Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Chen Qingyan and his two brothers rested until evening, when a servant knocked on their door to wake them.

"The Great Master is already waiting for you in the front courtyard. Please bathe and change, then join him promptly."

Chen Qingyan rubbed his face and quickly got up. Before he could even find a change of clothes, two young servants entered, carrying a pile of items.

"These are clothes prepared for you by the third master. We hope the garments are to your liking."

"Not at all, not at all." Chen Qingyan accepted the garments with some hesitation. Without even looking, he could tell from the touch that the fabric was expensive.

After bathing, changing, and tying up his hair, he came out to see his two younger brothers also wearing new clothes. The styles were similar, with slightly different colors, and they fit perfectly. It was clear the third master was observant and knew how to cater to others.

When they arrived at the main hall, Liang Boqing sat at the head, with his three half-brothers seated on either side. Seeing them enter, he waved them over. "Come in. These are the disciples I've accepted."

A somewhat plump man said, "Elder brother's eye for talent is never wrong. These three young gentlemen clearly look bright and quick-witted—they're sure to pass the imperial exams in one go." This was the second brother, Liang Botao.

Another man, who bore some resemblance to Liang Boqing, nodded slightly. This was the fourth brother, Liang Bojin, the youngest of his generation, a full seventeen years younger than Liang Boqing and only thirty-six.

Chen Qingyan and his brothers bowed with clasped hands before standing beside Old Liang.

Liang Bojin whispered, "Will elder brother be staying longer this time?"

Liang Boqing snorted. "If you have something to ask, just say it directly."

Liang Bojin's expression stiffened for a moment, and he quickly lowered his head. "I wouldn't dare."

Beside him, the second brother, Liang Botao, patted his shoulder with a hint of mockery. "Elder brother has always been blunt. Don't take it to heart."

"Don't play the good guy either. Father's been gone for years—that act doesn't work with me."

Liang Botao's smile faltered. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and didn't dare say another word.

Chen Qingyan was startled by his teacher's fiery temper but quickly adjusted. The master had always been like this—never one to hide his displeasure from anyone he disliked.

Liang Bozhan lightly coughed to break the awkwardness. "Elder brother has returned to take these young gentlemen on a study tour. He'll have to go back before the new year. Let's ensure they are well entertained during their stay and not dwell on trivialities."

When the fourth brother heard that the elder brother would be leaving by year's end, his expression didn't improve. Instead, he hung his head like a child who had done something wrong, fiddling with the thumb ring on his finger.

"I've reserved a meal at Wangyue Lou (Moon-Viewing Pavilion) for the evening. Would elder brother and the young gentlemen prefer to dine at home or go out?"

"We'll go out. These kids haven't seen much of the world—let them take in the night scenery of Yangzhou."

"Then I'll have the servants prepare the carriage." As soon as Liang Bozhan left, the second brother, Liang Botao, grew restless. "Elder brother probably doesn't want to see my old face either. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Liang Boqing waved him off, and Liang Botao hurried out as if relieved of a heavy burden. The fourth brother, Liang Bojin, seemed about to ask him to stay but hesitated and closed his mouth, sitting quietly as if planning to join them later.

Soon the carriages were ready. Chen Qingyan and the other two followed their teacher out. Liang Bojin stood at the door, hesitating, unsure if he could join.

Liang Boqing took a few steps, frowned, and said, "Are you waiting for me to invite you?"

Liang Bojin quickly followed, a happy expression spreading across his face.

The servants had prepared two carriages. Old Liang and his three students took the first carriage, while Liang Bozhan and Liang Bojin rode in the second.

The brothers seldom gathered like this. Liang Bojin had moved out after marrying and now served as a Household Registrar, rarely returning home.

"Don't take elder brother's words to heart. His temper has always been like this—he means no harm."

"I know." In truth, Liang Bojin wasn't angry. He had admired his elder brother since childhood, but the age gap between them was too large. By the time he was born, Liang Boqing was already famous throughout Yangzhou. When he started school, he was often compared to his renowned brother.

