Ch 43: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

Zhao Ru was in the courtyard spreading rice seeds to dry. The ground was covered with door planks and mats, all laid with grains—just as Jiang Ji had instructed before leaving. He had told her to sun-dry the seeds over the next few days.

From afar came the sound of horse hooves. She craned her neck toward the gate. These days, any sound outside would make her rush to look, always hoping it was Jiang Ji returning.

“Mother, we’re back!”

It was Xiao Ji’s voice!

Zhao Ru ran to the gate—and sure enough, there were Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan on horseback.

“Xiao Ji, Jiang Yan, you’re back!” she said joyfully, hurrying forward to greet them.

Jiang Yan dismounted and held out his arm for Jiang Ji, who steadied himself on it and jumped down.

“Mother!” “Auntie.”

“Yes, yes.” Zhao Ru responded, her voice trembling with emotion. She held Jiang Ji’s arm, looking him up and down, her eyes glistening. “It’s good you’re home—so good. You’ve lost weight… you must be exhausted, haven’t you?”

“I’m fine, really.” Jiang Ji grinned brightly.

After traveling through several counties in just over ten days, how could he not be tired? Zhao Ru’s heart ached. “You’ve gotten thinner and still say you’re not tired.”

Jiang Ji laughed. “Maybe a little, but seeing you makes all the tiredness go away.”

That made Zhao Ru smile. Then she looked at Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan’s thinner too. You must have worked hard.”

“It was alright,” Jiang Yan replied with a small smile.

“Now that you’re both home safe, I can finally relax.” Seeing them healthy and sound, Zhao Ru’s heart settled. “Come in and rest. I’ll make something good for lunch.”

“Great, Mother! I want meat!”

“Alright.” It was about mealtime anyway, so Zhao Ru clapped her hands and went into the kitchen to cook.

Jiang Yan tied the two horses to the post beside the cattle pen and fetched some dry grass to feed them.

The pen was empty. “Auntie, did someone borrow the ox?” he asked.

“Tu Gen borrowed it,” Zhao Ru called from the kitchen. “He was worried you wouldn’t make it back in time, so he helped plow the seedling field yesterday. Today, he borrowed the ox again to plow his own.”

“Uncle Tu Gen helped us plow the paddy? I’ll go thank him later.” Jiang Ji put their bundles down in the main room, glanced at the rice seeds drying in the yard, and went into the kitchen. “Mother, how many days have the seeds been drying?”

“This is the third day. You said to start the day before yesterday, so that’s when I began. The whole village has been drying theirs too—everyone’s waiting for you to come back.” Zhao Ru poured the washed rice into the pot and started the fire.

Jiang Ji poured himself a cup of water. “Then we can stop after today. We’ll start soaking them tomorrow.”

Jiang Yan came in after tending the horses. Jiang Ji handed him a cup of water, which he took and drank.

Then Jiang Ji filled a basin and took out their toothbrushes and towels to wash up.

Zhao Ru kept the fire going and began washing vegetables by the doorway.

After a quick wash, the two men sat side by side at the threshold to rest.

“Home really is the best,” Jiang Ji sighed contentedly.

Away from home, one could never truly relax—always alert, always tense. Only back here could they finally let their guard down.

Zhao Ru looked at the two of them. She wanted to ask about Jiang Yan’s search for his family, but since he had returned with Jiang Ji, it likely meant there’d been no success. She decided to ask Xiao Ji privately later.

Instead, she changed the subject. “How many counties did you visit?”

“Six. We sold all the seeds…” Jiang Ji briefly summarized the journey, then patted the pouch at his waist, which bulged with silver notes. “All the money’s here, plus two IOUs. The rest should arrive in a few days.”

Zhao Ru smiled and nodded. “Your first long trip, and you spent it all working—you didn’t even get to enjoy yourself.”

“True, but we still walked around the county towns. They’re all pretty similar to ours in Changping. Oh, and we couldn’t bring back most local snacks—they’d spoil—but Pingnan had these really good pastries. We bought a few packs before leaving this morning.”

He opened a bundle and took out the pastries. “Mother, these are red bean cakes from there. They’re different from ours—look, try one, they’re delicious.”

The red bean cakes were neatly layered and cut into small squares, looking soft and pretty.

