Eating the Mouth

Yu Lanyi made up his mind and didn’t delay. He returned to the mansion with Jin Yun.

He took a quick tour of the market and shops in Xinfeng County. The clothing stores had limited styles, and there were fewer street snacks compared to other counties. The terrain of the county was flat and uncomplicated.

Xinfeng County was large, but half of it was sandy soil. Having just arrived, Yu Lanyi couldn’t quite gauge the depth of the people here.

He turned back to the county office and lay on the bed to continue recuperating.

Jin Yun had the kitchen prepare some light dishes for Yu Lanyi. They made chrysanthemum tofu, mixed lettuce, ginseng chicken soup, stir-fried radish shreds, and even some jujube paste cake for dessert. They also brewed some West Lake Longjing tea brought from the Marquis’ residence.

The cook, who had seen a lot, was surprised to find out at the Xinfeng County market that the vegetable prices were high. But it was understandable, given the strong winds and sand, which made it hard to grow vegetables. The limited supply and high demand led to high prices.

The cook was quite taken aback. He muttered, “The prices here are twice as high as in ordinary counties. One meal here costs as much as two elsewhere.”

“I remember when we came with the Daren, there was a county not far from Xinfeng County without such strong winds and sand. The vegetable prices should be cheaper there.”

The cook and his assistant chatted while skillfully handling the ingredients.

…

Zheng Shanci returned to the backyard after lunch. The courtyard had changed its appearance, with most of it restored to its original state. 

Zheng Shanci was impressed by the efficiency of the Marquis’ servants and maids, who managed to do such detailed work that others couldn’t.

He went to the bedroom, where Yu Lanyi was obediently lying on the bed, still smelling of herbal medicine.

“Why are you back?” Yu Lanyi was surprised to see Zheng Shanci.

“I couldn’t stop worrying, so I came back to check on you,” Zheng Shanci said, taking off his official robe. “Besides, it’s not comfortable to nap at the county office, so I thought I’d come back for a short nap.”

Yu Lanyi had never seen Zheng Shanci in his official robe before. As a seventh-rank county magistrate, his robe was light green, and he wore an official hat that pressed down his hair, making him look handsome at first glance.

Hearing that Zheng Shanci was worried about him made Yu Lanyi feel delighted. When he heard that Zheng Shanci wanted to nap with him, he quickly said, “I’m still sick. Aren’t you afraid I’ll pass the illness to you?”

“I’ll have Jin Yun tidy up the side room. You can sleep there for the time being.”

Zheng Shanci laughed, “We slept together last night, and now you’re saying this at noon. I don’t mind. If I catch your illness, I’ll just consider myself weak.”

Yu Lanyi was happy inside, but he said, “Last night, I was too tired and fell asleep early. I didn’t know you were beside me. If I were awake, I wouldn’t have let you sleep next to me.”

Zheng Shanci chuckled, “I understand.”

“What did you have for lunch? I instructed the kitchen to make light dishes for you before I left. You can’t just eat whatever you want.” Zheng Shanci washed his hands and face and lay on the bed curtain. For convenience, he slept on the outside.

“The cook listened to you, and I ate light,” Yu Lanyi thought of the rash on his body. In the past, when he was sick in the Capital City, he rarely avoided certain foods. This time, the rash scared him enough to follow the doctor’s orders.

“That’s good,” Zheng Shanci felt relieved about another matter.

He thought about the letter he had written to the Zheng family, not knowing if they would come to Xinfeng County. The place was remote, but he could still take care of them.

In the original story, the most detailed part was about the original character, who was a minor character. Naturally, his family wasn’t described much. Life in ancient times wasn’t easy, and it was hard to support a scholar. Now that he had an official position, he had to remember their kindness.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “I wrote to my family to inform them that we are married. My father, along with my dad, elder brother, and younger brother, live in the village. I wrote to them to come to Xinfeng County. I forgot to mention this to you before.”

