Chapter 50 The deal is done: When the door opened, the scene almost scared Yao Ruyi to death.
As dusk settled, Shen Hai felt that the twilight of late winter and early spring was indeed more beautiful. There was no dazzling sunset, nor a constant flow of people. The last rays of sunlight faded, and the people thinned out. Bianjing City was like a lady who had removed her gold and jade hairpins, shedding her daytime adorned manners, and languidly resting on the mountains and rivers.
As Shen Hai grew up, he came to prefer winter and spring to summer and autumn. Especially now that Zhixingzhai was located in an alley near the Imperial College, it was naturally quieter than outside. He leaned against the bamboo window, slowly sipping a cup of milk tea, with a few plum blossom pastries lying in a ceramic dish. The bamboo curtain was lazily rolled up, and he opened the window. Although the wind was a bit cool, the view outside was beautiful.
Inside the window frame was a half-angled eave. Behind the eave, the twilight tinged the ground with varying shades of purple. A few lanterns, lit early in the morning, hung in the distance. To his eyes, they appeared as one or two pale yellow halos, their shadows faintly reflected in the streetscape, which was also blurred into a few silhouettes.
The bamboo lanterns swayed gently in the wind, and the barking of dogs echoed from the depths of the alleyways, sometimes near, sometimes far, while further away came the hustle and bustle of the market, creating a sense of tranquility amidst the city's hustle and bustle.
After a long day on duty, when you're so tired you don't want to talk to anyone, and don't even want to go home, being able to sit here drinking tea and aimlessly while away the time is quite comforting. He took another sip of milk tea. This kind of tranquility was something he didn't understand when he was a child. Back then, he was arrogant and self-important, a conceited and annoying kid who did many foolish things out of self-righteousness, and now he feels extremely ashamed when he thinks about it.
Shen Hai took another sip with a sigh, and then nibbled on a plum blossom pastry.
It's so delicious. Why didn't he have this when he was studying? But it's a good thing he didn't, otherwise if he knew that the students of the Imperial Academy lived such a good life, separated only by a few city walls, he would be so jealous that he would scratch the walls every night.
He slowly finished the entire cup of milk tea before getting up, satisfied, to leave.
He'll definitely come visit again next time he has some free time!
Although Lord Lin had bestowed upon him a cup of milk tea this morning, this one tonight was a flavor he had chosen himself, something called "Orchid and Osmanthus." He preferred this cup even more, not only because the aroma of milk and the flavor of tea blended perfectly, but also because the delicate fragrance of osmanthus lingered in his mouth. Since it was winter, the teahouse only sold hot drinks, but Shen Hai felt that such a refreshing and sweet taste would be quite good even when cold-brewed.
He didn't actually drink much cow's milk when he was little. Although his family wasn't poor and could afford it if they wanted, his mother thought it was too much trouble to boil, and his father disliked the strong, fishy smell, so they rarely saw anything like buttermilk at home. However, it wasn't until he grew up that he gradually realized why, when he was young, he always felt that his parents were never picky eaters, yet they always scolded him for being picky. For example, cow's milk—if his parents didn't like it, they wouldn't buy it at all!
Later, when I had extra money, I didn't think of buying it specifically to drink.
Now that I've had it, it really suits my taste.
It doesn't have a gamey smell at all; it's actually quite sweet.
He left the teahouse, and since there was still a few rays of dawn, he went to browse the stationery shop next door. He had been hungry earlier, and after asking Lord Lin where the milk tea was, he had gone straight to the teahouse. Moreover, he had even paid three coins for his studies just to be able to come in and drink tea!
Shen Hai never expected that this wasn't a proper teahouse, but actually a study room for students. But... Shen Hai glanced back one last time before leaving.
It was getting dark, but the teahouse was still packed with customers.
