Guaizi was usually quite rowdy, sometimes running around the yard with the child in wild play. But now, having just woken up, he lay on the ground unmoving, only his tail occasionally brushing the ground in a wag. He looked at Lu Gu with big, doggy eyes that held a hint of pitiful grievance, as if silently tattling.
Seeing that look, Lu Gu couldn’t help but laugh. Lingjun was generally well-behaved, both he and Shen Xuanqing had taught him not to pull the dogs’ fur too hard when playing, and Lingjun remembered.
However, the little one was frowning, so he helped defuse the situation by smiling and saying, "Come here, after washing up, I’ll take you out to buy peaches."
Little Lingjun had plucked a bit of fur from the big dog’s neck and was pinching it between his tiny fingers to examine closely. Suddenly hearing about buying peaches, he immediately tossed the dog fur aside, grinning to reveal his little white teeth. "Peaches," he said.
"Yes, peaches. I’ll take you to buy some after you wash up." Lu Gu spoke while pulling the child to squat beside the wooden basin.
Shen Xuanqing and Luo Biao had both gone to the shop. After finishing his chores, Lu Gu slung a bamboo basket over his arm and locked the courtyard gate. Little Lingjun, standing beside him, refused to walk and stretched out his arms to be carried. Since the early morning wasn’t too hot yet, he had no choice but to pick up the child. Guaizi followed the two of them as they headed to the street.
Peddlers carrying shoulder poles or bamboo baskets hawked their wares along the street. With the arrival of summer, all kinds of fruit drinks and medicinal beverages appeared, and there were plenty of fruit sellers too.
As he walked, Lu Gu kept an eye out, wanting to pick the best peaches to buy.
"Amu, peach, peach!" Little Lingjun stretched his arm toward the big, red peaches. Though small, his eyes were sharp. Those bright red peaches were the freshest and most eye-catching.
"Alright, alright." Lu Gu chuckled. "How come your eyes and ears are so sharp when it comes to food, huh? When I call you to wash your face, you can’t hear me?"
Little Lingjun didn’t answer, just giggled and wrapped his tiny arms around Lu Gu’s neck to act spoiled.
What a clever little imp.
Lu Gu couldn’t do anything about him, but the smile never left his eyes.
Peaches were cheaper now, but the best, big ones cost two copper coins more. He bought a basketful and, still carrying the child, headed toward the butcher’s shop first.
Little Lingjun wanted to eat the peaches but knew they had fuzzy skin that could prick his hands and mouth. His outstretched hand, about to touch a peach, quickly retracted at Lu Gu’s reminder.
At the shop, an old woman had come to buy an old hen, saying it was good to eat in summer. Shen Xuanqing chatted with her for a bit at the front, while Luo Biao was slaughtering chickens in the backyard.
The weather was too hot, and meat couldn’t be stored for long. Whether rabbits, chickens, or ducks, live ones were fine, but if only the meat was wanted, they had to be slaughtered on the spot.
Upon seeing his father, Little Lingjun no longer wanted Lu Gu to carry him and instead clung to Shen Xuanqing.
Freed from the little furnace in his arms, Lu Gu felt instantly relieved. He carried the basket to the back to wash the peaches, with Guaizi following him the whole way, not even sparing Shen Xuanqing a glance.
He knew exactly what their big pup wanted. The first washed peach was placed on the ground for Guaizi.
In summer, even dogs liked to eat fruit. Guaizi took big bites, devouring it quickly. Unlike humans, he didn’t mind the peach fuzz pricking his mouth, he didn’t even need it washed.
As Lu Gu washed the other peaches, he glanced at the one in Guaizi’s mouth. It looked juicy and sweet.
The summer heat was unbearable, but having fruit every day made it easier to endure. Gradually, they made it through the season.
To return before early winter and avoid the coldest part of the journey, the caravan called for preparations to be made before the autumn harvest busy season. They would set off in two days.
Shen Xuanqing and Lu Gu returned to their hometown for a visit. With him gone, Shen Yaoqing would oversee the shop - leaving no men to handle the labor at home, so plans had to be made carefully.
Li Laiqing worked the fields, and during the harvest, they could hire extra hands from their village or neighboring ones.
Since the trip would last no more than three months, Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing discussed hiring a temporary laborer for the new house chores - sweeping, feeding livestock, and such. They needed a diligent, honest man, as men were naturally stronger than Wei Lanxiang and the others.
With Li Laiqing as the long-term laborer, hiring a temporary worker for light tasks like feeding livestock wasn’t hard. Their first thought was Ge Chunsheng.
Though older, he was experienced and never slacked off.
A long-term laborer earned 2,000 copper coins a year, about 166 copper coins a month. Temporary workers earned more than 200 coins a month, or two qian of silver.
Shen Yaoqing knew Ge Chunsheng helped his son-in-law farm his meager plot of land. Hiring him as a temporary worker meant paying for a full month’s labor, so he hesitated.
But both Ge Chunsheng and Li Laiqing were honest, good-hearted men who never cut corners. Hiring the right person was crucial—otherwise, there’d be endless trouble.
Ge Chunsheng was poor, his wife often ill, and they had no sons - a pitiable situation. Wei Lanxiang suggested they ask the Ge family. That meager plot barely earned them anything, but six qian of silver over three months could get them through winter if spent frugally.
They soon got a firm answer. Ge Chunsheng was more than willing to earn the money.
Hiring Ge Chunsheng was the perfect solution—he needed the work, and they needed a reliable hand. Everyone benefited.
With Ge Chunsheng handling the temporary work, Wei Lanxiang, Shen Yan, and Ji Qiuyue wouldn’t have to work much. They could focus on managing the family and watching the children.
Especially Wei Lanxiang, she was getting older. With the family busy these past two years, even she couldn’t rest, tending both fields and livestock. It was time for her to take it easy.
Lu Gu had no say in these matters. These past few days, he’d been cooking varied meals, wanting Shen Xuanqing to eat well before leaving. During the journey, they'd endure hardships—without finding an inn or tavern, they'd have nothing but dry provisions to eat.
After several busy days, the day of the caravan’s departure arrived.
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