Ch 39: Reborn to Raise My Husband

That morning, just as dawn was breaking, Xiao Yuanbao got up early while the breeze was still cool.

Since the start of summer, he had risen before daybreak every day. The days were hot, so waking early let him enjoy the cooler air, and when noon brought the heat, he could take a nap to catch up on sleep.

He tiptoed out of his room.

He’d thought he was up quite early, but through the crack of the door, he saw that Qi Beinan’s room already glowed with the soft yellow light of a lamp.

He gently knocked, then opened the door a crack and poked his head in.

To his surprise, Qi Beinan was already up, sitting quietly at the table flipping through a book.

He hadn’t washed yet and wore only a soft, off-white sleeping robe, his long black hair hanging loosely down his back.

Gone was his usual neat and proper appearance—this was a rare glimpse of his more relaxed, casual side.

Xiao Yuanbao thought to himself: people outside might talk behind his brother’s back, saying he didn’t study hard—but they didn’t see the effort he put in when no one was looking.

Qi Beinan closed the book and turned his head, catching sight of Xiao Yuanbao’s smiling face peeking through the doorway.

His lips curved naturally into a smile. “What’s the matter?”

Xiao Yuanbao whispered, “What do you want for breakfast?”

Qi Beinan answered gently, “Anything is fine.”

Xiao Yuanbao noticed Qi Beinan’s voice was still rough from sleep—not as clear as usual—but he thought it sounded strangely pleasant.

“Then I’ll steam you an egg custard first, then knead some dough and pull noodles. Father said yesterday he was craving noodles.”

Qi Beinan nodded with a smile and said “Okay.”

Only then did Xiao Yuanbao softly close the door and back out.

He passed through the main hall and entered the kitchen, where he opened a few windows. A gust of wind tore the shutters from his grip, slamming them hard against the wall and blowing leaves and grass into the room.

He listened to the wind wailing like it was crying. An old broken basket in the yard was being blown around in circles, and the sky was so gray he couldn’t see clearly—it was downright eerie.

So he pulled the shutters shut again.

When he turned around, he found a cluster of fresh green leaves on the floor—likely ripped from the trees.

What a strong wind! It looked like a storm was on the way.

Rain in the morning would bring some relief from the heat, and that would be nice. He just hoped the rain wouldn’t be so heavy that it caused a flood.

There had already been several big storms this summer—not only heavy, but long-lasting too.

He started the fire, cracked four eggs into a bowl, and beat them together with some rice broth from the day before.

The thick egg mixture turned a soft loofah-flower yellow.

He added a pinch of salt, stirred in a spoonful of lard, and put it into the steamer.

Making noodles took more time. His brother had been up early, already reading—even if it didn’t look tiring, reading and thinking wore you out and left you hungry.

When Xiao Yuanbao studied writing, even after a full meal, half an hour of focused effort left his belly feeling like it’d been drained—he’d be starving.

And Qi Beinan was even more focused when he read and wrote, as if entering a meditative state.

Just as he finished kneading the dough, Qi Beinan opened the kitchen door and came in.

“Hungry?” Xiao Yuanbao asked. 

Qi Beinan rubbed his hands together and walked over to the stove. “I heard the wind howling outside. You were in here alone—I came to keep you company.”

Xiao Yuanbao grinned, “We’re at home. With you and Father here, I’m not scared at all.”

Qi Beinan smiled. “Just wait till the thunder comes.”

As soon as he said that, there was a flash outside the window, and a deep rumble of thunder followed moments later.

Xiao Yuanbao flinched. “There really was thunder.”

Qi Beinan broke some kindling and fed it into the stove. He’d gotten up before dawn and heard the strong wind. With the oil lamp burning inside and no way to open the windows for light, he’d come over.

Before long, the roof began to sound like some martial hero in a novel was running across the tiles—click-clack—then the rain finally came.

Hearing the pounding, Qi Beinan was grateful that Fang Youliang had helped him patch up the roof during clear weather recently. Otherwise, it would surely have leaked.

“With this much rain, the rivers and streams must be rising.”

Xiao Yuanbao said, “Once the rain stops, I’ll go check the creek with Brother Fang. Who knows, maybe we’ll find fish washed up.”

Qi Beinan quickly said, “You have to be careful. If the current is strong and you get swept away, I wouldn’t be able to save you—I can’t swim well.”

Xiao Yuanbao laughed, “I’ll call Fang Ge’er too. Brother Fang is sure to go—he loves catching fish and shrimp.”

So Qi Beinan didn’t argue further.

After breakfast, daylight brightened.

