Chapter 83 Good News

Chapter 83: Good News

Meng Wan listened and nodded repeatedly. No wonder—so they were from the same village as that old man. Had the potato still not been widely promoted after a whole year?

"I've never seen this before. How about this: I'll take the other basket too. Please, young sir, deliver it to the north gate outside the Farewell Pavilion, where my servant will receive it." The scholar spoke politely, and his tone was pleasant to the ear.

Their stall was right next to the city gate, so delivering outside the gate was even closer.

The girl's brother consulted with Meng Wan, "Sir, let me make a trip to the north gate first, and I'll deliver yours right after, how about that?"

Meng Wan nodded in understanding. "Alright, my home is in the west of the city, which is indeed farther from here. Go ahead, no need to rush."

He could take this time to browse a bit more; he had noticed the winter melons at the stall next door looked pretty good.

But the scholar still seemed to have questions for him. "Sir, pardon my intrusion. I see you've bought so many potatoes—you must know a thing or two about them. Could you perhaps enlighten me?"

Meng Wan thought, if you have questions, shouldn't you ask the seller? Why come to me? But privately, he found this person somewhat suspicious—likely someone of importance. Even if he didn't need to curry favor, he shouldn't offend him. So he smiled and replied, "I bought some at the beginning of the year. At home, whether stewed or stir-fried, my family loved them. When I chanced upon them again today, I was afraid they might be gone next time, so I decided to buy more. If you have any questions, sir, feel free to ask. I'll tell you everything I know."

The scholar keenly caught Meng Wan's overly deferential attitude. "Were you nearby just now?"

Meng Wan wanted to slap himself. That was a slip of the tongue. Why would an ordinary person call a poor scholar "sir"? Ever since coming to the prefectural city, he'd been dealing with people of higher status than his own family, and the habit of being humble had become ingrained—he blurted it out without thinking.

"I saw a crowd gathered and went to see what was happening. You're very kind, sir." Even though he'd realized it was a scam, he still went along and paid the silver—that was a confusing move.

The scholar smiled. He had a gentle look, and when he smiled, he seemed even more like an easy target. "You're very sharp. But let's get back to these potatoes. You bought so many—do you have a big family?"

Meng Wan knew what he was getting at. "No, my family is small. But last time I bought them, the old man said potatoes are easy to store, so I tried it and found it true. If you put them in a cool, ventilated place, they keep for a long time. I imagine they can be stored through winter like turnips and cabbages."

The scholar's eyes lit up. "Oh? And how are they in taste and yield?"

Standing at the stall, Meng Wan replied, "They don't have a very strong flavor on their own, but when stewed with meat, they absorb the broth and become soft and fluffy. You can also peel and shred them for a quick stir-fry, and they turn out smooth and crisp. As for yield, I can't say. You should ask this young lady."

As Meng Wan stood talking with him, the girl tending the stall watched with her mouth opening and closing, confusion in her eyes.

Huh? You can shred and stir-fry them? I'll have to try that at home too.

Seeing he could get no more information from Meng Wan, the scholar indeed turned to the girl. "Miss, may I ask how much your family's potatoes yield per mu?"

The girl looked innocent. "Yield?"

Meng Wan acted as translator for the local. "He means the harvest. How many catties of potatoes do you get per mu of land?"

The girl nodded blankly. "Oh, the harvest? Last year our family planted just one-tenth of a mu and harvested over fifty catties."

Meng Wan took a pear from Bi Yun's basket, wiped it with his handkerchief, and started munching on it.

If one-tenth of a mu yields fifty catties, then one mu yields five hundred catties—and that was when they were experimenting with no experience growing potatoes.

The scholar's eyes lit up. "And this year?"

The girl thought of the mountain of potatoes piled up at home. "This year, we saw potatoes kept us full and gave a good harvest, so my father set aside one mu and two-tenths. He learned from Uncle Wang how to plant them—letting them sprout and then breaking them apart. A few days ago, we harvested over 900 catties in total."

A rare situation occurred: the family simply couldn't eat them all and had to transport them in batches to sell in the city. She and her brother were at this end, while her parents, afraid they couldn't sell out at one spot, had pushed a cart to the other end.

The scholar drew in a sharp breath. Eight hundred catties per mu? Such a miraculous crop, and it had been buried in obscurity?

He remained gentle in manner, but his tone grew more urgent. "Do you still have unsold potatoes at home? Can you sell me some more?"

The girl said excitedly, "We have plenty more at home. How many do you want? I'll go call my parents."

The scholar, afraid of missing the opportunity, said eagerly, "My carriage is just outside the city. If it's convenient, could I go to your home to discuss with your elders? That way, you won't have to go back and forth."

