A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

On the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, my uncle's family returned.

The news arrived the day before. Lu Tiezhu returned from the fields and said to Zhao, "My elder brother sent word that he'll be back tomorrow, saying that my nephew Tie Niu is on holiday from the county academy."

Zhao was sewing shoe soles when she paused, her needlework faltering. "Are you coming back to stay for a few days?"

"They didn't say, but I guess it'll only last a day."

During dinner that evening, Lu Tiezhu brought up the matter. Lu Qingyan dredged up her memories of her uncle's family: Lu Tiechuan, her father's eldest brother, ran a general store in town. Her aunt, Wang Xiu, was from town and had always looked down on her rural relatives. They had two sons: the elder son, Lu Feng, was nineteen and studying at the county academy; the younger son, Lu Hai, was seventeen and also studying in town.

The original owner didn't have a deep impression of these relatives. She only remembered that every time they met, her aunt would always say things like "Your rural area is like this and that," which revealed her sense of superiority.

The next morning, Zhao was busy from the start. She swept the yard, wiped the tables and chairs, and took out all the eggs she had saved. Lu Dashan went to the village butcher and bought half a pound of meat—something he usually couldn't bear to buy.

"Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?" Lu Qingyan asked as she helped sweep the floor.

"It's rare for your uncle to come back," Zhao said. "Besides, your cousin is studying at the county academy and is very knowledgeable. You should learn from him."

Lu Qingyan remained silent. In her memory, her cousin Lu Feng was indeed a good student; he had passed the imperial examination last year and was a source of pride for the family.

Around noon, a donkey cart stopped at the gate of the courtyard.

First to come down was the eldest uncle, Lu Tiechuan. He was in his early fifties, a bit plumper than Lu Tiezhu, wearing a dark blue silk jacket, and had a ruddy complexion. Next was the eldest aunt, Wang Xiu, in her forties, wearing a lotus-colored jacket, her hair neatly combed and adorned with a silver hairpin. Behind them were her two sons, Lu Feng and Lu Hai.

Lu Feng resembled his father, with a round face and a smiling expression. Lu Hai resembled his mother, tall and thin, with a slightly raised chin and somewhat unfocused eyes.

"Second brother!" Lu Tiechuan shouted as soon as he entered the courtyard.

Lu Tiezhu went up to him: "Big Brother."

The two brothers clasped hands and looked each other over. Zhao came out with tea: "Elder brother and sister-in-law, please come inside and sit down."

Wang Xiu looked around the courtyard, her gaze lingering on the mud-brick walls and the coarse cloth clothes drying in the sun, before smiling and saying, "Sister-in-law, you've worked hard, preparing all this."

Once seated inside, Lu Feng spoke first: "Hello, Second Uncle and Second Aunt. Where is Cousin Qingyan?"

Lu Qingyan came out of the kitchen: "Cousin."

Lu Feng sized him up: "I heard you passed the preliminary examination? Congratulations."

"By sheer luck."

Lu Hai chimed in from the side, "Being a student in the preliminary examination is nothing; only passing the county-level examination counts as true academic achievement." His tone wasn't meant to be sarcastic; he was simply stating a fact.

Wang Xiu smiled and said, "Hai'er is right. Yan-ge'er still needs to work harder. Your cousin Feng passed the county-level imperial examination last year and will be taking the provincial-level examination this autumn."

The autumn examination is the provincial examination. Lu Qingyan calculated the time and confirmed that the provincial examination was indeed held in August this year, once every three years.

"My cousin will definitely pass the imperial examination," he said.

Lu Feng waved his hand: "The provincial examination is difficult, I dare not say."

Lunch was laid out on the table. A plate of stir-fried meat, a plate of eggs, a pot of stew, and white rice—this was the standard for entertaining guests. At home, we usually eat mixed grains.

Looking at the dishes on the table, Wang Xiu said to Zhao Shi, "Sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble. Actually, there's no need to spend so much; we can just have something simple to eat."

She was being polite, but she only picked up a few pieces of vegetables with her chopsticks.

At the dinner table, Lu Tiechuan asked about the family's harvest, and Lu Tiezhu told him. He then asked about Lu Dashan's marriage—Lu Dashan was twenty-five years old and still unmarried; his family was poor and couldn't afford a bride price.

"Dashan is getting on in years, it's time for him to settle down," Lu Tiechuan said. "I know a few families in town, I'll ask them for you later."

Lu Dashan chuckled, "No rush."

Wang Xiu chimed in, "Why aren't we in a hurry? A man needs to settle down and start a family. Look at Feng'er, he passed the imperial examination last year and someone is already arranging a marriage for him this year."

These words created an awkward atmosphere at the table.

Lu Tiechuan glared at her, then turned to Lu Qingyan and said, "Brother Yan, I heard you're copying books?"

"Yes."

