Chapter 134 Visiting the Master

Chapter 134: Visiting the Master

After boarding the ship, Meng Wan first went to Chang Jinhua's cabin to report that they were safe, and the Miao family, finally reunited, were overjoyed.

Meng Wan returned to his room alone to rest. After a while, Song Tingzhou came back after getting Qin Jiao settled. Meng Wan asked impatiently, "Did you manage to fool Senior Brother?"

Song Tingzhou couldn't help but smile. "Senior Brother was deeply moved and said you are just like a member of the Lin family."

Meng Wan, speaking sweetly, said seriously, "That's not right at all. I learned it all from my husband."

Song Tingzhou looked at him tenderly. The boat swayed slightly, so he simply wrapped his arms around Meng Wan and leaned back onto the bed. "Zhu Zening got engaged to the daughter of a wealthy family. The Three Letters and Six Rites are halfway through, and the wedding is expected by the end of the year."

Meng Wan rested his head on him, happy for Zhu Zening as well. "That's great. Does that mean his official position is also secured?"

A flash of hostility crossed Song Tingzhou's eyes. "That wealthy young master has already put in a word with the Ministry of Personnel. News should come sometime after the New Year."

Meng Wan found his cold expression amusing and teased him, "I haven't even exchanged two words with that young master. Why are you still holding a grudge?"

Song Tingzhou cleared his throat. "You spent half the day at the Shuntian Prefecture office. Are you hungry?"

At his question, Meng Wan felt hungry. "What's good to eat?"

Song Tingzhou pulled him off the bed. "Mother bought a few roasted chickens to bring on board. It's cold now, so they'll keep for two days. Do you want some?"

"Yes, yes, yes. And have Bi Yun heat up a steamed bun for me."

For Meng Wan, just being on the big ship was still novel, and it was more comfortable than traveling by carriage—at least they could cook whenever they wanted. With so many people, they had rented three ships in total, stocking each with rice, flour, and other provisions.

Unfortunately, Chang Jinhua not only got carsick but also seasick. And it wasn't just her—even Qin Jiao, the Prince of Qin, who had never traveled far, was seasick. Before the ship had even sailed far, both of them were unable to get out of bed.

And they still had at least two more months on the ship ahead of them.

This was where having an entire family of physicians with them came in handy. Though seasickness couldn't be cured completely, at least medicine could alleviate the symptoms.

Meng Wan had prepared a large quantity of prepared herbs for this journey south, readily available at any time.

Southern waterways were numerous. Sometimes they disembarked and traveled by official roads, and when there were canals, they took the boat. After over a month of travel, they arrived at Yangzhou Prefecture.

Song Tingzhou first rented three courtyards to settle their group. They would only stay for two or three days, so everyone had to squeeze in.

After settling in, on the second day, Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan prepared gifts, changed into new clothes, and had Xue Sheng drive the carriage to a nearby village. The village was very close to Yangzhou city—only half an hour by carriage.

"In his letter, Master said it's the middle of the village, the first house west of the Lin family ancestral hall."

Meng Wan looked out at the orderly village. Every household had green-brick tiled houses, and the roads were tamped down flat and smooth.

They had arrived early, but the villagers had risen even earlier and were already working in the fields. Though they wore patched, coarse old clothes, their spirits were high.

The Lin family ancestral hall was easy to find, since almost everyone in the village was surnamed Lin. They asked a villager, and upon learning they were looking for Lord Lin and his wife, the villager kindly led the way.

When they reached the Lin family ancestral home, Meng Wan watched in astonishment as his esteemed Master Xiang Yun, squatting in the kitchen, vigorously stuffed firewood into the stove's firebox. The entire kitchen was filled with smoke, and her white hair covered in soot, she wiped her face without caring about her appearance as she walked out.

Meng Wan was dumbfounded. "Master, you... what are you doing?"

Xiang Yun's face stiffened. Forcing her smoke-reddened eyes open, she said, "Wan Ge'er?"

Of all the times, she had to be caught in such a mess by her own disciple.

What an ungrateful disciple!

Xiang Yun straightened her back, unhurriedly rubbing the black soot off her face and dusting off her clothes. She said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. Your master went out this morning, and I thought I'd make some breakfast... When did you arrive in Yangzhou? In Rong'er's letter, I read that your husband didn't enter the Hanlin examination but was instead assigned to the Lingnan region. Why is that?"

Meng Wan replied, "We entered the city yesterday. My mother-in-law and the soldiers are now settled in the city. My husband is to assume office in Xiwu Prefecture in the first month of the new year, so we can't linger long in Yangzhou. A lot happened in Shengjing. I'll tell you everything once Master returns."

Xiang Yun's usually meticulously pinned white hair was a bit disheveled. She discreetly tucked it behind her ear. "Have you eaten? Why don't you come inside and sit? I'll cook some porridge."

"How could I trouble you with that, Master? If you don't mind, let me make breakfast for you. Go inside and wait; we'll be done shortly." Not having seen her in several years, Meng Wan was relieved to see she was still in good health. Knowing she was very conscious of her dignity, she subtly led Song Tingzhou back to the kitchen to clean up, giving her time to change clothes.

