Author Archives: Thingyan

“Brother! Brother! Come here quickly!”

As soon as Li Xiao’er returned home, he stood at the entrance of the courtyard, waiting for his brother to return so he could pass on the message.

“What’s wrong? Second brother didn’t bring you anything today, I’ll bring something for you next time!”

Li Changfeng thought Li Xiao’er wanted a small gift, so he awkwardly said. He had forgotten about it, and besides, he had given all his money to Xu Qing. He needed to find a way to do some work and earn some pocket money.

He could also buy some small gifts for Xu Qing and for the younger brother at home. He didn’t know what Xu Qing liked. Handkerchiefs? The gers seemed to like them a lot, at least his younger brother at home was fond of them!

“Second brother, what are you thinking about! Did you hear what I said?!”

Li Xiao’er felt frustrated. His second brother seemed lost in thought, and he had been talking about the situation at home, but his second brother didn’t seem to be listening at all!

Li Changfeng quickly snapped out of his thoughts. “Uh, I didn’t pay attention. Could you repeat what you just said?” He felt a bit embarrassed. His younger brother was waiting for him at the courtyard entrance, so there must be something important.

Rolling his eyes at Li Changfeng’s absent-mindedness, Li Xiao’er had some expectations. “Second brother, did you go on a blind date?”

You see, he was quite unhappy about the arranged marriage between his second brother and Wang’s son. If his second brother could find someone he genuinely liked, he would be thrilled too!

“What were you about to say earlier?”

Li Changfeng changed the subject, making Li Xiao’er feel a bit resentful. “You don’t know? We just saw you entering the matchmaking grove at the market! Ama got angry and bought things before riding back on the donkey cart. He’s waiting for you in the main hall. His face was so dark, you better be careful!”

Li Changfeng remained calm. This was something that needed to be discussed sooner or later. “What about the others?”

“They went to the fields. It’s time for spring farming, and Father can’t sit idle, so everyone went out.”

“I’ll go in myself, no problem.”

Li Changfeng reassured Li Xiao’er and entered the main hall alone. As expected, Li Ama was sitting there with a serious expression, staring at Li Changfeng as he walked in.

“Where did you go?” Li Ama’s voice was low and deep. Li Changfeng was familiar with this tone. It was the tone his mother used when he was angry.

Li Changfeng calmly sat in front of Li Ama and replied, “I went to the market.”

Li Ama took a deep breath. His son was the one he raised, how could he not see the determination in Li Changfeng’s eyes?

“Whose son is it?” Li Ama asked.

Li Changfeng remained silent without thinking. Until the wedding date was set, he wouldn’t reveal Xu Qing’s identity.

Seeing Li Changfeng’s lack of response, Li Ama didn’t mind. He had initially thought that if his second son agreed to be married in due to the unrest with their third son’s wife, he would be reluctant. But looking at Li Changfeng’s expression, he understood. This child had probably developed feelings for the other person.

Li Ama’s heart was in turmoil. It was both icy and fiery. It was icy because his second son was leaving the Li family and becoming a son-in-law in someone else’s family. It was fiery because his second son had truly let go of the matter with his third brother’s wife and had someone else in his heart.

“So, how is this person?” Li Ama started to worry about the other person’s temperament. Becoming a son-in-law was different from marrying someone into the family. If the other person had a bad temperament, life would not be easy. “Don’t judge someone’s character based on their appearance. You must carefully consider it.”

He had already started arranging suitable matches for Li Changfeng and talking to him about marriage. Otherwise, in a few months, the official match would be arranged. But now, he had nothing more to say. He could only hope that the other person’s son would be easy to get along with and take care of his second son.

Li Changfeng remembered how he had discussed the idea of starting anew with Xu Qing, and the other person had shown no dissatisfaction or objections. Instead, Xu Qing said he wanted to “support” him!

“He is very good, kind-hearted, and compatible in temperament,” Li Changfeng paused and added, “He’s also good-looking!”

If Xu Qing heard this, who knows how ecstatic he would be! After all, Li Changfeng already found him incredibly attractive even before his face had fully healed.

“Also, Ama, I want to separate from the family,” Li Changfeng dropped a bombshell!

Li Xiao’er had just finished cleaning the courtyard when he heard a loud roar from the main hall. Startled, he trembled and quickly ran into the hall.

“I disagree!!”

Li Ama was on the verge of going crazy. What was this all about? He had tolerated the idea of a son-in-law, but now his son wanted to separate from the family!

“Do you even know that if we separate, what will happen to you in the future if something goes wrong? At least the Li family can be a refuge for you. But if you separate, you! You want to start anew! You’re cutting off your own path forward!!”

After Li Xiao’er heard this, he hurriedly approached Li Changfeng, who was sitting there, and asked, “Second Brother? Do you really want to separate from the family?! What are you thinking??”

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Thingyan: Hello, is there a fellow translator reading? I just have a question. It takes a long time for the chapter updates to pop up on novelupdates. I have to resend it again every time. Is that normal? What’s the longest time your chapter update took to show up on there? Much appreciated 🙂

“I still have the money to marry you!” Xu Qing forcefully handed the money pouch back to Li Changfeng, speaking with a firm tone. He hadn’t reached the point where he had to ask the groom for money for their marriage!! This was his dignity!! The dignity of a man!!

“It’s alright. Besides, I’ll be the one supporting you from now on!” Li Changfeng stubbornly refused to take it, teasing Xu Qing with his words.

Xu Qing had forgotten that in this world, his identity as a ger was merely a substitute for a woman! He would still have to bear children!!

At the thought of himself with a big belly, Xu Qing shivered all over, feeling terrified!

Li Changfeng noticed Xu Qing trembling and thought he might be feeling cold. “Is everything alright? It’s chilly in this spring weather, with heavy morning dew. You might catch a cold easily. We’ll have to wait until I settle the family matters before we proceed. Let’s go outside. It’ll be even colder if we stay here for too long.”

“Settle family matters?” Xu Qing looked at Li Changfeng in confusion. Now that he had become the groom, why was he still talking about settling family matters?

Without hesitation, Li Changfeng knew what was on Xu Qing’s mind. “Settling family matters means that even if something happens in my family, I am no longer directly involved in the conflicts. It reduces the tensions at home.”

Once Li Ama and Father Li encountered any trouble, the Li family would definitely split. As a man, as long as he didn’t separate from the family, even if he was “married” away, he would still have a share of the family’s assets.

“Married away? What a fitting term! It’s perfect!” Xu Qing laughed happily. He took it as Li Changfeng’s acknowledgment of marrying him.

Seeing Xu Qing’s foolishly happy smile, Li Changfeng thought about his decision and considered Xu Qing as his future family. He asked, “I want to leave my family and start anew. What do you think?”

This is not a decision he can make on his own. It’s better to discuss it with the other party. The eldest brother in the family has many children, and the younger brother Li Xiao’er hasn’t married yet. Leaving his family would relieve some pressure, but it might be unfair to Xu Qing.

“Alright, since I can afford to support you! No worries!” Xu Qing deliberately threw back Li Changfeng’s words about supporting him.

“Okay, no problem!”

Li Changfeng allowed Xu Qing to playfully tease him. Indeed, he had not mistaken this person. He was kind and reasonable. Besides, as a man, he should dote on his spouse, especially considering Xu Qing’s slim figure. “He needs to be taken care of!” Otherwise, how would they have children in the future?

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“What?” Xu Qing didn’t catch what Li Changfeng said. He rubbed his ear. It was too safe in this era. His ears were not as sensitive as they were during the apocalypse!

Li Changfeng smiled and didn’t answer him. He walked to the tree where the red cloth was tied, gently untied it, then waved to Liu Ama and Xie Ama. After they nodded in acknowledgment, he turned his head and looked at Xu Qing, who was almost a head shorter than him.

“I’m leaving first. You can go out later. Xie Ama will come to pick you up,” he instructed with a hint of awkwardness. “Remember to choose an auspicious day and let me know…”

After saying that, he patted Xu Qing’s dazed head and quickly walked away. It was already bright outside, and he had to leave early. Otherwise, people would talk a lot if they saw a ger and a man meeting for a blind date.

“So, how is he? Satisfied?” Xie Ama happily approached and linked arms with Xu Qing, noticing the money pouch in his hand.

“Hey, is this what that kid gave you?”

This money pouch is clearly the kind used by men, it’s plain and lacks any sense of aesthetics.

Only now did Xu Qing realize that he forgot to give the money pouch back to Li Changfeng. “I forgot to give it back to him…” Li Changfeng’s tall figure was no longer visible on the street.

Xie Ama took the money pouch from Xu Qing’s hand, weighed it in his hand, and instantly became even more satisfied with Li Changfeng!

He put the money pouch back into Xu Qing’s hand and looked at him meaningfully. “You’ve encountered someone easy to get along with. This is probably all of his savings.”

Xu Qing was startled. “Why would he give me all his savings?!” He even wanted him to “marry” him earlier!

“What’s going on in your head?! He’s worried that you, as a ger, would have a difficult life without any money. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, and he doesn’t want to mistreat you. This money is for you to make a good impression!”

Xie Ama kept poking Xu Qing’s head, making him cover his head and scream in response.

