Chapter 72 Heading East and West: With luggage on our shoulders, it's time to set off.
After Zhixingzhai reopened, it became even more bustling.
The newly painted plaque of Wenhua Hall reflected a white light under the blazing sun. The red dust from the firecrackers in front of the door had not yet been swept away before it was crushed into the cracks of the bluestone slabs by the footsteps of the surging students, leaving only dark red marks in the mud.
Upstairs and downstairs, the noise was deafening.
The second-floor corridor became the main passageway for students to pass through. The wooden stairs creaked constantly from being stepped on by people going up and down. Fortunately, good hardwood was used, otherwise it would not have been able to withstand so many people stepping on it.
The summer heat was intense, and many students had sweat beading on their foreheads. They were either holding books or fans, or carrying refreshing drinks they had just bought from the teahouse downstairs. They kept moving around, looking for a cooler spot by the window.
The tea room was still the liveliest place.
The original one-story building has been expanded into two stories, making it much more spacious.
But it's also packed even more. Small tables have been set up downstairs, and the long tables have been moved upstairs. Both floors are full of people, packed to the brim. Uncle Cong can't manage it all by himself, so Little Stone now works in the tea room running errands and delivering tea and drinks.
Lin Weiming's success in the exam greatly eased the Lin family's predicament. Relatives came in several groups to give money and land. Now the family had hired a day laborer to help Aunt Ying with the work, and the younger sister was taken care of. Little Stone no longer had to be a babysitter and immediately returned to work happily.
But then he had a new worry. Holding the tray, he sighed loudly to Yao Ruyi in a clear voice, "A few days ago, a cousin came by. He's an old boxing master and told my dad that I'm a good candidate for martial arts! I want to go with him, but my dad insists that I go to school for two years first. The cousin also said that you have to start elementary school to learn martial arts, and he thinks I'm too old. If I wait any longer, my bones will harden and my body will be set, and I won't be able to learn anymore! Sigh!"
Yao Ruyi asked him, "So, do you like reading?"
Little Stone shook his head violently, his face contorted with misery, as if he were about to cry from frustration at his own forgetfulness: "I just memorized 'A Farewell to Tianmu Mountain in a Dream,' and I've already forgotten 'The Road to Shu is Hard'!"
Yao Ruyi felt extremely sorry for him. He got up before dawn every day to study, but he struggled to keep up and his efforts yielded very little result.
“But practicing martial arts is very hard, even harder than studying.” Yao Ruyi rubbed his round head. “If you’re really not afraid of hardship, just talk to your father like this, and say that you’ll try it out for a month or two first. If you can handle it, then learn it; if you can’t, then come back to school. It won’t cause any problems. Right?”
Little Stone's eyes lit up: "That's right! I'll tell my dad that later!" Just then, Uncle Cong called from downstairs, and he quickly responded: "Coming, coming!" As he answered, he had already darted out, grabbed the railing, and leaped down like a monkey, landing lightly and quickly in a few steps.
As Yao Ruyi watched his retreating figure, she recalled how he rode his bamboo horse through the alleys in the winter, seemingly unfazed by the cold. She thought to herself, "That uncle of Little Stone's is probably not just being polite; he might actually be a natural martial artist."
Just then, she caught a glimpse of Sister You coming in downstairs, so she lifted her skirt and went down to greet her.
The other day, Sister You came to the shop looking for her and told her about something.
She wanted to take back the shop from her dowry and open her own small clinic. However, opening a clinic was expensive; hiring people, dispensing medicine, and keeping accounts all required money. She spent a long time calculating at home and even asked Granny Xue for some money, but there was still a shortfall. So, blushing, she wanted to ask Yao Ruyi, whose business was booming, to "invest" in her and become her partner.
