The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 53: Harvest

The oppressive summer heat had passed, and autumn was deepening. Outside Du Family Village, crops such as corn, sorghum, and soybeans had nearly all been harvested.

The grain was transported home by the farmers to be dried, while the unprocessed stalks lay in piles across the fields. The sky was high and clear, stretching endlessly without a single cloud, resembling a serene oil painting.

None of these stalks would go to waste. Whether used as fuel or mixed with farmyard manure to create fertilizer, they were extremely valuable.

In the cotton fields, most of the early bolls had matured, and the cotton stalks were beginning to wither. Although a final batch of autumn bolls, making up just over ten percent of the total yield, was still growing, the fields had mostly completed their purpose for the year.

As the fruit ripens, the stem detaches naturally; as the cotton bursts from its pods, it follows the natural rhythm of life. With the diligent efforts of the farmers, a bountiful harvest had arrived.

Qiu Huanian hired a few temporary workers to pick all the cotton that had fluffed open across his three-acre plot. The raw cotton was packed into large wicker baskets, each half a person’s height, and piled up to completely cover the floors of two rear storage rooms, leaving barely any space to step.

Once the picking was done, the workers moved on to processing the cotton. There was only one cotton gin(processor), so Qiu Huanian taught them how to operate it, and they took turns using the machine while others separated the raw cotton by hand. It took several days of effort to transform all the raw cotton into refined cotton fiber.

Once the refined cotton was ready, Qiu Huanian chose a crisp, clear morning and brought out a large steelyard balance. Making a ceremony of it, he gathered the family together to weigh the year’s cotton harvest.

This steelyard was something he had specially purchased—it was several times larger than a regular one, with a rod as thick as a rolling pin and over a meter long, capable of weighing up to a hundred catties at once.

Qiu Huanian couldn’t lift the scale himself, so Du Yunse held it steady while he adjusted the counterweights and read the measurements. Jiujiu and Chunsheng stood nearby, tense with excitement as they watched the cotton and counterweights balance on the scale.

“There must be six hundred catties(300kgs 1catty=0.5kg), at least six hundred…” Jiujiu muttered under her breath.

After hearing about cotton farming all year, she had a general sense of the expected yield. Under normal conditions, with no disasters, the average cotton yield per mu was around 180 catties. In particularly good years, the most experienced farmers might achieve 200 catties per mu(666sqm).

When Qiu Huanian first announced that he would grow cotton using his own methods, guaranteeing a yield of over 200 catties per mu, everyone had scoffed, dismissing his claim as ridiculous.

Now that he had proven he truly knew how to cultivate cotton, the only remaining mystery was the exact final yield.

Since nearly all the harvested cotton was stored here, if the yield really reached 200 catties per mu, the total weight in the storage room should be around 600 catties.

Chunsheng clenched his fists and stared at the sacks of refined cotton, mimicking his sister’s chant: “Seven hundred catties… seven hundred catties…”(350kg)

Qiu Huanian chuckled at the two children’s antics. Smiling, he and Du Yunse began tying several sacks of refined cotton together and hooking them onto the scale for weighing.

The storage room was stacked with over a hundred cotton-filled sacks. To prevent moisture damage, they were elevated on wooden planks half a foot above the ground, forming an impressive, wall-like pile. Since cotton was light and fluffy, even a large sack barely weighed ten catties, so they tied several sacks together to weigh them all at once.

“These few sacks weigh forty-three catties…”

“These ones, fifty-two catties…”

“Forty-eight catties…”

As Qiu Huanian carefully adjusted the counterweights and called out each measurement, Chunsheng dashed back to the study, grabbed a used bamboo paper, and crouched down to record the numbers with an ink-dipped brush.

His writing was wobbly and uneven, and his brush, not properly moistened, often tore through the paper with its stiff strokes. Normally, Jiujiu would have scolded him, but right now, she was too absorbed in the numbers to care.

Du Yunse held the scale steady, and with every number Qiu Huanian announced, Chunsheng hurriedly scribbled it down while Jiujiu, lips pressed tightly together, calculated the running total in her head over and over again.

Four hundred catties… five hundred catties… six hundred catties!

Jiujiu abruptly looked up and saw that there were still more than ten sacks left to weigh in the storage room.

Could there really be seven hundred catties? No—perhaps even eight hundred!

Qiu Huanian was also keeping a mental tally. He wasn’t as anxious as Jiujiu, but he was just as eager to see the final result of a year’s hard work.

