Author Archives: Thingyan

Lian Ou Side Story 5

Some things were clearly wrong according to reason, but emotions could not be controlled.

Huiming recited scriptures for three days and went hungry for three days before finally reaching enlightenment.

He simply was not suited to being a monk.

The Buddhist teachings passed through his mouth again and again, but his heart could not settle. He could not let go of that beautiful little ge’er. He could not let go of the lively temple fair. He could not let go of the strings of copper coins and bright silver he had earned…

When Shishu said he should take over as abbot, Huiming was not actually resistant in his heart. To him, the identity of abbot was more like a responsibility, one that meant leading everyone in the temple toward a better life.

As long as he shouldered that responsibility, why insist on where his heart belonged, or who lived within it?

From the moment he was born, his life had never belonged to him.

He was abandoned by his parents, picked up by his master, raised in the temple, and became a monk just like that. Then, because he led the temple toward prosperity, his master chose him as the next abbot.

Since his body already belonged to this path, let his heart be free now and then.

Lian Ou clearly sensed that Huiming’s attitude toward him had changed greatly recently.

When the sky was only just beginning to brighten, he would arrive at the stall with Lian Rong, dew clinging to them and the cold dampness of late night chilling his fingertips. Before long, a bowl of hot water would be placed beside his hand, just the right temperature to drink, warm but not scalding.

Sometimes it was delivered by a little novice monk.

Sometimes…

Huiming actually delivered it himself, secretly looked at him, and even smiled at him!

Had this monk gone mad?

Lian Ou’s heart beat like a drum.

As one of the best-looking ge’er in Lantang Village, plenty of men had openly or secretly shown him favor. He normally would not lose his composure over a few bowls of hot water and a smile.

But Huiming, he…

He was a monk!

The forbidden feeling brought by that identity made Lian Ou’s heart race every time Huiming looked over. It raced so fast that he could no longer tell whether it was because of Huiming’s status as a monk or because of Huiming himself.

Whenever Huiming’s eyes looked at him, they were always so bright…

Clearly he was a monk. How could he have such a gaze?

It was not the sort of look village men gave him, with a little drooling desire and lust mixed in. Instead, it was full of everyday warmth. Looking into it felt like seeing a small courtyard, with cooking smoke drifting from the kitchen window, a great pot of white rice simmering on the stove, and when the lid lifted, the whole room filled with the fragrance of rice.

It felt like two people watching summer night stars together, watching winter snow fall together, snow landing on their hair and turning it white…

It was a gaze that made people feel especially at peace, one they wanted to sink into.

Lian Ou hurriedly turned his head away, then carefully looked around, afraid someone might notice and gossip.

This world was always harsher toward ge’er. If anyone discovered something, whether or not they would gossip that Huiming the monk had broken his vows was uncertain, but they would definitely drown Lian Ou in spit, saying he was shameless and had seduced a monk.

After several times, however, he also noticed that whenever Huiming delivered things or secretly looked at him, he always did it away from others.

This… this at least counted as him knowing propriety.

Lian Ou held the hot water and took a small sip. Half his body warmed.

He was in a bad mood today and had no heart to weave anything. His family had been arguing endlessly lately. The conflict between the eldest branch and the second branch was growing deeper and deeper, and recently the fire seemed faintly ready to spread onto him.

Lian Rong sat beside him, also holding hot water. After smacking her lips twice, she said,

“Is this water a little sweet? Did they put sugar or honey in it? These monks really have money.”

Lian Ou ignored her.

She glanced at Lian Ou, who was holding his bowl in a daze, then leaned closer.

“Ge, don’t worry. Nai will never agree to marry you to Eldest Aunt’s nephew. You’re so capable now. I secretly heard Ye and Nai say the other day that they want to find you a good marriage in the county so you can become the fulang of a rich family.”

Hearing this, Lian Ou felt even more uncomfortable.

Awkwardly, he said,

“I know Ye and Nai won’t agree to Eldest Aunt’s… What? Don’t talk nonsense. You’re always the quickest with your mouth. What rich family fulang? If others hear that, they’ll say we’re frivolous. Did you learn nothing from last time?”

Thinking of what happened last time, then looking at the red marks on Lian Ou’s neck that had not fully healed, Lian Rong immediately wilted and behaved herself for most of the day.

When they closed the stall in the afternoon, she even eagerly offered to take Lian Ou’s basket to Huiming for safekeeping.

Lian Ou pinched one side of the basket. His lips moved twice before he finally let go.

“…Go.”

When Huiming saw Lian Rong come over, his gaze immediately looked behind her. Not seeing Lian Ou, he looked a little disappointed.

Lian Rong followed his gaze and looked back too, asking curiously,

“Master, what are you looking at?”

“…Nothing. You’re going back this early?”

Lian Rong nodded.

“It’s getting cold now, and it gets dark early. It’s safer for us to go home earlier.”

Huiming felt that he should restrain himself a little lately.

At first, he only wanted to let his heart be free a little and secretly like the person hidden inside it.

But feelings poured from the eyes even when the mouth was covered. He simply could not endure it or hide it. He just wanted to see Lian Ou. Even one more glance felt satisfying.

Just once.

One last time…

After putting away Lian Ou’s needlework basket, he secretly followed Lian Rong’s footsteps.

For countless days and nights afterward, Huiming would be grateful that he had not followed the rules so strictly that day.

In the small woods leading to Lantang Village, he saw Lian Ou being dragged deeper into the forest by a man covering his mouth.

Lian Rong saw from far away and charged over like a little firecracker, only to be kicked over and sent rolling several times before collapsing motionless on the ground.

Huiming did not remember what he was thinking at that moment.

Perhaps the human mind had some protective mechanism that made people forget things too painful to recall.

By the time his senses returned, the man was already lying on the ground wailing, his face swollen red and purple.

Lian Ou desperately hugged Huiming’s arm.

“Stop hitting him. Don’t… don’t hit him so hard. If you beat him to death and have to pay with your life, it won’t be worth it!”

Just now, Huiming had rushed over like a madman and beaten Wang-shi’s nephew directly in the head and face.

People said not to hit the face when fighting. Lian Ou had seen Qing-ge’er hit people before. He always picked fleshy places on the body, ensuring no vital areas were injured while making it hurt terribly.

Who hit people like Huiming did?

There was no technique at all.

Qing-ge’er had once said there were temples and other points on the head and face where one punch could kill a person!

Lian Ou tugged at Huiming several times.

Actually, with Lian Ou’s little strength, how could he possibly move Huiming? Yet bit by bit, Huiming’s senses still returned through Lian Ou’s pulling.

Only then did he stop.

He then kicked the man’s legs hard several more times, untied the man’s belt, and bound his hands and feet with it.

The man fainted from pain.

Huiming casually threw him aside, then turned and pulled Lian Ou into his arms.

Lian Ou’s entire body stiffened.

This was different from when Wang-shi’s nephew had grabbed him from behind and dragged him toward the forest.

Back then, Lian Ou had only felt disgust. The man’s smell made him want to vomit, and his skin felt slimy and sinister like a snake. Lian Ou only wanted to escape.

But now, enclosed in Huiming’s embrace, he smelled faint sandalwood and soapberry. Warm and dry. Protecting him completely.

So safe…

He should have pushed him away.

