Ch 26: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

Tomorrow was the agreed-upon date with the villagers for selling sweet potatoes and seed potatoes.

Before going to bed, Jiang Ji counted the number of sweet potatoes and potatoes the villagers had ordered. He noticed that even the teacher’s household had come by yesterday to register and had bought quite a lot.

After calculating the total, Jiang Ji exchanged all the sweet potatoes and potatoes and stacked the sacks neatly in the main hall.

Early the next morning, before even washing his face, Jiang Ji slung a shovel and a hoe over his shoulder and went out.

Wu Er was supposed to deliver manure today, so he needed to dig the pit in advance.

Zhao Ru knew he was going to dig the manure pit at the edge of the field, so she woke Jiang Xia up to prepare breakfast and took her own hoe to join him.

The land they had just purchased was all connected. One side bordered the woods, and the other ran along a ditch. For convenience in future fertilization, Jiang Ji planned to dig the manure pit on the wasteland beside the woods. He also intended to use that spot for composting later, since it would be easy to collect fallen leaves and humus from the forest nearby.

After picking the location, the two of them began digging.

At home, Jiang Yan got up soon after Jiang Ji had left.

As soon as he stepped out of his room, he was met with a wall of stacked burlap sacks piled high in the main hall, leaving only a narrow path to walk through.

Looking closely, he saw that they were all bags of sweet potatoes and potatoes. Jiang Ji had said they would start selling them today.

Jiang Yan: …

He didn’t even want to guess how these sweet potatoes and potatoes had appeared. Still, he couldn’t help thinking—Jiang Ji made them appear at home so blatantly, wasn’t he afraid Jiang Yan would start to suspect something?

Did he not see Jiang Yan as an outsider at all?

Or did he really trust him that much?

Whatever the reason, Jiang Yan felt a faint sense of warmth, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he walked out.

In the kitchen, Jiang Xia was cooking porridge. When Jiang Yan learned that Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru had gone to dig a pit, he picked up two wooden buckets, preparing to fetch water.

Seeing this, Jiang Xia quickly called out, “Brother Jiang Yan, your injury hasn’t healed yet! Leave it—after breakfast, I’ll go fetch it.”

“It’s fine, I’m almost healed.”

Jiang Yan went to fetch the water.

Along the way, he met some villagers who now all recognized him and greeted him warmly.

“Jiang Yan! You’re fetching water? So your wound’s healed?”

“Healed.”

“Where’s Jiang Ji? Isn’t he usually the one who comes for water?”

“He’s gone to the fields.”

“To the fields? What for? Didn’t he already plow the seedling plot?”

“He’s digging a pit.”

“?”

Among the line of villagers waiting to draw water, Jiang Yan stood out—tall, straight-backed, and refined in bearing.

Seeing he was easy to talk to, someone asked, “Hey, Jiang Yan, do you know who Jiang Ji bought those seeds from?”

Jiang Yan glanced at the man and calmly replied, “A traveling merchant from the south. I don’t know him.”

“They’re going to sell them today, but I haven’t seen any merchant delivering seeds.”

“They were delivered last night,” Jiang Yan said evenly.

“Huh? Really? None of us knew that.” The man looked puzzled.

Jiang Yan nodded. “Yes, they came at midnight. They didn’t want to disturb anyone’s rest, so they kept the noise down.”

An older uncle behind them frowned. “Is that so? My house is right next to Jiang Ji’s, but my dog didn’t even bark.”

Jiang Yan stayed calm. “The sound was very faint, and your house is a bit farther. It’s normal your dog didn’t hear.”

The uncle scratched his head. “Well, they sure were cautious.”

“Mm.”

“So all the seeds are here?”

“I’m not too sure—mostly sweet potatoes and potatoes, I think. Jiang Ji wouldn’t let me help because of my wound, so I went to sleep. You’ll see when you go buy them after breakfast.”

Seeing they couldn’t get any more information, the villagers stopped asking.

When it was Jiang Yan’s turn to draw water, he followed the others’ example and filled his buckets.

After carrying four loads to fill the water vat, he brought one more home.

Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru hadn’t returned yet. Jiang Yan washed up, told Jiang Xia where he was going, and headed to the fields.

From afar, he could see the two of them—only their upper bodies visible—as they swung their shovels, scooping out earth.

