Chapter 6: A Clever Woman Struggles Without Provisions

Age brings wisdom.

Wang Xuezhou watched as his parents were settled with just a few words from his grandparents, feeling no surprise. After all, the matter had been discussed so thoroughly—could they really force the grandparents to sell their granddaughter? Pushing further would only risk alienating everyone in the family.

Moreover, his older brother’s future was still in the hands of the grandparents, so his parents had to consider his feelings. After all, his brother was their child too; if they quarreled with the grandparents over him, how would that differ from the grandparents favoring the eldest uncle?

The family’s situation was clear: education was an expensive endeavor that could not be pursued repeatedly. It was all a matter of poverty and hardship.

As for splitting the family? That was even more impossible. First, because in their culture, families do not separate while the parents are still alive; second, because of the corvée labor system.

The Great Qian Dynasty mandated that each household send one male member aged sixteen to sixty to perform compulsory labor annually. If the family split and both Wang Xuexin and Wang Xuezhou were under sixteen, only Wang Chengzhi could serve, and that for seven consecutive years until Wang Xuexin came of age to take his turn.

Seven years in a row! Corvée labor was grueling and physically damaging. Seven consecutive years could be a death sentence for Wang Chengzhi before his son reached adulthood. Besides, the eldest uncle’s and third uncle’s families certainly would not agree to divide the household. That path was blocked.

Thus, the storm passed quietly, and Wang the Elder and Mrs. Liu did not truly mistreat Mrs. Zhang. After all, if it weren’t for Mrs. Zhang’s frequent embroidery work supplementing the household income, their situation would have been even more difficult.

The grain in the fields would not wait. After a brief rest following their meal, the whole family returned to the farmland.

Following the dispute, the elderly matron no longer spoiled Madam Gao and Wang Lanyue, and both were sent to work in the fields. Wang Xuezhou’s injured foot spared him from fieldwork, leaving only Mrs. Zhang and himself at home.

Mrs. Zhang continued embroidering a quilt cover she had yet to finish, while Wang Xuezhou lay on the bed pondering how to earn money. Only by improving their family’s circumstances could schooling be put back on the agenda.

He wasn’t without effort; it was just that Xilang Village, nestled among the hills, had neither significant elevation nor named peaks, and its resources were scarce.

There were no large wild animals like boars, deer, wolves, or bears; few wild fruits, mushrooms, or precious medicinal herbs; mostly just vast stretches of rock and wild grass, accompanied by low, scraggly trees.

In his previous life, his grandparents raised him in the countryside. Whenever he felt unwell, his grandfather would ascend the mountain to gather dandelion, bupleurum, roots of cogongrass, ginseng, and so on, then dry and boil them in rotation for him.

These were common plants, and indeed found on the mountain. So when he thought of collecting them to sell to the apothecary for money, he ventured up the mountain, only to find…

To his surprise, what they called “gucao” locally—bupleurum—had its branches and leaves already stripped bare by others. The tender parts were blanched and served cold as salad; the older parts fed to pigs. Even the roots, which were the medicinal portion, had been completely dug up.

Dandelion and cogongrass, even more so, were commonly picked by villagers during their leisure time.

The villagers were no fools; elders recognized these herbs and knew they possessed cooling and detoxifying properties, good for treating fevers. Every household gathered some during the off-season to keep at home.

What remained on the mountain was scant—enough for personal use, but far too little to sell.

Wild fruits were picked before ripening, wild vegetables had been stripped bare, and wild fowl and rabbits had grown wary after many traps, making them difficult to catch.

There were no streams or rivers nearby for fishing shellfish or shrimp.

Other enterprises, like charcoal burning or tofu making, required capital. No one would listen to a child’s plans to waste resources.

It was truly a case of a clever housewife unable to cook without rice.

