On the first month of the lunar year, Kang He and Fan Jing took the two children to visit several relatives and acquaintances, dropping by their homes. At the same time, they held banquets both in the countryside and in the city to entertain their friends and family.
Over the years, the number of relatives and friends they visited each New Year gradually increased. At first, they would visit three or four households on the first day of the lunar year, which was already quite a lot. Later, it slowly increased to five or six, then to more… Nowadays, everyone had their own circle of close friends, so the whole family simply split up and went to different places.
On the seventh day, Chen Sanfang took Little Fu and Fan’s father to a family in the countryside they often visited to share a meal. Coincidentally, the well-behaved little girls went to the Monkey Hill to visit the temple fair.
Kang He and Fan Jing brought gifts worth no less than a hundred taels and took Dafu to visit the Luo family. First, to pay New Year respects; second, to collect Dafu’s belongings from the Luo household.
Dafu had been living at the Luo family’s for half a year. Now that he was about to leave, it was only proper to bid farewell properly.
The Luo family happened to be holding a banquet that day. Not only Kang He and Fan Jing were present, but many other Luo relatives had also come, making the house very lively.
Dafu knew that today he would pay New Year respects to his aunt and uncle, so while his father and uncle were preparing the gifts, he and Little Fu selected a pure white rabbit from the poultry shed. They put it in a cage lined with dry grass, preparing to give it as a gift to his cousin, An Ge.
Dafu thought that his aunt and uncle had treated him very well while he stayed at their home. Now that he was no longer a child, he wasn’t sure how to express his gratitude. Fortunately, his father and uncle had taken care of most things.
But An Ge, his cousin who often ate and played with him, was close in age. He was a good person to thank properly. Since Dafu was moving back home today, he wanted to give him a proper gift.
“An Ge is gentle and quiet. He doesn’t like those toys that make you sweat and get tired. He often practices embroidery indoors and is learning to read. The little rabbit is gentle and fluffy. I think An Ge will like it.”
“As for Huai Zhang, he’s still young and can’t take care of living things. Besides, he’s a boy, so I’m going to give him a box of cuju balls and bamboo balls—those kinds of toys. Father says that’s fine?”
Seeing this, Kang He couldn’t help but praise Dafu: “It’s a good thing to love your brothers and sisters. It’s rare that you think so thoughtfully.”
Then he advised Dafu, “Today’s visit isn’t just to pay respects to your aunt and uncle, but also to formally thank the Luo family. From now on, you won’t be living here anymore, so you should also send gifts to the brothers and sisters of the main family.”
Dafu nodded and went back inside to pack the gifts, bringing out two newly prepared baskets.
After gathering everything, the whole family got into the carriage and headed to the city.
By the time they arrived at the Luo family’s home, many guests had already come, making the place quite lively. Today, they would have at least five tables for the feast.
Kang He and Fan Jing instructed Er Xi to bring the gifts inside and distribute them. Dafu called a few elders and also took the gifts to the children of the two branches.
Seeing Kang He and Fan Jing arrive, Luo Tongsheng, who had been proudly boasting to relatives, had his bright expression slightly dim.
He went to greet the couple and said, “Today we will be sending Dafu back to his own home. Having him stay here under his uncle’s guidance for his studies was certainly good. I’ve seen how much he has improved. With proper education, he might one day have opportunities like his uncle.”
Kang He knew Luo Tongsheng was sincere about the child’s education, but as a non-scholar, his words didn’t always sound pleasant.
“Mr. Xu also said Dafu has made progress. I believe it’s because he’s been living here, guided by his uncle and Luo Tongsheng. That’s why he’s improved. But if he stays too long here, he might bother his uncle’s studies, and besides, the family also misses him.”
“Fortunately, the two households aren’t far apart, so we can still visit frequently. It’s not much different from before.”
At the mention of the residence, Luo Tongsheng’s expression turned somewhat awkward. He couldn’t help but look a bit sour and jealous: “Well, indeed, you bought a new house in the West City, on Chaoxi Lane. Taking the child back isn’t really wrong.”