When he approached, the pit was already six feet wide and about three feet deep, with steps dug along one side and piles of dirt all around.

Seeing him, Jiang Ji raised his hand to wipe his sweat with a cloth and asked, “Jiang Yan, what brings you here? Is it time for breakfast?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Yan looked down into the deep pit and asked, “How deep are you planning to dig?”

“Two…” Jiang Ji started to say two meters but quickly corrected himself, “About five or six feet, that should do.”

The three of them returned home. Seeing the water jar filled to the brim, Jiang Ji asked Jiang Xia,

“Who fetched the water?”

“Brother Jiang Yan did.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Ji glanced outside at Jiang Yan, smiled faintly, and began to wash up.

During breakfast, Jiang Ji kept waiting for Jiang Yan to ask about the sweet potatoes and potatoes in the main hall—but that question never came.

Even when Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei curiously asked what was inside those sacks, Jiang Yan only gave Jiang Ji a brief look. After hearing him say they were sweet potatoes and potatoes, he said nothing more and didn’t ask another question.

After the meal, Jiang Yan told Jiang Ji about what had happened while fetching water—mostly to keep him informed.

“All right, I understand.” Jiang Ji smiled and looked at him. “Anything you want to ask me?”

Jiang Yan shook his head.

Jiang Ji didn’t press further.

Jiang Yan truly was a clever man—since he wasn’t asking, Jiang Ji decided to act like nothing was strange either and didn’t bother to explain.

Then, Jiang Ji redeemed two cans of milk powder from the system.

When Jiang Nan saw his eldest brother take out another strange-looking item, he asked curiously, “Big brother, what’s that?”

“Milk powder,” Jiang Ji explained, worried they might not understand. “You mix it with warm water—it turns into cow’s milk.”

Yesterday, while watching the commotion, Jiang Ji had been struck by Jiang Yan’s tall stature. Feeling a little self-conscious, he decided to “rescue” himself nutritionally.

He placed the two cans of milk powder on the table—one for adolescents, the other for adults.

“Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei, and Xia’er, you three drink the blue one. Mother, Jiang Yan, and I will drink the pink one.”

“Cow’s milk?” Zhao Ru exclaimed in surprise. “That’s what only the young masters and ladies of rich families can afford! Even if you have money, it’s not easy to buy!”

“Yes, that kind,” Jiang Ji said. “It’s nutritious and good for the body. Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei, and Xia’er should drink more—you’ll grow taller. Everyone, bring your bowls.”

They each brought a freshly washed bowl. Jiang Ji opened the cans and scooped two large spoonfuls into each. The hot water boiled that morning had cooled to a perfect temperature, and he poured it in.

“All right, stir it yourselves. Once it dissolves, you can drink it. From now on, one bowl every morning—just use warm water.”

The family curiously stirred the powder with their chopsticks and each took a tentative sip.

“It’s sweet!” Jiang Nan said in delight.

“Tastes great!” Jiang Bei drank down half a bowl in one go, eyes curving with a grin.

Jiang Xia, after finishing hers, frowned slightly. “It tastes a bit… hard to describe.”

“There’s a bit of a milky smell,” Jiang Ji said. “Some people don’t like it. Do you feel like you’ll throw up?”

“No.”

“Good. Then finish it. You’re too short—drink more to grow taller.” Jiang Ji himself gulped his bowl down in big swallows.

Hearing him, Jiang Yan suddenly recalled the way Jiang Ji had craned his neck to watch the crowd yesterday evening, and a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes.

After everyone finished, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei still looked unsatisfied. Jiang Nan’s eyes sparkled. “Brother, can we drink it every day?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei cheered happily.

Once they finished their milk, Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei, and Jiang Xia got ready for school. Zhao Ru dressed them in newly made clothes and packed their writing tools before sending them off.

There was an entrance ceremony at the school that morning. Jiang Yan stayed home to watch the house, while Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru went to attend the ceremony.

At the school, the younger children came with their parents, while the older ones arrived on their own.

When the time came, the two teachers had the students line up in front while the parents stood behind to observe.

Among the rows of students, the crowd was surprised to see a little girl standing among the children in the beginner class.

“Who’s that? How come there’s a girl?”

“No idea. Whose family is she from?”

“Who would be willing to send a daughter to school?”

People whispered and gossiped until one of the teachers in front called out, “Silence.”