It was now the coldest month of the year, but Yangzhou was noticeably warmer than Changping. Meng Wan skillfully scooped rice from the bin, washed it, and put it in the pot, while Song Tingzhou started the fire in the stove.

Except for the different stove design, it felt like being back in Sanquan Village.

Seeing that Song Tingzhou had the fire going, Meng Wan rummaged through the kitchen for other ingredients, making herself at home. "By the way, I forgot to ask Master, why isn't Mother Geng here?"

Song Tingzhou pulled out the straw that Xiang Yun had stuffed into the stove all at once and relit it with a flint, feeding it slowly until flames flickered. "You forgot, Mother Geng has her own children and grandchildren. I recall she said she lives in a nearby village, so she must have gone home."

"Right, I forgot about that."

Meng Wan found two jars of pickled potherb mustard and sour bamboo shoots. She took out a few bamboo shoots, washed them, cut them into diamond-shaped pieces, and mixed them with sesame oil for a side dish.

She cut the potherb mustard into small sections, cracked a few eggs, and stir-fried them together into a large plate.

Song Tingzhou had a big appetite, so porridge alone wouldn't fill him. Meng Wan scooped out a basin of flour and had Song Tingzhou knead it, then she added lard to make pancakes.

"Is that Wan Geer?" Lin Yi came home to see smoke rising from his chimney, which struck him as very odd, but when he saw Xue Sheng feeding the horse in the yard, he guessed that his wife's disciple had arrived as mentioned in her letter about heading south.

Meng Wan put down her spatula and came out to greet him. "Yes, Master. My husband and I just arrived."

Song Tingzhou followed and said, "Lord Lin."

Lin Yi smiled, showing obvious wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth. "No need to be so formal. Call me Master like Wan Geer does."

He was just an ordinary old man, not tall, looking amiable. Having spent most of his life as a civil official in the Hanlin Academy, he didn't have a strong scholarly air; he seemed like any common farmer, except for his fairer skin.

Song Tingzhou readily changed his address.

Lin Yi wasn't surprised that they were cooking. His wife wasn't usually up before the sun was high, and he assumed she was still sleeping in with the children's arrival.

Little did he know that Xiang Yun had actually woken up early today. The old couple were skilled in health preservation and never ate much at night, leaving her unusually hungry this morning. With her husband out, she had to fend for herself. Her rare attempt at cooking ended in embarrassment when her disciple and her husband caught her.

Xiang Yun went back to her room to wash and change, making the bed hastily. Hearing her husband's voice, she called him in. "Quick, help me comb my hair. I can't face the children looking like this." She thrust a comb into Lin Yi's hands.

Lin Yi skillfully combed and styled her hair, his hands more adept than any woman's. After finishing, he picked up a jade hairpin from the dressing table and inserted it. "Done. The children have prepared the meal and are waiting for you outside. Let's go."

The dining table was set in the main hall. Meng Wan had finished most of the cooking and asked Song Tingzhou to clean up the kitchen, leaving a portion of food for Xue Sheng. She then brought the dishes to the table and waited for the old couple to come for breakfast.

Xiang Yun sat down and looked at the fragrant congee and side dishes in front of her. "Wan Geer has good cooking skills."

Meng Wan ladled porridge for her and Lin Yi into delicate small white porcelain bowls with blue patterns. "If you like, Master, I'll cook for you these days while we're here."

Xiang Yun took a small sip of a little congee and a bite of egg, soothing the emptiness in her stomach.

"Mother Geng went home to visit her family. She's old and deserves to enjoy a few years of family happiness." She felt that she and Lin Yi were old and didn't have many years left. Tired of the flashy life of Shengjing, they had dismissed all their servants before returning home, keeping only this old woman because her husband's family was local.

Meng Wan wasn't very hungry. She drank only one bowl of porridge and a corner of the pancake before putting down her chopsticks. "Even if Mother Geng isn't around, you should hire a maid to help, if not for anything else, at least for cooking."

Otherwise, two elderly people living alone like this is quite worrying.

Xiang Yun took a bite of the shortcrust pancake. Normally she found it slightly greasy in the morning, but today she ate one and a half pieces. Unable to finish the remaining half, she casually tossed it into her husband's bowl.

At her young apprentice's concerned words, her eyes softened. "Don't worry. Some women from the clan come to cook for us and check on us regularly."

It's just that she wakes up late and is too concerned with saving face, afraid of being found out, so on ordinary days she just muddles through breakfast. Mostly Lin Yi gets up to cook some rice congee.

Just as they were talking, two women in their thirties came with vegetables and meat. Seeing guests eating, they didn't disturb them and went straight to the kitchen.

After a while, seeing that they had finished eating, they quickly cleared the table.

Lin Yi also instructed them to buy more food from the market and prepare more food for the evening to entertain the guests.

