Chapter 57: Nan Jinping’s Awakening, Book Review

Chapter 57: Nan Jinping's Awakening – Reader's Commentary

Then, Trader Jia and the others in the hall were all driven out.

The other merchants who were caught up in the commotion hadn’t even managed to establish a connection with Bing Wengu, nor had they succeeded in delivering their gifts. They couldn’t help but complain, "As if your family is the only one with a daughter! Do you think the rest of us don’t have any? Look at how clever you are, trying to marry off your secondary daughter to Top Scholar Bing. Do you really think you’re the only smart one here while the rest of us are fools?"

Trader Jia, puzzled, asked the merchants around him, "Are the Bing family out of their minds? Who in their right mind would take Shuang Er as their principal husband? Aren’t they afraid of being laughed at?"

Several merchants exchanged knowing looks. "Didn’t you do any research before coming here with gifts? If you’d just asked around a little, you’d know that Top Scholar Bing adores his husband and always puts him first. After passing the exam, far from looking down on his humble spouse, he credited all his achievements to him."

Of course, Trader Jia had heard all this, but he hadn’t taken it seriously. He refused to believe that Bing Wengu truly didn’t mind his husband being Shuang Er. In his view, it was just a matter of having no better choice at the time. Now that there was a better option, of course, Bing Wengu would choose it.

As for the village rumors about how loving the couple was, Trader Jia wrote them off as Bing Wengu using his husband to build his own reputation—creating an appearance of someone who wouldn’t abandon loyalty for profit.

In reality, those who put up such fronts were often the most ruthless, quick to betray at the slightest hint of gain, going further than anyone else.

Trader Jia thought Bing Wengu was just a poor boy whose family had only recently escaped hunger. Scatterbrained as he was, he’d surely grovel for even a small benefit.

The other merchants seemed to read his thoughts and sneered, "Idiot! Use that muddled thinking of yours to consider—if Top Scholar Bing didn’t truly care for his husband, would he have given those recipes straight to his in-laws instead of his own kin? The value of those recipes isn’t any less than your hundred taels of silver!"

No matter how they reacted, the Bing family had firmly closed their doors to all uninvited guests—not another unfamiliar face would cross their threshold.

In the bedroom, Bing Wengu was teaching Nan Jinping about strokes and radicals.

Since Nan Jinping had conceived the idea of a dictionary prototype, Bing Wengu intended to help him refine it completely.

With these two elements, Nan Jinping could eventually teach himself to recognize characters.

Bing Wengu compared against Nan Jinping’s Storybook, writing down each untaught character on the corresponding pages.

Nan Jinping’s eyes lit up. "This is so convenient! Now, whenever I come across a character I don’t know, I can look it up myself in the dictionary."

Bing Wengu smiled. "This is just the beginning. You can keep expanding it yourself—whenever you encounter a character not in the dictionary, just add it. Little by little, your dictionary will eventually be complete."

Nan Jinping asked, "There are so many characters. If it’s just the two of us working on this, how long will it take? Couldn’t we just buy a ready-made one?"

Bing Wengu chuckled. "My apologies for not explaining—bookshops don’t sell dictionaries. In fact, most people don’t even know what a dictionary is."

Nan Jinping blinked. "Then how did you know? And how did you recognize right away that what I made was a dictionary?"

Bing Wengu deflected, "I’ve read a lot of books. I can’t remember which one, but I once came across a mention of dictionaries in some curious texts. At the time, I wondered what they looked like. Who’d have thought that something I couldn’t figure out no matter how hard I tried, you grasped instantly. That’s why I always say you’re brilliant, my love. I’m nowhere near as smart as you."

The daily praise session had arrived. Nan Jinping was used to it by now, though he still blushed.

"But you seem so familiar with it—you even know how to look things up."

Bing Wengu evaded, "The book explained the concepts of phonetic notation, radicals, and strokes in detail, so I remembered those. But it didn’t describe the actual lookup method, so I couldn’t figure it out. You, my dearest, are a genius. If you’d studied, what chance would I have had at becoming this year’s Top Scholar?"

Nan Jinping grumbled half-heartedly, "I’m not as amazing as you."

