Chapter 061

In the days that followed, Ling Jingxuan was fully engrossed in making jam and wine. Every morning, he would head out with Ling Jingpeng and the others to pick fruit. To ensure they had enough energy for their tasks, Ling Jingxuan took on the responsibility of cooking meals at home. The food was hearty—fish he caught himself and meat, almost every day.

Interestingly, little Ling Wen, for the first time, refrained from nagging his father. Though his face occasionally showed a hint of dissatisfaction, he busied himself at home instead of joining the others on the mountain. He took charge of washing and drying the fruits, knowing that the wine had to be sealed immediately after brewing. The Ling family’s farm work was overwhelming during this time, but thankfully, Ling Chenglong and his wife pitched in. Ling Chenglong helped craft wooden wedges, while his wife either looked after the children or assisted with cleaning fruit.

Yan Shengrui, steadily recovering, also began moving around more. Though his body was still weak, he would wander about aimlessly, occasionally pausing to stare at his wife in a daze. He also took it upon himself to teach the three little buns some basic knowledge. How he retained this knowledge despite his memory loss was a mystery—even to him—but the family had grown accustomed to it.

Although life was busy, the two families lived happily and with purpose.

On the other hand, at the old Ling household, chaos reigned. Ling Jingwei, through deliberate instigation, convinced the patriarch, Mr. Ling, to take Dafang’s family to the town in an aggressive attempt to defend their honor. However, they returned in disgrace. Worse yet, they brought back Ling Jingwei and Zhao Suhua’s divorce document (He Lishu). Their raucous behavior annoyed Shopkeeper Zhao, who had originally wanted to save face for his in-laws. Frustrated, he publicly revealed a medical certificate from Doctor Xinhetang that unequivocally stated Ling Jingwei was born with a cold constitution and was infertile—incapable of fathering children.

As the saying goes, there is no impenetrable wall in the world, and the scandal spread quickly through Ling Family Village. Ling Jingwei and, by extension, the entire Ling family, became the subject of ridicule. The old Ling household’s cursing of the second branch turned into an all-day affair, solidifying their enmity.

Five days later, through everyone’s concerted efforts, fifty jars of jam were filled, and one hundred jars of wine were brewed, all neatly stored in the cellar. Just as the family began to breathe a sigh of relief and plan for a short rest, the imperial court’s conscription decree arrived in the village. Ling Chenglong, his wife, and Ling Jingpeng were summoned back to the old house. Zhao Dalong and his wife also faced distress—while the court only recognized men as labor forces, in truth, both of them were capable workers. One of them would have to serve in the military or labor service.

“I wonder how my parents are handling this.”

Sitting under the eaves, Ling Jingxuan frowned slightly as he watched little Ling Wen practicing calligraphy. The Ling family patriarch had two adult sons, and the second branch currently had two children of conscription age: the third son at thirteen and the youngest at twelve, though the latter was too young to serve. This left six eligible candidates. Given the old lady’s favoritism, it was almost certain she would choose someone from the second branch.

Ling Jinghan’s health had improved significantly, but, under Ling Jingxuan’s advice, he continued to feign illness. That left only Ling Jingpeng as a viable candidate. Over the past few days, Ling Jingpeng had worked tirelessly to assist him, making it possible to fulfill such a large business order. Ling Jingxuan’s gratitude for his younger brother ran deep, but so did his worry.

“Didn’t you already expect this? At worst, we can pay twenty taels of silver for military service,” Yan Shengrui said as he approached, having just finished teaching Xiao Baozi boxing. Sitting down beside Ling Jingxuan, he added, “You have the money, so why stress yourself over it?”

“We’ll pay the money, but not immediately,” Ling Jingxuan replied calmly. “This might actually be an opportunity—the best opportunity—for my parents to finally live separately.”
Glancing at him lightly, Ling Jingxuan rested his head on one hand, his eyes deep in thought. Seeing that Ling Jinghan's health was gradually improving, his life would also continue to get better. Inevitably, some people had other plans, and separation seemed unavoidable.

At that moment, Ling Jingxuan didn’t realize that every opportunity comes with a price, and the price he would pay was one that could haunt him for the rest of his life.

"That's right, this matter can’t be delayed any longer. But Jingxuan, after the goods are delivered this time, shouldn’t we repair the house? If my parents and the others move here, the three thatched huts will definitely not be enough."

Nodding in agreement, Yan Shengrui suddenly took his hand. His innocence stemmed from his memory loss; he wasn’t burdened by the usual concerns, like whether they were earning enough or worrying about the family’s reputation. To him, it was simple—he loved his family and just wanted to ensure they lived well. Another reason was that Jingxuan always slept with the children, and sometimes, Yan Shengrui wanted to steal a moment alone. He often found himself longing for intimacy, but he couldn’t help but worry that such things would wear him down over time.

Of course, he would never speak of it aloud.

"Well, I plan to buy all the land that borders Yuehua Mountain and build a garden-style manor there. But I’ll wait until the family division is finalized. Right now, I’m not in the mood to plan all of that."

"You can do it if you have a plan, but shouldn’t we discuss it with Xiaowen and the others first?"

Yan Shengrui pointed towards Ling Wen, who was busy writing on the sand table not far away. Both of them exchanged a helpless yet indulgent smile. Who could blame them? If they dared to secretly buy land and build a house without telling their little buns, they might never hear the end of it. But for the sake of future peace, they decided they had to discuss it with him first.

"Daddy, why hasn’t Tie Wazi come today? I still want to box with him."

At some point, the little bun stood in front of them, dripping with sweat from his training. His small face was scrunched up in disappointment because his little friend hadn’t arrived as planned.

