Under the supervision of the village head, the school was finally completed. He even asked Shen Qingzhu to personally write the signboard, naming it “Qi Shan School.” On the day they hung the sign, the villagers celebrated with a lively display of firecrackers.

With that, Qi Shan Village now had its very own school. From then on, generation after generation wouldn’t be illiterate farmers anymore.

Many families in the village were interested in sending their children to school, though some were hesitant, unsure if Shen Qingzhu’s knowledge was truly up to par. After all, if he wasn’t qualified, their tuition money would be wasted. A tael of silver wasn’t a small amount.

Some of the more well-off families went directly to the village head to enroll their children, thinking they’d try it for a year. If it didn’t work out, they could always pull their child out the following year. At the very least, their child would learn some basics.

After some back and forth, about ten children were enrolled. Considering the number of families in the village, this wasn’t a lot, but Shen Qingzhu was pleased. Though he was confident in his own knowledge, this was his first time officially teaching, and a smaller group would make it easier for him to manage.

On the first day of classes, the ten young children sat upright, looking at him with bright, curious eyes, all very well-behaved, clearly instructed by their parents beforehand.

Shen Qingzhu couldn’t help but smile. Sitting at the front, he opened his book, but instead of diving into difficult topics, he started with a story.

The nervous children’s eyes lit up, and when class ended at noon, they didn’t want to leave. After lunch, they hurried back to school, afraid they’d miss out on more stories.

Watching their children eagerly running to school, the parents felt a swell of pride. Shen Xiaolang truly was remarkable—just half a day, and look how motivated the children were!

With Shen Qingzhu now busy teaching, Zhou Song was also hard at work. He had been repairing tools and tending the land, clearing weeds, and working from dawn until dusk.

A few days ago, he’d commissioned the village carpenter to make a plow and yoke. Once they were ready, he could begin plowing the fields. Before the Qingming Festival, he needed to finish preparing everything for the spring planting.

In the countryside, people looked forward to this time of year. As spring arrived, everyone got busy again, bringing the fields, left fallow all winter, back to life.

Wu Lanshu, who had only lived in the village as a child, was not familiar with fieldwork anymore. So, Zhou Song took on her two acres as well, not minding the extra work.

Freed from tending the fields, Wu Lanshu dedicated herself to cooking for them, preparing a variety of meals to keep the hardworking men well-fed. During the day, she’d also help at Zhou Song’s house, tending to the chickens and cattle and keeping the place tidy.

Each person had their tasks, and the days felt fulfilling.

However, it was a bit tough on the newlyweds, who only saw each other during meals and bedtime. They’d have a quick chat before falling asleep, with no time left for intimacy.

Shen Qingzhu was simply exhausted. With the new school, there was much to learn and organize, all of which he had to handle on his own. He was constantly busy.

His health was already not the best, and teaching demanded a lot of mental energy. Although the village children were generally well-behaved, they still had their moments of mischief and distraction. By the time he got home and prepared the next day’s lessons, he would fall asleep as soon as he lay down.

As for Zhou Song, he felt too much affection for his husband to disturb him when he was so tired. He’d just hold Shen Qingzhu close and give him a gentle kiss.

Half-asleep, Shen Qingzhu sensed the touch and drowsily opened his eyes. “You want to…?”

Zhou Song shook his head, tucking the blanket around him. “Get some rest. You have to get up early tomorrow.”

Shen Qingzhu didn’t ask further, just nestled back into his arms. “The start is always the hardest. I’ve never officially been a teacher before, and the children are like blank slates—restless and easily distracted. I’ll probably be quite busy for a while, but it’ll get better with time…”

He worked hard on his lessons, hoping to spark an interest in learning among the children. Once they got the hang of things and could read and practice writing independently, his workload would ease.

Snuggling further into Zhou Song’s warm, pine-scented embrace, Shen Qingzhu mumbled just before drifting off, “I’ll make it up to you later…”

Before he finished his sentence, he was already asleep.

Seeing him like this, Zhou Song couldn’t help but smile. He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his forehead, murmuring to his already sleeping husband, “Alright, I’ll hold you to that.”

The days passed steadily, with the weather growing warmer.

Once the plow was ready, Zhou Song began tilling the land. Having the ox made things much easier.

The half-grown ox, now strong and sturdy thanks to good care, handled an acre without any trouble.

While working in the fields, Zhou Song sometimes crossed paths with members of the Zhou family. This year, Zhou Xiaofu was also made to work the fields by his father and wasn’t allowed to slack off like he had in previous years.

Apparently, Hu Lan had recently been trying to arrange another marriage for him. But with his family’s notorious reputation, no local family was willing to give their daughter to him.

