Miao Chu

Chapter 204 Humility
Upon hearing this, Rui Fusheng appeared to suddenly understand and said, "I was wondering why Brother Xiang would do such a losing business. But in my opinion, even if that Mrs. Song is wonderful in every way, she is already unsuitable because she doesn't have the support of her family."

"We've traveled all over the country, so we naturally know about the power dynamics between officials and businessmen. Only with officials can there be business. What's the use of making a lot of money if there's no official standing behind you? Anyone in the higher-ups can just flick a finger and crush us!"

"Even if you have such a large fortune, didn't you earn it through your own hard work? If you rely entirely on spending money and connections, wouldn't you feel bad about it?"

This sentence hit Xiang Yuan right where it hurts!
He sighed, “That’s right. No one else would understand what I’m saying. Only people like you and me, who have built our fortunes from scratch, know how hard it is to earn money and how tough life is!”

Rui Fusheng said, “Brother, you advised me before, and now it’s my turn to advise you. Why not take a longer view? Those who become officials are not well fed, and their daughters and sisters are not easy to marry. Why not find a family with good students, arrange a marriage early, and help the brothers study and get an official position?”

“When the time comes, if you lift people up, they can help your lineage in the future, and your descendants can follow the path that was paved ahead. Having an elder in the officialdom will be a great help.”

"In a few years, whether it's your brother-in-law or your brother-in-law, once they pass the imperial examination and have money, they can use it all they want. Are you afraid they won't be able to climb the ranks? Once they climb high and become high-ranking officials, with the protection of those officials, are you afraid they won't make enough money? Everyone will be eager to give them to them!"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yuan shook his head and laughed, "Brother, you're still young. You think scholars are all that great? You're the only one who can calculate, while they can't?"

“Last year when I passed through Zhengding, there was a leather merchant named Chu. Do you remember him?”

Seeing Rui Fusheng nod, Xiang Yuan continued, "As soon as we met, he started complaining to me with tears streaming down his face. He said that he had arranged a marriage for his son and supported the education of that in-law's brother. Now that the brother has become an official and risen quickly, he has turned his back on his sister and doesn't even acknowledge her anymore. He sent a plate of silver to her door, saying that he was repaying the favor from before. He also said that if the Chu family continues to use his name to associate with others, he will report them to the authorities and have them arrested!"

"The most ruthless are officials! When they're in power, they're all smiles and gratitude, but once they gain power, they become arrogant and domineering! You have to be wary of even your own brothers, let alone a married daughter who's already gone! How much use can you expect her to be?"

Rui Fusheng was astonished and asked, "Is that so? The last time I saw him, he seemed to be doing very well!"

Xiang Yuan nodded and said, "I heard it with my own ears, how could it be false?"

Rui Fusheng couldn't help but sigh.

But after thinking for a moment, he added, "Even so, the one you mentioned is, after all, just an orphan girl who can't be married. It's really not worth it to bring her into the family. If you're talking about stunning beauties, where can't you find them? Just give the word, and I can find you ten or eight extremely beautiful women from all over the world. Keep them in your room and do whatever you want with them!"

"I have an idea for you—who says that once you bring a woman home, she has to be your first wife?"

Xiang Yuan asked hesitantly, "What do you mean, brother?"

Rui Fusheng cut to the chase, saying, "With your wealth, brother, surely you can afford to take a concubine?"

Xiang Yuan shook his head and said, "That woman has a temper and is skilled. She probably wouldn't agree to be a concubine."

"What does it matter whether she agrees or not?" Rui Fusheng said dismissively. "Since she has no one to rely on, we can devise a plan. Once we succeed, why should she be unwilling?"

Xiang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "This... isn't a good idea!"

Rui Fusheng laughed and said, "Brother, you're usually so decisive and straightforward. Why are you being so fussy and clingy today? Great men don't concern themselves with trifles. With your character, once you're in the house, would you really wrong her? It would be best if you succeeded in one fell swoop. Even if she's heavily pregnant, she might act like she's going to kill herself for a while. If you coax her and give her some benefits, she'll want to change her mind on her own in the future! She'll even consider everything for you in the future!"

"Those who seem so chaste and virtuous become completely obedient once you've had your way with them, without exception!"

"What does a woman's life all about? Someone to rely on. You couldn't find someone as good as Brother Xiang even with a lantern. Does she still think she's some pampered daughter, putting on airs like this?"

"She's staying at the official post station right now, so it's not convenient for her to make any moves, but didn't you say she'd be returning to the capital soon?"

