The competition was divided into two groups. One consisted of the farmers renowned in the village for plowing their fields quickly, while the other was made up of ordinary tenant farmers from the estate.
The villagers measured out two plots of equal size and roughly equal barrenness. One was to be worked by the village’s experienced farmers using their old tools, while the other would be worked by the estate’s tenant farmers.
When the copper gong sounded, both groups began working at the same time, throwing themselves into the task with all their might.
Competitions like this were rare in the village. Before long, everyone had come to watch, pockets filled with roasted mountain fruit. They cracked the nuts with their teeth while craning their necks toward the fields.
“If Old Man Wang’s plowing skill is second in our village, then no one dares claim to be first.”
On the edge of the field, the plump Madam Gao stared intently at the old man swinging his broad-bladed hoe.
The village’s mainstay, Old Man Wang, was nearly fifty. Though he was no longer young, he had lost none of his strength. His eyes were bright, and he looked full of vigor.
The old-fashioned hoe he had brought to the competition had been with him for many years. Before leaving that morning, he had taken special care to sharpen the blade. Now its thick edge gleamed brightly. Every time he swung the hoe, it sank deep into the hard, barren earth, the entire motion swift and clean.
That alone was not even the most impressive part. What was truly remarkable was the way he scooped up thick clods of soil with each strike and flung them aside. As he loosened the earth from left to right, it was almost as if he were performing some kind of magic trick. The stones and roots mixed into the soil were separated and sorted out with ease.
That was where experienced farmers excelled. Plowing required more than strength; it also demanded patience. Removing all the debris from the earth was the most time-consuming part of the work.
“In the past, when there wasn’t enough farmland in the countryside, the authorities told us to reclaim wasteland for crops. They said that however much we opened up would belong to us, so everyone worked themselves half to death. Some even labored by torchlight at night. But Old Man Wang ate when he was supposed to eat and slept when he was supposed to sleep. Then, when they came to measure the land, he had reclaimed more than anyone else!”
Another villager chimed in, “Old Man Wang has four or five children. His daughters and sons-in-law all married well, and his sons have made something of themselves. The third one, in particular, was among the first batch chosen to serve as militiamen.
“Those good days of theirs all came from Old Man Wang’s superb farming skills. Without enough grain to eat, how could he have raised all those children?”
“What’s the point of holding this competition? Old Man Wang is certain to win. We might as well stop watching. But what’s the prize?”
“I heard it’s a sheep!”
“Oh, that’s a fine prize indeed! If I’d known, I would’ve sent my own husband to compete. Even without the sheep, it would’ve been good to limber up before the spring plowing.”
“The authorities really have put some thought into this. The world outside may be in turmoil, but we can still enjoy ourselves behind our closed doors!”
The villagers praised Old Man Wang from every direction, taking pride in him as though his glory were their own. Every now and then, a few words drifted into the old man’s ears, spurring him to work even harder.
Just as everyone was thoroughly caught up in the excitement, several figures came threading through the crowd from the other side of the field. They squeezed in to inspect the furrows opened by the estate’s tenants, then exclaimed, “The estate’s workers are astonishing! They’re not losing out to Old Man Wang in the slightest!”
The two plots were not adjacent. The villagers stood on the higher embankment between them, and from one side they could not see what was happening on the other.
When those who had originally been watching the tenant farmers came over and said this, the villagers on Old Man Wang’s side immediately fell silent, their proud chatter cut short.
“Shuanzhu, stop showing off. The estate’s fields are still in the village, and we all know how the tenants plow. How could they possibly surpass Old Man Wang?”
“I’m not making it up! I don’t know where the estate got those strange-looking hoes and rakes, but they’re plowing incredibly fast!”
Several people who refused to believe him promptly ran over to the other side.
Wang Shuanzhu had not been exaggerating. The estate’s tenant farmers were using hoes with slightly curved blades and thinner shafts than the ones commonly used in the village. The tools looked odd, but they seemed remarkably effective.