Curious, Zhao Ru picked one up and took a bite. It was tender, chewy, and sweet. Her eyes curved into a smile. “It’s very good.”

“Right? I knew you’d like this kind.”

Her son, away from home yet still thinking to bring back her favorite pastries—Zhao Ru’s heart felt warm and content.

Not long after, Uncle Tu Gen came back, driving the ox, and the village chief stopped by too. Many had seen Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan riding in and came to greet them.

In the courtyard, Jiang Ji thanked him. “Uncle Tu Gen, Mother said you helped plow our seedling field. Thank you so much.”

“Ah, no need for that—it was nothing.” Tu Gen drove the ox into the pen, tied the gate, and smiled. “It’s good you’re back. Your mother’s been worried about you every day.”

“Mm, we’re fine.”

The village chief smiled. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it back in time for planting.”

Jiang Ji sighed. “We rushed as fast as we could to get everything done—barely made it. Village Chief, please let everyone know the rice can stop drying after today. Tomorrow morning, we’ll start soaking the seeds.”

“Alright, now that you’re back, we can all relax,” the chief said with a nod. “Oh, and the county magistrate said that when you return, you should visit him when you have time. Also, the villages around us started drying seeds on the same day as we did. The magistrate already sent notices to the other counties, but maybe you should stop by this afternoon and talk with him about it?”

“Sure. I’ll do that—and I’ll return the horses while I’m there.”

After finishing their talk, Jiang Ji handed each of them a packet of pastries to take home and try.

At noon, Jiang Xia and the twins, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei, came back from school. The moment they entered the yard and saw Jiang Ji, the two little ones shot forward like cannonballs.

“Brother!”

“Brother! Brother Jiang Yan!”

“Big Brother, you’re home!”

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei wrapped their arms around Jiang Ji’s waist, looking up at him with bright, excited smiles.

Jiang Ji ruffled their hair. “You two haven’t gotten into trouble or made Mother angry, right?”

Jiang Nan shook his head. “No! I’ve been really good.”

“I’ve been good too,” Jiang Bei added proudly. “I even made sure Jiang Nan finished his homework.”

“Yeah? Not bad. I’ll give you both a reward later.”

Jiang Ji turned and smiled at Jiang Xia, who beamed. “Brother!”

“Xia’er.” Jiang Ji reached over and patted her head too.

“Wow, horses!” Jiang Nan spotted the two brown-red horses tied near the cattle pen and immediately let go of Jiang Ji, running toward them. “Jiang Bei, come on! Horses!”

Jiang Bei was already running after him. The two of them stood before the tall horses, eyes wide with excitement.

“They’re so big!”

“Yeah,” Jiang Bei said, “do you wanna ride one?”

“Of course! Don’t you?”

“I do.”

They exchanged a glance, then turned toward their older brother in unison.

“Brother! We wanna ride the horses!” Jiang Nan shouted.

“Don’t look at me—I don’t know how,” Jiang Ji said, refusing immediately. “Ask Jiang Yan.”

During the trip, Jiang Ji had been too busy to learn, except for a little free time back in Pingnan.

The two little ones ran to Jiang Yan. Jiang Bei tugged his sleeve. “Brother Jiang Yan, can you take us riding? Please?”

Jiang Yan was checking the rice seeds. He glanced at them, then nodded. “Alright.”

The saddles were still on, so he lifted each boy up onto one horse and reminded them, “Hold on tight.”

“Okay, I got it!” “Me too!”

Jiang Nan sat in front, gripping the handle; Jiang Bei sat behind him, arms around his brother’s waist. Both looked nervous and thrilled.

Jiang Yan led the horse out of the courtyard and took them for a slow walk around the village, drawing a crowd of children.

A friend called out, “Jiang Nan, are those your horses?”

Jiang Nan shouted back proudly, “No! They’re borrowed!”

“Is riding fun?”

“Yeah! It’s really fun—it’s so high up!”

Their faces glowed with excitement.

None of the village kids had ever ridden a horse before—only Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei had.

The brothers puffed out their little chests, brimming with pride.

After circling the village, Jiang Nan remembered that Jiang Yan had once ridden fast with Jiang Ji and begged, “Brother Jiang Yan, can you make it run too?”

