The wound on Liu Tong's forehead started to develop a scab on the 10th day of the first lunar month, and the villagers began to get busy at the same time. Apart from the imperial examination, Xu Ran's plan for this year was to create a new house and buy a piece of land on the mountain to grow fruit trees.
His most pressing issue at the moment was a lack of money. His silver savings were enough to buy a plot of land on the top of a mountain, but there weren't many fruit trees on the mountains here, so he'd have to go somewhere else to get them, which could be expensive. As a result, they were unable to build a new home at this time.
Xu Ran was a little upset. He wondered how he could make more money?
In spring, there were mushrooms and bamboo shoots in the mountains, which could be sold for money. In addition, there were wild ferns. However, it seemed that not many people bought them, but if dried, they were worth more.
What else could be planted if mountains were not purchased? With his chin cupped in his hands, Xu Ran sat at the door, lost in thought. The wind was blowing and he was shivering from the cold. Xu Ran was sitting at the door when Liu Tong came out of the house. "Ran, why are you sitting at the door? Aren't you cold" he inquired.
"Tongtong, I'm thinking about how to make money!" Xu Ran shivered and stood up to hold Liu Tong in his arms. You can see that I'll be taking the imperial examination this year, and we'll be building a new home. And maybe you're following in your family's footsteps. We'll have to invite someone to look after our baby, but I won't be able to do that if I don't have any money."
Xu Ran felt quite down, which made Liu Tong feel sad and started to blame himself for being useless.
Seeing that Liu Tong was silent, Xu Ran realized that he had said something improper. He then changed the topic and asked, "Tongtong, what fruit do you like to eat the most?"
"Fruit?" Liu Tong was confused.
"It's something like cherries, strawberries and pears. They are called fruits."
"Cherry and strawberry," Liu Tong replied after a brief pause. They're a bright red color. "You'll get hungry just looking at them." Strawberry! Xu Ran's eyes glowed brightly. Strawberry was a simple plant to grow, and he didn't need to buy mountains to do so. They could be grown right in the field.
He recalled seeing vast strawberry plants in other people's fields in modern times, which he found enticing, not to mention the fact that the fruit could help solve the problem of eating and drinking while still making money by selling it.
There was no specific season limit for planting strawberries, as long as there was plenty of sunlight and water in the soil. Xu Ran considered buying a few acres of fields to plant strawberries. He estimated that if the seedlings were planted this year, they would bear fruits this same year.
Xu Ran happily shared his thoughts with Liu Tong. Of course, Liu Tong supported Xu Ran in any way he did. He said smilingly, "Ran, go ahead. I support you no matter what."
"Hmm, Tongtong, then we don't build a new house first. You keep 100 taels of silver first and with the rest of the money, I'll go and buy fields and strawberry seedlings."
"Okay." Liu Tong nodded and then both of them entered the house together.
All of their family's deposits were cash silvers, and there were also a number of copper coins, in addition to the two hundred taels of silver notes paid by Mr. Chen previously. As a result, they were simple to use. Liu Tong had a hundred taels silver note in his pocket, and after a second thought, he took out ten taels of copper coins. The remainder of the money was then given to Xu Ran.
Xu Ran did not take all of them, but only took the other silver note of one hundred taels, "Keep them well first. This silver note is enough for me to buy the land I need. I'll go to ask Zhuo Yun for help to buy the strawberry seedlings. It should be a lot cheaper."
"All right. Just follow your idea."
In the afternoon, it started to rain. Xu Ran's plan to go to the town had to be put off. At this time, the village head was probably busy in the field. The rain in the spring was valuable and the land was the hope of a farmer's life. Naturally, it was normal for farmers to work in the fields this time.
Xu Ran had little else to do, so he returned to his study. He had memorized all of the books he had bought. In a few days, he decided to go to town and buy a few more books so that he would be well prepared for his upcoming imperial examination. The rain continued for a few days. Despite the fact that it was just a light storm, the ground was completely saturated. Inside, people had to walk in the rain.
It was just potato planting season. The harvests of the potatoes planted now, unlike those planted in the winter, were not only different in quantity but also in scale. The rain didn't end until the 14th of the first lunar month, at noon. The potatoes had been well prepared at home, and the ash had been stored in the pit, ready to be used as plant fertilizer.
