Ch 36: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

When Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan got home, it was already near dusk. Zhao Ru had gone out to graze the cattle, so only the two of them were there.

Jiang Yan noticed that Jiang Ji was walking a little awkwardly and asked, “Do we have any ointment for bruises at home?”

“No,” Jiang Ji shook his head.

“Then I’ll go find a doctor and ask for something to put on it.”

“Hey, hey, no need.” Jiang Ji grabbed his arm. “It’s not that bad. For the first day you ice it, then apply heat tomorrow. It’ll heal in a few days.”

Jiang Yan frowned. “Ice it?”

“Yeah, ice it.” Jiang Ji went into the kitchen for a drink of water, took his washcloth, and walked to the front hall. “Jiang Yan, bring the long bench out for me. I’m going to sit by the door and get some sun.”

Jiang Yan quickly carried out the long bench. When he came back out, Jiang Ji’s towel was already wrapped around something, damp and leaving wet marks.

It was ice — actual ice, something that had never existed in their house before.

Jiang Yan: …

He didn’t ask further. He placed the long bench behind Jiang Ji. Jiang Ji sat down under the eaves, stretched out his legs, rolled up his pant cuffs, and revealed two clear bruises on his knees, each about the size of an egg.

Jiang Ji put his left leg up on the bench and pressed the ice onto his left knee.

“Hiss—” Jiang Ji shivered at the cold and muttered, “Still a bit chilly.”

Jiang Yan frowned as he watched. “You’re sure you’re supposed to ice it?”

“Mm. For fresh bruises, you ice first to keep it from spreading. Heals faster that way,” Jiang Ji explained, seeing Jiang Yan’s skepticism. “That’s what the doctor says.”

When he was in school before, he’d been very active and often bumped into things — he already had experience with this.

Jiang Yan brought over another small stool, sat beside him, and took the towel from his hand. “Let me do it.”

Jiang Ji wanted to finish quickly. “Then why don’t you grab another long bench and my face towel too? I’ll ice both legs at once — faster that way.”

Jiang Yan went to fetch the bench and towel. While he was in the kitchen, Jiang Ji quietly produced another large block of ice.

Jiang Yan looked at the neatly cut, square ice blocks sitting on the bench, each about the size of a fist. “…”

So he really wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. Jiang Yan gave Jiang Ji a look and handed him the towel.

Jiang Ji wrapped the ice and placed his right leg on the other bench, icing it too.

“How long should you do it?” Jiang Yan asked, holding the ice on the left knee.

“Twenty—uh, about one to two quarters of an hour,” Jiang Ji said, almost biting his tongue. He still wasn’t used to the ancient way of telling time and always had to translate it in his head.

Jiang Yan looked at his knees, then pressed a finger against one of the bruises.

“Hiss—” Jiang Ji’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

“Does it hurt a lot?” Jiang Yan frowned. “You sure you didn’t hurt the bone?”

Jiang Ji shook his head. “Didn’t hit the bone. Doesn’t hurt that bad, just kind of sore and swollen. Don’t poke it again.”

“Okay,” Jiang Yan said.

“Move the ice around a bit,” Jiang Ji reminded. “You’ve got to cover the whole area.”

Following his instructions, Jiang Yan shifted the ice now and then and used the dry end of the towel to wipe away the moisture on Jiang Ji’s legs. “That Zhang merchant—you’ll need to be careful around him.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yeah, I think he’s figured out that we plan to start a weaving workshop. We avoided it today, but that might only make him more suspicious.”

“What do you plan to do?” Jiang Yan asked.

“I don’t know. We’ve got no background, no power like his family, and no experience. If he wants to make trouble, we definitely can’t win.” Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “The only things we can rely on are our seeds—and Magistrate Xu. Magistrate Xu said he’s already submitted a memorial, right? That has to go up level by level, doesn’t it?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “I don’t remember exactly, but probably.”

“I just don’t know what kind of people the prefect and governor are,” Jiang Ji said worriedly. “If they’re corrupt, then we’ll still have problems. I forgot to ask Magistrate Xu about that today.”

