Throughout the entire first lunar month,  whenever villagers ran into each other, their conversations inevitably turned to the Yan family’s affairs.

Yan Yonghe refused to bring Yan Xiaobao back, saying that Secretary Fu had called off the engagement precisely because he disapproved of having a younger brother who’d served time in prison.

He also said that since he was about to take the provincial examinations, he absolutely could not afford to have any flaws exposed at such a critical juncture; it would be best for Yan Xiaobao to remain in the mountains performing hard labor.

Secretary Fu had known about Yan Xiaobao’s past all along and hadn’t held it against him before; now that Yan Yonghe had passed the provincial examination, it was even less likely that he would take issue with it.

It was obvious that this was merely a pretext devised to cover up the fact that the father and daughter were seeking to climb the social ladder.

But for the Yan family, that was more than enough to send a clear message.

Old Master Yan and Yan Xingsheng immediately backed down, abandoning their plan to have Yan Yonghe go fetch Yan Xiaobao back. Tao Cuiqing refused to give up, but even when she knelt and kowtowed, Yan Yonghe remained unmoved.

Yan Xiaoyu’s impression of Tao Cuiqing had remained frozen in time, just as it was when he first arrived. Back then, Tao Cuiqing had been haughty and condescending; even when she pretended to be ingratiating, she couldn’t hide the arrogance deep within her.

But when he saw her again during the Lunar New Year this year, Yan Xiaoyu noticed that the woman had developed gray hairs on her head; she seemed to have aged considerably overnight. Aunt He, Uncle Li, and Aunt Sun also mentioned this when they came to Yan Xiaoyu’s home to pay New Year’s calls.

Aunt He looked at the stone-blue brocade jacket He Qiuhua was wearing and found it quite amusing: “Back when you two sisters-in-law stood side by side, everyone used to say she looked like that household’s wife, and you looked like the old maid by her side. But now the roles have completely reversed—you look like the lady of the house, and she looks like an old maid!”

Aunt Sun remarked, “She’s dressed quite nicely, so why does she look so lackluster?”

“The other day, when their daughter who’d gotten married came back to her parents’ home, after Sister Fang returned, the whole family somehow ended up talking about Yan Xiaobao again. Sister Fang said that since her younger brother had committed such a terrible sin, he deserved to die out there. As soon as she said that, Old Master Yan hit her on the head with his walking stick, leaving a huge bump. She couldn’t even finish her meal that day before heading back.”

Uncle Li looked deeply saddened. “In other families, brothers and sisters support one another, but those three kids in her family—it’s as if they’re sworn enemies. How could she possibly have any energy left?”

Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua exchanged a glance, their expressions complex, secretly grateful that they had listened to Yu-ger back then and managed to extricate themselves from the quagmire of the Yan family.

Yan Xiaoyu, however, showed no emotion on his face.

Of all the members of the Yan family, the only one he felt any sympathy for was Yan Yongfang; as far as he was concerned, the rest all got what they deserved.

Besides, Yan Yonghe had already passed the provincial examination; barring any surprises, his future was secure. Even if the Yan family fell apart, they wouldn’t dare jeopardize his prospects—he needed no one’s sympathy.

Yan Yonghe took this imperial examination very seriously and set out on the fifth day of the month.

The Qian family hired bodyguards to escort him and sent a servant to look after him along the way.

Yan Shaoxuan set out on the tenth day of the first lunar month, traveling with his senior classmate; they also hired two bodyguards, primarily to serve as guides.

Scholars traveling to the capital to take the imperial examinations were generally not targeted by bandits, and Yan Shaoxuan’s martial skills were more than enough to fend off ordinary bandits. Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng were more concerned about him having to sleep under the open sky and eat on the go—fearing he wouldn’t get proper rest—so they sent Jiang Xiaowu along to look after him.