But he also greedily clung to that brief warmth.

After several breaths, Lian Ou finally patted Huiming lightly and stammered,

“Let go of me… My… my clothes are torn… and my sister…”

Only then did Huiming realize the man had torn Lian Ou’s clothing, revealing a small patch of shoulder and a brightly colored undergarment.

He only looked once before no longer daring to look. Turning around, he took off his monk robe and wrapped Lian Ou tightly in it.

Lian Rong had been kicked once. Her injuries were not serious, but after rolling several times, she was dizzy and had not seen her brother’s “private affair.”

Huiming pointed at Wang-shi’s nephew.

“What should be done with him?”

If the crime had been something like stealing chickens or dogs, Huiming naturally would have dragged the person straight to the village head without another word. Sending him to the authorities would not have been impossible either.

But this involved Lian Ou’s chastity and reputation, which made things difficult.

If they dragged the man to the village head and exposed the matter, Lian Ou might instead be forced to marry him.

Such things were not unheard of in surrounding villages.

You were already touched by someone and no longer clean. If you didn’t marry him, who else would willingly become the cuckold?

But even if they did not send him over, would this man stay silent?

Lian Ou understood very clearly.

This man had come to the woods to block him precisely for the sake of forcing a marriage. Even if they let him go, within half a day he would spread the story himself, completely ruining Lian Ou’s reputation.

Gritting his teeth, Lian Ou thought for a long while, then tightened the robe draped over him.

“Send him to the village head.”

“If my reputation is ruined, then so be it. Even if I never marry in my life, I will not let him go!”

He lowered his head and looked at the hem of the gray monk robe.

“…I have skills. I can support myself. If I don’t marry, then I don’t marry…”

He quietly glanced at Huiming, then turned his head away.

“I don’t really want to marry anyway.”

Huiming helped him carry the Wang family boy to Lantang Village, then took his leave.

Although he desperately wanted to stay beside Lian Ou, he still had to avoid suspicion. He hid at a distance and secretly watched.

Trying to stain a ge’er’s innocence was an extremely serious matter in the village.

Lian Ou and Lian Rong threw themselves into Miao Hexiang’s arms and cried loudly enough to shake the heavens.

Lian Rong was purely frightened and in pain. Lian Ou, the actual victim, had already calmed down somewhat after being comforted by Huiming. Half of his crying came from belated grievance, and half was pretense.

Miao Hexiang thanked Huiming, then hugged her ge’er and daughter and cried too, cursing Wang-shi’s entire family as she wept.

Old Man Lian and Old Madam Lian’s faces were ashen.

Their first reaction was to blame Lian Ou for making a scene.

How was he supposed to marry high now?

When something like this happened in other families, didn’t they all try desperately to hide and suppress it?

Only these children, after spending so much time around Qing-ge’er, had developed such strong tempers.

But when they turned and saw Wang-shi lowering her head as if enduring scolding while a hint of a smile curved her lips, their anger faded.

Even if Lian Ou had not exposed it, the Wang family would have made trouble anyway. Lian Ou had no chance of marrying high anymore.

For the first time, Wang-shi was cursed by Miao Hexiang without talking back. She did not take it to heart either.

Only after Miao Hexiang finished cursing and crying did she speak leisurely.

“Father, Mother, no matter how we say it, my nephew was indeed in the wrong. But now that things have already become like this, I think we should settle the marriage between Ou-ge’er and that boy.”

“I originally told you about this match before, but you insisted on blocking it. Now that the two younger ones have gotten into trouble themselves, if we don’t become in-laws, both families will lose face…”

She was certain Lian Ou had no other choice.

Of course, even if Lian Ou failed to marry high and angrily chose to marry low into some other village rather than marry her nephew, that was not impossible.

In that case, she would have her nephew go to that family’s door every day and say he had already taken Lian Ou’s body.

She could guarantee that whenever Lian Ou found a match, they would ruin it.

Miao Hexiang was so furious she wanted to hit someone.

Suddenly, Lian Ou pulled himself out of her arms. Tears still hung on his face, but his expression was solemn as he spoke to Old Man Lian, Old Madam Lian, his father, and his mother.

“Ye, Nai, Father, Mother, even if I have to hang myself from a beam, I will not marry the Wang family boy!”

“I can’t endure this life for even one more day. They even dare use such schemes. Are you still human?”

“If he had touched me today, I wouldn’t want to live anymore. I would immediately jump into the river!”

“I don’t care about reputation anymore. I don’t care whether I marry or not. I’ll never marry for the rest of my life. I’ll go to the temple and become a monk too if I have to!”

“I refuse to let them off like this. Today the Wang family and the village must give me justice, or else I’ll report this to the authorities!”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Lian Ou Side Story 4

It was inconvenient for young ge’er and little girls to enter the temple, so Huiming led Lian Ou and Lian Rong to the southern side gate instead. He sent a little monk to the side room to fetch medicine, then took a basin himself and went to draw warm water so Lian Ou could clean the wound.

Lian Rong hugged Lian Ou’s leg and cried loudly enough to shake the heavens.

“It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t spoken recklessly, Gege wouldn’t have been hit, wu wu wu… Ge, does it hurt…?”

Miao Hexiang could be considered one of the more indulgent parents in the village. Usually she did not restrain Lian Rong’s temperament much, which had spoiled her somewhat into being careless about seniority. But usually in the village, on account of the old Lian family’s face, even if the little girl had a sharp tongue, adults would at most scold her a couple times. At worst, they might pat her head or slap her bottom twice.

This was the first time someone had struck so harshly.

Seeing Lian Rong cry until snot and tears covered her face, Lian Ou felt both exasperated and amused. He sighed helplessly.

“Now you know, don’t you? Not everyone is like the villagers back home. No matter what happens there, people usually won’t truly use such harsh hands. Look at what happens outside. Who’s going to indulge you? From now on, restrain that mouth of yours.”

At the end, he poked Lian Rong’s forehead with one finger.

After saying that, he turned his head and saw that Huiming had returned with water at some point. He was also holding a clean cloth towel, thoughtfully watching the siblings speak.

For some reason, Lian Ou’s face reddened. He felt terribly embarrassed that Huiming had seen him scolding his younger sister.

He awkwardly accepted the items from Huiming’s hands.

“Thank you… Master.”

After hesitating, he added softly,

“This time, although our words were a little sharp, they really were the ones who struck first. They were also the ones trying to force a sale…”

Lian Ou nervously clutched the cloth towel in his hands.

“Master… can you not drive us away?”

His voice was low and humble, soft and weak, completely different from when he had just been lecturing his sister.

Huiming instantly looked away.

“I know you’re not to blame. However…”

He looked toward Lian Rong.

“Your brother is right. In the future, you should still be more careful with your words. You are doing business. Some customers are difficult, but you inevitably have to swallow some anger. Harmony brings wealth.”

With tears still in her eyes, Lian Rong nodded.

Lian Ou hurriedly said they understood.

Huiming said no more and merely sat to the side.

Lian Ou’s injury was under his ear and along his neck, a place he could not see himself. Lian Rong sniffled while dipping the cloth into water and wiping the wound for him.

“Hiss.”

The moment warm water touched the wound, a sharp burning pain flared. Lian Ou sucked in a breath and slapped Lian Rong several times.