“Didn’t you promise to deliver sweet potatoes to the other three families tomorrow? Ask him again when you see him.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Jiang Yan added, “Send another sack to the Lin household too.”

Jiang Ji looked up at him.

Jiang Yan reminded him, “The adviser said the Zhangs and Lins don’t get along.”

“Right, he did.” Jiang Ji paused, then his eyes lit up. “You mean…?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Since they’re rivals, they’ll definitely keep watch on each other. As the saying goes, the one who knows you best is often your opponent. Both families live in town, so their news is definitely better than ours. If we build good relations with the Lins, maybe they’ll help us if the Zhangs try anything. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“Jiang Yan, you’re too smart!” Jiang Ji’s eyes shone as he smacked Jiang Yan on the shoulder. “You’re a white-cut-black!”

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. “A what?”

“Hehe, means you look innocent but you’re actually clever,” Jiang Ji said, trying to brush it off.

Jiang Yan’s brow arched slightly. “…Doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“No, no, it means you’re smart,” Jiang Ji rubbed his nose and changed the subject. “By the way, does it still hurt where you got hit earlier?”

Jiang Yan: “…”

When he didn’t answer, Jiang Ji frowned and tilted his head. “It’s not still hurting, right? Don’t tell me you’ve got a bruise too. Want to check in the room? If it’s bruised, you should ice it too.”

Jiang Yan looked at him silently.

Jiang Ji felt uneasy under his gaze. “What?”

Jiang Yan said calmly, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Jiang Ji patted his chest in relief. “As long as it still works, that’s what matters.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jiang Ji saw Jiang Yan’s speechless expression and said, “That part’s very important for a man, you know. If it stopped working, wouldn’t that make me a sinner?”

Jiang Yan: …

“And besides,” Jiang Ji went on, his imagination already running wild, “what if you’re not married yet, haven’t had kids, and you’re the only son in your family? Wouldn’t I be cutting off your family line? Your whole family would come after me!”

Seeing him getting more and more ridiculous, Jiang Yan asked evenly, “And if that really happened, what would you do?”

Jiang Ji sighed. “What else could I do? Cut mine off and give it to you?”

Jiang Yan: …

“Hahaha, kidding! You’re fine, aren’t you?” Jiang Ji slapped his shoulder, sighing in relief. “Good thing you’re okay—and still usable.”

Jiang Yan glanced at him, then lowered his eyes and poked his bruised knee.

“Ah!” Jiang Ji yelped, clutching his knee and staring at Jiang Yan in disbelief. “What was that for?”

Jiang Yan looked up, his face expressionless. “Accident.”

“Yeah, right! You did that on purpose! Petty bastard!”

“Mm. I’m petty. So be careful.” Without even moving his eyebrows, Jiang Yan poked the bruise again.

“Ah! Damn it! You—” Jiang Ji almost jumped up, glaring and pulling his leg back. “Forget it, forget it! I can do it myself.”

Jiang Yan pressed down on his calf with one hand, his thumb firm and clearly threatening. He looked up at him and said quietly, “Don’t move. I told you—I’m very petty.”

“…You even admit it with such a straight face,” Jiang Ji complained inwardly, but obediently apologized out loud. “Brother, I was wrong.”

Jiang Yan’s voice was cool. “What were you wrong about?”

“…I shouldn’t have said you can’t… Ow ow ow! Don’t poke, it hurts!”

Jiang Yan’s thumb pressed against the bruise, rubbing slightly. “Who can’t?”

“I can’t, I can’t!” Jiang Ji’s eyes were watering; the ache and pressure were unbearable. “Brother, you can! You’re the best—pillar of heaven, three days and nights without rest!”

Jiang Yan frowned. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

“No nonsense, I’m complimenting you.”

A faint smile flickered in Jiang Yan’s eyes as he eased up, finally sparing the pitiful man.

Jiang Ji came back to life, muttering under his breath, “Say you can’t, you get mad. Say you can, still not okay. So hard to please.”

Jiang Yan shot him a glance but ignored the muttering. He put his palm on Jiang Ji’s knee. “Feels like it’d get better if I rubbed it out.”