The journey from Weishi County to the capital involved crossing mountains and rivers; even at the fastest pace, it would take at least a month and a half, and time was already running short. Even though he and Yan Xiaoyu had set a wedding date and were deeply in love, Yan Shaoxuan could not delay any longer.

The provincial examinations were in March, with results announced in April; if he passed, he would immediately have to take the imperial palace examination.

Once Yan Shaoxuan left, it would be at least half a year before they could see each other again. Not only was Yan Shaoxuan reluctant to part, but Yan Xiaoyu felt the same way.

On the evening before his departure, after they had finished talking, Yan Xiaoyu urged Yan Shaoxuan to return to his room to rest, but Yan Shaoxuan stared at his face, unable to bring himself to leave.

“I won’t be able to spend your birthday with you again this year.”

Yan Shaoxuan’s voice was low; his gaze deep and intense. Yan Xiaoyu’s cheeks flushed crimson—he wasn’t sure if it was from the fire or from being stared at.

“Well, I’ve already given you the gift, so if I can’t be there, so be it!”

Yan Xiaoyu bared his teeth in a defiant expression, but when he looked down, a hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes. His hand brushed against the jade pendant hanging from his chest, once, then again…with gentle movements.

Yan Shaoxuan had bought this jade pendant in the provincial capital during his provincial examinations; it was shaped like a plump little fish that looked exceptionally cute, and Yan Xiaoyu loved it dearly.

Yan Shaoxuan had put a great deal of thought into choosing it, but when he returned to give it to him, he refused to show it. When Yan Xiaoyu asked him why he was giving him another gift, he casually said it was an early birthday present, but Yan Xiaoyu took him at his word.

Yan Shaoxuan furrowed his brow: “As a husband who hasn’t yet married his bride, how could I possibly give just a single piece of jade? People would have something to say.”

“……” Yan Xiaoyu was at a loss for words. “Didn’t you give me quite a few on the day of the marriage proposal? And didn’t you give me a hairpin on New Year’s Eve?” He said, pointing to the jade hairpin in his hair.

“The gifts on the day of the betrothal were betrothal gifts, and the hairpin was a New Year’s gift—how can you lump them together with a birthday gift?” Yan Shaoxuan said disapprovingly.

Yan Xiaoyu: “So what do you want?”

Yan Shaoxuan was stumped by the question,

Yan Xiaoyu understood his temperament, yet he also knew that even though the gifts had been given, his stubbornness was merely a roundabout way of expressing his reluctance to let him go. The charcoal brazier on the floor cast an orange-red glow, illuminating Yan Shaoxuan’s face and making him look as fair as jade, exceptionally handsome.

He looked at Yan Xiaoyu, and the mix of embarrassment, frustration, and reluctance in his eyes softened his heart. Yan Xiaoyu thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up and, under Yan Shaoxuan’s surprised gaze, sat down on his lap. 

Yan Shaoxuan’s lips weren’t just beautiful—they felt wonderful to the touch as well. Yan Xiaoyu seemed somewhat surprised; for someone who spoke so defiantly, his lips were surprisingly soft. He gave them a light nibble, then stuck out his tongue to lick them, pulling away the moment he touched them.

As he pulled away, Yan Shaoxuan still looked stunned; in an instant, his face and ears flushed bright red.

Yan Xiaoyu’s heart was racing, but his expression remained calm: “I’ve already received my birthday gift. Can we go to sleep now?” 

As he spoke and tried to get up, Yan Shaoxuan held him down: “We’re not married yet. How could this be proper?”

Yan Xiaoyu glanced at the hand clasped tightly around his waist, raised an eyebrow, and adopted a carefree expression: “We’ve already kissed—if we’re not married, so be it!”

After saying that, he tried to stand up again, but the man who’d accused him of being “unseemly” leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

Early the next morning, before Yan Xiaoyu had even gotten out of bed, Yan Shaoxuan had already set off.

After he left, Yan Xiaoyu and the others rested for a few days before setting off back to the county.  On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the Yuye Pavilion reopened. Diners spread the word, and in the first few days after the reopening, business grew better by the day.