“Gentle, gentle, be gentle…”

Off to the side, Huiming, who had been staring at the ground the whole time, quietly turned his back.

After the wound was cleaned, they applied the ointment the little monk brought over.

The ointment had been made by the temple monks themselves. Lian Ou did not know what herbs were used, but it felt cool and soothing when applied.

By the time everything was properly taken care of, Huiming had vanished somewhere. Lian Ou could only thank the little monk.

The little monk waved his hand.

“Patron, there’s no need to be polite. You can take this jar of ointment back and use it. It was prepared by our shishu. It doesn’t scar easily.”

“How can I accept that?”

Lian Ou was rather surprised.

But the little monk said,

“It’s fine. Senior Brother Huiming specifically instructed me. Also, carrying your basket for knot-making back and forth every day is troublesome. Our temple fair will continue for several more days. If you don’t mind, you can also leave the basket in our temple for safekeeping.”

“This… this…”

Lian Ou was truly a bit stunned.

He had been setting up a stall for some time now and had chatted a little with the surrounding vendors. He knew very well that the temple did not offer storage services.

If every stall were allowed to store things there, it would certainly be convenient, especially for those selling food. But then this little temple would not have enough space to hold everything.

A thought suddenly stirred in Lian Ou’s heart.

“This was also something your Senior Brother Huiming instructed?”

The little monk looked perfectly innocent.

“Yes.”

That evening when he returned home, the Lian family was naturally heartbroken after seeing Lian Ou’s injury.

Lian Shi blamed himself even more. If he had obediently accompanied his younger siblings, no one would have dared lay hands on them.

“Tomorrow I’ll go with you. If we run into that old hag again, I’ll break her legs!”

Lian Ou waved his hand.

“The masters at the temple already drove them away and won’t allow people from their village to attend the temple fair. It’s nothing serious. It doesn’t even hurt now.”

Miao Hexiang was terribly distressed. She cleaned the wound again and reapplied medicine, then took the little medicine jar and examined it.

“Where did this medicine come from? It smells quite nice, full of herbal fragrance. But is it suitable for this kind of wound?”

“The temple master gave it to me, so it shouldn’t be bad.”

Lian Ou took the medicine jar back and held it in his hands, looking at it again and again.

Deep into the quiet night, Lian Ou tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

He felt he was overthinking things. The man was a master from the temple. What did it mean for him to speculate about a monk like this?

But Lian Ou was one of the best-looking ge’er in Lantang Village. Since childhood, countless boys had openly or secretly tried to curry favor with him.

When it came to such matters, he was naturally a little sensitive.

Besides, this master… was not very skilled at hiding things.

If Lian Ou softened his voice just slightly, Huiming’s eyes would not know where to look. If he said just a few more words, the tips of Huiming’s ears would turn red.

Any more than that, and the man would no longer be able to bear it and would avoid him.

After testing it out, Lian Ou had gotten his answer.

Then he felt there was something wrong with himself.

Why test a monk?

Even after knowing the answer, what could he do besides satisfy his curiosity?

Now look what had happened. Not only did Huiming feel uncomfortable looking at him, even when Lian Ou glanced at Huiming a few more times, he himself felt rather uncomfortable too.

Fortunately, the Mid-Autumn Festival would soon pass, and the temple fair would end.

Once they no longer saw each other, that awkwardness would probably be washed away by time.

Lian Ou played with the cord in his hands. His skills were growing more and more practiced and refined, and the flawed pieces became fewer and fewer.

In the future, perhaps coming once a month or once every two months would be enough.

However, two days before Mid-Autumn Festival, the wealthy woman who had hit Lian Ou was escorted over by her village head and clan elders to apologize.

The day after the incident, the temple had forbidden anyone from their village to set up stalls at the fair.

That woman’s family was well-off and somewhat respectable in their village, so at first she was unwilling to lower her head. But she could not endure the fact that the entire village had been implicated. People took turns going to her door to curse her out. After hiding for a day, she was finally dragged over today to admit fault.

Lian Ou did not move closer. He only stood on tiptoe behind the crowd to watch the excitement.

Who would have expected that after Huiming exchanged a few words with the village head, too far away for Lian Ou to hear clearly, he suddenly looked in Lian Ou’s direction.

Their gazes happened to meet.

Immediately afterward, Huiming actually brought the people over.

“Apologize to him. From now on, your family is also forbidden from going near his stall.”

Huiming pointed at Lian Ou.

Then he took out a mandarin duck knot.

It was precisely the one that had fallen to the ground during the fight that day, been stepped on several times, stained with dirt, and ruined in appearance.

“Pay compensation.”

The woman bit her lower lip in humiliation and refused to apologize to Lian Ou. She did, however, pull a few coins from her purse and toss them onto the stall before pushing through the crowd and running away.

With a cold expression, Huiming turned to the village head.

“This is unacceptable. Your village still cannot…”

The village head’s face filled with panic. He was about to have someone catch the woman again when Lian Ou hurriedly said,

“Forget it, forget it.”

Having that woman apologize to him already made him feel terribly embarrassed.

But after speaking, he immediately regretted it a little.

What right did he have to interfere with how Huiming managed the temple fair?

Would he ruin Huiming’s rules?

Huiming glanced at him.

“Since the injured party says to forget it, then this will be the only exception.”

The village head let out a huge breath of relief.

Lian Ou also let out a breath of relief.

After the crowd dispersed, Lian Ou thanked Huiming.

Fights and scuffles were common in the countryside. He had seen people double down and refuse to admit fault. He had seen people beg for mercy. He had seen people muddle through and never mention right or wrong again.

But an apology?

Lian Ou had almost never seen one, let alone experienced it.

Everyone cared deeply about face. Asking them to apologize was like asking for their lives.

Now, thanks to Huiming, Lian Ou had nearly experienced it once.

Huiming shook his head, indicating there was no need to mind it, then handed the damaged mandarin duck knot to Lian Ou.

Lian Ou did not know what impulse struck him. Since he felt grateful to Huiming, he wanted to repay him somehow, so he said,

“No need. She already compensated me. If not for you, she wouldn’t have paid at all. Why don’t I give this to you instead…”

After saying that, Lian Ou lowered his head and belatedly noticed the mandarin duck pattern.

A few days ago, he would not have thought anything of it. At most, he would have felt the style was unsuitable and changed it for Huiming.

But now, he had only recently tested Huiming and already formed a guess in his heart, so things suddenly became awkward. Even his ears turned red.

Huiming looked at Lian Ou’s expression and stood there for a long while holding the mandarin duck knot.

In the end, he shook his head and gently placed it back on the stall before turning around and returning to the temple.

“Senior Brother?”

A dozing little monk in the courtyard rubbed his eyes and looked at the sky.

It was still early. Usually Senior Brother watched over the temple fair matters.

Huiming swept past him like the wind, leaving only one sentence behind.

“No need to call me for dinner. I’m going to the main hall to recite scriptures.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Lian Ou Side Story 3

After reciting scriptures in the main hall for over an hour, Huiming began to regret it.

He was hungry.

People truly could not skip meals…

But at this hour, if he went to the dining hall now, he could forget about zongzi and eight-treasure rice. Those half-grown boys had definitely already cleaned everything out.

