FIMA Ch50.1: Get Started

The matter of the Gu family splitting up still caused some stir in the village. After all, all the sons of the village head were quite accomplished, and the grandsons were all studying, showing great promise.

This situation was envied by everyone in the village, who thought it would continue until four generations lived under one roof.

Although there had been some unpleasantness before, the division of the family was a matter that all three households were happy to see, and it was carried out swiftly.

Of course, there were still some frictions during the actual division of property and land. The eldest sister-in-law, Li Xiangtao, insisted that her son was the most promising and was about to pass the county-level imperial examination, which would exempt them from agricultural taxes. She argued that all the fields should be registered under her family’s name and that her family should receive more silver than the other two households.

However, the others were not fools. Could they let her take it all and get nothing in return?

In the end, under the suppression of the old man and the old lady, they came up with a division that was barely satisfactory to all households.

The main share naturally went to the eldest household, as the two elders were living with them, and besides, the eldest grandson Gu Zhen had not yet married. However, the second and third households each got a few acres of land and a few dozen taels of silver.

The third aunt was initially quite dissatisfied with this. Her family was in business and sensitive to money. Over the years, she had seen that the two elders had at least five or six hundred taels of silver, but now they only took out a little over a hundred taels to divide. It was obvious that the rest would be used to subsidize the eldest household in the future.

However, when it comes to silver, if the two elders said they had it, they had it; if they said they didn’t, they didn’t. Could she really dare to search their room?

Moreover, another key point was that the third sister-in-law thought that the eldest household’s Gu Zhen indeed had the potential to be very successful in the future, so it was better not to offend them too much.

After the division, the third uncle rented out the land to people in the village and hurried back to the county town with his family.

The first and second households still lived in the same courtyard, but no longer shared the same stove.

That afternoon, the second uncle set up a simple stove on the east side of the courtyard wall, and the four members of his family started cooking there.

Xie Changyue was the happiest about this.

The previous situation, where Li Xiangtao would always peek at what he was doing and make snide remarks, was really hard to bear.

Out of excitement, Xie Changyue even generously contributed the two fish he had to eat.

Over at the eldest household, by evening, the atmosphere became unpleasant.

Before the family split, Li Xiangtao, taking advantage of her position as the eldest sister-in-law, left most of the cooking chores to Mu Xia, especially when Gu Zhen was home for vacation. She would order him around constantly.

Now, it was her turn to cook for the whole family. Either the portions were too small, or she put too much salt in the dishes.

Xie Changyue took some pleasure in this misfortune.

But soon, everyone had no leisure to think about it because the autumn harvest had begun.

This was also why the academy scheduled the clothing holiday in September, to allow the children of farming families to return home and help out.

One day, just as a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, Gu Siyuan got up.

He rummaged through the cabinet and found a gray short jacket and a pair of black trousers. However, it seemed he hadn’t worn them in a long time, and once he put them on, the trouser legs were a bit too short.

But, it didn’t really hinder anything important.

Gu Siyuan took out some hemp rope and bent down to tie up the ends of the trouser legs.

Xie Changyue lay on the bed, groggily opening his eyes, and saw his husband dressed completely differently from his usual scholar’s robes, and couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

“Husband…”

Gu Siyuan heard him and turned to look, “You’re awake early.”

Xie Changyue giggled, “Husband, you look so heroic today, I really like it.”

Gu Siyuan walked to the bed and bent down to kiss his forehead, “I’m going to the fields today, you stay home and be good.”

“Ah…” Xie Changyue sat up with a start and said loudly, “I’m going too.”

Gu Siyuan held him in his arms and tried to scare him, “There are many bugs in the fields.”

Xie Changyue giggled, “Husband, you forgot, I also farmed. There are bugs on the corn, I’ve even caught them, I’m not afraid of bugs.”

As he spoke, he pinched his two white fingers together, making a gesture of catching bugs.

At the same time, he made sound effects with his mouth, “Puff… pop…” “I’ve even squashed many bugs, they burst with juice.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

This was the same person who usually acted pitiful to complain and then threw himself into his arms…

He narrowed his eyes and continued, “I’m going to the paddy fields, leeches live there. They’re different from other bugs; they climb up your ankles and pants, wrap around your whole leg, and then start sucking blood…”

“Really…” Xie Changyue shuddered.

Well, bugs are different. Leeches must be the scariest kind of bugs in the world.

Seeing this, Gu Siyuan’s thin lips curved slightly. He patted his head and said, “You and Pa can do the work at home. If there’s nothing to do in between, you can bring us some water and food.”

“Okay, I’ll definitely go.” Xie Changyue responded immediately, as if he had received an important task.

