Ch 79: Reborn to Raise My Husband

The feverish excitement of the provincial examination finally cooled when the early winter winds of October arrived.

At that time, the Education Commissioner Yang brought the list of successful candidates to his son Yang Xu’s room and asked for his opinion.

There were six new provincial graduates from the county this year. Three were old scholars, already long married. The remaining three were Qi Beinan, Luo Tingfeng, and Zhao Guangzong.

All three had studied at the county academy, and Yang Xu had met them all.

Qi Beinan, of course, needed no discussion—he was already out of reach. When father and son heard that he had taken first place, both sighed in unison.

What a pity, they thought, that such a talented and elegant young man had long been spoken for.

That left two candidates: Luo Tingfeng and Zhao Guangzong.

In terms of scholarship, Luo Tingfeng’s abilities were beyond question. He was one of the academy’s top students, and his results in this examination were excellent—he had placed within the top ten.

His family wasn’t wealthy, but they were decent and well-behaved—clean in conduct, a family of upright scholars.

Still, Luo Tingfeng was rather dull by nature, with the air of a bookish recluse.

Such men, who study earnestly but lack social grace, rarely do well in officialdom.

If he could not attain high rank through exams, it would be hard to advance through networking either—he simply wasn’t the sort to curry favor.

The Education Commissioner hesitated.

Then there was Zhao Guangzong. His looks were proper enough, his manner diligent, his grades squarely in the middle of the county academy’s ranks.

His talent was inferior to Luo Tingfeng’s, and this time he had scraped through as the last of the six.

His family was no better than Luo’s—ordinary, respectable, but not influential.

Unable to decide, the Commissioner told his son to choose.

Having missed the best prospect, Yang Xu no longer cared much. He pointed to Luo Tingfeng.

That was roughly the father’s thought as well.

But this time, the Education Commissioner had learned caution—he sent someone to inquire first about Luo Tingfeng’s marital situation.

As luck would have it, the inquiry came just as Luo’s family was finalizing an engagement with Bai Qiaogui. The two families were celebrating joyfully.

The Bai family, of course, the Commissioner knew—the county’s workshop registrar.

Annoyed, he made a point of visiting the county office to offer “congratulations,” his tone edged with sarcasm.

Registrar Bai, oblivious to his true feelings, took it as a sincere gesture and even flattered him in return, praising how well the Commissioner’s students had turned out—loyal and promising men.

From this, the Education Commissioner learned that even before the exam, the Bai family had set their sights on Luo Tingfeng as a son-in-law. Both sides had shown interest, maintaining polite exchanges.

After Luo Tingfeng passed the examination and finished the obligatory visits of thanks, his family immediately sent betrothal gifts to the Bais.

When he’d had the power to choose, every prospect had seemed flawed. Now that another had snatched the choice away, the very same seemed perfect.

He was so vexed he nearly turned green with regret.

Over drinks with the county magistrate, he heard that the magistrate’s daughter was also reaching marriageable age and would soon need a husband.

That news made him even more impatient.

“Commissioner Yang summoned me to his residence today.”

Qi Beinan was in the storeroom with Xiao Yuanbao, choosing a congratulatory gift for Fang Youliang’s wedding in a few days.

After ten years of friendship, the man was finally getting married, and Qi Beinan was genuinely happy for him. He wanted to send something thoughtful and of good quality.

Zhao Guangzong came in, his steps slow and heavy. Seeing his uneasy expression, Qi Beinan invited him into the study for tea.

Before Qi Beinan could even ask, Zhao Guangzong spoke first.

Qi Beinan immediately understood what he meant.

“You’re not pleased with the match?” he asked.

Zhao Guangzong sighed.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling. The Yangs are a fine family—the Commissioner’s been in the bureaucracy for decades, and his daughter, Yang Xu, is educated and graceful. For them to notice me at all is a blessing my ancestors must’ve earned.”

Qi Beinan studied him. “Then why do you look so troubled?”

