CH 59

When he woke up, Qiao Yuan felt as if his whole body had fallen apart.

Yu Dameng was still sleeping soundly, and Qiao Yuan was annoyed and wanted to pinch him awake. But when he saw the red mark on his neck, his heart softened and he quietly lay on top of him, feeling the warmth of his chest. His heart was filled with joy.

His head moved back and forth, his hair tickling Yu Dameng’s chin until he was awakened.

Yu Dameng was still groggy with sleep and couldn’t remember anything from last night.

Qiao Yuan hummed, “Are you awake?”

Yu Dameng saw the red mark on Qiao Yuan’s shoulder and memories from last night instantly flooded back. He had made a fool of himself and felt embarrassed. He cautiously asked Qiao Yuan, “Does it hurt?”

“Hmph!” Qiao Yuan pounced over to bite his ear fiercely in retaliation.

“Where did you learn such shameless tricks, putting someone in such an embarrassing position? Have you become skillful now?”

With a simple laugh, Yu Dameng flipped over and pinned Qiao Yuan beneath him, his large hand gently massaging Qiao Yuan’s waist.

Qiao Yuan put his arms around Yu Dameng’s neck, whining, “My legs hurt too.”

After a tender exchange, the two got out of bed.

The bowls and chopsticks from last night’s meal had already been neatly cleaned up by Aunt Wang and Qiao Wangshi. Qiao Yuan felt quite embarrassed. “Thank you for the trouble.”

“It was no bother.” Qiao Yuan was easy to work for. The household chores are easy, and Aunt Wang often enjoyed some delicious food here. She wanted to repay them somehow, but such a good job wouldn’t last long.

With Qiao Wangshi needing constant care now, and Aunt Wang still had her own family and couldn’t always be there, Qiao Yuan planned to buy a maid specifically to look after her.

Ultimately, Qiao Yuan selected a married couple, and a ger and his husband. The wife, Aunt Qing, would care for Qiao Wangshi and manage household chores, while her husband, Uncle Qing, would be responsible for managing the land and assisting Aunt Qing. The younger couple would split duties, one staying at Yu Qiao Ji and the other working at the iron shop.

Qiao Yuan paid Aunt Wang an extra month’s wage when he dismissed her.

Xu Xiuhua was taken to the county government office for questioning, but it was said that nothing was extracted from her. However, after she came out, she was so frightened that she became crazy and started shouting about catching ghosts all day long.

Her eldest son, who now controlled the family assets, drove her into the dilapidated hut where Qiao Wangshi used to live and kept her locked up. It could be considered karma.

Qiao Guangzhi and the former county magistrate were sentenced to execution in the autumn. The new magistrate confiscated the former’s home and seized the ill-gotten gains that Zhang Wensheng acquired after becoming a xiucai. He ruled that the two men must pay Qiao Yuan five hundred taels of silver as compensation. Qiao Yuan only took one hundred taels to cover the expenses of hiring servants and make up for the loss of profits at his shop during this period. He donated the remaining four hundred taels to Anji Hospital.

At that moment, there were even more voices praising Qiao Yuan’s compassion while condemning the three ruthless individuals.

The new house had been airing out for a month now, and Qiao Yuan had not been doing much lately. He spent his days wandering the streets, searching for small trinkets to decorate his home. So far, no one, not even Lin Cuifen, knew what his new house looked like, except for Yu Dameng.

Every time he was asked, Qiao Yuan would mysteriously reply, “You’ll know when the time comes.”

And that time had finally arrived.

It was an auspicious day, suitable for moving house as per the almanac1The Chinese almanac is a traditional calendar system that has been used for centuries to determine the best days for important events based on astrological and astronomical factors. .

Early in the morning, the people of the Yu family started to get busy. Old Man Yu and Uncle Qing each drove a cart to the county town to buy meat. Yu Dameng took his twin brothers to the village ancestral hall to move tables and chairs, Lin Cuifen and Aunt Qing picked vegetables, and Qiao Yuan tidied up things in the new house.

After a while, Aunt Zhao from the village chief’s family arrived with Yu Ge’er to help, followed by the aunties from the Wu, Qian, and other families and their daughters-in-law. The men busied themselves outside, arranging tables and chairs and preparing for the pig slaughter.

The chef who had catered the earlier banquets also arrived early, remarking, “It hasn’t even been six months, and this is the third banquet I’m cooking for your family!”

Everyone laughed, and Aunt Zhao said, “I’m afraid there will be two more times this year!”

She was referring to Meng Qiu’s baby’s full moon celebration and Yu Xiangxue’s upcoming success in the autumn examination.