“But I’m the one who’s supposed to marry him! He doesn’t need to do this.” Fool, they haven’t even set a wedding date yet! He dares to give him money privately, isn’t he afraid that Xu Qing might run away!

However… Xu Qing put the money pouch in his pocket and felt a warm feeling in his heart. “Haha, even without this money, I will make proper arrangements.”

Li Changfeng practically flew home, full of excitement. He needed to talk to his parents about splitting the family and then wait for Xu Qing to send him a message about when to come over.

The thought of becoming a family with Xu Qing once he stepped through the door made his heart warm.

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“Feeling nervous?”

Butcher Liu joked while tying up the little piglet with Liu Ama, glancing at Li Changfeng at the street corner.

“Nervous!”

Li Changfeng looked at the dreary street corner, feeling a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. He wondered what Xu Qing would be like today. Would Xu Qing be dissatisfied after seeing him?

Liu Ama gave Butcher Liu a slap without any mercy. “What nonsense are you spouting? Instead of wasting time with such gibberish, shouldn’t you be thinking about selling the piglets and buying a big pig to butcher and sell?”

Butcher Liu took the slap lightly and walked over to Li Changfeng, standing next to him with a mysterious expression. He said, “What are you nervous about? Only I have the right to be nervous at this moment!”

Li Changfeng turned his head and glanced at Liu Ama, who was busy tidying up the shop, unaware of the conversation. Then he faced Butcher Liu, who was grinning proudly.

“Weren’t you nervous when you had the blind date with Liu Ama?!” Butcher Liu and Liu Ama had known each other since they were young. Liu Ama had taken the initiative to propose marriage. They grew up together in the same village, but Butcher Liu always thought Liu Ama wouldn’t like him. So he never went to propose marriage, but instead, Liu Ama impatiently proposed to him!

For this matter, Butcher Liu had been proud for most of his life. What could be better than having the person he loved actually like him back!

Butcher Liu had been waiting for Li Changfeng to say this. He leisurely took out his smoking pipe, loaded it with tobacco, and said, “You don’t know, right? If a ger invites someone to his house to propose marriage, it means he has feelings for that person!”

After blowing out a puff of smoke, he continued to enlighten Li Changfeng, who had a look of astonishment on his face, “His concern is whether you can take a liking to him, not whether he finds you worthy here!”

After finishing speaking, Butcher Liu patted the dazed Li Changfeng on the shoulder and turned to help Liu Ama with the things.

“If a ger invites someone to his house to propose marriage, it means he has feelings for that person!” These words seemed to circulate repeatedly in Li Changfeng’s ears, making his head feel dizzy.

The thought of that slender figure having feelings for him filled his heart with joy. Could it be…?

A pair of hands suddenly slapped his shoulder. “Kid, what are you daydreaming about? Look! They’re here!” Li Changfeng quickly looked towards the street corner and indeed saw a pair of figures, one tall and one short, approaching from a distance.

The tall one was, of course, Xie Ama. He had been giving Xu Qing instructions about the matters to pay attention to during the blind date all the way. Xu Qing was feeling drowsy in the carriage, so he hadn’t been paying attention. And now, as Xu Qing looked at the tall figure standing in front of Butcher Liu’s shop, his heart pounded “thump thump,” completely oblivious to Xie Ama’s words.

It wasn’t until they stood in front of Li Changfeng that Xie Ama stopped chattering. “You must Li’s second son, right? My maternal family is Luo’s family from Jixiang Village! According to seniority, you should call me Xie Ama!”

Li Changfeng quickly greeted Xie Ama as a junior, “Xie Ama, greetings!” He knew about Xie Ama. Xie Ama was the eldest brother of Luo’s family and had a fiery temperament in his youth, scaring off anyone who dared to propose marriage to him. It was the Xie family from the neighboring village who came to propose marriage and eventually married him. Xie Ama’s gentle temperament was a stark contrast to his personality!

When Xu Qing first saw Xie Ama, he was completely fooled by his appearance.

Xie Ama looked at the tall Li Changfeng with satisfaction. Not bad, he had a good physique and knew how to be polite. Then he glanced at Xu Qing, who was staring at him, and discreetly tugged at Xu Qing’s sleeve, conveying a meaningful look. After that, he began asking Li Changfeng about his family background. Li Changfeng restrained himself from looking at the spot where Xu Qing stood and respectfully answered Xie Ama’s questions.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Xu Qing didn’t have that awareness, his eyes fixed on Li Changfeng. He felt that Li Changfeng had a good appearance, a pleasant voice, polite manners, and although he was honest, he had his own thoughts. Such a person suited him well and was suitable for living together.

As Li Changfeng continued answering, Xie Ama became more and more satisfied. Finally, Liu Ama couldn’t bear it and pulled him aside. “Alright, enough already. Let’s leave some room for these two young people to talk. Come, let’s have a chat ourselves.”

After Xie Ama left, Xu Qing gently sighed in relief as he looked at Li Changfeng in front of him. “Haha, were you scared?”

Only now did Li Changfeng look at Xu Qing squarely, feeling somewhat nervous. “No.”

Xu Qing was wearing a light purple outfit today, and the purple color added a touch of elegance to him. Combined with his education, he appeared like a refined young man. Very few people in these villages had the opportunity to receive an education. It cost two taels of silver per year, including the cost of books and ink. Not every family could afford it. Even in the Li family, they only allowed the third son, Li Laosan, to receive an education.

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Greetings from the translator

UPDATE: After hearing the concerns of my beloved readers, I have changed the format back to the regular ones. Thank you for your feedback 😀

When Li Changfeng returned home, only Li Ama and Li Xiao’er were there.

Li Xiao’er was extremely happy to receive the handkerchief Li Changfeng bought. Only his second brother would often bring him little gifts. His eldest brother and third brother were always preoccupied with their wives and children. In the past few years when his second brother was away, he never received any special gifts from the family.

The Li family had four children. The eldest, Li Lao Da, was already married and had two sons. Li Laosan and Li Wangshi had a son together. Li Changfeng remained unmarried, and Li Xiao’er, who was fifteen this year, was also reaching the age for marriage arrangements.

The family’s conditions in Jixiang Village were considered relatively decent. Moreover, in Li Changfeng’s second year of military service, Li Laosan passed the imperial examination and obtained the title of a scholar. This scholarly achievement elevated the family’s status in the eyes of the villagers. Now that Li Laosan, who had achieved fame and success, wanted to separate from the family, it put Old man Li and Li Ama in a difficult position.

After Li Xiao’er returned to his room with his gifts, Li Ama called Li Changfeng to the main hall.

“Second son, in these days since you’ve returned, Laosan has indeed been acting insincere. Your father and I have discussed it thoroughly. No matter what Laosan does, as long as you don’t want to separate, we won’t divide the family!” They were all their own children. How could they bear to harm one another?

The second son had a reserved personality and kept everything in his heart. Five years ago, when Lao San switched their names behind their backs, he and Old man Li had felt guilty towards the second son. Not to mention the matter with the Wang family’s son…

Li Ama thought with resentment, this time they couldn’t let the second son suffer anymore. They, the two old folks, were still alive! They would insist on not separating!

Li Changfeng felt comforted upon hearing Li Ama’s words. However, when he thought of the gentle smile on Xu Qing’s face this morning as he walked out of the cloth shop, he couldn’t help but feel a bit tender inside. Wasn’t he already twenty years old? Why did he seem like he’s only slightly older than his younger brother? He looked thin too. He needed to take good care of himself…

After Li Ama finished speaking, he saw his second son bowing his head, motionless. He thought he had truly been hurt by Lao San’s actions and felt a pang of pain as he gently patted Li Changfeng’s head.

Li Changfeng snapped out of his thoughts when Li Ama touched him.

What was he thinking! With a sense of embarrassment, Li Changfeng hastily told Li Ama that he was going to gather firewood and quickly disappeared before Li Ama, who was puzzled by his behavior.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing finished organizing the items he had purchased today. After having lunch, he sat in the courtyard, lost in thought.

“I forgot to buy seeds again…”

“I feel like Li Changfeng is a good person, and he’s handsome too…” He drooled a bit.

“Slap!” He gave himself a smack. What was he thinking! How pathetic! He didn’t know that many people wore a mask of respectability!

At this time, Xie Ama was at his home holding the almanac, selecting an auspicious date for a marriage proposal. Once he had made his choice, he decisively closed the courtyard door and went to find Xu Qing.

Three days later, in the early morning, Liu Ama wore a green robe that he usually didn’t wear and carried two silver coins wrapped in red cloth in his arms as he walked towards Li’s house.

Li’s house was not peaceful today. During breakfast, Li Laosan’s three-year-old son insisted that Li Changfeng lift him high in the air. Li Wangshi tried to take him away, but the child was agile and kept dodging behind Li Changfeng, making it impossible for his mother to catch him.

When Li Laosan saw this scene, he was furious! He even skipped breakfast and shouted that he would rather die than not separate from the family! If he couldn’t live a decent life, what was the point of living?

“Separate! I only have one thing to say! Separate!!”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

As soon as Liu Ama arrived at the entrance of Li’s house, he heard Li Laosan, who was usually restless, causing trouble again. He rolled his eyes and tidied his hair.