“Is it because the Commissioner once thought of you as a possible son-in-law, and since you’ve been on good terms, the thought feels awkward?”

“You’re a good student. It’s natural that the Commissioner would take notice.”

Zhao Guangzong gave a small laugh and patted Qi Beinan on the arm. “It’s not that. If that were the reason, I wouldn’t have come to talk about it.”

“Then what is it?”

Zhao Guangzong frowned slightly. “I’m not sure myself. I just feel… a little empty.”

“Maybe it’s because, after all these years, I’ve watched you, Brother Luo, even Fang Youliang—you’ve all married people you truly loved. And now, when I’m told to marry into the Yang family, it feels strange.”

“I know that most marriages are made for family and status. True affection is rare.”

Qi Beinan patted his shoulder. He knew Zhao’s melancholy came partly from the people around him.

“When others were seventeen or eighteen, full of youthful passion—dying of heartbreak one day, elated the next—you just stood aside, watching, pleased to be untroubled, never thinking about your own heart.”

“Now, at your age, past that first bloom of passion, your parents are eager, and as their only son—with talent and prospects—they won’t give you much time for hesitation.”

“There’s a season for everything,” Qi Beinan said. “At this season, if you’re truly unhappy, there’s still time to change course.”

Zhao Guangzong shook his head. “My parents are overjoyed by the match. They’ve ordered me to win the Commissioner’s favor and show his daughter the utmost respect. How could I let myself think otherwise?”

Qi Beinan knew Zhao Guangzong was a dutiful son. Seeing this, he didn’t press him to act by his own heart.

Instead, he said, “The Yangs are an official family. By marrying into them, you’ll have a father-in-law who can guide you in your career. Your path as an official will be smoother and with fewer detours.”

“And as for Yang Xu—as you said, he’s a polite, well-educated young man. Once you’re married, you’ll surely get along. Many couples in this world only grow to love each other after the wedding.”

Zhao Guangzong nodded. “Mm.”

A small smile appeared on his face. “I’ll treat him well.”

Qi Beinan said, “That’s the right spirit for a man.”

As the days passed, the weather grew colder. By the end of the month, the garden was covered in pale frost each morning.

Xiao Yuanbao rubbed his chilled hands together and told Tienan to buy and store some charcoal—he feared this winter would be particularly harsh, and prices would rise.

Qi Beinan spent long hours in the study, reading until midday. Sitting still for too long made the cold sink into his bones, and without a brazier, it would be unbearable.

Once Xiao Yuanbao finished his errands, he brought his sewing basket into the study as well.

The cold weather had made him less inclined to go out—he no longer visited Sister Gui or Xin Ge’er’s family, preferring to stay home with Qi Beinan.

Neither of them found it dull. In fact, they felt perfectly content just to share the quiet.

“Tomorrow we’re going to Brother Fang’s wedding feast,” Xiao Yuanbao said. “What should I wear?”

Qi Beinan, weary-eyed from reading, closed his book and looked at him. Xiao Yuanbao was sitting on the couch beside him, working on his needlework.

“When I was four,” Qi Beinan said lazily, “I already knew how to open the wardrobe and pick out clothes for cold or hot weather.”

Xiao Yuanbao was threading a needle, and after two failed attempts, he huffed softly.

“You’re such a grown man now, brother. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to dress yourself.”

Qi Beinan stood, took the needle and thread from him, and with a light twist of his fingers, slipped the thread neatly through the eye.

“I told you to eat pig liver to brighten your eyes, and you thought I was teasing. Look at you now—you can’t even thread a needle.”

“Next time, no reading late at night.”

Xiao Yuanbao made a small sound of protest.

Qi Beinan picked up the fabric. “You’re making new clothes for me?”

“For Father,” Xiao Yuanbao said. “Every time I go home, I see him wearing the same old robe. The clothes we bought from the ready-made shop just sit there untouched. I’m making this one myself—maybe this time he’ll actually wear it.”

Qi Beinan smiled. “Uncle Xiao and Father Jiang are alike in that way. Both are stubborn like that.”

