Chapter 14: The Clan Leader

It wasn’t that drinking was forbidden—Lu Jinnian was already fifteen, and if counting by traditional age reckoning, he was actually sixteen.

At this age, many people in ancient times were already married. Lu Songnian, for instance, had married early—he completed his wedding at seventeen, just before his father passed away.

If one could get married, drinking a little alcohol didn’t seem like a big deal.

However, drinking should still be done in moderation. Lu Jinnian reeked of alcohol, so much so that he didn’t even need to stand close for Wen Ruyu to catch the scent of liquor on him.

Wen Ruyu’s smile faded as she asked, “Where did you and that Zheng Qiao go just now?”

“Just wandered around the streets, ran into a few friends, and went to a restaurant to have a drink,” Lu Jinnian replied.

“You’re not lying?” Wen Ruyu’s eyes were sharp.

Lu Jinnian was momentarily stunned.

Fortunately, he was used to coaxing elders, so he simply put on an honest expression and said, “I wouldn’t dare deceive my mother. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my servant.”

Seeing his response, Wen Ruyu figured that the servant had probably been coached to say the same thing, so she didn’t press the issue.

“You’re growing up, so you need to act with more discretion. I don’t expect you to become a scholar or an official, earning me some honorary title. I’ve never interfered with who you befriend, and I don’t mind you going out to play. But one thing—drinking harms your health and can cause trouble. From now on, don’t come home smelling like a brewery.”

Lu Jinnian grinned and moved closer to Wen Ruyu, trying to snuggle up and act spoiled.

Wen Ruyu shot him a glance, and he quickly straightened up, not daring to lean into her embrace.

“I wasn’t going to drink, but my friends kept persuading me. They said alcohol warms the body, and in this cold weather, a drink feels nice. That’s why I had a few sips. Since Mother disapproves, I’ll drink less in the future.”

Wen Ruyu nodded. Since she had said what she needed to, she didn’t press the matter further. She instructed the servants to escort Lu Jinnian back to his quarters properly, and then she let him leave.

In the Lu Family Courtyard

In the Lu family compound, the blacksmith, Hammer, and his wife were deeply grateful when Chuntao, one of Wen Ruyu’s trusted servants, personally delivered a gift from their mistress.

Hammer, especially, knelt and bowed in the direction of Wen Ruyu’s residence in gratitude.

After sending Chuntao off, the couple sat in their house and chatted.

“I’ll put the meat away for now. When Mother comes by tomorrow, I’ll have her make a bone broth for you to nourish yourself, and we’ll cure the rest of the meat so you can eat it slowly,” Hammer’s wife said.

Hammer was an orphan, and his wife had been sold to the Lu family. They had both been refugees, and the Lu family had taken them in. Because of this kindness, they served their masters with deep loyalty.

“We’re eating meat every day now, so fancy,” Hammer’s wife remarked. “But how did the Old Madam find out that I’m in my postpartum recovery?”

“I ran into her while picking persimmons in the yard earlier—it was rare to see her outside. Madam Yan was with her, and since she visited you before, she must have told the Old Madam.”

Hammer carried the meat and moved closer to his wife, saying, “Back then, just getting a bite of wild greens was hard. Now that we’ve made it through, we finally have meat to eat. So eat up while you can.”

His wife should have smiled at that, but instead, her face darkened as she thought about the child she had recently lost. “We survived the Yellow River flood, the famine, and bandits, and I thought we were lucky. But in the end, I still have no good fortune. What’s the point of eating so much if I can’t even give birth to a son?”

“I already told you—I don’t mind that.” Hammer reassured her. “As long as you and our daughter are well, that’s enough for me. If we aren’t meant to have a son, then raising our daughter properly is just as good.”

He meant to comfort her, but his words only made her cry.

Seeing her teary eyes, Hammer scratched his head, confused.

Then she looked up at him, aggrieved. “I just wanted to give you a son so you could continue your family line!”

Hammer was puzzled. “That’s strange. Some women don’t want to give birth, yet their in-laws force them to have five or six children. I don’t make you have more kids, but you’re still upset.”

“Who doesn’t want a son? And yet you…” She hesitated. “The doctor said my body is too damaged. I won’t be able to have another child.”

“We already have our daughter, so it’s fine,” Hammer said, getting a little impatient.

His wife’s face fell. “So you do care about it after all.”

Hammer didn’t understand what she was getting at and didn’t want to argue. He washed up, pulled her into his arms, and let her cry herself to sleep. He, on the other hand, slept like a log, completely undisturbed.

Thankfully, between the two of them, at least one wasn’t overly emotional. Otherwise, they’d be taking turns crying all night.

The Next Day

The next morning, Hammer got up early and went to his mother-in-law’s house, bringing three taels of meat and a basket of persimmons from the yard.

His brother-in-law was still washing up, so it was his sister-in-law who opened the door. She glanced at the items in Hammer’s hands and smiled. “Hammer, come on in.”

Hammer responded politely, handed over the gifts, and after chatting for a while, explained why he had come—to ask his mother-in-law to help take care of his wife. The matter was settled smoothly.

When they got home, Hammer let his mother-in-law prepare a meal while he idled around, watching her work with persimmons to make dried persimmon cakes.

His wife, having cried the previous night, had returned to her usual considerate self.

Not long after, someone came to summon him—he was to go to Lu Village and invite the Lu family’s clan leader to visit.

This was an order from the Old Madam, so Hammer dared not delay. He immediately set off.

Along the way, a light snow fell, but he managed to bring the clan leader back without any trouble.

The clan leader also brought along a few influential figures from the clan. The Lu family servants led them to the guest hall, where Wen Ruyu was already waiting. The room was warm with a charcoal brazier burning inside.

“This time, I invited the clan leader over to discuss establishing a school in the village,” Wen Ruyu explained. “When my husband was alive, he often spoke of how difficult it was to study without a local school. He had long planned to set one up, but before he could act, he…” She trailed off, her expression dimming.

“If that’s your intention, we will fully support it,” the clan leader said. A school in the village was obviously beneficial, so no one objected.

“In fact,” the clan leader continued, “our village used to have a school, but the teacher passed his exams and left. We’ve struggled to hire another because the cost is high—after tuition fees from students, we still need another twenty taels of silver per year.”

“Our village is remote, so in addition to a teacher’s salary, we have to provide lodging and meals. It’s not a small sum. Villagers see no immediate benefit for their own families, so they’re unwilling to contribute.”

“A year or two is manageable, but three or four years would financially ruin us.”

“Twenty taels per year?” Wen Ruyu was surprised.

The Lu family had their own tutor, and they only paid around ten taels per year—without covering meals. Even with gifts during festivals, it was far less than twenty taels.

Sensing her doubt, the clan members remained silent, unwilling to criticize the scholars who set such high rates.

Wen Ruyu didn’t push the issue. She gestured to Yan Mammy, who signaled outside. A servant, Qiumai, brought in a tray holding a sealed package of silver.

“This is twenty taels,” Wen Ruyu said. “Use it to hire a teacher. From now on, our family will cover the cost—twenty taels annually.”

The clan members beamed with satisfaction.

Wen Ruyu then brought up another matter—her plan to allocate funds for relatives. But in reality, it was a way to keep greedy relatives at bay.