Chapter 145

Chapter 145

The meal concluded in the early afternoon, around the Hour of the Sheep. Both of Qin Furong’s brothers had indulged excessively and were escorted home by their servants.

Several students from the academy also became intoxicated. Liu Changyi arranged for them to be taken to an inn for rest.

The women, having abstained from alcohol, enjoyed only chilled beverages. Qin Furong accompanied Li Shi and the others to their carriage, leaning on the shaft as she said, “From now on, we are family. Since you have few relatives in the prefecture, please treat us as your own. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask.”

“Oh, rest assured, we will.”

“Wang Ying, feel free to bring Qing Yun, Lin Sui, and Little Yuanbao to visit us whenever you wish.”

“Very well, Auntie. You should go back and rest now.”

Qin Furong waved her hand. “Travel safely, and do come often.”

Er Shun cracked the whip, and the carriage set off with a rhythmic clip-clop. Inside, Li Shi sighed, “Our in-law, Madam Qin, is truly warm-hearted and possesses such a lovely disposition.”

Fang Ling nodded. “Indeed. During my years in Laizhou, I encountered many officials’ wives—most were snobbish, forming exclusive circles where those of lower status could barely speak. It’s rare to find someone as approachable as Madam Qin.”

Li Shi then reminded Qing Yun to carefully store the gifts from the elders, as these would form part of her dowry.

Back at the restaurant, Liu Changyi and Lord Liu continued to see off guests. Only after the last guest departed did they finally board their own carriage.

Lord Liu, in high spirits, had consumed a few extra cups and now felt slightly dizzy, leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed.

Qin Furong climbed in and let him rest his head on her lap, gently massaging his temples. “Your alcohol tolerance isn’t strong; you really ought to drink less next time.”

“My eldest and second brothers insisted I drink with them. I couldn’t refuse without causing offense.”

Qin Furong understood her brothers’ habits well. “Those two are heavy drinkers. Did you truly believe you could outdrink them?”

“So I slipped away after only half a cup.” The couple couldn't help but chuckle.

Lord Liu then mentioned Vice-Prefect Zhao. “Today, he kept inquiring about our in-laws. I suspect he’s still bothered that the marriage alliance didn’t materialize.”

“Now that you mention it, I never asked—why did you refuse to let our son meet the Zhao family’s daughter?”

Qin Furong had met the Zhao girl. She was quite pretty, though somewhat lively in temperament—but that wasn’t a serious issue. The two families were well-matched socially, so she didn’t understand her husband’s reluctance.

Lord Liu rubbed his forehead and said, “Zhao Ju lacks integrity. It’s whispered that he accumulates wealth by any means necessary and will stop at nothing. Forming ties with such a family risks being dragged down one day.”

Qin Furong sighed. “So that’s the kind of man he is. The Chen family is much better. Our son, Liu Yi, has been studying with the Chen brothers, and this month he actually ranked sixteenth in the minor exam. It just goes to show—you’re shaped by the company you keep.”

*

In July, letters arrived from Shanzhou and Longquan County.

Fourth Uncle’s letter detailed the recent situation in Shanzhou. His official duties remained demanding, and the court was considering reopening the ancient tea and salt trade route in Longxi.

This trade route, with a history spanning over three hundred years, originated in the capital, traversed Shanzhou, and extended beyond the borders to regions like Loulan, Silla, and Kucha.

It had been interrupted for over twenty years due to warfare. Reopening it would revitalize Shanzhou’s entire economy.

However, the court was currently divided into two factions: one advocating for its reopening, the other opposing it.

Supporters were primarily northern officials. Historically, the south flourished with developed waterways and a thriving economy. In contrast, the north relied heavily on this single trade route. Its revival would undoubtedly boost the northern economy.

Opponents argued that reopening the ancient tea and salt route would inevitably lead to uncontrolled private trade in salt and iron, and might eventually empower northern tribes once more.