The next morning, Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao set out early for Jiaozi Alley with a congratulatory gift.

Fang Youliang’s courtyard was decked with red banners and lanterns—it was full of joy.

Though Qi Beinan and Fang Youliang were old friends, the presence of a provincial graduate carrying a gift still brought honor to the household.

The Fang family’s relatives and elders were warm and welcoming.

Fang’s second sister, heavily pregnant, was already helping to manage the event, while her husband hovered nearby, afraid she might slip or bump into something.

The third brother, newly married himself, now carried himself with the calm dignity of a household head—far steadier than before his wedding.

Xiao Yuanbao heard from Granny Sun that even the old master Fang had come into the city. So Qi Beinan went to greet the elderly man personally.

The Fang siblings accompanied them into the room.

Since the family’s fortunes had improved, they’d built the old master a sturdy wheelchair. Though aged and frail, he looked far better now than in the years he’d been bedridden.

Perhaps it was because his children were all settled now and living well—the heavy weight that had pressed on his heart for years was finally gone.

“I haven’t seen you in so long, Little Bao,” said the old master with a grin. “You’ve grown so tall and fine. If I saw you in the street now, I might not even recognize you.”

“When you were little, you stood by my sickbed, barely taller than the edge of the mattress. Now look at you—so tall and handsome.”

Xiao Yuanbao laughed. “That’s my fault. I should have come to visit you more often, Grandpa Fang. I’ve let you forget my face.”

“Boys grow up,” the old man said kindly. “They should go out and see the world. Dalang often visits me and tells me how well you and Little Qi are doing in the city. Hearing that makes me happy. That’s all this old man needs.”

Qi Beinan smiled. “Since you’re already here in the city, Old Master, why not stay and enjoy your old age here? Then Little Bao could come see you and Granny Sun often.”

The Fang family quickly fetched a chair for Qi Beinan, insisting he sit, while the others stood respectfully.

“This wheelchair is quite fine,” the old man said. “But it’s hard to roll it through the narrow paths back in the village.”

Fang Youliang added, “Qingfang’s told me many times to bring Father and Mother to live with us after the wedding. My sisters and I have all urged them too, but they refuse—they say they can’t leave the few acres of farmland behind.”

Granny Sun, hearing her children begin this familiar argument again, turned her gaze toward Qi Beinan—as if both sides were waiting for him to settle the matter.

“We’ve lived peacefully in the village all our lives,” she said gently. “There’s nothing wrong with it. We’re used to the country ways. I’m afraid we wouldn’t adjust to city life—and we’d only trouble the children.”

Qi Beinan saw the old couple’s hesitation and said, “It’s natural that elders can’t bear to leave their home. But children honoring their parents is what’s right—why speak as if it would trouble anyone?”

“In my view, moving to the city would be a good thing. Not only would the family be together and lively, but with the old master’s health not being what it once was, it’s far easier here to get medicine or see a physician than it is in the countryside.”

“Besides,” he went on, “Brother Fang now works for the county, and Lady Tang must also tend to the tofu shop. If you two stay behind in the village, won’t that only make them worry? Between official duties and business, they’re already busy and exhausted—if they must travel back and forth all the time, it will only wear them out more.”

The second sister added, “That’s right, Mother. I’m heavy with child now. If you and Father lived in the city, once the baby’s born, you could see your grandchild all the time.”

“These are sound reasons,” Granny Sun admitted, “but what about the fields? What will happen to them?”

Qi Beinan saw that the elders were half-willing but still troubled. For old farmers who’d lived off a few acres all their lives and raised their children on that land, it was only natural they couldn’t bear to part with it.

He thought a moment and said, “Then why not this: you both come live in the city, and those fields can be managed from the estate. Have the tenant farmers there look after them. That way, the land won’t be sold, and it won’t go to waste either. How about that?”

With Qi Beinan speaking so reasonably, the old couple could hardly object any further.