Although they were familiar neighbors and Yao Ruyi trusted her, she didn't immediately agree. Opening a medical clinic was a virtuous act, but it was also a real business; if poorly managed, it could still go out of business. While Aunt You had a family background in medicine, she had little experience in running a business. She knew she needed to hire people and source goods, but what about the more detailed aspects? A series of questions suddenly popped into Yao Ruyi's mind:
Is the location of the dowry shop good? Is it street-facing? Is the storefront bright and spacious? How many female doctors are planned to be hired for the clinic? Will they specialize in gynecology or general practice? Which supplier will be used to source the commonly used medicinal herbs? What are the planned wages for the shop assistants and accountant? How much will the consultation fee be?
To be fair, although Yao Ruyi had tormented several of her "suppliers," including Zhou Jumu and Cheng Niangzi, she had also been "honed" by the cunning monks of Xingguo Temple through her frequent interactions with them! She was no longer the impulsive young girl she once was, nor the novice who needed Lin Wen'an's presence to negotiate with peace of mind. She had gradually developed a clear business mind and risk assessment ability.
She even learned to live with "two faces," one inside and one outside.
Externally, she learned from Master Meng how a businessman should act tactfully, thinking things through carefully before speaking, and understanding the principle that patience is key. Internally, however, she didn't need to be so cautious; she remained the same carefree and happy Ruyi with Grandpa Yao and Lin Wen'an.
So after listening to Sister You's words, she only said it was a great thing, but there was no need to rush. She then arranged to go with her today to see the shop location in person, listen carefully to her plans, and discuss it in detail once everything was in place.
However, Yao Ruyi believed that Sister You had thought it through carefully.
She has changed a lot since she returned from Guizhou.
Sister You, who once said that a woman's life would be complete if she found a good husband, seemed to have been cruelly left behind in the humid, hot, and windy mountains of Guizhou.
It was springtime then, and Sister-in-law You had only been back for a short time. She was often pulled by Aunt Yu, Madam Cheng, and other aunts and sisters-in-law to chat in front of the general store. The aunts and sisters-in-law would set up folding chairs, their faces covered with peach petals from spring, and listen to her tell stories of Guizhou.
The devastation in Guizhou at that time was a thousand times worse than the few words that reached Bianjing (Kaifeng).
During the day, thin coffins were carried out from one end of the street to the other, and every household hung white banners. Those who died from the plague could not be buried and were all cremated, so the hills were always lit with fires that burned all night. Guizhou was a mountainous region, and because she was a woman, she worked with the female doctors at Zhang Niangzi's clinic. At that time, they had a clear division of labor with the court's medical officials, and their team was dedicated to saving women and children.
Not having enough shelter, they huddled in thatched huts by the roadside. Swarms of mosquitoes and horseflies covered their bodies with bites upon bites, which would ooze yellow fluid when scratched open. The crevices under their fingernails were constantly covered with dark red scabs and medicinal paste, which had to be washed away repeatedly with strong liquor.
He only sleeps for one or two hours a day, and if he hears that any of the patients are not feeling well, he immediately gets up to check on them.
“There was a ten-year-old girl who had lost her parents and grandparents and was all alone. I wanted to save her so badly, and she was desperate to live, but I… I still couldn’t pull her back from the brink of death. Before she died, she said to me in the Guizhou dialect, ‘Doctor, I don’t want to die.’”
Even after returning, Sister You's voice still carried a heavy nasal tone when she talked about the matter. After a pause, she seemed hesitant to mention it further and quickly changed the subject to happy things.
“Some were saved, and the one I was happiest about was saving a woman who was about to give birth. I induced labor and delivered her baby safely, and then I even managed to save her life.” Sister You was still excited about those hard-won lives as she spoke, and it took her a while to calm down before continuing, “…Later, when we were leaving, she chased after us, carrying her baby and a bag of rice. She couldn’t speak Mandarin and kept trying to give it to me. Of course, I refused; they had just suffered a disaster and didn’t even have enough to eat themselves. She threw it onto the cart and ran off, almost hitting me on the head. When the cart started moving, she, carrying her baby, joined the others and knelt down in the dust, kowtowing…”
"There was also a blind old woman who worked day and night weaving baskets for our medicine using newly distributed willow branches, and there were also handymen who carried corpses. When one of them fell ill, another would take his place, and no one complained... and..."
