Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Early the next morning, Fourth Uncle and Old Liang were up betimes, and Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai also prepared for their official duties. Today marked the final day; the Imperial Hanlin Academy would commence its holiday tomorrow, resuming work after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month.

Chen Jing watched the two depart in their carriage, a wistful envy on his face. "In my youth, I failed to become a Hanlin scholar, never serving even a single day as an official in the capital. It remains a true regret!"

Liang Boqing chuckled, "You should have applied yourself more diligently back then."

"You make it sound so simple. Had I been guided by a mentor like you, I surely would have surpassed them."

Pleased by the compliment, Liang Boqing replied, "It’s a matter of timing and destiny. But they were fortunate to have me. Now, through your nephew, I too have gained some renown." He continued proudly, "Do you know how many letters I’ve received, imploring me to accept their sons or nephews as students? Many are from prominent families."

"Your abilities are beyond question, Brother Liang. But have you decided which family’s student you will accept?"

Liang Boqing waved his hand dismissively. "I am already halfway to the grave. Why would I take on students? Am I afraid I won’t die soon enough?"

"Hahaha, the way you phrase it!"

"Those prominent families are not to be trifled with. Rather than taking on any of their members as students, it is better to take none at all. That way, I avoid potential complications."

Chen Jing nodded. "Today, I must also report to the Ministry of Personnel. I still do not know where I will be assigned next year."

Liang Boqing patted his arm. "Don't dwell on it. Whether you remain in the capital or not, it cannot be worse than Shanzhou."

"Indeed."

The two turned and entered the house. Breakfast had already been prepared in the kitchen. Wang Ying, mindful of Old Liang’s preferences, had the cook prepare steamed meat rolls. Each of the three children received a bowl of steamed egg pudding. There were also Laba garlic and salted duck eggs, along with a stir-fried chive and egg dish and a cold tofu shreds salad.

Old Liang’s mouth watered at the sight of the dishes. "Young Wang Ying’s cooking still suits my palate perfectly. My time in Shanzhou was utterly flavorless."

Wang Ying smiled. "Then you should remain in the capital. I will cook delicious meals for you every day."

"If I truly stay, don’t grow weary of me."

"How could I? I would be overjoyed! An elder in the home is like a precious treasure."

Liang Boqing stroked his beard and laughed heartily. Chen Jing also nodded with a smile. The last time he saw Wang Ying, he was but a youth. Now, he appeared considerably more mature.

"I heard from Qing Huai that you have managed all household affairs these past years." Chen Jing surveyed the house. "It is no small feat to have everything so meticulously arranged."

"Fourth Uncle, you flatter me. It is only with everyone’s assistance that we have managed little by little."

Fang Ling inquired, "Did you purchase this house?"

Wang Ying nodded. "Qing Yan will serve in the Hanlin Academy for three years. Renting a place continuously was too inconvenient. Since we had some savings, we decided to buy one directly."

"As it happens, I also wish to acquire a house for Huai’er. He is to be married after the New Year, and the Bai family will also be visiting. It would not be proper for the newlyweds to continue residing elsewhere."

"If Aunt wishes to buy a house, I can accompany you around the city these next few days."

"Excellent, but I fear I will be imposing on you."

"Not at all. We are family; there is no need for such formalities."

Fang Ling smiled and patted his hand. This nephew-in-law was truly exceptional—no wonder his sister-in-law and the children held him in such high regard.

After breakfast, Chen Jing departed by carriage for the Ministry of Personnel. Old Liang also set out to visit old friends.

He was a man of many acquaintances, having met people from all corners of the land during his travels. Some had risen to high positions and become officials in the capital, such as Lord Liu Yaozhi, while others had fallen on hard times and been relegated to Lingnan. Yet, wherever he went, he found friends.

