Time passed.
Half a month went by in the blink of an eye.
On the second day after their wedding, Wei Tu and Xinghua returned to their duties at Li Manor, diligently resuming their work without the slightest hint of slacking.
In fact, the two of them were even more hardworking than before.
Their efforts did not go unnoticed by First Madam Li Tongshi, who observed their behavior with satisfaction. Every few days, she would praise them in passing, clearly pleased with the marriage she had arranged.
Compared to Wei Tu, Xinghua had changed the most.
Before, when working in the kitchen, she would secretly taste bits of meat whenever she got the chance.
But after getting married, she changed her ways entirely.
If one jin of pork shrank down to seven liang after cooking, she would deliver every last bit of it to the inner household's dining table, without sneaking a single bite for herself.
Seeing that Li Tongshi's approval toward her was at its highest in the past ten years, Xinghua gathered her courage and, one afternoon, formally requested an audience with her mistress.
She expressed her and Wei Tu's intention to take leave and visit his family in the countryside.
"The books say, 'When someone is overly eager to please, they either have bad intentions or want something.'"
Li Tongshi was sitting in her living quarters, sewing the soles of cloth shoes. The coarse hemp thread passed through the layers of fabric, making a soft creaking sound.
She glanced at Xinghua with a knowing smile as she spoke.
The words were harsh, but her tone and expression were so gentle that Xinghua's nervousness disappeared almost instantly.
"I've been watching your work these past few days. Don't worry. I won't have someone replace you while you're gone."
Li Tongshi made a promise.
"Thank you, First Madam."
Xinghua's face lit up with gratitude, and she bowed deeply in thanks.
"There's… one more thing."
After a brief hesitation, she finally gathered her courage and told Li Tongshi about her idea—having Wei Tu rent farmland from Li Manor to become a tenant farmer.
Once winter passed, it would be time to plant wheat, beans, and rapeseed.
By then, finding an unclaimed plot of land within Li Manor's farmlands would be much more difficult.
"Wei Ge'er won't neglect his duties at the stable…"
Seeing that Li Tongshi had not immediately responded, Xinghua lowered her head and quickly added.
She knew this request was a bit bold.
After all, one person's labor could never match the efficiency of two separate workers.
If Wei Tu had to balance both farming and horsekeeping, there was always a risk that one of the tasks would suffer—and that meant losses for Li Manor.
Moreover, Li Manor was inside Qingmu County, meaning Wei Tu could only rent farmland close to the county in order to manage both jobs.
The problem was—
Land near the riverbank was considered prime farmland, vastly different from the dry, sloped land further away.
Even with minimal effort, those riverbank fields could still produce a good harvest, even during a drought.
"We'll talk about renting land after you and Wei Tu return from your visit."
Li Tongshi neither refused nor agreed.
"Yes, First Madam."
Xinghua lowered her head, feeling a little disheartened as she left the inner courtyard.
That evening.
After hearing Xinghua's account, Wei Tu reassured her.
"Since First Madam didn't refuse outright, it means she's considering it. She just can't say yes to two requests at once."
He didn't voice the rest of his thoughts.
It made sense for Li Tongshi to handle things this way.
If she indulged her servants too much, sooner or later, someone would take advantage of it.
The fact that Li Manor was so well-managed and that the servants both feared and respected her was proof that she was an exceptionally capable housekeeper.
"If she doesn't agree this time, we'll ask again next time. If we keep trying, First Madam will eventually say yes. She's strict when it comes to managing the household, but she's soft-hearted at the core."
Wei Tu shared his thoughts.
Even if it didn't work out—
Once he mastered Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation in five years and stepped into the Qi Perception Realm, the cost of renting farmland would no longer matter to him.
By now, the warm current flowing through his body had already strengthened his limbs significantly. With each movement, he could exert over a hundred and eighty jin of force.
Once he fully completed the technique, his physical abilities would be even more astonishing.
With such a strong physique, if he learned combat techniques and studied military strategy, he could either compete in the martial examinations for the title of martial scholar or become a guard instructor for a wealthy household.
In Zheng Kingdom, the martial examination system prioritized combat skill first and strategy second.
As long as a candidate excelled in combat, they could still pass even if their strategic knowledge was weaker.
"Alright, when we return, I'll ask First Madam again."
Hearing Wei Tu's sharp analysis, Xinghua felt both surprised and excited.
The next morning, before dawn.
Wei Tu and Xinghua packed their belongings, leaving Qingmu County under the cover of darkness, heading toward the countryside.
Wei Tu's family home was in Weijia Village, a settlement within Changming Township under Qingmu County's jurisdiction.
From the county town, the journey to Changming Township required traveling over twenty li of official roads and another seven to eight li of mountain paths.
Halfway through the journey—
They encountered a mule cart heading in the same direction. After paying a small fare, Wei Tu and Xinghua rode along.
By the time they reached the end of the official road, it was already around the fourth quarter of noon.
There were still about two hours before nightfall.
Xinghua, wanting to save money, suggested skipping the inn and traveling through the mountain path to Changming Township before dark.
"The nights are cold now, and the tigers and wolves in the mountains are starving. They're coming down from the hills to hunt. If you don't reach home in time, traveling the mountain path at this hour is far too dangerous."
The cart driver, a kind-hearted man, overheard their conversation and spoke up to warn them.
"And it's not just wild beasts—there are bandits in the mountains too. If your husband were traveling alone, it might be fine, but with a woman beside him, those people won't show any mercy."
After parking the cart in front of an inn, the driver spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground and added another warning.
Listening to others' advice keeps one safe and well-fed.
Seeing that many other travelers had chosen to stay the night at the inn, and noticing that their clothing was simple, not extravagant, Xinghua finally relented.
She took out some silver and rented a lower-class room for the night.
That night.
The two of them slept fully clothed.
By the time the fourth watch arrived, Wei Tu woke up out of habit—his years of taking care of horses had trained his body to rise at odd hours.
At that moment—
A faint but disorderly sound of horse hooves reached his ears.
Wei Tu walked over to the window, carefully pushing it open by a sliver.
And soon—
In the distance, under the bright moonlight, he saw the source of the noise.
It was a cavalry unit of several dozen riders, all wearing helmets and clad in crimson leather armor.
At the front of the group, one rider held a banner, embroidered with a large "Zheng" character.
"Zheng Kingdom's soldiers?"
Wei Tu was shocked.
Cavalry units were a rare sight among official troops. Even in Qingmu County, he had only seen them a handful of times.
For them to suddenly appear outside this inn, there had to be a reason.
As Wei Tu continued to observe in silence, a commotion broke out within the cavalry ranks.
The sound of blades clashing and men shouting filled the night air.
The battle lasted for a quarter of an hour before the fighting stopped.
Shortly after, the cavalry unit departed, disappearing down the official road.
But left behind on the ground—
Were several corpses of bladesmen, all wielding Hengshan Sabers.
"Were they hunting down bandits?"
Wei Tu speculated.
"Could there have been another famine somewhere, forcing more people into banditry?"
Bandits generally fell into two categories—
Some were born criminals, who robbed and killed for sport.
But others were simply peasants forced into banditry due to famine and desperation.
Qingfeng Prefecture had always been filled with bladesmen, and during the fifteenth year of Qing'an, when the Chiron Uprising broke out, their numbers had peaked.
In some severely affected areas, for every ten households, at least three men had turned into bladesmen or bandits just to survive.
"I just hope this doesn't spread to Qingmu County. If famine worsens and rebels rise, the chaos will reach us soon enough."
"If that happens, we'll be conscripted as militia troops, forced to defend the county for the noble families…"
A heavy look settled in Wei Tu's gaze.