Chapter 33: The Reason for the Grudge

Chapter 33: The Reason for the Grudge

He Jin's parents' home was in Liantang Village, about a quarter of an hour's walk from Daoxiang Village. In the dead of winter, there wasn't much to do around the house, so he stayed overnight at his mother's place with his husband and kid, heading back to the Yan house the next afternoon.

Chen Lanfang put the dried bamboo shoots, wood ears, and salted veggies he'd brought back into the kitchen, then asked him when she had a free moment: "How's your mother been doing lately?"

He Jin's father had passed away from illness two years ago, leaving his mother as the only older generation left.

Hearing Chen Lanfang's concern, he said: "She eats and sleeps fine, so she's doing okay. It's just that she caught a cold recently, for some reason, and she coughs at night and can't sleep well."

Chen Lanfang frowned: "A cold can be nothing or it can turn serious. Did your brothers get a doctor to come look at her?"

"Yeah, she's already had two rounds of medicine. Apart from the cough, there are no other symptoms. Mom told us not to worry."

Since they got a doctor and she's taking her meds on time, it probably wasn't a big issue. Chen Lanfang added: "Go back and check on her again in a few days. It's getting cold—tell her to do less work. At her age, she shouldn't be staying up late doing embroidery by lamplight like she used to."

"That's what I told her too, but it goes in one ear and out the other, never listening to a word I say." He Jin went on and on: "You know what my brother and sister-in-law are like—they're not lazy, but they're plain dumb. One's got no skills and just earns money with his back, and the other's got a hot temper and clumsy hands. After all these years married into the He family, she hasn't even picked up a tenth of Mom's skills. Two big idiots made two little idiots. If Mom doesn't keep working, this whole family will end up with nothing to eat."

Thinking about that sister-in-law from his family, a wave of irritation surged in He Jin's chest. Look at Wen Xi—so sharp. He could pick up simple embroidery just by looking at it once, and even the complicated stuff he got after a few lessons.

But his sister-in-law, after years of learning, still made crooked, ugly stuff. Without any talent herself, she blamed his mom for holding back and not teaching her right. Infuriating.

Thank God he'd married into the Yan family early. If he'd had to live under the same roof as people like that, they'd be fighting all day every day.

Yeah, the Yan family was way more tolerable. After returning from his parents' place, He Jin somehow felt even fonder of Wen Xi. When Wen Xi came to him with embroidery questions, his tone was noticeably softer.

When a bunch of people work together, they always find stuff to talk about. Remembering what happened yesterday, Wen Xi hesitated before speaking up.

"Brother Jin, do you have some kind of beef with Aunt Liu's daughter-in-law?"

"Li Xinghua? No, what beef could I have with her?"

Wen Xi couldn't bring himself to repeat what she said, so he said carefully: "Yesterday I went to Shen Yun's place and he said Li Xinghua seems to have it out for you."

He Jin clicked his tongue, unbothered: "I've got a problem with her too."

After a moment's thought, he added: "Speaking of which, I find it strange myself. My family and Li Xinghua's family were just one plot of land apart. We grew up together—not exactly close friends, but we were on decent terms as neighbors. But ever since marrying here, she's changed into a different person. She's always comparing herself to me, and she's always making snide, sarcastic comments. With my temper, how was I supposed to put up with that? I shut her down a few times, and once she realized she couldn't win, she stopped messing with me."

This kind of thing wasn't uncommon. Li Wan pointed out: "The Liu family isn't well-off. We all know Aunt Liu—sweet on the outside but bitter underneath, always scheming to get one over on people. Liu Tianshi's a guy with no backbone; he listens to whichever woman in the house is the loudest. He doesn't earn much and loves to drink. But look at our second brother—diligent, skilled, and without bad habits. Back in your village, neither of you was better off than the other, but after marriage, your lives are worlds apart. Do you think she can feel good about that?"

He Jin curled his lip: "I reckon she's even more upset about the work Shen Liang introduced. But whatever—I didn't force her to marry, and I didn't make her embezzle materials from the embroidery workshop. You reap what you sow. If she dares to come after me, I'm not someone to be pushed around."

Listening to their conversation, a vague thought formed in Wen Xi's mind. He couldn't help asking: "Does Li Xinghua... have some feelings for Second Brother?"

He Jin paused, then suddenly laughed: "With how foolish your second brother is, who else would like him besides me? He didn't even know Li Xinghua before. It's not like she'd be harboring improper thoughts about someone else's husband after getting married herself, right?"

That was true. Wen Xi figured he must have been overthinking it.