“Sixty-three catties…”

“Fifty-one catties…”

…

“These last sacks weigh fifty-eight catties.”

“The total is eight hundred and sixteen catties!” Jiujiu blurted out.(430kg)

There was still a small batch of cotton left in the field. If that was included, the total yield would be close to nine hundred catties, meaning nearly 300 catties per mu!

Qiu Huanian confirmed the number and smiled.

Even by modern agricultural standards, a yield of 300 catties per mu was impressive. Achieving this output was thanks to the naturally fertile black soil of the Northeast, his continual experimentation and improvements in cultivation techniques, and the careful tending of the cotton plants from spring to autumn.

Three acres, nearly nine hundred catties of cotton. After deducting taxes, they would still have over eight hundred catties left.

This was Qiu Huanian’s first harvest season since arriving in the ancient world. He believed that, with continued effort, such abundant harvests would only become more frequent.

“Today, the whole family gets a day off. Later, we’ll go to town to buy meat and seasonings—we’re throwing a harvest feast!” Qiu Huanian declared.

“I want roast chicken!” Chunsheng immediately responded enthusiastically.

“And braised pork,” Qiu Huanian added with a grin.

Chunsheng chimed in again, “Jiujiu will definitely want stuffed tofu.”

Qiu Huanian turned to Du Yunse and deliberately emphasized his next words, “Husband will surely want fried quail.”

“….” These were all Qiu Huanian’s favorites. Du Yunse could only chuckle helplessly. “I want all of them.”

And so, the family of four headed to town together.

The household’s monthly earnings from selling sorghum candy amounted to around six taels of silver. Two taels were spent on Qiu Huanian’s medicine, one tael on improving meals and making clothes, and another tael on purchasing paper and brushes for everyone’s education, leaving two taels remaining.

To prepare for unexpected situations, the remaining two taels were saved by Qiu Huanian each month. Although the family lived comfortably, they couldn’t spend money recklessly—every expense was planned carefully.

However, today, in celebration of the harvest, Qiu Huanian disregarded the budget and planned to “splurge lavishly.”

Their first stop in town was naturally Meng Yuanling’s tofu shop. After leaving their mule cart in the courtyard of the shop, Meng Yuanling happily pulled Qiu Huanian aside to chat.

Since the first time Qiu Huanian had met Meng Yuanling, only a little over half a year had passed. The baby fat on Meng Yuanling’s face had nearly disappeared, leaving a pair of bright, fluttering eyes that looked incredibly adorable on his small face. His dimples, however, remained in the same place when he smiled.

Qiu Huanian noticed a primer book placed on the table where Meng Yuanling sold tofu and sorghum candy and was surprised. “Since when did our Ling Ge’er start reading?”

When Qiu Huanian first met Meng Yuanling, he had asked if he wanted to learn how to read, but Meng Yuanling hadn’t been very interested. In this era, most rural men were completely illiterate, and a Ge’er knowing how to read wasn’t considered particularly useful.

Since Meng Yuanling had no interest in learning, Qiu Huanian hadn’t pushed him. He hadn’t expected that in less than a year, Meng Yuanling would change his mind and start studying on his own.

Meng Yuanling shyly hid the primer under the table. “I’m just casually looking at it, it’s nothing serious.”

“Where did you ‘casually’ get a primer from?” Qiu Huanian didn’t believe him at all. Although primers were short in length and relatively cheap, a single copy still cost two qian of silver.

“I bought it with my own money.” Meng Yuanling’s face showed a hint of pride as he spoke. “I also have to thank you, Hua Ge’er, for letting me sell sorghum candy. Having money in my own hands makes a real difference. I don’t have many things to spend on, so over the past few months, I’ve saved nearly five taels of silver.”

“As it should be. I don’t have the time to come to town every day, so leaving it to you works perfectly. Back when I first started selling sorghum candy, didn’t you let me use your family’s tofu shop for free and even helped me promote it?”

Meng Yuanling chuckled. “I heard that my aunt’s family and yours have almost finished harvesting the cotton. So, how much did you collect in total?”

Qiu Huanian held up three fingers.

Meng Yuanling was stunned for a moment, then lowered his voice and gasped in shock, “Three hundred jin in total, or three hundred jin per mu?”

“You guess?” Qiu Huanian said with a mischievous smile.

“…” Meng Yuanling had learned his lesson. “If you’re asking like this, then it must be three hundred jin per mu.”

After stating this number, the excitement and joy in his heart settled into certainty.

