Ger, So Proud

Chapter 91

A large crowd of villagers, young and old, followed the procession, chattering and gossiping. He Youcai greeted everyone he saw, while He Ze accompanied him with a polite nod and smile. By the time they reached Lin Yu’s house, He Ze’s face was almost stiff from smiling.

“Uncle Zhang, come out! The proposal for your Yu-ge is here!”

Before He Youcai could knock, someone already shouted out excitedly. The courtyard gate quickly opened, and Zhang Su, beaming, welcomed everyone inside. The courtyard seemed to have been specially cleaned, as even with sixteen large chests, it didn’t feel crowded.

The gift list was written by He Ze, but it was read aloud by an elder from He Village, who also wore a gong around his neck, contributing to the earlier cacophony.

“…Twelve bolts of cotton fabric, six bolts of silk, six bolts of brocade, two pairs of blue and white porcelain vases, eight sets of white porcelain bowls and plates, one pair of white jade hairpins, one pair of jadeite hairpins, one carved ironwood dressing box…”

This elder looked quite old but had a loud and powerful voice. He had barely begun when the villagers started murmuring.

“That’s a lot of fabric! How much silver must that be?”

“That’s just the beginning! I tell you, He Youcai’s family must have struck it rich. Didn’t you hear about those jadeite hairpins and agate bracelets? Those are things only wealthy city folks use. His eldest son has really made something of himself. He Youcai sure has a good son!”

“A good son indeed, but I also think He Youcai and Li Caiyun have a lot of faith. If anything happens to Xiao Ze, won’t they be heartbroken?”

“Don’t jinx it! On such a good day, can’t you wish them well? It’s said that those who survive great hardship are destined for great fortune. I think He Ze is just that. I heard that right after he recovered from his illness, he found a ginseng root in the mountains, and then he started growing flowers. The rarer the flower, the better he grew them. The new flower shop has made a lot of money.”

“Hey, what about He Youcai’s younger son, An-ge? He hasn’t been betrothed yet, has he? He’s good-looking and about the same age as my boy. They’d be a great match!”

“You wish! Have you seen how brawny your son is? An-ge would never go for him! I think my nephew would be a good match. He’s young and already working as a bookkeeper in town, and he’s quite pretty too…”

……

Big items, small items, expensive and cheap—reading through the gift list took nearly two minutes, and the villagers’ conversations drifted further off topic. Even after the list was finished, the onlookers remained excited and did not disperse.

With the boxes now taking up space in the yard, there wasn’t much room left to move around. Zhang Su poured a cup of tea for the person beating the drums and carrying the load, and offered some snacks and fruits to the villagers before politely asking them to leave. As for He Youcai, He Ze, and the elder who read the list, they were invited into the main hall.

Since the engagement had already been decided earlier, the three elders exchanged a few formal pleasantries. He Ze sat to the side, occasionally smiling politely. He didn’t find it boring; in fact, the thought of Lin Yu being confined to his room by Uncle Zhang brought a smile to his face that he couldn’t suppress.

Before leaving, He Youcai and He Ze each offered incense to Lin Bian. After Zhang Su saw them out, Lin Yu cracked open his door and peeked out, “Dad?”

“They’ve all left, come out!”

“Your Uncle He just said that he and Xiao Ze’s birth dates have been sent to matchmaker in town. In a couple of days, the auspicious date for the wedding will be set. It shouldn’t be more than two months,” Zhang Su said, his face glowing with happiness as he looked at Lin Yu.

“Oh—”

Lin Yu puffed out his cheeks, biting his lip as he glanced at his dad. In the sunlight, his pale earlobes turned bright red.

Zhang Su couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s this? Are you shy in front of your dad?”

“No, I’m not,” Lin Yu shook his head awkwardly. The next moment, his gaze fell on the neatly arranged four rows of boxes, and he suddenly fell silent.

“What’s wrong?”

“Dad, He Ze… he won’t be in any danger, will he?”

“Silly child,” Zhang Su sighed, stroking Lin Yu’s hair. “Don’t worry. You’ve been engaged for so long, has anything bad happened? My Xiao Yu is so wonderful, and after the hardships you’ve endured in the first twenty years, heaven won’t let you suffer anymore.”

Lin Yu pressed his lips together, his eyes gradually becoming resolute. His hand moved to his collar, beneath which was the jade pendant He Ze had given him. It emanated a soothing coolness.

……

The wedding date was finally set for May 20th.

Shaman Zhang originally provided three auspicious dates. Since it was best to have the wedding within a hundred days of the engagement, one date was in April and two in May. He Ze initially wanted the April date, but Dad Li felt that “four” was an unlucky number. He Youcai insisted on May, and He Ze had to compromise.

With the major task of arranging the marriage proposal complete, the He family returned to their usual busy yet peaceful routine. As March arrived, the topic of the marriage proposal, which had been the talk of the village, was overshadowed by another matter.

There was to be a conscription.

This news had been circulating among the village elders for some time. The villagers might have heard some rumors, but nothing concrete. However, once the registration and inspections began in some nearby villages, the news of the conscription spread like wildfire.

“Don’t laugh at the soldiers lying drunk on the battlefield, how many ever return from wars of old?”

Even though it was a time of joy post-harvest, a heavy mood fell over the village, making it hard to hear any laughter.

On this particular day, Dad Li took He Ze back to Li Village. He wasn’t worried about the conscription. After all, the Li family was well-off, having been in business for many years. They could afford the four taels of silver needed for the military exemption for their two men.