Country folk were generally too shy to express their feelings openly. People like He Jin, who could openly admit to loving someone, were rare. Thinking about how close He Jin and Yan Fuqiu seemed, Wen Xi asked curiously: "How did you and Second Brother meet? Was it through a matchmaker too?"

"Sort of..." He Jin looked uncharacteristically embarrassed at the mention of it. As he was figuring out how to explain, Li Wan exposed the truth: "What do you mean 'through a matchmaker'? He clearly took a liking to Second Brother on his own."

Li Wan had already married into the Yan family by then, so she knew the story well: "At that time, a family in Xiao Jin's village was holding a wedding and needed a cabinet made for the couple. Father brought your eldest and second brothers along for the job. Somehow your second brother ran into Xiao Jin, and when he came back, he was frantic, begging Father and Mother to find a matchmaker right away."

He Jin added the details: "I was delivering something to the family hosting the wedding when I happened to run into your brothers working." He bit his lip, half shy, half annoyed: "And that shameless second brother of yours—instead of doing his work properly, he just stared at me the whole time."

He Jin had felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and with the courtyard so open, there was nowhere to hide.

"I was so angry I couldn't help but glare at him, and that fool had the nerve to grin back at me."

Wen Xi could almost picture the scene. He chuckled softly and asked: "What happened after that?"

"After that, for the next few days, strange sounds kept coming from outside my door. When I went out to check, there was no one in sight, but things had appeared on the ground—rouge, fragrant balm, wooden hairpins, ribbons, and such. I never saw who it was, but I knew immediately who had left them."

"Then later, a matchmaker came with your second brother to propose. I'd never seen a man like that—he just stared at me like an idiot. When asked anything, he couldn't get a word out. It was maddening."

Li Wan nudged her elbow into him, laughing: "What were you in such a hurry about? Afraid your perfect husband would fly away?"

He Jin blushed at her teasing, and Li Wan laughed again: "Ever since he saw you, Second Brother was lovestruck, thinking of you day and night, unable to eat or sleep. He'd turned down every matchmaker who came before, but those few days he kept begging Father and Mother to find a way, saying he'd never be content in this life if he couldn't marry you."

"What a fool." He Jin said it with disdain, but his heart was sweet.

After laughing for a while, his smile slowly faded. Wait a minute—if he and Yan Fuqiu could meet in Liantang Village, then Li Xinghua might have seen him too.

Could there really be something he didn't know about?

That night, after He Jin had coaxed Tao'er to sleep and put her in the small bed, Yan Fuqiu pressed himself against him clingily, like a big dog, kissing the corner of his mouth and licking his neck. His clothes had been pulled open by Yan Fuqiu, and just as he saw the man's head start to move downward, He Jin suddenly pushed him back and twisted his ear: "Let me ask you something—did you have something going on with Li Xinghua before?"

"Li Xinghua? Who's that? Don't know her." Yan Fuqiu's mind was entirely focused on He Jin at that moment, completely incapable of rational thought.

"Who else? Liu Tianshi's wife." He Jin poked his hard chest with a finger: "Confess honestly—did you ever mess around with her before?"

"Nonsense! I've never messed around with anyone but you." Yan Fuqiu pressed him down, pleading: "It's been two days. Jin Geer, my good wife, let me have you."

He Jin didn't want to let him off so easily, but the difference in strength was too great, and with a kid in the room, he couldn't make too much noise. Before he knew it, Yan Fuqiu had gotten his way.

He Jin angrily pounded on him, and Yan Fuqiu soothed him with kisses, then whispered something in his ear. At first, He Jin still had the energy to curse him for being shameless, but gradually he couldn't speak at all.

In the dead of winter, the two of them worked up a sweat. Later, He Jin lounged lazily in Yan Fuqiu's arms, and just as his eyelids were starting to droop, the man gently stroking his soft skin suddenly spoke up: "Now that my head is clear, I actually do remember something."

He Jin's eyes snapped open. Yan Fuqiu wrapped his arms tightly around him and said: "See how impatient you are. Let me finish, alright?"

He Jin bit his arm and grumbled: "Hurry up and say it."

Yan Fuqiu recalled: "Before we met, several matchmakers came to my house to propose matches. One of them was for a girl surnamed Li from your Liantang Village. You know I turned them all down."

There was more than one Li family in Liantang Village, but He Jin was certain the matchmaker had been talking about Li Xinghua.

