cramped living conditions and making a living
As the river ice begins to crack, the sound of looms from the Xueyun Cotton Workshop in Kaoshan Village replaces the winter's tranquility. The figures basking in the sun under the big trees in the village are now reduced to a few scattered elderly people with white hair and beards and toddlers learning to speak.
The Shen family compound is deserted; only a few people remain inside.
There were only a few people, including the village head and the workshop manager, who would occasionally come to look after the house.
Meanwhile, in a corner of Linshan County.
The three cramped partitioned rooms in the backyard of "Yunshangji" seemed to be filled with the vitality and noise of the entire Kaoshan Village.
It was packed full, with hardly any room to stand.
Pushing open the door to the main house, a wave of heat, a mixture of sweat, dust, and the vibrant energy of young people, hits you.
The most eye-catching item was a royal blue silk robe, casually draped over the only elmwood armchair in the room—Chen Yan's "battle robe." In stark contrast was a meticulously folded, sharply angled blue cloth garment—Ling Zhan's trademark.
Little Stone's precious slingshot rolled under the narrow bed. Right next to it was a large communal bed that took up almost half the room, where several boys were crammed together, their bedding tangled and messy.
The morning light struggled to squeeze through the narrow window, illuminating the dust particles dancing in the air.
The west wing was slightly better, but it was still only big enough to accommodate everyone.
Su Wan's embroidery frame occupied half the space, and on the fine embroidery hoop, a butterfly and flower painting was beginning to take shape. Da Niu's account books, abacus, and writing implements were piled up at the head of the bed, while Da Ya's herb basket and dried plants were stuffed under the only table.
Several slightly older girls were sleeping on a makeshift bed made up of two narrow beds.
The only thing separating the private space was a coarse cloth curtain that had been washed until it was faded.
The side rooms were even more crowded, with seven boys, including Hu Zi and Dou Ya, packed together like sardines in a can on a large communal bed.
Nighttime is symphony time.
The strong smell of sweat, the unmistakable stench of feet, the incessant grinding of teeth, and the mumbling in sleep intertwined to create a unique "sonata of youth." Bean Sprout, half-asleep, got up in the middle of the night and stepped on someone's leg, immediately letting out a suppressed cry of pain and a string of sleepy curses in the darkness.
"Dad! Simao wet the bed again! He's all wet and squashed!"
Early in the morning, Tiger pinched his nose and picked up a soaking wet mattress from the dormitory with a look of disgust. The moisture was still in the cold air.
"What's wrong with crowding? It's lively! More people means more positive energy!"
As Shen Yan straightened his clothes in front of the shimmering reflection in the water vat, he replied without turning his head, his voice carrying the languidness of early morning.
"Have you forgotten the days when you could sleep soundly and snore even in a beggar's hut? Get out of here! Don't get in my way!"
Little Stone rubbed his sleepy eyes and crawled out of bed to look for his shoes, but tripped over the bundles and odds and ends scattered on the floor.
A steady hand steadied his thin shoulder just in time. Ling Zhan had already stood up at some point, steadying himself with one hand on the small stone, and deftly pushing aside the still dripping coarse cloth clothes on the clothesline with the other, clearing a narrow passage. His voice was calm and even: "Be careful."
The front yard is a completely different world.
The signboard of "Yunshangji" with its vermilion lacquer and gold lettering hangs high above the doorway. The three spacious shops are bright and clean, with the sheen of silk and the aroma of incense blending together to create an air of wealth and luxury. Well-dressed customers come and go, and the shop assistants greet them attentively, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Ling Zhan carried several bolts of coarse cotton cloth, freshly unpacked and exuding the scent of new fabric, through the small gate to the backyard.
She was still wearing a slightly worn blue cloth dress.
The warm, white jade hairpin tucked into her hair was so simple that it seemed out of place in the dazzling shop.
"Da Ya," she said clearly, handing the cloth to Daya, who was already waiting by the door, "cut seven feet wide, from the budget section." The cloth was thick, and the colors were the most dirt-resistant indigo and ochre.
"Yes, Mother!" Daya took it neatly, turned around and pushed open the door leading to the front shop.
As the door opened and closed, the conversation from the front shop could be clearly heard: "Auntie, feel this 'Warm Backing' cotton cloth. It's thick and durable, only seven coins a foot. It's the most economical choice for making linings for children's winter coats, and there's plenty to go around!" Da Niu's voice was clear and crisp, carrying a convincing simplicity.
"Oh my! Really that price? Seven coins?"
