Chapter 81: Going Home

Chapter 81: Returning Home

After the New Year celebrations in Xin Feng County ended, the county office staff had to return to their duties. Zheng Shanci got up early this time and did not have breakfast at home. Instead, he took advantage of the misty morning to visit a street vendor.

The breakfast vendors mostly offered buns, steamed bread, soy milk, fried dough sticks, and pancakes. Since it was winter, there were also various soups available. The mist mixed with the steam, and Zheng Shanci noticed a vendor selling pork tripe soup. He walked over and ordered a bowl.

The vendor recognized Zheng Shanci and greeted him with a smile, "Lord Zheng, please wait a moment."

The pork tripe soup was made by stewing pork tripe with pork ribs, adding pepper to dispel cold and warm the stomach. Zheng Shanci didn't wait long before a steaming bowl of soup was served. The aroma made his stomach rumble with hunger.

After finishing the bowl of pork tripe soup, Zheng Shanci left some cash on the table and headed to the county office. Upon arriving, since it was not yet time for work, no official documents had been placed on his desk. Zheng Shanci only picked up the household register to review. This was something he had instructed the household department to prepare before the New Year. There were a few newcomers who had come to Xin Feng County, not many, about thirty people. The household department had allocated land to them as per regulations, registered them, and found a clean plot of land for them to build a village. The engineering department had sent a few people to help plan the layout of the village. The village for these newcomers wasn't finished yet, so they temporarily stayed in the empty houses of the county office during the New Year.

Zheng Shanci was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected newcomers to seek refuge so soon. After all, Xin Feng County was known for its harsh sandstorms, and generally, outsiders were not willing to settle there. Ancient people were deeply attached to their homeland and were reluctant to move elsewhere. As stated in the "Book of Han, Annals of Emperor Yuan": "Attachment to one's homeland is the nature of the people; the bond of kinship is what they desire." Unless their hometown became unbearable, they wouldn't leave their native place.

After the clerk finished the roll call, he brought the documents to Zheng Shanci's office. Seeing Wang Fu already at the door, he was startled and grew even more cautious, entering with the documents in hand, head bowed.

"Lord Zheng, these are today's official documents."

"Set them down. On your way out, call for Lord Ding. I have something to ask him."

"Yes, Lord Zheng."

While Zheng Shanci was reviewing the documents, Ding Xuan came in to pay his respects.

"Take a seat. Do you remember the newcomers who were settled in Wu County? What's their situation?" Zheng Shanci put down the documents and asked.

Ding Xuan thought for a moment and quickly recalled. At the time, he had also been surprised that they chose to come to Xin Feng County, so he had asked more questions when settling them.

"Reporting to you, my lord, I remember."

"They were residents of Jiang County. The local gentry there were too powerful and forced them to sell their land at a low price. If they wanted to survive, they had no choice but to become tenant farmers. They initially accepted this, but then the gentry demanded 80% of their harvest, leaving them with only 20%. Besides farming, they had to work for the gentry during the rest of their time. The chickens and ducks they raised could be taken by the gentry's stewards at will, without payment. The young men and women in their families, even slightly attractive, couldn't escape the gentry's abuse. The gentry's mansions had strong men, so they had no way to resist and fled."

Ding Xuan continued, "As for why they chose Xin Feng County, it's because it's farther away, and Xin Feng County has always been short on people. The county office is more generous with land allocation. Also, our county's liquor, textiles, and chili sauce have been sold to Jiang County. They heard there were factories where they could work, so they wanted to give it a try."

In ancient times, without power, it was difficult to resist such exploitation. The well-being of the people depended entirely on the local officials.

"Alright, I understand. If they're still short on farming tools and money, have the household department lend them some. Have them sign an IOU, and they can repay the county office after next year's harvest."

Ding Xuan quickly agreed.

Ding Xuan went to handle the matter and relayed the instructions to the household department.

The household department agreed, but someone remarked with a hint of jealousy, "Lord Zheng and Lord Ding are so kind to the newcomers. The place Lord Ding chose is also excellent, near Lanlong Village. The concrete road in Lanlong Village is nearly complete, so they can use it to enter the city."

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying the two lords treat the people of Xin Feng County and Jiang County differently?" someone in the household department asked upon hearing this.

