The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 56: Celebrating the Birthday

Qiu Huanian’s lunar birthday was the same as the original owner’s—on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day of reunion and harvest.

The original owner had never celebrated his birthday while in the Qiu family. After coming to the Du family, due to his young age and the family’s modest circumstances, his birthday was marked only by a simple bowl of noodles each year. As for Qiu Huanian himself, his most vivid birthday memories were from childhood. Ever since graduating from university and no longer having classmates to cheer him on, he had completely forgotten about his birthday.

Now that Du Yunse brought it up, Qiu Huanian suddenly realized that his birthday was just a few days away.

He originally wanted to say it wasn’t necessary to celebrate, but Du Yunse countered, “This year marks the true beginning of our acquaintance and the start of a new life as a family. Sentimentally and rationally, it should be properly observed.”

“Hua-ge’er, you should also care for yourself a little more.”

The knitting in Qiu Huanian’s hands unconsciously paused, the yarn looping haphazardly around his fingertips.

Seeing the unguarded tenderness and concern in Du Yunse’s eyes, Qiu Huanian felt an indescribable warmth and ache swelling in his chest. He simply smiled and said, “Alright, then let’s go to the county’s restaurant for a meal that day, buy some melons, fruits, and pastries, and return in the evening to offer them to the moon.”

And so, it was decided.

On the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moment Qiu Huanian opened his eyes, he keenly sensed that something in the room was different.

Turning his head slightly, he saw a neatly folded half-sleeved long bijia (a type of vest) placed beside his pillow. The double-layered bijia was padded with cotton, with a Yangfei-colored silk brocade outer layer and a Qianxue-colored lining. The collar was edged with white silk, embroidered with a few branches of red plum blossoms, and the front opening and cuffs were trimmed with a band of white rabbit fur.

Qiu Huanian picked up the bijia and shook it open. The size was clearly tailored to his measurements, with exceptionally neat stitching and dense, meticulous needlework—who knew how much effort had gone into making it.

Tucked inside the bijia were two floral stationery notes, written by Jiujiu and Chunsheng.

Jiujiu, after half a year of studying, had developed a distinct handwriting style. Her delicate script appeared gentle yet carried a resilient strength. Her note, elegantly worded, expressed that she had sewn the garment as a birthday gift, wishing her elder brother health and freedom from illness year after year.

Chunsheng, being a few years younger and more lively in nature, had not progressed as quickly as Jiujiu. However, it was evident he had written with sincerity. Though he tried to keep his note formal, much of it remained playful. Besides wishing his elder brother a happy birthday, most of the space was used to boast about how he had hunted two rabbits with a slingshot—thanks to Meng Wudong’s help—and contributed them for Qiu Huanian’s bijia.

Qiu Huanian read both notes with a smile, then carefully stored them in the small drawer of the kang cabinet.

The courtyard was quiet, with no signs of anyone around. Knowing that they were likely still preparing something, Qiu Huanian didn’t rush outside. He first got up and used the water prepared on the shelf in the main room to freshen up. Then, he found a white embroidered long robe to wear as an inner layer, put on the new bijia, fastened a pine-green sash around his waist, and inserted the “Phoenix Greeting the Sun” warm jade hairpin—won by Du Yunse at the poetry gathering in the provincial capital—into his dark hair.

There was no mirror in the room. After tidying himself up and smoothing out the stray hairs on his forehead, Qiu Huanian pushed open the half-closed door.

“How do I look?” he asked with a bright smile, addressing Du Yunse, who was seated at the stone table in the courtyard reading a book.

Du Yunse had been listening to the movements in the main room all along, his mind long since distracted from the book. Now, as he looked at Qiu Huanian, newly dressed, his eyes lit up in an instant.

Against the vivid silk fabric and the snowy white rabbit fur, Qiu Huanian’s face appeared even more strikingly handsome, like a fine jade. The long sash at his waist accentuated his slender frame, making him resemble a graceful plum tree swaying in the breeze.

“The hills have hazels, the lowlands have herbs. Whose longing do they hold? That of a beauty.”(1)

The lines he had just read in his book seemed to come alive before his eyes, as if the beauty from the Book of Songs had traveled through the ages to stir the scholar’s heart.

Qiu Huanian stepped in front of Du Yunse and pressed down the book in his hands. “What are you still reading today? Shouldn’t you be focusing on keeping me company?”

Du Yunse, following his lead, set the book aside. He had only taken it out to calm his own nervous heart.

