Chapter 9: The Chosen One

Chapter 9: The Candidate

◎Though the candidate has been chosen, their willingness remains unknown.◎

For some reason, Li Ci felt that familiar pang of nervousness, as if caught red-handed in mischief, just like that night. She quickly swatted away Xiuchun’s hand before it had fully lowered.

Watching Xie Zhenchuan stop before her, she blinked and unconsciously tucked her hands behind her back. "Brother Xie Zheng, what’s the matter?"

"Here, the wild peaches you picked up earlier."

Though offering a gift, his tone remained neutral as he extended the item.

Only then did Li Ci notice he had somehow acquired a bamboo basket, perfectly sized for the peaches she’d gathered. The handle was thoughtfully wrapped with floral cloth, making it comfortable to hold.

Her face lit up with surprise, and she was about to express her thanks when her sharp eyes caught sight of some frayed, worn patches on his sleeve and elbow. A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over her.

Li Ci rarely thought about money, but this time she couldn’t help but ask softly, "How much did it cost?"

Xie Zhenchuan didn’t believe the young lady of the Li family would care about such a trifle, assuming she was merely testing him.

He curved his lips slightly and replied smoothly, "Bought at market price—eight *wen* per *jin*, less than thirty *wen* total."

In Li Ci’s life, opportunities to use units like "wen" and "jin" were rare. She nodded somewhat blankly, though her gratitude was heartfelt. "Thank you, Brother Xie Zheng."

Xie Zhenchuan responded with a noncommittal "Hmm," then asked casually, "Young Master Cheng is diligent and studious. I’m thinking of recommending him for the entrance exam at Lianquan Academy. What do you think?"

Li Ci indeed showed hesitation, but her response once again took Xie Zhenchuan by surprise.

"I’m not sure whether growing peaches or studying is better. Young Master Cheng doesn’t seem to like growing peaches, but someone as upright as him doesn’t seem suited for officialdom either."

Xie Zhenchuan’s expression turned peculiar. In this world, probably only she could compare peach-growing to studying. It was hard to tell if she was profoundly wise yet appeared foolish, or profoundly foolish yet appeared wise.

"Then, according to Ah Ci, what kind of person is suited for officialdom?"

Li Ci generously shared her father’s insights: "My father says it’s those who appear kind on the surface, hide daggers behind their smiles, and say one thing while meaning another. Though such people are cunning, they are highly capable, skilled at disguising and manipulating others, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Some might even help them count the money after being sold out by them."

As she spoke, she added earnestly, "Brother Xie Zheng, your scholarship is excellent. If you ever enter officialdom in the future, be sure to stay away from such people."

Xie Zhenchuan responded with a tight, unsmiling "Alright."

Before Li Ci could say more, he turned away. "I need to go to the West Market to buy inksticks, so I won’t be heading the same way as you. Head back to the estate early."

Li Ci had her own plans—she still wanted to dine at Spring Light Pavilion. With Xiuchun supervising, she’d have to watch her diet during the meal. If Brother Xie Zheng found out about her condition, she wouldn’t be able to sneak delicious treats from him anymore.

She quickly agreed, "Alright!"

-

Spring Light Pavilion wasn’t far. Soon, the mistress and her maid entered the finest private room. The meal had already been prepared under Xiuchun’s supervision, though the dishes were rather plain.

Li Ci turned the honey pastry over and over but found no trace of honey inside. In the end, she had to settle for a bowl of silver ear and lotus seed soup, savoring the dates within.

Xiuchun took the wild peaches to the kitchen, where they were washed, peeled, and sliced thinly before being served to the young lady.

The bluish-green peach slices were crisp and pleasantly sweet and sour, offering a unique flavor.

Seeing her mistress enjoying the food, Xiuchun couldn’t help but ask, "Young Lady, you haven’t said—what do you think of Master Xie?"

Li Ci bit through a thin slice of peach as if trying to sever the wicked thoughts in her mind. Shaking her head repeatedly, she said, "No, no, how could it be Brother Xie Zheng?"

Xiuchun analyzed point by point according to her mistress’s criteria: "Master Xie was practically raised under the eyes of the master and mistress. In terms of virtue and talent, he’s widely acknowledged. In terms of family background, it’s now in decline. In terms of appearance, he’s far more than just pleasing to the eye. As for offending people—Master Xie already offended his own clan in Chen County, and as soon as he arrived in Yingtian, he crossed the local bullies. Doesn’t that make him even more formidable than Young Master Cheng?"

Though it sounded peculiar, it also made a strange kind of sense.

Li Ci tried to rebut, "Even if the Xie family has declined, a starved camel is still larger than a horse. Can they really be considered impoverished?"

Xiuchun leaned in to whisper in her mistress’s ear, "I heard the Xie family is so poor they can’t even afford to rent a carriage. They came all the way to Yingtian by donkey cart. Even the travel expenses and tuition for studies were borrowed from neighbors, barely maintaining a semblance of dignity. How is that not impoverished?"

Li Ci slowly chewed the sweet-and-sour peach slice, lost in thought.

Perhaps it was because Brother Xie Zheng’s face was too handsome, or because he wore his poverty with such unashamed dignity. Even when his sleeves showed signs of wear and he could only afford wild peaches at eight *wen* per *jin*, she could still sense a kind of "noble air" about him, making it hard to connect him with the idea of a live-in son-in-law.

