7
Each Has Their Own Thoughts
As evening approached, the Liu Family finally returned, carrying many items—cloth, pastries, sugar-coated haws on a stick…
Even from a distance, Liu Shuhuai could hear their cheerful laughter, which was quite infectious.
Liu Shuhuai noticed a peach blossom-style silver hairpin adorning Liu Zhi’s head, making her appear even more delicate and charming. Her smug expression was baffling.
What was there to envy? When he had money and could make his own decisions, he would buy two hairpins even prettier than hers.
Hmph.
Liu Shuhuai turned away without looking at her. Since no one in the family paid him any mind, he was content with the peace and quiet. He simply returned to his room to hug Da Hei and sleep. At least he had already eaten.
After so many disappointments, he no longer held any expectations.
Grandma Liu didn’t know why she disliked Liu Shuhuai—or rather, Liu Qing Lin. Why was it that among her sons, only Liu Qing Lin’s two sons obeyed her in everything?
Even the daughters-in-law had been chosen by her before marriage. But Liu Qing Lin was different; he had his own judgment and never listened to or acted on any unreasonable demands she made.
He found his own wife, Su Yao, and threatened to split from the family if she didn’t agree, vowing to marry no one else.
Su Yao didn’t seem like someone who would endure mistreatment, and she was an outsider—an adopted daughter of the Su family, not close to her own relatives.
As a child, he was like this, and as he grew older, he became even more defiant, accusing her of mistreating his wife and demanding to leave the family.
All she did was ask his wife to cook and wash clothes… What woman hadn’t done such tasks?
What was there to dislike? Perhaps it was his refusal to be controlled. Back when conscription was announced, she said if he went, she would allow the family split upon his return.
So he went, never to return. Although they received the bereavement silver, seeing that Third Daughter-in-law, a weak woman, had passed away, leaving only Liu Shuhuai behind, wasn’t what she had hoped for.
But she felt no regret.
Perhaps she saw Liu Shuhuai as Liu Qing Lin. Look how obedient Liu Shuhuai was—he did whatever chores he was told without daring to resist.
Later, she thought, forget it. When he came of age, she would let him live alone. She didn’t want to see that familiar face.
Was it pitiful? But she had no shortage of sons.
Grandpa Liu felt it didn’t matter how they treated Liu Shuhuai. At least he wasn’t lacking food or clothing; as long as appearances were maintained, it was fine.
No one would watch their family every day—every household had its own troubles, and outsiders couldn’t interfere.
Others thought, “You eat our food and wear our clothes, what’s wrong with doing some work? Anyway, it’s never their fault no matter what goes wrong.”
It wasn’t as if they weren’t providing for him. Since Grandma Liu and Grandpa Liu didn’t care about him, they could do as they pleased.
They could afford to send two children to school only because of Third Brother’s bereavement silver and because Liu Qing Yang occasionally made and sold furniture.
In his spare time, Liu Qing Zhu would gather herbs in the mountains, dry them, and sell them. This skill came from saving a man who taught him to identify medicinal plants. If he collected enough, he could earn 200 copper coins a day.
Their wives could also earn a few coins by embroidering handkerchiefs, and the elderly could still work. But with two “gold-devouring beasts” (the students) to support and little family savings, they had no choice but to send them.
They could only grit their teeth and work hard, hoping the two would pass the imperial exams and bring them prosperity.
They had asked the private tutor: Liu Yao Zong could attempt the Tongsheng exam, but Liu Quan couldn’t. They had to treat him as a last resort, hoping for a stroke of luck to pass the Tongsheng level.
If he failed, there would be no point in continuing—it would be a waste of money.
Who didn’t want to bring honor to their ancestors? Otherwise, why would he be named Yao Zong (Glory to Ancestors)? It was a name Grandpa himself had chosen, and Grandpa was someone who cared deeply about face.
So he had to pass the Tongsheng exam, then the Xiucai, and finally become a recommended man. He wanted to live under the envious gaze of others and make Grandpa proud.
He didn’t dare slack off or tarnish his reputation. Thankfully, Zhi’er had helped him out that day; otherwise, with a murder charge, how could he ever become a recommended man?
Liu Quan was academically average—how could he pass? Only Second Aunt hadn’t given up, and Grandpa still believed in him. In his opinion, it would be better if only he pursued studies, and Liu Quan stayed home to avoid wasting money.
He needed to find a way; otherwise, how would they afford the academy fees? Could the family manage?
No one would stand in the way of his path to becoming a recommended man.
Otherwise…
Liu Quan knew he wasn’t scholarly and couldn’t compare to Liu Yao Zong. He would surely fail the Tongsheng exam.
If Liu Yao Zong passed the Tongsheng and went to study at the county academy, money would be tight. Where could they cut back?
Wasn’t he the one? The academy’s annual tuition fee was twelve taels of silver, so they would have to skimp on him, and he’d end up farming for life.
Next year he would be twelve, and he didn’t want to be an old mud leg forever.
There had to be a way.
He Xunzhou sometimes took walks in the forest to familiarize himself with the surroundings.
This was his “domain.”
He discovered that the more Spirit Spring water he drank, the larger and fiercer he grew, with immense strength.
Once, he accidentally broke a tree—one so large two adults couldn’t wrap their arms around it.
He now knew a bit about this era: not much, only that this place belonged to the nation of An.
An had been relatively stable in recent years, with no wars or major disasters or diseases, making it a fairly prosperous country. The emperor was also benevolent, governing for the people.
However, in this world, besides women and men, there was another type called Ge’er, who could become pregnant but had low fertility. A Ge’er could be identified by the Pregnancy Mark on their forehead.
Here, one could split from the family at age thirteen, regardless of gender or whether they were a Ge’er.
If you suffered unfair treatment or parental abuse, and your parents refused to let you leave when you came of age, you could report it to the authorities, who would enforce the split. If your parents still refused, they could face imprisonment.
This was a law decreed by the new emperor.
Although women and Ge’er still couldn’t attend private schools or take the imperial exams, this was the greatest mercy shown.
After all, no previous dynasty had been like this.
If he wanted money now, he could only hunt and have Liu Shuhuai help sell the game, but he wasn’t comfortable with that.
If only he could turn into a human, even for a few hours.
“Ding dong. Detected strong desire. You can transform into a human for two hours daily. The cost is six hours of weakness at night. Please state your answer.”
A voice suddenly spoke, but it wasn’t the orb’s.
“Who’s there?” He Xunzhou looked around but saw no one. He asked in his mind, “Who are you?” but received no response.
The voice spoke again, “State your answer. Do you agree?”
He Xunzhou had no choice. “I agree.” He needed to earn money.
“Okay. Wishing you physical and mental ease. Goodbye.” Phew, good thing it changed its voice—hopefully the master didn’t recognize it.
Its energy had only recovered a tiny bit; it shouldn’t seek trouble.
Better to quickly find a way to earn gold coins, buy spirit stones to restore energy. If not for that guy, its energy would still be full.
Wah, wife! Couldn’t you have accidentally killed someone who was utterly evil? Then it wouldn’t have to work so hard.
Its wife was taken, and it had to satisfy the master to get her back. Its rival had drained its abilities—why was it so unlucky?
Served him right for being punished by the main system to suffer in a minor world.
Its adorable wife! If not for the rival, his wife wouldn’t have had an accident (ノ｀⊿′)ノ.
Ahhh, it was going crazy!
It was just a bit curious—why couldn’t it bind the master as its host?