There are too many stories to tell; she has witnessed too many lives lost that could not be saved, and she has risked her life for many people she has never met.
After returning home, she continued to manage household affairs and raise her children, but she couldn't help but recall those faces and the days in Guizhou when she endured wind and rain and risked her life to save others.
Having traversed vast and expansive landscapes, witnessed the unwavering spirit of doctors, their clothes tattered and fingers stained with blood, yet refusing to retreat, and endured days and nights of hardship and battles against death, she could no longer stay at home.
She wants to open a clinic.
Once the thought arose, she couldn't suppress it any longer. For many days, she did housework and played with Jasmine during the day, but her mind wandered; at night, she lay awake staring at the top of the tent, unable to sleep, pondering and calculating in her mind.
Not just for herself, she thought.
If she opens a clinic, she can first pave the way and establish a solid reputation. Then, when Jasmine finishes her training, it will be easier for her to take over. These days, Jasmine often boasts to her that she can recite prescriptions from memory, and that's how she came to know her daughter's ambition.
Unable to contain herself any longer, she nervously spoke to Doctor You about it.
Unexpectedly, her husband seemed to have anticipated this, not mentioning anything about "men being in charge of external affairs and women being in charge of internal affairs," nor did he say anything about "the wife should uphold traditional virtues" or "how can the wife of an official in charge of the household show her face in public." He had shared life and death with his wife in Guizhou, and he had seen her holding that tiny body of a child who could not be saved, crying bitterly and heartbrokenly.
So he just smiled and said gently, "Qinglang, just do what you want to do. I'm sure your father-in-law would be happy to see you like this."
Sister-in-law You's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
She was truly fortunate in her life. As a child, she was sheltered by her parents and received her father's unwavering guidance, which taught her how to make a living. After marriage, she met a good man who never made her suffer any injustice.
Now in middle age, she has truly broken free from the ignorance of her name, which suggests a peaceful existence. She has seen the real world and gained the courage to take a big step forward.
Xue Qinglang, Department of Gynecology.
Sister-in-law You was extremely excited; she had already decided that this would be her name from now on.
Use her name.
***
Here, Yao Ruyi and Sister-in-law You walked out hand in hand, got into their car, and drove out of the alley.
On the second floor, the bamboo curtain was half-rolled up, filtering down some swaying sunlight. Several familiar students sat around a table, their eyes returning from the departing car.
On the table lay several newly purchased collections of contemporary essays, and in a few small dishes were crisp plums and pickled peaches chilled in well water overnight. These days, "fruit salad" was all the rage in the general store: Yao Xiaoniangzi used sweet plums, licorice, and other seasonings to make "sweet plum powder," which she used to pickle various fruits. These fresh fruits tasted sweet and sour, refreshing and perfect for cooling off in the summer. A gourdful sold for ten coins, and it sold out every day.
Those mixed vegetable soups that induce sweating gradually fell out of favor, and the shop made them less often.
"Is Miss Yao getting married?" Liu Huaiyan fanned himself with a palm leaf fan, picked up a piece of peach with a toothpick, and chewed it with a slurping sound. The cool, sour juice filled his mouth, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "So delicious!"
Lu Fang's face darkened, and he looked very unhappy: "You really know how to bring up the most sensitive topics!" After saying that, his anger turned to sadness, his eyes reddened, and he sadly supported his face, letting out a long sigh.
Such a lovely young lady, how could she have ended up with that deadpan guy!
Waaaaah, his heart aches so much.
Liu Huaiyan found his expression amusing. Ever since Yao Xiaoniangzi's engagement in June, he had been in this same state, on the verge of tears at the mere mention of Yao Xiaoniangzi. He leaned forward curiously and asked, "You've really taken a liking to Yao Xiaoniangzi? I thought you were just a young master from a noble family, teasing her for fun."
