CH 15

Yu Dameng carried the recliner back home and placed it in front of his and Qiao Yuan’s room. The sun was shining just right, making it comfortable to sit there and bask in its warmth. He knew that Yuan Ge’er liked to sunbathe and wanted to call him out to try it, but he remembered Qiao Yingying’s words, and how Yuan Ge’er never wanted to be his husband.

After hesitating several times, Dameng finally decided to talk to Yuan Ge’er and make up with him.

As soon as Qiao Yuan saw him come in, he turned around and faced away from him, out of sight, out of mind. He didn’t know where he had been all day and he didn’t bother to come in and coax him!

Yu Dameng walked dryly to the bedside, unable to speak fluently, “Yuan Ge’er, I brought back the recliner, do you want to try it?”

Qiao Yuan continued to ignore him.

Yu Dameng pursed his lips and continued, “The sun is shining right now. It feels so comfortable to bask in it.”

Qiao Yuan’s heart had softened a bit, but in order to not appear too easily coaxed, he pulled the blanket up and covered his head, gritting his teeth and saying stubbornly, “I don’t want it.”

Yu Dameng remained silent for a while. Just as Qiao Yuan was about to lose his patience, he suddenly sat down on the edge of the bed as if he was angry. After hesitating for a moment, he reached down and pulled the blanket covering Qiao Yuan’s head, saying, “Don’t cover yourself, it’s uncomfortable.”

The more he acted like this, the angrier Qiao Yuan felt. He tightly gripped the blanket and shouted at him, “I don’t need you to take care of me!”

Yu Dameng withdrew his hand, pursed his lips, and murmured as if a deflated ball: “I know you still have feelings for Scholar Zhang in your heart and don’t want to be my husband. I know I am not as good as Scholar Zhang. You mentioned earlier about divorcing me in the future, and I promise I won’t…”

“What do you mean?” Qiao Yuan sat up from the bed. He pinned down Yu Dameng, grabbing him and twisting him, “You’ve held my hand, touched my waist, and eat the food I cook every day. We even sleep in the same room, and you just act like we’re nothing1你就这么不认账了！- This phrase can be translated as “You’re just going to deny it like this!” or “You’re not going to admit it!” But I rephrased it to be more natural/expressive in English.!”

Yu Dameng dodged around in confusion and stuttered, “But, but, I didn’t…”

“What didn’t you do?” Qiao Yuan glared at Yu Dameng while straddling him, as if he could devour him if Yu Dameng said the rest of the sentence.

Yu Dameng immediately fell silent, looking innocently at Qiao Yuan.

Qiao Yuan’s heart softened as he looked into his big and bright eyes. He collapsed onto his chest as if all his strength had left him and slowly asked, “Did she tell you about this?”

“Um.” Yu Dameng replied in a muffled voice.

The room fell into silence, the only thing that could be heard was Yu Dameng’s heavy breathing.

After a while, Qiao Yuan lifted himself up and crawled closer, leaning his head on Yu Dameng’s shoulder and whispered softly, “I’ll tell you a secret.”

“But you are not allowed to tell anyone, including your parents, do you understand?”

Yu Dameng felt anxious inside but nodded in a daze.

Qiao Yuan was a bit unsure in his heart. People in ancient times believed in ghosts and spirits very much, and he was worried that Yu Dameng would distance himself from him because of this. After careful consideration of his tone, he slowly explained, “Actually, I am not the same Yuan Ge’er as before. I come from another time and space… a completely different place from here! I had an accident, and the original Yuan Ge’er hung himself. So, I possessed his body.”

The more Qiao Yuan spoke, the more uncertain he felt. Seeing that Yu Dameng didn’t speak for a long time, he suddenly became anxious, sat up, and looked at Yu Damen, “You…you won’t dislike me because of this, right? If you dare, I’ll…”

What would he do? He only dared to boss Yu Dameng around because he spoils him and gives in to his every demand. He’s just being arrogant because of the favor he receives.

But what if Yu Dameng dislikes him and doesn’t want him anymore? He would not have to worry about food and clothing, but he would never find another simple and kind-hearted fool like Yu Dameng who pampered him so much.

