Di Ming

Chapter 95 White Dew Arrives

It turns out that Gou Dan is from Fugu County, Shaanxi Province, and lives at the foot of the Great Wall, across which lies the Mongolian grassland.

Many years ago, the Tartars invaded the Great Wall and plundered people. His father was kidnapped by the Mongols and became a falconer for a Mongol nobleman on the grasslands.

His father also had some talent in this area. He worked as a falconer in Mongolia for more than ten years and was proficient in falconry, pigeon training, and Mongolian ventriloquism. Later, he finally managed to escape back to his hometown in Fugu County.

After escaping back, he married and had a son, teaching him from a young age to train hawks and pigeons, as well as Mongolian ventriloquism. This was so that if he were ever captured by the Mongols again, he would have a better life with them.

Last year, my father offended a county official and was falsely accused of colluding with the enemy. The whole family was imprisoned and sold as government slaves.

He was sold to a merchant from Guanzhong, taken to Nanjing by a Qin merchant, and then sold again.

After confessing to these matters, Gou Dan then apologized, saying:
"Father, I lied when I said you looked like my older brother..."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Uh... I know you're lying, it's up to you whether you tell or not. Don't call me father, just call me lord."

"Yes, my lord," Gou Dan replied obediently.

As the only illiterate servant girl who was bought, Gou Dan was naturally very clever.

His cleverness had a wild quality to it, perhaps because he was born on the frontier, making him different from other children.

Zhu Yin said, "You don't have a formal name, but you must have a surname, right? What's your surname?"

Gou Dan replied, "Reporting to my lord, my surname is Murong."

Murong? Ning Caiwei's expression turned quite interesting upon hearing this surname.

Such a beautiful compound surname, and the person's name is Gou Dan (Dog Egg). Murong Gou Dan…

Zhu Yin was also speechless.

He knew that there were many Han Chinese with the surnames Murong and Huyan in ancient northern Shaanxi and northern Shanxi. It wasn't surprising that Gou Dan, being from northern Shaanxi, had the surname Murong.

But the name Murong Gou Dan is really hard to describe.

Dog Egg said, "If I change my name, my father and mother will never be able to find me again. Our family was separated and sold off, and I don't even know where my father was sold to."

"All I know is that my father's name is Murong Black Donkey."

Zhu Yin shook his head. "Forget it. I was originally thinking of changing your name to something nicer, but since you're afraid that your father will never be able to find you again after you change your name, then I won't change it."

How could he not know what Gou Dan was thinking?
This guy is too cunning. With proper training, he's a promising talent.

It is very useful for both training hawks and pigeons.

Falcons played a vital role in ancient hunting, serving many purposes including hunting, guarding, searching, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Falcons are also highly intelligent.

The importance of carrier pigeons goes without saying.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei looked at the twenty-one students they had bought at a high price with great anticipation, and they didn't feel bad about spending 1,200 taels of silver.

There were twenty-one trainees, thirteen men and eight women. The eight young girls were all unusual, as they did not have bound feet.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been chosen.

There are very few literate girls, and it's almost unbelievable that none of the eight girls had bound feet.

But the truth is that these eight girls all share a common identity: they are government slaves of the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), belonging to the lowest social class.

They were considered lowly; men were forbidden from taking the imperial examinations, and women were forbidden from binding their feet.

Nowadays, foot binding is considered noble, while not binding is considered lowly. Whether or not one's feet are bound has almost become a marker of social status.

Li Hanqiu and the other eight girls were all discarded government slaves from the same batch sold by the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), so it's normal that they didn't have bound feet.

Foot binding is a highly specialized and meticulous skill; without the guidance of elders, these young girls couldn't master it. Once they were reduced to slaves in the brothels, what elders would care for them?
Without the care of elders, no one allowed them to bind their feet.

Isn't that ironic?

The dancers in the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) were of low social status and needed to dance, so even fewer of them had bound feet.

In this way, Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei found eight literate girls who had not yet had their feet bound.

It was also a matter of luck.

……

As the White Dew falls in August, the locust leaves turn yellow in succession.

The White Dew season has arrived in the blink of an eye, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is just five days away.

