TTLJDFL Chapter 13

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Qin Muwen held the child, not daring to look at Li Jin’s expression.

Although he took on embroidery work to help with the household expenses and meant well, it still went against Li Jin’s instruction to rest properly.

If this were a more assertive ger, he would have stood his ground and said, “I’m doing this for our family’s sake.”

But Qin Muwen was raised in the household of a Minister. His father was a high-ranking official, and none of the concubines or mistresses in the back courtyard would have dared to speak to the Minister in such a way.

Moreover, his father was also a ger with a gentle disposition.

A person’s upbringing has a deep impact on their character, so Qin Muwen had been taught to be exceptionally obedient and never to go against his husband’s words.

He only took on this embroidery work because his close ger friends came to visit him and brought the job along.

“A new official recently moved into town. He wants all his servants to have matching accessories, so we were asked to sew more coin purses and handkerchiefs.”

“The pay is higher than usual! Ah Wen, I took the liberty of accepting the work for you.”

Qin Muwen thought that if he simply lay in bed all day doing nothing, he would feel extremely guilty.

So, he decided to use the time to sew and earn some extra money to buy soft fabric to make clothes for the baby.

Thus, Qin Muwen thanked his friends and accepted the work.

His friends had finally found the time to visit and were eager to see his child.

“Ah Wen, thank goodness you survived that day.”

“Is it a boy?”

“Come on, let us see.”

Qin Muwen blushed slightly and said, “Not a boy. He’s a ger.”

He lifted the child up, and everyone saw the small, bright red birthmark between the baby’s brows.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy, and everyone felt a deep sense of sympathy.

“A ger… Ah Wen, your fate is really too bitter.”

“But it’s lucky in a way. Li Jin can’t afford to marry another wife. Just have a son next time.”

Qin Muwen had also been worried that Li Jin would dislike the child’s gender.

But from last night to this morning, Li Jin had been very gentle with the baby. Qin Muwen was an incredibly light sleeper, yet when he woke up, he found the baby nestled in Li Jin’s arms, being fed rice porridge…

It seemed like Li Jin had fed the baby multiple times throughout the night.

Though Li Jin never said he liked the child, his actions made it clear to Qin Muwen—Li Jin truly cared about the baby.

Qin Muwen never imagined that, even though the child was a ger, Li Jin would be so devoted to him.

He had once imagined having a son. That way, the Li family would have an heir, and perhaps Li Jin would settle down and stop drinking all day.

But fate had other plans—he couldn’t decide the child’s gender just by wishing for it.

However, despite this, Li Jin was acting more like a real man than ever before.

A man who could stand tall and be the backbone of his family.

Not a cowardly freeloader.

Qin Muwen didn’t show the slightest hint of sorrow on his face. Instead, he smiled and said, “A ge'er is still my own child.”

“The child looks a lot like his father. He’ll definitely grow up to be handsome.”

The others looked at Qin Muwen’s smile and suddenly didn’t know how to respond.

The reason they had formed a close bond was because none of them had a good life at home. They stuck together for support and had someone to talk to.

Before, whenever they complained about their lives, Qin Muwen would just sit quietly and listen, never saying a word.

But everyone knew about Qin Muwen’s situation—after all, Li Jin was known to be a reckless man. There was no way Qin Muwen could have a good life with him.

So, their attitude toward Qin Muwen was always one of pity.

But no one expected that, all of a sudden, Qin Muwen no longer needed their pity.

It was like a beggar suddenly acquiring a house—those who once felt superior, who used to hand out charity to the beggar, now couldn’t even compare to him.

A sense of unspoken disparity settled in their hearts, something they couldn’t quite put into words.

This was the first time Qin Muwen had ever smiled while spending time with them.

After leaving Li Jin’s house, the men each returned home. Though no one said anything, they all understood that the next time they faced Qin Muwen, they wouldn’t be able to act superior anymore.

—They had never realized how much of their so-called “pity” had actually been laced with condescension and hidden jabs.

===

Li Jin hadn’t initially thought about these materials in the basket being a way to earn money.

He was just surprised at how quickly the basket had filled up.

As soon as he asked, Qin Muwen started confessing everything in a soft voice, like spilling beans.

“These are the sewing tasks I took on. A finished embroidered pouch earns one penny, and two handkerchiefs also earn one penny.

The fabric and thread belong to the employer, and once finished, everything must be handed over.”

Li Jin frowned and asked, “How long does it take you to sew one pouch?”

“I can sew three in one hour. I can sew more handkerchiefs.”

One hour was equivalent to two modern hours. That meant if he sewed for eight hours a day—four shifts—he could complete twelve pouches and earn only twelve pennies.

Li Jin picked up the materials from the basket and counted. “There are twenty pouches and twenty handkerchiefs here. When do you have to finish them?”

The young man hesitated for a moment and then cautiously said, “They have to be turned in seven days from now…”

Since he had just given birth, his friends didn’t dare to take on too much work for him. After all, he still had to care for the child.

Before having a child, Qin Muwen used to go to the fields in the morning to pull weeds, then sit in the courtyard sewing all day, continuing even at night.

However, jobs with good pay weren’t always available, so on average, Qin Muwen used to earn about ten pennies per day.

But even though this sewing job was spread over seven days, Li Jin still thought it was too exhausting.

Sewing required patience and precision, each stitch meticulously placed. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed from the outside.

