Chapter 4: Wan Changsheng

Daqiangzi knew Wan Changsheng and the general location of his home. Daqiangzi’s family lived at the foot of West Mountain in Hejia Village, while Wan Changsheng lived alone at the foot of South Mountain in Wanjia Village.

In Daqiangzi’s opinion, the location was excellent—spacious—but rather lonely.  It was a fifteen-minute walk from the village, and he rarely saw anyone there.

Wan Changsheng had just finished lunch. That morning, he had gathered some herbs on the mountain and caught a rabbit and a pheasant in a snare.

He planned to sell them in town later. These small creatures weren’t worth much, only about two hundred cash, but his cooking skills were poor, and the food wouldn’t taste good. It was better to exchange them for money, which could buy twenty or thirty jin of grain.

If the marriage worked out, his family would grow, and food consumption would increase rapidly. He only had one mu of farmland, producing only two to three hundred jin of grain annually. He had cultivated some wasteland in the past two years, planting vegetables and sweet potatoes, enough for one person.

But in the near future, if he had a family of three, or perhaps four in a year or two, the farmland wouldn’t be enough.

Three years after his father’s death, when he was seventeen, the conscription came. The family’s remaining money had been spent on his older brother’s wedding and his father’s medical treatment, leaving them with a debt of ten taels of silver.

If it weren’t wartime, the conscription could have been replaced with a payment of eight taels of silver per household; otherwise, a man had to serve.

His family had no money, and there was nowhere to borrow. Logically, his older brother should have gone, as he was already married with a child, and Wan Changsheng was unmarried.

But his eldest sister-in-law cried incessantly, and his brother remained silent, head bowed. When his mother looked at him with pleading eyes, he felt uncomfortable, but he still agreed to serve.

He only made one request: to divide the family property before leaving. A soldier received a few taels of silver, which could repay the debt. If he died in battle, his share would go to his brother; if he returned, they would be two separate families.

The family property was divided, witnessed by the clan elder and village head. Of the three mu of fertile land, he took one mu and a piece of land at the foot of South Mountain. He didn’t take anything else.

He let his brother cultivate his fields during his military service, without taking any rent—a contribution to his mother.

Great Zhou’s military service was typically five years. If a soldier survived, he would be honorably discharged and generally wouldn’t have to serve again unless there were special circumstances.

Having studied for two years, he was assigned to the medical unit, assisting the army physician and organizing medicinal herbs. Because of his diligence, the medical unit kept him for two extra years.

His monthly pay increased significantly during those two years.

After seven years of service, he saved over fifty taels of silver, plus ten taels upon discharge, totaling about sixty or seventy taels.

Upon returning home, he found that his mother had passed away two years earlier. He felt free from worldly attachments.

His brother remained taciturn, and his eldest sister-in-law continued to complain about poverty. He didn’t bother with them; he had a clear conscience towards his brother.

He spent twenty taels on building a house and still owed some debts.  He wasn’t being stingy; he had carefully hidden the remaining fifty taels, avoiding attracting attention or envy.

In the two years since his return, hunting and gathering herbs, and cultivating his land, he saved about fifteen taels annually, easily repaying his small debts.

If this marriage succeeded, the remaining twenty taels should be sufficient, as rural weddings typically cost ten to eight taels.

He had intended to ask his mother to propose marriage to He Meiniang before leaving, but he was too late; the Chang family had already made their visit.

Seven years later, this past January, he accidentally saw the mother and son returning to their maternal grandmother’s family. Upon inquiry, he learned that Meiniang had been widowed at the age of eighteen or nineteen.

He was smitten.

He was twenty-six, one year older than Meiniang. He didn’t care about it being a second marriage; he had no parents to interfere and could make his own decisions.

As for the child, the boy he saw in January was adorable. If he became his son, he would be overjoyed.

“Is Uncle Changsheng home?”

Hearing someone call, Wan Changsheng hurried out of the main room and saw Daqiangzi standing outside the courtyard gate.

“Daqiangzi, what brings you here?”

Daqiangzi said hesitantly, “Uncle Changsheng, my mother asked me to deliver a message. My aunt and younger cousin are here, and she wants to know if you’re free to talk to my cousin by the riverbank.”

Wan Changsheng was delighted; this was promising.

“Daqiangzi, wait a moment. I’ll pack up and be right there.”

Since he was going to meet them, he took the small game in a basket, locked the door, and they set off for Hejia Village.

Wan Changsheng thought for a moment and asked, “Daqiangzi, did your aunt and cousin just return? Is your cousin easy to talk to?”

Daqiangzi was displeased. “My aunt and cousin just got back, and my cousin is very well-behaved. Why would you ask if he’s easy to talk to?”

Wan Changsheng smiled, “Daqiangzi, I mean no harm. I just hope this marriage works out, and we can live happily as a family of three. I wanted to know what your cousin likes and his preferences.”

But Daqiangzi said nothing. His cousin was family. If Wan Changsheng wanted to live well with his aunt and cousin, he should be sincere; why would he need to inquire about their preferences? Was he trying to take a shortcut?

Seeing Daqiangzi’s silence, Wan Changsheng stopped talking.

Soon, they reached Hejia Village.

“Daqiangzi, take this basket back. The game is still fresh. I’ll wait by the river; I won’t go to your house.”

Daqiangzi refused to take it.

Wan Changsheng said, “Daqiangzi, it’s nothing. I didn’t buy it. Take it, or I’ll have to bring it back.”

Daqiangzi was honest, and after a few words, he accepted the basket.

“Alright, thank you, Uncle Changsheng. I’ll bring my cousin over.”

Watching Daqiangzi’s back, Wan Changsheng smiled slightly.

He Meiniang was the only woman he had ever loved. He thought they had missed their chance, but fate had brought them together again.

He would love her child as his own, even if he had his own children later. A six or seven-year-old child is like a small animal; if you are kind to them, they will be kind to you in return.

Wan Changsheng found a sheltered spot to sit, where he could see the riverbank without being easily noticed. He didn’t want people gossiping about them before the marriage was finalized.

He was already thinking about how to earn more money. The child was already so big; he would need to attend a private school.

He had fifty taels hidden away, and twenty taels set aside for the wedding. This wouldn’t last a scholar for a few years.  With more children in the future, a large family would need a lot of money.

He regretted turning down the army physician’s offer to take him as an apprentice, fearing that the army wouldn’t release him. He didn’t want to spend his life in the north.

Seven years in the army had given him some martial skills; he was a good archer, but his martial arts were not refined enough for deep-mountain hunting. He could only set snares in the foothills and gather herbs. It was enough for one person, but not for a family.