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

Chapter 224: Countryfolk?

When Shen Lie says it’s genuine, does Chu Qichang believe him?

Not at all!

A woman dressed in simple clothes but with an extraordinary demeanor and eloquent speech, unfamiliar red wine, soy bean curd, Li Qi—a dish the Zheng family had flaunted as a treasure for decades, rumored to be a dowry recipe brought by Zheng’s old lady—and those novel and exquisite round pastries. None of these were items one would expect to find in an ordinary small wealthy household, let alone among common countryfolk.

Wine might be claimed as a gift from an old acquaintance from years ago, but could these recipes also be from someone else? Or is it just a coincidence that someone delivered these foods a few hours ago?

However, Chu Qichang wasn’t foolish. The Shen family had brought many people out of the mountains and made them subjects of the Da Qi, and they had also assisted the court in finding people in the mountains. The two brothers had even participated in the provincial exam together. From this perspective, the Shen family was certainly loyal to the Da Qi, which was reassuring.

As for the Shen family’s background, whether the wine was a gift or if the Shen family had recipes for the Li Qi, soy bean curd, or pastries—what did it matter to him? Chu Qichang had no interest in or ability to pry into such matters. There was no need to delve deeper.

It was better to have such capabilities; he was eager to be on good terms.

Thus, after Shen Lie confirmed everything was genuine, Chu Qichang looked at him and then patted Shen Lie on the back. “Good, let’s drink to our friendship!”

Now they were considered friends.

As they clinked glasses and enjoyed the meal, the matter was put aside. What they ate and drank was no longer questioned; whatever Shen Lie said was accepted as truth.

With that settled, the meal was truly enjoyable. The dishes were novel, sumptuous, and well-cooked. The cold rabbit meat paired with red wine was an exquisite pleasure for Chu Qichang, an old wine lover. Even though the Chu family was well-off, they had never had such a treat before. Over the past few years, even his own family didn’t always have the luxury of whatever they desired.

With fine wine and food, it was easy to discuss serious matters. Chu Qichang quickly revealed his true purpose.

As Sang Luo had guessed, Chu Qichang’s visit to congratulate was incidental. His real reason for coming was to discuss the pressing issue of population.

“Brother Shen, I’ve taken a group of people and toured the counties below. It’s desolate. The fertile fields have turned into wastelands. It’s truly heartbreaking, but there are too few people. Although the emperor has pacified the various factions, many of those who had been scattered among the rebel armies have gradually returned to their hometowns. However, years of war have caused many to die or become refugees in the mountains. In our Shezhou jurisdiction, several counties now resemble ruins. If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t be so anxious and wouldn’t have rushed here.”

A sip of the rich wine seemed to make him even more troubled.

Shen Lie had already guessed Chu Qichang’s purpose but hadn’t expected him to come so soon. Originally, he had planned to discuss matters with Chen Dashan tonight, but it was inappropriate to do so in front of Chu Qichang. Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, he said, “Master Chu, please wait a moment. The Lu family brothers who were with us are also not in the village now. We’re short on manpower if we need to act urgently. I’ll go find someone and see if there’s anyone else available. I’ll be back shortly.”

Immediately, Xu Wenqing was asked to keep Chu Wenqing company and Chen Dashan was called outside.

Chen Dashan was puzzled but didn’t show it on his face. He followed Shen Lie out, and once they were a fair distance away, he asked, “Where are we going to find people at this hour?”

Each household in the village had its own farming to manage, so gathering six people wouldn’t be easy. If they really needed to, maybe the Feng family could find a few, but could they even go to the neighboring village?

Shen Lie shook his head, glanced toward his own kitchen, and whispered, “It’s not about finding people. I wanted to ask you if you’ve thought about looking for a job in the prefectural office.”

Chen Dashan was taken aback. “Like the officials in the court?”