Hearing this, Ling Jingxuan finally remembered that the Zhao family had someone serving in the military. It seemed their household was not at peace. Although Zhao Han and his wife were both men, their marriage had been criticized for many years, but their relationship was strong. Having one of them serve in the military would be like tearing them apart. Ling Jingxuan had originally planned to give them their wages when the goods were delivered the following day, but now he felt he should pay them sooner. These past days, they had been a huge help to him.

Noticing that Ling Jingxuan was lost in thought again, Yan Shengrui didn’t disturb him. Instead, he poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xiao Baozi. "Look at you, so tired. Martial arts training doesn’t happen overnight. We’ll take it step by step."

After spending a few days together, Yan Shengrui had grown accustomed to interacting with the children, and they had warmed to him as well.

"Father, I heard your martial arts are very good. I’ve almost learned all the Tai Chi my father taught me. Can you teach me other martial arts?"

Xiao Baozi, sipping his tea, blinked up at Yan Shengrui with eager eyes. Meanwhile, Ling Wen, who had just finished practicing calligraphy on the other side, also glanced at him expectantly. Unlike Ling Wu, who was more disciplined, Ling Wen wasn’t as particular about martial arts, but if he could learn more, he would definitely be open to it.

"Of course I can. I’ll teach you anything you want to learn in the future, but you mustn’t neglect your studies. In the future, you need to be someone with both civil and martial skills."

Yan Shengrui affectionately pinched Xiao Baozi’s nose and poured a cup of tea for Ling Wen. His injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, so he was only able to do small tasks within his ability.

The two brothers exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. Ling Jingxuan, who had been observing, suddenly waved at Ling Wen. "Xiao Wen, come here for a moment. I have something I want to discuss with you."

"Why?"

Putting down the teacup, Ling Wen didn't think much about it and walked over. Ling Jingxuan pulled him close and said seriously, "It's like this: the imperial court has started conscription, and each family only needs to send two strong men aged between 14 and 35. If you have more than two laborers, one of them must serve in the military. You might not understand this yet, but conscripted soldiers are often sent to the front lines, where they die the fastest. In other words, they are going to die. If we send someone to the military, we have to pay twenty taels of silver. I thought it was impossible for the old Ling family to pay, but in the end, I think your uncle will be the one to go. Dad only has this one younger brother, and I can't stand watching him go to die. So, we'll likely have to pay the money in the end. But then, you, Uncle Zhao, and the others—given their financial situation—won't be able to provide twenty taels of silver. If they hadn't helped us picking fruit these past days, with my father and uncle's strength, it would have taken much longer to make two thousand and five hundred catties of jam and brew one hundred jars of wine. So, I want to send them twenty taels of silver as a gift. What do you think of paying them with their wages?"

A total of forty taels of silver, which would sustain an ordinary family for several years, is no small sum. Although Ling Jingxuan can make decisions on his own, he still habitually seeks Xiao Baozi's advice, because he promised him that he would discuss any big decisions. As a father, he didn't want to break his promise, and even if Xiao Baozi disagreed, he would still follow through.

"Father, don't you always say that we must spend money where it's needed? We can't save money in situations like this."

To his surprise, Ling Wen frowned and scolded him seriously. Ling Jingxuan's forehead furrowed in confusion, then he raised the corners of his lips and lovingly rubbed his head. "Ah, it seems Dad is the one who's confused. No matter how much money we have, no one is more important than family, and we can't save this kind of money."

Ling Jingxuan had underestimated his little bun. While he could be stingy, he was also sensible, wasn't he?

"That's right. Daddy, it's a big deal, but we can save money in the future. Xiaowu and I can go to school next year, and you can take care of things with Uncle and Uncle Zhao quickly."

Ling Wen looked like a little adult, which left Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui momentarily stunned. It seemed that it might not be such a good thing for a little bun to be too sensible.

"Sure, I just wanted to let you know. Now, you can practice calligraphy with your father. I'll send the money to Uncle Zhao and the others first."

Inevitably, Xiao Baozi would take the opportunity to 'educate' him later. Ling Jingxuan patted his son's bottom and stood up, deciding to leave immediately. As for the old Ling family, he would at least wait until the results were in before dealing with them.

"Daddy, I want to go with you!" Ling Wu, who had been leaning on Yan Shengrui, suddenly rushed over to hug his leg. He raised his head and looked at his father pleadingly, clearly missing Tie Wazi, who hadn't come today.

"Okay, let's go together." Ling Jingxuan bent down to pick him up and turned to Yan Shengrui. "I'll be back soon. If my parents arrive, help me keep them in check. The family will be in your hands."

"Alright, go ahead. But put on your straw hat; it's hot outside."

As he spoke, Yan Shengrui picked up the straw hat that Ling Wang had made in the past couple of days and placed it on both their heads. He also took the opportunity to gently touch Ling Jingxuan's face with his large hand. If circumstances allowed, he would have wanted to pounce on him right then and there, but with their son present, he had to control himself.

It wasn't that Ling Jingxuan didn't feel it. Yan Shengrui's actions were too direct, and the heat in his gaze was unmistakable. Knowing what was on his mind, Ling Jingxuan could tell that his husband was in the mood, but he didn't say much. He merely shot him an exasperated glare before turning around and leaving with the little bun in his arms.

As he watched father and son disappear from sight, Yan Shengrui couldn't help but smile broadly. Ling Wen, who was standing nearby, eyed him suspiciously. "What is Father doing? Why does he look like a fool?"


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While I'm still not busy with work and school, here's another chapter for y'all.
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