Time passed very quickly, while Zhao Zhengâan and Zhong Ziqiâs business was on track, it was already the time for âGrain in Beard1â season again.
Now, Zhong Ziqiâs pregnancy was almost six months old, so it was impossible for him to go into the field and help to transplant the rice seedlings. Even if he wanted to help, Zhao Zhengâan and his family would not agree.
The good thing was that their family didnât have that much land, just three mu of land. Zhao Zhengâan was able to find two people to work it all in one day.
Now, Father Shen and Shen Amu were officially living in this small village and dressed like ordinary people. Hong Ying had gone back while the head housekeeper stayed behind to help take over various kinds of chores.
From the initial surprise at the sudden appearance of three strangers, until later they knew that they were Zhong Ziqiâs grandparents, the villagers had become used to their frequent visit to the village. At some point, they noticed that Li Zheng would often talk to the man who was said to be Zhong Ziqiâs grandfather. Some people were curious and asked Li Zheng what they were talking about. They had never seen Li Zheng being such pleasant countenance to anyone before, especially when it was a stranger from outside the village.
Li Zheng said something that made people become muddleheaded, âMr. Shen Zhuowen is a man who has profound knowledgeâŠâ
From the random conversation with Father Shen, Li Zheng realized that he was a man of learning. Then from time to time, the more Li Zheng came into contact with him, the more he felt that Shen Zhuowen was very knowledgeable. His style of conversation and his mannerism were extraordinary. Li Zheng had a hunch that he was not simple. Shen Zhuowen did not look like an ordinary countryman at all. His good-looking, elegant and noble Fu lang, all showed that both of them were not simple but Li Zheng could not guess what kind of identity this person had.
âHave you found nice people to help you with the rice planting? The work will start tomorrow.â
That night, Zhong Ziqi said that as he lay on the Kang bed, chatting with Zhao Zhengâan.
Zhao Zhengâan touched his belly, felt the movement inside and said : âIâve found it, when the time comes, we can just pay several wens for the work.â
Zhong Ziqi nodded his head, after that he slapped away Zhao Zhengâanâs increasingly unruly hand : âWhy are you still touching ah? Go to sleep!â
Since he had been pregnant for almost six months, he didnât know when it started that the little one in his belly had become lively. He could roll over, kick and punch to declare his existence. Zhong Ziqi felt very new and odd. From the initial dislike to a new and complicated feeling. Now, he is looking forward to the baby and loves him. It could even be said that Zhong Ziqi had gone through several changes in his heart.
All of these didnât escape from Zhao Zhengâan observation. Zhao Zhengâan was happy to see this. He always felt that at the beginning, Zhong Ziqi did not like the child but slowly, after he got used to him, gradually he could not see the boredom in his eyes anymore. Instead, he was filled with love, the anticipation of the babyâs arrival.
âSleep ⊠sleep âŠYou still have to get up early tomorrow to work!â
Zhong Ziqi glared at him as he warned him not to mess around but what Zhao Zhengâan thought at certain times was not something he could control.
Zhao Zhengâan wrapped himself around Zhong Ziqi like an octopus, undressed skillfully. After that, he began to do regular exercise.
Since Zhong Ziqi was pregnant, he had been forbidden to have intercourse for the first three months. This made Zhao Zhengâan suffered from the unspeakable misery. As soon as it was finally time to eat meat again after a period of great difficulty fasting, yet Zhong Ziqiâs body was too weak to be tossed around. Each time, he was left wanting more and dissatisfied.
The next day, when Zhong Ziqi got up, Zhao Zhengâan had already left. In the house, he and Shen Amu were the only ones left.
âGrandma, where is grandfather?â Zhong Ziqi yawned and rubbed his back as he walked out the door.
Shen Amu brought him the warmed-up food to the table. Now that he had completely followed the customs here and he even learnt how to cook! Although it was far away from being as good as Zhong Ziqiâs cooking, it was still good enough to eat. It was the first time he had been in the kitchen to cook in almost 50 years. He came from a prestigious family background. Jiangnanâs famous Jiang family that almost monopolized the silk business was his family. He had been spoiled and pampered since he was a child so he never cooked before. He even almost had to be fed to eat. Now he is here, slowly he is also learning something. Watching people eat his food, somehow he felt a sense of accomplishment.