If Yun Cheng was like a devoted follower of Du Yunse in Qiu Huanian’s teasing, then Meng Yuanling could absolutely be considered a die-hard fan of Qiu Huanian.

In his eyes, Hua Ge’er could do anything and do it well. If he said he would accomplish something, he would definitely achieve it. So, a yield of only one hundred jin per mu was out of the question. That meant it could only be the seemingly unbelievable three hundred jin.

Qiu Huanian nodded. Meng Yuanling let out a cheer. “This year, I’m going to use my own money to sew a pair of thick knee protectors for everyone in my family. I’ll buy cotton from you when the time comes.”

“Alright, I’ll pick out the best cotton for you.”

Before leaving, Qiu Huanian noticed that Meng Yuanling seemed hesitant to speak, so he understood immediately. “What’s wrong? Asking about Yun Cheng again?”

“Hua Ge’er, keep your voice down!” Meng Yuanling waved his hands in panic. Although Qiu Huanian had already lowered his voice, Meng Yuanling was still afraid someone might overhear.

“I heard that every autumn during the harvest, the county school grants a few days of leave to students from rural areas so they can return home to help. Is Yun Cheng… coming back?”

Qiu Huanian recalled what Meng Fuyue had casually mentioned a few days ago. “It should be within the next few days. His family didn’t want him to disrupt his studies by coming back, but since Uncle Baoyi is away doing corvée labor this year, they don’t have enough people at home. Yun Cheng insisted on returning to help.”

Although most of the crops had already been harvested, drying, storing grain, and clearing the leftover stalks were still not easy tasks. With Yun Cheng back to help for a few days, his clan leader’s family would have a lighter workload.

Meng Yuanling patted his chest and let out a breath without saying anything.

Qiu Huanian gave him a suggestion. “Your family doesn’t farm much. You can go to your aunt’s place to help during those days and bring your primer along to ask Yun Cheng for guidance.”

“That… that wouldn’t be proper, right?” Meng Yuanling hesitated.

“What’s improper about it? Don’t overthink it. Just focus on being eager to learn, and you’ll be fine. Yun Cheng definitely won’t refuse to teach you.” By now, Qiu Huanian could somewhat consider himself an “experienced person.”

“I… I’ll try when the time comes…” Even though nothing had happened yet, Meng Yuanling was already nervous to the point of being tense.

…

After leaving the tofu shop, Qiu Huanian and his family officially began their shopping spree. They walked through the two intersecting streets of Qingfu Town from end to end.

Qiu Huanian bought two jin of pork, one jin of mutton, and a dressed chicken from the butcher shop. At the spice store, he replenished all the seasonings their household was running low on. After coming out, he began browsing the street stalls on both sides.

With autumn here, the mountains were full of plump game. The hunters who lived in the nearby mountains would bring their catches to town to sell if they didn’t want to go all the way to the county.

Qiu Huanian successfully bought a plump quail and a skinned wild rabbit.

“What do you do with the hides of the animals you hunt?”

As the hunter packed Qiu Huanian’s purchases, he replied with a smile, “We mountain folks tan the hides ourselves and store them up until we have enough to take to the county to sell. The fur from the Northeast is famous, and merchants from other regions come specifically to buy it.”

“Unfortunately, the game in our mountains isn’t abundant. The most common catch is rabbits, and occasionally a fox. I have a distant relative who lives further north—he once hunted a deer! He sold the entire hide for ten taels of silver!”

At this point, the hunter’s smile suddenly froze.

“What’s wrong?”

“…That distant relative of mine was conscripted for labor at the border. Recently, we received word that he died on the battlefield.”

The topic became heavy. The hunter silently finished packing Qiu Huanian’s meat and finally said, “If you want to buy hides, you can come to me. I guarantee it’ll be cheaper than what’s sold in stores.”

Noting that Qiu Huanian and his family were carrying large and small bundles and didn’t seem short on money, the hunter offered this deal since Qiu Huanian seemed interested in hides.

“Alright, if I need some, I’ll come ask you.”

Qiu Huanian was indeed researching leather. Winter was approaching, and winters in the northeast were no joke. There were four people in the household—he himself was frail and sickly, Jiujiu and Chunsheng were still children, and although Du Yunse was young and strong, being exposed to the cold was never a good thing. Qiu Huanian had to make thorough preparations.

In ancient times, the two main materials for keeping warm were cotton and leather.

