Chapter 0002: Requesting Supplies

Xu Jin glanced into the room, where Xu Youcai's wife and three children were gathered, eating porridge. On the table, there was only a plate of pickled vegetables, yet their lips were all glistening with oil, suggesting that they had hidden the meat, fearing that they might see it themselves

It is precisely for this reason that the bookworm can only rely on selling off household items to make ends meet. However, at this moment, Xu Jin is no longer the wooden-headed bookworm he once was; with the family unable to afford even basic necessities, he naturally rushes to Xu Youcai to ask for grain.

Xie Xiaowan was stunned by Xu Jin's actions, wanting to withdraw her hand but not daring to do so. She shyly tilted her head to one side, her neck even turning red, as a strange warmth surged within her heart

Xu Jin lowered his eyelids and said: "Sister-in-law, one cannot speak like this. The six acres of paddy fields in my family have all been entrusted to your family for cultivation. We agreed at the beginning to provide one dou of rice each month as rent. Not to mention the distant past, since this summer's harvest until now, for five months, I have not seen Fourth Brother deliver a single grain of food to my family!"

No matter how poor one is, it cannot be worse than begging; as long as one does not die, there will always be a way out. As long as Xu Jin endures this harsh winter, he believes that with his rich experience and flexible mind, he can thrive even in the Ming Dynasty

Xu Youcai raised his hand and slapped his wife, then immediately put on a smiling face and said: "Tenth Brother, your sister-in-law's foul mouth doesn't know how to speak, so don't take it to heart. However, Tenth Brother, let me tell you, as a scholar, it is most important for you to focus on your studies and strive for success in the imperial examinations. This is also the wish of your parents. In our Xu family village, for decades, only your father has been a successful scholar, but unfortunately, he left us too early. You have been studying and learning to read with your father since you were young, and you are the most promising young man in our village to achieve success in the examinations. Don't let your parents and the whole village down!"

Is Fourth Brother at home

He was just slapped by He, and although he was very reluctant, he did not dare to say more. He returned to the room and prepared a dou of rice for Xu Jin

During the Ming Dynasty, the yield of one mu of paddy field was approximately 300 jin, and the Huguang region practiced double cropping each year. Therefore, one mu of paddy field could produce 600 jin of grain annually, and six mu would yield 3,600 jin. After deducting various taxes and costs, this could be converted into five to six taels of silver, which represented a considerable income for an ordinary farming household

The fourth brother is named Xu Youcai, and he is a cousin of Xu Jin. Originally, the Xu Jin family had five to six mu of paddy fields. Since the death of their parents, Xu Jin has focused solely on his studies and neglected agricultural production, so the paddy fields have been entrusted to the fourth brother, Xu Youcai, for cultivation. In daily life, Xu Jin's food supply is provided by Xu Youcai's family

He saw Xu Jin leave and immediately felt as proud as a hen that had just won a fight. Xu Youcai chuckled softly and said, "Studying has made him foolish!"

Xu Youcai's home was only a few dozen meters away, and Xu Jin quickly arrived outside his yard. Before even entering the yard, he was greeted by the enticing aroma of meat, which made him feel even hungrier, causing him to swallow hard.

Over the course of two months, Xie Xiaowan's impression of her husband is that he is a sickly boy who speaks little, and their communication probably amounts to no more than ten sentences. At first, Xie Xiaowan thought her husband was unwell and therefore not inclined to talk, but later she gradually realized that her husband indeed does not like to speak, or perhaps does not enjoy speaking with her.

Since the death of his parents, Xu Jin, the bookworm, has only been reading and has not engaged in any productive work. The little savings at home have long been exhausted, and later he relied on selling household items to make ends meet. Over the past few years, everything of value in the house has been sold. A few months ago, the bookworm fell seriously ill, and after Xie Xiaowan married into the family, she pawned the household quilts, winter clothes, winter shoes, and even her wedding dress to raise money for a doctor.

In a patriarchal feudal society, as the saying goes, "marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog; even if you marry a toad, you must run around the streets with it." Therefore, Xie Xiaowan's devoted care for Xu Jin is entirely rooted in the traditional moral values of a wife.

