TTLJDFL Chapter 54

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In ancient times, cotton fabric was considered a luxury for farmers.

When Li Jin previously commissioned villagers to weave fabric, a single bolt cost 700 pennies. Dyeing it required an additional 200 pennies at the town’s workshop.

Yet the young man hadn’t kept a single piece for himself—he used it all to make outer robes for Li Jin.

One robe was a light garment, suitable for the current weather.

The other would be stuffed with the cotton Li Jin had bought last time to make a padded jacket. The remaining fabric was reserved for making clothes for the little one.

As for the scraps and leftover pieces, he planned to sew a few sachets and handkerchiefs. After all, it was cotton—using it as a mere rag would be too wasteful.

Having just arrived in the ancient era, Li Jin had yet to experience winter here. He had simply assumed that he could buy a padded coat from a tailor when it got cold.

But Qin Muwen was different—he was a native of this world. When his family was well-off in the past, he never had to worry about such things.

Now that he had already married into the Li family, Qin Muwen naturally had to take on the responsibilities of a wife, which included caring for her husband's well-being.

This was also why Li Jin felt so softhearted and protective toward him. Qin Muwen was only seventeen—still a child, with a youthful face and a body that had barely finished developing.

Yet, he was already shouldering household responsibilities, worrying about everything at such a young age.

The boy never spoke of these burdens, but every time Li Jin returned home, he would find the courtyard meticulously swept, and his study desk neatly wiped and arranged.

These tasks might seem simple, but when accumulated, they took at least an hour of work each day.

Not to mention, he also had to take care of the child, mend clothes, and time the meals perfectly to coincide with Li Jin’s return.

Li Jin, having been an obstetrician, had seen many young mothers struggling emotionally after childbirth. Because of that, he paid extra attention to his young husband.

If Qin Muwen could be a little more pampered and willful, Li Jin would be happy too—after all, he was just a seventeen-year-old boy.

Thinking back to when he himself was seventeen, his daily routine consisted of reading and playing ball. Household chores had never even crossed his mind.

But Qin Muwen never complained. He simply took it all as his duty, never once uttering a word of exhaustion.

Even when Li Jin occasionally brought home something nice, the boy always prioritized Li Jin and their child, never fighting for anything himself.

Every little action made Li Jin’s heart melt even more.

When Li Jin returned home, Qin Muwen heard the noise and quickly ran out from the house.

"Ah Jin, you're back."

Li Jin set down his belongings, his gaze falling on the faint red marks on the boy’s neck. His eyes gleamed with amusement. "What did you have for lunch?"

Qin Muwen answered, "Eggplant stir-fried with minced pork, and noodles."

Since Li Jin had saved Shopkeeper Song’s wife and child, Shopkeeper Song occasionally sent over fish and pork as a token of gratitude.

Li Jin didn’t want to accept gifts for free, but Shopkeeper Song’s child frequently fell ill. Recently, the baby had developed neonatal jaundice.

Neonatal jaundice presented as a yellowish-red hue on the baby’s face and neck. In severe cases, it could spread to the limbs.

At that time, it was also the peak season for colds in town, so Shopkeeper Song was afraid to take the baby to the medical clinic. Li Jin had to visit their home to diagnose the child.

Upon inspecting the baby's palms and soles, Li Jin noticed that the yellowing hadn’t spread there. Furthermore, the yellow tint on the face and neck was not a dull yellow but a reddish-yellow.

He let out a sigh of relief—this was physiological jaundice, which didn’t require medication.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known what prescription to write.

He advised Shopkeeper Song to take the baby outside for sunbathing frequently, avoid breastfeeding for the time being, and switch to rice cereal and goat milk to help with digestion and excretion.

Sure enough, after ten days, the child’s condition improved.

Shopkeeper Song came to express his gratitude once again.

In those times, it was customary for families to personally thank a doctor when their elderly or young ones recovered from an illness.

However, Li Jin felt that he hadn’t done much. Physiological jaundice resolved on its own, so he firmly refused to accept any payment.

Because of this, Shopkeeper Song occasionally asked Li Zhuzi to deliver fish and pork to Li Jin’s home.

Back when Li Jin worked at Xinglintang Clinic, he often rode Li Zhuzi’s ox cart home, so Shopkeeper Song was aware of their connection.

Since the meat was already delivered, and fresh meat was difficult to preserve in the humid August and September weather, Li Jin accepted it without much fuss.

As a result, Qin Muwen could now have at least one meal with meat every day. Li Jin was pleased to see that the boy’s cheeks were finally filling out.

One day, Qin Muwen followed Li Jin’s instructions and steamed a fish. However, he couldn’t help but ask, "Ah Jin, why don’t you like eating pork?"

Back when he lived in the Minister’s residence, the Madam would occasionally order the entire household to observe a month-long vegetarian fast. Qin Muwen had never minded it.

But after two years of barely eating meat, he realized that he actually enjoyed it quite a lot.

Looking back now, he felt as if the days of eating only pickled vegetables, porridge, and leftovers belonged to another lifetime.

He had no idea how he had managed to endure it.

Li Jin had thought Qin Muwen wasn’t curious about this, but hearing the question, he replied, "When you grabbed my back yesterday, how did it feel?"

Qin Muwen’s face instantly turned red. H-he hadn’t meant to grab Ah Jin, but with his body overwhelmed by the waves of sensation, and Ah Jin refusing to let him clutch the bed, he had… no choice but to hold onto Ah Jin.