Gu Siyuan opened the door and saw his father washing his face at the entrance.

Gu Er looked up slightly and was stunned to see his outfit, “What’s this…”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained stern, “I’m going to the fields with you.”

Gu Er felt touched inside but firmly shook his head, “No need, we have six acres of land, which is less than what we had before the family split. I can finish it in a few days. You’re a scholar, how can you go to the fields?”

Gu Siyuan’s expression didn’t change, “The academy gave us this holiday so we could help out at home.” After saying this, he didn’t wait for his father’s reaction and went straight into the kitchen to fetch hot water.

Gu Er stood there and smiled.

After breakfast, the father and son carried baskets, sickles, and straw ropes and went out.

The fields were not far outside the village, just a four or five-minute walk away.

In the north, they plant two crops of wheat a year, and now it was the season to harvest the spring wheat. Looking out, everywhere was golden wheat, spectacular and vibrant, even the air carried a faint scent of wheat.

However, all the beautiful scenery lost its meaning in the face of sweat and hard work.

Although September was not as hot as the peak of summer.

Under the sun, over twenty degrees Celsius, constantly bending over still made them drenched with sweat, and the wheat ears stuck to them, making their skin itch and hurt.

After an unknown period of reaping, Gu Siyuan took the wet towel under his straw hat, wiped his sweat-soaked, wheat-pricked red face.

The wet towel was a little trick for work. Hanging it under the straw hat, covering the cheeks, could prevent the sharp wheat ears from scratching the face and neck, or even poking the eyes while bending over.

However, it had limited effectiveness, and wheat chaff still occasionally flew in.

Fortunately, he had grown up in a small mountain village in his previous life and was familiar with farm work; otherwise, it would have been really tough.

Fortunately, he hadn’t let Xie Changyue come along. His delicate skin would probably peel off.

After lamenting, Gu Siyuan looked at the just-reaped wheat stalks in his hand, touched the shriveled ears, and frowned slightly again.

In modern times, the yield of wheat per acre could reach nearly a thousand pounds, but here, even a season’s yield couldn’t exceed two hundred pounds per acre. The gap was really too big.

This forced ordinary farmers to toil their whole lives just to get enough to eat, but often couldn’t achieve it.

Thinking of this, Gu Siyuan slightly turned his head to look at his father, who was the epitome of countless farmers of this era.

Gu Er was not far in front of him, seemed to sense something, and immediately put down the wheat stalks in his hands, straightened up, and turned back with a smile, “Not bad, you, a scholar, who usually doesn’t work in the fields, can do so well.”

“Father, you’ve worked hard.” Gu Siyuan shook his head lightly.

A smile rose on Gu Er’s flushed face, but he didn’t know how to respond.

The two of them bent over to reap for a while longer, and behind them, a row of neatly placed wheat stalks lay on the ridge.

At this moment, Gu Siyuan heard a familiar clear voice calling, “Husband…”

He quickly picked up his sickle and walked under a large tree shade on the ridge, shouting, “Here.”

With his tall figure, Xie Changyue called a few more times, then turned his head and saw him, immediately hopping over with the basket.

However, as he got closer, he tripped over a small dirt pile and fell forward.

Gu Siyuan quickly dropped the sickle, stepped forward, and caught him in his arms.

Xie Changyue wasn’t worried at all; instead, he cheerfully said, “Husband is amazing.”

Gu Siyuan wiped the wheat chaff off his hands, then raised his hand to pinch Xie Changyue’s chin, his face stern and serious, “There are many weeds and vines in the field. Don’t run too fast. What if you fall?”

Xie Changyue wasn’t afraid of him at all. He hugged his waist and smiled proudly, “I know, husband will catch me.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

This was what it meant to be spoiled!

Xie Changyue put down the basket he was carrying and said proudly, “Father asked me to bring cold tea, a few autumn pears, eggs, and fried pumpkin cakes.”

Gu Siyuan listened to him listing the items like reporting a menu and smiled, “It’s even more sumptuous than breakfast. Go call father over.”

Xie Changyue giggled twice, stood on the ridge, and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting loudly, “Father.”

Gu Er responded and put down his sickle, walked over, and sat on a stone to rest and drink water.

Xie Changyue peeled an egg and brought it to Gu Siyuan’s mouth.

Gu Siyuan was indeed hungry. While eating, he accidentally licked Xie Changyue’s delicate white fingers. The soft feeling was different, so he gently bit down.

“Ah…” Xie Changyue withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back, smiling mysteriously.

Gu Er was used to the intimacy between his son and son-in-law.