“Stop, stop!” Jiang Ji quickly grabbed his hand to stop him. “Brother—Yan, my good brother—please don’t rub it! You can only do that tomorrow night.”

Jiang Yan’s left hand slid down to hold his calf while the right hand pressed the ice on again. He looked at him and said in a low tone, “Say it again.”

“Huh? Say what?” Jiang Ji looked up, puzzled.

The sun was setting, bathing Jiang Ji in orange light. The glow painted his face with soft gold warmth. His eyes glistened faintly with moisture, reflecting light like glass—fragile yet resilient, vivid and alive.

In that shimmer, Jiang Yan thought he saw his own reflection. He lowered his gaze and asked, “What did you just call me?”

“Just now?” Jiang Ji frowned, thinking. “Brother? Or Yan, or Brother Yan?”

Jiang Yan’s lips curved slightly. “Mm. Keep calling me that from now on.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

It wasn’t a big deal to call him brother—Jiang Yan was indeed older—but something about it felt off.

He looked down at Jiang Yan’s faintly curved mouth corners.

Huh?

Jiang Ji looked intrigued, as if discovering a new continent. “You actually like it when I call you ge (brother)?”

He’d always just called him Jiang Yan before.

“I am older than you,” Jiang Yan said calmly, lifting his gaze. “Shouldn’t you call me brother?”

Jiang Ji: “…”

He blinked and studied Jiang Yan’s face for a while—so long that Jiang Yan looked away first.

Jiang Ji tilted his head, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Brother?” he called softly.

“Mm.” The reply was quiet, but his lips were smiling.

Jiang Ji’s eyes curved with amusement; he opened his mouth again. “Brother Yan?”

“Hm?” Jiang Yan looked up—right into a pair of bright, laughing eyes.

“Hahaha! You really do like it when people call you brother!” Jiang Ji laughed aloud, finding it unbelievable.

This stoic, stone-faced Jiang Yan actually had such a quirk.

Jiang Yan: …

He reached out and poked Jiang Ji’s knee again.

“Ahhh—!” Jiang Ji screamed like a slaughtered pig. “Ow ow ow! Brother! Brother Yan! Stop poking!”

Jiang Yan stopped and asked calmly, “It’s been about a quarter of an hour. Do you still need to keep icing?”

“So petty,” Jiang Ji grumbled.

“Hmm?”

“No no, nothing! Let’s ice a bit longer.”

“Mm.” Jiang Yan continued to hold the ice in place. “Tomorrow I’ll deliver the sweet potatoes. You stay home and rest.”

“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt that much. I’ll come too—we still need to see the magistrate, and I want to hear what he says.”

Jiang Yan gave him a look. “What if that Merchant Zhang questions you again?”

“We’ll drop off the sweet potatoes and leave right away. Won’t see him.”

“Alright.”

Thinking about the Zhang and Lin families, Jiang Ji said, “Hey, do you think we should give the Lin family a bit more benefit?”

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Like… give them a different new seed? Vegetable seeds, just for them. What do you think?”

Jiang Yan thought for a moment. “Not a good idea.”

Jiang Ji asked, “What do you mean?”

Jiang Yan explained, “We met with four families yesterday. If you only give the Lin household something, that’ll be too obvious. The other three will definitely have opinions about it. We don’t expect Master Zhang’s family to be kind, but there’s no need to make the others unhappy and offend them. We still don’t know how the Zhangs will act. Before they actually make a move against us, it’s best to stay on good terms with all four families.”

“That makes sense.” Jiang Ji nodded, then frowned in thought. “But how do we build a good relationship with the Lins? They did lend us their manor. We should repay that somehow.”

“Oh, that actually gives us a perfect excuse.” Jiang Yan looked at him. “We can give them some vegetable seeds, but not too much—just enough for one mu of land. We’ll call it a thank-you gift for letting us use their place.”

“Alright. Let me think about what kind.” Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “Lettuce, maybe. We’ll grow some, and let them grow some too.”

Just then, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei came home from school and stared wide-eyed at Jiang Ji’s knees.

Jiang Nan asked, “Brother, did you fall?”

