Chapter 54: Start from the Academy

Chapter 54: Starting from the Academy

News that Lin Hongwen had won a pouch as a prize from Yan Fengan at the literary meet spread quickly throughout the academy.

After the news spread, many students who had never attended the literary meets were quite surprised. Yan Fengan had scored first-class in the last examination, so how could he lose to someone like Lin Hongwen, who only passed the third-class by luck?

Everyone found it strange and rushed to the West Study to ask Lin Hongwen what had actually happened.

With Yan Fengan not around, Lin Hongwen naturally seized the chance to show off: "What do you mean what happened? It's just as it is. Brother Yan may be skilled, but even he can slip up. I may be slow, but I can have my moment of brilliance. Everyone saw it with their own eyes—I'm not bragging."

He patted his waist and said, "See, the prize is still hanging right here on me."

A student surnamed Li curled his lips and said, "Brother Yan really is something, using a pouch as a prize at a literary meet."

Catching the disdain in his tone, Lin Hongwen shot him an unhappy glance and said, "What do you know? This is no ordinary pouch."

He took the pouch off and showed it around to everyone: "Look at these petals, and look at this embroidery. In this whole academy, besides Brother Yan and me, I guarantee you won't find a third one like this."

Before he even finished speaking, a snicker came from over by the corridor pillar. Lu Xiuyuan had leaned against the pillar at some point, twirling a pouch by its string between two fingers, slowly and lazily.

Seeing everyone turn to look at him, he spoke up to Lin Hongwen: "You should at least think before you brag. If there's no third one, then what do you call the one in my hand?"

Someone nearby with sharp eyes immediately crowded over and said, "Hey, Brother Lu, doesn't your pouch look like it was made by the same hand as Brother Lin's?"

Before Lu Xiuyuan could say anything, Lin Hongwen exploded: "Impossible! Mine was won from Brother Yan. His must be some fake he found somewhere to pass off as the real thing."

With that, he rushed forward, snatched Lu Xiuyuan's pouch, and examined it back and forth. He'd hoped to find some flaw, but Yan Fengan's husband's embroidery style was too distinctive—anyone with eyes could tell the two pouches were made by the same person.

He asked incredulously, "Where did you get this pouch?"

Seeing his sour expression, Lu Xiuyuan felt the frustration he'd been holding all day finally ease a bit. He took the pouch back and said smugly, "Naturally..."

But then he paused mid-sentence.

Admitting in front of everyone that he'd bought the pouch from Yan Fengan would be too embarrassing, wouldn't it?

He cleared his throat, steeled himself, and said without changing expression: "Naturally, Brother Yan gave it to me. He and I have always had a good relationship, so it's only normal for him to give me a pouch."

Whether he believed it himself was anyone's guess, but no one else did. Lu Xiuyuan had never missed a chance to express his disdain for Yan Fengan to his circle, calling him a flatterer, a snob, and insincere in everything—yet now he was claiming they were close.

Lin Hongwen looked skeptical too. Seeing that no one believed him, Lu Xiuyuan casually took off the fan case from his waist and said, "He didn't just give me a pouch—he gave me this fan case too. Look at the embroidery, it's exactly the same style as the pouch."

When Lin Hongwen snatched it over, he added, "Hey, be gentle. Brother Yan said this is the only fan case, so don't you dare damage it." Feigning concern, but really just showing off.

People crowded in, looking at the bird eating fruit embroidered on the fan case and laughing: "This bird is really well stitched."

"Indeed, and the koi on the pouch are lovely too."

Lu Xiuyuan felt immensely pleased with the compliments, while Lin Hongwen's face was a stark contrast.

He had been strutting around the academy with that pouch, hoping to gain some face and praise, but in just one day, Lu Xiuyuan had stolen his thunder. Not only did he have an identical pouch, but he also had an extra fan case—wasn't that deliberately trying to make him look bad?

The man was all grown up and still hadn't learned a thing, always trying to one-up him and stir up trouble, deliberately trying to humiliate him. It was seriously annoying.

And Brother Yan too—using such nice things as prizes was one thing, but how could he just give them away for free?

Even if he wanted to give things away, he could've at least waited a few days before giving them away, right?

The more Lin Hongwen thought about it, the more pissed off he got. No, he had to go find Yan Fengan and ask him about this. At the very least, Yan Fengan should give him a fan case like that too.

The two had grown up together, and the moment he saw Lin Hongwen's shifty eyes, Lu Xiuyuan knew exactly what he was up to. As soon as Lin Hongwen left, Lu Xiuyuan quickly retrieved his pouch and fan case from the others and quickly followed after him.

Yan Fengan had just stepped out of the library when Lin Hongwen blocked his way.

