Chapter 59

Calm and busy days always seem to pass in a hurry. In the morning, after seeing off the carriages that came to collect fish from the restaurant, Old Wang arrived himself with three large ox carts. Ever so diligent, Old Wang had wholeheartedly ended his market business for the past two days and personally brought the kiln workers to bake overnight. As a result, he managed to deliver half the items in just two days.

"Master Ling, I brought 100 wine jars as per your original order. However, the additional 200 you requested haven’t been completed yet due to the complex production process. Today, I’ve delivered 100 wine jars, 100 small jars, and 50 large jars that you specified. Do they meet your requirements?"

After directing the workers to park the ox carts at the door, Old Wang uncovered the oilcloth that was shielding the cargo. Ling Jingxuan and his brother picked up a small jar to inspect. The prominent "Ling" character occupied nearly one-third of the pure white jar, and "Little Lingjia Jam" was engraved at the bottom. The jars' simple and clean craftsmanship earned a nod of approval from the two brothers.

"Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind. Continue following this standard in the future."

Seeing the white jars adorned with dark brown text, Ling Jingxuan smiled brightly. His first business venture in ancient times was gradually gaining traction. Though it had only been three months since he decided to pursue this, the profits earned would serve as his future venture capital, setting the stage for greater wealth.

"As long as you’re satisfied, Young Master. I was worried I wouldn’t meet your standards," said the sweating Old Wang, smiling nervously. His impression of Ling Jingxuan had completely changed.

"Don't call me 'Young Master.' Just call me Jingxuan. We country folk don’t need to be so formal," replied Ling Jingxuan, his demeanor much more relaxed than his relatives in the old Ling family, who placed great importance on appearances.

"Oh no, that won’t do. I’m just a country bumpkin—how could I address you by your name? How about I call you Ling Lao Shaba instead?"

Old Wang waved his hands repeatedly, looking uneasy. Despite the rumors about Ling Jingxuan, he was still a scholar with the title of Tongsheng. In the countryside, scholars were held in high regard. If not for past incidents, how could someone like Ling Jingxuan have been bullied by others?

"That’s fine, as long as you’re happy, Brother Wang," Ling Jingxuan said with a laugh. Then, turning to Ling Jingpeng, he added, "These jars will be put to use soon. Take them to the backyard for unloading, and I’ll settle the bill with Brother Wang."

"Got it. Everyone, follow me," replied Ling Jingpeng as he led the workers and their carts to the backyard.

Meanwhile, Ling Jingxuan gently stopped Old Wang, who was about to help: "Brother Wang, let them handle the work. Let’s go inside for a cup of tea."

Though hesitant at first, Old Wang finally nodded, a little overwhelmed by Ling Jingxuan’s hospitality. As a small businessman from the countryside, he wasn’t accustomed to such treatment. Nonetheless, he was flattered rather than displeased. After all, in this era, scholars were considered superior to all.

Once seated in the main room, Ling Jingxuan broached the subject of payment: "Brother Wang, as per our agreement, the wine jars are 25 coins each. I’ve heard you charge 3 coins for small jars, but since I’m requesting engravings, I can’t let you incur a loss. Let’s settle on 5 coins per small jar. Don’t worry, just hear me out first."

Old Wang wanted to interject, but Ling Jingxuan raised a hand to stop him and continued with a smile: "I know you didn’t make any profit from these wine jars, and you might even have taken a loss. Before, I ordered in small quantities and had limited resources. Now, I’ve secured a long-term contract with a restaurant in town, and they’ve paid me a significant deposit. If you’re willing, we’ll have more opportunities to collaborate in the future. I can’t keep taking advantage of you, can I? So let’s finalize this: small jars at 5 coins each and large jars at 30 coins each."

Ling Jingxuan’s words reflected thoughtful consideration. Since he planned to place more orders in the future, he saw Old Wang as a reliable partner.

"Alright, Brother Ling. However, let’s agree to only adjust the price of the small jars. The rest will remain at the original rate," Old Wang said decisively, impressed by Ling Jingxuan’s sincerity.

Ling Jingxuan chuckled. "Fine. For this batch, that’s 100 wine jars at 2.5 taels of silver, 500 coins for the small jars, and 1,500 coins for the large jars. The total comes to 4.5 taels of silver. Does that sound correct?"

