Chapter 039
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
The next day, the four of them woke up and got dressed more slowly than usual.
That was because all of them had gone to bed late the night before. Outside, the bell rang, shaking the last of the stupor out of the four people who were still sitting in their beds. The last one to fall asleep last night was Xue Tingxiang. By the time he blew out his lamp, the other three had already gone to bed.
The four of them shuffled to the dining hall for breakfast before shuffling with the crowd to the lecture hall. As Teacher Meng gave his morning lecture, they struggled not to fall asleep.
After holding out all morning, Mao Badou still looked like he was not taking his studies seriously. Unable to take it any more, Chen Jian said, “No matter how interesting those novels are, we cannot do this any more. Don’t forget, the quarterly examination is in two months.”
At this, not only their group, but the people closest to them became anxious. Mao Badou’s shoulders slumped further as he said, “Forget about me, I have never been good at studying. I don’t know if I can pass even if I study, ah…”
Li Datian also looked anxious. The two of them looked like they had completely forgotten about their earlier enthusiasm.
“If you are fine with having that Gu Ming fellow step on you forever, there is nothing I can say about it. Once you leave this private school and return to your hometown, tales of how you are not as good as Gu Ming will haunt you forever. If you are fine with this, you are welcome to continue as you were and look at your worthless books,” Xue Tingxiang suddenly said.
“I am sure that there are plenty of people waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves. I don’t plan to waste any more time looking at novels, but you are free to make your own choice,” said Chen Jian.
It was true. People were indeed waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.
After the incident at the cafeteria where the four of them offended Yu Ziyou and Hu Lianshen, and by extension, the students from Class A, very few students from Class B were willing to even speak with them. Mao Badou used to be quite popular with his peers, but now? Everyone rushed away to hide from him. If they could not leave his presence, they would just ignore him altogether.
This was also why Mao Badou hung out with the three of them more, even though they were much more serious with their studies. With no one around to play with him, he could only hang out with the only three people who still accepted him. Who would have thought that he would suddenly lose all motivation to study and turn up with novels, completely shattering his roommates’ concentration?
“Anyway, I have no interest in being made a fool, so I am going to study with the others and not look at novels any more,” said Li Datian.
Now that the 2 vs 2 stalemate had been broken to 3 vs 1, Mao Badou muttered, “Fine, I won’t read those books either.”
Xue Tingxiang cleared his throat and said, “Give those books to me.”
“Didn’t I say I won’t read them? Don’t tell me you want to? Hahahaha, looks like I’ve corrupted Tingxiang!”
Xue Tingxiang gave him a haughty glance, “You have the weakest resistance between us. If I leave the books with you, you won’t be able to resist reading them. Once we go back to our room, I will lock the books away in my cabinet. You can still read them, but under my supervision.”
With just a few words, Xue Tinxiang had changed from a co-conspirator to a custodian, his words were so bold and righteous that Mao Badou was stunned into admiration.
What a great person, ah!
Naturally, he had completely forgotten that Xue Tingxiang was the last to go to sleep the night before. Only Chen Jian noticed this discrepancy enough to give Xue Tingxiang a sideways glance.
Now.
Let us leave these schoolchildren for now and find out what was happening on the other side.
The three people who had set out with Xue Tingxiang that morning were on their way to purchase a mule. By some miracle of coincidence, they happened upon someone who was reselling their mule.
The animal was a black-brown mule, just over two years old, with healthy teeth, eyes, and an overall good appearance.
There is a significant difference between mules, with some being horse mules and others donkey mules. For example, Daqing is a donkey mule, born from a male horse and a female donkey. Donkey mules take after the donkey in form and colour but are larger than the average donkey, so they are generally stronger and can run at a good clip.
On the other hand, a horse mule is born from a female horse and a male donkey, taking after the horse in form and colour. Horse mules are large in size and good for carrying heavy loads. Although their pulling power may not match that of oxen, they are still outstanding. Additionally, they possess speed that oxen do not have.
