Chapter 8 – This World Is Quite Interesting

Xu Lian sat under a large tree with his hands tucked into his sleeves, watching Zhang Yuan load stones onto a cart. “Brother Yuan, when you’re lifting stones, make sure you keep your back straight and coordinate your waist and legs. Otherwise, you’ll strain your spine or crush your foot.”

In a display of “brotherly care,” Xu Lian shared his insights on stone hauling with Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, remained silent, clearly unwilling to humor him with a response.

“Brother Yuan, that’s enough,” Xu Lian said as he stood up. “Don’t load it too full – my little black donkey is still young and can’t handle too much weight.”

Once the cart was loaded, Xu Lian hitched up the donkey and set off for the docks in the town.

There was no denying it-being a transporter was far easier than hauling stones. With the help of a cart, the work wasn’t just lighter; it also paid better.

By the time he had made a few trips, it was already midday.

Lunch at the mine was as meager as ever: two steamed buns and a bowl of thin porridge.

Zhang Yuan devoured his meal and stared longingly at the buns in Xu Lian’s hands. “Brother Lian, do you think you could…”

“Nope!” Xu Lian quickly stuffed the bun into his mouth and finished off the porridge.

Zhang Yuan scowled. “You’re guarding your food like I’m some kind of thief. We grew up together, and now that you earn more grain as a transporter, you can’t even help your brother out a little?”

Xu Lian shrugged. “Times are hard for everyone. When you were a transporter, you didn’t share with me either.”

Grumbling, Zhang Yuan lay down to rest and refused to speak further.

Undisturbed, Xu Lian looked around. When no one was looking, he took out a small piece of beef he had brought from home and popped it into his mouth to replenish his strength.

After a short rest, the overseers returned, brandishing their whips and shouting for the workers to get back to work.

Reluctantly, the miners rose to their feet.

Xu Lian resumed his spot under the tree, hands in his sleeves, chatting idly as Zhang Yuan loaded the cart. Zhang Yuan ignored him, so Xu Lian simply talked to himself to pass the time.

Once the cart was loaded, Xu Lian drove it off to the docks again.

At dusk, after several trips, the steward, Han Du, announced the end of the workday, and the miners lined up to receive their rations.

Xu Lian collected his double portion, three pounds of grain. He noticed that Zhang Yuan was eyeing his grain bag and immediately tucked it into his jacket.

Carrying his one and a half pounds of grain, Zhang Yuan sluggishly climbed onto Xu Lian’s donkey cart.

As they headed home, Xu Lian stopped halfway. “Brother Yuan, get down and help me cut some grass. I need it to feed the donkey.”

Already annoyed, Zhang Yuan snapped, “Why should I help you cut grass?”

“If you don’t help, you’re walking the rest of the way,” Xu Lian retorted, his tone firm.

Zhang Yuan’s face darkened, but he had no choice. He got down and reluctantly started cutting grass.

“Hurry up, Brother Yuan,” Xu Lian urged him, noticing his sluggish pace. “If it gets dark and we run into bandits, we’ll both be in trouble.”

Reluctantly, Zhang Yuan quickened his pace, muttering complaints under his breath. “I’ve been working all day, and you can’t even cut me some slack. You’re getting stingier by the day!”

Xu Lian chuckled. They say that suffering losses is a blessing, but I’d rather let someone else enjoy that blessing.

After filling the cart halfway with grass, they noticed the sky growing darker and hurried to leave.

When they passed by Zhang Yuan’s house, he hopped off the cart and Xu Lian continued toward home.

“Brother Lian, do you want a wife?”

Out of nowhere, a shadow appeared in front of the cart, blocking the way.

Startled, Xu Lian pulled the reins and stopped the donkey. He blinked his eyes and recognized the man – it was Yang Ye, a middle-aged stonemason from the mine.

Xu Lian instinctively shook his head. “Move aside. I’m not interested.”

“You’re a transporter now, and you earn more grain,” Yang Ye said, approaching the cart. “You only have two women at home – plenty of food left over. You can easily take in another.”

Yang Ye grinned. “My youngest daughter is a real beauty. My house is right over there. Come take a look, I guarantee you’ll like her.”

Xu Lian frowned. “The mine has other transporters. Why offer her to me?”

Yang Ye sighed. “My daughter has just come of age. I can’t bear to give her to the older transporters. Most of them already have several wives. She’d be treated unfairly. You’re young, and you only have a few women at home. It’s a perfect match.”

Xu Lian understood.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t tempted.

His unique circumstances required him to… well, acquire more wives sooner or later. But for now, his income barely covered his household’s needs. Taking in another would stretch things too thin.

More importantly, bringing another woman home was not something he could decide on his own. He would need to discuss it with Sister Xiya first. Otherwise, her goodwill toward him might plummet, and that would be a costly mistake.

“You’re not just going to give me your daughter for nothing, are you?”

Xu Lian asked cautiously.

Yang Ye’s face darkened as he stiffened. “What kind of nonsense is this? Nothing is free in this world! I’ve worked to the bone to earn grain to raise my daughter. I’m not looking for profit, but I need at least some peace of mind.”

Xu Lian nodded. “All right, then tell me how much grain you want. I’ll consider it.”