The tenants did not need to raise the hoes high to gather momentum. They only lifted them slightly before bringing them down, and the blades bit fiercely into the soil, sinking deep. Even though their movements were not as smooth as Old Man Wang’s, the hoes required less effort and could be swung from a lower position, making their work faster and more efficient.
And there was more than one worker on each team. On Old Man Wang’s side, each person had a hoe and worked independently, digging up the soil and removing the debris themselves.
The estate’s side was different. One tenant was responsible for digging up the earth, while another wielded an iron rake with closely spaced teeth and three-pronged tips. They hooked and shook the freshly dug soil, breaking up the compacted clods and quickly sorting out the stones and roots.
It was a task that even women and children of modest strength could handle.
“Dividing the work really does make things faster! Look, Old Man Wang’s side has only opened a tenth of an acre, while this side hasn’t fallen behind at all.”
“It’s not the division of labor that makes them fast. Their farm tools are better. That’s what makes the difference!”
As they debated, someone who was dissatisfied pushed through the crowd toward the village headman. “It isn’t fair for the estate’s workers to use such excellent tools!”
The village headman watched the competition with a cheerful smile. When the villager came to complain, he was not annoyed in the least. “We said beforehand that everyone could bring whichever tools suited them best. No one ever said new tools weren’t allowed.”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui also moved back and forth between the two groups, watching each side work.
Afterward, Duan Yan sighed with admiration. “Your Second Uncle really is a genius at tinkering. With those improved tools, the estate’s tenants are practically becoming the village’s best farmers.”
Song Fengsui smiled. “Second Uncle has loved tinkering with construction projects since he was little. Grandfather once told me that when Father and Second Uncle were studying at the Imperial College, Second Uncle often skipped class.
“But unlike those spoiled young masters who went outside to bet on cockfights, chase dogs, and waste their days, he would hide away in some secluded estate and bury himself in building little towers.”
“Because his heart was never in scholarship, even though Grandfather had come first in the palace examination and Father later placed third, making theirs a family with two distinguished scholars, neither of them could teach Second Uncle properly. He failed the examinations several times.”
Duan Yan found this amusing, but then asked doubtfully, “Second Uncle’s former office may not have been as prestigious as Grandfather’s or Father’s, but he still held a position in the Ministry of Works. How did he get in without any examination honors?”
Song Fengsui smiled. “He passed the examinations later, of course.
“When Second Uncle was twenty-five and still spending his days at home tinkering with all sorts of things, Grandfather told him, ‘Since you love fiddling with such projects, go fiddle with them at the Ministry of Works. Don’t sit around at home with no prospects. You’re not young anymore, and you still haven’t started a family.’
“Second Uncle thought about it for an entire night, then told Grandfather that he wanted to join the Ministry of Works.
“Grandfather, however, said that the Ministry of Works was not his personal property. How could he simply arrange for Second Uncle to enter just because Second Uncle wanted to go? So, in order to secure a position there, Second Uncle began studying in earnest. He was talented to begin with; he simply had no interest in scholarship. Once he truly applied himself to the examinations, he passed the provincial exam the following year, then went on to pass the metropolitan exam and become a presented scholar.”
The smile on Duan Yan’s face grew broader. The first time he had met Song’s Second Uncle, he had already felt that the man was far more unconventional than his father-in-law. Now that he had heard about Second Uncle’s younger days, his guess had indeed been proven right.
Though it was improper for a junior to gossip about his elders, since they had already gotten onto the subject, Song Fengsui put it nicely: they were all family now, so they ought to learn more about one another. Thus, he asked, “Second Uncle… never married?”
“Although Second Uncle married late, he did marry. He and Second Aunt simply never had any children.”
Whenever Song Fengsui spoke of his second uncle and aunt, he could not help sighing softly, but he did not mind telling Duan Yan about them.
His second aunt had likewise been born into a prestigious family. She was the daughter of the Minister of Revenue and had actually grown up with Song Xuemu as a childhood sweetheart. Since their families had always kept in close contact, the children of similar ages naturally saw one another often.