Thanks to Shiliu’s continuous “hunting” over those few days, Qiu Huanian now had five rabbit pelts, two fox pelts, and an entire wild boar hide that, when spread out, was as large as half a person. He planned to acquire some additional leather and make hats, gloves, and shoes to fully equip his family for the frigid winter snow.

After purchasing ingredients, Qiu Huanian also bought a few gauze-covered hairpins for Jiujiu and a red lacquered spinning top for Chunsheng—one that had nearly made him stop in his tracks when he saw it. Their last stop was the town’s paper and stationery shop.

The shopkeeper, Wang Cheng, saw Qiu Huanian and his family enter. He was momentarily stunned before he greeted them with a smile. “Isn’t this Young Master Qiu and Young Master Du? What would you like to buy today?”

“Two sheets of Xuan paper, four wolf-hair brushes, and two ingots of pine soot ink,” Qiu Huanian listed his shopping items. These paper, brushes, and ink would last the household two to three months. For perishable supplies, it was always better to buy more at once and store them to avoid making extra trips.

“Alright, I’ll wrap them up for you right away.”

Wang Cheng cheerfully accepted the large order, retrieving the items from the shelves while sighing inwardly.

He still remembered that before the Qingming Festival this year, this Ge’er named Qiu Huanian had spent several days in his shop from morning till night, painting funeral papers just to earn a few taels of silver. Yet, in less than a year, the same person was now spending a few taels of silver in a single purchase!

Word had it that their new house was particularly grand, and Du Yunse had even taken the top spot in this year’s county-level examination.

Who knew what their future would look like in just a few more years?

…

Qiu Huanian and his family drove the mule cart, fully loaded, back home. Just as they arrived at their doorstep, they happened to run into the people from Widow Zhuang’s household next door.

Since Zirong returned with her two children and frequently caused trouble for Qiu Huanian’s family in the village, Widow Zhuang, feeling guilty, voluntarily cut off contact with Qiu Huanian’s household.

At first, Zirong and her children, Yuchuan and her younger brother, were extremely arrogant, often looking down on the villagers. They constantly referred to them as “peasants” and “country folk,” and would mock others condescendingly at every opportunity.

However, as time passed and they received neither financial support from Bai Yanwen nor an invitation to return to the Bai family, they gradually realized their predicament. The man who had brought them here, Bai Yanwen, had even left Zhang County to return to the capital. Zirong and her two children were now crying out for help to no avail, and finally, they came to terms with reality, restraining themselves somewhat.

Seeing the meat on the cart, Zirong pinched her hand lightly at her side before putting on a smile and saying, “Hua Ge’er, is your family cooking meat today?”

Before Qiu Huanian could answer, Chunsheng immediately responded with annoyance, “Yes! Braised pork, roasted chicken, fried quail, stuffed tofu… and a whole lot more meat!”

“But it’s all ours! Even if you’re craving it, you’re not getting any!”

Chunsheng still remembered how Bai Lansheng, Yuchuan’s younger brother, had once deliberately broken his spinning top. Instead of disciplining her son or offering compensation, Zirong had scolded Chunsheng for being narrow-minded, making a fuss over something as insignificant as a spinning top.

Despite his young age, Chunsheng was someone who held grudges. Zirong and her children had long been added to his list of grievances.

Zirong hadn’t tasted meat in nearly a month. Seeing the large quantity of meat the Qiu Huanian family had purchased, she harbored some small intentions, only to be called out directly by Chunsheng, leaving her utterly embarrassed.

Jiujiu smiled gently and nodded slightly at the glaring Yuchuan, maintaining the composure of a well-bred lady without the slightest intention of reprimanding her younger brother for his words.

Qiu Huanian took everything in with a faint smile and said, “Chunsheng, Jiujiu, help me carry the things into the courtyard. Yunse, please take the mule cart to the backyard.”

Watching Qiu Huanian ignore her and walk away, Zirong clenched her teeth in silent rage.

When they were driven out, their jewelry and fine clothing had already been taken away. Bai Yanwen had left them only ten taels of silver—severing all ties with that sum.

Having spent over a decade in luxury by Bai Yanwen’s side, and with her son, Lansheng, being his only child for a long time, Zirong had once held a status nearly equal to the legitimate wife.

She was accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, and ten taels of silver were far from sufficient. The journey from the capital to Du Village had already depleted the money, leaving her penniless. With winter approaching, she could not even afford decent winter clothes.

She had initially believed Bai Yanwen would remain in Zhang County for a long time. Without his legal wife around to interfere, she thought that, given enough time, he would eventually change his mind. Thus, she hadn’t been too anxious.

