Chapter 201: Archivist

Chapter 201: Record Keeper

Zheng Yuan, lacking Lu Su's talent, had reached his peak by becoming a *xiucai* (scholar). When Lord Song visited his home and asked if he wanted to be the Chief Clerk of Heshan, he was dumbfounded.

"Lord Song, I... can this student truly work in the county office?"

Perhaps because they wouldn't meet often in the future, Lord Song rarely showed a hint of a smile to the only two scholars Heshan had left. "Why would I come all the way here just to deceive you?"

"Of course not." Zheng Yuan shook his head hastily. "How could Lord Song deceive anyone."

Lord Song patted his shoulder. "Then why not head to the county office as soon as possible to take over from Chief Clerk Qiao? Make sure to ask him plenty while you have the chance."

"Yes." Zheng Yuan, knocked senseless by the good news, cheerfully reported to the county office. But within two days, he was already worn out.

Over on Meng Wan's side, he also had a mountain of matters to handle. He had confidently handed over the sugar workshop to Bi Yun, so there was little worry there. But the lotus root workshop was just getting started, and sales were still sporadic. It wasn't yet time for a large harvest; when deep autumn arrived, Meng Wan would have to return to oversee the work.

He also planned to bring Tang Jinshuang to the prefectural city to work, leaving He Niang and Dong Geer behind in Heshan. After investigation, Meng Wan found the Chen family truly reliable. He intended to hire them to transport lotus roots, and Daniu, a big, burly guy, could help keep petty thieves in check.

The Qing Xing family would also accompany them to West Wu Prefecture—no question about that. Not only were they skilled in medicine, but Meng Wan had saved their lives. Meng Wan wouldn't easily trust newcomers with matters of family health and safety.

Then there were Fengzhong and his apprentices from the kiln, along with Old Xu. Old Xu was elderly and might not want to relocate, but Meng Wan was determined to take Fengzhong, a talent he couldn't afford to lose. The man had been making excellent progress with rubber lately, far smoother than Meng Wan had anticipated. Now all that remained was to secure the kiln workers from the Guanyu Bureau promised by the crown prince, and he could reopen a proper kiln in West Wu.

On the twentieth day of the sixth month, the newly appointed Heshan County Magistrate arrived from afar. He and Wu Zhaoyuan were *jinshi* from the same year, though they had little personal connection. This new magistrate had no influential family background either; otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to Heshan. After all, the reputation of Lingnan was known only within a small circle, and its fame had yet to spread widely.

But everything he saw and heard upon arriving in Heshan completely overturned his preconceptions. Lord Song spent a few days handing over duties, subtly warning the new magistrate.

After all, Heshan was a county Lord Song had built into its present state with his own hands. He had been promoted, not died or transferred. Compared to other counties, he would continue to keep a close eye on Heshan.

The chicken farm was sold at a low price to the Tao family, and Meng Wan gradually divested himself of his businesses. Chang Jinhua also handed over her fried chicken shop to someone else. From then on, Meng Wan would return every month to inspect his sugar and lotus root workshops, audit the accounts, and conveniently bring back the earnings from the fried chicken shop and several storefronts to Chang Jinhua.

Their family was no longer short on money, but the sense of security from earning and spending one's own money was something the women of this era couldn't resist. Meng Wan planned to find Chang Jinhua another shop in the prefectural city; she could go there to work if she wanted, or rest at home when tired.

Everyone was busy with their own affairs. In the summer of the twenty-ninth year of Qisheng, on the second day of the seventh month, the carriage hired by Lord Song set off from the alley before dawn. They hadn't told anyone, since they weren't leaving forever, and wanted to avoid all the bittersweet feelings.

The gatekeeper opened the city gate and watched them leave, suddenly yelled from behind, "Lord Song, have a safe journey!"

Meng Wan, who was sitting on the carriage shaft to enjoy the cool breeze, nearly got himself sent off to the afterlife along with the farewell.

Sure enough, lights began to flicker on in every household behind them. The weirdest part was a crowd running from the official road outside the county—village heads leading their people, carrying straw mats and bedding, who had apparently been waiting for several days, all with faces covered in mosquito bites.

"Meng Wan, you were going to leave without telling us? If Old Tao hadn't let it slip, we wouldn't have known!"

"Lord Song, don't forget us folks now that you're going to the prefectural city!"

The youngest village head was from Water Harmony Village; the rest were mostly elders over fifty, their faces covered in bumps, weeping as they spoke to Lord Song and Meng Wan, their tone even more pitiful than a jilted wife.

Meng Wan felt both touched and amused. "Go on back, everyone. We're only going to the prefectural city, not back to the north. We'll return."

Lord Song carefully instructed the village heads, "The newly appointed Magistrate Wang is also a good official. After I leave, if you have any grievances, report them to the authorities as usual—no taking the law into your own hands!"

His last words were spoken sternly, clearly fearing that after his departure, the new magistrate might lose control and face suppression from local forces he had previously subdued.