So Jiang Yan took each boy in turn onto the main road and let the horse trot briskly. They didn’t return until Jiang Ji came calling for lunch.

“Brother, when we have money someday, let’s buy a horse too,” Jiang Nan said eagerly from the saddle.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Sure. Having a horse really is convenient—way faster than walking.”

Jiang Bei frowned. “But… how long will that take?”

Jiang Ji scratched his head. “Not too long. The main thing is, we don’t have room for one right now. We’d need to build a stable first.”

Jiang Bei gave him a look. “Big Brother, we don’t even have the money yet, and you’re already talking about building a stable.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

Back home, Jiang Ji called out, “Come inside—I brought you some treats!”

“What kind of treats?” Jiang Nan asked excitedly, dashing into the kitchen.

“You’ll see. But wash your hands first.”

The pastries were already laid out on the table. Jiang Nan spotted them immediately. “Pastries! Jiang Bei, look! Pastries!”

They washed their hands and started tasting them. Besides red bean cakes, Jiang Ji had brought two other kinds.

“Well? How is it?” he asked.

“Delicious!”

“Sweet and yummy!”

Zhao Ru laughed at the sight. “Don’t eat too much—you’ll ruin your appetite for lunch.”

“I can still eat!” Jiang Nan patted his belly proudly. “I can eat two bowls!”

Jiang Ji pinched his cheek and teased, “You little glutton. Haven’t seen you in half a month, and you’ve gotten chubbier.”

Jiang Nan giggled. “Mother says chubby looks good.”

Before, everyone in the family had been pale and skinny. Now that life was better, Zhao Ru wanted nothing more than to feed her children till they were round and healthy.

That afternoon, the family shared a warm reunion meal. As he ate, Jiang Ji sighed. “Home-cooked food really does taste the best.”

Zhao Ru smiled tenderly, piling more meat into both Jiang Ji’s and Jiang Yan’s bowls. “Eat more, both of you. You’ve lost weight.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Jiang Yan said politely.

Then Jiang Bei looked up from his bowl and asked, “Brother Jiang Yan, did you find your family?”

Zhao Ru froze. She reached out to stop him, but it was too late—she gave him a quick pat on the arm. “Eat your food—don’t ask random questions.”

She turned to Jiang Yan anxiously. “Jiang Yan, don’t mind him.”

Jiang Bei blinked at his mother, confused why that question wasn’t allowed.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Xia also looked up at Jiang Yan, clearly curious about the same thing.

“It’s alright, Auntie,” Jiang Yan said calmly. “I didn’t find them. We went through six counties, but no one recognized me. I probably don’t come from around here.”

Everyone fell silent. Zhao Ru chose her words carefully and said gently, “When you remember, you’ll know without even searching. For now, just treat this as your home—we’re your family, alright?”

Jiang Yan looked at Zhao Ru, then at the children, all waiting expectantly for his answer. Beside him, Jiang Ji’s eyes sparkled with warmth, his face lit with a quiet smile.

The corner of Jiang Yan’s mouth lifted slightly. He nodded. “Alright. Thank you.”

“What are you thanking us for? We’re all family,” Zhao Ru said with a smile.

Jiang Nan cheered, “Then I’ve got two brothers now!”

Jiang Bei immediately added, “I’ve got three! I win!”

Jiang Nan: “…”

Everyone laughed.

Jiang Ji looked at Jiang Bei. “Jiang Bei, how did you know we were also looking for Jiang Yan’s family?”

He was sure Zhao Ru hadn’t told him.

Jiang Bei tilted his little head. “I heard you talking about it.”

“You heard it?” Jiang Ji was surprised. “How do you manage to hear everything?”

After all, Jiang Bei had been the first to overhear him talking to the livestream audience before—he had even suspected Jiang Ji of talking to himself.

“When you were sleeping,” Jiang Bei said earnestly, “I woke up for a little bit and heard you.”

Jiang Ji: “…”
Jiang Yan: “…”

After lunch, Jiang Xia took Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei back to school. Jiang Ji called Zhao Ru into her room and took out all the silver notes from his pouch, handing them to her.

It was a thick stack. Zhao Ru’s hands trembled as she held it. “How much silver is this?”

“Forty-five thousand taels. The rest—just a few hundred—I’ll keep aside for now; no need to store that away.”