“That’s true. It was just bad luck. When we were looking at new houses, we first checked Chaoxi Lane, but there were no houses for sale. So we turned to other places in the West City. After looking around, we finally chose this one. If we had waited a little longer, we might have gotten a house on Chaoxi Lane.”
Kang He could practically smell the bitterness in his tone. If he didn’t know their family situation, he would have believed Luo Tongsheng’s words.
The Luo family had originally lived in the East City. Their old house had been sold before they moved into the new one. If they had been well-off, they wouldn’t have sold the old house so hastily, probably keeping it as a rental.
Besides, although their new house was also in the West City, it was located near the boundary between East and West City, already on the city’s fringe.
They truly wanted a house on Chaoxi Lane, but there were no suitable properties. Given the Luo family’s connections, even the second-best option should have been somewhere more central in the West City—like Xinghua Lane or Qingshan Lane. For a long-established scholarly family with merits, finding a house there should have been much easier than for a family like theirs, a rural merchant household.
Why did they finally settle on the edge of the West City? Could it really be because the houses there were cheaper?
Houses nearly twenty years old, if located in the city center of the West City, would be worth far more.
Kang He understood everything clearly and smiled lightly: “Buying a house is indeed about fate. The city is prosperous, unlike the countryside where building a house is more convenient and limited.”
“This house was chosen because a feng shui master calculated it to be auspicious. Otherwise, for a scholarly family with merits, it wouldn’t have been so easy.”
Luo Tongsheng then asked, “Did you have a feng shui master inspect your house? This isn’t something to take lightly. If the feng shui is bad and the foundation poor, no matter how splendid the house, it’s useless. Dafu is studying, so these things matter.”
Kang He replied, “We didn’t hire anyone to check it, but I think it’s fine. The previous owner was a family named Luo, headed by a xiucai scholar, a family with a literary background. The previous generations also pursued studies.”
“Luo family? Oh… that explains it. When I was studying, I was classmates with people from the Luo family.”
Luo Tongsheng’s face showed admiration. Suddenly realizing he was talking to Kang He, he quickly composed himself and said teasingly, “The Luo family is a scholarly household. How come they sold the entire property? Didn’t they buy a new mansion in the city? There’s no better location in the city than Chaoxi Lane. Could it be mismanagement of the family affairs?”
“I don’t know the details. I only heard that the entire family moved to the capital, I suppose.”
Luo Tongsheng suddenly lost his words.
At that moment, Luo Chuanyi came rushing over: “Father, Uncle Zhang wants to speak with you. He came all the way here. You should go and have a proper chat.”
He had overheard his father talking about the house again from afar and worried that if he kept complaining about it, he would embarrass himself. So he timely sent him away to prevent him from starting the topic again.
Everyone in the family knew how envious he was of the Fan family’s house on Chaoxi Lane. It was one thing to complain at home, but to say it in front of guests, even his eldest brother admitted the Fans were capable people, yet their father kept acting like an arrogant scholar spouting unpleasant remarks.
No one knew why he became less cautious and humble as he aged.
“Brother-in-law, eldest brother, don’t just stand there. Come inside and have some snacks. It’s cold. Have a warm bowl of soup to warm your body.”
Kang He smiled and responded, then went with Fan Jing into the guest room. Dafu had already taken An Ge and two children from the main family upstairs to look at the little rabbit.
After lunch at the Luo family, Kang He told Fan Jing to help Dafu pack his things. To their surprise, while they had been chatting in the courtyard, Dafu had already packed all his clothes and belongings neatly into a trunk, ready to go.
With everything settled, they formally thanked the Luo family and headed home.
“Dafu, if you encounter anything unclear in your studies, don’t hesitate to come ask your uncle before the exams. Don’t be shy.”
“Okay, Uncle, I know.”
Dafu waved goodbye to his aunt’s family at the door, feeling a slight melancholy in his heart.
Classes at the Xu family’s private school would resume on the eleventh day of the first month. After returning home, Dafu didn’t go back to the countryside or visit relatives with Kang He and Fan Jing. Instead, he quietly studied and practiced writing, trying to focus before classes started.
Besides, Kang He had given Dafu the basket of books that Scholar Luo gifted him before leaving. Dafu had looked through them and found them unexpectedly excellent.
