Meditation and self-discovery is a cornerstone of my cultivation. This has led me to a self-realization I kind of regret not seeing before. I have ants in my pants, not literally but figuratively. I love tinkering and working on different projects. Like what I am looking at this moment.

I am overlooking the new mill which in my mind is the technological wonder of the village. And it is mine after I bought out the contract from the village on their mill. The new mill does not need six men to work, it is powered by the water and the miller operate it. Put the bags of wheat and barley in one end and out the other comes to flour and other bits. The problem is that there is little need for such a large mill to mill the little flour the village has. I was blinded by the fun to build the thing to actually work on an application. Something no one told me since it was fun and good to build. I got the last laugh though since while talking with the man charged with collecting our taxes, mainly mine. The bark from the trees we harvest is ground up and used in tanning. Well, my new mill is good for grinding and so I now grind the towns bark that they used to sell and sell for even higher profit. All ends well, after some redesign.

However, even though my idiotic start ended well I am now almost hounded out of the village. To my own disgrace, I have garnered a somewhat bad reputation as a skirt chaser, which is all well and good had I been doing the chasing. But so lucky I am not, my own chasing has improved my confidence with women and theirs. I was a rising star in the community with my powers. They, however, are poorly understood and mystical, nothing mothers and fathers can truly understand other than the pleasure it gives.

Now, however, I am the owner of a productive mill earning more money for the village and taking my own cut. I, or rather my father, has been approached by the merchant handling the lord's timber about using our mill for the bark. That could be a big contract if it goes through. Most of the bark is already extracted in the village since it almost falls off the trees when they are felled and delimbed. After the last winter when we grind our bark and they collected theirs it became obvious.

Big contract, jobs, money and influence are centring on me and somewhat backed by popular demand I am sought for marriage. And what might be even worse some see the possibility of hitching their daughters to me even without marriage. A stray child is not looked down upon if the kid can reckon on my financial support. And in their eyes, I would have to support the baby in the name of honour. So I am outside and have been forced to bring chaperones when I see ladies. Fun I am not against, but the difference between fun and business has been blurred. My mother is even more paranoid than me in this regard, the proper match is important to her, even if it is only a mistress or concubine. The worst part of it all is that puberty has not come and I couldn’t have a kid if I wanted to. This, however, has not stopped anyone in trying to be the one married or otherwise engaged to me.

“Sitting out here sulking again?” My older brother asks me as he comes over. “Yes,” I tell him with what must be a pout. “Too bad, it has gotten so tough for you.” He says and as usual, he has no pity for my plight.

He is now my older brother since the other one actually found a girl his age and married her. Kind of unusual, but since he asked me for a loan and bought rights further afield of the rice fields it was possible. He is now the owner of the second largest area and is building his own rice farm. A lot of the work is paid for by me, but he is happy and that makes me happy.

“Father asked me to come and get you.” He says and I follow him wondering what it is now. I am also wondering on how I can get the rock that is the mill off my back. Maybe I can give it to my other brother and have him drag it with him.

“Ah, my son Su meet Ta Ma and his wife Ti.” My father introduces us when we get to our new courtyard. It is bigger than any other in the village and has some nice flower beds and places to sit. It also has the first private grill in the village and we often have people over for bbq. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” I tell them and smile all around. “Ta Ma is the Lord's representative for trading the timber and bark.” My father fills in after the pleasantries have finished. “Yes, the astute businessman who saw the potential in the mill,” I say to flatter the fat man. He has quite the belly without the frame to properly hang it on which causes him to look quite the dunce. His wife is not much better and looks haughty with her powdered face. They are not here for business I hope or rather not the lords business. “Yes, it was obvious once I saw the practicality of its construction.” He says and no word of how he first tried to tell us it was not a mill. It was the old priest's quiet work in having already filed papers on his last visit that saved us from such a blatant power grab. Also the fact that it is mine and not an adult. There is one thing stealing from adults, quite another to steal from up and coming children. Well, we will gloss over it and pretend it never happened.

“I am here to sign the contract for our use of the mill.” He tells me and gives me the papers intent on me signing right away. I, however, put them aside and call for tea instead. Both the village head and the priest has been teaching me how to act. I have been learning together with Yi and the priest's son Ma. After some time I excuse myself and read through the contract, a travesty in trying to fool someone. Toddlers with a speck of sense would not sign it. But I will since there is a huge flaw in it. It is with me personally and not the mill as an entity with a large sum up front. I will sign it let it run for a year and then gift the mill to someone.

“It has been a pleasure to do business with you.” The man says when we say our goodbyes and I smile. “You could not have signed. The wife was here to have a look at you for their daughter to marry.” My mother tells me after a bit. “Yes, I know and I then would have to reject the little monster,” I tell her straight. “The man is poison, the foreman last year was his nephew.” Our dad says from his perch in his new chair. A comfy reclining chair I drew for him. My brother sits in a similar one. “Ah, yes the contract,” I say and look for the box with the papers. “It is horrible with a large upfront payment in silver and small rent for a time after,” I say and go in detail how horrible the contract is, we have to pay for operating it and will go in the red after the second year, even with the large upfront payment. My family groan when the true tragedy sets in and my brother whines about “why I signed”.

“But my dear brother of mine do you not see the great flaw in his position?” I ask him and smile. “The contract is with me and shall be arbitrated by the closest temple if disagreement ensues,” I say and smile. “I will only have to legally transfer the deed to the mill as part of a holy ceremony, like a wedding, and the contract is void,” I tell him and look him in the eye. The solution dawns on the whole family. Now it is my brother who is the bachelor with a property and not me. I cackle about my small victory for days after and when the news goes around the village I get some relief from the hussies and their mothers.