The village heads hurriedly agreed. After all, the case of Jin Gu killing her husband was now known far and wide in Lingnan. Heshan County hadn't become famous for its sugarcane, but for this story spreading across the region.

After bidding farewell to the villagers, Lord Song and his party finally set off smoothly. Chang Jinhua's motion sickness hadn't improved, and she was groaning miserably in the carriage, suffering. A Xun and Chu Ci were in the same carriage taking care of her.

Meanwhile, A Yan was traveling far for the first time and found it quite novel, but he soon succumbed to the heat and the long journey.

Meng Wan settled him inside the carriage, opened all the windows, and covered them with thin gauze for cross-ventilation. The interior was luxuriously spread with soft fine silk gauze, so even though A Yan lay there sleeping and still felt hot, the surface beneath him was smooth and non-sticky.

Meng Wan fanned him steadily, occasionally fanning himself. Even so, after a few days, A Yan couldn't take it anymore. He'd cry every time he woke up, and during the journey could only drink cooled lotus root paste after it was boiled.

Half a month later, when they finally entered the gates of West Wu Prefecture, A Yan had lost a noticeable amount of weight. Chang Jinhua, still feeling unwell herself, was heartbroken to see her listless grandson.

Lord Song first sent them to an inn to settle in, then washed up, changed into his official robes, and reported to the prefectural office.

After a good, long bath, Meng Wan felt as though he had come back to life. It was unbearably hot!

The half-month journey wasn't the longest they had ever undertaken, but it was the most miserable and torturous.

Everyone else rested in their own rooms. A Yan, barely awake, had been bathed by Huang Ye and was now lying face down on the bed asleep.

Even though this was the best room in the inn, it only had windows facing south, with poor ventilation. A Yan's face and neck were covered in fine beads of sweat.

Meng Wan had Huang Ye bring a basin of cool water, soaked a cloth, and wiped A Yan's face and neck to cool him down. When the sun began to tilt, he took an oil-paper umbrella and went with Xue Sheng to the *yahang* (official brokerage).

You can't stay in an inn forever; only one's own home was truly comfortable.

Meng Wan summoned four or five official brokers, gave them all a little tip, and ordered them to find him two residences near the prefectural office as quickly as possible. One should be a small two-courtyard house, and the other larger—three or four courtyards would do.

With the prestige of being the Assistant Prefect's husband and Meng Wan's generous spending, the brokers were especially enthusiastic. The next morning, they presented two booklets for Meng Wan's perusal, complete with simple floor plan sketches.

Since they needed to move in quickly, Meng Wan swiftly selected two houses on the same lane, just one street away from the prefectural office. The smaller two-courtyard house was at the lane's entrance, though it was somewhat dilapidated and needed renovation.

The larger four-courtyard house, coincidentally, was the former residence of Prefect Liu, who had just left for another post. It came fully furnished with utensils and appliances—effectively move-in ready.

Meng Wan was quite satisfied after inspecting it, but he cautiously asked Lord Song, "Does this not violate any regulations?"

Lord Song told him not to worry—such matters were like the law that allowed men to take concubines only if they had no sons by age forty.

According to law, officials of the first and second ranks could take four concubines; third and fourth ranks, three; fifth and sixth ranks, two; seventh and eighth ranks, only one. Commoners below that had no right to take concubines unless they reached age forty without a son.

Sounded reasonable on paper, but in reality, local gentry not only took concubines but even absurdly took multiple legal wives.

Hu Ti, a lowly seventh-rank official, kept a whole harem of concubines. When even superiors didn't follow the law, such regulations became dead letters long ago.

Reassured, Meng Wan bought the four-courtyard estate left by Prefect Liu and let the Miao family temporarily stay in one of the separate small courtyards, planning to have them move into the renovated house at the lane entrance later.

The medical clinic had earned some money over the past three years, but not enough to buy a house. Meng Wan purchased the house and registered it under his own name, lending it to the Miao family for their stay—though he likely would never reclaim it.

"We bought new servants again?" Chang Jinhua wandered around the estate, fascinated. After several days of rest, she was feeling energetic again.

Meng Wan accompanied her on the tour, explaining the layout and scenery of the courtyards. "Since we've moved to a larger house, relying solely on Huang Ye and Qiuse would wear them out. I bought eight servants for rough work: four will be with Qiuse at the front gate and front courtyard, and four will be with Huang Ye in the back courtyard to handle the kitchen and purchases." Huang Ye and Qiuse were now effectively junior stewards.

"Makes sense." But Chang Jinhua still felt a bit uncomfortable. "I saw a young married woman in the kitchen too?"

"I hired her."

Meng Wan pointed at the blazing sun outside. "Do you really want to be stuck in the kitchen in this weather?"

Chang Jinhua: "Then what should I do?"

Meng Wan gently pushed her toward her room. "Mother, rest well first. Once this unbearable summer passes, I'll help you find a storefront if you want something to do. I haven't found one for the Miao family's shop yet."

Chang Jinhua reminded him in turn, "You too. It's so hot this year—stay at home and rest more."