Xu Youcai hurriedly stepped down from the eaves and said: "Tenth brother, do not be impulsive. This year the harvest is indeed poor, but next year there will be a bountiful harvest, and Fourth Brother will definitely send you the grain."

What? Xu Youcai and He Shi exclaimed in shock

At this moment, Xu Jin, who had just walked out of the courtyard, suddenly turned back and said: "Fourth Brother, I have thought it over, and after the beginning of spring next year, you need not trouble yourselves with the cultivation of my family's rice fields!"

It was precisely for this reason that as soon as Xu Youcai heard that Xu Jin intended to reclaim the land, he immediately compromised.

Xu Youcai glared at his wife and rudely scolded, "You know nothing, long hair but short insight!"

Xie Xiaowan's expression changed as she said, "Husband, you are a scholar; how can you engage in such activities? You will be ridiculed by others!"

As a modern individual, Xu Jin naturally did not possess such awareness. Upon hearing this, he awkwardly released his grip and lightly coughed, reproaching, "In the future, you should refrain from doing such heavy work; you are still a child... cough, seeing how thin you are, let me handle the tasks of chopping wood and fetching water from now on."

At the beginning, Xu Youcai adhered to the agreement and provided Xu Jin with rice and grain on a monthly basis. Gradually, this changed to every other month. Xu Jin, being young and somewhat dull-witted and timid, accepted the rice and grain from Xu Youcai without question, and felt embarrassed to ask if they were not provided. Eventually, Xu Youcai simply stopped giving it altogether, or would provide it only once every six months, and even then it was always the lowest quality brown rice.

Xu Jin called out, pushed open the wooden gate of the courtyard, and immediately heard a chaotic noise from inside the house. After a while, the door finally opened, and Xu Youcai emerged, licking his lips, his eyes darting around as he said: "Did the tenth brother come looking for me for something?"

I can't believe you, even when the pot is empty, there is still meat to eat. Xu Jin felt a surge of anger within, but being adept at self-restraint, he did not show it. After decades of navigating the business world, he had already mastered the art of dealing with people. He understood that arguing with such a person was utterly futile, and resorting to forceful means was even less advisable. Given his current frail condition, he feared he wouldn't even be able to defeat Xu Youcai's eldest son, who was as sturdy as a young calf.

"Fourth Brother, I understand the principle that farming depends on the will of Heaven, so this year's poor harvest is not your fault. I just want to reclaim the rice fields to cultivate them myself!" Xu Jin said with great seriousness.

Hmm! Xie Xiaowan lowered her head, awkwardly looking at her legs. In this cold winter, with frost covering the ground, she was still wearing a pair of straw sandals made from rice straw, with two of her toes exposed.

In that case, I will find another way!" Xu Jin turned and left

He sneered and said, "Oh dear, Jin Ge'er, did I hear you correctly? You do your own farming? Which of the tasks—plowing, sowing, transplanting, or harvesting—can you actually do? You wouldn't even be able to carry a stone of rice."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xu Youcai's wife, He, immediately jumped up as if her tail had been stepped on, her eyes wide open as she exclaimed, "How many dou? Jin Ge'er, do you think our family runs a rice shop?"

However, after her husband accidentally fell into the water today and was rescued by the villagers, Xie Xiaowan敏感地 noticed that her husband seemed to have changed a lot, especially his pair of eyes, which were now lively and clear, in stark contrast to the previous dull and lifeless gaze.

Xu Jindan said: "I will not, but Xiaowan will!"

Xu Youcai also put on a troubled expression and said: "Tenth Brother, what your sister-in-law said is all true. This year, the grain harvest is poor, and our family has five mouths to feed. We are on the verge of not having enough to eat, barely managing with porridge for every meal. We really have no surplus grain to share with you!"

Shut up, when is it your turn to speak, go away!

"No need to be polite, we all share the surname Xu. It is our ancestral teaching to support each other as brothers of the same clan!" Xu Youcai said with a righteous demeanor, and then waved his hand and scolded, "You old hag, what are you still dawdling for? Hurry up and give the tenth brother a measure of rice."