“Forty… forty-five thousand taels?” Zhao Ru’s heart pounded as she stammered. “I never thought I’d see this much money in my lifetime.”

“There are still two counties that haven’t sent their payments yet,” Jiang Ji said with a grin. “We should get them in a few days. Those are larger counties—around twenty-six thousand more taels. And we’ll earn even more later. Mother, let’s put this batch in the safe first.”

“Alright.”

Zhao Ru fetched a shovel, dug up the buried safe, placed the silver notes inside, locked it, and buried it again.

After resting for a while, Jiang Ji went to visit Magistrate Xu—and return the horses.

Since Jiang Ji couldn’t ride, Jiang Yan went with him.

At the county office, they returned the horses and met with Magistrate Xu.

Seeing them safe and sound, Magistrate Xu let out a breath of relief. “Everything went smoothly, I hope?”

“Pretty much. With Lord Chen around, nothing strange happened,” Jiang Ji said, nodding.

“Good.” Magistrate Xu continued, “By the way, after you left, I sent word to the nearby villages. They started drying rice seeds a day later than yours—they’ve been drying for two days now. According to the planting method you wrote, your village should be soaking the seeds soon, right?”

“Yes, we’ll start soaking tomorrow.”

“Alright, then I’ll tell them to start the day after tomorrow.” The magistrate added, “From now on, keep me updated on your progress so I can inform the other villages promptly.”

“Of course. But, my lord,” Jiang Ji said, “while timing matters, some steps depend on actual conditions. For example, during seed-sprouting, you have to look at the germination rate and the length of the shoots. Some sprout faster, some slower—it’s normal. The nearby villages I can personally check on, but the others should follow the written guide to judge by their own results.”

“Understood. I’ll let them know.”

Since this was everyone’s first time using the damp nursery method, most villages preferred to follow Jiang Ji’s schedule closely for safety.

After chatting a bit longer, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan returned home.

That night, they washed up thoroughly, soaked in a warm bath, and went to bed early.

Lying on his own bed, Jiang Ji sighed with relief. “Finally, I can sleep soundly tonight.”

Jiang Yan’s lips curved faintly. “Mm. Sleep.”

“Mm. Good night.”

Within minutes, Jiang Ji was asleep. Being home made his body and mind finally relax. He slept deeply and dreamlessly until morning, the fatigue of the long journey melting away.

…

The next morning, after breakfast, they began soaking the seeds. Their family had over twenty acres of paddy fields, requiring about two hundred jin of rice seed. Jiang Ji used a large bath barrel to soak them.

Near noon, the bright morning sky darkened suddenly. Clouds thickened, thunder rumbled in the distance—it was going to rain.

Just after lunch, the sky was as dim as dusk. Before Jiang Xia and the twins could leave for school, strong wind swept through, followed by loud thunder. Raindrops the size of beans splattered down, soon turning into a torrential downpour. Water quickly pooled across the ground.

“Good thing we finished drying the rice seeds yesterday,” Zhao Ru said with relief.

Jiang Nan cheered—no school today.

The family sat together in the main hall, watching the rain. Zhao Ru sewed clothes with her needlework basket beside her. Jiang Yan was copying out the planting guide. Jiang Ji called the two little ones over to practice big characters.

Jiang Nan groaned, “But the teacher didn’t assign homework today.”

Jiang Ji didn’t waste a word. “Write.”

Seeing his brother’s serious face, Jiang Nan pouted but spread out his paper reluctantly. Jiang Bei was already grinding the ink for him.

After a short while, a drop of water splashed onto Jiang Nan’s paper. He paused, confused, then another drop landed right on his forehead.

“Ah! It’s leaking!” Jiang Nan wiped his forehead with his palm and shouted, “Mother! Brother! The roof’s leaking!”

The roof was thatched, and as everyone looked up, they saw rain seeping through. Droplets formed one by one before falling down in a steady rhythm.

“Quick, move the table—I’ll get some basins,” Zhao Ru said, putting down her sewing basket and hurrying toward the kitchen. As she ran, she called back, “Go check the other rooms for leaks!”

Jiang Ji moved the little writing table where Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei were practicing, while Jiang Xia had already gone to inspect their room, and Jiang Yan headed into the one he shared with Jiang Ji.

