Zhou Xing was a true scholar at heart!
In her previous life, she had filled an entire room with books she had read.
Because of that, she understood far too well the helplessness of reality.
The path of the imperial examinations was not something ordinary people could succeed in overnight.
How many children of noble families began studying at two years old and composing poetry at four, yet still failed to achieve high ranks?
Zhou Xing herself held no obsession with the imperial examinations.
The reason she asked was simply to understand Xie Yuan’s plans so she could prepare herself mentally.
“You really wouldn’t mind if I fail the exams?” Xie Yuan asked in surprise.
The women who once wanted to marry him had all valued his future prospects. But now, with his future uncertain, none of them dared gamble on him anymore.
Inside, Zhou Xing felt smug. Look at that—still the mindset of a young man.
“Every man wants to succeed in life, but as the saying goes, every profession has its masters. A person can’t hang himself on one crooked tree forever. That only narrows your path.”
She thought about her own era, where so many university graduates still ended up delivering food or selling pork.
Was it because they did not work hard? Of course not. It was simply bad timing. Life rarely went as one wished.
No matter what kind of work people did, they were all hardworking individuals trying to survive.
What worried her more was someone like Fan Jin, stubbornly struggling in examination halls even in old age while his family suffered half a lifetime of poverty alongside him.
“A’Xing, your words have truly enlightened me,” Xie Yuan said sincerely.
He finally relaxed. “But don’t worry. No matter what happens, I won’t let you and the children suffer.”
It was a man’s promise, though in Zhou Xing’s eyes, it was merely the emotional declaration of a young man at the lowest point in his life. She did not take it too seriously.
The next day, she began preparing the rice seeds for germination. She also asked Xie Yuan to tell Aunt He not to rush planting rice yet and that she could come ask questions if she did not understand something.
Xie Yuan agreed and mentioned that he planned to go into the mountains with Tieniu that day to search for suitable wood to make bows and arrows.
Zhou Xing found Xie Yuan rather strange. Whenever he had free time, he always wanted to run into the mountains. Now he even wanted to make bows and arrows. Was he really just hunting?
And his mysterious claim that he would make money one month later was equally strange. Could he possibly hunt a bear or something?
Not long afterward, Aunt He arrived, followed by a young woman around Zhou Xing’s age.
The girl wore rough cloth clothing and had bright eyes, though her skin was somewhat dark. Her facial features resembled Aunt He’s.
“Aunt He.”
“A’Xing, Xie Yuan mentioned something about preparing seeds, so I came to learn from you. I wonder if you have time?” Aunt He smiled as she handed over a fish. “Your Uncle Lin just caught it. Add another dish tonight.”
When Zhou Xing saw the fish, a carp about two inches long, she nearly drooled.
She felt embarrassed by her reaction and blamed it on the body’s overwhelming craving for meat.
“Thank you so much, Aunt He. This fish is huge.”
She had not seen fish this large by the creek before.
“My father caught it downstream. There are more fish there,” the girl said in a crisp voice.
“Is this Aunt He’s daughter? What should I call you?” Zhou Xing asked with a smile.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce her. This is my daughter A’Shan, three years younger than you. She insisted on coming with me today because she wanted to see the pretty new bride,” Aunt He said cheerfully.
To be honest, even Aunt He had not thought highly of Zhou Xing at first. She had seemed too thin and weak, likely to have difficulties bearing children. Worse still, she lacked physical strength, which was a major disadvantage in farming households.
But now, Aunt He realized her own judgment had been shortsighted.
Zhou Xing knew how to grow rice and behaved with grace and intelligence. That alone made her superior to ordinary village women and a perfect match for the scholarly Xie Yuan.
The night before, Aunt He had spent the entire evening praising Zhou Xing at home, making A’Shan eager to come befriend her.
“So you’re Sister A’Shan. Please come in and sit,” Zhou Xing said while leading them into the so-called courtyard.
Only then did she remember there was not even a proper place to sit. Fortunately, Xiao Zong was clever enough to bring out small wooden stools.
“Xiao Zong and Xiao Yao are such good children,” Aunt He praised before turning to Zhou Xing. “It’s good for them to have an aunt now. Look how much these two children smile these days.”
Children’s eyes never lied. Lady A’Xing was clearly a kind person.
Lin Shan asked, “Sister A’Xing, Brother Xie Yuan said rice cannot just be planted directly and that the seeds must first be prepared. Why is that?”
She had never heard of such a method before and found it fascinating.
Of course, she was also greedy for good food. If they succeeded in growing rice, wouldn’t she finally have the chance to taste it?
She had never eaten pure white rice in her entire life.
Patiently, Zhou Xing explained how rice seeds were prepared, how seedlings were transplanted, the spacing between plants, and how to manage the crop during growth.
When they heard that fish could even be raised in rice paddies, both Lin Shan and Aunt He were stunned.
“Wouldn’t that kill two birds with one stone?”
“Yes, exactly. Fish waste fertilizes the fields, and if there are too many fish, they can also be sold for money,” Zhou Xing said confidently.
As she spoke, she thought again about the fish in the kitchen. Unfortunately, without an iron wok, she could neither braise it nor make spicy boiled fish. They could only cook fish soup.
They really needed to make money quickly and buy a proper wok!
That was the true key to improving quality of life.
“Auntie, are there many animals in the mountains right now?” Zhou Xing casually asked.
Aunt He shook her head. “Not many. Hunters all know not to hunt during spring. This season isn’t good for hunting.”
Zhou Xing immediately nodded. Spring was when all living things revived. Animals in the forest were busy searching for food and mates, reproducing and raising young. It truly was not a good season for hunting.
Then why did Xie Yuan insist on going into the mountains repeatedly? What exactly was hidden there? And why was he so certain he could make money?
…
Zhou Xing felt as though she had endless questions.
“Sister A’Xing, if you want a large bathing tub, you should buy one from Uncle Tian’s family at the village entrance.”
After spending only half a day together, Lin Shan already felt she could become best friends with Zhou Xing.
Brother Xie Yuan truly was a scholar. His taste in choosing a wife was excellent, unlike her older brother, who actually thought Tian Jiao was a good match.
Fortunately, Tian Jiao thought too highly of herself and looked down on her rough older brother. Otherwise, their household would have become a living nightmare.
“Thank you.” Zhou Xing sincerely appreciated the information. At last, she knew where to buy a bathing tub.
Forget the children—even she herself already smelled terrible!
She had only hastily washed her hair before the wedding. Now her hair was clumping together, and her whole body felt sticky.
She truly could not tolerate it any longer.
When Xie Yuan returned home, he found Zhou Xing staring at him pitifully.
“I want to buy a bathing tub,” Zhou Xing said directly. If she could not bathe today, she felt she might explode.
“The children haven’t bathed in ages either. They keep tossing around and can’t sleep. Look, Xiao Zong’s hair is practically sticking together already,” Zhou Xing continued persuading him.
Xiao Zong looked up blankly. Seeing Zhou Xing wink at him, he could only nod along.
As for Xiao Yao, he really wanted to say that he did not care about bathing at all and that having a wooden tub made no difference to him.
Xie Yuan sighed helplessly, understanding that Zhou Xing simply loved cleanliness.
The weather was still somewhat cold. In a few more days, the men could rinse themselves off outside at night, but it was indeed inconvenient for women.
“Fine, I’ll go buy one.”
Xie Yuan went inside to fetch money before turning and heading toward the village.