In the adjoining room, Liu Erzhuang glanced at Xiao Sun, who was still bent over her needlework late into the night.
“It’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep?” he said with a smile. “I have enough clothes. No need to make me another.”
Xiao Sun rolled her eyes at him. “Dream on. This isn’t for you—it’s for An’er. He’s starting school tomorrow. If he dresses a little nicer, people won’t look down on him. Look, I’ve nearly finished. He can wear it in the morning.”
Liu Erzhuang raised a brow teasingly. “Aren’t you reluctant? Isn’t that fabric from your maiden home? You’ve always said you couldn’t bear to use it.”
Xiao Sun sighed softly. “I was saving it, thinking that one day I might have a son and make clothes for him. But my health… I may never have that chance now. An’er is a good child. From now on, I’ll just hope he prospers.”
Liu Erzhuang pulled her into an embrace, grinning. “I’m a lucky man to have such a virtuous wife.”
She shot him another look. “All you know is sweet talk.”
At dawn the next day, the Liu household was already bustling. The three sisters-in-law took turns cooking; today it was the eldest sister-in-law’s turn. She peeled a braised egg and placed it in front of Liu An.
“Eat up, An’er. Studying is hard work. I made two braised eggs and a coarse bun for you to take along. Save them for lunch.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Liu An replied obediently, beginning to eat.
The rest of the family ate what they called “braised vegetables”—yesterday’s leftover pork offal broth, kept cool overnight in the well. That morning, Xiao Cuihua had added two eggs and some greens, and everyone ate it with coarse buns.
After one bite of the braised egg, Liu An’s eyes lit up. He was suddenly reminded of the spicy hotpot street snacks from his previous life. If the restaurant could sell braised pig intestines, ears, pork, and chicken feet at high prices, then their family could sell affordable braised eggs, offal, and greens. Even poorer families could afford that.
While Liu An was busy plotting business ideas between bites, the others ate without noticing his thoughtful expression.
“Uncle Dazhuang,” Liu An asked casually, “do you think the braised dishes taste good?”
“Very good—much better than plain boiled vegetables,” his uncle Dazhuang replied.
“Then if we brought braised eggs and offal soup to your worksite, do you think people would buy some?”
Uncle Erzhuang, always quick-minded, chimed in with a grin, “You know, An’er’s idea isn’t bad. If we bring some to the job site, I bet quite a few laborers would buy a bowl. We just can’t price it too high.”
Liu Sanzhuang frowned. “Why do you always listen to him? This kid is obsessed with money lately. Always thinking about earning.”
Liu Dazhuang shot his younger brother an annoyed look. “I think your brain can’t compare to An’er’s. What’s wrong with letting him share an idea? What if it works?”
Liu An felt a surge of gratitude for his uncles’ support. He couldn’t help recalling a phrase from his past life: What’s wrong with having a dream? What if it comes true? If his eldest uncle hadn’t grown up in this era, Liu An might have suspected he’d transmigrated too, given how naturally he delivered such inspiring lines.
Grandpa Liu nodded approvingly. “An’er always has plenty of ideas. He’s been sensible since childhood. Tell us more—let’s see if it’s feasible.”
Encouraged, Liu An explained with a smile, “Plain vegetables for one copper coin a bowl. Add a little braised offal, and we charge two coins. What do you think?”
Grandpa considered it. “That price is fair. It should sell. We’d need to buy some offal—one set only costs two coins. That’s manageable.”
“I think it’s a good plan,” Uncle Dazhuang agreed. “We brothers can carry the prepared soup to the worksite. It should sell well.”
“Then we won’t take day labor?” Liu Sanzhuang asked anxiously.
Uncle Dazhuang reassured him. “Tomorrow, Brother Erzhuang and I will still go to work. You prepare the offal and make the soup. The day after, we’ll let your sisters-in-law try selling it. If it doesn’t work, we stop. No big loss.”
Grandpa Liu nodded in approval.
Liu Sanzhuang rubbed his forehead helplessly. “You really listen to this boy too much. He’s just fooling around.”
Uncle Erzhuang chuckled. “Let’s just try it once. If it fails, we quit. It won’t cost much.”
“But how do we carry it to town?” Liu Sanzhuang pressed. “Carry it between two people? And what about bowls and chopsticks?”
That gave everyone pause.
“He has a point,” Grandpa admitted. “We’ll need bowls and utensils. As for transport, we farmers can simply shoulder the load on carrying poles.”
“But we also need to bring wild greens to town early every morning,” Liu Sanzhuang added.
“That little bundle of greens weighs nothing,” Grandpa said firmly. “I’ll go along and carry them. You three can take turns with the heavier loads.”
“Father, how can we let you go?” Xiao Cuihua protested. The others echoed her.
Grandpa waved them off. “For now, let’s do it this way. The worksites are full of rough men; it’s not convenient for you women to go. If business is good, you can try selling at market day in a few days.”
“Enough,” Grandma Liu concluded with a decisive wave of her hand. “We’ll do as your father says.”
Aside from Liu Sanzhuang’s lingering worries, the family felt optimistic.
Just then, Aunt Xiao Sun handed Liu An a newly sewn outfit with a smile. “An’er, try this on and see if you like it.”
