Volume One, Chapter 9: Which Village Can Truly Withstand Such a Trial?

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“Hey, scholar, I heard things have been going well for you lately, quite a haul. Let me have a look, brother.”

Niu Bi, the village loafer, was no stranger to petty theft and mischief. He never put much thought into honest work. His father died early, leaving him spoiled by his old mother. Years ago, the family seemed to have made some money through business, and coupled with his mother’s indulgence, Niu Bi had become the idler he was today. But like Zhou Wu, ever since the family’s mainstay passed away, their fortunes had declined steadily. Now, they relied solely on his mother’s daily silkworm farming to earn a meager income.

“Move aside.”

Zhou Wu had no desire to engage with such a scoundrel, but things rarely went as he wished.

“Oh? Scholar, looks like your wings have grown strong, daring to talk to me like that.”

Seeing no reaction, Niu Bi immediately dropped his smile and put on a fierce scowl.

“What are you to me? How should I talk to you? You’d better scram before I lose my temper.”

Zhou Wu didn’t indulge him, gripping the sword at his waist. The more cowardly this guy was, the more insolent he became.

“Heh, alright, alright.”

Seeing Zhou Wu’s sudden change from timid to resolute, fully armed as he was, Niu Bi forced a laugh, muttered a few pleasantries, and left. Zhou Wu regarded this as a minor incident and paid it no mind.

Back home, Zhou Wu told Li Baiwei about the land situation.

…

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Early the next morning, the village head arrived with two men to measure Zhou Wu’s land.

“Village Head, please come inside.”

Zhou Wu greeted them warmly. They came on his behalf, so he naturally offered hospitality.

“Scholar, no need for formalities. Let’s get to work.”

The village head wanted to get the job done quickly. He had called two villagers for help, but they had their own fields to tend and couldn’t be delayed.

“Village Head, nonsense! It’s early morning and you haven’t eaten yet. Brothers, please sit down. Baiwei, Baiwei!”

While trying to seat the village head and the two villagers, Zhou Wu called out to Li Baiwei. She was busy in the kitchen and quickly ladled several bowls of meat porridge.

“Glug glug~”

Three large bowls of meat porridge filled the table, its aroma making mouths water. Zhou Wu guessed correctly that the village head and his men hadn’t had breakfast, mostly due to their modest means.

“Sorry, we don’t have much to offer. Please, don’t mind me, dig in.”

White rice meat porridge—this was a feast in itself. Many families in the village might not even have such a meal during the New Year.

The village head said nothing, and the two villagers dared not move hastily, their eyes furtively glancing at him.

“The scholar is so warm-hearted; let’s eat first, then help him finish the work well.”

“Hey—”

With the village head’s order, they all picked up their bowls and began eating. The room was filled only with the soft sounds of slurping porridge.

“Scholar, your porridge is too thick—what a waste!”

Though the village head admonished Zhou Wu verbally, his hands worked as fast as the young men’s.

Farmers usually had little fat in their diet and ate thin gruel. Today’s porridge was especially thick, a deliberate choice by Zhou Wu when instructing Li Baiwei. Since they were hosting, they naturally wanted to do their best.

After finishing a hearty bowl of thick meat porridge, the three men felt energized. While measuring the land, the village head focused on premium plots, and the two helpers stretched the measuring tape high. Indeed, kindness begets kindness.

“Scholar, the measurements are done. According to the Great Dragon Empire’s laws, each registered villager gets five acres. You and your wife count as two, so ten acres in total. These are all prime fields, no issues. Just sign here.”

The Great Dragon Empire divided land into premium, medium, and ordinary fields—also called prime, good, and common. Generally, land was allotted as one acre of premium with two acres of medium and ordinary combined. But the village head gave Zhou Wu ten acres of premium land outright. It seemed the deer leg gift truly paid off.

The village head produced the deed. Once Zhou Wu signed, the land grant would have official recognition. Not only was the land all prime, but Li Baiwei was counted in the tally.

“Village Head, are we counting two people?”

Though Li Baiwei lived with Zhou Wu, her registration was not in Niujiao Village. Zhou Wu had never asked where her household registration was, so technically she wasn’t qualified to receive land there.

“Why wouldn’t your wife count? I’ll report it to higher-ups soon and get her registered officially in Niujiao Village.”

The village head waved his hand, signaling Zhou Wu not to worry. Though his position was modest, his authority was considerable. These days, even unregistered wanderers could be settled with his help.

“Thank you, Village Head, thank you.”

Li Baiwei’s registration and the extra land were an unexpected blessing. Zhou Wu expressed his gratitude repeatedly. When they left, Zhou Wu quietly slipped the village head a bribe of one hundred coins. The village head tried to refuse, but with two villagers present, he had to accept.

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After seeing them off, Li Baiwei came out from the inner room.

“Do we really have our own land now?”

“Yes, ten full acres of prime fields. The village head said he took care of your registration too.”

“Wow, that’s wonderful.”

The household registration had long been a worry for Li Baiwei. Due to special circumstances, her original registration couldn’t be revealed, so she never told Zhou Wu. Fortunately, he never pressed.

“A couple of days ago, you were complaining about having nothing to do. Now you’ll be busy enough.”

“Hehe, busy is good. I like being busy. If I’m idle all day, I feel like I’m living off others.”

Li Baiwei feared idleness more than hardship. She didn’t want to be a caged bird doing nothing. She was already planning what to plant on their new land, though she had never farmed before.

“Zhou Lang, should we plant grains or some vegetables?”

“It’s too late for grains now. If we act quickly, we can still plant vegetables.”

Zhou Wu had helped with farming since childhood, so he was confident handling agricultural work.

“Vegetables sound good. I haven’t had mustard greens or radishes in a long time.”

Li Baiwei spoke enthusiastically, but Zhou Wu felt uneasy. It seemed her life at home had been harder than he imagined—though perhaps he was simply overthinking.

“I’ll go to Old Zhang’s place tomorrow to buy some seeds. We’ll plant soon after.”

“Okay.”

In Zhou Wu’s memory, the vegetable varieties in the Great Dragon Empire weren’t many—probably similar to those in the Tang Dynasty of his own era.