Chapter 023 (1/3)
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Pillbug
Edited by Gumihou
After lunch, most of the Xue family members went off to rest, leaving Zhou’shi to clean up the kitchen before returning to her room.
She saw her husband lying on the kang bed the moment she opened the door. Xue Qingbai had been working in the fields all morning and was very tired.
When he saw his wife, Xue Qingbai said, “You must be tired. Quickly come and rest.”
“What tired? I’m used to it,” said Zhou’shi as she shook off her shoes and climbed onto the bed.
She sat cross-legged beside Xue Qingbai’s legs and began to massage the rock-hard calves. “As for you, if you’re really too exhausted, you must rest. Don’t push yourself just to finish some petty work. That’s right, what happened to the hired help? Why did Father not say anything about it?”
The Xue family had thirty mu of land, which was impossible for the few men of the family to handle. Back when the second son, Xue Qingsong, was still around, they still had to hire a few hands from the village to help during the busy farming season.
Everyone in the village was a neighbour, but they could not expect free help indefinitely. The principle of ‘Help an emergency, not the poor’ was something that was applicable everywhere, which was why the Xue family had always paid for the help they received.
This had been the custom for years, so those hired hands should be in the fields by now. The planting season was fast approaching, but Old Man Xue had yet to make a move.
At the mention of this, Xue Qingbai frowned with worry.
He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Considering Father’s reaction, I fear that he may not wish to hire any help this time.”
“Not hire help? What do we do if we don’t hire help?” Zhou’shi’s face became grim. “With all that land, are we to work ourselves to death?”
Xue Qingbai smacked his lips. “I think the family cannot afford it.”
At this, Zhou’shi’s expression went from grim to ugly.
Xue Tao’er, who had been in the next room this whole time had been listening in to her parents talk. She could not help but go to her parents’ room to say, “Father, how can our family not afford to spend this kind of money? A single worker only costs 30 coins a day, including meals. Hiring 5 workers for 5 or 6 days does not add up to a single silver tael. Even if it costs more, could money be more important than people? I fear that thanks to the main branch making such a huge fuss, Grandfather still plans to send Xue Juncai to school. That is the real reason why we don’t have the money [1] to hire help.”
“That’s 30 mu of land to be worked on by 3 people. Is Father planning to work you to death?!” Zhou’shi’s anguished voice echoed through the room.
Even though the fourth son, Xue Qinghuai, also helped with farming during the busy seasons, he still had his peddling business, which was less laborious on the body compared to farming. Not to mention, it brought in more money too. Therefore, the old couple would never allow him to stop. Also, Old Man Xue was getting older and was no longer as nimble as before. Therefore, the bulk of the farm work on 30 mu of land would fall on Xue Qingbai’s shoulders.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Father also has to work the fields. It’s likely I’m just overthinking this, Father should have plans for this.”
A sneer crossed Zhou’shi’s lips, but she said nothing.
Xue Tao’er looked furious.
Xue Qingbai scratched his head awkwardly. “Alright, don’t you worry. I will bring this up with Father later.”
“No matter what, you always do as you please. If you work yourself to death, leaving three of us as orphans and widows, consider just what kind of life Gou’er had suffered after Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law departed! Xue Qingbai, don’t forget, you are also someone with a son!”
After throwing down that final line, Zhou’shi pulled her daughter to the inner room.
This was the first time that the usually virtuous and quiet Zhou’shi had said such harsh words in front of Xue Qingbai. For a moment, he couldn’t react, and it took a while for his face to show a hint of bitterness.
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That afternoon, as they made their way back from the fields, Xue Qingbai brought up the matter of hiring temporary labourers to Old Man Xue.
Xue Qingbai had always been a man of few words. He would work and keep his head down regardless of what had happened. Not this day. This day was the first time he went beyond matters under his authority in front of Old Man Xue. Knowing what his old father must be thinking made him even more uncomfortable about speaking up.
Old Man Xue looked at his third son.
Compared to Eldest or Fourth, Third looked much older. Although he was tall and well-built, he had many fine lines on his face that were not suitable for a man his age.
It was the result of long-time exposure to the sun in the fields. Layers of his skin had tanned and peeled off, scorching the moisture out of his skin to the point of turning his face into something like leather. Anyone who had to work all year round, year after year would all look like that.
His whole body was dark and lean, and since he was just returning from working in the fields, his clothes were soaked with sweat and his face was shiny with oil even though it was still only early March when most people would be wearing padded clothes.
Old Man Xue’s eyes darkened, and his slightly stooped back bent further. He let out a bitter laugh and said, “Your father has been too naive, always thinking that even if money was a bit tight, things would work well, so long as I work harder. It looks like I forgot that people are not forged from iron. Father will go to the village later and see if any families have idle men we can hire.”
Even though he was the one who broached the subject, Xue Qingbai felt even more embarrassed and guilty having spoken up. He stamped his sandalled feet, rubbed his large hands and said, “Father, if it cannot be done, we can start working on the fields first. If we cannot do it, let us decide then.”
Old Man Xue straightened up and said loudly, “We will be hiring people. You take the ox back now. I shall ask around at the village.”
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Xue Qinghuai returned from his day of peddling with his pole just as the sun was just starting to set.
