The rain poured down heavily.
Shen Yuan glanced at the wooden box beside him and said, "Shi Tou, take out the pancakes your mother made for Grandmaster Fu."
Shen Wenxing hurriedly ran over, opened the wooden box, and took out two pancakes, a small dish, and a bowl of thin porridge, handing them to Fu Gui.
"Grandmaster Fu, please eat."
Seeing this, Fu Gui's eyes became slightly moist.
Ever since his farmland was sold, he had been doing short-term work for others.
In the past, the employers hardly regarded them as people, let alone provided meals.
"Thank you, master."
Fu Gui bowed respectfully, carefully accepted the food, and began to eat.
Shen Yuan looked at him and shook his head slightly.
This old man was also a pitiable person.
His wife, kind-hearted, after learning that Fu Gui only had one meal at home in the morning and had to endure with cold water at noon, always made two extra pancakes for him to bring along.
Shen Yuan intended to stop her but, considering Fu Gui's diligence and responsibility at work, never slacking off, he said nothing more.
After finishing his meal, Fu Gui meticulously cleaned the dishes and placed them back into the wooden box.
The two chatted idly about various topics.
As the early evening approached, the rain gradually stopped, and the dark clouds in the sky slowly drifted away.
"The summer rain comes and goes quickly."
Seeing the sun emerge from the clouds, Fu Gui rushed barefoot to the threshing ground to check.
"Master, no water seeped in!"
"Once this area dries a bit more, we can bring everything home for storage."
Shen Yuan nodded.
This year was a prosperous one, and after paying the taxes, there should be plenty left over.
When the time comes, they would sell some, store some, and life would become much easier.
"Shi Tou, go home and have your mother bring the ox cart."
"Alright!" Shen Wenxing responded and ran towards the village.
Not long after, an old ox slowly pulled a cart from the village, and a woman wearing a floral long shirt with her hair in a bun sat on the cart.
Even after having two children, Hu Yufen's figure remained the same, and her appearance was still graceful and charming.
As the ox cart arrived, Hu Yufen got off and smiled at Shen Yuan.
"When did my husband learn to read the weather?"
Shen Yuan raised his chin proudly and said, "Your man has many skills."
"Nonsense…" Hu Yufen rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Fu Gui, "Thank you for today, Uncle Fu."
"Madam, there's no need for such words," Fu Gui quickly clasped his hands, "It's my obligation."
"And I should thank madam for always thinking of me, bringing meals through the master."
After some polite exchanges, he shifted the topic, "Master and madam can rest for now; I'll start loading the grain onto the cart."
"Let me help you," Shen Yuan offered.
The two carefully uncovered the straw and hay on the grain pile, and seeing the dry grain inside, they began scooping it onto the cart with a winnowing basket.
Hu Yufen did not rest either, using a bamboo basket to pick out the grains touched by rain.
They all worked until dusk, when it got dark, and finally transported all the grain back home.
After washing briefly with some well water, Shen Yuan looked at his wife.
"Yufen, it's the end of the month; get some money to pay Uncle Fu."
Hu Yufen acknowledged and went into the house.
"Please wait, madam," Fu Gui saw this and hurriedly clasped his hands, "Master, madam, I have an impertinent request."
"I would like to use this wage to buy master's grain, what do you think…"
Buy the grain?
"Master's grain is plump and of superior quality, I…" Fu Gui felt a bit embarrassed and guilty.
From his perspective, the rice from Shen Yuan's grain, once milled, would be comparable to fine rice.
Porridge made from fine rice is far more nutritious than that made from inferior rice.
"Sure, let's calculate it at the market price."
Shen Yuan saw through his little scheme but didn't mind.
The reason his family's grain was of high quality was because of the abundant fertilization.
All this fertilizer was produced using the fermentation technique from his past memories, utilizing straw, leaves, river silt, and manure from humans and animals.
This old man worked earnestly and had insight, so letting him benefit a little was no harm.
"Thank you, master!"
Fu Gui thanked again and again, bowing repeatedly.
He had intended to purchase at 10% above the market price.
But estimating that Shen Yuan's grain would sell for at least 30% above the market rate at the town's grain store, he was hesitant to speak up.
He didn't expect Shen Yuan to be so generous, willing to sell at market price.
After some calculations, Shen Yuan had Hu Yufen bring a cloth bag to pack the grain for him.
"Uncle Fu, there's no need to come for the next few days, just come back to help with the planting later on, and the wages will stay the same."
Fu Gui, carrying the grain, was taken aback.
He thought his petty greed would displease Shen Yuan, who would then not employ him in the future.
"Alright! Alright!"
"When it's time to plant, I'll be here!"
"Master, I'll head back now."
After sending Fu Gui off, Hu Yufen went to the kitchen to prepare dinner while the eldest, Shen Wenxing, helped with the stove.
Once the family had a simple meal and cleaned up, they lay in bed.
In this era without television or mobile phones, sleeping right after dinner had become the norm.
Late into the quiet night, the two little ones, exhausted from the afternoon's activities, fell asleep early.
The couple lay on the bed, lying close together.
"Shi Tou is seven this year; do you have any plans, husband?"
Hu Yufen shifted slightly, resting her head on Shen Yuan's shoulder.
"I saw the lady in the backyard preparing provisions today, saying she'd send her son, Da Niu, to the town's teacher for enlightenment when autumn arrives."
"When you sell the grain in town, do you want to inquire about it?"
Shen Yuan gave a soft hum.
At seven years old, he'd already be attending primary school in his previous life.
Over the years, through hard work, the couple had saved some money, allowing them to live moderately.
It was time to plan for their children's future; they couldn't let them remain farmers forever.
Scholar, farmer, industrialist, merchant.
The Great Yu Dynasty too had its social classes.
Alongside the scholarly class, there was also the "warrior" class.
Great Yu esteemed martial prowess, and once a foundation was laid in childhood, joining the military and earning distinction in battle could lead to titles and honors.
He knew his child well; compared to his second son, Shen Wenyan, the older Shen Wenxing exhibited more patience but lacked cleverness.
Such a person was more suited to a martial path, as pursuing scholarship and entering officialdom might not be ideal.
"How much silver taels do we have at home?"
The pursuit of martial arts was costly; proper budgeting was essential.
"A hundred and sixty taels."
"This season's grain will also sell for a lot," Hu Yufen, adept at managing the household, had everything in order.
Hearing this, Shen Yuan frowned slightly.
A hundred and sixty taels might not be enough.
He had privately inquired; the local martial arts hall demanded a gift of twenty taels for accepting disciples, and monthly herbal meal plans required another ten taels.
Though not mandatory, Shen Yuan felt that if choosing this path, full support was essential. Half-hearted training would be pointless.
"Let me think about it; it's late, let's sleep."
He turned over, letting his hand roam over Hu Yufen.
In the heat of the moment, Hu Yufen turned over and whispered seductively, "Husband, you've worked hard today, let me take care of you."
Afterwards, Hu Yufen fell into a deep sleep.
Watching the system panel in his Sea of Consciousness, Shen Yuan pondered deeply.
The divination system was bound to the entire family.
Currently, the Shen Family consisted of only the three direct bloodline members, categorized as a Junior Clan in the system.
He wondered if more descendants would cause any system changes.
Listening to the summer insects, holding his gentle wife, he thought about future matters, and time swiftly moved to midnight.
[Hexagram has refreshed.]
[Today's Hexagram · Auspicious]: While passing by the Black Water Pool, you unexpectedly find a Centennial Blood Toad shedding its skin. The shed skin holds immense medicinal value and can be sold for two hundred taels of Patterned Silver.