Chapter Twenty-One: Teaching Them to Farm

The kitchen has been repaired, and a patch of sandy soil has been rented. The Zhang family, who hold the sandy field, are currently growing rapeseed; the pods are already turning yellow, and once they harvest them, it will be the Xiao family's turn to plant.

The field ridges, however, are empty. Guided by Aunt Zuo and Aunt Luo, they decided to dig them up to plant vegetable seedlings, which would provide fresh greens in a month or two. The Xiao family lacked farming tools, but the Luo family next door and their landlady, Aunt Zuo, were more than willing to lend them theirs.

"Once we have some money, I’ll find a blacksmith to forge a hoe," Chun Ning said.

Mimicking the way the neighboring men worked the soil, Chun Ning raised the hoe high. It felt awkward at first, but after a few tries, he began to swing it with ease. What Chun Ning did not realize was that his elders were watching him from the doorway, their eyes brimming with tears. Hands that were once meant for brushes were now wielding hoes and sickles. This disaster had irrevocably changed their destinies.

"Aunt, please excuse me."

Chun Nuan was in the kitchen preparing pinellia. She had sliced ginger to boil into a broth, then simmered the pinellia with alum to thoroughly process it. With the firewood running low, she went to the eaves to fetch more, only to find her elders standing by the doorway, wiping away tears.

"Nuan Nuan..."

Lady Xu turned around and, upon seeing Chun Nuan, hurriedly wiped her eyes. "What do you need? I’ll go get it."

"It's fine, I'm just getting some firewood." Oh, women—always so sentimental.

"Aunt, Mother, Auntie, please don't be sad." Chun Nuan looked around and noticed her grandmother wasn't there; no wonder they couldn't control their emotions. "It is said that one must endure the bitterest of hardships to reach the top. For the men of the Xiao family to be capable of both literary and physical labor is a good thing. Chun Ning is growing up quickly; we should be proud of him."

"It is our own uselessness that forces you children to shoulder this burden."

Just then, the Xiao family heard Aunt Zuo calling from the edge of the field.

"Chun Ning! You need to pick up the weed roots you've dug out and throw them onto the waste ground. Otherwise, your vegetables won't even have sprouted before the grass turns green and starts competing for fertilizer." Aunt Zuo was a kind soul. "When you dig, you should pick as you go."

"Sister, I'll go pick the grass," Chun An said, running out. "That way, Brother Ning will have it easier."

"Alright, go ahead, but be careful," Chun Nuan instructed. "Stay away from Brother Ning. He only looks forward when he digs, not behind him. Be careful the handle doesn't hit you."

"An An, you... be careful, don't get in your brother's way." Lady Huang meant to tell her not to get her clothes dirty, but she swallowed the words. Times had changed; the Xiao children were no longer young masters.

Chun Ning could set aside his books and brushes to dig soil, climb trees, and pick flowers; why shouldn't her son be able to do the same? Although washing clothes was exhausting, she wasn't the one truly working hard. Indeed, Lady Huang had noticed that since arriving in the Shu region, the children's clothes had to be washed every single day—covered in mud or dust, looking utterly wretched. Back in the capital, even the servants' children had never been this dirty. Truly, a phoenix that falls from the perch is no better than a chicken.

"Very good." At that moment, the old matriarch walked out, supported by Chun Yan. "Able to grace the hall, able to work the fields, able to hold a brush and grip a hoe, able to write essays and till the land. Very good. My Xiao family will not collapse!"

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes welled up with tears again. Chun Nuan felt that these elders were simply too idle for their own good. Right, she remembered an embroidery workshop at the docks; she would go ask tomorrow if there was any work to be had. She didn't expect them to earn much, but some work would pass the time and keep them from being so sentimental. She had discovered that once people were busy, they had no time to dwell on things.

Just like herself—frying flower cakes and processing medicinal herbs—she was so busy she couldn't catch her breath. One thing after another, it was never-ending. Chun Ning was also busy. Before dawn, he would go to the mountains with Luo Xiaogang to pick flowers. After he fried them, he would take them to the docks to sell. After costs, he made about ten coins a day. Upon returning from the docks, he would busy himself digging soil and planting vegetables. The Xiao family lacked labor, and Chun Ning, a half-grown boy, was already holding up the entire sky for them.

"Chun Nuan," Aunt Luo said, walking over as she saw Chun Nuan gathering firewood. "I saw you digging the ridges. I have some melon seedlings I started; would you like to plant some?"

"We would! Auntie, how much do they cost?"

"You child, do you people from the capital have to talk about money for everything?" Aunt Luo laughed. "Us country folk don't have so many rules. Things like vegetable seeds and seedlings aren't worth much. Whoever has extra just pulls a few roots for their neighbors to plant. Later on, if you have something I don't, you can share some with me. Don't you go charging me money, either."

"Alright, thank you, Aunt Luo."

It had to be said, this way of interacting made Chun Nuan feel very comfortable. As Chun An said, there were still many good people in this world. After settling in the village of Shuikou, the Xiao family found the villagers to be very friendly. The aunties and grandmothers all greeted her whenever they saw her, knowing her name was Chun Nuan.

Chun Nuan recognized the aunties from the Luo, Zuo, and Deng families. She didn't know the names of the others, but whenever they met on the road, they would smile, and the others would greet her cheerfully.

"Chun Nuan, carrying firewood?"
"Chun Nuan, digging wild greens?"
"Chun Nuan, washing clothes?"

In short, she had become a household name in the village. However, the villagers were afraid to approach her elders. This couldn't be helped; first, the women of the family were daughters of minor officials from the capital, accustomed to dealing with their own kind, and didn't know how to interact with these neighbors. Second, they had been raised to stay within the inner chambers; besides washing clothes, they rarely stepped outside. Even if the village women wanted to gossip, they never had the chance. Of course, they also knew one thing: Dr. Xiao had offended the Emperor, and it was better to avoid visiting that house. After all, even the extended Xiao clan avoided them, so while the villagers weren't afraid, they were somewhat wary. Chun Nuan understood all of this perfectly.

Chun Yan and Chun Shu had become good friends with the Luo family's third daughter, going to the mountains to dig wild greens every day. Chun Nuan no longer worried about them bringing back poisonous plants; she would just check everything before throwing it into the pot.

"Wait there, I'll go move a few over for you." Aunt Luo returned to her field. In a moment, Chun Nuan, who was stoking the fire, heard Aunt Luo calling from outside.

"Auntie, you're here."

"Yes, here. Let me tell you, this is winter melon, this is luffa, this is cucumber, this is bitter melon, and this one is pumpkin." Aunt Luo also took out a few other seedlings. "And I pulled these chili and eggplant seedlings from Aunt Zhong's field."

Seeing Chun Nuan staring blankly, Aunt Luo paused. "Chun Nuan, your family has never farmed before, have you? You don't recognize these vegetables, do you?"