Chapter 5: Pi Gua Quan and Li Hua Qiang

The rental of the plow and the oxen had already been agreed upon by Mrs. Zhong and the village head, Jiang An. After dinner, Wang Dou accompanied his mother to the Jiang family, but Jiang An was not at home, having gone to the prefectural city, leaving only family members there. After obtaining the oxen and the plow, Wang Dou carried the plow while driving the oxen, Mrs. Zhong carried the wheat seeds, and Xie Xiuniang followed closely behind with two baskets of manure. To collect this manure, she had spent a whole year gathering it.

Three people were conversing, but Wang Dou mostly listened. Zhong sighed, saying: "A few days ago, when I went to the prefectural city, the price of grain has risen again. A dou of millet costs eight coins, and even chaff costs one coin per dou. I saw many families unable to afford grain, and some men and women starved to death by the roadside."

Upon hearing Wang Dou's words, Xie Xiuniang behind him widened her eyes in confusion, while Zhong Shi turned back to glance at Wang Dou with approval

On the second day, as dawn broke, Wang Dou got up. He took his long spear and walked to the backyard, where there were several vegetable plots and a well. In recent years, more and more wells in Xinzhang had run dry, but the well in Wang's backyard still had an abundant supply of water, and the water quality was clear and pure, making many villagers envious.

Xie Xiuniang could imagine the scenery of returning to her hometown. In a place like Bao'an Prefecture, if one were to visit relatives and friends, filling a bamboo basket with a few liters of white flour, adding some sweets, and including a piece of cloth would already be considered a very expensive gift, sufficient to evoke the envy of others

On July 23, the forces of the Later Jin captured the city of Bao'an, and the army began to plunder various places in Bao'an. Xu Yue'e was unable to retreat back to the village in time and was taken away by the Later Jin soldiers. Fortunately, she escaped two days later. However, the villagers were all discussing the matter, saying that she had been taken by the Tartars, and how could there be any chance of escape? It was certain that she had been violated.

It was not until Xie Xiuniang came in and called him to breakfast that Wang Doucai stopped his work

Zhong nodded, but then let out a sigh

Some people, upon seeing Wang Dou behind Zhong, instinctively wanted to mock him, but upon noticing Wang Dou's indifferent demeanor, their words retreated. They secretly wondered why this big fool Wang had been acting strangely lately

Xie Xiuniang also remarked, "Indeed, now in our village, pork costs over 200 wen per jin, and a duck egg costs 20 wen."

This young woman is the one who almost collided with Wang Dou yesterday. Wang Dou knows that her name is Xu Yue'e, the daughter of Xu Kuan, the head of the village. At the age of eighteen, she is considered quite beautiful in the village. She was about to get married, but all of that came to an end last month

Although it is still early in the day, people have already begun to appear in the main streets and alleys of the village, engaged in their labor. Upon seeing Mrs. Zhong, greetings such as "Good morning, Fourth Aunt!" can be heard from time to time. Compared to Wang Dou, Mrs. Zhong enjoys a good reputation and relationships among the people in Xinzhang.

He took off his upper garment and threw a series of punches, exuding a vigorous and powerful aura. As he struck with intensity, his muscles tensed up like solid rocks. This style of boxing is called "Piguaquan," which is a popular martial art within the Qijia army. In the past, Grandfather Qi emphasized its effectiveness in practical combat in the volume of boxing techniques in "Jixiao Xinshi".

Wang Dou sighed inwardly, recognizing that Baoyan Prefecture was a land of abundance, with relatively ample water resources and less severe drought compared to other regions. Currently, the prices were still considered reasonable. Based on his understanding of history, by the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen era, even in the Jiangnan region, prices had risen to an astonishing level. A dou of rice would cost two taels of silver, and eventually, it even rose to six taels. A duck egg would cost thirty wen, a chicken over one thousand wen, while a young servant woman would only fetch about one thousand two hundred wen. In chaotic times, human life was cheap, and the hardships faced by the common people were evident.

