Chapter 21: Laughter and Sorrow: People from Afar
It’s the New Year.
After getting up and having breakfast on the morning of New Year's Eve, Mrs. Du washed the pot and lit the fire, cooking a square piece of white meat and a whole chicken. She also steamed a fish that she had caught in Ping'an River a few days ago. She put all three in a basin and asked Dalang to bring it to the yard.
A Xuan held three pairs of chopsticks in her hands, Gu Youan followed with lit incense and candles in his hands, Gu Wen carried a stool, and Mrs. Du took paper money. The five members of the family all had something to do.
"Put the stool in front of the west corner."
"Da Lang, put the meat on the stool."
"Ah Xuan, put the chopsticks in the basin."
"An An, quickly put the incense sticks on the ground."
The ground in the yard had long been frozen solid, making it impossible to stick incense. Gu Wenqing quickly rolled up two snowballs and asked his sister to stick the incense sticks in them.
Mrs. Du lit a fire and burned paper money. The whole family gathered around and each took some paper money to burn together.
"You three brothers and sisters, please remember this: our family is originally from Yizhou Prefecture. Even if we're away and can't return, don't forget to worship our ancestors every New Year. When you do, cook meat and stew chicken and invite them to eat. Only then will they bless us with peace and good fortune in the coming year."
After teaching the three children, Mrs. Du muttered something in a low voice. Gu Youan listened attentively. It seemed that she was saying something like "bad luck will go away soon" and "ancestors will bless you".
After burning the paper, Ah Xuan clapped her hands and stood up. She looked at the meat in the basin and tugged at her sister's arm. "How are we going to eat the meat if it's not cut? Are we going to take a bite of the chicken? If we're going to eat it, what are we going to do with the chopsticks?"
Mrs. Du glared at her and said, "Aren't our ancestors smarter than you? Do I need your advice on how to eat meat?"
Gu Wenqing and Gu Youan, brother and sister, couldn't help laughing. It seemed that using chopsticks was indeed unnecessary.
The fire on the ground died down, and Mrs. Du ordered her son to take the meat back home. Gu Wenqing was still laughing, so Mrs. Du slapped him in the face: "What do you know? The elders in our family have always worshipped their ancestors this way. We should just follow the rules."
"Well, according to the old rules, as long as the family is doing well, in addition to the whole chicken and duck and the cut meat, it is best to have a pig's head and a cup of good wine as an offering to the ancestors during the New Year. That's considered proper."
This year, the family suffered a great disaster. If An An had not had a lucky break and received a great benefit, their family would not have had much wild vegetables, let alone meat to offer to the ancestors.
Our ancestors, please just use it as it is. When our family is better next year, we will prepare more to honor you.
After offering sacrifices to the ancestors from afar, they had noodles cooked with chicken soup at noon. After lunch, Mrs. Du started preparing the New Year's Eve dinner.
Mrs. Du was an optimistic person. As long as she had food to eat and drink to drink, she thought it was a good day. Her daughter took out several pounds of mutton and stewed radish, and she smiled with joy.
The meat from the ancestral offerings is cut into large chunks, mixed with the sauce, and then steamed in a bowl with sweet potato cubes. Chicken is also cut into chunks and placed in a bowl. In the evening, it's stir-fried with chili peppers over high heat for a truly delicious dish.
There are also fish, cabbage, potatoes, etc., a total of six dishes are made up, and this year will be prosperous.
That whole afternoon, the fragrance from the kitchen never ceased. Axuan ran around the house happily, sometimes asking for some meat, sometimes asking to taste it for her mother. Mrs. Du was busy and didn't pay attention. She almost stepped on her several times, but she didn't listen. Mrs. Du was so angry that she wanted to beat her, but Axuan turned around and ran away, shouting that children should not be beaten during the New Year.
Mrs. Du laughed in anger and said, "Today is New Year's Eve, and tomorrow is New Year's Day. I think I should seize the opportunity to give you a beating to teach you a lesson."
A Xuan made a slight face and didn't dare to touch the tiger's whiskers again and go into the kitchen to get scolded.
A small person stood on tiptoe at the kitchen door and looked inside. When he got tired of standing, he squatted on the ground, like a puppy, with his head tilted back and sniffing madly. The only thing missing was a little tail that could wag back and forth.
Mrs. Du was annoyed by her and said, "Dad, come here and take your daughter away."
Gu Wen came over and took the little girl away. Ah Xuan was still not happy about it, so Gu Wen patted her gently and said, "Be good. Watch out for your mother getting really angry. It's New Year's Day, and it won't be nice if she beats you up."
