That day, Duan Yan did not go to work on the canal. Instead, he took the militia into the mountains for training.
Among the latest batch of militiamen was a former hunter who was highly skilled with a bow. After less than two months of training, he was promoted and put in charge of forming an archery unit. In ordinary times, he led the archers in their exercises.
They practiced many basic skills on the drill grounds, and their performance was fairly decent. So Duan Yan brought them into the mountains to test their arrows, treating it as a practical exercise to overcome their fear.
The weather had been dry, and many of the bamboos that had blossomed on the mountain earlier in the year had died. Plants had their own spirit. They remained green year-round, steady and resilient, yet when they bloomed just once, it was actually a sign that they were exhausting themselves before death.
Looking into the forest, the militiamen could see with their own eyes that far more trees had withered and died this year than in previous years. There was more wind among the dense trees than at the foot of the mountain, and though it was not as hot, they still felt uneasy.
It was not only that more trees had dried up and died. Even the wild fruit had been scarce. Once they entered the mountains, they could hardly see any game in the outer ranges where people often passed through.
The hunter boldly led them farther into the depths. Only in the dense forests rarely visited by people did they find traces of wild animals.
Even the hunter shook his head. “This year really is a bad one. There hasn’t been enough rain, so the wild fruit and medicinal herbs in the mountains have grown poorly. The rabbits, pheasants, and foxes have had less to eat, so they haven’t been reproducing well either.”
Duan Yan gazed at the forest. This was only the first year; no one knew how difficult things might become later.
The militiamen spent most of the day darting through the mountains. Their archery showed some improvement, but they still managed to bring down very little.
It could hardly be blamed on their poor aim. There simply was not much game.
They had not come to hunt for provisions in the first place. What mattered was training their reactions in actual combat. With the remaining time, Duan Yan simply had the militiamen put away their bows and take out their knives to cut firewood, which they could carry back down the mountain.
In such dry weather, at least firewood was easy to gather. In less than half an hour, each of the thirty-some militiamen had collected three or four bundles.
As they descended in a great procession, the farmers weeding their fields spotted the militiamen carrying firewood along the mountain path. Leaning on their hoes, they began to jeer.
“Look at our soldiers! They went into the mountains to hunt, but after failing to bring down more than a couple of animals, they’ve come back carrying firewood instead, pretending it was a fine haul.”
Laughter rang out from the fields, and it still had not stopped when Duan Yan led the unit down.
“It’s hot as can be, yet the villagers still have plenty of spirit,” Duan Yan muttered. He then raised a hand and summoned Gou San’er, giving him a few instructions.
The next day, the village headman was shouting himself hoarse throughout the village.
“You lot! It’s hot and dry enough already, so settle down and stop making trouble! Whether you have time or not, get yourselves up the mountain. It’s cooler up there, and you can gather firewood to store for the winter!”
The men were all busy repairing the irrigation canals and waterwheels, so they had no time to spare. Those mainly ordered to go into the mountains and gather firewood were wives and husbands. While working, they chatted idly among themselves.
“We only laughed a little when we saw Commander Duan training all the time. Still, he’s not someone you can joke about. Look at that—he turned around and reported it to the village headman, who’s now found us work gathering firewood.”
“In weather hot enough to roast a person, they’ve gone and given us more work to do. They say we don’t have to come, but the village headman is still going from house to house to inspect us. When did we ever have rules like this before? These days, they’re treating us like livestock penned in a stall. We have to be told what to eat and what to do.”
“Mrs. Hu, you’ve got it wrong. Even penned livestock don’t work as hard as we villagers do this year.”
Someone else said, “An order is still an order, but at least the firewood we gather is for our own households. They’re not making us gather it for someone else.
“We’ll need firewood sooner or later anyway, so it’s work that has to be done. This year, everything else is in poor condition, but firewood is unusually easy to gather. If everyone comes into the mountains together and makes a lively day of it, the work gets done much faster.”
After that was said, those who had been grumbling sourly finally fell silent.
Little did they know that when winter came that year, heavy snow would cover the land day after day. The snow would pile up to half a person’s height, blocking the roads and crushing countless trees. People would freeze indoors, unable to go out, and could only rely on burning firewood to keep warm. By then, they would be deeply grateful that they had stored up so much firewood while they could. Otherwise, how could they have gone into the mountains to gather any during that snowy winter?
