Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 141 Angry
Perhaps it was because Xie Yuyan had looked at Wang Yan's lifelike flower paintings for a while before going to sleep that she had many dreams in a daze, and later she only remembered that she was putting flowers in someone's hair.

The woman lowered her head and carefully placed the lifelike flower in her hair.

Then he exclaimed, "Beautiful!"

Naturally, she was not telling the truth, because she seemed to have no recollection of what the person looked like.

Empress Dowager Xie rarely dreamt except when the country was destroyed. Everything passed through her heart without leaving a trace, so how could she create dreams?

In this life, I am often suddenly stirred up by waves while I am asleep.

But I won't think about it too much.

After breakfast, Zhang was to bring gifts to see Mr. Tong, who then formally accepted Yang Qin as his disciple.

Yang Qin was wearing a brand-new robe and looked exceptionally energetic.

Mrs. Zhang couldn't stop smiling. Last year, Qin Ge could only read books in the kitchen, but this year the family has bought tables, chairs, and utensils, and the east room has been cleaned up so that Qin Ge could move in.

Good things kept happening to them, making people feel that better days were just around the corner.

"Go ahead." Xie Yuyan nodded to Qin Ge'er.

Yang Qin replied, "My mother and I will go and return as soon as possible."

Yang Qin has been worried about things at home these past two days.

The mother and son walked out, out of the small courtyard of the three houses, and looked towards the main house of the second house.

The second branch of the family was deserted and quiet. The courtyard of the second old lady and the second old master had been completely emptied, and the house and land had been taken back to the third branch of the family.

Xie Yuyan asked Zhang if she wanted to move back, but Zhang shook her head. Both mother and son felt that their current courtyard was quite nice; although it wasn't large, it was sufficient.

Just thinking about how the two old masters and mistresses were willing to harm their own siblings in order to fight for that house sends chills down my spine.

Yang Qin said, "My sister-in-law said that when spring comes, she will turn that courtyard into an ancestral hall and clan school."

Zhang nodded: "Your sister-in-law has thought things through very well."

When the ancestral tablets of the Yang family are enshrined, descendants should remember this history of conflict within the clan when they worship, thus serving as a warning to the Yang family descendants.

The mother and son boarded the carriage at the door. Just as the driver was about to urge the horse forward, Yang Qin lifted the curtain and happened to see a group of people entering Yong'an Ward.

……

Tong Zixu got up early today, just to wait for Yang Qin to come and pay his respects as his master.

After everything was prepared, Yang Qin sat down in the house. A moment later, he entered the room. Zhang presented him with gifts first, and Yang Qin then paid respects to his master and offered tea according to custom.

After the ceremony, Tong Zixu's friends and disciples came in to offer their congratulations.

However, Yang Qin's smile seemed somewhat forced, and both he and Zhang Shi looked worried.

"But is something wrong at home?" Tong Zixu asked.

Yang Qin's eyes immediately reddened: "The officials came to my house early this morning and asked my sister-in-law to hand over the recipes for Buddhist charcoal and clay stoves... saying it was for the sake of the people of Daming Prefecture..."

Tong Zixu's face darkened.

The scholars looked at each other and realized that what Zuo Shangying, the poor scholar, had said yesterday, had come true today.

Tong Zixu frowned: "Where's your sister-in-law? Did she agree?"

Yang Qin shook his head: "My sister-in-law urged me to come quickly so as not to delay. I still don't know how things are at home."

After becoming an apprentice, there was supposed to be a banquet, otherwise Tong Zixu wouldn't have invited his friend over. Unexpectedly, this happened.

Tong Zixu said, "Go back now and inform me immediately if you have any definite news."

Yang Qin nodded.

The mother and son left in a hurry, and the disciples also went about their business. Tong Zixu then looked at Liu Erlang and the others: "I wonder if Madam Xie will refuse?"

Someone asked, "How can we help?"

Liu Erlang shook his head: "Even if we go to the yamen to make arrangements now, it's probably too late." He couldn't seem to find an excuse to support Madam Xie.

As everyone was pondering, Zuo Shangying said, "That's really the case. I just hope that Madam Xie can hold on. I don't know about others... but those merchants in Daming Prefecture... all have shady ways of doing things behind the scenes."

“Aren’t they using the reputation of Buddhist charcoal to pressure Madam Xie? Then we’ll keep an eye on this matter. If anyone deliberately raises the price of the clay furnace or lowers the wages of the workers, we’ll go to the yamen and ask the magistrate to stand up for the people of Daming Prefecture.”

Liu Erlang and the others' eyes lit up when they heard this.

“Good idea,” Liu Erlang said. “Let’s do as Shang Ying says.”

Zuo Shangying looked at the tabloid on the table: "Besides, we still have tabloids. If we encounter injustice, we can write it down and publish it in the tabloids."

The people in the room only now realized the truth; they hadn't thought of the tabloids before—they could expose all those shady dealings.

……

Yong'anfang, Yang Family.

Xie Yuyan sat in the main room, looking at the official documents in his hand.

On the table sat a clay stove, the charcoal inside glowing red, and the persimmons roasting on it emitting a fragrant aroma.

Within a few days, the county magistrate met Madam Xie four or five times, and each time he felt something different about her. But without exception, he felt uneasy.

Especially today.

He arrived with official documents, but hesitated when he entered the Yang family's house.

There were only Madam Xie and a few other family members in the main room, but the atmosphere was so oppressive that he felt suffocated.

The county magistrate was about to speak some profound words.

Xie Yuyan spoke up, "Just as you said, my making Buddhist charcoal and clay stoves was guided by Master Zhiyuan, not for profit."

The county magistrate was speechless; he hadn't said anything yet. Madam Xie acted as if he had already spoken.

To put it nicely, Madam Xie is sensible and pragmatic.

To put it bluntly, I'm just too lazy to listen to him sing opera.

"It's not impossible for me to come up with the method for making clay stoves, but I have a few requirements."

Suddenly, the power of conversation shifted to Madam Xie, and the county magistrate could only listen.

Xie Yuyan said, "We have only just begun firing this clay furnace, so there may be some shortcomings. If anything goes wrong in the future, it will not be our responsibility."

The county magistrate replied, "Of course."

Xie Yuyan continued, "Each hired worker must be paid at least one hundred coins. Whether it's Buddhist charcoal or clay stoves, the employer's profit must not exceed thirty percent."

The county magistrate nodded subconsciously.

Xie Yuyan said, "The methods for making Buddhist charcoal and clay stoves were made by Master Zhiyuan. I can offer these two methods as a gift, and whoever obtains them should not sell them for profit."

The county magistrate replied, "Of course."

Xie Yuyan paused, as if considering, and said, "That's all."

The county magistrate breathed a slight sigh of relief. Madam Xie was definitely unwilling to hand over the method, but seeing that he could not refuse, he could only set up a few difficult problems.

Once you understand these things, they're nothing to worry about.

Having fired kilns for so many years, the Xie family must have acquired the methods and be able to distinguish the genuine from the fake. If they cannot fire a clay kiln exactly like the Yang family's, they will take the matter to the authorities.

As for hiring a worker for one hundred coins, that's the Xie family's own business.

Xie Yuyan nodded: "Then I will write the document with you, sir."

Without delay, the county magistrate readily agreed.

After finishing the document, Xie Yuyan seemed to remember to ask, "I wonder which pottery kiln the government intends to have work with us to fire clay kilns?"

(End of this chapter)