Zhou Youcheng lay in his room, still thinking of the triumph he would feel once he made Zhang Xiaoyi his concubine. Thinking back on earlier events now filled him with a sense of satisfaction; he was determined to repay those who had humiliated him a hundredfold.

Hearing his sister outside talk about how glorious Shen Linchuan’s life was, he felt a lump in his throat and began to cough. If Shen Linchuan hadn’t also passed the Xiucai examination, how could he be in such a position? It should be him, Zhou Youcheng, who was being fawned over. On what grounds? On what grounds!

Hu Caiyun, filled with concern, brought him a bowl of hot water. “My son, drink some water.”

Zhou Youcheng’s eyes were bloodshot. He clenched his fists. “Mother, help me up so I can get some sun.”

“Oh, my son, when the time comes, I’ll have your father throw you a banquet—it’ll be even better than Shen Linchuan’s!” 

“Alright.”

Zhou Youcheng was so fired up he could hardly breathe. The road ahead was long—this was only the beginning. One day, he would definitely trample Shen Linchuan underfoot!

The Zhou household was bustling for quite a while. After the guests had all been seen off, Shen Linchuan hurriedly said to his father, “Father, Ning-ger and I are going to stay at my eldest brother’s place for a few days. We’ll come back once things have calmed down a bit.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll keep an eye on the house here, so don’t worry. Don’t accept a single gift from them.” 

“Okay, Father. Once everyone’s gone, you should go lie down and rest.”

Zhou Da had certainly had his share to drink. Though he didn’t appear drunk, the smell of alcohol clung to him, and his eyes were a bit glazed over. After making arrangements with his father, Shen Linchuan packed his things and followed his older brother out.

Shen Dager drove his family’s oxcart, cheerfully hauling a full load of people. “Hold on tight, here we go~.”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning sat side by side in the back. Shen Xiaoyu settled into Zhou Ning’s lap, still sucking on a piece of malt candy. Shen Dasao couldn’t help but laugh. “Xiaoyu really does love Ning.”

Zhou Ning smiled too. Xiaoyu was so adorable.

Shen Huzi started jumping up and down. “Mom, I like Uncle Zhou too, and Second Uncle, and Grandpa Zhou!” Shen Dasao, unable to contain her laughter, grabbed Shen Huzi. “Sit still. If you keep being so mischievous, no one will like you anymore.”

Shen Linchuan said with a smile, “Huzi, you’re nine years old now, aren’t you? Some families in town start teaching their children as young as three. You should go to school this year, too.” As soon as his uncle mentioned sending him to school, Shen Huzi sat up straight, fell silent, and rested his head on the cart’s yoke, pretending not to hear.

“It’s all settled. It’s the town school. When the time comes, I’ll have your older sister take the two little ones to live in town with her. I’ll stay home to earn money, and both the little ones need to learn to read and write.”

Shen Dage drove the oxcart with a contented squint in his eyes. His younger brother’s years of schooling had at least given them something to show for it. He didn’t dare dream of becoming a juren or a high official—he’d heard that those who passed the juren exams were like celestial deities who’d descended to earth.

With an official title to his name, even if his second brother couldn’t farm, he could always become a village scholar or work as an accountant—either would be a viable way to make a living. As the eldest brother, Shen Dager could finally rest easy.

The oxcart rolled slowly toward Xinghua Village. The sun, having been in the sky for a while, had lost its midday intensity, and even the breeze had softened, blowing gently in their faces and making them feel tipsy. As Shen Xiaoyu ate, his head lolled to one side, and he fell asleep in Zhou Ning’s arms.

Zhou Ning shifted his position so Shen Xiaoyu could rest his head on his arm. Shen Linchuan, envious of the attention, leaned over and pressed himself against his husband. With so many people watching, Zhou Ning felt a bit self-conscious and shifted slightly. “Shen Linchuan, sit properly.”

“My head hurts. They made me drink a bit too much during dinner.”