"Well, it's true."

"The people from Jiang County have already been registered and are now residents of Xin Feng County. They are the first group to settle here, so naturally, they should be given more attention. Besides, the land near Lanlong Village was empty anyway and has nothing to do with us. Why say such things? According to you, the two lords aren't as sharp as you, are they?"

The person who spoke earlier blushed and was about to say more.

Others quickly intervened, "What's the point of arguing? Let's just do our jobs. The task of registering and lending them farming tools and money will be handled by you."

The person had no choice but to take on the task. The older staff members advised the other person, "Why argue with him? He's new to the household department and is bound to be sensitive."

"I was too harsh in my tone. Everyone, don't worry."

Hearing this, the household department staff breathed a sigh of relief. In the same office, seeing each other every day, it was best not to let this matter create a rift.

The Household Department was short-staffed, so they hired some outsiders to help. The new hires were young and spoke without hesitation.

Guo Cai arrived at the village and found a few Yamen Runners to help carry the farming tools and silver. He observed the villagers busily constructing houses early in the morning.

A villager, noticing their official attire, stepped forward and bowed to Guo Cai, "How should I address you, sir? Is there anything I can assist with?"

"I'm not a lord; just call me Guo Cai. Lord Zheng sent me to deliver farming tools and some silver. If you need funds for seeds or living expenses, you can borrow from the county office and repay after next year's autumn harvest."

The Yamen Runners set up tables and chairs in the village. Guo Cai brought writing materials, sat down, and waited for the villagers to line up for farming tools and loans. The old man, evidently a respected elder, hesitated before asking, "Mr. Guo, if we borrow farming tools and silver, what interest rate must we pay the county office?"

The old man reflected on how kind the Xinfeng County office had been to them, not only taking them in but also giving them good land. Before their homes were completed, they were permitted to stay in the county office's vacant rooms during the harsh winter. It made sense that they would charge interest on loans for farming tools and silver. The county office had many mouths to feed, so it was fair to request some repayment. However, he hoped the interest rate would be low; otherwise, they couldn't manage it.

Guo Cai raised his eyebrows, paused his writing, and reprimanded, "The county office isn't charging interest. Simply return the items after next year's autumn harvest. If you wish to keep the farming tools, you can pay a fee at that time. Those wishing to borrow farming tools and silver, line up here for registration. To be clear, the loan amount depends on your future harvest, so borrow only what you can afford. Avoid borrowing more than you can repay, or the county office will pursue you."

Upon hearing this, the old man's face brightened with joy, "Thank you, Mr. Guo. I'll summon them immediately."

Guo Cai was about to correct him, instructing him not to use "Mr. Guo," but seeing the old man already turning to summon others, he let it slide.

A group of about a dozen strong young men came to register. They borrowed some silver sporadically. Hearing that there was no interest, their hearts became more at ease. The farming tools were all borrowed, with the most silver borrowed being three taels, the rest two taels or one tael. Only one family, with a sick member, borrowed four taels at once. After working for half a day, Guo Cai realized that the silver he brought from the household department was more than enough, having only distributed about a third of it.

He had the Yamen Runners carry the boxes, and after finishing their tasks, they planned to take the carriage back. The old man hurried to see them off, flattering Guo Cai and slipping him some copper coins.

Guo Cai was stunned, his face turning pale and then red upon realizing the old man had given him money.

"Who comes to do business to take money!" Guo Cai stuffed the money back into the old man's hands and left with a flick of his sleeve.

He was, after all, a man who had studied, though he hadn't achieved any official rank. His mentor was Jiaoyu Liu, so how could he accept the people's hard-earned money? It would tarnish the county office's reputation and his teacher's name.

He sighed, regretting not having achieved an official rank.

The old man watched as the carriage turned into a black dot in the distance. He still felt the warmth of Guo Cai's hand pressing the money into his palm, and he stood there in a daze, a smile appearing on his face.

Zheng Shanci was unaware of this little episode. He went to the glass factory. The factory was burning hot, and as soon as he entered, he took off his cloak, talking to the factory manager.

He had previously asked the glass factory to make glass windows for the county school.

Manager: "Lord Zheng, they're ready. Please see if they're suitable."