“Does it hurt?” Jiang Bei squatted down and blew softly on the bruise. “I’ll blow on it for you.”

Jiang Xia asked, “Brother, how did you fall like that? Did you kneel?”

Jiang Ji: “…” You guessed right.

He patted Jiang Bei’s head. “It’s fine, just a fall. It’ll heal in a few days. Go do your homework.”

At the mention of homework, Jiang Nan immediately looked pained. “Uh… I just saw Mother—I’ll go help her bring the cows back.”

Jiang Ji grabbed him by the strap of his schoolbag and hauled him back. “Go do your homework with Jiang Bei.”

“Brother, I’ll just help Mother with the cows first, then I’ll do it. I swear!” Jiang Nan raised a hand solemnly.

Jiang Ji arched an eyebrow. “You planning to stay up past midnight again? Mother doesn’t need your help. Go on—half of it needs to be done before dinner. Jiang Bei, keep an eye on him.”

Jiang Bei nodded obediently. “Okay, big brother.”

Jiang Nan drooped his head and trudged off to do his work.

Jiang Ji sighed. “See? What’s so great about being the older brother? You have to supervise their homework.”

Jiang Yan glanced at him but said nothing.

When Jiang Ji finished his cold compress, Zhao Ru came back, driving the cows, carrying a basket and a grass rake.

“Mother, were you out turning compost?” Jiang Ji went over, led the cows into the pen, took off their ropes, and shut the gate.

Zhao Ru shook her head. “No, I was just raking some dry leaves and grass.”

“Oh, alright.” Jiang Ji checked the potatoes under the window ledge inside the house—they had already begun to sprout. “Mother, tomorrow morning Jiang Yan and I have to go into town again. I’ll cut the potatoes into seed pieces after I get back in the afternoon.”

Zhao Ru came over to look. “They’re ready to be cut?”

“Mm. They’ve started sprouting. This is the best time—won’t damage the buds.” Jiang Ji stepped outside. “I’ll go check on the other families’ potatoes.”

He first went to Uncle Tu Gen’s house—they looked about the same as his own—then checked a few others. Everyone’s progress was about the same.

Next, he went to the village head’s house and asked him to let everyone know that they could start cutting tomorrow.

“I’ll be back in the afternoon. If anyone’s unsure how to cut them, wait for me to show you. After lunch, have everyone boil their knives in hot water and let them cool, and get some wood ash ready.”

“Got it.”

…

The next day, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan hauled four sacks of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn to town. They also brought along the cotton-planting contract.

They first went to the county yamen to ask the magistrate about his superiors.

“Sir,” Jiang Ji asked, “the memorials you send—those go from the county to the prefecture, then to the provincial office, and finally get presented all together at the capital, right?”

“Yes, they’re reported layer by layer,” Magistrate Xu nodded. “Why do you ask?”

Jiang Ji probed carefully, “Sir, I was wondering… about the prefect and the provincial governor—would they perhaps…”

He didn’t finish, but Magistrate Xu understood.

After thinking a moment, Magistrate Xu said, “You’re thinking ahead, but that’s just how the process works.”

“So you mean… they’re not exactly honest men?” Jiang Ji asked nervously. “Will that cause us trouble?”

Jiang Yan frowned slightly. “Sir, you said the court values agriculture. With these new crops and high-yield rice strains, this should be a matter of national importance. They wouldn’t dare block it, right?”

“They wouldn’t block it,” Magistrate Xu said, shaking his head. “It’s a major achievement—they wouldn’t stop it. But the prefect… does have a fondness for money.”

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan exchanged a glance—they understood immediately.

“No way. You mean he might want to profit off this? Steal my money?” Jiang Ji was shocked.

“…Hard to say,” Magistrate Xu said, stroking his beard.

Jiang Yan asked, “And what about the governor?”

“The governor cares a lot about his reputation,” said Magistrate Xu. “From what I know, he wants to return to the capital.”

Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. “Then, Sir, could you send the report directly to the governor yourself?”

Magistrate Xu stroked his beard and smiled. “Already done. Don’t worry.”

