Chapter 46: then translation of title

On the twenty-third day of Meng month, he took a day off.

It was rare to have a relaxed day, but Chen Weifang got the date wrong.

He still left the house as usual when the sky was just three parts bright, braving the slightly chilly autumn wind all the way to the Xian Xie; only when he saw the surprised look of the on-duty constable did he realize that today he actually didn't have to attend to official business.

By rights, although he is older and no longer has his former bearing, his mind still works, he can handle affairs, and the alertness he had as an aide in his youth remains.

Forgetting a day off, such a small matter, is absolutely inexcusable.

However......

However, Chinu's appearance shattered all of that.

It has been a full twelve days since Chinu left, and also a full twelve days since that young lady with deep, mysterious eyes left.

But no matter how long, whenever he closes his eyes, Chen Weifang always recalls that afternoon in the already dilapidated room, the sudden flash of cold light, the harsh sound of wood being cut.

One who follows the Dao is tranquil and indifferent, desireless and seekerless, goes with fate, and lets go of the chance to become an immortal.

Chen Weifang is no longer an ignorant child; he also understands that the Yin Dynasty's fortunes have waned, and he ought to abandon the great way and settle himself so as not to fall into a mire.......

But he can also clearly recall that the young lady's eyes were full of ambition, utterly undisguised.

That gaze, Chinu would surely cherish.

But Chinu......

Why did he answer 'no' back then?

Is it actually to assist or not to assist?

These two people have disturbed his state of mind, yet they have vanished without a trace.

Is the Young Emperor together with those two? Is his dragon body still healthy?

A heap of problems weighs on Chen Weifang's mind, extremely heavy.

He let out a sigh, then, amidst the slightly surprised and strange looks of the constables, slowly walked out of the Xian Xie, stepping onto the road home.

From beginning to end, he was never a sociable person, nor did he offer many explanations.

Chen Weifang came only in a thin mist, left only in the morning light; only after passing the morning market did he turn his steps, intending to visit the livelihood of these few days and learn grain prices.

The earlier killing of the magistrate was, in the eyes of the common folk, rather a cause for celebration.

But he, having been immersed in officialdom for many years, naturally knows things aren't that simple.

An official appointed by the Imperial Court being killed is, at any time, a major case.

Although he was friends with Chinu and intended to hide him, he was merely a lowly Chief Clerk; at that time Chinu had committed the crime in plain sight, so he ultimately could not do much.

According to ordinary reasoning, a newly appointed official taking office usually takes at least a few months; by then, whether the previous criminal is severely punished or let off lightly will be up to others to decide.

When the new magistrate arrives here, the matter of the grain tax will surely be brought up again.

In a county, if everyone has to pay grain tribute, the grain will surely be frantically snatched up; then grain prices......

Chen Weifang wandered through the morning market, asking about various grain prices; as a result, not asking would have been fine, but upon asking he was startled——

Cang County's produce is abundant, so grain prices are consistently much lower than elsewhere.

If he remembers correctly, ten days ago when he came to inquire about grain prices, rice was five wen per catty, wheat four wen per catty, millet five wen per catty, sorghum four wen per catty, beans three wen per catty......

Recently it should be the autumn harvest season; with new grain abundant, grain prices will surely be even cheaper.

However, now rice is seven wen per catty, wheat six wen per catty, millet seven wen per catty, sorghum six wen per catty, beans five wen per catty......

All grain prices have actually risen by about two wen compared to before!

To ordinary folks, two wen may seem nothing, but for grain prices it's already a one-third increase!

What on earth is going on!?

Could it be that merchants are hoarding goods to profiteer, intending to make a killing from the upcoming grain tax?!

Chen Weifang, whose usual calm brows slightly furrowed, patiently asked the shop assistant before him:

How do I remember that millet was only five wen per catty a short while ago? How has it risen to seven wen now?

That assistant is a greenhorn, about sixteen or seventeen, exactly the age of laziness.

He had wanted to catch a nap while the shop was empty, but he couldn't avoid serving customers who came in; the result was that the customer asked about this and that, went around, didn't buy, but instead asked why grain prices had risen!

The assistant already felt uneasy inside; seeing Chen Weifang in plain clothes, he waved his hands repeatedly, becoming even more impatient:

You're asking me this? I'm just a shop assistant; the store isn't even mine—how would I know why prices rose... ow!

Before the assistant could finish speaking, the shopkeeper, hearing the voice from the inner hall, grabbed his ear.

The shopkeeper didn't recognize Chen Weifang as the Chief Clerk; he simply couldn't hold back his anger.

The shopkeeper, while pulling his nephew's ear, launched into a tirade:

You little brat, if it weren't for your sister having given birth to my child years ago and dying in childbirth, look at whether I'd keep you!

If you're going to work, work properly; how dare you put on a face at customers?!

You think the conceited fool described by storytellers in teahouses is someone like you? It's exactly your kind!

Anyone who comes is a customer; we open our doors and do business amicably—what's wrong with a customer asking a few more questions? Not buying now doesn't guarantee they won't buy next time! I've run this little grain shop here for over thirty years; who in the neighborhood doesn't know my reputation?!

I've been wondering why customers have been dwindling lately; I haven't suffered from my own son, but I've ended up with you, a good-for-nothing! Hurry up and apologize to the customer!

In this world, fools are extremely rare.

As the shopkeeper said, not buying this time makes it hard to guarantee not buying next time, not buying the time after, and hard to guarantee never buying for a lifetime.

Even if one never buys for a lifetime, a nodding acquaintance is still better than having more enemies.

We're all honest common folk; why make things difficult for each other over a mere plot of land?

The shopkeeper struck with vigor; the assistant howled in pain, repeatedly begging for mercy.

Even though Chen Weifang is usually calm, seeing this he really couldn't bear to watch, and instead felt compelled to intervene:

It's nothing, after all it's just a small matter......

Although the assistant has a habit of giving people cold looks, he's still young; when his mistake is pointed out he knows to apologize, and the shopkeeper is even more reasonable......

This is already good enough.

In the past, in the imperial court, no one ever told him that the common folk also have their own lives, their own tempers; amidst the market streets, there is always a vitality that history books never record....

To be able to witness such a scene in his lifetime is already enough; why would he still be angry about this?

The young assistant wiped the corners of his eyes, eyes glistening with tears as he walked into the inner hall, while the shopkeeper, panting heavily, stayed behind.

The shopkeeper is no spring chicken, his looks ordinary, his build ordinary, nothing outstanding about him; yet when he laughs, there is always a hearty, simple vigor.

"Don't worry about him, guest; let this brat learn his lesson properly, so he won't suffer silently in the future."

"You just asked why grain prices have risen this year, right? Let me tell you!"

"Actually, it's because this year the peasants' grain harvest is poor....... Thirty li outside the city there's a Zhang Riverbank Village; in the village there's a formidable young lady who has opened three whole mills. I've seen that mill myself—it doesn't employ any workers, just relies on water power to grind continuously, needing no labor cost at all!"

"By rights, having a mill should just earn an honest profit! Originally, rice was five wen per jin; after grinding into flour, charging eight wen per jin is also considered a normal price."

"But that young lady doesn't!! She takes one jin of coarse grain and gives back one jin of fine grain!"

"She doesn't charge money to help people grind; who would still be willing to sell grain at the original price?!"