Shen Lie nodded. “Yes. I’ve noticed that their staff is short. They need people now, especially for work in the deep mountains where suitable candidates are hard to find. Do you want to consider this opportunity? Would you prefer a twenty-year lease on the mountain land or a position in the office?”

Chen Dashan realized that the prefectural office needed their help, and Shen Lie’s suggestion might actually be feasible.

He lowered his eyes, hesitating.

A job in the prefectural office was tempting, but Chen Dashan wasn’t sure about the Da Qi’s system. In the past, in the Da Qian Dynasty, official positions could be passed down through generations.

Chen Dashan didn’t immediately agree. After some hesitation, he asked Shen Lie, “Can I inquire about how my sister-in-law plans to use the mountain land?”

Shen Lie was surprised by this question but raised an eyebrow. “You want to manage the mountain land?”

Chen Dashan scratched his head. “I don’t know how to manage it, but my sister-in-law probably does, right? Working in the office sounds good, but you know I can’t read well and am not keen on learning that. I see that the officials from the court are good with writing and calculations. Could you ask my sister-in-law if it would be worthwhile to cultivate a hundred acres of mountain land?”

Shen Lie had no further comments. “Since you’re out here, let’s go together. You can ask her yourself.”

…

Sang Luo, after hearing about Chen Dashan’s intentions, said, “A hundred acres of mountain land, if managed well, can provide a decent income, though it won’t make you wealthy. There are risks involved—crops depend on the weather, and livestock can suffer from diseases. There’s no such thing as a guaranteed profit.”

Chen Dashan didn’t know what Sang Luo meant by “decent income,” so he asked, “Is it better than being an official?”

Zhou Ge also looked at Sang Luo.

Sang Luo smiled at the couple and nodded. “If you avoid the risks I mentioned, it’s definitely more lucrative than being an official.”

Chen Dashan was pleased. “Then it’s settled. Nothing is ever completely stable, so why worry about it?”

He turned to Shen Lie and said, “I still want the mountain land. It suits me better.”

He then spoke to Sang Luo. “Sister-in-law, considering our families’ relationship, I won’t beat around the bush. Please guide us on how to manage the mountain land. Also, regarding things like tofu and soy bean curd, I see you’re knowledgeable about many things. These all require raw materials, right? If you need anything we can grow, just let us know. We can sell it to you at a lower price than outside.”

Even though they were poor in Shili Village, far from the county town, Sang Luo managed to set up a business. It’s unreasonable to think she’d be idle now that they’re living near Shezhou City.

Zhou Ge’s eyes brightened. The village knew that the Chen, Lu, and Shi families had all worked with Sang Luo in business. He nodded eagerly. “Yes, Ah Luo, if you guide us, we can provide the raw materials.”

Sang Luo was indeed interested in doing business. Having established herself in this era, she had her own priorities, just as Shen Lie had his. She nodded but didn’t make grand promises. “I’m still learning myself. If you really want to learn, you can always come and ask.”

The matter was settled.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan didn’t delay further and quickly returned. When Chu Qichang saw them come back, he eagerly asked, “How did it go?”

Shen Lie smiled. “The farm work in the village is still busy. We’re short a person or two. Tomorrow, Dashan can ask around nearby. Master Chu might have heard others call me ‘Master,’ but you don’t know that we had two martial masters in the mountains. Dashan was another martial master, not inferior to me in martial skills and equally familiar with the mountains. He learned a lot from his maternal grandfather, who was a hunter. I still learned some things from him.”

He pushed Chen Dashan forward.

Chu Qichang was excited to hear this. Xu Wenqing also eagerly agreed, praising Master Chen’s skill with the long staff, though he was careful not to mention archery or sword techniques in the presence of a court official.

The men were lively at the table. Especially since Chu Qichang’s main purpose for coming was largely accomplished and with good wine and food, they enjoyed themselves even more. While Sang Luo and the others had finished their meal, the men were still drinking.

Chu Qichang, though primarily a scholar, had some martial skills. He wasn’t as proficient as Shen Lie or Chen Dashan, but he wasn’t just a scholar either.

