Chapter 47 Busy with Opening: Never mind, he's going to study!
Geng Hao plunged into the crowd and peeked out.
With just one glance, he felt as if the bright yellow, red, and blue colors had pierced his eyes.
The notice on the wall of the duty room was outlined in yellow, with a line of bold characters at the top that read "Grand Opening of Yaoji Zhixingzhai". In the center was a picture of a plump jade rabbit sitting in the deep night, with a red headband with the words "Reading" written on it tied crookedly on its head. It held a writing brush in its paws and was writing furiously with its head down.
Underneath the diligent rabbit, there were three lines of characters about the size of a foot. One line, with white characters on a red background, read, "I am overjoyed when my classmates call me to study." Another line, with red characters on a yellow background, read, "I am so happy when the teacher assigns homework that I weep with joy." And the third line, with yellow characters on a blue background, read, "I love learning, and I am willing to study in Zhixingzhai from morning till night!"
Geng Hao's eyes widened and his hands trembled.
It's absolutely... absolutely hideous!
In all his life, he had never seen such an ugly sign! Reading it from beginning to end, he felt as if someone had dripped a whole bottle of dogwood juice into his eyes, burning him unbearably. Yao Xiaoniangzi's notice was more elaborate than any of the posters used by those peddlers of miracle cures in the countryside; every word felt like a gong being pounded in his ear, making his head ring with a deafening boom.
But he actually read it all and was forced to memorize it deeply. Those few lines of "I love learning" were as if they were engraved in his mind and he couldn't get them out of his head.
He wasn't the only one who thought the signboard was ugly. One student wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, but still couldn't bear to look at it. He wiped his eyes again, scratched his head, and cried out in pain, "Why write such elegant and upright characters on this vulgar and horrifying signboard? It's a complete waste of talent!"
He yelled angrily, tightened the satchel on his shoulder, and stormed into the alley: "I'm going to see what this Zhixingzhai is all about!"
Several others were amused by this peculiar gesture and burst into laughter. Geng Hao turned his head and saw that it was Lu Fang and his group from Dingzi School.
This man was a descendant of the Lu family of Fanyang, whose members had held high positions for generations. Although the powerful families had declined in this dynasty, their family traditions still existed. However, when he entered school, he was only assigned to the Dingzi Academy.
Many aristocratic families would rather go to the Biyong Academy than be treated differently at the Imperial Academy, but Lu Fang didn't care at all. He stayed without a care and even mingled with a group of students from poor families, calling each other brothers. He didn't have the arrogant attitude of those aristocratic children.
Geng Hao's father once said that Lu Fang was insightful from a young age, noble but not arrogant, and knew how to assess the situation and conceal his shortcomings. He was a smart man and told Geng Hao to learn from him.
And so Geng Hao remembered this person.
But in Geng Hao's eyes, this person was just a complete idiot! Apart from being good at playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football), he was just as bad at studying as Geng Hao. What kind of "concealing one's talents" nonsense was he? He was clearly just as stupid as Geng Hao himself!
He overheard Lu Fang laughing and talking with his classmate Liu Huaiyan: "This is clearly Yao Xiaoniangzi's doing. She always does things in such an interesting way. Come on, let's go take a look! I didn't expect her to get Zhixingzhai up and running so quickly. She's so efficient. I thought it would take at least three months!"
As they talked, they excitedly ran into the alley.
Geng Hao scoffed. What's so interesting about that? Do you need a study room to study? His study is probably bigger than the entire courtyard of the Yao family! And there are maids fanning you and servants grinding ink. Really... what's so special about that?
Geng Niu and Geng Ma exchanged a silent glance behind him. They knew Geng Hao too well. They gave each other a look and immediately stepped forward with smiles, coaxing, "Brother Hao, the Imperial Academy hasn't started classes yet. We have nothing to do anyway. Look at this sign. It says they've prepared writing materials, tea, and snacks. Putting everything else aside, Miss Yao's snacks are quite good. Shall we go and have some fun?"