The two families had long intended to arrange a marriage. Minister Wu had always thought highly of Song Wushen and wanted him as his son-in-law. Unfortunately, the eldest Miss Wu happened to be fond of Song Xuemu.
Compared with Song Wushen, who was absorbed in his studies and had eyes only for the sages’ books, a lively young man like Song Xuemu—who was skilled with his hands and could tinker together a hopping wooden grasshopper or a flying bamboo dragonfly from time to time—was naturally much more appealing to a young girl.
Who could have known how things would turn out? That bookish “pedant,” Song Wushen, was actually far more perceptive and worldly than the lively and active Song Xuemu. After placing high in the imperial examinations, he promptly proposed to the virtuous and beautiful Miss Mu of a renowned medical family in Jiangnan, and the two married soon afterward.
Song Xuemu, on the other hand, was so engrossed in his hobbies that he never developed the slightest sense for such matters. Miss Wu rejected numerous talented young men and waited only for Song Xuemu. Yet after waiting and waiting, she still saw no sign that he understood her intentions.
Miss Wu was two years older than Song Xuemu. In the end, she could wait no longer. Angry with him as well, she turned around and accepted her family’s arrangements, becoming betrothed to the son of a prominent local family.
And then, as fate would have it, Song Xuemu finally figured things out just after she became engaged. Though he bitterly regretted it, there was nothing he could do.
Heartbroken, he devoted himself to his studies.
Who would have thought that two people who seemed to have lost their destined connection would somehow find it again?
The prominent family to which Miss Wu had been betrothed kept delaying the wedding, dragging things out indefinitely. Minister Wu grew furious and went to investigate personally. It turned out that the young man had been carrying on with a young male and even fathered a child with him. The matter had yet to be settled, which was why he had continued putting off the marriage.
Although Miss Wu had grown older by then, it was not as though no one wanted her. How could she tolerate such a filthy family? The engagement was canceled.
“Later, the two of them got back together. Minister Wu had never liked Second Uncle’s temperament. In his words, Second Uncle was ‘unambitious.’ He was also angry that Second Uncle had delayed Second Aunt until she was past the ideal age for marriage, so he became even more displeased with him.”
“But Second Aunt truly loved him. By that time, Second Uncle had finally developed some ambition and was willing to study seriously and sit for the examinations, so Minister Wu agreed to the marriage after all.”
Even after the marriage, Minister Wu still found it difficult to like the son-in-law he had disliked from the beginning. With Song Wushen, such an outstanding elder brother, as a comparison, Song Xuemu seemed even more hopeless in his eyes.
The Wu family had only one daughter. No matter how angry Minister Wu was with Song Xuemu, he still took great pains to pave the way for him and make arrangements on his behalf. But what good was a smooth road if the man stubbornly refused to walk it?
In the years after their marriage, Song Xuemu refused to listen either to his father-in-law or to his own father. Miss Wu was spoiled as well, and the couple’s quarrels and constant chaos became part of everyday life.
“Later, the two of them divorced. Then the Song family fell, and that brings us to the present.”
Duan Yan’s brows drew together slightly. “They really were a pair of bickering lovers.”
“Don’t let Second Uncle’s usual carefree appearance fool you. In truth, he thinks constantly of Second Aunt. He simply refuses to say so and does not want the family to know. They were not like those harmonious couples from the great families in the capital, who made a public spectacle of every quarrel. On the surface, they looked like an ill-matched, undignified highborn couple, but in reality, theirs was the truest affection.”
Duan Yan asked, “Before something happened to the Song family, the two of them…”
Song Fengsui shook his head. “Before the Song family’s downfall, the court had already entered a period of upheaval. Uncle Wu sensed that something was wrong early on. He repeatedly urged Grandfather not to persist in going his own way, and to keep a low profile so the entire family might remain safe.”
“By then, Grandfather could no longer listen to any advice. Uncle Wu was certain that disaster would befall the Song family, so he proposed that Second Uncle and Second Aunt divorce, using their childlessness and poor relationship as the reason.”
