The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 223: Li Qi of the Zheng Family

Though Chu Qichang had only caught a partial glimpse of the table, the tantalizing aroma pervading the room had already made his eyebrows twitch.

In this season, how many common families in Shezhou City could afford such a spread?

But then again, this was Shen Lie. He was exceptionally skilled, and although other things might be difficult, if he could find the time, preparing some meat dishes would be no trouble at all.

However, this wine aroma? This wine aroma! Even a seasoned drinker like him couldn’t identify the type of wine.

Chu Qichang nearly blurted out his curiosity but managed to remember his manners as Shen Lie and Chen Dashan approached. The surprise and joy in their reception made him snap back to his senses, recalling his own purpose for coming.

He straightened his posture and refocused his gaze, giving Shen Lie a warm smile as he said, “I’ve been away on official business, traveling to several counties for six or seven days, and only returned this noon. I finished my duties at the office and remembered that you mentioned you’d be participating in the provincial exam. I inquired with the Registrar and learned that both you and your brother passed the exam. So, I came here to congratulate you before the city gates closed.”

As he spoke, he handed Shen Lie a box he was carrying.

Seeing that Chu Qichang had come with a gift, Shen Lie hesitated, not wanting to accept it since they weren’t very familiar. After some polite refusal, Chu Qichang explained, “It’s nothing valuable, just some paper and ink from my home. These things are hard to come by now, and since you and your brother have both passed the provincial exam, I thought you might find them useful. Please don’t refuse.”

After hearing this, Shen Lie accepted the gift gratefully and invited Chu Qichang inside, saying, “My humble abode is simple; please don’t mind it.”

He also invited Xu Wenqing to come in as well.

Chen Dashan had never heard Shen Lie speak with such a literary tone before and was quite intrigued, raising his eyebrows and observing.

Sang Luo, Zhou Ge, and the Shen siblings had already left the table. It was both polite and practical to make space for the guests. The table could only accommodate eight people, and with nine already seated, adding another guest would have made it too crowded.

It’s not customary to have guests stand; the hosts should always make room. Even Zhou Ge, who was also a guest, didn’t consider himself as such. Especially since Chu Qichang was an unfamiliar and distinguished guest, Zhou Ge had already moved aside when Shen Lie and Chen Dashan cleared the chairs, ready to help Sang Luo set up clean dishes for the guests.

Sang Luo had discreetly observed Chu Qichang when he entered. Noting that he was still in his official attire, dusty from travel, she realized his claim of returning only recently was true. She whispered to Shen An and the other siblings, who then removed their bowls and placed them unobtrusively on the long counter by the kitchen.

Seeing this, Zhou Ge quickly followed suit. Sang Luo didn’t say much; it wasn’t necessary for women to avoid the dining area when entertaining guests they were familiar with. For unfamiliar male guests, it was up to the host’s discretion.

Chu Qichang, being a new and official guest, still in his official uniform, wasn’t suited for a communal meal. Zhou Ge quickly moved her dishes aside, following Shen An and the siblings.

Chu Qichang, seeing this, realized he had been a bit hasty and had unintentionally interrupted the Shen family’s celebration. He was genuinely surprised that anyone could host such a celebratory feast, and felt somewhat apologetic. Not recognizing the women in the house, he vaguely suggested, “Please don’t hurry. I came just to congratulate Brother Shen and say a few words. I didn’t mean to intrude; my presence here is somewhat presumptuous and has disturbed your celebration.”

Sang Luo smiled and replied, “We are honored by your visit. Please, don’t say you’re intruding. The banquet has just started; if you don’t mind our humble setting, please take a seat. The men can chat while I prepare another table for the children.”

Chu Qichang was momentarily taken aback. He had only known Shen Lie as a student, and now discovered both brothers were scholars. Additionally, the brief interaction revealed an impressive level of knowledge and demeanor that seemed even greater than Shen Lie’s.

If not for having seen the household registration proving their origin from Qiyang County’s Shili Village, Chu Qichang might have doubted the family’s background.

The term “peony blossoms on a thatched roof” resonated with him. Chu Qichang pondered this phrase, then looked at Sang Luo with renewed admiration.

What a “peony blossom on a thatched roof” indeed!

Though his own education was lacking compared to the Zheng and Lin families, his ability to appreciate it was still evident. This woman seemed to embody the grace and knowledge of a scholarly family—how could such a figure emerge from a small mountain village?

Even just looking at Sang Luo smiling and meeting his gaze made Chu Qichang begin to question the authenticity of the Shen family’s origins.

Such demeanor and grace, even in a simple, thatched house, commanded respect and even admiration.

