Great Nation, Small Freshness (Imperial Examination) - Chapter 7

7: Sweet and Juicy Oranges

No reward without merit. Before leaving the bookshop, Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan helped Mr. Sun tidy up once more. They dusted off the old books on the high shelves that hadn’t sold in years and swept the floor. When they stepped out, the two brothers each had a few fresh oranges tucked into their pockets.

Qin Shan was grinning from ear to ear. “Mr. Sun’s actually pretty decent!”

He even gave us oranges to eat!

This was a southern fruit, in town they cost nearly twenty big coppers a jin, more expensive than pork. In all his life, this was the first time Qin Shan had ever tasted what an orange was like.

Qin Fanghe was infected by his joy and laughed, “When we earn money in the future, we’ll eat them every day.”

It was a rare trip into town, so the two took the chance to visit Qin Hai, each offering him one orange.

“They’re from the gentleman at the bookshop. Big brother, take them home for sister-in-law and the little ones to try something new!”

One of the joys of growing up is sharing. The two younger boys looked expectant. Qin Hai accepted his little brothers’ kindness. “Next time you come, stay overnight at home. Your sister-in-law makes excellent soup…”

Traveling there and back in one day really was exhausting. They’d come several times already but still hadn’t had a proper chance to look around. The pair happily agreed, chatted a bit more, then reluctantly said goodbye and headed toward the marketplace.

Apart from the grain they’d brought back last time, there was nothing left to eat at Qin Fanghe’s house. First they went to the butcher and bought two jin of nicely marbled pork.

In an era of food scarcity, fat was more expensive than lean meat. Pure fat cost fifteen wen a jin. Qin Fanghe couldn’t stomach it, so this mixed cut at thirteen wen was perfect—great for rendering lard or stir-frying.

Catching sight of some cleanly picked bones in the corner, Qin Fanghe immediately pictured a pot of rich, milky-white bone broth and asked, “How much for those?”

In ordinary time-travel novels, big bones and offal were supposedly unwanted and given away free by butchers—that was all nonsense.

No matter how little meat was left on them, bones and offal still came from pigs, they counted as half-meat. At the very least they could be simmered into broth to put fat on your ribs. Only an idiot would give them away!

The butcher glanced over, saw no adult behind them, and casually quoted, “If you want them, five wen a jin, take them!”

Qin Shan nearly jumped. “Boss, we may be small, but we’re not stupid! Those bones are so clean a mouse would slip right off them—there’s not even a speck of meat left! How can you ask such a price? Eggs are expensive these days, but even they’re only three wen for two. With five wen we could buy a full meal!”

Though young, he was sharp with money and quick-tongued. In the blink of an eye he rattled all that off, making the surrounding crowd burst into laughter.

A passing woman chimed in, “Exactly! Butcher Wang, don’t bully children. Nobody’s money comes easy. Charging that price—you’re not afraid of karma?”

“That’s right! At that price, aren’t you worried their family elders will come looking for you?”

People naturally pity the weak. Seeing that Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan didn’t look like children from wealthy families, everyone started speaking up for them. The butcher’s face turned red.

He muttered a few vague excuses, but in the end felt too embarrassed. With a loud thunk he slammed his cleaver into the chopping board, planted his greasy hands on his hips, and shouted, “Fine, fine, keep yelling—you’re giving me a headache! Bones three wen for two jin, offal eight wen. Take it or leave it?”

Pork itself was cheap, and offal had a strong smell that was hard to cook, most people disliked it, so it was universally acknowledged as the cheapest of the cheap. Naturally the price was low.

Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan exchanged a glance and nodded like pecking chickens. “We’ll take it, we’ll take it!”

Strong smell? Who cares! Just soak it in snow water for a few days and it’ll be fine.

So Qin Fanghe bought all the big bones—fifteen jin in total—plus one jin of pig liver each for himself and Qin Shan. Both were very satisfied.

Pig liver was soft yet substantial, far more satisfying and filling than other offal, and rich in trace elements and iron—perfect for the current Qin Fanghe.

Once home, wash it clean, slice thick, give it a quick stir-fry, and dip in garlic paste. Delicious.

“Thank you, boss! May your business prosper and riches flow in!”

Qin Shan was strong, he happily took the heavy bundle while pouring out good wishes, making the butcher feel a bit shy despite himself.

“Scram, scram, you’re blocking my customers!”

He grumbled, but he was secretly pleased, even his fleshy face relaxed a lot.

In the northern winter, fresh vegetables were scarce—only radishes and cabbage, plus dried things like gourd strips, dried beans, and dried eggplant.

Since they were all common summer vegetables, they weren’t expensive. Qin Fanghe spent just a few dozen coppers on a whole basket—enough to last until spring.

After buying everything, the total came to less than a hundred coppers. Excellent.

They’d left early in the morning under overcast skies. Not long after leaving Qingshan Town, snow began to fall—big flakes drifting like pear blossoms in spring.

The snow came fast and heavy. In no time the mountain road was covered in a thick, fluffy layer—like clouds, like cotton.

The cart wheels crunched over it, producing a continuous “creak-creak” that sounded like a rustic country tune accompanying them along the way.

White rapidly swallowed the entire view. Wherever the eye looked was a vast expanse of white, only far off on the horizon could a few cold, hard mountain ridges still be faintly seen, sharply outlined.

When they got thirsty, Qin Shan would jump down, dig a handful of snow from the roadside, and crunch it noisily.

Qin Fanghe, a former stomach-ulcer patient, felt his own intestines spasm just watching. He said gravely, “Don’t be reckless just because you’re young. One day your stomach will hurt and you’ll regret it.”

