Ch 11: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

After breakfast, Jiang Ji disinfected Jiang Yan’s wounds.

Jiang Yan watched as Jiang Ji first carried in a small table, then lugged over a large box—metal-like but smoother than iron. From it, he took out several unfamiliar objects.

“What are those?” Jiang Yan asked.

“Oh, medicine, bandages, that kind of thing. All for treating wounds. The doctor left them,” Jiang Ji said casually. Anyway, the man had lost his memory—he wouldn’t know the difference.

Jiang Yan studied the items for a while. Jiang Ji pressed on a small bottle, and a clear white liquid came out. He rubbed it between his hands.

“I’ve never seen things like these before.”

Jiang Ji glanced at him and replied matter-of-factly, “Well, you’ve lost your memory. Of course you haven’t.”

Jiang Yan: …

He went quiet, watching as Jiang Ji put on a pair of unusual gloves, rubbed his hands again, and began unwrapping the bandages.

When the wound was revealed, Jiang Yan finally realized that Jiang Ji hadn’t exaggerated—the injury on his abdomen was truly serious.

It was long, at least four or five inches, and had been sewn shut with thread. The stitches looked like a centipede crawling across his skin—harsh and shocking.

He stared at the stitching in disbelief. Could wounds really be sewn together like fabric?

The doctor had told Jiang Ji to monitor for any oozing. Jiang Ji leaned closer to check; there was no blood, only a bit of clear fluid. He wasn’t sure if that was normal or not.

He peeked at the live chat—some viewers said it was normal—so he disinfected the wound twice with iodine, applied ointment, and rebandaged it carefully with fresh gauze.

Jiang Yan had several other wounds, and Jiang Ji tended to each one in turn—cleaning, disinfecting, medicating, and rewrapping them.

“Alright, looks good. You’re healing. Try not to move too much,” Jiang Ji said, pulling off his gloves.

He called Jiang Bei to bring a bowl of warm water, then sorted out the medicines into a small box and handed them to Jiang Yan.

“Here, take your medicine. Just swallow them—don’t chew.”

Jiang Yan looked at the pills for a long time before pouring them all into his mouth and swallowing them with water.

Jiang Ji packed the medical box and set it on a stool in the corner.

“Okay, I’m heading to town for a bit. If you need water or, uh, the chamber pot, call Jiang Nan or Jiang Bei. They’ll be home with my mother. I’ll be back before noon.”

“Alright.” After Jiang Ji left, Jiang Yan’s eyes lingered on the medical box for a long while.

Jiang Ji, meanwhile, finished giving instructions to Zhao Ru and the others before setting out.

He planned to exchange the banknotes for silver first. Once he returned near the village, he’d “manifest” the beds from the system and haul them home.

As he walked, he chatted with his livestream audience.

These past few days, everyone’s attention had been focused on the wounded man. The viewers had followed anxiously, worrying whether Jiang Yan would survive.

Yesterday, with the online doctor’s step-by-step guidance, Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru had successfully treated the wounds, and now that Jiang Yan was awake this morning, everyone finally relaxed.

The whole event had sent Jiang Ji’s viewership skyrocketing—his follower count had passed five or six hundred thousand.

He checked—yesterday’s stream replay had already surpassed a million views.

Unfortunately, replay views didn’t count toward his live stats; only live viewers did.

“Hey, old irons, did someone recommend me somewhere? There’s a lot of people online this morning.”

Even at this early hour, nearly a hundred thousand people were watching.

【Bro, you’ve gone viral】

“What do you mean?”

【A big account on Weibo clipped one of your streams and reposted it. He’s got tons of followers, and your content’s so hardcore—it blew up.】

【You were even trending last night, though a bit lower on the list.】

“Oh, so you guys have Weibo too? I was wondering why the numbers jumped so much this morning. Turns out that’s why. Tell that big account I’m grateful, yeah?”

【He’s probably still asleep. He’s a night owl—usually posts videos in the middle of the night.】

Just then, a cascade of flying instant noodle effects drifted across the screen, fluttering down like little wings.

【That’s him—the one sending noodles! That’s the big account from yesterday.】

Jiang Ji saw the username “Iron Mouth Sees the World” and said, “Thanks for the noodles, Iron Mouth Sees the World! You’re awesome! I heard you helped promote me yesterday—really appreciate it!”

He clasped his hands in a polite salute. “Last time I passed through town, I didn’t get to show you guys around. Since I’m heading there today anyway, I’ll take you on a little tour.”

【Been waiting for that!】

Jiang Ji’s home was on the western edge of town. As he entered through the west gate, he narrated to his audience.