"Nonsense! When have I ever flirted with Miss Yao? Besides, I have always been chaste." Lu Fang first angrily retorted with tears in his eyes, then listlessly turned his head to face the sun outside the window, and actually shed tears. "You blockhead, what do you know?"
Yao Xiaoniangzi was like the morning sun in spring during his dreary days of studying. He didn't love her; he just saw her as a beautiful sight. Seeing her made him happy, and he was content watching her bustling about with vitality. He also hoped that her business would flourish and become better and better, but he never thought of possessing her.
The flowers are in full bloom on the branches; you can just look at them from afar. Why pick them?
Anyway, he just doesn't want her to get married! He doesn't want her to! No way! Waaah...
Lu Fang was so sad that he kept wiping away tears with his sleeve.
“Fine, I’m a blockhead,” Liu Huaiyan shrugged, then turned to Meng Boyuan, “Meng Si, how did your civil service exam go? Have you received your official appointment yet?”
They all went to the Ministry of Personnel to take the exams recently. These candidates who did not participate in the palace examination only qualified them to become officials after passing the imperial examinations. They still had to pass the Ministry of Personnel's examinations on "appearance, speech, writing, and judgment" to become officials.
The examinations required candidates to be physically imposing, eloquent and persuasive, possess elegant and beautiful calligraphy, and demonstrate superior writing skills. Only after passing these examinations could a candidate be formally appointed to an official position.
That's right, the Ministry of Personnel's examination even included an appearance test! Being too short or too ugly disqualified one from becoming an official! But that's what they said. In reality, as long as one wasn't so ugly that it was universally condemned, or so short that one couldn't even be shorter than a three-inch nail, one wouldn't have to pass the "physical" hurdle.
Meng Boyuan was tall and upright, with an honest and simple air about him, so there was no need to worry about his health.
Hearing Liu Huaiyan's question, he nodded: "That's right. My family spent money to make arrangements long ago. My third brother said that with my rank, I can forget about becoming an official in the capital. I will definitely be assigned to a post outside the capital, either as an eighth or ninth-rank county magistrate or a county magistrate in a remote and impoverished county. Moreover, my family is from the southwest, and everyone in the family guesses that I will be assigned to a prefecture in the north."
The Ministry of Personnel's examinations were not entirely clean either.
The Ministry of Personnel has always been the most lucrative department. After all, the selection of officials below the sixth rank each year is based on the list of appointments drawn up in Bianjing and various prefectures. There are only so many positions available, and many people wait foolishly for years without getting a chance. The reason for this is that...
For example, Feng Da, the nephew of Feng Jijiu, was unwilling to leave the capital for a post outside the capital. He waited patiently for several years, and only this year did news come that he had been selected as a lecturer in the new Bingzi Academy.
After the imperial examination this year, Zhu Bing was suddenly impeached by several censors. His despicable deeds of extorting students and their families were exposed. He has now been dismissed from his post and sent back to his hometown.
His radish was pulled out, and Feng Da, the new radish, was planted in less than half a month.
Of course, there are also rumors that Feng Da originally had his eye on Dr. Yao's "scam".
Feng Jijiu naturally denied the matter outright, and said sincerely, "I have always respected Dr. Yao's character and scholarship the most. In the future, I would like to recommend him to the court to serve as the Director of the Imperial Academy, specializing in compiling books!"
Upon hearing Meng Boyuan's words, Liu Huaiyan thought of Zhu Bing's situation, and then of his own. His family was not wealthy, and his parents had exhausted their savings and borrowed money from all sides to help him get a good position, which shrouded his heart in gloom.
His ranking was high, so he had a good chance of staying in Beijing to serve as an official.
There was a time when he dreamed of becoming a judge or supervisor who would fight corruption and promote integrity, but when he thought about the favors his family had made, his youthful ambition vanished.
