Ch 58: Reborn to Raise My Husband

By the time Xiao Yuanbao stepped out of the house, the sun was already high in the sky. The autumn heat had passed—no matter how round and bright the sun looked, it no longer felt hot.

The early winter wind rustled the dry leaves on the old trees. Two persimmon trees by the edge of the grove had already lost most of their leaves, but golden-yellow persimmons still hung on the branches like little lanterns—very pleasing to the eye.

Seeing that the weather had been nice these past couple of days, Xiao Yuanbao thought he’d go pick a basket of persimmons, peel them, and sun-dry them into persimmon cakes.

“You’re up.”

Xiao Hu and Qi Beinan had just returned from outside and spotted the boy crouching under the eaves, rinsing his mouth. They smiled as they greeted him.

They had made several trips to return all the borrowed tables and benches to the village households. The dishware had been counted and washed three times and was now loaded on Tian Ken’s cart to be returned to the county.

There was still a deposit of two hundred copper coins left there.

However, after counting the dishware, they found two broken plates. They’d have to pay around ten copper coins in compensation.

Xiao Yuanbao had already expected this. For a village banquet with so many people—especially children—breaking a few pieces of tableware was inevitable.

After washing up, he headed into the kitchen. The stove and counter still held large pots and basins full of leftover dishes and meat.

Scattered cold dishes filled a big round basin too.

After checking everything over, he found half a chicken, a duck, about half a jin of fresh lamb, and over ten jin of pork with bones.

The fresh meat was easy to handle—he’d salt and hang it over the stove to smoke into cured meat.

Chicken and duck could be smoked too, but after thinking for a moment, he decided to bring the chicken and lamb to his teacher and send the duck to the Fang family.

Besides the unused raw meat, there were also plenty of cooked leftovers.

The vegetables didn’t matter much—they could be fed to the poultry. But dishes like chicken soup, fish, braised meat, and lamb—those would be a real waste if thrown out.

They couldn’t really be given away either—there was plenty at home for them to eat.

Thankfully the weather was cool now. The food would keep for several days. If this had been during the summer, everything would’ve soured in a day.

Hands on his hips, Xiao Yuanbao muttered, “Still not prepared well enough—too many leftovers.”

They had planned for twelve tables but ended up with fourteen. Altogether, the banquet had cost nearly eleven yuan.

That meant each table had cost close to eight hundred copper coins.

That wasn’t a small number. For most families, five hundred copper coins would be enough to serve a decent banquet.

He had been focused on making the banquet impressive, but ended up not thinking everything through.

Qi Beinan said, “There’s no such thing as ‘just right.’ Every family has leftovers after a feast. If there weren’t, it would mean the guests didn’t have enough.”

“And for your first time running a banquet, this was already excellent. A xiucai’s celebration banquet—I could only ever have one.”

Xiao Yuanbao felt better after hearing that.

After reheating a couple of dishes for breakfast, Xiao Hu went off to supervise the construction workers building the new house.

Xiao Yuanbao took out the gift ledger and reviewed it with Qi Beinan.

Looking through it, they saw that over twelve yuan in gift money had been received. Besides the cash gifts, there were also physical offerings.

Fabric, sugar, flour, smoked meats, soap pods, bowls, pastries… things to eat and use, all included.

Among the cloth gifts were eight bolts—two bolts of fine silk, two of soft cotton, and four of coarse hemp.

The two fine ones were from Fang Jie’er.

The Tian family brought two boxes of pastries and half a jin of dried osmanthus.

From the Ping manor, Steward Zhu even sent over a pair of suckling pigs.

For those who gave less money, they often added goods like smoked meat or sugar, which not only looked good but helped make up the value.

Besides the villagers, there were also two gifts from the county town.

One was from the Ming family, and the other from the Bai family.

No one knew how they found out the date of the banquet. They hadn’t come in person, but their gifts had arrived.

The Ming family sent a calligraphy scroll. Xiao Yuanbao found both the box and the piece inside to be exquisitely made—better even than any of Qi Beinan’s—but he couldn’t tell how valuable it was.

There was also a pair of small gold ingots, each weighing about seven to eight liang.