“This town is the biggest in the county. The county yamen is located here… Want to see it? Sure, we’ll swing by later.”

It was only his second visit—his first had been rushed. Even though he had the original host’s memories, nothing beat seeing it with his own eyes.

“Most of the people entering from the west are farmers. The grain market, vegetable stalls, and livestock trading area are all over here. When we sell vegetables, this is usually where we come.”

Jiang Ji led the livestream audience through the market. The place bustled with activity—vegetable stalls, poultry and fish stands, grain shops, wine vendors—all filled with noise and shouting.

Leaving the market, he turned two corners and arrived at North Street.

“There’s a river up north,” he explained to his viewers. “The dock’s over that way. The prefectural city to the east is very prosperous, so a lot of merchants transport goods from there to the northern regions. That’s why most of the big shops are on North and East Street.”

He walked from North Street to East Street, both sides lined with teahouses, cloth shops, jewelry stores, and restaurants. Many people were strolling about—it was lively and crowded.

Every now and then, Jiang Ji stepped into a shop to look around, checking out the styles of goods and learning local prices.

【So this really is ancient times—look at that fabric, it’s all rough weave and simple patterns】
【Those accessories look so old-fashioned—mostly gold, silver, and bronze, even some made of wood】
【Why do the gold pieces look so dull?】
【That’s because ancient refining techniques weren’t advanced. The purity was lower, so the color wasn’t as bright.】

After browsing for a while, Jiang Ji brought the audience to the county yamen.

The tall gate bore the sign “Changping County Office.” Beside it stood a large drum and two stone lions. Two constables guarded the entrance.

“Can only look from outside,” Jiang Ji said.

【So simple-looking!】
【I wish we could go in.】
【So this is what it looked like…】

After touring the yamen, Jiang Ji found a money exchange shop and traded the banknotes for silver and copper coins.

“Alright, everyone, time’s up. I’ve got to head home. We’ll come sightseeing again next time.”

On his way back, he spotted a candied haw vendor. He bought six skewers—one for each family member—but after walking a few steps, he turned back and bought over a dozen more.

When he reached the path leading toward his village, Jiang Ji slipped into a small side road. Once he was sure no one was around, he quickly redeemed a handcart, a sack of rice, a bundle of rope, and two cotton quilts from the system.

He originally planned to bring just one bed back first and the second one later in the afternoon.

But he’d overlooked one crucial problem: the solid wood bed was extremely heavy. There was no way he could lift it onto the cart alone.

Jiang Ji stood there dumbfounded. “…Well, that’s a problem.”

【Hahahahaha I can’t—】
【Streamer, what are you doing—】
【Pfft hahaha】

“Quit laughing and help me think of something!” Jiang Ji said, flustered.

【There’s a way, actually】

“Come on, bro, tell me!”

【Take it apart and reassemble it later】

Jiang Ji groaned. “Big brother, you think I know how to assemble furniture?”

【Hahahahahaha】

【Then wait for someone to pass by and ask them to help you lift it】

Left with no choice, Jiang Ji tried to move it bit by bit while keeping an eye out for passersby.

After a long while, an elderly man came down the road carrying baskets on a shoulder pole.

“Uncle, could you lend me a hand?” Jiang Ji called out.

The old man spotted the bed and asked, puzzled, “Hey, how’d this happen? Did it fall off?”

Playing along, Jiang Ji replied, “Yeah, the rope wasn’t tied tight enough, and it slipped off. It’s too heavy for me to lift alone.”

“Alright, I’ll help you.”

The old man was kind-hearted. Together, they hoisted the bed onto the cart, then helped load the rice and quilts, tying everything securely.

“Thank you so much, Uncle—you’re really kind.” Jiang Ji pulled two candied haws from his paper bag. “Here, take these home for the kids.”

“Oh, no need, no need. It was nothing,” the old man said, waving it off.

“Please, Uncle, take them. I insist.” Jiang Ji pushed the treats into his hands.

“Well then, thank you,” the man said at last, accepting them.

“No, I should be the one thanking you.”

After saying goodbye, Jiang Ji pushed the cart home.

At the entrance to the village, a few villagers spotted him.

“Hey, Jiang Ji, went to buy a bed?” an auntie asked.

“Yeah, Auntie.”

“Nice one! How much did it cost?”

Having just checked prices earlier that morning, Jiang Ji answered smoothly, “Seven hundred wen a bed.”

Another aunt added, “That’s fine craftsmanship! Why didn’t you have the shop deliver it? Must’ve been hard dragging it back yourself.”

“They charge an extra twenty wen for delivery,” Jiang Ji said. “Figured I’d just haul it myself.”