Chu Qichang was originally from Shezhou. In terms of family background, he couldn’t match the Zheng family; in knowledge, he was inferior to the Lin family; and in wealth, he was even less than the Wang family.

Here is the translation:

—

Everything seemed to be mediocre, yet he managed to secure a position as a Registrar in the newly established dynasty. While there were others more capable, like the Zheng family, who looked down on such minor court positions, Chu Qichang’s own skills could not be dismissed lightly.

At this moment, Chu Qichang began to harbor doubts but quickly realized that this young woman was not hiding anything or fearing his scrutiny. This at least indicated that there were no unsavory secrets within the Shen family.

He glanced at the table of delectable dishes, which had yet to be touched. Noticing an unfamiliar ingredient and the red wine in the two bowls that had not been cleared, and remembering that he was called away by the governor today, he smiled at Sang Luo and cupped his hands in greeting. “In that case, I apologize for the intrusion.”

Sang Luo smiled and gestured towards the main seat. “Please, Master Chu.”

—

Chen Dashan was completely stunned.

Shen Lie handed the basket to Shen An and gently nudged the still-dazed Chen Dashan, who only then managed to close his slightly agape mouth.

Seeing Sang Luo bring over two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, Chen Dashan finally came back to his senses.

So this is what it means to be a scholar?

He had often heard Shen Lie reciting things he found confusing, and initially, he had to be coaxed into reading along. He didn’t understand the appeal. Now, he realized that people who had read books could speak so eloquently.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint what made it sound so nice, but it was undeniably pleasant.

He had never known the difference that education could make until today. It wasn’t that there was no difference, but the way Shen Lie and Sang Luo spoke had changed so dramatically that they seemed like different people.

Although they were still the same individuals, and their clothes and hairstyles hadn’t changed, their speech, expressions, and demeanor were noticeably different.

Compared to them, Shen Lie still seemed lacking.

It was as if the everyday presence had vanished in a flash, replaced by an ethereal… or rather, tranquil aura?

Was there such a thing as a “tranquil aura”?

Chen Dashan wasn’t sure, but the calm and composed demeanor was certainly impressive.

Xu Wenqing had never seen Sang Luo in this light before. Although she had not done anything particular, just a few words made her seem very different from the teacher’s wife they were accustomed to—indeed, very different.

Sang Luo brought a set of bowls and chopsticks to Chu Qichang. Noticing Xu Wenqing still dazed, she smiled and reminded him, “Wenqing, please sit.”

Xu Wenqing responded, “Ah, yes, thank you, Madam.”

She smiled, handing over the bowls and chopsticks. Xu Wenqing quickly got up to accept them, saying, “Madam, I’ll do it myself.”

When Shen Lie saw Sang Luo speaking, he could guess the situation. With the unexpected arrival and the wine, it was clear that it couldn’t be hidden any longer. It was better to be straightforward about it.

Chu Qichang had just heard Xu Wenqing address Sang Luo as “Madam,” and recalling that many mountain people Shen Lie had brought called him “Master Shen,” he inferred that Sang Luo was Shen Lie’s wife. He was about to ask if Shen Lie and Xu Wenqing were student and teacher, but Shen Lie was already pouring wine, which diverted his attention.

“This is wine? Why is it red?”

Shen Lie smiled and replied, “I don’t know. Someone once gave me a jar of this as a thank you gift, calling it ‘red wine.’ I buried it behind my old house, and only recently dug it up and brought it here. Since it’s a joyous occasion today, I decided to open it. I had a sip and found it quite good. Master Chu, you came at just the right time.”

The smooth conversation made Sang Luo’s lips curve up as she handed the bowls and chopsticks to Xu Wenqing.

Observing this, she felt reassured. She left Shen Lie to entertain Chu Qichang and Xu Wenqing and went towards the cabinet to prepare some additional items.

Chu Qichang’s sudden visit meant that Zhou Ge and the younger ones hadn’t had a chance to eat any of the delicious dishes, and it wasn’t feasible to set up another table. Time was tight, and she didn’t want to overburden herself, but dinner couldn’t be skipped or too hasty. Thus, she needed to prepare some additional items.

Fortunately, there was a large quantity of cold rabbit meat and additional vegetable tripe prepared for tomorrow. Sang Luo brought a large plate of cold rabbit meat and vegetable tripe to Shen Ning’s room, asked Shen Ning to prepare some simple dishes, and measured out some rice. She then headed to the nearby Jin family’s kitchen. With their large table, they could set up a meal for seven, which wouldn’t take long to prepare.

Seeing Shen Tie looking discontented, Sang Luo smiled and said, “I’ll make you a large plate of grape rice cakes tomorrow, so you can eat as much as you want.”

