Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 14 Money is rolling in
"Why should Alang get angry with such a wicked slave? She was sent here by her master to cause trouble. Even if she is driven away, who knows how she will slander Alang in front of her master after she returns, and only add to the hatred."

In the courtyard, Yingniang wasn't happy that Zhang Luo had driven Su Qiniang away. Instead, she sighed with worry, "If I could leave the Zhang family as soon as possible, I wouldn't have to worry about the resentment between master and servant. But now I'm trapped here for who knows how long, so I have to be careful!"

Ah Ying, who was standing by, said, "I think Alang did the right thing! Mother, you only said to be careful, but some difficulties can't be avoided by being cautious. Even if we greet him with a smile, will Su Qinniang praise Alang for his knowledge and manners when she returns? The stable keeper Wu Chuan used to try to trick Alang, but after being scolded, would he still dare to do it now?"

"You wicked servant, full of twisted logic! You can't help your master out of his predicament, but instead you're causing him resentment. You truly deserve a beating! Don't you understand the current situation?"

When Yingniang heard this, she became furious and raised her hand to hit Aying, fearing that Aying would fan the flames and further fuel Alang's youthful arrogance. Frightened, Aying quickly shrank behind Zhang Luo.

Zhang Luo raised his hand to hold Yingniang's wrist, then said gently, "Auntie, don't be angry. Although the current situation is difficult, there is always a way to resolve it. These slaves rely on their masters' prestige and are accustomed to bullying others. They are lowly at heart. The more they show off their power, the happier they are. They will never be kind to others. Only by frightening them will they learn to restrain themselves."

"After recovering from his illness, Alang has become more adept at handling people and has recently begun studying diligently again, which is all the more heartening. As long as Alang achieves academic success and is respected by others, what will the hardships of the past mean?"

Yingniang sighed after saying this, "He said a few days ago that he wanted to leave the Zhang family. After knowing that the mistress's evil intentions were lingering, I agreed. But Alang hasn't mentioned this matter since he returned from the farm. He just stays at home studying all day. It must be because the farm is not well-off, so it is difficult for him to leave the Zhang family. That's why Alang is concentrating on learning a trade. I don't know poetry or literature, and I don't have any other long-term plans. I can only spin yarn day and night, hoping to make ends meet..."

"Mom, you misunderstood. Actually, Alang..."

When Aying heard this, she couldn't help but speak, but before she could finish her words, Zhang Luo interrupted her with a light cough.

He hadn't explained clearly to Yingniang about his recent ghostwriting of the epitaph. Although older, Yingniang wasn't as assertive and decisive as his daughter, Aying. Zhang Luo worried that revealing the truth would only increase her anxiety, so he kept it a secret for now and told Aying not to reveal the details.

The two times Ah Ying followed Ah Lang in and out were truly eye-opening. She saw those awe-inspiring officials in the outside world being respectful in front of Ah Lang, and she saw Ah Lang earn hundreds of strings of cash with just an article. These were far beyond her previous understanding of Ah Lang.

However, due to her trust and admiration for A-Lang, she accepted everything very quickly. She even thought that A-Lang might have received the favor of heaven, and that the immortal dream had bestowed upon him the divine pen, which had transformed the once playful and averse A-Lang. Especially at this young age, A-Lang now looked like a golden, omnipotent god in her eyes!
So when Aying heard that her mother was still worried about her livelihood, she naturally felt a little ridiculous. Even if her mother spun yarn quickly and well, even if she spun continuously for three to five years, it would probably not be as much as what Alang gained from one article!

Although Yingniang stopped chasing her daughter, she still had a bad look on her face. She pointed at her and shouted angrily, "You've been wandering around all day doing nothing and wasting your food. Why don't you go and spin by the window? I'll go get Ah Lang some food."

"Ah I……"

Ah Ying had been secretly laughing at her mother's efforts in vain, but she didn't expect that she would be assigned this task. Her pretty face suddenly fell. She knew that this matter was of little significance, but she didn't dare to disobey her mother's orders anymore, so she could only walk towards the spinning wheel dejectedly.

Zhang Luo was also amused when he saw this. Fearing that the young lady would reveal her true identity after not being able to bear the corporal punishment, he raised his hand and said, "There's no rush to spin. Ah Ying, come and serve me ink first."

"I'm coming!"

When Aying heard this, she was immediately delighted and jumped back to Zhang Luo like a nimble deer.

Yingniang felt somewhat helpless upon seeing this scene. Although she was troubled by her current predicament, she was also happy to see the childhood sweethearts spending time together. With mixed feelings, she went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. Zhang Luo was unaware of the plot between his mistress, Zheng, and her servant.