Xie Xiuniang softly said behind Wang Dou: "Sister Xu is truly pitiful..."

Although the Wang family is now very poor, the Xie family is even poorer. Xie Xiuniang's parents have raised a total of eight children, but two younger brothers starved to death several years ago. Additionally, one older brother and two older sisters have been given away. Currently, their family survives on vegetable scraps every day. Compared to them, the Wang family is considered wealthy, as they can at least still afford to eat white flour.

Zhong is also a strong-willed person; even when her own family is struggling, she still thinks of helping others. On ordinary days, she and Xie Xiuniang wear patched clothes at home, but when they go out, they must change into fine garments, all to prevent others from looking down on the current Wang family

However, looking at the white noodles in front of him, and then glancing over at Zhong and Xie Xiuniang who were eating black steamed buns with side dishes, he noticed that both of them appeared very calm, as if it were only natural for Wang Dou to enjoy his meal.

The air in this world is far better than that of later generations, and a refreshing breeze blows in, invigorating Wang Dou.

He brought over two bowls, took a large handful of noodles from his hand, and placed them into the two bowls, handing them to Zhong and Xie Xiuniang.

When Zhong spoke with Xie Xiuniang about various rumors, she could not help but sigh, while also feeling fortunate that her family still had food to eat. The common people are always content; as long as there is still a morsel of rice to eat, they will feel satisfied in their hearts

Wang Doudao: "If possible, it is still advisable to provide her with more supplements"

Xie Xiuniang said happily: "Thank you, mother"

After washing, Xie Xiuniang carried the water outside and then went to the courtyard to organize the farming tools and fertilizers

Zhong smiled slightly, said nothing, and took the bowl.

As they were about to leave the gate, a young girl hurried past the three individuals, occasionally drawing whispers and pointed fingers from onlookers. The girl held her head high, seemingly dismissive of the comments around her; however, her pale complexion and the hint of fear in her eyes betrayed her inner fragility and unease

Drawing the gun, intercepting the gun, flipping the gun, catching the gun, wielding the gun... The gun moves like a swimming dragon, and Wang Dou's gaze is focused. The skills of this body are his greatest assurance for survival with his family in a chaotic world. Since arriving in this world and recognizing the surrounding environment, he has practiced diligently every day without rest

The family happily began to eat with eggs and vegetables

Xie Xiuniang was very happy and softly said, "Thank you, brother"

Hearing the occasional whispers and cold remarks beside him, Wang Dou snorted and said: "A man who cannot protect his wife and children, and instead shifts his anger onto a weak woman, is nothing of worth"

... ...

Although the Wang family comes from a military background, it can also be considered a family that values both farming and education. When Wang Dou was young, his grandfather Wang Ting personally taught him to read and write. However, in the past, Wang Dou had no interest in military texts, but now he naturally treasures them like a precious gem.

During the meal, the issue of today's farming work was brought up. For the autumn sowing, the land needs to be plowed; however, the Wang family's plow oxen had long been sold. At present, they cannot afford to raise oxen for their more than twenty acres of land, so they have no choice but to rent oxen from Jiang An. In order to seize the farming season, they need two oxen to pull the plow, as this would speed up the plowing process. The rental fee is not a small amount; surprisingly, Jiang An insists on exchanging the rental fee for white flour instead of accepting cash.

In ancient times, women with large breasts and wide hips were considered beautiful, and it was reasonable for men to focus more on a woman's figure rather than her face when choosing a spouse. This was due to the high infant mortality rate in those times, making it difficult to raise children. The Queen Mother had given birth to five children, but most of them died young, leaving only Wang Dou as her sole surviving offspring. Therefore, upon witnessing the situation with Xie Xiuniang, the Queen Mother could not help but feel concerned

The Yang's Pear Flower Spear originated in the Song Dynasty. Grandfather Qi once praised it for being unmatched across the world and widely promoted it within the military

Wang Dou stood up and said: "I ate quite a lot on the way back, Mother, how can I finish such a large bowl of noodles? Please help me eat some."

