Chapter 54: Borrowing People

Once the Laba Festival passes, the New Year is upon us.

After several consecutive days of heavy snow, the entire city of Beijing is frozen solid, blanketed in silver.

The biting, cold wind howls through the deserted streets, causing the banners of the shops on both sides to flap and snap.

That cold wind is like a knife, blowing so hard that even if a person is holding in a hot stream of urine, they would not want to leave the warmth of their bed.

Yet at this very moment, a carriage slowly drives into Fugui Street and finally stops in front of the residence of Zhang Jianxiu.

Lifting the carriage curtain, Zhang Yunxiu steps down, wrapped in a black sable cloak.

The guard at the gate sees him and hurriedly steps forward, greeting him with a smile: "Fifth Young Master, you've come too early today. At this hour, our master probably hasn't even risen yet."

Zhang Yunxiu pays no mind, beckoning Zhang Fu to hold the gift box as he walks inside.

By now, someone has already come to report to Zhang Jianxiu. He yawns, rubs his sleepy eyes, and sits up from the bed. "This brat, not sleeping in the early morning, only knows how to come and annoy people."

Wang Ling turns her body and sits up as well. She glances at her husband and mutters: "Look at Yunxiu; even in the winter frost, he doesn't forget to rise early."

"You, on the other hand, sleep until the sun is high every day before you're willing to crawl out of bed."

"That's because the kid hasn't taken a wife yet. If he had, you'd see if he could still get up!" Zhang Jianxiu says with a laugh, starting to put on his clothes to get up.

Wang Ling's little face turns red, and she buries her fair, tender body into the silk quilt, leaving only her head exposed. After pondering for a moment, Wang Ling suddenly thinks of something and reminds him: "By the way, what exactly is the meaning behind that palace maid Yunxiu left at our house?"

"I don't know. I'll talk to him about it in a moment."

"Do I need to go too?" Wang Ling says, preparing to prop herself up again.

"No need. It's just some things to discuss between men; with you there, the kid won't be able to speak freely." Zhang Jianxiu smiles, strides out of the room, and looks back, saying, "You rest well; leave this little matter to me."

Wang Ling nods and urges her husband to hurry.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Jianxiu, yawning, greets Zhang Yunxiu in the living room.

The two meet and sit down according to the etiquette of host and guest. Two maidservants stoke the floor heating and light the incense burner before hurriedly withdrawing.

In an instant, the room is filled with warmth and the scent of incense.

"Fourth Brother, look at what good things I've brought you?" Zhang Yunxiu gestures, and Zhang Fu hands over a gift box.

Zhang Jianxiu takes it and opens it, only to find an exquisite little porcelain bottle inside.

It is about a foot and a half long, with clear patterns and unique colors; one look is enough to make it a feast for the eyes.

"This isn't some fake made by that Wang He, is it?" Zhang Jianxiu closes the box and mutters in a low voice.

"What kind of talk is that? Would I send you a fake?" Zhang Yunxiu's expression darkens as he explains, "This Wang He is not only a master of forgery but also an expert at acquiring goods; now, I can scrape together quite a bit relying on him every month."

"You, you've fallen into the money pit." Zhang Jianxiu shakes his head with a smile.

Zhang Fu chuckles, winking and gesturing: "Fourth Young Master, you can't say it like that. Apart from those fake-virtuous purists, who doesn't like money? Even the Emperor tries every possible way to make money."

"Without money, we can't take a single step."

Zhang Jianxiu is noncommittal and asks Zhang Yunxiu with a smile: "Tell me, you came to find me, what exactly is the matter?"

"I'm here to borrow someone," Zhang Yunxiu replies.

"For what?"

"To go to sea!"

"You really intend to run business overseas?" Zhang Jianxiu stands up, glares at his younger brother, and scolds, "Our family has already reached the height of wealth; tell me, why are you tossing and turning over these things? Going overseas takes a year or half a year, what if—"

"That is why I am asking to borrow someone from you." Zhang Yunxiu waves his hand to interrupt his fifth brother and adds, "Besides, before I have figured out the shipping routes, I will at most be wandering around places like Joseon, Woguo, and Nanhai."