Though he said that, he couldn’t suppress the little swell of pride in his chest, his lips curling up in a smile harder to suppress than a giggle.

Bing Wengu noticed and felt satisfied.

It seemed his encouragement method was starting to show results.

Back when he first began complimenting his husband, Nan Jinping had reacted with nothing but wariness and doubt, even wondering if Bing Wengu was mocking him.

Later, though Nan Jinping recognized the praise as genuine, he still struggled to believe himself worthy of such high regard.

By now, all the previous situations had vanished. Nan Jinping had begun to accept his praise with ease and respond naturally.

Feeling pleased was the most natural reaction when being praised.

"Brother-in-law, Auntie Nan's here with the tofu," Bing Wulang and Bing Sanniang shouted from the courtyard upon seeing Miao Shi.

"My mother is here, I’ll go see her."

"Go ahead."

Recently, too many visitors had come to the village to see Bing Wengu. Fearing they might offend Nan Jinping, Bing Wengu had kept him at home these past few days, not allowing him to help at the Nan family’s side.

Fortunately, the Nan family had learned from Nan Jinping for a while and no longer messed up their bookkeeping.

"Wulang, Sanniang, come inside. I have something to ask you," Bing Wengu called out to them.

Bing Wulang and Bing Sanniang ran in. "What is it, Eldest Brother?"

Bing Wengu pulled out a few practice sheets from his desk and handed them to the two. "Go back and copy each ten times, then show them to your brother-in-law."

Both Bing Wulang and Nan Sanniang now had their own paper and brushes, all brought back by Bing Wengu from the county town as gifts for the Bing and Nan families—everyone got some.

The expressions on the faces of the Nan and Bing family members when they received such gifts were priceless.

"Within three days, how have people outside been spreading the versions of the story about your brother-in-law being a lucky star?" Bing Wengu asked.

"Some in the village don’t believe it, some are on the fence, and very few actually do," Bing Wulang answered.

"What exactly are they saying?" Bing Wengu pressed further.

"They say if brother-in-law were truly a reincarnated lucky star, why was he born as a Shuang Er? Even being born a girl would’ve been better," Bing Sanniang rattled off, her words clear and logical.

"They also say, if brother-in-law really had such luck, why wasn’t he born into a wealthy family? The Nan family was so poor before, and they never got any better off from brother-in-law’s influence—proof that he’s no lucky star."

Bing Wengu leaned in and told the twins something. "You can count on us!" the twins chorused.

After the twins groaned, Bing Wengu continued organizing the storybook manuscript.

With printing technology being underdeveloped, storybooks were mostly handwritten and relatively short, usually just a few dozen pages.

Bing Wengu spent only a day compiling the uncommon characters from the storybook into the dictionary. However, he also noticed that the storybook’s views on relationships and values were pretty messed up.

When Nan Jinping returned, Bing Wengu asked, "Want me to tell you how it ends?"

Nan Jinping nodded.

Bing Wengu went through the ending, particularly emphasizing the parts with questionable morals.

After finishing, Bing Wengu asked, "Husband, what do you think of this story?"

"It’s a good story," Nan Jinping scratched his head. "But something doesn't sit right. I don’t like the male lead—he's not a good person."

Bing Wengu hadn’t expected Nan Jinping to notice this, and it made him really happy.

"Husband, you’re amazing. Many of my classmates at the academy got totally absorbed in these stories without realizing anything was wrong. It wasn’t until years or even decades later that they suddenly realized how messed up some of the ideas were." And so, Bing Wengu started praising him again.

"You've only been reading for a few days, yet you understand things more deeply than my classmates who've studied for over a decade."

Nan Jinping was pleased, her lips curling into an irrepressible smile.

"Stop praising me all the time—it makes me shy."

Bing Wengu said earnestly, "Darling, I once read something that struck me as very true. People who keep putting you down don’t actually believe you’re worthless. Rather, they know full well how wonderful you are, and only by tearing you down can they feel worthy of you. Those who truly care will always encourage you, because they recognize just how special you are."

Nan Jinping pondered this, then replied meaningfully, "So you’re saying you really care about me, huh?"