"Copying books is good; it helps you practice calligraphy and you can earn some money." Lu Tiechuan took out a cloth bag from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Take this money and buy paper and pens."

The cloth bag was opened, revealing two taels of silver.

The table fell silent.

Zhao spoke first: "Brother, this is unacceptable..."

"Sure," Lu Tiechuan said. "Qingyan's studies are the important thing. As his uncle, it's only right that I help him out."

Lu Qingyan looked at the two taels of silver. Indeed, he was short of money. He needed money for travel expenses to the prefectural city, rent, and food. Two taels of silver could solve his immediate problem.

But he didn't reach out.

"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle," he said, "but I can earn it. The money the publishing house gives me is enough once the storybook is finished."

Lu Tiechuan was taken aback: "Storybooks? You write that kind of stuff?"

"Yes."

Wang Xiu chuckled softly: "Writing vernacular stories is ultimately not the right path. Scholars should focus on the imperial examinations."

Lu Hai chimed in, "Our academy teacher said that writing vernacular texts is a heretical path, and proper scholars shouldn't get involved in it."

Lu Feng shook his head: "You can't say that. Even Li Bai of the previous dynasty wrote legends. It's a skill for my cousin Qingyan to be able to make money by writing."

He looked at Lu Qingyan: "You really don't want it?"

"No," Lu Qingyan said calmly. "I appreciate your kindness, Uncle. But I can earn money myself."

Lu Tiechuan looked at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions. After a long while, he put away the silver: "You have backbone."

After the meal, Lu Chuan pulled Lu Qingyan into the courtyard to talk.

"You really write storybooks?"

"Real writing."

"Does it make money?"

"One book and one and a half ounces."

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow: "Quite a few. What kind of themes?"

"Rebirth: A Poor Student's Rise to Power."

Lu Feng laughed: "This topic is indeed very popular right now. How's your writing? Let me see?"

Lu Qingyan went back inside to get the manuscript. Lu Chuan sat under the jujube tree, turning the pages one by one. He read very attentively, nodding occasionally.

"Not bad," he said after finishing the book. "The plot is gripping, and the writing flows smoothly. It's just that some parts are too straightforward and could be a bit more elegant."

"It's for ordinary people; it's too literary for them to understand."

"That's true." Lu Feng handed the manuscript back to him. "Are you confident about the provincial examination in August?"

"Do your best."

"Just do your best." Lu Feng patted his shoulder. "When I took the college entrance exam, I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep. It's really not that complicated. Just write what you're supposed to write."

Meanwhile, Lu Hai was talking to Wang Xiu inside the house. His voice wasn't loud, but Lu Qingyan had good hearing and could hear a few words:

"...pretending to be high-minded..."

"...That's just how rural people are..."

"...My brother even gets along well with him..."

Lu Qingyan pretended not to hear.

In the afternoon, the eldest uncle's family was leaving. Before leaving, Lu Tiechuan pulled Lu Tiezhu aside for a while and stuffed a small packet of loose silver into his hand. Lu Tiezhu declined, and the two brothers argued for a long time at the courtyard gate. In the end, Lu Tiezhu accepted it with red eyes.

The donkey cart drove away, raising a cloud of dust.

Looking at the loose silver in her hand, Zhao sighed, "Your uncle has had a hard life too."

"The way my aunt looked..." Lu Dashan said in a muffled voice.

"She is her, and your uncle is your uncle." Madam Zhao carefully put away the silver. "Keep this money for Yan'er. She'll need it when she goes to the prefectural city."

Lu Qingyan said, "Mother, I really don't need it. I have enough to tell stories about."

"That's yours, it's part of the family." Zhao was unusually firm. "Take it if I tell you to."

That evening, Lu Qingyan was writing a storybook under the lamp. When he came to the part where the protagonist refused financial assistance from a wealthy family and earned money through his own abilities, he paused for a moment.

He remembered the two taels of silver he had received during the day.

It's not that I don't want it, it's that I can't accept it. If I take it, I'll owe him a favor. My uncle means well, but my aunt can't accept it. If I pass the exam, people will say, "I relied on my uncle's help"; if I fail, it will be even more gossip.

It's better to earn it yourself; it's cleaner that way.

He continued writing. The pen scratched away, each character clear and distinct.

Outside the window, Lu Tiezhu and Zhao Shi were talking in the courtyard:

"...The eldest brother still cares about his brothers."

"...Given your sister-in-law's behavior, we should avoid contact with her in the future."

"...Let the children be..."

The voice gradually faded.

Lu Qingyan finished writing a chapter and put down his pen.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting crisscrossing shadows on the floor. In the distance, a dog barked; nearby, insects chirped.

This family may be poor, but they are resilient.

He blew out the oil lamp and lay down. The quilt smelled of sunshine and the scent of soapberries that Zhao had washed.