“Those merchants are so greedy. There’s a carpenter in Wangjia Village about ten li from here—he makes solid beds for only six hundred wen, and he delivers for free. My family’s bed’s from him, good quality too. Next time, go there—you’ll save a lot.”

“Really? Only six hundred? Then I’ll go to him next time,” Jiang Ji replied with a grin.

As he walked farther away, he could still hear the two aunties chatting behind him.

“Since when can Jiang Ji’s family afford a bed? Look at his cart—there’s new quilts and what looks like a sack of rice too.”

“Didn’t he save someone from the woods the other day? I heard that man woke up this morning. When Jiang Ji’s mother was washing clothes yesterday, I saw the man’s garments—all covered in blood, but do you know what kind of fabric it was? Silk! Definitely a rich family’s young master. The bed money’s probably a reward.”

“Really? Then Jiang Ji’s family sure rescued the right person—found themselves a benefactor!”

“Exactly…”

Jiang Ji smirked. Please, he’s the one who found his benefactor—me.

Back home, the family was overjoyed as they unloaded the bed and carried it into the house.

Zhao Ru and the others had already cleared away Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei’s makeshift bedding, so the new bed went right there.

Jiang Xia wiped the frame clean with a cloth while Zhao Ru spread straw for padding, then layered the mattress, sheets, and new quilts neatly.

Jiang Ji helped Jiang Yan sit up. “Come on, Jiang Yan—let’s get you onto the new bed.”

Jiang Yan had been watching the family bustle about and hadn’t expected them to let him use it first.

“I’m fine here. Let Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei sleep on it,” he said quietly.

“It’s alright,” Jiang Ji replied with a grin. “You’ve paid plenty. I’ll get another bed this afternoon—everyone will have one.”

Hearing that, Jiang Yan said no more and, with Jiang Ji’s help, moved onto the bed.

“Brother! I saw candied haws in the cart! Are they for us?”

Jiang Nan came running in, clutching a skewer of candied haws, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yeah, one for each of you.”

Jiang Bei also came in, holding a skewer. “But there are still more in there.”

“Those are for Aunt Xiufang’s family and the doctor’s kids. You two aren’t allowed to take extra.”

“Oh~”

Outside, Jiang Ji found Zhao Ru and pulled her into her room. He handed her the silver he’d exchanged and quietly discussed a few matters.

Not long after, Jiang Ji redeemed several portions of pork and eggs, packed them into a basket along with the candied haws, and went around the village.

He visited the doctor’s house to repay the medical fees, then stopped by the village head’s home and the families who had helped testify at the county yamen. To each household, he gifted two jin of pork, ten eggs, and a few skewers of candied haws as thanks.

Zhao Ru, meanwhile, carried three jin of pork, two jin of peanuts, a basket of eggs, and four skewers of candied haws to Aunt Xiufang’s home.

“Xiufang.”

Xiufang was at the stove, tending the fire and cooking. Seeing Zhao Ru, she stood up. “Oh, Xiaoru, what brings you here? Aren’t you in the middle of cooking dinner?”

“Xia’s cooking. Ji came back, so I came to return your money.” Zhao Ru set the items on the table and pulled out one tael of silver. “It’s the silver I borrowed from you before. It’s been a long time—I’m sorry it took so long to pay you back.”

“Oh come on, what are you talking about? We’re like family, don’t say things like that.” Their homes were close, and Xiufang knew some of what Zhao Ru’s family had been through, so she didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the silver but frowned at the pile of goods. “Why did you bring all this? Take it back, quick.”

“Ji bought it especially. All these years, we’ve relied on your help—without you, our family…” Zhao Ru’s voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. The years of hardship pressed down on her heart, and she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Don’t be so polite with me.” Xiufang took her hand and patted it. “It’s all in the past. Don’t think too much.”

Zhao Ru quickly wiped her tears and smiled. “Alright. I’ll head back then—still have to make lunch.”

“Okay.”

Watching Zhao Ru leave, Xiufang sighed softly.

“What are you sighing for?” Tu Gen came in from outside and spotted the pork and eggs on the table. “Where’d all this come from?”

Xiufang repeated the story.

Tu Gen grunted. “That young man Jiang Ji saved—they say he’s some rich family’s young master?”

“Seems like it. Otherwise, how could they afford all this? They even repaid the money we lent them.”

Tu Gen eyed his wife. “Then why’re you sighing? Feeling sour seeing someone else get rich?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Xiufang glared at him. “Now hurry and stoke the fire. We’ve got meat—want some or not?”

“Want!” Tu Gen said at once.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