Xiao Yuanbao held one up, eyes wide. “This is way too much. Should we return it?”

“For an ordinary family, yes, it’s quite heavy. But for the Ming family, it’s actually a restrained gesture.”

Qi Beinan knew well: when someone from a humble family earned a title, it was common for wealthy households to send gifts in hopes of building connections. Those who couldn’t resist the temptation would one day fall under others’ control.

But on the other hand, there were also those who refused all gifts and cut off all dealings with rich merchants, hoping to avoid problems down the line.

That might preserve a clean name, but it could also lead to isolation and a lack of support.

“The Ming family had already been in contact with us before I passed the exam. They’re not showing up now just because I got on the board.”

Qi Beinan said, “They waited until the banquet to send a gift, and they haven’t asked for any favors. Returning it would look awkward. Since you’ve interacted with Second Young Master Ming, you’ll probably visit again in the future. When their family holds a banquet, we’ll prepare an appropriate return gift.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Yuanbao agreed.

Then there was the Bai family.

They sent a ginseng root, six ceremonial candles, and a box of sweet pea cakes.

“I thought we overspent on this banquet and wouldn’t get it back. But just the village gifts alone—without counting the lavish ones from the county—are enough to cover everything.”

Qi Beinan said, “For a middle-ranking exam pass banquet like this, heavy gifts are expected—it’s always been that way. Besides, once people in the village saw that we’re building a manor here, they naturally felt the need to offer something more. People treat those with standing differently than those without.”

Xiao Yuanbao thought it over and agreed.

Back when their vegetables grew well, they were constantly being stolen. Even after the village head held a meeting about it, the problem only slightly improved.

But ever since word spread that his brother had passed the exam, not a single vegetable had gone missing from their fields.

If it wasn’t because those thieves were suddenly scared of his brother’s new status, he wouldn’t believe it for a second.

“Speaking of the house being built, there’s been some sour talk going around in the village.”

Qi Beinan said, “There’s always people like that. But this year, the money from selling vegetables and greens—everyone saw us hauling it to town. Our income’s clear and legitimate.”

Xiao Yuanbao nodded.

Later that afternoon, he brought the duck and some meat over to Jiang Fulang’s house and the Fang family’s. When he returned, Tian Ken had just gotten back from town.

He brought word that the broker from the agency had returned from out of town and asked Qi Beinan to come choose workers.

Qi Beinan hadn’t expected the broker back so soon—the house still wasn’t finished.

The banquet had already delayed things by a day. If people were brought back now, there wouldn’t be anywhere to settle them.

He discussed it with Xiao Hu.

“If we bring them back now, they’ll have to sleep on shared bedding for a while. I asked Old You the other day—even rushing it, the build won’t be done until after the New Year. But it’ll be ready by spring planting.”

Qi Beinan thought it over. Since it would still be a while until completion, not just a few days, then instead of waiting, they might as well bring the people over now. With more hands, they could even help with the construction.

Xiao Hu agreed.

That afternoon, Qi Beinan went into town. Xiao Yuanbao and Tian Ken cleaned out the storage room, moving things to the rear veranda.

The broker had brought back many people from disaster-struck areas.

There were a lot of children, the youngest around five or six, the oldest about ten. In places hit by natural disasters, families often sold their children. Younger kids learned fast and were in higher demand for training.

Older men and women, though, even if they wanted to sell themselves to make a way for their children, weren’t easily accepted. Few households wanted the elderly.

The broker let Qi Beinan choose. Likely having contacted many wealthy families, there were quite a few others there also picking servants.

Qi Beinan selected two sturdy laborers—young men in their early twenties.

He originally planned to also get two younger ones to teach math and bookkeeping so they could help manage the estate in the future.

Unexpectedly, a family of three approached and pleaded to be taken together.

He asked if any of them had useful skills.

The woman said she could do laundry and sewing; the old man said he was in good health and illness-free; the eight-year-old boy was said to be strong and capable.

Qi Beinan didn’t respond.

The woman quickly added, “I used to raise silkworms and weave at home in the village. I’ve also raised chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep.”

“Though we’re just farmers and not trained to serve wealthy households, we’re willing to learn.”

