The 26th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty.
The fifth day of May is Dragon Boat Festival.
This should have been an auspicious day for dragon boat racing and kite flying, but at this moment in the county seat of Dinghai County, Ningbo Prefecture, Zhejiang Province, Ming Dynasty, there was a bleak scene.
The streets were deserted, and the vendors who usually hawked their wares at the top of their lungs were nowhere to be seen. The county gates were tightly shut, flanked by official notices: To prevent plunder by Japanese pirates, Dinghai County is now closed for ten days. No one, young or old, male or female, is allowed to leave the city. Violators will be punished as collaborators with the Japanese.
At this moment, in the Xu Mansion in Huachao Lane in the northeast corner of the county town, Xu Chen, the mistress of the Xu family, was pacing in the flower hall, shaking her head and sighing from time to time.
"These pirates didn't come earlier or later, but at this time. Isn't this just causing trouble?" As she spoke, she began to cough. Perhaps it was because the cough was too rapid and too strong. She covered her chest with one hand, hunched over, and sat down in front of an official hat chair.
A young man in a light blue Confucian robe beside her hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully placed a cup of hot tea in front of her.
"Mother, don't worry too much. These pirates are like a gust of wind, they come and go quickly. The county magistrate has fortified the city and cleared the countryside. The pirates can't gain any benefits and will leave in a few days."
Xu Chen took the teacup and took a sip, then sighed, "I hope so. Business can be postponed. As long as my family is safe, that's all that matters. Your father is still in Hangzhou Prefecture and can't come back right now. Thankfully, Brother Qiu, you've grown up, otherwise I would be really worried. You should just stay home and don't go out on the streets for the next few days."
"Oh, by the way, send someone to ask for leave from Mr. Wu later, saying that you can make up the lessons for the past few days after the Japanese pirates are gone. Then give him this year's tuition. Mr. Wu is a great scholar and your teacher, so you must not neglect him."
The Xu family was a renowned merchant family in Ningbo Prefecture, primarily involved in the silk and grain trade. They had close ties with wealthy merchants in Hangzhou Prefecture, Huzhou Prefecture, and other areas. Not only in Dinghai County, but across Ningbo Prefecture itself, the Xu family controlled at least half of the silk and grain trade.
Not long ago, Xu Huaiyuan, the head of the Xu family, had just taken on a big order. He had hoped to make a fortune, but he encountered the Japanese invasion and it was impossible to transport the goods to Ningbo for sale. However, the money had already been paid, and the losses had to be borne by the Xu family.
Xu Huaiyuan's current stay in Hangzhou was like a year in a day. If Dinghai County really closed the city for ten days as the government had said, it would be fine. But if it stayed closed for a month or two, the Xu family would suffer enormous losses.
This young man was Xu Huaiyuan's only son, Xu Yan. Born in autumn, he was nicknamed Qiu Ge. Although Xu Yan was only fifteen, his parents still liked to call him by his nickname.
Xu Yan nodded slightly when he heard this, and replied in a gentle voice, "I understand, kid."
Xu Yan bowed respectfully to Xu Chenshi and then withdrew.
After leaving the flower hall, Xu Yan walked along the winding corridor and passed through two moon-shaped doors before arriving at his own courtyard.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, the servant Shuangxi came to greet him.
"Master, has Madam figured it out?"
Shuangxi is about the same age as Xu Yan, but he is obviously very thin. He is dressed in a green shirt and a small hat, and looks like he will fall down if the wind blows.
Xu Yan nodded slightly: "Mom has figured it out, but we still have to take precautions."
Xu Yan paused and said, "How long will the fruits and vegetables in our house last?"
"I estimate that ten days or half a month will be enough."
The little book boy thought for a moment.
Xu Yan shook his head.
"That won't do. We have to at least cover what we need for one month."
After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and headed towards the courtyard where the housekeeper Xu Bin was.
Xu Bin's courtyard was not far from Xu Yan's courtyard. It didn't take long for Xu Yan to walk over.
Xu Bin was tending to the flowers and plants in the yard. When he saw his young master coming, he quickly put down his work and walked forward to greet him.
"Master, why did you come here in person? If you have any instructions, just send someone to call me."
Xu Bin was short and stocky, with tiny eyes. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"This is a serious matter. I have to explain it to you in person."
Seeing that his young master looked very serious, Xu Bin also put away his smile and pretended to listen attentively.
"Master, please speak."
"How long will the fruits and vegetables in your house last?"
Xu Bin was stunned when he heard this. He obviously didn't expect why this high and mighty young master would care about such trivial matters.
After all, no matter who is short of food, it can’t be Xu Yan’s fault.
"Ah, ten days will certainly be enough."
Xu Bin rolled his eyes and answered very respectfully.
But this answer could not satisfy Xu Yan.
“Too little.”
Xu Yan shook his head: "Send someone to buy more quickly, at least to ensure a month's supply."
Xu Bin was extremely confused, but he still smiled and said, "Master, we always keep fruits and vegetables in our house for about ten days, and buy them when we are almost done. This is the rule set by the master..."
When Xu Yan saw the housekeeper using his father to pressure him, he sneered in his heart.
"Why, are the words of a young master like me so ineffective? The Japanese pirates are rampant now, and the county magistrate has ordered the city to be closed. What if we don't prepare more food in case there's not enough to eat? If you're worried about storage, you can buy some more long-lasting cabbage."
After all, Xu Bin was just a housekeeper. Seeing his young master's words were so serious, he immediately smiled and said, "Look, what you are talking about is just to store more fruits and vegetables. I will do it right away."
After saying that, Xu Bin bowed deeply to Xu Yan and turned to leave.
"etc!"
"Master, do you have any further instructions?"
"Check how much grain is left in the store cabinet and give me a number."
"I'll do it right away."
Xu Yan looked at Xu Bin's back gradually disappearing into the distance and sighed deeply.
The reason why he asked Xu Bin to prepare more fruits and vegetables was not because of panic, but because he knew that the Japanese invasion would last for nearly a month.
Of course Xu Yan could not predict the future, he could make such a judgment because his soul at this moment came from the afterlife.
The incident happened half a month ago. The young master of the Xu family caught a cold, had a high fever that wouldn't go away, and then fell into a coma.
Mrs. Xu Chen hired several doctors to cure her son. But by then, Xu Yan was no longer the same Xu Yan. His soul came from a history professor in the future who had the same name as him.
Xu Yan specialized in the history of the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, and was particularly well-versed in the local chronicles and county annals of Ningbo.
He clearly remembered that the Dinghai County Chronicles clearly recorded that a major event occurred in May of the 26th year of Jiajing, when Japanese pirates ravaged the coastal areas of Ningbo Prefecture for a whole month!
Of course, what he said to Xu Chen just now were all comforting words, but when he learned that there was a shortage of fruits and vegetables at home, Xu Yan could no longer sit still.
If the fruits and vegetables in the mansion were all gone in ten days, the prices would be exorbitant. So, no matter what, Xu Yan had to have Xu Bin store enough for a month, just in case.
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