“It was all part of Uncle Wu’s painstaking plan. Not long afterward, the Song family really did fall. Without Uncle Wu secretly making arrangements for us, who knows how difficult things would have been? Later, even when we were exiled, the Wu family still pulled strings on our behalf. Otherwise, how could we possibly have survived the journey to Qianzhou?”
With his striking appearance, once the Song family could no longer protect him, there had been countless people in the capital who coveted him and wanted to claim him for themselves. Although some of the Song family’s former subordinates had tried to help, Consort Lian’s faction had suppressed the family’s influence severely. Those who might truly have been able to lend a hand had either been sent away from the capital or placed under control.
By divorcing and publicly severing ties with the Song family, the Wu family had been seen by outsiders as making a sensible choice. Some had even secretly called it disloyal. Precisely because of this, however, they had avoided being dragged into the affairs of Consort Lian’s faction and had been able to extend a hand, mediating and protecting them.
During the journey into exile, they had suffered plenty of hardship, but in the end, Song Fengsui had remained safe and untouched. Without the Wu family’s help, how could such a thing have been possible?
After they reached Yan Town, chaos erupted in the capital, and the Wu family was no longer able to look after them. The Song family then fell into truly desperate circumstances. Fortunately, at that critical moment, Duan Yan appeared.
Speaking of these old matters left Song Fengsui somewhat melancholy. He was about to marry as well, yet with the war disrupting all communication, he had no idea how Second Aunt was faring in the capital.
They had still been able to receive occasional news before, but ever since the fighting began, they had not received even the slightest word.
Duan Yan put an arm around him and gently rubbed his arm in comfort. “It’s all right. Once things are established here, we’ll think of every possible way to send word out. If the Wu family is in trouble, this place can serve as a refuge for them.”
Song Fengsui nodded.
The two of them had only been sitting in the hastily erected tent for a short while when Steward Lü hurried over and said, “The competition is over.” He asked whether they wanted to go see the results.
Only then did they realize that, while they had been drinking tea and discussing old matters in the tent, nearly an hour had passed without their noticing.
Duan Yan led Song Fengsui outside by the hand.
It was even livelier out there now. The villagers were arguing so heatedly that their faces had gone red and their necks bulged.
Only Old Man Wang, who had seemed so calm and confident in the fields earlier, now looked crestfallen. He glanced toward the plots of land, then lowered his head and remained silent.
From his expression alone, Duan Yan and Song Fengsui knew the result without having to ask.
“I’m old now. I can’t compete with the younger folk. At least my children have all grown up and found places for themselves. Otherwise, these old bones of mine wouldn’t be able to manage the fields and support them too.”
In truth, the two plots had been opened at nearly the same time. The difference amounted to no more than a few strokes of the hoe here or there.
Even so, the farmers in the village had been quite shaken. Aside from the most capable Old Man Wang, everyone on the village team was an experienced hand at working the land. For such a team to lose to the tenant farmers from the estate—whose speed had been nothing remarkable—was naturally astonishing.
By now, people had already gathered around the tenant farmers, asking where they had obtained their new farming tools.
“Everyone, quiet down!” The village head called for order. Standing on higher ground, he announced loudly, “Today’s event has been a lively one, and our very first plowing competition was truly splendid!”
Then he declared, “The estate team is the winner!”
At once, the people from the estate broke into loud cheers, while Old Man Wang and the others looked even more dejected.
The village headman then said, “The group that lost needn’t be disappointed either. The competition was only part of it—the important thing was to liven things up. Commander Duan said that the manor has already slaughtered a sheep, and the tenants who won the competition can return to the manor to feast and celebrate. But Commander Duan also prepared another sheep, specifically for Old Man Wang’s group!”
Old Man Wang’s group stared at one another. “Even the losers get one?”
Duan Yan picked up the thread. “Today, I also witnessed how skilled the farmers in the villages are at cultivation. Every member of Old Man Wang’s group is outstanding. Your ability to work the land is truly solid.