As a result, their fieldwork started. Liu Tong dug a pit, Guoguo planted potato seeds in it, Tangtang added ash as a fertilizer, and Xu Ran finally filled it with earth. The family had completed two mu of potato planting work after two days of hard work. Xu Ran and Liu Tong were fine, but Tangtang and Guoguo were fully spent.
It was the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month. In order to make it up to the two children, Xu Ran planned to take them to the town. In this era, during the Lantern Festival, people at most put on some lanterns, and sold some new and interesting gadgets, apart from which, there was nothing enjoyable. Tangtang and Guoguo were young, after all, they felt everything there was fresh.
Wu Mei's and the other families had also planned to visit the town on that day. To get all of the representatives into town, the ox-cart had to go back and forth twice. Thinking it would be too late to return, and the ox-cart would be inconvenient to drive twice. When Xu Ran arrived in town, he decided to rent another ox cart so that everyone could return home at the same time.
It was not cheap to rent an ox cart, especially when it needed to work at night. Xu Ran had to pay 50 copper coins for it, but he didn't mind it because it was only a case once a year.
When they arrived at the town, the four families went separated. Xu Ran planned to take Liu Tong and the children to visit Zhuo Yun. Since Zhuo Yun had gone to pay him a New Year's visit, he had to call on him anyway. After all, he still needed his help.
Xu Ran brought with him potatoes and chili paste to Zhuo Yun.
Xu Ran and his family went to Zhuo Yun's seed shop first because they didn't know where Zhuo Yun lived. It was still light outside when they arrived, and they arrived just in time to see the shopkeeper closing the door.
"Hey, sir, why do you close the door so early today?"
The shopkeeper turned around and saw it was Xu Ran. He smiled and greeted, "Hello, Mr. Xu! Have you ever seen any customer come to buy seeds in the evening, let alone the Lantern Festival today?"
After being lectured, Xu Ran replied modestly, "You're right."
Xu Ran asked again, "Yes, sir, are you going home? Could you show me to visit Mr. Zhuo? I'd like to send him New Year's greetings.
"I'm going back to the Zhou Mansion right now. You can go with me! My master has been very happy and in high spirit all over the past few days," said the shopkeeper. He also could not hide the joy on his face.
"Okay, great. Thank you, sir."
Xu Ran and his family thus went to the Zhuo Mansion with the shopkeeper. Zhuo Yun was really happy. Upon knowing Xu Ran's coming, he was grinning from ear to ear. Before Zhuo Yun told him, Xu Ran guessed the reason. It must be because Qin Shuwen's problem had been solved.
After being informed by the servant, Zhuo Yun came to the gate to meet Xu Ran in person. As soon as they met, Zhuo Yun said, "Bro Xu, here you are! If you don't come, I'll go to you. I'll tell you that I'll..."
"Don't worry about it. I didn't come alone. My spouse and children are all here. Do you want to keep them standing there?" Before Zhuo Yun could finish his sentence, Xu Ran interrupted him. Xu Ran was aware that he was going to mention Qin Shuwen, but Liu Tong had previously expressed his displeasure with him for doing so. He wouldn't be so stupid as to repeat the same mistake.
Until then, Zhuo Yun noticed the people behind Xu Ran. He had seen Liu Tong, Tangtang and Guoguo before, so he apologized to Liu Tong, "Hello, Brother Liu, I'm sorry."
Liu Tong felt that his intimate appellation was quite sickening, but it was not good to show it directly, so he just pulled Xu Ran's clothes.
Having lived together for so long, Xu Ran understood what Liu Tong felt. He waved at Zhuo Yun, "Mr. Zhuo, please don't stand on ceremony. My name is Xu Ran. My spouse is called Liu Tong. You can just call us by names directly in the future."
Zhuo Yun smiled, "Well, Xu Ran, you can also just call me Zhuo Yun. Don't call me Mr. Zhuo."
"Okay, fine. Just call you Zhuo Yun." Xu Ran stretched out his fist and touched Zhuo Yun's.