âHim ah, heâs gone to the braised meat workshop. Donât worry about him, he canât stay idle.â
âHnâŠ.grandma, have you eaten yet?â Zhong Ziqi asked as he ate.
Shen Amu smiled, âIâve eaten. Zhengâan got up early, cooked the rice, ate some and left.â
âEn⊠Let me cook lunch! After that Iâll send it to him then. If their movements are quick, three people will probably be able to finish it in one day.â
The reason their family kept the three acres of land and didnât sell it was because it had enough food for him and Zhao Zhengâan. Now that they had three more people and three mouths to feed, naturally the supply couldnât keep up. However, it didnât take much time to keep the three mu of land, so they just kept it.
After eating, Zhong Ziqi and Shen Amu went out of the house. They went to the stewed meat workshop to take a look. There was nothing wrong there since the head housekeeper and Father Shen were keeping an eye on it. Both of them were experienced old men, they knew how to grasp peopleâs hearts.
They could tell when someone was not looking right or when there was something strange in their little gestures. This was a level (realm) that Zhao Zhengâan and Zhong Ziqi were unable to reach.
Zhong Ziqi and Shen Amu came out from the workshop and went to their familyâs field to have a look around, but as far as their eyes could see, there were basically all people, except for the elderly and children. As long as their families had fields, they were all busy in the fields at the moment.
On the way, they rarely met other people but occasionally, they would encounter villagers passing by, they would say hello to each other as long as their relationship was not too difficult.
Their land was close by, it didnât take them long to get to the land. Zhao Zhengâan and the three of them had already gone far away. Zhong Ziqi didnât call them either. Instead, Wang Cuihuaâs family, who lived not far from their land, saw them. Wang Cuihua and Zhao Cheng both pulled long faces as they continued to plant rice seedlings like they hadnât seen them.
Wang Cuihuaâs mouth opened a few times, probably cursing and saying something unpleasant.
A while ago, when they heard that Zhong Ziqiâs grandparents had come to visit, the annoying in the extreme Wang Cuihua and the Zhong family had come over and tried to get closer2 but they were scolded by Father Shen and Shen Amu who had already understood what had happened. There had been no contact between the two sides since then.
After a walk around the field, Zhong Ziqi and Shen Amu went back to clean up the house and handled some trivial matters. At noon, Zhong Ziqi cooked a stir-fried meat dish and a vegetarian dish. Zhong Ziqi knew that Zhao Zhengâan was a pure meat eater. Eat meat, then he would have the strength to work so he cooked a meat dish as a treat for him.
The people who had come to do the work were so pleased because they had a delicious lunch and even told Zhao Zhengâan after they had finished eating that he could call them immediately for future work.
Zhao Zhengâan laughed and didnât reply.
When he returned home in the afternoon, he talked to Zhong Ziqi about the incident: âDidnât you see the way their eyes glowed? They told me that they will be coming next time, if there is a next job so they ask us to inform them. I think, next time if you show your skill, we wonât even have to pay for the work.â
âNext time, you do it.â Zhong Ziqi said, not in a good mood. It was because they didnât want to owe anyone a favour so they just directly hired someone and paid them the money.
âHe he, hey, actually this rice planting is quite tiring. Itâs a good thing you didnât go. My back is about to break.â Zhao Zhengâan said as he twisted his waist.
âGet on the Kang bed, Iâll give you a message.â Zhong Ziqi patted the bed and told him to come up.
Zhao Zhengâan immediately took off his shoes and lay down on the kang bed. Zhong Ziqi sat on him and gave him a massage.
âHowâs that? Is it strong enough?â Zhong Ziqi messaged and pressed his waist hard.
Zhao Zhengâan squinted his eyes and moaned continually, âMmm ⊠comfortable ⊠Thatâs the placeâŠmmm.â
Outside the door, Father Shen and Shen Amu looked at each other before then both of them shook their heads.
The young people nowadays ah, why do they know so little about restraint? In the daytime, to show obscene scenes (publicly) is not decent.