“The manor won today’s competition entirely because of the improved tools. Without such handy, well-designed implements, we certainly could not have won. So Old Man Wang’s group has earned a sheep through their skill, while the manor has earned one through ingenuity!”
Everyone burst into applause and cheers.
Duan Yan continued, “This competition isn’t merely a competition. I also wanted to demonstrate the new farming tools our town has developed for everyone who works so hard in the fields.”
He picked up one of the improved tools and handed it to Old Man Wang. “Old sir, you’ve always been skilled and efficient at plowing. Why not try this improved tool and see if it makes you even more efficient?”
Old Man Wang had been eager to see the improved tools for himself. How could they be so miraculous that tenants who were far less capable than him had managed to surpass him?
Now that he had one in hand, he immediately went down into the field to try it. After just a few strokes, he had already judged its quality. He had always loved working the land, and with such a fine tool in his hands—light and nimble—he found himself unwilling to put it down. He bent over and dug out an entire row of soil before finally stopping, still reluctant to quit.
“It really is excellent!”
His confidence, which had been crushed by his tenants, returned in an instant. His eyes shone as he stared at the new hoe.
“If I’d had this in my hands earlier, I could’ve done the work of three men by myself!”
“Commander Duan, is this good-quality equipment made at the ironworks? How much does it cost? Can we buy it?”
“That’s right! If we could all have these new tools, how much effort would it save us in the fields?”
A crowd of people eagerly pressed him with questions. Those from poorer families could only stand off to one side and mutter sourly, “The tools are good, but they’re probably frightfully expensive. Most of us likely can’t afford them. It has nothing to do with us.”
Duan Yan raised a hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
“These new tools were designed especially for everyone by Song Xuemu, who saw how hard farming is and wanted to make it easier for you. With them, you’ll be able to save effort and produce more grain. This time, we have not only hoes and rakes, but also new tools for sowing and harvesting.
“To benefit every farming household in the town, anyone who wants new tools can get them. The shop offers two options. First, you can purchase them at the listed price, though you’ll need to place an order in advance. Second, you can bring old iron tools from home to the shop to have them reforged and improved. You’ll only need to pay a small smithing fee.”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted.
“That’s wonderful! My broken sickle and old hoe can be reforged into a whole new set!”
“If we can bring in old tools for alterations, why waste money ordering new ones? I’m going to the smithy today! Just in time to use them for spring plowing!”
Everyone was so delighted that it was as though the New Year had arrived.
The competition had served as excellent publicity, to the point that it nearly overwhelmed the ironworks.
All the blacksmiths under Duan Yan were urgently recalled from the various departments and workshops to the ironworks. They took turns working day and night to forge the farm tools, and even some of the militia were dragged in as extra labor.
By the time the rush for tools began to taper off, the muscles in the arms of nearly everyone at the smithy had visibly grown a full size larger.
Iron One and Iron Two complained in thick-tongued voices, claiming that they could now kill a bear with a single punch.
Duan Yan naturally knew how hard they had worked. He gave the men several days off to rest and arranged a feast of fine wine and meat. Only then did he manage to soothe them.
Before long, it was the middle of the third month. The weather around Rock Town had finally begun to warm, and the sun had started to show itself more often.
There was no shortage of beautiful scenery in the mountain valleys once spring arrived. The trees sprouted fresh buds, the grass on the hillsides turned green first, and the wild-fruit trees were not afraid of the lingering cold. Their flowers bloomed early, so that when one looked out, the mountains were dotted with clusters of white and pink.
Spring plowing was becoming urgent. Fortunately, after several months of hurried work, the town’s defensive walls were finally completed that month.
The towering walls encircled the town securely, protecting the villages behind it as well.
Everyone inside and outside the town felt immense pride and satisfaction as they gazed upon the magnificent construction.
The winter snow melted and spring arrived. The nightmare of bandits pouring into the town seemed to dissolve along with the snow, and life entered a period of peace and stability.