“We just want to stay together as a family. A couple of big households earlier wanted to buy just our son. We refused.”

The broker, afraid Qi Beinan would get annoyed, came over and explained:

“I’ve tried to talk sense into them—having any place to go at all is already a blessing. Why insist on being sold as a whole family? It’s rare to find someone willing to buy all three.”

“They used to live well enough. The natural disaster forced them to this, but they still can’t bear to be separated. It’s human nature.”

Seeing this, the broker added, “You’re managing a farm estate and not picky about literacy. You only mentioned needing four, but an extra boy won’t hurt. Raise him for a few years and he’ll be a good worker.”

The old man quickly said, “Young master, I’ve worked on estates before. If you take our family in, you won’t regret it.”

Qi Beinan thought for a moment, then agreed.

The boy was young but could still be taught to handle accounts. Keeping a family together had its own benefits, too.

For all five people, since it was a lifetime sale and not a time-limited indenture, the cost was higher—Qi Beinan spent a total of forty-five yuan.

After collecting the contracts, he brought them to the magistrate’s office to file the paperwork. The registration clerk recognized him, so the process went quickly.

That evening, Xiao Yuanbao was sweeping the courtyard when he saw Qi Beinan returning with several people carrying bundles, looking around curiously.

He stretched his neck and counted—five people.

Xiao Yuanbao’s face lit up with a grin. Hands on his hips, he thought: never mind anything else—with all the leftover soups and dishes from the banquet, we won’t have to worry about anything going to waste now~

…

Winter slowly settled in, and in a blink, it was already the twelfth lunar month.

Zhao Guangzong came home for a break and delivered a message to Qi Beinan:

The county school was urging him to report soon. If he delayed any longer, the school would enter its Spring Festival break, and then he wouldn’t be able to enroll until the next year.

Truth be told, Qi Beinan had been planning exactly that—he wanted to wait until next year before joining.

But since the message had been delivered through Zhao Guangzong, continuing to delay would come off poorly and make him seem arrogant.

So, two days later, he went with Zhao Guangzong to formally enroll at the county school.

The school’s schedule was six days of study, followed by one day of rest.

Students living in the county school had to check in at the third quarter of the mao hour (around 5:45 a.m.). Day students could arrive a little later, but still had to reach the school by the beginning of the chen hour (around 7 a.m.).

Afternoon dismissal was fairly early—students could leave around the middle of the shen hour (approximately 3 p.m.).

Qi Beinan hadn’t planned to board at the school. Every day, he traveled from the village to the county and returned home in the afternoon after classes.

This spared him from spending too much idle time at the school, but making the trip in the early winter mornings was no easy thing.

Before dawn, he had to brave the bone-chilling wind and ride a wooden cart into town. By the time he arrived, his hands and feet would be frozen stiff.

If he got there early, he could ask a classmate who lived at the school for some hot water to soak his feet and warm up before class.

But if he was late, he had no choice but to endure the cold straight into the lessons.

Zhao Guangzong, seeing how Qi Beinan made the trip every day without complaint yet refusing to board at the school, invited him to lodge together.

Two years prior, Zhao Guangzong himself had lived at the school while studying.

But this year, having passed the xiucai exam, his entire Zhao clan was thrilled. They bought him a small single-courtyard house in the county and even hired a bookboy and a maid to manage the place—he now had the air of a proper scholar.

But Qi Beinan had no intention of moving in with him—not because he disliked Zhao Guangzong.

If he wanted to stay in town, he’d have just lived in the school dormitories. But he preferred to return home. That’s why he didn’t board at the school either.

Qi Beinan was stubborn about bearing hardship. After a few days of this routine, even his usually sturdy and healthy body began to cough.

Still, there was little to be done about it. All he could do was hope the end-of-year winter break would come soon.

Seeing how exhausted he looked, Xiao Hu personally hauled some wood to the carpenter and had a covered wagon with windows built.

Xiao Yuanbao picked a new piece of fabric, stuffed it with cotton, and stitched two thick curtains.

They hitched the cover wagon to their old yellow ox, and in the mornings, someone from home would drive Qi Beinan to the school gate.

Xiao Yuanbao also bought a small charcoal stove and placed it inside the covered wagon. With this new setup, Qi Beinan was never chilled again on his way to school—it made things much easier.