Lin Cuifen happily exclaimed, “Then I’ll borrow your good words!”

Most households had yet to begin their farming work, so they leisurely made their way over when the sun was up. The villagers all brought gifts, some in the form of money, others with eggs, preserved meat, or vegetables.

Yu Dameng set up a table at the main entrance, with the village chief sitting there, recording on red paper what each family had brought as gifts to be referenced for future reciprocation.

The members of the Yu family could no longer be seen bustling about outside; they were all inside the new house to entertain guests.

Apart from the private bedrooms, all the other rooms had their doors open for guests to look around.

When the house was built, people in the village already knew it had a high roof compared to other houses, but now, as they stepped inside, they truly felt its spaciousness and openness.

Not to mention that both sides of the house were connected to this main residence, just the courtyard of this main residence is already very large, with corridors on three sides. They would not have to worry about getting wet when they go out on a rainy day. They could sit on the porch to bask in the sun in winter and enjoy the cool breeze while having meals in summer.

At the end of the corridor on the west side was the well shed, surrounded by a platform where commonly used items for washing pots and cleaning faces were placed, such as water buckets and basins, making them easily accessible.

Right next to the well shed was the kitchen, and Qiao Yuan’s kitchen was very large, even bigger than two bedrooms in other people’s homes. Inside, there are three stove burners connected: two large ones for cooking rice and stir-frying vegetables and a small one that can be used to boil water or cook soup in a small iron pot. There was also an oven and a cabinet for storing dishes, chopsticks, rice, and noodles. On both sides of the stove burners, there are built-in countertops with marble on top, where cutting boards and commonly used cooking utensils can be placed for easy access and convenient cleaning.

The main hall was divided into three sections, with the central area being for receiving guests and dining, adorned in the traditional Chinese style. The left and right sides were separated by moon-shaped wooden carvings. On the left side were sofas and coffee tables, all custom-made based on Qiao Yuan’s designs; on the right side, there was a large heated kang, reserved for use in the winter.

Everything was arranged with great care, causing the villagers to instinctively avoid touching anything. Qiao Yuan warmly invited everyone to sit down and served snacks and tea.

Upon sitting down, they found that the soft sofas were much more comfortable than the hard benches. The furnishings looked good and were neatly arranged, and the villagers subconsciously cherished them. A short while later, they all moved to the courtyard, where they could comfortably crack melon seeds and enjoy their snacks.

As they sat and admired Qiao Yuan’s new house, they chatted about farming and village gossip. Qiao Yuan listened and heard that Qiao Yingying had recently run away with a traveling merchant!

“Ever since that incident, her mother-in-law curses her daily that she was an unlucky star, claiming she brought disaster upon the family. Even beats her. As if it wasn’t her own son’s crooked ways that caused all this!”

It seemed Qiao Yuan’s dramatic counterattack of the county magistrate in court had been too intimidating. The Zhang family didn’t dare make trouble for him afterward. In public they even avoided him, but they still caused trouble with the Qiao family.

Qiao Yuan was too lazy to bother with these things. Seeing that the preparations for the banquet were almost done, he arranged for everyone to settle in and take their seats at the threshing ground.

“Ah Yuan!”

Qiao Yuan heard Chu Li calling him and turned to see Chu Li waving at him from the carriage.

No matter when you see this person, he’s always full of energy. Qiao Yuan walked over with a smile. “I asked you to come later. Why are you here so early?”

Considering the special status of Pei You and Chu Li, it was impossible for them to dine at this rural feast. Qiao Yuan had already informed Chu Li to come later so he could personally cook and entertain them at home.

“I couldn’t wait,” Chu Li jumped down from the carriage and looked curiously at the threshing ground behind Qiao Yuan.

Last time, Liu Ge’er had a lot of fun playing with him. When he saw him coming, he hurriedly ran over to show off the new clothes he was wearing today.

Chu Li quickly joined the child in playful banter. Pei You watched for a while, then smiled at Qiao Yuan. “You go ahead and do your work. Don’t mind us. Let him play for a while.”

Qiao Yuan was not polite either and turned around to deal with the things at hand first.

After everyone had taken their seats and started eating, Qiao Yuan gave some instructions to Yu Dameng and then led Chu Li and the others home.

However, Chu Li’s face was oddly flushed, and the atmosphere between him and Pei You seemed strange.

It was Aunt Wu who finally clarified things, “Master Pei and his husband are going to the new house, right?”

This resolved Qiao Yuan’s confusion, and he tried hard to suppress a laugh.