The books were specifically designed for the examinations from the preliminary to the academy tests, with detailed notes and insights. Dafu treasured them like a precious gem.
Though he was originally anxious about the exam in the second month, having these books gave him some peace of mind.
On the tenth day, Kang He had to inspect the new cellar being built and couldn’t accompany Dafu to school.
Fan Jing woke early, helped Little Fu dress, and after breakfast, Little Fu, holding his brother’s book trunk, waited for Fan Jing to harness the carriage and take Dafu to school.
On the way back, snow began to fall again. Fan Jing sat outside driving the carriage, and Little Fu couldn’t sit still in the covered carriage, nor was he afraid of the cold. He wanted to sit outside with Fan Jing.
The little boy was very brave, not afraid of the strong mule at all. Seeing his father confidently pulling the reins, he shouted that he wanted to drive.
Fan Jing then held him in front of himself, teaching him to hold the reins, shaking the rope with his small hands to let him have fun. The little one giggled happily.
When they reached the main road, Fan Jing saw a charcoal vendor shouting that a basket of charcoal now cost ten qian.
Their family wasn’t short on charcoal. The countryside had firewood from the mountains, and sometimes tenants would bring some home. The charcoal in the city was mostly supplied from the countryside, so they didn’t buy more outside.
But Fan Jing knew charcoal prices had risen. Last year, it was five or six qian per basket; this year, it had nearly increased by half.
The price increase was understandable since this winter was especially cold. He had heard that some counties outside suffered snow disasters. Their county had continuous snowfall but fortunately no disaster.
He slowly guided the mule forward and saw a group of men and women walking barefoot in ragged clothes.
The men at the back barked: “Hurry up! If you freeze to death on the street, no one will pick up your bodies!”
Fan Jing frowned. These must be disaster refugees sold to the slave dealers from other counties, brought here by the dealers.
He stopped the carriage and called one of the dealers. The dealer quickly came over: “Sir, what can I do for you?”
Fan Jing asked, “Where are these people from?”
“Mostly refugees from Erqiu County. This year’s snow disaster was severe. Firewood and charcoal prices soared. Many poor people froze to death.”
“The court sent disaster funds and supplies, but the local officials didn’t do their job. The suffering poor had to sell their sons and daughters.”
The dealer said, “Our slave trade received many from Erqiu County and is overwhelmed. Looks like four or five more just arrived today.”
“Sir, if you’re kind-hearted, you could buy them and help them get some decent clothes and shoes to survive the winter. Otherwise, more will die.”
At that moment, a man suddenly rushed out and knelt hard on the cold stone floor, kowtowing and begging Fan Jing to buy him.
“Breaking the rules! You want to die?”
Immediately, a stern dealer dragged him back.
Fan Jing frowned tightly.
He thought about how the new house really needed people to help with chores like cooking, laundry, cleaning, and delivering meals to Dafu at noon.
The house was big with many tasks. He and Kang He couldn’t handle everything alone while managing their business. Unless they had multiple arms, it was impossible.
He asked the dealer which slave trade these people belonged to, intending to tell Kang He later and then go check. If possible, they could buy one or two, giving these helpless disaster victims a place to live.
Kang He had returned home first after settling accounts with the cellar workers. He had just finished some warm soup when he heard the carriage and came out the back door, seeing Little Fu in Fan Jing’s arms.
He reached out and picked up the little one. “It’s so cold, yet you were out driving with your father.”
“I’m not cold at all.” Little Fu imitated pulling the reins, showing Kang He, “Driving, drive drive!”
Kang He couldn’t help laughing and gently patted his bottom.
Fan Jing jumped down from the mule carriage and told Yihuan to lead the animals to the stable. Then he said to Kang He, “I saw many disaster victims arrive at the slave trade. If you have time, go take a look later.”
“I heard from Xiao Liu that lately many beggars have appeared in front of the shops. They must be poor folks fleeing last winter’s snow disaster who ended up in our county.”
Kang He said, “Even if we have other matters, we should rearrange things first and settle the manpower well for the work ahead.”
The couple first sent Little Fu to the pork shop, asking Qiao’er to watch him. Then they went to the slave trade.