"With people and horses exhausted on the road, it's perfectly normal for something to go wrong when staying at an inn. We can just force her to have sex halfway through the journey!"

Xiang Yuan was still a little hesitant, saying, "It's not appropriate. What if they start shouting halfway through..."

"What are you afraid of, you grown man! If you start yelling, will she suffer the loss or will you? If you attract attention and people break down the door, and she actually sees it, how will she have the face to face herself?" Rui Fusheng laughed heartily. "Brother, listen to me!"

“We’re doing this for her own good. As you said, a young woman all alone, without any family background, yet possessing skills and a house, is the envy of many. At least here, she has a legitimate status and protection, shelter from the wind and rain. If she were in another place, they might snatch her away, and she’d be tormented by the women in the inner quarters. Your house is so peaceful; once she has a son or daughter, even if a proper wife comes later, she’ll still be able to hold her head high!”

After being persuaded at length, Xiang Yuan still seemed undecided, shaking his head and saying, "Never mind, let me think about it some more, there's still some time!"

"Brother Xiang, think it over carefully. Time waits for no one. If she returns to the capital, it will be even more difficult for you to make your move." After advising him, Rui Fusheng gave him a knowing smile. "Just what kind of beauty is she that you can't forget?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yuan leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and patted his thigh absently, half-closing his eyes as if he were pondering something.

After thinking for a long time, he shook his head, smacked his lips, and laughed, "She is indeed a beauty, but she is still a bit young, lacking a bit of flavor and excitement. However, I am not the same as I used to be when I was a womanizer. Now that I'm older, I'm not as obsessed with that kind of thing as before. Apart from her looks, I still value her cooking skills."

Rui Fusheng laughed heartily and said, "We haven't even entered the room yet, and you're already being modest on my behalf. If that's really the case, I'll have to take a good look tomorrow to see if it's really lacking in flavor!"

***
Outside the official post station, a middle-aged man got off a carriage with a child and was giving him careful instructions.

"You've always been sensible, so I don't need to tell you repeatedly. Once you go inside and see the people, don't hesitate or look back. Just be natural and confident!"

The boy was not tall, but he was quite good-looking and had a pleasing appearance. Upon hearing this, he immediately nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, nephew will definitely do his best. Not only this time, but also when we go to the capital in the future, I will study hard and do my job well while following the two young masters. I will not let my second uncle and the clan lose any face!"

Seeing his reaction, the middle-aged man stopped in his tracks and said, "Wait."

He pulled the boy aside and said, "Child, I told you before that I sent you to the capital not so you could take care of anyone—your aunt also specifically told me to explain to you clearly that you're going to study, not to serve others, do you understand?" The boy hesitated for a moment and said, "I understand, but the opportunity to follow Mr. Tingqing is really rare, and it's a bit unfair that I took it instead of my two older brothers. Second Uncle, how about I organize what I learn into articles every day and send them home regularly?"

The middle-aged man's expression immediately turned serious, and he shook his head, saying, "That's not appropriate!"

He added, “You are young and do not know that such behavior is taboo. You should not casually reveal what senior scholars do not actively share, because who knows what a word might be interpreted as meaningless. I sent you to the capital to study under Mr. Tingqing because you have the best aptitude and are the most suitable age.”

"Just focus on how you study each day, and write it down only for your own reference. Don't easily give it to others!"

He exchanged a few words with the boy, who couldn't help but say, "I'll only show this to my two older brothers, as long as they don't tell anyone else..."

The middle-aged man smiled and shook his head, patted his adopted son on the shoulder, and said, "Your brothers have their own paths to take. You just need to focus on your studies and get along well with your fellow students. Even if they are not your formal students, you can still develop feelings for them over time."

"If you can pass the imperial examinations and obtain official positions in the future, you brothers can take care of each other and help each other. That would be better than anything else. It's better than being young and weak now and having to focus on making records and sending them back."

The younger son was still a little anxious, saying, "With this notebook, maybe my brothers can do even better on their exams..."

The middle-aged man said, “Everyone has their own destiny. Even if they fail the exam, it’s good that you do. Your aunt and I have adopted you as our godson. A godson is a son. If we didn’t want to take over your lineage, we would have moved your family tree to our branch long ago. But no matter which branch, one pen cannot write two Zhang characters.”

"Now that you have achieved fame and success, won't you repay your family? Won't you be loving towards your brothers and filial to me and your aunt?"

The child nodded hurriedly, eager to make a vow immediately.

