TTLJDFL Chapter 55

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In the kitchen, Qin Muwen was washing the dishes when he saw the red beans in Li Jin’s hands. He paused. “Zhuzi-ge gave us red beans?”

Li Jin thought for a moment before realizing that in ancient times, red beans symbolized love...

He thought to himself, Qin Muwen must have come from a very well-educated background. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have reacted like this upon seeing red beans.

Li Jin explained, “People in the village don’t think much about it. They just see them as something tasty and share them.”

Seeing Qin Muwen relax, Li Jin noticed that he had briefly tensed up earlier.

Qin Muwen held the little bun and looked at Li Jin, nodding seriously.

“These red beans share the same name as another type of red bean, ‘Lovesick Bean.’ Lovesick Beans symbolize love and affection.

However, because Lovesick Beans are native to the south and difficult to transport, many northern families use regular red beans as a substitute.”

Li Jin felt his temple twitch. He raised his hand in a solemn oath: “I swear, Zhuzi-ge and I are completely innocent.”

His words successfully brought a smile to Qin Muwen’s face, sweeping away the earlier gloom.

What Li Jin didn’t know was that in this era, the existence of “ge’er” (feminine men capable of childbirth) made same-sex relationships more accepted. After all, they looked the same as women.

In poorer villages, if a family desperately wanted a male heir, they might even drown newborn girls or ge’er the moment they were born.

This resulted in those villages being mostly filled with boys. However, because they were poor and had conservative customs, the neighboring villages were unwilling to marry their daughters into such hardship.

Many men in these villages reached an old age without being able to find a wife, not even a "ge'er" (a term referring to males who could bear children in some fictional settings). Left with no other choice, they formed sworn brotherhoods among themselves.

When Qin Muwen's family was still well-off, he had read some travel notes that mentioned similar accounts.

Of course, he was young at the time and didn't enjoy reading classical texts filled with archaic language. Instead, he preferred storybooks or various travel anecdotes.

When he first learned he was going to be sold, he was genuinely worried that he would end up in such a place.

Fortunately, he was chosen by Li Jin’s mother and brought home to marry Li Jin instead.

Qin Muwen looked at Li Jin, whose face was innocent yet helpless toward him. His lips curved into two shallow dimples.

He set down the little bun (their child), walked up to Li Jin, tiptoed, and kissed him lightly on the chin.

"I know. It was my misunderstanding earlier."

Li Jin was surprised inside but maintained a calm expression. This was the first time the young man had taken the initiative to kiss him.

As Qin Muwen turned away and picked up the little bun again, his ears were visibly flushed.

Li Jin said, "Then let’s head out now. We’ll come back in the afternoon, and I’ll make red bean paste for you."

A similar conversation took place in Li Zhuzi’s household. When his wife heard that he had given red beans to Li Jin, she was so angry she almost lost her appetite.

Li Zhuzi was completely innocent. "You were the one who said this stuff was delicious! And every time someone in our family gets sick, we go to Li Jin for help. That’s why I eagerly brought him some."

His wife asked, "Did Li Jin’s expression change at all when he accepted it?"

Li Zhuzi, being straightforward, replied, "It was completely normal! What exactly are you trying to say?"

His wife was so frustrated that she couldn’t even respond.

Later, when both men were away, Li Zhuzi’s wife took the opportunity to visit Qin Muwen while delivering vegetables to Li Jin’s house.

The two of them concluded that their husbands were too careless and oblivious in such matters.

But in the end, the issue was put to rest.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, only the couple was together, while the little bun had been somewhat overlooked. This time, for the Double Ninth Festival, it would be the first holiday the family of three would celebrate together.

Although there had been a small misunderstanding in the morning, Li Jin’s explanation cleared everything up, and it didn’t dampen Qin Muwen’s excitement for their outing.

On the way, Li Jin carried the little bun while Qin Muwen carried their travel bag, which contained some flatbreads and fruits.

Additionally, he held a jar wrapped in layers of cloth—it was porridge for the little bun, kept warm.

Li Jin noticed that Qin Muwen had prepared everything on his own without needing any reminders.

He ruffled Qin Muwen’s hair and said, "Let’s set off."

The weather during the Double Ninth Festival was not as hot as in June and July. Since it was a holiday, the number of travelers on the road had doubled, with most families bringing their children along to pray for blessings.

Their route was different from their usual trip to town. Instead, they followed the riverbank, where the path was narrower.

It was the first time the little bun had gone out, and his wide eyes mirrored his father’s curiosity.

Of course, since he was being carried by Li Jin, he could only see limited views of the scenery.

The leaves on the treetops had gradually turned yellow, and the cicadas had disappeared without a trace.

Normally, Li Jin lived between the village and town, busy and occupied every day. He rarely paid attention to the changing seasons.

But now, as he looked at the half-yellowed leaves, he suddenly realized that he had been in this world for over three months.

Far from feeling a sense of detachment, he instead enjoyed this peaceful life immensely.

"Where my heart belongs, there is home."

After walking along the river for half an hour, they finally reached a relatively gentle mountain path.

Li Jin led Qin Muwen, carrying their child Li Ruo, as they followed the crowd up the hill.

The air was filled with people’s chatter and laughter, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Father, look! What are those bright red fruits? Can we eat them? I want to pick some for my little brother!"

A seven- or eight-year-old girl tugged at her father’s clothes and pointed at the trees along the path.

"That’s dogwood fruit. It doesn’t taste good, but hold onto your mother’s hand and don’t get lost. I’ll pick a bunch of the flowers for you to wear in your hair."

