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

Chapter 225: The Sang Family of Dongjun?

Chu Qichang’s visit to the Shen family was not a secret in the village. His official attire was too conspicuous, and the Shen family lived at the innermost part of the village. As he left, several villagers watched from a distance, though no one dared approach the Shen household.

Once Shen Lie and his companions had sent Chu Qichang out of Daxing Village, they turned back only to be stopped by people gathered outside the Xu household, who asked about the situation.

Everyone knew that finding people to work in the mountains, with both money and land involved, was appealing. Even the Xu family, with their decent means, were pleased at the prospect of adding some mountain land to their assets, and the other families in the village were even more enthusiastic.

Only Old Man Lu and Old Mrs. Lu felt regretful, realizing they had missed out this time. Even if they wanted to go back, it was no longer possible, but with thirty acres and seven taels of silver, the old couple was quite satisfied.

Shen Lie left the subsequent matters entirely to Chen Dashan and returned home. Sang Luo had prepared warm water, and Shen An and Shen Jin were washing dishes and wiping the table.

After a long day, Sang Luo rested and refrained from getting further involved.

The couple discussed Chu Qichang.

Shen Lie said, “He seems honest but is actually quite shrewd and thoughtful. He might be speculating about our background. With the fire in Qiyang County, all household registration records were destroyed. He’s probably thinking a lot more.”

Shen Lie looked at Sang Luo as he spoke. He had been quite impressed today; it was the first time he had seen a completely different side of Sang Luo. Her demeanor, bearing, and words had changed significantly.

“It’s better if he thinks more. Wine is too eye-catching. I’m actually relieved that there were more unusual items on the table today. It’s better for people to be uncertain about our circumstances than to have them unabashedly eyeing us.”

Sang Luo had finally begun to appreciate the benefits of having multiple courtyards in a large estate. Even if their house had several courtyards, having separate dining and guest areas meant that unexpected guests wouldn’t reveal everything about them all at once.

Shen Lie thought about the situation at the dinner and said, “I don’t think he’ll bring up the wine again, but the yams can be cultivated. Wenqing mentioned it once, and he inquired a lot during the meal. It’s likely the prefectural office will come asking about it soon. Shezhou has so much mountain land; they won’t miss this opportunity.”

Sang Luo was not opposed to this. Whether it was detailed cultivation methods or promoting yams early, she welcomed the good news. Considering the improving economy of Shezhou, this was something she was pleased about. She said, “If they come to ask about it, just teach them whatever you know. If they want to buy seeds, that’s fine too. But try to exchange them for grain if possible. Grain prices in the city are very high, and they won’t drop much in the next year or so. Even with money, it might not be easy to buy. For now, we should focus on storing grain and consider money as secondary.”

Farming is dependent on the weather, and with their current food supply, who knows what the weather will be like next year?

As for the government not providing money and directly requisitioning resources, Sang Luo wasn’t too concerned. From what she had observed of Shezhou officials since they came down from the mountains, it wasn’t likely.

Shen Lie understood that it was up to him to handle the situation. He moved his lips as if to say something but then hesitated, unsure of who might come from the prefectural office and their character. He swallowed his words and nodded, saying, “Alright.”

The officials arrived even faster than Shen Lie had expected. Shen Lie and Shen An were reading in the morning, and by the time it was the hour of Chen (about 9 AM), they had gone up into the mountains to work. They hadn’t been working for long when Xu Wenhong rushed up the mountain, saying, “Master, master, the Prefect is here! My father is leading him this way.”

Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang, who were chopping wood, were so startled they nearly swung their axes the wrong way. They looked at Xu Wenhong in surprise.

Shen Lie was at the top of the mountain where the trees had mostly been cut down. Hearing Xu Wenhong’s words, he stood up and looked down the mountain. In the distance, he saw Xu’s family leading three men in official uniforms towards them, along with the accompanying government officers and attendants.

The common folk are always apprehensive about armed government officers. Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang were nervous and asked, “Master Shen, what’s going on?”

Seeing that the group was already close to his home, Shen Lie didn’t dare delay. He said, “It’s nothing. They’re likely here to inquire about the yams. You keep working, I’ll go down to greet them.”

He instructed Shen An, “Go tell your sister-in-law.”

He hurried down the mountain.

…

The visitors included not just the Prefect but also the chief official and Chu Qichang, the Assistant Minister of the Household Department, who had visited the previous night.

The young Prefect of Shezhou, looking only about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, was something Shen Lie had not anticipated.

After Chu Qichang made the introductions, Shen Lie followed the proper courtesies to greet them. Before he could even bend his knees, the Prefect supported his arm and said, “There’s no need for formalities here. Show me the yams you’re growing.”

Shen Lie observed the Prefect’s dignified and refined demeanor. Unlike many officials, he was straightforward and practical, with a characteristic decisiveness typical of military officers that Shen Lie was familiar with.

“Please, this way.”

Shen Lie led the way while the Prefect subtly observed him, the Shen family’s residence, and the nearby mountain where the trees had been nearly all cut down, leaving only a few grass huts.

Though there weren’t many households in the village, each had sheep and chickens. In Shezhou, where most people were struggling just above the poverty line, this could be considered quite prosperous.

What a wealthy Daxing Village.

…

Sang Luo had measured their property and was busy drafting plans for the yard and house using charcoal pens and large sheets of paper she had made herself, preparing for spring construction. She hadn’t sketched much before Shen An returned and said the Prefect had arrived.

She quickly put away the paper and rushed out. Shen Lie and the others had already reached the front of the house.