After leading the guests into the house, Zhuo Yun said to Xu Ran, "Xu Ran, I'd like Liu Tong to accompany Shuwen. It's not convenient for him, a Ge'er, to stay here with us."
"All right. " Xu Ran nodded, "Tongtong, take Tangtang and Guoguo over there. I'll call you when leaving."
"Okay," Liu Tong replied, and followed a servant to go to Qin Shuwen's room.
As soon as they left, Zhuo Yun couldn't wait to share his success with Xu Ran, "Xu Ran, let me tell you. Shuwen has agreed to try living with me. He won't leave right after his labor. Also, he has forgiven what I did back then. Haha, Isn't it good news?"
Xu Ran had guessed this, but he was still very interested in the story of the event. He touched Zhuo Yun with his arm, who was sitting opposite him, "Tell me, what has happened?"
Zhuo Yun sat upright and then began to narrate what had happened after they came back from the Qin Family.
They returned from the Qin Family on the ninth day of the first month, as it turned out. The next day, the people who had been sent to find the poor boy announced that they had located him. Zhuo Yun hoped to strike while the iron was still hot, so he ordered the servants to carry the poor boy to the Zhuo Mansion as soon as possible.
Zheng was the poor boy's surname, and Zhoumin was his first name. His father and daddy both died early, so he grew up eating the food of several different families in the village. When he was a little older, he went to town in search of jobs in order to support himself. Qin Shuwen and he met by chance. Since Qin Shuwen admired the poor boy's sincerity, he fell in love with him.
The poor boy was also well aware that he was unworthy of Qin Shuwen's attention. He couldn't give Qin Shuwen anything because he was a year younger. This was conveyed by the poor boy to Qin Shuwen. Qin Shuwen, on the other hand, was unconcerned. He believed that all he wanted was to be with the person he liked.
Qin Shuwen's true feelings moved the poor boy. Just at the time when the poor boy was working hard, Zhuo Yun appeared. He offered the poor boy a sum of money and let him leave the town to marry a Ge'er so that they could live a good life.
Besides, he analyzed the situation with the poor boy to see who could give Qin Shuwen a happy life.
The poor boy had always felt ashamed of his inferiority, so he talked a lot, hoping Zhuo Yun would cherish Qin Shuwen. Then he took the money and left.
The poor boy got married three years ago with a virtuous Ge'er. Now their child was already two years old, and his Ge'er was pregnant with another baby.
Zhuo Yun invited the poor boy to his home. He just wanted to show Qin Shuwen that the poor boy was living very well now. As long as he let go of the knot in his heart, he could also have a good life.
Qin Shuwen was taken aback when the poor boy showed up at his house, but he soon found it out. Didn't Zhuo Yun promise that once he had a child, he'd be free? Perhaps he was searching for a reason to leave now. In fact, Qin Shuwen had lost his fondness for the poor boy. Rather than the poor boy, he couldn't let go of the emotional entanglement in his heart.
Both the poor boy's son and his spouse had arrived. The two-year-old started to walk steadily and independently. He wasn't dressed very well, but he wasn't dressed badly either. He wobbled in such a lovely way. His spouse wasn't particularly attractive, but their neighbors said he was hardworking and capable.
This was what Zhuo Yun told Qin Shuwen.
Qin Shuwen asked the poor boy about his life during the past few years.
The poor boy then left town with the money Zhuo Yun had given him. He went to a nearby town to raise some money by doing some small business. He married his current spouse two years later. They both worked hard and had a decent life as a result. Their family's life became increasingly enjoyable after they had a child.
Qin Shuwen was overjoyed to learn that the poor boy had a happy life. He had been concerned about how he had been behaving in recent years. Qin Shuwen was happy for the poor boy now that he had a spouse, a son, and his own house, despite the fact that none of these things had anything to do with him.
And he felt glad in his heart, too, because he thought this time Zhuo Yun probably couldn't find any excuse to return him to the poor boy.
The poor boy's family stayed in the Zhuo Mansion for the whole night. The next day, Zhuo Yun asked someone to send them back.
The smile on Qin Shuwen's face vanished after the poor boy left, and he didn't give Zhuo Yun a good time. Zhuo Yun felt agony like he'd never felt before at that precise moment. He also wondered if he was really nothing in Qin Shuwen's heart..
