Chapter 48: Serious Money-Making

Pan Hong slapped away his outstretched hand. “I’ll deliver it myself tomorrow.”

But soon it was impossible—he was visited by the village headman, who announced, “At Chenshi tomorrow, we’re harvesting wheat in East Second Li. All three of you father and sons are conscripted. Don’t be late.”

He also called out Pan Yue and Pan Yun’s names. “The Second Camp wants you two to clean the stables. Hurry up—it’s due in fifteen minutes.”

Pan Yue and Pan Yun dared not speak, bowing their heads in assent.

Pan Hong looked at his two emaciated sons, his heart ached. Seeing the headman’s greedy gaze linger on the rice, flour, and oil they had just bought, he knew this path would be hard.

Pan Hong said nothing more, simply agreed. As soon as the man left, he divided the buns they had bought between his sons. “Eat more. Go ahead—I’ll send someone to help you later.”

Pan Yue pushed the buns back. “Father, we’ve already eaten. These are for you.”

“I have no appetite. I’ll boil some porridge later. Just eat these.”

Remembering the money they had just retrieved, Pan Yue stopped refusing and took the buns, sharing them with his brother.

Pan Yun followed his brother’s lead. Seeing Pan Yue eat, he ate too. “Father, don’t worry. We’re used to cleaning the stables—we don’t need to beg anyone.”

He didn’t want his father to beg.

Pan Hong smiled. “Don’t worry. Your old man won’t be mistreated. This is mutual aid—they help us, and we’ll help them in return.”

But they had just arrived, weak and powerless. Even if they had wanted to seek allies, they lacked the capital to establish or maintain relationships.

Those people kept their hands tight. The money sent by the second brother barely kept them alive here—there was no surplus to invest.

Yun’s hundred taels solved their immediate crisis.

As soon as the two children left, Pan Hong put away the goods they had bought, then slipped out with a hundred copper coins.

This village was called the Exile Village, but it wasn’t a village at all—it was where exiled officials and their families lived near the garrison, awaiting orders.

Some married and had children here; the population grew, houses multiplied. Eventually, those still guilty and those pardoned lived mixed together, and over time, it became a village.

Though called a village, it was far larger than ordinary ones, with a huge population, nearly a town.

They depended on the garrison for survival, occupying a corner of the Datong frontier post. Similar exile villages existed in many other northern frontier posts.

Our dynasty’s laws were strict: one man’s crime brought ruin to his entire family, even his clan. Some offenses even implicated friends. Thus, those exiled and conscripted came from all walks of life.

In the three months since his arrival, Pan Hong couldn’t claim to have fully understood this area, but he had a general grasp.

As a former censor, Pan Hong had a keen eye for people. With his money in hand, he quickly made friends; when he went out again, two young strongmen walked beside him.

They leaned on Pan Hong’s shoulders as they headed toward the Second Camp’s stables. “Brother Pan, don’t worry. We’ve got nothing else, but we’ve got plenty of strength. Next time there’s heavy work, leave it to us.”

Pan Hong sighed. “I can’t keep burdening you. We’re new here, unaccustomed to the land. Soon we must train our skills, or we won’t survive.”

“That’s true. Things are fine now, but when autumn harvest comes, and if the northern barbarians descend again, we’ll have to harvest and transport supplies. If we’re weak, we’ll die.”

When they reached the stables, the sun was setting on the horizon. Pan Yue and Pan Yun were dragging a large bundle of fodder.

The fodder weighed over a hundred jin. The boys were young and weak, so they pulled together on a single rope.

Though called “cleaning the stables,” they also had to chop the fodder for the horses and remove manure and soiled straw.

The headman chose this time to notify them precisely to force them to work through the night. The weak and slow would not finish until dawn.

And soon after dawn, they’d be sent to harvest wheat.

In a few days, even iron men would be worn to death.

To escape this torment, one must either bribe the headman or find a patron higher than him.

Pan Hong chose the third option.

He would replace the headman.

With the help of the Jin brothers, the three men finished today’s stable work quickly, returned home in darkness, slept, then set out to cut wheat the next day. They finished work in the afternoon. Only then did Pan Hong turn his steps toward the post station to deliver his letter himself.

He did not use the Minxin Bureau—he sent it through the postal relay.

