Chapter 87 Laughed At—He Can Farm?

For a farming household, what matters most? Naturally, it is tilling the land. Without working the fields, where would their grain come from? How would they ever fill their bellies? With the sudden addition of over a dozen acres, the taxes due next year would increase accordingly. If they didn’t plan ahead, what would they pay when the time came? Empty promises?

Moreover, with so much more land and only a handful of people at home, if they didn’t prepare in advance, they’d never keep up once spring arrived. To miss the planting season was as good as a death sentence.

When Wen Xiuyi heard this, he immediately thought—farming! It was his original trade. Admittedly, farming here was not quite the same as in his past life, but the principles were similar.

“Father,” Wen Xiuyi said, “Wen Nong can handle things himself now, and the wharf isn’t as busy anymore. Let’s have Wen Nong go into town alone tomorrow. I’ll stay home and help in the fields.”

Recently, more and more people had been setting up stalls at the wharf. Naturally, some were selling fried rice just like he was. Though their flavor fell short of his, they were cheaper and still turned a profit. For some folks, eating was merely to fill their stomachs, so they’d go where it was cheapest. As for the taste? In the end, it all turned to waste in the fields—what did it matter to them?

Not only that, a few others had started selling braised dishes like theirs, but judging by how their own business remained unaffected, the difference was obvious.

Wen Xiuyi had barely finished speaking when Wen Nong nearly choked on his food. Once he’d recovered, he waved his hands frantically. “Uncle, I can’t do it!”

Wen Xiuyi calmly continued eating. “You can, because I say you can. That’s settled. Starting tomorrow, you go run the stall yourself. The money you make—after paying your sister back for the costs—the rest is yours. Earn more or less, it’s up to you.”

Wen Yao made the braised dishes, and she and Madam Luo prepared the side dishes too. All of it was tallied on their own accounts, not mixed with the old house.

“But, Uncle, really, I can’t. You should run the stall, and I’ll stay home to help,” Wen Nong pleaded anxiously.

Wen Xiuyi finished his meal in a few quick bites, wiped his mouth, and gave Wen Nong a look. “What could you possibly do at home? It’s settled. Father, you have no objections, do you?”

As soon as Wen Xiuyi said this, the whole family turned to look at him in unison, leaving him quite bewildered.

Madam Luo pursed her lips and laughed outright. “Talking about what others can do—when it comes to farming, you’re the most useless one in the house. And you have the nerve to lecture Nong?”

Wen Xiuyi fell silent.

Indeed, in his previous life he’d never so much as touched the spring water, let alone worked in the fields. He’d never even held a hoe.

But Wen Xiuyi didn’t mind at all. He waved his hand carelessly. “That was then; it’s different now.”

“As if you mean it,” Madam Luo muttered, not bothering to argue. She kept her eyes glued to Datou as he ate. The boy had developed the bad habit of being picky, so she couldn’t let him out of her sight.

Though Madam Luo made no secret of her disdain for Wen Xiuyi’s lack of skills, she didn’t oppose his arrangements. Now that Wen Xiuyi had turned over a new leaf, it was only right for him to join in the farm work.

As for who was happiest about this, it was undoubtedly Madam Li.

“Brother, do you really mean it? So long as he pays back the costs, the rest is all Nong’s?” Madam Li asked, her eyes shining.

“Of course. If you don’t believe me, we can put it in writing,” Wen Xiuyi replied breezily.

Madam Luo knit her brows and shot Madam Li a look, but Madam Li only smiled awkwardly. “No need for that, we’re all family. Wen Nong, hurry and thank your uncle!”

She gave Wen Nong a forceful pinch. What a wonderful opportunity—her brother-in-law was giving Wen Nong a chance to learn and grow. If he succeeded, he could even run a stall of his own in the future.

This way, their branch of the family would have another source of income. Her mother-in-law never mistreated them, and aside from what they handed over to the communal pot, everything else was theirs to keep. If Wen Nong worked hard, perhaps in a year or two he’d have enough saved up to marry.

In the end, Wen Nong found himself pushed onto the stage by Madam Li. From then on, she helped prepare the food and braised meat with even greater enthusiasm than before.

After dinner, the family scattered to their respective tasks. Wen Yao and her two sisters took Datou inside to embroider and draw. Wen Jun led a few younger brothers in reading and writing. Madam Luo sat on the kang, warm and comfortable, sewing soles for the household’s shoes—it was almost New Year’s, and if everyone could have a new pair, so much the better.

Old Man Wen sat not far from her, puffing on his pipe.

“Do you think the eldest can really manage in the fields? I just can’t believe it,” Old Man Wen muttered.

Madam Luo’s hands never paused, her head never lifted. “It doesn’t matter whether he can or not. It’s about time he did some honest work. From childhood to now, he’s never touched a day’s farmwork. And what’s come of it? I think things are just fine this way. I don’t expect him to make anything grand of himself. Let him settle down and farm.”

As for scholarly achievements, she had Datou now. Hmph, she would raise Datou well.

Old Man Wen fell silent. His wife was right—it was time Wen Xiuyi learned to do some farm work.

The next day, Wen Jun helped the despondent Wen Nong push the handcart into town, while everyone else grabbed their tools and prepared to head to the fields.

At this time of year, many people were out working the land, all with the same idea as Old Man Wen—to do as much as possible before the New Year so that spring would be easier.

When the villagers saw Wen Xiuyi among the Wen family, they all found it peculiar. After all, in all these years, no one had ever seen him in the fields.

“Uncle Wen, heading to the fields? My, even Scholar Wen is here today!” The villagers greeted them with grins, though their smiles were tinged with something odd, and their eyes lingered on Wen Xiuyi.

“Scholar Wen? Does he even know how to farm?”

“Don’t say that. Uncle Wen is the best farmer in the village—how could his son be any less?”

No one knew which comment set off the crowd, but laughter rippled through the group.

As for Wen Xiuyi, he simply closed his ears to the world, shutting down his senses entirely.

If he couldn’t see or hear them, then whatever they said wasn’t about him.

Old Man Wen couldn’t fail to notice that everyone was waiting to see a spectacle, but what could he do? He’d spoiled his son, so now he’d bear the consequences.

“Sorry to let everyone have a laugh. It’s not that he couldn’t before, but now he’s starting to learn. Well, we’ll leave you all to your work and be on our way,” Old Man Wen said, then hustled his family along, glowering at Wen Xiuyi several times along the road.

Over the little ridge, their fields came into view. The previous owner had planted wheat, and after the harvest had been eager to sell, so the stubble and straw still littered the ground. Their task was to turn the soil, dig out the stubble, loosen the earth, and add a bit of fertilizer. By next spring, they’d be ready to plant.