Chapter Ninety-One
Zhou Chuxue banged his head against a tree to show his resolve. The men in the village who had previously looked down on him and were keeping a close eye on Zhou Fengnian's house became much more subdued.
Aunt Qing paid the money as promised, and after Mu Youqing's injuries had healed a bit, she would kneel in the ancestral hall for ten days.
After this incident, Mu Zhaoye began to admire Zhou Fengnian, a man with a gentle nature who dared to stand up for his husband.
Just then, a lumber carrier at the town's carpentry shop quit his job because he found the work too tiring and the pay too low. He then found an easier job elsewhere.
Mu Zhaoye then took some time to visit Zhou Fengnian and hired him to work at a shop in town, paying him seven qian of silver per month.
On weekdays, Zhou Fengnian would unload timber at the shop every two or three days, and whenever he had free time, he would look for odd jobs elsewhere.
The money was more than enough, and Zhou Fengnian nodded repeatedly, afraid that if he hesitated, such a good job would fall into the hands of someone else.
He will go over once Zhou Chuxue is feeling better.
With a stable source of income, the couple could be said to have turned misfortune into blessing.
Bai Qiqiu mentioned this matter briefly during lunch.
"In this way, their lives will gradually get better."
Zhou Lin was naturally pleased to hear this, after all, Zhou Fengnian was his cousin, so they were related by blood.
Mu Jin nodded. "Brother Zhaoye is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. Qi Qiu, you've struck gold. You should cherish him."
Bai Qiqiu's face showed a hint of arrogance. "It's alright, I guess."
Mu Jin and Zhou Lin chuckled, thinking about this guy who didn't mean what he said.
"Speaking of which, Zhaoye also came to see my master and me today. He's going to the capital tomorrow because he said a new style has just come out there and is very popular with nobles. He might invite someone to teach us carpenters a new skill. We'll probably have to stay at the shop for a few days."
"This is a good thing. You can learn well in the shop. There's nothing much to do at home, so you don't have to worry about things at home."
Once Zhou Lin has mastered his skills, he will have multiple trades, making him more capable than others and enabling him to earn more money.
Zhou Lin nodded. Ever since what happened with Zhou Chuxue, he hadn't been very willing to stay outside for long.
"When I was working at the Zhao family's residence, the styles were mostly from the capital. At first, Young Master Zhao even invited a master craftsman from the capital to teach us for about ten days. Since they were all experienced, it wasn't difficult for us to learn."
"Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"
Zhou Lin smiled and said, "Even if you learn that method after signing the contract, you can't use it to make money. Nobody in town does it like that. If it gets out and the Zhao family finds out, they'll fine you a thousand taels of silver. I didn't even dare to say anything at the time."
Mu Jin chuckled, thinking of this timid and honest man.
"What's the difference between the furniture made in Beijing and the furniture here?"
"More elaborate and exquisite. In our village, most people value practicality and durability. Wealthy families, on the other hand, want things to be sturdy, durable, and good-looking."
Mu Jin smiled and said that in a few years, when Zhou Lin had some free time, she would ask him to carve a carved wooden bed for her so that she could enjoy it too.
Zhou Lin finished the millet porridge at the bottom of the bowl in one gulp.
"I've learned from my master, so I can pick it up quickly. I estimate I'll be back in a day or two."
Mu Jin nodded, knowing he was worried about home. "With Night Owl watching over the house, you can focus on learning your trade in town."
Zhou Lin patted Night Owl's big head under the dining table; with it around, he did feel much more at ease.
Bai Qiqiu's eyes flickered slightly, and he secretly glanced at Mu Jin before hesitatingly speaking.
"Brother, Mu Zhaoye told me about this. I've never been to the capital before, so... I want to go too."
After saying that, fearing that Mu Jin would disagree, he quickly added a sentence.
“I will book two separate rooms with him and will never do anything improper before we are married.”
Mu Jin sighed and chuckled, "Does Brother Zhaoye have any acquaintances in the capital?"
Bai Qiqiu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I have already sent a letter. When we arrive in the capital, someone will come to pick us up."
Mu Jin sighed inwardly. Zhao Ye had really made a name for himself during those years in the northern frontier. He even had connections in the capital, right under the emperor's nose.
"Go ahead, but be careful on the way. Although you two are both strong, you may be outnumbered and outmatched. Two fists can't fight four feet. Stay on the main road and don't travel at night."
Mu Jin gave him some detailed instructions.
Bai Qiqiu smiled and said, "Understood, elder brother."
The next day, Bai Qiqiu finished getting ready, and Mu Zhaoye, arriving on time, drove a mule cart to pick him up at his door.
Mu Jin experienced once again the feeling of a mother worrying about her son who is far away.
He pulled Bai Qiqiu aside and repeated his instructions over and over again.
Bai Qiqiu said with some helplessness after hearing the last part: "Brother, I'll remember that. We won't take shortcuts, we'll only take the main roads, we won't travel at night, and the money will be kept close to Mu Zhaoye's body. We won't act separately either."
Mu Jin sighed, "Alright, be careful on the road."
Mu Zhaoye said to Mu Jin and Zhou Lin, "Don't worry, I will take good care of him."
Mu Jin smiled and nodded, standing at the courtyard gate watching the two figures drive away in their mule cart until they were out of sight before returning to the courtyard.
With two people suddenly gone, the house felt much quieter.
"Why don't you come with me to visit Master? Master was asking you about it yesterday."