After hesitating for a while, Huiming sighed and stood up, planning to head to the kitchen and see whether there were leftover plain steamed buns and pickled vegetables he could make do with.

The moment he turned around, however, he saw a half-gray-haired monk enter the main hall. The man had apparently been standing behind him watching for quite some time.

Huiming froze, then awkwardly knelt back down and called out, “Shishu.”

Their little temple actually housed quite a few people, but relationships there were simple.

Very few monks genuinely devoted themselves to Buddhist teachings. Most of the younger monks and novice monks were abandoned infants from nearby villages, ranked among each other according to the order they had been picked up.

Huiming himself was no different.

He had been abandoned at the temple gate as a child. Though recorded under the abbot’s name as a disciple, in truth his shifu and shishu had all taken turns raising him, acting as both father and mother.

In difficult years, when they picked up sickly children, the monks would shamelessly carry them into nearby villages, begging nursing mothers to spare some milk just to keep them alive.

Back then the temple had not been as wealthy as it was now, and they could not even afford compensation. Some women were kind enough to help. Others did not even produce enough milk for their own babies. Whether abandoned children survived depended entirely on fate.

Because of this, Huiming and his fellow disciples respected their masters and uncles deeply.

It was only after Huiming grew older and proved clever that he established the temple fair, gradually improving life in the temple. In recent years, even the younger novice monks had finally been properly raised.

Shishu carried a tray holding half a bowl of eight-treasure rice, two steamed buns, and a small dish of braised soybeans with pickled greens.

He urged Huiming out of the main hall to sit on the steps outside.

“Eat. You can’t go without food just because you’ve got worries. This isn’t like usual. The temple fair lasts until after the Fifth Month Festival. There are still many days left.”

Huiming grinned.

“Shishu still treats me best.”

Without any politeness, he immediately started eating.

Shishu did not ask what troubled him. Instead, he rubbed Huiming’s bald head the same way he had when Huiming was small.

“Shouldn’t I dote on you? In this temple, you’re the most capable one, the sharpest-minded. Without you, we’d still be swallowing bran and wild greens. Little Nine and Little Eleven probably wouldn’t even have survived.”

“I discussed it with your shifu. He’s getting old now. He still cares about temple matters, but he no longer has the energy to manage them.”

“Next year, we plan to hand the temple affairs over to you. Your senior brothers can help from the side, and your shifu will guide you for another year or two. Then the position of abbot can be passed on to you.”

“We old fellows can finally enjoy some peace.”

Huiming still had food in his mouth. Hearing this, his eyes widened so much the rice nearly fell out.

“Shishu, I…”

Shishu waved a hand.

“Don’t refuse. If not you, then who?”

“Take the temple fair for example. Your shifu and I could never learn something like that. We can chant scriptures, sure, but we don’t have the brains for this sort of thing. This temple can’t function without you.”

Huiming slowly chewed the food in his mouth.

Originally he had gone to recite scriptures to calm his emotions. Now he became even quieter.

After a long while, he finally nodded.

The sweet eight-treasure rice had long since turned bland and tasteless from being chewed too long.

Shishu patted his shoulder again.

This time it was no longer the touch used on a child, but the gesture of placing a household’s burden onto the shoulders of its pillar.

“You eat. I’ll go talk with your shifu.”

The abbot was meditating in his Zen room.

Seeing Shishu arrive, he sighed softly.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t pressure the child like this. He never willingly chose to become a monk. Over the years he’s earned so much money for the temple already. That should count as repaying our kindness.”

“If he truly could live the life of an ordinary person…”

Shishu’s face immediately darkened.

“That depends on what kind of life it is. That family, are they good people?”

All the children in the temple had been abandoned at the gates.

The monks never knew which family abandoned which child, but the parents themselves certainly knew.

Especially since there were no children in the temple around Huiming’s age, it became even easier to identify him.

Ever since Huiming took charge of the temple fair, one family had started showing up.

At first they sought out the abbot and Shishu, crying about how they had once been too poor to survive and only then abandoned the child.

Later they secretly sought Huiming out several times too, clinging and pestering him.

Earlier that day, Shishu had seen the couple arrive at the temple fair again, shrinking nervously in a corner while trying to find a chance to speak with Huiming.

Then Huiming had immediately gone into the main hall to recite scriptures.

What other worries could he possibly have?

“That boy’s secretly saved up quite a bit of money over the years. I’m not blaming him for saving money. He earned it himself. We’re the ones who benefited from it.”

“But does that family suddenly want to acknowledge him because their conscience awakened?”

“Isn’t it because of the money in his pocket?”

The temple fair had run for so many years. Everyone knew the temple was wealthy now. Everyone knew Huiming had money.

Shishu grew more and more indignant.

“Once they coax all his savings away, what kind of life will he still have? He’d be better off staying here in the temple.”

“It’s not that I insist on keeping him as a monk. If he found some caring girl or ge’er to marry, had a couple children, and lived a good life, I’d be happier than anyone.”

“But parents who could abandon him back then aren’t worth anything at all!”

“This child never had parents to love him growing up. Of course he longs for parental affection. I’m afraid a few soft words will fool him. I’d rather play the villain myself!”

The abbot frowned.

“You’re a monk. Watch your language.”

Shishu shut his mouth.

Watch his language?

He himself had been abandoned at the temple gate too. He did not know who his parents were.

He possessed no Buddhist wisdom whatsoever.

After studying Buddhist teachings for a lifetime, he still had not learned them properly, nor attained peace.

He simply hated parents like that.

And he simply pitied the children he had raised himself.

The next day when Lian Ou came again, Huiming was nowhere to be seen.

Though he himself had not appeared, he had not broken his promise either. He sent a little novice monk to receive them and gave the siblings, who had arrived bright and early, an exceptionally good stall location.

By the time the Fifth Month Festival ended, most of the decorative knots in the little bundle had sold. They had earned quite a tidy sum.

Lian Ou was especially happy. Carrying the money pouch, he went to settle accounts with Shen Qing, his little face flushed with excitement.

“Every first and fifteenth day of the month there’s a temple fair. Even though they only last one day instead of several during major festivals, it’s perfect for clearing out the flawed pieces I make. From now on I’m going every month!”

Now that his hands had become much more practiced, fatigue was unavoidable.

Shen Qing did not really care about the small profits.

Still, seeing that after just a few days of setting up stalls, Lian Ou seemed entirely different, speaking louder, standing straighter, even daring to meet people’s eyes while talking, he felt quite pleased.

So he encouraged him even more to make his own decisions and also taught him how to keep accounts.

“You decide for yourself. But calculate your time carefully too. Running a stall takes an entire day. Don’t end up earning less than you would from working at home. That would be more loss than gain.”

Lian Ou tilted his head thoughtfully.

“I can bring my work over there. Business isn’t constant anyway. When there are no customers, I can keep making knots. And when customers come, Rong-jie can help receive them.”

Shen Qing gave the same answer as always.

“You decide for yourself.”

Lian Ou calculated things carefully on his own and felt there was no problem.

After returning home, he found a little basket to hold scissors and thread. Next time he brought it along.

Decorative knotting was fairly complicated. By now he counted as skilled labor. His fingers flew so quickly others could not even see the process before a knot was finished. He was not afraid anyone would steal the technique.

Working while minding the stall saved a great deal of time.

