Chapter 51: Saving Money

Chapter 51: Saving Money

During the Qingming Festival, besides sweeping tombs and offering sacrifices to ancestors, Daoxiang Village also had the custom of eating snails and qingtuan (green rice balls).

In the afternoon, Wen Xi didn't go to the fields with his family. He made an appointment with Shen Yun to go to the small streams in the village and gathered nearly half a basin of snails.

After being kept through the winter, the snail meat was at its fattest and most delicious. Whether you stir-fried them with spices or boiled them and picked out the meat for a cold salad, it was delicious either way.

Wen Xi poured the snails into a wooden basin filled with clean water and sprinkled a small pinch of salt into it. He'd heard Shen Yun say snails have a lot of grit in them, and they need to be kept for two or three days before eating. Adding a little salt helps them spit out the grit faster and more completely.

He wasn't sure if it actually worked, but he did it anyway.

Yan Fengan only had three days off for the Qingming Festival, so if he kept the snails too long, Yan Fengan might miss out on this treat. Figuring no one would notice, he snuck in another pinch of salt.

After stirring the salt into the water, Wen Xi stared at the sun sinking in the west.

His family had said that, as usual, the academy should be letting out today. His husband should be heading back soon, right? It took about two hours to walk back from the city. If school let out too late, he wouldn't get home until the middle of the night, right?

Traveling at night wasn't easy. Maybe he should ask his two brothers later to go pick him up?

Just then, a sound came from outside the courtyard. At this hour, the two little ones were still in school, and the family working in the fields wouldn't be back this early either.

As if guessing who it was, Wen Xi's heart gave a sudden leap. The courtyard gate wasn't latched, and it creaked open. Wen Xi looked toward the sound, and there was the person he'd been missing day and night.

Wen Xi's eyes lit up instantly.

Yan Fengan shut the gate and stood there for a moment. Seeing Wen Xi just staring at him dumbfounded, he couldn't help smiling and opening his arms. "Come here and give me a hug."

Wen Xi's ears slowly turned pink. Even though he was embarrassed, he obediently trotted over and hugged him.

Yan Fengan wrapped his arms around him tightly, resting his chin on Wen Xi's head and letting out a low, muffled laugh.

The warm, soft body in his arms put him at ease. All that restless longing had finally found a place to settle.

Hugging like this in the courtyard in broad daylight was embarrassing. After a few breaths, Wen Xi gently pushed him away and looked up to say something, but when he met Yan Fengan's direct, slightly possessive gaze, his words got stuck in his throat.

Wen Xi's face grew hot, and a blush crept up his cheeks. He lowered his eyes, not daring to meet Yan Fengan's gaze, but couldn't help stealing glances at him.

This shy, adoring look delighted Yan Fengan. When Wen Xi stole another glance, Yan Fengan seized the chance and leaned in for a quick kiss.

It was just a light peck, but it made Wen Xi's whole body burn. He couldn't hide his shyness no matter how hard he tried.

He kept his eyes down, his heart pounding, and finally stammered out after a long moment: "You... you must be tired from the trip. Go rest in the room first. Mom and Dad will be back soon. I'll go make dinner."

With that, he turned and darted into the kitchen, moving so fast it looked like he was running away.

Seeing him so shy and flustered, a smile slowly spread across Yan Fengan's face. After going inside to put down his bag, he casually followed him into the kitchen.

Wen Xi sat down by the stove to start the fire. Yan Fengan walked over and sat next to him. "Let me help."

The space by the stove was small to begin with, and with Yan Fengan sitting down, it felt even tighter. Wen Xi said, his face red, "N-no... I can handle it myself."

"Wouldn't it be faster with two? I'm not a stranger. Why are you still shy around me?"

Exactly because he wasn't a stranger, that's why he felt shy. Wen Xi opened his mouth but didn't know how to respond.

Seeing him blushing and keeping his head down, Yan Fengan put an arm around him and asked softly, "We've been apart for so long. Don't you miss me?"

That was really unfair to Wen Xi. Ever since they'd parted, he'd missed Yan Fengan more than words could say. He thought of him when walking, when eating, and when sleeping.

Now that Yan Fengan was finally back, he was naturally overjoyed and excited.

But after all, more than two months had passed. Even though Yan Fengan was his husband, Wen Xi still felt a bit awkward and shy around him. Although the two had been inseparable and deeply affectionate before parting, Wen Xi couldn't help worrying that after Yan Fengan had spent so long at the academy, he might not like him as much as before.

Fortunately, Yan Fengan hadn't done anything to make him overthink.

Hearing Yan Fengan ask this, Wen Xi, though shy, still honestly nodded: "I do."