Geng Hao had already been tempted, so he coughed lightly, reluctantly dusted off his robe, and said, "What a bunch of ignorant fools. Fine, fine, since you want to go, I'll go with you. Sigh, where can you find such a kind host as me?"
"Thank you for your consideration, Brother Hao! We are so lucky to have a host like you!" Geng Niu chuckled, skillfully offering a scathing compliment.
Geng Hao was very pleased with the patting, raised his head with a snort, and took the lead, heading towards Yao Ji's newly opened shop. The Twelve Zodiacs quickly followed.
At the other end, the Meng family's woodblock printing workshop.
Master Meng was awakened early in the morning by the sound of firecrackers. He felt his right eyelid twitching and his heart pounding. He slipped on his shoes and put on his coat, and went to the table where his daughter-in-law, Guan, used to do her hair. He carefully took out a diamond-shaped mirror from the various makeup boxes and bottles on the table and looked at himself in the mirror.
His right eyelid was indeed twitching violently.
As the old saying goes, a twitching left eye means good fortune, a twitching right eye... I guess I didn't sleep well last night.
Master Meng carefully put the mirror back in its place, afraid of touching any of the porcelain bottles or jars. Last time, he accidentally broke one, and Guan Shi grabbed his ear and kicked him, sending him rolling down the corridor. He couldn't go back to his room to sleep for three days.
Sigh. He went outside to fetch water to wash up.
On the windowsill where toothbrushes and tooth powder were kept, a clean white ceramic cup held Guan's perfectly clean and new bristle brush, with not a trace of dirt even in the pores; next to it was another black ceramic cup, with a pile of tooth powder and white grime accumulated on the rim, and the bristles of the brush sticking out like hedgehog bristles.
That was naturally Master Meng's toothbrush.
He didn't care at all, grabbed a bristly brush, and, despite his twitching eyelids, scrubbed his face vigorously, foaming everywhere. He rinsed his mouth clean, then casually wiped his face with a tattered, rag-like towel, and that was it, he was done washing up.
He hung the tattered washcloth back on the nail, then glanced at the left side of the windowsill. In the corner was a covered wicker basket filled with all sorts of Guan's face creams, face medicines, hand creams, lip balms, and so on. He reached over and scooped out his ten-coin jar of lard ointment from the corner next to the overflowing basket. He picked out a piece, smeared it on his face, and rubbed it vigorously a few times.
He put on his hat and went out.
He was going to the Lin Si Cao family's house.
Meng Boyuan didn't even come back for the New Year. He brazenly went back to Zhuxian Town with the Lin family to celebrate the New Year! And his proud son, Meng San, also ran away with the Yu family and hasn't returned yet! Having had so many sons, he ended up with no sons at all. Master Meng's heart was ice-cold, and he had a very difficult New Year.
During the first month of the lunar calendar, he was scolded by Guan every day. She scolded him for driving his son away without asking any questions, for being more stubborn than the donkey in the house, for having a head injury and being like a madman throwing a tantrum, which is why the child wouldn't come back to the house. She even forced him to lower his head and find his son.
This is outrageous! How can a father bow down to his son?
But Guan has given him an ultimatum, or he will be kicked out.
Master Meng was truly afraid of Madam Guan. If she turned pale and said in a sinister tone, "I'll count to three..." he would immediately kneel down before her.
So today, no matter how unwilling he was, he had no choice but to come to the Lin family and bring that wretched child home.
Master Meng walked to the Lin family's door with a bitter expression. He had come several times before but had not dared to knock. Besides feeling ashamed that a father should beg his son, he was also at a loss and did not know how to face his stubborn and unruly youngest son.
Why is he the most difficult to teach? Sanlang never had to worry about him before!
He took a deep breath and finally knocked on the door knocker.
Yingshi, her belly growing ever larger, opened the door. When Master Meng saw it was her, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked hesitantly, in a voice barely audible, "Is my fourth son... inside?"
