Chapter Twenty-Six: Farming

With the arrival of spring and the thawing of the frozen ground, the fields of Zhuoshui Village have entered their busiest season, a time when the year's plans begin in spring.

Zhang Liuyi got up early and ate a simple breakfast: a bowl of thick porridge and a few pieces of pickled vegetables.

He then picked up the gleaming hoe and prepared to till his own land.

This spring, there has been ample rainfall, and the soil is thriving quickly, making it an ideal time for tilling and fertilizing.

She planned to finish tilling the land near the riverbank today, then spread wheat straw as base fertilizer, and so that she could plant the seeds in a few days.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, the cool morning air rushed in.

Along the way, many villagers were already carrying farm tools, walking in twos and threes toward their own fields.

Unlike previous years, Zhang noticed that many villagers who were usually just nodding acquaintances or even distant from her were now greeting her warmly and proactively.

"Watch out, young lady! Good morning! Heading to the fields?"

"Hey, look, carrying a hoe? How diligent!"

"Daughter Zhang, have you eaten yet? What good vegetables are you planning to grow this year?"

Zhang Liuyi knew perfectly well where this sudden surge in popularity came from; it was simply because Brother Liuji had passed the imperial craftsmanship exam and become Master Zhang, which had elevated his family's status in the village.

She responded to each of them: "Good morning, Third Aunt." "Yes, go turn the soil." "Plant some green beans and eggplants, the usual." But she didn't stop walking, heading straight towards her own field.

When I arrived at my plot of land near the riverbank, I could see two figures already busy in the field.

It was my aunt and Brother Liu Ji.

Zhang Liuji had taken off his outer garment, leaving him in only a single-layered jacket, revealing his strong arms. He was wielding a wide-backed hoe, and fine beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.

The aunt followed behind, carrying a small, lightweight shovel.

She broke up the large clods of earth her son had turned over, raked them flat, and arranged them into neat rows of furrows.

The furrows and ridges are clearly defined, and the soil is loose.

Then, she evenly scattered the already chopped wheat stalks piled up next to her into the furrows.

These wheat stalks, once decomposed, become excellent base fertilizer.

"Auntie! Brother Liu Ji! You're up so early too!" Zhang Liuyi walked over quickly and put down the hoe.

"Yi-jie'er's here!" The aunt straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and smiled gently. "Work as much as you can while the sun isn't too strong yet."

At that moment, a family from the neighboring plot also arrived carrying their tools.

The leader was Zhao Laosi from the village. When he saw Zhang Liuji wielding a hoe in the field, he showed exaggerated surprise and shouted across the ridge.

"Oh my! Isn't this Master Zhang, oh no, Master Zhang?! You, a dignified official craftsman, why are you personally turning over clods of earth in the fields? This kind of rough and tiring work can be easily done by hiring a couple of day laborers, why do you have to do it yourself!"

His loud voice drew the attention of people working in the nearby fields.

Before Zhang Liuji could answer, his aunt spoke up with a smile. Her voice was soft but clear: "Zhao Laosi, what are you saying? What official craftsman or not? We've been farmers for generations, toiling in the soil. This land is our livelihood. A skill is a skill, but how can we just throw away our livelihood? We can't neglect any of the work we're supposed to do."

Zhao Laosi chuckled sheepishly after being told that, and several villagers who had come with him chimed in:

"That's right, that's right, what Liu Ji's mother said makes sense!"

"Master Zhang and Xiulan are both incredibly filial! Auntie, just wait and enjoy your retirement!"

"Yes, yes, from now on, you can just give instructions for the work in the fields. You won't have to do it yourself!"

Amidst a chorus of compliments, Zhao Laosi and his family went to their own land and began to work.

Once those people had gone some distance, the smile on the aunt's face slowly faded as she squatted down with her back to them, tending to the furrows.

She sighed softly, her voice so low that only Zhang Liuyi and Zhang Liuji beside her could hear it.

"Hmph, these people... In the past, they've always gossiped behind my back, saying I'm unlucky and bring misfortune to my children, that Liu Ji learning carpentry is a waste of time and a waste of his talents... Now that Liu Ji has made something of himself and obtained an official position, they've changed their tune, rushing to flatter me and say nice things... This world is truly a mess..."

Zhang Liuyi, who was turning over the soil nearby, stopped what he was doing upon hearing this, walked over to his aunt, naturally took her arm, and gently rested his head on her shoulder. "Auntie, don't take it to heart. These people are just opportunists who fawn over the powerful and bully the weak. Let's live our own lives well, cultivate our land well, hone our skills, and make our lives prosperous. That's more important than anything else. Let them be envious; we don't care about those empty promises."

Hearing her niece's insightful and considerate words, the aunt's pent-up frustration instantly dissipated.

She turned her head to look at Zhang Liuyi's face, which was slightly red from the sun but full of vitality. She couldn't help but reach out and pinch it, her eyes full of affection and relief: "You little rascal, you're the most sensible one, with a sweet tongue and a bright heart! Your aunt has not spoiled you for nothing!"

Watching his mother and cousin snuggle together, so affectionately like mother and daughter, Zhang Liuji felt even more energetic as he worked.

As the sun rose higher, it made people's backs feel hot.