“Good news! Good news! Is the head of the Li family here? I’m from the Butcher Liu’s family, and I’ve come to bring you good news!”

The oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard was shattered by Liu Ama’s words. Li Laosan stopped talking as he knew very well that this family secret must not be leaked, especially since he was considered a scholar in public.

Li Ama, somewhat puzzled, approached the door, while Li Changfeng, who had been sitting quietly like a stone on the side, felt a leap in his heart, filled with anticipation.

Li Ama opened the courtyard gate and saw Liu Ama, who was well-groomed. “Hey, Liu’s family, what good news do you have today?”

Liu Ama casually held Li Ama’s hand. “Haha, there is good news indeed, but it’s not from me. It’s about your second son’s joyful event!”

Without paying attention to the expressions of Li Ama and others in the courtyard, Liu Ama directly handed the red packets from his arms to Li Ama and Old man Li.

“I’m here to bring you the good news first! Someone entrusted me to come and propose a marriage alliance to your second son, Li Changfeng!” Generally, they wouldn’t disclose the bride’s information to the other party during a marriage proposal. After the proposal, the man would privately meet the prospective bride and decide if it’s suitable or not. If it is, they would then explain the prospective bride’s background to the family. If not, they would keep it a secret to avoid embarrassing the ger or causing future complications.

“Se…second son? This is someone looking to marry our second son into their family!” Li Ama immediately understood the situation. “This… This is unbelievable! Our family’s child can’t become someone else’s married-in husband!”

Liu Ama wasn’t bothered by Li Ama’s attitude. Instead, he walked up to Li Changfeng and whispered, “Come to Liu Ama’s shop tomorrow.” Seeing Li Changfeng nod, he bid farewell with a cheerful smile and left.

Li Ama slammed the courtyard gate shut with a loud “pa” sound. “Second son, don’t listen to him. Our family is doing well, we can’t become someone else’s in-law! Third son, stop howling. Your father and I are still alive! What are you all standing around for? Finish eating and get to work in the fields!!”

Now Li Laosan dared not say anything more. Li Ama rarely got angry, and when he did, no one in the family could calm him down.

Li Changfeng had already guessed Liu Ama’s purpose when he visited. Sure enough, thinking about that slender figure, Li Changfeng lost his appetite while eating.

After nightfall, Li Changfeng tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. After some contemplation, he got up, opened the wardrobe, and rummaged through it. He found a black money pouch, which he earned by working diligently in the military camp.

As for the ten taels of silver subsidy he received when he returned to the village, he immediately handed it over to Li Ama. The origin of these fifteen taels of silver, thanks to Li Laosan delivering the message, informed Li Changfeng about his marriage to the son from the Wang family. In that year, Li Changfeng did all the dirty and exhausting work, just to forget that his own brother married his prospective wife.

Li Changfeng tucked the money pouch under his pillow and lay back down on the bed.

Originally, before Butcher Liu brought up the idea of marrying into Xu family, Li Changfeng only thought about the official match and the troubles at home. However, when Butcher Liu mentioned that the other party was the ugly ger, his heart was filled with pity. He thought about treating him well in the future and living a stable and peaceful life.

But after that encounter with the “ugly”ger at the marketplace, he didn’t think the other person was ugly at all. Maybe a bit flushed and thin, but quite fair-skinned.

Having seen people from all walks of life in the military camp, he knew that human nature couldn’t be determined by appearances alone. Thinking about Xu Qing’s smile, so pure and innocent, he realized that such a person couldn’t be bad-hearted.

Xu Qing, too, couldn’t sleep. He sat on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by darkness and silence. The frogs outside hadn’t awakened yet.

“Sigh! Seriously.”

A few days ago, Xie Ama came to him with a selected auspicious day, saying that it was the best day of the month in terms of luck. He had no choice but to go along with Xie Ama’s chosen date. But now he wondered, “Would he think that I couldn’t wait, that I’m impatient?” Xu Qing buried his face in the blanket, feeling restless. He didn’t know if they would meet tomorrow at the agreed-upon place.

He rolled around in bed, limbs sprawled, and soon a soft snoring sound could be heard.

The next morning, Li Changfeng had already left the courtyard gate early. He had hardly slept all night.

But his eyes showed no signs of fatigue. It was still early, and there were no pedestrians on the road. He just couldn’t lie in bed anymore, so he walked to the market without much effort.

Xu Qing, on the other hand, was not in the same state. He was awakened early in the morning by Xie Ama’s knocking on the door. Then, Xie Ama fussed over his appearance, and even took out scented powder to apply on him. Xu Qing was so scared that he ran far away in a drowsy state!

“What is this?”

Xie Ama chuckled as he watched Xu Qing keeping his distance.

“This is a good thing. My (ger)son used this powder when he got married. He said,” Xie Ama whispered with a lecherous tone, “the groom complimented how fragrant it was!”

Xu Qing felt like his values had been challenged like never before. In the end, he resisted multiple times and didn’t apply the scented powder and rouge!

What kind of thing is this! Even if he were homosexual, he couldn’t accept being heavily made up!

They left the house and got on the donkey cart borrowed from Uncle Xie to head to the market.

Xu Qing sighed lightly and looked at the sky.

“Xie Ama, isn’t it too early?” It was only five o’clock!

Xie Ama rolled his eyes. “Of course it has to be early at this time. Otherwise, if you two, unmarried and unengaged, are seen lingering around for too long, people will gossip!”

Xie Ama glanced at Xu Qing again and still thought he looked too plain, not like the other gers who loved to dress up!

Xu Qing caught a glimpse of Xie Ama’s gaze, twitched the corner of his eye slightly, and discreetly shifted away from him, creating some distance.

“Why are you sitting so far away? I won’t eat you, you know!” Xie Ama said.

Xu Qing rolled his eyes secretly. He wouldn’t eat him, but feeling uncomfortable was worse than being eaten!

As the cart swayed back and forth, Xu Qing started feeling drowsy. He had stayed up half the night without sleeping and woke up early today. Tsk tsk, getting engaged in ancient times was much more troublesome than in modern times!

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Thingyan: So this aggregator site reposted my translations on their website and had the audacity to say “Please read this chapter at ‘their website’ for faster releases” in the middle of the paragraphs. I’m sorry but where are you getting the chapters faster than the ORIGINAL TRANSLATION WEBSITE??? Dumbasses!

The sky was still dimly lit as the rain had fallen again last night, so it was a bit cold when Xu Qing woke up in the morning. He adjusted his sleeves and carefully avoided the long weeds on the path, fearing that the dew would wet the hem of his clothes.

“Knock, knock! Uncle Xie, it’s Brother Qing!”

With a creak, Uncle Xie opened the courtyard gate. “Come in quickly. Your Xie Ama has been up for a while, and he’s as excited as he was when he was young!”

“Good morning, Uncle Xie!” Xu Qing obediently greeted him and followed Uncle Xie into the main hall. Xie Ama saw him and said, “Why aren’t you wearing more? Here, put on this coat. It’s what my son used to wear before he got married.”

After saying that, he also put on another coat for himself. Xu Qing was a bit puzzled. “Is Uncle Xie coming with us too?” He saw Uncle Xie starting to put on outdoor shoes.

“At that time, he went to borrow a donkey cart from someone else’s house. He left early this morning, but he couldn’t catch up with the cart. So we’ll just go on our own.” Xie Ama took Xu Qing’s hand and walked out of the courtyard gate, waiting for Uncle Xie to drive the donkey cart over.

“Hey, I have to say, it rained again last night, and it’s even more useful this morning!”

Xu Qing nodded. Indeed, if they walked to the market, who knew how dirty their clothes would get. The rural roads after the rain were not easy to deal with.

“He’s here, let’s go, Brother Qing!”

After Xu Qing and Xie Ama got on the cart and settled down, Uncle Xie shouted as the donkey moved towards the fork in the road at the end of the village.

“Uncle Xie knows how to drive a donkey cart, huh?” Xu Qing adjusted Uncle Xie’s clothes and casually asked. You see, in this era, a donkey cart was like a motorcycle, an ox cart was like a car, and as for a horse carriage, it was like a Rolls-Royce!

Xie Ama held Xu Qing’s slightly cool hand in his, warming it up. Upon hearing those words, he felt a sense of nostalgia. “Speaking of driving, it was actually your father who taught your Uncle Xie!”

Xu Qing carefully thought about it but couldn’t recall any memories of his father driving.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Xie, driving the donkey cart, shouted loudly to explain, “You don’t know, your dad used to work with the army horses when he was serving in the military. He watched the real military officers practice horsemanship and remembered it. When he came back, he tried it with a donkey and found it wasn’t difficult. Then he taught me too!”

“Real military officers?” That statement sounded a bit awkward.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Those who serve in the military can only do odd jobs in various military camps. Only after experiencing a few years of military life and improving their overall well-being can they become real soldiers. They have to go through various tests and assessments to be qualified!”

So that’s how it was. It seems that the emperor of this dynasty indeed had comprehensive considerations, which made the lives of the people more stable.

“Ah, we’ve arrived.”

They got off the donkey cart at the same place as before, and the sky was just beginning to brighten. They arrived about half an hour earlier than their previous trip to the market.

Xie Ama felt that it wasn’t as cold now, so he took off the coats they were wearing.