The two families lived close together, and He Jin's sister-in-law was a gossip who listened in on everything happening next door. That day when He Jin had run into Yan Fuqiu and felt his heart being tugged this way and that, his sister-in-law had muttered that Li Xinghua had a relative who was a matchmaker come to her house, boasting about introducing her to a respectable man. The matchmaker had talked the family up to the heavens, saying the man was not only well-off but outstanding himself, and that Li Xinghua would be set for life if she married him.

While the man was still working in their village, the matchmaker had taken Li Xinghua to sneak a peek at him. In He Jin's sister-in-law's words, after seeing the man, Li Xinghua came back with a grin so wide it nearly split her face in two.

He Jin hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now that he pieced it together, wasn't the man the matchmaker had introduced to Li Xinghua none other than Yan Fuqiu?

He sorted out the timeline: the matchmaker had first sounded out Li Xinghua, who was satisfied after seeing Yan Fuqiu. Then the matchmaker went to the Yan family to arrange the marriage.

But Yan Fuqiu rejected her, and then made a big show of bringing people to the He family to propose. From Li Xinghua's perspective, wasn't it He Jin who shamelessly stole her marriage match?

Especially since the man she ended up marrying was far inferior to Yan Fuqiu—how could she possibly feel balanced about that?

Now that he understood the whole story, He Jin was even more speechless: "It was you who pestered me relentlessly to be with you, and yet she blames me."

Yan Fuqiu bit his lip: "I wasn't pestering you. Even if you won't admit it, I know that the first time we met, you liked me too."

He Jin found it amusing: "Liked you for what? For being shameless, or for being a lecher? What decent man stares at a young man like that on first meeting?"

Yan Fuqiu was a bit embarrassed by his words. He flipped over and pressed down on him again, kissing him stickily: "It's because you're so beautiful."

He nuzzled He Jin's neck, sucked on it, and sighed: "You smell so good, Xiao Jin..."

The next day, He Jin woke up yawning nonstop. When he saw Wen Xi looking confused, he said, "Maybe I've been doing too much embroidery lately and it's been straining my eyes. Last night it hurt so bad I couldn't sleep at all."

Wen Xi noticed his eyes were a bit red and said thoughtfully, "There's not much work left today. Let me and Sister-in-law handle it, Brother Jin. You should go get some more rest."

Who goes back to bed right after getting up in the morning? Wen Xi was naive and easy to fool, but the rest of the family weren't stupid. He'd have to at least tough it out until the afternoon.

After lunch, He Jin finally couldn't take it anymore and went back to bed to catch a nap.

Without He Jin there to guide him, Wen Xi's embroidery was still beautifully done. He now felt confident enough to take on sachets and pouches, and when he delivered them to the embroidery workshop, the shopkeeper was very pleased.

With the quality and craftsmanship guaranteed, the workshop was happy to send more work their way.

With Shen Liang making the connections, Wen Xi and the others got embroidery work every few days. The more work they did, the more copper coins they slowly piled up.

Whenever Wen Xi earned money, he'd stash it in the drawer of Yan Fengan's desk. Before he knew it, the coins in that drawer had piled up into a little mountain.

One day when he had nothing to do, Wen Xi took the coins out of the drawer and counted them one by one. Not counting the loose silver Yan Fengan had, just the copper coins in his own hands came to a full six hundred and twenty wen.

Forty wen of that was the red envelope gift from his in-laws at their wedding, and another ten wen he'd brought back from the Wen family.

So that meant he'd earned five hundred and seventy wen purely from embroidery.

Though this couldn't compare to what Yan Fengan made from writing stories, it was still money Wen Xi had saved up bit by bit with his own skill. Wen Xi was so excited he couldn't even speak. If Yan Fengan hadn't said the coins were dirty, he would've wanted to bury his face in that little mountain of coins.

He reached out with both hands, scooped up a handful of coins from the table, weighed them in his palm, then slowly let them slip through his fingers. The coins slipped from his hand, clinking as crisp as raindrops hitting roof tiles.

If it weren't for a few coins rolling onto the floor, Wen Xi would've thought this was the most beautiful sound in the world.

He bent down to pick up the coins from the floor and scooped up another handful. Having learned his lesson the first time, he kept his hand closer to the table when he let go this time.

The sound was just as crisp, but not a single coin hit the floor.

The clinking sound kept ringing through the room. After playing this game a few times, Wen Xi was finally satisfied, his brows curving like crescents and his smile spilling over uncontrollably.

Hearing footsteps at the door, Wen Xi immediately trotted over to greet him. As soon as he saw Yan Fengan, he couldn't help reaching out with both hands to grab his arm and drag him over to the table.

"Look."

