The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 37: A Young Heart’s Concerns

After the village chief and Baoren left, only the four members of the family remained in the small courtyard. Jiujiu and Chunsheng finally found an opportunity to talk properly with their older brothers.

Jiujiu dashed into the left side room, rummaged through the cabinet, and took out a money box along with two stacks of bamboo paper bound together with thread. She handed them to her brothers to see.

Qiu Huanián asked in surprise, “What is this?”

“It’s the kind of diary that Brother Hua mentioned! Sister makes me write in it every day!” Chunsheng grumbled, clearly dissatisfied with the task.

Jiujiu stepped on his foot. “I told you to record what lessons you studied and what tasks you completed each day, not to scribble nonsense.”

Unconvinced, Chunsheng retorted, “I don’t even recognize all the characters yet, so I can only record things by drawing.”

“That’s because you don’t take your studies seriously and don’t put in the effort to think.”

Seeing that the two children were on the verge of bickering, Qiu Huanián chuckled and said, “Alright, alright, you both have a point. Let me see what you’ve written first.”

They had been away for a month, and Jiujiu’s personality had grown noticeably stronger. When managing her younger brother Chunsheng, she even displayed a bit of an authoritative air.

Qiu Huanián had always encouraged Jiujiu and wasn’t afraid to let go and give her opportunities to grow. At last, she was beginning to transform from a timid child who didn’t dare to speak loudly in front of others into someone confident and independent.

Chunsheng picked up his stack of “diary” pages and waved them up and down. Seeing this, Qiu Huanián and Du Yunse had no choice but to read his first.

Chunsheng had already learned how to write numbers and months. Each page of the bamboo paper, cut to about the size of two palms, was marked with a date. Though his characters were somewhat large and misshapen, at least they were written in straight lines.

Du Yunse frowned as he read, while Qiu Huanián, keeping his expression neutral, nudged him with his elbow and offered a few words of praise.

Chunsheng’s records were quite simple. Apart from his daily lessons, they mostly consisted of things like catching shrimp in the small river one day, chasing butterflies in the back hills the next, or helping his sister make sorghum candy the day after. Most of the content was depicted through rough sketches, with very little text. Qiu Huanián had to rely on Chunsheng’s explanations to fully understand what each entry was about.

Compared to Chunsheng, Jiujiu’s diary was much more proper.

Although she and Chunsheng had started their studies together, she was three years older and more meticulous in her learning. She knew far more characters than Chunsheng. If she didn’t know how to write a certain word, she would either rephrase her sentence or use a homophone, marking the spot with a small circle to ask her brothers about it later.

Besides diligently recording her meals, lesson topics, and social interactions, Jiujiu’s diary also included a section on the finances of the sorghum candy business.

Thanks to the promotion at the Peach Blossom Banquet, Meng Wudong, who had a keen business sense, had managed to sell sorghum candy all over Zhang County. He even devised a system of outsourcing and reselling—purchasing candy from Jiujiu at the rate of one wen per two pieces, then selling it to shops in Zhang County at the rate of two wen per three pieces—further expanding the candy’s market reach.

In just one short month, Jiujiu and Wei Liuhua had already purchased two more carts of sugar beets. Worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle all the work, Wei Liuhua frequently came over to help peel and mash the beets before leaving, never lingering to steal the recipe.

Now, the daily net income from sorghum candy had reached nearly two hundred wen. Fearing that too many copper coins would be difficult to store, Jiujiu had Meng Wudong consolidate the earnings into silver whenever possible. In less than a month, their money box had accumulated over four taels of silver.

Including the twenty-three taels of silver that Qiu Huanián had, their household savings now totaled more than twenty-seven taels, with a steady stream of income still coming in. Even factoring in Qiu Huanián’s monthly medical expenses, they could easily afford to build a grand and elegant brick house.

Jiujiu’s impressive handling of the sorghum candy business was an unexpected delight. Qiu Huanián did not hold back on his praise, and Du Yunse also commended Jiujiu for her diligence and eagerness to learn. Chunsheng, knowing his sister had indeed outdone him, could only lower his head sulkily. Qiu Huanián took note of his reaction but chose not to comment for the time being.

