Top Scholar

Chapter 45: Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword, aiming at Pei Gong

“This is a blessing for his two sons, but we must first report to the old man,” Su Youcai said after a moment’s thought.

"Yes, I know that. But I'd like to ask your opinion." With that, she raised her glass again and said, "If you agree, then drink this glass."

"..." Su Youcai looked at Su Lu and Su Tai, and seeing that the two brothers did not object, he tilted his head back and drank the glass of wine.

This suggestion is not abrupt. In this day and age, when people go into business together, they emphasize "trust as the foundation, sharing profits based on righteousness, and valuing harmony." Therefore, they often swear brotherhood or become godparents before starting a partnership.

The proprietress was a young widow, so becoming sworn siblings was obviously inappropriate; becoming godparents was the best option.

She was overjoyed and, holding Su Lu's hand in one hand and Su Tai's hand in the other, said, "I've made up my mind about my two good sons. If the old man doesn't agree, I'll come to your house and cry."

Su Tai grinned from ear to ear, clearly wanting a godmother.

Su Lu sensed that the proprietress had ulterior motives, but he smiled broadly and said, "If my grandfather doesn't agree, I'll secretly call you godmother."

"Oh, my Qiu-ge'er!" The landlady's heart melted, and she held his hand tightly, saying, "From now on, your godmother will love you like her own mother."

After saying that, he had his wife bring out the gifts he had prepared for the two brothers. Su Tai received a new set of clothes, and Su Lu received a set of writing implements. They were all good quality items bought from the shops in town, so that the two motherless boys could feel the long-lost maternal love.

~~
After the meal, the four men bid farewell to the inn and rushed back to Erlangtan that very night.

I was eager to get home and arrived in half an hour.

"You actually know how to come back?!" Auntie came down to open the door when she heard the noise, and her face fell as soon as she saw her.

She's the type to forget the pain as soon as the wound heals...

"Shut up, bring us water to wash our feet!" The eldest uncle, however, became arrogant, shouted, and strode into the main room.

"Why?!" The old man was already asleep, and the eldest aunt was in a state of utter invincibility. "From the first day of the Lunar New Year until now, ten days without a trace, and you call that merit?"

"Just because of this!" The eldest uncle spread the bundle on his back onto the table, revealing a full six strings of copper coins, which caught the eye of his aunt.

The eldest aunt was stunned on the spot and stammered, "You, you went to rob people?"

"Oh right..." The uncle nearly choked on his water, and said irritably, "Right my ass! This is what we earned through our own hard work!"

"What kind of business can earn so much money in ten days?" Auntie's eyes widened; she couldn't remember the last time she had seen so much money.

His family's main income came from his uncle's salary. A seventh-rank military officer's monthly salary was seven shi (a unit of dry measure), but given the Ming Dynasty's financial situation, it was no longer possible to pay the full amount. Forty percent was converted into paper money... Given the devaluation of the paper money, it was effectively only sixty percent of his salary that was paid.

Therefore, my uncle only earned about four shi of rice per month. The price of rice fluctuated with the harvest, and it was roughly one tael of silver for two shi. So, to put it simply, my uncle earned two taels of silver a month.

Su Youcai, the tutor at the clan school, earned a mere one or two taels of silver per month at most…

As for my uncle, it's good enough that he doesn't ask the family for money, let alone expect him to bring money home.

So my aunt only had three taels of silver a month to spend. With so many mouths to feed, social obligations, and the support of a scholar, she was simply struggling to make ends meet.

The family was able to survive only thanks to the extra ten acres of land they cultivated, and the occasional small extra income that my uncle earned.

The sudden windfall of six strings of cash overjoyed the eldest aunt; she felt as light as a feather. "Sit still, all of you! I'll go get you some water to wash your feet!"

~~
How could Su Lu and his two sons let their aunt boil water for washing their feet? Besides, why would they need hot water to wash their feet?

He quickly drew water from the well to wash himself, then went back inside and collapsed.

Only my eldest uncle sat leisurely by the pile of money, munching on betel leaf rolls and enjoying my aunt washing his feet.

"I've only ever heard from Aunt He that you sell water at the temple fair. How can you make so much money selling water?" Auntie looked at her husband with admiration, just like she always did every time he brought home money. "How is my man so amazing?"

"Well..." Uncle coughed and said, "Although I have made great contributions, it was actually Qiu-ge who came up with the ideas and made the decisions."

"Him?" Auntie said incredulously, "He's just a simpleton, how could he have that kind of ability?"

"You silly boy, you think you can get into the academy after only three months of study?" Uncle said in a deep voice, "Don't always look at people with such old eyes. Qiu-ge'er is a completely different person now. Whether he studies or does business in the future, he'll definitely be outstanding!"

"Really?" Auntie wasn't blind, but her impression of Su Lu was always stuck in his childhood.

"It's fake." The eldest uncle said irritably, "Our Su family has produced another outstanding talent, this is a great thing, how come you can't understand it?"

"I was just afraid he would take Chun-ge'er's place," Auntie finally told the truth.

"Don't worry, they can't steal it." The eldest uncle said proudly, "As the saying goes, 'brothers fight tigers together,' those two brothers are going to bring glory to our family together, how can you be so petty?"

"Hey, how am I being petty? Didn't we have the same idea back then?" Auntie said, realizing what was going on. "It's like you're the one saying both the truth and the sarcasm."