"Correct. Brother Ling is a scholar—how could there be any mistake?"

Ling Jingxuan’s fairness and reciprocity earned Old Wang’s respect. He had a principle: treat those who are sincere with equal sincerity, but for those who bully him, retaliation would be a certainty. Ling Jingxuan was no saint and would not tolerate being wronged—even by blood relatives.

Old Wang didn’t refuse this time. He had no choice—he had hired many short-term workers for this shipment and needed to pay their wages.

"Brother Wang, you’re joking. Scholars aren’t saints; how could they not make mistakes?"

As he spoke, Ling Jingxuan took out the prepared silver ingots and pushed them toward Old Wang. For Ling Jingxuan, long-term cooperation required clear and prompt settlements. He was not someone who tolerated delayed payments.

"Hehe... Thank you, Brother Ling, for taking care of my business. I’ll accept it without hesitation."

Smiling warmly, Old Wang put the money away but didn’t forget to express his gratitude. Ling Jingxuan responded with a slight smile, took a sip of tea, and waited for Ling Jingpeng and the others to finish unloading. About two quarters of an hour later, after sending Old Wang and his companions on their way, Ling Jingxuan initially planned to visit the Zhao family himself. However, his little bun tugged at him insistently. Ling Jingxuan couldn’t resist the innocent, endearing gaze of the little bun and eventually nodded in agreement.

"Take this with you. If you encounter bad people, don’t hesitate—just sprinkle it on them."

Before they left, Ling Jingxuan handed them a simple white cloth bag. He had crafted it the night before by lamplight, unable to sleep. It was his first attempt at embroidery, and while the stitches were far from perfect, it served its purpose. The bag was filled with a poison he had concocted—the same one he had used on Ling Sanye. For the sake of his children’s safety, he cared little for the well-being of others. He trusted that as long as no one harmed them first, the sensible little bun wouldn’t misuse it.

"Alright, Dad, we’re leaving now!"

The two buns didn’t question him further. Under Ling Wen’s lead, they ran off one after the other. Watching their retreating figures, Ling Jingxuan chuckled and shook his head. They were children, after all.

"Brother, are we heading into the mountains today?"

With the jars ready, Ling Jingpeng assumed it was time to get to work.

"Yes, we’ll head out after Big Brother Zhao and the others arrive. I promised Shopkeeper Zhang that we’d deliver a thousand catties of jam as soon as possible."

Ling Jingxuan responded casually as he sipped his tea, though his mind was elsewhere. It had been two days—something he was waiting for should be arriving soon.

"By the way, Brother, can you teach me how to identify mushrooms?" Ling Jingpeng asked eagerly. He had been pondering this for some time. Now that he had learned how to make jam, he wanted to help his elder brother further by learning to identify mushrooms, which could also bring in income.

"Hmm? Sure, but—"

Before Ling Jingxuan could finish, Ling Wang’s loud voice rang out. Moments later, she walked in wearing coarse sackcloth.

"Jingxuan, why didn’t you lock the door? I just saw Xiaowen and the others running out again, saying they were heading to Zhao’s house. How can you be so relaxed? What if something happens again?"

The two brothers exchanged a glance before standing up to greet her.

"Mother, don’t worry. They’ll be fine. But you—how can someone expecting twins walk so briskly? What if something happens to my little sister?"

"That’s right, Mother! We’re eagerly awaiting our little sister’s arrival."

The brothers’ playful teasing made Ling Wang blush.

"Who said it’s a sister? This isn’t my first pregnancy. When I was carrying you two, I was still working in the fields, wasn’t I? Nothing happened then, so don’t worry."

Though her words sounded dismissive, Ling Wang couldn’t help feeling a mix of embarrassment and warmth at her sons’ concern.

"That was then—things are different now, Mother. You’re an advanced-age mother-to-be. How can we not take extra care?"

Helping her sit down, Ling Jingxuan spoke in an unusually nagging tone. It was clear he was genuinely looking forward to the arrival of the child.

"Where are country people so particular?" Ling Wang muttered under her breath, but the smile on her face did not fade. Despite her embarrassment, she felt a surge of happiness. Her sons cared deeply for her, and that was something to be proud of.