Meng Wan's eyes curved into a smile. "I know. I'll see what else we need to add to the house."

When Prefect Liu left for his new post, he had taken all the valuables. His wife had been thrifty; most large furniture had also been moved, leaving behind only things of little value.

Meng Wan had the usable items moved to the front yard, planning to send them to the Miao family residence once it was renovated. For their own home, new beds, wardrobes, and screens would need to be bought from the carpenter's shop. If there were no ready-made ones, he paid a deposit to have them custom made, paying generously and without hesitation.

Song Tingzhou hadn't officially started his duties at the yamen over the past few days, so he accompanied Meng Wan on their busy shopping trip for household items.

"Although half of our savings over these years went toward repairing the county yamen's roads, we still have 26,000 silver taels at home now. Once the lotus root starch business takes off, the profits will be even more pleasing. How about we buy a couple of nice pieces of furniture to make a good impression?" Meng Wan walked under the shade of the trees, fanning himself while talking to Song Tingzhou.

He defined lotus root starch as a mid-to-high-end food product, having Third Uncle package it and sell it outside the region.

Just like with sugarcane, he didn't aim for excessive profits—his priority was helping the lotus root farmers shake off poverty as quickly as possible.

Song Tingzhou had no idea his family was now so well-off and was momentarily stunned.

"Why are you staring at me like that, silly? Mother even has her own little treasury!" Meng Wan said with amusement, looking at him.

Song Tingzhou smiled wryly. "Back in the day, I relied on my husband and mother to pursue my studies. Now that I've become an official, I still depend on you two to support the family."

Meng Wan linked arms with him. "If you hadn't risen to your position, no matter how much Mother and I earned, we wouldn't be able to hold onto it. Our family is just right—we need every one of us." In this era, women and men like him had a hard lot. If Song Tingzhou were just a commoner, they'd have ended up selling tofu and fried dough in Changping.

Song Tingzhou held his hand and gazed back at him tenderly. "Wan'er is right."

They had just left a carpenter's shop and now headed to Folk Kiln Street, a street specializing in porcelain. There, they selected some beautiful ceramic bowls, plates, and jars, paid for them, and had the shop assistant deliver them to their new residence.

After that, from the porcelain shop owner, they learned about a street specializing in fabrics and textiles called Lucky Street.

It was said that there were two dyeing workshops at the head and tail of this street, attracting numerous pigment dealers, cloth shops, and ready-made clothing stores to the area.

They planned to buy some curtains and drapes, and also take a stroll, since Song Tingzhou would soon be busy with yamen duties and they would become busy again.

Entering Lucky Street, they found it bustling with activity, but crowds also brought trouble. Xiwu Prefecture, due to its lychees from Heiye County and tangerines from Shakeng County, had once been among the top prefectures in Lingnan.

Those who could settle in the prefectural city were all people of some means—here and there, groups of elderly women, maids and servants procuring items for their masters, vendors haggling at shop doorways.

As soon as Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan entered, they drew some curious and admiring glances, but mostly contemptuous looks.

"Holding hands in broad daylight before the sun has even set?"

"Shameless! With such a seductive look, which brothel did he come from?"

"From a brothel? I don't think so."

"Hard to say. What decent husband would behave so wantonly?"

Song Tingzhou halted, then slowly approached the group of gossiping women, pulling Meng Wan along. Tall and imposing, his face was cold as ice when not smiling, his eyes like frozen pools. The closer he got, the more intense his intimidating presence became.

The women who had been inspecting fabrics were terrified, their speech faltering as they leaned on each other and retreated. "What... what do you think you're doing?"

"We were just chatting. If you have nothing to hide, why be afraid of what we say?" One woman in a pomegranate-red skirt tried to muster her dignity, shouting at Song Tingzhou.

Possibly frightened by his presence, her voice cracked and broke, making her stand out even in the noisy street and drawing even more attention.

Song Tingzhou's dark eyes were deep, his voice powerful. "My husband and I are taking a walk together, violating no law of Yu Kingdom whatsoever. But you are slandering people in public, which constitutes the crime of verbal abuse."

Seeing the crowd gather around to watch, including her own servant, the woman suddenly seemed emboldened. "Talking about the law with me? Do you know who I am?"

She put her hands on her hips and shouted, "The Records Clerk at the prefectural yamen is my own younger brother! Go ahead, beat the drum and bring a complaint! See if you dare?"

Song Tingzhou spoke with rare anger in his voice. "Clerk Chen of the Ninth Rank at the yamen, is it? If his family members behave so arrogantly, he's probably useless."

"How do you know my brother's surname is Chen? Who are you? What do you mean by 'not much use'? Explain yourself!" The woman grew increasingly uneasy, her questions rapid-fire.

Meng Wan stepped in front of her with a malicious smile. "You gossiping woman, go ask your clerk brother yourself! In the future, watch your tongue. Go ahead and spend more money to buy your brother an official post elsewhere. As for Xiwu Prefecture, he'll never get a post here."