Chapter 63 (Seeking Continued Reading) Returning Home for the Holidays

As the autumn harvest approached, the academy granted the teachers and students a farming leave.

Having not seen his parents for a long time, Chen Ping simply packed his luggage and hitched a ride on Li Feng’s carriage to head home.

After being separated from his parents for so many days, longing naturally welled up in his heart.

The carriage dropped Chen Ping off as soon as it reached South Creek Village.

Without even taking a rest upon entering the house, he picked up the sickle from the table, locked the door, and hurried off toward the fields.

Chen Duohai and Mrs. Xiang were working bent over the yellow earth, too busy to attend to household matters for the moment.

It was only when they saw Chen Ping stepping down into the fields that they realized their son had returned.

Mrs. Xiang wiped her hands on her tunic, took out a handkerchief to dab the beads of sweat from his forehead, and looked at him with overflowing affection. "You came back without even sending word. Why didn't you rest at home first?"

"How could your son stay idle at home? Coming over to help out earlier means the harvest can be finished sooner, doesn't it?"

Their brief conversation was overheard by Mrs. Zhou, who happened to be passing by.

Carrying a food box, she was on her way to deliver meals to Chen Duoguang and his son in the fields.

Originally, she had intended to drop by and show off how her own son was by her side, sparing her from having to suffer in the fields, but she never expected that Chen Ping would actually be back.

Unwilling to let her wish fall through, Mrs. Zhou refused to give up and raised her voice sarcastically, "Oh, so Chen Ping is back? What's this? You've barely set foot in the fields and you're already planning to leave?"

"Auntie knows this already? It seems the fields aren't very busy then?"

Too lazy to exchange idle chatter with her, Chen Ping countered with a lukewarm provocation.

In past years, after finishing his own fields, Chen Duohai would always take the big yellow ox and go help out at his eldest uncle's place.

If they could save themselves the trouble this year, it would be wonderful indeed.

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou’s face instantly dropped.

Ignoring Chen Ping, she turned her full fury onto Mrs. Xiang, complaining, "You all just think I'm easy to bully! After borrowing so much silver over the years, I can't even get a single kind word in return?"

Her tone carried a faint, weeping edge, as if she were ready to throw a tantrum at any moment.

The appearance of a single figure cut her words short.

Chen Duoguang, who had been toiling in the fields for a long time without seeing a sign of Mrs. Zhou, had somehow appeared right beside Chen Duohai.

With a dark and expressionless face, he stood in silence, though nobody knew how long he had been there or whether he had heard the preceding conversation.

Realizing the situation looked ominous and sensing she was entirely unsupported, Mrs. Zhou snatched up her basket and fled on the spot.

"Uncle..."

Noticing Chen Duoguang's arrival, Chen Ping was about to explain that he didn't mean he was unwilling to help.

Before he could speak, however, Chen Duoguang raised a hand to stop him.

"I know you were just talking back to her," Chen Duoguang said in a somewhat muffled voice. "She's just that kind of person. She'll never change."

Chen Ping and Chen Duohai exchanged glances, knowing they shouldn't be listening to such domestic grievances.

Chen Duohai wanted to offer a few words of comfort to his elder brother, but for a moment, he didn't know where to begin.

Chen Duoguang wasn't one to dwell on it, though. He looked over the son he hadn't seen in days, and a smile gradually broke across his face. "You've grown a lot taller! I remember Chen俊 was about this height a couple of years ago."

"Oh, that's right! Chen Jun has his marriage settled for this year. I suppose in a couple of years you'll have a little nephew."

"Then congratulations, Uncle."

Chen Ping's congratulations were entirely heartfelt; it was the first time he had seen his eldest uncle look so happy.

The smile on Chen Duoguang's face deepened further. As if suddenly struck by a thought, he looked at Chen Ping, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Ping'er, you're the only scholar in our family. How about you name the child when the time comes? What do you think?"

"Me?"

Why was it always naming people? He was starting to feel like a fortune teller.

Chen Ping's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked hesitatingly, "Will... will that be appropriate?"

"Of course it's appropriate! Never mind that you're young; your generation ranking is high. An elder naming a junior—what could possibly be wrong with that?"

Ignoring the dissuading gestures of the Chen couple, Chen Duoguang directly settled the matter with Chen Ping.

After finishing the farm work, Chen Ping crossed paths with his cousin Chen Jun on his way back.

Having weathered the wind and sun for several months, Chen Jun was much tanner than Chen Ping remembered. The two merely exchanged a greeting before falling silent.

Fortunately, their younger cousin Chen Li, who was walking alongside Chen Jun, was still talkative. She curiously asked how Chen Ping was getting along at the academy.

Chen Ping confessed that he spent his days immersed in a sea of books, hanging on his master's teachings, and even helped out with some matters in the county.

