Chapter 60: Yuniang Plans to Find a Concubine for Li Yuanjing?

Many hands make light work.

Especially when Li Yuanjing had meticulously planned, organized with precision, and mobilized everyone thoroughly. In just a couple of days, the earthen wall project in Quanzi Village had already begun to take shape. While it would still take considerable time to actually raise the walls—weeks just for the trenches and foundations—the excited villagers had already dug most of the planned defensive ditch around the village.

As a result, even though the walls were not yet standing, the villagers’ sense of security, and indeed their excitement, had soared.

“Brother Yuanjing, you look overheated. Here, have some water and take a break…”

At the construction site by the north gate of Quanzi Village, Lianhua’s cheeks were tinged pink as she watched Li Yuanjing, unmindful of his mud-spattered clothes, climbing directly into the trench to dig. After a moment’s hesitation, she summoned her courage, poured a bowl of hot water, and came to his side.

“Hm?”

“Thank you, Lianhua,” Li Yuanjing said. Having grown up in a poor rural household, he had no aversion to physical labor and was quite happy to use it to strengthen himself. Without thinking much about it, he took the bowl and gulped the water down, finding it immensely refreshing.

But seeing that, after drinking, he merely thanked her and returned immediately to work, Lianhua stood there, momentarily stunned.

After a while, realizing no one was watching, she stamped her foot in frustration, nearly biting her tender lower lip.

She thought to herself: ‘Brother Yuanjing is so clever. Why is he acting like a fool now?’

In truth, Li Yuanjing, down in the ditch, caught her reaction from the corner of his eye and could not help but smile bitterly. How could he not understand Lianhua’s feelings? But alas, he already had Yuniang—how could he make any promise to Lianhua? It was better to nip such sentiments in the bud.

“Brother, brother…”

Just as Li Yuanjing was working up a sweat in the trench, Yuniang came over with Big Ya, carrying a small basket, calling for him.

“What is it, Yuniang?” With his own little wife, Li Yuanjing had nothing to hide. Not minding his muddy state, he wiped his brow, climbed out, and smiled at her.

Yuniang’s pretty face turned a little red. After a moment, she took out a handkerchief and helped wipe the mud from his face, then, in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s, said, “Brother, let’s talk over there…”

Li Yuanjing was caught off guard by her sudden seriousness, but nodded and glanced at Big Ya. The girl simply smiled shyly, clearly unwilling to reveal anything.

Li Yuanjing could only follow Yuniang to a quiet spot sheltered from the wind.

“Yuniang, what’s going on? Why so secretive?”

“Brother…” Yuniang’s face grew redder as she lowered her head, but then gathered her courage, looked him in the eye, and said solemnly, “Brother, I’ve thought long and hard, and I’ve decided—I want to arrange for you to take a concubine…”

“What?”

(2/3)

“Take… a concubine?”

“Yuniang, are you feverish?” Li Yuanjing quickly reached out to feel her forehead.

“Brother!” Yuniang puffed out her cheeks in annoyance at being treated like a child over such a serious matter. “Brother, I’m really serious—can you listen carefully?”

Seeing her earnestness, Li Yuanjing had no choice but to listen patiently.

Once she saw he was listening properly, Yuniang sighed in relief and continued, “Brother, I know you care for me and cherish me. But I can’t be selfish. Now that you have built such a business, and with the county exam coming up next spring, how can I not make sure you have an heir?”

“I’ve already asked Wang Cuihua to speak with the Zhao family in Pijiazhuang. Their youngest daughter, Yinling, is sixteen, fair and sweet, with a gentle temperament. In three days, I’ll take the betrothal gifts myself and she’ll become part of our Li family!”

“What?”

“In three days?”

Li Yuanjing nearly coughed up blood at this, wishing he could give Yuniang a good lesson then and there.

But Yuniang ignored him and said, “Brother, it’s settled. I’m going back to prepare lunch.”

With that, she left no chance for him to speak, taking Big Ya with her.

“I…”

Li Yuanjing felt as if he’d punched thin air, all his strength wasted.

But he quickly came to his senses, grinding his teeth, muttering, “Wang Cuihua, you vexing woman, clearly you need a lesson!”

He had only just begun to build his foundation. Besides, he was perfectly content with Yuniang and wanted nothing more than to focus on his work—at most, he might tease the maidservants a little. The idea of taking a concubine had never crossed his mind.

Without delay, he called out to the old village head at the nearby work shed to watch over things, then went straight home and had Wang Cuihua summoned.

…

“Greetings, Master…”

Soon enough, Wang Cuihua arrived. She looked noticeably healthier and more refreshed than she had days before, and hurried to kneel in front of Li Yuanjing.

With a bang, he slammed the door of the warehouse-turned-receiving room shut and growled, “Wang Cuihua! Explain to me: What’s this about Yuniang wanting to arrange a concubine for me?!”

Seeing his obvious displeasure, Wang Cuihua was dumbfounded. “Master, don’t you like the Zhao family’s girl? She’s the best match in ten villages around…”

“What do I care if she’s good or not? I’m asking you: how did Yuniang come to think of arranging a concubine for me?” Li Yuanjing glared coldly at her.

Wang Cuihua shivered.

(3/3)

She already knew how much Li Yuanjing cared for Yuniang. His rage now surely meant he suspected her of putting the idea into Yuniang’s head.

She hastened to explain, in tears and sniffling. Once she’d clarified everything, Li Yuanjing was left stunned.

It really had nothing to do with Wang Cuihua.

Yuniang’s idea of arranging a concubine was entirely her own. The main reason was that Li Yuanjing’s growing enterprise put enormous pressure on her—she didn’t want to be called a jealous wife by the village women, so she felt she had to make some changes.

It must be understood that in this era, literacy was extremely low, and to the rural folk, logic and systematic thinking were almost unheard of. For a simple, naive woman like Yuniang, getting caught up in such rumors could have serious consequences.

Had not countless women in later generations succumbed to despair because of “depression”?

Li Yuanjing had no wish for any harm to come to his young wife.

He was just about to go and comfort her—indeed, even if he did nothing else that day, he would first take care of Yuniang—when Chen Chunyan hurried over and whispered in his ear, “Master, forgive my incompetence—I only found out today… Yesterday, Wang Liushi asked one of our young men in town to spend all the money she’s earned these days to buy a bundle of incense sticks…”

“Incense?” Li Yuanjing’s brow furrowed deeply.

At this time, incense was something of a luxury. Ordinary folk made offerings to ancestors with little more than firewood, tossing in some food scraps to make a bit of flame—almost no one bought expensive incense. Only the wealthy, or temples and monasteries, used incense for rituals.

That Wang Liushi, having earned so little in Quanzi Village, would spend all her savings on incense—what could her motive be?

“I see,” Li Yuanjing said with a long sigh, waving Chen Chunyan off before turning to Wang Cuihua with a fierce glare. “I don’t care what you do, but you’d better persuade Yuniang to give up this idea! If you do well, I’ll reward you with five hundred coins. If not, I’ll have you tossed in the river for the fish. Now get out!”

“Ah? Y-yes, Master…”

Wang Cuihua left looking as though she’d lost her last relative.

Li Yuanjing then pulled from his pocket the handkerchief Wang Liushi had used to wipe his wound the other day, still stained with blood. He sniffed it lightly, then a cold smile curled at his lips. He opened the door and called to Kuizi, who was on duty at the workshop.

“Go!”

“Fetch Wang Liushi from the workshop and tell her I have urgent business with her!”

“Uh, yes!”