At that moment, Qiao Yuan thought of the worst possible outcome, and his face was turning pale. Then he heard Yu Dameng ask, “Are you a fairy2Not literally fairy. 神仙 (shén xiān) means “immortal; supernatural entity; celestial being; transcendent being” in Chinese mythology and Taoism. It is a term that describes beings who have achieved a high level of spiritual cultivation and have transcended the mundane world. They are often depicted as having magical powers, flying abilities, and longevity. ?”

“Ah?” Qiao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. He paused and teased Yu Dameng, “You can think of it that way. Anyway, I’m from a place that you can never reach or imagine. It’s totally different from here.”

Yu Dameng suddenly stood up and tightly grabbed his hand, “Will you fly away? Will you go back?”

Qiao Yuan chuckled, “I died there, now I am just a lonely ghost. How could I go back?”

When Yu Dameng heard that Qiao Yuan had already died once, he held his hand even tighter, afraid that if he let go, Qiao Yuan would disappear.

Qiao Yuan continued, “I am not the original Qiao Yuan, so I have no feelings for that pretentious scholar named Zhang Wensheng, you understand?”

Yu Dameng looked a bit dazed and nodded his head without knowing whether he understood or not.

Qiao Yuan asked him anxiously, “What are you thinking? Do you want the original Qiao Yuan to come back, or do you want…”

Before he could finish speaking, he was abruptly interrupted by Yu Dameng’s forceful declaration, “I want you!”

“Then let me ask you. if I hadn’t come here, would you still be so good to the old Yuan Ge’er?”

Yu Dameng furrowed his brow and thought seriously for a while, shaking his head, and answered, “I don’t know. The one who first spoke to me was you. You cooked for me, treated me well, and talked to me. It was all you.”

Those words made Qiao Yuan’s eyes well up with tears. Yes, he had been overthinking it. There are no “ifs” in this world, everything is arranged for the best. His encounter with Yu Dameng was also destined, they were meant to be together.

Qiao Yuan felt a weight lifted off his heart. He cleared his throat and tried to suppress the smile on his lips as he said, “So, at first, I didn’t want to be your husband because we haven’t formally gotten married yet. I can’t be your husband just like that.”

Yu Dameng was suddenly reminded of this and looked down at their intertwined hands before quickly letting go. This made Qiao Yuan angry, hating him for being so dense. “Oh, so you didn’t want me to be your husband.”

Yu Dameng panicked, “No, I want it!”

Qiao Yuan was once again amused by what he said. He cleared his throat and threatened him, saying, “If you want me to continue being your husband, you have to listen to me from now on, got it?”

Yu Dameng nodded heavily.

“In the future, don’t believe in the words of people like Qiao Yingying who try to sow discord between us, got it?”

“If you have something to say, don’t keep silent like today, do you understand?”

“In my heart, you are a thousand times or ten thousand times stronger than that useless scholar, you know?”

“In our home, what I say goes. From now on, my words are like imperial decrees, got it?”

Yu Dameng nodded to each statement, and kind-hearted Qiao Yuan couldn’t bear to bully him anymore. Unconsciously, he softened his tone and said, “Well, it depends on your future behavior. If you don’t listen, I won’t be your husband anymore.”

Yu Dameng said nervously, “I’ll listen!”

Qiao Yuan gave a muffled laugh and leaned lazily against Yu Dameng, “I’m sleepy.”

Yu Dameng didn’t react for a moment and looked confused.

Qiao Yuan pressed him down on the pillow and snuggled up next to him, closing his eyes. “Consider it a reward for being obedient earlier. Take a nap with me.”

……

In the afternoon, the two of them came out of the room with smiles on their faces. Seeing this, Lin Cuifen knew that they had made up, and she couldn’t help but look at her son with newfound respect. Who would have thought that this clumsy and foolish boy would be able to coax his husband so quickly?

To make pancakes3I also got confused haha, they were going to open a steamed cake [发糕 (fā gāo)] stall but raws say they are drawing a griddle for pancake [菜煎饼 (cài jiān bǐng)], you need a griddle, but there was no such thing in this era. Qiao Yuan described it in detail to Yu Dameng, who then went inside and brought out paper and charcoal. He drew a plan, saying, “We’ll need to make a charcoal stove for this.”

Qiao Yuan looked at the drawing, where the dimensions and details were clearly marked, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “No wonder you are a professional!”

