Chapter 61 Third Brother, congratulations on passing the imperial examination!
Dr. Xu's residence was also in Renfeng Lane, but it was separated from the Chen residence by four rivers. This was Du Min's second visit. The last time he came was on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month when he asked Dr. Xu to go to the Meng family to see the colorful horses, but he was unable to enter that day. This time, he entered the house with Dr. Xu and found that the house was simply furnished. It was a two-courtyard house, with a vegetable garden next to the courtyard wall. The soil in the vegetable garden looked like it had been turned in the last two days, and it was no different from the houses of ordinary people. The only elegant thing was a bamboo grove planted behind the house.
Meng Qing and her family had already taken their seats. When she saw Du Min following Dr. Xu into the hall, she raised her hand to indicate that he could sit here.
“Teacher…” Du Min was about to go over.
"Go to that table and sit next to Master Yu. He loves fish but isn't good at removing bones. Go and serve him." Dr. Xu led Du Min to the table of the teachers at the prefectural school and said in front of everyone, "I'll arrange for a student to serve you your drinks. Feel free to ask him to do anything."
This clearly tells everyone present that Du Min is someone he values, and that they are not allowed to exclude or suppress him anymore.
The seven scholars present looked at each other in bewilderment. The scholar Yu, who had been called out, spoke first: "Come, sit next to me. You will entertain us well for Dr. Xu today."
Suppressing his surprise, Du Min walked over and took his seat. The table opposite him belonged to the Meng family. He glanced at Meng Qing and saw him staring wide-eyed in astonishment, looking very surprised. He lowered his head and smiled quietly.
During the luncheon, Du Min couldn't remember what he ate or what the food tasted like. He ate little and spoke little, quietly listening to the people at the table, while his eyes diligently darted around the table. Whenever someone's wine cup was empty, he would immediately get up and refill it. Throughout the entire meal, he was either refilling people's drinks or removing fish bones for Master Yu.
When Dr. Xu was seeing the guests off at the end of the luncheon, he said to Du Min, "Wait a moment."
"Yes!" Du Min responded. He hurriedly went to tell the Meng family, "Second sister-in-law, second brother, you go back first. I need to wait a little longer. Dr. Xu has something to say to me."
"Okay." Meng Qing glanced at him twice, then left with her family.
Dr. Xu also saw the scholars off. He glanced at Du Min, then turned and went back into the house.
Du Min hurriedly followed.
Dr. Xu led Du Min to his study and got straight to the point: "Master Chen instructed me to have you participate in the provincial examination this autumn. What are your thoughts on this?"
Du Min's high spirits immediately subsided. "The master also told me."
"What are your thoughts?" Dr. Xu asked again.
Du Min didn't understand these words. How could he possibly have any thoughts? Master Chen had asked him to participate in the provincial examination; how could he refuse?
“I also want to try it out; only by experiencing it firsthand can I know where I fall short,” Du Min replied.
"You have at least seven months left. Focus on your studies and don't dwell on irrelevant things. Come to my house every five to seven days. First, to report your reflections on the lectures; second, to collect extra assignments; and third, for me to answer your questions." Dr. Xu instructed succinctly. "You can also take the books here with you, but don't damage them."
Du Min was overjoyed, "Thank you for your kindness, teacher."
Dr. Xu glanced at him, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "What did Master Chen say to you today?"
After a moment's thought, Du Min chose to confess honestly: "The Master rebuked me for trying to curry favor with the Governor, mistakenly thinking that I was going to betray my master."
Dr. Xu thought to himself that he had guessed correctly, and asked again, "What are your thoughts?"
"I was unaware of the taboos in officialdom and almost committed a major offense. The Master Chen patiently pointed out my mistakes, and I now know what to do." Du Min gave up the fleeting position of the Prefect and chose something more practical and beneficial. Dr. Xu was truly advantageous to him, and he wanted to tie himself to Dr. Xu and Master Chen.
When Dr. Xu saw that he did not understand what he meant, he stopped talking in time. Indeed, if Master Chen had not pointed it out, he would not have guessed that he wanted to use Du Min to get promoted. Moreover, Du Min was a poor student who only stayed in the academy. How could he have thought so deeply?