Just as she reached for another spoonful of the silver ear and lotus seed soup, the image of Brother Xie Zheng serving her a bowl of Green Stream Soup the previous night flashed through her mind, along with the taro pastries, mung bean cakes, and rain-moistened cakes she’d enjoyed at his place...

Li Ci felt a stir of temptation and hesitated, "But if I were to recruit Brother Xie Zheng as a live-in son-in-law, would it anger Grandfather Xie to death?"

"How could it? Grandfather Xie has always adored you. Besides, with the Xie family offending people and lacking funds, if the two families were to marry, wouldn’t their situation improve?"

"That day we went to Jingming Temple, you drew the top fortune slip, and right after returning, you ran into Master Xie. This is fate bringing two people together across a thousand miles!"

It made sense. This must be the Bodhisattva’s guidance.

Li Ci immediately made her decision: "Alright, it’s settled—he’s the one!"

Although the candidate has been chosen, their willingness remains unknown.

Li Ci couldn’t help but reach into her purse for the fortune slip, hoping the Bodhisattva would give her another sign.

Her purse contained no money but was stuffed with various trinkets she’d picked up at the market earlier. After searching for a while, she still couldn’t find the fortune slip.

This wasn’t a good sign. Li Ci grew anxious. "What’s going on? How could it be missing? Could it have been stolen at the market?"

Xiuchun reassured her, "Unlikely. Your purse has no money in it. Who would bother stealing something like that? Search carefully—maybe you’ll find it."

Li Ci promptly dumped the entire contents of her purse onto the table. First to roll out was a bamboo dragonfly, followed by a small tiger sewn from colorful cloth, a shell-shaped incense box, a round ceramic rattle... and finally, fluttering down, a piece of paper.

She unfolded it, and her face immediately scrunched up in dismay.

It wasn’t the fortune slip but a note from Cousin Ling the previous day, reminding her to complete a policy essay within three days. If well-written, Teacher Cen would take them on an academic excursion.

Xiuchun noticed her mistress’s mood had soured and asked what was wrong.

Losing the top fortune slip was bad enough, and now she had an extra policy essay to write—who could be happy about that?

Li Ci explained the note’s contents: "I want to go too."

Though she didn’t enjoy studying, she loved Teacher Cen’s classes. Unlike some stodgy old teachers, Teacher Cen taught with broad references and effortless grace. The idea of an academic excursion intrigued Li Ci even more—where would Teacher Cen take them?

Xiuchun encouraged her, "You still have two days. Write well, and you’ll surely get to go."

Right—the note was from yesterday, which meant she had less than two days left!

"...No specific topic required, just coherent writing with substance," Li Ci read the policy essay requirements again and sighed deeply. What did she know about writing political policy essays? She could probably sit up all night without coming up with a suitable topic.

"What does the young lady want to write about?"

"I don’t want to write anything," Li Ci rested her chin in her hand, bored. "I just want to recruit a talented live-in son-in-law to write the essay for me."

As soon as she said it, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she knew exactly what to write.

Li Ci abandoned the bland pastry, grabbed Xiuchun, and hurried back to the estate, afraid she might forget the hard-won inspiration if she delayed any longer.

-

The maids cleaned daily, so Jiahe Garden’s study remained dust-free, and the writing brushes were pristine, clearly seldom used.

Li Ci picked up a brush and wrote with a flourish, leaving behind a few large characters. Satisfied, she set the brush down.

Xiuchun watched curiously from the side. "Miss, what did you write?"

"On the Benefits of Being a Live-in Son-in-Law!" Li Ci announced proudly, already daydreaming happily. "Once this essay is finished, not only can I go on the trip with the teacher, but I can also use it later to persuade Xie Zheng to become a live-in son-in-law."

"Such literary talent, Miss!" Xiuchun gave a thumbs-up and urged eagerly, "Why not keep writing?"

Li Ci picked up the brush again, but the inspiration from earlier had only lasted for that one sentence and was now spent. She couldn’t write another word.

She couldn’t help but feel frustrated. "Xiuchun, what do you think are the benefits of being a live-in son-in-law?"

Xiuchun hardly knew any characters—how could she possibly advise the young lady on essay writing? "Miss, perhaps you could ask Second Miss for guidance?"

Li Ci shook her head. "Cousin Ling would definitely say I’m being fanciful and unorthodox, then change my topic to something like 'Strategies for Governing and Stabilizing the Nation.' I don’t want to write about that—how dull."

But she soon came up with a better idea. "That’s it! I can ask Xie Zheng to tutor me. He’s so clever—I’m sure he’ll think of something."

Xiuchun’s thumb shot up as high as the corners of her mouth, and she praised repeatedly, "Brilliant! Making Master Xie convince himself—you’re the truly clever one, Miss!"

Li Ci felt a little embarrassed by the praise and began to reflect on whether her plan to get free help was a bit too much. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Since I’m asking for help, I shouldn’t show up empty-handed. Today, I noticed Xie Zheng’s clothes looked a bit worn. Xiuchun, pick out a few rolls of fabric, have the kitchen prepare some Jade Cake, and we’ll also ask Xie Zheng for some guidance."

"The cook happens to be working on the recipe you gave last time, Miss, so the pastries are ready. But as for the fabric... the seamstress just finished making your summer dresses. I’m not sure if we can find anything suitable in our private storeroom. Should I send someone out to buy some fabric suitable for men?"

"No, no, the assignment is due tomorrow," Li Ci didn’t want to wait that long and volunteered, "No need for such trouble. I remember there are still many nice uncut fabrics in the storeroom. I’ll come with you to pick some out."