Lu Gu checked the small jar of sesame oil, only a little remained at the bottom, but it would last a while longer. Still, he’d mention it when the family returned so they could refill half a jar at the next market.
When Shen Xuanqing came back next, he’d steam him a bowl of egg custard too. Though he ate well in town, such a delicate dish was usually reserved for children. Shen Xuanqing never lacked meat or staples, but as a guest in others’ homes, he couldn’t make special requests.
While Lu Gu took care of the children and chores at home, Shen Xuanqing was in Jixing Town, selling rabbits and inquiring about houses for sale. Unlike renting, they had enough money to buy a small property outright, so he was taking his time to find the right one.
During this time, Shen Yaoqing took Wei Lanxiang on several trips in the mule cart to buy more chicks and ducklings. They even brought home the four piglets reserved from Li Zhuzi’s family. With new rabbit litters filling the hutches that had been empty in winter, the pens were gradually becoming crowded again.
Because of this, when Shen Xuanqing returned after half a month and mentioned finding a house with a well, Lu Gu hesitated.
Sitting by the stove, adding firewood to steam the egg custard while Lingjun slept, Shen Xuanqing washed his hands and crouched beside him in the kitchen.
After exchanging a few affectionate words, Lu Gu thought for a moment and said, "A couple of days ago, we were running low on firewood. Eldest Brother came back from weeding the fields and went straight to the mountains to cut wood without resting. Mother and Yan Yan also gather firewood when they can, besides tending to the ducks and cattle."
"The four big pigs eat a lot, and the four piglets aren’t far behind. Dong ger and the others bring back two cartloads of grass daily. Uncle He and Aunt He are frail, and he isn’t as strong, so they can only manage two cartloads. When Sister-in-law and I have time, we take the children out to forage for pig grass—otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough for the pigs and goats."
"With Sister-in-law and me working together, one watches the children while the other works, whether cooking or gathering grass. That’s the only way we manage."
Finally, Lu Gu lowered his voice but continued, "If I leave, she might struggle alone. Zhao'er runs around now, and without someone watching him, it’s not safe."
After hearing him out, Shen Xuanqing frowned slightly. They had originally agreed to live together in town, but he also knew how much work the livestock required. Jixing Town was far, and with him tied to the shop, he couldn’t return often to help. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but the reality was complicated.
Lu Gu noticed the busyness at home and naturally wouldn’t overlook it. He added, "With more fields, Eldest Brother goes to pull weeds, and Mother follows too. The weeds grow too vigorously, so they only rest occasionally."
"I see." Shen Xuanqing responded in a low voice, lowering his eyes in thought for a while. With thirteen acres of dry land and eight acres of paddy fields, it was indeed difficult for Shen Yaoqing to manage alone, especially while also tending to the family’s livestock.
After some consideration, he looked up at Lu Gu with a smile and said, "What’s so hard about this? We’ll hire someone to work the fields, and Eldest Brother will have his hands free. Then he can focus on raising the livestock and just pull weeds in his spare time."
"Short-term hires are expensive, so let’s just hire a long-term laborer. It’s only two thousand copper coins a year, two taels of silver. With twenty acres of land, can’t we afford two taels?"
Shen Xuanqing thought this was entirely feasible. There was plenty of work at home, and their mother was getting older. His sister was an unmarried girl, Ji Qiuyue had to look after the child, and no one had much free time. He himself was busy running the shop in town and couldn’t tend to the household. They really needed a solution.
"These two taels, since the land belongs to the whole family and the grain income is split evenly every year, if we really hire someone, Eldest Brother should pay half. One tael each isn’t too much." He always had ideas, and since farmland was their foundation, no matter what other work there was, the fields had to be well tended. Hiring someone to farm wasn’t absurd.
"That might work." Lu Gu had never been as full of ideas as him, but two taels a year, their family could truly afford it now.
Shen Xuanqing brightened and said with a laugh, "Later, I’ll talk to Mother and Eldest Brother. You don’t need to worry about this. Tomorrow, I’ll take you all to see the house. If everyone likes it, we’ll buy it."
"Mm." Lu Gu nodded. After talking for so long, he nearly forgot the main task. He quickly stood up and lifted the pot lid to check the steamed egg custard, afraid it might have overcooked.
By the time Shen Xuanqing sat at the table to eat the egg custard drizzled with sesame oil, Shen Yaoqing and Wei Lanxiang had already heard his proposal to hire a long-term laborer and were both deep in thought.
The bowl of egg custard wasn’t large, and he soon finished it clean. Putting down the bowl, he smiled and said, "Mother, you’re not getting any younger. You should take care of yourself, there’ll be more grandchildren for you to hold in the future. If we don’t hire someone for the fields, the work will pile up. Even if it’s not heavy labor, it adds up. Just listen to me."
Partly out of selfishness - wanting Lu Gu and the child to move to town, and partly because he genuinely believed it, his words of persuasion sounded more mature than his usual silent decision-making.
Ji Qiuyue hauled Zhao’er, who had been ruining the spring vegetables, back from the garden and laughed when she heard this. His brother-in-law wasn’t the same as before, he’d grown up. She had noticed how exhausted Shen Yaoqing had been lately: chopping firewood, carrying water, hauling manure to the fields every day, shoveling dung and sweeping - all his tasks. And whenever something came up at home, he had to take the mule cart out. So she said, "Mother, just listen to Second Brother. He makes sense."
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