The sun was out that day. Though it was still early spring, when the cold lingered in the air, the weather was unexpectedly warm. Song Fengsui had shed his heavy clothes and spent half the day running around the manor. He went to inspect the medicinal herbs in the fields, and also wanted to see how the tubers they had taken such pains to bring back from elsewhere were growing.
After running back and forth several times, he worked up a sweat. He removed another layer of clothing, and by the time he returned to town that afternoon, he had begun sneezing.
Duan Yan was even more anxious than he was. During the change of seasons, the weather fluctuated between hot and cold, and from his understanding of Song Fengsui’s constitution, this was precisely the time when he was most likely to fall ill.
The moment they reached home, he ordered the young apothecary to brew a bowl of medicinal broth and watched Young Master Song drink it.
Song Fengsui was obedient enough and finished the medicine without complaint. He knew perfectly well that he was about to become ill.
As soon as he got home, all his strength seemed to leave him. He was limp and listless, with an unnatural flush on his cheeks.
Once Duan Yan saw that he had finished the medicine, he popped a small piece of candied fruit into his mouth.
“Is it bitter?”
Song Fengsui replied weakly, “I can’t taste how bitter the medicine is, but I can’t taste the sweetness of the candy either.”
“Your sense of taste is already failing you. I should’ve kept an eye on you in the countryside and not let you take off your clothes.”
Duan Yan had only turned away for a moment before finding him dressed in light clothing and running around the medicinal herb fields. By the time he asked what had happened, Song Fengsui had already been exposed to the chill for several hours.
“You need to take your medicine properly. Don’t let the illness get worse. A chill caught in spring can linger for a long time.”
“I know.”
Song Fengsui looked listless, but his eyes suddenly brightened. “Our wedding is next month. I don’t want to be sick when I get married.”
The corners of Duan Yan’s mouth lifted slightly. “Young Doctor Song certainly has a sense of the bigger picture.”
Song Fengsui leaned against Duan Yan’s chest. His body was feverishly warm, and though he usually liked to cling tightly to Duan Yan because he was always cold, at that moment Duan Yan felt a little too hot. Even so, he didn’t want to leave his embrace, and could only continue to make soft, unhappy noises.
Duan Yan wrung out a cloth twice and wiped his face and neck. Song Fengsui seemed to feel a little better afterward.
He gently held the young man in his arms. When he saw the pale, delicate skin of Song Fengsui’s neck, faintly flushed pink from the fever, his heart gave a sudden leap. He quickly shifted his gaze away.
With their wedding fast approaching, Duan Yan found himself looking forward to it whenever he had even a moment to spare amid his busy days.
Although they already lived under the same roof and saw each other every day, they were not husband and wife yet. At night, they still slept in separate rooms, and they had not done the most important thing expected of a married couple…
He gave a quiet cough to himself. It was rather immoral to be thinking about such things while the other man was ill.
As Duan Yan quietly and attentively cared for the sick ge’er, he suddenly remembered something extremely important.
Song Fengsui was a ge’er…
Yes. A very beautiful ge’er.
But what exactly was a ge’er like?!
Duan Yan was, for the most part, a restrained man. But he was still a normal man, and there was nothing wrong with feeling desire for the person he liked. He simply did not much care for resolving certain physical urges through secret fantasies. Perhaps it was because of all the stories he had heard—whenever he let his imagination wander, he felt especially filthy, no different from those men who coveted Young Master Song.
As a result, every time he had to take care of such matters, he found it quite torturous. Fortunately, he had been so busy over the past year or so that he had rarely had the time or energy to let his physical needs trouble him too much.
He had never had the leisure to seriously consider what it meant that Song Fengsui was a ge’er.
Moreover, neither his memories from the original body nor his own memories contained any concrete knowledge of a ge’er’s body.
Duan Yan’s chest rose and fell deeply. He absolutely had to figure this out before they married. Otherwise, they might end up making a fool of themselves after the wedding.
Though making a fool of themselves was not really important—it was a matter between husband and wife, after all. But… he was a man. He could not possibly expect Song Fengsui to be the one guiding him…