After exchanging greetings with Uncle Xie, Xie Ama and Xu Qing headed towards the spot where Butcher Liu and Liu Ama usually set up his stall. By this time, they should have arrived too. Doing business is always better when you’re earlier than others.

Xu Qing was wearing a dark blue robe. His outfit resembled the traditional men’s attire in ancient China’s Qing Dynasty, with the buttoned-up robe. On the other hand, most men wore shirts and long pants. Even without looking at the cinnabar mole between his eyebrows, one could tell by his figure whether he was a young ger or a grown man.

The deep blue robe accentuated Xu Qing’s fair complexion. Most of the red bumps on his face had turned into small red dots. Although his face was still covered in them, at least it was no longer as repulsive as before. Even so, it made people wonder how Xu Qing would look without those red dots.

His skin was fair, which made the red dots on his face particularly noticeable. His nose was straight, his lips slightly thin. The most striking feature was his eyes, which seemed to be embedded in his eye sockets—dark and bright, clear and full of vitality. When they moved, they were full of liveliness. Putting aside the red dots on his face, Xu Qing had a delicate and spirited appearance.

Li Changfeng woke up early in the morning. He had promised Butcher Liu to help him drive the piglets to the market today. After getting dressed, he washed up with cold water and skipped breakfast. He headed straight to Butcher Liu’s house.

“Waking up so early and making all that noise, don’t you let anyone sleep!” After Li Changfeng left, a dissatisfied grumble came from Li Laosan’s room. Li Wangshi, Wang’s son, turned over and faced away from Li Laosan. Without saying a word, he patted his three-year-old son in his arms. His slender eyes showed no sign of sleepiness. He felt guilty towards Li Changfeng.

***

Xu Qing and Xie Ama stood in a corner of the street, across from Liu Ama’s stall.

“Ama, are we too obvious?!” Xu Qing looked around awkwardly. It was still early, and there were only a few people out shopping. The rest were vendors setting up their stalls.

From across Liu Ama’s stall, they were the only two standing there. It seemed like they had nothing better to do, which felt quite strange.

“Ah, there’s nothing we can do. It’s just that this street is the only place where we can see their stall!” Xie Ama also blushed a bit.

“Look, the one wearing a black short shirt and pants is Li Changfeng!! Look, look!”

Following Xie Ama’s pointing finger, Xu Qing saw the back of a tall man near Liu Ama’s stall. He was helping Butcher Liu with some things. When he stood up, he was probably around 1.8 meters tall, and his figure appeared sturdy from the back. Xu Qing felt a sense of anticipation, and his heartbeat quickened. Just from the silhouette, he met about 95% of Xu Qing’s standards!

As the person turned around, Xu Qing saw his facial features clearly—chiseled jaw with and sword eyebrows! His skin was somewhat dark, and his pursed lips gave off a very serious expression when he didn’t speak.

From a modern aesthetic perspective, he was a handsome man! He was exactly the type Xu Qing had been dreaming of! This was amazing!

“Ama, please pick a date for me so that I can find a matchmaker and propose!” Xu Qing spoke with an almost desperate tone, expressing his eagerness to Xie Ama, who was also thrilled by the surprise.

“Alright, I’ll take care of it!” Xie Ama was even more excited now than when he married his own husband. He and Xu Qing’s mother got along extremely well, and now that Xu Qing had made up his mind about starting a family, he could also provide an explanation to his late friend.

Xu Qing remembered his herbal medicine business in the space and told Xie Ama that he needed to use the restroom. He asked him to wait at the cloth shop and said, “I plan to buy some new bed sheets and covers. You go ahead and choose for me. I’ll come find you when I’m done!”

Xie Ama was completely taken aback by Xu Qing’s decision and didn’t even consider whether Xu Qing recognized the way or not. He quickly agreed and hurriedly walked towards the cloth shop. At this time, many shops had opened, and there were more fabric styles to choose from.

Xu Qing watched Xie Ama’s departing figure and turned to grab someone to ask for directions to a reputable pharmacy. He rushed over there.

The pharmacy wasn’t big, but it had opened its doors early. A young lad was sweeping the floor, and when he saw Xu Qing, he didn’t neglect him. “Hey, brother, you sell medicinal herbs, what a coincidence! Our master is in the backyard. Please wait a moment.”

Xu Qing felt comfortable with the young lad’s attitude. No wonder this place had the best reputation. He placed the medicinal herbs he had taken from the space on the medicine table. It didn’t take long before the young lad and a middle-aged man in his fifties came in.

“Young man, let me have a look at your medicinal herbs. We offer fair prices here, so rest assured.”

Xu Qing pushed the bundle on the table in front of the pharmacy owner.

The old man was surprised to see the slightly muddy herbs. “Did you just collect these?” They looked fresh and smelled good.

“No, I collected them yesterday evening. Doctor, please take a look at the prices. How do they seem to you?” Because the herbs had been placed in the space, they appeared no different from when they were collected yesterday.

“Fresh! And it’s been two years since anyone found some Sun Ginseng. My surname is Lin. If you bring any other good medicinal herbs here in the future, I guarantee you a good price!”

“That’s for sure, Dr. Lin.”

Finally, they agreed on a total price of eighty taels. Xu Qing felt it was fair and bid farewell to Dr. Lin before heading towards the cloth shop. He had been away for some time, and if he didn’t hurry, Xie Ama would start worrying.

“Did Changfeng leave?”

Upon returning from shopping, Liu Ama didn’t see Li Changfeng and asked Butcher Liu.

“He left. I wonder if Brother Qing saw him or not?”

“Saw him! Saw him! I met Xie Ama, and he said it’s settled!”

Li Changfeng bought two handkerchiefs for his younger brother from a peddler and was preparing to go home when he looked up and saw a young ger wearing a deep blue outfit entering the cloth shop across the street. He was surprised. The face full of red dots seemed to be right in front of his eyes—it was Brother Qing!

The cloth shop was a place for gers, and he didn’t feel comfortable going in. So after buying the handkerchief, Li Changfeng stood not far from the cloth shop, thinking. He didn’t know why he wanted to see Xu Qing again, but he just felt like seeing him again.

When Xu Qing arrived at the cloth shop, Xie Ama had already chosen everything, including the fabric for the bride and groom’s clothes!

Xu Qing hadn’t expected this. “Then it’ll trouble you to make them for me.”

“What are you saying? And this time, don’t argue with me. I won’t accept any payment for making the wedding clothes. It’s not auspicious!”

Xu Qing was taken aback and somewhat disbelieving. It was only when an elderly ger standing nearby confirmed the same thing that he believed it. It wasn’t his fault; he was just worried that Xie Ama wouldn’t want to be paid for the work!

The total cost for all the bed sheets, covers, fabric, and cotton amounted to two taels of silver. Since they had too many things, Xie Ama asked Xu Qing to go to the designated spot and find Uncle Xie to bring the cart over for easier transportation of the items.

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Thingyan: I didn’t want my lovely readers hanging so, I uploaded another chapter despite having homework, papers due, and other life matters to attend to ^_^

“No, ever since he married my third brother, I put aside any other thoughts. After all these years, I thought…” Li Changfeng emptied his cup of wine. “I thought they would also be content, why would they even consider…”

In the second year after he left for military service, he received a letter from his brother, saying that he and Li Changfeng’s betrothed had become a couple. They were already a couple, so what difference did it make to say anything? He spent a whole year keeping himself busy, taking on all the menial tasks that others wouldn’t do, just to avoid stopping and giving himself more time to think!

By the third year, when he received a letter from home, he felt a sense of tranquility that made him realize he had truly let go and forgiven his brothers and his former lover. He lived without any distractions for two more years, until he returned to the village. As the one who had been hurt the most, he didn’t react at all, but his third brother started making a fuss about splitting the family, claiming that Li Changfeng still had feelings for his wife.

Upon hearing the answer he wanted, Butcher Liu also felt relieved. He refilled Li Changfeng’s cup from the wine jar. The wine wasn’t intoxicating, and he wasn’t afraid of Li Changfeng drinking more.

“I won’t hide it from you,” Butcher Liu leaned closer and looked around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered to Li Changfeng, “Someone sent a message to Liu Ama, saying that if you’re willing to marry into their family, you can directly become their husband!”

Li Changfeng hadn’t expected this turn of events. “Marry in?”

“Yes, are you interested? If you are, I’ll tell you who it is,” Butcher Liu leaned back, took a sip of his wine.

“Let me add one more thing—it’s from the neighboring village.”

This piqued Li Changfeng’s interest. He was already twenty-five years old, and if it weren’t for his military service, he would have been married a long time ago.

Men at the age of twenty-four must accept an official marriage partner. Due to their military service, they can delay their marriage for half a year after returning to their hometown. Once half a year has passed, anyone who reaches the age of twenty-four must have an official marriage partner.

Moreover, in the neighboring village, nobody has any intrusive thoughts about their family. He would have peace and comfort at home.

“Well, I’m willing. My younger brother has grown up and understands things now. When I leave, he can have my room.”

“What are your requirements for your future wife? Hm? Don’t say anything inappropriate!”

Li Changfeng wasn’t an ungrateful person. “I’m not articulate and a bit slow, but as long as the other person isn’t lazy and has good character, that’s enough!”

