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As dusk arrived at the He family, a few people helped unload the items brought from the cart, temporarily stacking them in the back courtyard’s firewood shed. These items would also be needed once they arrived at Wanjia Village.
He Erjiao, He Zishan, also returned home upon hearing the news.
According to Wan Changsheng’s suggestion, they planned to bring Meiniang and Chang Shun back in the next few days. Spring was a busy time for everyone, so he didn’t intend to host a grand event; a simple gathering with a couple of tables of food for the clan elders and relatives would suffice.
Old Man He and Old Lady He agreed immediately, as it was the season for spring plowing and sowing. Moreover, since it was a second marriage, the bride price had already been doubled, and spending more money wasn’t necessary.
Since Meiniang was remarrying, her family didn’t plan on hosting a big feast. The uncles and aunts would come to help send her off, and all the items brought from Changjia Village would be taken away. In the next couple of days, she planned to buy two new quilts and a couple of new clothes for herself and Chang Shun.
With two more people in the house, it would be a bit cramped. The younger son’s family was away, leaving their rooms empty, but they were expected to return soon. Besides, it wouldn’t be convenient for Meiniang to stay in her brother-in-law’s room.
After two years of repaying debts, the family intended to build two more rooms beside the courtyard after the autumn harvest next year. Daqiangzi was already fourteen, and Erqiang was almost twelve; in a couple of years, they would need space for marriage.
Having come this far, Meiniang didn’t care about the timing of her remarriage; it was already a foregone conclusion, and she couldn’t go back to Changjia Village.
Moreover, after enduring years of hardship and the burden of the bride price to repay debts, she had done enough for the Chang family and to honor her deceased husband.
She could handle anything on her own, not fearing death, but she needed to live for her son. The debts belonged to her husband, and she couldn’t let her son carry that burden.
In the past couple of days, she had seen that Wan Changsheng was a decent man, so she decided to go through with the marriage.
The family agreed on a date five days later, March 20th, which was auspicious for weddings. On that day, Chang Shun would be taken home.
Chang Shun had no objections. He preferred quietness. At his maternal grandfather’s house, there were many people; he would have to share a bed with his grandfather and two cousins at night. His grandfather snored loudly, making it impossible for him to sleep.
Moreover, after a few days in the new house, he would feel a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
Others might say he was mature for his age, but he knew he wasn’t a very likable child. In his previous life, he had always been serious, and the heavy atmosphere in his home these past years had not allowed him to act like a carefree child.
Studying meant he couldn’t gather herbs to earn money or learn medicine from others. From what he knew, apprentices in the medical field weren’t taught skills right away unless they were the master’s biological sons or grandsons.
For now, he could put studying medicine aside. He was still young, and there would be plenty of opportunities to pursue that later. He could focus on studying first and learn to gather herbs with his stepfather when he had the chance.
One thing was certain: he knew more about herbs than his stepfather by a long shot. Learning from him would be a stepping stone. He could buy a book on herbal medicine to study; with time on his side, he could catch up.
The next day, Old Lady He took her daughter-in-law to town to buy new clothes. It was still early enough to buy fabric for their outfits, and they could purchase ready-made quilts and shoes.
Chang Shun saw his grandfather and maternal uncle busy in the fields, while his mother washed and cleaned at home. He decided to follow his little cousin up the slope to look for wild vegetables and see if there were any herbs in the foothills.
When he mentioned to his stepfather the idea of earning money and keeping half for himself, it seemed a bit unreasonable, but to his surprise, it was accepted.
Having some savings would allow him to pursue what he wanted to do. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to achieve much in the coming years, nor would he earn a lot, but it was all preparation for the future.
In this dynasty, as long as parents were alive, children had to hand over most of what they earned. Spending even a little required asking for permission, and he couldn’t endure that kind of life.
While things were still uncertain and he was still young, it was a good idea to negotiate for some independence, especially since the other party had a somewhat indulgent attitude toward children.
In early March, the weather warmed, and wild vegetables grew rapidly.
Accompanying him up the mountain were several children from his maternal grandfather’s and younger grandfather’s families. Each carried a basket or a backpack, chattering away, which gave Chang Shun a bit of a headache.
The area for gathering wild vegetables was on the gentle slope of West Mountain. He wouldn’t dare enter the forest, so the variety of herbs was limited, mostly consisting of low-value plants. Even if he gathered a lot, they wouldn’t sell for much.
Chang Shun wasn’t interested in gathering wild vegetables. Instead, he wandered around the slope, and under the warm sunlight, he soon felt drowsy, deciding to take a nap against the gentle slope.
…
Although Wan Changsheng didn’t plan to make a big fuss, marrying was still a significant event. He personally went to invite the village elders, including the clan elder and village head.
Upon returning home, he had only taken twenty taels to build the house. This was all accounted for; soldiers in the Great Zhou Dynasty received a monthly salary, which, though small, accumulated over six or seven years, allowing him to save over ten taels. He also had some travel expenses that he managed to save.
The fifty taels he had hidden came from assisting in the medical unit, where he occasionally received tips from injured generals, and his monthly pay was higher than in other places, especially during the last two years.
During his occasional leave, he could gather herbs nearby to sell to the pharmacy, and over time, this would add up.
Wan Changsheng’s first stop was the clan elder’s home, where the clan elder and village head lived together as father and son.
Fifteen minutes later, Wan Changsheng left the clan elder’s house with a smile on his face.
The old clan elder was a cousin of his father. He had been displeased that the elder didn’t allow his cousin, who had already married and had children, to serve in the military, yet allowed Wan Changsheng, who was not yet married, to do so. As a result, this child was now twenty-six and still unmarried.
Others his age had children who were already seven or eight years old.
Being older made it harder to marry. A widow was still a woman; as long as she could carry on the family line, it was acceptable.
After visiting the other families, he finally arrived at his elder brother Wan Changgang’s house.
The brothers had once shared a close bond in their childhood when their father was still alive, making it feel like just yesterday.
However, when he was forced to go to the northern border at seventeen by his mother and sister-in-law’s tears, he could not help but hold some resentment in his heart.
After returning home seven years later, his elder brother never mentioned the rent for the land under his name, which should have been shared fifty-fifty. The rent alone for one mu of land over the years would amount to over eight hundred jin of grain.
He was given the land as a matter of course, but he wouldn’t demand it; he wanted to maintain their brotherly bond in this life.
“Uncle is here!” Twelve-year-old Wan Qing was about to take his younger brothers to the fields.
Wan Qing, the eldest son of Wan Changgang, was twelve years old, honest and simple. The second son, Wan Xiang, was ten, the third son, Wan Xi, was seven, and the daughter, Wan Qin, was four.
Wan Changsheng rarely visited this side of the family, so he wasn’t particularly close to the children.
“Yes, are your parents at home?”
“They’re at home.”
Wan Changgang, having heard his brother’s voice, showed a hint of guilt on his face. No matter how you looked at it, he owed this brother quite a bit.