Meng Boyuan had nowhere else to go. He only had two friends, Cheng Shujun and his young widow. He felt embarrassed to stay at Cheng's house for an extended period; it was simply inconvenient. So, according to Meng's secret observations, that unfilial son spent almost the entire winter vacation holed up at the Lin family's house, diligently doing chores every day: wiping tables, sweeping floors, washing dishes, emptying coal ash, and tending the fireplace…
That brat! He's waited on hand and foot at home, but at other people's houses he's all sweet talk and obsequious, like a farmhand kept by the Lin family. It's infuriating!
Although he was rarely home, he still knew he needed to study and improve himself, and he went to school with Lin Weiming every day, which gave Master Meng some comfort.
It's good that it didn't interfere with my studies.
At this moment, everyone thought that Madam Ying would open the door and call the boy out, but Madam Ying said instead: "Master Meng is late. Your fourth son packed up and left early this morning. I heard him talking to my eldest son... it seems that he was going to work as a waiter in some newly opened study room at Ruyi's house."
When...when what?
Master Meng was struck dumb, standing frozen at the Lin family's door for a long while before turning around, his hands trembling, and looking into the depths of the alley. He knew that the Yao family's new shop was opening today. Long ago, Yao Ruyi had come to him for her study, asking not only which middleman he had hired when buying the house this year and whether he was reliable, but also about the trivial matters of making blackboards and printing books. In the end, they agreed that she would give him a good price when she needed books engraved in the future.
The firecrackers that woke him up early in the morning were set off by her family.
Now, across from Yao's general store, the gate of the house that had been vacant for many years was decorated with red ribbons and colorful streamers, and many students were continuously entering it. Master Meng felt a surge of nameless anger rising within him. He pursed his lips and walked over there without saying a word.
When Ying saw that Master Meng's expression had suddenly changed and his face had turned pale, she knew something was wrong. She had just let it slip! She had completely forgotten that Master Meng was like this. She was afraid of causing trouble for Ruyi, as it was their grand opening day!
She hurriedly turned back inside, kicked Lin Weiming, who was still leisurely lying in the room reading, and shoved him out as well: "Still reading! Go save Meng Si! His father is on his way!"
Lin Weiming hadn't even put his shoes on properly, and his shirt buttons were all askew, when his mother shoved him out the door. But upon hearing that Meng Si was in trouble, she didn't care about any of that!
After all, Master Meng was really ruthless when he beat his son! He jumped around while putting on his shoes and rushed towards the plaque of Zhixingzhai.
Yao Ruyi was unaware that Master Meng was already on his way to beat his son. She had also considered the work in the shop; hiring was essential, and she originally preferred to hire students from the Imperial Academy for "part-time" work—firstly, it was convenient, and secondly, university students were cheaper… cough cough.
Outside, one could easily earn a couple hundred coins a day by hiring laborers. If students worked part-time, they could be paid by the hour or even have their wages offset against the cost of the study room, thus saving a lot on labor costs. Moreover, working in the study room—copying books, collecting money, doing accounting, and boiling water—wasn't considered disgraceful.
How can the work of a scholar be called "working"?
My second uncle said that it's called "exchanging knowledge for rice, having lofty ideals for a living!" Yao Ruyi decided to hang this sentence in her Zhixingzhai to constantly remind the students to put knowledge into practice.
But she hadn't thought of hiring such a young assistant... Yao Ruyi looked down at Xiao Shitou. In ancient times, there was no such thing as child labor. In the city, children as young as a few years old would run around selling fruit and flowers, or delivering messages and food, or they would be sent out to be slaves, maids, or apprentices. If it were in the countryside, Xiao Shitou's age would have already been working in the fields.
But she still felt a little guilty.
It wasn't until Xiao Shitou, somewhat shyly standing on tiptoe, pulled Yao Ruyi aside and whispered the reason, that he told her not to tell anyone and to keep his secret.