Today, he was visiting Lord Liu. Before coming to the capital, he had written to Liu Yaozhi, hoping he could look after his two students. Lord Liu had fulfilled his trust, taking excellent care of the two during the examination period. To repay the favor, Old Liang had brought a jar of Jiuliang wine, a local specialty from Shanzhou. This wine was brewed by locals using nine types of grains and stored in cellars. The older it was, the more valuable it became. A thirty-year-old jar could be worth a hundred strings of coin. Though his jar was not the finest, it was still over ten years old. He had not even tasted it himself, bringing it all this way for Liu Yaozhi.

Meanwhile, Wang Ying prepared himself and took Aunt Fang Ling to view houses in the city.

With Qing Huai’s wedding approaching, they needed to secure a house quickly. Otherwise, the couple would have to rent a place after marrying.

*

They proceeded to the property agency where Wang Ying had previously purchased his house.

Upon entering, the shopkeeper immediately recognized him. "Long time no see, Mr. Chen!" According to the customs of the Wu Dynasty, women and men adopted their husband’s surname after marriage. However, in Jizhou, the rules were more relaxed, and people addressed each other informally.

Wang Ying cupped his hands in salute. "Shopkeeper Zheng, business is thriving, I see."

"Thanks to you. Is the house to your liking?"

"It’s been excellent." Initially, Wang Ying had considered the price high, but after inquiring with neighbors, he discovered they had paid between 8,500 and 9,000 taels. It turned out Shopkeeper Zheng had indeed given him a considerable discount.

"Today, I am here with my aunt to look at houses."

"Please come in! What size are you looking for, and do you have a preferred location? I shall select some options for you."

Fang Ling stated, "A two- or three-courtyard compound, preferably near Qinglong Street."

Shopkeeper Zheng stroked his trimmed mustache, pondering. "I do have a few. Let me show you."

Soon, the shopkeeper presented four or five property listings from the Qinglong Street area. "These three are two-courtyard houses—one on Changping Road and two on Changle Road. The other two are three-courtyard houses. This one is quite close to Mr. Chen’s residence, just a tea-time walk away."

Fang Ling picked up the plans and examined them carefully. The three-courtyard house looked promising, located just behind Wang Ying’s house. It was spacious with many rooms, enough to accommodate them when they visited.

"How much for this courtyard?"

Shopkeeper Zheng smiled. "Since you are a returning customer, I will not quote an exorbitant price. Others would pay at least 14,000 taels, but I will offer it to you for 13,000. If you find it expensive, feel free to inquire elsewhere. No other agency will offer this price."

Wang Ying consulted his aunt, "What do you think?"

Fang Ling nodded. Before coming, she had prepared 20,000 taels, years of savings and her wedding dowry. The price was lower than she had expected.

"When would be a convenient time for me to take you both to view the house?"

Fang Ling said, "Tomorrow morning. I can come alone so as not to trouble you."

"No trouble at all. I am not occupied anyway. Thank you, Shopkeeper Zheng. We will return tomorrow."

After leaving the agency, Fang Ling purchased some snacks and toys on the street. They had departed in haste and forgotten to buy things for the children.

Upon returning home, the three children were building a snowman in the yard. Qing Lan and Qing Ying, though only a few years older than Yuanbao, were of a senior generation. It was amusing to see Yuanbao chasing after them, calling them "Little Uncle" and "Little Aunt."

Once inside, Ma Qianzi arrived. The mountain land he had been asked to find had been located. Seeing that Wang Ying had business to attend to, Fang Ling went to the west wing to tidy up.

"I’ve found out about the mountain. It’s the ancestral land of a family named Yuan, located about twenty li west of the city. There are no villages or houses nearby. The rent is five strings of coin per year, or fifty strings for ten years."

Wang Ying said, "That’s not expensive."

The mountain was mostly rocky, and the surrounding land was barren with poor yields. It had been left unused for years. The Yuan family was curious when they heard someone wanted to rent it and even went to inspect the mountain but found nothing noteworthy, so they agreed to lease it.

