The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 54: Selling Cotton

When Zhu Jingcheng arrived at Du Family Village, Qiu Huanian was in the backyard tending to the vegetable garden, preparing to pickle vegetables for the winter.

The vegetable garden wasn’t large, but it contained a variety of crops. Under Qiu Huanian’s careful care, it had provided vegetables for the family throughout the summer and autumn, and after harvesting and processing, they could still last through the winter.

In autumn, vegetables spoil more slowly. Qiu Huanian had already stored over half a basket of yard-long beans and eggplants. With another round of picking today, there would be enough to make pickled vegetables. The process was simple: cut the vegetables into pieces, steam them until cooked, let them cool, mix them with chopped chili peppers, ginger, and salt, add some white liquor for sterilization, then store everything in a clean, dry, and oil-free jar that had been sterilized at high temperatures. After sealing the jar and placing it in a cool spot for about ten days, the pickled vegetables would be ready to eat.

As long as they were stored properly and not contaminated, a single jar of pickled vegetables could last until April or May of the following year without any issues, as long as the weather didn’t get too hot.

Qiu Huanian harvested all the yard-long beans from the trellis and picked the remaining eggplants from the now-withered plants, gathering a full basket of vegetables—enough to fill a medium-sized jar for pickling.

He stood up from his small stool and dusted off his hands, just as he heard commotion outside. Chunsheng came running over, saying that a large group of people had arrived at the front gate.

When Qiu Huanian stepped outside and saw Zhu Jingcheng, he was a little surprised. He had previously sent a letter to the prefectural city saying that the cotton in the fields was almost ready for harvest and had asked Zhu Jingcheng to send people to purchase it. He hadn’t expected Zhu Jingcheng to come in person.

“Ever since we parted in the prefectural city, I’ve been thinking about the cotton you planted, Young Master Qiu. Now that I know it has yielded a good harvest, I couldn’t wait any longer and had to come personally,” Zhu Jingcheng explained seriously.

Qiu Huanian smiled. “No need to be so formal, Young Master Zhu. Just treat this as a visit to a friend’s house.”

“Then I’ll consider it a friendly visit and take the liberty of disturbing you,” Zhu Jingcheng replied with a hearty laugh.

Du Yunse had gone to the small river behind the village to fetch water, but he soon returned and exchanged greetings with Zhu Jingcheng. Zhu Jingcheng discreetly observed this young scholar, who was well-known in the prefectural city yet still lived humbly in the countryside, and his admiration deepened. This strengthened his resolve regarding his choice.

Zhu Jingcheng had brought four servants and two carriages. Qiu Huanian assigned them two covered storage rooms, and the servants immediately went to park the carriages and settle in, while Zhu Jingcheng was invited into the main house for conversation.

Zhu Jingcheng, despite his eagerness about the cotton harvest, did not immediately discuss it. Instead, he spoke about something else first.

“I originally planned to bring Jingwei along on this trip, but right before departure, he caught a cold. My mother was worried about his health and forced him to stay behind, even pulling him off the carriage herself.”

Qiu Huanian pictured Zhu Jingwei being dragged off a carriage and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“Please convey my regards to young master Jingwei and Madam Zhu.”

“Of course. Jingwei has made great progress over the past six months. He’s been managing the fermented tofu business diligently and no longer wastes time on frivolous pursuits. My mother is very pleased. She regrets that your stay in the prefectural city was too short last time, as she didn’t get a chance to meet you in person.”

“I brought Jiang Er along this time. He will update you on the situation of the fermented tofu business.”

Jiang Er was a capable old servant of the Zhu family, assigned by Zhu’s wife to help Zhu Jingwei manage the business. Qiu Huanian had met him once before in the prefectural city.

Jiang Er, who had been waiting outside, entered upon hearing Zhu Jingcheng’s words and handed Qiu Huanian a thick stack of account books.

“This is a copy of the quarterly accounts for the fermented tofu business. The accountant has already reviewed the numbers before we came. Gongzi, please check if there are any discrepancies, and I will report back accordingly.”

Qiu Huanian had agreed with Zhu Jingwei that the business profits would be settled quarterly. Since the Dragon Boat Festival, the timing was just about right. Zhu Jingwei had originally planned to personally deliver the accounts by hitching a ride with his brother, but he unexpectedly fell ill and was taken back by his mother.

Qiu Huanian didn’t review the details yet but glanced at the first page, where the accountant had summarized the profits: a net profit of 312 taels of silver for the quarter, with 32 taels allocated to Qiu Huanian.