Shen Yin and Shen Tie brightened up immediately. They were thrilled to see the large plates of cold rabbit meat and vegetable tripe. They didn’t mind the absence of fish and chicken because they had the cold rabbit meat and vegetable tripe! And they were promised grape rice cakes tomorrow!

The disappointment of not having eaten anything earlier vanished in an instant. The brothers eagerly helped with the bowls, including those of their sister-in-law, which contained red wine and honey water.

Zhou Ge also helped Shen Ning with several items. When they were a short distance from the Shen house, she dared to breathe a sigh of relief and said, “A Luo, you really speak boldly. Just looking at that official uniform made me afraid to even breathe heavily. I was terrified.”

Sang Luo laughed, “How could an official uniform eat you up?”

It wasn’t about daring to speak, but about necessity.

Chu Qichang’s visit was so timely that the red wine and its aroma were impossible to conceal. She wasn’t sure about Chu Qichang’s true nature, so she subtly hinted at some ambiguous points to at least create a strong impression. Fortunately, Shen Lie cooperated well, so they would see how things developed.

Of course, from what she observed, Chu Qichang seemed sharp but not malicious, so there was likely no cause for concern.

Shen Jin’s thoughts were not on the food. During a lull in Zhou Ge and his sister-in-law’s conversation, he asked, “Sister-in-law, is getting into the provincial exam such a big deal? Even the official came to congratulate?”

Before Sang Luo could answer, Shen An shook his head. “It’s just an exam that allows you to study, right?”

He didn’t think it was anything special.

Sang Luo nodded, “That’s right. It’s just that you can study. Passing the provincial exam isn’t impressive enough to warrant a visit from an official. Master Chu probably came for another reason and the congratulations are just incidental.”

She recalled Chu Qichang’s mud-stained official robes and thought that conditions in the counties below Shezhou might be even worse than in Shezhou itself.

—

In the Shen family’s kitchen.

Chu Qichang examined the wine under the candlelight. The color was like the red gems in a treasure chest. As he brought the bowl closer, the aroma intensified, and he couldn’t resist taking a sip. The taste… He closed his eyes slightly as the flavors and astringency balanced out in his mouth, creating an extraordinarily mellow taste.

“Excellent wine!”

“Excellent wine!” The second exclamation came from Xu Wenqing. Although he was only seventeen and had hidden in the mountains since he was fifteen, he had tasted wine before, but nothing like this unique flavor. His eyes lit up as he looked at Shen Lie. “Master, why didn’t you ask where this wine could be bought back then? This is the only jar, and once it’s gone, where will we find more?”

At such a young age, he had quite the potential to become a wine connoisseur.

Shen Lie laughed and said, “I was only a few years old when I got this wine. How could I drink it or inquire about it? Anyway, it’s a matter of chance to taste it. Nowadays, many people can’t even afford a meal, so who cares about wine?”

Chu Qichang glanced at Shen Lie and smiled but didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he picked up a piece of soy bean curd and asked, “What is this?”

Shen Lie replied, “Soy bean curd, a common item sold in our Qiyang County market.”

Chu Qichang said, “…So Qiyang is better than Shezhou. I’ve never seen this in Shezhou.”

Chen Dashan laughed, “Yes, it’s not expensive in Qiyang. You can stir-fry a plate for just a few coins.”

But with Qiyang being gone, where did you get this?

Chu Qichang kept his thoughts to himself and picked up a slice of yam, squinting at it for a while. “Is this yam used in medicinal dishes from Dongfu Restaurant?”

It was understandable that he scrutinized it closely, as Dongfu Restaurant’s yam is used for soups.

Xu Wenqing replied with a smile, “It’s dug from the mountains, though we also cultivate it now.”

Chu Qichang’s spine straightened at the revelation: “You can grow this yourself?”

Picking up some vegetable tripe, which he also didn’t recognize, Chu Qichang felt increasingly out of place. It seemed like he was the one from the mountain village at this table.

When he saw the Li Qi, a dish the Zheng family took pride in and always served at banquets, and a signature dish of the Zheng family in Shezhou, Chu Qichang was at a loss for words. His expression towards Shen Lie changed drastically.

Remembering that the governor had specifically asked about Daxing Village when he returned to report on the counties today, he had answered smoothly, without even needing to check the records: “Except for the Xu and Wei families, all other households are from Qiyang County’s Shili Village.”

Chu Qichang wanted to cry but had no tears: “Brother Shen, tell me honestly, are you really from Shili Village? Qiyang County’s Shili Village?”

They were calling each other ‘brother’ now.

Chen Dashan almost choked on the wine he was drinking.