The lamps were bright and warm, and the charcoal stoves were well-supplied. The students were scattered in groups, some clinging to the cat, bending over and teasing it with their own clothes sashes, getting scratched by the fat cat until the tassels were all over, yet still laughing to themselves; a dozen or so gathered around a long table playing the recently popular Yin-Yang cards; a few others brought bamboo flutes and long xiao, sat on the ground, and were softly singing their own poorly written lyrics and melodies; and a few others were obediently huddled in a corner reading the classics, but when Shen Hai got closer, he saw that although the cover of the book was titled "The Doctrine of the Mean," the pages inside were decorated with pictures of beautiful women with fair necks and fragrant shoulders, and he immediately understood.
He sneered inwardly.
This trick of substituting one book for another to read something else is something he's already done before! Anyone who reads "The Doctrine of the Mean" with such a blush on their face and eyes practically glued to it is probably reading something like "The Pretty Girl Wrongly Married to a Heartless Man," "The Golden Hairpin's Vow of Love and Debt," or "The Pleasure of Love in the Hibiscus Tent"...
Ha, he's already seen them all.
He chuckled and stepped into the stationery shop, where he saw a young boy with his hair in a bun, holding a huge bowl bigger than his face, slurping down soup dumplings. When he saw him come in, the boy, still with soup dumplings in his mouth, pointed to a stack of wicker baskets by the door and said, "Young master, please choose whatever you like. The baskets are over there!"
Shen Hai curiously took a basket. He had never seen a shop that let people choose their own baskets like this, and only sent a young boy to guard it. Wasn't the shop owner afraid that someone would steal or smuggle something?
With this doubt in mind, he wandered around and actually bought a few things: several beautifully bound booklets and a few dog-head calligraphy brushes. The brush in particular had a fierce-looking scarred dog head carved on the top of the handle, and the words "You dog thief, I am your godfather" were also carved on the handle. This amused Shen Hai so much that he immediately grabbed five or six of them.
He wants to buy it, he absolutely has to buy it!
He also wanted to buy a few more to give to his old classmates with whom he still maintained good relations.
They'll definitely burst out laughing when they see this.
This pen costs twenty coins. Brushes and ink are never cheap, so this isn't considered expensive. Although it's an ordinary green bamboo pen, the bristles are quite well-twisted. The most wonderful part is the dog's head, which is carved so vividly that it looks fierce and roars. Chen Hai looked at it happily for a long time.
He went to the boy to pay his bill, and suddenly felt a warm sensation on the top of his foot, as if he had touched something furry. Looking down, he saw a large, scarred dog's head, just like the one on the calligraphy brush.
A large, scarred dog lay by the counter. It had been lying there, but when it saw him coming, it deliberately stood up and sniffed him all over. As if it thought he hadn't stolen anything, it lazily lay back down and closed its eyes, pretending to doze off.
Shen Hai was startled. This dog was huge and looked fierce. It seemed to have been specially trained, with an incredibly keen sense of smell. No wonder the shop owner wasn't afraid of theft. With a watchdog like this, it was probably more effective than ten pairs of human eyes. Who would dare to steal? It would surely bite them out.
Having eaten and strolled around, Chen Hai was ready to go home. Stepping out of the stationery shop, the lamplight in the east wing across the street reflected through the paper windows, where a few scattered figures of students were diligently studying.
"It really is a reading room. I thought it was just a gimmick..." Shen Hai stood there curiously for a while, watching their backs as they studied diligently. He felt a strange sadness and nostalgia. Ever since he entered the Ordnance Bureau, he had been dealing with his own official duties every day, flattering the incompetent and sycophantic supervisor, and always shirking responsibility by dumping the work on his colleagues who didn't know how to do it.
If it weren't for this chance encounter that led him to this Zhixingzhai today, he wouldn't have thought about his school days for a long time, nor would he have thought about... that kind of sincere dedication to studying.
These days, all he thinks about is: Don't be late, don't be late; when will the eunuchs bring lunch from the corridor? Why haven't they served the afternoon tea yet? Finally, it's almost time to get off work, so he quickly packs his satchel and runs fast...
However, it seems he didn't study hard before.
Such is the way of reading. As Shen Hai thought, talent and a good teacher are secondary; what is important is a clear and eager heart to learn. No matter how many reasons one has, if one does not want to read, one cannot concentrate no matter what; but if one wants to read, just one thought is enough to get through year after year.