"Take a look around the study, pick a book to take with you, and return it after you've finished reading and understood it," Dr. Xu said.
Du Min thanked him excitedly. He stayed in the study for half an hour before finally taking out a copy of the "Water Department Manual".
Dr. Xu was still in the study. He saw Du Min repeatedly flipping through the bookshelves and finally choosing a document on water conservancy. He was slightly surprised. "You are interested in water conservancy?"
“Yes, from my childhood, I traveled by boat to Pingwang Town to study, and later to Wu County. From Dujiawan to Pingwang Town and then to Wu County, from Chongwen Academy to the Prefectural School, I was always inseparable from water and boats. I have always wondered how many rivers there are in Wu County, and where the ever-flowing water comes from. There is also the Grand Canal dug by the previous dynasty, a canal connecting Chang'an and Suzhou, Tongji Canal, Yongji Canal, Hangou Canal, and Jiangnan Canal. I heard that it is more than 6,000 li in total. It is a magnificent water conservancy project. I cannot imagine it and can only learn a little about it by referring to the works of my predecessors.” Du Min’s eyes lit up when he talked about water conservancy.
Dr. Xu smiled and said, "When you go to Chang'an to take the provincial examination, you will travel along the Grand Canal, and you will be able to see it for yourself."
"I hope that day will come." Du Min's fighting spirit surged.
"It will happen," Dr. Xu said confidently. "Go out."
Du Min bowed to Dr. Xu, then left the study, his heart filled with joy.
...
"Second Sister-in-law." Du Min strode into the paper horse shop and asked the apprentice in charge, "Is my second sister-in-law here?"
"Yes, my senior sister is busy in the backyard," Wenjiao said.
"What's the good news? It's rare to see you so flamboyant. I could hear your voice from upstairs." Meng Qing was in the attic. She leaned out of the window and looked down, saying, "Come up and talk."
Du Min took three steps at a time, and he appeared at the door almost as soon as Meng Qing opened it.
“Dr. Xu has approved of me and he will carefully cultivate me.” Du Min took out the book he had warmed from his pocket and waved it proudly. “He told me to go see him every five to seven days and he will answer my questions.”
"I can tell, he was extremely friendly to you at the banquet today." Meng Qing congratulated him. "What happened to make his attitude change so much? Could it be because those two lotus-shaped horses made him become a disciple of Master Konghui, and he wants to repay the favor?"
"It should be." Du Min also guessed that this was the reason. Apart from this reason, he couldn't think of any other reason why Dr. Xu favored him so much.
But Meng Qing felt something was off. Today, when she went to Ruiguang Temple to witness Dr. Xu's ordination ceremony, Dr. Xu met her family but didn't ask about Du Min at all. After the ceremony, he came out of the Buddha Hall and asked Master Chen, who told him that he had taken Du Min out. He didn't react at all.
"Congratulations! Dr. Xu is a talented person. He is willing to teach you with his heart, and you will definitely pass the imperial examination." Meng Qing couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
Du Min smiled broadly and said gratefully, "Second Sister-in-law is my benefactor. Without you paving the way for me, I wouldn't have been able to enter the prefectural school, let alone catch the eye of Dr. Xu."
"No need for such talk. We're just mutually beneficial." Meng Qing didn't care for such a compliment. Du Min was most afraid of people who would take advantage of her kindness. If she acted like a noblewoman, he might overthrow his parents and then her next.
Du Min pondered the words "mutual benefit" and thought that if his parents understood this principle, he wouldn't have any worries.
"How was the matter resolved on New Year's Eve?" Du Li asked him for advice.
The conversation that night wasn't pleasant, and Du Min didn't want to bring it up again. He said lightly, "How can it be resolved? It's just an argument. Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore, it's pointless. By the way, Second Sister-in-law, I have something to tell you. Master Chen asked me to pass on a message to you. He told you to keep a low profile."
"Keep it low-key?" Meng Qing frowned, and asked thoughtfully, "Is he unhappy that he wasn't invited to the New Year's Eve cruise? Or is he unhappy that the colorful horse wasn't enshrined in Ruiguang Temple in his name? Didn't you explain anything to him?"