As soon as he set foot through the gate, he bumped into a few village men in the yard. They turned long enough to greet him before turning back to speak with Old Man Xue about coming in early the next morning for work before leaving. [a] Xue Qinghuai exchanged further small talk with a few he was more familiar with before putting his carrying pole away in the warehouse and returning to his house.
When Sun’shi saw him, she quickly went to fetch water for him to refresh himself.
While he was cleaning himself, she lowered her voice and whispered, “When Father came back, [1] he was followed not long by a few of the village men. I believe he must have gone straight to the village to hire people after working the fields with Third Brother. I think the Third Branch people can’t hold back anymore and mentioned something to Father.”
As he wiped himself off, Xue Qinghuai said, “The people should be hired anyway. If Third Brother did not say anything, I would have spoken up. We cannot allow everyone to tire themselves out like that.”
Sun’shi spat and said, “Just stay out of it. Let’s wait and see what happens. Third Sister-in-law is usually quiet, but I have a feeling she has some plans brewing in her belly. Mark my words, she won’t be able to swallow this matter quietly and explode, just you wait!”
“Just look at what you’re saying. Do you not care about your own man? Am I not one of those people who would have to work the fields too?”
Sun’shi immediately fell silent.
Xue Qinghuai cast her a glance and said, “Have I not told you to keep your mind on important things? Why must you always compare and compete even within the family? Are you not tired, ah?!”
Sun’shi refused to hear anymore, “You think I’m not tired? I am doing my best not to offend your Eldest Brother. After all, I still plan to ask Eldest Brother to teach Maodan when he’s a little older. Who knows, maybe Maodan will show some hidden talent and become a Tong Sheng or maybe even a Xiu Cai in the future. Of course, I don’t want to offend the main branch.”
Xue Qinghuai was unmoved by her arguments. “There’s no need for you to especially beg Brother to teach Maodan. Once he’s old enough, he will naturally enter Eldest Brother’s private school.”
Sun’shi rolled her eyes at him. “Are you stupid or crazy, ah? How is being given personal attention the same as some casual teaching? Just take a look at the main branch’s Little Jun and take a look at Gouzi. Both were taught by Eldest Brother, so why is Gouzi less educated? What teacher would not hold back a bit of knowledge? Don’t you think he would naturally hold back more when teaching Gouzi in case he outshines Little Jun?”
“But Gouzi beat Juncai this time.”
Sun’shi felt choked [a] by this counter-argument, but retorted nevertheless, “Who knows what kind of lucky dogshit that child had stepped on that time after all these years? Not to mention, if not for the deaths of Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law and that promise, would Eldest Brother even bother to give him any attention?
Take a look at Third Branch’s Shuanzi. He’s no longer young, but Eldest Brother keeps insisting that he is slow-witted. In my opinion, Shuanzi will eventually be sent out to work in the fields after a few more years. I refuse to allow my Maodan to endure hard and backbreaking labour, having to leave for work early and come back to endure complaints from the people sitting in the house all day about how his sweat stinks up the room.”
At this, Xue Qinghuai’s face immediately darkened.
Sun’shi’s words struck him right at his core. In fact, of the four Xue brothers, apart from the somewhat dull Xue Qingbai, the other three were all quite intelligent.
Xue Qinghuai was more than ten years younger than Xue Qingshan. When he was just old enough to understand things, his elder brother was already the apple of their parents’ eyes. Every day, all this eldest brother had to do was stay indoors and study, never having to work in the fields at all.
No one knew that Xue Qinghuai had once harboured a secret wish to study as well. Back when he was a child and was tasked to take the cattle out to graze, he would sneak off to the neighbouring village’s private school to eavesdrop on the teacher’s lessons. But even then, he knew he could never go to school; the family was already sponsoring one scholar and could not afford to support another.
Second Brother learned carpentry early on, while Third Brother devoted himself to farming. He did not want to farm for the rest of his life and therefore had learned to become a peddler. In fact, this choice was not bad, since he had now acquired a skill that allowed him to make a better living.
Years had flown by, and he now had a family and children. Did he want his son to follow in his footsteps?
“It’s not like I want to say anything, but Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law are too much. That day, they used the Yang family’s elder to cause a scene and then had Juncai complain of some petty sickness to pressure the family. Just watch, it’s not impossible for your father to decide on sending Juncai to school too. Otherwise, what’s all that reluctance about hiring a few hands?”
Xue Qinghuai snapped out of his thoughts. He laughed bitterly and said, “And where would the family find the money for that?”
Even though the Xue household finances were managed by the old couple, Xue Qinghuai knew exactly how much grain they harvested each year, how much was left after taxes, and how much he could earn from his peddling business.
In fact, even though it may be a bit tight on the family, they could still support the two children’s schooling… if not for Xue Qingshan who, after spending 5 years at Qinghe Academy, still holds out his hand for money every 3 to 5 days for ‘socialising’ purposes. Even if the family had a mountain of gold and silver, it would still be decimated by him.
“If we don’t have the money, can’t we just sell land? Isn’t land money?” Sun’shi blurted out.
Xue Qinghuai scolded her, “Stop talking nonsense. My father would never sell the land.”
[Gumihou: I feel really bad for the women in the branch family]
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