“Sir, you’re truly meticulous!” Jiang Ji gave him a thumbs up. “That puts our minds at ease.”

Magistrate Xu tapped his forehead lightly, smiling. “Just make sure you handle this matter well.”

“Understood.” Jiang Ji pulled out the planting contract and handed it over. “Sir, could you stamp this for me too?”

Magistrate Xu stared. “…You really treat my office like a printing shop?”

“It’s too expensive outside! I can pay the cost—I won’t make the yamen cover it,” Jiang Ji said with a grin.

Magistrate Xu glared. “Why are you so stingy?”

“Sir, it’s not easy making money. Every coin saved counts.”

“…Fine, I’ll stamp it for you,” Magistrate Xu muttered.

“Hehe, thank you, Sir.”

After taking their leave, the two went to deliver the sweet potatoes and potatoes to the Sun, Zhang, and Tian families, and finally arrived at the Lin household.

When the gatekeeper heard they were bringing sweet potatoes, he hurried to tell the steward. Steward Lin Fu came out to welcome them in.

Master Lin was already waiting for them in the main hall. When he saw the two arrive, he laughed heartily. “Come in, come in! Steward Lin Fu told me you brought me more sweet potatoes. Thank you, Brother Jiang Ji.”

Jiang Ji cupped his hands and smiled. “We promised all of you yesterday, after all.”

“Oh, I thought you meant just the other three households! I didn’t expect you to bring me another sack. Haha, once they find out, they’ll be green with envy.”

Master Lin was slightly plump, and his laughter was booming and full of energy.

Jiang Ji laughed along with him for a bit before saying, “To be honest, we also came today to thank you for lending us your manor.”

“Ah, lending it for a few days is nothing worth mentioning.” Master Lin waved his hand dismissively. “The magistrate already told me—you’re using it to store seeds. This is a matter of great importance for our county. Of course I should help. If we can successfully cultivate these seeds, our county’s grain harvests will increase. That’s a good thing.”

“Thank you, Master Lin.” Jiang Ji took a small cloth pouch from his chest and placed it on the table. “This is lettuce seed from the south—a green leafy vegetable. There isn’t much of it. My family kept some, and the rest is here. But this year, only our family is planting it; we haven’t given it to anyone else. These are enough for about one mu of land. I was wondering if you’d like to try growing them too?”

Master Lin’s eyes lit up at once. He picked up the pouch, opened it, and looked inside. Indeed, they were vegetable seeds. “No one else has these?”

“Right. Only my family has them, and we’ll plant about the same amount.”

“Then of course, let’s plant them together!” Master Lin looked delighted as he examined the seeds. “Do you also have the planting instructions written down?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yes. We’ll organize the notes later—you can send someone over to copy them. It’s a pretty simple method.”

“Excellent, excellent. Just let me know when it’s ready. I’ll have Lin Fu send someone over.”

“Alright.”

The three chatted for a while longer. When Master Lin heard that they’d be cutting potatoes to sprout seedlings that afternoon, he asked, “Would it be alright if I sent someone from my estate to observe?”

“Of course,” Jiang Ji said. “Just have them come to my house.”

“Good. I’ll send someone over after lunch then.” Master Lin added, “That manor should be fully cleaned up by tomorrow. The day after, Lin Fu will take you to inspect it.”

“Alright, thank you very much, Master Lin.”

Once the conversation ended, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan took their leave.

Jiang Yan pulled the empty handcart and asked, “How’s your knee? Want to sit on the cart? I’ll pull you back.”

“Sure!”

Jiang Ji’s knee was still aching dully, so he climbed onto the cart without hesitation.

“Hold on tight.”

“Got it.”

Seeing him sitting properly, facing away and gripping the sides, Jiang Yan started pulling the cart home. To keep him comfortable and from sliding back, he made sure to keep the cart level as he moved.

“Hey, Jiang Yan, you’re too good,” Jiang Ji said from the cart, moved. “So thoughtful.”

“Call me brother.”

Jiang Ji immediately complied, sweet as honey. “Brother Yan, thanks!”

Jiang Yan’s lips curved faintly as he strode forward.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