Her heart ached, she hugged him, and still accepted him.
It's alright. Little Stone is young, but he's not the kind of child who doesn't know his place. Taking him in as an errand boy is actually not bad. We won't make him do any dangerous work; we'll just give him things he can manage. Later, she'll pack some food for Little Stone and give him forty coins a day for his wages, which should be enough.
That's settled.
Without Yao Ruyi needing to say much, Xiao Shitou got to work in a flurry of activity.
He dashed into the west wing, stepped onto a small stool, and leaned over the window. He imitated Yao Ruyi's usual manner of looking at the general store, taking a feather duster and dusting here and there. He even compared the brush holders hanging on the window with the inkstones and arranged them neatly.
I went to the shelves again and picked out a few items: a gourd bag embroidered by Cheng Niangzi, a double shoulder bag made of persimmon red Song brocade, and a tower chain made of eight-color brocade. I took a bamboo pole and hung them under the eaves. I also hung a few auspicious little items made by Zhou the carpenter, such as small Wenchang pagodas and Wenchang pens. These things were strung on ropes and could be hung on my book bag.
He also saw the plush zodiac animal pendants his mother had made on the shelf. They were clearly all at Yao Ruyi's request, stuffed full of cotton, and all plump and round. There was a fat tiger whose head and body were practically a ball, a tiny lamb ball like an inflated sheepskin bag, and even the dragon was made thick, short, and fat…
Little Stone recognized it at a glance. No wonder his mother had been so energetic doing needlework at night for several days, and the house had accumulated a pile of cotton and scraps of cloth. It turned out she was making this.
As he wandered around, he caught a whiff of a cool fragrance and discovered the calming sachets and mosquito-repelling sachets made by Granny Xue. She was the wife of an old doctor and had been exposed to medicine for decades, so she knew a thing or two about medicine. While she couldn't diagnose or prescribe medicine, she was quite adept at making things like comfrey ointment and peppermint oil.
Little Stone suddenly realized that Sister Ruyi had already spoken to the aunties in the alley, asking them to use their skills to make some small odds and ends to sell, so that everyone could earn money together.
Apart from Cheng Niangzi's schoolbag, which was made of brocade and silk and was the most expensive, the other aunts and grandmothers' belongings were all small items worth a few or even a dozen coins. They certainly couldn't become rich from these things, but they could still afford some daily necessities...
Little Stone swallowed hard. He still secretly hoped that his mother's things would sell well, so he picked out a few of the fattest and funniest zodiac animals, tied them to the schoolbags, moved the carrying pole forward, and hung it on the top of the most conspicuous window.
Looking up at the several fluffy, chubby zodiac animals swaying in the wind above him, as if they were running in the wind with short legs carrying their chubby bodies, he looked down and covered his mouth with a smile.
As Little Stone laughed, he couldn't help but start daydreaming.
Sister Ruyi just said she would pay him his wages.
Although he now holds the title of General of the Horse, he has started saving money again.
The New Year was over, and my mother had used up all the mutton fat cream she had saved up throughout the winter. The mutton fat cream only cost about twenty coins, but my mother scraped every last bit off the bottom of the jar before buying more. She would add warm water to it, shake it to dilute the oil, and then apply it to her face.
Yesterday, when he and Jasmine went to the woodblock printing workshop to play house with Guan Rongrong, Guan Rongrong had a bunch of empty rouge boxes and cases. She said that Aunt Guan had given them to her to play with when they were almost used up, and after washing them, she could use them to open a "rouge and powder shop." She also said that whenever Master Meng went out to do business, he always remembered to buy these things for Aunt Guan. Now the table was overflowing with rouge and powder, and there would definitely be more bottles and jars in the future. She would give them a few to play with later.
Among the empty bottles and jars were quite a few lipsticks and face creams from Sister Ruyi's shop, some even engraved with the Yaoji brand name. At that time, Little Stone not only had his eyes opened wide, but also felt a little sad for his mother.