The parents in the back fell quiet.

Jiang Ji looked at his sister’s straight-backed figure, standing tall with her head held high as she faced the teacher, unbothered by the murmurs behind her. His eyes curved with quiet pride.

The entrance ceremony began. The two teachers straightened the students’ clothing, then led them in bowing first to the sages and then to their teachers. Afterward, the children washed their hands and minds as a symbolic gesture before the teacher used red cinnabar to mark their foreheads—an act of enlightenment.

The entire process took over half an hour. When it ended, the students went to their classrooms, and the parents dispersed.

Jiang Ji went to the teacher’s home to find his son and daughter-in-law, telling them that the seed sale would begin soon. The couple hitched up their cart and followed him back.

At the village entrance, they happened to meet Wu Er, who had come to deliver manure.

The manure pit was only half-dug, so today’s load would have to be dumped into the pit behind their house.

Jiang Ji led the man to the outhouse, checked things over, helped him unload, and then paid him.

“What are you folks doing? Why so many people here?” Wu Er asked curiously when he saw the crowd in their yard.

Outside the Jiang family gate, many carts were parked, and inside the courtyard, villagers waited with baskets and crates—it was bustling with excitement.

“Selling potato seeds,” Jiang Ji said with a smile.

Wu Er gave a curious glance but had chores waiting at home, so he didn’t linger and wheeled his cart away.

When Jiang Ji came back from paying him, the villagers were already eager for him to begin distributing the seeds.

Jiang Ji smiled. “Don’t worry, everyone who registered will get theirs. We’ll go in the order you signed up. If someone’s not here yet, they’ll move down the list.”

Hearing that, the villagers stopped crowding and waited patiently in the yard for their names to be called.

Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, can you handle the registration and payments?”

Jiang Yan nodded. The table was already set with ink, brush, and ledger—he was ready.

Zhao Ru brought out a cloth bag and handed it to Jiang Yan so he could keep the money from selling the seed potatoes.

“The first one—Village Chief’s family.”

“Ah, here we are, here we are!” The village chief and his son and daughter-in-law came into the main hall carrying large baskets.

“Two hundred jin of sweet potatoes, one hundred fifty jin of potatoes.”

Jiang Ji confirmed the quantities with them, then lifted one sack of sweet potatoes onto the scale to weigh.

“Shouldn’t we pick them first?” the village chief’s daughter-in-law asked.

Jiang Ji froze for a moment, then smiled. “Sure, you can. Each bag here weighs fifty jin, and they’re all about the same size. But if you’d like, you can take the sweet potatoes out of the sacks and weigh them in your own baskets.”

“Then we’ll pick them out and weigh,” said the daughter-in-law.

“All right, pick whichever four bags you like,” Jiang Ji said cheerfully.

The village chief’s son went to move four sacks of sweet potatoes.

Jiang Ji weighed their baskets first, then they began to transfer the sweet potatoes layer by layer.

“Wow, these sweet potatoes really are all about the same size,” an aunt who was watching nearby said in surprise.

Since they came from the system’s premium-quality seed stock, their size was naturally uniform. Jiang Ji smiled. “Yes, they’re all the best kind.”

It took some time to sort through two hundred jin of sweet potatoes, so Jiang Ji called in the next customers—Uncle Tu Gen and Aunt Xiufang.

“Uncle, Aunt, you can pick your own too,” said Jiang Ji.

“No need, we trust you,” Aunt Xiufang replied.

They brought out four sacks of sweet potatoes and four of potatoes, weighed them, and paid.

Jiang Yan took the money and recorded everything neatly in the ledger.

By the time Aunt Xiufang and her husband had left, the village chief’s family had finished picking through theirs.

Every sweet potato in the baskets was uniform in size, not a single bad one among them.

The onlookers were amazed—even fruit on a single tree comes in different sizes, yet these sweet potatoes were all nearly identical.

The village chief’s family weighed their load, paid, and left, pleased and smiling.

Since they carried their baskets out in full view, everyone outside could see.

“Wow, all the same size—looks great.”

“Are they all like that? Maybe they picked out all the big ones first?”

“Let’s go ask.”

Someone ran inside. “Jiang Ji, are the rest of ours going to be the small ones?”

Jiang Ji came out and said to the crowd, “Don’t worry, everyone. These are seed potatoes for planting, and every batch has been carefully selected so they’re all about the same size—just like what the village chief’s family got. The quality’s the same.”