Seeing Chu Qichang among the visitors, Sang Luo wasn’t surprised. Having put on airs the previous day, she couldn’t revert to being a typical peasant in front of Chu Qichang. She maintained proper etiquette and, along with Shen Ning, went forward to greet the guests.

Sang Luo’s demeanor drew subtle, approving glances from the Prefect and chief official. This was the sharp perception of the children of aristocratic families towards their own kind.

It was different from Shen Lie’s greeting; it was not just about form but also substance and composure.

Though dressed in simple clothes, Sang Luo was not an ordinary peasant. Even if not from an aristocratic family, she was at least from a respectable background.

“There’s no need for excessive formalities.” The Prefect nodded as a gesture of return, then turned to Shen Lie and said, “Let’s see the yams.”

Shen Lie was relieved to see the Prefect’s gentlemanly manner. He turned and went to the nearby firewood shed, soon bringing out a whole yam as tall as a person.

The Prefect and chief official had evidently seen yams before, but as sons of prominent families, they had only encountered them in prepared dishes. This was their first time seeing yams in their raw state.

They examined the yam without concern for its dirt, looking it over carefully. Noticing the sand and soil on it, they inquired about it. Shen Lie explained it was a method for long-term storage. The Prefect, noticing that Chu Qichang had said the yams were grown in the mountains, looked at the nearby mountain, which had been almost completely cleared, and asked, “Is that mountain intended for yam cultivation?”

Shen Lie nodded. “Yes.”

The Prefect raised an eyebrow. “Does it require clearing all the trees? And does the mountain land need to be loosened?”

Such labor-intensive tasks were difficult in Shezhou, where even oxen for plowing were scarce, aside from the Zheng family.

Shen Lie shook his head. “You can plant directly, but rough planting is less effective compared to careful cultivation.”

The chief official, despite holding a ceremonial position, was involved in teaching and farming, so he asked in detail, “What’s the method for careful planting?”

Since there was no place to entertain guests at home, Shen Lie invited them to the mountain, with Xu as a guide, to explain the yam cultivation methods in detail.

The discussion lasted over fifteen minutes, covering everything from whether yams prefer shade or sunlight, suitable soil types, seed selection, planting seasons, fertilization, and harvest times.

The chief official asked many questions, and Shen Lie answered them in detail.

The Prefect listened throughout and then asked Shen Lie, “I only knew yams as medicinal herbs, collected from the mountains by herbalists. How did you learn the cultivation methods?”

Xu’s eyes lifted slightly.

Shen Lie pondered for a moment and said, “My wife found records about it in our family library. When we took refuge in the mountains due to the disaster, we discovered yams there. We dug them up to stave off hunger and kept some roots for planting.”

Chu Qichang looked up in surprise but quickly lowered his eyes.

Sang Luo, who had kept quiet throughout, was also somewhat surprised. She looked at Shen Lie, who smiled back at her.

The Prefect’s lips curled into a smile. Turning to Sang Luo, who had remained silent, he asked, “May I know where you are from, madam?”

At this point, Sang Luo had to reveal her background, though she presented it as the original owner’s identity.

“I am from Dongjun.”

The chief official looked up with some surprise and then turned to the Prefect. The young Prefect stared at Sang Luo for a while and asked, “The Sang family from Dongjun?”

This left Sang Luo stunned. “Do you know the Sang family?”

The original owner’s family was considered well-off in Dongjun, but it wasn’t renowned enough that everyone in Dongjun would immediately think of the Sang family.

The Prefect smiled and said, “What a coincidence, my wife is from the Fan family of Chenliu, not too far from Dongjun.”

However, recalling the severe flooding in Dongjun a few years ago, the Prefect didn’t say more. Instead, he changed the subject and addressed Sang Luo, “The method of cultivating yams is excellent and suits the promotion in Shezhou. Would you mind if this method were made public?”

Sang Luo was naturally agreeable.

“Not to hide anything from the Prefect, during those difficult years in the mountains, I didn’t keep this method secret. The people of several nearby villages are familiar with it. You can promote it as you wish. If you need yam tubers, we have some stored. Since this was originally our food reserve, if you need them, you won’t need to pay. Just leave enough tubers for our use next spring, and for the rest, you can exchange them for grain.”

Her response was straightforward, and since the yams were not just cultivated by her family but also by villagers from nearby, it was excellent news for the Prefect and chief official.

“Good, you have a kind heart. I won’t let you suffer. I’ve heard that Chu Qichang is quite familiar with you. I won’t let others take over this matter; Chu will discuss it with you later.”

“Everything depends on your arrangement.”

The Prefect smiled, and being busy with official matters, he didn’t linger. He started to descend the mountain and patted Shen Lie on the shoulder as he left, saying, “The state school is good; study hard. Now is a time when talent is in demand, and once you’ve completed your studies, your future will be assured.”

Shen Lie was surprised that the Prefect knew about his examination at the state school. He bowed deeply in thanks.

The Prefect smiled, turned, and left Daxing Village. After walking a short distance, he told his attendant, “Go back and have a copy of the ‘Shangshu Annotation’ from my study made and sent to the Shen family.”

The attendant was momentarily stunned and opened his mouth as if to speak, but the master’s decision was final, so he quickly nodded in agreement.

The chief official raised his eyebrows. He knew what a seemingly casual remark meant. He turned and asked, “Does the Prefect think highly of Shen Lie?”

The Prefect smiled, “He has good character and seems pleasing. That Sang family is from the same place as my consort. We are kind of fellow villagers, so it’s only right to take care of him a bit.”

Chu Qichang, who was walking at the back, had a racing heart. The “Shangshu Annotation” from the Taiyuan Wang family!

He swallowed hard. Shen Lie’s luck was extraordinary!