However, on the third day after Zhu Yin returned to Qingqiao, the people from the Cen family business finally arrived.

When the people who were escorting Cen Xiubing back south arrived, Cen Xiubing had to take her leave.

As the wild geese fly south, she too longs to return home.

"Brother Zhihu, your older sister can't spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with you."

Cen Xiubing planned to go to Nanjing first, stay in the city for one night, and then return to Guangxi the next day.

After a month of getting to know each other, she had developed a very good relationship with Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei.

Although she was very reluctant to part with her little tiger brother, who was the incarnation of the God of War, she had to go back as soon as possible.

The autumn light is hazy, and the golden wind is gentle.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei held a banquet in the courtyard, and together with Ding Hongying, Lan Cha and others, they saw Cen Xiubing off.

The eight newly purchased girls from the music academy also took the initiative to awkwardly play musical instruments to entertain the banquet.

After drinking two cups of wine, Cen Xiubing started dancing the traditional hand-waving dance of the Tong people in front of the courtyard, accompanied by music.

Her figure was light and graceful, like a phoenix dancing in flight, as she sang in a melodious voice in the Tong language:

"White clouds leave the green hills, leaves fall to the horizon, my dear ones, farewell in autumn..."

"Even the finest rice wine cannot ease the sorrow of parting... I look back with every step, each year brings a new autumn of grief, and every night I pray to the ancestral god Buluotu for an early reunion..."

As the song reached this point, the strong-willed and spirited Zhuang girl couldn't help but have tears well up in her eyes.

Seeing the young woman he had rescued so saddened, Zhu Yin felt a pang of sorrow and recited the poem with heartfelt emotion:
White dew falls on the empty courtyard, and flying blossoms drift down into the stream.

Eight thousand miles from Cangwu, down to Ningzhou from Jianye.

A cup of wine at Nantai, the cries of returning geese in autumn.

The people remain the same today, but tomorrow they will wander the world.

Her sleeves were wet from dancing, and her servant sang a song of parting sorrow.

The misty waves recede from here, and I think of you as I climb the high tower.

Even the Jurchen people like Lancha and Mehe, who didn't understand poetry, felt an indescribable sadness upon hearing their young master's recitation.

Ning Caiwei was also somewhat saddened. Guangxi was too far away, and she didn't know if they would ever meet again, or when.

Upon hearing Zhu Yin's farewell poem, Cen Xiubing stopped her hand-waving dance, performed a Han-style salute, and said:
"Brother Zhihu, thank you for your farewell poem. Take good care of yourself, and we'll part ways here."

"Take care, Caiwei. Farewell."

Zhu Yin said in Tong language, "Sister Xiubing, take care on your journey, and please remember my words."

He was referring to the marriage between Cen Xiubing and An Bangyan.

An Bangyan is destined to become a rebel who launches the She'an Rebellion, declares himself king, and wreaks havoc in the southwest for eight years.

An Lushan is second.

After his defeat, he himself met a terrible end, being beheaded and mutilated.

Without the She'an Rebellion, the history of the late Ming Dynasty would be very different.

Zhu Yin certainly couldn't let Cen Xiubing jump into a fire pit and marry this ambitious man.

Cen Xiubing knew that Zhihu cared about her. Her clear, blue eyes fixed on Zhu Yin, she solemnly said:
“The incarnation of the God of War, Bubo, and my beloved benefactor, Zhihu, I will remember your advice as I remember my own name.”

"Since you say that person will bring me bad luck, then I know what to do."

She placed her hand on her chest and swore to the ancestral god Buluotu that she would definitely see Zhihu Adi, who shares her destiny with her and holds her life jade pendant, again.

She spoke with such sincerity and genuine emotion that Ning Caiwei felt a pang of jealousy.

Sigh, Zhu Yin is just too charming to women.

She's really popular with women.

Fortunately, she knew that the relationship between Cen Xiubing and Zhu Yin was like that of siblings. Cen Xiubing genuinely liked Zhu Yin, but treated him like an older sister.

Otherwise, her project would be very risky. Zhu Yin smiled and said, "There are two more things to say, do you remember them, sister?"