Later in the evening, Cunlan from the village chief’s household came to call them for dinner. The family made their way to the village chief’s house.

Coincidentally, Yun Cheng had just returned home from the county school. He had traveled by hitching rides on several mule carts and had only arrived a short while ago. Upon seeing Du Yunse, he immediately stood up in excitement, completely dropping his usual composed demeanor.

The village chief’s family had brought out their largest dining table. Since there were so many people, the meal was split into two tables. Many of the dishes were ones that Meng Fuyue, Ye Taohong, and the others had learned from Qiu Huanián—pickled fish, braised pork, and corn rib soup—paired with fresh seasonal vegetables and their homemade pickled side dishes. The meal was delicious and satisfying.

The village chief brought out a cherished bottle of wine and drank a few cups with Du Yunse and Yun Cheng to celebrate their successful exam results this year. When Du Yunse mentioned that he planned to take the autumn provincial exam next year to become a juren, the village chief repeatedly voiced his approval.

After the meal, the village chief noticed that Du Yunse had something to say. He dismissed the other guests, leaving only Du Yunse and Qiu Huanián behind. At Du Yunse’s request, Yun Cheng was also asked to stay.

The village chief had a faint sense of foreboding. With furrowed brows, he asked, “Yunse, what do you need to speak to me about privately?”

“It concerns Du Yunjing and his family.”

“Didn’t Yunjing also pass the scholar’s exam? Though he ranked last on the list, that’s still no easy feat…” The village chief asked uneasily, “Could it be that he used some improper means?”

Du Yunjing had left for the county school many years ago, so the village chief didn’t know him well. He had merely thought of him as another promising young scholar from Du Family Village.

After Du Yunjing’s mother, Zhao Shi, repeatedly caused trouble, the village chief had reluctantly protected their family for the sake of Du Yunjing’s future. However, he couldn’t shake a sense of doubt.

Then, after hearing Yun Cheng recount a few incidents of Du Yunjing’s conduct at the county school, the village chief’s hesitation grew stronger.

Now that Du Yunse had returned to the village after achieving high honors, while Du Yunjing’s family remained silent, the village chief’s unease deepened. Although Du Yunse hadn’t said anything yet, he was already starting to imagine the worst.

Du Yunse spoke calmly. “Du Yunjing’s rank on the exam list is indeed based on his own merit.”

Before the village chief could breathe a sigh of relief, Du Yunse continued in an even tone, “However, on the day of the results announcement, the provincial education commissioner publicly denounced him as ‘reckless and unfit for any serious role’ and barred him from taking the provincial exam for three consecutive terms.”

“Th-this, how could this be?”

The village chief was greatly shocked. The last time he had heard the term Education Commissioner was when Du Yunse had ranked first in the tongsheng examination at the tender age of ten, attracting the then Education Commissioner of Liao Prefecture to Du Family Village for an evaluation. The profound respect that County Magistrate Wang of Zhang County had shown toward the Education Commissioner had left a deep impression on him.

What exactly had Du Yunjing done? He was merely a newly listed xiucai, yet he had been so publicly reprimanded by the Education Commissioner of this prefecture?!

Du Yunse, in a calm and succinct tone, recounted all of Du Yunjing’s outrageous deeds in the prefectural city. Though he spoke of them lightly, as if they were nothing more than trivial matters, the village chief listened with mounting fury, his blood running cold.

At the gates of the examination hall, he had recklessly spouted nonsense, maliciously slandered his own kinsman who had made the same list, and incited other scholars to question the Education Commissioner. After being implicitly warned by the Education Commissioner, he had then deliberately refused to attend the Hundred Flavors Test hosted by the Prefect. To make matters worse, he had been caught in broad daylight engaged in indecent conduct with Li Gu’er.

Had it not been for the new Education Commissioner‘s strict adherence to rules and propriety, he could have revoked Du Yunjing’s xiucai title on the spot without giving anyone a chance to object!

Seeing the village chief nearly overcome with rage, Du Yunse signaled to Yun Cheng, instructing him to help the elder sit down and calm his breathing.

“Du Yunjing is overly jealous, just like his mother—greedy for small gains while sacrificing greater virtues. His downfall was inevitable, and the signs have long been there. village chief, why let this add to your frustration?”