However, mules are infertile due to their hybrid nature, so those who sell mules are either reselling them or traders who deal in such livestock. [1]
The mule seller happened to be in some financial difficulty and needed money urgently, which was why they were willing to sell their most valuable livestock so suddenly.
Jiang Wu came from a family background that often dealt with animals and livestock. After checking the mule over, he inquired about the price, and the seller, who needed money quickly, quoted a fairly reasonable price. In fact, it was lower than the market price at only 25 silver taels. In general, horse mules were more expensive than donkey mules, but the price of this horse mule was about the same as the less expensive donkey mule.
The seller looked honest, so Zhao’er did not try to lower the price further.
In return, the seller also included the cart as a bonus. Since they had sold their mule, there was really no reason for them to keep it. The cart was not what Zhao’er and the others had in mind, but since it was given as a gift, there was no reason not to accept it. They could always buy or make a new cart in the future as needed.
After the deal was concluded, they drove the two mule carts back towards Yuqing Village.
The two carts immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers the moment they entered the village.
The Jiang family had a mule cart; this was something that the villagers had long since accepted. Should any of the families within the village need to use the mule cart in an emergency, the Jiang family would not hesitate to lend it out. Now, another cart was added to the village and was driven by the Xue family’s Fourth Son. The village buzzed with excitement as everyone gathered around asking for details.
This is how rural folks usually act. When someone in the village made a major purchase or built something grand, the entire village would soon know about it. They become especially eager as they rush forward to dig up details on how this person received this great windfall.
Most had no ill intention and were just curious. Of course, there were some envious gazes in the crowd, but within Yuqing Village the Xue and Zheng families were considered quite prominent. Therefore, even though those with the surname Xue felt jealous, they would be outwardly delighted and even look down on others as they spread the word about how wealthy the Xue family was.
Thus, even before Xue Qinghuai’s party reached home, the Xue family already knew about the mule cart that was being driven by the Fourth Son of the Xue Family.
Yang’shi immediately made her way to the village’s private school, located near the Xue ancestral hall not far from Patriarch Xue’s house. When Xue Qingshan first wanted to establish a private school, the original plan was to run the school from their house. However, Patriarch Xue personally approached the Xue family to invite them to teach near the Xue ancestral hall. He even approached Zheng Lizheng himself, citing the benefits of having a school within the village, and raised the funds for two roof-tiled houses for the school.
Although the structure was simple, the Xue Clan could now boast of having its own ‘clan school’. Children from any of the nearby families no longer needed to wake up early in the morning to travel to another village or come home late at night just to study.
When Yang’shi arrived at the school, she found Xue Qingshan napping in the room designated for private use.
Her sudden entrance startled him awake.
“Still sleeping! How could you still sleep? Old Fourth just bought a cart. No wonder he was so eager to split with the family back then. Even my father kept asking why the fourth branch worked hard without even receiving a single coin!”
Xue Qingshan was initially taken aback, but then nonchalantly remarked, “It’s just a cart, it can’t be worth that much.”
“It’s not a bullock cart, it’s a mule cart!”
This immediately sent him to his feet.
Xue Qinghuai and Zhao’er both struggled to maintain their smiles as they drove the cart back. The purchase of a mule cart was considered a joyous event. Therefore, when people came up to congratulate them, it was impolite not to respond. However, it was exhausting having to deal with so many well-wishers.
“Zhao’er, you go back and take a rest. Fourth Uncle will take care of it. Later, we will build a shelter for this fellow to rest comfortably.”
Xue Qinghuai was filled with affection as he patted the mule. Well, it was normal for men to get attached to things like carts. When the Jiang family first bought their cart, Jiang Wu could not bear to part with it, just like Xue Qinghuai now.
