Miao Chu

Chapter 158 Stomp
When Zhan, the head of the grain trading company, borrowed grain from merchants in the same city, he made it sound like he was going to empty their warehouses. Naturally, the other grain merchants wouldn't remain silent and would come to ask what was going on, as well as to congratulate him on getting such a big deal.

This large amount of grain would eventually have to be moved to Ji County, and then travel along the river to Linghe Town. No matter how discreetly they tried to keep it a secret, countless people would see it along the way, and it was impossible to hide it from them.

However, things were still undecided, and Zhan, the head of the business, dared not reveal a word. In a city where everyone does business, you see each other all the time, and everyone knows what's going on in each other's business.

Zhang Liangxing had five sons. Apart from the two older ones who worked in the shop, the other three were sent to study at the academy.
Although the Liu family's sons are all grown up, none of them are good at studying, but his brother-in-law almost got into the state school last year.
The Deng family is even more troublesome. The second son is studying at the state school. Those who have tasted the benefits understand them better than those who haven't, making them more difficult to deal with.

This group consists of major grain merchants in the city. Although they hold the title of head of a grain business, this position is usually rotated among them. In terms of business strength, they are actually quite similar.

If others find out that Yuan Xueguan is going to take on a disciple, they will start fighting. Even if you should have been the first to take on the role, in this kind of situation, who cares about first come, first served?

For Yuan Xueguan, it didn't matter who he recruited; his only purpose was to raise grain. But for people like him, it could very well become an opportunity for their descendants to turn their lives around.

Zhan Xingshou immediately put on a sighing face and said, "Alas! It's not a business at all! It's just that when I was in trouble in my early years, a benefactor helped me every year. Now, a relative of this person has taken up a post in Huazhou, and for some reason, he suddenly needs to raise grain everywhere, so he came to me. Considering our past relationship, I had no choice but to help him. I can't just be ungrateful, can I? I didn't make any money off him, I even lost money!"

As he spoke, he showed the sales documents to everyone.

As expected, the price set by the higher-ups was 10% lower than the market price.

There are many kinds of grains. This grade of rice and flour is just a small profit. This time, the demand is urgent and there is a lot of grain, but the payment is small. We also have to arrange for people to transport it to the dock. We will owe favors to the people who arranged the goods and also waste manpower. It is really a losing proposition.

Seeing him pour out his grievances and having seen the sales documents, the bystanders didn't think too much about it. They even offered a few words of comfort before dispersing.

As for Zhan, the head of the group wiped the sweat from his brow and hurriedly called a servant to bring him a dry towel to wipe the sweat that had broken out on his back. He couldn't help but mutter "I'm sorry" to himself.

This matter will inevitably come to light and will provoke public outrage.

But compared to the benefits gained, there was nothing that could be done about the public outrage—any one of them, if given the same opportunity, would never have told the truth!

***
Yuan Jing handed the matter over to Zhan Xingshou and went home, first explaining the situation to his wife.

Upon hearing this, Yuan's wife immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "I have already written the letter and haven't delayed for a moment. I have asked the steward to personally lead people to Songyang."

He added, "The journey is long, so I can't be vague and make my two sons anxious. If I'm not careful on the way, something bad might happen..."

Yuan Jing hurriedly said, "But we can't tell the truth. What if something goes wrong with the letter along the way..."

Yuan's wife, surnamed Zhang, was from a prominent local family. Upon hearing this, she retorted angrily, "Do you think I'm so ignorant?!"

He added, “I was thinking that I had mentioned before that my father-in-law’s new grave had been open for three years and that it was time to collect the bones. In the past, I was concerned because my son was studying away from home, and I thought I would wait until they had time to come back before doing it. Now I explained in the letter that the date had been set and the bones should be collected immediately. Both of them are filial, so they will definitely rush back home without worry.”

"Once the person returns and this matter is settled, it's not too late to go back to Songyang and slowly arrange for the suspension of schooling. If all else fails, my lord, you can write a letter and ask someone to help you make some arrangements to reserve the place for now. That way, if you can't stay in the capital in the future, you'll have a way out when you come back to study."

Seeing that Zhang had handled things so well, Yuan Jing couldn't help but praise her, saying, "What a virtuous wife you have!"

He added, “Both of them have become disciples of Mr. Tingqing. This man is always easily swayed and kind-hearted. If they follow him, they will surely be able to find a way out for themselves in the capital in half a year. In that case, my son will not need to study or seek fame and fortune. He can just come back and live a quiet life to avoid trouble!”

Seeing her husband belittle their son like that, Zhang couldn't help but glare at him, feeling that men were ultimately unreliable.

When she went to bed that night, she tossed and turned, becoming increasingly worried. She then pushed her husband hard, waking him up, and said, "What if Zhan Ji can't gather that much grain within two days?"