"I’ve also found an ice storage nearby. It’s not far from the mountain, but the owner only wants to sell, not rent. The price is 170 strings of coin."

"This price is a bit high. Press the icehouse owner to lower the price further. If you can get it for around 150 strings of coin, just buy it outright. As for the mountain, go ahead and rent it, but make sure they sign the contract and provide a fingerprint."

"Understood!"

Wang Ying took out banknotes from the box and handed them to him, giving a few instructions before sending him off to handle the matter.

It had to be said that Ma Zhandong was truly a talented fellow—sharp-minded, observant, and smooth-talking. Someone like him would thrive anywhere, and entrusting tasks to him saved a lot of worry.

The vegetable business wasn't feasible this year, but once spring arrived next year, Wang Ying planned to quietly move the trial fields to that mountain. The icehouse would also come in handy during the summer, so there would be no need to worry about eating through their savings.

*

Meanwhile, in Jizhou, preparations for the New Year were also underway. In previous years, A Ying had managed these matters, and no one else needed to intervene. This year, with A Ying absent, Li Shi wasn't up to the task, so Lin Sui had to take over.

In the tenth month, Chen Rong and the others arrived in the prefectural city. Cao Kun rented a shop on Zhenghe Street and officially moved the business there.

When the shop first opened, it inevitably faced some troubles, but thanks to the connections of the Marquis of Wuping, the business gradually began to stabilize.

Now, the family had already bought a house and settled in the prefectural city. Their home was not far from the Chen family. Every day, after breakfast, Chen Rong would take her two young grandchildren to her eldest brother's wife's house for a stroll, often staying for lunch and not returning until evening.

Fortunately, Li Shi was often bored at home, and with Chen Rong around, she missed her grandchildren in the capital a little less.

Early this morning, Chen Rong brought Xiao Mai and Second Baby to the Chen family again. Upon entering the house, she saw Lin Sui discussing New Year's goods preparations with Li Shi.

"Mother, you’re here."

Li Shi waved her over. "Come, sit down. Help me think this through."

"What are you working on?"

"We need to prepare New Year goods in advance. In previous years, A Ying handled the purchases, so we’re not sure how much to prepare."

Chen Rong looked at the list and said, "This amount of meat is too much. This year, Qing Yan and A Ying aren’t here. If we buy this much, it won’t keep once the weather warms up after the first month."

"Then let’s buy half a pig and one sheep. The chickens and fish can stay the same."

Chen Rong added, "We should prepare more peanuts and melon seeds. The adults and children will eat them during the New Year, and Qing Yun and Chang Yi will also be coming. Twenty catties (approximately 10kg) probably won’t be enough."

Lin Sui crossed out the numbers on the list and rewrote them. After finalizing the list, she handed it along with the silver to Er Shun and sent him to make the purchases in the town.

Li Shi said, "Later, Qing Yun and the others will come over. Let’s see if these two little ones have grown chubbier." Whenever she mentioned her two grandsons, Li Shi couldn’t stop smiling. The identical little babies were a delight to watch.

Around mid-morning, Liu Changyi and Chen Qingyun arrived with the wet nurse and elderly maid, who were carrying the two children. The boys were already over three months old—an adorable age—with fair, chubby faces like the babies pictured in New Year paintings.

The maid placed the two children on the *kang* and unwrapped the layers of swaddling clothes, finally revealing the babies inside.

Chen Rong picked up one of them. "This child is so handsome! He looks a bit like Qing Yan!"

Li Shi picked up the other and said, "Nephews often resemble their uncles—it’s only natural."

Liu Changyi laughed. "It’s good if they take after their eldest brother. Maybe they'll even become top imperial exam scholars in the future!"

Everyone burst into laughter, except for Lin Sui, who sat to the side with a worried expression.

A few days earlier, she had received a letter from the capital. It said that the emperor had awarded the Marquis a title and assigned him to remain stationed at the border. Lately, she had been worrying about what the future would hold for them both...