“This profit is higher than I expected,” Qiu Huanian admitted honestly. He had estimated that the business would make around 100 to 200 taels per quarter at best.

Clearly, big businesses needed professionals to handle them.

Jiang Er smiled. “Young master Jingwei has devoted himself entirely to the business these past few months. He has come up with many ideas, pulled various connections, and, with our support, managed to achieve these results.”

Money could make more money. Even if someone else had started the business, without the Zhu family’s connections, information, and longstanding reputation, they would have struggled to expand it to this level.

Jiang Er handed Qiu Huanian a package of silver. The heavy weight in his hands was truly satisfying.

After chatting about news from the prefectural city and everyday matters, they finally moved on to discussing the cotton harvest.

When Zhu Jingcheng heard that Qiu Huanian’s cotton fields had yielded nearly 300 jin per mu, and that the other two families who had followed his planting method had yields of around 250 jin per mu, even with his extensive experience, he was momentarily stunned.

The Zhu family was heavily involved in the fabric trade, and Zhu Jingcheng traveled south every year to buy cotton. He understood exactly what an output of 300 jin per mu meant.

Even in the best cotton-producing regions along the Yellow River, which had the most suitable climate, such yields had never been seen!

If he hadn’t already known Qiu Huanian’s capabilities and character, his first reaction would have been suspicion.

“Would Young Master Qiu be willing to sell the cotton planting method? The Zhu family is willing to pay a high price—name any condition!”

Qiu Huanian smiled and shook his head. Before Zhu Jingcheng could make another offer, he spoke.

“I have already compiled the cotton planting method into an agricultural manual, which I plan to distribute freely to benefit all people. When the book is published, Young Master Zhu can simply buy a copy—there’s no need for any special payment.”

Zhu Jingcheng was taken aback.

He had never expected this response.

Even if Qiu Huanian had sold the method to only a select few, the achievement of growing ‘miracle cotton’ with such high yields would have earned him recognition from the imperial court, securing both fame and fortune.

Yet, Qiu Huanian chose to share the knowledge freely, giving up immense profits.

Zhu Jingcheng did not try to persuade him otherwise. He could see Qiu Huanian’s determination and broad-mindedness.

“My trip to Zhang County has been truly enlightening,” Zhu Jingcheng sighed sincerely.

“When will Young Master Qiu’s agricultural book be completed?”

“The first draft is already finished, but after all, I’ve only planted for a year, with a total of just five mu of cotton. The sample size is too small. I plan to plant a few more mu of cotton next year, revalidate and revise it before releasing the book.”

Zhu Jingcheng pondered for a moment and nodded. “Are the two of you planning to live in Xiangping Prefecture next year?”

“Yunse has already accepted the invitation from Dean Min of Qingfeng Academy and will enroll there in early spring next year. Our whole family will be moving over.” This was not a secret.

Zhu Jingcheng extended an invitation. “Our family has several estates around Xiangping Prefecture. Young Master Qiu, why not choose one to plant cotton? It would be convenient and cost-effective—wouldn’t that be better?”

Qiu Huanian felt a stir in his heart. His original plan was to buy a few mu of land near Xiangping Prefecture’s city to plant cotton. However, land near the prefectural city would certainly be more expensive than in Du Family Village, and if he bought too much, they wouldn’t be able to manage it.

If he could use Zhu Family’s estates directly, not only would it save a large sum of money, but the tenant farmers on the estate could also take care of the fields, eliminating the need to hire extra labor.

“It’s still early. Let’s talk about it next spring.” Qiu Huanian neither refused nor immediately agreed.

Zhu Jingcheng noticed Qiu Huanian’s interest, which was enough. As long as there was interest, the details of cooperation could be discussed later.

Zhu Jingcheng only stayed in Du Family Village for two days. Since the Zhu Family had many business affairs to handle, he soon took his leave.

He purchased the cotton from Qiu Huanian’s family at a price of 150 wen per jin, and also bought the cotton from the clan leader’s family and Hu Qiuyan’s family.

Previously, when Qiu Huanian bought cotton in the county, the price was 180 wen per jin. However, the retail price and bulk purchasing prices were naturally different. Those merchants had to spend time and money transporting cotton from the production areas to Zhang County. After all their effort, they naturally needed to make a profit.

The price Zhu Jingcheng offered was already the highest price he had ever given for the finest quality cotton in cotton-producing areas.