After the meal, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou told the elderly couple what had happened in the past year in Shengjing and informed them of the reason they were sent to Lingnan.

Lin Yi had served in the Hanlin Academy for many years, serving under two emperors. He could be considered a close minister to the emperor and understood the situation in Shengjing better than Song Tingzhou.

"It's good that you were sent out. The situation in the capital is chaotic. His Majesty intends to crack down on the aristocratic families and has long had the intention to first make an example of the Wu family. Even if you had passed the examination to become a Hanlin scholar, I would have asked Rong'er to arrange for you to be sent out."

I just didn't expect it would be Lingnan.

Meng Wan thought of his master Xiang Yun's background. "What about the Xiang family..."

Xiang Yun regained her dignified demeanor. With her silver hair combed into immaculate order, she said, "The Xiang family head is a shrewd merchant. When the Wu family truly falls, he will know how to choose."

Strictly speaking, Xiang Yun was not part of the main branch of the Xiang family. The Lin family, to put it nicely, had three Hanlin academicians in one clan. But Lin Yi's father died before forty, only reaching the fifth rank in the Hanlin Academy. Lin Yi himself did not have a higher official rank than his son Lin Congrong.

It could be said that Lin Congrong was now the highest-ranking official in both the Lin and Xiang families, and he had some influence in the Xiang family.

But the Xiang family had entrenched themselves in the Jianghuai region for many years, with complex and intertwined connections, making it difficult to pull out easily. If the Xiang family ever faces a purge, Lin Congrong would most likely abandon the Xiang family, depending on how the Xiang family head chose.

Meng Wan noticed Xiang Yun didn't seem deeply attached to the family, and he feeling pleased.

The emperor's faction was something everyone dared not discuss casually. Meng Wan stayed in Lin Family Village for a few more days, mostly discussing the art of painting and calligraphy with his master.

"Your paintings have formed your own style. There is nothing more I can teach you. But I see that now you paint smoothly without hesitation—have you found your painting heart?" Xiang Yun saw a painting of the first snow in Yangzhou in front of Meng Wan. The lines were fluid and bold, full of charm, as if gathering the thin snow within the confines of the scroll—it captured both form and spirit, making it a top-grade work.

Meng Wan picked up the brush and wrote the painting's theme, date, and his own name—Qingxiao Jushi—in running script in the blank space. Then he took out his personal seal, stamped it under his name, and gently blew on it.

"I roughly understand the concept of the painting heart, but has not yet fully grasped it."

Xiang Yun looked at him with relief. "You are still young. There is no need to rush."

Meng Wan asked curiously, "Teacher, how old were you when you found your painting heart?"

That seemed like a long time ago. Xiang Yun thought for a moment and then said uncertainly, "Around fourteen or fifteen? I was not yet married at the time."

"..."

Meng Wan was speechless. Maybe that's the gap between geniuses and regular people.

His mind was too cluttered, filled with too many trivial matters, far from Xiang Yun's purity. That's why she's the real master.

Three days later, Meng Wan bid farewell to his master and her husband and set off again.

Nie Zhiyao's words hit the mark. They indeed spent New Year's Eve on the road. By then they were already nearing the territory of Xiwu Prefecture. The group unloaded their luggage at a dock in a small town and would continue by land.

After the New Year, firecrackers were set off everywhere. This remote town was no exception. The townspeople spoke an incomprehensible thick dialect, and their clothing was completely different from that of the north.

Song Tingzhou rented a few horse-drawn carts at the dock. However, there were only four or five local drivers, and they still had six carts of luggage that could not be accommodated.

Unable to proceed, they had to stay in the town for one night. The next morning, they would find a way to rent carts from nearby towns or rent some of the townspeople's own carts.

Lingnan was full of mountains and hills, with scattered and sparse plains, and the roads were difficult to travel on. Therefore, renting carts from the neighboring town was actually somewhat inconvenient. It would be best to rent from local families in the town who owned horse-drawn carts.

Their group, traveling in a large party, was very conspicuous in this small town. Most critically, there were significant language barriers. Fortunately, Qing Xing's grandfather had traveled widely in his youth and had encountered people from this region, and many of the townspeople could also speak Mandarin, so they could barely communicate with the locals.

"Meng Fulang, this family says they have an estate outside the town where our people can stay temporarily." After asking several locals, Qing Xing's grandfather finally found a country gentry willing to take them in.

Meng Wan was overjoyed. "Great! Tell them we will pay them."

They were already nearing Xiwu Prefecture. Having so many people following was inconvenient. Meng Wan thought it would be better to let the soldiers set off first tomorrow. He and Song Tingzhou had experts like Prince Qin by their side, and Xue Sheng was also close at hand. If they kept a dozen or so soldiers, that should be enough. This way, traveling light would make the journey faster.

The steward of the gentry family, seeing that their group was not ordinary, smiled apologetically and said there was no need to pay, and they could also provide grain.

Meng Wan flatly refused, telling them they just needed to lend them some cooking utensils, as they had their own rice, flour, and other staples.