A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

When Lu Qingyan arrived in town, the sun was already high in the sky.

He waited at the town entrance for about fifteen minutes when Zhang Zhiqing rushed over carrying his book bag: "Qingyan, have you been waiting long?"

"Just arrived." Lu Qingyan looked him over—Zhang Zhiqing was wearing a half-new blue cloth long gown, his book box was bulging, and his face was covered with a thin layer of sweat from his journey.

Just as the two were about to leave, a voice called out from behind, "Wait for me!"

A round-faced boy, about seventeen or eighteen years old, came running up panting, carrying a large bundle on his back, his face flushed from running.

"Brother Zhang! Brother Lu!" The young man wiped his sweat. "My father told me to come with you. My name is Du Wei, and I'm also going to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination."

Zhang Zhiqing recognized him: "Du Wei? The Du family's son?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Du Wei chuckled. "My dad said he'd go with you so we can look out for each other on the road."

Lu Qingyan remembered this person—the only son of Master Du in town, from a wealthy family, who was said to be an average student but well-liked.

The three set off together. Leaving the town, they entered the main road. The road was wider, but also dustier. Horse-drawn carts and donkey carts passed by frequently, raising clouds of dust.

Du Wei was a chatterbox, talking non-stop the whole way. He talked about how his father insisted he take the imperial examinations, how he liked raising birds and playing with crickets, and about the latest happenings in town. As he talked, he started laughing to himself.

Lu Qingyan discovered that this person had an extremely low threshold for laughter. He would laugh at the sight of a strange flower by the roadside, laugh at the sound of birds chirping, and even laugh when he choked on his own words while speaking too fast.

"Brother Lu, what's in your bundle? It's so heavy," Du Wei asked.

"Books and dry rations."

"I brought a lot of dried meat!" Du Wei patted his bundle. "My mother was worried I'd get hungry on the road, so she packed a whole bag of it. I'll share it with you guys later."

At noon, the three rested under the shade of a tree by the roadside. Du Wei indeed brought out dried meat, sesame cakes, and pickled duck eggs. Zhang Zhiqing brought steamed buns and pickled vegetables, while Lu Qingyan had pancakes and pickled vegetables made by Zhao Shi.

The three of them shared the food. Du Wei took a bite of the pancake Lu Qingyan had brought: "This pancake is delicious! Better than my cook's."

"My mother made it."

"Your mother is really good at cooking," Du Wei laughed again. "My mother can't make cakes, but she can embroider."

During the break, Zhang Zhiqing took out a book to read. Du Wei leaned over and asked, "Brother Zhang, what are you reading?"

"Past provincial examination questions"

"Let me see." Du Wei took it, flipped through it, and frowned. "So many? Can I even finish reading them all?"

"Take your time," Zhang Zhiqing said.

Du Wei returned the book to Zhang Zhiqing, then took out a storybook from his own bundle and began reading it with great interest. Lu Qingyan glanced at the cover—"The Romantic Tale of a Knight-Errant."

"Brother Du, do you also read storybooks?" he asked.

"Look, this is interesting." Du Wei lowered his voice. "I secretly brought this with me; my father doesn't know. Brother Lu, would you like to see it? You can borrow it."

"No, thank you."

They continued their journey in the afternoon. After walking for more than twenty li, Du Wei's feet were blistered. He grimaced and sat on a roadside stone to take off his shoes, revealing two large blisters on the soles of his feet.

"What should we do..." he said with a mournful face.

Lu Qingyan took out a sewing kit from his bundle—it was prepared for him by Zhao Shi, who said he could mend his clothes if they got torn on the road. He picked out a thin needle and heated it over the fire: "Brother Du, bear with it."

"What are you going to do?" Du Wei asked, his eyes wide.

"Tear it open, or you won't be able to walk tomorrow."

With a gentle prick of the needle, the blister burst. Lu Qingyan then took out a small porcelain bottle, poured out some medicinal powder, and sprinkled it on—this was also prepared by Zhao, who said it was to stop the bleeding and promote tissue regeneration.

"Brother Lu, how come you have everything?" Du Wei asked in surprise.

"Prepared by my mother."

When they resumed their journey, Du Wei walked even more slowly. As the sun began to set, they arrived at their first post town.

The town wasn't large, but because it was a vital stop on the official road, there were quite a few inns and restaurants. The three of them stayed at a small inn; one room with three beds cost fifty coins a night.

After settling in, Du Wei said he wanted to go out and take a look around. Zhang Zhiqing wanted to study, and Lu Qingyan stayed in the room to organize her notes.

Dinner was provided by the inn—thin porridge, steamed buns, and a dish of pickled vegetables. Du Wei frowned after taking a bite: "This porridge is so thin you could see your reflection in it."

"When you're traveling, you have to make do," Zhang Zhiqing said.

After finishing his meal, Lu Qingyan asked the innkeeper, "Innkeeper, is there a bus to the prefectural city tomorrow?"