Though he didn't know what had happened, a glance at Lu Xiuyuan sneaking around behind Lin Hongwen told him pretty much everything he needed to know.

Sure enough, the second Lin Hongwen saw him, he cut straight to the chase: "Brother Yan, that's not fair of you. You gave a fan case that nice to someone as arrogant and rude as Lu Xiuyuan. He's got no taste at all—does he even know how to appreciate something like that?"

Yan Fengan raised an eyebrow. "I gave him a fan case?"

Lu Xiuyuan, afraid he'd blow his cover, frantically signaled him with his eyes, silently begging him to play along.

Yan Fengan paused for a beat, then played along: "Yes, that's right."

Lin Hongwen said right away, "Then you should give me one too."

With Yan Fengan saving his ass, Lu Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing Lin Hongwen so shamelessly ask Yan Fengan for stuff, he stepped up and sneered: "Young Master Lin really doesn't know how the world works. Your family runs a silk shop—don't you know how much brocade costs? And even if you didn't, Brother Yan's husband stays up burning oil and straining his eyes to embroider these things. You just open your mouth and expect him to hand you a fan case for free. You've got some nerve."

Lin Hongwen's face went pale with anger, but he couldn't find a comeback, so he shot back furiously: "You've got some nerve talking about me—you got his stuff for free too! Brother Yan's husband makes a living with his craft, and you're over here throwing your weight around, forcing him to hand stuff over."

"What do you know? I..." Lu Xiuyuan was too embarrassed to admit he'd bought it, so he muttered vaguely, "I traded something with Brother Yan, so he definitely didn't take a loss. But you? You won a pouch for free, and now you want a fan case handed to you as well? How does that make sense? You know how much a fan case costs, right? If you really want one, it'll cost you at least five taels... no, make it six."

Yan Fengan had sold him the fan case for five taels, so he had to make Lin Hongwen pay at least one more—only then would Lu Xiuyuan be satisfied.

Lin Hongwen patted his fat money pouch: "Six taels then. It's not like I can't afford it. Brother Yan, do you still have a fan case? I want one."

Yan Fengan, the merchant, hadn't even gotten a word in edgewise, and the two had already made a deal.

It was funny, but business was business, and he couldn't turn it down.

"I do have one, though I'm not sure if Brother Lin will like it."

He didn't have the fan case on him, so he led Lin Hongwen back to his dorm. Maybe afraid he'd let something slip, Lu Xiuyuan followed along too.

Fang Mutian was still in the library reading, so the dorm was empty. Yan Fengan took out the remaining fan case and showed it to Lin Hongwen.

The fan case embroidered with green bamboo wasn't as playful as the one with the fruit and bird, but the leaves were shaded in different depths, looking elegant and refined.

Lin Hongwen was a bit unsure. After trying it on, he asked, "Brother Yan, do you think this suits me?"

Yan Fengan studied him seriously and said, "Since ancient times, bamboo has been used to represent the noble gentleman. Brother Lin is upright, resilient, and principled—how could it not fit you?"

Lu Xiuyuan nearly rolled his eyes to the back of his head, wondering which of those words had anything to do with someone surnamed Lin, but Lin Hongwen was beaming with delight at the flattery and quickly said, "Then I'll take this one."

He reached for his money, but Yan Fengan said, "Brother Lu was just joking with you. For this fan case, five taels will do."

Hearing this, Lin Hongwen turned and glared at Lu Xiuyuan, who scoffed: "What's the difference between five and six taels? Would the Lin family be short one tael? I was trying to get you a better price, and you're not even grateful. Idiot. And you, surnamed Lin—he even gave you a pouch for free. Surely you're not going to quibble over a bit of silver?"

"Quibble? Do I look like someone who'd care about that?"

Provoked, Lin Hongwen immediately pulled out six taels of loose silver and handed them to Yan Fengan.

Yan Fengan only took five one-tael pieces: "I'm selling goods, not swindling people. The price is the price."

Lu Xiuyuan felt a bit indignant—just yesterday, Yan Fengan had swindled an extra two taels out of him.

But fine, considering Yan Fengan had saved his face in front of Lin Hongwen, he'd let it go.

Besides, when Yan Fengan asked for the money, he had made it clear enough, so making a fuss over it would only make him look petty.

Although Lin Hongwen didn't care about that one tael of silver, Yan Fengan's way of doing things still sat well with him.

He and Lu Xiuyuan clashed on many things, but they shared one thing in common: they both hated being played for suckers.

Even if they had money to spare, that didn't give others the right to cheat them.

What they did appreciate was someone like Yan Fengan who was straight with them.

