Chapter 12

Tang Chunming is very fortunate that no matter what he behaves, the father of the original body does still love Brother Ming. However, the sour and Confucian spirit of the old man does not allow him to learn the script. (1) Therefore, the original body does not have a complete understanding of the world. After coming to the Zhao family’s house he was completely cut off from books. The original body had a sensitive mine and after seeing that Zhao Dahu didn’t like his literacy, he never mentioned it. However, there are still the four treasures (2) included in his dowry, otherwise Tang Chunming really could not have made that account book.

It is currently the Great Zhou Dynasty, ruled by Emperor Qingyuan and it is the eighth year of Qingyuan. It is said that Emperor Qingyuan is an inspiring emperor and is also ambitious. He wants to expand the territory and achieve a lifetime of fame. In less than three years from the time that he ascended the throne, the troops have been deployed on the frontier and he is not an emperor that only seeks rest and relaxation.

Unlike the Qingyuan Emperor, the former Emperor Jian’an was an arrogant and an extravagant emperor who only cared about his own enjoyment. He did not care about the life and death of the people, especially the people in the northwest border, who were often invaded and harassed by the barbarians in the north. Today, the Qingyuan emperor has been leading the army, resisting the barbarians. After the old emperor died on his ger’s belly, Emperor Qingyuan swept away the extravagance of the Emperor Jian’an after taking power, and resolutely used troops against the barbarians in the northwest.

Five years ago, the imperial conscription came for this reason. In the original’s memory, Zhao Dahu once told him that the Zhao family spent a lot of silver to avoid this military service.

The practice of Li Conggen’s family made Zhang Xiu quite contemptuous, “Brother Ming, let me tell you, the child Li Feng was only fourteen years old and he had not yet reached the age of conscription. The child in [Li Conggen’s] family was three years older than Li Feng. At that time, the family did not expect that Li Conggen’s family would have such a wicked heart. It wasn’t until the magistrate came to Pingshan village to lead people away did they find out that Li Conggen and his family had secretly reported the name of Li Feng. [Li Conggen] had sent people to the county government office a long time ago, and kept saying that Li Feng was happy to take care of them, and entrusted them to take care of the family’s [house and fields]. Bah! Who doesn’t know their vicious heart, otherwise, why not wait until the magistrate comes to the door, why send them secretly. Did they think the villagers would not know, or were they afraid that Li Feng would not go when things were exposed.”

Tang Chunming sighed and patted Zhang Xiu’s hand to comfort him. The war started five years ago, lasting three years and spent countless manpower and material resources. They finally drove the barbarians away from the border, and their vitality was greatly damaged. However, the Zhou Dynasty also paid a big price, as far as he knows, only a small part of the men who went out to fight in Pingshan Village came back alive. Most of them died on the battlefield and back then, Li Feng had not come back with the other people. All the villagers had taken for granted that he had died.

Unexpectedly, after another two years, the deceased person actually came back alive. The most disappointed one was Li Conggen’s family, and the village leader, who had always felt guilty for Li Feng, was very happy. If he hadn’t ignored Li Conggen’s family back then, how could they come up with this idea and send Li Feng into the battlefield at such a young age.

“This is why people can’t do bad things, retribution will come. Yesterday, you don’t know how lively Li Conggen’s house was.” Zhang Xiu was starting to be giddy, and this appearance made Tang Chunming also curious. What happened to make Zhang Xiu look like this? What kind of person is Li Feng.

“Let me tell you, there was another person who came with the child Li Feng. Li Conggen and his family can’t compare to those soldiers who served. The people from the family wanted to deny the identity of the child Li Feng. That big man [who came with Li Feng] punched a person, blasting them through the courtyard wall of the house. Today I heard someone say that they ran over and took a look, alas, there was such a big hole. How much strength did that have to take and Li Conggen’s family was so scared they fell to the ground. From listening to what everyone said, the family was so scared they also peed their pants, ha ha, oh, I am so happy.”

“Give me a glass of water, my mouth is dry this morning. “Zhang Xiu directly called.

Tang Chunming also chuckled, but unfortunately he could not witness the situation with his own eyes yesterday, “The ugly ones are scared of dying and really met a ruthless person. They were stubborn and stirred up such nonsense, and now are scared shitless. These kinds of people, only a ruthless person can cure them.”

“I heard them say that the child Li Feng and the big guy looked strange and scary. Li Feng had scars on his face, and they all said it was a pity, alas, how can he find a wife in the future.” While talking and laughing, the village leader’s husband also ran over to the door. Zhang Xiu greeted him at the door and said curiously, “Aunt, how do you have the free time to come here? Could it be that the Li family’s affairs have been resolved?”

“What a bother! Who wants to quarrel with them, I came here to hide quietly? Here at Brother Ming’s it is quiet.” The village leader’s wife is surname Shen and everyone in the village called him Shen Fulang as a sign of respect.