The reason why he revealed to Su Qinnan that he was planning to leave the Zhang family was not purely out of spite. On the one hand, he wanted to test Madam Zheng's attitude and reaction to this. On the other hand, he wanted to warn the other party not to send people to provoke him frequently, so as to prevent him from making any extreme response.

Now he has found a way to make money, but he knows in his heart that this will not last long. First, there will be a risk of leaks in the end, and the longer it takes, the greater the risk. Second, the Zhang family's seemingly endless wealth and glory will not last too long. Zhang Luo naturally has to seize the opportunity and accumulate considerable funds before the crisis comes, and avoid other personnel disputes if possible.

He went to the desk, spread out the paper, and began to make a draft in his mind.

Ah Ying, standing beside her, also stood obediently at the table. Her fair hands grasped the ink stick and began to grind it meticulously. The contrast between her slender white knuckles and the jet-black ink was striking. A few strands of black hair cascaded down her temples, adding a touch of charm to her delicate and pretty face.

Zhang Luo took in this scene, his heart rising. No wonder the ancients considered "reading at night with the fragrance of red sleeves" the ultimate elegance. Regardless of the talent of these retired scholars, their aesthetic taste was truly trustworthy.

However, he soon realized what he was doing. These fantasies were really not serious, so he quickly shook his head to get rid of all the distracting thoughts. After knocking the wooden fish a few times in his mind, he straightened his mind and began to think seriously.

Liu Sihu of Bianzhou asked for an epitaph for his deceased mother. In ancient times, women usually took care of their husbands and children, and managed household affairs, and would not participate in social activities too extensively. Therefore, the epitaph mainly focused on praising her family background and her virtues and achievements as a woman. In particular, it was necessary to praise Liu Sihu, the filial son who paid for the epitaph, so that he would feel that it was worth the money.

Although Zhang Luo wrote the epitaph under a pseudonym, he did not do it perfunctorily and wrote it very seriously. In terms of the style of the epitaph, it is not necessarily inferior to Zhang Shuo. After all, the related article genre developed for more than a thousand years after Zhang Shuo. Apart from the aesthetic tastes of different eras, the grammatical structure is much richer.

Although these people were mainly asking for famous people's writings, as the saying goes, don't bully the poor young man. Perhaps in the future, Zhang Luo will be able to obtain power and literary achievements far higher than his grandfather through his own efforts. Then these people will have to regret that they did not have the foresight to directly ask Zhang Luo to write the epitaph, not knowing that Zhang Luo had already thoughtfully left them with no regrets.

With the experience from the previous transaction, this time the transaction went much more smoothly. Two days later, Liu Sihu personally delivered the remaining balance to Zhou Liang's home outside the city. After the payment and goods were settled, he left satisfied. In addition to the 100 guan (approximately 260 guan) promised to Zhang Luo as a commission for his errand, this time the man also gave him an additional 260 guan (approximately 260 guan) for the epitaph, significantly increasing Zhang Luo's income several times over.

There's no fixed price for writing epitaphs; it depends primarily on the financial resources and sincerity of the author's family, as well as the writer's social status and reputation. As long as both parties are satisfied, the project can be completed. Liu Sihu's generosity made Zhang Luo marvel at his wealth.

"Bianzhou is a prominent prefecture in Henan. The Bian Canal within its borders is a crucial waterway for grain transport in Henan. Ships from the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers ply this route, bringing in and out the largest amount of goods in Henan. This is why the region is so prosperous. People secretly say that if one can serve in Bianzhou, even if it's just a minor official, he'll be more powerful than any other prefecture governor."

After hearing Zhou Liang's explanation, Zhang Luo finally understood why this Liu Sihu was so generous. It turned out that he was an official in charge of the canal, so naturally, wealth came to him like water.

Although Liu Sihu did not bring any new customers to Zhang Luo, Zhou Liang told Zhang Luo that when he went to Xu Ran's house to see him off a few days ago, many guests at the banquet asked about him, as if they regarded Zhou Liang as a contact person.

With two successful experiences, Zhang Luo's confidence increased greatly. He immediately said that such requests did not need to be rejected, but it was important to choose someone who was tight-lipped and not boastful or reckless.

Especially those envoys from various states who had come to the court last winter and would leave Luoyang again this spring to return to their respective regions, not staying in Luoyang for very long. Furthermore, they often brought rich goods to the capital to bribe the ministers and beg for advancement, making them the perfect fat sheep...clients.

(End of this chapter)