Pei You cleared his throat, and with a flushed face, Chu Li hurriedly pulled Qiao Yuan away.

Aunt Qing had already tidied up the new house again. Qiao Yuan gave them a tour, and Chu Li’s eyes shone as he praised, “Your new house is so beautifully decorated!”

Naturally, given his status and position, such a house meant little to him. However, Qiao Yuan’s place gave him a different feeling. It was warm and affectionate, unlike the cold, lifeless atmosphere of a palace residence.

Not only did Chu Li and Pei You bring gifts, but they also brought the first batch of perfume and white sugar developed by craftsmen.

“This sugar is as pure as snow, even the finest snow sugar in the capital doesn’t compare. It’s easy to obtain and the cost is low. I’ve already written to Ah Yin. After he manages things, we can sell them to Chen Country in the future.”

Qiao Yuan nodded. Although he would only get ten percent of the profits from this deal, he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to spend all the money he earned in the future.

“Ah Yuan has made great contributions to the country and should have been rewarded with high honors by the emperor. But since you do not care for fame and fortune, I can only give you this.” Chu Li handed a wooden box to Qiao Yuan.

Qiao Yuan opened it and found a waist token inside.

“With this token, you have the same authority as me. You can also command Ah Yin’s businesses. I’ve also left some people here who will obey your orders.”

Qiao Yuan considered this as offering a recipe to exchange for a life-saving talisman for himself. He gladly accepted it and said with a smile, “It suits me perfectly.”

The two exchanged smiles, and Qiao Yuan made sure to entertain them well.

Later, after everyone had left for the night, Qiao Yuan settled in his bedroom to open the gifts. The bedroom had an outer and inner room. The inner room had a wooden bed, while the outer one had a heated kang, perfect for winter nights.

Qiao Yuan had given Aunt Qing the cash gifts from villagers to handle daily expenses. Then he began opening the gifts from Chu Li, Pei You, Pei Yin, and the new county magistrate.

Chu Li had a knack for playful gifts, including various puzzles, such as Lu Ban locks2鲁班锁 (Lǔ bān suǒ) – This is a type of traditional Chinese puzzle that requires the player to unlock a wooden box by manipulating a series of wooden pieces. , nine-link rings, and various chess sets. He even brought a cart of his treasured storybooks. These gifts would surely keep Qiao Yuan entertained during boring times.

Pei You, on the other hand, went for a straightforward approach and gave Qiao Yuan a prized warhorse. Qiao Yuan felt a bit embarrassed – such a horse in his home seemed inappropriate. Eventually, on Qiao Yuan’s insistence, Pei You took the horse back, promising to replace it with two high-quality horses at a later date.

Pei Yin’s gifts were all practical items, such as ornaments and tea sets. Among them were two cool mats, made of an unknown material, which were extremely cool and pleasant. They were obviously meant for cooling off during the summer, which Qiao Yuan greatly appreciated.

Qiao Yuan also took a moment to count his family assets. Including the dividends from Chu Li and Pei Yin, he had accumulated eight thousand taels of silver. He was so happy that he didn’t want to bother with these gifts anymore. He begged Yu Dameng to carry him to the bed, shouting, “Let’s try out our new bed!”

Yu Dameng’s arms tightened as he hastened towards the inner room.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was summer, and the only thing that Qiao Yuan had to be busy with was the ten mu of top-quality land that he had retrieved from Qiao Guangzhi earlier. The wheat was ready to be harvested, and he also had to plant a new season of grain.

This was originally not something he needed to worry about, but Pei You and Chu Li seemed to have gone mad, wanting to stay in the rundown courtyard at his home and insisting on harvesting his wheat!

What is this new type of wealthy young master’s experience of living in the countryside?

Recently, it’s been busy with farming, and there’s not much to do in the shop. The weather is also hot. Qiao Yuan and Yu Dameng took a long break and had nothing to do, so they spent their days eating melon seeds and watching the two of them argue and create all sorts of funny situations.

After a few days, it seemed that the two men received an urgent letter demanding their return to the capital. Qiao Yuan and Yu Dameng bid them farewell amidst their usual bickering and commotion.

It had been a good harvest. On their way back home, the villagers greeted Qiao Yuan and Yu Dameng warmly with smiles on their faces. As Qiao Yuan walked along the rural path, he suddenly remembered the first time he went out with Yu Dameng after crossing over to this world. He brought up an old account, “Back then, it was still me who initiated holding your hand.”

Yu Dameng paused for a moment, tightly holding onto Qiao Yuan’s hand, and promised, “I will take the initiative from now on.”

Qiao Yuan’s eyes curved as he smiled.

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