Cen Xiubing smiled brightly, "Remember, first of all, don't drink unboiled water, not even spring water. Because you'll get worms in your stomach."

"Secondly, do not go to Yunnan. It is a dangerous place due to war and chaos. Burmese troops often invade Yunnan to burn, kill, and loot."

Zhu Yin sighed, her little face full of reluctance, "I have nothing more to say."

With tears in her eyes, Cen Xiubing smiled and said, "The next time Qin Liangyu and I come to Nanjing, Brother Zhihu will definitely be a handsome young man, and I guess I'll be married by now."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "I wish my elder sister would marry into a good family and find me a heroic and capable brother-in-law."

Cen Xiubing nodded, picked up a glass of wine from the table, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I'm leaving. Don't bother seeing me off."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Several of Cen's attendants immediately led their horses and followed.

Zhu Yin and the others naturally wouldn't refuse to see her off. They escorted her all the way to Qingqiao Bridge, seeing Cen Xiubing across the bridge.

Cen Xiubing turned back and took a deep look at the boy, then at the river that still seemed to be in Song Dynasty style, before waving her hand and mounting her horse.

"Giddy up!" The young lady from the Zhuang family flicked her whip and spurred her horse into a gallop.

The autumn wind rises. Zhu Yin stands silently at the bridgehead, watching Cen Xiubing ride away on horseback.

Cen Xiubing walked a long way, then looked back and saw that small figure with a horn-shaped bun still standing quietly at the bridgehead.

Cen Xiubing couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and two lines of tears slid down her cheeks, scattering into the autumn wind.

……

"Stop looking," Ning Caiwei said with a laugh from behind Zhu Yin. "How about... we just go to Guangxi with her?"

Zhu Yin turned around, her face calm. "I call her elder sister."

"Hehe." Ning Caiwei's tone was subtle. "It's dangerous to be in a situation with the older sister in front and the younger sister behind. Let's go back."

“Let’s go back and have a family meeting. There are a lot of things to arrange.”

The two returned home and entered the newly renovated inner courtyard, where they sat down together in the bedroom.

This is a refined residence that combines a study and an embroidery room, and it is also the most exquisite small building in the Zhou family's villa.

The brand-new Four Books and Five Classics, the Four Treasures of the Study, and the screens, green curtains, brocade quilts, and embroidered curtains complement each other perfectly.

Inside the elaborately decorated canopy bed is a dressing table, surrounded by delicate gauze lanterns, and behind the bed is a large screen depicting court ladies.

Behind them were two brand-new toilets, and on a small table next to the toilets were an incense burner, toilet paper, and a copper basin.

Next to it was a brand new copper water clock, dripping water almost imperceptibly.

There was another washroom behind it, with a bathtub next to it.

The surrounding walls were coated with rose-scented mud and hung with a few inexpensive paintings and calligraphy pieces bought in the city for decoration.

To the west are bookshelves and display shelves, filled with new books and a few inexpensive porcelain pieces.

By the window is a large desk, spacious enough for two people to work comfortably.

To the east are several large, carved mahogany wardrobes. To the south is a landscape screen and a bamboo curtain.

Beyond that were the side rooms where the night watch maids slept, one on each side.

Look at this design, as long as the master calls out at night, the maid on night duty will have to go in and serve him.

This spacious and luxurious residence serves not only as a bedroom for three people but also as an office for them.

In reality, even if Ning Caiwei was nominally a child bride, living together like this was still against the rules of propriety.

After all, the two of them did not have a wedding ceremony, let alone bring a sister-in-law with them.

This is indecent. Even if they are still children.

But which of the three of them would care about these things?
On the large bed with its embroidered curtains, Ning Qingchen, having just finished nursing, was sleeping soundly.

She's already ten months old. You never know when she might suddenly stand up or start talking.

Ning Caiwei took off her embroidered shoes, put on a pair of wooden clogs, revealing her frosty feet, sat on the drum stool, looked at the bronze mirror on the dressing table, and said:

"This bronze mirror is new and hasn't been properly polished yet; it's very dim. If a mirror polisher passes by the door again, I must take it out to have it polished."

As she spoke, she opened a drawer in the dressing table, took out a thread-bound ledger, and pulled out a homemade quill pen from the pen holder.