“Where are the children?” Qiu Huanian glanced around but didn’t see Jiujiu or Chunsheng.

“They went to the back mountain.”

“The back mountain?” While it was true that Chunsheng loved to play, Jiujiu was not one to go out so early in the morning. Qiu Huanian’s gaze shifted subtly. “Be honest, what are you all secretly up to?”

Du Yunse smiled. “Hua-ge’er, why not take a guess?”

“Oh, so you’re keeping secrets from me?” Qiu Huanian lifted his chin playfully, then suddenly made a quick move, reaching for Du Yunse’s chest to see what he was hiding.

Du Yunse easily caught both of Qiu Huanian’s wrists with one hand and pulled them against his own chest. “Hua-ge’er, aren’t you being a little too impatient?”

Qiu Huanian couldn’t break free, leaving him in an awkward position. Du Yunse gazed at him with amusement, curious to see what he would do next.

With the children absent, the two young men had already started playfully bickering early in the morning.

A thought flashed through Qiu Huanian’s mind, and without warning, he leaned in and lightly bit Du Yunse’s chin. As expected, Du Yunse’s grip loosened slightly. Seizing the moment, Qiu Huanian swiftly pulled away, straightened up, and smirked triumphantly like a cat that had stolen a fish.

Du Yunse sighed helplessly. “Hua-ge’er, you’ve turned eighteen today, yet you still act like a child who bites people.”

Qiu Huanian huffed. “What? Do you have a problem with that?”

“Of course not. This is just fine. In fact, I would rather Hua-ge’er always remain this happy.”

Du Yunse stood up and retrieved a brocade pouch from his chest, the very spot Qiu Huanian had failed to snatch from earlier.

Inside was a piece of warm, lustrous green jade carved into a wushipai (a “no inscription” pendant). The rectangular jade pendant was about half a palm in size, its top and bottom adorned with symmetrical cloud patterns, leaving the center blank.

The wushipai was a classic jade ornament. The lack of embellishments shared the same pronunciation as “no troubles” (wushi), symbolizing peace and safety. At the same time, “nothing” could also mean “everything,” carrying wishes for smooth success and fulfilled dreams.

Qiu Huanian hadn’t expected Du Yunse to give him such a valuable wushipai, and he was pleasantly surprised.

“Where did this come from?”

Du Yunse tied the wushipai to the pine-green sash at Qiu Huanian’s waist, letting the jade pendant dangle elegantly at his side.

“I earned some money over the past few months while taking the county exams—writing for others and composing a preface for a collection on behalf of Scholar Song’s friend. I saved up over ten taels of silver and ordered this jade pendant from the county’s jewelry shop.”

As the newly crowned yuan of the academy and a “Xiao Sanyuan” scholar, Du Yunse’s name held some worth. If he were to fully dedicate himself to writing commissions, he could surely earn much more. However, scholars of old valued reputation, and such endeavors could easily earn him a reputation for being money-hungry.

Qiu Huanian felt warm inside. Du Yunse had prepared this birthday gift in secret for a long time, keeping it hidden until today as a surprise.

Turning slightly, Qiu Huanian fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist, growing more and more fond of it. Yet, he couldn’t resist teasing, “I’ll forgive you this time for secretly hoarding money. But if there’s a next time—”

He paused for effect before continuing, “If there’s a next time, I’ll reward you instead.”

“And what about this time’s reward?” Du Yunse asked smoothly.

Qiu Huanian blinked. “Ahem. Redeem it tonight.”

Du Yunse’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, his gaze darkening. “Alright. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

…

The two children had gone out precisely to give their elder brothers some time alone. After a while, they returned.

Qiu Huanian thanked them for their gifts, patted Jiujiu’s head, and said, “You asked me for the leftover satin fabric from before, saying you wanted to make winter clothes for yourself. Why did you end up making them for me instead?”

“I already have satin clothes, but Brother Hua doesn’t have any yet, so of course, I should make yours first.” Jiujiu smiled and said, “There’s still some fabric left. I’ll make myself a short bijia just like Brother Hua’s.”

Qiu Huanian was in a good mood and simply said, “New clothes should be worn for the New Year. Let’s go to the county town today and buy two bolts of satin so that all four of us can have a new set of clothes.”

They had earned quite a bit from selling cotton, so Qiu Huanian was willing to spend.

Jiujiu, a little girl who had just begun to appreciate beauty, immediately lit up with excitement. Chunsheng, though not particularly interested in new clothes, was still happy along with his sister.