Shen Linchuan spoke in a soft tone with his eyes closed. Zhou Ning stopped moving, letting Shen Linchuan lean against him securely. A smile tugged at Shen Linchuan’s lips—he knew his husband fell for this trick every time.

The oxcart swayed gently as it moved along. Shen Linchuan hadn’t dared to let his guard down for over a year, but now that he’d finally passed the Xiucai examination, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With his mind at ease and a few sips of wine in him, he actually drifted off to sleep, leaning against Zhou Ning.

With Shen Linchuan resting on his shoulder and holding little Shen Xiaoyu in his arms, Zhou Ning dared not move a muscle. He simply wanted Shen Linchuan to get some proper rest. Outsiders only saw the glory of Shen Linchuan passing the Xiucai exam, but they had no idea how he’d studied day and night. Though he’d gained a bit of height, he hadn’t gained much weight—he really needed to put on some meat.

Shen Linchuan had only intended to doze off for a moment, but the scent of soapberry on his husband’s body lulled him into a deep sleep. Even in his dreams, he felt a warm, comforting sensation, as if he were enveloped in a hot spring.

It wasn’t until they reached Xinghua Village and were greeted by voices that Shen Linchuan was startled awake. He opened his eyes, still a bit dazed. They had already arrived. Shen Linchuan’s eyes were red-rimmed from sleep, and a hint of drowsiness lingered on his jade-white face. He chuckled softly and rubbed his forehead. “How did I fall asleep?”

Seeing that Shen Linchuan had woken up, Zhou Ning finally shifted his shoulders. He hadn’t dared move the entire journey, and half his body had gone numb. “We’ll sleep once we get to Big Brother’s place. The sun’s almost down, and it’s getting cold.”

Shen Linchuan massaged Zhou Ning’s shoulders. “My husband has been through a lot.” 

“It’s nothing. You were just leaning on me. I can still carry you, you know.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled. His husband, indeed.

Shen Dager was highly respected in the village. He’d been a carpenter for over a decade and had taken on several apprentices. Who wouldn’t envy his life? Along the way, they greeted every acquaintance they met. “Carpenter Shen is back! Oh, Linchuan and his husband are here too.”

Shen Linchuan smiled. “Yeah, I’m back.”

The Shen family’s courtyard gate was open, and several apprentices were busy working inside, their tools clanging away. Upon seeing Shen Dager return, they all called out, “Master!”

Once the oxcart was parked, Shen Dasao got down first and carried over the sleeping Shen Xiaoyu. “This little one slept the whole way and never woke up.”

Shen Linchuan helped Zhou Ning down as well. Zhou Ning’s legs gave way, and he nearly fell, but Shen Linchuan wrapped his arm around his waist and steadied him. “Did your legs go numb from being pressed against the seat?”

Zhou Ning nodded. “It’ll be fine in a moment.”

Shen Dasao took Shen Xiaoyu into the house to put him to bed, then hurried to fetch a stool and pour some tea. “Ning-ger, you should rest. You’ve been carrying him the whole way. Don’t let his small stature fool you—he’s quite heavy.”

Master Shen called over four young apprentices and ordered them to move all the lumber in the courtyard under the thatched shed. The apprentices exchanged bewildered glances. “Master, we’re in the middle of a job right now.”

“It’s fine. We’re taking a few days off. Your second uncle is staying with us for a while, and all that clanging and banging is keeping us from getting any rest.”

The apprentices obediently went to move the lumber, but Shen Linchuan hurried to stop them: “Big Brother, it’s fine. I’m not reading—how could that disturb me?” 

A single day’s delay cost money, and he was only staying for a few days; he didn’t want to prevent his older brother from getting any work done.

Shen Dasao brought out a plate of fried broad beans. “Your older brother hasn’t had much of a break since the New Year. It’s good for him to rest a few days—work when you should, rest when you should.”

Shen Linchuan said no more. The young apprentices worked quickly and efficiently; in no time, they had moved all the scattered lumber in the courtyard into the thatched shed and even swept the ground spotless.