"Do I even need to say it? Everyone in the village knows how madly in love with you I am."

"Smooth talker."

"Alright, let’s get back on track. Darling, what seems wrong about this storybook to you?" Bing Wengu asked.

Nan Jinping thought for a moment before organizing her thoughts. "There’s one scene in the storybook that mirrors our situation—when the male lead saves the female lead from drowning."

Had she not lived through something similar herself, Nan Jinping might not have noticed anything amiss.

"You saved me, and the male lead saved the female lead, but your reactions were completely different. You immediately helped me cover it up, afraid the villagers would damage my reputation. But the male lead? When he rescued the female lead, only her maid was present—it could’ve easily been kept quiet. Instead, he made a big scene, drawing all the guests from the front courtyard over."

Nan Jinping’s reasoning was sharp and well-founded, proof she’d given it serious thought.

"He was clearly trying to ruin the female lead’s reputation, forcing her to marry him. You, on the other hand, chose to keep it secret and let me decide. The male lead gave the female lead no choice because he knew that, given her status, he’d never have a shot otherwise."

"Exactly," Bing Wengu agreed. "That’s how men scheme."

"The later parts are even worse. When the male lead tells the female lead’s father he wants to marry her, he acts all righteous, claiming he’ll take responsibility so she won’t live out her days in a convent. But in reality, it was all his plan—he’s just a hypocrite."

Bing Wengu nodded. "People will spin their words to suit their interests. No matter how beautifully he spins it, just look at what he actually did."

Nan Jinping nodded firmly, indignant. "And another thing—how did the male lead even end up in the innermost part of the house to save the female lead in the first place? I’ve never seen a wealthy manor, but when we built our house, you made sure the outer rooms near the gate were for the men, while the inner ones were for women and children.

That way, if guests came over, they wouldn’t accidentally intrude on the women’s privacy. So I imagine rich families must be even stricter about this. The female lead’s family was wealthy—she’d definitely live in the deepest part of the house. So how did the male lead just ‘happen’ to wander into the inner courtyard and find her?"

Bing Wengu said, "You’re absolutely right. Wealthy mansions are even more carefully designed than you think, divided into inner and outer courtyards. The women stay in the inner quarters, while the guest halls are at the outermost part of the outer courtyard—precisely to prevent outsiders from accidentally disturbing the women. Unless he was purposely sneaking, there’s no way the male lead could’ve ‘gotten lost’ and ended up in the inner courtyard."

"Exactly! Look at how the male lead married the female lead and instantly gained status and wealth. Her father hired tutors for him, and suddenly his knowledge improved by leaps and bounds."

Nan Jinping analyzed scene by scene. "The male lead’s whole family is living off the female lead, yet his mother acts like some saint, bragging everywhere that she doesn’t even make the female lead serve her.

But the female lead brought maids and servants—she doesn’t have to do a thing at home. Meanwhile, the male lead’s family used to do everything themselves. Now, thanks to exploiting the female lead, they don’t have to work at all. What more could they possibly want?"

Bing Wengu hadn’t expected Nan Jinping to pick up on so much. It showed her mind was awakening—no longer blindly following the crowd.

"The male lead is even worse. I think he used that put-down tactic you mentioned on the female lead. When he left for the capital exams, he had plenty of maids and servants, yet he insisted the female lead make his clothes and shoes, claiming it was so he could ‘feel her presence’ with him. Gross.

If that’s what he wanted, he could’ve just married her needlework instead—why go through all the trouble of scheming to marry her?"

Bing Wengu listened quietly as Nan Jinping spelled out her points, each one well-reasoned. He felt proud—his efforts over the past six months had paid off.

"Darling, would you like to write a review? Just put down all your thoughts," Bing Wengu suggested.

"Can I?" Nan Jinping asked.

"Of course," Bing Wengu said. "I remember the bookshop proprietor mentioning how popular this storybook is—many young ladies and Shuang Er love it. Think about it: if such a twisted idea of marriage spreads to more young ladies and Shuang Er, won’t it mess up their view of love? And what if shady men start using these tricks to manipulate them, ruining their lives?"

