Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 39
This year, the weather is good. From the time of harvesting rice to threshing, not a single drop of rain falls.
The older generation in the village says it’s because the tower-burning ritual in mid-autumn is done properly, ensuring a smooth harvest—unlike last year, when a sudden gust of wind scatters the burning grass ash everywhere, followed by rain just as the harvest is about to end.
Fortunately, most people finish gathering their crops in time, so only about ten acres of unharvested land in the village ends up soaked.
After the autumn harvest, every household enjoys fresh rice. When it’s time to cook, the rich aroma fills the entire village, making everyone’s mouths water.
Li Mujin’s family usually buys their rice and flour, but this year, with their new in-laws, things are different. As soon as Zhang Shu’s rice is dried, he brings over a large bag for them, insisting they should also enjoy the fresh harvest.
The Li family refuses several times but eventually accepts it. In return, they send Li Yan over with a pheasant or rabbit every now and then as a gesture of gratitude.
Over time, the two families grow very close. The villagers often say they’ve never seen such harmonious in-laws before. In truth, much of it is because the elders care for their children, and Zhang Shu and Li Mujin genuinely love each other. If the older generation doesn’t get along, it only makes things awkward for the younger ones caught in between.
A few days later, the tenants come to pay rent, and Grandpa Zhang formally introduces Zhang Shu to them, making it clear that he will be managing the family affairs in the future.
These tenants are all honest farmers. Even in Zhang Shu’s past life, when he is aimless, they always pay rent on time.
In this life, things are different, and Zhang Shu takes his responsibilities more seriously. He handles the affairs with diligence and fairness, feeling satisfied with the work.
With their horoscopes matched and the engagement set, Zhang Shu and Li Mujin spend even more time together. No one minds seeing them walking along the small dirt paths or by the river.
Despite this, the most intimate thing they do is hold hands—just as innocent as children. Li Mujin is inexperienced and doesn’t know what else they could do, while Zhang Shu, knowing full well what comes next, holds back. The more he cherishes Li Mujin, the more he is afraid of scaring him.
The day before, it rains lightly, softening the earth.
The next morning, the weather is clear again, and Li Mujin wants to go mushroom picking. He asks Li Yan to take him, but Li Yan refuses, teasing him instead.
“Didn’t you always say Zhang Shu is great? Let him take you!” He even adds, “Little brothers are the most annoying. Who has time to go picking mushrooms with you?”
Li Mujin is so angry his cheeks puff up. He makes a mental note that when his big brother gets married, he’ll tell his sister-in-law or brother-in-law all the mean things he says!
With a small backpack slung over his shoulder, Li Mujin heads to Zhang Shu’s house. But as he nears the gate, he hesitates.
What if Zhang Shu is busy today? What if Grandma Zhang thinks he’s just being playful and ignorant? That would be embarrassing.
He paces back and forth outside the house, reluctant to leave but too shy to knock.
“Jin’er, what are you doing here? Xiaobao, call your uncle.”
He Yue, Laiwang’s husband, is passing by with his young son when he spots Li Mujin lingering at the entrance.
He Yue’s family and Ger Li Aba’s family are from the same village, and the two men marry from the same hometown. Despite being of different generations, they get along well. In a village where there aren’t many young men around, they treat each other like brothers.
“Brother Yue, Xiaobao…” Li Mujin mumbles, feeling embarrassed. If anyone sees him like this, they’d surely think he lacks decorum.
“Are you here to see Zhang Shu? Why don’t you go in?” He Yue asks casually.
Then, without waiting for a response, he calls out loudly, “Grandma Fengying, your grandson-in-law is here!”
Li Mujin’s face turns bright red.
Hearing the voice, Grandma Zhang comes to open the gate, smiling warmly. “Jin’er, come in! Next time, just push the door open.”
Her expression is full of joy, her white teeth showing as she laughs.
“Grandma… Is Zhang Shu home?” Li Mujin asks hesitantly as he follows her inside.
“Of course! Ah’shu, Jin’er is here to see you! Come out quickly!”
Zhang Shu is in the backyard, chopping wood. The thick logs need to be split and dried before they can be used for firewood.
Hearing his grandmother’s call, he wipes his hands and walks to the front yard, finding Li Mujin standing stiffly, awkwardly responding to Grandma Zhang’s small talk.
Seeing Zhang Shu appear, Li Mujin instantly relaxes. “Ah’shu!”
Zhang Shu takes one look at his outfit and the small backpack and immediately understands. “Jin’er, wait a moment. I’ll go grab my bag!”
He quickly fetches a backpack from the woodshed and slings it over his shoulders. “Grandma, Jin’er and I are going up the mountain to pick mushrooms. We might be back late, so don’t wait for us for lunch.”
“All right, but be careful. Don’t go too deep into the forest—just stay near the outskirts, okay?” Grandma Zhang reminds them with concern.
“Got it, Grandma! We’ll be careful. Go back inside!”
As they walk through the village, Zhang Shu and Li Mujin maintain some distance, but the moment they enter the forest, Zhang Shu steps closer. Without hesitation, he reaches for Li Mujin’s hand, rubbing it gently between his own warm palms.
Although the rain yesterday is not heavy, it’s enough for mushrooms to sprout. In this small pine forest, mushrooms are abundant. By pulling apart the leaves at the base of the trees, one can often find clusters of them.
