Chapter 9

Zhou Jinian quickly did the sums in his head. "That works. Thank you, Shopkeeper Zhang."

"You're welcome. I'll fetch the books and paper for you."

Zhou Jinian took out his money pouch and counted his money. Once he paid the deposit, he would have nothing left to buy Ninglang dragon's beard candy, and tomorrow he was taking Ninglang back to visit his family.

Remembering how Ninglang's eyes had curved and his lips had lifted when he mentioned dragon's beard candy, looking both eager and nostalgic, Zhou Jinian felt rather bad.

"Shopkeeper Zhang, do you have any urgent copying work? If I could use a space here, I could finish it before dusk. You can deduct the cost of ink and use of a brush from my pay." Zhou Jinian explained frankly, "I married a few days ago, and tomorrow I'm taking my husband back to visit his family. I need some silver to buy gifts. Could you make an exception for me, Shopkeeper Zhang?"

"You certainly know how to dote on someone." Shopkeeper Zhang chuckled. "Of course I can. Go wait in the back room, and I'll arrange something for you."

Xie Ning soaked in the water until noon, when his father called him out to eat.

Lunch was steamed buns with salty pickled vegetables. The rice porridge was all rice water.

Lin Jin picked up a bun, split it down the middle, and spread a layer of salted soybean paste inside. He handed it to his husband, Zhou Sanfeng, then prepared another the same way for Xie Ning.

"Eat up. We'll grind the corn into grits this afternoon and cook porridge with it tomorrow morning. It won't be all watery like today's." Lin Jin took a bun for himself last and bit into it after speaking.

Compared with other farming households, the Zhou family could eat their fill at every meal, which already counted as quite well-off in the village.

Xie Ning opened wide and took a bite. Lin Jin did a great deal of housework and put plenty of strength into kneading dough, so his steamed buns were wonderfully chewy.

"It's good. It tastes so fragrant as you chew." Xie Ning praised it, then asked, "When is Jinian coming home? I miss his..." Dragon's beard candy. Xie Ning stopped, too embarrassed to say the remaining words.

Lin Jin paused, thinking that this child really was shameless, being so clingy even in front of his elders. He glanced sideways at his husband, Zhang Sanfeng, and both husbands had laughter in their eyes.

"He's probably at the bookshop now. Once the sun isn't so hot, he'll head home." Lin Jin kept his eyes on the bowl of pickled vegetables rather than looking at Xie Ning, afraid of embarrassing him.

After the family finished eating, Xie Ning put on a bamboo hat, slung on his waterskin, and helped Lin Jin push the cart, which held a basket of corn kernels.

They made their way to the village's stone millhouse. Lin Jin went to get the key from the village chief while Xie Ning hugged his waterskin and gulped down water.

To his delight, he discovered that despite huffing and puffing as he pushed the cart all the way there, he had not felt as unwell as he had while gathering herbs yesterday! It seemed that as long as he slept in water every night and soaked for a while at noon, his body could work just like anyone else's!

Author's note: Thank you to all the little angels who sent me support tickets or nutrient solution between 2020-09-13 18:14:35 and 2020-09-14 22:44:19~

Thank you to the little angels who donated nutrient solution: 23356941, 10 bottles; Moqing, 6 bottles; Red Ant Fighter Jet and Left Bank, 2 bottles each;

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard!

Chapter 9

Zhou Jinian had copied a third of the book when a shop assistant brought him hot tea at the shopkeeper's instruction, then quietly slipped out again for fear of disturbing him.

After finishing that page, Zhou Jinian set down his brush and took out a bun so hard it hurt his teeth, eating it with the hot tea.

In his previous life, he had eaten □□ fine food, and it had been many years since he last ate a coarse-grain bun like this. After a few extra chews, he could actually taste the sweetness of the grain.

With a good attitude, he did not find it difficult to swallow. Zhou Jinian quickly filled his stomach, picked up his brush, and resumed copying.

Xie Ning scooped corn kernels into the mill's feed hole with a gourd ladle while Lin Jin pushed the millstone. Soon, crushed corn the size of grains of sand emerged and fell into the finely woven bamboo basket beneath it.

The two husbands of the Zhou family took turns, grinding all afternoon before they finished the basket of corn kernels.

Back in the Zhou family courtyard, Xie Ning was disappointed to find that Zhou Jinian still had not come home, even though it was almost dark.

Seeing his son-in-law pout and look so dejected, Lin Jin coaxed him as though he were a child. "He's probably at the village entrance by now. Don't fret. Go bring in the eggplants we left out to dry."

"Mm." Xie Ning went gloomily to the front courtyard and picked up the winnowing basket. After a moment's thought, he carried it into their own little courtyard.

Once he had put away the eggplants, he went into the room to soak in water again.

Meanwhile, Lin Jin went to the kitchen to light the fire and prepare dinner. As he bent to draw water, his aching back made him let out a □□. Lin Guihua asked with concern, "Is your back hurting again?"

"Yes, but it's all right. I can bear it." Lin Jin thumped his lower back twice and continued scooping water to rinse the wok.

"Let me. Sit down and rest a while. Just tend the fire for me." Lin Guihua took the brush from him and pointed him toward the seat behind the stove.

"Don't push yourself. You're not even forty yet. In a few years, when Ninglang gives Jinian a big, chubby boy, you won't even have the strength to hold him. Then you'll really feel miserable." Lin Guihua worked deftly. During the few days each month when her belly hurt, Lin Jin always helped her.

It was her fault for not bearing Sifeng a son. Her eldest daughter had married out, leaving only a little ger by her side, so everyone in the Zhou family looked down on her.

Lin Jin sighed and accepted his sister-in-law's kindness, sitting down behind the stove to tend the fire. "Even if I can't lift him, I'll still have to hold him. He'll be my own grandson. I just don't know when Ninglang will conceive."

"It's a bit early to be talking about that. He's only just married into the family, hahaha..." Lin Guihua doubled over laughing.

Lin Jin laughed along with her, feeling a little more relaxed.

Copying books did have one advantage: it reinforced knowledge. Besides, the sea of books was boundless, and Zhou Jinian would not claim to have read every book under heaven, so copying could add considerably to his learning.

Before the hour of the Rooster, before the chickens and ducks returned to their nests, Zhou Jinian finally finished copying the thin volume. After collecting his pay, he bought dragon's beard candy before the shops closed, along with some pastries.

As the sun sank toward the horizon, Zhou Jinian set off for home with his bamboo basket on his back.

On the road, he happened to encounter an ox cart heading back to the village. The old man stopped and called to him, "Zhou boy, come get on. I'm going your way."

Only after climbing onto the cart did Zhou Jinian realize how unusually smoothly his day had gone. Selling the herbs, copying the book, and even returning to the village had all gone smoothly.

The ox cart swayed steadily back to the village. By then, it was completely dark. Zhou Jinian thanked the old man again and returned to the Zhou home with his bamboo basket on his back.