The students at both ends of the east and west wing rooms of "Zhixingzhai" and myself, who used to be inconsistent in my studies, are perfect examples.
Chen Hai sighed softly, lamenting that time is fleeting and cannot be retrieved. It's a pity that one cannot go back to the past; otherwise, he would have loved to tell his younger self to stop wasting time and go back to studying! But that mischievous young self probably wouldn't have listened to him.
As Shen Hai walked out of Zhixingzhai, he caught a glimpse of two dim lanterns hanging under the eaves of a building diagonally opposite, with signs also displayed, suggesting there might be a general store there as well. However, it was already dark, and if he delayed any longer, the long carriages would have to stop running, so he didn't go over to take a look and had to quicken his pace towards the alleyway.
When he left the alley, they checked his waist tag again before letting him through, which surprised him.
The Imperial Academy is indeed the Imperial Academy; its inner students are the Emperor's disciples—truly different. Even a narrow alley is guarded by soldiers. If I hadn't accompanied Lord Lin and been wearing my official credentials, I probably would have been stopped and questioned by that disheveled old soldier. What will I do next time? Will I have to rely on Lord Lin's connections again? Sigh, such a wonderful place, such fine milk tea—how could it be located in such a troublesome area?
Never mind, we'll talk about it later.
Stepping out of the alley, the night market of Bianjing was already brightly lit and bustling with people, a cacophony of smells filling the air. He was startled, momentarily lost in thought. It was as if he had just emerged from a secluded paradise; the noisy, crowded world outside was the real reality.
He glanced back; the narrow alley was still quiet. The lights of the general store and Zhixingzhai were the brightest in the alley, forming two bright yellow halos, making the whole alley seem as if it had been peeled away from old memories. The evening breeze was quiet, and the sound of students reading aloud was scattered in the wind.
Shen Hai sadly withdrew his gaze and finally hurried to Ma Xing Street to catch a bus.
On the way, he kept passing through crowds of vendors, and suddenly became excited again.
After he goes on duty tomorrow, he will definitely tell his colleagues in the yamen about this novel place!
Back then, Shen Hai studied at Biyong Academy, which was newly built only a few years ago. The dormitories and halls were brand new and clean, the martial arts training ground was covered with fine sand, and the Qin Pavilion was next to the lotus pond. Everywhere was lush with flowers and trees, quiet and spacious. The only drawback was that the food at Zhuoyin Hall was too bad.
But those clerks who had studied at the Imperial Academy had to endure both the large dormitory with twelve people and the decades-old, dilapidated school buildings, and even the training ground for riding and archery was full of potholes.
Once they pass the imperial examinations and become officials, the Imperial Academy will have such a wonderful place to go: tea rooms for elegant gatherings, a dazzling array of writing implements, study rooms where people study late into the night with lights always on, and all kinds of entertainment available. Heh heh, if those clerks from the Imperial Academy knew about this and knew how happy the students in the inner quarters are now, they would probably be disgusted to death!
Shen Hai let out a lewd, sneer.
***
Yao Ruyi was unaware that her study and general store would become popular spots for students from all years of the Imperial College to take photos. At this moment, she was sitting upright in her courtyard, entertaining the fat monk from Xingguo Temple.
This fat monk was not the same one who had previously pressured her about the price. He was round and plump with squinty eyes, and when he smiled, he resembled Maitreya Buddha. His words were gentle and kind, as if he was always considerate of others, which made people feel good about him and lower their guard.
But by this time, she was no longer the helpless Yao Ameng who was questioned by the governor!
During the days of preparing the study room, she felt as if she had been thrown into a business negotiation training camp. After all, when Lin Wen'an accompanied her on shopping trips a while ago, she met with four or five merchants and workshops almost every day. In just a few days, she witnessed all kinds of tricks and tactics of shopkeepers, store owners and merchants.
Now, sitting in front of this fat monk again, she remained calm no matter what he said. Not only had she honed her skills through intensive practice, but she could also discern the hidden meanings in his words and knew how to respond.
In addition... Lin Wen'an was right beside her.