Ah Xuan lay in her father's arms and whispered, "The mutton must be cooked. Dad, go tell Mom to let me taste it."
Gu Wen smiled and said, "No hurry, it's almost dark, the reunion dinner will be ready soon."
A Xuan leaned on her father's shoulder and sighed. How could her father not understand that eating secretly in the kitchen tastes better than eating at the table?
Gu Youan was in charge of the stove, sitting on a small stool with her knees together, her arms folded on her knees, her head resting on her arms, and her cheeks flushed red from the smoke from the firewood in the stove.
Gu Youan watched her mother busy with work and told her jokes in a good mood. Gu Youan occasionally responded, and her mother would laugh when she was happy.
After a while, the eldest brother came over and asked if he could serve the dishes, but his mother drove him out again, saying that he was a little glutton like Axuan.
Gu Youan's lips curled up slightly, and he sniffed happily like A Xuan. The tip of his nose was filled with the aroma of food, and he was immersed in a sense of satisfaction and happiness.
"Ann, it's time to eat!"
"Why!"
We should light a string of firecrackers during the Chinese New Year, but we don’t have any at home. However, it doesn’t affect the happiness of the whole family.
After the reunion dinner, the family was lying on the kang and talking. Suddenly, they heard the echo of firecrackers coming from the distant town. They knew it must be midnight.
There is a poem that goes: "Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the year ends; the spring breeze brings warmth to the wine." In the bitterly cold land beyond the Great Wall, in the neighboring mountain villages outside Songjiang City, it's still early for spring to warm the air and bring flowers to bloom.
But it’s not far away. The smooth days always pass by inadvertently.
The ninth day of the first lunar month is Gu Youan’s birthday. This year she turns fifteen, which is her coming-of-age anniversary. It is a big day, and the Gu family invited the Tian family and the Zhang family to dinner.
Mrs. Bai looked at Gu Youan and said to Mrs. Du with a smile, "According to the rules, after she has reached the age of 15, she should be a grown-up girl. Anan is tall but a little thin, so she looks younger than she actually is."
Mrs. Du felt sorry for her daughter and touched her arm, saying, "The child was already weak, and she has suffered so much. We took good care of her during this time in the neighboring village, but she still hasn't recovered."
"Don't worry, life will be stable from now on, with good food and drink, and it will be fine after a few years."
Zhang Shinan came over, took Gu Youan's arm, and after carefully feeling her pulse, he said, "Although she's weak, you've taken good care of her over the years, and you've built a good foundation. A few months of hardship won't affect her at all."
Mrs. Du asked happily, "You suffered a lot during your exile. Did it not affect your health?"
Mrs. Du was embarrassed to say it, An An hadn't had her period yet, and she was worried.
"It's okay. Just tell Sister Bai what she said. Just take good care of her for a few years. For your daughter's health, it's best not to marry her off too early."
"No marriage, no marriage."
Liu smiled and said, "It's not good not to get married. If you don't get married until you're in your early twenties, then you and your wife will be worried again."
The adults in the room immediately started laughing.
Gu Wenqing looked at the two brothers of the Tian family and the only son of the Zhang family. They were both at the age of getting married, so he decided not to allow them to come to his house anymore.
Tian Erlang patted him and said, "What are you looking at? I've asked Zhang Yinshan to go hunting tomorrow. Do you want to go?"
"Hunting? Aren't you going to pick up frozen pheasants and rabbits in the snow?" Gu Wenqing was surprised.
Tian Dalang was drinking water, barely avoiding spitting it out. He laughed and said, "That's true."
Tian Jilang glared fiercely: "Why not hunting? My bowstring is made of deer tendons, it's very useful. Last time I almost shot a gray rabbit."
"The deer tendon you bought in Shanhaiguan?"
"That's it."
There was nothing to do at home in winter, so Tian Erlang had almost covered the deer tendon with patina. He took great care of it and even after making it into a bow and arrow, he often took it out to play with it and did not allow his brother to touch it.
"Uncle Gu and my father have discussed finding a martial arts master for us. He must be skilled in archery and horse riding. When the time comes, I'll ask him to teach me. I'll definitely be able to shoot the arrow through the air from a hundred paces away."
"Okay, okay, stop dreaming. If you want to go to the mountains, go ahead. You can have some fun now while the ice hasn't thawed yet. We'll be busy when the ice thaws in late April."
Four young men of similar age gathered together to talk. Ah Xuan sat down in her brother's arms and said, "Take me there."
No one paid any attention to her. A Xuan felt bored and snorted, then went to her sister again.
