Chapter 89

Chapter 89

“Qing Yan!” The old man’s vision blurred, and he nearly fainted.

Chen Qinghuai and Chen Qingsong were so terrified their legs turned to jelly. Supporting their master, they were too stunned to even cry.

It was Chen Guang who reacted first, immediately rushing to clear the fallen beams and earth. Er Shun quickly joined him. As they dug and called out, Chen Qingyan’s voice soon echoed from within.

“I’m fine, just my foot is pinned under a wooden beam. Help me lift it.”

Chen Qingsong burst into tears. “Big Brother, you scared me half to death!”

Working together, they lifted the beam, and Chen Qingyan managed to crawl out. Aside from his dirty clothes, he didn't even have a scratch.

Seeing him unharmed, Old Man Liang was moved to tears. Despite his usual strictness, he had long cherished the boys as his own sons. If Qing Yan had been seriously injured or killed, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life!

Chen Qingyan explained, “When the beam collapsed, I happened to be near the clay statue. The wood struck the statue first, which absorbed most of the force. By the time it pinned me down, there wasn't much pressure.”

“Quick, go and give thanks—the deity protected you.”

Chen Qingyan knelt and kowtowed three times with deep reverence. The group then resumed their journey.

Likely due to the fatigue from days of travel and the recent fright, Liang Boqing developed a high fever on the way.

Being elderly, he fell severely ill, becoming delirious from the fever.

The group was terrified and immediately had Chen Guang detour to the nearest county town to seek medical help.

The nearest town was Sima County. They arrived as night was falling, entered the city, found a nearby doctor's clinic, and brought him in.

The doctor used acupuncture and gua sha to reduce the fever and prescribed several doses of herbal medicine. They couldn't continue traveling for the next few days; their teacher needed to fully recover.

The group stayed at an inn in the city, with Chen Qingyan, Qinghuai, and Qingsong taking turns caring for him. They diligently fetched water and administered medicine, each doing their part.

Illness strikes like a collapsing mountain but recedes like drawing silk. After seven or eight days of recuperation, Old Man Liang began to improve, though his complexion remained poor, and his temples had grown more white.

Originally, Chen Qingyan wanted him to rest a few more days, but Liang Boqing grew restless. They had planned to reach Laizhou by May, but it was already mid-June. Any more delays would jeopardize their trip to Yangzhou.

The group set off south again. Fortunately, the following days brought no heavy rain, only occasional light showers.

On June 18, they finally arrived at the prefectural city of Laizhou.

Laizhou was a coastal city with well-developed maritime transport. Goods from the south could be shipped here, making it more prosperous than inland cities.

Seafood was sold everywhere in the city—crabs, shrimp, conch... things Chen Qingyan and Chen Qingsong had never seen, let alone tasted.

Chen Qinghuai, however, was familiar with it all. He had grown up here. Chen Jing had served as Prefect of Laizhou for six years and knew the place inside out. As they rode in the carriage, he pointed out sights to the others.

“This street is called Changping Street. All the shops ahead sell everything imaginable! The crab roe buns from the Jinji Soup Bun shop up front are exceptional. I’ll take you there to try them when we have time!”

At the mention of food, Chen Qingsong couldn't sit still. “What are crab roe buns?”

“Crab roe is the eggs of female crabs—incredibly sweet and delicious. Mid-August is when the roe is plumpest. The roe and crab meat are mixed with pork, water chestnuts, scallions, and ginger to make the filling. The bun wrappers are as thin as cicada wings; one bite releases an incredibly flavorful burst~”

His description made everyone salivate.

Liang Boqing tapped him with a fan. “Don’t just think about food. In a few days, I’ll send you to the prefectural school. Your old classmates and friends will be there—don’t let them outshine you.”

Chen Qinghuai stuck out his tongue. “Understood.”

Chen Guang drove the carriage directly to Liang’s residence. The compound wasn’t large, only two courtyards, but it was spacious enough for Liang Boqing and his two servants.

When the carriage arrived at the gate, Chen Guang jumped down and knocked. Shortly after, a middle-aged man emerged, looking at him curiously. “Who are you looking for?”

Liang Boqing lifted the carriage curtain. “Liang Bin, I’m back.”

“Master, you’ve returned!” Liang Bin broke into a delighted smile and hurriedly opened the main gate.

The carriage entered the courtyard, and everyone got out. Chen Qingyan looked around; though small, the courtyard was elegant, with three main rooms and two side rooms. Bamboo grew in the yard, lush and vibrant.

Liang Boqing said, “Go inside and rest for now. Liang Bin, clean the west room and add a bed. Later, have Liang An go buy some food.”

“Yes.”

The two servants went to work, while the others sat down to rest.

After over twenty days of travel, they were exhausted. Now, at their teacher’s home, they could finally settle down.

Liang Boqing began arranging plans for the coming months: tomorrow, he would first get his three disciples enrolled in the prefectural school, then find time to visit old friends.

As he grew older, especially after learning during his trip to Jizhou Prefecture that several friends had passed away, he missed his old companions more dearly—each meeting could be their last.

At noon, Liang An returned with six dishes, all local specialties of Laizhou. “Young masters, you’ve come a long way. Please try some local Laizhou dishes.”

“Thank you,” said Chen Qingyan and Chen Qingsong.

Chen Qinghuai was much more casual. Having followed Liang Boqing since he was eight, he was extremely familiar with Liang An and Liang Bin.

“Uncle An, did you buy fried small yellow croakers for me?”