Qin Shan didn’t care at all. “It’s fine! My dad eats it too! It’s clean.”

Qin Fanghe, whose mouth was puckering from the mere thought: “…”

You iron-stomached people, so noble, so amazing!

Hmph!

Winter days are short anyway, and today was especially gloomy. By the time they vaguely spotted the two big willow trees at the entrance to Baiyun Village, it was already too dark to see their own hands.

Suddenly a familiar voice came through the darkness: “Little Shan, is that you?”

Aunt Xiulan!

Qin Fanghe and Qin Shan both perked up and answered together.

Then, ahead and to the side, an orange-yellow glow bloomed in the night, instantly chasing away the darkness. It was Aunt Xiulan and her husband carrying a lantern toward them.

The couple wore straw rain capes, snowflakes covered their heads and shoulders, their faces red from the cold. Who knew how long they’d been standing there.

“You’re so late today! It started snowing on the road, we were scared to death.”

“You’re back safe, that’s all that matters. No more talking—it’s freezing out here. Hurry home.” Her husband, like his eldest son, wasn’t good with words. After speaking he slapped the ox on the rump, the yellow ox silently picked up its pace.

No matter how Qin Fanghe looked at it, that sequence felt familiar.

Yep, hereditary family skill—confirmed!

He was dragged to Qin Shan’s house too. The moment they entered, he was pushed onto the heated kang and forced to drink a bowl of hot ginger soup.

Made with old ginger, it was a deep yellow brew so spicy it numbed the tongue. A few gulps drove out all the cold, soon a layer of sweat beaded on his forehead. It felt great.

“Your room hasn’t had the kang fired all day—it’s like an ice cellar. You’d freeze to death.” Aunt Xiulan said. She sent her husband to fetch bedding and told Qin Fanghe, “Sleep here tonight, don’t go back, alright?”

Remembering how the past few days had been so cold that water froze indoors, Qin Fanghe immediately agreed cheerfully. Then he told them about earning money.

Having money meant they wouldn’t need to trouble others for help anymore, everyone could relax.

The couple was both shocked and delighted. “You’re so little—how can you already earn money?”

Qin Shan was even more excited than the person involved. He scrambled up. “Of course! Everyone at the bookshop was stunned. Oh right—and oranges!”

He quickly pulled out the oranges Mr. Sun had given them. “Hehe, you could say Brother He and I earned these too. Here, try them.”

“Get out of here.” Aunt Xiulan laughed and scolded. “What do you mean ‘you earned them’? You just basked in boy He’s glory. As if I don’t know you.”

She carefully took the oranges like they were treasures, even brought one close to smell. “Oh, so this is an orange? Smells wonderful.”

After smelling, she put it back and told the boys, “I’ve heard they’re very sour. Your dad and I are old, we can’t eat sour things. You two have them.”

Qin Shan’s dad even turned his head away with a stiff neck, pretending not to look, trying hard to appear disdainful.

Qin Fanghe peeled one and smiled. “They’re not sour—they’re really sweet. Seventh Brother and I already tried them. We even gave two to Big Brother and Sister-in-law. There are plenty. These are the ones Seventh Brother specially brought back to honor you both.”

“Big Hai’s family doesn’t lack food or clothing, why give them any?” Qin Shan’s dad grumbled. “Keep them for yourselves.”

Despite his words, he was secretly touched.

He wasn’t a man of great ability, the proudest thing in his life was raising three children who had all grown up well. Now, counting Qin Fanghe, that makes four. Seeing them get along harmoniously was better than anything.

Qin Fanghe’s hands were quick, in the time they spoke he’d peeled an entire orange. The whole room filled with its fresh fragrance.

Left with no choice, Aunt Xiulan first broke off a segment, held it up to the light, and laughed. “So watery and golden, each little juice sac so pretty. Alright, I’ll try one.”

The room was bone-dry from the hot kang, but the oranges just brought in from outside were icy cold and sweet. When she bit through the thin skin, the luscious juice instantly flooded her mouth and tongue, a tiny bit of tartness made her salivate.

“Oh my goodness!” Aunt Xiulan held her cheeks and laughed nonstop, then noisily swallowed. She quickly pushed one toward her husband. “It really is delicious—try one!”

Her husband dawdled but finally ate one, half-closing his eyes in bliss.

Aunt Xiulan clapped and pointed at him, laughing. “Look at that silly face!”

He huffed, “The kids are being filial to me—what do you know!”

Everyone laughed and joked for a while. Seeing it was late, they all lay down to sleep.

Just as they were drifting off, Qin Shan’s dad said softly, “Boy He, you’re capable, that’s good. Just one thing: in the future, when you earn money, don’t tell outsiders.”

Qin Fanghe was startled and was about to speak when Aunt Xiulan continued, “Having a lot of money isn’t always good. The people in our village are fine, but there are always those who can’t keep their mouths shut. If word accidentally gets out, you’re just a small child who often travels to town. That stretch of road has no one around for hours—if someone got bad ideas…”

Qin Fanghe answered seriously, “Yes, I never planned to tell anyone else. Don’t worry.”

Seeing that Qin Fanghe took their advice, the couple was happy and told everyone to sleep. But then their son started pestering him to continue the storybook.

“Go to sleep!”

“Oh…” Qin Shan kept muttering, “Brother He, did the great hero escape?”

Thinking how this kid was usually a little monkey who let everything go in one ear and out the other, and now he was at it again, the father grew angrier the more he thought about it. He couldn’t help stretching a leg out from under the quilt and kicking his son’s backside.

Qin Shan, who was just dreaming of becoming a great hero: “Ouch!”