Mu Jin shook her head. "There's a lot of work to do at home too. The dye shop just received a few bolts of cloth. They said they'd make jujube cakes for them to try, but they haven't made them yet. I don't have time to go. I'll wait until I'm done with these last two days."
"Then close the courtyard gate and have Night Owl follow you wherever you go."
Zhou Lin went out to work, looking back every few steps. After he left, the courtyard seemed even emptier.
Thinking about it carefully, it's no wonder that villagers prefer to have sons.
Being able to do farm work and having many sons means they won't be bullied. But if they're all boys and girls, they'll marry out and the house will be cold and quiet.
Life can be quite dull.
Thinking this, Mu Jin touched her belly, wondering when a little baby would be added to the family.
Water was boiled in the dyehouse's stove, and Mu Jin took out the madder powder that was to be used to dye the dye red from the cabinet.
Immersion, color fixing, rinsing.
Over the past few days, Mu Jin has been learning from Bai Qiqiu. While she may not be entirely proficient, she has learned to dye her hair evenly by taking it step by step, without any patches of dark or light dye.
"Big brother, are you busy?"
"Si'er is here."
Hibiscus's eyebrows curved into crescents, and to help dye the fabric, she rolled up the sleeves of her cotton coat.
Zhou Si put the bag of chestnut cakes she was carrying aside and started helping Mu Jin with her work.
Why is the house so quiet today?
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Zhao Ran went to the Mu family to accompany my maternal uncle and hasn't returned yet. Qi Qiu went to the capital with Brother Zhao Ye."
"Going to the capital?!" Zhou Si was astonished.
"I wonder what such a bustling and lively place is like."
Zhou Si's tone carried a hint of longing.
Mu Jin chuckled and shook her head; she couldn't imagine it either.
"Qi Qiu is now the only guy in our village who has ever been outside the town and even to the capital. He's really amazing."
Mu Jin nodded, "Because I always say that when a young man marries, he should choose a capable man."
Zhou Sishen agreed, then said, "Speaking of which, I heard that Second Brother is going to hold a 100-day celebration for his son. Have you and Eldest Brother heard about it?"
Mu Jin shook her head, "Why the sudden 100-day celebration? Don't your parents mind that it's a boy?"
Zhou Si's expression suddenly became somewhat complicated.
"Eldest brother, you know that second brother has been eloquent since childhood. After the family split up, he went to the Zhao family to build a new house. With his silver tongue, he won the favor of a steward and now he is in charge of about ten people doing the work, and the wages have increased a lot."
Mu Jin understood perfectly. As they say, a person's life revolves around their words, and sometimes, it's truly better to say something than to do it.
Zhou Si used a wooden stick to rub the cloth in the dye vat.
“My son is favored because of his father’s status. Now, my parents dote on our little nephew, saying that he brought good fortune. Right after he was born, his father became a minor manager.”
Zhou Si put the wooden stick aside. “I heard from my aunt who came to chat with my uncle that my second brother received some money a while ago and bought a few pounds of mutton for my parents. I don’t know how he coaxed my parents into giving him two more acres of fertile land.”
Mu Jin scoffed. Although she didn't care how Zhou Lin spent his allowance, she knew that he had given meat to the old couple in the Zhou family twice.
However, Zhou Wushi showed no liking for Zhou Lin whatsoever.
"Big brother, if you ask me, you should learn from second brother. You might be able to get some benefits from our parents. No matter what, when they get old, you still have to take care of them. If you can get some benefits now, you won't suffer any losses later."
Mu Jin knew this principle, but since she hadn't benefited from them, she could still distance herself from them a little.
If you really get a single coin from them, you'll probably have to pay them back a hundred.
Therefore, it's best to avoid getting involved.
"Your parents don't like your older brother. No matter how eloquent he is, in their eyes he's just a smooth talker. They still don't like him."
Zhou Si was taken aback by what he heard. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that it made sense, so she didn't say anything more.
After chatting for a while, Mu Jin took out some pastries from Nanfu City that Zhou Chuxue had sent from the cupboard and handed them to Zhou Si.
"Manjian cake, sent by my little uncle. Try it, it's sweet and quite delicious."
The news about Zhou Chuxue was all over the village, and Mu Youqing's buttock injury was still not healed.
Zhou Si had heard about it before, and when she received the pastry, she took a small bite.
"It's delicious, sweet and soft. How is my little uncle doing these days?"
Mu Jin also took a piece, ate a bite, and said, "I'm feeling better now, but I still have some spotting. I'll rest for a while and it will get better slowly."
Zhou Si sighed, "I don't even know what to say."
As they talked, Zhou Lin went home.
Seeing that it was getting late, Zhou Si didn't have lunch at Mu Jin's place. After chatting with Zhou Lin for a while, she hurried home.
Mu Jin gently patted the pastry crumbs off her hands. "I was so busy I forgot the time; it's already noon."
Zhou Lin scooped up a ladle of water and went to the yard to wash his hands.
Standing at the kitchen door, Mu Jin asked, "Just the two of us, what should we eat?"
Zhou Lin thought for a moment, "It's been a long time since I've had noodles. Let's steam noodles and I'll roll out the dough."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go peel a cabbage."
As the sun rose higher and the snow melted, it became much warmer under the sun.
The couple cooked in an orderly fashion, with one person stir-frying the vegetables and the other rolling out the dough.
Although no words were spoken, the atmosphere in the kitchen was warm and cozy.
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