Chapter 15: The Couple’s First Collaboration

The old village chief, after drinking with Li Yuanjing for a while, finally felt his mood lighten. Yet just then, a commotion outside disturbed Mu Ran, and the chief’s face promptly darkened once more. With a word to Li Yuanjing, he strode briskly out the door.

With the old village chief gone, Li Yuanjing naturally would not remain seated idly. He exchanged a look with Lotus Blossom, then hastened after the chief.

Meanwhile, Lotus Blossom’s delicate cheeks flushed instantly. Clever as she was, she understood Li Yuanjing’s meaning at once—take advantage of the chief’s absence to quickly pick a piece of meat from the table and eat. But… as a young maiden, how could she do such a thing…

Yet while Lotus Blossom hesitated, Lu Gang beside her, looking as ravenous as a starving ghost, seized the chance. Seeing no one around, he lunged forward and grabbed at the food, soon smearing his mouth with grease.

But just as Lu Gang reached for a rabbit leg, Lotus Blossom darted forward and slapped his hand away, scolding him in a low voice, “That one’s mine!” She snatched up the meat and stuffed it into her small mouth.

Yet no sooner had she done so than her face turned crimson. For that piece of meat was the very one Li Yuanjing had just set aside especially for her…

Outside the old chief’s house, a woman with disheveled hair and tattered clothes but a fair, delicate face knelt in the dirt, weeping bitterly, a pitiable little girl of two or three clinging to her side. It was none other than Hou Wu’s wife, her given name Xiugu.

Hou Wu was about the same age as Li Yuanjing, and their experiences were not so different—both sons of craftsmen, whose parents had toiled and sacrificed everything to marry off their sons. Yet Hou Wu’s parents, worn out by hardship, had passed away soon after he wed.

But Hou Wu, instead of inheriting his parents’ craft, turned to a life of petty mischief…

Now, his family’s ruin was all but certain.

“Ah, Xiugu, go home for now,” the old chief sighed deeply after hearing her plight. “If that scoundrel Hou Wu dares show his face again, come to me! I’ll see you get justice. For a wife as good as you, he doesn’t know his fortune—I’ll break his legs if I see him!”

Relief flooded Xiugu’s face at these words. She kowtowed and thanked the old chief profusely.

Li Yuanjing, standing to the side, said nothing more. He pitied Xiugu, yes, but that would not soften his heart toward the hopeless scoundrel Hou Wu.

The meal stretched on until noon, with host and guest thoroughly enjoying themselves. Only then did Li Yuanjing return home.

During the meal, Li Yuanjing had consulted the old chief on many matters, gaining a clearer sense of his own future.

“Ah! Brother, you’ve been drinking—so much, too?” Mu Ran, seeing her brother return tipsy, was dumbfounded. She hurried to help Li Yuanjing onto the brick bed, fussing over him.

Li Yuanjing, in high spirits, was happy to accept her care. After a while, once she had coaxed him to drink a bowl of warm water and he felt much better, Li Yuanjing lazily fished out a little over two taels’ worth of silver bits, snapped his fingers, and joked, “Come on, girl, give your brother a smile, and this is your reward!”

“Ah!” Mu Ran was utterly stunned, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief. “Brother, where did you get all this silver?”

Li Yuanjing felt a bit helpless as their playful mood threatened to turn into another one of Mu Ran’s interrogations, but he couldn’t bear to tease her further. He pulled her into his arms, planted a kiss on her cheek, and explained everything.

But this only left Mu Ran more bewildered. “Brother, you mean… you got drunk at the chief’s house?”

In her eyes, a clan leader like the old chief was as distant and unfathomable as the stars in the sky.

“Look at you, such a timid thing,” Li Yuanjing teased affectionately, giving her a gentle pat. “It’s just the village chief, nothing special. Mu Ran, when I make my fortune, I’ll win you a noble title from the emperor himself. Then everyone will have to call you Madam!”

“Brother…” Overwhelmed, Mu Ran threw herself into his arms, weeping softly.