But he was mostly happy about it—otherwise, how would an ordinary person like him have met so many famous scholars and artists?

Unfortunately, his elder brother wasn't close to them. Privately, Liang Bojin had once asked his mother why Liang Boqing didn't like him and learned about a past incident.

It turned out that during Liang Boqing's imperial exams, he was accused of cheating, set up by a family member—only those close to him could have accessed his study and used his scholar's tools.

The culprit was never identified, but after that incident, Liang Boqing showed no affection for his half-brothers.

Liang Bojin was only two at the time, so it couldn't have been him. He was just an innocent target of his anger.

"Whoa!" The driver of the front carriage pulled the reins. "Sirs, we've arrived."

The two got out and saw Liang Boqing already leading the three students toward Wangyue Lou. Liang Bojin watched the children around him with a hint of envy.

Wangyue Lou was one of Yangzhou's finest restaurants, situated by the Huai River. The building stood six *zhang* (about 20 meters) tall with four floors. At night, each level was adorned with colorful lanterns, their reflections shimmering brilliantly on the river—a breathtaking sight.

Chen Qingyan and his two brothers stared up at the building for a long moment before following inside.

As soon as they entered, the melodious sound of string and wind instruments greeted them. Several handsome young men in red were performing—playing the *qin*, blowing the *xiao*, striking the *fou*, and ringing bells—it was like hearing celestial music that cleared the mind.

Liang Boqing laughed at his disciples' awestruck expressions and flicked the head of the nearest one, Chen Qingsong. "Kid, don't let this glamour and luxury dazzle your eyes."

The three quickly snapped out of it, lowering their heads in embarrassment as they followed Old Liang further inside.

An attendant led the way. Liang Bozhan had reserved a private room on the second floor. The best rooms were on the fourth floor, but they were hard to book, and Old Liang's leg pain made going up and down stairs difficult.

The waiter guided them to the room, which was brightly lit, as bright as daytime.

Chen Qingyan said, "It's so bright! How many lamps are lit in this room?"

Liang Bozhan eagerly explained, "I've heard Wangyue Lou burns over three hundred tallow candles each night."

Chen Qingsong couldn't help exclaiming, "Three hundred? How much would that cost!"

"One tallow candle costs four hundred *wen*, so that would be... around one hundred twenty *guan* (a significant sum)."

The three were astounded. The money spent just on candles for one night at Wangyue Lou could cover their family's expenses for a year.

Chen Qinghuai asked curiously, "Why use tallow candles? Wouldn't ordinary oil lamps work?"

"Because tallow candles are brighter, burn longer, and have less odor, so guests won't smell anything unpleasant."

The three nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the extravagance of Jiangnan.

The food was soon served. With each dish, Liang Bozhan patiently explained its name, origin, and the stories behind it, making the three young men so nervous they hardly dared to pick up their chopsticks.

Liang Boqing tapped the table with his chopsticks. "Enough. Sit down and eat. They won't remember all that anyway."

Liang Bozhan smiled and sat down, occasionally serving Old Liang some dishes.

Chen Qingyan and the others finally relaxed, feeling less constrained.

Southern cuisine was delicate but relatively mild in flavor. Accustomed to the stronger tastes of the north, the three found the dishes somewhat plain.

The desserts, however, were excellent—sweet, soft, and sticky. Chen Qingyan couldn't resist having a few extra pieces, thinking how nice it would be to take some back for A Ying and Yuanbao to try in the experimental field.

The meal lasted until *xushi* (7–9 PM). Just as everyone thought they were finished and ready to leave, Liang Bozhan directed their attention outside the window.

A melodious flute melody drifted up from below. Everyone rose and went to the window, where they saw a massive ornate pleasure boat slowly approaching before coming to a stop in the center of the river.

As drumbeats gradually rose, dozens of young women in gauzy silk dresses emerged and began dancing gracefully on the deck.

Nearby, several courtesans plucking the *qin* sang "Night on the Qinhuai River." The soft, delicate Wu dialect unique to the Jiangnan region filled the air with its seductive, decadent melodies.

