Chapter 129 City Streets 29

Chapter 129: Prefectural City Life, Part 29

The Mid-Autumn Festival was followed by several days of rain. Though the rainfall was light, it drizzled endlessly, shrouding the city in a misty haze. Fewer people went out shopping, and shopkeepers saw their customers drop by half.

With each autumn rain comes a deeper chill. By the ninth month, the rain finally let up and the skies cleared. Yet, the temperature had already dropped amid the showers, and people in the city dug out their autumn clothes and started wearing layers.

Cui Lanfang also bought new fabric and cotton, hoping to finish making winter clothes for her family before the cold set in.

This was their first winter since moving to the prefectural city, and it called for new attire.

Xiangshan Academy.

Qin Rongshi carried a wooden food box into Zhou Pozhi’s courtyard and knocked gently on the door.

“Come in.”

A voice called from inside, and he promptly pushed the door open.

Zhou Pozhi sat on a soft mat, stroking his beard and smiling at Qin Rongshi. “Rongshi, what delicacies have you brought today?”

Seated across from Zhou Pozhi was an elderly man in dark blue cloth robes, studying the chessboard, a piece held in his hand.

Hearing Zhou Pozhi’s words, the man said, “Speaking of delicacies, you've got to try what *I* brought you! The food from that eatery is fantastic! I thought of you, old friend, and made a point of bringing it for you.”

Zhou Pozhi nodded with a smile and waved Qin Rongshi over. As he took the food box from Qin Rongshi, he introduced him to his friend:

“This is the student of that old fellow Lv Shiwen. He used to send a letter every month, praising this student to the skies!”

As he spoke, he lifted the lid of the food box and took out two plates of pastries.

One plate held osmanthus crystal jelly, the other pagoda tree leaf cool cakes.

“Huh…”

“Mr. Qiongshan,” Zhou Pozhi said, pointing to the pastries, “how is it that the snacks he brought are exactly the same as yours?”

The pastries had two layers: a clear, sparkling top and a milky white bottom that looked like it was made from milk. They were filled with golden osmanthus flakes and drizzled with osmanthus honey syrup, making them look quite appetizing.

“How can that be? I got these from… Oh, they really are the same!”

Zheng Qiongshan set down his chess piece to examine the food and indeed found them identical.

Qin Rongshi had noticed this earlier and said with a smile, “The snacks you have, sir, must also be from my family’s eatery.”

The elderly man widened his eyes and looked up at Qin Rongshi. Upon seeing him, he exclaimed, “Well, I'll be! Aren't you the young man from Liu's Eatery?”

Zhou Pozhi quickly introduced Qin Rongshi: “This is Mr. Qiongshan. You may not have met him, but you must have heard of him.”

Then, turning to Zheng Qiongshan, he continued, “This is Qin Rongshi, the County First in the recent academy exams. You may not have met him, but you must have heard of him too.”

He delivered the lines like an actor in a play.

Zheng Qiongshan laughed. “I've heard of you! I've heard of you!” he repeated.

“So it’s you!”

“Oh, right, yes! That scholar who caused trouble last time said the County First was you. So it's you!”

Qin Rongshi gave a slight nod without saying anything.

If Liu Guyu were here, he would certainly recognize the older gentleman before him.

This was their number one customer, a most loyal regular who had come almost every day for a full month, even coming through multiple rainstorms without fail.

Sometimes on rainy days when the eatery had few customers, he would order a drink and sit alone in a corner writing who-knows-what for the entire afternoon.

Zhou Pozhi's eyes widened in surprise and he said, "You've met before?"

Qin Rongshi nodded, then sat down on the floor between the two gentlemen. As he took out the day's meal from the food box and set out the chopsticks, he replied, "We met before at the eatery."

He brought up some unimportant things but did not mention the incident where Ceng Wei had caused trouble.

Zhou Pozhi laughed and said, "I see! This old food-lover must have been going to your family's eatery a lot these days!"

Zhou Pozhi knew that Qin Rongshi's family ran an eatery and that Zheng Qiongshan loved good food, often indulging in delicacies. He just hadn’t expected such a coincidence—that they both frequented the same place.

Though Qin Rongshi didn’t mention it, Zheng Qiongshan spoke up for him, recounting the events of that day to Zhou Pozhi.

Zhou Pozhi’s face fell. He pressed his lips together for a long moment before saying, "I really don't like that young man, but he has connections with the Assistant Prefect above him. Not to mention me, even the Dean cannot just ignore that. It’s a tricky spot."

Hearing this, Zheng Qiongshan also sighed and said, "You’re in a tough position."

