The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 15: Investing in You

On the way back, Du Yunse carried both buckets of water alone. Qiu Huanian couldn’t help, so he could only follow beside him empty-handed.

By the river, they ran into Hu Qiuyan and some of the village women and ge’er, all carrying buckets to fetch water.

“Hua ge’er is finally enjoying life, no longer having to haul water home by himself.”

“Why are you following along when Yunse is fetching water?”

Faced with these teasing remarks, Qiu Huanian’s face turned slightly red. He muttered a few words in response, then quickly tugged on Du Yunse’s sleeve and hurried away.

Watching their retreating figures, a ge’er who had been married for many years chuckled, “Look at them pulling and tugging at each other—just a pair of young people who have only recently met.”

“Hua ge’er is lucky. I heard from Baoren’s wife that yesterday a seventh-rank military officer accompanied Yunse back. Even our county magistrate is only of the seventh rank!”

“Even if he can’t take the imperial exams, with those connections, he can still find a good job.”

“Besides, Yunse is someone who remembers his roots and knows how to care for others. Otherwise, he could have just ignored everything, and Hua ge’er would have had to work even harder.”

“If my family had a ge’er as beautiful, capable, and good-tempered as Hua ge’er, I would cherish him too.”

Those who were on good terms with Hu Qiuyan teased each other, while some who had previously spoken ill of Qiu Huanian looked uncomfortable.

“Gu jie’er, lift your bucket a bit higher. Don’t stir up the water—we all still need to fetch some!”

The young girl called Gu jie’er panicked and adjusted her bucket, filling it halfway before quickly leaving.

“What’s wrong with Gu jie’er?”

“I remember that Yunse’s teacher being imprisoned was first mentioned by her. Could it be that she spread rumors and is now nervous seeing Yunse back?”

Hu Qiuyan’s heart stirred at these words, recalling the favor Qiu Huanian had asked of her before.

“Gu jie’er is just a young girl who hasn’t been in the village for long. Where would she have learned about such matters? Someone else must have told her, and she simply repeated it.” Hu Qiuyan deliberately spoke aloud.

Gu jie’er’s mother was a woman from Du Family Village who had married out. She passed away last year, and since Gu jie’er couldn’t stay at home any longer, she had come to Du Family Village to live with her uncle, Du Baoquan.

Hearing Hu Qiuyan’s words, the others thought about it and agreed. “That’s true. We wouldn’t even know about things like imprisonment or careers, let alone have eyes that can see all the way to the capital.”

“Could it be Hua ge’er himself who said it?”

“Why would Hua ge’er expose his own shortcomings? He and Gu jie’er aren’t even close.”

“Then it’s strange. Where did Gu jie’er hear about this? She doesn’t know many people in the village and hasn’t met any outsiders either.”

As the discussion continued, an idea suddenly flashed through Hu Qiuyan’s mind. “Didn’t Baoquan’s son, Yun Jing, come back from the county academy for a few days recently?”

The moment these words were spoken, everyone fell silent. Du Baoquan’s family was one of the wealthiest in the village, and Zhao shi was not someone to be trifled with. If they gossiped about her prized son behind her back, she would surely hold a grudge. Many of them were hoping to rent her mule for plowing during spring planting.

Hu Qiuyan said no more on the matter but made a mental note to tell Qiu Huanian privately later.

Back home, Du Yunse poured water into the storage jar while Qiu Huanian started a fire to prepare breakfast.

Jiujiu and Chunsheng had woken up by now. No longer as reserved as they were on the first meeting, they gathered around Du Yunse, bombarding him with questions about the outside world. Du Yunse patiently answered each one.

For breakfast, Qiu Huanian made cornmeal porridge and boiled four eggs. Ever since he arrived, none of the eggs at home had been sold—he kept them all for their own consumption.

Now, the two adult hens laid one egg each daily, and in about a month, the two newly bought young hens would start laying too. By then, everyone could have an egg each day.

For side dishes, he prepared a small plate of pickles and another of dried tofu. A simple farmer’s breakfast, yet everyone ate with great enjoyment.

After breakfast, Du Yunse took the initiative to wash the dishes while Qiu Huanian sorted things in the storage room. Then, he came out with a basket and handed it to Du Yunse.