His father went to work at the yamen every day. Master Meng always bowed respectfully to him and often invited him to drink with a smile. It seemed that this seventh-rank official was quite prestigious. But even outside the alley, his father still had to bow and scrape to his superiors every day. His mother said that his father's salary, apart from the family's food and drink expenses, was all used to flatter his superiors and make friends with his colleagues. What use was it to hope for a promotion or a transfer to a more lucrative yamen?
While combing his hair, his mother complained, "That money would have been better spent on flattering your uncle! But your father always does things halfway. He wants to please people but is too shy to do so. When Ruyi's family was poisoned, they needed help right away. I wanted to ask my eldest son to help, but he refused, saying that everyone knows what he's up to. Tell me, when your father wants to ask for help, he wants everyone to know, doesn't he? Does he want people to guess?"
The more her mother talked, the more excited she became, and she combed his hair tighter and tighter until the corners of Little Stone's eyes slanted up, causing him to cry out in pain. Only then did his mother notice and quickly let go.
Indeed, Father had never bought Mother any rouge. Little Stone thought. He didn't need anything now, so if Father wouldn't buy it, he would secretly save up money to buy it for Mother. He would wait until Mother's birthday to take it out.
Mother will be happy!
Anyway... he's already gotten used to not eating sweets.
Because of this thought, a few days ago I heard Fourth Brother Meng talking to his eldest brother about Sister Ruyi's new business, and I also heard Fourth Brother Meng say that he was going to apply for a job as a waiter.
He pretended to be asleep, even when his older brother was farting silently under the covers, he stubbornly held it in and didn't give himself away.
Little Stone pinched his nose, his face turning red, but his mind was still very sharp. He thought, since Brother Meng could go to Sister Ruyi's place as a shop assistant, why couldn't he go?
He wants to go too!
Little Stone thought he was much more capable than Fourth Brother Meng. When Fourth Brother Meng first came to the Lin family, he didn't even know how to make his bed. Little Stone had to teach him. He also didn't know how to start a fire. He was so clumsy! So today, as soon as Fourth Brother Meng heard the sound of firecrackers, he hurriedly got up to tidy up his bedding. Little Stone also quickly slipped out of bed like an eel and sneaked out to find Sister Ruyi.
Luckily, I got the job!
Little Stone looked down and touched his collar. Just now, Sister Ruyi had tied a blue scarf for him with the words "Yaoji Zhixingzhai" embroidered on it, and there was Yaoji's rabbit head on the hem.
Little Stone puffed out his chest even higher as he glanced sideways at Meng Sige, who was still pleading with Ruyi Ajie at the door.
Brother Meng doesn't have that.
He's the real Yaoji employee, while Meng Sige, who has no official title or position, is just a... casual worker!
Yao Ruyi was also thinking about it; as for Meng Boyuan…
She had previously learned to use an abacus from the Meng family's old accountant and had some understanding of Master Meng. He was a shrewd businessman who, apart from his son, was charming and approachable to everyone. He was impeccable in normal business dealings, but whenever he learned that Meng Boyuan had skipped school or gotten into trouble, he would completely change and become somewhat unreasonable.
In particular, he hated his youngest son for not studying and instead getting involved in business. Therefore, Yao Ruyi was even more unsure whether or not to take Meng Boyuan in. But looking at Meng Boyuan, who seemed to want to wag a tail, and seeing that he had come with his belongings packed, and remembering his pitiful past, she struggled for a long time before finally relenting and nodding. She only told him not to tell anyone that he was there to work as a shop assistant, but to pretend that he had come to study.
Seeing that Yao Xiaoniangzi had finally agreed, Meng Boyuan felt a sense of relief, finally able to put his bedding behind the door. Yao Xiaoniangzi said that she would arrange a room for him later, after the business closed for the day and there were no more customers. For now, he should focus on the business at hand.