Zhou Pozhi shook his head and smiled again, saying, "Anyway, let’s drop it for now. Let’s eat first. You eat too, Rongshi."

Having been enrolled for nearly two months, Qin Rongshi had indeed become a favorite of Dean Zhou’s, often dining in his study.

Initially, Zhou Pozhi had looked out for him out of respect for his old friend, but as time passed, he really came to admire Qin Rongshi's talent and treated him with increasing warmth.

After the meal, Zhou Pozhi said, "In a few days, it will be the Double Ninth Festival. Every year during this festival, our Xiangshan Academy jointly holds the Double Ninth Poetry Gathering with Caotang Academy, where we climb high and gaze into the distance."

"The new Education Commissioner has arrived and will be attending this year’s poetry gathering. You should take the chance to make a good impression and get noticed before the Education Commissioner."

Qin Rongshi bowed his head humbly and replied, "Yes, sir, I understand."

Zhou Pozhi also nodded, took a sip of tea, and then, as if remembering something, added, "Oh, that’s right! This year, our Xiangshan Academy is hosting the Double Ninth Poetry Gathering. We’ll need some pastries for the event. Mr. Qiongshan told me that the food from your family’s eatery is delicious and highly recommended it."

"I was hesitant at first, but now that I know it’s your family’s eatery, how about having your family help with the preparations? Xiangshan Academy will pay the full price."

"With Mr. Qiongshan’s recommendation and your family’s food, we'll be sure it's good. You may not know, but last year, Caotang Academy hosted the gathering and they had someone providing snacks that made many students and teachers ill."

"Oh, and one more thing! You might not know this yet, but Mr. Qiongshan is currently writing a new book about the food, clothing, housing, and travel in Jiangzhou. This old food lover says the dishes from your eatery are so good that he’s reserved several pages specifically to write about your place! Once his book is published, your eatery will become even more famous."

This was also why Zhou Pozhi had earlier said, "You may not have met him, but you must have heard his name."

Zheng Qiongshan, Zhou Pozhi, and Lv Shiwen had been classmates in their youth. Later, one entered officialdom, one returned to his hometown to teach, and one traveled the country, making a living by writing books.

Zheng Qiongshan had no interest in the imperial examinations—he passed the county-level exam but went no further.

Though he held only the rank of Xiucai, his knowledge was profound. Over the years, he had written dozens of books, including travelogues, geographical records, accounts of ancient artifacts, and even a guide on cat care.

It could be said that he had explored a wide range of subjects, from astronomy to geography. Scholars don’t only read books related to the imperial examinations—they read other works as well.

Every book Zheng Qiongshan wrote became highly popular, and few book lovers were unfamiliar with his name. This was why Zhou Pozhi said that Qin Rongshi must have heard of Zheng Qiongshan.

Qin Rongshi cupped his hands and replied, "I understand, and I thank Mr. Qiongshan for the recommendation. I will discuss this matter with my family when I return home today."

Zhou Pozhi nodded and, noticing that it was almost time for afternoon classes, waved Qin Rongshi away to return to his dormitory.

After classes, Qin Rongshi went home and told Liu Guyu about the matter.

This was a big opportunity! How could Liu Guyu refuse? He agreed without hesitation.

In another five or six days, it would be the Double Ninth Festival. Students in the know at the academy had already learned that the Education Commissioner would attend the Double Ninth Poetry Gathering, and they were all going all out to prepare, determined to make a splash and catch the Education Commissioner’s attention.

Writing chrysanthemum poems at the Double Ninth Poetry Gathering was an age-old tradition, and some had already started preparing days in advance, carefully crafting a masterpiece over several days.

This was an open secret—everyone did the same. However, some took the opportunity to cook up shady plans.

On the sixth day of the ninth month, Qin Rongshi left the library and walked along a woodland path. Halfway through, he heard the sound of an argument not far ahead.

"Yang Su! Write it or not!"

"Hurry up! Write it and we’ll let you go!"

"Brother Ceng is doing you a favor by letting you write it!"

"Exactly! When Brother Ceng catches the Education Commissioner’s eye this time, he might even put in a good word for you!"

...

It was Ceng Wei again.

Qin Rongshi frowned impatiently, his face showing clear annoyance. He stood still on the path, neither advancing nor retreating.

Soon, Yang Su’s voice came from ahead. Timid by nature, Yang Su stammered even more when frightened.

"You... you’re bold! This... this is cheating! Aren’t... aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to the dean?"

Ceng Wei: "Hey! You dare to snitch?"

"Rough him up! Hit his legs, hit his left hand! His right hand still needs to write poems for me!"

Hearing this, Qin Rongshi silently shifted his gaze from the book cover in his hand.