Butcher Liu pondered for a moment, thinking of Xu Qing’s face, and quickly asked, “What about appearance? Do you have any requirements?”

“None!”

Li Changfeng answered too quickly, leaving Butcher Liu a bit stunned.

Thinking that Butcher Liu didn’t understand, Li Changfeng explained, “As long as their nature is kind, even if they’re a bit ugly, they can still give a comfortable feeling. What’s the use if they look good but have a wicked heart?”

Butcher Liu agreed with this reasoning. Even that son from the Wang family, who was considered one of the best looking in the village, ended up…

“I won’t hide it from you. I’ve also met that young man. He’s straightforward in his demeanor and efficient in his work. The only thing is that he has some red bumps on his face, which can be a bit distracting. But he’s genuinely a good person. He’s twenty years old this year, and because of those bumps, he hasn’t been able to find a marriage match. He doesn’t have any elders in his family and wants someone to rely on!”

“Are you talking about Brother Xu from the neighbor village, the son of the Xu family in the back mountain?”

Butcher Liu was taken aback. “How do you know? Have you heard about the ‘ugly ger’ rumor?”

Li Changfeng shook his head. “I haven’t seen him, but my younger brother told me about it.” At that time, he even scolded his younger brother not to spread damaging rumors about others, little did he know it was about this person.

“Do you still have any interest, then?” Butcher Liu asked anxiously. This couldn’t be dragged on forever if Li Changfeng wasn’t interested!

“I am willing, but it would be a burden for him. I’m going to leave my family and I don’t have much savings.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. As long as you two are not deceitful and treacherous, your days will be better sooner or later!”

***

The next morning, just as Xu Qing finished feeding the piglet and was preparing to go to the mountains, Xie Ama arrived.

“I’ve picked one for you. It’s from my mother’s village, the second son of the Li family, Li Changfeng. He’s twenty-five this year and had a previous engagement, but it was dissolved due to military service. If you find him satisfactory, I can continue telling you more. If not, I won’t waste any more time and will find another one!” Xie Ama looked at Xu Qing. This was a major decision in Xu Qing’s life, and he had to make the decision himself.

Xu Qing thought for a moment. If it was from the neighboring village, he wouldn’t know the original body’s previous circumstances. Even if it didn’t work out, there would be some distance, so it wouldn’t be awkward. The age was also suitable. “Alright, please continue.”

Xie Ama’s face immediately lit up with a smile when he heard that. He began speaking, “He has an elder brother, a younger brother, and a younger ger brother in his family. Except for the ger brother, everyone else is already married. He has also heard about your situation and said that as long as you don’t mind him leaving his family with nothing, it’s fine!”

Seeing Xu Qing’s interest, Xie Ama quickly relayed Li Changfeng’s words about Xu Qing and explained the reasons for Li Changfeng’s decision to leave his family. This matter couldn’t be kept a secret to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.

“Can I secretly meet him?” Xu Qing liked the way Xie Ama described Li Changfeng, but he still wanted to meet him in person. He had to rely on his instincts for this matter!

“I knew you would have this request!” Xie Ama said proudly. “That’s why I asked the person you bought piglet from last time to have Li Changfeng help him deliver piglets to the market tomorrow. We’ll go early in the morning and observe from a distance. If you think it’s good, we’ll officially send a matchmaker to propose, and then we can arrange for you to meet each other!”

In this custom, when the groom’s family seeks a son-in-law, they send a matchmaker to the bride’s family. Once they receive the consent of the bride’s family, they can privately meet and determine the wedding date. When the time comes, the groom himself wears groom’s attire and rides a donkey or a cart to the bride’s family. After the ritual ceremony, the marriage is considered complete.

“Alright, I’ll come to find you tomorrow morning!” Xu Qing was even more satisfied when he heard that he could meet openly.

“Oh, and yes, remember, the clothes made from the fabric you gave before. You better dress nicely tomorrow!” Xie Ama took out the clothes made from the fabric Xu Qing bought last time and handed them to him.

Xu Qing looked at the neatly folded three pieces of clothing in front of him and felt a bit dumbfounded. “So fast! Oh, wait a moment.” Saying that, Xu Qing hurried into the house, retrieved forty-five wen coins from his space, wrapped them in a piece of cloth, and when he came out of the house, he didn’t take the clothes from Xie Ama’s hands.

“This is your payment. If you don’t want it, then I won’t wear these clothes. I won’t wear such new and good-looking clothes. Maybe that Li Changfeng will reject me if he accidentally sees me tomorrow!”

“Nonsense!” Xie Ama quickly interrupted Xu Qing’s rambling and took the money from his hand, stuffing the clothes into Xu Qing’s arms. “Remember to wake up early tomorrow morning. I’ll be waiting for you!”

“Okay, thank you, Xie Ama and Goodbye!”

After Xie Ama left, Xu Qing tried on all three pieces of clothing. “Hey, I have to admit, when it comes to making clothes, this man is not much worse than the women in my past life!”

Carefully folding the three new clothes and placing them in the wardrobe, Xu Qing picked up a patched garment and prepared to go into the mountains. Since he was “marrying” this “bride” who had suffered so much in this aspect, he had to earn more money and have a grand wedding!

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

This time, his main goal in going into the mountains was to find medicinal herbs. The more precious the medicinal herbs, the more valuable they were.

Occasionally, small animals would hop and bounce in front of him, seeing that he didn’t harm them, so they no longer hid from him. However, due to the nature of animals, they kept their distance from Xu Qing. Few people had ventured deep into the forest before, so their sense of danger was not strong.

Indeed, this time Xu Qing didn’t engage in activities around the outskirts of the mountain. He went straight to the depths of the forest, where there were numerous ancient trees, and the air was filled with the atmosphere of a primeval forest. Even if he occasionally encountered wolves and bears on the way, he would enter the space and wait until they left before coming out.

Occasionally, when he spotted medicinal herb seedlings that could stop bleeding and resist cold, he would move them into the space. These needed to be planted because he wouldn’t frequently come to these deep areas in the future. Planting them in the space could also provide a temporary solution.

“Oh! Good stuff!” Xu Qing discovered an extremely precious medicinal herb. It was small, only a single blossom. Lingzhi, also known as Ganoderma lucidum or Reishi mushroom, consists of a pileus and a stipe. Based on their color, they are classified into six types: red, yellow, white, green, black, and purple, with purple being the most valuable. This one was a red Lingzhi, the lowest grade, but it was still quite valuable!

“This thing can’t be sold. I’ll keep it!” Even if he sold it in this small town, he feared it would attract criticism, and that’s not what he wanted.

Afterward, Xu Qing found the herb Huanyang Ginseng, which tonified the kidney yang, nourished Qi and blood, and invigorated the spleen and stomach.

He also found Duzhong, a root with functions of dispelling stasis, reducing swelling, promoting Qi circulation, and relieving pain. Xu Qing didn’t collect too much of it; these were already enough. They weren’t flashy and wouldn’t decrease in value.

He also picked some fresh and tender ferns in the forest. Ferns also had the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. Moreover, Xu Qing, who had been eating meat these days, wanted to have some vegetables and change the taste. If the villagers found out that he was tired of eating meat and intentionally eating wild vegetables for a change of taste, they would scold him to death!

When Xu Qing returned home, he didn’t rush to cook. Instead, he entered the space first, selected a small plot of land, and planted the herbs he had dug up in the woods. Only then did he exit the space.

After a simple dinner, Xu Qing took a bath using the spiritual spring water, washing his body, hair, and face. Yes, that’s right, he washed his entire body with the spiritual spring water. After a while, he felt much lighter and took a comfortable breath. He had to improve his appearance to find a good “bride”!

Now he didn’t need to worry about the bumps on his face anymore. In less than ten days, they would heal.

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Xu Qing watched as Xie Ama left, his cheeks still blushing. “I actually agreed! But,” he thought for a moment, “instead of waiting for two months to marry a stranger, I’d better take this time to find someone myself!”

By now, the sky had brightened. After freshening up, Xu Qing had the remaining rabbit from last night’s dinner with the cornbread that Xie Ama brought for breakfast. After this meal, Xu Qing firmly decided that unless absolutely necessary, he would never torture his stomach with cornbread again. Corn was one thing, but making a southerner eat cornbread every day was just asking for trouble!

He planted the small Sichuan peppercorn tree from his dimensional space in the vegetable garden in the yard. He also took a look at the freshly dug wild ginseng from yesterday. It looked fresh. He planned to sell it at the next market to help with the “bride” situation!

The piglet in the pigsty was already protesting with its “oinks.” He had to go and prepare some pig feed while the sun hadn’t fully risen.

When Xie Ama returned home, Uncle Xie was sitting in the yard, smoking his pipe.

Xie Ama looked surprised seeing Uncle Xie there with the basket. “You’re back? Hey, did you bring him back?”

“Yes, take it. You clean him up today, and I’ll cook!” Xie Ama handed the basket to the head of the household, smiling happily.

“Does that mean everything is settled now?”

“More than just nothing! Let me tell you, Butcher Liu’s family is coming over this noon. When you’re done eating, go out for a stroll on your own. Just make sure you don’t eavesdrop on our conversation!” This old man always likes to secretly hide in the corner and listen in on his own and others’ chatter.