Following their gaze, Li Jin saw the mountain dogwood tree. Its round leaves bore clusters of red fruits, hanging down like tassels.

He usually disliked crowds, but he couldn’t help but think that the fruit’s vibrant color matched the red mole at the corner of Qin Muwen’s eyebrow.

So, he stepped forward and picked a bunch.

Li Jin said, "Your hair is too neatly combed. I’m afraid pinning this on might mess it up. How about I attach it to your collar instead?"

Qin Muwen naturally agreed.

However, when he looked around, he noticed that everyone else had dogwood flowers pinned to their children’s hair or elders placing them on younger family members.

Only his Ah Jin seriously attached it to his collar.

Li Jin’s hands were exceptionally beautiful, with distinct knuckles and pale pink fingertips. As he fastened the dogwood flower, he looked just like a nobleman from a painting.

For a moment, Qin Muwen’s eyes welled up with tears.

Since his father’s passing, no one had ever given him flowers again.

By the time he regained his composure, the little girl from before was still standing nearby, gazing up at him.

Qin Muwen’s face turned red in an instant, and he quickly hid behind Li Jin in embarrassment.

Luckily, the girl’s mother soon pulled her away. "There are so many people today. You can’t run around, or I’ll be worried sick."

"Mother, that sister is so pretty. Da Ya looked at ‘her’ twice."

"That’s not a sister; that’s a brother."

"The brother who put the hawthorn on him is also very pretty."

"Girls shouldn’t go around saying men are pretty. Say that again, and I’ll scold you when we get home."

As they continued walking uphill, Li Jin discovered a hawthorn orchard enclosed by fishing nets, indicating that it belonged to someone and was off-limits for casual picking.

Seeing the clusters of bright red hawthorn fruits, Li Jin’s eyes lit up as an idea struck him.

He turned to Qin Muwen and asked, “Do you like eating hawthorn?”

Qin Muwen shook his head. “It’s too sour. Do you like it, A-Jin?”

Li Jin didn’t answer directly. Instead, he walked up to the orchard and called out to the owner.

“Young man, you can’t just pick the hawthorn here,” the owner said.

Li Jin replied, “It’s already past September, and the hawthorn will soon be fully ripe. Have you found a buyer for them yet? If not, would you be willing to sell me some?”

The orchard owner welcomed Li Jin inside with a friendly expression. He plucked a few sun-ripened fruits from the treetop and handed them to Li Jin to taste.

“The harvest is good this year, and I do have some extra stock. If you want to buy, I’ll give you a good price.”

Having spent time in a medical clinic before, Li Jin knew that in this era, there were no pills—people had to drink herbal decoctions when they fell ill.

But in his opinion, that was often unnecessary trouble.

Since he had some free time lately, he could buy hawthorn to make Da Shanzha Wan (big hawthorn pills). If they sold well, he might even make a decent profit.

After Master Song suggested he buy a house, Li Jin didn’t immediately respond but was intrigued. He had since looked into the local real estate market.

The cheapest two-entry courtyard in town cost thirty taels.

However, buying a house wasn’t as simple as just paying money. One had to find a willing seller and gain the approval of the neighbors. Only after the neighbors accepted the new resident could the transaction be completed.

If the neighbors objected, even if the owner agreed to sell, the deal would fall through.

Li Jin wasn’t too worried about this—his reputation as a doctor was well-known, and people generally wouldn’t go out of their way to oppose him.

The real issue was money.

He had considered other ways to make money, but this was ancient times. Transportation was inconvenient, and the purchasing power of the town’s residents was limited.

As a doctor, he used to earn three taels per month, which was already considered a high wage.

Now that Doctor Wu had returned, the shopkeeper wouldn’t pay two doctors such a high salary.

Li Jin had made it clear that he was only there temporarily, so he couldn't take over the clinic. Since the shopkeeper never offered to keep him, he had no choice but to leave despite his good reputation.

When buying ink, paper, and brushes, he had also asked the shop owner if they needed someone to copy books.

But because there were few scholars in town, the owner apologetically said, “Not many people here can afford books. If you go to the county, the bookstores there hire scholars for copying work.”

With that, another potential income stream was cut off.

After all, he couldn’t work like the village boys, laboring from dawn to dusk. Not only did he lack the time, but such work also paid too little.

Fortunately, his vegetable garden provided food, and Shopkeeper Song regularly sent him meat, preventing immediate financial strain.

But Li Jin knew that if he didn’t find a stable income soon, his household would eventually run out of resources.

At that point, Qin Muwen might end up sewing to support him again.

Although Li Jin felt the pressure, he never showed it. He wasn’t the type to complain.

Instead, he preferred to quietly handle everything on his own, ensuring that those he wanted to protect never suffered.

After negotiating with the orchard owner, Li Jin took a few jin of hawthorn home.

When he reached for his money, the owner said, “If you’re looking to do business with me in the future, consider these hawthorn fruits a gift. But if you don’t come back, I won’t miss a few jin of hawthorn.”

Li Jin accepted with a smile. “Thank you.”

To him, ancient businessmen were still quite naive.

This orchard had a prime location. If the owner opened it for public picking and sold the fruit by weight, he could make a fortune.

Yet, even on such a good occasion as the Double Ninth Festival, there wasn’t a single vendor selling sachets nearby. The owner had even fenced off his orchard with fishing nets to prevent theft.

Qin Muwen found a clearing, set down his bag, and sat with Li Jin. As he fed congee to the baby, he asked, “A-Jin, what do you need so much hawthorn for?”

Li Jin replied, “To make candied hawthorn for you.”

T/N: Thank you for reading and for the support🌰🌰🌰