Chapter 56: The House

The courtyard they found was in a rather remote spot. The house wasn’t new, and the furniture was pitifully sparse. Because of that, most people running other types of businesses weren’t willing to rent it.

But Qiu Yurou was more than happy. She didn’t care whether the house was new or old as the important part was that it had enough rooms, the roof didn’t leak, and above all, the rent was cheap. Only ten taels of silver a year!

As for the lack of furniture, she was even more satisfied. She needed the place for a workshop, not for daily living. Extra furniture would only be a burden, taking up space and making her worry about how to store it.

This setup was just right: a three-room main hall, with three side rooms each on the east and west, nine rooms in total. She could barely scrape together enough furniture to fill three of the side rooms, perfect for housing her two apprentices and any workers who couldn’t return home.

The main hall could serve as the workspace, three side rooms as storage, and the kitchen; well, Qiu Yurou decided to build a shed near the front gate. It would be spacious, cool in summer, and warm beside the fire in winter.

As for their own living quarters, that would need a separate, proper courtyard.

This workshop courtyard had been chosen for three reasons: cheap rent, spacious layout, and decent distance from the academy.

But their own home couldn’t be chosen so carelessly.

Inside the newly rented workshop, Qiu Yurou and Su Yunting discussed what kind of house to rent for themselves.

First, it had to be conveniently located; not too far from either the academy or the workshop. Ideally, it would be somewhere in between.

Then came the number and size of the rooms, and finally, the condition and completeness of the furniture.

After settling on the general requirements, Qiu Yurou thought they could ask the property agent to show them houses that very afternoon.

But Su Yunting said, “This afternoon, I need to deliver a calling card to Magistrate Lu. If I can meet him tomorrow, then let’s wait until I return to go house-hunting.”

Qiu Yurou agreed immediately. Finding a house wasn’t urgent and meeting the county magistrate was far more important.

Since they weren’t looking at houses that afternoon, she didn’t bother tidying up here. The two of them went back to the inn instead.

After Su Yunting finished writing his card, he told her, “Let’s go together. After I deliver it, I’ll buy you a piece of jewelry.”

But after days of trudging around looking at courtyards, Qiu Yurou was exhausted. She said lazily, “I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to lie down.”

Since his wife didn’t want to go out, Su Yunting wouldn’t force her. He held her close and reminded, “After I leave, remember to lock the door. If you feel sleepy, just go ahead and rest.”

“Alright,” Qiu Yurou answered.

He bent down to kiss her forehead before reluctantly letting her go and then fussed over her again with more instructions.

She laughed, giving him a gentle push. “I know, I know. Just go already.”

After Su Yunting left, she closed the door, lie down on the bed, and quickly fell into a sweet sleep.

She was woken by knocking at the door. Blinking her eyes open, she listened; three knocks, then Su Yunting’s voice, “Yurou?”

She answered, and outside he relaxed. “Don’t rush, take your time getting up,” he cautioned.

Qiu Yurou burst into laughter. He was always giving reminders about this and that. If her father were still alive, he probably wouldn’t have nagged her half as much.

That small laugh cleared the sleepiness from her head.

After freshening up, she opened the door to find her handsome husband standing there. Remembering all his constant reminders, she couldn’t help but laugh again.

Su Yunting came in, closed the door carefully, and immediately pulled her into his arms. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

She gazed at his handsome face, shook her head, and didn’t answer.

Without another word, he scooped her up, sat down in a chair at the round table, and set her on his lap, holding her tightly against him.

Lowering his head so their foreheads touched, he murmured, “If you won’t tell me, then you must be laughing at me in secret.”

“…No, you’re overthinking it,” she said.

Though she denied it, the tone of her voice and her downcast eyes told him clearly that he had guessed right.

Now even more curious, Su Yunting studied the smile tugging at her lips. In the end, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Then tell me, what are you laughing at?”

His breath against her ear sent a tingling shiver through her whole body, and she trembled involuntarily.

Originally, Su Yunting had thought nothing of it. He’d leaned in only so outsiders couldn’t overhear their private words. But when she trembled in his arms, his carefully disciplined heart; calm in his previous life, suddenly flared with heat.

Qiu Yurou, embarrassed by her reaction, kept her eyes tightly shut.

But that only stoked his fire further.

He had to close his eyes and silently chant scriptures in his heart before he could tamp the flames back down.

She stayed awkwardly quiet for a moment. When she realized he wasn’t pressing her anymore, she opened her eyes and found his eyes closed as well.

She assumed he was angry because she wouldn’t tell him.

Pushing him lightly, she muttered, “So quick to get upset!”

She tried to slip off his lap, but he only held her tighter. “I’m not angry. Whether you laugh at me for being ugly or foolish, I won’t mind.”

Looking at the face she adored most, Qiu Yurou said sincerely, “I like the way you look. How could I ever laugh at you for being ugly?”

Su Yunting: … The fire he thought he had suppressed only blazed higher.

Afraid he wouldn’t be able to control his body’s response; he quickly lifted her and set her on another chair. “I won’t ask again. As long as you don’t despise me, you can laugh all you want.”

Then he took several folded slips of paper from his sleeve and handed them to her. “Tomorrow, when we look at houses, we won’t rent anymore. We’ll just buy it.”

Qiu Yurou unfolded the papers. Her eyes widened, they were five banknotes, each worth one hundred taels!

“You went out for a little while and came back with five hundred taels of silver?!” she exclaimed.

Before he could answer, she thought of a possibility. “Did Magistrate Lu get promoted?”

Su Yunting only smiled at her. “Smart as ever.”

Though he looked relaxed, Qiu Yurou’s heart was anything but calm. This was five hundred taels!

When he had first brought home two hundred taels, she had already thought it unbelievable. Now he returned with another five hundred.