An old woman's voice trembled with surprise and disbelief, "Other coarse cloth in the city costs nine or ten coins!"
"We're honest and fair! Our 'Shanhaisu' only sells high-quality, affordable cloth so that our fellow villagers can afford warm clothes." Daya said confidently. "The quantity you requested isn't in stock. Please go to the 'Shanhaisu' branch by the river tomorrow to pick it up. We'll reserve it for you!"
The door closed, shutting out the noise from the shop in front.
Shen Yan was tidying her sideburns in front of a small bronze mirror on the counter when she heard this. She curled her lip and drawled in Ling Zhan's direction, "Tsk, seven coins... After deducting the cost, shipping, and labor, all you make is a shout! You can't even hear a sound!"
Ling Zhan seemed not to hear, and handed another piece of cotton cloth, which was obviously soft and had a warm luster, to Su Wan beside him: "This cloth is for 'Yunshangji'."
This is the fine cotton fabric carefully spun by Xueyun Cotton Workshop using premium down, with a smooth and silky feel.
Su Wan gently brushed her fingertips across the fabric, feeling its delicate texture, and replied softly, "Yes, Sister Ling. The color of this fabric is like the first snow, perfect for lining spring clothes. Young Master Shen," she turned to Shen Yan, "Madam Wang has arrived ahead and specifically asked to see the Shenmian Brocade; she's waiting."
"They're here!"
Shen Yan instantly seemed to be wound up, his spirits lifted. He quickly straightened the collar and hem of his royal blue silk shirt, flashed a flawless smile at the bronze mirror, and with his head held high and chest out, he strode confidently through the heavy curtain, instantly blending into the dazzling world of ready-made clothes in the shop in front of him.
Before the curtain fell, his deliberately straight back blended into the enthusiastic greeting coming from outside: "Madam Wang, your presence is an honor! Please take a seat and serve tea!"
After having a simple breakfast, Ling Zhan went to her "Shan Hai Su" grain seed store.
The shop is located on a relatively quiet street. The storefront is not large, but it is always bustling with customers.
The long, rough wooden counter was crowded with farmers with dark skin and thick knuckles, and the air was filled with the smell of soil, seeds and sweat.
Inside the shop, Daya had already removed the door panel and was efficiently greeting the customers.
"Lady Ling!"
A dark-skinned man with calloused hands held a plump cotton seed in his hand and asked eagerly, "Can this 'cold-region short-staple' cotton seed really be planted on slopes? The soil there is thin and can't retain water!"
"able."
Ling Zhan walked to the counter, pried open a seed in the man's hand, revealing a healthy embryo inside. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable power: "Soak in warm water for three hours, mix with wood ash. Make shallow furrows, cover with soil and compact it to retain moisture."
Looking at the plump seeds and Ling Zhan's confident gaze, the man's doubts vanished instantly. He immediately pulled out a copper coin wrapped in cloth: "I trust Lady Ling! Give me five catties!"
Daya quickly weighed and packed the items.
The bean sprout squatted among the rows of earthenware jars containing seeds, closed its eyes and concentrated, gently touching the wall of one of the jars with its fingertip. After a moment, it opened its eyes and said, "Mother... the seeds at the bottom of this jar are three layers deep... the soil is a little weak, and the vitality is slightly less. When sowing, it is better to sow them half a inch deeper, so that the seedlings will emerge more steadily."
Ling Zhan nodded and said to Daya, "Write it down and tell the farmers."
Behind the counter, Little Stone was standing on tiptoe, diligently making entries in a thick ledger.
His small regular script was already quite neat: "Li Youtian, twenty catties of winter wheat seeds... exchange... exchange with an old plowshare!" He read it aloud as he wrote to make sure it was correct.
In an inconspicuous corner, County Magistrate Chen Qinian, dressed in casual clothes, was quietly observing the busy yet orderly scene inside the store.
His advisor, Zhou, whispered, "Sir, what do you think of this..."
Chen Qinian slightly raised his hand to stop the clerk from speaking. His gaze swept over the farmers who had received the seeds and whose faces were filled with reassured smiles. He sighed softly, "With stable grain supply, stable cloth prices, and peace of mind among the people, Lady Ling's actions have benefited her hometown greatly and are truly a great act of kindness."
Before he could finish speaking, another farmer squeezed in, his voice booming: "Big Sister! Give me a pound of 'Hundred Days Green' radish seeds! Hurry, I'm rushing to the fields!"
"Okay, Uncle Zhou!" Daya replied readily, turning around to fetch the seeds and weigh them.