One after another, his ideas for making money without capital were dashed. When he proposed raising the stakes, his family took him to the nearby Yuqing Temple to drink a bowl of talisman water, supposedly to ward off evil spirits…

It nearly drove him into social withdrawal. Being young meant having no… rights…

As these thoughts drifted by, he unknowingly fell asleep. Mrs. Zhang, hearing the steady breaths from her son beside her, glanced softly and smiled before turning back to her embroidery.

She was almost done with this piece and needed to finish quickly to exchange it for money.

Later that evening, others returned with heavy steps, too exhausted to eat much and no longer in the mood to argue. Rarely was there such a quiet meal.

With the elder’s promises in place, Wang Chengzhi no longer caused trouble, obediently helping with the harvest. Naturally, Wang Xuexin and Wang Yaoyue continued their honest work.

United, the family quickly finished reaping, drying, threshing, and cleaning the wheat.

When the grain was all spread out to dry, Wang Chengzu also returned, appearing in good spirits. To Wang Xuezhou’s surprise, he waved at him from the doorstep.

“Zhou’er, come here. Your uncle has something good for you.”

Curious, Wang Xuezhou trotted over. Wang Chengzu pulled a piece of maltose candy from his long sleeves and handed it to him.

“Here, be careful not to let others see it. If it gets stolen, don’t blame me.”

“Thank you, uncle! You’re so kind. Grandpa says you’re the strongest in the family—is that true?” His eyes shone with admiration.

Wang Chengzu was delighted by the boy’s gaze and laughed, patting his head.

“Though small, your eyes are sharp, Zhou’er.”

“When will you let my brother become a chef? I want to eat the food the chef makes!”

Seeing his hopeful expression, Wang Chengzu scoffed.

“You’re too young to understand. Go play.”

With that, he strode away.

Well, that flattery was wasted.

Turning around, Wang Xuezhou noticed a tiny girl clutching a broom half her height, nibbling her finger and staring at him, drooling.

It was Wang Jiaoyue, the five-year-old from the third uncle’s family, the same age as him.

He glanced at the maltose in his hand and offered it to her.

“Here, sister, have some.”

Wang Jiaoyue excitedly loosened her grip, dropping the broom.

“Is this for me?”

He popped the candy into her mouth and smiled.

“Believe me now?”

She quickly licked it, the sweet flavor bursting across her palate, causing her to close her eyes in bliss.

Suddenly, someone tugged her away, and a scolding voice rang out.

“Come with me!”

Wang Chuyue shot Wang Xuezhou a fierce glare before pulling her sister off.

Wang Xingyue’s face flushed red as she apologized to him.

“Third brother, don’t mind her. Fourth sister has that temper…”

She seemed embarrassed and quickly ran off, head bowed.

He paid no heed; Wang Chuyue’s temper was well known.

Picking up the broom Wang Jiaoyue had dropped, he began to sweep.

Inside the house, Wang Chuyue glared at her sister.

“How many times have I told you not to pay attention to him? Why don’t you listen?”

Wang Jiaoyue puffed her cheeks and swallowed her saliva before mumbling, “Third brother gave me candy.”

Wang Xingyue, as the eldest sister, sternly chastised Wang Chuyue.

“How can you teach your sister like that? Ugly one hasn’t done anything to you. If you keep quarreling, I’ll tell our parents.”

Seeing both her elder sister and younger sibling against her, Wang Chuyue’s eyes reddened with fury.

She glared at her sister, shouting, “First uncle’s family doesn’t work, second uncle’s family is always lazy, almost all the chores fall to our parents! You don’t care!”

“Big cousin constantly bossing you around to wash clothes and fetch things—you care! You all don’t mind, you’re so high and mighty, but it’s just me who’s petty? I hate them! I’m petty!”

Tears streaming, she stormed out, passing Wang Xuezhou sweeping in the yard, shooting him another angry glare.

Wang Xuezhou wasn’t in the habit of eavesdropping but felt inexplicably puzzled. He hadn’t provoked the fourth sister at all!