Top Scholar

Chapter 20 Negotiation
With only forty days left until the entrance exam, he would have to memorize 3,600 characters a day even without taking a break. Moreover, the classics like Mencius and The Doctrine of the Mean were more difficult to memorize, and with the added daily review tasks, he could only manage a maximum of 3,000 characters per day.

So there's at least a 24,000-word gap that's not being filled. Besides, he's not completely isolated from the world; there are always things in life that force him to pause his studies…

Before dawn that day, Su Lu was woken up by his second brother, who handed him a jujube wood stick.

Su Lu weighed the stick in his hand and asked blankly, "What's wrong? Are we going to start another war with the Cheng family?"

"Probably not, better safe than sorry." Su Youcai also carried a wooden stick and led his two sons out of the house.

Then, the old man was seen being surrounded by his uncles as they walked out of the main room, each carrying a stick.

"What are they going to do?" Su Lu felt a chill run down his spine.

"Don't ask, just go along and make a good impression," the uncle said in a deep voice.

Su Lu had no choice but to shut up and follow his elders down the stilted house, through the narrow streets and alleys and out of the town.

The road widened, and the six members of the Su family, carrying wooden sticks, walked in a line through the morning mist...

This scene reminded Su Lu of the Shelby family...

"Are we going up the mountain?" he asked his second brother in a low voice.

Su Tai nodded. Now that they were outside the town and there wasn't a soul in sight, he dared to speak. He whispered, "Grandpa made an appointment to meet with Master Cheng today."

"Pfft..." Su Lu almost couldn't hold back. It turned out to be a meeting between prospective in-laws; he thought it was a gang negotiation...

"What's the specific situation?" He was too busy to gossip and had no idea how far his uncle's matter had progressed.

“My uncle was in contact with the eldest son of the Cheng family before, but they couldn’t reach an agreement, so in the end, the two families had to meet.” Su Tai had been paying close attention to the matter. “Neither side wanted others to see them, so they chose their usual spot on Centipede Ridge to meet before sunrise.”

He paused for a moment, then added, "Considering that the Cheng family has many men, we can't afford to lose this battle... If it weren't for my aunt stopping me, my uncle would have called my eldest brother back too."

"Alright." Su Lu finally understood the whole story.

After the men of the Su family passed through the Davidia involucrata grove, they found the Cheng family already waiting in the clearing in the grove.

At this moment, the east was just beginning to lighten. This truly shows that 'one may think you're the first to set off, but there are always those who set off earlier.'

Old Master Cheng wore a six-pronged cotton hat with rabbit fur trim on the brim. He also wore a brand-new quilted long robe with a sheepskin vest over it, looking every bit the wealthy landowner from the mountains.

The old man was dressed in the blue silk narrow-sleeved robe he wore when he was a centurion, with a leather belt studded with brass at his waist, crisp trousers, and a pair of old, dark brown leather military boots. His posture was ramrod straight, and he was completely different from his usual self.

Behind them, the men from both families lined up in a row, eight to five, putting us at a numerical disadvantage.

In terms of quality, our side may not necessarily have an advantage due to having too many inferior products...

After a moment of silence between them, the old man spoke first: "Old man Cheng, you're the one who invited me out, why aren't you saying anything now?"

The eldest son of the Cheng family is named Cheng Pixian. The two families have been enemies for a long time, and they have even given him a more offensive nickname. But today the old man is here to discuss business, so a less offensive one has been used instead.

Of course, the old man couldn't escape either. His name was Su Dacheng. He heard Cheng Pixian say angrily, "Pig Intestine, you're really good at keeping your temper in check! Your son has done such a mess, and you haven't uttered a single word!"

"Didn't I ask my eldest son to communicate with your family?" Su Dacheng said in a deep voice, "It's you who have been making excuses and unable to come up with a plan. I don't see you in a hurry at all."

"You little bastard, don't be in such a hurry!" Cheng Pixian waved his hand angrily. "I've already said that my family will pay for a house for them in the county town so they can live there and avoid gossip. You little bastard, you're not even willing to live there for free!"

"It's my opinion that I disagree!" the old man said firmly. "If I live in your house, am I not a son-in-law living with your family?"

"Then you can buy a house!" Cheng Pixian snorted, "It'll save me the trouble of spending money."

"I can't afford it!" The old man, still stubborn, glared and said, "Besides, what heinous things have they done? They're not going to stay out of the light of day forever!!"

"Your son is a wicked and immoral man!" Cheng Pixian is still furious when he brings this up.

"Then go ahead and report it to the authorities," the old man said, pursing his lips.

"If I could sue the authorities, I would have wiped out your entire family long ago!" Cheng Pixian gritted his teeth, then said dejectedly, "I'm not here to chat with you. Just tell me what to do."

"We should do what needs to be done." The old man had waited until now to meet with us just to say these words:
"You can't hide the truth forever, especially since they have a child. Sooner or later everyone will find out, so let's just be open and honest!"

“They’ll be drowned in spittle…” Cheng Pixian shook his head.

"Are you just a figurehead as a father?!" the old man said decisively. "That's settled then. Everyone can settle things with their own families later!"

"How can I even begin to speak?" Cheng Pixian sighed, head bowed.

The old man waved his hand and said, "Anyway, I'll tell you when I get back. You can say it or not, it's up to you!"

"You, how can you be so domineering?" Cheng Pixian said anxiously upon hearing this.