The rain streamed steadily from the eaves, and the drainage ditches were flushed clean. The flagstones even gleamed.

Xiao Hu slurped his noodles while looking out at the water curtain. “With so much rain this year, I fear the villages by the river might be suffering disaster.”

Qi Beinan did a quick mental count—indeed, in the 19th year of Kaide, some counties in Jushu had suffered flooding.

The court had even sent out disaster relief. At the time, he was still at the academy, and the teacher had made them write essays on it.

These past couple years had been tough weather-wise. Heavy rains in Kaide 19, then drought in Kaide 20.

Fortunately, Ling County had fared better—affected but not devastated—though grain prices had been unstable.

Since they’d bought land this year and cultivated it well, they wouldn’t suffer losses.

That afternoon, the rain stopped, and the blazing sun came out again.

If it weren’t for the sound of rushing water flowing from the fields and creeks outside, you’d almost think there hadn’t been a heavy storm that morning.

Xiao Yuanbao carried a large bamboo basket and wore a pair of straw sandals.

He pulled Qi Beinan along to the Fang household to call for the others, and the group of boys ran off together toward the riverbank.

The stream, usually well-behaved and confined to its bed, had risen quite a bit and now overflowed into the riverside paddy fields.

Swaths of water moths, their wings soaked and unable to fly, flapped helplessly between the field ridges. Their plump bodies attracted flocks of free-roaming chickens, ducks, and geese that eagerly pecked at them.

It was noon, normally the time for rest, but because of the high water, a few others had also arrived at the river besides their group.

“Liu Jie’er!”

From a distance, Xiao Yuanbao spotted a girl wading in the water and greeted her sweetly.

This Liu Jie’er was a girl from the Bai family, with a round face, apricot-shaped eyes, and fair skin—one of the prettiest girls in Geshan Village.

Now seventeen or eighteen, she had grown even more graceful and lovely.

A few years ago, Zhu Yongxian from the manor had even gone to the Bai family to ask if they’d be willing to let her learn the skills of a lady’s maid and serve a young mistress in a household in Jinling.

The Bai couple couldn’t bear to part with their daughter and had refused.

Now that she was of marriageable age, Madam Qiao especially loved visiting their home.

Xiao Yuanbao had a fondness for pretty faces. Every time he saw Liu Jie’er, he’d call out to her and even share fruits with her.

He once told Qi Beinan, Liu Jie’er wasn’t just pretty—she always smelled nice too. When his brother looked for a wife one day, he had to marry someone like that.

“Xiao Bao, you all came to wade and cool off too?”

Bai Liu noticed the three or four of them arriving together and found the group quite lively.

Xiao Yuanbao held his basket a bit higher. “We’re here to see if we can catch some small fish.”

Bai Liu smiled and at a glance saw Qi Beinan standing behind Xiao Yuanbao. He was tall and indeed handsome.

She felt too shy to look at him directly.

Luckily, Qi Beinan’s bright eyes were focused entirely on Xiao Yuanbao ahead and hadn’t noticed her gaze.

She had already heard the family gossip—how the Xiao family had a relative surnamed Qi who was well-liked by the village head, had upright looks, and was even a scholar.

Her parents had been trying to find a good match for her, and when looking around the village, this outsider was the only one who caught their attention.

Unfortunately, when Madam Qiao came knocking, they learned he was already engaged. The whole household sighed with disappointment.

Thinking of those unspeakable family hopes, her cheeks flushed. She didn’t talk much to the group and instead lowered her head to wade with the other village girls.

“There’s a little shrimp! I saw it!”

Xiao Yuanbao crouched at the riverbank, sharp-eyed. He had spotted a translucent shrimp, about the size of his pinky, resting quietly on a weed.

He pinched it between his fingers and quickly dropped it into the small, tightly woven basket tied around his waist.

“Let’s catch a bunch and dry them. We can use them in soup or as seasoning.”

Qi Beinan and Fang Ge’er also squatted down to help him catch more.

Fang Youliang, who had rolled his pants up high, laughed at the three. “You’ll be at it all day if you’re just picking shrimp one by one. Watch me!”

With a splash, water sprayed on their faces as Fang Youliang flung his shirt into the vegetable patch and dove into the river.

In just a moment, he resurfaced holding a fresh fish.

It was a three-inch-long carp, its belly round and plump—quite meaty.

Xiao Yuanbao quickly held out his basket.

Qi Beinan chuckled. “You really are skilled.”

“When our family couldn’t afford meat, my brother always dove into the river for fish to flavor the meals.”