He didn’t say a word.

Li Jin deliberately repeated, "Did you not like holding onto me?"

Qin Muwen was straightforward at heart. He cautiously glanced at Li Jin’s teasing smile, then slowly nodded. "I liked it."

Li Jin’s body had gradually matured into that of a real man, his muscles lean and well-defined, neither bulky nor excessive—perfectly attractive.

Even someone as oblivious to physical appearances as Qin Muwen couldn’t help but appreciate how much he liked Li Jin’s current physique. He liked everything about him.

Suppressing the urge to pull him into an embrace and kiss him, Li Jin simply explained, "Eating too much pork leads to soft fat, whereas eating fish and exercising results in a body like your man’s."

Qin Muwen wasn’t sure whether it was the phrase "your man" or the meaning of the sentence itself that flustered him.

He hesitated before asking, "If I eat too much pork, will I get fat?"

Li Jin pinched his cheek. "You're too thin right now, and you eat so little each day. You won’t get fat."

With that, he picked up some green pepper stir-fried pork that Qin Muwen had cooked. "See? I eat it too."

Besides, with how much the boy worked every day, there was no way he would get fat.

Qin Muwen finally understood—eating a lot was what caused weight gain. He sighed in relief.

===

Time passed quickly, and soon, the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month arrived.

During this time, Li Jin had also taken the opportunity to read through the two books on painting that Chen Xiran had borrowed from him. He had even tried copying some drawings on paper.

Surprisingly, it actually worked. Although he still didn't understand the grand composition of painting, he could now draw simple flowers, grasses, and trees.

Of course, he practiced on coarse paper. Even though his family had some savings, Li Jin wasn’t extravagant enough to use bamboo-leaf paper for practice.

Qin Muwen was now being possessed and cherished by Li Jin every one or two days. At first, he had been too shy to let go, but now, without needing Li Jin to say anything, he would take the initiative to hold him and wrap his arms around his neck.

However, the tips of his ears would still quietly turn red.

Because of Li Jin’s dominance mixed with gentleness, Qin Muwen’s attitude toward him had changed. He was no longer just secretly fond of him but too afraid to express it. Now, he would tell the truth without needing Li Jin to ask.

These days, Qin Muwen would prepare some small snacks in the afternoon and take the initiative to deliver them to Li Jin’s study.

Qin Muwen was literate. He saw that Li Jin was reading an introductory book on painting, and the yellowish-brown coarse paper beside him was already dotted with ink marks.

He quietly placed the scallion-flavored meat pastry down, careful not to disturb Li Jin’s practice.

After leaving the room, Qin Muwen covered the tips of his ears. He had thought Li Jin had forgotten about his promise to paint him.

Unexpectedly, Li Jin still remembered—and was even learning to paint specifically for him.

This realization filled Qin Muwen with immense joy, and that night, he was exceptionally proactive.

Li Jin was a little surprised. The boy had always followed his instructions, one action after another. But now that he was taking the initiative like this, Li Jin almost couldn’t hold back from going another round.

The next day was the Double Ninth Festival—a time for family reunions and climbing mountains to pray for blessings.

The Double Ninth Festival fell on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. In the Book of Changes (I Ching), the number nine represented yang, and two nines together formed “Double Ninth,” making it an auspicious day in ancient times.

In the town, only their Hongyan Village was backed by mountains.

However, to reach the climbing trail, they had to walk around the mountain base to the east side, where the slope was gentler—more suitable for families with both young and old members.

After climbing for half an hour, they would reach a large flat area, perfect for resting.

Mr. Song gave them a holiday to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. Chen Xiran was overjoyed.

But then, Mr. Song’s next words almost made him cry: “The two days off this month have now been used up, so the rest days for the next two weeks will be canceled.”

Li Jin naturally had no objections. Now that he no longer needed to gather herbs or see patients, he spent his days studying and practicing calligraphy. Attending Mr. Song’s lectures would only help him gain more knowledge.

Seeing that Li Jin remained silent, Chen Xiran had no choice but to accept his fate with tears in his eyes.

On the morning of the Double Ninth Festival, Li Jin packed several cloth diapers in his bag and wrapped the little bun snugly in a thick swaddle. He also put on a hat that Chen Xiran had given them.

The little bun was confused.

Usually, it was his “A-da” who dressed him. Why was it “Daddy” today?

But he was clearly happier with this arrangement and kept grinning at Li Jin.

When Qin Muwen got up, he instinctively rubbed his waist.

Li Jin noticed and asked, “Does your waist hurt?”

Qin Muwen quickly shook his head. The whole family was going out to climb the mountain today—he couldn’t afford to lag behind.

Besides, Li Jin had clearly been more lenient with him last night.

As for the soreness… it was probably because he had been too enthusiastic and arched his waist too much.

This realization made Qin Muwen want to cover his face. Instead, he pretended as if nothing had happened, got out of bed, dressed, washed up, and went to prepare breakfast.

After breakfast, Li Zhuzi stopped by and brought them half a sack of red beans.

“My wife’s family sent these over. I figured they’re sweet and tasty, so I brought you some.”

Li Jin accepted them, and Li Zhuzi said, “My whole family is heading up the mountain now. I’ll be going.”

“Zhuzi-ge, take care on the road.”