Xie Jinnan had just stepped out of his room with a book in hand when Xie Eryong walked straight toward him.
Stopping in front of his elder brother, Eryong put on an unusually serious expression.
“Big Brother…”
“You have to treat Sister-in-law well.”
“You’re not allowed to bully her.”
“And don’t believe that nonsense about her being a bringer of bad luck.”
“Otherwise…”
“Otherwise I’ll beat you up!”
“I really will!”
The moment he finished making his fiercest threat…
He immediately turned around and ran away.
He talked tough…
But fled even faster.
Xie Jinnan stood there completely baffled.
What on earth was that?
When have I ever believed Jin’er was a jinx?
After pondering it for a while, he left the house and headed toward the village head’s residence.
Dali Village consisted of more than seventy households with roughly three hundred residents.
The two largest clans were the Song and Xie families, along with smaller numbers of people surnamed Wu and Ma.
The village head was Song Jianguo, a man in his fifties who was generally regarded as fair-minded.
“Jinnan!”
“You’ve come to see Xiao Jin, haven’t you?”
Song Jianguo warmly welcomed him into the courtyard.
Hearing the voices, a teenage boy wearing a gray-white scholar’s robe hurried out of the house.
His face immediately lit up.
“Brother Jinnan!”
“You’re here!”
This was Song Jin, Song Jianguo’s eldest grandson.
He was fourteen years old.
Among the younger generation, he was considered especially bright.
His grandfather had sent him to the town academy when he was eight.
Last year…
Song Jin had successfully passed the county examination and become a Tongsheng (Licentiate).
The whole family had celebrated for days.
After all…
Xie Jinnan himself had passed the same examination at only ten years old.
Everyone in Dali Village called him the village’s greatest scholar.
Song Jin naturally became the second.
As fellow students and aspiring scholars…
Song Jin admired Xie Jinnan deeply.
There was even a hint of hero worship.
“I came to give you something.”
“Something?”
Song Jin accepted the notebook Jinnan handed over.
He casually flipped through a few pages.
His eyes immediately widened.
“T-This…”
“These are previous years’ Provincial Examination questions!”
“Brother Jinnan…”
“You’re really giving this to me?”
Jinnan nodded.
“These are the questions Master Wu and I analyzed from previous examinations.”
“There are also practice questions we developed afterward.”
“I copied an extra set.”
“Perhaps they’ll be useful.”
“Read through them first.”
“If anything is unclear, we can discuss it together.”
The Master Wu he mentioned had once been Jinnan’s teacher.
He lived in the nearby town.
Two years earlier, a large academy had been established in Wuying Village in the neighboring district.
They had hired Master Wu with generous pay to teach there.
In fact…
The day Xie Jinnan happened to pass through Shangyuan Village—
The day he saved Jinxiu after she jumped into the river—
Was because he had been on his way to visit Master Wu.
Song Jianguo was overwhelmed.
“Jinnan…”
“This really…”
“Thank you.”
“If Xiao Jin manages to earn the title of Xiucai next year…”
“You’ll be the great benefactor of the entire Song family.”
After the initial excitement faded, the old village head couldn’t help sighing.
Master Wu had once served as a government official before retiring to teach.
His scholarship was beyond question.
Most people would have hidden such valuable study materials away for themselves.
After all…
Song Jin and Xie Jinnan were, in a sense, future competitors.
Yet Jinnan had shared everything without reservation.
Song Jianguo silently engraved that kindness into his heart.
Song Jin hugged the notebook tightly.
“Thank you, Brother Jinnan!”
“Next year…”
“Let’s both do our best!”
Overcome with excitement, he suddenly hugged Jinnan.
“Ahem.”
Song Jianguo coughed.
“Don’t just stand there.”
“Hurry and invite Jinnan inside.”
“We must treat him properly.”
Song Jin quickly released him.
“I was just too excited.”
“Brother Jinnan, please come in.”
But Jinnan shook his head.
“I still have things to do.”
“I won’t trouble you today.”
“I’ll visit another time.”
Seeing he truly intended to leave, Song Jianguo didn’t force him to stay.
Instead, he shouted toward the house.
“Daughter-in-law!”
“Take down one strip of cured pork hanging from the kitchen beam.”
“Yes, Father!”
Meanwhile…
Granny Tian was in the courtyard butchering the rabbits.