Gu Youan also wanted to learn archery, but it was boring to hang out with her brothers and it was a waste of her time, so she planned to go fishing in the river tomorrow.
Gu Youan went to tell her mother, and Mrs. Du agreed without hesitation. She even called Mrs. Bai and Mrs. Liu to join her, and said generously, "If we catch any fish, we'll divide it among the three families."
Liu said, "We can catch fish. There are plenty of fish in Ping'an River. It's just that we don't have a net, so it's hard to catch them."
"Who said there is no internet? We have it at home." Mrs. Du was able to get the data so quickly because she knew there was internet at home.
Bai pretended to be angry: "Well, you bought a fishing net and didn't tell me."
Mrs. Du smiled and said, "A few days ago, I went to Songjiang City to buy some things. I came across someone selling fishing nets, so I bought one. But they didn't have any extra. If they had, how could I not have thought of you?"
In order to prepare for their daughter's coming-of-age ceremony today, Gu Wen and his wife, Mrs. Du, made a special trip to Songjiang City to buy meat and other items.
Although it was Bai who asked, Du also mentioned Liu. She said, "We three families have few people, so one fishing net is enough for all three of us. Besides, a fishing net is not cheap. I already have one at home, so why would you all waste money by buying one and keeping it at home?"
Liu thanked him, "Thank you for thinking of me."
The Zhang family changed their civil registration last year. The little money they earned from five years of land reclamation was used to rent a yard, buy food, prepare cotton-padded clothes and quilts for the winter, and some daily necessities. They were short of money and almost counted the coins. Fishing nets were too expensive and they could not afford them at all, so they had never thought about it.
After Liu thanked her, Bai naturally agreed.
Bai thought to herself that the Gu family had bought a lot of things for their home after moving to the neighboring mountain village, and they were able to spend money to hold An An's coming-of-age ceremony today. In addition to giving gifts, the Su family probably also gave some money to express their gratitude.
Mrs. Bai was genuinely concerned for the Gu family. With Mrs. Liu here, she couldn't bring herself to say many things directly. She said vaguely, "We have to spend money, and we don't know how to farm. When spring comes, we'll have to go to the village headman and rent some farm tools. If we can't handle it, we'll have to hire help. I'm really worried."
Mrs. Du naturally understood what Mrs. Bai meant. She smiled and continued, "You have thirty-eight acres of land and three men at home, so it's no problem. If we really need help, it won't take more than three to five days, and it won't cost much. We are not as strong as others, so we must not exhaust ourselves just to save money."
Liu also nodded and said, "That makes sense."
Gu Youan listened to her mother and aunt talking. On the other side of the kang, her father, Uncle Tian, and Uncle Zhang were also talking about farming in the spring.
Gu Youan got up and went to the kitchen, brought out the orange peel water that had been cooked earlier, and each person drank a bowl, which made their mouths sweet.
Tian Erlang was envious and poked Gu Wenqing: "The Su family is very generous. They even sent candy to your family. My family doesn't have any."
Tian Dalang scolded his brother: "Don't talk nonsense."
Tian Jilang thought his elder brother was too boring. What was there to hide?
Gu Wenqing was stared at by Tian Erlang, and smiled and said, "Let's go hunting in the mountains tomorrow?"
"Okay, I'll call you tomorrow morning." Tian Jilang agreed very readily.
Winter is a time for rest. Men and women all have their own places to go, either resting at home, strolling in the mountains, fishing in the river, or gathering together to chat.
Although the families in the village live far away from each other, after fishing by the river before the New Year, the two outsider families, the Gu and Tian families, became familiar with every household in the village. They would say hello when they met them in the mountains or by the river.
Mrs. Du was a sociable person. After going to the river to fish a few times, she gradually established contacts with many families. The Gu family could occasionally eat food from other families, such as the soybean paste from the east family and the pickles from the west family. The taste of each family was really different.
That day, Mrs. Du went to the river to catch two bighead carp and made stewed fish with sauce at noon. The whole family said that the fish was delicious.
"That's because the sauce people gave me is delicious, and the fish stewed in it is flavorful."
The whole family worked hard, and Mrs. Du said proudly, "I am the one who made our family suffer. Look at you guys. Wenqing and An'an are just like your father. If people don't ask, they won't take the initiative to talk to others. This won't do. We are outsiders. If we want to live in this village, we naturally have to be more proactive."
Ah Xuan supported her mother: "Mom is right, I will go out with you tomorrow."
Mrs. Du looked at the two older ones, and Gu Wenqing said hurriedly, "I'm going to the mountains with Tian Erlang tomorrow. If we can find some pheasants or rabbits, that would be great. If not, I can just pick up some firewood."