Unexpectedly though, it also led to trouble.

Mid-Autumn Festival was another major celebration.

Starting from the tenth day of the eighth month, Miaoqian Village grew lively again.

Lian Ou still arrived early as always, found the novice monk, secured a good stall position, and continued working while minding the stall.

But a wealthy-looking village woman, dressed rather extravagantly by countryside standards and clearly from a rich household, became fixated on a pair of mandarin duck knots Lian Ou was currently weaving.

Naturally, Lian Ou refused.

“All these knots are made for my employer. Our employer owns Cuihua Shop in the northern district of the county town, right beside the blooming sausage shop.”

“If Auntie wants mandarin duck knots, there are ready-made ones in the shop.”

“The items here at my stall all have flaws and can’t be sold in the shop, so my employer lets me clear them out at the market.”

“The one in my hands is a good piece. I can’t sell it.”

The items sold in the county shop and the countryside temple fair were obviously priced differently.

If the woman truly wanted to buy from the county shop, she would already have done so.

So the wealthy auntie said,

“You child are too rigid. Once the item’s in your hands, if you don’t say whether it’s good or flawed, how would your employer know?”

“I’ll give you ten extra copper coins. Make me a pair of matching red mandarin duck knots. You can secretly keep the extra ten coins for yourself, can’t you?”

Lian Ou did not want to argue with her further.

After rummaging through his stall for a while, he found two flawed mandarin duck knots.

“If Auntie really wants them, you can take these.”

The wealthy auntie rolled her eyes disdainfully.

“My family is marrying off a daughter. How could we use flawed goods? What if her married life turns unlucky later?”

“You just make me a pair of bright red ones. Red means flourishing fortune. I should be thanking you.”

“Then Auntie can go buy them in the county town. I only sell flawed pieces here.”

“How can you be this stubborn?”

“I’ll give you fifteen extra coins, alright? How much can your employer possibly pay you? Those bosses are all black-hearted anyway. If you can take advantage, why not take advantage…”

She could insult anything else, but once she dragged Shen Qing into it, Lian Rong exploded like a little firecracker.

“Who are you calling black-hearted? My Qing-ge isn’t black-hearted at all! You’re the greedy one! You don’t want to spend proper money but still want good stuff. Dream on!”

“We already said we won’t sell it! Are you forcing a cow to drink water by shoving its head down?”

Lian Ou’s expression darkened too. He tossed the half-finished mandarin duck knot into his basket and stood up.

“We’re not doing this business anymore.”

The wealthy auntie had wasted so much effort arguing, only for this ge’er and little girl to remain stubborn as rocks in a latrine pit. The surrounding vendors had already begun watching the spectacle.

Unable to save face anymore, she glared furiously at Lian Rong.

“Who are you calling names, little brat? Watch your mouth!”

By the time Huiming arrived, Lian Ou was shielding Lian Rong. One side of his face already bore a slap mark, and two bloody scratches ran across his neck.

“What is going on here?!”

Huiming’s face turned black.

Nearby spectators quickly explained the situation.

“She came with her sisters-in-law. Four or five grown women surrounding one ge’er and an eight- or nine-year-old girl and beating them.”

“Whether the business deal works out or not is another matter, but hitting children really isn’t human.”

The wealthy woman argued back,

“That little brat started mouthing off first!”

“But the kid wasn’t wrong! You wanted to pay street-stall prices for county-shop goods. Isn’t that greed?”

“If the child spoke badly, you could’ve scolded her back. Why hit people?”

…

Huiming signaled with his eyes.

Several junior monks immediately surrounded the wealthy woman’s family with monk staffs, driving them away.

The temple fair had operated for many years now. Troublemakers had appeared before, and procedures for handling them were already established.

First the offenders would be expelled.

Starting the next day, nobody from their village would be allowed to set up stalls at the fair.

Only when the village head personally brought the troublemakers to apologize and guarantee proper punishment according to village rules would the matter be considered resolved.

Their temple housed forty or fifty grown men young and old. With staffs in hand, who were they supposed to fear?

Meanwhile, Lian Ou nervously covered his neck, terrified Huiming would chase him away too and forbid him from setting up stalls anymore.

He feared disappointing Qing-ge.

Huiming bent down and picked up the mandarin duck knot that had been stepped on during the scuffle. Brushing dirt off it, he handed it back to Lian Ou.

His gaze swept once over the hand covering Lian Ou’s neck.

Then again.

“It’s hot weather. If the wound’s broken open, it needs treatment quickly. Come with me. Our temple has medicinal herbs.”

The burning sting on his neck hurt terribly, and Lian Ou truly was frightened.

If the woman’s fingernails had not been clean, the wound might really rot.

In these times, nobody knew what tiny illness or injury might suddenly take a person’s life.

He answered softly and obediently followed behind Huiming, still uneasy.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Previous

Two Years Later

Two years later, in the height of summer, it was once again time for the winter wheat harvest.

The weather was clear that day, with not a cloud in the sky.

Early in the morning, imperial guards had already sealed off the roads from Zuque Avenue outside the palace gates all the way to the southern districts of the capital. Archers were hidden on the second floors and rooftops of many inns and teahouses along the route.

When the common people saw such an imposing display, they immediately knew something important was happening.

“Officer, what’s going on today?” an older man asked anxiously, carrying two baskets suspended from a shoulder pole. “I need to get through.”

The guard holding a spear glanced at him.

“Don’t ask questions. The roads will reopen later.”

“When will that be?” the man protested. “I still need to get to the market to do business!”

“I don’t know. Just wait for now,” the guard replied.

Many people who heard that the area was under lockdown came over out of curiosity. Unable to find out what was happening, they could only wait expectantly.

---

Outside the palace gates, the commander of the Imperial Guards rode at the front atop a magnificent horse, leading the procession.

Behind him marched rows upon rows of Imperial Guards clad in armor, carrying spears and bows, escorting the bright yellow imperial carriage as it slowly exited the palace.

Following the emperor’s carriage were the carriages of civil and military officials, led by Prime Minister Shen.

Today was the emperor’s day to inspect the realm.

This activity had been proposed by Regent Lu Huaizhou, who wanted the young emperor to witness the flourishing prosperity of Great Sheng with his own eyes, observe the lives of the common people, and gain a better understanding of their circumstances.

Initially, many officials had opposed the idea out of concern for the emperor’s safety. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. However, Lu Huaizhou had overcome all objections, and since the young emperor himself had been eager to leave the palace and see the world outside, the proposal was ultimately approved.

They wouldn’t be traveling far today, only touring the areas surrounding the capital.

---

This was the first time the young emperor had left the palace since he was old enough to remember, and he was extremely excited.

At fourteen years old, traces of childishness still lingered on his face, but he had already cultivated a steady and composed demeanor. His performance in court had also become increasingly capable and mature.

Yet this was still his very first trip outside the palace.

No matter how hard he tried to remain dignified, the bright excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide. At this moment, the youthful spirit within him was fully exposed.

From the instant they passed through the palace gates, his gaze had remained fixed on the carriage window.

Whenever the curtains fluttered in the breeze, he would peer through the gaps to take in everything outside.

The roads.

The buildings lining both sides of the street.

The commoners kneeling as soldiers held them back.