However, the market town of Qingsong was indeed lively.

Seeing the curiosity in Chen Li's eyes, Chen Ping described the vibrant scenery of the market to her.

A yearning sprouted in Chen Li's heart, and her eyes shone brightly.

"Let's go. If we delay any longer, it'll be too late," Chen Jun urged, pulling Chen Li along.

Seeing that the two seemed intent on continuing their conversation, Chen Jun directly interrupted and made a move to leave.

Chen Li hesitated for a fleeting moment before jogging to catch up, though she kept turning back to look at Chen Ping.

She gave a slight nod, silently bidding farewell to Chen Ping with an apologetic smile.

Upon returning home, his mother was busy with chores indoors, while his father's whereabouts were unknown.

Chen Ping held a book and leaned against the window, reading by the fading light of the setting sun.

Before he had even turned two pages, angry and scolding voices drifted over from his eldest uncle's house next door.

That hysterical, shrill shouting could only belong to Mrs. Zhou.

"Didn't I tell you to finish embroidering these handkerchiefs today? Why have you only done this much? And look at this botched mess! I went to all the trouble of having someone bring silk threads from the city, and this is how you waste them?!"

"Speak! I told you to speak!"

"What are you crying for? All you know how to do is cry! I'm doing this for your own good. If you don't practice now, let's see who will care about you after you're married off."

"And wanting your brother to take you out of the village—you're too old to be acting so childish! You're nothing but a money-losing asset!"

The crashing sound of objects being thrown to the ground prompted Mrs. Xiang to walk outside.

Looking distressed, she pulled Chen Ping close to inspect him from head to toe, forgetting entirely about whatever had just broken, and asked with concern, "Did you get hurt anywhere?"

"Mother, it wasn't me."

Chen Ping pursed his lips and motioned for Mrs. Xiang to look next door, where Mrs. Zhou's scolding could still be faintly heard.

Mrs. Xiang sighed. "Is she lecturing Chen Li again? This kind of uproar hasn't just been going on for a day or two."

Half a year ago, Chen Li had begun learning embroidery.

Mrs. Zhou was strict in her teaching, but fortunately, Chen Li was clever and deft with her hands. She took on orders to embroider small floral patterns on handkerchiefs, and the shops in town were quite willing to buy them.

Yet Mrs. Zhou, by nature sharp-tongued and unpleasable, was never satisfied and instead resorted to beating and scolding her at every turn.

She excused this under the fine-sounding banner of "urging her to improve."

While the two were speaking of Chen Li, Chen Duohai walked through the front door carrying a slab of meat.

He walked in with a happy expression, urging Mrs. Xiang to hurry and take it to the kitchen to cook.

As Mrs. Xiang turned to leave, Chen Duohai eagerly shared the family's recent updates with Chen Ping.

"I've managed to find most of the medicinal herbs Dr. Zheng asked for. Since there are only those few kinds around here anyway, going to town twice a month to deliver the herbs to Dr. Zheng is enough for now."

"When I went to deliver the medicine, I stopped by the academy to look for you twice, but the doorkeeper said you were helping out in the county. My boy has truly made something of himself."

It seemed their timings hadn't matched, causing them to miss each other.

Chen Ping modestly replied, "Not at all. Your son was just following his teacher to learn things."

"That still means you've made something of yourself!"

Chen Duohai firmly believed that his son was the most outstanding.

"Oh, right, your mother also took on work from a shop in town these past two months, embroidering some larger pieces to sell for money. The household has quite a bit of income coming in now. You just focus on studying hard, and don't worry about anything else."

Chen Ping said with emotion, "Father and Mother have worked hard for the sake of my studies."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Just study earnestly under your teacher and strive to earn an official title. Remember to let the family know if you lack anything."

Chen Duohai affectionately patted Chen Ping's small head.

After several days of continuous hard work, the crops in the fields were finally harvested.

Chen Duohai loaded the grain onto a cart and went to the village head's house to pay the agricultural tax, leaving Mrs. Xiang and Chen Ping at home.

Chen Li stood timidly at the doorway with an embarrassed expression; she must have slipped over while Mrs. Zhou was away.

Seeing only Chen Ping in the courtyard, she asked in a voice as soft as a mosquito's, looking rather constrained, "Cousin, is Aunt in?"

"Why are you standing outside? Hurry up and come in," Chen Ping said.

Noticing Chen Li's unease, Chen Ping quickly stood up to welcome her inside. "Is something the matter?"

Seeing her tightly clutching a cloth-covered bamboo basket, he guessed the gist of it.

Without asking further, he led her inside.

Mrs. Xiang was delighted to see Chen Li and warmly invited her to sit down.

Having taken pity on Chen Li before, Mrs. Xiang had secretly taught her a few embroidery tips and tricks.