Afraid he might think his attitude was perfunctory, he added in a small voice: "I miss you very, very much."

The courtyard was quiet, and no one else was home at the moment. No one should come to disturb them. With that thought, Wen Xi plucked up his courage and quickly leaned in to give Yan Fengan a peck on the lips.

It was just a light, fleeting kiss, but Yan Fengan seized the opportunity to tease him thoroughly. By the time the rest of the family returned, the blush on Wen Xi's face still hadn't faded.

During the meal, the whole family gathered warmly around the table. Yan Shichang took the initiative to ask Yan Fengan about his situation at the academy.

Yan Fengan said, "A few days ago, I took the examination and managed to get a first-class result by luck. My stipend and living expenses have been restored, so from now on, the family won't need to give me extra money for school."

Yan Fuqiu didn't like him saying that: "What do you mean by luck? Getting first-class is your own ability. Third brother, don't be so modest."

Having her son achieve first-class was certainly gratifying, but as a mother, she was more concerned about how he was doing at the academy. Chen Lanfang said, "I remember your monthly stipend and living expenses together only come to about one tael of silver. That amount is barely enough to fill your stomach, let alone buy paper and ink. Mother knows you're thinking of the family, but supporting your studies is our duty. Don't be too frugal."

Yan Wangchun also said, "We don't spend much money at home. Third brother, you don't need to worry too much about money."

"I know. If I run out of money, I'll take the initiative to ask you all."

In the first half of the year, there was less carpentry work, so the family's income wasn't as good as during the end of the year. Yan Fengan wanted to lighten their burden a bit.

Of course, if he really didn't have enough money, he wouldn't stubbornly tough it out.

The weather was gradually warming up. To save firewood, farming families no longer used hot water for washing. Thinking that Yan Fengan must be tired from walking back, Wen Xi boiled a pot of hot water for him to bathe in, and also washed himself while he was at it.

A candle was lit in the room. Wen Xi, fresh from his bath, sat on the edge of the bed, watching Yan Fengan rummage through his bundle. His heart beat a little faster, and when Yan Fengan walked toward him, he unconsciously twisted his fingers together.

Yan Fengan pressed the pouch into his hand and told him to open it and take a look.

Wen Xi obediently loosened the drawstring and opened it, only to see a lot of silver inside. He was a bit stunned, and after thinking for a moment, asked uncertainly, "Did the academy really back-pay that much in stipend and living expenses?"

He had only ever heard that going to the academy cost a lot of money, never that anyone could actually earn money from studying.

"The academy back-paid me seven taels in total. The rest was from Manager Yang at the bookshop. Altogether it comes to twelve taels and three hundred wen. I spent the three hundred wen on pastries and snacks."

Farming families rarely got to eat good things except during the New Year period. Besides being reluctant to spend money, the inconvenience of purchasing was also a major reason.

With all the work in the fields, who had the time to regularly go to the market? Even a family like the Yan family, which wasn't stingy about food, rarely bought such snacks.

If the children at home wanted a treat, they could only count on Yan Fengan, who studied in the city.

Just earlier, Tiezhu and Tao'er had been mumbling about how much they loved their third uncle.

While satisfying the family's cravings, Yan Fengan had also bought a special treat for Wen Xi alone—cherries preserved in honey. The pitted cherries were stewed with honey until thoroughly soaked through. Each small piece melted in the mouth with a lingering sweetness that left a lasting impression.

Aside from that five-tael ingot, Yan Fengan took out several taels of loose silver from the pouch and said to Wen Xi, "Take these ten taels and save them. I'll keep the rest for spending at the academy. Now that I'm not taking money from Father and Mother, we can save up on our own. From now on, if you want to buy anything, just go ahead. You don't need to worry about what others think, and you don't need anyone's permission."

His studies were a legitimate matter, so spending the family's money wasn't a problem. But Wen Xi would certainly be too embarrassed to ask the family for money. If the two of them saved up on their own, it would give Wen Xi more peace of mind.

Unlike other young men who had their natal families to rely on, Wen Xi had no one else to turn to. No matter how well the Yan family treated him, it was ultimately because of his relationship with Yan Fengan. As his husband, he couldn't be by his side every day—that was already a shortcoming—so he could only make up for it in other ways.

Though this silver wasn't an enormous amount, Wen Xi could spend it freely, which would ease the fear and anxiety he had felt in the past.

Wen Xi was deeply moved, tears plopping onto the silver, before quickly dabbing them away with his sleeve as he placed the ten taels into the money box.

He put these ten taels together with the previous ingot of silver, setting aside that twenty taels as savings to leave untouched. There was still plenty of loose silver and copper coins in the box, more than enough even for pricier silk thread and fabric.