At night, Zhuo Yun finally couldn't bear it anymore. He decided to open it up with Qin Shuwen. No matter whether Qin Shuwen could accept him or not, he would still have a child belonging to him and Qin Shuwen.
Qin Shuwen was told by Zhuo Yun that his previous statement that he would let him go after the child was false. He would never allow him to leave. They would be together even though he didn't like him. Zhuo Yun also confessed that he brought the poor boy here solely to force Qin Shuwen to abandon his feelings for him. And their own child would be born in eight months and their family could live a happy life, too.
Zhuo Yun had made up his mind to solve the problem. He thought the worst result would be nothing more than the present situation for both of them now. As long as Qin Shuwen was still by his side, he would be satisfied.
Qin Shuwen had not anticipated Zhuo Yun's frankness. He had hoped that Zhuo Yun would fulfill his promise and set him free. In fact, he had mixed feelings about it. He didn't want to leave, even though he yearned for it. After all, he'd been here for five years and had developed feelings for it.
Qin Shuwen suddenly felt that what Zhuo Yun said was a joke, just to make him laugh. Later, Zhuo Yun would tell him that it was all a lie.
Thus Qin Shuwen was furious and kicked Zhuo Yun out of the room.
Zhuo Yun knew that if he didn't seize this opportunity, he would lose Qin Shuwen completely.
He knelt there at the door for the whole night.
The next day, when Qin Shuwen went out, he found Zhuo Yun still kneeling there. He was moved and said that he forgave him and wanted to have a try to live with him.
Qin Shuwen teasing Zhuo Yun was his initial reaction, but his brain reaction was slower than his physical response. He had already stood up and embraced Qin Shuwen in his arms when he realized what happened. It didn't matter to Zhuo Yun whether Qin Shuwen was serious or not. He'd had enough of what he'd heard.
Then the whole mansion knew that their young master and the lord were finally no longer in the cold war, and the servants could be easier in their work now.
For the past few days, Zhuo Yun had been grinning from ear to ear, and he kept on smiling even when he was sleeping.
He even hoped to stick with Qin Shuwen all day long.
Qin Shuwen also knew about Xu Ran. When he heard that Xu Ran was here, he rushed Zhuo Yun out to receive them.
After hearing Zhuo Yun's story, Xu Ran touched his nose and realized that he could be a love expert.
......
At the moment, Liu Tong and Qin Shuwen were also talking.
When the servant came to inform him that a guest was looking for him, Qin Shuwen couldn't imagine that he, a Ge'er alone, would have a visitor! As the servant brought Liu Tong and the two children in, he couldn't believe Liu Tong was a Ge'er because he seemed to be even taller than Zhuo Yun.
Until he saw the mole of pregnancy on Zhuo Yun's ear, did Qin Shuwen believe that Liu Tong was really a Ge'er.
Qin Shuwen stood up and greeted with a smile, "My name is Qin Shuwen. I'm Zhuo Yun's spouse. May I have your name, please?"
"My name is Liu Tong. I came with my husband. His name is Xu Ran. These two are my children. They are twins. The elder brother is Tangtang, while the younger one is called Guoguo," Liu Tong introduced.
Qin Shuwen had an inexplicable favor on Liu Tong as soon as he revealed that he was Xu Ran's spouse. He had been missing the food brought back by Zhuo Yun the previous time in particular. The servant was requested by Qin Shuwen to serve some pastries to the guests. Just Liu Tong, the two twins, and he remained in the room after the servant had left.
Qin Shuwen invited the two children to eat pastries, and then chatted with Liu Tong, especially about the food. He was shocked when he heard Liu Tong say that these things were made by Xu Ran.
Then as their talk went on, Liu Tong told him that Xu Ran was going to buy strawberry seedlings.
Qin Shuwen was currently on his way to visit his family. He enjoyed the sour and sweet flavor of the strawberry. Every year in the third and fourth months, Zhuo Yun will get some strawberries to eat. However, he was well aware that such fruit was difficult to come by. As a result, it was extremely difficult to consume it often.
"Liu Tong, let me ask my brother for you. They should know where there are strawberry seedlings. By the way, how many do you want?"