“Inside are incense and offerings. You should go visit your parents’ graves first. The children and I will go together in the afternoon.”

Today was Qingming Festival, and everyone was busy visiting their ancestral graves. Qiu Huanian decided not to go to town to sell candy.

Du Yunse looked at Qiu Huanian, his eyes flickering. Hua ge’er understood that he wanted to speak privately with his parents, so he thoughtfully made these arrangements.

He looked down at the basket. Besides the items Wu Shen had bought yesterday, there were neatly arranged paper money, incense sticks, highland barley candy, dried tofu, and other offerings.

“Go on, come back for lunch at noon.” Qiu Huanian gave Du Yunse a gentle push.

Following his memories, Du Yunse arrived at his father’s grave, where his mother’s newly erected tomb stood beside it. Looking at the two graves standing together, his nose tingled, and he knelt down to place the offerings.

“The desire to care for one’s parents, yet they are no longer there.” Nothing had ever made him understand the helplessness and regret in these words more deeply than this moment.

Du Yunse knelt silently before the graves. At some point, a fine drizzle had begun to fall from the sky. He remained motionless, his hair and shoulders gradually dampening.

It was unclear how much time had passed when he heard footsteps on the small path behind him. Turning around, he saw Qiu Huanian holding up an old oil-paper umbrella, stepping into his view.

Qiu Huanian walked up, holding the umbrella over Du Yunse’s head. Reaching out, he pulled him up. “I saw it started raining and came to bring you an umbrella. Get up and come home—don’t catch a cold. I can’t afford medicine.”

Du Yunse rose with his help and spoke in a hoarse voice, “I won’t catch cold that easily.”

He bent down to tidy up the offering basket and took the umbrella from Qiu Huanian, adjusting it so that the intact side covered Qiu Huanian, tilting the handle to shield him completely.

Hua ge’er was the one who needed protection. He looked delicate and couldn’t afford to get sick from fetching an umbrella for him.

Qiu Huanian glanced up at the umbrella, now entirely slanted toward him, and said nothing. He simply felt a strange warmth swelling in his heart.

Together, they shared the umbrella and walked home in the rain.

Since the open-air stove couldn’t be used due to the rain, Qiu Huanian steamed some gluten for everyone to make do with.

Jiujiu and Chunsheng played outside under the eaves, catching raindrops. Du Yunse walked to his book chest, took out a cloth pouch, and handed it to Qiu Huanian.

“I didn’t save much money in the capital. This is the travel money my friends pooled together when I left. It’s just over five taels, and I’ll leave it all to you.”

Qiu Huanian took it without opening it. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll spend it all without giving you any?”

“You’ve managed the household so well. This money rightfully belongs with you,” Du Yunse replied.

Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow, then smiled. “Then I’ll take it. But don’t forget to keep handing over your earnings in the future.”

Du Yunse nodded without hesitation.

Chuckling, Qiu Huanian took out paper and ink from Du Yunse’s book chest, ground some ink, and prepared to make a list.

“I’ve made over one tael selling candy and earned four taels and eight coins from painting, so we have six taels saved. The household originally had two taels, and with your five taels, that makes thirteen taels in total.”

Qiu Huanian wrote “thirteen taels of silver” on the paper and felt a bit emotional.

After just over ten days since arriving, this once destitute household now had some savings. His early mornings and late nights had not been in vain.

Although buying a horse and repairing the house were still distant goals, and Du Yunse’s education was a bottomless pit for spending money, at least there was hope now.

“I go to town to sell candy every day, and I can’t always rely on Uncle Baoren. Spring planting is coming, and we’re short on labor. Borrowing a mule isn’t convenient, so I want to buy a Qinghua mule. It can plow fields and serve as transportation.”

Du Yunse nodded. “Whatever you decide.”

Qiu Huanian wrote on the paper: “One Qinghua mule, seven taels.”

“The weather is about to get hot, and everyone in the family needs a new set of clothes. Also, the cotton inside the quilts and mattresses needs to be replaced.”

Du Yunse had no objections. Qiu Huanian then wrote down: “Two bolts of cotton cloth, eight hundred wen; ten jin of cotton, one tael and eight qian.”

Next, considering that he wanted to plant something different this spring, Qiu Huanian set aside four hundred wen for seeds and other necessities.