"Mother, you’re too careless. You always let others boss you around. You can’t keep doing that. Eldest Brother is a doctor—he told us to take these things seriously. If something happens, won’t you be the one crying?"

Ling Jingpeng spoke bluntly, his concern evident in his expression. His honest words left no room for Ling Wang to argue. She hesitated for a moment, lips moving as if to respond, but then her demeanor shifted. Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she leaned forward cautiously.

"Jingxuan, guess what happened over there?"

"What’s the matter?"

Ling Jingxuan shook his head helplessly at her gossipy tone, replying casually. He wasn’t interested in trivial matters, especially not gossip from the old Ling family. Although his intersex status allowed him to conceive and bear children, he had no patience for idle chatter.

"Didn’t your eldest brother and sister-in-law go to town early this morning? Well, they just came back, utterly humiliated, and they brought that dog Ling Jingwei with them! I heard his father-in-law found out that, despite years of marriage with Suhua, they have no children. It turns out it’s because Ling Jingwei is naturally cold and unable to father children. Now, they’re demanding a divorce."

Ling Wang beamed with satisfaction as she relayed the news, unaware of the full details from the night before, which Ling Jingpeng had kept to himself. The revelation about Ling Jingwei’s condition had actually come from Ling Jingxuan. Seeing the chaos unfold in the old Ling family filled Ling Wang with a sense of vindication, as though years of pent-up frustration were finally being released.

"Oh? Did they go through with the divorce?"

Ling Jingxuan’s reaction was calm and unsurprised. Shopkeeper Zhao only had one daughter, and the family’s expectations for her to produce an heir were high. Initially, they had assumed Zhao Suhua was infertile, but with the truth revealed, their dissatisfaction with Ling Jingwei was understandable. A divorce was inevitable.

Although a divorced woman was slightly better off than one abandoned outright, she would still face scrutiny. However, given Zhao Suhua’s family wealth, her beauty, and her reputation, finding a new husband—a fast and favorable match—would likely be an easy task.

"How is it possible? Divorce might benefit the woman, but it also implies that the man is at fault. Do you think the elders will agree to that? When I left, they were crying in the room. Even the old patriarch was called back. I’d bet they’ll head to town later to negotiate with the Zhao family."

"What’s there to discuss? He can’t get a woman pregnant. Does he seriously think he has the right to demand a divorce?"

Ling Jingpeng sneered, speaking bluntly. The eldest branch of the Ling family, Dafang, had always been prosperous, with two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Ling Jinghong, was 25 years old and had married the landlord's daughter from a neighboring village a few years ago. The second son, Ling Jingwei, married the daughter of the town's grocery storekeeper at just 15 and became a young shopkeeper himself. The youngest, Ling Xiaotong, now 19, married into a wealthy family in the town three years ago and had already given birth to two sons. Everything seemed perfect for the eldest branch—always overshadowing the second and third branches. The uncle’s family carried themselves with unbearable arrogance, but now it was finally their turn to taste the bitter fruit.

"Divorce? You underestimate your uncle. They’re doing everything they can to turn this big scandal into a small matter," Ling Wang said with a cold snort, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What won’t they do for the sake of family property?"

Ling Jingxuan chuckled faintly, sipping his tea. "Shopkeeper Zhao isn’t a pushover, Mother. Please stop meddling and let them handle their mess."

Ling Jingxuan had anticipated this fallout ever since he exposed Ling Jingwei’s infertility. Still, he was surprised by the Ling family’s shamelessness. Even now, they clung to their reputation, refusing to admit their faults. Truly, they were unparalleled in their audacity.

Ling Wang softened her expression as she stroked her growing belly. "You think I’m the same as before? All I hope for now is that Jinghan recovers soon so we can separate our family. The three of you brothers can support our small household harmoniously."

The cynicism and sarcasm she’d carried moments earlier were replaced by a maternal glow, a mother’s deep hope for a peaceful life. Ling Jingxuan and Ling Jingpeng exchanged a knowing glance. The eldest branch could fight and scheme all they wanted—as long as they didn’t provoke them.

"Want us to step in and help?" Ling Jingxuan said with finality. "Forget it. It’s enough if they don’t cause trouble for us."

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