Without looking up, Xiao Shitou continued writing: "Zhou Dashan, one pound of radish seeds, twenty coins."
The voice of the bean sprout came from the array of urns again, carrying a subtle and mysterious feeling: "Mother... 'Golden Queen' corn seeds, the three urns against the wall... the soil is dry, the heat is a bit too strong, the water should be slightly cooler when soaking the seeds, and the soaking time should be longer."
Ling Zhan cracked open a corn kernel, examined the embryo, and decisively said, "Soak the kernel overnight, changing the water twice."
After a busy morning, when he returned to his backyard, a barely perceptible fine line appeared between Ling Zhan's brows.
The cramped living space is like an invisible rope, suffocating people at the dinner table.
Lunch was served in the backyard, and the small square table was surrounded by a huge crowd, almost bursting at the seams.
The sounds of bowls and chopsticks clattering, chewing, children's quiet conversations, and complaints mingled together.
"Ling Zhan!"
Shen Yan tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks, making a crisp sound. He glanced sideways at the old cabinet in the corner of the main room that was blocking his view. "I said, move that broken cabinet! It's in the way and trips you up! What if Little Stone trips on it when he gets up at night in the dark? Moving it will at least provide a low platform! It's better than your makeshift bed on the floor!"
"As long as the cabinet exists, the boundary exists."
Ling Zhan picked up a piece of cold mountain vegetables with his chopsticks and said in a flat voice, "No need."
"Hey!"
Shen Yan's voice immediately rose, filled with dissatisfaction at being ignored, "We're an old married couple, why are you drawing lines between us?! Land in the county town is precious, what's wrong with squeezing in? It's warmer with more people!"
"Quiet, please." Ling Zhan didn't even lift his eyelids, focusing intently on eating the rice in his bowl.
"quiet?"
Shen Yan chuckled and looked around at the children huddled together. "This bunch of brats are chattering away. How can you have some peace and quiet..." Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Shitou was pushed by Hu Zi next to him, and his little hand trembled, causing half a bowl of vegetable soup to splash onto Ling Zhan's blue cloth sleeve, instantly spreading a large dark oil stain.
Ling Zhan paused for a moment, without looking at his own sleeve, and first took a cloth to wipe the soup stains that had splashed onto Xiao Shitou's chin.
"Girl! Stop rummaging through the food with your chopsticks! What kind of behavior is that for a young lady!" Shen Yan immediately shifted her focus, banging on the bowl and scolding.
Startled, Da Niu withdrew her chopsticks and explained in a low voice, "...Sister Su Wan told me to finish eating quickly and go work on the newly arrived Suzhou embroidery thread, afraid it would delay my work this afternoon..."
"Bean Sprout! You dropped a grain of rice from your chopsticks into my soup! Are you trying to make sure I can drink it?"
"Tiger! Sit up straight! Your stiff elbow is pressing against my lower back!"
Little Stone was squeezed between Ling Zhan and Shen Yan, holding his bowl and shoveling rice into his mouth in small bites, barely daring to breathe.
Ling Zhan silently placed a piece of stewed meat, now tender, into Shen Yan's bowl. He looked up, his gaze landing squarely on Shen Yan's face, and spoke again, his voice clear: "Send the younger ones back to the village. Hire a housekeeper and have them stay in the old house. It'll be safe and spacious. Xuan Chenzi will teach them to read and write."
This is a radical solution.
The table fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The children all stared wide-eyed and held their breath.
"Send them away?!"
Shen Yan stood up abruptly, his voice so loud it seemed to shake the rafters. "Where are we sending him? Throwing him back into that empty yard to be a wild child?! Who's going to take care of him?!"
"Hire someone to live in the old house. It's safe and spacious. There's also an old Taoist priest to teach you to read and write."
Ling Zhan repeated it, his voice calm and even.
"fart!"
Shen Yan slammed his chopsticks down on the table with a loud "bang," making the bowls and plates jump. "Even if we're squeezed together, we're still family! If we're not under my nose, who will care if we get hurt? Who will feel sorry for us if we're hungry or cold? Do you think we're all like you, some iron lump that popped out of a rock, indestructible and unbreakable?!"
He stood up abruptly, his gaze sweeping over the terrified children with lightning speed, and roared with an unquestionable "parental authority": "Listen up! Raise your hands if you want to squeeze in with your parents! I promise I'll protect you all!"
A deathly silence enveloped the dining table. The air seemed to freeze for two seconds.