The two sides remained deadlocked, each refusing to yield, leaving even the emperor in a difficult position. Chen Jing could do nothing but wait.

Beyond state matters, the letter also mentioned the children. Their second child, Qing Ying, was now eight—a clever and spirited little girl.

Earlier in spring, she caught a cold and took medicine for over half a month. Though she recovered, she was left with a lingering slight cough. Remembering an old doctor in Laizhou known for a special cough remedy, Chen Jing asked whether it might be possible to obtain the prescription.

As soon as Fang Ling read this part, tears welled up. She felt deeply sorry that her children were so young and she couldn’t be there to care for them.

Li Shi gently patted her back to comfort her. “Just hold on for two more months. Once the provincial exams are over, we can return to Shanzhou.”

Fang Ling wiped her tears with a handkerchief and continued reading. Her son, Qing Lan, had begun school this year. The little boy had just turned six after the New Year and had reached the age for formal study. He could already recognize over a hundred characters.

At the very end of the letter was a short note in clumsy handwriting: "When will Mother return home? Your child misses you." He had even used the wrong character for "miss" (xiang ni).

Fang Ling covered her mouth, tears mingling with laughter. Her child had truly grown. When she left, he was still wetting the bed—and in the blink of an eye, he was writing letters.

After reading it, she called Chen Guang and asked him to travel to Laizhou to find the cough specialist and obtain the prescription. Their daughter’s health was paramount—they couldn’t risk her developing a chronic condition.

Chen Guang rode alone on horseback to save time. The journey would take about ten days. Once he obtained the prescription, he would send it directly to Shanzhou via courier.

The other letter was from Chen Rong, mainly sharing good news. On June 18th, Lin Qiu had given birth to another child. Counting back the months, the baby was conceived last October.

The delivery went smoothly, and the infant was born without difficulty—a healthy baby boy weighing five pounds and six ounces.

From the tone of the letter, Chen Rong’s joy was evident. Having borne two sons herself, she had endured over a decade of scorn from her husband’s family. The long-standing pressure had made her strongly favor sons.

Now, seeing her son finally have a boy, she felt relieved—her daughter-in-law Lin Qiu would not suffer the same fate she had.

The letter mentioned that since they were far away, there was no need to return for the full-month celebration. They could reunite in autumn when Qing Yan and Qing Huai returned home after passing the provincial exams.

After discussing Lin Qiu’s situation, Chen Rong also inquired about Lin Sui, asking how he was doing in the prefecture.

Her second child was always on her mind. She felt helpless about what had happened to him. Fortunately, he had the support of her elder sister-in-law’s family.

The letter urged Lin Sui to listen to Li Shi and Wang Ying, not cause them trouble, be diligent, and help with household chores. If he felt uncomfortable staying there, he could return home early—a room was reserved for him.

Lastly, she asked Wang Ying to help look for suitable families in the prefecture and arrange a marriage for Lin Sui.

That evening, when Lin Sui returned from the shop and read the letter, his eyes welled with tears. The letter stirred deep homesickness—he missed his family terribly after being away so long.

Little Xiao Mai probably almost forgot him by now. He hadn’t expected his eldest brother to have another child, and hadn’t heard about the pregnancy earlier. Most likely, it was because he had recently suffered a miscarriage, and his brother had avoided mentioning it to spare his feelings.

Yet Lin Sui had no intention of returning to the county. Now that he had ventured out and broadened his horizons, he realized a man didn’t have to be confined to domestic life—many men were out building careers in business.

Take the prefecture, for example: four or five clothing stores were run by men and women alike, and no one looked down on them for it.

Lin Sui dreamed of saving more money so that one day he could open his own shop—and then bring his mother, brother, and sister-in-law to live with him.

Although Chen Rong said there was no need to return, courtesy demanded a response. On a day off, Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan discussed it and decided to prepare a gift for the newborn nephew, matching what had been given at Xiao Mai’s full-month celebration.

