Zhou Xueli was walking home slowly, carrying a pair of empty bamboo baskets, pondering over the fields he owned. Spring had arrived, and managing the crops by himself was becoming quite overwhelming. As for his wife, she couldn't help out in the fields as she was pregnant with his child.
Even if she could work in the fields, he wouldn't let her. She came from a scholarly family and didn't mind marrying a humble farmer like him. Though he couldn't promise her a life of luxury right away, he would never let her endure the hardships of farm work.
Planting crops now was still manageable. When harvest season arrived, he planned to hire some help to gather the crops. The extra grain could be sold for silver, which would slowly allow him to buy more land, and life would gradually improve.
