I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Going to School

Li Qiaoqiao’s eyes lit up. “Maybe that can be realized very soon. Look, the energy of the Concentric Lock is much more stable tonight; perhaps next time we can control the duration of the crossing.”

The thought excited them both. Imagine living in ancient times by day and returning to a modern apartment to sleep at night their quality of sleep would improve drastically.

As the night deepened, Li Qiaoqiao carefully folded the silk duvet and placed it next to the container for growing bean sprouts. She tried placing her hand on the Concentric Lock, concentrating her intent on transporting only the objects and not the people. To her surprise, the items vanished in a flash of light.

“It seems the functions of the Concentric Lock are even greater than we imagined,” she said in pleasant surprise.

Wu Ya tried as well and found he could sense that the items had already been transmitted to their room on the ancient side. “The energy consumption isn’t high. Tomorrow we can bring even more useful things over.”

Holding the lock once more, Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya returned to the earthen room of the Wu family in ancient times. Li Qiaoqiao immediately spread the silk duvet on the bed, replacing the originally rock-hard cotton quilt. “I can finally get a good night’s sleep,” she said, stretching contentedly. Seeing her so happy, the corners of Wu Ya’s mouth curved upward.

…

Lecuan Town Academy was not too far from Wu Family Village. Before dawn, Wu Duofu rose, put on his semi-new indigo jacket, and led Wu Ya toward the town. Wu Ya carried a cloth bookbag that Li Qiaoqiao had stayed up all night to sew, containing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone; he walked with a slight sleepiness in his eyes.

“Tieniu, listen well to the Master once you reach the academy,” Wu Duofu exhorted as they walked. “Canghai is in the intermediate class too; if there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask him.”

Wu Ya nodded, though he felt caught between laughter and tears. A PhD graduate from a modern business school was now going to recite the Three Character Classic with a bunch of toddlers.

Master Zhu of the academy was a kind man. After looking at a few characters Wu Ya wrote and testing him on a few lines from the Thousand Character Classic, he stroked his beard and said, “Though this child’s enlightenment comes late, he has a spark of spirituality. Let him be placed in the intermediate class.”

There were seven or eight children in the intermediate class, mostly around ten years old. When Wu Canghai saw his young uncle enter, his eyes bugged out. As soon as the Master turned his back, he leaned over and whispered, “Fourth Uncle, why are you in our class?”

Wu Ya patted his shoulder with a smile. “To keep you company.”

…

While Wu Ya settled in, Li Qiaoqiao began a new day of busy work at the Wu house. After seeing off the school-bound Wu Ya, she nimbly cleared the dishes and headed to the river with a large wooden basin of dirty laundry.

The riverbank in the morning was the liveliest spot, where the village girls and young wives gathered to beat laundry and gossip.

“Qiaoqiao is here!” the second daughter-in-law of the Liang family called out. “I heard your Tieniu went to the academy today?”

Li Qiaoqiao nodded with a smile, found a flat river stone to squat on, and took up her wooden club to rhythmically beat the clothes. She wasn’t silent like the original owner; she engaged in the back-and-forth, occasionally praising a neighbor’s new hairstyle or asking if another’s mother-in-law had recovered from a cold.

A few women close to Mrs. Wei exchanged looks, and one raised her voice: “If you ask me, it’s a good thing for a boy to go to school, but doesn’t the household lose a pair of hands? I heard that the patrol work for the Fourth Branch has now fallen entirely on Uncle Duofu’s shoulders?”

There was an edge to these words, clearly implying that Wu Ya’s schooling was a burden on the family.

Unruffled, Li Qiaoqiao smiled and replied, “Isn’t that the truth? That’s why I have to help out more. Besides, Tieniu works hard when he comes back. Just yesterday, he heard something fresh from the Master, a type of vegetable that doesn’t need land or fertilizer and can be grown right inside the house!”