If you can write a book review, young women and Shuang Er will reflect upon reading it, learning to guard against those scoundrels and knowing who to trust and who to avoid. Who knows, you might even unintentionally save a woman like the heroine from being schemed against."

"Alright, I'll write it." The thought of innocent young women being trampled by scoundrels gave Nan Jinping courage. So what if it wasn't well-written? What did it matter if people mocked or criticized it? If it could save even one innocent woman or Shuang Er from ruin, it would be worth it.

Without delay, Nan Jinping took the storybook and read it thoroughly before starting the review. After he finished, Bing Wengu helped make a clean copy, polishing the language, correcting typos, and filling in characters Nan Jinping had replaced with pinyin.

Bing Wengu wasn’t doing this idly—he had a plan. He intended to use this popular storybook as a stepping stone to establish Nan Jinping’s reputation.

Bing Wengu, who had always stood amid flowers and applause, refused to let his husband remain in his shadow. He wanted Nan Jinping to stand at the pinnacle, sharing in the glory and acclaim.

He hoped that when people mentioned Nan Jinping, it wouldn’t just be as "Bing Wengu’s husband," a dependent not even deserving a name. Instead, he was willing to lose naming rights, content to be introduced as "Nan Jinping’s husband."

He didn’t see this as an insult but as an honor—that someone so extraordinary had chosen him, loved him, and become his husband.

Nor did Bing Wengu feel any guilt toward the storybook’s author. After all, they hadn’t fabricated a single accusation. The morally upright content was indeed his writing, and criticism was warranted.

"Husband, pick a literary name for yourself. From now on, this will be your identity for all your writings."

Nan Jinping understood what a literary name was. While reading the storybook, he’d noticed the author’s peculiar name—"Wandering Gentleman." What kind of real person calls themselves that?

"Alright." Nan Jinping tilted his head, deep in thought. Recently, he’d absorbed many ideas from the books Bing Wengu had shared with him. One phrase had left a lasting impression.

"*Wuwei* yet nothing is left undone." Nan Jinping said, "I want to be called *Mr. Wuwei*."

"Follow nature’s course, without forced action—the great Dao moves by its own laws." Bing Wengu praised, "A fine name. May your life, my husband, embody this name—free from artificial striving, guided by fate’s perfect arrangement."

This time, Nan Jinping didn’t respond with a quip. He gazed earnestly at Bing Wengu. "I truly feel this phrase reflects my life’s journey, which is why I chose it. Meeting you, marrying you, falling in love with you—all of it was fate’s design. I believe no one in this world could ever treat me as well as you do. Fate has given me the best possible gift."

Bing Wengu’s heart suddenly raced. Even when battling the Swarm Mother, he had remained calm. Even during self-destructing, he hadn’t panicked. But now, his pulse was pounding chaotically, wildly out of rhythm.

"Husband, I’ve waited so long to hear you say that."

Nan Jinping noticed Bing Wengu’s eyes were reddening!

"Husband, meeting you was also fate’s most beautiful gift to me." Unable to restrain himself any longer, Bing Wengu cupped Nan Jinping’s face and kissed him urgently.

To have met you—every hardship, every blade, every trial was worth it.

At this moment, the countless killings, bloodshed, wails, and partings behind Bing Wengu faded and dimmed, vanishing entirely.

In Bing Wengu’s world, the ice melted, all things revived, and spring flowers bloomed. Warm sunlight finally pierced the heavy clouds, shining its first light into his world.

That evening, after Nan Jinping finished lecturing the Nans and Bings, Bing Wengu emerged from the room and called everyone together.

"The Prefectural Examination is in April. I plan to leave the day after tomorrow to arrive early. I’d rather not scramble at the last minute in an unfamiliar place, unable to secure lodgings."

No one objected. The Bing family had never dared oppose Bing Wengu before, and now that he had won the rank of Top Scholar, they obeyed him even more unquestioningly.

Madam Liang asked, "Will Jin Geer be going?"

"Yes. He’s my good luck charm. Without him, I’d lack confidence."