Shen Dager called the young apprentices over and gave each of them thirty copper coins. “Go home and rest for a few days. Buy yourselves a piece of meat to eat while you’re there.”

The young apprentices hadn’t expected to be given so many copper coins; they all thanked him in unison. One of the more quick-witted ones asked, “Master, is there some happy occasion? I can smell the scent of wine on you.”

Shen Dage laughed. “There is good news, indeed. Your second uncle passed the scholar examination—isn’t that cause for great celebration?”

The young apprentices all burst into laughter, taking turns to congratulate Shen Linchuan. So that’s what their master had given them—red envelopes!

The young apprentices happily went home with their copper coins in hand. Shen Dasao pushed the tray of tea and pastries toward the two men. “It’s good that you’re here. Dealing with all the comings and goings over there is exhausting; you’d be better off resting here for a few days.”

The young apprentices took their copper coins home. When their families asked how they’d come by so much money, they told the story. News of Shen Linchuan passing the Xiucai examination had spread throughout Xinghua Village, and many people marveled, “After all these years, he’s actually passed the Xiucai exam.”

“Shen Linchuan has been a tongsheng for seven or eight years now. We thought he’d never pass, but who would’ve thought he’d actually become a scholar?”

After dinner, while it was still light out, villagers gathered in small groups to chat.

Others sat cross-legged at their doorsteps, bowls in hand, listening to the chatter. They slurped down their corn porridge mixed with a few strands of pickled radish, clearly enjoying the conversation.

“Don’t you think the Shen family got the short end of the stick? They’ve been supporting him all these years, and just as they sent him off to the Zhou family’s doorstep, he passed the exam to become a scholar. Now any children he has will have to take someone else’s surname. Tsk.”

“Enough already. Your corn porridge isn’t even sticking to your lips. No matter what you say, he passed the exam and became a Xiucai—that’s a Xiucai, after all. I hear if he does well enough, he might even get a government post. That’s way better than us, living at the mercy of the weather.”

“Who knows how well Shen Linchuan actually did? That government salary isn’t something you just get handed to you.”

The crowd began chattering back and forth. No matter what, a scholar was a scholar; for a rural family, producing even one scholar in the surrounding villages was quite an achievement.

As night fell, the Shen household shut their doors. After washing up, Shen Linchuan lay down on his bed; after a busy day, he could finally relax. Zhou Ning also took off his outer garments, draped them over a rack, and climbed into bed.

As soon as he settled in, Shen Linchuan snuggled up to him. “Oh, Ning, let me hold you. I’m dead tired today. Look at my face—isn’t it all stiff?”

Shen Linchuan clung to Zhou Ning’s waist and rubbed against him for a good while, causing Zhou Ning’s undergarments to loosen and hang loosely. As it happened, Zhou Ning was quite taken with Shen Linchuan’s antics. He always felt that Shen Linchuan was younger than himself; though from a rural family, he’d been raised a bit too delicately, so it was only right for him to pamper him. Thus, he indulged Shen Linchuan even more.

“Shen Linchuan, let’s do this when we get home.”

Shen Linchuan chuckled, “Ning-ger, are you in the mood?” Zhou Ning couldn’t be bothered to respond. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Shen Linchuan teased, “Ning-ger, you’re such a lecher… mmmph!”

Shen Linchuan hadn’t even finished speaking before his mouth was covered. Unperturbed, Shen Linchuan stuck out his tongue and gave it a quick lick, causing Zhou Ning to pull his hand back as if burned by fire. “No, stop messing around.”

Shen Linchuan stopped teasing only after he’d had his fill. He loved to tease Zhou Ning and pick on the honest soul; even when he’d ruffled his feathers, Zhou Ning would just curl up into a fluffy ball and ignore him.

“Alright, time for bed. You’re holding me tonight—I’m so tired.”

Zhou Ning gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and pulled Shen Linchuan into his arms. Shen Linchuan snuggled up comfortably. Earlier, he’d been arguing over who was in charge in bed, but then he thought it was just a matter between the two of them—no one else knew—so what was wrong with letting his husband hold him?