“Why are you so worked up? Alright, alright, I’ll go and slaughter the rabbit for you! Let’s have some meat today!” Uncle Xie is also craving game meat for a long time!

“Look at what you’re saying. The meat we bought yesterday wasn’t meaty, huh!”

Carrying a basket full of pig grass on his back, Xu Qing walks along the small path surrounded by greenery. The warm sunlight filters through the trees and leaves, casting long and mottled shadows, both warm and refreshing.

Of course, it would be even better if there weren’t people constantly pointing fingers at him on this road!

“Can’t believe after all these years he’s still so ugly. I made a bet with Liu San’er from the neighboring village. I thought he would have become handsome!” The man in a beige short shirt speaks with indignation to the slightly chubby man beside him.

“Do you think everyone is like your wife? Getting more beautiful with each passing year!” The slightly chubby man pouts. After all, he’s still single!

“Hahaha, why don’t you talk to your parents and propose to the ugly ger! Even if he’s ugly, it won’t matter once the lights are off!” The beige man intentionally teases the slightly chubby man, feeling delighted at the thought of his own beautiful wife. He doesn’t care if Xu Qing, not far away, overhears or not.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Go away, go away! Let’s go quickly. I want to try my luck in the mountains. Although I’ve been doing odd jobs in the military camp for the past five years, who knows, maybe I’ll catch something good and immediately go propose in the neighboring village!”

“Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding! Let’s go!”

Listening to the fading footsteps of those men, Xu Qing let out a long sigh. It’s best not to argue with people like them, or else they’ll keep on pestering you! It seems they’re also recently discharged soldiers.

“So what if I’m ugly! I won’t marry you either!!”

Determined to marry a “good man,” Xu Qing quickly walks back home. After chopping the pig grass for the piglet, Xu Qing prepares to clean up the house. He separates and neatly folds all the patched clothes from the unpatched ones. He also gathers the old cotton and unnecessary bed sheets and blankets, organizing them and placing them in the room where Xu parents used to live.

“It looks like I’ll have to buy more cotton and bed sheets!” Xu Qing looks at the tidied room. Apart from a large bed, there’s a big cabinet made by father Xu. The patched clothes are piled up to the top, and there’s only that one unpatched green garment beside them. Well, they’re really poor!

***

“Knock, knock, knock, knock!”

“Oh, it must be the people from Liu’s family! I’ll go open the door, you bring the food to the table!” Xie Ama wipes his wet hands with a cloth, instructs Uncle Xie, and rushes to open the courtyard gate.

“Come in quickly, I knew you would come at noon. Hurry up, the food is ready.” Xie Ama and Liu Ama grew up together and are very familiar with each other, not paying much attention to formalities.

Liu Ama hands the basket in his hand to Xie Ama. “This is homemade sweet potato powder. You said you ran out last time, so take it.”

“Alright, by the way, how is that matter going?”

Compared to the food, he was actually more concerned about Brother Qing’s matters. Last time, there wasn’t enough time to discuss Brother Qing’s marriage and his requirements. This time, he wanted to get some information first and, if necessary, look for more.

“You don’t trust me to handle things?! Ah, what is this smell? It smells so good!”

Just as they entered the courtyard, Liu Ama caught a whiff of a pleasant aroma. “Alright, let’s eat first, and we can have a good chat after the meal!”

After finishing the meal, Xie Ama asked Uncle Xie to clean up the table and pulled Liu Ama into the room, closing the door behind them.

“Tell me quickly, did you find any prospective candidates?”

Liu Ama rubbed his slightly swollen belly. “I’ve really been observing these days and visited many families. In the end, I think I found a suitable candidate, Li Changfeng from the Li family at the head of the village!”

When he mentioned the head of the village, he was referring to the head of the Jixiang Village. “Is it the second son from the Li family?” He remembered this person. He was an honest and down-to-earth young man, and his family had many brothers, making it easier for them to accept a marriage proposal. However, “Isn’t he already engaged to Wang’s ger son?”

As soon as Liu Ama heard this, he slapped his thigh. “Exactly! But five years ago, when they were recruiting soldiers, Li Laosan from their family had to take the imperial examination, so he made Li Changfeng replace him without telling him until after the name was reported!”

“This is news to me!” He had never heard of it before.

“That’s right, what’s even more absurd is that the second year Li Changfeng left, Li Laosan married Wang’s son! The Wangs said the five-year wait was too long for their son, so they either had to break off the engagement or find a new groom. Damn it, it was all because they coveted Li Laosan’s prospects as a scholar!”

Xie Ama was taken aback. He had heard about Wang’s son marrying into the Li family, but he didn’t know they had changed grooms.

“Don’t underestimate Li Changfeng just because he’s a bit older. I just feel that he’s not as shallow as other men! He’s a capable man, and now he’s feeling uncomfortable at home too. His prospective wife suddenly becomes his younger brother-in-law! Anyone would find that hard to bear!”

Seeing Xie Ama nodding, Liu Ama added fuel to the fire. “Moreover, there are rumors among the villagers that the third son of the Li family is demanding a split! Tsk tsk, it’s clear he wants to separate Li Changfeng from the family!”

“A split!”

Xie Ama’s eyes lit up. This was indeed a good candidate for marriage!

“Ahem, let me tell you, when you go back, privately ask your husband to invite Li Changfeng to your house for a meal. You can gather some information then. I’m telling you, Brother Qing doesn’t have any other requirements, he just wants to get someone marry into Xu family.”

Liu Ama widened his eyes in surprise. “Marriage! Hey, this is definitely a heaven-sent opportunity! Okay, I’ll talk to him, and at the latest, I’ll have someone send you a message tomorrow!”

***

Li Changfeng was carrying a large bundle of firewood back home. He was a tall man, probably around 1.85 meters, with a chiseled jawline and arched eyebrows! His skin was a bit dark, and when he pressed his lips together without speaking, he had a very serious expression.

Just as he arrived at the door of his house, he heard his younger brother shouting at their family.

“We must split! He took my place in military service, and I owe him for that! I remember, I will repay him! But this family must be divided!”

Father Li took a drag of his dry tobacco pipe, sitting silently in the courtyard. The eldest son and his wife also remained silent in the background.

“Father! Can’t you say something?!”

Li Laosan (Third Brother Li) had expressed his desire to split the family multiple times but hadn’t obtained their father’s approval, leaving him dissatisfied.

“If we split the family, where will Second Brother live?” Mother Li, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.

“I can give up my share of the money and build a house for Second Brother!”

Li Changfeng’s heart clenched when he heard this. This was his younger brother, the one he had raised since childhood!

No one spoke in the courtyard, and Li Changfeng didn’t go inside either. He gently placed the firewood outside the courtyard’s woodshed, dusted off the accumulated ash from his body, took another look at the courtyard, turned around, and walked away. But he hadn’t gone far when he saw Butcher Liu standing at the intersection, grinning.

“Uncle Liu.”

“Changfeng, come on, let’s go to Uncle Liu’s place for a drink. I came specifically to drink with you!”

Li Changfeng thought about what had happened in the courtyard and nodded. He followed Butcher Liu, knowing that he could only face his closest family members awkwardly upon returning.

Butcher Liu’s house was a few minutes away from Li’s courtyard. They arrived shortly.

“Changfeng is here? Come in quickly, Liu Ama has prepared the appetizers for the drink!” Liu Ama warmly greeted Li Changfeng, which left him somewhat puzzled. He felt that Liu Ama’s enthusiasm was a bit excessive.

“Come, have a seat.”

After Butcher Liu saw his wife secretly give him a signal and leave, he started chatting with Li Changfeng.

“Li Laosan is causing trouble again?” Butcher Liu asked while stuffing a roasted peanut into his mouth.

Li Changfeng took a sip from the bowl filled with alcohol and silently nodded. He was familiar with Butcher Liu’s family as they lived close by.

“What are you planning to do?”

Li Changfeng drank another sip without even furrowing his brows. “Let’s split, it’ll bring some peace and quiet!”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Thinking of the task given by his wife, Butcher Liu pondered for a moment before asking, “Do you still have any thoughts about that Wang’s ger? I know it’s not pleasant to hear, but it’s necessary to know whether you have feelings for him. Even if he’s brought into the family, it won’t be easy if your heart is elsewhere.”

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Greetings from the translator

Thank you for reading my translation work. If you’re happy with the novel, maybe please consider giving it a rating it is deserving of? 😀

“Ah! It’s Xie Ama!”

Finally brought back to reality by Xie Ama’s loud voice, Xu Qing hurriedly dressed, with messy hair, and went out to greet the slightly chilly morning breeze.

As Xu Qing opened the courtyard gate, he saw Xie Ama, dressed in a green robe, standing at the doorstep, carrying the vegetable basket he had delivered the previous night. Xu Qing noticed that the hem of Xie Ama’s clothes was slightly damp, probably from being brushed by the roadside weeds on the way.

“Come in quickly, Xie Ama. Has something happened?”

Xu Qing scratched his messy hair in embarrassment, pulled Xie Ama into the house, and cautiously glanced at the sky outside. It was probably just past six in the morning. If Xie Ama came to find him at this hour, it couldn’t be good news from home!

