Chapter 990

Xue Shao fulfilled his wish, smoothly winning first place as everyone cast their votes one after another.

He declined further socializing, collected his prize money and a plaque, and left.

Huang Quan snapped out of his daze and followed closely behind him; once Xue Shao broke free from the enthusiastic crowd and stepped outside, he grabbed him by the arm, eyes gleaming: "Brother Xue, are you still going to the Feng family? Actually, not going wouldn't matter much…"

"I'm going," Xue Shao smiled. "I'll wait for you outside the county school at the ninth hour tomorrow. I'll count on you to guide me then, Brother Huang."

Huang Quan looked hesitant, hesitated a long while, then said: "Brother Xue, with your talent, you really don't need to become a son-in-law. You've already passed the provincial exam—if you don't pass next year, you can try again in three years."

Xue Shao: "There are so many provincial graduates in the world. I, Xue Mou, know my own limited talent—I fear I won't pass even in three years."

Huang Quan frowned, then sighed after a long pause: "True. Some people spend their whole lives failing to pass the provincial exam, let alone the metropolitan."

Xue Shao nodded.

Behind Huang Quan, Dai Fu looked unconvinced and muttered: "But… but that's no reason to lose heart. Provincial graduates can still wait for official posts."

Xue Shao: "The imperial court is overflowing with officials. Even metropolitan graduates aren't enough—what about provincial graduates? Without connections or money, a provincial graduate can only wait for vacant posts as Registrar or Instructor in remote, impoverished villages."

Dai Fu murmured: "Registrar and Instructor are still good positions…"

His lifelong dream was to become an Instructor.

An Instructor is the education director of a region; Xue Shao's uncle-grandfather was called Instructor Gong because he served as Instructor in many places and excelled at it—his students filled the land.

Xue Shao himself thought being an Instructor was enough, but the "Xue Wen" who wanted to enter the Feng family would surely find it insufficient.

Xue Shao strictly followed his persona.

Pan Yun stepped out after settling the bill with the prize money, and the three immediately bid farewell to Huang Quan and his brother.

When they returned to their rented courtyard, the sun had set, its afterglow falling across the lively yard, adding warmth to the noisy space.

As soon as they pushed open the door, a sea of bare skin rushed into view—Xue Shao was startled and immediately stepped in front of Pan Yun.

Xi Jin also hurriedly spread his arms to shield Pan Yun.

Pan Yun silently pushed Xi Jin aside, then pushed Xue Shao aside too, and calmly sized up the men in the courtyard, all bare-chested and washing clothes.

Some wore only loincloths, drenched all over, holding wooden buckets, and had just been pouring cold water over themselves from head to toe, taking advantage of the still-warm day.

Seeing a young girl appear suddenly, they didn't even hide—instead, they stared up and down—and burst into startled screams, dropped their buckets, clutched their crotches, and scrambled frantically into their rooms.

Pan Yun watched them run off, then turned to look at the men laughing and mocking them.

The laughter slowly died down; the men avoided Pan Yun's gaze and reached for their short shirts to pull them on.

Pan Yun turned to Xue Shao, who looked utterly speechless, and said: "What's the big deal? On hot days, the brothers in the academy jump into the river to bathe—we'd wash clothes on the bank, and I've seen even more exposed than this."

Xue Shao: "... Don't the academy masters care?"

Pan Yun: "They don't care at all. Long Hushan is a Zhengyi Sect—they can marry and have children. Most of the female disciples don't want to marry; they're all striving toward transcending worldly attachments. The masters are desperate for them to find partners—they'd never interfere."

Xue Shao had no reply.

It was precisely this atmosphere of the academy and Long Hushan that made Pan Yun never develop the rigid gender segregation of this era.

The three passed through the courtyard to their rooms.

Only after the two room doors closed did the quiet men in the courtyard suddenly stir; soon, two of them flanked the landlord: "Tai Ge, who are they? They don't look like people who'd live in a place like ours."

"What do you mean 'a place like ours'?" the landlord grumbled. "What's wrong with our place? We've got a courtyard and a well—even Shunlai Inn can't match it!"