The glass pieces were quite large. They just needed to find workers from the engineering department to install them, but not during school hours. They would do it after school. Zheng Shanci nodded in satisfaction, "Well done."

The manager smiled modestly.

Today, they could have the engineering department install them. Zheng Shanci thought of his own student days and smiled silently. The key to making glass was lowering the melting point. Once that was done, everything else was easy. The glass factory had people skilled in melting and blowing glass, so Zheng Shanci wasn't worried.

Anyway, the engineering and household departments were destined to work hard. With Zheng Shanci's instructions, they went to install the glass windows at the county school.

Zheng Shanci smiled and had the kitchen prepare a good meal for them to enjoy.

The snowy weather was dirty, with mud sticking to the snow. They just had to sweep the snow away. Zheng Shanci put on his cloak as he left the glass factory, tightening it. Seeing a carving shop, he smiled to himself. His own carvings didn't look like anything, but the wooden carvings in this shop were exquisite.

He saw various animal carvings and noticed a small tiger. He had Wang Fu pay for it.

Yu Lanyi said his father, missing him, had carved a small tiger out of jade for Mr. Yu. Why hadn't he thought to give him something before leaving, to express his longing?

Zheng Shanci took the small tiger and hid it in his sleeve. After walking a few steps, he heard noise and crying, and he frowned as he approached.

An old man had fallen to the ground, and a woman was kneeling, crying like a pear blossom in the rain, while a Yamen Runner brandished a stick, looking very imposing.

Alright then, if you can't pay the stall fee, then give me your daughter, and I'll waive this month's fee for you.

The old man cried, "We've already paid three times this month, and each time it was you who collected it from us. Now you come again to collect the stall fee. We are just small vendors with little money to give. If you're unhappy, you just smash our stall. Please, have mercy on us!"

The Yamen Runner's face darkened, "Don't lie. I haven't taken a single coin from you. If someone who didn’t know better saw this, they’d think I’m bullying an old man and a helpless woman. This is the county's regulation; no stall fee, no stall here."

The crowd around pointed and murmured, some agreeing with the Yamen Runner, others with the old man, creating a noisy hubbub.

"What’s all this noise? Take your grievances to the county office," Zheng Shanci scolded. The crowd was startled to see him, and the Yamen Runner looked flustered, quickly bowing to Zheng Shanci.

"Go find Archivist Zhu, the magistrate, and have him come over. When he's reviewing the case, you stay and watch," Zheng Shanci ordered.

Wang Fu nodded in understanding and acknowledged the order.

The old man and the woman quickly poured out their grievances to Zheng Shanci, who helped them up, "Once the investigation is complete, if he is found guilty of oppressing the people, I will ensure justice is served."

Archivist Zhu arrived promptly, seemingly having run over, sweating despite the cold weather.

Zheng Shanci instructed, "Take them away and conduct a thorough investigation. Also, have someone clean up this place."

The old man sold triangular cakes, and the charcoal and other items were scattered across the ground, leaving him covered in soot.

Archivist Zhu acknowledged and had the Yamen Runner, the old man, and the woman taken away.

The case was straightforward and resolved by the same afternoon. The Yamen Runner had abused his power and was punished under the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty, also compensating the old man and the woman.

When Zheng Shanci was informed, Archivist Zhu was required to provide an explanation. An internal investigation among the Yamen Runners also revealed a few more who were corrupt and abused their power, some of whom were acquaintances of Archivist Zhu. He felt a chill but dealt with them according to the law and then went to apologize to Zheng Shanci.

Scribe Jiang stroked his beard and remarked, "Archivist Zhu isn’t a fool, is he?"

When subordinates cause trouble, the superior must apologize for them.

Zheng Shanci fined Archivist Zhu two months’ salary, saying, "I’m deducting two months’ salary from you, as per the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty, but you must understand the boundaries of your authority. If I hadn't seen this, two lives might have been lost at the hands of that Yamen Runner. You are in charge of the Yamen Runners; you must understand the boundaries of your authority."

Having been fined two months’ salary, Archivist Zhu accepted the punishment. Upon hearing Zheng Shanci’s words, he felt even more ashamed, a feeling more painful than the fine itself.