Fang Ge’er said, “When the water rises, you can catch a lot. We used to take them into the city and exchange them for a few copper coins.”

Xiao Yuanbao was already happily thinking of how to cook the fresh fish.

His teacher had once made a spicy poached fish dish—using last winter’s pickled mustard greens and tender spring bamboo shoots to start the broth. The fish soaked up the flavors and the soup came out tangy and refreshing, even good to eat in the summer heat.

He hadn’t mastered the technique yet—his version looked and smelled right, but the flavor was still lacking.

Marinated fish would be good too: slice it thin, mix it with scallion, garlic, and white wine, and stir it with black rice powder—very tasty.

But people in the village were used to cooked food. Few liked raw flavors.

If the fish were small, they could be coated in flour and deep-fried to crispy perfection—fragrant and delicious.

He figured that would be the best—great with wine and also good for children.

He could also cook up a big bowl of soft, sandy-textured mung bean soup to go with it. It had rained heavily in the morning, so the night would probably be cooler.

Once the sun went down, sitting in the courtyard with mung bean soup and fried fish would be pure bliss.

The group was still talking about how to cook the fish when a startled cry rang out—“Aiya!”—followed by a splash as Bai Liu fell into the creek.

The water in the middle of the stream was deep and swift. The girl next to her couldn’t even grab her in time—she disappeared into the river.

“Liu Jie’er!”

The village girl’s face turned deathly pale from fright. Qi Beinan and the others rushed over to help, but they were farther away. By the time they got close, she had already been carried far downstream.

No one knew what to do until Fang Youliang reacted quickly and dove in.

When they saw him pull her up, everyone finally let out a breath of relief.

Xiao Yuanbao saw Liu Jie’er completely soaked and stopped in his tracks. He turned back to grab Fang Youliang’s shirt that had been tossed into the water-shield plant patch and brought it over.

Liu Jie’er made it to shore—thankfully, she hadn’t passed out.

But she had indeed choked on quite a bit of water—her lips had lost their color from the fright.

Her eyes stared blankly at the river, dazed and dull.

Since Xiao Yuanbao couldn’t just hand Fang Youliang’s shirt directly to Bai Liu to cover herself, he first passed the shirt back to Fang Youliang.

“You’re no good in the water. Better not come wading by the river when it’s flooded again.”

Fang Youliang took the shirt and tucked it under his arm, wiped his face, and turned to Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao, saying, “What a shame—I lost that big green carp I had just caught. At least four or five catties!”

Qi Beinan let out a dry cough. What a guy—still thinking about that fish at a time like this.

He said quietly, “Liu Jie’er is soaked.”

Only then did Fang Youliang realize, and he passed the shirt to one of the village girls to help Bai Liu cover up first.

Bai Liu’s whole body trembled; she still hadn’t recovered from the shock and murmured a weak thank you to Fang Youliang.

The group offered her some comforting words. Seeing that she was truly frightened, they had the other village girl take her home through a side path.

Luckily, it was midday and not many people were around—otherwise it would have become a bigger scene.

After such a scare, none of them were in the mood to catch fish or shrimp anymore. They carried the few river fish they had caught and went home.

Everyone kept their mouths shut—no one spoke of what happened.

But after that, Qi Beinan never allowed Xiao Yuanbao to go near the creek during a flood again.

Two days later, Qi Beinan needed to return the copied book to the scriptorium, and Xiao Yuanbao went along with him into town.

“Kind soul, spare some food, please…”

They had only traveled two li out of the village by ox cart when they saw two or three ragged people with matted hair on the roadside.

“Are those refugees?” Xiao Yuanbao craned his neck from the cart, frowning as he looked at the people reaching out for food.

Qi Beinan’s brow furrowed as well. “Yes.”

“There are so many! Are they from our county?”

The old driver steering the cart replied, “They’re households from other counties that got hit by floods—come begging here in our county. This? Just a few! There’s a lot more begging inside the county seat!”

He shook his head. “It rained nonstop for days. There were even sick and dying people on the streets recently. Folks are saying there’s plague going around—nobody dares go near them. Pitiful, truly pitiful.”

Although Ling County wasn’t considered wealthy or prosperous, its geography was favorable. Major disasters were rare, and Xiao Yuanbao had never experienced anything like this growing up.

Hearing the hardships of these disaster victims filled his heart with unease, and he pressed his lips tightly together.

He searched his pockets but only found a few preserved fruits, which he gently placed on a haystack by the roadside.

One of the refugees rushed over to grab and eat them.