Yu Lanyi was startled and a bit nervous. He had been married to Zheng Shanci for over two months, and he listened to him for all the household matters. He didn’t have to serve in-laws like in big families, so it seemed like a low marriage, but he was actually free.

Now, with Zheng Shanci’s father, dad, an elder brother, and a younger brother, he didn’t know how to handle it.

“It’s only right for them to come, but I don’t know how to get along with them,” Yu Lanyi, who had been pampered since childhood, was actually clever. He knew how to act cute and obedient in front of certain elders and knew what kind of juniors elders liked. He was very sweet-talking.

As for Zheng Shanci’s father and dad, he felt unfamiliar and at a loss. In his social circle, he had never interacted with such people.

“Just treat them normally,” Zheng Shanci said gently. “And I’m here with you. If you can’t handle it, just leave it to me.”

Hearing this, Yu Lanyi felt much more at ease. He was getting sleepy, “I’ll sleep first. I’m feeling tired.”

“You haven’t recovered yet. You should rest at home and recuperate.”

Yu Lanyi felt a bit guilty. He had gone out today and caught a bit of cold wind, but Zheng Shanci didn’t need to know that.

Zheng Shanci had been worried about Yu Lanyi’s low fever last night and had spent some energy in the morning. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

If it weren’t for the rash, Yu Lanyi would have wanted to turn over, but with the rash, he didn’t want Zheng Shanci to see it. After a few months of getting along, Yu Lanyi’s heart had already wavered. Zheng Shanci seemed like a good husband.

He decided to wait and see how Zheng Shanci would act in the future. Yu Lanyi thought this way, but his heart was already leaning towards Zheng Shanci.

…

Shengjing

Ever since Yu Lanyi went to Xinfeng County with Zheng Shanci, Yu Fulang felt like something was missing. One day, after dinner, he saw that the cook had made dishes Yu Lanyi loved, and tears welled up in his eyes. After dinner, he wanted to go to Yu Lanyi’s room to reminisce.

With a maid holding a lamp, Yu Fulang went to Yu Lanyi’s courtyard. As soon as he entered, he found that even the tables were gone, and the courtyard was empty.

Yu Fulang: “…Did the house get robbed?!”

The momo beside Yu Fulang said, “Fulang, don’t you know your own household management skills? Which maid or servant in the mansion would dare do such a thing? They wouldn’t be afraid of being beaten to death. I reckon the Young Master moved it himself.”

Cao Momo was Yu Fulang’s wet nurse and was very close to him.

Yu Fulang was both amused and exasperated, “That little rascal, he got married and moved everything from home.”

“Fulang, the things you prepared for the Young Master’s courtyard were all good stuff. The Young Master cherished them, thinking of you when he thought of those things.”

Yu Fulang’s expression softened, feeling a bit melancholic, “I used to worry about him being wronged at his in-laws, saying he only knew how to cause trouble. Now that he’s not with me, I still worry. He’s truly a troublemaker.”

“Changxing was sensible from a young age, but my Ge’er was a little troublemaker. Now that he’s married, he still makes me worry.”

Cao Momo sighed, “Fulang is still worried about the Second Young Master.”

“To be honest, Momo, I’ve already regretted it. I regret marrying him off so far away, letting him suffer. How can his body handle it? Can he eat well and dress warmly there? Is the son-in-law treating him well?

Lanyi has a bad temper. If he upsets Zheng Shanci… Zheng Shanci seems like a gentleman, but I haven’t interacted with him deeply. I don’t know his roots. I don’t know how my son is doing.”

Cao Momo comforted, “When the New Year comes, the Second Young Master will return. Besides, the servants the Young Master took with him were all trained by Fulang. Jin Yun grew up with the Young Master and is a loyal servant.

The Second Young Master also learned martial arts from the eldest son. When the son-in-law went to take office, he settled the household, and the whole courtyard was filled with Yu family’s people. The son-in-law should be the one worried.”

Yu Fulang, hearing this, imagined Yu Lanyi standing arrogantly with his hands on his hips in front of the son-in-law, who was trembling. The Yu family’s servants and maids surrounded the son-in-law, not letting him escape.