“His yearly salary isn’t even that much! It’s only been a few months, and twice he’s handed you hundred taels. As an official, he…”

Qiu Yurou trailed off, but Su Yunting understood her meaning.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “Magistrate Lu’s position is secure. The official stipend is only part of an official’s income. There are also lands allotted for personal use, allowances of food and cloth, tea, wine, ice, and coal, plus gifts and rewards during the holidays. Just what the court provides each year is enough to save a fair amount.

And as the parent-official of a whole county, once a magistrate takes office, all the local gentry and influential clans will visit to pay their respects. They don’t necessarily come asking for favors and sometimes it’s simply to meet him. If he refused such courtesy gifts, it would actually make governance more difficult. So, just the ritual gifts alone are enough to keep up respectable social ties. Then there are weddings, funerals, and festivals, all of which are opportunities to accumulate wealth.”

He didn’t mention many of the other channels, but even this much was enough for Qiu Yurou to understand. No wonder so many men persisted with the exams until their hair turned white.

The benefits and stipends were excellent, and with all those almost-legitimized “gray” incomes, who wouldn’t be tempted?

With this five hundred taels in hand, Qiu Yurou took the matter of buying a house even more seriously.

The two of them discussed what kind of courtyard to purchase until dusk.

In the end, they decided: three hundred taels for the house and furnishings, leaving two hundred, plus the hundred-some leftover from before, for two years of household expenses.

Qiu Yurou thought that even if they only had a hundred taels, just for a family’s normal living, they could still live quite well.

The next morning, just after breakfast, Magistrate Lu’s nephew, Lu Yide, came by.

This time, the magistrate had given Su Yunting five hundred taels partly out of gratitude, but also because he saw potential in him. He had even instructed his nephew to build a good relationship with Su Yunting.

Lu Yide had already respected Su Yunting’s ability, and now, after his uncle followed Su Yunting’s advice and smoothly secured a promotion, the official transfer order would arrive in just a few days.

This outcome made Lu Yide value Su Yunting even more. Knowing he planned to buy a house in the county, he came early to accompany him.

For Su Yunting, choosing Magistrate Lu was not only about money. It was also about weaving a protective network of connections under the shelter of the magistrate’s authority.

There were still more than two years before he would go to the capital for the spring examination. In the meantime, his family would be living here in the county.

The title of xiucai could protect him from being casually bullied by common folk, but it offered no defense against the powerful local clans.

If he had ties with the magistrate and won his favor, then even after the man was promoted, the local gentry would hesitate to cause trouble for him.

With the magistrate’s nephew personally accompanying them, the property agent didn’t dare raise prices, nor dare to hide anything.

Within the agreed area, the agent led them to inspect houses.

The first was a simple, modest courtyard that could be bought for just one hundred and forty taels.

The rooms were barely sufficient, but the yard was too small. With several hundred taels in hand, neither Su Yunting; who had once lived alone in a three-compound mansion nor Qiu Yurou, who came from a commoner background, was interested.

Seeing they disliked the small size, the agent showed them a larger residence.

This one was similar to the workshop house they had rented yesterday, but far superior in buildings and furnishings.

The courtyard was spacious, the rooms numerous, and naturally the price higher; two hundred taels.

This was just about what the two had discussed the night before, and thanks to Lu Yide’s presence, the asking price was much lower than they had expected.

Such a house would be more than enough not only for their family but also for Qiu Yurou’s two apprentices. But Qiu Yurou was thinking beyond that.

Su Yunting had been a Zhuangyuan (top scorer) in his previous life. In this one, even if he didn’t take first, he was unlikely to fall out of the top tier, and at worst he would place high among the second tier. Either way, he was certain to enter officialdom.

When that happened, his younger siblings’ marriages would naturally need to be arranged with families of similar rank.

She predicted that his younger brother Yunché would adapt best to the rise in family status, since he was studying in the academy where everyone pursued the exams. Once Su Yunting passed, Yunché’s teachers and peers would “help” him adjust to the new social standing.

But his two younger sisters were different. The second sister, in particular, was naturally introverted and disliked socializing. Qiu Yurou herself wasn’t very skilled in that area either.

Once Su Yunting’s status rose and his sister reached marriageable age, Qiu Yurou worried that she would lose confidence in dealing with families of equal standing.

The only solution she could think of was to gradually improve their standard of living. As the saying goes, “Where you live shapes your temperament; what you eat and wear shapes your body.” If the household conditions improved, her sister’s self-confidence would surely rise as well.

This courtyard was large, with many flowers planted inside. As Lu Yide admired one in bloom, the property agent explained its care requirements.

Meanwhile, Qiu Yurou and Su Yunting walked to the other side.

“What do you think of buying a two-compound residence?” Qiu Yurou asked.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Yunting agreed.

“You’re not even going to ask why I suddenly changed my mind?” she pressed.

“As long as it’s what you want,” he replied, “that reason is enough for me.”

Although her main concern was for her second sister, his answer made her heart feel sweet.

Since he had said that, Qiu Yurou teased, “If we buy a two-compound house, I’ll also want to hire a few servants.”

To her surprise, Su Yunting let out a long breath of relief. “I’d already thought of that. I was just worried you wouldn’t be able to accept having household help, so I didn’t dare bring it up.”

Cultural Notes:-

• Xiucai: Lowest degree-holder from the imperial exam system. It granted social respect and some privileges but was still far from being an official post.
• Zhuangyuan: The highest scorer in the palace examination, considered the pinnacle of academic and social achievement.
• Two-compound residence: Traditional Chinese courtyard houses were often built in “progressions” or “courts”. A two-compound house meant two successive courtyards, indicating greater size, prestige, and wealth.