The outcome of the case was posted on the county’s bulletin board, and the people cheered in approval. The matter was handled quickly, showing the county's proper attitude.

After reading, they said, "There are good and bad Yamen Runners, just like in any profession. Once, when I was carting oranges into the city and some fell, a Yamen Runner helped me gather them. Others saw and helped too."

They also shared stories of good Yamen Runners they had encountered.

From that point on, Archivist Zhu has been cautious in managing his relationships with the Yamen Runners. The superior is the superior; if something happens, the superior won't cover it up. If there’s no boundary between subordinates and superiors in work, it can breed complacency and indulge desires.

If it were something else, it might be overlooked, but their line of work concerns others' livelihoods and justice, a responsibility too great to bear.

The scholars at the county school went to study, and early in the morning, someone exclaimed in amazement, drawing everyone's attention.

"What's happening?"

"I’ve seen someone at home buy perfume, but I never thought glass could be used for windows. The sunlight shines through brightly, making it even brighter to read in the school."

The scholars reached out to touch the glass, marveling at its clarity.

"Enough talk, the teacher is coming."

Hearing this, the scholars quickly returned to their seats with their book bags, sitting upright.

The teacher placed his book on the lectern and also noticed the brighter classroom. He said, "This is the window that Lord Zheng had installed, thinking of your hard work in studying and to protect your eyes. If you are grateful, study well."

The scholars clasped their hands and responded in unison.

After the teacher finished his lecture and left the classroom, their excitement had not yet subsided. Several of them went to touch the glass window, blowing on it to write "Confucius said" with their breath. Through the window, they could see the distant green mountains, with half of the tree shadows still covered in unmelted snow, creating a half-white reflection. They wore long robes, their heads huddled together in front of the window, their breath fogging up the glass in a white mist that disappeared after a short while. The clear glass reflected their youthful faces pressed together.

"It's so clear," one scholar exclaimed loudly.

"The distant mountains are clearly visible."

They chattered like little birds, full of the unique vitality of youth. In a year, they would be taking the imperial examinations, and their hearts were filled with tension. After chatting for a while, they returned to their seats to continue studying.

The bright windows made the characters in their books clearer, and their moods improved significantly. They understood the importance of the imperial examinations to them, knowing that the key to their years of study lay in these few exams.

The examination process was long, spanning about a year from the preliminary exams to the provincial, metropolitan, and palace exams. If they didn't even pass the preliminary exams, they wouldn't even qualify as a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial exams, and they would have to wait three years to try again. Their minimum goal was to pass the lowest level exam, but even that was difficult. In their county, only about two percent of candidates passed the lowest level exam, and that was a generous estimate.

They longed to achieve scholarly honors, change their family's fortunes, or realize their own ambitions.

They studied from morning till night, most of them living in the county school. Except for those who had homes in the county town, they would return home and hire private tutors to teach them, leaving them no time to rest.

Studying was hard, not only because of the heavy workload but also due to the competition among peers and the expectations of their parents.

Zheng Shanci entrusted the county school to Jiaoyu Liu with confidence. When Jiaoyu Liu came to visit Zheng Shanci, Zheng was surprised and had Wang Fu let him in.

"Lord Zheng, I have a favor to ask," Jiaoyu Liu greeted respectfully.

"Go ahead," Zheng Shanci did not immediately agree, but invited him to sit and have some tea first.

"Lord Zheng, you are a Jinshi from the last imperial examination. I would like to ask you to give a lecture on essays, any kind of essay will do. These children are taking the exams for the first time, and they are very nervous. I've said many things to comfort them, and they appreciate it, but they are still worried. Since you have already reached the palace examination, I thought you could give them a lecture on essays to ease their minds."

Zheng Shanci felt embarrassed, as he had not yet had the chance to experience the ancient palace examination.

"My essays are not good. If I were to lecture, I might mislead them," Zheng Shanci declined politely.

Jiaoyu Liu repeatedly urged Zheng Shanci, who was moved by his persistence. He said, "I haven't written essays for a long time. I can only talk about ideas and such, but I'm not proficient in other aspects. Are you still willing to invite me to lecture even if I say this?"

Jiaoyu Liu smiled and clasped his hands, "As long as Lord Zheng is willing to go, whatever you say will benefit these students."