"Where's An An?"
"I study with my father."
"There's not a single piece of paper in the house, so what's there to read?"
"Dad, remember it. Recite it to me."
"Forget it, then you two can just study at home." Mrs. Du let the father and daughter go.
Mrs. Du took Axuan out almost every day, and Gu Wenqing did the same, leaving the house to Gu Wen and his daughter.
Gu Wen taught his daughter how scholars in the Zhou Dynasty should read, and Gu Youan showed her father many of the books she had read since childhood, so that the father and daughter could be said to be learning from each other.
Gu Wen got used to reading the incomplete characters. Within a month, he had no difficulty reading those books. He was so engrossed in reading that he stayed at home all day and didn't like going out anymore.
Sometimes, Mrs. Du felt that the father and daughter were too dull and drove them out for a walk. Gu Wen would then go to Tian's house to discuss books with Tian Qingde and chat for half a day.
As for Gu Youan, whenever she went out, she would either go for a walk by the river or go to Zhang's house to talk to Zhang Shinan about the medicinal materials business in Songjiang City.
Zhang Shinan is a famous doctor who grew up in a family of traditional Chinese medicine. Even though he concealed his past and stopped practicing medicine during the five years of exile in Songjiang City, he still couldn't help but feel happy when he came across good medicinal materials. When he went to Songjiang City, he would take a few more glances at the various pharmacies in the city when he passed by.
He kept everything he had seen in his heart, and apart from occasionally talking to his family, no one discussed it with him.
Gu Youan didn't know how to diagnose and prescribe medicine, but she grew up with her grandmother and often played in Chinese medicine pharmacies, so she had seen many medicinal herbs.
It happened that Gu Youan, a man who knew little about medicine, came to ask for advice, and Zhang Shinan came to talk. He knew everything about the medicinal materials produced in the mountains and forests around Songjiang City and which pharmacy was the best in Songjiang City.
"Songjiang City is a treasure trove. There are countless authentic medicinal herbs here. Common ones include Asarum, Astragalus, Platycodon, Saposhnikovia, Atractylodes, Bupleurum, and Glehnia littoralis. You're definitely aware of the priceless and precious herbs like Ginseng and Deer Antler that are hard to come by."
"On the surface, the civilians fleeing famine from the interior and the exiled families of criminal officials all seemed to be here to cultivate the land, but in reality, many of them went into the mountains and forests to make a living by collecting medicinal herbs."
"There are dozens of pharmacies of all sizes in Songjiang City. If you look closely, there are three major merchants dealing in medicinal materials. The first is the Prince Qi's Mansion, the second is the Han family, and the third is the Yuan family."
Hearing this, Gu Youan couldn't help but ask, "The Han family ranks second?"
"Exactly. Aside from the medicinal herbs that Prince Qi's Mansion specifically requested, which were not allowed to be sold to Songjiang City, most of the other medicinal herbs that Prince Qi's Mansion allowed to be sold were bought and sold by the Han family. It was said that they were sold to the south."
The Han family sells medicinal materials from Songjiang City to the south, and then buys cloth, silk and other new things from the south and sells them in Songjiang City. This is a good business.
Gu Youan thought of the respectful attitude that Han had shown towards the Chief Secretary of Prince Qi's Mansion. Han's desire to establish a connection with Prince Qi's Mansion must have been motivated by business. If Prince Qi's Mansion were willing to ease up, the Han family would be able to buy and sell more medicinal herbs in greater quantities and varieties. Who would complain about making too much money?
"Uncle Zhang, which family is the Yuan family?"
"As for the Yuan family, I don't know much either. I just heard that the Yuan family is related to the Meng family, the general of the Northeast."
The Yuan family is related to the Meng family, the grandfather of King Qi, so doesn't that mean they are related to King Qi? The Han family, an outsider, was able to surpass the Yuan family and become the second largest merchant. They are quite capable.
The structure of the three major businesses in Songjiang City also made Gu Youan see the broad-mindedness of Prince Qi's Mansion. Since Prince Qi allowed the Han family, a family with a different surname, to grow stronger, then it would not matter if there was one more family.
Gu Youan had no intention of hiding her thoughts. Zhang Shinan knew she wanted to do the medicinal herbs business, so he advised her: "Let's not talk about the fact that you are a woman. Doing business in public will cause people to talk about you. Let's talk about the medicinal herbs. There are many tricks in the business. Inferior goods are passed off as good ones, and fake goods are mixed with genuine ones. If you are not an experienced shopkeeper who knows the business, you may be cheated and lose everything."