If he himself is not clean, how can he restore order to the world?
Liu Huaiyan felt deeply humbled, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
Meng Boyuan, on the other hand, was much more easygoing and insightful than him. He seemed to see through his stubbornness and patted him on the shoulder: "Hey! Have you really gone mad from reading too much? What are you still thinking about? Things in this world aren't always black and white. If they were, the world would be in chaos long ago! After all, there are all sorts of people in a big forest. Can you be sure you're always right? We're not saints. We should do our duty, be good officials who serve the people, and even if we can't cleanse the world, it's already a blessing to have a clear conscience. Don't you think so?"
As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward Cheng Shujun: "Look, there's someone who's a shoo-in for the Censorate. Censors are responsible for overseeing the affairs of the Six Ministries and all other departments. They don't have any worries, so why are you?"
While his friends chatted, Cheng Shujun remained silent, sipping his cold drink and gazing absently at the bright sunlight outside the window or the students hurrying past on the second-floor corridor, lost in thought.
At the Imperial Banquet, the Emperor personally conferred official positions upon these newly appointed scholars based on their academic achievements.
The top scholar was directly appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, the second and third scholars were appointed as editors, and the rest of the scholars, such as Lu Fang and Kang Hua, were mostly sent to serve as county magistrates, supervisors or prefectural governors.
Only Cheng Shujun, whose father had died on the battlefield, was remembered by the Emperor. When it was Cheng Shujun's turn to toast the Emperor and express his gratitude, the Emperor, who sat on the throne and was as dark as a mountain, said to him very gently, "You are a descendant of a loyal martyr, and you have a widowed mother at home, so you should stay in the Censorate."
The Censorate was in charge of ceremonial laws and regulations, correcting the mistakes of all officials, impeaching those responsible for major matters, and rectifying those for minor ones. Although its position was lowly, it held great power. Once one had accumulated enough seniority, one could be promoted to the Three Departments. Therefore, some people said that the Censorate was even more prestigious than the Hanlin Academy. He was stunned at the foot of the jade steps and almost lost his composure in front of the emperor. He hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude.
Now, caught off guard by Meng Boyuan's pointing finger, he finally snapped out of his reverie.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him with some envy, Cheng Shujun rarely made a joke. He shook his head and said, "It is a noble and prestigious job, but being an imperial censor is a job that offends people. I need to learn some martial arts so that I won't get dragged into a dead end and beaten up halfway through."
Everyone burst into laughter. Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility; being an imperial censor is no easy task.
Just then, Lin Weiming, his forehead covered in sweat, strolled over from the other end of the reading room.
"What are you talking about, making such a fuss?" He was so hot that he didn't care about the heat and unladylike pulled open his collar to fan himself.
Seeing the several red marks on his face from the straw mat, Meng Boyuan knew the fellow had just woken up. He pointed at him with his fan and said, "What will become of you if you keep sleeping like this? If you really become an official, I'll be worried for the people under your jurisdiction. Imagine the people coming to the yamen to beat the drum and appeal for justice, waiting and waiting, but the upright official doesn't come out for ages. When they ask the clerk next to them, they'll find out, 'Oh, the official hasn't woken up yet!'"
Lu Fang laughed so hard he almost crowed, and the others couldn't hold back either, bursting into laughter.
Lin Weiming blushed with embarrassment and raised his foot to kick him.
Cheng Shujun quickly pulled him back: "Are there many people in the reading room right now?"
Lin Weiming finally gave up, sat down angrily, grabbed a piece of crisp plum and stuffed it into his mouth, saying indistinctly as he ate, "There's so much, there's no room to even put your feet down."
His second younger brother, Lin Weicheng, has decided to continue studying hard and is determined to pass the exam next time. Ever since Zhixingzhai opened, he has been coming to the study room to reserve a seat to study every day without even eating breakfast.