"Yes, yes!" The girl was delighted, thinking she had made a great deal.

Meng Wan took a bite of the juicy pear and sighed. What an honest girl—inviting a stranger home like that. How did she know he wasn't a villain?

He ate one pear and gave another to Bi Yun, but Bi Yun was too shy to eat in public. They wandered around and bought a large winter melon and half a basket of jujubes.

After a while, the girl's brother returned pushing an empty cart, followed by a tall, burly man.

The man was about to speak when the scholar interrupted, "Don't talk until we're outside the city. There's something more urgent now."

The man respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."

The girl told her brother about the deal, and the brother was also pleased. "Then I'll go find our parents. You go back first, and I'll deliver for this sir after I deliver the potatoes."

Their parents were nearby—they were also pushing two baskets of potatoes, of which only a thin layer had been sold due to poor appearance. When their son called them back to meet someone, before they even reached them, a man came running from a distance.

"Master Song! Master Song! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Meng Wan watched Aunt Zhou's son run up to him, panting, and his heart leaped into his throat. He hurried over quickly, "Brother Zhou, why are you looking for me? Has something happened at home?"

Manager Zhou gasped for breath, afraid Meng Wan would panic, so he quickly explained, "It's good news—wonderful news! Mr. Song... no, Master Song passed the imperial provincial exam! The good-news messengers just went to your house to report the news. Aunt Song asked me to find you and bring you back."

It was also a coincidence. His wife, Liniang, had learned the craft of making fried dough at home, and he had rented a shop near Ruifeng Tower for her.

As the shop was about to open, he took the day off to take the family to watch plays at the entertainment district. But just as they stepped out of the alley, they saw two people walking toward Willow Embankment Alley—one beating a gong, the other leading a horse, shouting: "Changping Prefecture, Guyang County, Sanquan Village scholar Song Tingzhou has placed eighth on the laurel list of the 21st year of the Qisheng reign!"

They shouted as they walked, and Manager Zhou quickly retreated into the courtyard with his family. He hurried to the Song family courtyard and called out, "Aunt Song, the good-news messengers are coming to your house! Get tea and snacks ready!"

Chang Jinhua was flustered. "What are good-news messengers? Are they from the yamen?"

Manager Zhou kindly explained, "Not from the yamen—they are messengers who announce good news for successful imperial candidates. You need to prepare reward money for them. Isn't Master Song at home?"

Chang Jinhua had never experienced such an occasion. First, the sudden joy overwhelmed her, then came panic. "Little Wan went grocery shopping. I don't know why he's so late—maybe he went somewhere else. What do we do?"

Manager Zhou calmed her down, "Aunt Song, don't panic. This is good news. When the messengers come in, first prepare some tea, and also the reward money. I'll go out now and help find Master Song."

Everyone on the street knew each other, and someone said they had seen Meng Wan heading north of the city, mentioning he was going to the north gate's vegetable market.

Manager Zhou searched all the way there, and luckily Meng Wan was on the outskirts—he spotted him immediately.

"My husband passed the imperial provincial exam? Bi Yun, hurry, let's go home!" Meng Wan was overjoyed and grabbed Bi Yun to head home.

The girl's brother hurriedly called out, "Sir, what about these potatoes?"

Meng Wan no longer cared about the potatoes—by then, he had already run off.

Luckily, Manager Zhou was still catching his breath nearby. He called out, "Let me rest a moment, and I'll take you to deliver these pota... whatever they are."

The scholar watched Meng Wan's retreating figure and murmured, "So he's a scholar's husband. And now his husband has passed the exam. Not bad, not bad."

He followed the girl's family out the north gate with his attendant. Outside the city, a carriage and driver were waiting. He invited the girl's family to ride, but they absolutely refused, saying they were used to walking and it was fine.

He had to let them lead the way while he and his attendant got into the carriage.

As soon as they were inside, the attendant spoke, "Sir, Qiu Sanniang and her brother have been arrested. Xiao Liu and the others went ahead to escort them back to Guqing County."

The carriage was bare-bones, with no table or tea—only a water pouch. The scholar drank some water and said, "Those two are deeply connected to the human bones case in Sangyu Village. They are cunning and alert, fleeing south all the way to the prefectural city. After we buy the potatoes, we'll go catch up with Xiao Liu and the others. We must be careful on the road."

The servant asked, "Are we not stopping in Changping? What about Xiao Liu? Aren't we looking for him anymore?"

The scholar's expression was complex. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Since he wants to leave, let him go."

