CFJWF : Chapter 10

At night, Little He Ran fell asleep, but the room was stuffy in the summer heat.  

He Zifeng rested his head on one hand and fanned his son with the other. The little ger slept soundly, sprawled on the pillow, his long eyelashes fluttering gently with each breath.  

Qiu Yu glanced at He Zifeng. Moving out and having their own place felt like a dream. Just thinking about He Tong’s indecent intentions toward him made Qiu Yu feel nauseous. Even if this house wasn’t as comfortable, it brought peace of mind.  

Their child was their bottom line. Watching the little one grow up, their hearts were filled with boundless tenderness.  

“Are you going to the town’s labor recruitment tomorrow?” Qiu Yu asked.  

Every year around this time, the town recruited laborers. With two months until the autumn harvest, farmers could take on odd jobs. A lucky worker could earn one or two taels of silver, while less fortunate ones still made three or four hundred wen.  

He Zifeng, being strong and used to heavy labor since childhood, was always sought after by the labor recruiters.  

In the past, He Donglai had forbidden him from going, saying there would be no one to fetch water or chop firewood at home. Despite working harder than at outside jobs, He Zifeng never received a single coin.  

Now things were different. He was free and could decide for himself.  

Through the dim candlelight, He Zifeng looked at Qiu Yu, a gentle smile unconsciously forming on his lips. “If you beg me not to, I won’t go.”  

Qiu Yu flushed with irritation. “Go if you want, don’t if you don’t.”  

“I’ll stay,” He Zifeng replied. He had just become enemies with Wan Hai and didn’t know if Wan Hai might try to sabotage him. Staying home meant he could protect Qiu Yu and their child.  

As the night deepened, Qiu Yu asked, “What are you thinking about?”  

It had been a long time since the two of them had shared such late-night conversations, reminiscent of their early days of marriage.  

“I’m thinking about making money,” He Zifeng said. “I want to send our son to school someday.”  

Ten taels of silver wouldn’t last long. They had no land, so everything—food, clothing—cost money. Sending their son to school would be even more expensive.  

The He family’s eldest and second sons spent about ten taels a year on education. Wan Hai had even said that once his son, Little Bao, turned five, he would also attend school, hoping to bring prestige to their family.  

He Zifeng didn’t expect his son to become a great scholar. As long as he could recognize some characters and learn basic life principles, it would benefit him in the future.  

He Zifeng brushed the hair off his sleeping son’s face, exposing his serene profile.  

Qiu Yu shared the same wish. Why should He Bao and Little Bao have the opportunity to study, while their son, Ranran, was left to collect firewood?  

“Even ge’ers can take the imperial exams,” Qiu Yu mused. “I heard that a ge’er from the prime minister’s family holds an official position at court, just like any man.”  

But then, with a sigh, he added, “Studying costs money.”  

Education was no small expense. Every scholar’s journey drained a family’s resources, often requiring several laborers to tighten their belts to support just one. They were only two people, with no family to rely on.  

“If only we had a shop,” He Zifeng said wistfully. “Owning a shop in the county would be great. A profitable shop could sustain the family for generations.”  

Seeing Qiu Yu’s lingering worry, He Zifeng added, “Tomorrow, I’ll go to the mountains and see if I can find something valuable.”  

Last time, he had sold mushrooms to a trader and made over twenty wen. The mountains held treasures beyond just mushrooms—if he could find some wild ginseng, they’d be set. This time, he planned to sell directly to the county for a better price.  

“I’ll go with you,” Qiu Yu offered. “I know the mountains well.”  

“My father was a hunter, and I grew up there.”  

He Zifeng shook his head. “If you leave, Ranran might get scared.” The little ger had never been apart from his parents.  

Seeing Qiu Yu’s worried face, He Zifeng said, “Alright, let’s get some sleep.” He got up and blew out the oil lamp.  

—

The next morning, Little He Ran woke up to find both his fathers gone. Qiu Yu had already tidied up the house and yard, making everything look much cleaner.  

“There are veggie buns in the pot,” Qiu Yu told him.  

“Okay,” Little He Ran replied. He fetched a small stool, stood on it to lift the pot lid, and grabbed a bun to munch on.  

The wild vegetable filling was slightly bitter, and the coarse flour scratched the throat, making it unpalatable to more delicate eaters. But the ger ate heartily, sitting on his stool with intense focus.  

After finishing, he ran to wash his hands and proudly showed his clean little palms to Qiu Yu. “Little Daddy, I’m done!” he said, seeking praise.  

“Good boy,” Qiu Yu said with a smile.  

The compliment made Little He Ran beam with joy.  

“I’ll help you with chores,” the boy offered. “I’m strong!”  

“Alright, you can help me wring the cloth,” Qiu Yu said.  

“Okay!” the boy agreed enthusiastically, his voice loud and clear.  

Qiu Yu glanced at the sky. It was nearly noon, and he wondered if He Zifeng would be back for lunch.  

—

At that moment, He Zifeng was still busy in the mountains.  

His luck had been good—he found a patch of mountain bracken and wild celery.  

Not all wild vegetables were equal. Common ones like wormwood, pigweed, and dandelions were fine for personal use but unimpressive as gifts. Mountain bracken and wild celery, however, had a unique flavor and were highly valued in the county, fetching a good price.  

He Zifeng gathered nearly two hundred pounds, loaded them into a basket, and headed to town.  

Transport was a challenge—on market days, there were ox carts available, but otherwise, he had to walk. The scorching sun threatened to wilt the vegetables, so he covered them with his shirt. Borrowing a wooden cart from a neighbor, he trudged for over two hours, his throat parched and his feet aching.  

Finally reaching the county, He Zifeng approached a restaurant and asked, “Do you buy mountain bracken and wild celery?”  

The restaurant owner, a connoisseur of fine food, immediately took interest. After inspecting the fresh, vibrant greens, he offered five wen per pound for the bracken and three for the celery.  

After weighing everything, the total came to 960 wen—a small fortune for He Zifeng.  

“Bring more rare goods in the future,” the owner said. “You won’t regret it.”  

He Zifeng agreed and used the money to buy twenty pounds of white flour and twenty pounds of premium rice, spending 160 wen. He then purchased light blue cotton fabric for 300 wen, leaving him with 500 wen.  

On his way back, he hitched a ride with an ox cart for five wen, sparing himself the exhausting return trip. Along the way, he spotted two tiny gray rabbits by the roadside, likely left behind after their mother was caught for meat. He tucked them into his arms and continued home.  

Their home was in a remote part of the village, so no one saw him. From a distance, he saw Qiu Yu and Little He Ran working in the yard.  

“Son, look what I brought!” he called out.  

Little He Ran ran to him excitedly, and He Zifeng pulled out the two small rabbits. “Bunnies!” the boy exclaimed in delight.  

Qiu Yu came over, equally surprised. Only He Zifeng would think of spoiling their son with something like this.  

Handing the basket to Qiu Yu, he revealed its contents—rice, flour, fabric, and even 496 wen. Qiu Yu was stunned. These were all things their family desperately needed. How much had all this cost? 

Rain : Regarding the money, we can use wen as wen or copper wen.

“Copper Coin” Refers to tangible, physical money, while “wen” is the unit of currency used to measure its value.

So basically one wen = one coin

1,000 wen / wen = one tael of silver.

I was considering using the terms copper coin, coin, or wen, but it might be confusing to use them all interchangeably, even though we know they refer to the same thing. So, I’ll stick with ‘wen’.

The release schedule for this novel will be one chapter every Wednesday, for now.

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