Xiao Chen hesitated. “Second Sister-in-law, how can we accept this? That fabric was from your maiden home…”
Xiao Sun laughed. “If not for my nephew, then for whom? An’er, ignore your mother. Go try it on and see if it fits. Let’s see how good your second aunt’s craftsmanship is.”
“Thank you, Aunt Sun!” Liu An beamed, grabbing the clothes and running back to his room to change.
“You little rascal, acting shy now? As if I haven’t seen everything before,” Xiao Chen muttered under her breath.
Grandma Liu chuckled from the side. “You’re his mother—always teasing him. Don’t you remember? Since he was three, he wouldn’t let anyone watch him change. Say another word and he’ll get embarrassed again.”
Everyone burst into laughter. Xiao Chen laughed too. “He’s got so many quirks.”
Just then, Xiao Cuihua from the eldest branch came out holding a brand-new pair of cloth shoes, clearly made to Liu An’s measurements. “Third Sister-in-law, don’t laugh at my poor craftsmanship. I only know how to make shoes. Have An’er try them on and see if they fit.”
Xiao Chen accepted them with a smile. “Who doesn’t know that Big Sister-in-law’s shoes are the most comfortable? Our An’er is truly blessed. His aunts think of everything more carefully than I, his own mother. On his behalf, thank you both. If he ever dares to be unfilial to you in the future, I’ll be the first to deal with him.”
“Mother, who wouldn’t forgive whom?” Liu An came out in his new clothes, grinning. “The size is perfect. Auntie Sun’s work is excellent!”
Xiao Chen handed him the shoes. “Your auntie Cuihua made these. Try them on. And remember—if you ever treat your uncles, aunts, or sisters poorly, I won’t spare you.” She deliberately spoke sternly, worried her son might overlook the kindness he had received.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll definitely treat Uncle, Aunts, and my sisters well,” Liu An vowed solemnly.
“Enough, enough—don’t frighten the child so early in the morning,” Grandma Liu said. “Our An’er is a good boy, and he’ll be successful one day. You’ll all enjoy blessings in the future. Being kind to him now won’t bring you any loss.” She glanced at her sons and daughters-in-law, relieved to see no resentment on their faces.
“She’s right,” Liu Dazhuang agreed, looking at the sky. “Let’s get going. We don’t want An’er to be late for his first day.”
Dressed in new clothes and shoes, his book satchel on his back, Liu An was lifted into a carrying basket and hoisted onto his father’s back. Liu Erzhuang and Liu Dazhuang carried bundles of wild longevity greens as they all headed toward town.
An hour later, Liu An finally arrived at the school. About a dozen children around his age were already seated inside. A few greeted him warmly and struck up polite conversation. Only one boy stood apart.
The boy was plump and dressed in fine silk—clearly from a wealthy family. He took one look at Liu An’s plain, rural attire and didn’t even bother to hide his disdain.
Watching the group gather around Liu An, the boy muttered loudly enough to be heard, “He’s just a country bumpkin. What’s there to be so excited about?”
The remark sliced through the cheerful chatter like a knife. Smiles froze. An awkward silence fell over the room. The children exchanged uneasy glances.
Several shot the boy reproachful looks.
“Wang Fugui, we’re all classmates. Why speak so harshly?” said another richly dressed boy.
Others chimed in, “If you don’t know how to talk, don’t talk. Be careful the teacher hears—you’ll get your palm smacked.”
“I’m just telling the truth,” Wang Fugui grumbled, shrinking under their criticism. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop.”
“Don’t mind him,” a friendly boy said, stepping forward. “His name’s Wang Fugui. He talks without thinking, but he doesn’t mean harm. I’m Zhou Shen, six years old. We’ll be classmates from now on.”
“Thank you, Zhou Shen. Thank you, everyone,” Liu An replied with a smile. “I’m Liu An. I’m not offended.” And he truly wasn’t. In his previous life, he’d seen plenty of spoiled children like this. Wang Fugui didn’t seem malicious—just pampered.
At that moment, Li Xiucheng, their teacher, entered the classroom. He gave a light cough, and the room immediately fell silent.
“Liu An, come sit in the front,” he said gently. “From today on, you’ll study with this class.”
Liu An nodded and walked to the front seat with light steps.
In contrast, Wang Fugui slouched in the corner, fiddling absentmindedly with his brush.
“Wang Fugui,” Teacher Li said, frowning, “did you memorize yesterday’s lesson from the Three Character Classic?”
Wang Fugui’s smug expression vanished as if doused with cold water. He wilted instantly. “Te… Teacher, I memorized… some of it.”
Teacher Li’s face hardened. It was obvious the boy hadn’t studied at all. “Then recite it now.”
Wang Fugui stood trembling and stammered, “Men at birth are naturally good… their natures are alike… their habits grow apart… If not taught… the cat will meow…”
The class burst into laughter. Even Liu An pressed his lips together to hide a smile. Definitely a bottom-of-the-class student, he thought.
Teacher Li, however, was livid. His face darkened. “Silence! Wang Fugui, hold out your hand.”
Wang Fugui slowly extended his chubby hand, nearly in tears. Without hesitation, the teacher brought down the ruler three times.
“Ow—ow!” Wang Fugui yelped, tears streaming freely. The other children sat stiffly, not daring to make a sound.
“Do you understand your mistake?” Teacher Li demanded.
“Yes, sir,” Wang Fugui sniffled. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been lazy or skipped memorizing my lesson.”