News of Song Tingzhou passing the provincial exam spread quickly. Not only the neighbors nearby, but the entire street knew that Willow Dike Lane had produced a Juren Master.

As Meng Wan ran back, he heard congratulations from all around—people he knew and strangers. He responded vaguely without slowing down.

Bi Yun ran behind him, and most of the dates in her basket had spilled out along the way.

When they returned to the courtyard, they found Chang Jinhua and Lu Chunfang tidying up and washing teacups in the yard.

"Have the official messengers left?" Meng Wan asked, panting.

"They just left, not even a quarter of an hour ago." Chang Jinhua's mind was dazed, still echoing the flattery of people calling her "old madam."

It seemed things had gone smoothly. Meng Wan relaxed, his tense heart easing, and plopped down onto a stool. "What about the reward money? How much did you give?"

At this, Chang Jinhua said uncertainly, "There were two of them. I gave each two taels. Was that too much or too little?"

Meng Wan gasped inwardly. Good heavens! My dear mother, since when does anyone give four taels as a reward!

But he still comforted her, "It's fine, it's fine."

Chang Jinhua felt reassured and grinned. "Is Da Lang really a juren now? He's become a Juren Master?"

Meng Wan's lips curled up. "You received the official messengers yourself just now. Of course it's true."

The two were beside themselves with joy. They had no heart to cook dinner, so Lu Chunfang and Bi Yun prepared it instead.

While some rejoiced, others worried. Feng Jinzhang had also taken the provincial exam, and if news had come, it should have arrived together.

Chang Jinhua comforted Lu Chunfang, "It doesn't necessarily mean he didn't pass. Perhaps the messengers didn't know Master Feng has relatives in the prefectural city and sent the notice straight to his hometown instead."

Lu Chunfang, however, wasn't too disappointed. "Ah, well, even if he didn't pass, it's common. He'll be studying in the prefectural city for a few more years anyway, and I have my livelihood now. We'll take things slow."

Her mindset had become much more at ease now. She was even willing to accept Feng Jinzhang being a xiucai for life, probably deeply influenced by what happened with Qin Niang.

Two days later, Meng Wan received a letter from Song Tingzhou, confirming that he had indeed passed. The Changping Prefecture School had produced eleven successful candidates this time, the most juren in twenty years. Nine of them were classmates from the Yizi Class. Wu Zhaoyuan and Zhu Zening, who had gone with him, were also on the list.

They would return together after attending the Deer Cry Banquet, and told the family not to worry.

Meng Wan's heart was finally at ease. Every day from the moment he woke up, he would calculate how many days remained until Song Tingzhou came home.

But the first to arrive were not Song Tingzhou, but Lu Chunfang's brother-in-law and his wife.

Early one morning, Lu Chunfang and Bi Yun were busy in the front, when suddenly they heard someone asking a waiting customer, "Brother, is this Willow Dike Lane back here?"

The voice sounded familiar. Looking up, Lu Chunfang saw two people in patched coarse clothes, each carrying large bundles of luggage.

"Jinzhong?"

Lu Chunfang wasn't sure, because their faces were covered in grime, and their shoulders sagged as if all spirit had been drained from them.

She tried again, "Jinzhong, is that you with Juniang?"

The two looked up together, and said in disbelief, "Sister-in-law? Is it really you?"

The couple were overjoyed, speaking incoherently, "Sister-in-law, you look like you've gained weight—no, you look fairer... Is this the shop you opened? It's great! So many people come to eat breakfast. You must be making a killing..."

Lu Chunfang was also happy. "Why are you here so early? I thought it would take you a few more days."

Seeing she had relatives, Bi Yun took over her tasks so she could attend to them.

Lu Chunfang thanked her and led them through the main entrance in the alley. Chang Jinhua was frying dough sticks in the kitchen. Seeing Lu Chunfang bring people in, she guessed they were from the Feng family.

"Chunfang, are these your younger brother and his wife?"

Lu Chunfang's face lit up with joy. "Yes, Aunt Song."

She then told Feng Jinzhong and Juniang to address Chang Jinhua, "This is Aunt Song from the Song family. Since I came to the prefectural city, the Song family has taken care of me. They had built up this shop and handed it over to me. They are our benefactors."

The couple were honest farmers who worked the land, not versed in etiquette. Hearing their sister-in-law mention benefactors and a shop, they immediately tried to kneel and kowtow to Chang Jinhua.

Chang Jinhua couldn't accept such a grand gesture. Ignoring the dough sticks in the pot, she hurriedly stood up and helped them up. "What benefactor nonsense? Chunfang is an honest girl; I took a liking to her. Now that you're here, she has family in the prefectural city. Work hard and make a go of it."