That makes sense. Meng Boyuan never expected that he would lose to Xiao Shitou when he came to recruit workers! Just then, students saw Yao Ruyi's eye-catching notice one after another and were attracted to come and find out more. The area in front of the door gradually became lively.
He was quick-witted and immediately used all his skills. He hoisted the price list that Yao Ruyi had left by the door onto his shoulder, glanced at the words on it, and began loudly calling out to customers:
"Fellow students, comrades, the Zhixingzhai Study Room is now open for business! Three coins for an hour, ten coins for a whole day. Daily passes are good, but monthly and yearly passes offer even more discounts. Join today and enjoy a 20% discount! A 20% discount—"
"Can't write poetry? Can't write essays? Struggling with math problems? Don't panic! Don't be afraid! For just a few copper coins, an old scholar who once taught a third-place scholar will personally guide you. Only after visiting Zhixingzhai will you know the joy of studying. Today's unknown may become tomorrow's top scholar! Come and see for yourselves—it's free!"
Yao Ruyi, unable to get a word in edgewise, stared in disbelief as Meng Boyuan skillfully recruited a number of students, engaging in serious question-and-answer sessions with them. In just a few words, he had already attracted three people who wanted to join, asking them to wait a moment while turning to look for her.
"Young Lady Yao, Young Lady Yao? What are you daydreaming about? Oh my, you still have time to daydream? Is this your shop or mine?! Quick, quick, hand over the VIP card! And the register? Bring me pen and ink, quick, give me everything!"
"Oh, oh, coming, coming..." Yao Ruyi was dazed and confused as he made her run around frantically fetching things. Seeing Meng Boyuan casually collect the copper coins for her and then neatly write down the membership register, issuing four or five membership cards in an instant, she belatedly realized what was going on—
Wait a minute, who is the waiter?
Still feeling a bit dizzy, Yao Ruyi's reading room welcomed its first group of guests.
Lu Fang was the first member, number "001". He originally thought that the VIP card for Yao Xiaoniangzi's reading room wouldn't be too elaborate, probably like those in teahouses. Some teahouses use bamboo carvings, and some even use gourd cards, but to his surprise, Meng Boyuan handed him a card with flowing ink and light.
This must be a special kind of cardboard pulp, coated with two layers of tung oil. When held up to the sunlight, the ink patterns on it reflect a silvery sheen. He comes from a good family, yet he has never seen this kind of ink before!
Moreover, the lettering on the card was well-engraved, and it looked like it was written by the same person as the notice outside. The vines that swayed diagonally out from behind were also depicted with very elegant strokes, but for some reason... Lu Fang held the card up to his eyes and examined it closely for a long time, and found that the vines were not pine branches, plum branches, wisteria, or forsythia, but... bitter gourd vines?
Lu Fang narrowed his eyes, feeling as if he had been shot in the heart. Was Yao Xiaoniangzi implying that these students, who studied day and night just to squeeze through the narrow bridge of the imperial examination, were as pitiful as bitter gourds?
No, how could Miss Yao be so shallow? She is Dr. Yao's granddaughter; this bitter gourd must have a deeper meaning.
After careful consideration, Lu Fang quickly realized the truth!
This isn't meant to mock them as bitter gourds, but rather to encourage these students! Bitter gourds are extremely bitter at first bite, but if you savor them carefully, they have a refreshing and sweet aftertaste, just like them!
The days spent studying by lamplight, burning the midnight oil, were filled with such loneliness and hardship. But once they passed the imperial examinations, they could taste the sweetness of success. The bitterness of bitter melon is only on the skin and flesh; but the hardship of studying is on the mind and intellect. Yet, physical hardship nourishes the body, while mental hardship nourishes the mind… He understood, he realized that Lady Yao was using the bitter melon to encourage them never to give up, for they would surely see the day when their suffering would end and their happiness would come!