Tilting his head slightly, he curiously observed the scenery, so utterly different from the world inside the palace.

Everything fascinated him.

If Regent Lu Huaizhou hadn’t been sitting right beside him, he would probably have pressed himself against the window to look outside.

The imperial carriage was pulled by six horses, making the ride remarkably stable.

The spacious interior contained seating on three sides, with a small tea table placed in the center.

Eunuch Wu knelt nearby, attentively preparing tea.

The young emperor glanced at Lu Huaizhou.

Seeing that the Regent was quietly reading a book, the emperor cautiously stretched his neck a little farther, hoping to glimpse more of the outside world.

---

After some time, the carriage came to a stop.

The curtains fell back into place, blocking the emperor’s curious gaze.

“We’ve arrived at the Regent’s residence,” Lu Huaizhou said after lifting the curtain to take a look outside.

At that moment, a voice sounded from beyond the carriage.

“Your subject, Jiang Ji, respectfully greets Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s eyes lit up immediately.

“Beloved minister, please come aboard!”

The front curtain was drawn aside.

Jiang Ji entered with a smile, dressed in simple blue robes. He bowed with clasped hands.

“Your Majesty.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Jiang Ji sat down opposite them and exchanged a glance with Lu Huaizhou.

The two smiled at each other.

The emperor noticed keenly that after Duke Chang boarded the carriage, the Regent set aside the book he had been reading.

From that moment on, all of Lu Huaizhou’s attention was fixed entirely on Jiang Ji.

Jiang Ji noticed how curious the emperor was about the outside world, constantly peeking toward the carriage window. Reaching over, he simply pushed the curtain aside and hooked it onto the fastening hook, opening up a broad view outside.

“Is this Your Majesty’s first time leaving the palace?” Jiang Ji asked.

The emperor’s eyes immediately lit up. He looked gratefully at Jiang Ji and nodded.

“Yes. This is my first time leaving the palace.”

“Then this humble official will boldly serve as Your Majesty’s tour guide today.”

“I’ll have to trouble Duke Chang then.”

Smiling, Jiang Ji began introducing everything to him.

“Right now we’re traveling along Zuque Avenue. Most of the residences along this stretch belong to princes and high-ranking officials. This one here is Duke Chang’s residence. Across from it is the former Prince Xin’s Manor, which is currently vacant…”

“…That building just now was Jubao Pavilion, the capital’s finest jewelry store. Because security is tight today, there aren’t many people around. Normally, it’s much busier.

See that uncle over there? He sells sugar figurines. The person beside him sells small toys…”

The emperor asked curiously, “What does that shop sell?”

“That’s a cosmetics shop.”

“And that one?”

“That one sells the Four Treasures of the Study.”

Along the way, Jiang Ji introduced the various things sold on the streets, the shops, and the people they passed. The emperor listened with great interest. Everything outside was novel and fascinating to him, and every now and then, he would ask another question.

Lu Huaizhou watched Jiang Ji with a gentle expression as he patiently explained everything to the emperor.

Once they passed through the southern city gate, Jiang Ji began talking about the daily lives of ordinary people and the seasonal vegetables and fruits grown in the fields.

This time, they were heading to inspect a village south of the capital. After traveling by carriage for nearly an hour, they finally arrived.

It was a small village Lu Huaizhou had selected at random.

Jiang Ji stepped down from the carriage first, followed by the young emperor, with Lu Huaizhou descending last.

The village had already been notified of their visit, and government soldiers had conducted security inspections beforehand.

The emperor himself had arrived, accompanied by the Regent, Duke Chang, and numerous high officials. The villagers were understandably terrified. The village chief led the entire village in kneeling by the roadside to welcome the imperial procession.

The emperor instructed them to rise, looking curiously at the villagers.

Lu Huaizhou addressed the village chief.

“Go attend to your work. This is precisely the season for harvesting wheat, so make good use of your time. We’ll only look around for a while and then leave. You don’t need to concern yourselves with us.”

The village chief nodded repeatedly and led the villagers away to fetch their farming tools and continue harvesting the wheat.

The emperor curiously surveyed everything before him.

An endless sea of golden stalks stretched across the landscape. As the wind swept through, the wheat swayed like waves upon the ocean.

The entire field seemed to be planted with a single crop.

The emperor guessed that this must be wheat. Farther away, he noticed patches of lush green fields that he assumed contained various vegetables.

He had never seen anything like it before.

Filled with curiosity, he asked Jiang Ji,

“Duke Chang, is this wheat?”

Standing beside the emperor, Jiang Ji nodded.

“Yes. This is winter wheat. It was planted last September and is now ready for harvest.”

Pleased that he had guessed correctly, the emperor climbed down from the road and hopped onto the raised field ridge. Moving closer to inspect the wheat, he saw golden heads of grain, full and heavy with kernels, their tips crowned with long awns.

“When is spring wheat harvested?” the emperor asked again.

Jiang Ji replied,

“Spring wheat is generally planted around March and can be harvested a little over a month later.”

The emperor looked puzzled.

“If winter wheat takes so long to grow, why don’t people just plant spring wheat instead?”

Jiang Ji smiled as he explained,

“Your Majesty, although winter wheat has a longer growing cycle, its yields are generally much higher than those of spring wheat, and its quality is better as well. In other words, it tastes better.

Spring wheat is more suitable for colder northern regions, where winters are too harsh to grow anything at the moment.

Here, after winter wheat is harvested, farmers can plant another crop before sowing again, such as sweet potatoes, corn, beans, and other crops. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. This allows them to make more efficient use of their land and increase household income.”

“I see.” The emperor finally understood and began walking deeper into the fields.

The civil and military officials also dismounted from their carriages and followed behind the emperor, touring the farmland while listening to Jiang Ji’s explanations.

After passing through a vast expanse of wheat fields, they arrived at a watermelon patch, where numerous large watermelons could be seen hidden among the vines.

The emperor exclaimed in delight, “I know this one! This is watermelon!”

“That’s right.” Jiang Ji nodded with a smile. “This variety is called Qilin melon. It has a very thin rind.”

The emperor crouched down to inspect them carefully.

“So this is what watermelon vines look like.”

Jiang Ji crouched beside him and pointed to two flowers on the vines.

“Your Majesty, can you tell what the difference is between these two flowers?”

The emperor examined them closely and noticed the distinction.

“This flower has a stalk in the center, but this one doesn’t.”

“Correct. The flower with the pistil is the female flower, while the other is the male flower.” Jiang Ji plucked the male flower, removed its petals, and gently brushed it against the female flower’s pistil several times. “This is called pollination. Most watermelons require manual pollination.”

The emperor curiously tried it himself.

“But aren’t there bees that do pollination?”

“Manual pollination can increase the fruit-setting rate,” Jiang Ji explained. “If you rely solely on bees and butterflies, some flowers may be missed.”

The emperor understood, and so did the officials gathered around them.

Most of these ministers had never seen such things before either, and they felt their horizons expanding.

Next, the emperor examined many different vegetables and fruits. When they reached the sweet potato field, Jiang Ji dug into the soil around the roots so the emperor could see the small sweet potatoes growing underground. Then they visited the cornfield. The corn had already formed ears, though they were not yet ready to eat…

The emperor was fascinated by everything he saw and deeply impressed by Jiang Ji’s vast knowledge.