"Ahem, let's not talk about the past." Uncle changed the subject, coughing twice. "The key is from now on. You must treat Qiu-ge and Chun-ge equally. The children are older now, and if you hurt their feelings again, they'll hold a grudge. Got it?" "Oh, okay, I understand." Aunt nodded, but she didn't know how long she would remember. She added with some worry, "I'm afraid he already resents me."

"You've raised your second brother's wife for eight years. The Su family are all people who value loyalty and righteousness; blood is thicker than water. Don't you know how to coax a child?" The eldest uncle said calmly, "Tomorrow you should take the initiative to say that this time all six strings of cash should be given to the second brother so that he can pay Qiu-ge'er's tuition."

"Give it all to him?" Auntie felt a pang of heartache again.

"You unlucky old woman, if you're going to sell yourself well, then sell yourself completely!" The uncle said with a look of disgust, "How much does your son spend at the academy each year?"

“Six strings of cash…” Auntie blurted out.

"Didn't I just tell you to treat everyone equally?" the uncle said in a deep voice.

"Alright," Auntie said with a pained expression, "but what if all we get is a bowl of water?"

"That's none of your business," the uncle said arrogantly, lifting his foot out of the basin.

"I'm telling you right now, our family's life will get better year by year!"

“That’s great! Anyone with money can run a household. I can be a good auntie too.” Auntie dried Uncle’s feet with a towel.

~~
The breakfast on the second day was significantly more substantial, with bean flour even added to the sorghum porridge.

"Good, good, we should have been eating it like this a long time ago." The old lady was very happy.

"Finally, it doesn't hurt my throat anymore." Jinbao was also very happy.

"Where did the sun rise from?" The old man was quite puzzled when he saw his aunt serving Su Lu steamed egg custard again.

“The child is about to start school, so let’s give him some extra nutrition.” Auntie said with a beaming smile, “I haven’t told Dad yet, but they brought back a whole six strings of cash last night.”

"So much?" The old man was also taken aback, then said happily, "Now we don't need to borrow money for Qiu-ge's tuition, right?"

"No need, no need. I'm thinking of giving all six strings of cash to Second Uncle, specifically for Qiu-ge's tuition." Aunt blinked and asked with a smile, "Old man, what do you think?"

"Well, at least you've done something decent." The old man looked at his aunt with some unease: "You didn't eat mushrooms last night, did you?"

"I didn't eat it. I know what I'm saying," the eldest aunt said helplessly. She then said to Su Lu and his son, "Don't worry, from now on we'll save up Qiu'er's tuition fees first. We won't make any more mistakes."

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Su Youcai, also feeling a bit awkward, asked in a low voice, "You really didn't eat any mushrooms?"

"I really didn't eat any!" Auntie said, both amused and exasperated. "Who wouldn't want to be a good person when they have money? Why won't you accept that?"

"No, no, I accept." Su Lu quickly offered a free compliment: "Auntie is beautiful inside and out. Your nephew is so lucky."

"Me too." Su Tai was beaming with joy; Qiu Ge'er's tuition was finally settled.

"Oh, right, Dad, there's something else," Su Youcai said, forcing himself to speak while the atmosphere was right.

"What is it?" The old man narrowed his triangular eyes, a sense of unease rising in his heart. However, since his son had just suffered an injustice before the New Year, he couldn't simply silence him.

"We were able to get the money back this time and even make a profit, all thanks to Mrs. He's business." Su Youcai then carefully chose his words, "Of course, we also contributed a lot. We had a very pleasant working relationship, so we decided to invest a portion of the profits into individual shares."

My uncle remained silent at this moment, completely unlike his usual self, who seizes every opportunity to boast and brag.

Su Youcai had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue, "When it comes to partnerships, it's customary to form a godparent relationship to make the bond stronger. It just so happens that Madam He really likes Brother Xia and Brother Qiu, so she wants to take them as her godsons. I don't dare to agree rashly, so I'll ask for your permission first when I get back."

"What nonsense about the He family's wife? Isn't she just Cheng Xiucai's daughter?" The old man rubbed his temples, his head throbbing. "How did she get involved with the Cheng family's women again?"

“They’re part of the He family now,” Su Youcai said cautiously. “Besides, most of the people in Erlangtan are surnamed Su or Cheng, so it’s hard to avoid them.”

"Isn't there still half left?" The old man tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Besides, the He family is already empty, and that old dog Cheng Xiucai is bound to jump out."

That's why they say the one who understands you best is always your enemy. The old man's judgment of Master Cheng was absolutely accurate.

"Dad, you can rest assured. I'm not the third son. I'm just finding a godmother for the child." Su Youcai quickly assured him, "Besides, I think that Mrs. He is a capable person. If we invest in her business, it can help supplement our family income, right?"

"You've already invested your money, why are you asking me anything?" the old man said irritably. "But let me make this clear: partnering in business is fine, recognizing a godmother is fine too, but you absolutely cannot follow the path of the third son!"

“Yes, second brother. Last time, the old man risked half his life to settle things with the third brother. We can’t go through that again.” The eldest uncle spoke up at the right moment.

"No, what do you take me for?" Su Youcai's eyes widened, his face flushed red, as if he had been greatly insulted. "My son is all grown up, how could I possibly do anything reckless? How could I be a teacher? And you mustn't tarnish the reputation of Madam He!"

"I hope so," the old man snorted, pulling out a betel leaf roll and chewing it fiercely. A beast-like intuition gave him a bad feeling…

"Sigh..." Su Youcai finally stopped talking, looking dejected. It seemed that what happened with the third brother last time had left a psychological shadow on the old man.

(End of this chapter)