"Besides, if you want to do the medicinal herb business, you don't have trustworthy people. You will definitely have to collect the herbs yourself and ship them out. The hardship of traveling back and forth between the south and the north, and the many bandits and robbers on the road, is not something that ordinary people can endure."
Gu Youan thanked him for his kindness and said with a smile, "I just have this plan and want to find out more. I don't have any plans to do the medicinal materials business now."
Zhang Shinan saw that she was not going to give in easily and wanted to persuade her again, but Gu Youan said, "You know the current situation of my family. We have no foundation, no extra money, and no manpower. I can't do anything even if I want to."
That’s true.
Zhang Shinan was relieved and sighed, "The people outside the Great Wall are very tough. If you don't study martial arts and become an official, I will just watch you go. It's better to farm and live a stable life."
"Uncle Zhang is right."
Gu Youan was returning from Zhang's house when she met her father returning from Tian's house. They waited for a while at the intersection, and then the father and daughter returned home together.
"Are you going to the Zhang family to ask for medicinal herbs again?"
"Well, the medicinal herbs business has been lucrative since ancient times. Of the three families in Songjiang City that deal in medicinal herbs, Prince Qi's Mansion probably collects medicinal herbs to take care of the army. Only the Han and Yuan families are truly engaged in the medicinal herbs business. I think there is an opportunity there."
"Songjiang City is still short of manpower. If it weren't for the limited number of people collecting herbs, I think the medicinal materials industry could still support several large caravans."
Gu Wen agreed with his daughter's words: "As for manpower, it depends on what Prince Qi's Mansion has said. Whether the people coming from the interior are refugees or prisoners, most of them should be placed on the land. Food is the top priority."
Gu Youan could understand. After all, if Prince Qi fell out with Luoyang and the imperial court cut off the military pay for the Northeast Army, an army of tens of thousands of people would have to eat and drink well, and they certainly couldn't do without food.
Gu Youan asked with a smile: "Dad, if I want to start a medicinal herb business, will you give me the money from our family?"
"Just do it if you want to. You used to live like that, and now I ask you to stay at home all day. I don't think you can stay here."
Gu Wen said, "Your mother and I will definitely not stop you, but your mother didn't give you much money, it's definitely not enough to start a medicinal herb business."
Even when they were in Luoyang, their family was not considered ordinary people and could certainly not be compared with those wealthy families. Gu Wen knew very well how much money the family had.
"First, take care of your health in the next one or two years. Don't worry about other things. As for money, we can think of other ways later."
Gu Wen knew his daughter's temperament. Since An An said this, she must have a plan in mind. Gu Wen found a chance to talk to Du Shi about this. Du Shi said without hesitation: "If the money is not enough, send someone to take a letter to the second brother and ask him to sell the several shops in Luoyang."
"Are you willing to give it up? We've been in Luoyang for over ten years, and it took you a long time to buy those shops."
"There's nothing to be reluctant about. If An An wants it, just give it to her."
In Mrs. Du's heart, An An is always different. It's rare that An An wants to do something, and as her mother, she must support her.
"It doesn't matter if I lose money. I can just consider it as giving her my dowry in advance."
Gu Wen asked with a smile: "What if you have a son and a daughter?"
"Hmph, we're both so young, can't we try harder?" Mrs. Du rolled her eyes at him and said, "Your daughter isn't meant to be hanging around in the backyard. As a father, you should be more motivated. Don't wait until your daughter is bullied and you can't even say a word."
Gu Wen whispered his plan to Madam Du, who then said, "So this is exactly what you were in charge of when you were in the Ministry of Industry. If you could make a name for yourself through this, that would be great, but people might not pay any attention to you."
Gu Wen said calmly, "You know, our area is remote, with vast land and sparse population. We don't have enough manpower to farm the land, and when the weather is dry, we simply can't irrigate the land. If there were canals to divert water, the water-deficient lower and middle fields might become middle and upper fields. What's wrong with that?"
"The vast tracts of land near our mountain village and Ping'an Town have only been reclaimed in recent years. We don't have enough manpower to cultivate it meticulously, and unlike the fine land south of the Yangtze River, which has been cultivated for years, we can't even harvest one dan of grain per acre. Two dan of grain is considered the best. But if there's enough water and fertilizer, and if we cultivate the land carefully for a few years, we can grow it into excellent fields, and we can harvest three dan of grain per acre. Who wouldn't be jealous?"
Mrs. Du thought for a moment and said, "Hearing you put it that way, it seems we can do it. If we can't convince others, we can spend the money to hire someone to build a canal on our land first."