Liu Tong only talked about this topic to Qin Shuwen as a chitchat, especially when their relationship was not so good. How could he expect Qin Shuwen to be so helpful?
He thus felt embarrassed, "Shuwen, I am so sorry to bring you trouble."
Qin Shuwen waved his hand, "What's the trouble? Just send me a little more chili paste later then. I've been fancy to that recently."
Liu Tong smiled, "That's something home-made, not a valuable thing. If you finish it, just tell Ran about it."
The two of them got along happily. Xu Ran had also told him the affair between Qin Shuwen and Zhuo Yun. Judging from Qin Shuwen's current appearance, The problem should have been solved. Liu Tong smiled. He felt happy about it. He believed in this way, Xu Ran didn't need to off his stupid idea now.
When it was almost dark, Xu Ran suggested to leave so that they could go to the street to have fun.
Zhuo Yun wanted to invite them for dinner, but he failed. Xu Ran had planned to take the children to the town to eat Tangyuan (glutinous rice ball), because on the 15th day, Tangyuan also has a very nice name called Yuanxiao.
Qin Shuwen also wanted to go out for fun, but because he was pregnant, and it was the first child of three months in Qin Shuwen's belley, Zhuo Yun refused to let him go out, so Qin Shuwen could only stomp into the house with hatred, making Xu Ran and the others laugh.
The night at the Lantern Festival was a lot of fun. This was supposed to be the busiest night of the year. Xu Ran took the family to a roadside stall to eat Yuanxiao, and then they prepared to walk down the street to admire the festive lanterns. Tangtang and Guoguo had never tried Yuanxiao before. They couldn't bear to eat it because they were so excited.
Xu Ran stroked the heads of the two children, "Alright, just eat quickly. From now on, you will come here every year to enjoy Yuanxiao."
"Really?" Tangtang asked.
Xu Ran replied smilingly, "Of course it's true. Will I lie to you?"
Both Tangtang and Guoguo replied together, "Dad won't lie to us."
"I'm not going to lie to you. Simply eat it and have a good time. We'll then go out and buy something fun."
"Great," the two children replied together.
Looking at Xu Ran coaxing the children, Liu Tong smiled and said, "You are pampering them this way."
Xu Ran frowned, "Am I not pampering you?"
Liu Tong blushed hearing this and gently pushed Xu Ran, "Just focus on your Yuanxiao."
"I'll eat if you let me eat," Xu Ran bantered.
Liu Tong frowned and ate his food silently, not looking at Xu Ran.
The family began strolling down the street after enjoying Yuanxiao. Apart from the married Ge'ers on the street, there were many unmarried Ge'ers who were dressed in brightly colored clothes and were very attractive.
Seeing the young and beautiful Ge'ers on the street, Liu Tong regretted letting Xu Ran come. What if Ran took a fancy to someone else? In particular, many bold Ge'ers stared at Xu Ran without blinking.
It was also noticed by Xu Ran. As a result, he shifted his position with Tangtang and Guoguo, allowing them to follow his side. He and Liu Tong were in the middle, holding a child in one hand and Liu Tong in the other.
When Liu Tong was unexpectedly grabbed by the hand, he was shocked. He tried to take his hand back, but there was no way Xu Ran could let him go. He clenched his hand firmly and lifted it high above his head, making it visible to anyone who looked at them.
"How about this way, Tongtong? Won't you still be worried?" Liu Tong heard Xu Ran ask him about it.
Liu Tong looked up and saw that many of the Ge'ers who were watching Xu Ran left in disappointment. Liu Tong turned around and saw that Xu Ran was looking at him smilingly.
Liu Tong also smiled, "I don't worry at all because Ran is mine. He's mine only."
"Mm, I'm yours only," Xu Ran assured him.
The family purchased a festive lantern and hung it on the river. Then they had to solve some riddles to win some clay figurines as prizes. Finally, they played couplets games and received ten taels of copper coins as a prize.
This was Xu Ran's first Lantern Festival since his transmigration to this world. He had a great time with his loved ones, and there was a lot of laughter. The moon had made its way into the sky. They waited until the crowd had dispersed before returning home until it was fully dark.
04.23.21