After giving a few more instructions, the middle-aged man led the child inside.

It turned out that the middle-aged man was named Zhang Fu, and he was the elder brother of Zhang, the wife of Yuan Jing, the former academic official of Weizhou.

At that time, seeing that her husband was unreliable, Madam Zhang asked her family for help in order to support her son.

The eldest brother, Zhang Fu, was eager to add two more places. In order to send his own children to study under Master Chen, he spared no effort in helping to raise grain and even sold and gave away his own medicinal herbs at a discount to Huazhou.

Not only that, he also transferred many students from the clan school, arranged for managers and employees from his own shop to help out, and took the initiative to purchase large quantities of timber, bricks and tiles, etc., without holding back at all.

Han Li naturally took note of this performance and first arranged for the Zhang family to have doctors on duty on the river, and then set up a thatched hut with a sign.

As a result, the reputation of Zhang's Medical Clinic quickly spread throughout Huazhou, and many people in various counties and villages of Weizhou also recognized the name of the clinic.

This month, the number of patients at Zhang's clinic has increased significantly. When asked, almost all of them came through referrals. Upon further inquiry, it turned out that someone had been cured in that thatched hut and then went back to spread the word, which led many people to come from far and wide.

Besides the thatched huts, Han Li also had them set up shops along the river. Although everything they sold was at the lowest price and they couldn't raise the price, the sheer number of people—four or five thousand in total, with about a thousand still living in huts—made it difficult for them to go to the city to buy things. They needed to take care of their basic needs, so naturally they had to buy a lot of things.

Not only that, he also agreed to add one more spot for students to study under Master Chen in the capital.

Zhang Changxiong had three sons. His eldest and second sons were too old, and his youngest son was just learning to run and had already passed the age limit set by Han Li. So he brought over the best student in the clan.

This boy is named Zhang Yong. He turned ten last August and is a promising student, but unfortunately, he lost his parents at a young age.

The eldest brother of the Zhang family is the clan head and has been supporting him for several years. Taking this opportunity, he simply adopted him as his godson. The reason he brought people here today is to give Han Li a piece of his mind and get his approval.

After entering, Zhang Fu asked around and learned that Han Li had not yet returned.

He wasn't in a hurry. He found a table, ordered a pot of tea, and sat down to wait patiently. While waiting, he instructed Zhang Yong on how to conduct himself in the capital.

"Although you are going there to study, you are now formally becoming a student, not just a regular teacher and student. The relationship is much closer, so you should treat him like your parents. The word 'filial piety' is perfectly appropriate when applied to a teacher. You don't need to flatter him, but you should also pay attention to his likes and dislikes. Especially since your teacher is not young, you should be careful about his diet and not be negligent in the slightest and cause any trouble..."

***
Zhang Changxiong was teaching his adopted son here, while Song Miao was frying fish in the kitchen.

According to Zhang Si Niang, even when this type of whitebait gets old, it is only about half the size of a palm. After removing the scales, gills, intestines, and other internal organs, and cleaning the black membrane inside the belly, marinate it slightly with ginger, scallions, and salt, wipe the water off the fish, and then fry it directly in lard.

Use plenty of oil and medium-high heat. The fish are added to the pan one at a time. As soon as they slide in from the side of the pan, they make a "sizzling" sound, and the fish skin almost immediately shrinks and sets, releasing the aroma of deep-frying.

Frying fish is best done with lard. Lard has an extremely rich, meaty aroma, while small river fish have a unique freshness. When the two collide, the slight fishy smell is completely blasted away by the hot lard, leaving only the aroma of fried fish mixed with the fragrance of oil. In particular, the freshness of the fish is amplified, making it incredibly delicious.

If the fish is dried thoroughly, it will be less likely to break or peel off the skin when frying.

Once the fish in the pot are fried until golden brown, take them out, add more firewood and heat the oil. When the oil gets hot again, fry them over high heat once more, drain the oil, and put them in a large bowl.

The seasoning is very simple: mustard seeds and Sichuan peppercorns are roasted and used immediately, then ground into powder with salt while still hot. The powder is then sprinkled on the fish, and the large bowl is gently tossed to mix the sauce evenly with the fish.

A bowl of small fish, their skin a tempting golden-brown, fried in hot oil until it blisters, like tiger stripes, with some parts darker in color and others still light yellow. The fish tails are golden brown, with even a touch of oil on the edges, hard and stubbornly standing there, but it's obvious that as soon as you bite into them, they will surrender and crumble into a fragrant, crispy bite.

(End of this chapter)