A small clay stove held a pot of plain tea, bubbling away. He sat idly, simply pouring tea for her, adding water, and refilling the cups. He didn't interfere with her conversation with the senior monk, nor did he worry that she wouldn't do it well; he let her do as she pleased.
Yao Ruyi was then very relieved.
Lin Wen'an simply sat quietly and listened. He neither interrupted nor gave her any signals. She knew that what she and the fat monk said and did was correct, and she became more and more confident.
She need not worry about being tricked by the fat monk, nor need she be afraid of ruining important matters with her words, nor does she need to meekly submit to the other party's conditions.
In the end, Yao Ruyi negotiated the entire deal with Xingguo Temple all by herself. The initial insistence on a 20% profit margin and a purchase price that broke even with the cost was successfully written into the contract. Lin Wen'an happened to be there. After carefully reviewing the contract for her, he used his official position as guarantor and acted as the middleman for her, the "Party A," signing his name on the contract.
The abbot then sought out a lawyer to mediate, and the contract was thus finalized.
Although he failed to lower Yao Ruyi's price, the fat monk remained calm despite the unsuccessful negotiations. His expression did not reveal whether the deal with Xingguo Temple was profitable or not. He simply made a gentle appointment with her for the day he would deliver the prescription and the first batch of snacks, then smiled and put his palms together in farewell.
Truly worthy of being a monk who has seen great things, such impeccable composure! Yao Ruyi secretly kept this in mind, thinking that she should also cultivate such composure and unfathomable depth in the future!
However, as soon as she saw the monk off, Yao Ruyi revealed her true colors.
As she watched the fat monk turn the corner of the alley, she realized that she had been holding her breath the whole time. Now that he was gone, her muscles and bones gradually relaxed, and a joy of "I can do it too" surged up like tiny bubbles boiling in a sugar pot.
Although she had managed to reach a cooperation agreement with Xingguo Temple thanks in part to her second uncle's influence, if it weren't for his entry into the palace to secure another opportunity for negotiations and his support today, she wouldn't have been able to negotiate so smoothly. But... she was the one who truly took the lead and made the moves!
The monks of Xingguo Temple were not afraid of powerful figures. Even with Lin Wen'an, a fourth-rank official, by his side, and a messenger from the palace speaking to him, he was only polite to her in words, but he did not give up any of the benefits he was entitled to. Later, she calmed down and argued her case reasonably, and then took him to see the Zhixingzhai teahouse and invited him to taste the samples at the general store. Only then did he slowly put away the contempt beneath his compassionate face and begin to discuss things with her with a more serious attitude.
In many business negotiations, the final outcome is a battle of wits and who can withstand the pressure. She gritted her teeth and persevered, having discerned the fat monk's bottom line from his earlier words. She refused to budge, and as she had guessed, the conditions she proposed were nothing more than a drop in the ocean for Xingguo Temple. They didn't care about a 10% or 20% profit; they were simply used to maximizing their gains and were unwilling to easily give in.
That's why it's finally done today.
She stood in front of the door for a moment before turning around, closing the door, and returning to the courtyard.
Under the dim candlelight, Lin Wen'an still stood in that warm light, a smile in his eyes.
In his gaze, there was both joy at her wish being fulfilled and admiration for her courage and growth. Although Lin Wen'an did not say it, Yao Ruyi could no longer contain herself as soon as she met his gaze, and excitedly ran to him, lifting her skirt.
"Second Uncle, I really did it!"
"I will never be afraid of these kinds of situations again!"
Lin Wen'an lowered his eyes and gazed at her with a smile. The girl blushed with joy and couldn't help but want to dance around him, running around him and talking non-stop.
"The monk acted as if nothing was wrong, only saying, 'This business is nothing but a chicken rib for Xingguo Temple.' I don't know why, but suddenly I understood! Seeing the glint in his eyes, I knew that he was lying, and I immediately had a better idea. I thought that the price I asked for must not be high. If it were really a chicken rib, why would he still be sitting here arguing with me? Xingguo Temple's bottom line must be below what I asked for!"
"So I boldly asked for another 5% profit, and sure enough, he refused immediately. But I was just deliberately raising the price to trick him! I also wanted him to know that I was already being very generous by asking for only 20% profit!"