"Little tiger, guess how much gold and silver we still have?"

Ning Caiwei adopted the demeanor of a finance meeting.

"Huh?" Zhu Yin was a little confused. "How much? I don't remember."

Ning Caiwei shook her head, "You, you don't care about anything, not even the basic necessities of life. You're such a hands-off manager."

"When we first arrived in Nanjing, it cost a little over five thousand taels. The cost of mooring the boat was one hundred and fifty taels, four hundred taels for registration and other expenses, three hundred and sixty taels for rent, four hundred and twenty taels for a large shopping trip, three hundred taels for a brush washer, one thousand two hundred and sixty taels for students, and there were also expenses for lodging, hiring carriages, and other things within the city..."

Zhu Yin's face turned green. "Only two thousand taels left?"

Ning Caiwei nodded, "There are only two thousand and twenty taels left, plus a few more taels of loose silver."

"We only have two thousand taels of silver, but we have to support thirty-six people, five horses, and hire a wet nurse."

"Within one year, including the rent, agricultural tax, and poll tax of the following year, we need to set aside five hundred taels as daily expenses and emergency reserve funds. These five hundred taels should be kept separately and accounted for separately, and should not be misappropriated easily."

"Secondly, next month, we will give Magistrate Zhuang eight hundred taels of silver to help you get into the Imperial Academy through a donation."

"In that case, I only have seven hundred taels of investment capital left to use!"

“Brother, I only have seven hundred taels left as capital for investment.”

"The jade material is not needed for the time being."

"We have to be careful with this expense; otherwise, we'll only get more stressed."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but feel a little dejected. Although he didn't care about money, he hadn't expected to have so little left.

Only seven hundred taels of cash remained for investment.
Ning Caiwei dipped a quill pen into the ink and began writing on the ledger with great seriousness.

“No, that’s not right,” Zhu Yin suddenly said. “We still have a reward! Old Man Hai promised us. The amount involved is so large, and some Jesuit foreigners have been arrested.”

"This reward is at least three to five thousand taels of silver!"

Ning Caiwei raised her pretty face, which could be both happy and angry, her starry eyes full of anticipation, "Is there really a reward? How long will it take? I'm waiting for the rice to cook."

“Uh,” Zhu Yin touched his forehead, “it will be at least early next year. The imperial court’s reward will have to wait until the case is completely closed before going through the process, which will take at least half a year.”

This is too little, too late. Ning Caiwei was immediately a little disappointed.

It seems we'll have to find another way to address the issue of the principal. Seven hundred taels of capital might not be a small business for others, but it's far too little for her.

For her, utilizing funds was like Han Xin commanding troops – the more the merrier.

Zhu Yin said, "Let's not talk about money for now, it won't come up anytime soon. Let's talk about training the students first."

"There are twenty-one people in total, how should we divide them?"

"Should we teach separately or together?"

Ning Caiwei, already confident, tossed her hair and smiled:
"Don't separate them yet. Let's teach them together for six months. After six months, we'll get to know them better before we separate them. Then we'll know who will study intelligence and who will study business."

"In addition, they were both students and servants. They also had to do housework, and they were also assigned tasks such as cooking and washing clothes."

"What do you think?"

Zhu Yin nodded. "Great minds think alike. I think the same way. We'll divide into classes again in six months. Those who study intelligence will study intelligence, and those who study business will study business."

“A snake can’t function without a head. In a few days, we’ll group them according to their household chores, and each group will have a temporary leader.”

"This school is called the Family School. For the first six months, we won't teach specialized courses. We'll start with basic subjects like history, geography, mathematics, and physical education..."

As Zhu Yin was speaking, a soft, childlike voice suddenly said:

"What about me? I don't have any students."

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei turned around and saw Ning Qingchen standing shakily on the large bed, her jewel-like eyes holding a half-smile...

P.S.: I went for a medical check-up today, so this is all I can update for now. Thank you to the new patrons, Han Dong Qiu Xue and The Show, for their generous donations. I'll be adding more chapters for each of them later. Please vote with your monthly tickets, thank you!

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(End of this chapter)