“…”

The village chief took a sip of the water Yun Cheng offered, let out a long sigh, and spoke in a defeated tone, “Yunse, I… Ai!”

He thought of how he had stubbornly insisted on supporting that unworthy person, making Yunse and Hua-ge’er feel disheartened. Now, all he felt was regret and anger.

Yun Cheng consoled him, “Grandfather, you rarely interacted with Du Yunjing before, so it’s understandable that you misjudged him this once. Now that you see their true colors, that’s all that matters.”

“…” The village chief sighed deeply. “Their entire family is foolish, and with Li Gu’er involved, who knows what kind of trouble they’ll stir up when they return to the village?”

“I fear that Du Family Village will no longer have peace.”

Hearing this, Qiu Huanian’s heart stirred. “If that’s the case, why not simply drive away those who cause unrest?”

The village chief’s brow twitched. Was Hua-ge’er suggesting expelling them from the clan? That… that would be too ruthless against one’s own kin.

Qiu Huanian chuckled. “Village chief, you hold dear the bonds of kinship, but can the same be said of Du Yunjing’s family? When he was out there causing trouble, did he ever once consider the people of Du Family Village?”

“If Yunse hadn’t participated in the provincial examination, ranking first and earning the admiration of the Prefect and Education Commissioner, do you think, based solely on Du Yunjing’s actions, the Education Commissioner wouldn’t have developed a deep aversion toward all scholars from Du Family Village, thereby jeopardizing Yun Cheng and the others’ future in the imperial examinations?”

“We had Yun Cheng stay and listen to everything today precisely so he would understand the full context. That way, when he goes to take the provincial examination in the prefectural city, he won’t be caught off guard if questioned and will know how to respond.”

“…”

Qiu Huanian’s words quickly made the village chief realize just how disastrous Du Yunjing’s actions could be for all the Du clan scholars.

The thought that his most outstanding grandson, Yun Cheng, had nearly been dragged down by Du Yunjing, causing the Education Commissioner to look upon him unfavorably, hardened the village chief’s heart once more—just as it had been in his younger years when he roamed far and wide.

Lowering his eyes in contemplation, he shook his head and said, “I understand the gravity of this matter now. Leave it to me to handle. Baoquan and Zhao-shi are, after all, elders. You younger ones should stay out of this to avoid giving others a reason to gossip.”

Qiu Huanian glanced at Du Yunse, who gave him a slight nod. Seeing this, Qiu Huanian said no more.

Once all the guests had left, the village chief summoned Baoren and his wife, along with Yun Cheng, to his side once more.

Upon hearing of Du Yunjing’s disgraceful deeds in the prefectural city, Meng Fuyue’s first reaction was relief—thank goodness her little nephew hadn’t ended up with Du Yunjing. Otherwise, wouldn’t that have been pushing Ling-ge’er straight into a pit of fire?

The village chief then repeated Qiu Huanian’s reminder and his own analysis. Baoren and his wife immediately grew anxious.

The couple had been unfortunate when it came to children. They had birthed several, but only Yun Cheng had survived—he was their sole heir. Fortunately, Yun Cheng was intelligent and sensible, with a natural talent for scholarly pursuits, bringing them much comfort.

Their greatest hope was that one day their son would place high in the imperial examinations and bring honor to the family. Anyone who stood in the way of Yun Cheng’s future—they would fight them to the death!

Had it not been for the presence of her father-in-law, Meng Fuyue would have long since cursed Zhao-shi, Du Yunjing, Li Gu’er, and their ancestors three generations back thousands of times over.

Any further than that, and she’d be cursing her own ancestors.

“Committing such shameless acts without any regard for the clan’s reputation—why should he be allowed to return? Expel him! Once Du Yunjing is cast out, he’ll have nothing to do with Du Family Village anymore!”

Meng Fuyue was always impulsive, but this time, Baoren didn’t hold her back, because he felt exactly the same. If their father didn’t approve, he would fight for it even at the cost of being labeled unfilial.

The village chief shook his head, then turned to his eldest grandson. “Yun Cheng, what do you think?”