When he saw villagers harvesting wheat, he even tried doing it himself and chatted with some of the villagers. Before long, he was sweating profusely and his lower back had begun to ache.

“So farming truly is hard work,” the emperor remarked with emotion.

Jiang Ji nodded.

“Farmers have difficult lives. They work with their faces toward the yellow earth and their backs toward the sky. When the weather is favorable, things are manageable. But if extreme weather strikes, they may lose their entire harvest, and several months of labor will have been for nothing.”

Looking across the land and at the villagers toiling in the fields, the emperor felt a subtle stirring in his heart. At last, he began to understand some of the hardships endured by ordinary people.

And this was already after grain yields had doubled.

A few years ago, before Jiang Ji had introduced new crop varieties, farmers harvested even less. Many people could not even eat their fill, and every winter, countless people starved to death.

The emperor had heard that many of the young eunuchs serving around him had originally come from families that simply could not afford to feed them. Sending them into the palace as eunuchs had at least given them a chance to survive.

Soon afterward, the group climbed a nearby hill.

Standing atop the mountain, gazing into the distance, everyone felt a sense of awe.

Below them stretched thousands of acres of fertile farmland. Golden wheat swayed like ocean waves beneath the breeze. In the fields, fruits hung heavily from branches, while vegetables and melons flourished abundantly.

As they looked out over the land, they felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.

Over the past two years, new rice varieties, new wheat varieties, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and many other new crops, along with all kinds of novel vegetables, had spread throughout the entire Great Sheng Dynasty.

Farmers’ grain production had doubled. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn had become staple foods on ordinary dining tables. Granaries across the empire were full. The people no longer went hungry, and meals now featured an increasing variety of vegetables. During winter, people could even wear cotton clothing made from harvested cotton.

In just a few short years, Great Sheng had undergone earth-shaking transformation.

And all of it had been brought about by Jiang Ji.

Everyone could not help but turn their eyes toward Jiang Ji, who stood before them dressed in simple blue cloth robes.

The young emperor thought to himself:

Jiang Ji truly is a man of extraordinary talent.

The officials all shared the same sentiment:

Duke Chang is indeed worthy of such honor!

Then their gazes shifted to Lu Huaizhou, who stood beside Jiang Ji dressed in a black qilin robe.

The Regent truly deserves his reputation. His foresight was exceptional. He really did choose the very best person.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

The peach trees planted at the Regent’s residence had finally borne fruit.

Since it was their first year producing peaches, the harvest was not large.

That afternoon, Jiang Ji went to inspect them and carefully picked a basketful.

That evening after dinner, the entire family sat together to taste the sweet peaches.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou each held a fruit peeler, skillfully peeling peaches. The peelers had been exchanged through Jiang Ji’s system, and the kitchen staff absolutely loved them because they made peeling so convenient.

Staring at the peach in Jiang Ji’s hand, Jiang Nan said,

“This is so much bigger than the peaches back in our village. Does that mean it’s sweeter too?”

Jiang Bei added,

“Look how red the skin is. It has to be sweeter than the ones we used to have at home.”

The peaches in their hometown had all been wild peaches, each one smaller than an egg. Many were quite sour, and only the very red ones were sweet. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. But back then, food had been scarce in the village. Usually, the peaches would be picked clean long before they had a chance to fully ripen.

After peeling a peach, Jiang Ji handed it to Zhao Ru.

Seeing Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei staring eagerly at it, Zhao Ru passed it to Jiang Nan.

Soon afterward, Lu Huaizhou finished peeling his peach and simply handed it to Jiang Bei.

The two little boys happily began eating.

Jiang Ji continued peeling more peaches and asked,

“Well? Are they sweet?”

Crunching noisily, Jiang Nan nodded contentedly.

“They’re much sweeter than the peaches from our village! And they’re so crisp.”

Jiang Bei nodded as well, holding up his peach for everyone to see.

“The pit comes right out too! It’s really delicious.”

Jiang Xia glanced over and said,

“Save the pits. We can plant them in the courtyard later.”

“There isn’t any room left in the courtyard,” Jiang Ji replied while quickly peeling another peach and handing it to Jiang Xia. “The apple trees have grown too much already.”

Their courtyard contained two apple trees that were still young, but once fully grown, they would take up quite a bit of space.

Jiang Xia accepted the peach from her brother and took a bite.

Her eyes immediately lit up.

It really was much tastier than the peaches they used to eat.

“It’s such a shame to just throw away the pits when the peaches are this good,” she said regretfully.

Jiang Nan, always quick-thinking, said,

“Then give them to Xiang’er and her family! They don’t have any fruit trees in their courtyard yet.”

“That works,” Jiang Xia agreed. “I’ll give them to Xiang’er tomorrow. Don’t throw away any of the peach pits.”

Soon, everyone had tasted the first harvest of sweet peaches.

“This one looks a bit different from that one,” Jiang Nan observed as he started on his second peach.

“Mm. Different varieties,” Jiang Ji explained.

He wanted to cultivate honey peaches in the future, so he had planted several different peach varieties to provide more options for grafting later on.

Originally, he had simply wanted to see how fruits from his previous world would adapt to this one.

Now that he had tasted them, he found that they were already excellent.

These were all premium varieties developed by experts in his previous life, and they had adapted remarkably well here.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Ji recalled that in his previous life, there had been a famous peach-producing region near the capital.

He said,

“How about we find a place to grow peach trees? We could establish a peach orchard.”

Jiang Nan immediately nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Yes!”

That way, he would have plenty of peaches to eat every year.

Zhao Ru looked surprised.

“Where would you plant them? Up in the mountains? Wouldn’t that require clearing the hills?”

“Not necessarily. Gentle slopes would work fine,” Jiang Ji explained before turning to Lu Huaizhou. “What do you think?”

Lu Huaizhou had always supported whatever Jiang Ji wanted to do.

Their family had enough resources now.

“That sounds fine. You can do whatever you want.”

Jiang Ji’s lips curved into a smile.

Since he had made up his mind, Jiang Ji spent the next day researching information through his system.

On the third day, he brought Lu Jiu and Lu Wen with him and headed outside the city to investigate locations.

In his previous life, there had been a particularly famous peach-growing region near the capital. Entire counties had been covered with peach orchards. He had visited with friends before to pick peaches, and the sight of mountains blanketed with peach trees had left a deep impression on him.

The area was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with ideal climate conditions, abundant water resources, excellent sunlight exposure, and fertile soil, all perfectly suited for peach cultivation.

It had produced some of the most famous peach varieties.

Jiang Ji led Lu Jiu and Lu Wen directly to this area.

In Great Sheng, the corresponding location belonged to Changgu County under Jizhou Prefecture, approximately an hour’s ride from the capital.

After arriving, Jiang Ji surveyed the area.

The county’s population was relatively small, with villages scattered across the landscape.

There was also a considerable amount of uncultivated wasteland.

He selected two large plots of unused land before heading to the county office to purchase them.

Previously, Jiang Ji had visited this area to promote new wheat varieties. The county magistrate had met him once before and recognized him as Duke Chang.

The magistrate was thrilled.

Upon learning that Jiang Ji wanted to purchase wasteland, he immediately summoned officials from the land registry and personally accompanied Jiang Ji to inspect the land. They marked boundaries and established property markers.