Zhong thought of something and said to Xie Xiuniang: "Xiuer, I have heard that our mother-in-law has been going through a tough time lately. On another day, please take a few liters of white flour and a piece of cloth back home. We are all one family, and we should help each other a little."

Under the weight of rumors, the man quickly came to request the annulment of the engagement, even willing to forgo the betrothal gifts. Her father, Xu Kuan, was naturally furious; he was a person of some standing in the village and could not tolerate such humiliation. He spent his days at home berating Xu Yue'e for bringing shame upon the family, questioning why she did not just die. The cold stares and criticisms from the villagers soon made this once proud woman wither away, yet in front of outsiders, her head seemed to be held even higher.

The sound of his mother weaving in the next room kept coming through, and Wang Dou lost his desire to read, pacing back and forth in the room

In front of Wang Dou was a large bowl of steaming white noodles, topped with a sprinkle of vibrant green scallions, exuding an enticing aroma. This was the most sumptuous meal the Wang family had enjoyed in quite some time

After watching for a while, Xie Xiuniang entered with a basin of hot water, bending down to wash Wang Dou's feet. Wang Dou gently stroked her hair, and Xie Xiuniang smiled up at him. Under the light, one could see the unusual pallor on her face, which worried Wang Dou. He thought to himself, could this be some illness? Once conditions allow in the future, he should find a doctor to have her checked.

Xie Xiuniang grew up in the Wang family. Like other peasant women, she possessed the traditional virtues of frugality and diligence. She devoted herself wholeheartedly to tasks such as plowing and harvesting in the fields, chopping wood and cutting grass at home, boiling water and cooking meals, washing clothes, and raising pigs. In this regard, Wang's mother was satisfied with her

However, she believes that Xie Xiuniang's health is not very good, especially with a small chest and thin hips, which makes her somewhat dissatisfied. In her view, a woman with a full chest will have sufficient milk for her future children, and larger hips will facilitate childbirth; a small chest and thin hips are quite problematic.

Having completed a full set of punches, Wang Dou was already drenched in sweat, his muscles glistening with sheen. He did not relent, taking up his long spear and assuming a starting posture once again

Several plates of appetizers are arranged on the table, along with a bowl of scrambled eggs, emanating an enticing aroma

The iron plow at home was also taken away by the Tartars a few years ago. Over the years, there has been no money to purchase new plowing tools, and they have had to resort to renting. The accumulated rental fees have caused great distress to Mrs. Zhong. She once considered not using oxen and plows, but instead using a hoe to till the land for her family, but this was vetoed by Wang Dou. Not only would it be exhausting, but it was also uncertain how many years it would take to finish tilling.

Breakfast consists of black flatbreads, accompanied by a large bowl of clear soup. The taste is certainly not as good as last night's white flour dish, but it excels in quantity. After all, starting today, I will have to engage in heavy agricultural work, and it is essential to eat enough.

After dinner, Mother Zhong was weaving in the workshop, while Wang Dou was in his room, carefully reading two books by Grandpa Qi, "New Book of Military Effectiveness" and "Practical Records of Military Training," under the dim light of an oil lamp. Although these two books were published during the Jiajing period, they were not easily accessible to ordinary families. It was only by chance that our ancestor Wang Hu managed to acquire a set, which has been passed down as a family treasure through generations.

After finishing her meal, Xie Xiuniang went to wash the dishes. Wang Mu looked at her slender figure and said, "This child is quite diligent, but her constitution is a bit weak. I fear that it may be difficult for her to bear children in the future"

However, that being said, she usually treats Xie Xiuniang quite well, and the village wives often speak of her with envy, believing that Xie Xiuniang has found a good in-law family. In this regard, Xie Xiuniang is also aware of it in her heart