"Yes," the shopkeeper said. "There are escort agency carriages in the morning, 100 coins per person, and they can reach the prefectural city by evening. There are also merchant caravans, which are cheaper, 80 coins, but slower, and won't arrive until the day after tomorrow."

Lu Qingyan did the math. It would take three or four days to walk there, but only one day by car. Although it was more expensive, it would save time and energy. He decided to take a car.

When he returned to his room and told Zhang Zhiqing, Zhang Zhiqing nodded: "It's good to take a ride. The sooner we get to the prefectural city, the sooner we can settle in."

Du Wei immediately said, "I'll hitch a ride too! My leg will be ruined if I walk for another two days."

The next morning, the three waited for the镖局 (escort agency)'s carriages at the entrance of the inn. Around 7:00 AM, two carriages arrived, each bearing a flag that read "Weiyuan镖局" (Weiyuan Escort Agency). The driver, a镖师 (escort officer) in his forties with a full beard, spoke in a gruff voice: "Going to the prefectural city? One hundred coins per person, get in."

The carriage wasn't large, and several people were already seated inside. Lu Qingyan and her two companions squeezed in, and it was just the right size.

The bus was moving fast, but the ride was bumpy. Du Wei's face turned pale from the jolting, and he clung tightly to the handrail. Lu Qingyan was also a little uncomfortable, but she could still bear it. Zhang Zhiqing closed her eyes to rest, remaining very calm.

We had a quick lunch at a roadside tea stall and continued our journey in the afternoon. As the sun began to set, we could see the city walls in the distance.

We've arrived at the prefectural city.

The city wall was much higher than that of the county town, made of blue bricks, and a plaque with the three large characters "Yongning Prefecture" hung on the city gate. The city gate was bustling with carriages, horses, and pedestrians. There were peddlers carrying loads, farmers pushing carts, merchants on horseback, and scholars like them on their way to take the imperial examinations.

Entering the city required a travel permit. Lu Qingyan and his companions presented their student credentials, which the gatekeepers glanced at and waved for them to pass.

Upon entering the city, a completely different scene unfolded. The streets were wide and paved with bluestone slabs. Shops lined both sides, their signs and banners displaying a riot of colors. The sounds of storytelling and singing drifted from the restaurants and teahouses, while silk shops, jewelry stores, and antique shops offered a dazzling array of goods.

Du Wei's eyes widened: "This is the prefectural city? It's much bigger than our county town!"

Zhang Zhiqing also observed carefully: "My father said the prefectural city is prosperous, and it is indeed so."

Lu Qingyan remained calm. In his previous life, he had seen larger cities, but the quaint streets before him truly possessed a unique charm.

Following the address Zhang Zhiqing gave them, they found the rented house. It was in a quiet alley in the west of the city, a small courtyard with two rooms and a stove. The courtyard wasn't large, but it was clean and had a well.

The landlady, a woman in her fifties surnamed Li, spoke frankly: "Young Master Zhang has booked the house, right? The monthly rent is eight hundred cash, pay one month's rent upfront. You can use the well as you like, but you'll have to buy your own firewood."

Zhang Zhiqing paid the money. The three of them settled in.

Lu Qingyan and Zhang Zhiqing shared a room, while Du Wei shared another. After putting down their luggage, Du Wei said he was hungry.

"Let's go eat." He said enthusiastically, "My father gave me two taels of silver and told me to treat you to a good meal."

The three of them went out to find something to eat. There was a food stall at the entrance of the alley, selling wontons, noodles, and steamed buns. Du Wei thought it was too simple and insisted on finding a restaurant.

Finally, we found a restaurant called "Zui Xian Lou." It wasn't big, but it was clean. We ordered three dishes: braised pork, steamed fish, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables, along with a bowl of rice. It cost 300 coins.

Du Wei ate heartily: "The food in the prefectural city is still the best."

Lu Qingyan tasted it and found it to be quite good, but it lacked the home-style flavor of Zhao's version.

After dinner, the three of them strolled around the streets. Passing a shop selling antiques, Zhang Zhiqing went in to look at brushes, and Lu Qingyan followed. The shop had a wide variety of items: brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and various scholar's objects.

Lu Qingyan saw a bamboo and rock bonsai, priced at two taels of silver. He examined it closely—the bamboo roots were not as naturally carved as Lu Xiaoshan's, and the pot was also rather rough.

"This bonsai is so-so," Zhang Zhiqing said softly. "It's not as good as your second brother's."

Lu Qingyan nodded. He thought to himself that if his second brother's bonsai were sold in the prefectural city, it might fetch a higher price.

They strolled around until dark and returned to their lodgings. Aunt Li brought hot water, and the three of them quickly washed up and went to bed early.

Lu Qingyan lay in bed, listening to the faint sound of the night watchman's drum outside the window. This was his first night in the prefectural city.