The two of them slept soundly, curled up together. Entertaining guests these past few days had truly been exhausting. When they woke up, the sun was already high in the sky, and the room was bright.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes and was startled. How could he sleep in this late at his brother and sister-in-law’s house? Shen Linchuan was still sleeping soundly with his arm around Zhou Ning’s waist. Zhou Ning sat up abruptly, and Shen Linchuan’s head slipped, thudding against the bed frame. Shen Linchuan let out a yelp, “Ning-ger.”

Zhou Ning pulled Shen Linchuan up. “Get up quickly—the sun’s already shining into the room.”

Shen Linchuan was still half-asleep. “No rush. My brother and sister-in-law won’t mind.”

Zhou Ning hurriedly got dressed. How had he slept for so long? Seeing Shen Linchuan sitting on the bed, wide-eyed but still motionless, he quickly fetched Shen Linchuan’s clothes and urged him to get up.

Shen Linchuan took his time putting on his robe. Zhou Ning was even more impatient than he was; he reached out to help Shen Linchuan dress, and Shen Linchuan burst out laughing.

His husband was truly in a rush, so he quickly dressed himself properly.

There was a knock on the door, and Shen Xiaoyu’s childish voice drifted in: “Second Uncle, Uncle Ning, are you up yet?” 

“Xiaoyu, come here. Don’t disturb your Second Uncle and the others while they’re sleeping,” Shen Dasao called out in a hushed voice.

Zhou Ning’s face flushed slightly, and he hurriedly opened the door. “We’re up, we’re up.”

Shen Xiaoyu tilted his little face up and smiled. “I heard my Uncles talking.” 

“Ning-ger is up.”

“Hey, Sister-in-law, I’m up.”

Cooking smoke was still wafting from the kitchen, and the scent of wheat drifted over. Shen Dasao was sitting in the courtyard sewing shoe soles; he hadn’t seen his older brother, so he must be stoking the fire in the kitchen.

Shen Dasao, fearing Zhou Ning might feel awkward, said, “Your older brother and I didn’t get up that early either. We’ve been busy for a while, so we should all take a good rest.”

Zhou Ning felt a little less awkward then. Shen Linchuan came out, tying his hair back as he walked. “Sister-in-law, look how anxious Ning is—he’s even bumped his head until it’s red.”

Zhou Ning tugged at Shen Linchuan’s sleeve. “Don’t say that.”

Shen Dasao smiled. “Look how sweet this young couple is together.”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning weren’t bothered by many visitors here. Those who came by to take a look usually just exchanged a few words before leaving. Shen Linchuan was happy to have the peace and quiet; if they’d been at home, people would have been coming by in waves to offer their congratulations, so it was better to get away from it all here.

Spring was in full bloom, the fields were quiet, and wild greens were sprouting everywhere. So the two of them took Shen Huzi and Shen Xiaoyu out to the fields to forage for wild greens—tender willow leaves, wild ferns, shepherd’s purse…

It was the perfect time to enjoy spring greens, and Shen Linchuan was able to relax for a change. After all, the provincial examinations were still three years away. He decided to make the most of this brief respite and fully savor the beautiful spring weather.

After staying for three or four days, the two were planning to head back. Shen Linchuan had said he’d send them off tomorrow in an ox cart, but to their surprise, Zhou Da arrived that very afternoon on a mule, bringing with him two baskets of eggs—gifts from relatives of the same clan that they couldn’t possibly eat all themselves, so he’d brought some over.

“Father, why did you come?”

Shen Linchuan hurried to pour him some tea, and Zhou Da hopped down from the mule cart with a cheerful grin. “I was actually hoping you two would stay a few more days. No sooner had you and Ning left than an invitation arrived from town—the town magistrate has invited all the local scholars to a banquet the day after tomorrow.”

Zhou Da pulled a red invitation from his chest. He was illiterate, so the messenger had read it to him. He’d calculated the timing and came today to bring the two of them home so they could prepare tomorrow—they’d have to head back to town the day after tomorrow.