"I've always been like this my whole life, and you're only finding out now?" The old man raised his head and said, "The more you hide this kind of thing, the more people will gossip about it. It's better to be open and honest, let whoever wants to talk, talk!"

“That would also make the clansmen gossip behind our backs,” Cheng Pixian said with a bitter face.

“Back then, it was the two of us who were being criticized, not the two of them!” Su Dacheng said slowly, “Which one do you want to choose?”

"Of course, let them curse us for messing around!" Cheng Pixian's eyes lit up. "That way, at least the child's reputation will be preserved." "That's the idea. Let them curse us; I doubt they'd dare to curse me to my face!" The old man slammed his shiny elm cane heavily on the ground, exuding an air of dominance.

Su Lu was stunned. Were the top 100 commanders of the Ming Dynasty really this powerful? Was this the same grandfather who was always listless and only knew how to chew betel leaves and drink alone?

"Sigh..." Cheng Pixian finally nodded helplessly and said, "Alright, I'll talk to you when I get back. But there's one thing you have to promise."

"Go on," the old man nodded.

"Treat my daughter well, and don't let her be looked down upon by others."

"You don't need to worry about that," the old man said gruffly. "Once she marries into the family, she's a member of the Su family!"

“You…” Cheng Pixian almost fainted.

"I will treat her the same way I treat my eldest daughter-in-law!" Su Dacheng said breathlessly.

"Hmph!" Cheng Pixian's expression softened slightly.

The sun had climbed above the treetops, and dappled sunlight fell on the two families. The atmosphere finally eased a bit; it seemed there wouldn't be a fight today...

The old man took out two rolled betel leaf rolls from his purse and handed one to Cheng Pixian.

Cheng Pixian hesitated for a moment, then reached out, took the food, and began to chew.

"Ptooey, why is it so spicy? What did you roll in?"

“Piper longum can dispel cold and generate heat.” The old man squinted his eyes with a look of enjoyment.

“Everyone else uses betel leaves to roll areca nuts, but you’re using long pepper. That’s fucking weird!” Cheng Pixian’s mouth was numb, and he stuck out his tongue.

"What do you know? Piper longum is much better than betel nut." The old man slowly chewed on a rolled betel leaf and said in a low voice, "The matter between the two of them is settled. Now let's talk about the child... when?"

“March, I suppose.” Cheng Pixian straightened his tongue and whispered, “That’s another problem. Who gets married at the end of the year and has a baby in the spring? Wouldn’t that give us away?”

“It really can’t be resolved.” The old man pondered, “How about this, as soon as the wedding is over, I’ll send the third son out to do business, and let him take his wife with him. He can come back in a couple of years, and that will settle the matter completely.”

"Yes, that makes sense." Cheng Pixian nodded repeatedly, "If you say a two-year-old is one, who will be able to tell the difference?"

"Right? Can't the child grow up a little faster?" The old man grinned at Cheng Pixian and said, "Hehe, in-law, you should still buy a house in the county."

"Huh?" Cheng Pixian was taken aback. How did things come full circle? "You don't care about being treated like a live-in son-in-law?"

"We were brought home in a grand wedding procession, how can you call us 'sons-in-law who move in'?" the old man said matter-of-factly. "If you're married and then live at your father-in-law's house, then at most you're called..."

"Living off a woman?" Cheng Pixian chimed in.

"Say what you will," the old man said magnanimously.

"Shameless!" Cheng Pixian spat, then said dejectedly, "The more I think about it, the more I feel cheated. I bought quite a few houses, and now I'm going to be executed by the authorities."

"That's why they say, 'Having a dragon in your house is like having a debt collector.'" The old man sighed.

"Ah, that's true." Cheng Pixian wholeheartedly agreed, and for a moment felt a sense of shared misfortune.

~~
The day after the secret meeting, the old man invited the elders of each branch of the family to dinner.

The Su family had thrived in Erlangtan for a century, and Su Lu was the sixth generation. Although the dynasty stipulated that military households could not separate to ensure the supply of soldiers, with such a large population, they could still divide their property, though they wouldn't establish separate households and divide property at the garrison.

According to the clan's unwritten rule, once a grandson is born, the family can separate and establish their own branch. Currently, the Su clan has eighteen branches in total, and all twelve of the old man's brothers of the same generation have come. Five other families have also lost their elders, but the next generation of the head of the household has also attended.

Seventeen people surnamed Su filled the entire hall, and with the old man, all the heads of the eighteen households were present.

In such a grand occasion, Su Lu could no longer recite his lessons. He came out and helped his second brother serve tea and water, serve dishes and pour wine, keeping him extremely busy.

After several rounds of drinks, clan chief Su Daxiang put down his chopsticks and asked, "Sixth brother, what kind of wine are you serving us on a holiday?"

All the clan elders turned to look at Su Dacheng. The old man chewed on a betel leaf roll for a couple of bites and said, "There's something I need to tell you all."

"Go on," everyone nodded.

"It's not about borrowing money," the old man said, letting out a long sigh. "It's because my third son is getting married."

"Yes, this is a good thing!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing him make such a big fuss, they thought he was going to ask everyone to chip in.

Su Daji, the head chef of the distillery, laughed and said, "Sixth Brother is really thoughtful. You could have just informed everyone about this. Why did you have to invite everyone to dinner?"

"That's right, it's so embarrassing to come empty-handed." Everyone laughed and said, "Tell us whose daughter is it?"

"The Cheng family..." the old man said quietly.

P.S. I set my alarm to wake up early, so please keep voting for me with monthly tickets and recommendations!!

(End of this chapter)