…

In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, the first snowfall of the year finally came drifting down in slow, graceful flakes.

That morning, it was only wind—biting cold that stung the ears. By afternoon, the snow began to fall with the wind.

Worried that the weather might delay students commuting home, the teacher assigned a writing task themed around snow and dismissed class early.

Qi Beinan slung his bookcase over his arm, tucked both hands into his sleeves, and walked out of the school.

The tip of his nose had turned red from the cold. He thought about what Xiao Yuanbao might make for dinner on such a day.

Maybe a stew of pork lung and radish, simmered in a pot placed over hot coals—served bubbling hot at the table, perfect for warming up while dipping fresh vegetables in.

Just yesterday, he’d noticed the winter amaranth in their vegetable patch growing tall and lush.

He wasn’t fond of the leaves but liked the peeled stems—tender and sweet, far better than the greens.

Boiled in pork lung soup, they would be delicious.

And if it wasn’t pork lung soup, knowing Xiao Yuanbao, he would certainly whip up another big dish.

Whatever it was, there’d definitely be something good waiting at home.

Qi Beinan was smiling to himself at the thought when a voice called out from behind:

“Classmate Qi, since class ended early today and it’s the first snow, why not come enjoy some warm tea with me on the lake boat?”

It was Ma Junyi.

He’d placed second in the prefectural exam, and they had exchanged a few words during the banquet hosted by the county magistrate.

After enrolling, Qi Beinan learned that Ma Junyi came from a prominent background—he was the son of the military commissioner of Jiangzhou.

His father held a fourth-rank official post.

What puzzled Qi Beinan was that someone of such standing would attend a modest county school in a backwater like Ling County. Ling wasn’t known for any notable academies.

If he were just following his father’s posting, it would’ve made more sense to attend the prefectural academy in Jiangzhou.

Zhao Guangzong told him that Ma Junyi’s mother’s family was from Ling County, and since his maternal grandfather was unwell, Ma Junyi came to study here to keep him company.

It sounded filial.

Although Qi Beinan didn’t find the explanation fully convincing, he didn’t dig deeper. He simply had no interest in befriending the man.

“Thank you for the invitation, Classmate Ma. I would indeed enjoy watching the snow on the lake—but with the road so slippery, I fear it may snow harder, and getting home might be difficult.”

Ma Junyi, however, wouldn’t give up. “If the snow becomes heavy, why not stay overnight at my house? I’ve invited you several times and you’ve always turned me down. Do you look down on my writing skills—is that why you won’t have tea with me?”

“How could that be? I simply lack the means, not the will. If home weren’t so far, I’d be the one inviting you instead.”

Ma Junyi was about to press further when a bright, clear voice cut in.

“Brother Junyi?”

The two turned toward the sound and saw a young gentleman not far away.

He wore a fine cloak of silver-patterned blue with fur trim, a white tuft of rabbit fur wrapped around his neck, and held a bronze hand warmer.

The boy was quite striking in appearance.

A servant held a large oil-paper umbrella over him as he approached with a bright smile.

“Xu Ge’er, out enjoying the snow?”

“Though Ling County sees snow every year, the first snowfall is always a bit novel after a long wait.”

As he spoke, the young gentleman known as Xu Ge’er offered Qi Beinan a polite greeting. “If I’m not mistaken, this must be the top scorer of this year’s prefectural exam—Scholar Qi.”

Qi Beinan returned the courtesy. “Young Master Yang has an excellent memory.”

He did, in fact, remember this boy—he was the son of the Education Commissioner Yang, and about the same age as himself.

On the day he reported to the county school, the education commissioner had invited him for a short visit at his residence—that was when he’d met the young master.

“Where are you two headed, Scholars?”

Ma Junyi quickly replied, “I was inviting Scholar Qi to go see the snow from the painted boats. Since Xu Ge’er is also out enjoying the view, why not join us? The more the merrier.”

Yang Chenxu glanced at Qi Beinan, then immediately agreed, “Sure.”

Ma Junyi was clearly pleased—Yang Chenxu rarely accepted invitations. “Excellent! Let’s hurry and find a good spot.”