Du Min shook his head. "That's not the reason. I suspect that he might have been sitting in a teahouse that night and happened to see you rushing back to the Wumen ferry to pick me up to see the governor. Or maybe someone whispered something in his ear. Anyway, he found out about what happened that night. He was unhappy that we were trying to curry favor with the governor, thinking that we were playing both sides, and even said something like 'a servant shouldn't serve two masters.'"
Meng Qing's face darkened. "A servant cannot serve two masters? When did we acknowledge him as our master? Does that mean that just because Paper Horse Shop gained fame through the Chen family's funeral, we've adopted Master Chen's name?"
"It's probably because of me. He recommended me to the prefectural school, and he also instructed Dr. Xu to guide my poetry and prose. I guess he regarded me as his student." The benefits Du Min received from Dr. Xu outweighed the humiliation he suffered in front of Master Chen. That humiliation disappeared as soon as he left Dr. Xu's house. He was confident that Master Chen valued him and his talent and wanted to promote him personally, so he couldn't stand him seeking other opportunities.
Meng Qing couldn't understand. "What does his valuing you have to do with my relationship with the Meng family's paper horse shop? The paper horse shop also has apprentices. My father can ask them not to be disloyal, but he can't force their families to be loyal to the Meng family's paper horse shop, can he? He can't just see an apprentice's family and relatives buying incense and paper money at other shops and then turn around and tell the apprentice to go back and tell them that their family and relatives can only buy funerary objects from the Meng family's paper horse shop from now on. Is that reasonable? That's the behavior of a thug!"
“That’s what they say, but since Master Chen said so, you have no choice but to submit, no matter how unwilling you are.” Du Min had no other option. “Maybe I’ve implicated you. You informed me, and he took his anger out on you.”
"How can an official working in the capital be so clueless?" Meng Qing stood up and walked to the window, trying to calm herself down by blowing in the cold wind. "How can I keep a low profile? Stop working at the paper horse shop? Or should I refuse to take the order if the governor's office sends someone to order funerary objects?"
“He said if you want to become famous, you might as well go back to being a lowly person.” Du Min still repeated Master Chen’s original words.
Meng Qing's face was pale. She sighed deeply and looked out the window without saying a word.
“He doesn’t want you to become famous.” Du Li grasped the key point. He hadn’t participated in the conversation from beginning to end, so his mind was clear. He looked at Du Min and asked, “Is there anything else you’re hiding? What else did Master Chen tell you?”
Du Min hesitated for a moment before revealing, "He asked me to take the provincial examination this autumn and also told Dr. Xu. If nothing unexpected happens, it's basically a done deal. Second brother, second sister-in-law, I trust you. I'm only telling you this. Once you leave this room, forget about it and don't let it slip. I want to go to the provincial examination secretly and don't want our parents or the villagers to know."
"What do you have that makes Master Chen value you so much?" Du Li's doubts became clear. "Your second sister-in-law once told me that the biggest reason my parents disliked me was because I had no value. You and I have both proven this statement. You have value; you are the face of the family, so my parents value you. I have no value; my status is equivalent to that of an ox, so they have no worries when I leave home during the off-season. If my parents are like this, how can outsiders be an exception? What value do you have that makes Master Chen value you so much? He not only instructed Dr. Xu to guide you but also cares about which year you will take the provincial examination. Third brother, you are not outstanding enough to be loved by everyone."
Du Min suddenly woke up, feeling cold all over, inside and out.
Meng Qing turned around, her face grim. She pointed to herself, then to Du Min.
“What Master Chen values is the paper effigies you made! He wants to follow my example and make paper effigies famous in Wu County, and then make them famous in Chang’an.” Du Min understood instantly. “It’s not that he doesn’t want you to be famous, but he’s afraid that you’ll become famous too early. He’s still in mourning and can’t use your reputation for his own benefit. He’s worried that the governor will notice the profit potential of paper effigies just like him and send them to Chang’an before he does.”
Meng Qing thought so too. Promoting Du Min and suppressing her seemed strange, but when you connected it with paper effigies, it suddenly made sense.
The three of them lowered their eyes, each lost in their own thoughts. The attic quieted down until Wangzhou woke up and broke the silence.
"Are you awake? Do you need to pee?" Du Li picked up Wang Zhou.