Li Mujin lets out excited exclamations from time to time, signaling that he’s found a particularly large mushroom. Zhang Shu watches his agile figure darting through the trees, a warm smile appearing in his eyes.
Whenever Zhang Shu comes across a large mushroom, he deliberately leaves it untouched, just so he can hear Li Mujin’s joyful cries.
They gather a large number of mushrooms. After washing some in the mountain spring, they skewer them on branches and roast them over a fire. Fresh mushrooms, lightly sprinkled with salt, are delicious. The two of them sit close together, sharing the roasted mushrooms in the quiet grove, as if surrounded by a soft, romantic atmosphere.
As the saying goes, one should marry first before building a career.
Zhang Shu has no plans to go out to work during this time. Other than spending time with Li Mujin, he focuses entirely on preparing for their wedding.
The two families discuss the betrothal gifts amicably. Neither side makes excessive demands, both being considerate of the other. The Li family has no special requirements— they only hope that Zhang Shu will treat Li Mujin well.
Zhang Shu has no need to be reminded of that. As for everything else, if he has it, he wants Li Mujin to have it too.
Grandma Zhang prepares a betrothal gift of five of silver, a sum higher than the average in the village. She wants the Li family to know that they will undoubtedly cherish Li Mujin.
However, the silver is only a small part of the gift. The true value lies in the silver jewelry. When Zhang Shu’s mother marries, both families are well-off, and she brings with her a generous dowry.
Two pairs of bracelets, four necklaces, four silver rings, two pairs of earrings, and two silver hairpins— such wealth is beyond the reach of ordinary families.
After Zhang Shu’s parents pass away unexpectedly, Grandma Zhang carefully safeguards these valuables. Now, for Zhang Shu’s marriage, she takes everything to a silversmith, converting the jewelry into accessories more suitable for a ger. The pieces are polished until they gleam like new.
If converted into silver, these items are worth at least thirty — a fortune that most families in their village cannot save even in two generations.
On top of that, Grandma Zhang also contributes part of her own dowry to buy cloth and new household items. A wedding of this scale is rare in their village, let alone in the surrounding villages. In fact, the betrothal gift is comparable to those given by wealthy city families when marrying off a daughter. Even among the rich, few are this generous.
Grandma Zhang spares no effort in making the wedding grand. First, because Zhang Shu is the eldest grandson of the Zhang family; second, because his parents pass away, leaving him as the sole heir, so all the family’s wealth naturally belongs to him; and third, because Li Mujin sincerely loves Zhang Shu, and his family is kind. Once the elderly pass away, Zhang Shu will rely on his in-laws for support. His second uncle and aunt are unreliable, and his maternal relatives live far away, visiting only once or twice a year. If anything happens, he cannot count on them.
In the blink of an eye, September 27th arrives. Zhang Shu personally invites Laiwang, Zhou Da, and others to accompany him in proposing marriage. He even borrows an ox cart from the village chief’s house, tying a large red flower to the ox’s horn.
As they make their way to the Li household, the lively procession draws the attention of the village children, who surround the cart, begging for sweets. The most conspicuous among them is Laiwang’s son, Xiaobao, whom Zhang Shu places on the ox cart. With candy in his hands and pockets, he is chosen as the “golden boy” to on the day Zhang Shu and Li Mujin get married.
Before they even reach the Li family’s house, the sound of firecrackers echoes in the air. Firecrackers are expensive, so villagers usually burn bamboo during festivals. However, for a major event like a wedding, firecrackers are a must— the lively crackling sounds signify joy and prosperity.
The ox cart stops at the entrance of the Li family’s courtyard. After the formal greetings, the Li family’s close relatives help carry the wedding gifts inside.
Under Li Aba’s guidance, Zhang Shu formally greets the Li family’s relatives. Then, as is tradition, the elders playfully urge them to open the gift boxes.
Zhang Shu does not refuse, though he keeps one thing hidden— the small box containing the silver accessories remains concealed under the fabric. Although revealing it would be impressive, it’s better to be cautious. As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted. There are many people present, including distant relatives and onlookers like Wang Changfa. If the wrong people take notice, they’ll never have peace again.
Even without the silver jewelry, the betrothal gifts are impressive. Five one-tael silver ingots lie neatly on a tray draped in red fabric. Alongside them are a piece of bright red cloth, several other fabrics in various colors, an exquisitely crafted dressing table, a brand-new bronze mirror, and an assortment of wooden combs. Other gifts include poultry and an array of fine pastries.
The Li family’s relatives praise the Zhang family for their generosity, noting how much they value Jin’er. It’s clear that Jin’er will have a good life after marriage.
After displaying the betrothal gifts, the men carry everything into Li Mujin’s room, where he sits with the golden boy.
During the meal, Zhang Shu quietly slips away. Finding only Li Mujin and Li Aba in the room, he knocks on the door before entering.
Li Aba assumes Zhang Shu is simply excited and is about to step out when Zhang Shu stops him.
“Father, please don’t leave yet,” Zhang Shu says.
He bends down, pulls out a red lacquered box from beneath the cloth, and hands it to Li Aba.
Puzzled, Li Aba accepts it. Upon opening the box, he is stunned. A collection of gleaming silver jewelry lies before him and Li Mujin. Both are left speechless— they never imagine Zhang Shu possesses such wealth.
More than that, they are astounded by the Zhang family’s sincerity and generosity.