After putting the silver away, Wen Xi paused briefly as he walked toward the bedside, then, blushing, followed his impulse and sat down on Yan Fengan's lap.

His pale, slender arms wrapped around Yan Fengan's neck, and with lashes fluttering, he leaned in to brush a kiss against Yan Fengan's lips. Thinking about how his husband could bring back so much money from one trip to the academy, he felt happy and full of admiration, and said in a soft, warm voice, "Husband, you're so talented."

There probably wasn't a man in the whole village as impressive as him.

Yan Fengan was a sucker for that kind of praise. As he kissed him, tangling their tongues together, his hand slipped under Wen Xi's shirt, stroking the smooth skin beneath.

Wen Xi let out a whimper, squirming and pressing closer into his arms.

Yan Fengan blew a teasing breath against his ear and whispered playfully, "In the daytime, one kiss from me nearly scared you to death, but now you're the one all over me."

Wen Xi's face turned bright red at his teasing, and he said, pouting pitifully, "Daytime and nighttime are totally different, of course..."

Yan Fengan didn't ask what the difference was. His hand roamed over Wen Xi's body for a bit, soon leaving his shirt loose and rumpled.

Wen Xi trembled and grabbed his hand, wanting him to put him on the bed like he usually did.

But Yan Fengan gripped his slim waist and said to just stay like this.

Wen Xi was confused for a moment, until he was sitting on Yan Fengan with his legs spread apart, and only then did he understand what Yan Fengan meant.

His body rose and fell, his gaze unable to focus. Wen Xi wrapped his pale arms around Yan Fengan's neck, struggling to catch his breath, and could only gaze at him with tearful eyes, softly begging him to slow down.

—

When he woke up the next morning, Wen Xi barely dared to think about what had happened the night before. He'd often heard people say scholars had the thinnest skin, but he thought that wasn't entirely true—take his husband, for instance; sometimes that man had some seriously thick skin.

Since it wasn't his turn to cook today, Wen Xi let himself sleep in a little longer.

Yan Fengan gently rubbed him, and once the soreness in his body had eased a bit, Wen Xi snuggled back into his arms and asked softly, "Are you settling in well at the academy?"

The night before had been all about intimacy, leaving little time for conversation. Now that they had a rare quiet moment with no one interrupting, the young couple naturally wanted to share some private words.

Yan Fengan knew what he was worried about, and while toying with Wen Xi's long black hair, he replied, "Nothing's uncomfortable except that I miss you. My roommate in the dormitory is from the same town as me—also a scholar, and a decent fellow."

"And the others? Have any of those wealthy young masters from the city tried to bully or ostracize you because of your good grades?"

"The academy is very strict, so bullying rarely happens."

The headmaster of Lingyun Academy was a jinshi (a top imperial exam graduate), and many of his fellow students were highly capable. In his academy, few dared to cause deliberate trouble.

Besides, most people who entered this academy genuinely wanted to study hard. Even a rich slacker like Lu Xiuyuan wouldn't deliberately bully the poorer students.

At most, they'd look down on them and not bother hanging out with them.

Yan Fengan's words put Wen Xi somewhat at ease, and he then asked the question that worried him most on a daily basis: "Have they noticed any big changes in you or grown suspicious?"

"They're just people I don't really open up to—who would suspect anything? Most of them probably think the same as my parents: that I've turned over a new leaf and found the right path."

Yan Fengan spoke lightly, but Wen Xi felt a pang of discomfort hearing it. After a moment, he said, "Actually, your parents—"

Before he could figure out how to continue, Yan Fengan gently patted his arm. "I know. I don't blame them."

When he'd first returned, he had indeed felt some sadness, but now he'd fully come to terms with it.

People's understanding is limited. Expecting parents who had never read much or seen much of the world to comprehend such baffling things would be asking too much of them.

It was best that he'd come to accept it. Wen Xi smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek, and Yan Fengan chuckled, poking his ticklish spots and saying, "Trying to provoke me again, are you?"

Wen Xi didn't dare provoke him further. After a bit of playful wrestling, the two got out of bed together.

Tomorrow was Qingming Festival, and for the grave offerings, besides cooked meat and pastries, they'd need to bring qingtuan.

Making them on the day itself would be too late. After breakfast, Wen Xi went with He Jin and the others to cut mugwort in the fields.

In the countryside, mugwort could be found everywhere. It might not look precious or eye-catching, but it was incredibly useful—not only for making qingtuan to eat, but also for twisting into fire ropes to repel mosquitoes. With more care, it could be ground up with other herbs and placed into sachets.

Once made, even if not sold in town, it was excellent for personal use. With that in mind, Wen Xi cut some extra.