After finishing the laundry and returning home, Lu Youqing did not mention the incident to Qin Ke or anyone else. In her view, such inexplicable and unwarranted matters were not worth dwelling on. She deliberately ignored the faint, hard-to-define discomfort and bitterness lingering deep in her heart, thinking silently to herself.
As usual, she invited Li Daniu to stay for dinner, but Li Daniu most often waved her hand and declined, saying she still had her mother to look after at home.
Understanding her situation, Qin Ke and Lu Youqing did not press her to stay. Occasionally, when they cooked something different from the usual fare, they would prepare an extra portion for her to take home. Under Qin Ke's guidance, Lu Youqing had also learned to cook an increasing variety of dishes.
So when did Qin Ke learn about the rumors?
He himself could not hear the idle gossip of the villagers, but Li Daniu could.
The next day, Qin Ke noticed Li Daniu hesitating, stopping her work repeatedly as if she wanted to speak but couldn't bring herself to. He fixed his gaze on her and said, "Is there something you want to say? If so, just say it."
After spending time together, he had come to see that Li Daniu was kind-hearted and straightforward by nature. Such hesitation was entirely out of character for her.
"Well…" Li Daniu bit her lip and said softly, "Do you know the rumors the villagers are spreading about us? I heard that yesterday Lady Lu even had an argument with them by the river."
Her voice was so low that Qin Ke would not have heard her if he hadn't listened carefully.
At her words, Qin Ke's expression instantly darkened. His voice turned cold as he said, "Tell me clearly what happened, from beginning to end."
Li Daniu could only recount everything her mother had told her after she returned home the day before. When her mother spoke of it, she was deeply worried—afraid that the rumors would ruin her daughter's reputation, and also afraid that Qin Ke's family might stop employing her because of it.
Before meeting Qin Ke, their household often went hungry, sometimes having one meal and no next. To save money for medicine, Li Daniu frequently dug wild vegetables to fill her stomach. Now, Qin Ke paid her wages daily—five hundred copper coins a day, more than what jobs in town offered.
"After you go back, help me find out who started spreading rumors about my wife by the river yesterday," Qin Ke said after a long silence, gritting his teeth.
Li Daniu looked at him with concern and tried to persuade him, "If Lady Lu didn't mention this to you, she probably didn't want you to worry. You shouldn't get too angry."
She knew very well that Qin Ke had once beaten Shen Yaozu brutally over a disagreement and feared he might do something impulsive again.
Seeing the worry in Li Daniu's eyes, Qin Ke lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and gave her a relaxed smile. "What, are you worried I'll go settle scores with them? Don't worry—I'm not that impulsive. As the saying goes, 'A gentleman takes revenge—even if it takes ten years.' I'll remember this."
Seeing his calm expression, Li Daniu felt somewhat reassured, though she still reminded him, "I'll help you ask around. Just don't act rashly."
Qin Ke sighed helplessly. It had been just one fight—how terrible an impression had he left on people? He wasn't someone who habitually solved problems with violence.
"Alright, get back to work."
Seeing him lower his head and continue hoeing the field, seemingly unconcerned about the rumors involving the two of them and only focused on who had insulted Lady Qin, Li Daniu finally felt at ease. She didn't want to lose this job—she had never met employers as kind and generous as Qin Ke and Lu Youqing.
Did Qin Ke truly not care about the rumors?
In truth, he felt somewhat vexed. Although he was now a man, many of his habits and ways of thinking still lingered from his previous life. Hiring Li Daniu for spring planting felt no different to him than working alongside a female colleague. But this was not a modern workplace, and he was no longer the career-driven woman who worked late into the night.
This was a feudal, backward era. What might be considered mere romantic gossip to him could be deadly rumors for Li Daniu.
The oppressive weight of feudal morality and ritual shackled women like heavy chains, crushing them beneath its force.
It seemed that from now on, it would be better for Lu Youqing to handle interactions with Li Daniu, Qin Ke thought quietly to himself.
After nearly half a month of work, Qin Ke and the others finally finished planting rice on the remaining ten mu of land. When improving the soil quality of those ten mu, Qin Ke had argued with the system for quite some time and discovered a loophole in its rules.
"You only said improving soil costs three points, but the product description never specified the range. If it follows the seed specifications, the improved area should be twenty mu. I don't even have twenty mu—why wouldn't that work?"
The system shop's listings changed dynamically based on Qin Ke's environment. When this option first appeared, it had been added hastily and wasn't fully detailed. After a moment of silence, the system finally responded, "Approved."
For some reason, Qin Ke sensed a hint of irritation beneath the system's cold, mechanical voice. Still, he didn't feel guilty—he currently owed the system five points.
On the day spring planting ended, when Lu Youqing paid Li Daniu her wages, she asked, "Would you be interested in working for us long-term? We'd pay you monthly—one tael of silver per month."
"Huh?" Li Daniu stared in surprise. In her understanding, families might hire help temporarily when overwhelmed, but she had never heard of long-term employment like this.
"You know we have quite a bit of land now," Qin Ke explained from the side when he saw her confusion. "It's just my wife and me at home. We'll need help with irrigation and weeding later on. Even when there's no fieldwork, things like hauling water and chopping firewood still need doing."
Li Daniu nodded in understanding. Most families lived with multiple generations under one roof and had plenty of hands during planting and harvest. A household like Qin Ke's—split off to live independently—was rare.
Still, she didn't quite understand. In her view, those daily chores could be handled on her own without spending extra money to hire someone.
But she believed Lu Youqing was educated, and in her mind, educated people always knew better. So she swallowed her doubts and smiled as she nodded. "I'm willing."
"Alright. Go home and rest for a couple of days, then come back to work," Qin Ke said, rubbing his stiff shoulders.
However, she likely felt embarrassed to rest. She didn't follow his advice and came the very next day to haul water and chop firewood.
Qin Ke, on the other hand, truly needed those two days of rest. He had never endured such hardship before—constant sun exposure, wind, and bending over every day. If it had been his former body, he would have collapsed long ago.
Lu Youqing understood how hard he had worked, but Qin Ke absolutely refused to let her help in the fields. He insisted that her hands were meant for holding a brush, for writing and painting—not for rough labor. With no choice, she took on everything she could manage around the house.
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Currently at chapter 118 for advance chapters
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