However, Mrs. Zhou burdened Chen Li with a multitude of various household chores every day, leaving her with very little free time.

Whenever she thought of this, Mrs. Xiang could not help but sigh repeatedly, yet felt powerless to change it.

She could only offer a helping hand whenever occasions like this arose, which was why she never turned Chen Li away whenever the girl came over.

Chen Ping had witnessed his mother's embroidery skills; only two days ago, she had displayed her latest creation, whose intricate and elaborate design was truly no easy feat.

Though Chen Ping didn't know much about the craft, he remembered hearing in his past life of the renowned double-sided embroidery, so he had mentioned the concept to his mother.

When Mrs. Xiang first heard of it, she thought it sounded like a fantasy, but if it could truly be successfully embroidered onto a folding screen, it would undoubtedly be exceptionally beautiful. She planned to study the idea herself once she had some leisure time.

Inside the room, Chen Li and Mrs. Xiang had barely exchanged a few words when someone arrived outside.

Chen Ping stood up and walked out.

He saw his cousin Chen Jun standing anxiously in the courtyard, casting frequent glances toward the house.

"Is... is Chen Li here?"

Catching sight of Chen Ping coming out, Chen Jun asked hurriedly, sweat beading on the bridge of his nose.

"She's inside. You look in such a hurry—did something happen?"

Instead of answering, Chen Jun shouted toward the room, "Chen Li, it's time to go back! The grain tax collection will be over in a minute!"

Chen Li's voice acknowledged from inside, and a moment later, the cousins trotted back home together.

Chen Ping stood frozen in place, still trying to puzzle out what paying grain taxes had to do with going home.

Mrs. Xiang walked out and tapped him on the head. "It's not like you didn't hear how harshly Zhou berated her just now. If she found out Chen Li sneaked over here, neither of them would have a peaceful night."

Chen Ping had a sudden realization. With a dry chuckle, he pulled Mrs. Xiang over to declare his flattery, "Mother is still the wisest."

"Stop trying to sweet-talk me!" Mrs. Xiang scolded with a smile. "You're getting bolder with your tongue by the day. One of these days I'll be praised right up to the clouds."

Feigning an aggrieved look, Chen Ping said, "What your son speaks are truly words from the bottom of his heart."

This had Mrs. Xiang laughing helplessly.

With the grain tax settled, the farming leave was drawing to an end.

Before Chen Ping left for home, Mrs. Xiang wished she could pack up the entire household for him to take along, terrified that her son would suffer hardships at the academy.

Chen Duohai complained aloud, "What hardships can a growing boy not endure? There's no need to pamper him so."

Mrs. Xiang simply chose to ignore him, continuing to load items onto the ox cart one by one.

Chen Ping protested repeatedly, "Mother, that's enough, really. At this rate, you'll be moving the whole house over there."

With that, he pressed one hand down on a slab of cured meat that Chen Duohai was trying to place on the cart. "You guys keep this to eat at home. Why bring it all to me?"

"We still have more, what are you worrying about?"

Pointing at the rafters overhead, Chen Ping accused, "I saw it with my own eyes. Even the pole hanging the cured meat was put away. Where on earth is there more?"

Seeing his deception exposed, Chen Duohai simply feigned deafness and muteness. "What's a child fussing about such things for? Hurry up and stand aside, you're getting in the way of my work."

Fine. Now he was a child again.

When chatting with him about household matters ordinarily, nobody ever treated him like a child.

"All right, go back inside. I'll be right back after I drop Ping'er off," Chen Duohai instructed Mrs. Xiang.

Driving the cart pulled by the aging yellow ox, Chen Ping took one last look at South Creek Village just past the autumn harvest.

In the distance, kitchen smoke curled gently upward, morning mist drifted over the river surface, and farm cottages nestled against a backdrop of undulating, emerald-green peaks—it looked straight out of a fairyland.

Chen Ping smiled, knowing deep down that the scenery of South Creek Village hadn't changed; rather, his own state of mind was entirely different now.

The last time he left home, his parents were still worrying over the expenses for his education.

Now, not only had Chen Ping formed a rough blueprint for his own future, but even his parents had found a way to earn a living.

Though they couldn't make a fortune just yet, the family's confidence and spirit were far more robust than before.

It was like the clouds parting to reveal the sun; everything was moving toward a brighter, better future.

And that was more than enough!

On the way back to the academy, the sturdy spine of the old ox rose and fell within his field of vision, and the muscles in his father's strong arms twitched continuously.

Chen Ping could clearly sense that his father was trying his utmost to make the ride as smooth as possible, minimizing the bumps of the cart.

Gently rocked by the motion, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

Chen Duohai glanced back at his sleeping son, the loving smile on his face growing ever deeper.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly draped a garment over Chen Ping to keep him warm.

......