In the room, Zhong Ziqi slapped him hard : âCan you not scream so⊠much like youâre in heat?â
Zhao Zhengan lazily said, âIndeed, itâs a little âŠâ
Zhong Ziqi thought through for a while before then speechlessly, pinching him several times.
Zhao Zhengâan immediately âOuch, ouch!â begged for forgiveness.
The fifth month passed. In June, Zhao Amu and Huang Amuâs family officially set the date that in July, Zhao Ning and Huang Jinlei were going to get married.
At the same time, there was even better news ; An Ning is pregnant. It could be said that there were two simultaneous happy events in the family. Everyone who knew them well was happy for the family.
At the end of June, Shen Yubei arrived from the south, again without a word, so when he suddenly appeared at the Zhao familyâs doorstep, this surprised everyone.
âUncle⊠you didnât even tell us that you are going to come!â Zhong Ziqi said.
âIf I said it, you and Zhengâan would still come and pick me up. Why should I bother you guys with that? Itâs not like I canât find where your house is.â Shen Yu Bei said with a smile.
âThen uncle, you come hereâŠIs everything okay over there?â Zhong Ziqi knew that the Shen Familyâs business couldnât be left for too long.
âThatâs right! Uncle ⊠this time, how long can you stay here?â Zhao Zhengâan also asked him.
âThis timeâŠI can probably stay for four or five days. I came to see how you guys are doing.â
Father Shen frowned, he suddenly opened his mouth and said, âIs there something wrong? Everyone here is our own people, if you have something to say, you can just say it! Is there any problem with the business?â
Everyone was startled by his words, they didnât expect Father Shen to say something like that. Could it be that something really had happened?
âSon ahâŠwhatâs wrong? You donât have to hide it from me and your father. Just say it!â Shen Amu also asked anxiously.
Shen Yubei waved his hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: âYou guys donât have to worry. The business is good!â
They were relieved after they heard this.
âThen whatâs wrong? There must be something that you hide from us.â Shen Amu still knew his son very well because he knew he must have something that he wanted to say.
Shen Yu Bei muttered to himself irresolutely for a moment before he slowly said : âThere is one thing I want to discuss with you guys.â
âWhat is it?â
Shen Yu Bei smiled, âMy matterâŠâ
âAh?â Several people took the same action by chance, dumbfounded for a moment.
âWhat is the situation? Brat, you better give me a clear explanation!â Father Shen slapped the table and asked him, this matter was too sudden, so many years they had introduced him to many gers, yet he immediately rejected all of them.
Why does he suddenly want to open up today? Strange! Who has such a great charm?
âSon, which familyâs ger have you fallen in love with? Tell Amu about itâŠâ Shen Amu asked happily, everyone he knew of the same age as Shen Yubei was now already having a child that could run all over the place. But their familyâ son didnât even have someone he liked. How could they not be anxious? They want to hold their grandchildren too!
âThis person⊠Father, Amu, you also know him, he is Gao Hanjin from the Gao family.â
âWhat? Isnât Han Jin a man? You, you⊠He⊠heâŠâ Shen Amu was a little unsure of what to say.
Father Shen knit his brow while looking toward Shen Yu Bei: âWhatâs going on? Speak clearly!â
Shen Yu Bei knew the two would react this way, somewhat helplessly, he said,âFather, Amu, Han Jin is a ger, not a man.â
âWhat? HeâŠhe is a ger? What is this all about?â
âItâs like this, when he was a child, Gao Amu injured his health. The doctor said he might not be able to conceive or have children again. Uncle Gao and his big household family and business need an heir. They canât have no one to inherit the family business after their one hundred years old history of business . They raised Han Jin as a son and they never told anyone about it so no one knew about it. However several years ago, they didnât expect that Gao Amu was miraculously pregnant again and the child was a boy. Han Jinâs heavy burden was slowly lifted up, so he could resume his status as a ger and get married.â
Father Shen and Shen Amu instantly shook their heads in disbelief, no wonder, they always thought that despite being a man, why Gao Hanjinâs appearance was so soft and reserved? So actually he was a ger ah!
1
[èç§ /MĂĄng zhĂČng : Mangzhong or Grain in Beard, 9th of the 24 solar terms äșććçŻæ°Ł|äșććèæ° 6th-20th June]