Chapter 74: Will This Money Be Enough to Support You for a Month?

When Magistrate Chen heard such a childish reply, he shuffled his rotund body forward and stared intently at Jiang Chengyan, scrutinizing him from left to right. “Young man, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with your head? Do you realize I’m discussing something very serious with you?”

Jiang Chengyan smiled. “What’s wrong with calling mushrooms that rabbits love to eat ‘rabbit mushrooms’? Besides, they’re from our family’s land; there’s nothing odd about naming them ourselves.”

“But this is something the imperial court intends to support. If your rabbit mushrooms are chosen, they will be sold all the way to the capital,” Magistrate Chen repeated, stressing the significance of the capital again and again.

“If it’s going to be such a hassle, we’d rather not participate.” With that, Jiang Chengyan turned to leave.

Seeing Jiang Chengyan walk away, Magistrate Chen didn’t rush to stop him. Instead, he thought Jiang Chengyan was playing hard to get and waited in place. Yet, as Jiang Chengyan walked farther and farther without turning back, Magistrate Chen grew anxious and hurried after him…

At the entrance of the county office, Bai Yan sat obediently on the steps, waiting for Jiang Chengyan. Jiang Chengyan stood nearby, going over the accounts with the clerk.

Noticing there was no one else around, the clerk leaned in and whispered, “The magistrate is actually very pleased with your mushrooms. He even had a dish of them stir-fried at lunch today. Go home and keep cultivating them well, and in the future you’ll have a good harvest. By the way, would you like a small banknote? It’ll be easier to carry.”

The clerk was already extending the note, but catching sight of his lazy little wife yawning nearby, Jiang Chengyan declined, “Change it into loose silver, please.”

The clerk was puzzled by this request, but complied nonetheless.

Once Jiang Chengyan received the silver, he went over to take Bai Yan’s hand, slipping the coins into her pocket as he did.

Bai Yan immediately covered her pocket, glancing around warily.

“Is there anything you want to eat?” Jiang Chengyan asked as he pushed the cart forward.

“Yes, I want candied hawthorn.” Bai Yan nodded enthusiastically.

With her pocket warming from the silver, Bai Yan was overjoyed. This was her first earnings— the first step in supporting her husband!

“Husband, will this silver be enough to support you for a month?” Bai Yan asked with self-satisfaction, munching on her candied hawthorn.

Jiang Chengyan sneered, “This little bit wouldn’t even buy you a pair of shoes.”

Bai Yan fell silent.

When they left, the cart had been filled with mushrooms; on the way home, it carried only the little wife.

The distance from the county town to Xitang Village wasn’t short. Halfway there, Bai Yan grew thirsty again. She always carried a big water jug whenever she went out, but they’d lingered too long in town, and now she was parched and fidgety. Jiang Chengyan led her to a nearby mountain spring to fetch water.

But Bai Yan’s lively nature was hard to change. As Jiang Chengyan crouched to fill the jug, she spotted a chestnut tree not far off and scampered over.

Just as she arrived, she saw a youth in black on the path below, surrounded by a group of ruffians. The men wielded knives and clubs, clearly intent on kidnapping.

Seeing the black-clad youth about to be beaten senseless, Bai Yan’s sharp eyes caught sight of several large rocks nearby. She crept close, gave them a push, and sent several man-sized boulders tumbling down with a thunderous crash, as if the earth were shaking again. The rocks fell at just the right angle, hitting several of the assailants.

After a long moment,

The youth in black finally escaped. He looked up at the hillside above, hesitated, then began to climb up.

He searched for a long time, but found neither the person who’d helped him nor anyone else— only a stick of candied hawthorn, with just a single fruit remaining, lying haphazardly in the grass…