In fact, there was a reason why Xue Qinghuai was being so sentimental. Leave aside the rarely seen mule carts in the countryside, he spent months each year walking the streets to sell his goods, wearing out several pairs of shoes a month and developing thick calluses on the soles of his feet. Each time Sun’shi washed his feet, she would cry with distress at the sight of his soles.
His greatest dream was to own a cart, regardless of whether it was a donkey or mule cart, and now that wish finally came true.
According to Zhao’er, he would be in charge of driving this cart and selling their goods from now on. Therefore, he had to look after this fellow and its cart well.
Zhao’er chuckled at Xue Qinghuai’s eagerness, understanding why he was so happy. She too had wished for a mule cart so that she could go wherever she wished.
She opened the door and made for the kitchen to get a drink.
Just as she was taking her first sip, there was a commotion outside.
The first branch couple had returned. Not only that, they had returned with Old Man Xue and Xue Qingbai, having called them back from the field.
“Look at you, Old Fourth. Buying such an expensive thing home without informing the family. Father always said how hard you worked for the family, handing over all your money and never keeping any money for yourself. It has only been a few days since the family split, but look at this. The Old Fourth, who dared not show his gree,d had just bought this cart.”
Old Man Xue still had mud stains on his feet. Although his expression remained neutral, the lack of any expression made the situation even more abnormal. There was no doubt about it, the old man was suspicious.
“Elder Brother, don’t be so suspicious of Old Fourth, he’s not that kind of person,” Xue Qingbai said from the side.
Xue Qingshan waved his opinion away, “You get out of here. Only a blockhead like you would still think that Old Fourth is not that kind of person. While you’re working in the fields, others are out buying carts and showing off to others. Later, once the autumn harvest comes in, you still have to hand in a portion of your grain to be divided with others.”
The division of grains was one of the subjects that was discussed back when the family discussed how to divide the family.
It was impossible for the second branch to work the fields efficiently; therefore, Zhao’er made the decision to lease the land back to the family according to standard practice. She would take 60% of the grain harvested from the land, leaving the family to share the remaining 40% equally among themselves.
The first branch couple thought that this was too generous, but since they had no one to farm the land, they agreed to this method of sharing as well. This arrangement was also convenient to the other two branches. It was difficult to decide who should get what from the remaining lot of land belonging to the third and fourth sons, as well as Old Man Xue’s share of grain from the land. In the end, it was decided that all three sides would receive 60% of the grain from the land they owned and contribute 40% to the family. Later, this 40% share would be further divided into 3 equal shares between the 3 families.
In theory, there wasn’t much work to do in the fields now that spring planting was over. There was no need to fertilise, water or weed the fields, but Xue Qingbai and Old Man Xue, who could not sit idly by, would enter the field to straighten crooked seedlings and fix poorly constructed ridges.
Who would have thought that Xue Qingshan would suddenly make a fuss over such a thing?
Even so, Xue Qingshan was not entirely wrong. Xue Qingbai put in the most work in the fields while Xue Qinghuai was out and about selling his goods. Therefore, it certainly looked like Xue Qingbai was on the losing end of the deal, especially with the cart just sitting there in their courtyard. If it were true that Old Fourth had kept money from selling goods to himself, Old Third would be the one who suffered the most. After all, he worked hard every day to grow food for the family to eat while Old Fourth secreted money away to buy himself a cart.
Old Third Xue Qingbai, with his placid nature, was still fine, but there was a gleam in Old Zhou’s eye.
“From the looks of it, this cart should belong to the family. It should be a shared family property,” said Yang’shi.
“Whether you believe it or not, I did not buy this cart with my own money,” Xue Qinghuai began when Zhao’er interrupted.
“How did my cart suddenly become a shared family property?”
She stepped out into the courtyard and ignored Xue Qingshan to look at Old Man Xue, “Grandfather, I bought this cart with my own money. I haven’t learned how to drive it yet, and asked Fourth Uncle to help me drive it back.”