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Oh, it’s nothing serious. Come, sit next to Ama.” Xie Ama looked at Xu Qing’s disheveled appearance and knew that he had been pulled out of bed by himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been up so early.

“Yes, Brother Qing, let me ask you, where did this wild rabbit meat come from?! Don’t try to deceive Xie Ama, just tell me honestly!”

Initially, Xu Qing thought Xie Ama had come only to return the basket. But as he looked at the intact rabbit meat inside the basket, his eyes widened. “Heavens, Xie Ama, why did you bring it back to me?!”

“Why? Let me tell you, I haven’t figured out where this thing came from, but it’s a delicacy! I can’t even eat it!” Now that Xie Ama had brought up the main topic, he became more talkative. “You don’t know, when your uncle and I opened it and saw that it was rabbit meat, we were truly startled. In all these years since your father’s passing, we’ve never received such wild rabbit meat, let alone a rabbit of this size! So, speak up!”

Although the people now live in peace and prosperity, life is still tight. Wild game like this, which can be sold for thirty wen per jin in town, is not something every household can afford. Even if someone is lucky enough to hunt and catch it occasionally, they wouldn’t casually eat it like Xu Qing does. They would sell it in town to save some money for future needs.

“Oh, this is what I hunted in the mountains yesterday. I can’t finish it alone, so I wanted you and Uncle Xie to taste it!” Xu Qing finally explained the origin of the rabbit, speaking vaguely but not lying. He simply omitted some details.

“You went into the mountains? And you caught it?!” Xie Ama asked Xu Qing once again with a face that said, “Are you kidding me?!”

Confused by the question, Xu Qing replied, “Yes, it was me. What’s the matter?”

Xie Ama looked at Xu Qing, with his messy hair and poorly dressed appearance, and carefully observed the small bumps on Xu Qing’s face. Well, everything was the same as usual.

“Hey, Brother Qing, the bumps on your face don’t seem as red anymore!” Xie Ama exclaimed with surprise upon noticing this phenomenon.

Following Xie Ama’s words, Xu Qing reached out his hand and touched the still slightly bumpy face. “Hmm, they are slightly smaller than before.”

The Spiritual spring water had already eliminated most of the accumulated toxins from Xu Qing’s face. Even if he didn’t use Spiritual spring water to wash his face in the future, as long as he avoided spicy food, it wouldn’t take long for his face to fully recover. Therefore, compared to Xie Ama, who was excited by this discovery, Xu Qing remained calm.

Xie Ama, in his happiness, didn’t notice this change. In his eyes, as long as Brother Qing didn’t have those scary red bumps on his face, he looked better than many other young gers in the village. After all, Brother Qing’s mother was considered the most outstanding beauty in the village during his youth, and Brother Qing was not inferior to anyone.

“By the way, I almost forgot to ask you, Brother Qing, tell me honestly.” Xie Ama, after calming down, didn’t forget what he wanted to ask.

“Yes, yes.”

“You, did someone give you this rabbit? Ah?” Xie Ama asked Xu Qing with a mysterious and gossiping tone.

Xu Qing was even more confused, completely unaware of Xie Ama’s train of thought. “No, I hunted it myself in the mountains yesterday afternoon! No one gave it to me. Besides, in this village, apart from you and Uncle Xie, no one likes to give me things.”

Seeing that Xu Qing still didn’t understand his meaning, Xie Ama felt a bit awkward. Well, it was inappropriate for someone his age to discuss these things with an unmarried young ger. It would be better to be direct and at ease!

“Ahem, what Xie Ama means is, do you have, have a crush on someone, ah?”

After hearing Xie Ama’s words, Xu Qing accidentally choked on his own saliva!

“Cough, cough, cough! What are you saying! I don’t have anyone!” Xu Qing’s face turned as red as a cooked shrimp when questioned about having a romantic interest. “That really was me, I went to the mountains myself! And I even used my father’s bow and arrow. Look, it’s still hanging on the wall! If you don’t believe me, take a look for yourself. Yesterday, before using this bow, I cleaned it thoroughly!”

In order to prove that he was truly a single dog, the poor child hastily jumped up and handed the bow and arrow hanging on the wall to Xie Ama, asking him to see the clean body of the bow.

Xie Ama looked at the bow and arrow with a skeptical gaze.

“So, you really went into the mountains yesterday afternoon?”

“Yes, yes, just me!”

“Well, well, you’ve become quite capable, huh? A young ger daring to go into the mountains alone!!” Xie Ama reached out and grabbed Xu Qing’s ear, who was still desperately trying to prove his innocence, and shouted loudly!

Oh no! He really couldn’t escape from what was right in front of him, no matter how much he tried to avoid it! Xu Qing’s face was twisted in pain, resembling a chrysanthemum. “Ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Xie Ama!”

“Are you still going there later?! Ah?!”

“I’m not going! I’m not going!” Yeah, right!

“Hmph!”

The moment Xie Ama let go of Xu Qing’s ear, Xu Qing immediately reached out and vigorously rubbed the ear that had just been grabbed. Surprisingly, he put quite some strength into it!

“It’s not that I’m being nosy, but you, a young ger, ah! Just running into the mountains all alone, who knows…” Xie Ama paused, “You should know that you’re the last hope for the Xu family’s lineage!”

Xu Qing stopped rubbing his ear and walked over to Xie Ama, pulling him to sit down. “I know, Xie Ama, thank you.”

Being able to feel such long-lost love and care in this foreign world, he felt content and grateful.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Since we’ve come to this point, let me remind you that you’ll be turning twenty-one in two months! Come on, tell me, what do you think about it?”

Xie Ama suddenly remembered the matter of official pairing and brought it up, but Xu Qing had no idea about it at all!

“What’s so special about turning twenty-one? I don’t want to get married!” If I were to marry, I’d want it to be someone I find attractive and someone I like! Xu Qing thought somewhat petulantly.

“Oh, so you’re thinking of marrying someone in! That’s not a bad idea. In that case, the Xu family’s lineage won’t be cut off! You’ve thought it through!” Xie Ama hadn’t even considered the possibility of Xu Qing marrying a husband into the Xu family. He had been worried before about Xu Qing getting married and what would happen to the Xu family’s land and house! Now he didn’t have to worry about that anymore.

Xu Qing’s mouth was wide open, as if it could fit an entire egg inside. “What marry in?!”

Seeing Xu Qing’s expression, Xie Ama knew he had misunderstood and his face turned dark. “So you mean you won’t marry out or marry someone in?!” Before Xu Qing could recover and respond, Xie Ama continued with even more shocking words, “Do you know that if you’re not married by twenty-one, you’ll be officially paired by the government on your birthday? The men they pair you with are either old bachelors or worthless scoundrels! If you marry one of them, your whole life will be ruined!!”

“Official pairing?!”

Damn it! Who the hell came up with such a twisted rule! Xu Qing felt like a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind!

Seeing Xu Qing’s saddened look, Xie Ama immediately felt sorry for him. After all, he was still a child, even if he was turning twenty-one, his appearance looked more like fifteen or sixteen.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I secretly had someone inquire about it yesterday. Those soldiers returning from service are the most sought after every year. Tell Xie Ama, what kind do you like? I’ll find someone for you.”

Xu Qing lowered his head and fell silent. He had calculated countless things, but he never anticipated this aspect in this world. Well, actually, being alone was quite lonely.

“I want to marry a husband in!”

Xu Qing suddenly lifted his head and looked at Xie Ama with determination.

“He must be several years older than me!” He’s into older men!

“He must not have married anyone else!” He has a cleanliness obsession when it comes to emotions!

“He must have a good temper!” Otherwise, it won’t be easy to boss him around!

“He must have a special skill!” He can’t be freeloading!

“I want him to have the appearance I like!”

“He must…”

“Stop! Hold on!”

Xie Ama was a bit dizzy. “I could understand what you said before, but this one, he must have the appearance you like? What kind of appearance do you like?”

Xu Qing was now stunned. What kind of appearance does he like? In his previous life, he was still a virgin and never had a partner!

“Well, I just want someone I find pleasing to the eye!” Xu Qing blushed and stammered as he tried to articulate his distorted requirements for a partner.

Xie Ama had a delighted expression on his face. He was afraid that Xu Qing would make an impulsive decision and wait for the official pairing. Now he had to arrange things properly!

“Alright, I’m leaving. There’s cornbread I made this morning in the basket. Heat it up and have it. I promise I’ll find someone good for you!”

As soon as Xu Qing heard Xie Ama was leaving, he no longer felt shy. He grabbed the basket and stuffed it into Xie Ama’s hands. “If you don’t accept this rabbit meat, then I won’t marry anyone!”

“What nonsense are you saying! Spit it out! Fine, it’s been years since I had any game meat. If it weren’t for thinking about the rabbit’s origin last night, I would have used it as a side dish with your Uncle Xie! Alright, I’m leaving, don’t send me off. Go freshen up and get ready to become a bride!”

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Just not far from Xu Qing, there was a plump and fat white rabbit in the bushes. Uh, due to living in the woods for too long, it had also turned into a big gray rabbit!

But none of this mattered to Xu Qing. In his eyes, all he saw were braised rabbit, hot pot rabbit, spicy rabbit, and other delicious dishes made from rabbit meat. Thinking about these mouthwatering dishes, Xu Qing couldn’t help but salivate.