"My lord, I... my hands are not cold, it would not be good for others to see this!" Xie Xiaowan said shyly

Xie Jin was somewhat speechless. In a feudal society where all professions were deemed inferior and only education was held in high regard, scholars were highly esteemed. However, in modern times, with university students and overseas students everywhere, it is truly nothing remarkable; wealth is what truly commands respect

He sneered, "Jin Ge'er, while it is true that we are tilling the fields of your family, what do you, a bookish person who is oblivious to the world outside, know? This year, Poyang Lake experienced severe flooding that submerged the fields, and after the autumn planting, there was a great drought. The grain we harvested barely covered the official grain tax, leaving us with hardly any left. Our family has toiled for a year in vain, and where would we find food to provide for you? Furthermore, the measure of rice you used to marry your wife was also provided by our family; that was our food supply for the winter!"

Xie Xiaowan's footsteps suddenly froze, and she stammered, "My lord... do you already know?"

Xu Jin secretly sneered in his heart, yet on the surface, he spoke nonchalantly: "Fourth Brother, there is no grain at home, please allocate me a few dou of grain for the winter!"

Xu Jinqi said: "There is no rice at home, what will you use to cook?"

Thank you, Brother Si! Xu Jin picked up the rice and left, while Xu Youcai grimaced in pain from his toothache

Gululu ... ...

Xu Youcai clearly did not expect the bookworm to utter such "blasphemous" words. He was momentarily taken aback before quickly saying: "Tenth brother, please do not say that, be careful not to get your legs broken by the clan leader if he hears you. How about this, Fourth brother will tighten his belt and give you a dou of rice to get by for now, you can go home and focus on your studies."

Head of the household, why should we give that bookworm rice? I do not believe he can reclaim the land and farm it himself

Xu Jin glanced at the old cloth shoes on his feet, then looked at the tattered straw sandals worn by Xie Xiaowan, feeling an inexplicable pang of sadness. He truly wanted to curse the heavens, thinking how kind and understanding this young girl was. If he could not ensure that she lived a good life, then Xu Jin would have wasted his existence as a human being

I am going to ask Fourth Brother for some rice and grain!" Xu Jin dropped this line and walked out of the hospital door. Xie Xiaowan opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, she said nothing

Xu Youcai looked at Xu Jin in astonishment. This bookworm has made progress. Previously, when I hadn't delivered grain for half a year, he didn't even dare to utter a word. Now he has come to my door to urge for it, and he speaks so fluently.

Xu Jin sighed and asked, "Is there not even a single penny left at home?"

Xie Xiaowan began to take care of her husband and manage household affairs without a word of complaint, even before she had taken off her wedding dress. The reason for this is not that she has deep feelings for Xu Jin. On the contrary, Xie Xiaowan has no feelings for Xu Jin at all, which is not surprising, as the two had not even met before their marriage, so where would the feelings come from

In a feudal society, the code of conduct is strict, and even between husband and wife, they cannot display excessive affection in public. Public displays of intimacy are considered indecent and subject to ridicule and criticism.

Xie Xiaowan has been married into the Xu family for nearly two months. When she first entered the household, there were no matchmakers or formal wedding arrangements, nor was there a grand red bridal sedan chair; she simply crossed over a fire basin at the entrance to signify her entry. At that time, Xu Jin was in poor health, requiring assistance even to get out of bed, so the ceremony of worshipping heaven and earth was also omitted.

In contrast, Xie Xiaowan naturally prefers the current Xu Jin. In a feudal society where marriages are arranged, women have no way to choose their husbands, but who wouldn't wish to marry a kind and caring husband

Xu Jin awkwardly covered his lower abdomen, as his stomach growled with hunger. Xie Xiaowan quickly said: "I will go cook now, my husband, please read for a while, and you will be able to eat soon"

Your daughter-in-law's family is poor and relies on fishing, how could they possibly farm

Xu Jin expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you very much, Fourth Brother!"

Xu Jin found it somewhat amusing, thinking that with such a level of ability, he still wanted to deceive me. He said earnestly: "Fourth Brother makes a valid point, but we are on the verge of starvation; what is the use of reading books or pursuing some kind of scholarly title? A scholar is of no practical use at all!"