Chapter 159

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Hangshou Zhen borrowed grain from merchants in the same city, opening his mouth with the posture of emptying the storehouse; naturally, the other grain merchants wouldn't stay silent, coming to ask the details and also congratulating him on landing such a big deal.

All this grain would eventually be moved to Jixian, then travel leisurely from Jixian all the way to Linghe Town; no matter how discreetly he acted, who knew how many people would see it along the way—it simply couldn't be hidden.

But since the matter wasn't settled, Hangshou Zhen dared not reveal a word—doing business in one city, everyone keeps their heads down and looks up; who doesn't know whose business?

The Zhang Grain Shop had five sons; except for the two older ones running business in the shop, the other three were all sent to the academy to study; although the Liu family's sons were grown, not one was cut out for studying, but his wife's younger brother last year almost got into the Zhou Xue; the Deng family was even more troublesome—the second son was already in the Zhou Xue, those who had tasted the benefits understood them better than those who hadn't, and were harder to deal with.

These were all major grain merchants in the city; although he had the title of grain shop hangshou, this position was originally rotated among everyone; if one discussed actual strength in the business world, there wasn't much difference.

If others found out that Xuezheng Yuan wanted to take disciples and they started fighting over it, even if he should have been first choice, at this time, who would talk about first come, first served?

For that Xuezheng Yuan, taking anyone was fine—the goal was just to raise grain; but for these people of his, it was very likely to become an opportunity for their descendants to turn their fortunes around.

Hangshou Zhen immediately put on a woebegone face and said: "Alas! What business is this! It's just that when I was in difficulty in my early years, I had a benefactor who came to help every year; this person now has a relative who received a post in Hua Prefecture, and for some reason suddenly needs to raise grain everywhere, so he came to me; seeing our past dealings, I had no choice—I can't be ungrateful, can I? I didn't earn a penny from him, I actually lost money!"

While speaking, he also took out the deed document for everyone to see.

Sure enough, the agreed price on it was ten percent lower than the market price.

Grain came in many varieties; this grade of rice and flour originally only earned a nominal profit; now they needed it urgently, there was a lot of grain, yet the money given was little, and they also had to arrange people to transport it to the dock—owing favors to those who supplied the goods and spending manpower; it was truly a business that was sure to lose money.

Seeing him complain bitterly and looking at the deed document, the others didn't think too much, and even comforted him with a few words before each went their separate ways.

As for Hangshou Zhen, this man wiped the sweat from his head, then hurriedly called a servant to bring a towel to wipe the sweat that had broken out behind him from fright, and in his heart couldn't help but silently say "What a sin."

This matter would eventually not be able to be hidden, and would provoke public anger.

But compared to the benefits gained, this public anger was unavoidable—if it were any one of them, having gotten an opportunity like this, none would honestly explain it to outsiders!

Yuan Jing arranged the matter with Hangshou Zhen, then returned home, naturally first explaining a word to his wife.

Yuan's wife, hearing this, immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and also hurriedly said: "I've already written the letter, not delaying a moment, and had the steward personally take people to Songyang."

She also said: "After all, the road is far; it wouldn't do to be vague, making the two sons anxious—if there's a moment of confusion on the road and something happens, it wouldn't be good..."

Yuan Jing hurriedly said: "But we can't tell the truth; if something goes wrong with the letter on the way..."

That wife of Yuan Jing was surnamed Zhang, from a prominent local family; hearing this, she glared and said: "Am I such an ignorant person?!"

She also said: "I had thought earlier to say that your father's new grave has been full for three years and it's time to collect the bones; previously, considering the sons were studying away, I thought to wait until they had free time to return and handle it; now I'll explain it in the letter—after checking the date, the bones must be collected immediately; these two are filial, and will surely hurry back steadily."

"When they return and this matter is settled, it's not too late to slowly handle withdrawing from school when returning to Songyang—if all else fails, you, sir, write a letter and ask someone to help pull strings, first keep the spot reserved; if they can't stay in the Capital in the future, coming back to study is still a way out."

Yuan Jing saw that Zhang Shi had handled things properly, and couldn't help but praise: "A household with a worthy wife!"

He also said: "They've both become disciples of Tingqing Xiansheng; this one has always been soft-hearted and kind-hearted; if he follows him, and after half a year still can't find a way out for himself in the Capital, then the son doesn't need to study any books or seek any fame—just honestly return and be an idle man, to avoid bringing trouble!"

Seeing her husband belittle their son like this, Zhang Shi couldn't help but glare at him, feeling that men were ultimately unreliable.

When it was time to sleep at night, she tossed and turned, growing increasingly uneasy, and gave her husband a hard push, waking him, saying: "What if within two days, that Zhang Ji can't gather so much grain?"

Yuan Jing, with sleepy eyes, said: "Don't worry; the time I set for him was already tight; even if he's a bit slow, it shouldn't delay things."