“Braise rabbit!!”

Quietly pulling the bowstring of the bow and arrow that Xu Qing’s father used for hunting, Xu Qing aimed the arrowhead at the big gray rabbit that was stuffing something into its mouth!

“Shoo…!!”

Xu Qing joyfully rushed forward, picked up the already lifeless fat rabbit from the ground, and shook it with satisfaction. “Wow, this weighs at least ten kilograms! Well, I can send half of it to Xie Ama and Uncle Xie tonight.”

After casually tossing the rabbit into his space, Xu Qing didn’t hurriedly leave. He squatted down, using his hands to rummage through the things the rabbit had been eating. What the rabbit could eat surely wasn’t poisonous. Who knows, there might be some other surprises.

“Huh! These are ginseng leaves?!”

Indeed, among the crushed leaves left by the rabbit, there was a small piece that looked familiar to Xu Qing. He picked up the crushed leaves and smelled them. “That’s right, this is ginseng! Haha, luckily I chose a major in biological species at university. Otherwise, I would have missed out on a treasure!”

Not long after, Xu Qing found a mess of ginseng that the rabbit had nibbled on not far away. Wild ginseng in the mountains was a valuable medicinal herb, also known as renshen, bangzhui, shencao, digen, and so on. “This root is probably less than fifty years old, but encountering it is already a great stroke of luck!”

Carefully wrapping the excavated wild ginseng with a large leaf he plucked, Xu Qing placed the items into his space. This was valuable silver, so he needed to be cautious. He picked up the bow and arrow from the ground and continued on his way, feeling joyful.

This was approximately the outskirts of the mountain, farther than where Xu Qing’s father used to hunt. “It seems that the original owner’s father hasn’t been here before. This must be the outer region of the mountain.”

As he moved forward, the variety of trees increased, and their age seemed older. Many weeds grew up to Xu Qing’s waist, indicating that not many people had entered the mountain in recent years. With no other choice, Xu Qing had to draw his sword and cut a tree branch to use as a makeshift tool for exploration.

“Hmm, what’s this smell?”

Xu Qing halted his steps, detecting a peculiar and slightly numbing scent in the air. He couldn’t immediately recall what it was, so he followed the fragrance and arrived at a tree. “This is… a Sichuan peppercorn tree!”

Xu Qing felt as if this tree, adorned with countless small items, was dazzling in front of his eyes! Only heaven knows how difficult it is for a person with a strong taste preference to eat dishes seasoned only with salt every day!

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Sichuan peppercorns were a great seasoning ingredient for cooking, and Xu Qing was excited, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet. He hopped around the Sichuan peppercorn tree in excitement.

“How can I take this with me? Dig it out?!”

After some consideration, he decided against it. This tree had been around for quite some time. “Oh, wait, are these Sichuan peppercorn saplings?!” Just as Xu Qing was filled with regret, he felt something brushing against his clothes. He turned around and saw a few small Sichuan peppercorn saplings growing not far from the large tree. Some of them were even smaller than the one that grazed his clothes.

Xu Qing was delighted. With a wide grin, he first plucked all the Sichuan peppercorn fruits from the big tree and tossed them into his space. Finally, he used the hoe that was stored in his space to dig up the small Sichuan peppercorn saplings, a few of which were only as tall as his thigh. Satisfied, he carried the bare-rooted saplings on his back, let the hoe join them in the space, and looked up at the sky.

The sky was getting dark, and there were piglets waiting to be fed at home. Feeling satisfied with today’s harvest, Xu Qing made his way back home.

As he was about to leave the mountains, he took out the backpack and sickle from his space. He needed to cut some pig grass on the way down the mountain. Otherwise, the piglet would go hungry. A hungry stomach meant getting thin, and getting thin meant he wouldn’t have a plump pig for the next winter’s New Year. That was a very serious matter!

By the time he arrived home and finished feeding the protesting piglet with its “oink” sounds, it was probably around 7 PM. The sky was still slightly bright, enough to see the road clearly. He had to deliver the rabbit to Xie Ama early.

So Xu Qing skillfully took out the big gray rabbit from his space and expertly skinned it, cleaned out its innards. In the post-apocalyptic world, when his spatial ability hadn’t awakened yet, he was the one responsible for cooking and doing laundry in the team. Well, if it weren’t for his delicious cooking, the team wouldn’t keep him around.

After about ten minutes, Xu Qing packed half of the rabbit into a vegetable basket, covered it with grass, locked the courtyard gate, and walked towards the village.

By this time, it was already late, and the people who worked in the fields had already returned home. Plus, many family members who were serving in the military had also come back today, so there were even fewer people on the road. That solved a lot of trouble for him.

“Knock, knock! Xie Ama, are you there? It’s Brother Qing!”

After knocking on the door, Xu Qing hugged himself and blew warm air into his hands. Although it was nearing the end of winter, the nights were still chilly.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

With Xie Ama’s response, the door soon opened.

“Oh, Brother Qing, come in quickly. Be careful not to catch a cold. The weather hasn’t completely warmed up yet!”

Xie Ama scolded Xu Qing as soon as he opened the door and saw Brother Qing, with his thin body carrying a basket and blowing warm air into his hands.

“No need, I’m just here to bring you something and then I’ll go back,” Xu Qing quickly stuffed the basket into Xie Ama’s hands. Before Xie Ama could react, Xu Qing, with his thin and weak legs, quickly disappeared at the corner of the village road.

“This kid!”

Xie Ama couldn’t help but laugh at Xu Qing’s behavior. He turned around and closed the courtyard gate. He and Uncle Xie were cooking, and upon hearing Xu Qing’s voice, they hurriedly came out.

“Where’s Brother Qing?”

Uncle Xie looked at Xie Ama carrying a clearly unfamiliar vegetable basket and had some questions.

“That kid said he was bringing us something, but he stuffed it into my hands and ran off like a slippery little fish in no time!”

Uncle Xie took the basket handed over by his partner before opening the grass cover, but immediately smelled a bloody scent! He quickly lifted the lid, “Oh, this kid! It’s rabbit meat!”

Xie Ama, who was picking vegetables, hurriedly approached and took a look. Sure enough, there was rabbit meat in the basket!

“Oh my, how did this kid get it?!” Xie Ama took the basket, feeling worried rather than joyful. “No, I have to go find him and ask him what’s going on!”

After saying that, Xie Ama hurriedly prepared to leave the house.

“I’m telling you, it’s so late. If you want to go, go tomorrow!”

Uncle Xie held his wife back. “If Brother Qing was able to bring this over, it means he’s fine. If you’re still worried, we can go tomorrow. It’s late at night, and Brother Qing is still an unmarried orphan. We don’t want any trouble or gossip!”

“But what if something really happened?” Xie Ama still felt concerned.

“I’ll freeze this rabbit meat in the well. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go find Brother Qing and ask him what happened. This rabbit was clearly killed with a precise technique, and the only one with such skills was Brother Qing’s father back in the day.”

Uncle Xie nodded. “Alright, I’ll go then. You continue picking vegetables.”

Meanwhile, Xu Qing was happily enjoying the roasted rabbit seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns. “This is the essence of life!” He patted his round belly and sighed.

After resting for a while, Xu Qing cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks. He poured all the harvested Sichuan peppercorns into a large winnowing basket, flattening the accumulated fruits. They needed to dry off the moisture, either by placing them on the stove or under the sunlight, before grinding them into powder for long-term use.

As for the Sichuan peppercorn seedlings, it was already getting late, and they were no longer visible outside. So Xu Qing temporarily stored them in his space.

After taking a refreshing hot shower and drying his washed clothes, Xu Qing mixed some spiritual spring water with warm water and washed his face. “Hmm, there’s no more tingling or itching sensation like a few days ago. It seems the toxins have been mostly eliminated, and the remaining bumps will soon be gone.”

Feeling even more satisfied, Xu Qing yawned and snuggled into the bed, wrapping himself tightly with the blanket. Before long, a sweet and gentle snoring sound filled the room.

Xie Ama couldn’t sleep well all night. Early in the morning, he got up and prepared breakfast, waking up the soundly sleeping Uncle Xie.

“The food is ready. I’ll go to Brother Qing’s house first. Wake up quickly and eat, or it will get cold.” Without paying any attention to the bewildered Uncle Xie, he walked out of the house, pulled up the bucket of water from the well that was left there yesterday, took out the rabbit meat from it, and put it in the basket Xu Qing brought over yesterday. Thinking that Brother Qing might not have had breakfast yet, he also grabbed a few corn flatbreads from the table. Then he headed towards Xu Qing’s house.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing was still soundly asleep in his bed, completely unaware of Xie Ama’s impending arrival.

“Knock, knock, knock. Brother Qing? Are you awake? Brother Qing!!”

“Knock, knock, knock…”

“…Knock, knock, knock…”

“Hmm…? Someone is knocking on the door…”

Xu Qing blinked his drowsy eyes, half-listening to someone calling him.

“Brother Qing?!” Xie Ama persistently continued calling. He didn’t care whether Brother Qing was still asleep or not. He hadn’t figured out the source of this rabbit meat, and he couldn’t find peace of mind for even a moment!

“Brother Qing?! Wake up!!”

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