Da Mao, Er Mao, and Zhao Lin were all obedient, and Shen Fulang grabbed peanuts from his pocket and gave them to the three children as snacks.

In order to save money, the homestead bought by Brother Ming was far away from the center of the village, backed by the mountain, and closer to the road to the outside of the village. The door was closed to isolate the outside sound and it was indeed very quiet. However, although this quietness makes Tang Chunming like it better, he has to consider the issue of safety. Although the back courtyard wall was made of stone when the house was built, and was stronger than an earth wall. Tang Chunming felt that it was not only the rear wall that should be guarded from the beasts of the mountains, it was also the unpredictable villagers in and outside the village, these are even more dangerous.

When he thought about it, Tang Chunming asked the two people in front of him, “Brother Xiu and Shen Fulang, do you know who has puppies? I want to raise one or two, or I can raise a few geese first.” Not to mention his current physical inconvenience, in this society, even widowed gers still have many eyes on them. Even in his former life and current, the environment and treatment of widows was the same, and there are not many willing to help support widows. This makes Tang Chunming feel suffocated, but no matter how frustrated, he still feels that it is much better to be single than to live with a man like Zhao Dahu.

“Yes, this is a matter of urgency. You can rest assured that I will help you, otherwise it would be unsettling for you to live here with Lin’er.” Shen Fulang carefully responded, and decided that when he went back, he would inquire in the neighboring villages, including his maiden village. This [house is on] the way out of the village, it is easy for people from outside to come in and hard for people to know if they do. It is easy to have an accident.

“I will ask Dashan from my family to help you see if there are any geese for sale in the town. It doesn’t matter if you raise a few more geese. By the way, do you want to raise chickens? I will bring them back together for you.” Zhang Xiu also said.

“Okay, spring will start soon, and we have to raise them, otherwise my family Ah-Lin will not even be able to eat eggs. By the way, I also want to raise a milk-producing ewe. I want Ah-Lin to have a good supplement. I can’t move around, so I have to brazenly ask you.” Tang Chunming took the opportunity to say.

“This matter is no trouble, the ewe’s affairs are easy to handle. I remember there is an uncle, whose household raises sheep in Shenjia Village, right?” Zhang Xiu’s information is good.

“Yes, there is such a household. I’ll look at it for you then, and then negotiate the price and bring it back for you. Lin’er really needs to eat something good.” Shen Fulang also pitied little Zhao Lin’er. He was not worried when he saw Tang Chunming spending money freely, he knew from Zhang Xiu that Tang Chunming was using the silver from selling the last of his [drowy] jewellery. Moreover, in addition to little Lin’er who needs supplements, to him, Brother Ming also needs to have some good food. Even if he doesn’t consider himself, he needs to think about the little one in his stomach.

“Then I’ll have to trouble Shen Fulang, and if they have a few young lambs, please bring some back. Raising lambs is no trouble, even if I can’t do too much work now.” Hearing that it was so convenient, Tang Chunming even added a lamb. He would slowly raise it first and in the future people won’t find it strange if he has more. Compared with pigs, he is more willing to raise sheep. When he was younger, he took care of sheep. Later, the lamb that was moistened with spatial spring water tasted more delicious. He believes that there is no need to worry about selling good things.

The village leader’s wife thought about it too. He couldn’t just sit around and eat air. It seems that Brother Ming knows in his heart what is good [for himself]. His husband told him to take care of Brother Ming in the future. If there is anything he can help, he can help as much as possible.

Zhang Xiu was embroidering a purse, and Shen Fulang was working on the sole of a shoe. The two of them were talking with their mouths without interrupting the work in their hands. The three children felt bored in the house and ran out to play. Tang Chunming, a big idler, thinks that this isn’t very good, but he can’t really embroider anything with his hands. Even if he inherited the skills from the original body, he tried it secretly and at the time he could only look to the sky and weep.

Okay, even if he couldn’t embroider, he can sew and mend clothes. However unlike modern society, where you can buy everything, in the countryside a piece of clothing is continuously patched. He had to dig out the original Zhao Dahu’s old clothes and plans to change it to a smaller size for himself or Ah-Lin to wear. When someone dies in the countryside, the family will burn the clothes and other items of the deceased, but even if his poor family cannot spare it he must be willing. Tang Chunming cannot let him or Ah-Lin catch too much attention in the village, so the days must be lived the same as before.

So, Tang Chunming took up the needle and thread with a tangled expression in his heart, and began the journey of transforming from a big man to a ger.

“Aunt, what is going on with Uncle Gen’s family now? Still not willing to hand over the land and the house?” An azalea on Zhang Xiu’s bag was gradually taking shape.