Wang Ying also bought two bolts of brightly colored silk. The fabric was soft and perfect for making clothes for the baby. He asked Lin Qiu to sew new outfits for her two sons.

Lin Sui took out ten strings of cash he had saved, exchanged them for silver, and sent the money back with the delivery.

*

Mid-July.

The new house was nearly complete. With Uncle Chen overseeing the work, Wang Ying was confident everything was under control.

He had stopped by a few days earlier and saw the yard cleaned up, with broken bricks replaced by new ones.

The eight large water vats remained untouched, but the water and silt inside had been cleared out. Wang Ying planned to buy lotus roots later and plant them. By next spring, fresh lotus flowers would bloom.

Many tiles on the roof were replaced, and the beams and pillars were repainted to ward off insects and rot.

The interior walls were freshly lime-washed. Though not as smooth as modern walls, they were clean and bright.

Apart from the redwood furniture in the main hall, the other rooms in the new house were empty.

Wang Ying decided to install kang beds in all the bedrooms, except for a few guest rooms where wooden beds were custom-made.

Other furniture, such as chests of drawers, kang cabinets, and dressing tables, needed to be newly crafted. Wang Ying placed an order at the woodworking shop that had previously made Qing Yun’s dowry, spending over eighty guan in total.

The work was expected to be completed in about ten more days, after which they would choose an auspicious date to move in.

After autumn began, business at the ice shop gradually slowed down.

Wang Ying occasionally dropped by during the day, but most of the time, Lin Sui ran the shop by himself.

As a young man (ge) often working by himself, his good looks and youthful appearance inevitably attracted unwelcome advances.

The owner of the incense and candles shop across the street, Shopkeeper Wei, a man in his thirties, would often stop by the shop, lingering for hours.

At first, Lin Sui politely served him tea each time he came. But the man grew increasingly bold, and today he even began asking about Lin Sui’s marital status.

“How come I’ve never seen your husband?”

Since Lin Sui always wore his hair in a bun, Shopkeeper Wei assumed he was married, as only married men (ge) styled their hair this way, while unmarried men (ge) usually wore a Phoenix Tail (low ponytail).

“He’s dead,” Lin Sui said coldly before retreating behind the counter to go over the account books.

“Dead? So young—was it an accident or an illness?”

“What’s it to you? If you’re not here to buy ice, please leave.”

“I’m just asking. It’s a pity you’re widowed so young. Why not come with me? I can’t promise much, but I’ll give you at least five strings of coins a month…”

Lin Sui stood up abruptly and snapped, “Look at your age! You’re even older than my father. You may have no shame, but I do!”

“Hey, no call to get angry. I made the offer because I’m showing you respect. Plenty of people want to share my bed, but I’m not interested in them.”

“Get out!” Lin Sui’s eyes reddened with rage. How could someone be so shameless? He grabbed a door bar and drove the man out.

Just then, an acquaintance passing by saw Wei Changgui clutching his back and cursing. “Oh, Shopkeeper Wei, what happened?”

“Pah! Ran into an ungrateful little thing.”

Assuming the two had some kind of relationship, the man chuckled and said, “Just sweet-talk him. Don’t lose your temper.”

Wei Changgui waved him off and left. It seemed the matter was over, but somehow, the incident reached the ears of Wei Changgui’s wife.

The woman, equally unreasonable, assumed Lin Sui had seduced her husband and stormed into the shop the next day to make a scene.

At the time, Wang Ying and Lin Sui were going over the shop’s earnings. Business had been slow lately, so Wang Ying only went over the books every few days.

As they were counting the money, shouts suddenly erupted from the entrance: “Shameless hussy! Your husband’s dead, and now you’re seducing someone else’s man? Take a look at yourself—who would want a secondhand shoe that’s been passed around?”

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Author’s note: Lin Sui’s fated partner is about to arrive.