Yun Cheng replied in a steady voice, “Most members of Baoquan-shu’s household have never been of one mind with the Du clan. Putting aside the recent incidents, they have caused trouble in the village for years. If Grandfather wishes for peace in the village, such a family cannot remain here indefinitely—and they likely don’t wish to stay either.”

“Moreover, Grandfather has always said that Yunse is the qilin(prodigy) child bestowed upon the Du clan by the heavens. When a qilin meets rain, it soars with the wind, traveling thousands of miles. He will not remain confined to Du Family Village forever. Yunse and his husband are both people who repay kindness, but if Grandfather wants them to remain aligned with the clan, sacrifices must be made.”

“What has been done in the past was a mistake, but it’s not too late to correct it now.”

The village chief nodded with a smile. “Good. You’ve matured. At last, I have something to be glad about. Learn well from Yunse in the future—your grandfather looks forward to the day you too will soar like a qilin upon the clouds.”

Then, he turned to Meng Fuyue, who was holding back a flood of words. “Eldest daughter-in-law, I know you’re angry. You may spread word of Du Yunjing’s disgrace in the prefectural city far and wide—there’s no need to spare his reputation. The farther it spreads, the better. However, do not mention Yunse or Hua-ge’er. Simply say it was something you heard from the county officials.”

“Father, are you suggesting…” Baoren seemed to grasp something but couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it.

The village chief spoke to his eldest son with heartfelt sincerity, “If you’re going to make a move, you have to do it cleanly and neatly. These days, you should follow me and learn more. Can’t have the father falling behind while the son gets ahead.”

“Also, in the future, the eldest family should get closer to Baoquan’s eldest daughter-in-law. Although the Wei family isn’t well-off and she comes from a small village deep in the mountains, she seems to be an understanding person—capable and efficient. They must develop the intention to split the family on their own, only then can I fairly preside over the matter.”

…

On the morning of the second day after Qiu Huanian return, Meng Yuanling, having received the news, rode an ox cart driven by Meng Wudong to Du Village to visit him.

After meeting, the two exchanged congratulations first. Meng Yuanling brought along two jin of tofu and one jin of pork, while Meng Wudong, in an even grander gesture, brought a full jin of cooking oil and another jin of white sugar.

One jin of soybean oil cost 120 wen, and white sugar was about the same price. Altogether, these items were worth nearly three qian of silver. Qiu Huanian wanted to decline, but Meng Yuanling directly pressed down on his hand.

“Our gifts were bought with our own earnings, Hua ge’er, don’t be polite. My second brother has been making quite a bit of money recently—he ought to be taken advantage of properly.”

Meng Wudong laughed heartily. “Why does my Ling ge’er always side with outsiders? Weren’t you the one who dragged me here, begging me to bring you along?”

Lately, Meng Wudong had indeed been feeling proud and accomplished. Though he had been exhausting himself daily trying to sell sorghum candy everywhere and encountered many difficulties, he had finally escaped the shadow of being the second son of a tofu-making family with no chance of inheritance. How could he not be happy?

Since partnering with Qiu Huanian to distribute sorghum candy, he had already saved up a full seven taels of silver—enough to buy a strong blue-flowered mule! Just half a year ago, this was something he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of.

Meng Wudong had no interest in studying or the county exams, nor could he join in on the conversations between the younger boys. After lingering in the courtyard for a while, he started looking for work to do.

Seeing that the firewood stack in the courtyard was running low, he volunteered to go up the mountain to chop wood. Qiu Huanian tried to dissuade him, but Meng Yuanling egged him on, so he had no choice but to give in and instructed Chunsheng to lead the way.

Since the Meng brothers had come all this way, they would surely stay for lunch. Qiu Huanian set aside the tofu and meat that Meng Yuanling had brought and went to the vegetable garden to pick some fresh produce.

The two rows of sword beans he had planted after Qingming Festival, along with a row of bok choy, eggplant, and chili peppers, had all grown quite well. Tiny green fruits, about the length of a finger, could be seen hanging on the eggplant and chili plants. In about half a month, they would be ready for the first harvest. The bok choy’s tender leaves were perfect for eating now, and the lower part of the sword bean trellis had already yielded many young beans.