Only then did Shen Linchuan and his wife stop trying to persuade them to stay. They sat in the courtyard, eating some tea snacks and drinking water. As they were about to leave, Shen Linchuan mentioned again, “Big Brother, Big Sister, please think it over again. There’s no rush. If we go to the county seat, the school there will be a bit better for the little one.”

Shen’s eldest brother replied, “I’ll discuss it with your sister-in-law.”

During their stay at the Shen household these past few days, Shen Linchuan had brought up the idea of going to Kaiping County together. Now that he had passed the Xiucai examination, he was eligible to enroll in the county school. Since Kaiping County was far away, his husband would certainly have to go with them. His father was in the business world, so they could conveniently rent a shop in the county seat.

If his brother and sister-in-law came along, then Huzi and Xiaoyu could attend the county school—which would certainly be far better than the one in Qinghe Town.

Last year, they made a few hundred taels of silver from the mosquito coil business. Back then, his husband had said he wanted to rent a shop for his father in town this year, but now it looks like that shop will be rented in Kaiping County instead.

Shen Linchuan thought this was a good idea; that way, the family wouldn’t have to be separated. His father had been doing heavy manual labor for years and had just strained his back at the start of spring. If they rented a shop in the county seat, they could hire one or two apprentices, and the apprentices could handle the work of slaughtering and selling pigs.

Shen Linchuan hadn’t shared these plans with Zhou Ning yet; he’d discuss them once they got home—there was no rush.

Zhou Da drove the mule to pick them up. On the way, he mentioned that since the two had been away, quite a few people had come by to offer gifts—shopkeepers, farm managers from various places—people he didn’t even know. But he knew these things weren’t to be taken lightly, so he turned them all down one by one.

Zhou Da said cheerfully, “Even the Wangyue Pavilion sent a gift. Although it was just some food, I still sent them away empty-handed.”

“Father, did those people give you a hard time?”

“No, no. I just told them I’m illiterate and don’t understand these matters, so I wouldn’t dare accept gifts lightly. I said I was afraid that if I accepted them indiscriminately, my son-in-law might get angry when he returns. After that, they didn’t say anything else.”

Shen Linchuan nudged Zhou Ning beside him. “See how clever Father is.”

Zhou Da laughed uncontrollably. “I was just telling the truth. I’m just a rough-and-tumble butcher—how could I possibly understand all the twists and turns of you educated folk?” 

Zhou Ning also smiled. “Is Old Master Wang going too? We have some salted duck eggs at home. You can take them over to the teacher the day after tomorrow.”

“The teacher will probably go. We still have some pork intestines at home—he loves those the most.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Da added, “Then let’s go to town tomorrow to buy some pastries—the good stuff. Master Wang is a good man. You’ve been studying there for nearly half a year, and he hasn’t even accepted our family’s gifts for the Festival of the Dead.”

“I know, Father.”

Shen Linchuan knew his father simply wanted to properly thank his teacher, but Master Wang was a juren; his household certainly lacked neither food nor clothing. He simply had a fondness for rustic flavors—it was said his estate was filled with autumn chrysanthemums, and his interests lay largely in the countryside.

After hiding out for a few days, things had returned to normal back at home. With a banquet in town coming up the day after tomorrow, Zhou Ning was even more nervous than Shen Linchuan. He dragged him into the room to try on clothes. Shen Linchuan didn’t have many new robes; he’d had two made at the start of spring. Zhou Ning held up the garments to compare them. “The blue one looks a bit old-fashioned. You should wear the light blue one instead.”

As he spoke, he furrowed his brow. “You’ve worn that light blue one several times already. Why don’t we go to town tomorrow and buy a ready-made top? We’ll need to get a nice belt, too.”

Shen Linchuan grabbed the man, who was pacing back and forth, and said, “Just wear the light blue one. As long as it’s clean and neat, the town magistrate will know we’re a rural family.”

“We’ll still buy a couple more sets. Once you’re enrolled in the county school, I don’t want to be laughed at for wearing shabby clothes.” 

