyed with such fine craftsmanship—it was much brighter and more vibrant than what was sold in town.

Granny Wang was overjoyed to receive the embroidery thread; it was exactly what she’d been hoping for. If it had been something too expensive, she wouldn’t have dared accept it, but this embroidery thread was just perfect.

The three of them unloaded the mule cart together. The house had been empty for half a month, so it needed a good cleaning. Taking advantage of the perfect sunshine, Zhou Ning carried the bedding out to air it.

Upon hearing that Zhou Ning had returned, Zhang Xiaoyi was the first to come running over. He’d missed Zhou Ning quite a bit during the past half-month. “Ning-ger, you’re back!”

Zhang Xiaoyi helped tidy up the house, chattering nonstop about the county seat: “What’s it like there? Is the living situation good? Is the food good? Is it prettier than our Qinghe Town?” Zhou Ning answered each question in turn.

Before long, Zhou Xiaonan showed up too. Zhou Ning had only two close friends in the village, and now that he’d just returned, both of them had come over, swarming around him and asking if the county seat was fun.

Hearing Zhou Ning say there was so much good food at the county seat, Zhang Xiaoyi was filled with envy. “I’ve never been to the county seat in all my life. All that good food you’re talking about—I wish I could just have a bite.”

Zhou Ning took out the food he’d brought back from the county seat—it was meant for the two of them. There were plum-blossom pastries and ox-tongue cookies from Zhang Wuniang’s family, as well as carved plum candies from Song Silang’s family; each of them got a portion.

There were also some for the Shen family; they would send them over tomorrow and drop by to let them know they were safe, in case the family was worried, not knowing they had returned. Zhang Xiaoyi clutched the treats and gasped, “Ning-ger, you’re so kind! Thank you!”

Zhang Xiaoyi worked even harder to help tidy up the room; with so many hands, it was spotless in no time.

Zhang Xiaoyi whispered to Zhou Ning, “Zhou Youcheng is sick—he’s had nonstop diarrhea. My dad took a look at him. Tsk, he deserves that stomachache. Who told him to flirt with me before? If my dad had known, he definitely wouldn’t have treated him.”

Zhou Xiaonan caught a glimpse of the conversation. “Wh… what?”

“Oh, Nan-ger, don’t ask. It’s nothing good.”

Zhang Xiaoyi snorted. “Let’s hope Zhou Youcheng fails the exam—fails for sure!” Zhou Xiaonan was puzzled. “Has Zhou Youcheng ever done anything to you?”

“Hmph, him? He’s just a scumbag. Pfft!”

It was nearly noon by the time the two of them headed home. Along the way, people kept dropping by to ask how the exam had gone, but Shen Linchuan just gave them a cursory reply—they were all just idle onlookers.

Zhou Ning also found the whole thing rather annoying, so he shut the courtyard gate. Finally, the visitors stopped coming—after all, what business was it of theirs whether Shen Linchuan passed or failed?

After resting at home for a full day, Zhou Da thought he might as well go round up the pigs since he had nothing else to do, but Shen Linchuan talked him out of it, saying the family’s mule had been on the run for several days and needed a rest too. Only then did Zhou Da hold off on rushing off to work.

A day later, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning drove the mule cart to Xinghua Village to let them know they were safe, delivering the cloth and food they’d brought back from the county seat.

Tiedan’s mother was sitting at the door sewing shoe soles when she saw them. She curled her lip and muttered, “So he’s off to take the Xiucai exam again this year. It’d be a miracle if he passed.”

Tiedan’s grandmother chimed in, “Whether he passes or not, it’s all the same. Even if he does pass, that’s just the Zhou family’s glory—it’s got nothing to do with the Shen family.”

The Shen family had made a decent living as carpenters the previous year, which made Tiedan’s mother jealous. At first, the Shens lived comfortably, but later, Shen Linchuan kept studying without passing the Xiucai exam, and the family was eventually driven into poverty by his studies. Tiedan’s mother had no shortage of opportunities to mock them behind their backs.

And because Tiedan and Shen Hu-zi were always fighting, she grew even more determined that the Shen family shouldn’t have an easy life.