“Yes, yes. How could I forget Young Master Huai’s favorite?”

“Hehe, excellent! Brother Yan, Brother Song, try these quickly. They’re best eaten hot—crispy and fragrant, with even the bones fried until crunchy.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for the teacher to eat together?”

Liang An smiled. “The master has already had scallop congee and is resting. Please go ahead.”

Chen Qingyan invited Chen Guang and Er Shun to join them, but they refused to sit at the table. He had to set aside portions of each dish for them to eat in the side room.

The small yellow croakers were indeed delicious—each only the size of a finger, coated in a thin layer of egg batter, deep-fried until golden and crispy, and sprinkled with fine salt and pepper. One bite was incredibly satisfying.

Whenever he tasted something delicious, Chen Qingyan couldn’t help but think of Wang Ying and his son. He planned to secretly set some aside to bring to the experimental field for them to try later.

Besides the fried yellow croakers, there was also steamed flounder, which looked so unusual that it made people hesitant to try it.

Chen Qinghuai said, “Try this—it’s really good!”

Chen Qingsong took a bite. “Mmm! What kind of meat is this? So tender and smooth!”

“This is flounder, caught from the sea. It’s quite expensive!”

In ancient times, fishing was difficult, and the sea was often rough, so such fish weren’t commonly caught.

A flounder could cost two strings of cash. Prepared at a restaurant, it would be even more expensive—at least three strings.

Hearing how expensive it was, the two were astonished—it seemed far too extravagant.

Liang An, standing nearby, smiled. “We usually can’t afford to eat it either. Since it’s your first time here, the master specifically instructed us to buy flounder for you to try.”

A warmth surged in his heart, and Chen Qingyan couldn't help but think to himself—Old Liang truly treated them like his own sons.

After the meal, the rooms were tidied up. The eastern room was the old man’s bedroom, while a wooden bed was added to the western room, which could comfortably sleep the three of them.

They wouldn’t be staying here for long. Once everything was settled the next day, they would head to the prefectural school, where they would eat and live until the end of August while studying.

During the midday nap, Chen Qingyan took the opportunity to enter the experimental field. He left a small package of small yellow croakers wrapped in oilpaper on a small stool and left a note for Wang Ying, informing him that he had arrived in Laizhou City, saying that the three brothers were staying together these days and he might not have time to meet at night.

When Wang Ying entered that evening, he immediately noticed the paper package on the stool. Unwrapping it, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

Qing Yan was quite thoughtful—even when enjoying a snack, he remembered to share it with him.

The fish tasted fine even cold—crispy and fragrant, like a snack. Wang Ying had eaten this kind of fried yellow croaker in his previous life; it was a common bar snack in restaurants. But in this life, it was his first time tasting it, and it brought back a sense of nostalgia.

He read the note word by word and was relieved to learn that they had arrived in Laizhou Prefecture.

They should have reached Laizhou a week ago; the delay must have been due to some incident. However, since he couldn’t easily get in at the moment, Wang Ying had no way of asking for details.

He adjusted the weather in the experimental field, picked some grapes and cherries, and then left.

Wang Ying had recently been writing a book, intending to record the knowledge he had learned from his past studies, fearing he might forget it over time.

Ever since giving birth to Yuanbao, he felt his memory had worsened—many things slipped his mind almost immediately after they happened.

His third aunt said this was normal—forgetfulness after childbirth could last three years, and she had experienced the same after giving birth to Lin Qiu and Lin Sui.

Wang Ying didn’t want to forget the knowledge he had acquired. Though it might not be of much use now, it could potentially benefit the people in the future.

Not well-versed in classical Chinese, Wang Ying wrote in plain language, starting with seeds.

He not only detailed the structure of seeds but also included simple illustrations. He first sketched the outlines on draft paper with charcoal, then copied them into the book, labeling each part.

After drawing, he began writing: "Wheat seeds belong to the semi-winter variety, early to mid-maturing. The seedlings grow upright, with broad, lanceolate leaves..."

It was a major undertaking, and he estimated it would take half a year to complete the recording of agricultural knowledge.

Wang Ying wrote late into the night before finally setting down his brush. Rubbing his sore shoulders, he blew out the lamp and went to bed.

*

Early the next morning, at daybreak, Chen Qingyan and the other two were awakened.

Liang Boqing was taking them to the prefectural school.

The previous afternoon, Liang An had taken the three of them shopping for daily necessities—a wooden basin for washing their faces, wooden clogs for bathing, a pig-bristle toothbrush, and cloth towels for drying their faces.

On the way, Liang Boqing kept reminding them, "At the prefectural school, listen to the teachers and get along with your classmates. Avoid conflicts, but don’t let others bully you either. The dean of the school is a disciple of Cai Tingjun, and Old Cai is a close friend of mine. If anything happens, we’re not afraid."

"Yes," the three replied, nodding.

"If you have questions about your studies, don’t hesitate to ask. Although those old teachers might not have my brilliance, they are slightly better at preparing for the imperial exams. Don’t waste this opportunity."

"Understood."

Old Liang still felt a bit uneasy. He reached out and patted Qing Song’s head, saying, "The prefectural school has two days off every ten days. On those days, I’ll send Liang An to bring you home, and we’ll have a nice meal."

Chen Qingsong’s eyes reddened slightly as he nuzzled against his master’s hand. He had only been six when his father passed away and had almost forgotten what his father looked like.

Now, by Old Liang’s side, he felt the long-lost warmth of paternal love.