Volume One, Chapter Seven: Aiding the Distressed and Helping the Needy

"What is going on?"

At this moment, Li Xian, sitting beside the fireplace, shivered instinctively. The fire was burning brightly, so why did he suddenly feel a chill? Could it be that someone was thinking of him? Was it his "bargain" of a wife? He wondered where she might be now.

Li Xian sighed as he warmed himself. He then turned his gaze toward Gong Xinyi, walked over to tuck the quilt around her, and glanced at the calendar on the wall. He marked a line through the date; every evening, he would manually cross off a day. This was vital for tracking the time he had spent since transmigrating to this world, and he could not afford to be careless. Looking at the "2,235 days" marked above, Li Xian felt a wave of emotion. If calculated by 365 days a year, he had been in this world for exactly six years.

From his initial struggle to adapt to the leisurely life he led now, Li Xian’s state of mind had undergone a significant change. Perhaps with his current mindset, he would be quickly eliminated if he were to return to modern society. Compared to that fast-paced world, life here was like that of a carefree hermit in the style of Tao Yuanming.

Now that he had an extra daughter and a "bargain" wife, should he consider starting some kind of business? Perhaps he should pick a time to leave this little Li Family Village, buy a house in the imperial capital, start a trade, and save up for his wife? Li Xian pondered this. If he were to do so, he would need to plan carefully. After all, in a place like this ancient world, making bold moves could be exciting, but it would also likely make him a target. Thus, how to earn money for his wife while keeping a low profile was his primary concern.

Lost in these thoughts, Li Xian rubbed his cold hands, added more wood to the fire, and tiptoed toward the bed where his daughter lay, gently lying down beside her. Xinyi insisted on sleeping with him, and there was nothing he could do about it; she was his daughter, after all, and only five years old. Sleeping together it was. Before long, Xinyi was clinging to him like an octopus, looking like a little pendant, a trail of crystal-clear drool at the corner of her mouth, appearing utterly adorable. Seeing this heartwarming scene, Li Xian closed his eyes in contentment, drifting off to sleep to the intermittent sound of dogs barking in Li Family Village.

Tomorrow night was New Year’s Eve.

The Great Qian Empire naturally celebrated the New Year. It was not much different from the life he had known before his rebirth; this was a world similar to the ancient eras of his past life, and Li Xian had long since adapted. The New Year’s supplies had already been stocked. After the New Year came the start of spring; he hoped there would be no more snow after the holiday, so that fewer people would starve.

May the world be peaceful...

***

The next day, Li Xian rose early and stepped outside into the courtyard. With the help of Xiao An, he retrieved various items from the "refrigerator" that had been stored over the latter half of the year, including chicken, duck, and fish. They were frozen solid, covered in a layer of frost, and clattered when struck. These were the New Year’s provisions, intended for cooking today.

In the morning, Li Xian tore down the old couplets and pasted new ones on the door.

Upper scroll: Family harmony brings prosperity, may every year be as desired.
Lower scroll: Kindness brings a hundred blessings, may every year be filled with peace.
Horizontal scroll: Welcome spring and receive blessings.

He had written these three couplets himself the day before. After pasting them up, he saw the sun had risen significantly, so he handed a gong to Xiao An, telling him to walk along the village paths and sound it. This was a custom in Li Family Village. Almost every year at this time, Xiao An would make a round through the village with the gong.

A short while later, most of the villagers arrived at Li Xian’s doorstep. Some tucked their hands into their sleeves, their faces flushed red from the cold, white steam rising from their mouths; others paced back and forth, whispering to each other, looking forward to what they might receive this morning. Of course, some bowed repeatedly, wiping away tears, filled with gratitude. If not for Li Xian, they feared they would not have survived this winter. But their village had a kind young landlord, and despite the several blizzards that had occurred, no one—from three-year-old children to elders in their fifties or sixties—had frozen to death. It was a miracle!

Thus, the village was deeply grateful to Li Xian. It could be said that it was because of him that their village lived in such relative comfort. Even the village head praised Li Xian highly, having urged him several times to take the imperial examinations come spring, saying he might truly achieve fame and success. Li Xian, however, would always wave his hand, saying he preferred to settle in a small village and live a life of leisure. Eventually, the village head stopped mentioning it.

As the villagers arrived, several young maidens of thirteen or fourteen years, brought by their elders, were among them. Almost every one of them looked at Li Xian with flushed faces, hoping he might take a fancy to them, which would allow them to transform into the mistress of the manor.

Li Xian was, after all, a famous handsome man in Li Village! Ever since he reached adulthood, matchmakers had flocked to his door. His reputation was high in many surrounding villages. It was only after Li Xian declared that he would no longer see anyone who came to propose that the frequency decreased.

As for now? This had become a tradition. Every New Year’s Eve, every household could receive food from Li Xian to enjoy a good New Year’s dinner.

Xinyi stood beside her father, watching the villagers curiously, wondering what her father intended to do. Xiao An leaned over and whispered an explanation to her. Xinyi’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Li Xian with admiration. She had no idea her father was such a kind soul!

The village head, an old man nearing fifty, approached Li Xian, bowed, and said, "Master Xian, all 101 households of the village are present."

Li Xian nodded and said, "First, I wish everyone a happy New Year. This year, in addition to the usual two pecks of grain, every household will receive a fish, signifying abundance for everyone every year. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. I pay my respects to you all."

As he spoke, Li Xian bowed slightly, showing great courtesy.

Not far away, Qing Wei and the Empress, who had quietly arrived for the New Year’s Eve, watched this scene with curiosity. Li Xian... what was he doing?

Watching Li Xian distribute grain and meat to every household, and seeing the villagers tearfully express their profound gratitude each time they received their share, Gong Yuyan fell into a long silence. He... he was actually distributing grain to the people? Among all the landlords in the Great Qian Empire, were there really those who cared about the lives of ordinary people? She herself could not even manage to save all the victims freezing to death in the snow disaster, yet Li Xian was saving those around him.

This made Gong Yuyan feel a twinge of heartache.