The plot of land on the riverbank wasn't too big or too small. The three of them worked together and finally finished turning and ridging the land before noon, and then evenly spread the wheat straw. The soil, now freshly turned, was soft and moist, emitting the unique sweet and earthy aroma of the soil, mixed with the dry scent of the wheat straw.

"Take a break! Have some water and something to eat!"

Zhang Liuyi put down his hoe, walked to the crooked old willow tree at the edge of the field, and took out several water bags and a large bag of fragrant roasted peanuts from the cloth bag he had brought.

The willows droop their tender green branches, swaying gently in the breeze, casting a rare patch of shade.

The three sat on the ground, brushing the dirt off their bodies.

Zhang Liuji took the water bag, gulped down several mouthfuls of cool water, and let out a long sigh, feeling that the heat in his body had dissipated considerably.

Zhang Liuyi and his aunt sipped water and peeled peanuts, enjoying a brief moment of comfort after their work.

Just then, Li Xiulan, carrying a food box and holding Xiao Nan'er, walked along the ridge of the field.

"Mom! Listen up! Liuji! Dinner's ready!" she called from afar, a smile on her face.

"Sister-in-law!" Zhang Liuyi quickly got up to greet her, took the food box, and then teased Xiao Nan'er, "Is Nan'er a good girl?"

“She’s being good, she just wants to play with her aunt.” Li Xiulan said with a smile.

The group spread a coarse cloth under the willow tree and sat together. The food box was opened, revealing warm cornbread, a large bowl of oily egg stir-fried with melon slices, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

Although simple, the food, with its rich aroma and flavor, looks especially tempting after a day's work.

Everyone picked up their cornbread and ate it with the fragrant stir-fried egg and melon slices, thoroughly enjoying their meal.

While feeding Xiao Nan'er small pieces of cornbread, Li Xiulan seemed to remember something, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Hey, let me tell you something. I just heard it from Aunt Wang who washes clothes by the river. It's infuriating! It's about the Song family, the Song Ru family that's related to Aunt Song from Officer Xiong's family."

Upon hearing the name Song Ru, Zhang Liuyi paused in his peanut-peeling motion.

She remembered the little girl who was breaking off pine branches on the mountain, innocently dreaming of her future husband.

Li Xiulan didn't notice Zhang Yi's pause and continued to speak indignantly.

"Those two men in the Song family are truly despicable! A few days ago, their good-for-nothing second son owed ten taels of silver in interest at a gambling den in the county. Those thugs even chased him to our village, looking fierce and menacing, blocking the Song family's door demanding the money!"

"Ten taels of silver! The Song family couldn't scrape together that much even if they sold everything they owned! They didn't want their son to go to jail, so they begged and pleaded with everyone they knew to borrow money, but who could easily come up with ten taels of silver? They borrowed from all over the place but didn't get much."

She took a sip of water, her tone even more disdainful: "And what was the result? Guess what terrible idea they came up with? They actually set their sights on their own youngest daughter, Song Ru! They asked someone in the county to find a wealthy family to marry Ru off to as a second wife!"

"Do you know how old that rich old man is? I heard he's two years older than Song Ru's father! His grandsons are already running all over the place! Isn't this pushing his own daughter into a fire pit? To fill the hole for that good-for-nothing son, he'd even sell his own daughter! He's truly heartless!"

"What?"

The aunt was the first to exclaim in surprise, almost dropping the cornbread in her hand.

"Two years older than Old Man Song? Then... how old is Sister Ru? Just turned fifteen, right? Isn't this a terrible thing?!"

Zhang Liuji frowned and muttered, "Ten taels of silver... to sell their daughter? What kind of parents are they..."

He noticed her furrowed brows, thinking of Song Ru's innocent and romantic appearance that day.

"Heaven have mercy..." Zhang Xiaoyi murmured to himself, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"The village chief should have gone there by now."

Li Xiulan also sighed, her tone full of resentment and helplessness.

"This is absolutely inhuman! Even tigers don't eat their cubs! To push your own daughter into a fire pit for a good-for-nothing son, you're worse than an animal!"

The group silently packed up their farm tools and walked back along the ridge of the field.

Although the farm work was finished, Song Ru's matter weighed on his mind, making his steps heavy. As the sun began to set, his shadow stretched long.

As Zhang Yili passed the village council hall, he subconsciously slowed his pace. Sure enough, a number of villagers had gathered at the foot of the bluestone steps of the council hall, pointing and talking animatedly.

Zhang Liuyi squeezed to the front of the crowd and got a clear look at the situation inside the hall.

In the center of the council hall, a tall, thin young man wearing a worn gray cotton jacket was kneeling on the ground with his head down, his hands tied behind his back with hemp rope, his face bruised and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He was Song Jiabao, the second son of the Song family who owed gambling debts.

Standing next to him were two burly men from the village with serious expressions, clearly responsible for guarding Song Jiabao.

Seated at the head of the council hall were not only the village chief, but also the elders from various families in the village. There were many people, indicating that this matter was much bigger than Xiong Zijuan's.

But the most eye-catching sight was a middle-aged couple standing below the hall, tightly embracing each other: Song Laonian and his wife, Wang.