Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

What should have been a pleasant mealtime was disrupted by a discordant shout.

"Third brother, third brother... are you home? Come out for a moment, I have something to tell you." A girl of about fourteen or fifteen entered the courtyard with the voice. She was quite... well, robust! Yes, robust. Jinghe silently watched the newcomer. According to Xia Yu's memories, she was her aunt, her father's youngest sister, Zhang Qinghe. She and her fourth uncle, Zhang Chengwen, were twins, and from birth, their status in the family was second only to their grandparents. Her grandmother, Liu, was extremely patriarchal, and in her eyes, her granddaughters were all a burden. Xia Yu's family had separated from the main family, so they fared a little better; her cousins ​​were never properly fed under their grandmother's care. But she doted on Zhang Qinghe, her youngest daughter, even more than her three older brothers (excluding the fourth brother).

Zhang Qinghe stopped in the courtyard, looked at her third brother, and said, "Father and Mother want you to go back to the old house. Come with me quickly." She didn't greet Liu Shi as she spoke, nor did she even glance at the mother and her two children at the table.

Zhang Youtie swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth and asked her, "Qinghe, have you eaten yet? Eat something here."

Zhang Qinghe glanced disdainfully at the colorless steamed bun in her third brother's hand and said, "I've already eaten." Then, she added smugly, "Mom steamed egg yolks for me tonight."

"Oh, what's wrong, Mother?"

"I don't know, go back and ask your mother yourself," Zhang Qinghe said impatiently.

"Then you go back first, I'll come over after I finish these two bites of food."

"Alright, then hurry up, don't keep your mother waiting too long." After saying that, Zhang Qinghe turned around and left just like she had come.

Zhang Youtie returned to the house, picked up the rough porcelain bowl, and slurped down the porridge inside. He seemed intent on finishing his meal quickly and heading to the old house.

"Father, what do your parents want you to do when they call you back?" Madam Liu asked her husband gently.

"I don't know, Qinghe didn't say anything," Zhang Youtie said vaguely without looking up.

"No matter what your parents say, don't rush to agree. Remember to come back and discuss it with them," Liu said to her husband.

Jinghe looked at her mother's expression, then at her father who was eating in silence. Her eyes darted around and she said, "Dad, I haven't seen my grandpa and grandma for several days. Can you take me with you when we go back to the old house later?"

"no"!

Surprisingly, it was Liu who voiced her objection: "Your wound hasn't healed yet. After you finish eating, go to bed and rest quietly. Don't run around."

"Mother..." Jinghe drawled out, coaxing Liu Shi, "I've been lying in bed for three days now. If I don't go out and get some exercise, my bones will rust. Besides, my head doesn't hurt or feel dizzy anymore. I just want to go out for a walk with Father."

"Oh, her mother, let the child go if she wants to. I think she's alright, I'll keep an eye on her. Besides, it'll only be a short while, she'll be back soon."

Hearing him say that, Madam Liu couldn't object anymore. She just glanced at Zhang Youtie and scolded him: "You're always good at being a good person!"

Jinghe quickly finished the porridge in her bowl, mimicking Zhang Youtie's manner, and followed him to the old house. In Chunyu's memory, her father had four brothers, but only her family had been separated from the family. Her eldest and second uncles' families still lived with her grandparents, while her aunt and fourth uncle, who were not yet married, also lived in the old house. But why only her family was separated from the family, Xia Yu didn't know; she only knew that her family had moved out and lived separately since she could remember.

It was already dark outside, with only the faint moonlight illuminating the scene. Zhang Youtie held his daughter's hand tightly, afraid that she might fall again.

When they arrived at the old house, Grandpa and Grandma were sitting on either side of the kang table in the main room. Uncle and Second Uncle each sat on a bench, while Aunt sat on the kang behind Liu, sewing something. Fourth Uncle, who was studying in town, had also returned, wearing an indigo-dyed cotton robe and a dark blue headscarf. He exuded a scholarly air and appeared very refined. The rest of the family wasn't there. When Jing and the others arrived, the house was quiet, except for the soft sound of Grandpa Zhang Dashan puffing on his pipe.

Zhang Youtie entered the house and called out to the old couple, "Father, Mother, have you eaten? What did you call me here for?" He then greeted his two older brothers, Zhang Youjin and Zhang Youyin. After greeting them, he sat down on the bench next to his second brother, Zhang Youyin. Jinghe followed her father into the house, and after they exchanged pleasantries, she called out to everyone in the room before standing behind her father as a backdrop.

Grandpa Zhang saw Jinghe and asked with concern: Xiaxia, is the injury on your head healed? Does it still hurt?

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Grandpa. I haven't seen you and Grandma for a few days, and I missed you, so I came with my dad to see you," Jinghe said obediently to the old man.

"Good, good, Xiaxia is a good child, she knows to give affection to her grandparents." The old man was very pleased to hear Jinghe's answer. Sitting to the side, Liu glanced at Jinghe, wanting to say something, but her mouth moved but she didn't make a sound.

Once everyone had arrived, the old man tapped his pipe on the kang table and said, "The third brother is here too. I'll explain the situation again so we can all think of a solution and discuss it together."

"As you brothers know, our ancestors produced a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but later, due to various reasons, we gradually declined. I couldn't go to school because my family was poor. So many years have passed, but the matter of education has always been a knot in my heart. I just hope that one of you brothers can become a scholar, so that our family can bring glory to our ancestors and regain their former honor. None of you three like studying, and I had already given up hope. But now, your fourth brother is good at studying. He has been intelligent since childhood and passed the preliminary examination at the age of thirteen. He is well-known in more than a dozen villages around here. So, the future of our family's glory depends on your fourth brother. Today, the teacher at the school told your fourth brother that he has been studying diligently for the past few years and has made some progress in his writing. He suggested that he participate in this year's provincial examination. If he passes, he will become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations), and the status of you all will rise accordingly."

After saying so much in one breath, Old Master Zhang picked up the bowl of water on the kang table and took a sip. Jinghe knew that the main event was about to begin; after all, wasn't all that buildup just to lead into what was to come?