TTLJDFL Chapter 39

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On the sixth day of the seventh month, baozi's full-month celebration was held.

A few days prior, Li Jin had bought red paper from town and carefully wrote down the name he had chosen for baozi.

Although his calligraphy was already quite refined—Master Song had even praised him, saying he was ready for the county-level exam—his hands still trembled slightly as he wrote.

He shook his head and chuckled to himself. Even when he had wielded a scalpel in his past life, he hadn’t been this nervous.

But this was different.

After writing baozi's name and birth details, one copy would go into the family genealogy, and another would be submitted to the village chief for population records.

Which meant that years from now, when baozi got engaged, both families would pull out their respective genealogy pages, carefully compare them, and then set an auspicious date for the wedding.

Li Jin had a strange feeling—like he was setting himself up for future embarrassment, to be publicly "executed" in front of everyone ten years later.

Naturally, he didn’t dare to be careless.

The physician, Wu Dafu from Xinglintang, had learned about the full-month celebration in advance and told Li Jin he didn’t have to work that day—he could make up for it during the next rest day instead.

On the fifth day, when Li Jin went to work, Wu Dafu gifted him a pair of soft cotton tiger-head socks for the baby. The fabric was plush, and the tiger embroidery was lively and adorable.

Wu Dafu chuckled and said, "This old man won’t crowd around with you young folks tomorrow.

"This is my gift for the child."

Li Jin received it with both hands, his smile never fading.

"You’re too kind."

Not only did Doctor Wu give him a gift, but the next day, even Mr. Song presented Li Jin with a peachwood plaque carved with symbols meant to ward off evil.

Mr. Song said that since the journey back and forth was long, he wouldn’t make the trip this time. Instead, he told Li Jin to bring Baozi to visit him when they moved to town.

Last time, Chen Xiran had given Baozi a red string as a meeting gift. He still remembered how the soft little creature had nestled in his arms, looking pitiful.

Now that Baozi was a month old, Chen Xiran insisted on seeing him in person.

At Xinglintang, Zhou Gui also planned to visit the village to attend Baozi’s full-month celebration.

Over the past few days, Li Jin had practically been his mentor. Whenever Zhou Gui had questions, Li Jin patiently explained everything without reservation.

Li Jin even encouraged him to ask more questions, saying that was the best way to improve.

Zhou Gui was deeply grateful.

On the sixth day, after Mr. Song finished his lesson, he dismissed the two students. Zhou Gui was already waiting at the gate of the Song residence.

From across the street, he saw Li Jin carrying his bamboo basket as usual, dressed in a robe that had clearly been washed too many times. Yet, even standing beside a young man in luxurious clothing, he did not seem out of place at all.

Zhou Gui thought, That saying about "clothes making the man" isn’t entirely true.

A person with an air of nobility would stand out even in plain clothing.

Of course, if Li Jin were dressed in fine silk robes, with his tall and slender frame and those bright, starry eyes, people would surely believe he was a young master from a prestigious family in the capital!

But then again, their town was small, and Zhou Gui had never even been to the county, let alone seen a real aristocratic young master. All he knew were the stories from the teahouse storytellers—tales of noble young men riding tall horses, welcomed by crowds on either side.

Zhou Gui had the privilege of listening to these tales because the storyteller often needed herbal medicine for his throat, which Zhou Gui prepared.

The storyteller had even spoken to the teahouse owners, ensuring that Zhou Gui and Doctor Wu never had to pay for entry.

Just then, Li Jin spotted Zhou Gui and greeted him.

Zhou Gui quickly cupped his hands. "Doctor Li."

As they approached, Li Jin introduced them.

"This is my classmate, surname Chen. And this is Zhou Gui, an apprentice at Xinglintang."

Since Zhou Gui had already formally become Doctor Wu’s apprentice, and traditional etiquette placed great importance on loyalty to a single master, he could only address Li Jin as "Doctor Li."

Chen Xiran’s house was just next door. He instructed his steward to take his things inside, then mysteriously slung a cloth bundle over his shoulder, refusing to tell Li Jin what was inside.

"Let’s go! We’ll head to your place first—Baozi must be waiting anxiously."

Li Jin chuckled. "Baozi wouldn’t be anxious."

Chen Xiran pressed him again, asking what name he had chosen for Baozi.

Li Jin mimicked his tone, saying, "Confucius said, ‘It cannot be told.’"

"You little rascal, Li Jin." Chen Xiran scolded playfully, but his eyes sparkled with amusement, revealing his feigned anger.

The three of them walked to the town entrance, where Li Zhuzi was already waiting.

His ox cart was loaded with two large jars of osmanthus wine and huangjiu—both ordered from the town’s tavern a few days prior.

A child’s full-month celebration wouldn’t be complete without wine!

However, Li Jin had no intention of letting people drink to excess, so he didn’t buy anything too strong—just mild huangjiu at most.

Li Zhuzi gestured for them to get on the ox cart, then gave the reins a flick, urging the old ox forward at a steady pace.

Once they left the town, with fewer people around, Li Zhuzi cracked the whip again, making the ox pick up speed.

With the busy farming season over, the villagers now had time to spare. Since it was a joyful occasion at Li Jin’s home, many wanted to join in the celebration—sharing a drink and bringing small gifts for the baby.