Jiang Xiaowu left with Yan Shaoxuan, leaving a staff member short at the shop. Fortunately, Yan Shaocheng had planned ahead; after discussing it with Yan Xiaoyu, he hired a few more people from Xiling Village to help out. Although there were many customers, Yan Xiaoyu and the others didn’t have to work too hard.

It wasn’t just the Yuye Pavilion; Yu Sanlang and Liu Pingshan’s vegetable business also got off to a flying start. Yu Sanlang closed two major deals.

After the Lunar New Year, Yan Shaocheng helped arrange a meeting, inviting the proprietors of two restaurants that purchased tofu ingredients from him to dine with Yu Sanlang. During the meal, he helped Yu Sanlang secure contracts to supply vegetables to both establishments.

Yu Sanlang and Liu Pingshan didn’t just sell produce from their own two households—they represented several families in the village.

After making a little money last year with their small-scale operations at the city gate, the two had grown bolder and set their sights on expanding their business. However, they had approached several establishments but had not yet reached an agreement.

With Yan Shaocheng acting as a guarantor for these two restaurants, they felt reasonably confident in them, so the negotiations were wrapped up with little effort. As long as Yu and Liu delivered a batch of vegetables and the owners were satisfied with the quality, they could sign the contract.

It was still cold today, so the vegetable farmers weren’t out selling their produce; however, thanks to Yan Xiaoyu’s suggestion, Xiling Village still had some fresh vegetables to offer.

When Yu Sanlang and Liu Pingshan returned to Xiling Village and told the villagers, everyone was delighted and immediately got to work, selecting only the freshest and crispest vegetables. After Yu Sanlang delivered them to the county seat, the contract was successfully signed.

Those two restaurants weren’t exactly small, and the villagers who grew vegetables or raised chickens and ducks were all able to earn a little silver. Since there was a precedent for supplying vegetables to Yuye Pavilion, they ran these two businesses in an orderly fashion, without a single hitch.

It was just that Yu Sanlang, busy with the village’s vegetable business, was spending too much time at his tofu stall in town. However, the Yu family was large, and they weren’t worried about having manpower shortages.

Both the business with the Yuye Pavilion and the village trade were thriving. Every time Yu Sanlang and Liu Pingshan came by to deliver vegetables, they wore cheerful expressions—but one morning, when Yan Xiaoyu opened the shop, he found the two of them crouching by the door with furrowed brows.

Yan Xiaoyu knew something must have happened in the village, so he hurriedly welcomed them inside and sent someone to fetch Yan Shaocheng.

Once the four of them were seated, Liu Pingshan spoke with a grave expression: “Someone returned from the village yesterday and said the county magistrate has issued an order: the charcoal tax collected last year must be paid immediately, and all of us who produced charcoal have to pay.”

“Not only that, but because we didn’t pay on time, we’ll have to pay double as a penalty for late payment.”

Yu Sanlang wiped his face: “What household in the village doesn’t burn charcoal in winter? Last year, there were rumors that a charcoal tax would be imposed, but later they said it wouldn’t happen. Still, everyone was scared—afraid that payments would start this year. We burned extra last year, so now every household in the village has to pay at least four or five liang, and some as much as ten or more liang!” 

In previous years, families in the village might not even be able to save five liang of silver in a whole year. Last year, many households had already depleted their savings to cover increased land taxes and corvée labor. Now, with the New Year barely over, they’re being asked to come up with more than ten liang of silver all at once—how on earth are they supposed to come up with that?

“We made a little silver selling vegetables this year, but how could that possibly be enough to pay the charcoal tax?”

Yu Sanlang looked even more miserable than if he were crying: “It’s not just the charcoal tax. When we entered the city a little while ago, we heard that setting up stalls at the city gates will now be subject to a commercial tax too—and I’m afraid it’ll be the same at the town market!”