This immediately piqued the women’s curiosity. They swarmed her with questions about what kind of vegetable it was. Li Qiaoqiao played coy, saying she’d tell everyone once the trial was successful, leaving them itching with anticipation.

On her way home at noon, she intentionally detoured past Mrs. Zhou, a close friend of Mrs. Wei, and mentioned as if offhandedly, “How has Eldest Sister-in-law been lately? I haven’t seen her washing clothes by the river for a while.”

Mrs. Zhou curled her lip. “She’s the mother of someone distinguished in town now; why would she wash clothes with us coarse folk?”

Li Qiaoqiao understood immediately it seemed Mrs. Wei felt superior because of her son’s schooling and had distanced herself from the village women. This gave Li Qiaoqiao the perfect opening to integrate with them.

Back at the house, Li Qiaoqiao rushed to feed the chickens and chop vegetables, her feet barely touching the ground. Zhang Jinhua observed this and said to Wu Duofu, “Tieniu’s wife has certainly brightened up; she’s not as dull as when she first arrived.”

In the afternoon, it was the turn of the Third and Fourth branches to cook. Li Qiaoqiao seized the moment; as soon as Mrs. Liu entered the kitchen, she brought over a basin of fresh, tender bean sprouts.

“Third Sister-in-law, look at this!”

Mrs. Liu leaned in. Seeing the rows of tender white stalks topped with pale yellow petals, looking succulent and lovely, she cried out in surprise, “Where did this rare thing come from?”

“This is what I mentioned this morning, the vegetable that grows without land,” Li Qiaoqiao laughed. “Tieniu said the Master mentioned it; it’s called ‘bean sprouts’ and is grown from wild beans. I tried it, and it actually worked!”

Mrs. Liu was skeptical. “Beans can grow such succulent greens? How do you cook them?”

“Tieniu said a simple stir-fry works, but the method wasn’t very detailed. Sister-in-law, why don’t I try my hand today? You can guide me from the side,” Li Qiaoqiao said sincerely.

Mrs. Liu was curious anyway, so she agreed.

Li Qiaoqiao started by pretending to be clumsy with the fire and the wok, but when it came time to actually fry, she suddenly became an expert. She heated the wok, tossed in garlic to bloom the fragrance, followed by the sprouts. A few quick tosses, a dash of salt, and a drizzle of vinegar right before plating it was seamless.

A fresh fragrance instantly filled the kitchen. Mrs. Liu exclaimed, “It smells wonderful! Qiaoqiao, you’ve got some skill!”

“I’m just guessing; it’s thanks to your guidance,” Li Qiaoqiao said humbly.

At dinner, a dish of stir-fried bean sprouts sat on the table. The sprouts were white, tender, and translucent, garnished with green onions.

“What vegetable is this?” Zhang Jinhua asked, her eyes wide.

“Mother, these are bean sprouts, a fresh dish Tieniu heard about at the academy,” Li Qiaoqiao explained. “They can be grown from wild beans found in the mountains; they don’t cost a penny.”

Wu Duofu was the first to take a bite. The crisp texture and unique fragrance made him nod repeatedly. “Delicious! Refreshing and crisp!”

The large family of over a dozen people each took a portion, and in moments, the plate was empty. Even the pickiest, Wu Cuiyun, clamored for more tomorrow.

Seeing the timing was right, Li Qiaoqiao spoke up: “Father, Mother, I have an idea. Since these sprouts are so popular, why don’t we grow more and sell them in town? Wild beans are all over the mountains, so the cost is almost zero. The money earned can go toward Tieniu’s books and paper.”

Zhang Jinhua’s eyes lit up. “A great idea! Going to the academy really is useful Tieniu’s only been gone a day and he’s already brought back such good business!”

Wu Duofu also nodded in approval. “Tomorrow I’ll go gather more wild beans.”

Mrs. Wei, listening intently from the side, let her eyes flicker. She smiled and asked, “Qiaoqiao, how are these sprouts grown? Is it difficult?”