Yu Dameng didn’t fully understand what Qiao Yuan said, but he vaguely felt that it was a compliment and smiled.

After dinner, Qiao Yuan told Old Man Yu and Lin Cuifen about his decision to set up a stall in town during the day.

Old Man Yu took a puff from the tobacco pouch Qiao Yuan had bought him and said, “It’s feasible. With Yuan Ge’er’s skills, the business will definitely not be bad. And it’s right outside our shop. With me and Dameng watching over it, nothing will happen.”

Lin Cuifen was a little worried, “Yuan Ge’er’s health is not good, it will be too tiring for him to do this. We can make steamed cakes at home with me and a few others helping. Going to the city will be much more tiring.”

Upon hearing it, Yu Dameng also became anxious and wanted to agree with her.

Qiao Yuan gave him a glare, and Yu Dameng suddenly remembered the promise he had just made and fell silent in an instant.

“Mom, I know my own body. If I get tired, I will rest. Besides, isn’t Dameng here to take care of me?”

Qiao Yuan continued, “In the future, I will sell food in the town and won’t have the energy to manage the business of making steamed cakes at home. Therefore, I plan to hand over the business of making steamed cakes to you. You can just make them at home. If we can secure some banquet orders, we can earn money all year round without getting tired.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Cuifen immediately refused, “No way! When the time comes, you go to town with Dameng, and I’ll make the steamed cakes at home for you.”

Old Man Yu also objected, “This skill is yours. There is no reason for it to be like this.”

“But I can’t let our mother work hard for nothing!” Qiao Yuan felt guilty in his heart.

Lin Cuifen thought for a moment and made a decision: “Okay, I will accept ten wen for my daily wage.”

She had a very firm attitude. After trying to persuade her for a while, Qiao Yuan had to temporarily compromise. He thought that it wouldn’t be too late to convince Lin Cuifen once he had stabilized and made a lot of money in the county town.

Qiao Yuan took out the drawing of the pancake griddle, and Old Man Yu was very interested in it. He studied the drawing and said, “This is not difficult. It can be made in two days.”

So, Qiao Yuan ordered Yu Dameng to help him make a wooden spatula. Now everything was ready, and all that was left was to start working. After Zhao Gensheng’s wedding was over, he could go to the county town and make a big splash!

On the day before Zhao Gensheng’s wedding, it was rumored that Yu Laoda had returned from the prefectural city with his husband Meng Qiu.

Yu Xiangxue also inherited the tall genes of the Yu family, but he was quite thin. Qiao Yuan thought to himself that fortunately he doesn’t look like Yu Dameng, who is big and muscular, otherwise no one would believe he is a scholar when he goes out.

Qiao Yuan imagined what Yu Dameng would look like dressed as a scholar, and couldn’t help but laugh and tease him, “Did you eat all the good food at home? How come you’re the strongest looking one?”

Yu Dameng looked innocent and muttered softly, “I just eat a lot.”

His pitiful and clumsy bear-like appearance made Qiao Yuan laugh out loud.

Meng Qiu was slightly shorter than him in height but looks much stronger.

Qiao Yuan stepped forward to greet Yu Xiangxue and Meng Qiu. Encouraged by Yu Xiangxue’s gaze, Meng Qiu walked up to him and took out a red envelope from his sleeve, “I was in a hurry last time and didn’t give you a gift. I’m making up for it now. Please don’t be angry, Yuan Ge’er.”

As he spoke, his voice became quieter, and his head gradually lowered.

Qiao Yuan quickly took it and said in a cheerful tone, “Thank you, Brother Qiu and Big Brother!”

Meng Qiu nodded with a blushing face and quickly returned to Yu Xiangxue’s side. Yu Xiangxue smiled and reached out to touch his head, looking very affectionate.

Qiao Yuan looked enviously and sighed, thinking when will Yu Dameng, this big fool, have this awareness.

Lin Cuifen, Meng Qiu, and Qiao Yuan cooked together, and each made their own specialty dishes. The family enjoyed a happy and harmonious reunion dinner.

After dinner, Old Man Yu brought up the issue of splitting the family. “Before Yuan Ge’er entered the family, there were some things he didn’t know. Now that he’s here, I’ll say it again in front of him.”