Little Stone was the first to timidly and slowly raise his little hand, his voice barely audible: "...I want to be with Mother..." He quickly glanced at Shen Yan, whose face was ashen, and added in a low voice, "...with Father."
As if receiving a signal, Tiger and Bean Sprout exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with excitement, and without hesitation raised their hands high: "It's so much fun! It's exciting!"
Da Niu and Da Ya hesitated, glancing at Ling Zhan and then at Chen Yan, before finally raising their hands slowly and somewhat nervously. Su Wan watched this scene, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she simply lowered her head in silence.
Shen Yan's face instantly brightened, and he smugly surveyed the room before his gaze finally fixed defiantly on Ling Zhan: "Look! This is the will of the people! This is what everyone wants! Being crowded is a blessing!"
Ling Zhan's gaze slowly swept over the raised hands. The children's dependence on their parents and family reunion far outweighed their complaints and grievances about the crowding.
She paused for a moment, then pointed directly at Chen Yan: "Since we're keeping them, the eldest should be established. Tiger is fourteen, Bean Sprout is thirteen, and Big Girl and Big Girl are twelve. They'll keep thirty percent of their wages." She paused, then offered a more specific plan: "They can rent shops and lofts to live alone, learn to manage money and rice, and prepare for establishing their own households in the future."
This is both delegating authority and giving them experience.
"What?! Keep your own wages? And move out?!"
Shen Yan's bottom, which had just sat down, bounced up as if pricked by a needle. He slammed his hand on the table, making the dishes clatter. "This is outrageous! Keep the money here with me! Getting married, building a house, and saving up for a dowry are the real priorities! Moving out? Don't even think about it! Not a chance!"
Ling Zhan put down his chopsticks, and the bottom of the bowl made a slight tapping sound against the table.
Without saying another word, she got up and left her seat, walked to the blue cloth floor in the corner of the main room, sat down cross-legged, took out a worn-out copy of "Essentials of Agriculture and Sericulture," and began to read it intently in the dim light.
After a brief afternoon rest, everyone went back to their busy lives.
By dinnertime, the crowded dining table had once again become a battleground.
Da Niu was in a hurry to fix her embroidery thread when she was carrying the soup. Her hand slipped from the pressure, and the scalding soup splashed onto the back of her hand, making her hiss in pain. Dou Ya and Hu Zi were fighting over the last piece of fatty meat when their elbows collided, almost overturning the table and splashing soup everywhere.
Ling Zhan put down his chopsticks and his gaze swept over Hu Zi, Dou Ya, and the other big kids who had obviously grown taller and had started to broaden their shoulders, his eyes as cold as frost. He brought up the old topic again, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Hu Zi, Dou Ya, Da Niu, Da Ya. You can already take on jobs in the workshop and the shop. You keep 30% of your monthly salary."
This time, she named them directly and gave a clearer reason—they were already competent in their jobs.
"Snap!"
This time, Chen Yan's chopsticks fell directly onto the table. His face darkened completely, and his eyes blazed with anger: "What do you mean? Huh?! Let them manage their own money? They think they can fly just because they've grown wings?! I'm not dead yet!"
“Self-reliance does not mean leaving the nest,” Ling Zhan explained. “Knowing money and rice, and understanding how to make a living, are the foundation of one’s life.”
This time, the children's reactions were no longer simply expressions of dependence.
Tiger's eyes suddenly lit up, filled with the eagerness of a young boy: "Mom! I can do it! I know the workshop's night patrol schedule well! As for my wages... I want to save them up to buy a new, handy knife!" He subconsciously touched the wooden scabbard of the old knife at his waist.
Bean Sprout scratched his head, a little embarrassed, but his eyes were full of longing: "Mother... I... I want to save money to buy a copy of the 'Earth Vein Classic'... I saw a fragment of it in the bookstore last time, and the description of the earth's energy flow seemed to make some sense..." His interest in those mysterious things was growing stronger every day.
Da Niu rubbed her reddened hand and spoke softly but with unusual determination: "Sister Su Wan said that I can try to learn to read the whole account book... I also need my own sewing box and some better embroidery thread..." She longed to have her own tools and recognition.
Daya also muttered to herself, "Although the corner of the backyard wall of Shanhaisu is small, it can still be used to grow some fresh vegetables... so that we don't have to buy them all the time... I want to buy some small shovels and hoes..." Her love for the land and planting has never diminished.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Shen Yan, his neck stiff, like a fighting rooster whose territory had been invaded, said, "How old are you? You haven't even grown your feathers yet! If you're out of my sight, you'll be sold out and still be counting the money for the seller! Keep your wages with me! I'll say it again: when you get married, build a house, and prepare your dowries, I'll give you every penny! Now? Not a chance!"