Failing in their own village, she had started looking into neighboring villages, though without any luck so far.

When Zhou Song saw them at the edge of the field, Hu Lan wore a gloomy expression, and Zhou Xiaofu looked equally miserable, clearly unwilling to be there. But Zhou Dashan was no longer inclined to indulge him.

Zhou Song simply ignored them, steering his ox along without looking their way. They didn’t dare approach him either, except for Zhou Xiaofu, who gave him a resentful glare, only to get smacked on the back of the head by Zhou Dashan. With a sulky expression, he left.

After finishing his and Wu Lanshu’s fields, Zhou Song lent his ox and cart to Lin Erzhu’s family. They had welcomed a new baby recently and were even considering buying another two acres of land.

However, with no free land available in the village, they would have to buy from a neighboring village. With the distance and the demands of caring for little Xiaobao, they likely wouldn’t have the time to manage it, so the idea had been put on hold for now.

Qi Shan School had a day off every ten days. One morning, Shen Qingzhu finally slept in to recharge. In the afternoon, he went to the fields to help with the planting.

Zhou Song initially wanted him to rest at home for the day, but he couldn’t convince him otherwise.

Fortunately, planting wheat wasn’t too strenuous. They simply scattered the pre-germinated seeds evenly across the soil, and Zhou Song followed behind, covering the seeds with soil.

After finishing one acre, they paused for a short break. Seeing the sweat on Zhou Song’s face, Shen Qingzhu took a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped it for him.

Zhou Song stayed still, letting him finish, then took a water pouch from his waist and handed it over. “The water’s cold, don’t drink too much—just take a sip to wet your throat.”

Though spring had arrived, the air was still chilly. Shen Qingzhu’s health was delicate, so he had to be careful.

Thanks to good care and regular activity, he was much healthier now than when he first came to the village, not falling ill so often. But his constitution was still weaker than most.

Shen Qingzhu nodded, taking a small sip. He wasn’t very thirsty anyway.

Zhou Song took a few hearty gulps himself before hanging the water pouch back. “I saw some of the kids from school earlier, following their families into the fields, running around excitedly.”

Kids usually didn’t like being dragged along for fieldwork. They’d rather climb hills or wade into rivers to play. In the past, they had to be coaxed into coming along, but now they seemed genuinely happy to be here.

Hearing this, Shen Qingzhu chuckled, “Village kids are used to the outdoors, and having to sit still for studies all of a sudden is naturally difficult for them. When they get a break, they want to stretch their legs and run around.”

Considering this, he hadn’t assigned any homework this break. Pressuring them too much could make them resentful, which wouldn’t benefit their learning.

But some children were genuinely passionate about learning, even staying after class to ask questions with a thirst for knowledge that warmed his heart.

In those moments, he felt he understood the joy his old teacher felt whenever he praised his work.

Zhou Song took his hand, leading him to the next plot of land. “Did you ever feel bored with your studies?”

Shen Qingzhu steadied himself, then took some wheat seeds from the small basket, scattering them evenly as he walked. “No, studying and practicing calligraphy was more of a pastime for me.”

He was naturally inclined to quiet activities, and with his health limiting what he could do, reading and writing had become a way to pass the time and find enjoyment, so he never felt bored.

Zhou Song bent down to turn the soil, thinking to himself that he, too, didn’t find it tedious, especially when Shen Qingzhu was the one teaching him.

He glanced over at Shen Qingzhu, realizing that farming, too, felt enjoyable with him there. Before, it had only felt like something he had to do, but now, with Kun Ze by his side, it had become a pleasant activity.

Shen Qingzhu didn’t notice his gaze. He tossed another handful of seeds into the soil, then mused, “Of course, as a child, I wanted to play too. Sometimes, I would ask my father and sister to take me horse riding. Even though they’d always keep a firm grip on the reins, and riding turned more into a slow trot, it was still nice to get some fresh air.”

Seeing the nostalgic look on his face, Zhou Song paused and said, “When the weather warms up more, I can take you horse riding.”

Shen Qingzhu turned to him, smiling. “It won’t just be a slow trot, will it?”

Zhou Song chuckled and shook his head, “I’ll ride with you.”

That sounded nice. Shen Qingzhu smiled and nodded, “I’d also like to go hunting. I haven’t used the bow you gave me since that day.”

He was referring to the day they were stranded on the mountain together. In a way, that bow had been instrumental in bringing them together.

“Alright,” Zhou Song agreed, thinking he’d roast some game for Kun Ze up in the mountains.

He gazed at Shen Qingzhu’s profile, smiling softly under the warm sunlight.