Yan Fengan knew he wanted to share this with him, so he played along with admiration: "In such a short time, Xi'er, you've earned so much money. That's really impressive. Congratulations on getting one step closer to your goal."

Wen Xi tried to suppress his smile, then asked, a little confused: "What goal?"

He just wanted to earn some pocket money with his own skills. He'd never set any goal.

Yan Fengan held back his smile and made something up on the spot: "Of course it's the goal of supporting me. You said you'd earn money to buy me writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. How come you don't remember now? Are you trying to back out of it?"

"No." Wen Xi quickly shook his head, afraid he might think he was stingy, and hurriedly pledged his loyalty: "I'll buy them. Tomorrow we'll go to town and get them."

He wasn't the same person who'd only earned eighty wen before. With over six hundred coins in total, he was sure he could afford a set of ordinary writing brushes and ink.

This silly yet earnest look was truly adorable. Yan Fengan stroked his cheek and said gently, "No rush. More important than those things, the most urgent thing for us now is to get a money box ready."

The desk drawer wasn't really a proper place to store money, and sachets and pouches were too small. In the future, the two of them would surely have other sources of income, so it was better to get a money box ready early.

Wen Xi felt the same way. He nodded, saying happily and a little shyly, "Buy a big one."

Maybe in the future the two of them would earn lots and lots of money. If they bought a big one, they wouldn't have to keep replacing it.

Yan Fengan said instead, "With a whole house full of carpenters, if you want a money box and still have to go buy one, wouldn't that be ridiculous?"

Right, why hadn't he thought of that?

"I heard from Brother Jin that Second Brother is really good at making these little things. Why don't we... ask him to make one?"

Yan Fengan sighed: "What a shame."

"What's a shame?"

"Why, it's a shame that the money box I made with my own hands has no one who wants it."

Wen Xi was stunned for a moment, then ripples spread through his eyes one after another. "You... you... you..."

Whether from disbelief or excitement, he started stuttering.

Unable to get the words out, Wen Xi could only circle around Yan Fengan, even reaching out to pat him down.

Yan Fengan smiled indulgently: "Silly, how could I hide such a big box on me? I just applied the lacquer, and it's drying in the woodworking room. Want to go take a look?"

Wen Xi nodded vigorously: "Yeah."

He didn't even bother tidying up the copper coins on the table, pulling Yan Fengan straight to the woodworking room.

The woodworking room was where Yan Shichang and the others did their carpentry work, filled with various pieces of wood and tools.

Among the unfinished furniture, the money box Yan Fengan had made stood out especially.

The money box was square and neat, about the size Wen Xi had imagined. Since the lacquer hadn't dried yet, he couldn't touch it, so he could only stare intently, examining the box inside and out.

Only after he'd looked his fill did he ask: "So these past few days when you stayed in the woodworking room with Father and the others, you were making this?"

"Mm, since Father and my brothers are all home lately, I took the opportunity to ask them for some guidance."

This way, not only did it bring them closer, but he could also make a money box for Wen Xi—killing two birds with one stone.

Actually, Yan Fengan had long felt it was inappropriate to keep copper coins in the desk drawer. He had planned to wait until the lacquer on the money box dried before showing it to Wen Xi, but who knew he'd be so impatient—after teasing Wen Xi for just a moment, he ended up confessing everything.

In all his years, Yan Fengan had rarely made anything with his own hands. He had neither talent nor interest, and with two older brothers above him, whenever he wanted some little trinket, all he had to do was ask and someone would compete to make it for him.

If he hadn't insisted on making this money box himself, Yan Fuqiu probably would have snatched up the task.

Wen Xi looked at the money box, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. The thought that Yan Fengan had spent these past few days in the woodworking room making this made his heart feel sweet and soft. Many emotions he hadn't been able to express before all surged up at this moment.

"Thank you, husband."

His voice was a little soft, and Yan Fengan didn't hear clearly: "What?"

Wen Xi turned his head, gathered his courage, reached out both arms to circle Yan Fengan's neck, stood on his tiptoes and rubbed his cheek against Yan Fengan's face. Though his voice still trembled slightly, it was much more generous than before.

"I said, you're really amazing, husband... Thank you!"

He hadn't expected this form of address to be called out in such an environment. Though it lacked some romantic flavor, it was still enough to warm Yan Fengan's heart.

Facing Wen Xi's dependent gesture, Yan Fengan smiled and lowered his head to gently kiss his forehead.

Author's note:

Thanks for the mines and nutrient solution, and the gong will pass the imperial examination later on.

Tomorrow I'll continue with another substantial chapter.