“Why did you suddenly have everyone gather so much firewood so urgently? Was it really like the villagers said—that they made fun of you, so you deliberately found them work to do?”
Song Fengsui looked at the walls beneath the eaves of the estate. They were stacked high with firewood, making it seem as though several new walls had been built around the residence.
Over the past few days, he had also noticed that many households in the village had done the same.
“If I were to argue with them, there’d be no end to it,” Duan Yan said. “Besides, it’s better to store up firewood for the winter.”
Song Fengsui sighed languidly. “Usually, people only gather firewood after the autumn harvest, when they have some leisure. With the weather like this, it may not even be cold enough to use much of it during the winter months.”
Duan Yan knew what he meant. The summer was blazing hot and dry, but that did not necessarily mean the winter would be warm.
If the weather could be predicted so easily, disasters would never happen.
He did not mention the possibility of a snow disaster in winter. He only said, “It’ll be useful sooner or later. Besides, it would be a shame to let the firewood rot in the mountains.”
Song Fengsui nodded, then instructed the people at the estate to be careful when using fire. There was dry firewood piled everywhere now; if even a single spark caught, the consequences would be disastrous.
Afterward, when Duan Yan saw that the sun had gone down, he called for Song Fengsui and suggested that they take a walk around the fields.
The sun had already set, but the heat rising from the earth remained intense. Beneath the vast sky, the land seemed to have become a steamer. The air felt thin, and every breath drew hot air into their lungs.
Song Fengsui was happy to go out for a stroll at this hour. It would give him a chance to wade through the newly completed irrigation channel in the village and cool himself down.
The evening clouds filled the sky, burning half of it a vivid red.
The two of them walked through the lush green fields. Frogs and tree frogs hidden among the rice paddies croaked loudly, while the cicadas clinging to the branches had yet to fall silent. The countryside was unbearably lively.
Duan Yan crouched in front of a rice paddy and pinched one of the early-ripening rice stalks that had begun to produce ears.
“The weather has been poor. The land is dry, and the crops aren’t growing properly. Look at this year’s rice—it’s ugly. Normally, all the ears would emerge within three to five days, but the usual time has already passed, and they’re still appearing sporadically. Some stalks are tall, some short, and all of them look weak.”
Two barefoot villagers came over from not far away, also inspecting the crops.
“The husks are short and small, yellowish and dull, and the plants are starting to suffer from disease.”
The old farmer shook his head repeatedly. The rice grains were shriveled, and the other crops, such as beans, had produced little as well. Their pods were sparse and not the least bit plump.
“It’s going to be a poor harvest year,” he said. “After paying the land taxes, who knows whether there’ll be enough left to eat?”
Mention of the taxes suddenly reminded Song Fengsui of something. He had returned to the county seat earlier that day and heard that the county government had sent people down to demand the grain they had failed to pay the previous year.
“They told us to hand it over as soon as possible, and said they would not pursue the previous arrears as a crime. The situation really was unstable before, and the county understands what the local authorities had to do. But now the county has managed to catch its breath and restore some order. No matter how fierce the fighting is elsewhere, they have to reestablish the old rules here first.
“They threatened that if we still refused to pay the grain properly, then should bandits cause trouble in the town in the future, the county would have difficulty sending anyone to provide support or manage the situation. Father and the others managed to fob the officials off and send them away for now, but we don’t know what we’re going to do afterward.”
Duan Yan was in charge of the troops while also overseeing the water-conservancy projects. As for the affairs of the county offices in town, those were naturally being handled by Song Wushen and the others.
On ordinary days, there was nothing especially urgent, and everyone simply attended to their own duties. They had been so busy these past few days that they had not had time to go into town. If Song Fengsui had not mentioned it, Duan Yan truly would not have known that people from the county had arrived.
His brows drew together. “Looks like things are just as difficult outside. Seeing that the weather has been poor this year and knowing grain is scarce, the county has finally realized it.
“They failed to arrange stockpiles in advance, and many of the county’s supplies were bought up by the towns below it. I’m afraid it isn’t only grain that’s becoming scarce now; many other goods must be running short as well. In troubled times, if others are short, they can’t let themselves go short. They want to take the grain from the local towns to fill the county offices’ storehouses. If necessary, they’ll even search across the mountains to get to a remote place like ours.