Inside, there were indeed many people. The room was probably full, so most of the yellow-skinned, thin disaster victims sat outside under the eaves, wrapped in tattered thin clothes, huddling for warmth.
The slave trade was not a refugee shelter. Although some dealers didn’t whip these disaster slaves outright, they certainly didn’t care if they ate well or were warm.
“Sir, you’re here.” The dealer they saw earlier immediately greeted Fan Jing when he spotted him.
Kang He asked, “What’s the going price for buying slaves nowadays?”
“In a disaster year, lives are worthless. It’s all about doing a good deed to resettle them. Ten to fifteen guan is usual; ordinary ones go for a standard price.”
The dealer said, “Our slave trade can’t afford to keep so many people. We can’t watch over them. If you don’t haggle, we’ll let you take whoever you like as long as the price covers our costs.”
The dealer rubbed his cold hands, speaking honestly. The disaster victims in the slave trade couldn’t be kept long; some would freeze or die from illness. Not only would their lives be lost for nothing, but the slave trade would lose money buying them for a few guan only to have them die before selling.
Kang He felt a deep sigh. Even in peaceful years, disaster and famine made it hard for poor families to survive. If their family was like it had been ten years ago, they would struggle as well.
In disaster years, poor families often had to sell themselves or their children as slaves just to survive.
Kang He agreed and said, “Alright, bring three or four good ones here. We need workers at home.”
Hearing this, the dealer hurriedly led them to view the people.
Kang He and Fan Jing selected a strong young man, then took a brother and a young girl, plus a boy around twelve or thirteen. With the dealer’s persuasion, they also took a woman over thirty.
Five people total, costing sixty guan, only ten guan more than the two servants they had bought before.
It was no wonder people said life was cheap in disaster years.
Kang He brought the new people home, having Yihuan arrange their accommodations. He measured their sizes and sent them to Liangshi’s cloth shop to get two sets of winter clothes each.
Those with fever and chills were sent to the doctor for treatment. They were not neglected.
He felt pity for these disaster slaves and went around to several familiar places to ask if anyone needed help with workers.
Whether driven by cheap prices or other reasons, as long as they had a place to go, it was a kind deed.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yang also brought some back and said to Kang He, “Don’t just think about needing workers in the city. There are so many fields in the countryside. Bringing some back as tenants is also a good solution.”
Kang He said, “I know that. Even though buying them cost little, each person opens their mouth to eat, and expenses aren’t small. Plus, taxes are heavy. Slave registrations pay double the head tax of free citizens.”
Xu Yang said, “That’s true. I have the title of village head and enjoy some court privileges. My family has four slaves paying normal taxes. My father and grandfather were xiucai scholars, so we have four more exemptions…”
“You support a big family; that’s a heavy burden.”
This was the difference between official households and commoner households. Once a family had some wealth, everyone tried to rise in the ranks.
The He family, Zhang Shi, also bought two young children to help with chores.
They had twins and had to manage both raising children and running the business. The family was small, and having two more young children made things chaotic.
Kang He and Fan Jing often saw the couple looking exhausted and said raising children was no easy task, especially raising two strong children at once.
Buying two people back to lighten the load was a good thing. It freed up hands to manage the business better.
Kang He and Fan Jing signed contracts with the new workers.
The youngest boy was named A Wang. Kang He and Fan Jing planned to assign him to Dafu’s courtyard to do chores and take care of Dafu.
The brother was called Qi Ge, the girl called Sister Xue. They were taught to serve tea, clean, do laundry, and watch over daily life.
The strong man was named Sheng Han, responsible for guarding the door, feeding the horses, and other miscellaneous tasks.
The woman’s surname was Hua, so they called her Lady Hua. She knew how to cook soups and was assigned to the kitchen.
Though all disaster victims, they weren’t foolish. After learning some rules, and with Yihuan leading them, they all knew how to do their jobs.
The city house now had a proper order.
With people managing the household, Kang He sent Yihuan and Er Xi to handle business outside, ensuring the enterprise had dependable help.
Thus, the busy first month passed quickly, and it was nearly the start of the second month.
Kang He and Fan Jing were preparing to open the vegetable shop. They were also focused on a major event: Dafu’s exam was scheduled for the sixth day of the second month!