“His family thinks too beautifully!” Shen Fulang said grimly, his hand pulled the twine harder, and regarded it as an object of venting, “After being frightened a bit, the couple is now lying on the bed. The son of his family is asking the head of the family to give them justice, bah!”

“They’re sick? Is it true or fake?” Zhang Xiu doubted, it’s no wonder that this aunt is not willing to stay at home and say that this place is quiet. The village leader is at home, that family home is really a headache.

“Who knows whether it is true or false, but if they want to use this to pinch the child Li Feng and that big man, this calculation is a mistake. Humph, the little ger saw Li Feng and actually screamed in fear. He doesn’t even consider that it was his family that sinned Li Feng. Why would they dislike Li Feng’s appearance?” The more Shen Fu Lang said, the angrier he was, the twine in his hand pulled out making a sneer sound, which made Tang Chunming scared.

“He’s disfigured? Is it serious?” Tang Chunming asked curiously, to what extent was it that it could make a country ger cry out in fright.

Shen Fulang couldn’t really describe it well, so he put down the needle and gestured by his eyebrow bone to Tang Chunming and Zhang Xiu. “Here, it runs from the top of his eyes and almost ruined one eye. But fortunately, the big scars are now gone, and only a few marks are left. I don’t think it is ugly, but in the end, he has seen blood on the battlefield and it makes people feel uncomfortable.”

“That’s okay, the ger from that family is just making too much of a fuss.” Tang Chunming understood that it was not serious at all. He thought that it was only terrifying because there were scars on his face. As for what Shen Fulang said, it was not easy to provoke [Li Feng], who has walked among the piles of dead people and it was impossible that he was not affected.

“No, but that little ger from the family tosses his reputation and it has spread. I’m afraid in the future it will be hard for him to find a wife.” Shen Fulang did not have a good impression of the little ger.

Tang Chunming did not take it seriously, from his point of view, if this Li Feng was really capable, would he still be worried that he could not find someone to live his life well with? In modern society, do those who have money, a second wife, and a mistress, have an attractive appearance? With power and money, if Li Feng has either in his hands, what kind of person couldn’t he find? However, he is more interested in the big man described by Zhang Xiu. He smashed a hole in the courtyard wall with one punch. How much strength was needed? Could it be that there were still martial arts practitioners in ancient times who could fly over the wall?

After another two days, Tang Chunming finally heard the complete news. As expected, Li Conggen’s family failed to succeed and was forced to return the fields and houses. The village leader didn’t force them to return the family’s output from the past few years. They had already lost their faces and it was useless for Li Conggen’s family to make trouble. The elders of the Li family agree with the village leader’s attitude and how he handled the situation. The reputation of the Li family cannot be corrupted by the Li Conggen family. People living beside Pingshan Village are looking at the Li family.

Zhang Xiu told him vividly, as if he had witnessed everything with his own eyes. The Li Conggen couple was pretending to be sick after all. When they were lying on the kang and pretending, the son went to the village leader’s house to make trouble. On the spot, the big man took out ten silver taels and asked people to invite the best doctor in town. The husband and wife looked straight at the silver, but the big man would rather pay all the silver for the medical fee than let it pass to them.

The matter was absolute and someone really went to the town and invited the doctor. The doctor diagnosed them and said a lot but it boiled down to the two of them were depressed in the heart. He would be fine after a while and medicine would not help. The doctor only charged the fee for the visit and left, causing the onlookers to burst into laughter. This play was even more lively than Tang Chunming’s show before.

“You don’t know how strong the big man was, when he slapped down the silver ingot on the table, and it was impressed into the tabletop. The son from the family only had his eyes on the silber and when the silver was dug out, the couple almost fainted when it went past their eyelids. Ha ha ha.” Zhang Xiu gestured to Tang Chunming with his hand the depth of the pit that was smashed by the silver ingot, and Tang Chunming was equally giddy.

“Li Conggen’s family does not seem to have a vacant house, right? Did they want to live in the house with the [nephew]?” Tang Chunming thought knowing there was only this place.

“No, when the child Li Feng was sent away, they said that their son wanted to get married and there was no place to live. They would first borrow Li Feng’s house and when the child came back they would return it. I just learned that two years ago, after everyone returned from military service and Li Feng did not return, Li Conggen’s family wanted to officially put the house and land under their names. However, the village leader wanted to double check and sent someone to the magistrate to check. They found that the child Li Feng was not listed on the list of those who died in the war. The people who came back also said that they were separated from the child Li Feng as soon as they arrived on the battlefield and did not know the situation of Li Feng. So although the village leader temporarily gave the house and land to Li Conggen’s family, he secretly withheld the house and land deed. Now they are all in the hands of the child Li Feng and Li Conggen’s family cannot not do anything to cheat him.” Zhang Xiu said.

Tang Chunming’s good feelings for the village leader was growing and in the future he must not be alienated from his family.