Chapter 625: The Imperial Examination Family-Building System (34)

Of course, there were also small Crucian Carp, Grass Carp, and small white minnows.

Although they had been raised for four or five months and the large ones had reached about one jin, they really couldn't compare to the Bighead Carp and Black Carp.

She distributed one Bighead Carp and one Black Carp to each of the farmhands, and two to each of the farm managers. It counted as year-end bonuses for the farm staff.

As for the rest, Xie Yang had a general idea.

Fish are not like Crab; they cannot live long out of water. Although the local winter is cold, it is not like the north where fish turn into frozen fish the moment they leave the water. Therefore, the best way to store these large fish is to sun-dry them into salted dried fish or make Drunken Fish Jerky. Crucian Carp and Grass Carp can be kept in water vats for a few days.

She would have the farm manager make a trip to her maiden home to deliver a few fresh fish as soon as possible, but she could only send dried fish to her two sisters' homes.

"Mother, let's send six fish to Grandmother and the uncles. Our family didn't raise pigs, so we'll use fish meat as a substitute. Do you think we should send fresh fish, dried fish, or Drunken Fish?"

"Your father and I happen to be going to Qingshan Village tomorrow. More families have been buying wine lately, so we'll carry two jars to sell. We can take two fresh fish as a New Year gift while we're at it. We'll send the dried fish or Drunken Fish Jerky after the Spring Festival or on your maternal grandfather's birthday. Sending six all at once would only make others envious."

Xie Yang distributed them according to her mother-in-law's instructions.

"We'll keep the ones for our own consumption in the large vat in the backyard. We'll have a 'one fish, two ways' dish on Little New Year's Eve, and fry one and stew one on New Year's Eve. My husband must be on break soon, so I'll go pick him up this time and deliver some holiday gifts to his mentor while I'm at it. The fish are kept in a water bucket; if we transport them early tomorrow morning, they should be able to last until the County School."

At worst, she would waste a bit of diluted Spirit Spring Water.

Since she was sending them anyway, she would also send a few to the teacher in town.

Because of his family's circumstances, Song Yanqing did not go to a large academy in the County to study even after passing the Child Scholar exam. It was his grandfather who provided his enlightenment, and after he turned five, he was sent to a private school run by an Old Scholar in town.

In truth, after passing the Child Scholar exam, there was very little the Old Scholar could teach him; at most, it could be considered mutual discussion.

The Old Scholar had no sons, but fortunately, his two daughters were very filial, taking turns returning to their maiden home during holidays to help with the washing and cleaning.

When Xie Yang came to deliver the fish to the Old Scholar, his eldest daughter happened to be sweeping snow at the courtyard gate with a broom.

"Excuse me, does Old Scholar Han live here?"

"Who are you?"

"My husband is Song Yanqing. He used to study under Old Scholar Han. Although he is now at the County School, he still remembers the mentor who provided his enlightenment. It just so happens that we caught some New Year fish at home yesterday, so I've brought a few for the old gentleman to taste. I'm here to pay an early New Year's visit and wish him good health."

"Oh my, you are too kind!" Seeing the several buckets of large fish that the farm manager helped move off the cart, the eldest daughter of Scholar Han was a bit at a loss. "I'll go call my father; he is teaching the children in the east room."

Xie Yang hurriedly held her back, saying she still had business in the County and would come to visit the old gentleman again when Song Yanqing was on holiday for the New Year.

"Whose student sent this tuition? So many fish? And each one is so big, they must be over ten jin each, right?"

A neighbor asked enviously.

"It's not a student's tuition; it's a New Year gift from Scholar Song, who took first place in this year's Imperial Examination."

"The top-ranked one in the Imperial Examination, the one the County Magistrate even sent people to congratulate?"

"Oh my! I really didn't expect that he was actually your father's student?"

"Did your father really teach a top-ranked Imperial Examination scholar? Then I'll leave my grandson's enlightenment to your father next year too!"