He didn’t know how closely his shadowers were watching, but to avoid trouble for the Minxin Bureau, he chose the relay. Others could send letters to him via the Minxin Bureau, but if he sent out through it too, they’d have an excuse to investigate it.

Datong was different from other places—it was a frontier post, and the officials here were even more tyrannical.

After sending his letter, Pan Hong stepped out of the relay station and sighed. He only hoped Yun would receive it safely.

Pan Hong didn’t know that few were watching him anymore.

He was merely a minor censor. Too many court officials had offended Wang Zhen; many had been demoted or exiled. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard watched every one, they’d never have enough hands.

Earlier, they had intensified surveillance only because a guard named Wang Yong in the capital had vanished.

Before vanishing, Wang Yong had visited the Pan household, so the Pans were briefly watched again.

But the focus was mainly on Pan Tao, who was returning to Changzhou. Pan Hong was merely checked—confirmed still in Datong, obediently serving, no unusual correspondence. The Embroidered Uniform Guard lost interest.

But those watching Pan Tao had not left.

A covert agent sat in a teahouse, watching Pan Tao smile as he was escorted out. He listened carefully to their conversation and wrote on a small slip: “On the fourth day, Pan Tao met with Meng Chun. They agreed he would teach at Jintai Academy on the eighth day, salary eight taels monthly.”

Eight taels monthly—higher than Pan Hong’s salary as a censor. And as a teacher, Pan Tao surely earned more than that.

!. Read

The agent recorded, shaking his head. No wonder Pan Hong had often needed his brother’s financial support while serving.

Indeed, more than that. Back home, after drinking water, Pan Tao reported to his mother and wife: “Eight taels monthly, plus two sets of seasonal clothes and shoes each quarter, festival gifts of pastries won’t be lacking. Most importantly, the academy doesn’t restrict teachers to composing examination essays.”

Examination essays—students found them hardest to master. Some teachers, to help students, wrote their own essays for them to imitate.

Thus, good examination essays were highly valuable; sometimes a single fine piece could match a teacher’s annual salary.

Pan Hong had often written examination essays under his brother’s name and sold them for extra income.

Pan Tao’s essays weren’t as good as Pan Hong’s and didn’t fetch high prices, but his side income was still substantial. With this income plus their land’s produce, their household quickly recovered.

Pan’s mother sighed in relief. “Send your elder brother small amounts at first. Save the rest. When the weather improves next year, let Changsheng go see him himself.”

Pan Tao planned the same. Sending silver drafts and remittances via the relay wasn’t sustainable—only about a third reached his brother.

His brother hadn’t improved much, yet their appetites had grown.

Pan Tao glanced at his wife, then stepped forward to support his mother. “Mother, let me help you back to your room.”

Pan’s mother wanted to say she wasn’t tired, but Pan Tao pressed her arm gently, and she obediently followed him.

Pan Tao whispered to her. “Mother, I just received word—Yun is safe.”

Pan’s mother’s eyes lit up. She gripped his arm tightly. “Where is she now?”

Pan Tao shook his head. “My friend only delivered a message—he wouldn’t say more. He only said if the other party wishes contact, they’ll reach out to me. Knowing Yun’s uniqueness, I didn’t press further. But from his tone, she’s safe and has companions.”

“In a few years, when the heat dies down, she’ll contact us.”

Pan’s mother sighed deeply. “Good. I always said this child was extraordinary—born different. Look at our four children: the other three cried nonstop as infants. But she? Ate, slept, woke, ate again. Even when she wet herself, she only whimpered twice—so well-behaved.”

“Indeed, she’s extraordinary.”

Pan Tao: “...Really? I remember you kept muttering she was silent, afraid she was a fool.”

Pan’s mother shot him a look. “You’re mistaken.”

Pan Tao laughed. “Yes, I misremembered.”

With the news of Pan Yun’s safety, Pan’s mother and Pan Tao lifted a heavy burden, beginning to live seriously and earn seriously in their hometown.

Pan Yun was also seriously thinking about earning money.

Since that night, she had not seen Master Pan again.

Her master suddenly no longer appeared in her dreams. Pan Yun found it strange.

She was a woman who kept her word. Having promised to build him a temple, she must begin preparing seriously.

Lucky numbers are those ending in 6—screenshot as proof.

(End of Chapter)