When the song ended, some upstairs clapped and cheered, while others tossed strings of coins toward the boat. From such a distance, most missed their mark and landed in the river with a series of plopping sounds that made one’s teeth ache and heart clench.

Only after the musical performance did the meal truly feel complete. On the way back, Chen Qingsong was beaming with joy, repeatedly praising how wonderful the Moon-Gazing Tower was. In contrast, Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai remained silent, their brows furrowed with unease.

Liang Boqing glanced at Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai and asked, "Why are you two so quiet?"

Chen Qinghuai replied, "Master, while such a place is indeed impressive, I feel that visiting once to see the world is enough. Coming too often might lead one to lose one's moral compass."

His father, Chen Jing, was a virtuous official, and growing up under his influence, Chen Qinghuai had developed an upright and principled nature, which made him quite resistant to such extravagant environments.

Chen Qingyan, on the other hand, was worried about Wang Ying and his son, concerned about whether they had enough to eat and wear. Having just arrived in the prefectural city, he was still unsettled and in no mood for indulgence.

Chen Qingsong, realizing his oversight, flushed with embarrassment. But given his youth, Old Liang did not reproach him too harshly.

The old man stroked his beard and nodded slightly to himself, satisfied he hadn't misjudged their characters.

Too many people came to Yangzhou and succumbed to its temptations, losing their original intentions. Such individuals, even if they later entered officialdom, would not become good officials and would ultimately bring harm to the people.

This trip to Yangzhou was not just for scholarly pursuits but more importantly to expand their worldly knowledge—to learn integrity before pursuing scholarship.

*

Meanwhile, far away in Jizhou, the Chen family, though unable to enjoy the delicacies of Yangzhou, were still eating quite well.

The weather was cold that day, so Wang Ying prepared a hotpot for everyone.

They swirled fresh slices of mutton and pork into the broth, along with fresh vegetables picked directly from the experimental plot. They also bought some dried shrimp and scallops in the city to add to the pot—the flavor was indescribably delicious.

Since moving to the prefectural city, the family had been cutting back on expenses and hadn’t eaten meat so generously in a long time. That day, they ate their fill, each person's face shining with satisfaction.

Li Shi sighed contentedly and said, "Eating a hotpot on a cold day is truly comforting."

Qing Yun chimed in, "Yes, it’s been so long since we’ve eaten like this. It’s a pity we didn’t bring our hotpot; otherwise, we could have made a split-pot."

They had left in a hurry, and many things were left behind. The hotpot they were using now was improvised by Uncle Chen—a small iron pot placed over a metal bucket with burning charcoal underneath, making it work with what they had.

"How is the shop coming along?" Li Shi asked.

Wang Ying replied, "It’s all set. We plan to open the day after tomorrow."

The newly rented shop had previously been a dumpling shop. Over the years, the walls had accumulated a greasy film, and the floor tiles had cracked.

Wang Ying had the walls freshly whitewashed and the floor tiles completely replaced. She repaired the windows and pasted new window paper, then hired a carpenter to make four wide counters. The place was now clean, bright, and and tidy.

In addition, she specially commissioned a large hanging sign—red background with white characters—still bearing the name "Wang's Vegetable Shop."

It had to be said that Ma Qianzi had been a great help. The young man was a natural-born businessman.

He was smooth-talking, perceptive, and capable. Most importantly, when it came to business, he picked things up instinctively without needing much guidance.

During this time, he had visited almost every shop in Jizhou Prefecture, saving Wang Ying a lot of trouble in setting prices.

Currently, there were no shops in the city selling fresh vegetables—only four selling dried vegetables. Their shop would undoubtedly be the only one of its kind in the prefectural city!

Being the only one had its advantages, but Wang Ying also had other concerns. She worried that the vegetable business might attract unwanted attention, leading to trouble instead of profit.

The prefectural city was not like their old town. They were newcomers, unfamiliar with the place and its people. Wang Ying planned to visit Deputy Prefect Wang the next day, hoping to gain a protector for support.