Zheng Shanci felt ashamed and was even more moved by Jiaoyu Liu's dedication to his students.

Jiaoyu Liu and Zheng Shanci agreed on a date, and then Jiaoyu Liu left.

After Jiaoyu Liu left, Zheng Shanci felt relieved, but he was left scratching his head in confusion. Zheng Shanci finished his official duties and was about to leave for the day. After returning home and having dinner, Zheng Qingyin mentioned that he had received a large order.

"What kind of order?"

"It's from the border region. They specified the style of clothing, and I accepted it after reviewing it. They also asked me to send their regards to Second Brother."

It must be someone from their uncle's side, Zheng Shanci thought. This year, they hadn't returned to the capital and had spent the New Year at the border. He hadn't visited Second Master Yu, mindful of the sensitive nature of their positions. He was a local official near the border, and Second Master Yu was a border garrison commander. Although they were relatives, it was not appropriate to visit during the New Year.

Moreover, it would take Zheng Shanci some time to travel to the border. With the Great Yan Dynasty's New Year holiday, he wouldn't be able to make it back in time.

Zheng Shanci bought medicinal herbs from the county office at the merchant's price and asked Zheng Qingyin to deliver the clothes along with the herbs.

Zheng Qingyin agreed, "Should I bring some wine?"

"No, that can only be brought in by my uncle. It's not good to send it from outside." Sending it himself might lead to gossip, as many tragic incidents in the military were related to alcohol.

Zheng Qingyin nodded, though he didn't fully understand. He then talked about some matters at the textile factory, and Zheng Shanci listened patiently, offering some solutions.

Zheng Qingyin smiled, "Second Brother always has a way."

Zheng Shanci returned to his room, but he had no solution to the problem posed by Liu Jiaoyu. He could only flip through his books, unsure of what to do. In the end, he decided to sleep, since Liu Jiaoyu’s deadline was still far off.

Lying alone in bed at night, Zheng Shanci couldn’t help but think of Yu Lanyi. The snow was still falling in Xinfeng County, which was relatively remote, so the snow persisted. But in the capital, the snow had already stopped.

Indeed, it was no longer snowing in the capital, and Yu Lanyi was also preparing to leave. The Marquis of Changyang kept it to himself, but he was reluctant to let Yu Lanyi go. Yet, he couldn’t keep Yu Lanyi at home either—his son was no longer someone who could be easily controlled. Keeping him at home would only lead to more trouble.

Mr. Yu had someone pack Yu Lanyi’s things and even took the time to help him with his clothes. Yu Lanyi quickly stopped him, “Jin Yun is helping me, Dad. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself.”

Mr. Yu didn’t push, just lightly tapped Yu Lanyi and said, “Why not stay a little longer? You’re already in such a hurry to leave.”

Yu Lanyi replied, “Dad, it’ll take me over two months by carriage to get back. I’ve already stayed long enough. Once Zheng Shanci is transferred back to the capital, as long as you don’t find me annoying, I’ll stick to you every day.”

Mr. Yu suggested, “Why don’t you and Shanci stay at the Marquis’s place after you get back to the capital?”

Yu Lanyi quickly refused, “That wouldn’t be good. It would make Zheng Shanci seem like a man who’s moved into his in-laws’ home, and people would laugh at us.”

The Marquis of Changyang thought to himself, “At least he’s aware people might laugh at him now.”

In truth, Yu Lanyi didn’t want to be controlled by his father and Mr. Yu after getting married. He preferred living alone with Zheng Shanci, without the interference of elders.

Once the luggage was packed, Yu Zhangxing went to a well-known escort agency in the capital to arrange for Yu Lanyi’s safe return to Xinfeng County. He even requested the head of the agency to personally escort Yu Lanyi.

“Father, Dad, Big Brother, I’ll be leaving now,” Yu Lanyi said as he boarded the carriage, feeling a bit reluctant to part, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Go ahead, take good care of yourself, and write often once you arrive,” the Marquis of Changyang said solemnly.

“Take care of yourself, and be patient. Don’t act like a child,” Mr. Yu advised, though he was also feeling emotional. “Living well with Shanci is what matters most.”

Yu Zhangxing didn’t say much, just reminded Yu Lanyi to be careful on the journey.