Hearing that, the villagers relaxed.

Someone else asked, “What about when they grow? Will they all turn out that uniform too?”

Jiang Ji laughed. “When they grow, of course there’ll be big ones and small ones. That depends on your farming skill, Uncle.”

The crowd burst out laughing.

The morning was lively and busy—the Jiang family courtyard full of people coming and going, everyone leaving satisfied with baskets of sweet potatoes and potatoes.

Outside, Li Laoda and Li Lao’er stood with their wives watching, eyes red with frustration.

Li Laoda’s wife said bitterly, “See what you two caused? If it weren’t for that mess, at least we’d be able to buy seed potatoes too!”

Li Lao’er’s wife added, “Exactly. Now we just have to stand here and watch everyone else eat well.”

Li Laoda and Li Lao’er both hung their heads, not daring to speak.

Li Lao’er’s wife whispered, “What if we ask someone else to help buy some for us?”

“They’ve all already registered—Jiang Ji’s keeping track.”

“Still, we could try. Maybe we can say we decided to plant more.”

Li Laoda’s wife thought for a moment. “Fine, let’s try.”

The two women exchanged a look and each went to find someone friendly who hadn’t bought yet.

Li Laoda’s wife pulled aside an aunt named Fen’er, who was from her own home village. “What’s going on?” the aunt asked.

Li Laoda’s wife lowered her voice. “Fen’er, could your family help us buy some sweet potatoes and potatoes?”

The aunt looked at her. “Why don’t you just register and buy them yourself?”

Li Laoda’s wife hesitated, saying nothing.

The aunt recalled the feud between their family and Jiang Ji’s and quietly asked, “Is Jiang Ji refusing to sell to you?”

Li Laoda’s wife nodded. “I went with my husband to apologize yesterday, but Jiang Ji still wouldn’t sell.”

She grabbed Fen’er’s arm. “Fen’er, please, help us buy a little—just say your family’s planting more.”

Fen’er thought for a moment, then shook her head. “If Jiang Ji finds out, he might stop selling rice or corn seed to us in the future. That’d be terrible.”

“Please, Fen’er, I’m begging you—just a small amount.”

“I really can’t. How about this—wait a year. When mine grow, I’ll share some with you for next spring’s planting.”

But Li Laoda’s wife wanted to plant this year. She clutched Fen’er’s arm and pleaded, “Fen’er, please, we grew up together in the same village—help me just this once…”

“What are you doing? It’s our turn!” Fen’er’s husband called out from inside.

“All right, all right, coming.” Fen’er pushed Li Laoda’s wife’s hand away. “Sorry, I really can’t help you. We’re from the same village as Jiang Ji—he’d notice right away. Maybe wait; I heard he’s planning to sell to other villages later. You can ask someone from there to help you buy.”

With that, Fen’er went into the courtyard.

Her husband asked what she’d been talking about, and Fen’er quietly told him.

“You didn’t agree, did you?” her husband said anxiously. “If Jiang Ji wouldn’t sell to them, we can’t help either. Their family’s got a grudge with him—what if he stops selling to us?”

“No, no, I didn’t agree. I’m not that foolish,” Fen’er said.

“Good. Come on, it’s our turn to pick.”

Outside the yard, Li Laoda’s wife was nearly frantic. Li Lao’er’s wife came over and asked, “Sister-in-law, how did it go?”

Li Laoda’s wife shook her head. “And you?”

“Didn’t want to.”

The two women looked at each other in silence.

After a moment, Li Laoda’s wife said, “Fen’er just told me that Jiang Ji plans to sell to other villages too. She said we should wait and find someone from another village to help.”

Li Lao’er’s wife understood her meaning. “So we wait for now?”

Li Laoda’s wife sighed. “We can only wait.”

Jiang Ji’s family was swamped with work. Aunt Xiufang and Uncle Tu Gen, after going home to store their own sweet potatoes and potatoes, came back to help.

One sack after another was carried out, while strings of copper coins and bits of silver clinked into the large cloth bag on the table.

Clatter—clatter—

Silver and copper filled bag after bag until anyone who looked at them felt a surge of envy.

After a long, busy morning, they finally finished everything.

Zhao Ru wanted Aunt Xiufang and Uncle Tu Gen to stay for dinner, but they both waved their hands and went home.