Last time, some had advised against it, fearing Nan Jinping’s presence would distract Bing Wengu from his studies. But now it was clear—Bing Wengu couldn’t function without him. His absence would hinder the exam.

Bing Wengu added, "Besides my husband, Si Lang and Eldest Brother will accompany me to the prefectural city."

Eldest Brother Nan accepted without question.

Miao Shi even laughed and said, "Big Brother, just put your elder brother to work on whatever tasks you have. He's got plenty of muscle."

Gu Shi added with a smile, showing no reluctance at all—not because of those few recipes, but because Bing Wengu was a changed man now. If Bing Wengu really managed to earn his xiucai degree this time, his status and position would be entirely different. Staying on good terms with him would be far more valuable than a few recipes.

The reasoning was so obvious that anyone could see it.

Zhou Shi, without any ulterior motives, simply said, "Elder brother, let Erlang go with you. Si Lang is still young, and I worry he might not handle things well outside."

Bing Wengu shook his head. Though Bing Silang was younger than Bing Erlang, Bing Erlang was too honest and slow on the uptake, lacking sharp wits. He wanted someone who could assist him outside, not someone he’d have to worry about.

Without stating it directly, Bing Wengu put it diplomatically, "Precisely because Erlang is older than Si Lang, I need to keep him at home. I don’t need to elaborate—you’ve all seen the situation at home these past few days. Just by earning the title of County Primus, I’ve already drawn both open and underhanded tricks. If I truly become a scholar, our family will likely face even more plots."

"Si Lang is young, impulsive, and unmarried—I fear he might fall into someone’s trap. Erlang is different. His age and honest nature mean that as long as he doesn’t wish to, he won’t be lured into others’ schemes. Our parents are getting older and lack the energy. Without someone experienced to look after the whole family, I won’t feel at ease."

Initially, Bing Erlang had felt somewhat displeased about being left behind while Si Lang was taken along. But after Bing Wengu’s few reassuring words, that small discomfort vanished instantly.

Bing Wengu continued, "Outside, I can keep an eye on things, but the real weak point is at home. Erlang, while I’m away, you must guard our household well. Don’t let anyone exploit any loopholes. If you notice anything amiss, don’t stay silent—inform the whole family. Erlang, you’re sincere and straightforward, but when issues arise, think carefully and discuss them with the family. You must take responsibility. In my absence, this family is your duty."

In the half-year since Bing Wengu’s return, he had never once praised his family. Now, with this sudden shower of compliments, Bing Erlang felt elated, as if the Bing family couldn’t function without him.

"Elder brother, don’t worry. I’ll guard the house so well, not even an ant will slip in," Bing Erlang vowed, thumping his chest.

"With you at home, I’m at ease." Bing Wengu then turned to the Nan family. "After I leave, both the Nan and Bing families will become targets. If schemers find no openings in the Bing family, they’ll surely look for opportunities with the Nans. You must stay extremely vigilant. Don’t let anyone trick you. If something feels off, don’t keep it to yourselves—come to the Bing family and discuss it together. Three heads are better than one. In my absence, you must protect your homes."

The Nan family agreed.

"I worry they might use women as traps. Many think taking a woman to bed is harmless, but often, the most dangerous threats come from those closest to you. Even lions sleep—there’s always a moment of vulnerability. Also, gambling—no matter how small—none of you are to touch it, or don’t blame me for being ruthless."

From Bing Wengu’s tone, it was clear he wouldn’t hesitate to chop off hands or even expel someone from the family register.

Both families immediately vowed never to gamble.

Finally, Bing Wengu said, "Before I leave, I’ll hire a tutor for you in town. Both families will continue studying together—no slacking. I’ll send letters periodically to check on your progress."

Of all his instructions, this was the real nightmare. The Nan and Bing families almost let out a collective groan—book learning wasn't everyone's strong suit.

After the Nan family left, Bing Wengu had Nan Jinping bring fifty taels of silver to Liang Shi for the household's needs during his absence.

Liang Shi’s hands trembled as she took the money. "I’ve never seen so much silver in my life. Big Brother will only be gone a few months—by the time the Prefectural Examination ends, it’ll barely be two months. How could we possibly spend this much? Besides, both families are earning daily now."