Yang Ye seemed to have made up his mind already. “You’re a handsome young man, so I’m sure my daughter will like you. I won’t ask for much-just her weight in grain. She weighs eighty-five pounds; you give me eighty-five pounds of grain, and we’ll have a deal.”

Eighty-five pounds of grain wasn’t a bad deal. However, Xu Lian frowned. “I don’t have that much grain on me right now. Can I pay in installments?”

Yang Ye pointed to Xu Lian’s chest. “I’ve already thought of that. Liang Yan gave you fifteen taels of silver for the donkey. That little donkey of yours couldn’t have cost all fifteen taels – you should have some left over, right? Give me the rest as a deposit, and you can take my daughter home. Later, when you’ve earned more grain, pay me the rest. I’m not worried-you have a donkey, so you won’t run away. But if you dare try to cheat me, we’ll settle it with blades!”

What a perfect father-in-law of the Yin Dynasty… Xu Lian felt “touched” but didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Liang Yan had indeed given him fifteen taels of silver. The donkey had cost twelve and a half taels, and the cart frame another half, leaving him with two taels. On top of that, he had scavenged over five taels from the bodies of three burly men. His total wealth was now more than seven taels, a considerable sum for an ordinary household.

“I’ll take a look at your daughter first,” Xu Lian said. “If she’s as pretty as you say, I’ll pay the deposit.”

“Alright,” Yang Ye agreed and led the way.

Xu Lian followed in his cart.

It wasn’t far to Yang Ye’s house, a shabby mud structure typical of the common folk of Green Bamboo Town.

“Chan’er, come out here!” Yang Ye called out as he brought Xu Lian inside.

Two emaciated middle-aged women sat in a corner, busy with needlework. Their pallor and frailty were clearly the result of frequent bloodletting and inadequate nutrition. A sixteen-year-old girl soon emerged from the inner room and jogged over. Despite her coarse, patched clothing, her beauty was undeniable.

The sight of her made Xu Lian’s heart race. In that instant, he was smitten.

“Well? I didn’t lie to you, did I?” Yang Ye asked.

The girl, Yang Chan’er, blushed deeply and lowered her gaze. She seemed to understand why her father had brought a young man to their home; the matter had likely been discussed in advance.

“Would you like to come home with me and be my wife?” Xu Lian asked directly, staring at Yang Chan’er’s beautiful face.

As a “civilized” man from modern society, he found such bluntness awkward. But in this world, there was no need for complicated rituals or pretense – straightforwardness worked best.

Yang Chan’er’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red. Shy yet unwilling to miss out on such a good match, she replied softly, “Brother Lian, I’m willing.”

“Good.”

Satisfied, Xu Lian reluctantly pulled two taels of silver from his chest and placed them on the table. Naturally, he wasn’t going to part with his entire stash – two taels would suffice as a deposit.

One of the middle-aged women teared up and hugged Yang Chan’er. “You are Chan’er’s first husband. You must treat my Chan’er well! Make sure that she gets enough to eat every day! And let her take turns with the other women for bloodletting, don’t make her do it every day!”

Her first man, Xu Lian thought. That’s… right, I guess. In these chaotic times, men often met an untimely end, so it was common for women to change partners.

“You have my word,” Xu Lian assured her. “You’ve raised her so beautifully. I’m happy. I’ll make sure she’s well-fed and treated kindly.”

Yang Ye picked up the two taels of silver, bit into them to check their authenticity, and waved his hand. “Take her home now – it’s getting dark.”

Xu Lian hesitated. “Not yet. I need to discuss this with the women at home first.”

Yang Ye frowned in confusion. “What is there to discuss? If you can afford to support another woman, it means less burden on the ones you already have. This is good news for them-they’ll have to let blood flow less often.”

Xu Lian was struck by the irony. In this world, what modern society would consider a “scumbag” was a model husband. The more women he could bring home, the happier his existing ones would be – they’d have less work and fewer sacrifices to make.

But his situation was different. He had genuine feelings for Sister Xiya, and he couldn’t risk lowering her goodwill toward him. “I’d still prefer to discuss it with her first.”

Yang Ye’s brow furrowed. “You’ve already paid the deposit. Chan’er is your woman now, but you’re leaving her here to eat my food? What kind of logic is that?”

Xu Lian almost choked. Father-in-law, you’re just as calculating as Wang Cuiyun…

Still, he couldn’t fault Yang Ye – food was the most critical resource in this world.

“All right,” Xu Lian relented. “Chan’er will stay here for now. I’ll pay you half a pound of grain per day for her upkeep. When I come to take her home, I’ll settle the bill.”

“Deal,” Yang Ye agreed.

Xu Lian walked over to Yang Chan’er and hugged her briefly. Her soft, slender body was delightful to hold. Since he’d already paid the deposit, a little indulgence seemed fair. “Chan’er, stay here for now. I’ll be back for you soon.”

Yang Chan’er blushed and nodded shyly.

Reluctantly, Xu Lian let her go, left the house, and drove off into the night.

The cool evening breeze brushed against his face as he traveled home. For the first time, he genuinely felt content.

“This world is quite interesting,” he muttered to himself. I’m starting to like it here.