Several large cloth bags were left on the table, with a wooden chest underneath filled with scattered silver and copper coins.

Zhao Ru smiled as she looked at them. “You two count it up; I’ll go make lunch.”

“All right.”

Out of more than eighty households in the village, every family except Jin Hua’s bought some amount of sweet potatoes and potatoes. Sweet potatoes outsold potatoes by three or four times—because Jiang Ji had explained earlier that potatoes were a bit harder to grow, while sweet potato vines could later be sold to others, making them more profitable.

Both crops required a large amount of seed stock—about a hundred jin of sweet potatoes and three to four hundred jin of potatoes per mu. With over eighty families buying, the total was immense.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan counted the money again. The total came to two hundred twenty-five taels and six qian.

They checked against the ledger—the numbers matched exactly.

Jiang Ji looked at Jiang Yan. “Do you want silver notes or silver?”

“What?”

“The money I owe you for buying the land.” Jiang Ji nodded toward the bags of money. “If you want notes, I’ll exchange it tomorrow. If you want silver, I’ll change it into larger ingots. These small bits are too inconvenient to keep.”

Jiang Yan wanted to refuse, but seeing the serious look in Jiang Ji’s eyes, he instead said, “Then exchange part for silver notes and a few ingots.”

“Got it.”

Jiang Ji happily stuffed the copper coins into the chest. “We still need to finish digging the pit this afternoon. I’ll go exchange it tomorrow.”

That afternoon, Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru went to the field and finished digging the manure pit, while Jiang Yan stayed home—copying down the planting methods and keeping watch.

The family had earned a hefty sum from selling seed potatoes today, and everyone was in high spirits. That evening, Jiang Ji even taught Zhao Ru how to make braised pork with potatoes, and they all ate heartily and contentedly.

Jiang Ji asked about their day at the school.

Jiang Nan looked utterly dispirited. “We just sit there all the time. So boring.”

Jiang Ji: …

Jiang Bei, on the other hand, was cheerful. “I learned new characters!”

Jiang Ji was pleased—at least one child liked studying.

He turned to Jiang Xia. She smiled softly. “It was good.”

Jiang Ji felt reassured. Remembering that morning, he said, “Xia’er, if you ever hear people saying bad things at school or if someone bullies you, you must tell us when you get home, all right?”

She was the only girl in the school, and Jiang Ji couldn’t help worrying that his little sister might be mistreated.

Before Jiang Xia could answer, Jiang Nan spoke loudly, “I’ll protect Second Sister!”

Jiang Bei nodded earnestly beside him.

Jiang Xia laughed. “I’m in the same class as Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei. It’s fine.”

“Still, remember—if anyone gives you trouble, you come home and tell me or Mother. Same for you two,” he said to the boys. “Understand?”

The three children nodded obediently.

Jiang Ji felt a bit more at ease. Looking at Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei’s rosy, round faces, he suddenly said, “Aren’t you two getting a bit chubby?”

Everyone turned to look at them.

Zhao Ru examined them closely. “Seems like they’ve put on some weight.”

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei looked at each other and grinned.

“Xia’er’s chin looks rounder too,” Zhao Ru added, glancing at her daughter.

Jiang Xia touched her face. “Maybe I’ve just been eating more.”

These days, they’d been eating full meals with rice, eggs, and meat. Because Jiang Yan was still recovering, they’d had chicken soup every day and occasionally some meat. With better nutrition, not only Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei, and Jiang Xia, but even Zhao Ru looked healthier and rosier.

“Brother, you’ve gained weight too,” Jiang Nan said.

Jiang Ji touched his face and turned to Jiang Yan. “Have I gotten fat?”

Jiang Yan smiled. “Not fat. You were too thin before.”

Jiang Ji nodded in satisfaction. “Mm, you’re right.”

The whole family laughed.

Late that night, the village lay silent, everyone deep in sleep.

Outside, there was a faint noise. Jiang Yan’s eyes snapped open.

Footsteps.

He reached over and shook Jiang Ji awake. Just as Jiang Ji was about to speak, Jiang Yan covered his mouth. “Shh. Someone’s here.”

Someone?

Jiang Ji held still and listened carefully. Sure enough, there was a faint scraping sound—as if a knife were prying at a wooden latch.

His eyes flew open wide. There was a thief!

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