Wang Zhou shook his head; he wasn't fully awake yet, staring intently at the person he hadn't seen in a long time.
“Little Wangzhou, do you remember your third uncle? We just saw each other at noon.” Du Min saw that Wangzhou’s little face was rosy from sleeping and he looked so cute with a sleepy look on his face. He took the initiative to reach out and hug him. “Come on, let your third uncle hug you.”
Wang Zhou turned his face away and ignored him.
Du Min awkwardly touched his nose. "He doesn't recognize me?"
"Third brother, congratulations! It's a sure thing that you'll pass the imperial examination the year after next," Meng Qing said slowly.
Du Min immediately straightened up and bowed deeply, saying, "Du Min thanks Second Sister-in-law for your kindness. I hereby swear that because Second Sister-in-law has been granted an official position, I will treat Wang Zhou as my own son. I will do my best to support him in his studies and career."
“Wangzhou is not even a year old yet, and his temperament and talent are still uncertain. If he doesn’t show any talent in his studies, I won’t force him.” Meng Qing didn’t want this vague promise. Wangzhou was Du Min’s nephew, and if he were to become an official in the future, Du Min would definitely help him without her having to ask. In the political arena, there is no closer or more reliable connection than blood ties. If Wangzhou could enter officialdom, he would be Du Min’s assistant, and he would certainly promote him.
"Working at the Meng family's paper horse shop isn't a long-term solution, and starting my own business isn't an option either. I won't revert to the status of a lowly person. After much thought, I've come up with a plan to solve my problem: open a private school like Chongwen Academy, and I'll take on apprentices to teach them the craft of making paper funerary objects. In this way, I can retain my farmer's status, secure my livelihood, and continue pursuing my beloved craft." Meng Qing looked at Du Min and said, "Third brother, I've spent two years working diligently to help you pass the imperial examination. In return, how about you set an example for me after you become an official?"
This was the first time Du Li had heard Meng Qing talk about her scheme. It seemed she had been planning it for a long time, and she was really tight-lipped, not revealing anything to him.
Du Min did not readily agree. He pondered for a while before saying, "It is indeed a precedent. The private school you mentioned may be similar to the Imperial Household Department and the Hundred Crafts Office. These are government-run. As far as I know, there are no such private schools for teaching crafts in the private sector. People who want to learn a craft usually do so through apprenticeship, and the number of such people is limited. Second sister-in-law, when I first became an official, I was of low rank and had little influence in Wu County. But if I were to be appointed as a county magistrate in another region, I could use my power to set a precedent for you within my jurisdiction."
“Your second brother and I can go with you to other places. The Tang Dynasty has such a vast territory that it would be a pity to live in Wu County for the rest of your life. County magistrates are usually replaced every four years. Traveling with you to different places will also make it easier for me to take on apprentices one generation after another,” Meng Qing said.
"That's great! I won't be all alone wherever I go in the future." Du Min was overjoyed. He saw that Meng Qing and Du Li were getting closer and closer. "In this family, you are the ones I am closest to. When I leave Wu County in the future, you will be the ones I will miss the most."
“You won’t be alone; your parents will definitely stay with you,” Du Li tentatively suggested.
Du Min curled his lip in disgust. "That's impossible."
Seeing that it was getting dark outside the window, Meng Qing suggested, "Let's go out for dinner tonight, firstly to celebrate Third Brother's bright future, and secondly to celebrate the formation of our small team that escaped Dujiawan."
"It's my treat," Du Min said generously. "But tonight it can only be the three of us going out to eat, with my nephew at most. Uncle Meng, Aunt Pan, and Brother Meng won't be coming today, I'll treat them another day."
"Don't take Wangzhou with you, leave him at home." Meng Qing didn't want to bring the little tail along. "Third brother, you and your second brother go back and get the money first, I'll come back to find you later."
"Is there anything else you need to arrange? We'll wait for you to come along," Du Min said.
Du Li handed the boat to Meng Qing, who then pushed Du Min away, saying, "Stop arguing and hurry up."
"Don't push me... I can walk by myself."
Meng Qing heard footsteps and came downstairs. She went to lock the door, took off her clothes, and breastfed Wang Zhou.