The four practiced warriors ate heartily. They finished an entire table’s worth of food and drink, and by the end, Chu Qichang had to support himself against the wall. If not for the city gates closing at the watch time, and having consumed all the cold rabbit and wine, he would have been reluctant to leave.

Of course, having come with gifts, Sang Luo made sure Chu Qichang didn’t leave empty-handed. She packed a small jar of cold rabbit for him to take home.

Shen Lie, Chen Dashan, and Xu Wenqing escorted Chu Qichang out of the village to the official road leading to Shezhou City and then stopped.

Chu Qichang left the city carrying a box, and on his return, he carried a clay jar, his face glowing with satisfaction.

Back at the Chu family home, Mrs. Chu smelled the alcohol and scolded him. “Who is this person you were with? You rushed to send a congratulatory gift for a provincial exam and got your official robes dirty. Did you even have time to change?”

She was also curious. “Why do you smell like alcohol? Where is there still wine? Did you visit the Lin or Wang families?”

“What Lin or Wang families? I went to the Shen family—the one I told you about, the Fu Jiang!” Chu Qichang laughed and handed the net bag to his wife. “This is a fine gift from the Shen family. It should keep for a few days. Try it with your parents and children tomorrow at noon.”

When Mrs. Chu heard “Fu Jiang,” she immediately knew who her husband was referring to. They had been quite pleased lately, not only had the mountain folk come out, but they had also helped bring many people with them.

She looked at the clay jar in the woven bag and was curious. “Are the people who passed the provincial exam those mountain folk you mentioned? Are there actually scholars among the commoners?”

“Commoners?” Chu Qichang glanced at his wife and chuckled, “I was mistaken this time; they are not ordinary commoners.”

Mrs. Chu wanted to ask more, but Chu Qichang wasn’t willing to say much. He thought to himself that the wine was unfamiliar and significant, and Shen Lie had only given a small jar. Regardless of its authenticity, this was not something to be mentioned further.

As for Li Qi, it was associated with the Zheng family, so it wasn’t worth discussing.

However, Xu Wenqing’s mention of the cultivable yams… Chu Qichang took the hot towel from the servant and enjoyed the warmth for a moment. After removing the towel and wiping his hands, he smiled. This would earn him another achievement with the governor.

Of course, he wasn’t greedy for this credit. This wasn’t his responsibility as a tax officer, and he couldn’t report directly to the governor. However, mentioning it to the head secretary could definitely boost his standing with both the head secretary and the governor.

Shezhou was mountainous, and the ability to grow crops extensively on the mountain land would yield significant harvests. Such crops could be stored long-term and used as both vegetables and staple foods. How could the head secretary and governor not pay attention to this, especially when the person cultivating them was someone the governor had inquired about just this afternoon?

Why did Chu Qichang hastily prepare a generous gift for the Shen family? It wasn’t just because of his concern about the population issue, as he had said. Naturally, he didn’t specifically ask the head secretary about Shen Lie and his brother’s success in the provincial exam. When he first returned to the prefectural office, he reported the situation of the displaced people in various counties and heard the governor casually inquire about the Daxing Village. Hearing that several people from Daxing Village had passed the provincial exam, he checked the list and found out that the Shen brothers were among them.

Shen Lie’s status had progressed from being just a mountain man, a capable and skilled commoner, to a well-rounded scholar and martial artist who had caught the governor’s attention as someone who might eventually enter officialdom.

Is there any comparison?

This is why Chu Qichang hurriedly prepared a gift, gathering a basket full of paper and ink as a congratulatory present for the Shen family.

Now, the situation was even more different. Besides the previous details, the Shen family now also had an enigmatic identity and possibly a distinguished background.

Since the governor already had a good impression of Daxing Village, what harm would it do to extend a favor to Daxing Village and Shen Lie? For someone aiming for an official career, what better path than receiving the attention of a provincial governor?