It was a copy of *San Ding Jia Shi Xuan* (Selected Poems of the Top Three Scholars), which he placed into the cloth bag slung over his shoulder. Then, with a stern expression, he stepped in, pulling Yang Su—who was covering his head, waiting to be beaten—aside, and glared coldly at the two thugs about to strike.

Coincidentally, they were the same two lackeys he had encountered at the eatery before.

The two, who had been aggressive moments earlier, their bravado vanished upon seeing Qin Rongshi.

Qin Rongshi took a deep breath and turned to glare at Yang Su, seemingly frustrated by his spinelessness.

"You just stood there, waiting for them to hit you?"

Seeing Qin Rongshi’s icy expression, Yang Su stammered even more.

"I... I... I... but I’m no match for them."

Qin Rongshi took another deep breath and said nothing more to him. Instead, he turned to Ceng Wei and asked, "Ceng Wei, you’ve repeatedly bullied your classmates. Aren’t you afraid the dean will find out? Or do you think having the Assistant Prefect backing you means you can get away with anything at Xiangshan Academy?"

Ceng Wei was taken aback, not expecting to see Qin Rongshi here.

He froze for a moment, then grew angry. "Qin Rongshi?! Why is it you again!"

"Butt out! Get out of here and mind your own affairs!"

Qin Rongshi did not leave. Instead, he stood still for a moment before suddenly asking, "What poem do you need?"

Ceng Wei was stunned again, then burst out laughing. "What? You’ll write it for me?"

Qin Rongshi remained silent. Instead, he took out a small brush and paper he carried with him, laid them on a flat stone, and prepared to write.

Ceng Wei was even more shocked. "You’re really writing it for me? Since when did you become so generous?"

Qin Rongshi glanced at him, then at Yang Su, and sighed softly, his tone laced with resignation.

"If I write it for you, you must not trouble him again. Otherwise, I will definitely report it to the Education Commissioner and see if the Assistant Prefect will be pleased that you’ve embarrassed him."

Ceng Wei snapped again. "You wouldn’t dare!"

Qin Rongshi raised an eyebrow slightly, holding his ground.

The message was clear: he dared, very much so.

Ceng Wei gritted his teeth. "A chrysanthemum poem! I want a chrysanthemum poem!"

Qin Rongshi nodded, closed his eyes, and began to mull it over, brush in hand. Yang Su looked worried and stepped forward, trying to snatch the brush from Qin Rongshi.

He said, "Don’t write for him! This is fraud! You’re the County First of this prefecture—don’t tarnish your reputation for such scum!"

But he was too slow. Before his hand could reach the brush, Ceng Wei pulled him back and kicked him.

"Yang Su! Don’t test my patience! Someone’s sticking his neck out for you—you should be grateful!"

Yang Su, both angry and anxious, grew even more furious upon hearing this. He suddenly turned and rammed Ceng Wei in the chest with such force that Ceng Wei stumbled back several steps and fell to the ground.

"How dare you insult my mother!"

In his anger, his stammer vanished.

Ceng Wei, enraged, shouted, "Hey! You coward, you’ve grown a spine today!"

The two lackeys quickly helped him up. Livid, Ceng Wei got to his feet and rushed forward to kick Yang Su.

"It's finished."

Before he could act, Qin Rongshi’s voice stopped him. Ceng Wei forgot about retaliation and hurried over to snatch the paper from Qin Rongshi’s hand.

Yang Su’s bravery had evaporated. Trembling, he muttered to himself, "Shouldn’t have written it, shouldn’t have written it... Qin, my classmate, I’ve ruined you! It’s all my fault!"

He chanted like a mantra, giving Qin Rongshi a headache.

Meanwhile, Ceng Wei held the paper as if it were a treasure, reciting the poem aloud excitedly. "A great poem! A great poem! Qin, you truly live up to being the County First! Such talent! Hahaha! I’m sure to become famous overnight at the Double Ninth Poetry Gathering!"

Whether the poem was truly that good or not, Yang Su stopped his muttering and looked at Qin Rongshi in astonishment.

Qin Rongshi methodically packed his writing tools, ignoring the others.

Ceng Wei continued to laugh, carefully folding the paper. "Qin Rongshi, I’ll remember you! I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let this slide."

Laughing, he left with his lackeys.

After they were gone, Yang Su swallowed hard and scurried after Qin Rongshi, who was already walking away.

He approached quietly and whispered, "That poem... you didn’t write it."

Qin Rongshi paused and turned to look at Yang Su.

Yang Su swallowed again and continued softly, "I’ve read that poem before. It’s... uh, it’s an early work by the new Education Commissioner."