The clan leader’s family sold 200 jin of cotton, keeping 40 to 50 jin for their own use. Hu Qiuyan’s family, being smaller, sold 230 jin. Qiu Huanian, on the other hand, sold a full 800 jin, leaving the remaining small portion and the cotton still in the fields to make winter coats and bedding.

In the end, the clan leader’s family earned 30 taels of silver, Hu Qiuyan’s family earned 35 taels, and Qiu Huanian earned a total of 120 taels. A whole year of hard work and bold experimentation had finally paid off handsomely.

Zhu Jingcheng hired seven or eight freight carts from the county’s transport bureau. One by one, sacks of refined cotton were carried out and stacked on the cart beds, covered with oilcloth, and secured. The entire process was quite a spectacle.

There are no secrets in a village. Soon, everyone knew that the cotton from these three families had all been sold. Though they didn’t know the exact amount, seeing so many sacks, who wouldn’t guess that they had made a fortune?

Back in spring, many villagers had doubted Qiu Huanian’s decision to plant cotton and had taken a wait-and-see attitude. Now, they regretted it. If only they had followed Qiu Huanian’s lead and planted cotton, they would have struck it rich too!

Zhu Jingcheng promptly paid the clan leader’s family and Hu Qiuyan’s family in full. However, he did not immediately pay Qiu Huanian.

“You two asked me in your letter to find good medicinal ingredients. The Zhu Family, if nothing else, has a strong network on Xiangping Prefecture’s trade routes. I made a special trip to visit an old family friend who deals in medicinal ingredients and selected some top-quality herbs. Young Master Qiu, take a look.”

Zhu Jingcheng took the medicine box handed to him by his attendant and opened it. Inside was a small box of sliced deer antler and a small box of cordyceps. Although the quality wasn’t as high as the tribute medicine sent by Shiliu, it was still rare and excellent.

Qiu Huanian drank medicinal decoctions daily, and most of the tribute medicine sent by Shiliu had already been used up. It was difficult to find good medicinal ingredients in a small place like Zhang County, so Qiu Huanian had mentioned in a letter that Zhu Jingcheng should keep an eye out for some.

Zhu Jingcheng had taken the request seriously and acted quickly, bringing the medicine directly on this visit.

“How much do these herbs cost?”

Zhu Jingcheng understood the principles by which these two conducted themselves and did not exaggerate. “A total of sixty taels of silver.”

Qiu Huanian nodded. He had studied medicinal herbs intensively and knew that this price was reasonable. But there is a saying: ‘Valuable but hard to find.’ Some quality ingredients couldn’t be bought even with money unless one had connections.

Zhu Jingcheng, as the Zhu Family’s eldest legitimate grandson, had personally gone to purchase them, adding value beyond just the sixty taels of silver.

Such a gesture of goodwill was far more acceptable and touching than simply giving money.

“Many thanks to Young Master Zhu for the trouble. These herbs are exactly what I need, so I’ll take them. Deduct the medicine cost from the payment for the cotton and give me sixty taels.”

Zhu Jingcheng smiled. “No need to be so formal.” He instructed his attendants to hand a sixty-tael silver note to Qiu Huanian.

“Take care of your health and focus on your studies. If you ever run into difficulties, just write to me. As long as it’s something I can help with, I will do my best. See you next year in the prefectural city!”

“See you in the prefectural city!”

…

With the cotton sold in one go, another major task for the year was settled. Qiu Huanian stopped what he was doing, pulled Du Yunse into the main room, and began counting the silver.

The revenue share from the red fermented bean curd workshop amounted to thirty-two taels, along with sixty taels from selling cotton. Adding the bits and pieces saved up each month before, the household now had a total of one hundred and seven taels of silver, finally breaking the one-hundred-tael mark.

Aside from the sixty-tael banknote given by Zhu Jingcheng, the rest was all in silver ingots. More than forty small silver ingots were piled on the table, gleaming brightly, making for a rather spectacular sight.

Qiu Huanian scooped up a handful of silver with both hands, letting it cascade down with a crisp clinking sound, repeating the motion several times while his eyes curved with joy.

In his past life, though he had ample money, he mostly used online payments and rarely even used paper currency, never having the chance to physically touch so much silver.

Although paper money was convenient and lightweight, the satisfaction of holding real metal currency was unparalleled.

“We’ll set aside fifty taels from this to buy a small courtyard in the prefectural city next year, another thirty taels as an emergency reserve, and the remaining twenty taels for daily expenses to have a good New Year.”

