Chapter 47: Domino Blueprint – Zhang Tian’s Family

The next day, only Xu Nian and the two young children were left at home.

Grandfather Xu and Xu Weian had gone to the brokerage, while Madam Wang and her two sisters-in-law went to the medical clinic. Meanwhile, the two Xu Fugui brothers took some potted plants to the county town, and even Xu Ji’s three sons had returned to their county school.

In this completely unfamiliar environment, the two young children quickly lost their initial excitement and began to feel uninterested.

Xu Nian thought about what activities they could do during the New Year’s holiday and decided to involve the two children in drawing blueprints.

“Big Sister, why are you drawing one circle after another?”

“Big Sister, are the characters I wrote correct?”

Sure enough, their curiosity was piqued by Xu Nian’s activity.

“These are blueprints for dominoes. Once I find a craftsman to make them, your parents can use them to entertain guests during the New Year. If anyone asks who came up with the idea, you two will have the chance to show off in front of others. You might even receive a lot of gifts!”

Hearing about potential gifts, the two children became even more enthusiastic about drawing. Although they ended up wasting quite a bit of paper, seeing how happy they were made Xu Nian feel that her effort was worth it.

At noon, just as Xu Nian finished preparing the meal, Grandfather Xu and Madam Wang returned home with the rest of the family.

Grandfather Xu and Xu Weian brought back five people. Xu Nian’s youngest uncle explained that these five people were actually a family.

It turned out that when Grandfather Xu and Xu Weian arrived at the brokerage, they happened to see this family being beaten by the broker’s thugs. The reason was that their youngest daughter, Zhang Xiu’er, was about to be resold to Man Chun Brothel, but the family refused to comply, which led to the scene they witnessed.

After some inquiries, Grandfather Xu learned the full story. He had traveled with merchant caravans in his younger days, so he knew exactly what kind of place Man Chun Brothel was. No parent with a conscience would willingly send their daughter into such a pit of despair.

Acting on impulse, Grandfather Xu didn’t even take the time to investigate the family’s background—he simply bought them on the spot.

Madam Wang had scolded him all the way home for his rash decision. Knowing he had acted recklessly, Grandfather Xu remained silent, not daring to argue back. Meanwhile, the newly purchased family of five, overhearing the dispute between their new masters, felt extremely uneasy.

After listening to the whole story, Xu Nian gently patted Madam Wang’s hand in reassurance.

“Grandmother, there’s no need to worry. We hold their indenture contracts. If anything seems amiss, you can always take the necessary measures.”

“Oh dear, how could an old woman like me dare to do that? Even when killing a chicken, I have to muster all my courage just to make the cut!”

Xu Nian twitched her lips—her grandmother certainly had quite the imagination.

“Grandmother, what are you thinking? I meant that if you don’t want to keep them, you can always sell them again. Sigh~ But it’s just pitiful for Xiu’er. If that happens, she’ll probably still end up being sent to that dreadful place by the brokers.”

Madam Wang muttered, “I never said we wouldn’t keep them.”

Only then did Xu Nian turn to the family of five and ask, “Introduce yourselves—your names, where you come from, and whether you’ve committed any crimes. If you lie, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

The family of five saw that, despite being young, the girl before them carried an imposing aura. They dared not deceive her.

“This servant is Zhang Tian. Our family used to be tenant farmers for Master Liu’s household in the county town. But his young master took a liking to my daughter and tried to forcefully take her away. Of course, we refused.

Unexpectedly, they tampered with the written records, falsely claiming that we hadn’t paid last year’s rent and demanded my daughter as payment. With no way out, we had no choice but to sell ourselves to repay the debt.

However, Young Master Liu said we were ungrateful and ordered the brokers to sell my daughter to Man Chun Brothel. Fortunately, we encountered the old master today, allowing our family to escape this disaster.”

Hearing this, the Xu family was outraged. Madam Wang, in particular, couldn’t help but curse, “That filthy, heartless young master! May he have children without an asshole in the future! A beast without a conscience…!”

The newly pregnant Madam Wang Jr. was so affected by the story that she teared up.

Xu Nian, however, frowned in confusion. “Why didn’t you report this to the authorities? Do you understand that by selling yourselves into servitude, you’ve essentially become prey, at the mercy of others?”

Zhang Tian, a grown man, had reddened eyes as he choked out, “Miss, you don’t understand. That young master’s sister is the favored concubine of the Prefectural Assistant Magistrate, and even the county magistrate’s wife has sent gifts to the Liu family. We wouldn’t dare report them.”

Xu Nian nodded in understanding before saying, “From now on, stay here with peace of mind. Though my father is only a minor county officer, he is not someone who would be intimidated by a mere Young Master Liu.”

Overcome with gratitude, Zhang Tian’s family immediately knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.

“Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Old Master, Old Madam, Master, and Madam! We will work hard and never slack off!”

Thus, Zhang Tian’s family was settled.

Zhang Tian, about the same age as Xu Yaozu, was only thirty-two years old. However, years of farming had made him appear much older. His wife, Li Dongmei, was also prematurely aged. At just thirty, she looked even older than Madam Wang.

They had two sons and one daughter. Their eldest, Zhang Da, was fifteen years old, while their younger son, Zhang Er, and daughter, Zhang Xiu’er, were thirteen-year-old twins.

Xu Nian assigned Zhang Tian to take Liuzi to and from the private academy in the county and care for the five cows at their family’s farm.

Li Dongmei was responsible for household chores such as washing and cooking, while the two teenage boys were placed under Xu Fugui and Xu Youliang to assist with errands.

As for thirteen-year-old Zhang Xiu’er, Xu Nian kept her by her side. The girl didn’t look like a tenant farmer’s daughter—she was delicate and pretty. Xu Nian felt it was safest to keep her close.

With everything arranged and life back on track, three days quickly passed. It was only then that Xu Nian remembered to reply to Luo Jin’an’s letter.

In her letter, she mainly inquired about Luo Jin’an and his mother’s health. She also recounted the little things that had happened in her life over the past few days. At the end, she didn’t forget to mention the jade pendant, promising to return it the next time they met.

Before she knew it, she had filled five pages. Even she was surprised—since when did she have such a strong desire to share?

Xu Nian calculated the days—there were only ten days left until the New Year. Luo Jin’an was too far away for her to send a gift, so after some thought, she sketched out a blueprint for a set of dominoes, carefully writing down the various ways to play.

Satisfied with her work, she carefully stored the letter away, planning to have Uncle Zhang send it to the postal station later.

Lately, everyone in the household had been busy preparing New Year gifts for different families.

At first, Xu Nian was curious as to why the New Year was called “Yuan Dan.” Later, she learned that in Sheng Dynasty, the modern concept of “New Year’s Day” did not exist.

“Yuan” represented a beginning, while “Dan” symbolized the sun rising from the horizon. Thus, in the Sheng Dynasty, Yuan Dan referred to the first day of the new year—the equivalent of modern New Year’s Day.

After handing the letter to Uncle Zhang and giving him instructions, Xu Nian went to the main hall to see Madam Wang and the others busily preparing.

“Big girl, you came at the right time! Help your grandmother check if we’ve forgotten to prepare a gift for any family.”

“Grandmother, just make sure to prepare gifts for the Wan Ying Village and Liuzi’s teacher. My mother will handle the relationships in the county and the county school.”

Madam Wang stretched her waist and sighed. “Being a government official’s wife is no easy task. Just preparing these gifts is giving me a headache—I can’t imagine how busy your mother must be.”

Xu Nian walked over and massaged her shoulders, smiling playfully. “That’s why you’re such a good mother-in-law—you even worry about your daughter-in-law..