“The shop in the city was bought with the money Laosan4Dameng, lit. means Old Three earned from his military service. It will belong to him in the future. Currently, both me and Laosan share 50% of the profits. After your mother and I pass away, the shop will belong entirely to him.”

Yu Dameng’s blacksmithing skills are not yet refined, and he mainly relies on his father to control the quality of his works. Yu Dameng mainly did physical labor in the shop.

Yu Xiangxue nodded in agreement, and Qiao Yuan didn’t have much to say about this matter, so he just listened to Old Man Yu and Lin Cuifen speak.

“Our family had debts in the earlier years, and we sold our land to pay them off, but we didn’t get any share. When your elder and second brothers divided the property, there were only a few pieces of silver in the house. Your elder brother didn’t ask for anything, while your second brother received three taels of silver and a piece of land for building a house.”

Yu Xiangxue stood up and unexpectedly bowed to Yu Dameng and Qiao Yuan, “As an older brother, I am ashamed that at the age of twenty-five, I have not achieved anything and cannot provide for my brothers. I rely on our father to support my education, while my younger brother takes care of the family business. How can I have the face to share in this inheritance?”

“Big brother.” Yu Dameng hurriedly stepped forward to support Yu Xiangxue, seeming to have something to say, but his clumsy mouth opened and closed, and was so anxious that he couldn’t say anything.

Qiao Yuan looked at him with disappointment and said, “Big brother, you and Dameng are blood brothers, and we are all family. Passing the imperial examinations is the most important thing for our family. Even if we separate, we should all support you with all our strength. Don’t worry about this, just focus on your studies.”

Da Chu does not look down on people based on their occupations, whether they are farmers, workers, or merchants, but being educated and becoming an official has always been the most sought-after path.

In this feudal society where people don’t spit out bones after eating others5 吃人不吐骨头 literally means “eat people without spitting out bones”. It is used to describe someone who is very greedy, ruthless, or exploitative. In this context, it refers to the feudal society that oppresses and exploits the common people. , it’s better to have connections. As long as you pass the imperial examination, you will become a respected juren6举人 (jǔrén) – scholar-official: a person who passed the imperial examination and became a government official in ancient China. . Even if you only pass the lowest level of the examination, you will be a xiucai7秀才 (xiùcái) – scholar: a person who passed the lowest level of the imperial examination and became eligible for government positions.. In this small county town, other families who want to bully the Yu family will have to think twice.

Moreover, as far as he knew, Yu Xiangxue proposed the separation of the family in the first place because he felt that he could not make any further progress. Since then, Yu Xiangxue has recorded all the money he took from the Yu family as a debt. He was not the kind of selfish person who always took his parents’ and siblings’ hard-earned money, and Qiao Yuan would not care about these things.

Yu Dameng nodded heavily, and Yuan Ge’er said what he wanted to say.

Old Man Yu also agreed with Qiao Yuan’s words and said to Yu Dameng, “Laosan, I have passed on the blacksmithing skills of our family to you, which will offset the debt you paid back for our family before. From now on, I will not share the money I earn with you. Do you have any objections?”

To be fair, learning a craft is a long-term and stable livelihood, not just about repaying debts and making money. The way that Old Man Yu and Lin Cuifen divided the money also had the intention of making up for Yu Dameng. Qiao Yuan didn’t want to take too much advantage, so as not to let other brothers of the Yu family ridicule Yu Dameng in the future. He was thinking about finding a chance to make up for it later.

So, it was settled. After the wedding banquet tomorrow, Yu Dameng and Qiao Yuan could move out.

Qiao Yuan thought about the issue of family property and asked Yu Xiangxue about it.

Yu Xiangxue explained: “Originally, when our dynasty was newly established, neither gers nor girls could inherit their family’s property. If their parents died and they had no brothers, their clan would take over. But the current emperor has a very beloved imperial ger, whom he treasures like a jewel. Therefore, he changed this rule, and now both gers and girls can inherit their family’s property. There is no reason for the clan to take over. However, if they really fight for it, it will damage the reputation of gers and girls.”

The laws were there, but the mindset and customs seem to be ingrained in people’s bones. If he were to be the first ger to fight for property in Yunshui County, he would probably cause people’s displeasure. This matter was not easy to handle, and he had to plan carefully.

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