“You’ve got a kind heart, young one,” the driver said. “But us common folks barely have enough to eat ourselves. Can’t afford to help all these people—we can only hope the magistrate finds a way to settle some of them down.”

When they reached the outskirts of the county seat, sure enough, they saw many more refugees gathered there.

Some were carrying children, some leaning on sticks. All with watery eyes looked at passersby, begging for food.

A kind villager gave a few raw radishes, which were snatched up and gnawed immediately.

There were even more refugees begging along the streets, wandering aimlessly and begging at every corner.

The patrol soldiers in the city, once a single column, now walked in fours, each carrying large blades as they moved through the market.

With so many refugees flooding in, there was concern they might grow desperate and loot shops, disturbing the peace.

Qi Beinan noted this and thought the magistrate here was actually quite decent.

Knowing the risk of chaos from the refugee influx, some local officials in other regions would tightly close the city gates, violently drive them away, and prohibit them from begging within the city.

He had witnessed bailiffs beating refugees during relief work in previous years—it was truly inhumane.

He tightened his grip on Xiao Yuanbao’s hand and reminded him, “Don’t wander off. Don’t get too close to the refugees.”

“Many are pitiful, yes—but not all. Some might turn violent out of desperation. Stay alert.”

Xiao Yuanbao nodded, staying close by his side.

He looked at the refugees lining the streets, heart twisted and heavy.

“Refugees selling themselves, come this way! Master Jiao is taking in servants!”

Suddenly a sharp voice rang out. A middle-aged man stood atop a square table, raising a bronze gong and striking it loudly.

A stir rippled through the crowd as people rushed over.

Qi Beinan held Xiao Yuanbao’s hand and went to take a look.

In an open clearing stood a plump, rich-looking man—Master Jiao—flanked by four skilled bodyguards.

Not only that, but there were even two bailiffs present.

Qi Beinan overheard people talking: “Our magistrate is kind. He posted notices encouraging the wealthy households to take in disaster victims.”

“If you register the refugees and go through the proper documentation, taking them in can even reduce some of your taxes.”

“That’s great! At least the refugees will have a place to go. Wandering the streets like that—it’s not just pitiful, it makes everyone uneasy.”

“We haven’t slept well at night, always afraid someone might break in to rob us.”

Discussions buzzed all around.

Most of the refugees, having fallen this far, no longer minded the idea of selling themselves.

They all crowded forward, scrambling for a chance at survival. In no time, a huge crowd had gathered.

Fortunately, the guards kept order.

Master Jiao walked a slow circle, hands behind his back. After a while, he lifted a finger and pointed out a few people.

Those selected were all physically fit and healthy-looking men. As for the weaker women, no matter how hard they tried to stand on their toes, they didn’t earn so much as a glance from the old master.

“Officer, I’ll take these six.”

After choosing his people, Master Jiao politely reported to the bailiff standing by.

The bailiff waved a hand. “This round is over. There are other gentry coming to recruit—go to them.”

“Master! Master, please take this lowly one! My father passed this very morning! I beg you to grant me a mat to bury him—I’ll repay you a thousandfold, as a beast of burden if I must!”

Suddenly, a figure shot through the dispersing crowd like a wild dog, darting straight up to Master Jiao.

He moved so fast that Master Jiao jumped in fright, thinking it might be an attacker. The nearby guards immediately seized and pinned him to the ground.

Only then did they see clearly—it was a boy, nothing but skin and bones, his face covered in dirt. Now restrained, he simply dropped to his knees and began kowtowing hard before the master.

Thump, thump, thump—each dull thud of his forehead against the ground sent chills through the crowd.

Before long, blood began to seep from the youth’s forehead.

Master Jiao, having recovered from his scare, glanced at the boy. He was not only pitifully thin, but also came with the baggage of burying a father. Compared to the other men, he was clearly more trouble than he was worth.

He said, “I’ve taken in enough already. The county magistrate has put out notices—there are still good families looking. You should keep your eye on them.”

“Master, please—take me out of kindness! I know how to farm! If you send me to your fields, I promise I’ll tend them well!”

Master Jiao grew annoyed with the boy’s persistence. The youth, in his desperation, had lost all sense. But even wealthy merchants like Master Jiao were restricted by the court—no more than fifty mu of land were allowed.

A vagrant boy like this boasting of farming skills was bound to rub a merchant the wrong way.

Master Jiao said coldly, “My estate doesn’t have fields for you to farm. Go find a noble family instead.”

With that, he ignored the boy entirely, turned, and left with his guards and the six chosen refugees.

˙✧˖°🎓 ༘⋆｡ ˚