Just like that, he had planned out ten taels of silver, leaving three taels remaining. He said to Du Yunse, “These are for your studies. If you need to buy anything, just let me know. If it’s not enough, I’ll find a way.”

Du Yunse was just about to speak when Qiu Huanian continued, “Since you’re back now, I want you to find time to teach Jiujiu and Chunsheng to read. Also, Yunkang from Aunt Qiuyan’s family wants you to enlighten him. What do you think?”

Although Qiu Huanian recognized traditional Chinese characters, his knowledge of classical texts from high school had long faded, making it impossible for him to teach children in this era.

“I was just about to discuss this with you. After passing the student exam back then, my teacher forbade me from continuing to take the imperial exams. It wasn’t until I left the capital this time that he sent word encouraging me to strive for the gold list.” Du Yunse shared his thoughts.

“Magistrate Wang told me that this year’s county exam will be held after the Dragon Boat Festival. Passing it would make me a scholar, and the top three ranked students would receive a monthly stipend of one stone of white rice. I want to pass the county exam first. Once I qualify for the rice stipend, I’ll take a few years to settle down and open a private school to earn money for the family.”

One stone of rice was about 120 jin, worth roughly one tael of silver. Eating white rice every day, it would be enough for the family of four—two adults and two children—for two months.

After pondering for a moment, Qiu Huanian asked, “When is the next provincial exam? Do you think you can pass it?”

The provincial exam, also known as the autumn examination, was held once every three years. Passing it meant becoming a “juren,” which qualified one to become an official. Juren were exempt from taxes on fifty mu of land, and the imperial court would also grant them fifteen mu of top-grade land. At that point, living off the land alone would be quite comfortable.

But becoming a juren was no easy feat. The county exams were held twice every three years, and each time, Zhang County could produce three or four scholars. However, in the past several rounds of the provincial exam, no scholar from Zhang County had successfully advanced to juren.

Recalling the modern-era text Fan Jin Passes the Provincial Exam, Qiu Huanian knew how difficult it was. Though he believed Du Yunse was extraordinary, he couldn’t be sure whether he could pass the exam at this stage.

After carefully calculating, Du Yunse said, “The next provincial exam is in August next year. If I fully prepare, I should be able to rank among the top.”

“Then focus on your studies and take the exam next year,” Qiu Huanian decided.

The provincial exam happened only once every three years. Missing next year’s meant waiting three more years, which was too long. If Du Yunse was confident he could pass next year, then he should definitely take the chance. Even if he failed, it would still be valuable experience.

“But—” Du Yunse hesitated.

“Don’t worry about money. I can support you until you pass. Look, in less than half a month, I’ve already earned six taels of silver. There’s nothing to fear,” Qiu Huanian said.

Du Yunse still felt uneasy about letting Qiu Huanian bear all the household burdens while he focused solely on studying. However, Qiu Huanian simply smiled and said, “Just think of it as me investing in you.”

“Investing?”

Qiu Huanian gestured as he explained, “Look, if I spend thirty wen on a half-grown hen, it can only lay one egg a day. If I spend a year farming one mu of land, in the end, I only harvest two stones of grain.”

“But if I invest in you, I might gain a jinshi, a zhuangyuan, or even an official of the imperial court. Isn’t that the best and most profitable investment I can make right now?”

Du Yunse understood his “twisted reasoning” and couldn’t help but smile, but he also felt a surge of determination.

Qiu Huanian continued joking, “Of course, if you become an official in the future, you have to repay me well. Otherwise, my investment would be wasted.”

After a short yet thorough period of observation, Qiu Huanian had already come to trust Du Yunse’s character. This remark was merely a jest.

Du Yunse took Qiu Huanian’s slightly calloused hand, looking earnestly into his bright eyes. Just as Qiu Huanian was about to shyly avert his gaze, Du Yunse solemnly promised, “Alright, I’ll bring back the zhuangyuan title for you.”

A gentleman’s word is as good as gold—unchanging for a lifetime.

Author’s Note:
A belated currency conversion chart:
1 tael of gold = 100 taels of silver (it’ll be a long time before Huanian gets to this, tears…)
1 tael of silver = 1 string of coins = 10 qian of silver = 1000 wen