Moreover, look at these two bitter gourds carved on the card, slender and hanging alone on the branch—isn't this precisely the spirit of scholars who uphold their integrity through hardship? How true! The bitter gourd never competes with other fruits for sweetness, and scholars certainly don't conform to worldly ways. Beneath the bitter appearance lies the scholar's lofty integrity.
"Wonderful, wonderful!"
Lu Fang was absolutely blown away by this ingenious idea!
He clutched the card tightly in his hand, thinking to himself, "As expected of Miss Yao, I am truly impressed. From now on, I will never look down on bitter melon again. Although it doesn't taste good, it's a good thing."
And he is also the "001" of Zhixingzhai—the number one bitter gourd!
Lu Fang was suddenly filled with inner strength. With this sudden realization, he strode into Zhixingzhai. His heart was pounding, and he secretly vowed that he would study all day long so as not to let down Miss Yao's earnest encouragement to them, the students.
He intended to head straight for the study to find out more, but as soon as he entered, he saw the two shops in the west wing. The first shop sold the Four Treasures of the Study, but it didn't just sell the Four Treasures of the Study. The dazzling array of goods inside seemed to have hands scratching at his heart. Lu Fang couldn't resist his curiosity and stopped in his tracks.
With the ambition of a bitter gourd, he thought he would just take a quick look and then go straight to reading, spending at most fifteen minutes there, which wouldn't delay anything, so he went inside.
There was a child watching at the counter in the shop, who greeted him with a sweet and cheerful "Welcome!" when he came in. There was also the baby-faced servant from Yao's Grocery Store who had been there before, arranging the goods on the shelves.
The shop had whitewashed walls and large windows, making it better lit than Yaoji Grocery Store. The floor was paved with red clay diamond-patterned bricks, and there were many calligraphy and paintings of "I Love Learning" hanging on the walls. Lu Fang didn't have time to look closely, but he felt that it was very bright and spacious as soon as he walked in.
In the middle are two rows of double-sided ebony varnish shelves, one side of which is full of all kinds of calligraphy brushes, including chicken-claw brushes, wolf-hair brushes, sheep-hair brushes, and mixed-hair brushes, which are all common.
What's different is that many of the penholders are either carved or inlaid. Some are engraved with phrases like "Passing the Imperial Examination," "Victory is in Sight," and "First Place in the Imperial Examination." Others have a small wooden fish made of gourd attached to the top, and the body is engraved with phrases like "Add One to Merit," "Add One to Knowledge," and "Add One to Beauty." Besides these, several oddly shaped pens are slanted into a bamboo basket in the corner. Some have tops shaped like sausages and candied hawthorns, while others have cats and dogs carved on their tops—how interesting…
Lu Fang looked left and right and, seeing that there were not many people, quickly grabbed a wolf-hair calligraphy brush with the inscription "Number One in the First Class" and, shamelessly, grabbed a mixed-hair calligraphy brush with the inscription "Beauty Plus One". After taking two steps, he turned back and grabbed a calligraphy brush with the inscription "Blooming Roasted Sausage".
A stack of bamboo baskets hung next to each shelf. Lu Fang had forgotten his ambition to buy bitter gourds while browsing, so he casually picked up a small basket, put the calligraphy brushes he had selected into it, and continued browsing.
The baby-faced servant glanced at him occasionally but didn't come over, letting him wander around. This made Lu Fang feel a little more at ease. He had a peculiar habit: in the past, when he went to the nearby stationery shops, the shop assistants and managers would fawn over him, recommending this and that, which he found annoying. He preferred to choose slowly by himself.
As he strolled around, his eyes lit up, and he picked up a round, lidded white porcelain inkstone. This thing looked so practical! There was a sign next to the inkstone explaining how to use it: add water around the outer ring and ink around the middle ring, then put the lid on, and the ground ink wouldn't dry for days. It was also small and easy to carry, so he had to get one.
Oh, there's even a small drawstring cloth bag specifically for storing this inkstone. It looks like a little purse, and it's embroidered with some words and flowers, such as "One cannot go a day without reading," "A belly full of poetry and books naturally exudes elegance," and "Ten thousand scrolls of books by the firefly window." It's quite exquisite, so I'll take one too.