“They make it sound so noble, as though they’d truly protect us from bandits just because we handed over our grain.”
“Father and the others think the same way. This year’s harvest was already poor—how could we simply give away what little grain we have? Once they started thinking of delaying, they never intended to hand it over at all. But if we really refuse, I’m afraid the county may personally send troops to collect it. As you said, if other supplies are also running scarce, they might send soldiers under the pretext that the local authorities are refusing to obey the law. And by then, they won’t be taking only grain.”
Duan Yan agreed that in such troubled times, the county was entirely capable of doing such a thing. Still, he was not afraid.
“For one thing, we have those formidable weapons defending the town. For another…” He paused. “Even if they want to requisition supplies by force, they’ll start with places nearer the county and easier to reach. They won’t strike at a remote place like ours first—it wouldn’t be worth the effort. If they do anything, they’ll target the wealthier towns before us. They say when the sky falls, the tallest man bears the weight. If the situation truly turns dangerous, we can change our strategy when the time comes.”
Song Fengsui nodded. If the county came this way to collect supplies, it would certainly start with Chishan Town. That place was not only larger, but also had iron and other resources. It was far richer than their own impoverished corner.
The two spoke in low voices for a while. Suddenly, they heard an old farmer by the fields ahead say, “I wonder what’s planted in those plots on the estate. The weather’s been dry, and I haven’t seen anyone hauling water over to irrigate them. They’ve only scattered a little fertilizer, yet it’s strange—the stalks have grown so sturdy, and the leaves are so lush.”
“You mean those ridged fields? I noticed them ages ago. I asked one of the tenant farmers who tends the land, and he said they were some kind of earth fruit—a rare crop their landlord brought in from elsewhere.”
The two old farmers grew more animated.
“So the fruit grows underground? I was wondering why the leaves were so green and lush, yet no one picked them to eat. They’ve just left them to age, wither, and drop.”
“You aren’t the only one who thought that. I secretly pinched off two stalks before and boiled them with my noodles. They weren’t tasty.”
“I am curious when those fruits ripen, what they look like, and whether they taste good…”
“The taste is quite decent. I’ll take you over to have a look.”
The sudden voice startled the old farmers. They turned and saw Duan Yan and Song Fengsui approaching from one side. The two men froze as if rooted to the spot and stammered, “C-Commander Duan, Young Doctor Song. Out for a stroll, are you…?”
Song Fengsui gave a soft laugh. “If you want to see them, hurry and come along.”
The two old farmers exchanged a glance, then followed, picking nervously at the dirt beneath their fingernails.
When they reached the earth-fruit field, they saw that the several plots which had been verdant and blooming only a short while ago were now utterly withered.
The leaves had turned yellow and dry, the stems lay collapsed on the ground, and here and there, a few white flowers that had already bloomed hung shriveled on their stalks. When the once-lush leaves first began to yellow, the tenant farmer watching over the crops had been terrified. He had hurried to find Duan Yan, and only relaxed after hearing that there was nothing to worry about. He had not rushed to water or fertilize the soil.
The two old farmers had not visited for some time, and the sight of the fields in such decline gave them a fright. But after observing more carefully, they noticed cracks along the raised ridges. That meant the fruits beneath the soil had grown large enough to split the earth open.
Farmers who had grown taro were generally familiar with this sort of thing.
Seeing the two old men tilt their heads to peer at the earth fruits through the cracks, Duan Yan did not bother to show off. He simply said, “Old man, climb down and dig one up.”
The old farmer had been curious from the start. With permission granted, he quickly but carefully hopped down into the dry field.
His rough palms brushed away the dry, slightly sandy soil. He gave a grunt, and after removing only a thin layer, round fruits of various sizes appeared beneath it, their skins smooth and grayish yellow.
The largest were about the size of a fist, while the smallest were no bigger than a thumb.
Their unusual appearance was one thing, but what mattered was how many there were! The old farmer patiently counted them one by one. Beneath a single plant, there were actually more than ten round tubers!
Regardless of how the little things tasted, their growth and yield alone were enough to make both old farmers stare in astonishment.