Du Yunse looked at Qiu Huanian’s fair and beautiful hands, which were accentuated even more by the silver. He reached over and pinched his delicate fingertips.

Qiu Huanian felt ticklish and, laughing, withdrew his hand, lightly slapping the back of Du Yunse’s hand in playful reprimand.

“We originally had sixty more taels, but just two small boxes of medicine used it all up.”

Qiu Huanian roughly estimated that, including the expensive main ingredients, the cost of his monthly medicine was over twenty taels, averaging nearly a tael of silver per day. This wasn’t just taking medicine—it was burning money!

Luckily, the medicine from Shiliu was free, and the medicine Zhu Jingcheng helped purchase had great value for the price. Otherwise, Qiu Huanian wouldn’t even be able to afford his own treatment.

Fortunately, although these medicines were frighteningly expensive, their effects were visibly significant.

Originally, according to Physician Gu’s advice, Qiu Huanian should have started with cheaper prescriptions to maintain his condition and prevent further deterioration, waiting until Du Yunse became successful to switch to premium medicine for slow nourishment.

Now that Qiu Huanian had started on premium medicine early, his physical foundation was gradually strengthening. Though still weak compared to a normal person, his condition was much better than Physician Gu had initially predicted. As long as he avoided emotional turmoil, infections, or excessive fatigue, his daily life was barely affected.

“Your health is the top priority. Money can be saved in other areas, but not when it comes to your medicine,” Du Yunse stated firmly.

“I was just saying,” Qiu Huanian quickly assured him. “I will definitely take my medicine properly.”

A few days ago, he had merely delayed taking his medicine for half an hour out of slight fatigue, and Du Yunse’s expression had turned darker than a torrential downpour on a midsummer night. The sight had startled Qiu Huanian, making him promise over and over again.

“The medicine should be ready now. I’ll go get it for you. Drink it first, then we can talk,” Du Yunse said, rising to head to the kitchen.

Since that day, every time Qiu Huanian took his medicine, Du Yunse personally supervised him, staying by his side until he had finished every last drop before moving on to other tasks.

Feeling both guilty and touched, Qiu Huanian never dared to “accidentally” skip a dose again.

When Du Yunse returned with a bowl of dark, murky medicine, Qiu Huanian took a few deep breaths and brought the bowl to his lips. Then he glanced up at Du Yunse. Seeing no sign of relenting, Qiu Huanian had no choice but to lower his eyes and gulp the medicine down in one go.

Du Yunse took a handkerchief and wiped the corner of Qiu Huanian’s lips before collecting the bowl. Watching his retreating figure, Qiu Huanian took a deep breath.

What was happening? His otherworldly, aloof, and unparalleled “Little Dragon Man(Xiaolongnan)” boyfriend—why was he turning more and more into a doting father figure?

Du Yunse returned after tidying up, only to find Qiu Huanian still sitting there with a miserable expression. He softened his voice and asked, “Hua Ge’er, what’s wrong?”

“It’s too bitter. I need something sweet.”

“Shall I get you the candied fruit box?” Qiu Huanian never let himself suffer when it came to daily comforts, so their home was well-stocked with candied fruit and sugar to counteract the bitterness of his medicine.

The candied fruit box was right on the nearby shelf—Qiu Huanian could easily reach it himself.

But he shook his head, suddenly flashing a mischievous smile. Tilting his chin up, he pointed to the corner of his lips. “Today, I want something even sweeter.”

Du Yunse was briefly stunned, instinctively glancing around at the empty courtyard. As if drawn by some invisible force, he leaned down and placed a fleeting kiss at the corner of Qiu Huanian’s lips.

The touch was brief, no more than a brush, yet for Du Yunse, such an intimate act in broad daylight at home was already a bold step.

Qiu Huanian extended his soft, pink tongue, slowly licking the spot where he had been kissed, his gaze meaningful. “So sweet.”

Du Yunse’s pupils darkened, his body stiffening in an instant. Qiu Huanian’s eyes flicked downward, catching a glimpse of his lower half, and then let out a chuckle, deliberately saying nothing—just giving a playful wink.

Although they had not taken the final step, they had kissed and touched before, sometimes skirting the edges of intimacy. Now, living under the same roof and even sharing the same bed at night, Qiu Huanian naturally noticed any reaction Du Yunse had.

Confident that Du Yunse wouldn’t do anything to him while he was still on medication, Qiu Huanian took every opportunity to tease him—pushing his luck a little more each time.

“Need my help, husband?” The beautiful ge’er with a crimson mole between his brows rested his chin on his hand, eyes brimming with mischief, his breath as fragrant as orchids.