He burst into laughter.

The servants and maids following Yu Fulang admired Cao Momo. No wonder she was always Fulang’s confidante. Her way of speaking was unmatched. Even serving the masters in the palace would be easy for her.

Yu Fulang glanced at the bare courtyard once more, deciding to leave with the lamp, out of sight, out of mind.

Back in the room, Marquis Changyang was looking at the portraits of Ge’er and Jie’er from the Capital City that Yu Fulang had left on the table.

“You’re back. I saw you left it on the table, so I took a look,” Marquis Changyang said without looking up.

“Changxing is of age now. I’m looking for a match for him. There are several suitable families. I’m considering Changxing’s opinion. The child’s wishes are most important. We’re just making suggestions,” Yu Fulang said, taking off his cloak.

Yu Changxing was about the same age as Emperor Wu Ming, who already had two princes, while Yu Changxing was still unmarried. In the Capital City, people his age were already fathers, but Yu Changxing was still delaying.

He was stubborn and not enthusiastic about marriage, which worried both Marquis Changyang and Yu Fulang.

As they lay in bed, Marquis Changyang hesitated and said, “You should also pay attention to Shiyan’s marriage.”

With these words, silence fell around them.

Yu Fulang coldly said, “What do you take me for, Marquis? Ever since Yu Shiyan was born, although I don’t like him, I’ve never used any means against him. His dad passed away after he was born. I don’t make things difficult for him, but I can’t bring myself to like him either. He understands this and spends holidays alone in his small courtyard, not bothering me.

I come from a Duke’s family and would never do anything dirty or despicable.”

Marquis Changyang felt guilty again, “My words hurt you. I’m not good with words. I’m sorry.”

Yu Fulang said, “I’ve looked into Yu Shiyan’s marriage. There are two suitable candidates. One is from the scholarly Shi family. The third son of the Shi family holds a fifth-rank position in the Ministry of Rites. The Shi family has a good reputation, and the parents are kind.

The third son is talented and holds a position in the Ministry of Rites. He knows etiquette and has no concubines. I heard that during his imperial examination, he was confused and voluntarily stayed in a temple for a while, contemplating his feelings towards women and men.”

Marquis Changyang nodded repeatedly.

“The other is the legitimate second son of the Loyal and Righteous Earl’s family. The second son holds a temporary position in the Hanlin Academy and is currently a sixth-rank official.

Once he gains enough experience in the Hanlin Academy, he’ll move to one of the six ministries. Being from an Earl’s family, after coming of age, he took in two or three concubines. He’s straightforward and cheerful. Although he’s a civil official, he has a military background.”

“You’ve put in a lot of effort,” Marquis Changyang reached for Yu Fulang’s hand.

Yu Fulang coldly withdrew his hand, “I’m not a petty person. As long as he behaves, the Marquis’ residence will prepare a dowry for him and send him off.

After all, it’s just about sending someone away.”

It would be better for Yu Shiyan to marry out. Otherwise, staying in the Marquis’ residence would always be a thorn in his heart. Once he married out, he could live his own life and visit the Marquis’ residence less.

Marquis Changyang knew these two families in the Capital City and realized that Yu Fulang hadn’t used any tricks. He felt even more guilty.

He didn’t have to worry about Changxing, but he still thought about Yu Lanyi. In the future, he needed to put more effort into Lanyi and Zheng Shanci.

At least get the second son-in-law back to the Capital.

Yu Fulang rolled up the quilt and turned to sleep.

…

The next day, Cao Momo informed Yu Shiyan about the two candidates. Yu Shiyan opened his mouth, bowed, and said, “Thank you, Fulang, for your efforts. I’m very grateful.”

Cao Momo said, “As long as the Third Young Master knows how well Fulang treats you. In the past, no head of the household was like Fulang. If the Third Young Master has no objections, Fulang will arrange a meeting with the two candidates on a suitable day.”

Yu Shiyan said, “I have no objections.”

Cao Momo bowed, “Then I’ll report back to Fulang.”