“Our room’s leaking too, Mother! Bring another basin!” Jiang Xia called out. “Brother, help me move the bed!”

Jiang Ji ran in—the leak was right above Jiang Xia’s bed.

Jiang Yan quickly came over to help, and the two of them shifted the bed aside. Zhao Ru brought in a basin and set it on the floor to catch the dripping water.

“The strong wind just now must’ve blown the thatch loose,” Zhao Ru said. “The kitchen’s leaking a little too.”

“Looks like we’ll have to fix the roof,” Jiang Xia said, glancing up. “Brother, is your room leaking?”

“Not yet,” Jiang Yan replied evenly.

Jiang Ji sighed. “You sound like an inspector.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Just as they finished talking, Jiang Bei shouted from the next room, “Brother, our room’s leaking too! Hurry, it’s dripping on the clothes chest!”

Everyone rushed next door—and sure enough, it was leaking there as well.

“I’ll get another basin,” Zhao Ru said, turning to go.

Jiang Yan gestured to Jiang Ji. “Help me lift this.”

“No need,” Jiang Ji said. Moving things back and forth was too much trouble. He ran to the main hall and exchanged a few of his system points for several large waterproof army tarps.

He carried them inside and unfolded one. “Here, let’s cover the beds and the chests.”

Jiang Yan touched the material. “These are waterproof?”

“Yeah.”

Together they covered both beds and the chests, then went to Zhao Ru’s room to cover her bed and clothing chest as well.

When Jiang Yan went back to their room, Zhao Ru had already set a wooden basin under the leak.

He crouched down, eyeing the tarp beneath it—it was unlike any waterproof fabric sold in the market. He dipped his fingers in the rainwater and sprinkled a little on it; the droplets gathered into beads, sitting on the surface without soaking in or spreading.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Ji asked.

“Testing it,” Jiang Yan replied.

Jiang Ji chuckled. “Pretty amazing, right? Better than any oilcloth sold in town, isn’t it?”

Jiang Yan nodded, feeling the smooth surface. “It’s not coated with oil.”

“Mm. You know why?” Jiang Ji arched a brow, half teasing.

Jiang Yan looked at him, guessing it had to do with Jiang Ji’s mysterious secret, so he stayed silent.

Jiang Ji pointed upward. “Because it’s made by immortals—used by immortals.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Ji laughed and walked out of the room.

“Brother, what are you laughing at? The roof’s leaking and you’re still laughing,” Jiang Nan said, exasperated.

“Oh, I just thought of something funny.”

Looking around at the dripping house, Jiang Ji turned to Zhao Ru. “Mother, let’s build a new house.”

Zhao Ru looked up at the leaking roof and the basins catching rain, then nodded. “Yes, it’s time we built one.”

Jiang Bei asked hesitantly, “Mother, big brother… do we have enough money for that?”

The twins didn’t know how much the family had earned. The only time they’d seen money made was when the village first sold seeds, earning a little over two hundred taels.

Jiang Xia, however, knew—they hadn’t hidden it from her, only from the younger two. Thinking of building a new home, even she couldn’t help smiling.

“We do,” Jiang Ji said. “We can build a big house.”

Jiang Nan’s eyes shone. “Can we build a tile-roofed house like the village chief’s? His house doesn’t leak when it rains!”

“We can.”

“Wow! Then we’ll get to live in a house that doesn’t leak!” Jiang Nan jumped up, thrilled.

Jiang Bei had an even bigger dream. “Big brother, can we each have our own room then?”

Jiang Ji raised a brow. “What, you don’t want to share with Jiang Nan anymore?”

Jiang Bei pursed his lips. “He kicks me in his sleep. I want my own room.”

“I don’t kick you!” Jiang Nan protested.

“You do! You just don’t realize it.”

“Well, you kicked me too!”

“I did not!”

“Alright, alright, stop bickering,” Jiang Ji said with a laugh. “Fine—we’ll build you each your own room.”

“Great!” the twins cheered together.

Outside, the rain poured down in sheets; inside, water dripped steadily into the wooden basins. Just a month ago, such a scene would have filled the family with worry. But now, the thought of building a new home filled them with hope and excitement, their faces all bright with smiles.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