Lin Wen'an gazed at her. As Ruyi spoke of these proud moments, her eyes shone like stars, and her whole being radiated vibrant life. He looked at her as if witnessing a sapling sprouting branches and leaves in the wind and rain, as she rapidly grew and tallened before him, becoming graceful and luxuriant.
"Second Uncle, it's all thanks to you." She had been laughing for a while and finally calmed down a bit, but she still couldn't help but smile brightly, looking up at him. "Really... thank you so much!"
Every time she smiled at him like that, her eyes almost disappearing behind her teeth, Lin Wen'an felt a slight itch in his fingertips. He was resisting the urge to ruffle her hair when he heard her suddenly soften her voice and say earnestly, word by word:
"Second Uncle."
"It's so good to have you by my side."
"Thank you."
Lin Wen'an was taken aback, but Yao Ruyi had already skipped away, leaving behind only the words, "I'm going to check on Grandpa! I hope he doesn't get angry again..."
She runs so fast... He stood there, shook his head, and gently curled his lips. He watched her figure disappear quickly outside the courtyard gate before stepping through the shadows of the lamplight and returning to his own house through the side gate of the Yao family.
Yao Ruyi ran all the way to the entrance of Zhixingzhai before stopping, letting out a sigh of relief, and touching her burning cheeks. Though outwardly calm, she was inwardly pounding on the inner voice of her ego: Yao Ruyi, what did you say in that moment of impulsiveness?!
You're going to die!
Indeed, her words just now stunned not only Lin Wen'an, but even she herself was taken aback. She dared not wait for her second uncle's response and had no choice but to make a hasty retreat.
He patted his cheeks again and let the evening breeze cool his face before entering Zhixingzhai. It was past dusk, and the students should have been resting at the academy, but it was still packed with people.
In particular, in the tea room, there were four or five students who gathered several futons in a corner, bringing their own musical instruments. Some played the flute and the xiao, while others played the drum and the zheng. They played and sang, and danced. Fortunately, most of the music at this time, apart from some frontier songs, was gentle and lingering.
The gentle strumming of fingers and the soft humming were not disturbing at all.
In the darkness of night, it has a tranquil and serene feel to it.
Moreover, music is one of the six arts of a gentleman, and most students of the Imperial Academy have their own musical instruments they are good at. Even if they are not proficient, they are at least somewhat knowledgeable about them, and no one is ashamed of this.
Therefore, people drinking tea, petting cats, and reading leisurely books on the side were used to it. Occasionally, someone would even ask for a song, wanting to hear Liu Qi's "Rainy Night Bell," and those students would actually sing it for them.
The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious. Yao Ruyi scratched her head. Actually, her initial idea for the study room was primarily a reading room, which is why she had opened up the entire east wing, which had the largest space and best lighting, to make it a study room. Since she had also introduced daily and monthly passes, she thought that if she wanted people to pay to study there year-round, the supporting facilities and services would also need to be comprehensive.
Yao Ruyi extended her thinking to others. Hot water and a charcoal stove were essential; one couldn't expect someone to travel a long distance to buy a worn-out pen, so it was most convenient to buy one right in the study room. Studying for long periods also led to a loss of concentration. While students in later generations drank coffee and milk tea, she figured if she couldn't make coffee, surely she could make milk tea?
Everything for the sake of learning, get it done!
Unexpectedly... she gave an awkward smile, realizing she had completely reversed the order of things!
However, after seeing the tea room where the students entertained themselves, Yao Ruyi slipped away to take a look at the study room. She peeked through the door and was quite pleased.
In the reading room, the desks with partitions were neatly arranged, and several people were scattered around. Although it wasn't full, it was much better than during the day. Yao Ruyi counted, and there were about a dozen people sitting there.
It seems that after the initial novelty wears off, some students will start studying, and more will likely join the ranks of those who study hard and strive for excellence. On its first day of operation, she doesn't need to worry about being accused of misleading the public or having her small shop become the culprit for disrupting students' studies.