Little Stone picked at the rice grains in his bowl, his big eyes glancing uneasily at his father, who was on the verge of a fight, and then at his mother, who was silent and exuded a cold aura.
"Twelve-bundle hairs, the ancient way of a child reaching adulthood."
Ling Zhan looked at Shen Yan, as if he could see through his angry exterior to his thoughts, "Protected under wings, it's hard to withstand the wind and frost. How can a caged bird soar in the sky?"
"I'm happy to protect him! I'm glad!"
Shen Yan's eyes widened, her anger burning away the last shred of reason. She roared without thinking, "Do you think everyone is like you, born and raised without parents?! Do you even know what family is?!"
"Young Master Shen!"
Su Wan's face paled, and she hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "Sister Ling is only thinking about the children's long-term future. They should learn to be like this when they grow up..."
"Shut up!"
Chen Yan's roar, like a thunderclap, instantly drowned out all other sounds, his anger directed at the children. "You've all grown wings?! You want to rebel?! Tiger! With your pathetic skills, you're nothing without me! Bean Sprout! Always talking nonsense, be careful you don't get arrested by the authorities one day! Big Girl! Big Girl! What are you girls saving up for?! What are you planning to do?! Huh?!"
"Enough!"
Ling Zhan's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly pierced through all the noise.
The table was deathly silent; even breathing could be heard clearly.
She looked at Shen Yan, her eyes like unfathomable pools of ice, and spoke each word with crystal clarity: "You protect your chicks, imprisoning them in a cage. I sharpen my wings, tempering them with the wind. Our paths are different."
These twelve words, like a cold judgment, fully express the fundamental and irreconcilable differences between the two.
After speaking, she looked away from everyone and rose from her seat. The hem of her blue cloth robe brushed against the rough edge of the table, making a slight scraping sound.
She went straight to the mountain of cotton seeds and sacks in the backyard, grabbed a handful, and began to sort them silently and attentively in the last rays of daylight.
He listlessly and irritably ate a few mouthfuls of cold rice, which tasted like chewing wax.
Finally, with a loud bang, he pushed the bowl away and yelled at the children in a fit of rage: "Tiger and Bean Sprout! Clean up the dishes! Big Girl and Big Girl, help Sister Su Wan put away the embroidery patterns! Little Stone! Go study! Tomorrow there will be a test on the Thousand Character Classic. If you get even one wrong, your palm will be bruised! The rest of you, go play in the street for an hour, and come back to bed on time!"
He stood up, still seething with anger, and with a "whoosh," he flung open the curtain to the inner room and threw himself inside.
As the night deepened and all was quiet, the sound of snoring in the backyard once again became the dominant melody.
Shen Yan crept into the backyard in the dark. By the cold moonlight, she saw Ling Zhan still squatting beside the pile of cotton seeds, her fingers flying as she meticulously sifted through them. The moonlight outlined her straight back and focused profile.
"…cough!"
He cleared his throat, his voice sounding particularly abrupt in the silence, carrying a hint of barely perceptible awkwardness. "Well... about the wages... let them keep 10%... as pocket money. Moving out... don't even think about it! Forget about it!" He drew his bottom line.
Ling Zhan's sifting of cotton seeds did not stop for a moment; the only sound was the rustling of the cotton seeds sliding through the sieve.
A moment later, a calm voice rang out, leaving no room for doubt: "Thirty percent."
"One and a half percent! That's the most!" Shen Yan gritted his teeth, trying to bargain. "If you try to bargain any further, I'll..."
"Can."
Ling Zhan's voice cut him off crisply, "The money is deposited with Su Wan and can be withdrawn based on the account. The suggestion to establish a household is temporarily suspended." She offered a compromise and withdrew her proposal to have the children live elsewhere, thus giving Shen Yan a way out.
Shen Yan choked, a breath stuck in his chest, and after a long while he finally let out a heavy snort: "...Hmph! That's more like it! But it's settled then, the money is to be saved! It's for getting married and having a wife in the future! Anyone who dares to squander it, I'll break their legs!"
He walked slowly back into the inner room, his hands behind his back, his royal blue silk robe swaying in the cool moonlight.
In the darkness, only his mutterings, fading into the distance, remained, carrying with them resentment and a barely perceptible hint of compromise.
"...A bunch of brats...they're not even fully grown yet and they want to be in charge...they've gone too far..."
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