Shen Linchuan drove his mule cart up to the front gate. Shen Hu-zi, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot him. “Second Uncle is here!” Hearing the commotion, Shen Dasao hurried out to greet him. “You’re back! Your eldest brother was just saying he’d come by to see you in the next couple of days.” 

“I’m back, Sister-in-law. I actually returned the day before yesterday. I didn’t want you to worry, so I came right over.”

Shen Dage put down the plane he was holding and came over as well. “How did the exam go?”

Shen Dasao nudged Shen Dage with her elbow. “He hasn’t even stepped into the yard yet—what’s the rush? The results are already set in stone; it’s not like he can go back and change them.”

Shen Dage scratched the back of his head and said with a smile, “I was just worried, that’s all.”

With five exams already behind him, he naturally hoped his younger brother would pass. He feared the villagers of Dayangshu Village might look down on his brother because he was a son-in-law by marriage. But if he passed the exam and became a Xiucai, let’s see who would dare to look down on him then.

If he really didn’t pass, well, then there was nothing to be done. What else could they do?

The courtyard was filled with lumber, and the mule cart was tied to the jujube tree by the gate. The two men carried their belongings into the courtyard. Zhou Ning was delighted to see the two little ones. Since the family was no longer short on money, he’d bought plenty of candies and treats for Shen Hu-zi and Shen Xiaoyu.

Zhou Ning wasn’t one for words, but Shen Linchuan was quite the self-promoter. He took the items and handed them out one by one. “Big Brother, Big Sister, this is the fabric Ning-ger picked out for you. There’s some for Hu-zi and Xiaoyu, too. He says the patterns from the county seat are nicer than what we have here in town. And these pastries are famous in the county seat as well—give them a try.”

Those two bolts of fabric are of excellent quality and have such vibrant colors—one is sapphire blue, and the other is peach blossom pink. They’re for Shen Dasao and Shen Xiaoyu; they’ll make lovely spring outfits when sewn up.

Shen Dasao chuckled. “At my age, I certainly can’t wear such bright colors. They’d look lovely on Xiaoyu, though. Ning-ger must have been thinking of us.”

Zhou Ning opened the food for the two children to eat. “We’re all family—don’t be so formal, Sister-in-law.”

Shen Hu-zi grabbed a piece of jerky and took a bite. “Uncle Zhou, this jerky is delicious! I’ve never had anything like it before. What kind of jerky is this?” 

“Beef jerky. Your second uncle said it was good and asked me to bring you a couple of packs.”

Shen Dage gasped, “Beef jerky? That must be so expensive!”

Everything brought back from the county seat was top-notch; they were thinking of her family. Shen Dasao was overjoyed. “You two chat with your older brother. I’m going out to buy some vegetables. We’ll have a proper meal today.”

Shen Dasao grabbed her basket and headed out to buy some vegetables. Mrs. He’s chickens were well-raised, so she’d buy one; Yang Fulang’s chives were growing well, so she’d pick a bunch. They still had meat at home—preserved in lard—so she just needed to scoop some out, and it was all ready to go.

“Hu-zi’s mom, what are you doing with that basket?”

Tiedan’s mother craned her neck to ask. Shen Dasao was in a good mood right now—how could she not know what she was up to? She was sitting right at her own doorstep. She must have seen Linchuan and Ning-ger come by earlier. Asking a question she already knew the answer to—how could she not know what she was scheming?

“I’m going to get some food and drink. I’ll be off now.”

“I see your second brother and his wife are back. Did he pass the Xiucai exam this time? Well, congratulations then.” 

“Alright, alright.”

Shen Dasao walked off carrying her basket. Tiedan’s mother was just waiting to see her family make a fool of themselves. Shen Dasao had already let it go—it wasn’t the first time he’d failed the exam. As long as life at home was good, that was all that mattered. Let outsiders say whatever they wanted.

Tiedan’s mother was momentarily taken aback—did she really think she was offering genuine congratulations?

Shen Linchuan must have failed the exam again this time; otherwise, he would have mentioned it just now.