Old Master Fang finally sighed and said, “If Xiao Dalang manages the land for us, then we’ll have no worries.”

At that, the whole room brightened, everyone smiling in relief.

After the feast, Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao joined the wedding crowd for the customary merrymaking, and by the time they returned home, night had already fallen. The entire county was wrapped in darkness.

The winter wind whistled through the streets, cold and sharp. The city was nearly empty, lanterns swaying quietly over the desolate road.

Qi Beinan adjusted his heavy cloak and reached out, pulling Xiao Yuanbao—who had hunched his neck and buried his chin in his soft scarf—into the warmth beneath it.

He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and back. “We really ought to take a carriage next time. It’s fine to walk in spring or autumn, but in winter, this is too cold.”

Pressed against Qi Beinan’s side, Xiao Yuanbao walked slowly. The wide cloak shielded them from the wind at the mouth of the alley, and Qi Beinan’s body was so much warmer—he felt comfortable nestled close.

“I think it’s nice this way,” Xiao Yuanbao murmured.

Qi Beinan’s lips curved in a faint smile. He thought so too, though he still didn’t want Xiao Yuanbao catching cold.

“You can sit close in a carriage too,” he said.

Xiao Yuanbao tilted his head up and looked at him, his eyes full of affection. Hidden beneath the cloak, he brushed his fingers lightly over the back of Qi Beinan’s hand. Qi Beinan’s gaze softened, and Xiao Yuanbao laced both their hands together.

Later, in the twelfth lunar month, the county saw its first snowfall.

In the storeroom, Xiao Yuanbao pulled out a bronze lotus-shaped brazier—one of the gifts Qi Beinan had received when he passed the provincial exam.

He’d liked it from the start and had saved it for this winter’s use. Now that snow had come, it was the perfect time.

He sent Aunt Liu to the kitchen to fetch some black charcoal to light it, but before long, Tienan came running in to announce that Young Master Zhao had sent a whole tall basket of charcoal to the house.

When Xiao Yuanbao went to look, he found it was top-quality white charcoal—smokeless, slow-burning, the best kind.

In the city, even the charcoal shops rarely had such fine stock, and a basket like that cost at least one or two taels of silver.

He’d seen this kind of charcoal once at Xin Ge’er’s home and had marveled at how cleanly it burned. When he’d heard the price then, he’d been stunned—his own family had never splurged on such a luxury.

“Brother Zhao must be doing quite well now,” Xiao Yuanbao said. “To send such fine charcoal—this basket alone must be worth several taels!”

Qi Beinan was surprised too. “Perhaps he’s found some good connections.”

After all, he was now a provincial graduate. Even in the county, that title carried weight. Getting fine goods was no longer surprising. Perhaps, Qi Beinan thought, it was a gift from the Yang family—either way, there was no need to overthink it. Between close friends, it was only natural to exchange gifts.

Still, Xiao Yuanbao felt uneasy accepting something so expensive. It was near the New Year, and the household was already preparing for the seasonal feast.

So he went and found two newly made rabbit-fur scarves and had Tienan deliver them, along with a box of crab-paste pastries, to Zhao Guangzong in return.

A few days later, the craftsmen came to report that the shop repairs were finished and asked them to inspect the work.

Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao went to see. After two months of repairs and cleaning, the three storefronts looked much improved.

They paid the craftsmen nine taels and eight hundred coins, then planned to rent out two of the shops through an agent and keep one for later use.

As they stepped out of the shop, Xiao Yuanbao’s heart was full of quiet joy.

Just imagining the rent coming in regularly made life feel full of promise.

“When the shops are rented out,” he said, “let’s go to the carriage house, order a fine carriage, and pick a good horse to match.”

Keeping a horse would be costly—not just the purchase, but the feed, hay, and upkeep all year round.

He’d already asked around after Qi Beinan first mentioned wanting a carriage and learned the going rates.

The estate already had an ox and a donkey—good for hauling and plowing—but a proper carriage horse would mark a new chapter for them entirely.

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