Grandfather Xie strolled over with his hands clasped behind his back.
The moment he saw one rabbit already cleaned and lying inside the wooden basin…
His eyes nearly popped out.
He even glanced toward the sky.
Is it going to rain red today?
Or is the sun rising from the west?
“Old woman…”
“You’re really willing to slaughter both rabbits?”
“You’re not even saving one for another meal?”
Even he thought it was extravagant.
Without pausing her work, Granny Tian snorted.
“What do you know?”
“I have my own reasons.”
Grandfather Xie didn’t argue.
All he knew was…
Tonight he was finally going to enjoy a proper feast.
Remembering the spicy stir-fried pork belly Jinxiu had cooked the night before, he quickly added,
“Well…”
“You just butcher them.”
“Don’t waste such fine rabbits.”
“Leave the cooking to Jinxiu.”
“Get lost!”
“Right away!”
The old man wisely retreated.
Just then, he noticed Xie Jinnan entering the courtyard carrying a strip of cured pork.
“Jinnan!”
“You’re back.”
“Where’d that cured meat come from?”
“The village head gave it to us.”
Jinnan briefly explained everything.
Seeing the meat, Grandfather Xie beamed.
“Perfect!”
“We’ll eat rabbit tonight…”
“And save the cured pork for tomorrow.”
Granny Tian immediately rolled her eyes.
“Oh, keep dreaming!”
“What kind of family do you think we are?”
“You want meat three days in a row?”
She stood up, snatched the cured pork away, and hung it beneath the eaves.
Grandfather Xie puffed out his chest.
“Of course we’re a blessed family.”
“Jinxiu is a lucky girl.”
“Since she’s now part of our Xie family…”
“Her good fortune belongs to us too!”
Granny Tian couldn’t have agreed more.
“Exactly.”
“Anyone spreading those rumors about her being unlucky has a rotten heart.”
Their words were full of affection and protection for Jinxiu.
Watching the elderly couple, Xie Jinnan couldn’t help smiling.
“Oh, that’s right.”
Granny Tian suddenly remembered something.
“Jinnan.”
“Tomorrow take Jinxiu into town.”
“You need to buy gifts for her return visit to her parents’ home.”
“We absolutely can’t let her feel slighted.”
Just as Jinnan was about to agree…
The old woman waved her hand.
“Forget it.”
“I’ll go with her instead.”
“Eryong’s hand is injured.”
“We can’t delay the rice planting.”
“I soaked the rice seeds today.”
“In another couple of days, they’ll need sowing.”
There was no better solution.
Jinnan nodded.
“We’ll do as Grandma says.”
When Granny Tian mentioned the return visit again while preparing dinner…
Jinxiu suddenly remembered the custom herself.
“Grandma…”
“Thank you.”
She was genuinely touched.
The old woman waved dismissively.
“It’s only what should be done.”
Then she huffed.
“But tonight I’ll have to trouble you again.”
“You have no idea how greedy that old man is.”
“He refuses to let me cook.”
“Says I’d ruin the ingredients.”
Jinxiu burst into laughter.
“It’s no trouble.”
“I like cooking.”
Then she asked,
“Grandma…”
“Do we have cinnamon bark? Bay leaves? Or any spices like that?”
People in this era generally didn’t use many aromatic spices in everyday cooking.
She hadn’t expected much.
It was merely a casual question.
To her surprise…
Granny Tian nodded.
“We have cinnamon bark.”
“Last year the old man cut down a cinnamon tree in the mountains.”
“I peeled the bark and dried it.”
“Cinnamon’s wonderful.”
“Whenever my lower back aches…”
“Or my mouth feels dry and bitter…”
“I chew on a piece.”
“It works very well.”
She knew nothing about medicine.
Everything came from years of experience.
As the saying went…
Having an elder in the family is like possessing a priceless treasure.
Jinxiu smiled.
“If you want rabbit to taste truly delicious…”
“Cinnamon is one of the key ingredients.”
“Really?”
“Then wait here.”
“I’ll go get it.”
The rabbit had been soaking to remove the blood.
Jinxiu lifted the meat out and drained it thoroughly.
She heated oil in the wok.
Then added the rabbit pieces, stir-frying them until their surfaces turned lightly golden.
“Grandma…”
“We’re out of ginger and scallions.”
“Are there still any growing in the vegetable patch?”