"Demanding so much grain all at once—if he can't scrape it together, at worst his son won't become your disciple; there are plenty of other Xuezhengs with the surname Yuan everywhere, and other places he can go; but what about my son? Tingqing Xiansheng's door—miss this village, and there's no such shop!"

Though these words were harsh, Yuan Jing, this Xuezheng with the surname Yuan, had to admit they made sense, and could only say: "Then what should we do? Find another family?"

"Find what find—they're all in He Prefecture City; if this can't be done, can that be done?"

Zhang Shi grew more and more anxious, and at once asked: "What if we buy too much—will Young Master Han accept it?"

Just being able to gather the number was already good; Yuan Jing naturally hadn't thought of so much, and only said: "I'm afraid he would accept it; it's originally at a low price..."

He also said: "I'll ask him tomorrow."

Zhang Shi couldn't wait until tomorrow; she simply scrambled up, not caring about her husband, but repeatedly called "Sulan"; when someone came in, she got out of bed and called: "Grind ink for me!"

While she herself used a hairpin to arrange her hair, she also urged: "Have someone hitch the carriage; tell my nanny to return home once."

Zhang Shi's family was naturally her maiden home.

She hastily wrote a letter; when the nanny came, she read the letter to her, then went to the outer room; seeing her husband wasn't around, she then said to the other: "Tell my Big Brother to help buy a batch of grain..."

After stating all of Han Li's requirements one by one, she said: "Our family may not be in the prefecture city, but it's also a major county, and a thoroughfare; even if we can't buy so much grain, we can probably gather ten or twenty percent..."

After speaking, she quietly said: "Take the money from my wooden box and give it to Big Brother; I can't let my maiden family subsidize it."

The nanny was anxious and hurriedly said: "This is the mistress's private money!"

Zhang Shi said: "There's no time to worry about that now; my father is careless—after all, the child wasn't born from his belly; as a mother, I have to back him up!"

However, after sending off the dowry nanny overnight, the next morning she saw her eldest brother, dusty and travel-worn, personally coming to the door.

Zhang Shi was very surprised and hurriedly asked: "Big Brother, why did you come?"

The eldest brother didn't have time to explain and said: "Don't worry; the matter of the two nephews is our own family's matter—there won't be any slip-up—I've already sent my reliable stewards to raise grain."

Taking advantage of there being no idle people around, he asked his sister: "As for Tingqing Xiansheng's matter, how confident is your brother-in-law?"

Zhang Shi explained the specific details and all the conditions, then said: "That person is named Han Li; he is a disciple of Fu Laoxiansheng, a great Confucian, and Tingqing Xiansheng's junior martial brother; in the past he often wrote powerful articles criticizing current ills; Big Brother must have read them."

"This person even scolded Cao Xianggong last year—the Yellow Dog Fighting Chickens one—he personally promised; as long as the grain is gathered, for his teacher's reputation and his own fame, he absolutely cannot go back on his word—otherwise how would he have the face to scold others in the future?!"

The eldest brother nodded, took the envelope from his bosom, stuffed it into his sister's hand, and said: "Family members—don't do these outsider things!"

Zhang Shi opened it and saw that inside was exactly the banknote she had sent out last night; she hurriedly said: "Even blood siblings must keep clear accounts; Big Brother..."

Her eldest brother waved his hand and said: "Mother's brother is great; once a nephew has success, won't he think of me, his uncle? You and I came from the same womb—don't say such things."

Seeing his sister still wanted to speak, he said: "Your sister-in-law also agrees to this—stop chattering."

After returning the money, Eldest Brother Zhang took a teacup, lifted it to his lips, didn't drink for a long while, then put it back on the table, and suddenly asked: "Second Sister, you say—must Tingqing Xiansheng's disciples be only two people?"

He also said: "It's not becoming a disciple, just studying abroad; surely the quota wouldn't be limited so strictly, right?"

Zhang Shi had already understood her eldest brother's meaning and said: "The two nephews are too old, and the Youngest Son is too young."

"He's not too young either—already very sensible—I won't make it hard for my brother-in-law; once our two elder nephews' matters are settled, let's see if we can make an introduction; Han Li is serving in Hua Prefecture, digging rivers and building embankments—does he only lack grain? Doesn't he lack other things?"

"My brother-in-law helped him gather so much grain and rice to secure these two slots; I'll provide plenty of other things—don't we lack bricks, tiles, wood, and bamboo? We also have a pharmacy; I'll send some medicine over. The construction site always needs these things. The gesture counts—charcoal in the snow. Asking for a slot should be able to make him agree, right?"

Zhang Shi hesitated for a moment, but said: "He's my own nephew; there's no way I wouldn't care, it's just that..."