He swept his gaze around, shoved aside the two men beside him, and snapped angrily: "Look at you all—look at you! What have you turned my courtyard into? I've told you a hundred times—bathe in the bathhouse! Is my repaired bathhouse just for show? You insist on washing here, soaking everything, and if you scare off my tenants, I'll hold you all responsible."

A low voice muttered: "Judging people by their clothes…"

The landlord heard it and jumped up: "Who said that? Step forward!"

No one stepped forward; the courtyard erupted into chaos.

When the landlord finally calmed down, they asked: "Who exactly are those three? The man and woman at the front—they clearly aren't ordinary people. The man's a scholar—could the woman be a noble lady?"

The landlord grumbled: "Have you ever seen a noble lady stay in a place like mine?"

"But you just said your place is great!"

"Shut up! I can say that—you can't. You've been working for years—how can you not understand this basic social sense?" The landlord scolded them, then added: "Don't care who they are. Once they're tenants, they're guests. Behave yourselves. Don't bully them. I rely on these four main rooms for income—if you drive them away, I'll take back the whole courtyard."

Everyone fell silent.

The landlord charged very low rent; though they slept on communal beds, as he said, there was a courtyard and a well—the living conditions were genuinely good.

Such rent could only be found in slums, where not even a clean courtyard existed, and you had to queue three streets away just to fetch well water.

They all knew the landlord's own house was near Piaoxiang Pavilion; though tucked deep in an alley, if he truly sought tenants, he could easily find long-term renters.

It would be less hassle, better for the property, and more profitable.

The reason he didn't do that was to give them a place to stay.

Though they never said it aloud, they truly appreciated this kindness—that's why they all called him Tai Ge.

Not wanting to see the landlord's new business fail, they grumbled as they pulled on their shirts, and some even picked up brooms to sweep the courtyard water into the gutters, cleaning the entire yard.

Others began tidying up the scattered belongings.

Even the freshly wrung-out clothes were taken off the drying racks and carried indoors.

The landlord stood with his hands on his hips, scolding them: "I say one word, and you move one step—people might think I'm your father, not your landlord. Why take those wet clothes inside? Leave them out! If I catch you bringing them in, I'll have words with you. Don't you know the weather's turning cold? The northern winds could blow down any moment, and if sea winds roll in, keeping wet clothes indoors—you want to grow mushrooms?"

Pan Yun leaned against the doorframe, watching the landlord berate the tenants with great amusement.

When the sun, like a runny egg yolk, sank below the horizon, the entire courtyard was transformed.

Only then did the landlord notice Pan Yun and Xue Shao leaning by the door, smiling warmly as he approached: "Honored guests, have you eaten? Would you like to dine here? My wife makes the best fish—caught fresh by my younger brother from the river. Very delicious, and cheap."

Pan Yun asked: "Can you grill fish?"

The landlord's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously: "Of course! My younger brother's grilled fish is legendary. Would the Miss like some?"

"How many? Grill them all," Pan Yun smiled. "Today I startled your brothers—grilled fish is my apology."

The landlord's gaze flickered; he turned and shouted to the stunned men: "What are you all standing there for? The Miss is treating you to grilled fish—don't you thank her?"

The simple laborers hesitated, then said: "Won't that be too expensive? We just saw you naked—it's no big deal, we won't lose any flesh, no need, really no need…"

"No need?" the landlord roared. "You don't need it—I do!"

The landlord simply ignored them and turned to Pan Yun with a beaming smile: "Miss, thirty-eight people live in this courtyard, ten per table, one fish per table—that's at least four fish, right? Are you really going to treat them to four fish?"

"How many do you have?"

The landlord chuckled: "As many as you want, Miss—I can get them all."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow and asked: "How heavy is one fish?"

"The smallest is at least three catties; the big ones can be seven or eight catties."

Pan Yun said: "Then bring thirteen."

The landlord nearly jumped for joy, shouted an affirmative, and spun around to leave.

A young man in a short jacket, its back patched with a large mend, hurried after him: "Big Tai, you're really making this for them? Are you swindling them—or are they swindling you? They're staying in your courtyard—how could they afford thirteen grilled fish for everyone?"

"What do you know?" The landlord didn't shoo him away; instead, he grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the neighboring courtyard: "That's a capable person. Have you heard of the Piaoxiang Pavilion poetry contest? That guest, Xue, just won first place."