As soon as the children at the village entrance spotted Li Zhuzi’s ox cart from afar, they bolted toward the village, shouting, "Uncle Jin is back!"

Their bright voices rang through the air, mingling with the cicadas’ chirping, creating a lively scene.

The village chief was unusually relaxed, sitting on a stone stool by his doorway, smoking his pipe. He called out to the children, "Whose kids are you?"

"Hello, Village Chief Grandpa! I’m Grandpa Dahe’s grandson!"

"I’m Erlang from the Daniu family!"

"I’m…"

The children chattered away, and the village chief’s wife came out with a tray of scallion-fried mantou pieces, handing them out.

"Go play now."

"Thank you, Village Chief Grandpa!"

Meanwhile, Li Zhuzi’s ox cart had arrived at Li Jin’s house.

Inside, Qin Muwen, with the help of Xiao An and Li Zhuzi’s wife, had prepared cold-dressed wild vegetables and steamed plenty of baozi.

Li Jin stepped forward and ruffled Qin Muwen’s hair. "You’ve worked hard."

Xiao An’s face instantly turned red as he looked away. But after turning, he thought, They didn’t do anything inappropriate. It was just a simple ‘you’ve worked hard’ between husband and wife. Why did I turn away?

Would it be too late to turn back now?

Meanwhile, Li Jin set up the wine and handed each child a pumpkin-shaped baozi. "Go call the villagers."

"Got it!" A group of kids ran off excitedly.

One older boy eyed the wine jars and bowls. "Uncle Jin, can I have a sip?"

Li Jin smiled. "Wait for your dad to come—he can give you half a bowl."

In Li Jin’s memories, village boys usually started drinking around seven or eight years old. But for safety, he still wanted them to be supervised by their parents.

As the children called out through the village, the village chief stood up, hanging his pipe at his waist.

"Let’s go to Li Jin’s house for the full-month banquet!"

With the village chief leading the way, it wasn’t long before Li Jin’s house was surrounded by people.

Most people came just to share in the joy, drink a bowl of wine, and say a few words of congratulations.

Regardless of past grievances with the original owner of this body, moving forward, they would all be fellow villagers.

Recently, those who had more frequent interactions with the Li Jin family, like Li Daniu, brought gifts such as two hens.

"You always go out to buy eggs, which is a loss. Here, take two hens. Just spread some straw under the persimmon tree, and they'll lay eggs there. Remember to collect them every morning."

Li Dahe, the elderly carpenter who had made a wooden table for Li Jin last time, also came. He had crafted a small rattle drum for the baby, carefully engraving it with patterns meant to ward off evil—a clear sign of his thoughtfulness.

Li Jin quickly welcomed him inside. "Uncle Dahe, would you like huangjiu or osmanthus wine?"

Li Dahe wanted to drink huangjiu, but considering his age, he hesitated and said, "Two bowls of osmanthus wine…"

Before he could finish, Li Jin had already brought over the osmanthus wine—clearly intending to only serve him that.

Li Dahe chuckled. "You clever lad. Now you’re finally showing some of the wit you had as a child."

The village chief was the first to finish his drink. He took the red paper with the baby's name and birthdate written on it and handed it to his wife, who stayed behind to cut a lock of the baby's hair as a traditional blessing. Then, he left, not lingering in the festivities.

With the village chief leading the way, everyone else—whether from the Li family or other surnames—came forward to say a few words of blessing.

Once the chief's wife finished cutting the lock of hair, people gradually dispersed.

Some latecomers arrived in small groups, drinking a bowl of wine and offering their congratulations.

Chen Xiran, Zhou Gui, and Li Zhuzi stayed by Li Jin's side, smiling and greeting the guests.

Most villagers didn't know Chen Xiran, but seeing his silk clothing, they quickly guessed he must be one of Li Jin’s scholarly classmates.

This changed their perception of Li Jin even more.

Previously, they had merely thought of him as a reformed wastrel—someone who had turned over a new leaf, become responsible, and learned to take care of his family. That alone was commendable for a young man not yet of age.

But now, seeing the village chief personally supporting him, and even a noble young master helping entertain guests, they began to view Li Jin differently.

It looked like Li Jin was bound for great success.

Come to think of it, when Li Jin was born, didn’t a wandering fortune teller say that he had a noble fate and was a reincarnation of the Literary Star?

Whether he was the Literary Star or not, no one knew. But judging by his current situation, he truly seemed destined for prosperity.

—Hadn't he already built a study just a month after his husband gave birth? Plus, he provided his husband with meat broth every day. That was true wealth.

They also heard that Li Jin was now working as a physician at Xinglintang. The young man beside him, the one with a youthful face, was a medical apprentice there—someone who would eventually become a doctor.

As the excitement of the celebration settled, Chen Xiran followed Li Jin to the study. "Come on, let me see the baby’s name."

This time, Li Jin didn’t keep it a secret. He handed over the red paper with the chosen name.

It was his first time naming a child, so he had pored over many books and even borrowed a dictionary from the bookstore.

Still, he lacked confidence, so he had consulted with his young husband before settling on a single character: "Ruo" (若).

"Li Ruo."

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