Qiu Huanian grabbed a woven willow basket and began picking the beans, with Meng Yuanling joining in to help. Qiu Huanian taught him to pick from the bottom up so that the lower beans wouldn’t take up all the nutrients, allowing the vines above to produce more. Since the Meng family didn’t farm much, Meng Yuanling listened with fascination, committing everything to memory whether he would use it in the future or not.

After picking half a basket of beans, he also cut a handful of chives, a few scallions, and some bok choy. Then, Qiu Huanian returned to the kitchen area to prepare lunch, while Meng Yuanling helped wash and trim the vegetables.

Qiu Huanian planned to make four simple home-cooked dishes: braised beans with pork, stir-fried chives with eggs, homestyle tofu, and a cold-dressed bok choy salad. The moment he listed them out, Meng Yuanling burst into laughter.

“Hua ge’er, you call this home-cooked? Then what do we eat daily? This is practically a village banquet!”

Qiu Huanian merely smiled. Having eaten the dishes prepared by the master chef at Shuyi House in the prefectural city, as well as those made by Madam Huang, he now looked at his own cooking and could only call it home-style.

But home-cooked didn’t mean low-end or tasteless. Using simple techniques to prepare food he had grown himself had a unique charm—something even the most extravagant delicacies couldn’t necessarily match.

Among the four dishes, the highlight was the braised beans with pork. The variety he planted might not actually be called sword beans in modern terms, but since the people of Zhang County referred to them as such, Qiu Huanian simply went along with it.

He first sliced the pork into thick pieces about half a finger in width, then placed them into a bowl, adding scallions, salt, soy sauce, and a bit of soybean oil to marinate. The pork for braising shouldn’t be cut too thin; otherwise, it would lose texture after stewing.

Meanwhile, Meng Yuanling had already cleaned the beans and trimmed off the ends and edges as Qiu Huanian had taught him. Qiu Huanian grabbed a handful of beans, twisted them in the middle until they snapped, and tossed them directly into a dry, heated iron pan.

Before stir-frying the beans, it was necessary to first dry-cook them in the hot pan to release their moisture. This way, they would later absorb the seasonings properly instead of turning out bland and watery.

Once the beans’ skins wrinkled slightly and emitted a cooked fragrance, Qiu Huanian removed them temporarily and added soybean oil, scallions, and a small piece of star anise to the pan for aroma. Then, he added the marinated pork and stir-fried until the fat rendered out, before putting the beans back in and seasoning with salt and soy sauce.

After tossing everything together thoroughly, he finally poured in enough water to cover the ingredients, put the lid on the pot, and let it simmer.

Meng Yuanling sniffed the delicious aroma wafting from the pot, twitched his small nose, and, while Qiu Huanian had a moment to spare, dragged him behind the pear tree.

The pear tree in the yard had long since lost its blossoms, and looking up, one could see small green fruits scattered among the dense leaves. By autumn, it would yield several baskets of pears.

“Ling ge’er, what do you want to ask?”

“Who said I wanted to ask anything!” Meng Yuanling hastily denied, looking around to ensure that Du Yunse was still reading in the main house and Jiujiu was in the left wing practicing embroidery, both too occupied to notice them. Then, he hesitated before saying, “I just… heard that Yuncheng came back to the village… is that true?”

“If you want to know whether Yuncheng came back, why not just go to your cousin’s house and check for yourself? You—” Qiu Huanian initially found it amusing but suddenly had a realization. His eyes lit up, and an inquisitive smirk appeared. “Oh, you—”

“Agh! There’s nothing going on!” Meng Yuanling vehemently denied, raising his voice slightly before quickly covering his mouth, his round eyes full of accusation.

“If there’s nothing, then so be it. No need to get worked up.” Qiu Huanian, seeing he wouldn’t get any gossip for now, could only drop it with some regret.

Meng Yuanling muttered quietly, “There really is nothing.”

Qiu Huanian deliberately teased, “Since there’s nothing, I won’t tell you about Yuncheng then.”

“What about Yuncheng?” Meng Yuanling immediately asked.

“No, nothing?” Qiu Huanian smiled at him.