After eating, the three of them continued to rest under the shade of the tree.

Xie Changyue’s eyes rolled around, and suddenly he remembered something. He glared at Gu Siyuan angrily, “Husband, you lied to me. This isn’t a paddy field, you’re harvesting wheat, there are no leeches.”

Gu Siyuan’s expression didn’t change, “There is a paddy field, one acre. We’ll go there after we finish harvesting the wheat.”

In Wuqing County, several rivers converged, and it was close to the Grand Canal. Unlike other places in the north, there were indeed paddy fields, though very few.

Xie Changyue wasn’t listening anymore. He reached out and hugged Gu Siyuan’s arm, sweetly saying, “Husband, I understand. I know you can’t bear to let me work in the fields.”

Gu Siyuan reached out and pinched his tender cheek, his gaze slightly cold. This person who had just pretended to be angry was really good at acting spoiled.

Xie Changyue slowly opened his mouth and bit his thumb pressed against his lips, gently licking it, smiling proudly.

Tsk, learning and applying immediately.

After delivering the items, Xie Changyue didn’t go back directly.

He carried the small basket that Gu Siyuan had brought earlier, followed behind Gu Siyuan and Gu Er, and picked up the wheat ears that had fallen on the ground so they wouldn’t have to turn back while harvesting.

By noon, the sun was directly overhead. Gu Er stopped his work, turned around, and smiled, “Let’s go back for lunch. The two of us working together has sped things up a lot. I thought it would take about ten days to finish the autumn harvest, but it looks like five days will be enough.”

Xie Changyue happily flattered, “Husband is really capable, not only good at reading and writing but also at working in the fields.”

Faced with his father-in-law’s teasing gaze, he thought for a moment and added, “Father is also very capable.”

Gu Er was used to this and joked, “Your husband is indeed better. I can’t write.”

Xie Changyue blushed with embarrassment.

Looking at his blushing little husband, Gu Siyuan felt endless affection, gently holding his hand and walking towards the field path.

Gu Er walked faster than them, far ahead, not caring what the young couple was doing behind him.

After turning past a large field path, where trees grew densely on both sides, providing shade, they could smell the fragrance of food coming from the village.

They quickened their pace, and just as they were about to enter the village road, they ran into the three members of the main family.

Although the families had split, their wheat fields were close to each other, so a meeting was expected.

In the main family, it was Old Master Gu and Gu Dabao working in the fields. Li Xiangtao wasn’t holding a sickle but carried a basket, similar to Xie Changyue, coming to deliver water and picking up wheat ears.

Old Master Gu saw Gu Siyuan and was surprised, “A-Yang, why are you also in the fields?”

Gu Er smiled and replied, “The child is filial. The academy gave him a holiday, so he came to the fields with me.”

Li Xiangtao felt uncomfortable hearing this, as if it implied that her son A-Zhen wasn’t filial.

She immediately sneered, “Hmph, didn’t see him working in the fields before the family split.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Xie Changyue glaring at her fiercely.

Feeling even more indignant, she said, “Hmph, I thought he was really here to work, but he’s just here to gain a reputation for filial piety while actually just being lovey-dovey with his husband.”

“Well, aunt seems to know a lot. It seems you’re quite interested in what goes on in your nephew’s room,” Gu Siyuan looked up, glancing at her lightly.

His tone was calm, but there was an undercurrent of fury.

Li Xiangtao shrank back.

Gu Dabao’s face darkened. His wife being scolded by his nephew was no different from being scolded himself.

Old Master Gu, seeing this, lowered his voice and scolded, “Yang’er, you’re a scholar. How can you speak so recklessly? Don’t think about working in the fields. Focus on your studies and get a degree as soon as possible. That’s true filial piety to your father.”

Gu Siyuan nodded indifferently, “Oh.”

Li Xiangtao, feeling supported by Old Master Gu, immediately chimed in, “Yes, like our A-Zhen, who doesn’t do these superficial things, but studies hard every day. He’s already passed the child student exam and will take the scholar exam next year, exempting the family from land taxes and labor. That’s true filial piety.”

Hearing this, Gu Er’s face darkened. He said coldly, “The child is grown and has his own ideas. No need to trouble, sister-in-law.”

Gu Siyuan suddenly looked at Li Xiangtao again and asked softly, “Is cousin Zhen at home studying now?”

Li Xiangtao nodded without hesitation, her tone proud, “Of course. My Zhen is not only smart but also hardworking, unlike some people, humph…”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “Oh…”

His tone was slightly drawn out, not as cold and indifferent as usual, but rather had a hint of Xie Changyue’s mischievous and coquettish manner.