Yu Shiyan was satisfied and had someone investigate. It was exactly as Yu Fulang had said, which reassured him. He also wanted to leave the Marquis’ residence.

“Young Master, who do you want to marry?”

“I’ll know after meeting them,” Yu Shiyan thought of the third son of the Shi family and was curious about his story.

This third son of the Shi family held a position in the Ministry of Rites and had once stayed in a temple. The elders in his family tried to persuade him, but he almost convinced them to shave their heads and become monks. This shocked everyone, and they said the third son was peculiar.

Emperor Wu Ming, upon hearing this, laughed heartily and said, “This person is truly interesting.”

After leaving the temple, Emperor Wu Ming arranged for him to work in the Ministry of Rites, with a hint of mischief.

“The second son of the Loyal and Righteous Earl’s family is of noble status and would be a good match for the Third Young Master,” a servant reminded.

“I don’t think highly of him. Switching from military to civil, and temporarily holding a position in the Hanlin Academy, shows he’s not ready for the six ministries. He’s not in the top three, so why is he in the Hanlin Academy? It’s just that he’s not capable enough and needs to gain experience to find a good position through his family.”

Yu Shiyan calmly said, “The current emperor values governance and the imperial examination. He won’t allow such arbitrary movements of positions. Even if it happens, the position would be a sinecure.”

…

In the Capital City, Yu Fulang was having a cold war with Marquis Changyang over Yu Shiyan’s matter. Meanwhile, in Xinfeng County, Yu Lanyi was still lying in bed recovering. He wanted to eat some fruit.

Jin Yun was in a dilemma, “Young Master, the variety of fruits here is limited. Currently, only oranges are available.”

Yu Lanyi: “?”

He lay in bed, feeling hopeless, “Then peel an orange for me to eat.”

Jin Yun peeled an orange for Yu Lanyi. After eating a few segments, Yu Lanyi’s face scrunched up from the sourness. However, after days of bland food, the orange’s flavor was a welcome change, and he found it increasingly tasty.

“Jin Yun, you have a segment too.”

Jin Yun ate a segment, and his face scrunched up as well.

Yu Lanyi urged, “Jin Yun, peel another one for me to try.”

Jin Yun obliged and started peeling another orange for Yu Lanyi. How could the Young Master eat such sour oranges? He never liked them before.

Jin Yun watched Yu Lanyi happily eating the orange.

A thought flashed in his mind—could the Young Master be expecting?

He calculated the days. If he counted from the first day of marriage, considering how intense things were, it wasn’t impossible.

“Young Master…” Jin Yun lowered his voice, looking at Yu Lanyi mysteriously.

His voice was like a whisper, as if afraid someone would hear.

Yu Lanyi: “Jin Yun, what’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird?”

Jin Yun winked, “Young Master, are you expecting?”

Yu Lanyi was so startled that the orange fell from his hand onto the bed.

He tilted his head, “Huh?!”

“I’m not… How could I be expecting?” Yu Lanyi stammered, “How could I be expecting?”

He couldn’t be expecting by himself. There were no seeds.

“Young Master, should we call a doctor to check your pulse?” Jin Yun suggested.

Yu Lanyi was exasperated.

“No need. There’s no such thing. Wouldn’t I know if I were expecting?” Yu Lanyi glared at him.

Jin Yun’s face said, “That’s not necessarily true.”

Yu Lanyi angrily ate a few more segments of orange.

Jin Yun’s gaze deepened.

Zheng Shanci checked the household registration of Xinfeng County and found that most were elderly widows and military households’ widows. One-third of Xinfeng County’s population was like this.

He frowned and said, “Wangfu, call Registrar Jiang.”

“Yes, Daren.”

Registrar Jiang arrived quickly and greeted him.

“Why are there so many military households in Xinfeng County’s registration?”

Military households differ from ordinary registrations. They are specifically for military duties. Once formed, descendants are soldiers for generations, and they cannot leave the military registration without permission.