"This will definitely work. It's because we came early. If we had come a few years later, the canal here might have been repaired and it wouldn't be my turn."
If you think about it carefully, the whole family has serious things to do and are just waiting for the ice to thaw.
When Gu Youan heard her father talking about the canal construction, she remembered a document she had read before about rural revitalization and agricultural development. There was a part in it that introduced the design and layout of the canal, so she found it and showed it to her father.
Gu Wen was so excited that he stayed indoors for many days, studying the subject. Then he would go out early and come back late every day to stroll in the fields by the river.
Tian Qingde had nothing to do, and seeing Gu Wen going to the river every day, Tian Qingde followed him to join in the fun, and the two of them started talking to each other.
Time passed quickly and it was April. On the day of the beginning of summer, the wind was blowing and the rain was slanting. The drizzle lasted for two days. The sun came out the next day. Gu Youan felt a little warmer standing in the yard.
When Mrs. Du went out, she heard people say that it was warm early this year. They said there was no need to wait until the end of April, and that they could probably go to the fields to farm in the early 20s of April.
Gu Wen and Tian Qingde went to see the village head, first to ask about land distribution, and second to ask about seeds and rental of farm tools.
The head of the village went to the town and invited an official to witness the division of land between the Gu and Tian families. After Gu Wen and Tian Qingde put their fingerprints on the agreement, they paid for a meal for the head of the village and the official, and the matter was considered settled.
After their own land was divided, Gu Wen went to the fields more often. Gu Youan went with him a few times, but when he saw his father and Uncle Tian planning the canal, he stopped going.
On April 20th, families who had been cooped up at home for a whole winter went out. The adults worked in the fields, and the older children helped. Those who were too young to help ran around in the fields, laughing and making noises. If they fell and cried, they would be scolded by the adults, but they would run away again soon.
Gu Youan looked down at the mud on the ground formed by the melted snow. It was so dirty. How could those children dare to roll around in the mud?
After a winter of rest, Gu Youan's face and body gained weight and her arms became stronger. This morning, she and her mother took turns using the hoe to dig the ground. Now her mother was using the hoe, and she was taking a break.
After resting for a while, Gu Youan went to change her mother.
"Put your hand out so I can see it."
Gu Youan stretched out his hand and said, "It's just a little red and swollen, but no blisters."
"You still have to be careful. Your flesh is so tender, and if you injure your hand it might take a long time to heal. I didn't think of that when I left this morning. This afternoon I'll tear that ragged piece of clothing into strips and tie it on your hand. That way you can suffer less."
Gu Youan saw that her mother's hands were similar to hers. She had a delicate body and tender flesh, and her mother was the same.
"Mom, I have gloves." Gu Youan said in a low voice.
"Those things of yours obviously don't belong to us. You can't take them out."
Gu Youan looked around and saw people scattered in the fields. Each house was far away from the others, so it was impossible to see the gloves clearly.
"And your brother and Axuan."
Gu Youan sighed. The land here was flat, and each family's land was connected. It was good, but there was no shelter, so he couldn't secretly use anything to relieve the pain.
"When will we be able to use the cows we rented?"
"It's still early. Your father asked yesterday, and he estimated that it would be early May before our family's turn."
There are no oxen available for plowing, so we can only do the work ourselves.
The first few days of farming were the hardest, and this was true for both the Gu and Tian families. However, the Zhang family of three were used to farming, and even Liu, a woman, seemed more capable than the men of the Gu and Tian families.
After working hard until the third day of May, the rented oxen finally came to the Gu and Tian families' turn, but neither family knew how to use them. It was the Zhang family's father and son who helped and taught them how to use the oxen.
Tian Erlang found a way to be amused by his father's misery and said, "Don't you always say that your family was poor when you were young? You said that you had no cotton clothes to wear in the winter and that you could only study during your spare time working in the fields. How come you can't even use an ox?"
Tian Qingde refused to admit defeat: "My family is so poor, how can I have cattle to work with during the busy farming season?"
"That seems to be the case."
"You little bastard, you're not doing your job well, but you're just looking for faults with your father. If you don't work hard, I'll whip you."
Tian Erlang was scolded by his father and ran away in shame, causing laughter from several neighboring families.
In mid-May, the Gu and Tian families had not yet finished their farming. In order not to miss the farming season, the two families hired temporary workers and it took another three days to finish sowing. Finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief.
In this short month, the whole family has lost weight. The soft flesh they gained during the winter is gone. When Gu Youan clenched his fist, a thin layer of muscle lines can be seen on his arms.