Nan Jinping replied, "Wen Gu promised that each household could keep their own money as private savings, and that promise still stands. With Wen Gu, me, and Si Lang gone, we'll be short three pairs of hands during spring planting. Father and Mother will surely be overwhelmed—don’t toil in the fields yourselves. Hire help instead."

Liang Shi’s heart warmed. Their accomplished children still cared for them in their old age—how comforting.

"Also, both adults and children lack proper nutrition. After we leave, don’t let your meals drop in quality. Every meal should have at least one meat and one vegetable dish," Nan Jinping added. "If funds run short, just write to me and Big Brother."

"It's plenty, it's plenty," Liang Shi mused. With this much silver, unless they were eating gold every meal, how could it not suffice?

She felt deeply content—her son had made something of himself, yet hadn’t forgotten his roots, still caring for his family.

The next day, Bing Wengu rose early and went to the Nan household. The Nans had just woken up and were preparing to make tofu when they saw Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping, stopping in their tracks.

Miao Shi asked, "Did I get the date wrong? Weren’t you leaving tomorrow?"

Bing Wengu replied, "No mistake. I came to teach you another recipe."

"What?" Miao Shi thought she must be hearing things.

Gu Shi gasped, "You still have more recipes?"

Gu-shi immediately covered her mouth after her exclamation, realizing she had spoken too loudly.

"I do indeed have another recipe for dried tofu," Bing Wengu said casually, as if commenting on the weather.

Miao Shi thought for a moment and replied, "We don’t need the dried tofu recipe. Let your family take this one. The tofu recipes we have now are more than enough."

Bing Wengu responded, "I’ve got other plans for my family."

Miao Shi quickly guessed that her son-in-law must have better things in store—otherwise, he wouldn’t have just handed over these tofu recipes to her family without a second thought.

With their experience in making tofu and tofu skin, the process for dried tofu became much simpler.

The initial steps were the same, but after forming the tofu, it needed to be pressed to remove excess water to make dried tofu. The pressed tofu was then cut into appropriate sizes and dried further, resulting in unsalted dried tofu.

This unsalted dried tofu could be used in cooking, making for delicious dishes.

It could also be further processed into salted tofu, five-spice tofu, or spicy tofu.

Bing Wengu prepared samples of each variety, intending for everyone to taste them.

Just then, the three Bing brothers showed up to pick up goods and immediately spotted their brother teaching the Nan family yet another new recipe.

They felt conflicted—so much so that they half-joked he should just marry into the Nan family.

Bing Silang said bluntly, "Brother, what new thing have you made this time? Let us try some."

Miao Shi, a little awkward, offered, "Come, everyone, try the dried tofu. There are several flavors, all delicious."

Since these were just test batches, there wasn’t much to go around, and each person only got a few pieces before they were all gone.

Bing Silang licked his lips and joked, "This is just like the story Brother told us about Zhu Bajie eating the ginseng fruit—gone before I got the flavor."

Bing Erlang asked, "Will your family be adding dried tofu to the business now? That means we’ll have something new to sell and can earn more money."

Miao Shi was quietly amazed. The Bing family had been so well trained by Bing Wengu that they didn’t even react with anger. Her son-in-law truly had remarkable methods.

She wondered why no one had realized earlier that Bing Dalang was such a shrewd man—had they known, her family might not have opposed Jin Geer marrying him back then.

"Yes, starting tomorrow, we’ll officially sell dried tofu," Miao Shi declared, now more at ease since the Bing brothers showed no resentment.

Bing Wengu turned to Bing Silang and said, "Skip the market today. Come with me to town instead."

"Alright," Bing Silang agreed without hesitation.

Miao Shi stole another glance at Bing Wengu, marveling at how he had tamed the Bing family’s troublemaker so well. Bing Silang didn’t even question missing out on a day’s earnings—something unthinkable for most farmers, for whom making money was a matter of survival.

Then again, she thought, it made sense. Her son-in-law was no longer the same man he once was. The villagers all said that since he had earned the title of Top Scholar, as long as nothing went wrong, he was a shoo-in for becoming a scholar.