"After the New Year, I'll send my youngest son to Scholar Han's place to study too. The tuition at the County academy is expensive and the road is far; how could it be as convenient as right here at our doorstep!"

"Oh, Xiumei, you should have said so earlier! If you had said so, I would have sent my two grandsons to study with your father this year!"

"..."

Han Xiumei curled her lips, thinking to herself: was it that she hadn't said so? It was that they hadn't believed her at all. Only now, seeing Scholar Song's wife come to deliver New Year gifts, did they believe that Song Yanqing was truly her father's student.

But regardless, it was a good thing that her father could take in a few more students next year. Otherwise, relying on a few scattered students—especially those from poor families who couldn't afford much tuition—her father's life was becoming increasingly difficult.

Xie Yang also sent a bucket of fish to Wealthy Philanthropist Chen and other wealthy merchants who frequently patronized her family's wine business.

These families were not short on money and certainly didn't lack this bucket of fish to eat, but they were big clients after all, so it served as a year-end reward for customers.

But unexpectedly, when these families heard it was New Year fish sent by Scholar Song's family, they not only accepted it happily but also instructed their servants to take good care of them.

Especially Wealthy Philanthropist Chen; his family was a major local tycoon, and his title of 'Wealthy Philanthropist' was bought with money. It sounded nice, but he actually had no real power, so he hoped with all his heart that his descendants would bring glory to the family and become proper officials.

Therefore, upon learning that Song Yanqing was the top-ranked scholar of this year's Imperial Examination, let alone just buying a few jars of wine, he would have liked to buy back even the things he had used at home to place on the incense table, letting his youngest son and eldest grandson kowtow and pray every day, hoping to bless them with clear minds and bright academic prospects.

Whether it was psychological or if it really had some effect, ever since he sent his servants to the Song family to buy wine, the children in his family who were studying seemed to be indeed a bit smarter than before. In the past, it was good if they could recite the first two or three sentences of the texts their tutor assigned, but now they could stumble through the entire passage.

Wealthy Philanthropist Chen's youngest son and eldest grandson: "Father/Grandfather! It's not that we want to eat salt-and-pepper small fish and fennel beans; it's that you insist we finish reciting the text before we can eat, so we have no choice but to recite while we'd rather be playing!"

Wealthy Philanthropist Chen did not know the inside story and thought they had caught some of the good fortune from Scholar Song's family. Seeing the scholar's wife come in person to deliver the New Year fish, Wealthy Philanthropist Chen hurriedly had his wife prepare a generous New Year gift and personally saw her to the carriage.

A bucket of fish exchanged for a load of generous gifts, Xie Yang: "..."

She could vaguely hear the conversation between Wealthy Philanthropist Chen and his wife:

"Old Master, the New Year fish personally delivered by the scholar's wife are truly fresh and lively! They look much more energetic than the ones delivered by the fishmongers; I can't bear to kill them to eat!"

"Oh! These fish must not be killed and eaten casually! Keep them until the New Year to put red paper on them for ancestor worship! Only after the Bodhisattvas and ancestors have enjoyed them will it be our turn. When the time comes, save the fish brains and fish eyes for Xu'er and Qing'er to bless them with clear minds and early enlightenment..."

"Come to think of it, Xu'er and Qing'er have indeed seemed enlightened lately; they have been completing the schoolwork assigned by their tutor much better than before."

"That's why I said we caught some of the Song family's good fortune! But don't talk about this outside, lest the Liu family and Zhang family follow suit. Hmph! I sent people to the Song family to buy wine and they found out about it, so they followed suit and divided up the good fortune..."

"Oh my! What should we do then?"

"Wife, don't worry, the Old Master has a plan! Doesn't Scholar Song have a younger sister? She's about the same age as our granddaughter. When spring comes and the weather warms up, you take our granddaughter to visit the Song family. First, to get close to Madam Song, and second, if you happen to run into the Song family making side dishes, buy them all back. Don't leave even a tael for those families; won't our family catch more good fortune then?"

Xie Yang: "..."