—The neighboring Yuchuan siblings were always subtly or openly boasting about how well they dressed when they lived in the capital. Once their own new clothes were made, let’s see how those two would show off then!

The four of them quickly tidied up and drove the carriage to the county town to celebrate the birthday. For the sake of convenience, Qiu Huanian had long since bought a solid wood carriage cabin, which he swapped out with the flat cart used for transporting goods. With a carriage cabin, they no longer had to worry about wind and sun exposure while riding the mule cart.

By midday, they arrived in the county town. They went to a well-reputed local restaurant, spent five qian of silver to order a table full of delicious dishes and a pot of clear wine, celebrating both the Mid-Autumn Festival and the birthday. When the restaurant owner heard about the occasion, he specially prepared a bowl of longevity noodles as a birthday blessing.

Qiu Huanian wanted to challenge himself to eat the entire bowl in one go without breaking the noodles. Du Yunse sat sipping his wine with a smile, not stopping him. After a few bites, Qiu Huanian gave up in frustration.

Du Yunse handed him half a cup of wine, bringing it to his lips. “Don’t be upset, have a sip of the wine you love.”

Qiu Huanian took a small sip from Du Yunse’s hand, finally feeling satisfied. He was well aware of his own alcohol tolerance. Rather than craving the wine itself, it was more a matter of defiance—wanting to do something even more when told not to.

After their meal, the family went to buy satin. The shop assistant at this fabric store was an old acquaintance. Upon seeing Qiu Huanian, he immediately stepped out from behind the counter to greet him.

“What would you like to see today, young master?”

“Fabric suitable for making winter clothes. Give me some recommendations.”

“Of course! Please take a look over here.” The assistant eagerly bent down to guide them.

He still remembered the first time he saw this young master and his husband—both dressed in old, faded cloth garments, only daring to ask about prices without making a purchase. Who could have predicted that in less than a year, they would have bought no fewer than ten bolts of fabric from his store? And now, they were here to buy satin!

A good-looking, decisive-spending customer like this—who wouldn’t like them?

“Winter days are cold, and the scenery is bleak. Wearing bright-colored fabric looks best. Once it snows, satin fabric will shimmer against the snowy backdrop—imagine how beautiful that would be.” Having sold fabrics for many years, the assistant spoke with great enthusiasm.

“This batch of satin is newly arrived, featuring uniform floral patterns. It comes from the south with a fresh weaving technique—an additional thin layer of velvet is woven over the floral soft satin. Compared to ordinary satin, it’s warmer and prevents snow from soaking through. A single layer is as warm as two layers of other fabrics!”

“Look at these colors—yaohuang, zhushi, luozidai, baiqing… From old to young, from men to women to young masters, everyone can find a suitable shade.”

“I’m not exaggerating—since this batch arrived, we’ve been selling two or three bolts a day. Once customers see it, they don’t even glance at other fabrics!”

The assistant brought over a bolt of velvet-flowered soft satin for Qiu Huanian to examine closely. Qiu Huanian touched it and indeed felt a layer of cotton velvet.

The assistant hadn’t been lying—this fabric was indeed warmer and more snow-resistant. However, its price was also strikingly high, costing four taels of silver per bolt—one whole tael more than regular silk.

Qiu Huanian picked four different colors, buying half a bolt of each so everyone in the family could have a new outfit. He also bargained for the assistant to throw in a bolt of high-quality cotton cloth for making linings, along with a large bundle of assorted colored threads.

As Qiu Huanian smiled in satisfaction, the assistant packed up all the goods with both pain and pleasure—this young master was way too skilled at bargaining!

Qiu Huanian took it as a compliment. Even with ample funds, one shouldn’t be wasteful. Careful budgeting was the way to live a long and steady life.

…

As the sun set, the four of them finally returned to Du Family Village after a day of shopping and sightseeing in the county.

Qiu Huanian was still young and held no particular status for now. He feared excessive celebration might diminish his fortune, so he hadn’t publicly announced his birthday, intending only to celebrate privately with his family.

However, a few familiar families still found out through various means.

When the mule cart reached their courtyard gate, a carriage driver from Scholar Song’s residence was already waiting by the entrance. Upon seeing them, he stepped forward and said, “The master and madam learned that today is Young Master Qiu’s birthday and specially sent me to deliver a few gifts.”

Qiu Huanian got out of the cart. “I appreciate Master and Madam Song’s kindness. You must have had a tiring trip.”

The driver smiled warmly. “The young lady said you’d be out in the county today, so I didn’t leave the residence until the afternoon. I haven’t been waiting long.”