After some tender moments, Li Yuanjing’s expression grew serious. “Mu Ran, tidy yourself and come with me—we have something to do.”

“What is it, brother?” Mu Ran, startled, hurried to get ready.

Li Yuanjing smiled, “No need to worry. Tomorrow is the autumn tax collection. We’re going to Aunt Zhang’s house. I also need to advance some wages to Brother Zhang.”

Relief swept over Mu Ran, and she gazed at Li Yuanjing with gratitude. After a moment’s hesitation, she plucked up her courage and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, brother…”

“Huh?” Li Yuanjing was briefly stunned, then laughed and pulled her into an embrace. “Silly girl, we’re family—you don’t need to thank me. Now hurry up. You’re my wife, you can’t let anyone look down on you.”

At those words, Mu Ran’s shyness was forgotten as she began to prepare in earnest.

By the time Li Yuanjing and Mu Ran arrived at the Zhang family’s home, dusk was falling, and the north wind howled fiercely. It looked as though it would snow again that night.

Aunt Zhang was boiling a pot of vegetable gruel, but this time, two small fish simmered in it, making the soup much more flavorful than before.

“Ah, Yuanjing, Mu Ran, what brings you here?” Aunt Zhang, noticing them, stood up at once, beaming in welcome. She understood all too well that, if not for Li Yuanjing and Mu Ran, her family would have been ruined by now.

Li Yuanjing smiled, “Aunt Zhang, I came to see Brother Zhang, and also to check on Second Brother Zhang. Mu Ran, why don’t you chat with Aunt Zhang while I go inside?”

“Alright,” Mu Ran replied warmly. She already knew why they had come and quickly engaged Aunt Zhang in friendly conversation.

As Li Yuanjing entered the house, Zhang Kun, who had just come in from the backyard with firewood, hurried over and respectfully greeted him. “Master, what brings you here?”

Li Yuanjing patted his shoulder, smiling. “Let’s go see Second Brother.”

Without another word, Zhang Kun led Li Yuanjing to the inner room where Zhang Liang lay.

Zhang Liang’s health had improved somewhat, but he was like a living corpse, utterly listless. Even when Li Yuanjing entered, he showed no reaction, merely turning away to face the wall.

“Master, ever since the accident, he’s been like this. Please don’t take it to heart…” Zhang Kun began to explain, but Li Yuanjing cut him off with a wave.

“Brother Zhang, I understand. We’re family, no need for formalities. By the way, the autumn tax is due tomorrow—take this silver as your wages in advance.”

With that, he drew out about a tael of silver and handed it to Zhang Kun.

Zhang Kun took the silver, hands trembling with surprise and joy. He had been worrying about where to borrow money for the tax, never dreaming that Li Yuanjing would come to his aid at just the right moment.

Still, knowing Li Yuanjing’s own situation, he hesitated, reluctant to accept, and tried to refuse by pushing the silver back.

But before he could speak, Li Yuanjing insisted, “Brother Zhang, I’m giving this to you—take it. I’m not putting on a show. You’re coming with me to Dagou Village tomorrow. To be honest, I borrowed this silver from Master Wang. Let’s get through this hardship first, then tackle the rest together!”

With a thud, Zhang Kun fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. “Master, I…”

He wanted to say more, but words failed him. Even Zhang Liang, lying on the bed, was startled by the scene and turned to look at Li Yuanjing in astonishment.

Li Yuanjing did not help Zhang Kun up. Instead, his face grew solemn. From behind his waist, he drew out a sharp wooden stake about a foot long and placed it before Zhang Kun.

“Brother Zhang, you’re my hired man, so I won’t keep things from you. The reason I was able to borrow silver from Master Wang is because he set a condition. I need your help.”

“See this? I want a hundred exactly like it. You must make them for me within three days.”

Zhang Kun was stunned, but quickly bowed his head in determination. “Master, I don’t need three days—two at most, and I’ll have it done for you!”