Now that he had both the pouch and the fan case, Lin Hongwen jerked his chin at Lu Xiuyuan, all cocky, saying nothing but making his meaning clear.

Lu Xiuyuan didn't get mad, just shot back, "What's so great about that, you copycat? I got the fan case first."

"But I got the pouch first!"

The two were about to start squabbling again before they even left the dorm. On a normal day, their bickering was none of Yan Fengan's business, and he couldn't be bothered with the drama of these rich kids. But now they were fighting over stuff he'd sold, and if word of this got back to the dean, he'd be in trouble.

Yan Fengan figured he'd better "rein in" the two of them.

"Brother Lin, Brother Lu," Yan Fengan called out to them, "I'm truly grateful you both appreciate my husband's handiwork and are willing to spend money on his work. This academy is a place for study, and the dean turns a blind eye to my little side hustle. But if you two keep squabbling over these little trinkets I sell and stir up trouble at the academy, the dean might give me a scolding at best, or kick me out at worst. My family's not as well-off as yours, so I'm begging you both to do me this solid and stop fighting over this stuff. Of course, if you don't think my word means anything, then do whatever you want."

After the literary meet the day before, Lin Hongwen had taken a real liking to him, so he waved his hand and said, "Brother Yan, don't say that." He glanced at Lu Xiuyuan, "If he didn't have such a smart mouth, who'd even bother arguing with him."

Lu Xiuyuan sure had a sharp tongue, and he said to Yan Fengan, "And you call yourself a scholar? You're scared over something this small."

Yan Fengan didn't say a word, just stared him down with a cold look. Lu Xiuyuan got uncomfortable under that stare and looked away, saying, "I don't have time to fight with him over something like this."

Only then did Yan Fengan ease up and bow to them both, "You're both good, straightforward people. Thanks for understanding."

"Oh, Brother Yan, you're way too polite. We're all classmates here, no need for all that." Lin Hongwen quickly stepped forward to lift his hands.

Lu Xiuyuan shifted a little but ended up holding back.

"Forget Lu Xiuyuan. From now on, I've got your back, Brother Yan. If you ever need anything, just say the word."

Yan Fengan smiled lightly, "Actually, there is something I'd like to ask of you."

Lin Hongwen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled too, "This is the first time I've seen you climb the ladder like this. Go on, what do you need my help with?"

Yan Fengan spoke frankly, "Brother Lin, you probably know a thing or two about my family situation. We get by alright, but paying for my schooling is still a bit of a stretch. My good husband is set on embroidering things to help make ends meet, but being a country boy, he doesn't have buyers as classy and generous as you two. Since you appreciate his craftsmanship, I'd like to ask you to mention it among your relatives and friends. If even one more pouch or fan case sells, I'd be more than grateful."

Lin Hongwen breathed a sigh of relief, "I thought it was something big. Alright, when I head home for the monthly break, I'll ask my mother and my younger brother. With your husband's skills, they're bound to love his stuff."

Yan Fengan's smile grew more sincere, "Thank you so much. Don't worry, I won't owe you a favor and not pay it back. Once I make some money, I'll take you out for a meal in town..."

After saying this, Yan Fengan realized that a meal in town probably wasn't much of a draw for a rich kid like Lin Hongwen, so he added, "If you want, anytime you've got questions about your studies, just come ask me—whether it's essays, poetry, or explaining the classics."

Lu Xiuyuan, who'd been listening nearby, stared with his eyes wide in disbelief.

Lin Hongwen had already beaten him on the last exam, and if Yan Fengan started giving him extra lessons, how was Lu Xiuyuan supposed to keep up?

When their families got together, he could already picture how embarrassed he'd be.

Lin Hongwen was over the moon, but Lu Xiuyuan suddenly blurted out, "No way!"

Yan Fengan had already read these two like a book, so he said to Lu Xiuyuan, "Brother Lu, hold your horses. What I just said to Brother Lin goes for you too."

Lu Xiuyuan wanted to say that as the young master of the Lu family, he could hire any tutor he dang well pleased and didn't need Yan Fengan's help.

But the words of refusal got stuck in his throat, and he swallowed them down.

Lin Hongwen, on the other hand, didn't give a damn and said happily, "Then it's a deal."

After the two left, Yan Fengan let out a long breath. He'd spent all that time patiently humoring these two young masters, hoping it wouldn't be for nothing.

As long as Wen Xi's handiwork could win over their families and slowly spread through their circle, then Wen Xi's pricey stuff would have no shortage of buyers.

Yan Fengan was playing the long game, but Lin Hongwen and Lu Xiuyuan were in a hurry. Within just three to five days, they had brought several classmates to place orders for pouches and fan cases.

