Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 6: An IQ Beatdown
The next morning, Chen was radiant and unusually gentle. When Zhu Ping’an came out, he saw her straightening his father’s collar. The moment she noticed her two sons, she hurriedly lowered her hands, a shy blush coloring her face.
After all, this wasn’t the 21st century, a time when one could unabashedly show affection, Zhu Ping’an reflected.
As the sun rose, the household began the day’s work. With the autumn harvest approaching, the crops had entered the grain-filling stage. Before their relatives arrived, they needed to finish irrigating the fields; otherwise, the visit would keep everyone busy for several days. After breakfast, Grandpa Zhu led Zhu Ping’an’s father, Third Uncle, and Zhu Pingchuan out to tackle the urgent irrigation work.
Eldest Uncle, however, was busy preparing for his examinations and never took part in farm work.
As for Fourth Uncle… well, Fourth Uncle claimed he had woken up with a stiff neck.
Since Zhu Ping’an’s arrival, this was already Fourth Uncle’s third conveniently timed illness, each one coinciding with farm work. First he had caught a chill while sleeping; then he had supposedly hit his head while getting up at night; now he had a stiff neck. The excuses were absurd, and it was obvious he was shirking work, yet Grandma Zhu believed him every time.
Grandmother was indeed very biased.
While the men worked, the women weren’t idle either. Grandmother led the other women in the family to sew small pouches, make handkerchiefs, and weave cloth—basically, they kept busy.
Zhu Ping’an idly watched Zhu Pingjun riding a stick as though it were a horse while Yu’er happily chased chickens. No matter how hard he concentrated, he could not see the fortune above anyone’s head; perhaps certain conditions had to be met. He was in no hurry and could investigate slowly. Instead, he thought about slipping out to ponder life and find some way to make money. Unfortunately, he could not yet go into the mountains, even though he was sure they were full of opportunities.
Before Zhu Ping’an could slip out the door, Grandmother called him over with some errands, instructing him to run and buy five wén worth of thread for sewing.
Zhu Ping’an didn’t want to do this errand; it was too mindless. Besides, Grandmother was incredibly meticulous; even if he bought something that was half a wén short, she would notice immediately. Not only would he be criticized for not getting any profit, but he would also be scolded for buying poorly.
Both Zhu Ping’an and Zhu Pingjun were reluctant to go, and Little Yu’er was too young to be sent.
So, Zhu Ping’an seriously told Zhu Pingjun, “You go; you have a horse, so you can get there quickly.”
Zhu Pingjun was thrilled to hear this. He took the money and happily patted his backside, saying, “Giddy up!” and dashed away.
This was a case of intelligence overwhelming.
Zhu Ping’an silently watched Zhu Pingjun disappear through the door, feeling the loneliness of life—especially lonely was the fact that he couldn’t express it.
Taking advantage of the fact that his mother and the others were busy in the house, he slipped out and wandered aimlessly around the village, planning to sneak over to the neighboring village, Shanghe Village, to see what their private school looked like.
Before he had taken a few steps, he saw Er Niu, who had been looking for him to play just days ago, being held down by his mother as she spanked him. As she spanked him, she lectured, “Now tell me, will you dare to steal your sister’s things again!”
“Will you dare to steal your sister’s things again?”
With each slap, she asked again.
Five or six-year-old Er Niu cried out loudly while being spanked, tears and snot streaming down his face as he swore, “I promise I’ll never steal my sister’s food again! If I do, I’m a dog’s spawn!”
A dog’s spawn? Zhu Ping’an nearly choked, stunned by Er Niu’s audacity.
Then he saw Er Niu’s mother swiftly lift him up, take off her shoe, and give him another round of spankings.
Xiahe Village, located by the riverbank, was named for its position downstream, while the village upstream was called Shanghe Village. The two villages shared this unnamed river, formed by mountain streams, with clear waters so transparent that the bottom could be seen. People called it Qingxi.
Zhu Ping’an hadn’t walked far before he reached the river. A small boat was out fishing, and a few women gathered by the bank to wash clothes, using wooden sticks to beat the fabric against the river’s smooth stones.
Getting closer to the riverbank, he could see small fish and shrimp frolicking among the water plants—something you couldn’t find in modern times.
Across the river lay the vast mountains behind the village, lush and green, with the distant sounds of birds and animals, suggesting a land rich in resources.
Xiahe Village, nestled between mountains and water, boasted beautiful scenery. With a mountain in front and water behind, abundant trees on the hills, and plenty of fish and shrimp in the water, there was no reason for poverty to thrive here.
As Zhu Ping’an walked along the riverbank, he found himself at the fields, where the Zhu family was busy clearing ditches to irrigate the crops.
“Xiao Zhi, what are you doing here? Is everything okay at home?” His father, Zhu Shouyi, noticed him from afar and approached with long strides. He was shirtless with rolled-up trousers, muddy feet, and a shovel in hand.
Realizing he had unknowingly come to his own family’s fields, Zhu Ping’an looked up at his worried father with his little chubby face and said, “Dad, everything’s fine at home. I came to help!”
Zhu Shouyi relaxed upon hearing this. Looking at Zhu Ping’an’s small arms and legs, he smiled, “What can you help with? Just stay over there and watch those few fish. When you go home, ask your mother to make you some soup.”
Grandfather and the others came over, and his older brother Zhu Pingchuan handed him a bright yellow water melon, saying, “Brother, wash it and eat it; there are plenty by the river.”
Grandfather appreciated Zhu Ping’an coming to watch the adults work, hoping that he would also become skilled in farming in the future. To Grandfather, the land was fundamental; even high-ranking officials needed land to feel secure.
Alright, no more running around then.
Not far away, the family was busy irrigating the fields. Zhu Ping’an lay on the grass beside a newly dug small puddle, guarding a few small grass carp while munching on the water melon.
The crisp and sweet flavor was delightful, leaving a lingering taste that made him wonder if he could sell these melon-sized water melons in town for a good price.
Thanks to the convenience of the river, by the end of the day, the family had already irrigated more than half of their fields. Tomorrow, with just half a day’s work, they could finish it up.
That evening, they indeed had fish soup for dinner, which left Zhu Ping’an, who seldom had meat, with a full belly.
After the meal, Grandfather waved his hand and instructed, “Second son, you and Da Chuan don’t have to irrigate the fields tomorrow. Go into the mountains and see if you can hunt some game. It would be good to have a few more meat dishes when your Uncle and his family arrive.”
Because his father was the most capable all-rounder in the household, the job of going into the mountains to hunt naturally fell to him.