Further ahead, there were shops selling all kinds of thread-bound booklets. Lu Fang liked them all. Some were made of cardboard, and some were made of cloth. Each one was a unique piece. Lu Fang liked red plum blossoms and fragrant orchids, so he bought two floral cloth booklets to copy poems.
The cloth was also sewn with plum blossom buttons, which could be used to tie the book's edges with straps, making it less likely for receipts and bookmarks to fall out when inserted into the book.
He held the book in his hand and examined it as he made his selection. The stitching was quite good, the pages were thick and flat, and the paper was as white as snow. The thread binding in the middle was straight. The coarse cloth book cost thirty coins, and the silk book cost sixty coins. However, he felt that the material was good and the colors were well-dyed, so he didn't mind the price at all.
Further ahead, there was a wall covered with all sorts of school bags, pencil cases, and other exquisite items. Lu Fang, of course, couldn't resist them either. He picked out a pencil case embroidered with a fat yellow cat—it was obviously a woof! How could he not buy it?
Besides these, there are all sorts of sachets, pouches, and perfumes, including soothing rose sachets, refreshing peppermint balms, and pouches shaped like puppies and big yellow cats and dogs.
Buy! Lu Fang bought every dog-themed item he saw, just enough to make a complete set.
There are even some ceramic and porcelain cups that are hand-sculpted and carved. Some are carved with cats and dogs, some have the words "drinking tea without forgetting lofty ambitions", and some are sculpted into strange shapes... but they are inexplicably interesting.
When he finished shopping, one basket was no longer enough, so he took another basket specifically to hold ceramic cups, coasters, backpack strap charms, and dog figurines holding small wooden signs that read "Strive" and "You're the best."
Lu Fang originally planned to go in and browse for a quarter of an hour before coming out to concentrate on his studies, but he ended up getting so engrossed in browsing that he came out with bags and bundles of things that it had been more than half an hour.
While he was browsing the stationery shops, Zhixingzhai was already quite lively, filled with students strolling around in groups. He even spotted several young professors giving lectures among them... Hmm, that sneaky guy looks like Master Meng from the woodblock printing workshop, doesn't he? What's he looking at with his butt sticking out?
Never mind, he's going to study!
But... this is just one room; there's another tea room next door!
Lu Fang couldn't move his feet. The sweet aroma of hot tea was wafting from the next room, along with the scents of roasted nuts, fruits, and even soup dumplings.
Looking through the window, the room was bustling with people. Several long tables were vaguely visible, and on the left was a tall counter with many small shelves filled with various snacks. It seemed that Madam Yao had brought over some snacks from the general store and ordered many new goods from the shops outside. She also appeared to have made a new flavor of tea soup.
The old servant who always follows Lord Lin seems to be inside. Oh, and Wangwang seems to be there too! The students have carried it to the rope basket tied to the window. Many students are surrounding it, vying to swing it in the basket, scratch its belly, pat its bottom, and groom its fur.
He adored Wangwang too. Such a plump, affectionate, and adorable cat—how comforting it would be to pet it when it was tired from reading! No matter how many people petted Wangwang, it would never bite; instead, it would purr and squint its eyes in enjoyment. He was really itching to pet it, so he looked up and saw a curved, fan-shaped plaque hanging above the doorway, with five characters written elegantly in running script: "Tea and Reading After Enjoyment."
Yeah, I'm definitely thirsty after walking around for so long.
This plaque is well-chosen; one should eat and drink well before reading...
Lu Fang walked in with his eyes shining.
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Little Stone: I am the eldest brother!
Lu Fang was deeply moved: I'm willing to be Yao Xiaoniangzi's biggest bitter gourd forever! [Burning with emotion]
Lin Wen'an: ? ? ? ? What's it to you? [rolls eyes]
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