More orders were good, but these items were laborious to embroider. Even with the help of his sister-in-law and Brother Jin, the embroidery patterns still had to be done stitch by stitch by Wen Xi.

The fan cases also needed lining and backing, so even if Wen Xi skipped working in the fields and focused solely on embroidery, it would still take several days to complete one.

After careful consideration, Yan Fengan accepted only five pouches and three fan cases, with a promise to deliver them before the Dragon Boat Festival break.

After collecting the deposits, he asked, "Do you have any preferences for patterns or styles? If so, just tell me, and I'll note them down for you."

Wang Ziqing spoke up first, "If possible, could you embroider 'passing the imperial exams three times in a row' on my pouch?"

The so-called 'passing three times in a row' meant embroidering lychees, walnuts, and longans on the pouch, symbolizing success in the imperial examinations—a favorite among academy students.

After he spoke, the others followed suit: "I want a magpie on a plum branch."

"A rooster crowing—I want a big rooster."

After Wang Ziqing's request, everyone who ordered a pouch chose designs related to scholarly success.

Yan Fengan noted them all down, and once they left, he began writing a letter to Wen Xi. Afraid Wen Xi wouldn't know what these patterns looked like, he also drew small sketches for each one and attached them.

The academy had messengers who delivered letters for a fee based on distance. The Yan family lived far away, so Yan Fengan spent fifty wen to have the messenger make the trip.

Though the fee was high, the messenger was efficient, delivering the letter to Wen Xi within half a day.

Upon receiving the letter, Wen Xi was surprised. Fearing something important had happened, he quickly tore it open and read it carefully, word by word.

The more he read, the more astonished he became.

Wen Xi hadn't expected Yan Fengan to be so capable. In just over ten days, he had not only sold those two pouches but also secured additional orders.

According to Yan Fengan's letter, each pouch sold for three taels and each fan case for five taels. Five pouches and three fan cases added up to thirty taels.

Wen Xi's hand trembled slightly as he held the letter. Afraid he'd miscalculated, he counted several more times, but the number was always the same.

Thirty taels!

Good heavens, could his embroidery really fetch that much? Was he dreaming?

Wen Xi pinched his arm, and when he realized it was real, he ran around the courtyard twice in excitement, his heart pounding so hard he couldn't calm down.

His family was startled by his behavior. Chen Lanfang quickly asked, "What's wrong, Xi? Sanlang is fine at the academy—why would he send a letter? Has something happened?"

Only then did Wen Xi snap back to reality. Blushing, he ran over and handed the letter to Chen Lanfang, "You'll see when you read it. Sister-in-law, Brother Jin, come and take a look too."

Usually, it wasn't proper for others to read a couple's correspondence, but since he'd offered, He Jin and Li Wan didn't hold back.

After all, they were genuinely curious about what Yan Fengan had written.

After the three of them finished reading, they finally understood why Wen Xi was so excited.

He Jin couldn't help but sigh, "Third Brother is truly more capable than I ever imagined. I don't know how his mind works so well—he gets top marks on his exams, and on top of that, he's managed to pull off such a big deal just by going to school."

Folks like them, who did embroidery in the countryside, weren't necessarily any less skilled than the city workshop folks. It was just that those workshops had established clientele and could make connections, so even if someone struck out on their own, they wouldn't have to worry about selling their goods.

As for them, the things they painstakingly made could only be sold at rock-bottom prices to embroidery shops and peddlers, who took the lion's share of the profit while they did all the hard work and got worn out for it.

He Jin knew Wen Xi's stitching technique well and had originally worried it might not get the recognition it deserved. He never expected that Third Brother would make a name for him at the academy and sell his work at such a price.

Geez, forget everyone else—even he was a little jealous.

Chen Lanfang smiled after reading the letter, and Li Wan chimed in cheerfully, "Mother, it looks like we're about to have another big earner in the family. From now on, our days are bound to get better and better."

Chen Lanfang said proudly, "Little Xi has a real talent for this. I knew he'd figure out something impressive."

After a moment's thought, she added, "Since Sanlang took the orders and promised a deadline, Little Xi should focus on his work during this time. You don't need to worry about the fields—the three of us will take turns cooking. You just concentrate on your embroidery and don't bother with anything else."

He Jin also said, "That's right. If there's anything you need me or Sister-in-law to help with, just say the word."

Wen Xi nodded, moved, and said, "Alright, thank you all."

Li Wan said generously, "We're family—no need for thanks. If you earn money, we get to share in the benefits too."

Wen Xi blinked back the tears and said with a bold smile, "Once I make money, I'll definitely make sure you and Brother Jin are well taken care of."