“No rush. We’ll worry about that once we get to the county seat.”

The town magistrate had invited this year’s successful candidates to a banquet at the Wangyue Pavilion. Shen Linchuan got up early and got himself ready, wearing a long robe with a blue body and white collar, a silk sash tied around his waist, and his hair neatly combed.

Zhou Ning carried two baskets to the mule cart—one for Old Master Wang and one for Xu Zhifan—along with a food box filled with chestnut flour cakes, meant solely for Old Master Wang.

All the food was homemade: there was the tofu blood sausage that Old Master Wang liked, as well as salted duck eggs, pickled vegetables in oil, and stuffed intestines. The stuffed intestines were a new recipe this year; Zhou Ning really liked them and figured Old Master Wang would too.

“Shen Linchuan, isn’t this gift a bit meager? Why don’t we listen to my father and buy some more pastries and fabric?”

“But there are pastries here—and the chestnut flour cakes were made by my husband himself. Master will surely love them.”

“But they can’t compare to the ones made by professionals.” 

“It’s fine. The Master is sure to like them.”

Shen Linchuan mounted the mule. “I’m off.”

Zhou Ning nodded and waited until Shen Linchuan had driven the mule cart out of sight before entering the courtyard.

Not only was Shen Linchuan attending the banquet today, but Zhou Youcheng had also received an invitation. As soon as Hu Caiyun saw it was a dinner with the town magistrate, she bought Zhou Youcheng a whole new outfit.

Since Zhou Youcheng had been injured, he’d been recuperating for the past few days and was finally healed. The celebratory banquet had been arranged, and they were just waiting for the festivities to begin in a few days.

Shen Linchuan had set out early, hoping to arrive early and exchange a few words with Xu Zhifan. Halfway there, he ran into Zhou Youcheng, who was catching up from behind. It was Zhou Er driving the mule to take him there. The mule looked somewhat familiar to Shen Linchuan—it had a bell hanging around its neck—and he recognized it as the village head’s mule.

Zhou Er also spotted Shen Linchuan. He shot him a sour look and drove the mule past him. Shen Linchuan didn’t take it to heart; Zhou Youcheng was also qualified to enter the county school, so they were bound to run into each other again in the future.

Shen Linchuan rode his mule at a leisurely pace into town. He arrived a little past ten o’clock. As soon as he pulled up to the gate, an assistant came over to lead the mule, and a young man walked ahead to show the way. Shen Linchuan recognized the young man—he was Manager Li’s nephew, and by the looks of it, he was now a junior manager.

Li Zhong also came over and bowed slightly. “Mr. Shen has arrived. Congratulations on your success in the imperial examinations.” 

“How are you, Manager Li?”

“Please come in, Mr. Shen. Mr. Xu just arrived, and the town magistrate probably won’t be here for another half-hour or so.” 

“Thank you, Manager Li.”

“Not at all, not at all. Please, Mr. Shen, come in.”

Today, the most important banquet at the Wangyue Pavilion was the table for the Town Magistrate. If the Magistrate had come alone, they would have simply attended to him well—after all, even the Magistrate had to be polite to their master.

But this time, Qinghe Town had produced a top-ranked scholar. One must understand that Kaiping County oversees eighteen towns and some three hundred villages; in all these decades, Qinghe Town had produced only this one top-ranked scholar. How could the Town Magistrate not take this seriously?

Never mind that a lowly, third-rate town magistrate takes it seriously—even the county magistrate of Kaiping would have to show some deference. This is a promising young talent—young and capable, with a future full of promise.

Li Zhong watched Shen Linchuan’s retreating figure as he went upstairs and let out a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had never made enemies in his daily life, and on that day, he had even helped Shen Linchuan secure a bit more silver. In return, Shen Linchuan had helped him secure the position of head manager.

It was a blessing he hadn’t offended Shen Linchuan. He knew full well that day wasn’t Shen Linchuan’s first visit to their Wangyue Pavilion, nor would it be his last. Now that he’d returned, he’d become a guest of honor for the town magistrate.