Yuan Jing, still half-asleep, said, "Don't worry, I gave him a half-day to make it quick. Even if it's a little late, it shouldn't cause any problems."

“If he asks for so much grain at once, and it’s not readily available anywhere, his son might just not become your student. There are plenty of officials who don’t share the Yuan surname, and they can go somewhere else. But what about my son? Once you miss this opportunity with Master Tingqing, you’ll never have another chance!”

Although these words were harsh, Yuan Jing, the two-legged scholar-official, had to admit they made a lot of sense, and could only say, "Then what should we do? Should I find another one?"

"What are you looking for? They're all from Weizhou City. If they can't do this, then they can do that?"

Zhang became increasingly uneasy as she thought about it, and asked, "If I buy too much, will Young Master Han accept it?"

It would be good enough if they could even reach the required number. Yuan Jing hadn't thought that far ahead, only saying, "I'm afraid they were bought at a low price anyway..."

He added, "I'll go ask about it tomorrow."

Zhang couldn't wait until tomorrow, so she jumped out of bed, ignoring her husband, and called out "Sulan" repeatedly. When someone came in, she got out of bed and shouted, "Grind the ink for me!"

As she tied her hair up with a hairpin, she urged, "Have someone prepare the carriage and tell my nanny to go home."

Zhang's home was naturally her maternal home.

She hastily wrote a letter, and when the old woman arrived, she handed it to her. Then she went to the outer room, and seeing that her husband was not around, she said to the other party, "Tell my elder brother to help me buy a batch of grain..."

After recounting Han Li's demands one by one, she added, "Although our family isn't in the capital, it's still in a large county, and a major thoroughfare. Even if we can't buy that much grain, we can probably scrape together one or two tenths of it..."

After finishing speaking, she whispered, "Take the money from my wooden box and give it to my elder brother. I can't let my family give me money."

The nanny panicked and hurriedly said, "This is Madam's personal savings!"

Zhang said, "There's no time to worry about that right now. Fathers are carefree, but after all, the child didn't just fall out of his belly. As the mother, I have to support him!"

However, no sooner had she sent off the dowry maid overnight than the next morning she saw her elder brother come to her door in person, looking travel-worn.

Zhang was quite surprised and hurriedly asked, "Why is elder brother here?"

The eldest brother, without bothering to explain, said, "Don't worry, the matter of my two nephews is our own family matter, and there won't be any problems—I've already sent all the reliable managers under my command to procure grain."

Taking advantage of the fact that there were no other people around, he asked his sister, "How confident is your brother-in-law about Mr. Tingqing's matter?"

Zhang recounted the entire incident, detailing all the circumstances, and then continued, "That man is called Han Li. He is the last disciple of the great Confucian scholar Fu, and the junior brother of Mr. Tingqing. He used to write insightful articles that criticized current affairs, which you, elder brother, must have read." "This man also insulted Minister Cao before the New Year, that guy with the yellow dog and cockfighting—he personally promised that as long as the grain was gathered, he wouldn't go back on his word, even for the sake of his teacher's reputation and his own—otherwise, how could he have the face to insult others in the future?!"

The elder brother nodded, took out an envelope from his pocket, and put it in his sister's hand, saying, "We're family, don't do these outsider things!"

When Zhang opened it, she saw that it contained the money notes she had given away the night before. She quickly said, "Even close siblings should keep clear accounts, elder brother..."

Her elder brother waved his hand and said, "A mother's brother is the greatest. If your nephew becomes successful, wouldn't he remember his uncle? We came from the same mother's womb, so don't say such things."

Seeing that his sister was about to speak, he added, "Your sister-in-law also agrees to this—stop arguing."

After returning the money, Zhang Changxiong took a cup of tea, brought it to his lips, but didn't drink it for a long time. He then put it back on the table and suddenly asked, "Second Sister, do you think that only two people can be admitted to Mr. Tingqing's school?"

He added, "It's not like I'm becoming an apprentice; it's just a study tour. Surely the number of places wouldn't be so strictly limited?"

Zhang had already understood what her elder brother meant, and said, "My two nephews are too old, and my youngest is too young."

"He's not too young anymore, and he's already quite sensible—I won't make things difficult for my brother-in-law. Once our two nephews' affairs are settled, we'll see if we can introduce them. Han Li is working in Huazhou, digging canals and repairing dikes. Does he only lack grain? Does he lack everything else?"

“My brother-in-law helped him raise so much grain and rice, and he got these two spots. I’ll provide everything else – bricks, tiles, timber, bamboo, you won’t lack anything. We also have a pharmacy, so we can send some medicine over. The construction site will need it eventually. It’s a token of our appreciation, a timely help in his time of need. I hope you’ll agree to give me a spot, right?”

Zhang hesitated for a moment, then said, "My own nephew, there's no reason for me to abandon him, but..."