As Shen Dasao bought chickens and ducks in the village, everyone knew that the Shen family’s second son had returned. The nosy ones asked if he’d gone to the county seat again this year to take the Xiucai exam, but Shen Dasao didn’t answer; she simply said the young couple had come to visit relatives.

The Shen family was doing well these days. Ever since the second son had married into another family, their life had been getting better and better. Shen Qingshan built carriage frames for others, and carpenters from the surrounding villages all looked up to him as their leader. He made a tidy sum from his work, and families in the village with suitable young men all wanted to send them to his family as apprentices.

Shen Dasao returned after finishing her shopping. Before she even reached her doorstep, she heard Xiaoyu giggling. She went inside to find him being tossed around by Uncle Ning.

Shen Dasao smiled too; her little Xiaoyu loved Ning-ger the most.

At mealtime, Shen Dage and his wife couldn’t help but ask how the trip to the county seat had gone. Though they didn’t hold out much hope, their second son seemed to have truly turned over a new leaf—he’d settled down and learned to take care of the family. What if he actually passed the exam this time?

Although Shen Linchuan had a pretty good idea, he didn’t dare to make any guarantees. “I think it went a bit better than the past few years.”

Shen Dage chuckled, “As long as it’s a bit better, that’s fine. If this year is better than last year, and next year is better than this year, passing the Xiucai exam is only a matter of time.”

Shen Dasao let out a soft “Oh” and laughed. “Now that’s a nice thing for an older brother to say. Linchuan, let others say what they will—as long as we’re living a good life, that’s all that matters.”

“You’re right, Sister-in-law. Thank you both for the blankets and quilts. Wrapped up in them, I’m not cold at all at night.” 

“Of course. Even though it’s spring, the nights are still chilly.”

Shen Linchuan and his wife had lunch there and sat for a while before heading back. By now, the weather had grown even warmer, and the sun’s rays made everyone feel drowsy. Zhou Ning sat beside Shen Linchuan and patted his arm. “Shen Linchuan, it’s okay even if you didn’t pass the exam.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled. This was the first time his Fulang had brought up the subject of the exam. He’d been holding back from asking all these days, but since his Fulang was the type who couldn’t keep things to himself, the tension had been killing him.

“Alright, I’m a son-in-law by marriage to your Zhou family. If I don’t end up studying, we’ll just farm the land together. Don’t look down on me just because I’m a scholar and not as strong as you—I’m a son-in-law by marriage, so you’ll have to support me.”

Zhou Ning nodded earnestly. “I can support you.”

Once they got home, the two didn’t bring up the subject again. The very next day, Zhou Da set out in his mule cart to buy pigs. He figured he hadn’t worked in nearly a month, and the more he rested, the weaker he felt. It would be better to set up his stall and get back to business sooner rather than later.

Shen Linchuan and the others followed them to town to sell pork. Since the two stalls hadn’t been set up in so long, Manager Lu, with his sharp eyes, spotted them the moment they arrived and hurried over with a bowl in hand. “You’re back! I’ve been checking your stall every day, and today, lo and behold, you’re really here!”

Manager Lu loved braised pork; he’d buy some every three or five days. It had been nearly a month since he’d had any, and his stomach was growling with hunger.

Seeing Shen Linchuan and his group arrive, the first to be overjoyed was the Wang family’s flatbread stall. Without the braised pork next door, their flatbread business had been far worse than before. While they could certainly make a living off the stall, they couldn’t even dream of getting rich.

Their business was only good when the braised pork stall was open. They’d made a decent living for nearly a year, but just one month without them, and their flatbread sales had taken a hit.

Wang’s daughter-in-law greeted them with a beaming smile. “You’re back! I figured you’d be returning any day now. My father was just saying that Zhou Da is the hardest-working man around—I knew he’d set up his stall the moment he got back.”

Business was booming at Zhou Da’s meat stall. Regular customers flocked over to buy meat as soon as they saw him arrive. Zhou Da was an honest businessman who never shortchanged his customers. As he heated the pork, the aroma wafted through the air. He didn’t even need to call out to attract customers—those who caught the scent came running on their own.