But to her shock, Bai Yanwen had suddenly and unexpectedly left Zhang County, abandoning her and their two children in Du Village as if they had never existed in his life.

Zirong was unaware that Qiu Huanian had publicly criticized Bai Yanwen in Xiefang Garden for “abandoning his wife and children,” which had, to some extent, fueled Bai Yanwen’s growing resentment and decisiveness in cutting ties with them.

Yet, despite her ignorance of this fact, she still harbored deep resentment toward her neighbor.

They were both from Du Village, so why was she the one who had fallen from grace, banished back to this impoverished and filthy countryside, while Qiu Huanian’s family continued to live so well?

Even if Qiu Huanian had known Zirong’s thoughts, he wouldn’t have cared. Upon returning home, he immediately began preparing the meal, with Jiujiu and the others coming over to help. Working together as a family, they had all the dishes ready within an hour.

Besides the planned dishes, Qiu Huanian also made cold-spiced rabbit and roasted lamb—two of Jiujiu and Du Yunse’s favorite dishes, respectively.

“Hua Ge, isn’t this too much food?” Jiujiu hesitated as she looked at the table full of dishes.

Qiu Huanian smiled, “Why worry? It’s the harvest season—we should cook more of what everyone loves. Now that the weather has cooled down, anything left over can be eaten tomorrow morning. Nothing will go to waste.”

The family sat around the stone table in the courtyard, eating happily and freely. There was no need for formalities or toasts—just laughter filling the air. The rich aroma of food mingled with the lingering scent of the village’s freshly harvested grain, bringing a sense of contentment.

It wasn’t until night had fully fallen that they finished their meal and began tidying up.

During dinner, Qiu Huanian had opened a small jar of rice wine. Du Yunse, not allowing him to drink too much, had persuaded him to have only two small cups. At the time, Qiu Huanian had thought nothing of it, but after washing up, the alcohol slowly took effect. Half-reclining against the heated brick bed, he grinned foolishly.

After ensuring the two children were asleep and checking that the doors and windows were securely locked, Du Yunse returned to the main room, only to be greeted by this sight.

His beautiful little Ge’er had slightly flushed cheeks, his silky hair draping over his shoulders. His half-dazed eyes gleamed with intoxication, and he leaned lazily against the edge of the brick bed, giggling for no apparent reason.

Du Yunse sighed and approached, intending to carry Qiu Huanian to bed. “Didn’t you say two cups wouldn’t affect you? And now you’re drunk.”

Qiu Huanian smacked his lips. “Not drunk. I’m not drunk at all.”

He pressed himself against Du Yunse, burying his face in his shoulder and rubbing against him. “Don’t scold me. I just wanted to drink!”

Du Yunse, now certain that his little husband was indeed drunk, gently coaxed him while cradling his head to prevent him from hitting anything. “Alright, let’s rest for now. We can talk about it tomorrow, okay?”

Unexpectedly, Qiu Huanian struggled against him, refusing to be carried. “I’m not sleeping! I still have something to do.”

Du Yunse protected his head and asked, “What does Hua Ge’er want to do?”

“I want to… I want to…” Qiu Huanian paused. Just when Du Yunse thought he wouldn’t continue, he suddenly declared loudly, “I want to watch you write poetry!”

Write poetry? Now? Du Yunse was momentarily speechless.

Qiu Huanian, still drunkenly pushing against his shoulder, made his demand sound like a spoiled request. “Go write me a poem! Right now!”

“…What kind of poem does Hua Ge’er want?” Du Yunse asked seriously.

“A love poem! I’ve never received a love poem before!” Qiu Huanian’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“…”

That night, Qiu Huanian dragged Du Yunse into the study and fussed for half an hour before finally “forcing” a love poem out of him.

Du Yunse, as always, followed along obediently, doing whatever Qiu Huanian asked. But the next morning, when Qiu Huanian sobered up, he was so embarrassed that he carefully folded the poem and hid it at the very bottom of his money box, forbidding anyone from mentioning it again.

Meanwhile, the cotton yields from the clan leader’s family and Hu Qiuyan’s family had been measured. Since it was their first time planting cotton, and they hadn’t perfectly replicated Qiu Huanian’s methods, their yields were around 250 jin per mu. Although not as high as Qiu Huanian’s 300 jin per mu, the results were still astonishing.

A few days later, Zhu Jingcheng, who had promised to purchase the cotton, finally arrived in Du Village.