According to the plan, the crops have been planted, and the vegetable garden behind the house should be tidied up tomorrow. Mrs. Du was really tired, so she announced that the whole family would take a day off and work on the vegetable garden the day after tomorrow.
The next morning, Liu came to deliver vegetable seedlings to Du. It was almost noon, and the gate of the Gu family was still closed. Liu didn't wait long. She put the vegetable seedlings in front of the door and went back.
The family slept until mid-afternoon and woke up when they were hungry. Mrs. Du got up and went to the kitchen to cook. When Gu Wenqing opened the gate, he saw the vegetable seedlings at the door and went to ask his mother.
Mrs. Du said, "It should be sent by your Aunt Liu. Clear a piece of land in the vegetable garden this afternoon and plant these seedlings."
Ah Xuan came over to take a look: "What kind of dish is this?"
Gu Youan couldn't quite recognize it and guessed, "Is this chrysanthemum?"
Mrs. Du took a glance and said, "It's chrysanthemum. This is great. It sprouts in a few days after being planted in the ground. I can pick the young shoots and cook them into soup or noodles. It's very delicious."
Gu Youan stretched and looked at the lush green forest behind the house: "There should be mushrooms on the mountain by now, right?"
"I don't know, but whether there are mushrooms or not, don't go up the mountain for the time being. I ran into Tian Erlang and his friends by the river yesterday afternoon. The Tians had finished their work, and he wanted to go up the mountain. Zhang Yinshan told him not to go because the wild animals there are very fierce at this time."
"The wild animals in the mountains have been hungry all winter. In the spring, they are in heat and protecting their cubs, so they are naturally very fierce."
Mrs. Du prepared the meal, and Gu Wenqing and Gu Youan went to serve the food. The whole family sat on the kang around the small table and ate.
"The weather is getting warmer, and it's not convenient to live here. There are four rooms besides the kitchen. In a couple of days, Dalang and An'an can choose a room each, and we can live separately."
Gu Youan nodded and agreed.
A Xuan raised her head and asked, "Mom, what about me? I want to sleep alone too."
Mrs. Du gave her a piece of scrambled eggs and said with a smile, "You are still young, you sleep with your parents. When you grow up in a few years, you can sleep by yourself."
"oh."
Since they had to sleep separately, they couldn't just bring one bare bedding over. As she had some free time, Du went to another family in the village to borrow a saw and a trimmer. After reporting to the head of the village, she asked the Tian family for help to get a few trees down from the mountain. After hammering away for several days, she made two kang tables and two cabinets.
Zhang Shinan came over to watch the fun and said with a smile, "I heard that Brother Gu used to be an official in the Ministry of Works. Why didn't you learn carpentry from a craftsman? You put the wood together to make a box before it's even dried. I'm afraid it will crack later."
The wood wasn't pushed flat, and the edges were rough, but it would just work. Gu Youan encouraged her father: "I think it's great. I like this cabinet Dad made."
Tian Qingde smiled and said, "My daughter is really considerate."
Gu Wen looked at the cabinet and felt a little dissatisfied. He coughed lightly and said, "As long as you like it, use it first. When your family is more affluent, Dad will go to Songjiang City to ask a carpenter to make you a cabinet."
Gu Wenqing hurried over: "Dad, what about me?"
Gu Wen glared at him: "As a man, why do you care about food and clothing? Isn't it enough to have a cabinet?"
Gu Wenqing: “…”
A few days ago, my father praised me as the pillar of the family. How come now that the work in the fields is done, I, the pillar of the family, am no longer valued?
Everyone laughed and then didn't care anymore.
After finishing his farm work and taking a few days off, Gu Wen began his canal project. Gu Wen and Tian Qingde first went to consult with the village head, and then went to several families whose fields were close to theirs.
After discussing for three to five days, finally only two families were willing to work together with the Gu and Tian families to build a canal from Ping'an River to the edge of their land.
Gu Wen was not discouraged. He decided to just do it first. When watering was needed in the summer, other people would see the benefits of the canal and would not be stingy with their efforts.
There was no rush to repair the canal, just work for a while and then take a break. Gu Youan saw that her brother still had the energy to play with A Xuan when he came home, so she knew he could still bear it.
The weather was getting warmer, and people who went out to work wore shorts, leaving their arms exposed. Gu Wenqing's arm muscles bulged. He patted his arms and asked his parents, "When can you find a martial arts master for me?"
"Do your job. Your uncle Tian and I know what's going on."
The work of repairing the canal lasted until mid-June. The canal had reached the fields of the Gu and Tian families, and only a small section was left to be repaired to the fields of the other two families.