Half an hour later, Meng Qing returned to Jiayufang. Du Li had already cooked a pot of porridge, and Du Min had also tidied up the clothes and books he had left there before the New Year.
"Weren't we going out to eat? Why did you start a fire?" Meng Qing wondered.
"This is dinner I prepared for my parents and younger brother. They'll be back in a little while, and I'll just stew a dish for them to eat. Wait a little longer, I'll cut the last section of lotus root," Du Li said without looking up.
Meng Qing exclaimed "Wow!" in an exaggerated way, "Du Li, you're so thoughtful! No wonder my parents like you."
“My second brother is very meticulous and thoughtful.” Du Min recalled the time Du Li washed his bedding at the prefectural school last year.
Du Li smiled silently. He rinsed the sliced lotus root twice and put it in the cupboard. Then he checked that the firewood in the stove had burned out before going out and saying, "Let's go."
Meng Qing and Du Li first escorted Du Min back to the prefectural school to put away his luggage, as he had classes tomorrow and would be returning to stay tonight.
"How about we go to Hu Si in Rujiaofang again?" Du Min asked. "My second brother wasn't here last time, so I'll take him there to try it this time."
“I’ve been there,” Du Li said with a hint of pride.
"So what if you've been there? What's there to be so smug about?" Du Min said irritably.
"Are you jealous of me again?" Du Li asked bluntly.
“When have I ever been jealous of you?” Du Min shouted. “Nonsense.”
"Whether you're jealous or not, you know it in your heart." Du Li helped Meng Qing onto the boat, then turned around and poked Du Min's chest. "Keep it under control. You're more promising than me, and your future will be much more exciting than mine. Think long-term. You have to allow your second brother to have a good life after all the hardships, and to meet some good people."
Du Min felt a little ashamed. He looked around awkwardly, then walked to the stern of the boat without saying a word.
Meng Qing pretended not to hear what the two brothers said, and after getting off the boat, she started talking to both of them.
By the time Hu Si arrived, the awkwardness between Du Li and Du Min had largely dissipated.
"Second Brother, would you like to drink Sanlejiang or wine?" Du Min asked him.
"I'm fine with either, just ask your second sister-in-law."
"Wine, please. I can drink a little wine," Meng Qing replied.
"Two catties of wine, two catties of roasted mutton, a pot of stewed mutton, and three ancient-style pavilions," Du Min ordered.
Seeing that they were the only people at Hu Sili, Meng Qing waited for the shop owner to leave before speaking, "I've made up my mind. For the next two years, I won't be thinking about new products. I'll focus on the existing paper-made funerary objects and will stop making colored horses if possible. As for the governor, he doesn't really approve of paper-made funerary objects, so I doubt he'll even think of the Meng family's paper horse shop."
Du Min didn't know what to say, so he could only express his gratitude.
"I'll discuss it with my father later. Let's cancel the boat tour before Qingming Festival to avoid offending Master Chen. If he takes action to suppress us, it will be a loss," Meng Qing pondered.
"If I have the opportunity in the future, I will try my best to make it up to Uncle Meng and Aunt Pan," Du Min said.
Meng Qing didn't refuse. She changed her words and said, "This year, Qingming Festival is on the second day of the third lunar month, and Wangzhou's first birthday is on the first day of the third lunar month. I was originally thinking that I would not hold a first birthday banquet for him because I was busy with the cruise ship. Now that the cruise ship has been canceled, I can free up my time to hold a first birthday banquet for him. My uncle and his family will be there. You are Wangzhou's third uncle, so you have to come and support them."
"No problem, I'll definitely prepare a big gift for him," Du Min readily agreed. "But should we tell our parents about this?"
“Tell them. It’s not like Wang Zhou is sneaking around with his first birthday party. They can come if they want, and they can leave if they don’t.” Meng Qing definitely had to inform them. She wanted to show the two old folks that even though they had dragged Du Min back, he would still be close to the Meng family.
“That’s fine. Hiding it would be too risky. If they find out, they’ll definitely come looking for trouble again.” Du Min said helplessly. “There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Last December, my parents only found out I was living at the Meng family’s house because someone from the village who came to the city to sell chickens and ducks saw me. Sigh, I’ve learned my lesson.”
Meng Qing lowered her eyes, while Du Li looked to the side.
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