"What? First place? So he's the Literary Star?"

The landlord: "Isn't he just? A stranger, arrived in Chaozhou for the first day, and took first place at the poetry contest. You should've seen Sun Hanwen's face turn green—he was laughing so hard… ha ha ha…"

The young man murmured: "First place gets sixty-six taels in prize money—that's enough to live on for a lifetime…"

"Live on for a lifetime? Don't think everyone's life is like yours—just enough to fill your belly? He's a scholar. Sixty-six taels? Just a wave of his hand. But it's more than enough to buy fish for everyone. Hurry up, come with me to deal with the fish."

When they reached the neighboring courtyard where the landlord lived, the young man glanced at the fish in the broken jar and sighed: "Big Tai, there are only three fish in the jar."

The landlord, already clutching money, was heading out: "Don't worry—the fish will be back soon. Quickly help Xiao Qi kill, fry, and roast these. The rest will arrive shortly."

He said "soon," and it was soon.

The landlord hurried in three strides at once, quickly found the fish vendor's house in the dim light, pushed open the gate, and called: "Da You, how many fish do you have left unsold today?"

A family of five, eating dinner by a dim lamp, set down their bowls and came out. Seeing the landlord, they grumbled: "How do you know we didn't sell out?"

"Do you think I don't know you? Today, Piaoxiang Pavilion held a poetry contest—top-tier restaurant, meat and fish prepared in advance. So many wealthy people rushed there. Fish and meat on the market today must've been unsold. I told you to check daily market trends before buying fish, but you never listen…"

Da You's wife, Zhang Ahua, immediately put down her bowl and stepped forward: "Big Tai's right. I told him this morning to buy less, but he wouldn't listen—he said if he didn't have fish when customers came, they'd never come back. Look, so much left—keep it till tomorrow, who knows how many will still be alive."

The landlord leaned in, rolled up his sleeves, and flipped through the fish piled beneath others. Seeing they were all large, he nodded in satisfaction: "Fine. I don't want these three carp. I'll take the rest."

Da You put down his bowl and stepped forward, curious: "Big Tai, you struck gold?"

"Struck gold? No—today a generous guest moved into my courtyard. He's celebrating, so he's treating everyone to grilled fish. Quickly weigh all the fish for me. And since you two are quick-handed, and I'm buying so much from you, you'll kill the fish for me."

Hearing they could offload their leftovers tonight, Da You and Ahua were thrilled. Not only would they kill the fish—they'd roast them too. They immediately told the children to stop eating and go fetch water, while they pulled the fish from the tank, strung them on straw, and weighed them.

When the money was settled, he grabbed one fish and slammed it onto the ground, then began slicing it open.

The landlord returned carrying a large wooden tub, with Da You following behind, carrying another large wooden tub.

The fish were all killed, washed, fried, and ready to be roasted.

The landlord's younger brother-in-law, about twelve years old, lived with his sister in his brother-in-law's house and was especially skilled at roasting fish.

In the neighboring courtyard, Pan Yun and Xue Shao learned not only that he roasted fish exceptionally well, but that he caught them well too.

"That boy's fearless—he's a water demon, dives into any wave, no matter how big. Lucky the sea pirates are gone now; otherwise, he'd be a top fighter."

Pan Yun was treating everyone, and Xue Shao was a scholar. Both looked clean and approachable.

Especially Pan Yun.

At first, they thought she was beautiful. Then they thought she looked like their mother. And when the moon broke through the clouds, under the moonlight, the resemblance grew clearer and clearer.

So around the two of them, they answered every question without hesitation.

In the short time the landlord went to buy fish, Pan Yun and Xue Shao uncovered his entire past.

It was said that when he was young, he had once gone to sea.

"He was from the village originally. They say he found treasure at sea—a hu of pearls. After selling them, he bought two courtyards in Chaozhou, a shop, and dozens of acres of land. Otherwise, he'd be just another porter like us."

Everyone sighed with envy: "If only we'd gone to sea back then."

"Wasn't the sea closed off then? How could anyone leave?"

"If you really wanted out, it wasn't hard. Wait for the navy's shift change, dive in, and swim out—if you've got strength, you can make it."

"Swim out?" Pan Yun fell silent for a moment, then said: "He truly earned that money." (End of chapter)