“Commander Duan, what exactly is this crop? How can it grow so well in weather like this?”
“It’s a variety we bought from elsewhere. They say it came across the sea and can withstand both cold and drought. We thought it looked unusual, so we brought some back.”
Seeing that the first batch of earth fruits had grown well, joy was plain on Duan Yan’s face. He crouched down, picked up two, dusted off the mud, and handed them to Song Fengsui.
The old farmer was utterly fascinated. Clutching one of the fruits, he asked eagerly, “So this is what they look like when they’re ripe? Do they have seeds inside?”
“No seeds. They’re like taro.”
“I think they’re better than taro. Scrape them with your fingernail and only a skin thinner than a cicada’s wing comes off. And they don’t smell strange at all. This really is a fine crop!”
The old farmer was delighted. He did not even care yet how the things tasted. Their abundant yield was enough to make any farmer covet them. There was hardly anything to trim away, either—however large the fruit grew, nearly all of it was edible.
In ordinary years, people might have scoffed simply because they had never seen such a thing. But in a drought like this one, when no other crops were doing well and these earth fruits alone flourished, it was only natural that they would attract everyone’s attention.
Without worrying whether it was appropriate to ask, the old farmer hurriedly said, “Could we buy some seed to plant next year? It’s been dry this year. My family has only five mu of land altogether. We tend it carefully day and night, but with the weather so bad, no amount of effort can compare to having the Rain God on our side.”
“The world is in chaos. My two children came here from outside to escape the disasters, so we haven’t had the slightest income. There are five or six people in the family, all depending on those five mu. No matter how carefully we stretch our food, it still isn’t enough. If we could plant these earth fruits, at least we’d have something to look forward to next year.”
At this, the other old farmer secretly wiped at the corner of his eye. His family was in the same situation.
Although he had a son lucky enough to be chosen for military service, his household was large as well, and his circumstances were no better than the first farmer’s.
This year brought both war and drought, along with heavy corvée labor. They all did exhausting physical work: eat too little, and they had no strength to work; eat too much, and they had to worry about running out of food.
Still, they could not exactly complain that the offices kept ordering such projects. The work was meant to ensure that ordinary people could survive. Everyone went to labor, and they had no grounds to refuse.
Poor families usually don't have much savings. Once the grain for one year is consumed, they pin their hopes on the next year's harvest. Apparently, this year's harvest won't be enough to cover their daily expenses, which is really worrying.
"Lord Duan, if you're willing to help us, we have nothing else to offer. Our second daughter has grown up to be quite a beauty. You can take her to serve you..."
"No need, no need!"
Hearing the sudden change in the old man's words, Duan Yan felt a chill down his spine. He didn't dare to look at Young Master Song's expression and quickly interrupted the old man.
His eyes widened slightly. He wondered why the old man, who was originally talking about gratitude, suddenly seemed to be taking revenge.
Song Fengsui's eyes moved slightly, but he remained silent.
The old man didn't understand. Thinking that Duan Yan didn't agree, he suddenly knelt down and said, "My lord, please give us a mouthful of food!"
Duan Yan hoped that the farmers would plant the new crop. His own land was limited, and he couldn't use it all to grow these special fruits. Only when everyone set aside some land to plant them could there be a good harvest. Then every family would have enough, and there would be no famine.
He quickly helped the old man up and said, "These fruits are prepared for the whole town. Not only you, but all the farmers in our town can plant them!"
"Really?"
"If I were making false promises, I wouldn't have brought you two here to see them in the first place."
The two old men held the fruits and started dancing with joy. They were as happy as if it were the Spring Festival. People who didn't know might think they had gone crazy looking at the crops in the field and were doing some kind of strange dance.
"Lord Duan is really like a parent to us! He's even closer to us than our own fathers!"
The two old men were crying and laughing as they flattered Duan Yan.
Duan Yan felt that it was a bit absurd to compare himself with the fathers of two old men who could be his grandfathers. He comforted and promised them a few more words and then sent them back.
When they left, he gave each of them a basket of the fruits and told them to take them home to try. He also reminded them that the fruits were poisonous when eaten raw and taught them how to cook them properly.
After the two old men left happily, Young Doctor Song, who had been silent all this time, turned around and walked forward under the fragmented setting sun.