Qiu Huanian’s birthday news was likely passed on by Chi Qinghe to her aunt and uncle. That child was observant—she must have noticed Jiujiu secretly preparing a birthday gift and understood they didn’t want a grand celebration. Thus, she had only suggested sending gifts in the evening.

Madam Song’s gifts included a pair of longevity peaches and a bundle of longevity noodles, all wrapped in red paper—classic birthday offerings. Additionally, she sent a pair of cotton-padded embroidered shoe uppers and a small copper hand warmer. The gifts weren’t extravagant but were all practical, making it easy for Qiu Huanian to reciprocate later.

A little while later, a few families from the village, knowing they had returned, also came by with birthday gifts. Ye Taohong, on behalf of the village chief’s family, brought a large basket of homegrown red dates. Hu Qiuyan gifted a basket of cured fish. The most generous of all was Wei Liuhua, who embroidered a kang screen featuring a Nine-Cold Plum Blossom motif.

Although Wei Liuhua had embroidered the screen herself, the material and labor costs were no small expense. Qiu Huanian felt it was too much and wanted to decline, but Wei Liuhua pressed his hand down.

“Hua Ge’er, you only have one birthday a year. Who knows if we’ll even see each other again next year?”

“My family owes you so much. If you hadn’t bought my beets, helping me save enough money to feed You Ge’er, warned us about Li Gu’er, and driven away Zhao Shi’s people, who knows what kind of life we’d be living now?”

“I’ve been wanting to make this screen for you for a long time. It just so happened to be completed in time for your birthday. If you don’t accept it, I won’t be able to rest easy.”

Qiu Huanian had no choice but to accept the kang screen and put away the birthday gifts accordingly.

At dinner, Du Yunse wouldn’t let him lift a finger and personally cooked a pot of noodles. Having traveled and studied for years, Du Yunse could certainly cook, though his skills weren’t as good as Qiu Huanian’s.

Qiu Huanian sat on the side, directing him to sauté scallions before adding boiling water, seasoning with salt and a little bit of precious pepper powder, then finally cooking the noodles and poaching a few eggs.

Du Yunse knew his cooking wasn’t great, but Qiu Huanian ate heartily nonetheless. With the filter of love, even the simplest meal tasted better than any delicacy.

After dinner and cleaning up, the moon hung high in the sky. The family moved a table into the courtyard, setting out fresh fruits and beautiful mooncakes from the county to offer to the moon.

Jiujiu and Chunsheng, exhausted from a day out, couldn’t hold on any longer. After sharing the mooncakes, Qiu Huanian sent them to bed. He himself remained on the stone stool in the courtyard, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed at the full moon in a daze.

People grow thinner during Mid-Autumn, and the moon is always rounder in one’s hometown.

Was it also Mid-Autumn in his real hometown right now? What were the loved ones from the twenty-plus years of his past life doing at this moment?

They say that though lands are distant, the wind and moon are shared under the same sky. But when even time and space have placed them out of sync, where could such clear and flowing longing be entrusted?

Du Yunse came out from the house with a robe, draping it over his shoulders as he stood beside him in the courtyard.

“I miss home, Yunse…” Qiu Huanian sighed softly.

Du Yunse’s heart stirred. A sudden, absurd feeling crept in—Qiu Huanian’s “home” did not refer to Shangliang Village, nor to the family formed by Qiu Chuanzong and the others.

“Do you want to go home?” Du Yunse crouched down, looking up at Qiu Huanian’s face, partially hidden by his falling hair.

That fair, delicate face bore an expression both like laughter and tears. A thousand emotions intertwined and surfaced, only to be washed away by the moonlight, leaving behind only faint traces.

“I can’t go back.”

“I can’t go back…”

Qiu Huanian stared blankly at Du Yunse, who was so close at hand, the helplessness and confusion in his eyes making Du Yunse’s heart ache.

“If you can’t go back, then stay for me, okay?”

“You still have our home.”

Yes, our home. Qiu Huanian reached out to touch Du Yunse’s sharp brow bone, tracing down along the bridge of his nose, his thin lips, and his Adam’s apple, mapping out his features bit by bit, imprinting them deep into his heart.

He smiled under the moonlight and stretched out his arms. “My legs have gone numb. Carry me home.”

Du Yunse steadily picked Qiu Huanian up and placed him on the heated brick bed, brought over a basin of water to help him wash up. That night, the reward Qiu Huanian had planned to give in the morning ultimately remained unfulfilled for now, but the two of them held each other as they slept, inseparably close, as if they were the happiest lovers in the world.