Gu Wen and Tian Qingde told their son to continue helping the two families, and they went to Songjiang City.
The day before yesterday, Mrs. Du and Mrs. Bai went to the mountains to collect firewood and brought back a bag of mushrooms. They selected the good-looking ones and asked them to take them to the Su family as a token of their appreciation.
Gu Wen and Tian Qingde were gone for three days. Du and Bai were getting impatient, so they brought people back.
It was already evening when they returned home. The gate of the Gu family's courtyard was closed. When they heard the knock on the door, Mrs. Du didn't have time to say anything and hurried into the yard. Axuan, the little tail, also followed her.
Gu Wenqing smiled and said, "It must be Dad who has returned."
Gu Youan added a ladle of water to the pot, and scooped half a bowl of cornmeal from the cupboard and poured it into the basin. Gu Youan was kneading the dough when she suddenly heard her mother calling out "Second Brother" in surprise.
The brother and sister exchanged a glance, and Gu Wenqing stood up and went out. Seeing the familiar Second Uncle Du, he immediately smiled and hurried over to greet him, "It's been a long time since we last met, Second Uncle. How are you?"
Uncle Du smiled and said, "I'm fine. Are you all okay? On the way back, I heard your father say that An An is much better."
"Okay, it's all over. It can be considered a blessing in disguise."
Gu Youan washed his hands, came over and greeted him with a smile: "I caught the sack you threw, and the meat patties inside were really delicious."
"Well, as long as it tastes good, it's all in the past. It's over and done with. Don't mention it again."
When Uncle Du saw that the child was indeed better, he thought of the difficulties he had faced before and felt a mixture of emotions.
Uncle Du set out from Luoyang to Songjiang City in early May. He followed the caravan all the way here, half walking and half riding in a car, facing the wind and rain. Even though he had prepared everything before leaving, he still felt tired. I don’t know how sad the children were at that time.
Mrs. Du couldn't help but tear up. She said, "It's all in the past. Let's not talk about it. Second brother must be tired after just arriving. Dalang, go get some water for your second uncle to wash up. Ask your second uncle to sleep in the same room with you tonight."
"Hey, I'll go right away."
The only big pot in the house was boiling water, ready to cook knife-cut noodles. But the noodles hadn't been put in yet, so half a bucket of water was poured into the pot and heated up. Gu Wenqing was asked to go out and help his second uncle wash up, and then another pot of hot water was boiled for Gu Wen.
After the water was boiled, we started to cook dinner.
Originally, she was planning to pick some Chinese spinach and cook it with knife-cut noodles. But today, there were guests at home, so Mrs. Du cut a palm-sized piece of bacon, cut it into cubes, and stir-fried it with the Chinese spinach and soybean paste to make a topping for the knife-cut noodles.
After eating a bowl of steaming hot noodles and drinking half a bowl of noodle soup, I feel satisfied.
In the evening, the whole family sat together and talked. Uncle Du brought a bundle and handed a few banknotes and a bag of tax silver to Mrs. Du.
"Last year, after you were exiled, every family's property was ransacked. Besides their houses, all their shops and land were confiscated. Your shops were all under my name, so you escaped."
"Everything was fine at first, but who knew that at the end of April, those officials returned to Luoyang and reported the Li family incident. Not only did the bandits die, but the Li family's hidden treasures were discovered by the imperial court. Their hidden private property was confiscated again, and other families were also subject to strict investigation."
Mrs. Du hurriedly said, "The deed to my shop is in your name. No matter how hard we try, we won't be able to find it here."
"Alas, the court didn't find out, but this matter attracted the attention of others. When people found out that a relative of an official like me had no one to back me up, some people were trying to lower the price to buy my shop, so they kept doing bad things behind the scenes."
Uncle Du frowned and said, "I can't keep these shops by myself. I've sold yours and my two shops."
"You've come to Songjiang City. Where are your sister-in-law and nephews and nieces? Are they still in Luoyang?" Gu Wen asked with concern.
"A few days before I left, they returned to Yizhou with the Yizhou caravan. When I return from you, I will also return to Yizhou. A place as precious as Luoyang is not something an ordinary person like me can stay in."
Mrs. Du was so angry that she was shaking. How could someone act like this under the emperor's feet without any concealment? How could this be tolerated?
Gu Wen and Gu Youan, father and daughter, remained silent. They were both people who had seen the most naked form of power and were not moved by these oppressive tactics.
It’s always the same. If you want to live freely and with dignity, you have to rely on your own efforts.
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