Although Lin Weiming's ranking after the exam was not ideal, he gradually recovered and felt much more relaxed. He slept until late morning every day before his mother would ask him to bring a food box to his younger brother.
After finishing my deliveries today, I noticed my old friends were all at the tea room, so I strolled over.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Shujun turned his gaze to the window.
Although Zhixingzhai has expanded, its reputation has spread far and wide, and the study rooms are always packed. The newly opened large self-study room is located at the far east end of the second floor. It is spacious and bright, with rows of long desks with partitions neatly arranged.
The room was now filled with people engrossed in their studies.
With the windows wide open, a draft carrying the scent of plants and trees from the courtyard swept through, slightly dispelling the stuffiness.
The reading room was extremely quiet, with only the rustling of pages turning, the soft sound of brushes licking ink, and occasionally a suppressed cough or a clearing of the throat. Some people were frowning, deep in thought about the classics; others were writing swiftly on manuscript paper; and in front of the bookshelves against the wall, there were always two or three figures pausing, their fingertips tracing the spines of the books, carefully searching for the books they needed.
Dr. Yao stood behind the table by the door, intently reviewing articles. Even Tie Baojin had been given a low stool, where he squatted down, his dark eyes darting back and forth. If anyone made a loud noise, this stern Dr. Jin would immediately jump off the stool and bark to scold and warn them.
Although the shop has been completely renovated, Cheng Shujun's gaze was filled with nostalgia as he listened to the hustle and bustle of the tea room downstairs, the tranquility of the study room upstairs, and glanced down at the dense mass of focused heads in the large self-study room downstairs.
The sun was blazing outside the window, and the cicadas were chirping noisily. Big Yellow, who had gotten a lot fatter, lay in the shade by the door of the stationery shop, sticking out his tongue and lazily watching people come and go, occasionally sweeping his tail against the hot brick floor.
He and his classmates were once among those densely packed heads. But in the blink of an eye, the flowers are in full bloom, the willows are bright, and it's gradually time to "drink wine before the flowers to see you off"... It's truly a feeling of disorientation.
And Miss Yao... is also getting married.
When the unspoken feelings in his heart finally settled, Cheng Shujun's sorrow at parting took on a new layer of meaning. He thought of the gourd-shaped tassels he had locked deep in his drawer, and then of his future, feeling a complex mix of emotions about life.
When he was younger, he always looked forward to growing up quickly so that he could start a family and share his mother's burdens.
At that moment, his mother was doing needlework and said with a smile, "Ah Yun, don't rush to grow up. I don't need you to share the burden. You just need to make the most of every day and take each step steadily. When that day comes, you will know that being an adult is not necessarily as carefree and majestic as you think today."
Now, the days of being an "adult" are truly before our eyes.
Just as Mother had said.
It turns out that growing up is not as carefree and happy as it seems.
Over there, Lin Weiming and Meng Boyuan had gathered together, excitedly speculating which prefecture they would be assigned to. They were all hoping to be assigned to a more prosperous prefecture, and certainly not a remote and pestilential border region.
Lu Fang, in particular, was planning to burn incense at Taoist temples, Buddhist monasteries, and even nunneries to pray for good luck. After all, his luck had always been worse than others, and if he were to be assigned to a place like Yazhou, he would be terrified.
Cheng Shujun, however, turned his gaze to the window.
The sun blazed fiercely, cicadas chirped incessantly, and the bright sunlight poured down, making everything dazzlingly vibrant. Yet, he sensed the air of parting carried on the breeze.
Just as Cheng Shujun had expected, just after the start of autumn, and only a few days before Yao Ruyi's wedding, the imperial court issued official appointments to the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in a flurry of activity, before the river froze and the waterways were still open.
Once the official documents from the imperial court arrived, the officials to be sent out to other places should not delay for long.
With my luggage on my shoulder, it's time to set off.
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Lu Fang: Ruyi's die-hard fan [newbie]
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