Despite not being overly concerned, this was still a significant matter that warranted discussion. Additionally, since He Ze had proposed to Lin Yu, it was important to inform them.

Originally, Dad Li had planned for He Youcai to take He Ze to Li Village, but He Youcai, still holding onto a grudge, huffed and took the carriage to town instead, much to Dad Li’s frustration.

“Dad, just let Father be stubborn this once. Besides, didn’t he give you all his silver to buy extra gifts? Father has a generous heart and isn’t a petty person,” He Ze said, smiling as he watched his father’s receding figure.

Dad Li knew his husband’s temperament well. Once his anger subsided, he would be fine. He and his son carried large bags to Li Village and returned with more supplies, including a basket of eggs and many dried goods.

On March 6th, the village chief, He Hong, gathered the entire He Village and officially confirmed the conscription news.

The whole village was immediately enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere. The only relief was that the conscription fee had not increased; two taels of silver could still exempt a family member from service.

For the next half month, there was a constant stream of villagers coming to borrow money. Some were genuinely in need, while others were opportunists. He Ze left all the decisions to Dad Li.

Having gone through the difficulties of the previous year, Dad Li had a keen sense of who was trustworthy. He lent money without hesitation to those he deemed worthy, while those who tried to take advantage were met with a resolute refusal, even if they made a scene at his doorstep.

“What? My family has money? Our money wasn’t blown in by the wind. My son earned it through hard work. We didn’t steal or rob. I can spend it as I please and lend it to whoever I want. It’s none of your damn business!”

With his son doing well and money in his pocket, Dad Li spoke with newfound confidence.

Meanwhile, the flower shop, after its grand opening, continued to do well. On the second day, they sold seven pots, five on the third, and three on the fourth. By February 16th, only fourteen out of the original forty-nine pots remained. Including a pot returned by Guan Duo, they had fifteen pots in total.

Fortunately, He Ze had previously bought many flower seeds. When the pots were full, he scattered the remaining seeds on the ground. He An, while watering, often tended to these as well. Under He Ze’s care, the flowers thrived, blooming beautifully. After some trimming and transplanting into pots, they were vibrant and stunning.

This way, they avoided the embarrassment of running out of stock just three days after opening.

On another note, He Ze and Lin Yu were finally recognized as an official couple. However, before He Ze could spend quality time with his fiancé, He Youcai whisked him off to help at the flower shop.

“You’re useless. An-ge is busy at the shop, and as his older brother, you don’t even think of helping him out. Instead, you’re always following your wife around. What kind of behavior is that?”

He Ze remained silent, though he couldn’t help but think, “As if you didn’t do the same thing back in the day!”

Despite his internal complaints, He Ze wisely chose to stay quiet. As the two of them drove the ox cart out of the village, they coincidentally encountered Lin Tiangui and his grandson, Lin Fu, coming out from a side path. It was indeed a small world.

In such a small village, any family’s situation would be known by everyone in no time. He Ze had heard plenty of gossip about the Lin family, and he had to admit, they were in a pretty bad situation now. However, the worse the Lin family’s situation got, the more satisfied He Ze felt. It was karma in action. Sympathy? That was something he had lost a long time ago.

Unexpectedly, today Lin Tiangui didn’t glare at him with hatred. In fact, he even smiled, though the smile was twisted and had a touch of madness to it. He Ze glanced at him briefly and didn’t pay much attention.

As the ox cart drove away, Lin Fu couldn’t contain himself, “Grandfather, Grandfather, let’s go quickly. I want to find Dad!”

“Alright, Grandfather will take you to find your dad,” Lin Tiangui replied, his face showing a kind expression. He patted Lin Fu’s head, his eyes vacant as he repeated, “Take you to find your dad.”

Leaving aside the matters of this grandfather and grandson, when He Youcai and He Ze arrived at the flower shop, it was a slow time. Cai Xing was watering plants while teaching Liu San and the others about the various flowers. He An was sitting by the counter, practicing his calligraphy on a sand tray. Since the busy opening days, He An had resumed his studies, taught either by He Ze when he was around or by Cai Xing otherwise.

“—Father, this is what you call being busy?”

“Of course it’s busy! Look at Master Cai. He has to greet customers, tend to the plants, and teach Liu San and the others. Even when An-ge practices his writing, he has to help.”

“Alright, alright, I get it!” He Ze finally conceded. The flower shop had been open for almost a month. Its reputation had been established, and business had stabilized. On average, they sold one pot every five or six days, with about seven or eight customers visiting daily.

It might seem slow, but in reality, it wasn’t. Considering that the flowers sold in the shop often went for ten or twenty taels of silver per pot, even the cheapest ones were five or six taels. By the end of the month, they could earn at least twenty taels of silver with minimal costs, making it a significant profit.

He Ze’s original plan for opening the flower shop was precisely this: leveraging his wood-based abilities, managing a small yet profitable shop, and having a stable monthly income. This way, he could freely focus on experimenting with the medicinal field.

After greeting everyone at the shop, Old He hurried to the backyard, where he had been busy with his carpentry work lately. He Ze glanced at the empty flower racks in the shop and asked Liu San and the others to move seven or eight pots from the courtyard. These were delivered from home a few days ago.

Without customers, He Ze helped Cai Xing with the tasks. They stayed busy until noon when an unexpected guest arrived at the flower shop.