Chapter 37: Returning Home and the Joy of Sharing Wealth Among the Li Family

Early the next morning, Li Su sought leave from his teacher and headed straight to the market, purchasing a great many things—food, clothing, accessories, all manner of necessities. For clothing, he didn’t buy ready-made garments but instead chose bolts of fabric, uncertain of the sizes needed for each family member. With fabric, his mother and sisters-in-law could sew as they saw fit.

The young attendant had accompanied Li Su with the carriage and helped him load his purchases. Li Su truly bought a lot in one go. Having been away from home for two months, he was filled with longing.

“Is there anything else you’d like to buy, young master?” the attendant asked.

“No, that’s all. Let’s go.” This time, Li Su hadn’t even brought his books home; he genuinely wanted to give himself a day off.

The attendant, familiar with Li Su’s family after their previous visit, skillfully guided the carriage toward Li Village.

…

The Li family had, only in the past few days, finished the arduous task of transplanting rice seedlings and could finally rest for a while. Yet, rest in a farming household did not mean idly sitting at home all day. They still needed to weed the fields, forage for wild vegetables on the mountain, pickle vegetables and make sauces to prepare for the lean season, and plant short-term crops like greens, radishes, and soybeans on idle land.

Overall, life wasn’t as exhausting as during the peak of farm work.

In previous years, the Li family would be scrambling for ways to make ends meet at this time. The men would go to the county town for manual labor to supplement the household, while the women busied themselves with chores and mending clothes at home.

This year, however, thanks to the family’s new business, life was not nearly as hard. With money coming in, their food and clothing had improved. Two months’ earnings had already been distributed; not only did Feng Cui Cui have money in hand, but each small household within the family had managed to save a good amount, making each day feel more hopeful.

Since Li Su hadn’t been home these past two months, his share was kept by Feng Cui Cui, and the family’s necessities still came from her, as most of the money was in her hands.

“I wonder when our youngest will return. It’s been two months now; I hope he’s doing well,” Feng Cui Cui thought, missing him dearly.

“Studying is such hard work. When Xiao Si comes back, we should cook him something delicious to nourish him,” Li Da Ping said as he wove a bamboo basket. In a farming family, many things were made at home; only what couldn’t be produced was bought.

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“Thanks to Xiao Si, none of you men need to carry heavy loads in the city anymore,” Feng Cui Cui said to the men of the family.

Li Zheng Yi, threading meat skewers, nodded gravely. Each skewer might earn only a few coins, but every month, they received nearly ten taels of silver!

Ten taels! If it were manual labor, who knows how long it would take to earn what they now made in a month.

And those ten taels were just what each small household got. Thinking back to the first month’s distribution, when Xiao Si wasn’t home, they calculated the income after deducting the costs: over ninety-one taels for the month. Everyone was stunned.

Old Second was the one who tallied the accounts, and everyone doubted him, so they each counted several times, producing different results. In the end, they took out the silver and counted it, and after daily expenses, it was more or less as Old Second had said.

Seeing that pile of silver made their hearts tremble and their hands shake.

Ninety taels in a month? In the past, after a year’s toil, paying taxes and selling grain, the best they could hope for was twenty taels, and that was in good years with plenty of fields. In recent years, much land had been sold to support Xiao Si’s studies, so even twenty taels a year was impossible.

Now, they earned ninety taels in a single month—how could they not be astonished!

They gave half to Feng Cui Cui, and the rest was divided as Li Su had instructed, with each small household receiving over nine taels.

Holding that heavy silver, there was a real urge to weep.

Dong Fang Fang and Li Zheng Ping wept outright. Dong Fang Fang, when she was still at her maiden home, was neglected, always made to do the dirtiest, hardest work, and given the worst food. She had resisted, but only suffered beatings and hunger in return—never mind having money in hand. So, after marrying into the Li family, she cherished her place, even if at first she disliked her young brother-in-law, Li Su, and never thought of causing trouble.

Now, holding those nine taels of silver, she wept tears of joy.

For a woman, marriage truly felt like being reborn.

Li Zheng Ping had also suffered much after marrying into the Wang family, her only child so thin as to be skin and bones. She’d feared that after her divorce, life would be hard and gossip inevitable, but no one dared insult her after the Li family’s actions at the Wang household, which had stunned everyone.

Her younger brother had thought ahead for her future.

Now, having silver that belonged to her and her daughter, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

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By the second month’s distribution, the Li family was more composed, though still excited. Their hearts were always thinking of Li Su, studying in the city and absent from home, with so many things they wished to say to him.

Life improved for the Li family. Though they claimed the business only earned hard-won money, everyone could see the family was doing well, and attitudes toward them warmed considerably.

The Li family chatted in the courtyard, each busy with work. They still had to set up their stall at midday, and the meat wasn’t all skewered yet. Everyone moved quickly now, even the children helped with the skewers.

“Grandma, when will Uncle come home? I’ve prepared a gift for him!” Li Zi Ruo asked, her little face upturned. She hadn’t seen her uncle in so long.

The other children nodded in unison—they too had gifts ready for him!

During the monthly distribution, the children were given some copper coins, which they gave to Li Zheng Qiang and Dong Fang Fang, who went to the city daily, asking them to buy things for Li Su.

All their coins had gone toward little gifts for him.

Feng Cui Cui wasn’t sure when Li Su would return, so she said to Li Zheng Qiang, “Old Second, after you finish selling today, go to the academy and check on Xiao Si. Ask when he’ll come home, and take him some silver—life is hard for him alone in the city.”

In truth, apart from the demands of study that left him weary, Li Su lived quite comfortably.

Li Zheng Qiang nodded vigorously. “Yes, Mother.”

Just then, Li Su arrived at the gate.

“Young master, we’ve arrived,” the attendant called.

Hearing movement outside, the Li family stirred in the courtyard. “Eldest, go see who’s there,” someone said.

Li Zheng Yi nodded, walked to the gate, and opened it, seeing the carriage first.

Li Zheng Yi: “???” Did someone come to the wrong house?