Chapter 8

Here, winter rarely brings snow, only cold rain, damp and wet.

Yun Jianqiang, shivering uncontrollably by the hearth, was wrapped in all the warm things Yun Zheng could find at home. The child was still trembling, but fortunately, he didn’t have a fever. If he fell ill in this godforsaken place, Yun Zheng wouldn’t know what to do—no hospital, no doctor, no medicine. The nearest herbal shop was fifteen miles away in Dousha Pass.

Perhaps due to the care of orphans, the two of them hadn’t been sick in the three months they had been in this world. Especially Yun Zheng, after three months of chopping wood, he was no different from a strong young man in the village. His fluent local accent pleased the old chief, who saw him as one of the village children.

Winter rain was truly miserable. The simple bamboo house could not block the damp air, no matter how vigorously Yun Zheng stoked the hearth.

The little yellow dog crawled into Yun Jianqiang’s blanket. Holding the puppy might warm him up. The dog had grown a lot, becoming a half-grown yellow dog. Though just a mutt, it was Yun Jianqiang’s lifeline. The Yun family had only two people, Yun Da and Yun Er, as the villagers called the brothers. The little yellow dog naturally became Yun San.

"Jianqiang, wrap yourself tighter in the blanket, don’t let the wind in. If you want to sleep, go ahead. We can’t do anything today," Yun Zheng put down his book and said softly.

The clay pot hanging over the hearth made a sound. The ginger tea Yun Zheng had boiled was finally ready. He poured some into Jianqiang’s bowl, but seeing him still frowning and unwilling to drink, Yun Zheng shook his head and went to the wall, cutting a small piece of honeycomb from a hook and steeping it in Jianqiang’s bowl. The honey made the ginger tea less bitter.

This was a gift from nature, and Yun Zheng knew it. To get this honeycomb, he had been stung by wasps on his back, leaving two egg-sized lumps that took three days to subside.

Next year, he must build a mud house. Although mud houses couldn’t withstand heavy rain, Yun Zheng planned to do it. The bamboo house was not suitable for them to live in.

Yun Zheng poured a money bag from a thick bamboo tube. He didn’t need to count; he knew there were 131 coins inside. He took it out, looked at it, and put it back, plugging the opening.

"Brother, when we came here, we had nothing, but I remember you had a mobile phone. Sell it, and we can afford a house."

"Forget it. I smashed the phone, leaving only a phone charm. Although it’s worth some money, I can’t sell it. It’s for you, in case you get sick and I need to exchange it for money to treat you. Don’t worry, I’ll earn enough money next year to build us a house, maybe even a brick and tile house.

We’ll build a big kang in the house. In winter, we’ll keep the kang warm. I’ll tell you, a warm kang is much better than central heating. We’ll set up a red clay stove on the kang table and stew a pot of sour cabbage and pork. Eating it with the broth, it will be incredibly satisfying."

Yun Jianqiang drooled and laughed foolishly, as if he could already see those days. Yun Zheng affectionately patted his head and picked up his book to continue reading.

The little yellow dog’s ears suddenly perked up. Yun Zheng glanced at the dog, took his book, and pushed open the door to look outside. The drizzle continued, and the village seemed shrouded in a green mist. A group of officials suddenly emerged from the mist. Yun Zheng found it hilarious that the leading official was riding a horse barely larger than a donkey, with his feet almost touching the ground. He still puffed out his chest and shouted loudly, "Old Cang, you old dog, listen up. The government is fortifying Dousha Pass, and every household must provide a strong man. If one is missing, you old dog will have to take his place."

Old Cang chuckled and came out of the bamboo house, bowing and smiling, "Head Liu, what wind brings you here? Come up quickly, have a couple of bowls of light wine to warm up. It’s a sin to work in such weather."

Head Liu dismounted, handed the reins to a constable, and followed Old Cang upstairs, grumbling. Yun Zheng put down his book, told Yun Jianqiang to keep warm, and went out.

Old Cang had said before that whenever officials came, he should accompany them. Yun Zheng went up to Old Cang’s bamboo house and saw Cang Er and his little mouse huddled in a corner, three women hiding in the inner room, and only Old Cang accompanying the five officials by the fire.

Seeing Yun Zheng, Old Cang quickly pulled his hand and said to Head Liu, "Look, this is our village’s treasure. He has been studying with a teacher for years and will take the county exam this year. He just returned home. He’s a scholar, with a frail body. In this cold weather, he can’t handle hard labor. Please be lenient and let him off."

Hearing Old Cang’s words, Yun Zheng stepped forward and bowed to Head Liu, "I appreciate your kindness, sir, but serving the household is a national law. Grandfather, you are putting Head Liu in a difficult position."

Head Liu looked at Yun Zheng with interest. He found this child more composed than others, speaking calmly even in the face of harsh winter labor. Though his words had a hint of provocation, they were measured. Damn, that’s how scholars talk.

"Since you know it’s a national law, you should also know that serving can offset next year’s summer tax. It’s not a bad thing. Since you’ve established a household, I must treat you as an adult."

Old Cang was in a panic. Every winter, there was labor, and the tasks were either moving stones or carrying soil, which Yun Zheng’s frail body couldn’t handle. Just as he was about to speak, Head Liu took out a thin ledger from his chest and handed it to Yun Zheng, "Labor is inevitable, and no one can help you. But what you do on the site, I can adjust. Since you are a scholar, the state has always favored scholars, especially in our remote Mianzhou, where scholars are scarce. If you can verify this ledger within an hour, I’ll put you in charge of the food accounts on the site, without having to do physical labor. It will still count as your service. What do you think?"

Yun Zheng took the ledger from Head Liu, flipped through it, and immediately had a grasp. He had expected the legendary four-column ledger, which required knowing the old balance and new income, and only by knowing the actual amount and subtracting expenses could a complete ledger be made. Now, what he held was just a simple running account, filled with errors like "three sevens are twenty-one," which were clear evidence of corruption. Yun Zheng smiled lightly and began to calculate the simple accounts in his head, under Old Cang’s anxious gaze.