…

The Song household had sent a birthday gift, and as a junior, Qiu Huanian should pay a visit to express his gratitude. Coincidentally, the next day, Jiujiu was going to the Song household for her zither(qin) lessons, so Qiu Huanian hitched a ride on the carriage that was sent to pick her up.

Upon arriving at the Song residence, Jiujiu and Chi Qinghe went off to chat privately in Chi Qinghe’s room, while Madam Song kept Qiu Huanian in the back hall for some casual conversation.

“The whole region is talking about how you’ve successfully cultivated high-yield cotton. Have you given any thought to the matter of requesting an honorary title?”

As a former official’s wife, Madam Song was well-versed in these affairs. She had long suggested that Qiu Huanian leverage his cotton cultivation to secure an official status.

“The planting methods still aren’t fully refined. I plan to conduct another year of trials next year and perfect them before submitting them to the court.”

To quickly promote this cultivation method across Yu Dynasty and benefit more commoners, private efforts alone weren’t enough—he had to rely on official government policies.

Madam Song nodded. “Have you formally submitted a written statement to the county magistrate about this?”

“I’ve only spoken to him about it verbally, not in writing.”

Madam Song advised, “Magistrate Wang is the governing official of Zhang County, and since you were the first to grow cotton here, any future reports will inevitably involve him. It’s best to submit a formal document now. If any disputes arise in the future, you’ll have proof to protect yourself. It’s not that I doubt Magistrate Wang’s integrity, but one must guard against opportunists who might exploit the situation.”

Her meaning was clear—several families already knew about Qiu Huanian’ cotton-growing methods. If someone couldn’t resist the temptation and leaked the information, they might try to take credit for it and seek rewards before he had the chance. In that case, the true pioneer—Qiu Huanian—would find it hard to prove his claim.

Qiu Huanian had considered this possibility before, but what Madam Song didn’t know was that the Crown Prince’s trusted shadow guard, Sixteen, had already visited Du Family Village and taken away his nearly completed agricultural manuscript on cotton cultivation. If anyone tried to steal credit, Sixteen had ironclad evidence in his hands.

“I’ll write an official letter to Magistrate Wang as soon as I return,” he said. Preparation never hurt, after all.

After chatting a bit about household matters, Madam Song subtly steered the conversation toward Chi Qinghe.

“You’ve known Qinghe for a few months now. What do you think of my little niece?”

“Miss Qinghe is outstanding in both looks and talent, graceful and intelligent. Everyone in our village who knows her praises her.”

Madam Song smiled. “Hearing that puts me at ease.”

“To be honest, my niece was sent here because of some minor troubles in her family. Now that she’s at a delicate age—neither too young nor too old—she won’t be going back anytime soon. Her parents have written to entrust me with finding her a good marriage match so that she doesn’t miss her prime years.”

“My husband and I are settling down in Zhang County for our retirement, so we’d prefer to find a son-in-law from here as well. That way, even after she’s married, she’ll still have family nearby to support her.”

“What do you think of my plan, Huanian?”

“Madam Song truly has Miss Qinghe’s best interests at heart. Just listening to you, I already feel touched.” While saying this, Qiu Huanian was wondering why Madam Song was bringing this up to him.

He and Chi Qinghe weren’t particularly close, so why would Madam Song suddenly mention her marriage to him?

She said she wanted to find a son-in-law from Zhang County… Did that mean she already had someone in mind? And if so, who was she trying to sound him out about?

Chi Qinghe was fourteen or fifteen this year. Among the young men of similar age that Qiu Huanian knew—those who were both capable and had good character—after considering carefully, there was really only one person…

Qiu Huanian’ heartbeat quickened slightly, unsure of how to handle this matter.

Madam Song took a sip of tea and continued, “Qinghe is still young, so I’m thinking of keeping her around for a few more years before she marries. But marriage is a big deal, and good men become scarce over time. It’s best to make the decision early and set the engagement, rather than waiting until she’s of age and struggling to find a suitable match.”

“…Madam Song is right.”

Seeing that Qiu Huanian understood her implication, Madam Song smoothly shifted the topic. “I’ve been feeling increasingly sluggish lately, so I’m thinking of taking a trip to the village. I heard from Qinghe that your home has been renovated beautifully, so I might shamelessly invite myself over for a visit.”

Author’s Note:

Note 1: Excerpt from the “Book of Songs · Guofeng · Bei Feng · Jian Xi”