Eldest Brother Zhang said: "Don't be troubled; just ask one question. If it works, great; if not, forget it. But I brought someone with me today. Look, he's an orphaned child from the clan, with good talent and a sensible nature, ten years old this year. I've adopted him as a godson. If your nephew can't do it, let him follow your two nephews to serve them. That should be fine, right?"

After speaking, he had someone bring the boy in.

Zhang Shi asked a few questions; indeed, he was very down-to-earth, and looked likable at first glance.

Getting a servant for her son, Zhang Shi could make the decision herself. She immediately slapped the board to seal it. After the child was sent away, she told her elder brother: "A godson is also a son. I will make it clear to the two young ones, and you should also explain it to him. Just say it's for going to study, and don't let him think he's really becoming a servant, lest resentment arise."

Here the two siblings discussed without stopping, not only for their own offspring but also for the continuation of the clan.

On the other side, Han Li got up early and went straight to the Weizhou Prefectural Yamen.

The Vice Prefect had already arranged things properly; the subordinates were not difficult at all. They drafted an official document according to his requirements and arranged for someone to accompany him to the Weizhou Prefecture Academy.

Han Li entered the Prefecture Academy. Not wanting two masters for one matter, he went directly to find Yuan Jing.

The latter, seeing him come, immediately broke into a sweat on his forehead and hurriedly said: "Why has Zheng Yan come? That matter of mine is being handled and won't be delayed. Please don't be anxious to find others..."

While speaking, he looked around in all directions, fearing someone might see him.

Han Li, however, said: "Brother Yuan, don't rush. It's another matter."

He added: "I got the Vice Prefect's permission and plan to borrow eight students—preferably those from Linghe Town. Even if not all, they should be from neighboring areas and able to understand the local accent."

Hearing that it wasn't about finding other professors to raise grain, Yuan Jing let out a big sigh of relief. He immediately called someone to get the student roster. In a short while, he screened them out, totaling seventeen.

Among these seventeen, Yuan Jing naturally didn't know some of them, but he was very dedicated. He immediately found the corresponding professors to inquire about their situations, took the roster over, and introduced them one by one to Han Li. By the time class broke, he had gathered everyone together.

Once everyone was present, Han Li first stated his identity, then spoke of his mission, and then said he had received the Weizhou Vice Prefect's permission and taken the Transfer Order, wishing to borrow several students to go to Linghe Town to recruit laborers, asking everyone to help with registration, recording, and tallying.

Finally, he said: "Most of you are from Linghe Town. Even if not, your homes are nearby. The area frequently suffers from floods. If Huazhou can divert water into the Wang Jing River, the villagers and neighbors will all benefit. Right now, I want to requisition eight people—at least ten days, possibly longer. It will inevitably delay your studies. If you're unwilling to go, I won't make it difficult for you. Those willing to go together, step forward now. I'll take the first eight."

The group of students looked at each other. First, two stepped forward, and then everyone panicked. In an instant, several more stepped forward. By the end, everyone had stepped forward, and some, seeing the situation was wrong, took an enormous step, easily matching two or three steps of others.

Han Li asked each of them about their situation. Indeed, the first eight were all from Linghe Town, with no issue of unintelligible local accents.

He settled the people, and Yuan Jing helped handle the procedures. The selected students were surging with excitement, feeling the thrill of participating in a great undertaking. Each ran back to pack their luggage. The unselected students had hesitated earlier, but now seeing others had been chosen while they hadn't, they regretted being slow, yet could do nothing about it.

Half an hour later, Han Li took the eight students and headed straight for Linghe Town.

While Han Li was collecting the traveling students at Chen Fuzi's house, Lu Wenming was not idle either.

Although someone was leading the way, it was still dark by the time he and the guide he had hired held torches and rode horses along the road. In many places, there was accumulated water. The horses couldn't see clearly and nearly lost their footing a couple of times, but they eventually stood firm. Lu Wenming on the horse's back was drenched in sweat—some from the heat of exertion, some cold sweat from fright.

By the time he reached the Ji County Yamen, it was already past the Zi hour.

Lu Wenming couldn't wait for dawn and knocked on the door in the dark.

The County Yamen naturally had night guards, let alone during the flood season.

He took the official document and stepped forward to inquire. Coincidentally, the guard said: "You're looking for the County Magistrate? Fortunately, he is on duty tonight."

Lu Wenming was stunned.

He composed himself, took out another invitation card from his bosom, handed it to the other party, and said: "Please announce me. Just say an old friend has come to visit."

The guard was somewhat suspicious but didn't ask further. He took the invitation card and the official document and went inside.

Not long after, a chaotic sound of wooden clogs kicking and tapping came from the rear.

Lu Wenming had been wiping his sweat, but now his heart jumped. He hurriedly stood at attention and straightened his cap and sleeves.

Before his sleeve was even straightened, from inside the door, a person was already running out in the distance, gasping for breath. Before getting close, he shouted loudly from his mouth: "Old Lu! Is it you?!"