Although Li Jin had already accepted the young man and the child as his family, true emotional bonds needed time to develop. So instead of directly ordering him to stop taking such demanding jobs,

He asked, “Can your body handle it?”

Qin Muwen nodded. “I’ve already finished three pouches. Ah Jin, I can do it…”

Li Jin now understood—the young man simply wasn’t someone who could sit idle.

He had worked hard for this family for two years, and now, suddenly being able to “rest” during postpartum recovery made him feel uneasy instead.

Li Jin didn’t say anything but was already planning in his mind. Once the young man finished this batch of work, he definitely couldn’t let him take on such demanding tasks again.

Seeing that Li Jin wasn’t scolding him, Qin Muwen grew even more nervous.

He hesitantly asked, “Ah Jin, are you angry?”

Li Jin: “Hmm?”

“You told me before to rest in bed properly, but I secretly took on work. If you’re angry, I’ll return all of this.”

The young man was extremely sensitive. He had been used to Li Jin beating and scolding him in the past. Now that Li Jin was treating him well, he didn’t dare to take it for granted.

All he wished for was that the past never returned.

Li Jin, as a former doctor, had seen many people, but he had never met someone like the young man before.

Someone so warm and soft-hearted, it was almost unbelievable.

Li Jin said, “Since you already took on the job, you can do it when you have free time, but don’t overwork yourself.”

After a pause, he added, “In a few days, I’ll go to town to buy some fabric. If you really can’t stay idle, how about making me a set of clothes?”

Li Jin felt that the first part of his sentence was like a doctor’s advice. But the second part…

Had any doctor ever asked a patient to make clothes for them?

The young man’s eyes instantly lit up when he heard that. He nodded quickly. “Okay!”

===

For lunch, Li Jin prepared a light meal—two bowls of plain noodles. But he made sure to add a poached egg to each bowl.

There were still some wild vegetables at home. He blanched them, then mixed them with soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and sesame oil, creating a dish with a unique flavor.

Just after they finished eating, Li Daniu arrived with a chessboard.

“Li Jin, you promised to play chess with me. Come, let me see how good you are!”

Li Jin thought it was a good opportunity to return the money for the bedding.

Li Daniu watched as Li Jin brought out a bowl and secretly thought to himself—Li Jin really wasn’t like the rumors anymore. He had actually learned how to serve food.

Back then, when Li Jin’s parents were still alive, he truly acted like a useless man—he wouldn’t even pick up an overturned oil bottle.

At this moment, he was actually bringing back the bowl his husband had finished eating from—what a big change.

If Li Daniu knew that not only did Li Jin bring back the bowl, but he also cooked the noodles, fried the eggs, and blanched the vegetables, his jaw would probably drop in shock.

Just as Li Jin finished washing the bowls, Li Daniu grabbed his arm eagerly, impatient to start their chess match.

Li Jin pulled his arm back and said, “Don’t rush, I need to pay you back first.”

“Pay me back for what?” Li Daniu was surprised when he saw the heavy coin pouch in Li Jin’s hand. “You already earned back the money for the bedding so quickly?”

Wow, scholars really are different—when they say they’ll make money, they actually do.

Li Jin raised an eyebrow. “I’m not in the habit of owing people money.”

Li Daniu: “???” So all those times you kept asking Li Zhuzi for money in the past, that was fake?

Before, Li Jin clung to Li Zhuzi’s family like a parasitic vine, so it was no wonder that Li Zhuzi’s wife never had a good attitude toward him.

Li Daniu pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and said, “I only know that, in total, you owe me 200 pennies. This is the receipt written by the village chief. The quilt used four jin of cotton and four chi of fabric. Cotton is 15 pennies per jin, and fabric is 3 pennies per chi, so the quilt cost 72 pennies.

The mattress was cheaper—55 pennies per piece, and you took two, so that’s 110 pennies. Plus the swaddling cloth and diapers, which I’m only charging you 20 pennies for, making a total of 202 pennies.”

Since he couldn’t do the math and couldn’t read, he had asked the village chief to calculate it and write it down for him.

Li Jin handed over the money directly. 200 pennies was almost a month’s living expenses for a farming household.

For Li Daniu to let him take all those items home first without immediate payment—that was a favor he had to remember.

After paying off the debt, Li Jin still went to the village entrance to play chess with Li Daniu for a while.

Li Jin’s chess strategy was steady, always thinking two steps ahead. Meanwhile, Li Daniu’s pieces were quickly eaten up, leaving only his lonely general.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Li Daniu had lost three matches in a row—his face turned green.

Unknowingly, a crowd had gathered around them, consisting of young men returning from farm work.

Everyone in the village knew that Li Daniu was a chess addict who loved playing, and he rarely had a real opponent.

They had initially come to watch Li Jin make a fool of himself.

After all, Li Jin had always been seen as a useless man with no skills whatsoever.

Previously, they had heard that Li Jin had helped Li Daniu solve a chess problem, but they assumed it was just a lucky coincidence.

But to their shock, Li Daniu had no chance against Li Jin in this match—he was completely outplayed.

Now, everyone’s impression of Li Jin shifted.

—It turns out this guy actually knows something. And wasn’t there talk of him taking the xiucai exam next February?

If he passed, wouldn’t that make him an official?

But Li Jin didn’t think about that. Right now, he was busy considering what vegetables to plant after the wheat harvest.

Tl Notes:

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