Zhang Changxiong said, "Don't be troubled. Just ask one question. If it works out, that's fine. If not, then forget it. But I brought someone with me today. Look, he's an orphan from the clan. He's very talented and sensible. He's ten years old. I've adopted him as my godson. If your nephew doesn't work out, he can serve his two nephews. That should be alright, right?"

After saying that, he had someone bring the boy in.

Zhang asked a few questions and found that the man was indeed very reliable and likable.

Zhang Shi could make the decision to take in a servant for her son without hesitation. After the child was sent away, she said to her eldest brother, "An adopted son is still a son. I will explain it to the two younger ones. You should also tell him that it is for studying. Don't let him think that he is really going to be a servant, so as not to cause any resentment."

The brother and sister discussed this endlessly, not only for their own offspring but also for the continuation of their family line.

Meanwhile, Han Li got up early and went straight to the Weizhou government office.

The prefect had given the instructions properly, and his subordinates were not troubled at all. They drafted the official document according to his request and arranged for someone to accompany him to the Weizhou Prefectural School.

Han Li entered the state school and, without bothering two people, went directly to see Yuan Jing.

Upon seeing him arrive, the latter immediately broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, "Why is Zhengyan here? I'm handling my matter right now, it won't be delayed, so don't rush to find someone else..."

As he spoke, he looked around, as if afraid someone would see him.

Han Li replied, "Brother Yuan, don't be in a hurry, it's another matter."

He added, “I have received the magistrate’s approval and plan to borrow eight students—preferably from Linghe Town. Even if not all of them are from there, it would be best if they were from neighboring areas and could understand the local accent.”

Upon hearing that they weren't asking other professors for supplies, Yuan Jing breathed a sigh of relief and immediately summoned someone to fetch the student roster. Before long, the list of students was completed, totaling seventeen.

Of these seventeen people, Yuan Jing was naturally unfamiliar with some, but he took it very seriously. He immediately asked the corresponding professors to inquire about their situations, and soon obtained a roster. He introduced each person to Han Li one by one, and then gathered everyone together during the break.

Once everyone was present, Han Li first identified himself, then explained his mission, and mentioned that he had received permission from the Prefect of Weizhou to transfer several students to Linghe Town to recruit laborers. He asked everyone to help with registration, recording, and accounting.

Finally, he said, “Most of you are from Linghe Town, and even if you are not, your homes are nearby. The area is frequently flooded. If Huazhou can divert water into Wangjing River, all the villagers and neighbors will benefit. Right now, I need to call eight people. It will take at least ten days, and at most longer, which will inevitably delay your studies. If you do not want to go, I will not make things difficult for you. Anyone who is willing to go, step forward now, and I will take the first eight.”

The students looked at each other, and two of them stepped forward first. Then everyone got impatient and several more stepped forward. In the end, everyone took a step forward. Some people, seeing that things were not going well, took a very large step, which was equivalent to two or three steps for others.

Han Li inquired about their situations one by one, and sure enough, the first eight were all from Linghe Town, and there was no issue of them not being able to communicate due to their local accents.

Once he had finalized the selections, Yuan Jing would handle the formalities. The selected students were thrilled, feeling a sense of excitement at participating in something important. They all rushed back to pack their luggage. The students who hadn't been selected hesitated at first, but now that they saw everyone else had been chosen while they hadn't, they regretted their slowness but were helpless.

Half an hour later, Han Li led eight students straight to Linghe Town.

***
While Han Li was recruiting students for Master Chen at Yuan Jing's house, Lu Wenming was also busy.

Although someone was leading the way, it was still dark. He and the guide he had hired carried torches and rode on horseback. In many places, there was a lot of water, and the horse could not see clearly. He stumbled a couple of times but managed to stand still. Lu Wenming was so tired that he was covered in sweat, some from exhaustion and some from fear.

By the time they arrived at the Jixian County government office, it was already past midnight.

Lu Wenming couldn't wait until dawn and knocked on the door in the dark.

The county government already has guards on duty at night, not to mention the current flood season.

He took the official document and went forward to inquire, and by sheer coincidence, the guard said, "You're looking for the county magistrate? He's on duty tonight."

Lu Wenming was taken aback.

He composed himself, took out another name card from his pocket, handed it to the other person, and said, "Please inform him that an old friend has come to visit."

Although the guard was somewhat suspicious, he didn't ask any further questions and took the name card and official documents inside.

Only a short while later, a series of chaotic clattering sounds of wooden clogs came from behind.

Lu Wenming, who was wiping his sweat, suddenly felt his heart pounding. He hurriedly stood still and straightened his hat and sleeves.

Before the sleeves were even properly straightened, a person came running out from inside the door, panting. Before he even got close, he shouted, "Old Lu! Is that you?!"