Duan Yan turned around and saw that the young man had already walked a short distance quietly. He quickly took a few big steps to catch up and said, "These country old men are so thoughtless. They were just too desperate and said some nonsense. Young Master Song, please don't take it to heart!"
"What should I take to heart?"
Song Fengsui turned his head, showing a pair of dark, shiny eyes. With a straight face, he said, "I've seen a lot of men with three wives and four concubines. In the capital, if a man of decent status doesn't have a few women or young men serving him, others will even laugh at him for having no style."
His tone was well - controlled. He didn't let the jealousy in his words be too obvious.
Duan Yan frowned and said, "I'm not a man of any high status. I don't need such style. Besides, I'm already married to you. Who would dare to laugh at me?"
Hearing this, Song Fengsui raised his long eyebrows slightly. Although he was secretly pleased, he still didn't show it right away.
Duan Yan saw that the young man was quiet and couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking. He only noticed that instead of scolding him for the previous incident, Song Fengsui had said those things, looking so magnanimous and not caring at all.
He felt uncomfortable inside. Suddenly, he tasted something new from the young man's words. Thinking of this, his face changed greatly and looked a bit ugly.
Originally, he didn't want to argue about the different life experiences and concepts of the two of them, but on this matter, he really couldn't help but express his attitude.
"I know you come from a noble family, and there are rules and customs in noble families. I can try to adapt to all the rules of a great family.
But I don't like what you just said, and I can't accept it. I won't put on such a false show of style!"
Duan Yan said seriously, "Whether we'll spend the rest of our lives in this small town of Yan or have a chance to return to the capital. No matter where we live, since we got married properly in front of our elders, it's only the two of us. No one can take in any other partners."
"I can follow other rules of noble families, but I won't follow this so - called style you mentioned!"
Song Fengsui looked at Duan Yan and was stunned for a moment.
What a good - tempered man, yet he was showing his temper today! He blinked his eyes, finding it quite strange.
This was the first time the two of them had a disagreement and a conflict.
But this guy was really a fool. If it weren't for the so - called virtues binding women and young men, which noble woman or young man would be happy to share their husband with others?
This so - called style was just a pretext for men's selfish desires, and they even used it to discipline women and young men.
He was quite scheming. He wanted to see Duan Yan's attitude towards such things through the previous incident.
The old man said those words in front of him. If he wasn't deliberately trying to make him unhappy, then he was really a thoughtless person. Any person with a bit of sense would have talked to Duan Yan about such things in private.
They had only been married for a few months. Who wouldn't feel jealous after hearing such words?
Now, after hearing Duan Yan's angry words, it actually sounded much better and more reassuring than hearing ten times of "Don't worry, I'll never take in another partner".
Young Master Song secretly curled up the corners of his mouth, but on the surface, he still frowned, pretending to be thinking. After a while, he replied, "Got it. Why are you so fierce?"
Duan Yan was stunned for a moment and then felt relieved when Song Fengsui agreed.
He wondered what was going on in the young man's mind. He thought that Song Fengsui meant that just like noble men who had multiple wives and concubines, young masters from noble families also had some so - called partners to show their status.
How could he not be eager to show his firm stance on monogamy? He couldn't stand the thought of there being someone else beside Song Fengsui. Otherwise, he might do something immoral.
"You... It's good that you're willing to agree to me. I never meant to be fierce to you.
I just wanted to tell you what I was thinking. It's better to make things clear now than to have conflicts later when something happens. I just spoke a bit loudly."
Song Fengsui was pulled in front of him. He suddenly felt that this man was even more charming than those scholars who used sweet words to please others. If he said that Duan Yan's anger and annoyance were not an act, it was hard to believe that a man could be so indignant. But if it was an act, it was so real.
Anyway, he was really into it. "I understand what you mean."
Song Fengsui leaned forward and gave a kiss on the man's chin, then smiled and said, "Let's go home quickly. Didn't you say that you'd cook a few special dishes when the fruits are harvested?"
Duan Yan agreed. As he was led towards the village by the young man, he couldn't help but gently touch his chin where he had been kissed.
He thought to himself that this kiss made him feel a bit uneasy. He really hoped that Young Master Song's quick agreement wasn't just a way to deceive him.