"Then you aren't participating in the Metropolitan Examination?" "Fifth Brother, have you gone muddled? Going to sea will certainly be after the Metropolitan Examination. It's freezing cold now, and I've only found five treasure ships; you tell me, how can we go to sea?"

Zhang Jianxiu nods, considering it agreed upon.

Suddenly, he remembers the matter of the palace maid, knits his brows, and asks: "What is the plan for that palace maid you sent? That was a reward from the Emperor; if you keep her here like this, and the Emperor finds out, you will be guilty of deceiving the monarch."

At this, Zhang Yunxiu finds himself in a difficult spot.

After a long silence, he looks up at Zhang Jianxiu and says: "How about this, keep her here for a few more months. When spring comes next year, I will find a residence in the capital and settle her there."

"Fine, but you must be quick," Zhang Jianxiu replies.

After the brief pleasantries, the two brothers call for wine and food, drinking heartily amidst the wind and snow.

After two or three cups of wine, Zhang Jianxiu's cheeks turn red. At this moment, a three or four-year-old child stumbles in.

He has fair, moist skin and large, pitch-black eyes that, as they turn, reveal a great deal of spirit.

"Daddy!!" The boy sees Zhang Jianxiu, hurriedly calls out in a childish voice, and then shouts to Zhang Yunxiu, "Fifth Uncle."

It is Zhang Jianxiu's son, Zhang Zhongrun.

Zhang Jianxiu picks up his son, sits him on his lap, and lowers his head to tease him.

During this, he doesn't forget to speak sarcastically: "Yunxiu, look at you, running wild outside all day, you don't even have a wife."

"If I say you're busy, you're actually idle every day; if I say you're idle, you're actually very busy every day."

"It is time for you to consider your own lifelong commitment."

Can we still have a proper conversation? Zhang Yunxiu glares at his fourth brother and changes the subject: "It's rare to be happy today, let's not talk about this first."

"Zhongrun, you must not learn from your Fifth Uncle in the future." Zhang Jianxiu is relentless, grabbing his son's little hand to warn him, "Look at him, at his age, he still doesn't want to start a family. If you do this in the future, I will break your legs."

"Do you understand?"

Zhang Zhongrun rolls his big eyes, looks at his Fifth Uncle, then at his daddy, and nods repeatedly.

With father and son singing in harmony, Zhang Yunxiu's face turns as red as a monkey's bottom.

However, he has no way to refute it; in this era where one can manage a household at fourteen, at eighteen, he really counts as an "overage bachelor."

It is not that he doesn't want to, but he is worried about being corrupted.

Lust is a bone-scraping knife and a soul-dissolving powder; if one indulges in it too early, it does more harm than good to the body.

"Alright, alright, I can't be bothered to talk about you; anyway, this matter isn't for me to worry about." Zhang Jianxiu waves his hand and continues, "There will be someone chanting in your ear in the future, just you wait and see."

"Future matters can be discussed in the future." Zhang Yunxiu smiles, raises his wine cup to clink with Zhang Jianxiu, and says, "Come, it's rare that we have leisure time today, let's eat and drink to our heart's content."

"Don't brag here about your one-cup-and-you're-down tolerance," Zhang Jianxiu says with a look of disdain.

As the two chatted and laughed, goose-feather-sized snowflakes began to drift down outside the window. They stood up and paced to the window; beyond the window frame, it was already a world of white.

All things were silent, save for the faint sound of snowflakes landing on the roof opposite.

"A timely snow promises a good harvest; this is a good omen," Jianxiu said, his face full of gentleness as he leaned against the window lattice and sighed with emotion.

Zhang Yunxiu nodded slightly, his tightly strung heartstrings relaxing a little.

That Xu Yong from before should be Zhao Yong; I only discovered it when checking today.

Sorry.

(End of this chapter)