The purchase included two large tracts of wasteland as well as several acres of fertile farmland.

Half of the farmland would be used to cultivate seedlings.

The other half would allow estate workers to grow wheat and vegetables for their own subsistence.

Once the land had been surveyed and designated, the magistrate had his staff work overtime that very evening to complete all the necessary paperwork.

Jiang Ji and his group stayed overnight before returning to the capital the following day with the land deeds.

Establishing a peach orchard was a long-term endeavor.

It would take at least three years.

Jiang Ji selected an estate steward from among those managing his family’s various properties.

He then visited a labor agency and hired experienced agricultural workers, instructing Lu Shun to bring them all to Changgu County.

Jiang Ji had Lu Shun rent housing for the workers in a nearby town.

The rest of the work would be delegated to them.

They needed to establish an estate on the wasteland and hire local villagers to clear and prepare the land.

The following spring, they would begin cultivating seedlings.

Another year would be required to fully reclaim the land.

Jiang Ji had finally come to appreciate the advantages of wealth, status, and having capable people under one’s command.

Once he established objectives and requirements, there would naturally be people to carry them out.

With Lu Shun overseeing the estate construction and land development, Jiang Ji remained at home organizing detailed cultivation guides for peach trees.

These would later be distributed to the estate managers for study.

After dealing with all these matters, Jiang Ji finally allowed himself a period of genuine rest at home.

When he had free time, he designed textile patterns and new Yun brocade motifs.

He also began compiling cultivation manuals for various fruit trees.

Promoting staple crops had been about ensuring that people had enough to eat.

Common vegetables and fruits helped diversify the dining table.

Once these had spread throughout Great Sheng, he could gradually focus on cultivating various fruit trees.

It would be a lengthy process.

Especially for fruit trees that required years before bearing fruit.

There was no rushing such things.

As autumn arrived, regions across the empire gradually entered harvest season.

In areas that cultivated rice, the new rice varieties had been fully implemented, and farmers enjoyed abundant harvests. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Spring wheat also began to be harvested, and county governments found the collection of imperial grain taxes proceeding more smoothly than ever before.

This year, corn and sweet potatoes had spread to even more areas, and an increasing number of farmers had begun cultivating cotton.

In Changping County, because Jiang Ji had previously discussed it with the magistrate, cotton had been planted extensively. Many merchants from neighboring counties came to Changping to purchase cotton, only to discover that many of the wealthy local households weren’t selling theirs at all. Instead, they were stockpiling it.

The merchants were puzzled.

When they asked, no one gave them an explanation.

Not only were these households refusing to sell, but they were also buying up even more cotton to store away.

Shortly after the cotton harvest was completed, Jiang Ji fulfilled his promise.

Meng Dahai received word from Jiang Ji informing him that the blueprints for the textile machinery could finally be given to the county magistrate.

The magistrate immediately issued a public announcement:

Any resident of Changping County interested in entering the textile industry could receive a copy of the textile machine blueprints distributed by Duke Chang from the county office.

Before long, four or five textile workshops sprang up almost overnight.

Their factories had already been prepared in advance.

Once the machines were built and installed, workers from Duke Chang’s textile mill were even sent to teach them how to operate the equipment.

Very quickly, they began hiring workers and starting production.

Only then did the merchants who had come to buy cotton realize:

The reason these people had refused to sell their cotton was because they intended to open textile workshops of their own.

Over the past two years, the cotton fabric produced by Jiang Ji’s textile mills had consistently fallen short of demand and had become extremely popular among ordinary people.

Their cotton cloth was now being sold even in neighboring provinces.

The people of Changping County felt this change most deeply.

It wasn’t unusual to see crowds of merchants gathered outside Jiang Textile Shop, all competing to place orders and secure inventory.

They didn’t just compete for fabric that had already been produced.

They even reserved fabric that hadn’t yet come off the looms.

They would buy up any remaining stock in the shops as well.

As a result, despite being locals, the people of Changping County often couldn’t buy cotton fabric without placing advance orders and asking the shopkeepers to reserve some for them.

The success of Jiang Ji’s cotton business gave everyone hope.

Especially the patriarchs of the four major families who had previously heard Jiang Ji speak about his development plans for Changping County.

They were already more business-minded than most people and possessed considerably greater resources.

Naturally, they wanted to establish an early foothold in this growing market.

The Lin Family, originally merchants dealing in grain and oil, established a textile workshop while maintaining their existing businesses.

Lin Patriarch quickly realized that cloth woven using the machines developed by Duke Chang was simply softer and of higher quality than traditional fabric.

He didn’t overextend himself by attempting complicated patterns.

Instead, he focused on producing basic solid-colored fabrics, especially white, gray, blue-gray, and dark blue, which sold best.

The Zhang Family had been involved in the textile industry for many years and possessed greater expertise in this field.

They replaced all their old machinery with the new equipment.

During trial production, watching the cotton gin rapidly separate cotton from seeds and seeing one spinning machine perform the work of eight people, Zhang Patriarch couldn’t help but feel admiration.

No wonder Duke Chang’s workshops could produce so much fabric every month.

As these new textile workshops opened, many people in Changping County, especially women, gained employment.

As ordinary people’s incomes increased, their lives gradually improved as well.

Jiang Ji’s textile business inevitably experienced some impact.

However, there remained a massive shortage across the national market.

Since they maintained a leading position within Changping County itself, they had little to fear.

Moreover, their brand had already become well established.

Their business had expanded into other provinces.

They weren’t particularly worried about competition from the newly opened workshops.

Just as the silk industry flourished in Jiangnan, Changping’s textile industry was developing with equal vigor and prosperity.

Receiving letters from his hometown in Changping and learning that everything there was progressing smoothly, Jiang Ji smiled with satisfaction.

The silk factories in Ningzhou were also nearing completion.

Yun Brocade would soon enter production.

The family’s three restaurants remained packed with customers every day, business thriving.

Vegetable promotion efforts in the capital had gone remarkably well this year.

Next year, they could consider opening another hot pot restaurant.

Construction had already begun on the peach orchard outside the capital.

All that remained was planting the seedlings next spring.

Jiang Ji lifted his gaze and looked ahead.

The entire garden was overflowing with blooming flowers.

Guests filled every seat around them.

Jiang Xia, dressed in a pale pink gown, stood gracefully on the platform like a lotus blossom just beginning to bloom.

Elegant and radiant, she was currently receiving her coming-of-age ceremony (jiji).

Zhao Ru, clothed in luxurious brocade and smiling warmly, carefully inserted an exquisite hairpin into Jiang Xia’s hair.

Nearby, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei were no longer the dark, skinny little monkeys they had once been.

They had grown into tall, handsome young men.

Then Jiang Ji turned to look beside him.

The tall, handsome man holding his hand had lowered his gaze toward him.

A smile played at the corners of Lu Huaizhou’s lips, his eyes filled with tenderness and unwavering affection.

His career had succeeded.

His family stood beside him.

The person he loved remained at his side.

Jiang Ji tightened his grip on Lu Huaizhou’s hand and returned him a bright, brilliant smile.

The sky was vast and clear.

The sun shone warmly beneath a gentle breeze.

And the days to come would only continue to grow better.

(End of Main Story)

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