Qi Beinan said, “I’ll have to excuse myself. The snow’s getting heavier—if I linger too long, there won’t be any carts or carriages left at the city gate, and I’d have to walk home.”

Yang Chenxu said warmly, “That’s nothing to worry about. I’ll call for a carriage from my household to take you home.”

“I couldn’t trouble Young Master Yang with that.”

“Xiao Qi always hates bothering people,” Ma Junyi suddenly adopted a more considerate tone. “And traveling snowy village roads really isn’t easy.”

“We mustn’t hold him up—it would worry his family.”

Qi Beinan smiled lightly, “Many thanks for your understanding, Classmate Ma. You two enjoy yourselves.”

With that, he cupped his hands and took his leave quickly, not lingering.

Watching Qi Beinan go, Yang Chenxu frowned ever so slightly.

Ma Junyi said, “Don’t take it the wrong way. These scholars from humble backgrounds often aren’t used to socializing. They keep their distance not out of arrogance but out of unease. They come off as cold or difficult to approach, but really, they’re kind at heart.”

Yang Chenxu forced a smile. “Brother Junyi speaks reasonably.”

In truth, he no longer felt like going to the boat.

But Ma Junyi, now pleased that it would just be the two of them, said brightly, “Come, I know a perfect spot for snow viewing on the lake.”

Not wanting to go back on his word, Yang Chenxu reluctantly said, “Alright.”

By the time Qi Beinan rode his ox cart back to the village, the umbrella above him had already gathered a thick layer of snow.

He gave it a good shake and continued trudging along the snowy path.

“Xiao Bao!”

Ahead, he spotted a familiar figure in a straw hat, hunched over and puffing along the road.

Xiao Yuanbao heard the call and turned to see Qi Beinan. He broke into a run, beaming.

“Brother, how come you’re back so early today?”

“Let me take your bookcase!”

He scooped up the case into his arms, hugging it tightly.

Qi Beinan tilted the umbrella over to cover them both, patting the snow off Xiao Yuanbao’s shoulders.

“Since it’s snowing, the teacher dismissed us early.”

Qi Beinan noticed how pale Xiao Yuanbao’s cheeks were from the cold and reached out with his warmed palms to gently cover his icy hands.

“Where were you headed?”

Xiao Yuanbao grinned. “Guess.”

Qi Beinan, seeing his joy, thought for a moment. “Vegetable prices went up again?”

“Oh please! They’ve been rising ever since New Year’s neared!”

Xiao Yuanbao declared proudly, “Li Fulang is planning to host four tables for a year-end feast and asked me to help.”

He lifted his eyebrows, eyes sparkling. “He asked me to be the head cook. Me, and only me!”

Qi Beinan’s brow lifted slightly. “Didn’t Jiang Fulang deliberately not declare you as head cook during our own banquet?”

“True. But the whole village knows it was me who cooked those dishes. They think I’m amazing!”

If Xiao Yuanbao had a tail, it would’ve been wagging high in the air by now. “So for smaller banquets—those who aren’t hosting something huge—they’d rather call me. If I can handle ten-plus tables, then three or five is no problem.”

“The important part is that I’m still not officially a head cook, so my rate is affordable. That’s why folks are happy to hire me.”

Xiao Yuanbao was brimming with pride. Even if it was only forty copper coins a trip, being invited to cook solo meant he was recognized.

If his food wasn’t good, people wouldn’t hire him—not even for twenty copper coins.

Seeing him this happy, Qi Beinan felt joyful too. “Then I must offer my congratulations to Head Cook Xiao—you’ve gotten your wish.”

Xiao Yuanbao held out his hand expectantly. “Where’s the gift? Verbal congratulations don’t count.”

Qi Beinan lightly smacked his palm. “No gift, but you get one person.”

“You’re the worst. Only taking gifts but not treating the person to a meal.”

Xiao Yuanbao lifted his chin and said proudly, “It’s cold today, so I went to the pig butcher early this morning and bought a full cage of pork lungs. He even gave me a bowl of fresh pig’s blood.”

He narrowed his eyes at Qi Beinan. “I’m not some stingy cheapskate, you know.”

Qi Beinan: “…”

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