Grandpa Yao was speaking energetically to a student she didn't recognize about the most ingenious way to break down and solve a problem. The student listened attentively, holding a pen and paper in her hand, occasionally jotting down what Grandpa Yao said.
Moving her gaze downwards, Yao Ruyi also discovered the iron-clad gold.
A small, black-backed, yellow-bellied dog, curled up in a big ball, was sleeping at Grandpa Yao's feet. She said she hadn't seen Tie Bao Jin all day; it looked like it had been keeping Grandpa company here all day.
Her gaze involuntarily returned to Grandpa Yao's generous face, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her. Regardless of whether the students actually studied or not, at least for Grandpa Yao, this study room was a worthwhile venture!
At this time of year, Grandpa Yao would usually be bored and sleepy at home, but now he looks like he's had a wonderful tonic, with a rosy complexion and bright eyes, showing no signs of fatigue.
Come to think of it, most of his relatives have passed away. Grandpa Yao's heart was like a house that had been destroyed by frequent storms, with the beams and pillars collapsing one by one. But finally... at least there was still one pillar holding him up.
Yao Ruyi looked for a moment, then lifted her skirt and quietly retreated.
Little Stone, who was dozing off while guarding the stationery shop, was sent home to rest, and two dried quails were given to Big Yellow, the security captain. Now Big Yellow is busy too, even though no one is specifically training it. Grandpa Yao used to just like to teach the dog lessons, but never deliberately taught it anything else.
But she discovered that as the puppies grew older, Big Yellow would spontaneously lead the little yellow and little white puppies around the grocery store, seemingly teaching them how to guard the house.
If Little Yellow and Little White are lazy and don't do their job well, they will be roared at by the dog in their ears, and the dog will even raise its paws to slap its two stupid sons, scaring the two dogs so much that their ears fly off their heads.
When Zhixingzhai opened, Dahuang came to oversee the business himself.
Now the dogs have spontaneously divided up the tasks of guarding their territory. Da Huang's two sons, Xiao Huang and Xiao Bai, are in charge of the general store, one guarding the yard and the other guarding the shop. Da Huang guards the stationery shop at Zhixingzhai, Wangwang "greets guests" in the tea room, and Tie Baojin keeps Grandpa Yao company.
At first, Yao Ruyi felt that she had too many cats and dogs, but there was nothing she could do. Dahuang had a very strong maternal instinct. After she took it in, it was wary for a long time before it gradually integrated into the family. It still kept an eye on its kittens every day. Even though the puppies and kittens had grown up, it would still hug them and lick their fur from time to time.
At the time, Yao Ruyi thought that she couldn't let Da Huang be disappointed in choosing her as its owner, so she gritted her teeth and raised it and its puppies.
But now that I look at them, they are all doing their jobs perfectly!
Yao Ruyi petted Da Huang a few more times and praised her with a smile: "Good Da Huang, you've raised your pets so well. All the dogs and cats are so well-behaved and capable. You're the real hero of our family!"
Big Yellow seemed to understand, raising its head with a touch of arrogance, its furry ears twitching.
Yao Ruyi then smiled.
And so, the hectic first day of the study room's opening came to an end.
The next day, Aunt Yu bought a whole live sheep early in the morning, carried it into the alley in a hurry, and slaughtered the sheep in the yard until her hands and face were covered in blood. When she saw that it was almost time, she came and knocked on Yao Ruyi's door.
When the door opened, the scene almost scared Yao Ruyi to death.
"Ruyi, your whole family is coming to my house for roast whole lamb tonight! Your dog and cat too! No one can be missing!" She patted Yao Ruyi's shoulder with her bloodied hand and said generously, "Jiuwan heard that you opened some kind of school and is quite interested. She's a bookworm, so she wanted to ask you if women can study there. She also asked if you need any books. She has a bunch of books from her dowry, which are just gathering dust at home. Why don't you donate them to her?"
Oh? Such a good thing!
Despite the bloody handprint on her shoulder, Yao Ruyi's eyes suddenly lit up.
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Does anyone know which eye drops are most effective for conjunctivitis? I've been using Tobradex for a week, but my eyes are still so crusty from discharge that I can barely open them! [crying emoji]
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