“…” Meng Yuanling’s face turned red. He stomped his foot and grabbed Qiu Huanian’s arm, shaking it. “Hua ge’er, I beg you, you know what I mean—stop messing with me!”

Qiu Huanian poked his dimple, and Meng Yuanling quickly puffed up his cheeks and covered his face, trying to glare at him into feeling guilty.

After having his fun, Qiu Huanian finally said seriously, “Yuncheng returned late yesterday and will be heading back to the county school today. He’ll be coming over after lunch to ask Yunse some questions. If you stay a bit longer, you’ll see him.”

Meng Yuanling let out a breath of relief, nodded, and then gradually blushed, lost in thought.

After a month apart, much of the baby fat on Meng Yuanling’s face had faded. His cheeks were still round, but his chin had become sharper. When he pursed his lips in a smile, he looked like an adorable little hamster. He had lost weight so quickly—not just due to the natural changes of adolescence, but likely also because of the worries of a young heart.

With all of Meng Yuanling’s reactions, how could Qiu Huanian not understand? At first, he was happy for this good friend he had made not long after arriving in this world, but soon after, a hint of worry crept in.

Meng Yuanling and Yun Cheng were cousins, one year apart in age. Qingfu Town and Du Family Village were not far from each other, and the two had grown up together like childhood sweethearts. Meng Yuanling was lively and lovable, while Yun Cheng was mature beyond his years and naturally inclined to worry. If they could truly end up together, it would certainly be a wonderful match.

However, Meng Yuanling’s feelings were already obvious, while no one knew how Yun Cheng felt. If one had affection while the other remained indifferent, there would be nothing that could be done about it.

Besides, Yun Cheng’s mother, Meng Fuyue, had previously been persuaded by Madam Zhao to act as a matchmaker for Meng Yuanling and Du Yunjing. Although that match ultimately fell through, it was clear that Meng Fuyue had never considered Meng Yuanling as a future daughter-in-law.

Even if Meng Fuyue were willing, Yun Cheng, as the most promising eldest grandson of the village chief’s family, would not have his marriage settled so easily. His future would also depend on the village chief’s decision.

Although the Meng family’s financial situation was already quite good for a rural household, Yun Cheng was still very young. If he planned to pursue the imperial examinations, there was no need to rush into marriage. He would surely have opportunities to meet someone with even better prospects in the future.

As for the matter of kinship, that was hardly an obstacle. Marrying within the extended family was quite common in ancient times—after all, Meng Fuyue was still Meng Yuanling’s paternal cousin.

Even in modern times, Yun Cheng and Meng Yuanling were beyond three generations of direct blood relatives, so from a scientific standpoint, there would be no issue, and the law would permit their marriage.

Although Meng Yuanling was playful and mischievous, he was not foolish. He had thought about these matters himself. That was why, despite coming to Du Family Village, he did not dare to visit his cousin’s house to see Yun Cheng. He was afraid that if someone noticed something, he would have no choice but to give up completely.

For the past while, the sweetness and torment in Meng Yuanling’s heart had never ceased. He would often sit alone, smiling to himself, only for tears to suddenly roll down his cheeks. This had worried both his mother and sister-in-law, who could not understand what was wrong with him.

Meng Yuanling dared not speak about it. His family and Yun Cheng’s family had always been close relatives. If a misunderstanding arose between the younger generation and strained their relationship, Meng Yuanling would feel like finding a block of tofu and smashing it against his own head.

Only in front of his good friend Qiu Huanian, where these concerns did not apply, did he dare to reveal even a small part of his feelings.

Seeing Meng Yuanling lost in thought, looking as if he were about to cry, Qiu Huanian quickly changed the subject. “Alright, alright, you got your answer. Let’s go back and finish cooking—we still have a few dishes to make.”

“You better not cry, or when Yun Cheng arrives later, he’ll definitely ask why his cousin Ling’s eyes are all red. Let’s see how you explain that.”

Meng Yuanling let out a laugh. His mood shifted as quickly as it came, and he returned to washing the baby bok choy.

As he scrubbed the base of the bok choy, his hands suddenly paused for a brief moment. Then, lowering his head ever so slightly, he murmured almost imperceptibly, “If only he actually knew to ask…”