Qiu Huanian knew Du Yunse would never agree, so he boldly played with fire, secretly anticipating what might happen.

After that one moment of overstepping boundaries in the prefectural city, they had refrained from further intimacy due to Qiu Huanian’s health. Their interactions had since been limited to kisses and embraces.

As expected, Du Yunse froze for a few seconds before forcibly changing the subject. “What else needs to be done at home? Let’s plan our time accordingly.”

Half relieved, half regretful, Qiu Huanian returned to serious matters. “The cotton is sold, so the major tasks are done. Now we just need to prepare for winter.”

“In a few days, once the last of the cotton is harvested, we need to pull up the cotton stalks and bring them back to use as firewood for the winter.”

“We should also buy more fabric and use the leftover cotton to make thick quilts and padded bedding. We’ll need to get some fur as well—combine it with what we already have and make winter hats, gloves, and boots for all four of us. These things must be prepared early so we’re not caught off guard when the weather turns cold.”

“By the way, Yunting’s new husband knows how to spin yarn. Now that the farm work is easing up, I’ll invite him over to try spinning a new kind of thread. If it works, we can weave it into sweaters, which are lightweight and warm for winter.”

Qiu Huanian had thought of this when he learned that Yunting’s husband, Xia Xing, had brought a spinning wheel in his dowry. If they could spin cotton blended with wool into yarn similar to modern knitting wool, they could make sweaters.

Qiu Huanian knew how to knit but not how to spin yarn. Xia Xing, on the other hand, only knew how to spin the common hemp threads used in the village. Whether it would work or not, they had to test it first.

“The rest is just shopping. The yard’s string beans and eggplants are all pickled now. Cunlan’s fermented cabbage is delicious, so I plan to make a vat of it this year. The cabbages in our garden aren’t enough, so we need to buy another hundred jin or so.”

“Grain, meat, firewood, stoves… Since we have more houses and space this year, we can take our time shopping. There’s no fear of buying too much, only of not buying enough.”

Qiu Huanian counted the silver once again, then carefully put it all away for safekeeping.

In the rural areas of Northeast China, winter temperatures could drop as low as minus twenty degrees. Every year, people froze or starved to death due to a lack of clothing and food. This silver was the family’s security to get through the winter safely.

After the farming season ended at home, Du Yunse put studying back at the top of his schedule. The autumn provincial exam would be held next August, and there was only one year left. If he could pass, the family’s status would rise, and they would be able to live a better life. If he failed, he would have to wait three more years to take the exam again, and Qiu Huanian’s health could not afford such a delay.

Though Du Yunse was a prodigy with astonishing talent, known as a child genius from a young age, he also understood that in the path of imperial examinations, hard work was just as important as talent. Only by giving his all could he ensure success.

When Zhu Jingcheng visited, he carefully selected books from his own bookstore, excluding those that were too vulgar, and brought a copy of each remaining one as gifts for Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse. Among them were many books related to the imperial exams, which perfectly supplemented what Du Yunse lacked.

Du Yunse had always been diligent in his studies. Once he decided to focus on them, he began rising at the crow of the rooster the very next day, studying tirelessly in the study until the second watch of the night before extinguishing the lamp. Apart from fetching water for the household, tutoring the children, and ensuring Qiu Huanian took his medicine on time, he barely paused for anything else.

Every morning when Qiu Huanian woke up, the bedding beside him had already been folded, and the main house was empty. Seeing this made his heart ache, but he knew better than to try persuading Du Yunse to slow down. Instead, he focused on improving their food and ensuring they had enough lamp oil, making sure Du Yunse ate a more nutritious diet and that the lamp burned brighter while he studied at night.

Qiu Huanian had also bought leather and fabric. For the past few days, he had spent most of his time with Jiujiu, researching how to sew clothes and cold-resistant leather goods. He had little talent for needlework, but as a modern person with broad knowledge, he could at least offer suggestions on styles.

Wei Liuhua found it dull to stay at home alone, so she often brought You Ge’er along with a basket of sewing supplies to work on needlework at Qiu Huanian’s house. Under her guidance, Jiujiu’s sewing skills had already surpassed most villagers.

That day, when Wei Liuhua entered, she did not immediately start sewing but instead brought up another matter.

“Hua Ge’er, in the spring, you arranged for my mother’s village to properly cultivate sugar beets. Now, that batch of specially fertilized beets has been harvested, and they are indeed much sweeter than ordinary ones!”