That statement caused a great stir, with Yang’shi immediately saying, “You? You bought this by yourself? Just where did you get the money to buy a cart? Zhao’er, it’s not that your eldest aunt wants to say anything about your ability, but you had better not take the blame for the fourth branch. Whoever owns it, owns it.”
Zhao’er nodded, “That’s right, whoever owns it, owns it. I’ll tell you now, Jiang Wu, Fourth Uncle, and I raised money to buy this cart to do business. Since I contributed the most money to this business, isn’t it right to say that the cart belongs to me?”
A jolt went through Yang’shi’s heart, but she sneered and said, “Enough with your twisting words. Can it really be yours just because you said it’s yours? I say that Old Fourth bought it himself!”
Xue Qinghuai, who had been pushed around all this time by the others, clenched his fists in anger and frustration. Finally, he could not hold back and said, “Since you refuse to believe us no matter what, just don’t believe it!”
“Tch, look, Father. Old Fourth just admitted it!”
This ability to transform black to white was really eye-opening.
Zhao’er suddenly felt grateful for her little man’s foresight that day. Back when the three of them talked about forming a partnership, everything was verbally agreed upon. The next day, each side brought their share of money and casually placed the silver in Zhao’er’s hands. This was enough to consider the deal ‘done’.
However, before the others could leave, Xue Tingxiang insisted that the three of them must sign a formal contract as proof of their agreement. The contract should contain details of their business, how much each side contributed and how the profits should be divided in the future.
At that time, Jiang Wu and Xue Qinghuai were unwilling, thinking that it was a hassle and proof that they couldn’t trust each other. However, Xue Tingxiang had insisted and later even wrote out the entire agreement, making copies for each side. With the documentation all done, the three of them pressed their thumbprint on all three copies and were given one to keep as proof of their partnership.
Xue Qinghuai was so infuriated by his elder brother’s shamelessness that he had completely forgotten about this contract. He glared at Xue Qingshan, his fists clenched so tightly that they made a crackling sound. Xue Qingshan, seeing his brother’s anger, hid behind Old Man Xue, all the while claiming that Xue Qinghuai was an unreasonable barbarian who wanted to hit people when things didn’t go his way.
As the scene descended into chaos, Zhao’er calmly turned around and returned to her room. Not long after that, she came out with a copy of the agreement.
“If you still don’t believe me, take a look at this. Fourth Uncle, where did you put your copy of the agreement?” she sneered at the rest of the family. “If you are still unwilling to believe us, thinking that I’m just here to say whatever, I can have Jiang Wu bring his copy of the agreement as proof.”
At the sight of the agreement, Xue Qinghuai rushed into his own room to look for the agreement. However, the important document had been handed to Sun’shi to put away, and she had taken Maodan back to her maternal family for a visit. He nearly turned the entire room upside down before finally locating the document.
With the two contracts placed in front of Old Man Xue, even if he was illiterate, he could still compare the words written on them and found them to be identical. As for Xue Qingshan, his expression turned green, then white at the sight of the contract.
After a while, Xue Qingshan suddenly blurted out, “It says here that Old Fourth contributed 5 silver taels to the partnership. Just where did these 5 silver taels come from? Old Fourth, you still dare to say you did not take any money from the family!?”
Ever since finding the agreement, Xue Qinghuai had remained expressionless.
At Xue Qingshan’s sudden accusation, his expression became stricken, laced with a dose of derision. He gave Xue Qingshan and Old Man Xue a long look before saying slowly, “Whether you believe it or not, this money is part of the dowry that Maodan’s mother brought in back then. There was also a bit of money she received from the maternal side of her family these past few years. Father, you have really disappointed your son. As for Elder Brother, you can stop twisting words and falsely accusing me now!”
After speaking, Xue Qinghuai walked away without looking back.
[Gumihou: The sad thing is, this kind of scene is too realistic…]
[1] Mules are infertile – this is true!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule
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