Military households have the obligation to serve, and this obligation is hereditary. When the father dies, the son replaces him, and when the brother dies, the younger brother takes over.

The management of military households differs from ordinary registered citizens. The county office is responsible for distributing rations, salt, and clothing to soldiers. After a year, the local county office reports to the Ministry of Revenue, checks the numbers, and distributes silver to military households. Additionally, military households receive certain tax exemptions.

Registrar Jiang bowed, “We are close to the border. At that time, Xinfeng County had a small population, so the court settled many border soldiers here to reassure them. That’s why there are more military households.”

Zheng Shanci said, “I understand.”

“Tomorrow, accompany me to inspect the fields.”

Registrar Jiang was delighted, “Yes, Zheng Daren.”

Half of Xinfeng County’s poverty was due to half of it being sandy, making it difficult to grow crops and vegetables. The other half was due to poor transportation. The roads in Xinfeng County were extremely difficult to traverse, and there was no money to be made here, so merchants avoided it.

Merchants are profit-driven, and without profit, they are reluctant to come.

Zheng Shanci observed along the way. Other counties had merchants coming and going, but the road to Xinfeng County was sparsely populated. When they traveled, there was no one in front or behind them.

During his time working in the library, he had a lot of free time and read most of the books there. He remembered a few books he had read, such as “Sowing in the Desert—Natural Farming, Global Ecological Restoration, and Ultimate Food Security,” “Desert and Sandy Plants in China,” and “Ex Situ Cultivation of Plants in China: Desert Plants.”

Knowledge entered his mind.

Besides reading these books, Zheng Shanci also knew that there was a chance of finding gold mines in the desert. However, the chances were slim, and he didn’t have high hopes.

Tomorrow, he would inspect the soil in Xinfeng County with Registrar Jiang to make a judgment.

To be honest, he had no experience. He had only read books and could only slowly practice and explore.

Zheng Shanci thought about the military households in Xinfeng County’s registration and sighed.

Every dynasty’s Ministry of Revenue was stingy. Getting silver from them was difficult, but Zheng Shanci would try to write a memorial and give it a shot.

He scratched his face and continued handling official duties.

Today, he needed to review some important documents. As a new official, he needed to understand Xinfeng County’s situation to know how to improve the county and make the people’s lives more prosperous.

Since he had become the county magistrate of Xinfeng County, he intended to do the job well, Zheng Shanci thought.

At night, after returning home and washing up, Zheng Shanci found Yu Lanyi lying on the bed, swinging his legs and reading a storybook, eating an orange. He had been bored at home in the afternoon, so he asked Jin Yun to buy a storybook. He was reading a story about a scholar and a fairy.

“Zheng Shanci, have an orange!” Yu Lanyi’s eyes lit up when he saw Zheng Shanci and handed him the orange.

Without thinking, Zheng Shanci took the orange and ate it, his face scrunching up from the sourness, “So sour.”

Yu Lanyi was pleased to see Zheng Shanci’s sour face and laughed, “I think it’s just right.”

Zheng Shanci looked up, “Did you do it on purpose?”

Yu Lanyi proudly raised his chin, “I did it on purpose. What about it?”

There wasn’t much he could do. Zheng Shanci couldn’t beat Yu Lanyi and would end up getting a beating instead.

He had sewn iron plates into a few clothes, but not the official robe.

“How are you feeling today?” Zheng Shanci chose to change the subject.

“Alright, just eating bland food,” Yu Lanyi smacked his lips, “No taste in my mouth.”

Zheng Shanci laughed, “How can it be tasteless? It’s all sour.”

Yu Lanyi: “…”

Yu Lanyi was so annoyed that he wanted to hit Zheng Shanci. He tugged at Zheng Shanci’s official robe, and Zheng Shanci sat on the edge of the bed, following Yu Lanyi’s pull.

Yu Lanyi’s gaze fell on Zheng Shanci’s face and Adam’s apple. He was dressed in his official robe, looking dignified and handsome.

Yu Lanyi said, “Then why don’t you try it?”