Chapter 71
The family sold twenty-five of their several dozen horses at once, instantly easing their financial strain.
Cicadas buzzed and frogs croaked. The summer days were long, and the drought made the air dry and hot, making time seem to pass especially slowly.
Though the days dragged on leisurely, it was soon the fifth month.
The rice seedlings in the paddies grew quickly, sprouting ears and flowering, ready to mature by the sixth month.
These days, the villagers kept a meticulous eye on the rice. From sowing the seeds to transplanting the seedlings and finally harvesting, not a single step in farming could be taken lightly.
Now, at the crucial stage of flowering and grain-filling, they were but one step away from a full harvest—not the slightest mishap could be permitted.
If any damage occurred now, the year’s labor would be wasted.
As long as the rice seedlings weren’t burned by "ghost fires" at night, and the weather remained stable during maturation—without violent storms—it would be the best possible conditions.
[Ghost fires (鬼火, guǐ huǒ): the eerie phosphorescent lights caused by decaying organic matter, which superstitious villagers attribute to supernatural spirits that could harm their crops.]
Otherwise, if the ripe grains scattered and were ruined by continuous rain, the farmers’ efforts would be utterly destroyed.
In the sixth month, the village pooled modest funds for a sacrificial ceremony, praying to the heavens for favorable weather.
Early that morning, Ji Yangzong went to prepare for the ceremony without even eating breakfast.
Ji Taoyu had seen such rituals before: a pig’s head and some fruits placed on the altar, a female shaman chanting, and a crowd of farmers kneeling with incense sticks in hand.
[神婆 (shén pó): a female shaman or spiritual medium in Chinese culture who claims to communicate with deities, spirits, or the supernatural to provide guidance, healing, or divination.]
Though he didn’t think these rituals had any real effect—after all, they did them every year, yet the rain and sunshine came as they pleased—he wasn’t sure whether the villagers truly believed in their efficacy or secretly shared his skepticism but never voiced it.
Still, he supposed it was just a long-standing summer tradition, formed over years of prayers and sacrifices.
During breakfast, Huang Manjing chatted with Ji Taoyu about village gossip.
"The Kong family’s third ger is betrothed."
Ji Taoyu sipped his pumpkin porridge. This year’s pumpkins were old, but when sliced and cooked into plain rice porridge, they lent a natural sweetness even without sugar.
He found it delicious and ate a big bowl. Beside him, Huo Shu silently peeled a boiled egg for him.
After eating, the two planned to go into town to finalize the shop they had chosen.
Their appointment with Chen Pu was later in the day, so they weren’t in a hurry.
Ji Taoyu raised his eyes at his mother. "To whom?"
"To the second son of the Xiao family. You two know him, he went on the trading trip with you."
Ji Taoyu was surprised but also felt it made sense.
He nudged Huo Shu, who was focused on peeling the egg. "He moved fast. It hasn’t even been half a month since we returned."
Huo Shu grunted in agreement. It was indeed fast, less than two weeks back in the village.
Huang Manjing said, "Village life is stable, and everyone hopes to settle down early. He turned twenty last year but still hadn’t secured a match. Given his age, his family was anxious."
"While you were away trading, they were already looking for prospects. They’d sent a matchmaker to the Kong family earlier, but they refused. Your third aunt also had her eye on their ger and had sent a matchmaker over too."
Ji Taoyu’s eyebrows rose. That wasn’t surprising, his cousin was also well past marriageable age.
Before, his third aunt had held high standards, aiming for prestigious families for her son. But those families looked down on Yuan Fei, and none agreed.
After repeated rejections, she’d lowered her expectations and started considering poorer households.
Huang Manjing continued, "The Xiao family is worse off than your third aunt’s, but your cousin Yuan Fei—well, you know what he’s like. The Kongs aren’t fools, they weighed their options."
"This year, your cousin earned some money and seemed to be shaping up. The matchmaker’s sweet talk might’ve swayed the Kong family. But just as they were considering it, you two returned, and the Kong family turned around and settled on the Xiao family."
The Kong family was an average family in the village, with just a few meager fields to their name—enough to get by.
But the couple was honest and well-liked. Now, their ger had become a sought-after match.
Huang Manjing sighed, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Your third aunt is furious. She’s hinting that our family ruined her son’s marriage. She went crying to your eldest uncle, but for once, he sided with your father and scolded her."
Huo Shu finished peeling the egg—smooth and white—and held it out to Ji Taoyu.
Still engrossed in the gossip, Ji Taoyu tilted his head and took a bite.
"Eldest Uncle’s always been shrewd. He used to indulge Third Aunt, but now he’s scolding her? Probably because he sees how much money A-Shu made and doesn’t want to offend us."
Huang Manjing smiled. "Exactly."
Back when their family was betrothed to the You family’s scholar, the eldest branch had looked down on the widowed mother and impoverished son. But after You Lingxiao passed the imperial exams, their attitude warmed noticeably.
After the engagement fell through, that warmth faded, and they often sided with Ji Wanglan during her unreasonable outbursts.
Now, seeing their new son-in-law was capable, they were eager to cozy up again.
Such were the shifts in human relationships—even among family.
When you prospered, everyone leaned your way. When you fell on hard times, not only did you lose influence, but even relatives felt entitled to lecture you.
"Anyway, there will be another wedding banquet to attend."
Ji Taoyu rested his chin on his hand. He quite enjoyed feasts.
Huang Manjing nodded. "The whole village rejoices at such happy occasions."
After breakfast, Ji Taoyu and Huo Shu headed into town.
The air was stiflingly hot, and with rain threatening, they hurried to avoid getting drenched.
Chen Pu, a major porcelain merchant, was busy overseeing both his shop and kilns. For something as minor as viewing shops, he sent an assistant—a steward, which spoke volumes about his regard for Huo Shu.
They looked at several shops. Those in prime locations were small, with just a storefront and no living quarters. If they wanted space to live, they’d have to partition it, making the shop even more cramped.
For two hundred-some taels, a spacious shop in the bustling market was hard to come by.
Though two or three hundred taels could buy a one- or two-courtyard house in the city, location mattered, and commercial properties differed from residential ones.
Huo Shu wasn’t familiar with Tongzhou’s shop prices, but Ji Taoyu knew.
Even the unsatisfactory shops they saw in the busy market weren’t something ordinary people could afford for two or three hundred taels. Without connections, the asking price could soar to three or four hundred.
Chen Pu had already shown them great favor.
So they abandoned the idea of a shop in the bustling area.
Once location was no longer a priority, their options expanded. They finally settled on a shop near the city’s edge, newly built for commerce.
Though it was only a single-story building, its layout resembled Huang Yinsheng’s place.
The storefront wasn’t large—similar to those in the market, but it had a rear courtyard with several spacious rooms, making the entire property quite spacious.
The place was quiet and rather deserted. Not far away, the merchant construction team was still building new houses, making it somewhat noisy during the day. With few shops operating in the vicinity, business remained exceedingly slack.
Since they weren’t looking for a shop to open for business, they didn’t need to overthink anything and could settle on it right away.
Thank you for the update!!
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