Chapter 69 I'll make sure you don't end up as a lowly person and even become famous...
Dr. Xu led Du Min to meet his friend. After they met, he learned that this friend was the great scholar who had appeared on the painted boat on New Year's Eve last year.
"Brother Qinglun, this is the student I told you about, named Du Min. He has some talent and a desire to learn, but he comes from a poor family and his knowledge is somewhat limited. Take him with you on this trip so he can see the culture and culture of other places outside Wu County," Dr. Xu introduced directly.
“Min greets the old gentleman.” Du Min bowed in greeting.
"I've heard of your reputation. You entered the prefectural school as a student from a poor family and passed the imperial examination on your first try. You are a promising young man. Why didn't you go to the capital to take the imperial examination?" the great scholar asked.
“I am still young and my learning is still limited. I feel that passing the provincial examination was a stroke of luck, and I am apprehensive about going to the capital for the imperial examination. Furthermore, my family is poor and my financial resources are insufficient to support me to take the examination repeatedly. Therefore, I will give up this opportunity and try again next year,” Du Min explained.
Dr. Xu looked at him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. With Du Min's temperament, perhaps he could gain a foothold in the officialdom.
"Traveling is no elegant affair; crossing mountains and rivers is commonplace, and spending the night in the wilderness is even more so. You should think it over carefully. I once spent more than half a month traversing the mountains in search of a stone tablet, keeping company with birds and beasts, disregarding life and death. If you come with me on this journey and can't take it halfway, I won't care whether you stay or go, live or die," the great scholar made his words clear.
Du Min was startled. He subconsciously looked at Dr. Xu, who nodded at him.
Du Min lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. Dr. Xu was Master Chen's man, and he certainly wouldn't let him die. Considering this, he nodded in agreement.
"Go back and tell your family that you should wait at the Wumen Ferry at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM) five days from now," the scholar gave them the exact travel time.
"The end of Chen hour on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month?" Du Min confirmed.
The scholar nodded, took a sip of tea with a smile, and said, "When you go to the Eastern Capital, tell your family so they won't worry."
Du Min was taken aback. The Eastern Capital was in Henan, the eastern residence of the sage, right under the imperial city wall. How could he be in the mountains with birds and beasts?
Dr. Xu laughed, "Look at his age, he's almost toothless, how could he dare to go into the mountains?"
Du Min lowered his head in shame. "Confucius traveled around the states when he was fifty years old. When he returned to Lu, he was already sixty-eight years old. The old gentleman looked like Confucius. He was tall, not hunched over, had a loud voice, and looked stronger than me. If we really went deep into the mountains, I would probably be the first one to give up."
These words struck a chord with the great Confucian scholar. He stroked his beard with satisfaction and looked Du Min up and down, saying, "Your figure is like a newly sprouted bamboo shoot, lush and verdant yet easily broken. Go back to the clinic and prepare some medicine, including medicine for colds, indigestion, red wounds, and mosquito repellent. Also, scrape some yellow soil from the earthen walls of your house to prevent water and soil acclimatization problems."
"Yes, Min will remember." Du Min carefully noted it down.
"Go back and prepare," the scholar said, serving tea to the guest.
Du Min glanced at Dr. Xu and, seeing that he had no intention of leaving, withdrew on his own.
"Your student lacks the arrogance of a scholar, is adept at flattery, and possesses worldly shrewdness. He's not your type." The great scholar watched Du Min leave and said calmly, "Strange, given their different temperaments, why do you value him so much?"
Dr. Xu was silent for a few moments, then said casually, "It's hard for children from poor families to succeed. He's come this far with great difficulty, and I want to help him along the way."
"Given his background, even if he passed the imperial examination, it would be difficult for him to rise in the ranks. Becoming a county magistrate in his old age would be considered a successful career," the scholar said.
“That’s not bad for him either.” Dr. Xu took a sip of tea. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. Bring out your newly acquired rubbings of inscriptions, and I’ll make a copy for my collection.”
"Come with me, the rubbings are in the study."
An hour later, after Dr. Xu left the Confucian academy, he returned to the prefectural school and was told by the gatekeeper that Du Min had packed up and left.
"Dr. Xu, is Du not coming to the prefectural school for classes?" This time, the gatekeeper was smarter; he asked Dr. Xu for information.
"He's still a student at the prefectural school," Dr. Xu replied. Du Min will participate in the provincial examination next year as a student of the prefectural school, and the year after that, he will pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi. The prefectural school will then have its first Jinshi from a poor family, which will be his opportunity to reduce the number of places available for the children of the powerful and wealthy.
"Doctor, you're back? An hour ago, Du came by. He wanted to retrieve his later-transcribed exam paper, saying that Master Xie from Chongwen Academy wanted to borrow it." Wei Shutong immediately reported to Dr. Xu.
"You gave it to him?"
"No, I wouldn't dare touch your things without your permission while you're not here."
"Send it to him." Dr. Xu took a stack of exam papers from the bookshelf and handed them to him.
Wei Shutong thought for a moment, then took the exam paper to Jiayufang. When he crossed the bridge, he saw Du Xuezi sitting on a rock by the river, with a chubby little boy standing next to him. Both of them were staring at the geese paddling on the river.
"Student Du," the page called out as he crossed the bridge.
Du Min turned around upon hearing the voice, and upon seeing who it was, he stood up. Wang Zhou, thinking he was about to leave, reached out and grabbed his pants.
“Du Xuezi, Dr. Xu sent me to bring you the answer sheet. I thought you might be in Jiayufang, so I came looking for you.” Wei Shutong handed over the answer sheet, then looked down at Wang Zhou and said, “Is this Miss Meng’s child? He’s grown so much! He still looks just like his mother.”
“Yes, he’ll be two years old in six months.” Du Min took the answer sheet and said, “I’m sorry to have troubled you to make this trip. Are you in a hurry to go back? Shall I invite you to the tea house for a cup of tea?”
The page waved his hand, "I won't disturb you watching the geese, I'll head back now."
Du Min led Wang Zhou a few steps to see him off, then looked down at Wang Zhou and said, "Call your goose, let's go back for dinner."
Wang Zhou pretended not to understand and continued to look at the river.
"Come home for dinner, your mother is calling you." Du Min repeated, and seeing that he still didn't move, he pulled out his trump card: "When your mother comes to pull your ear later, don't cry."
Wang Zhou glanced back but didn't see his mother, so he turned back to watch the geese.
Du Min covered his forehead with his hand; he couldn't fool him, so he could only sit back down on the stone.
It wasn't until after an incense stick had burned out that the geese, having had their fill of playing in the river, voluntarily came out of the water. Only then did Wang Zhou follow the geese, and Du Min was finally freed.
As they reached the entrance of the neighborhood, Du Min encountered Du Li coming out of her house. Du Li made way for the geese and said, "I was just about to call you back for dinner."
"My second sister-in-law and Uncle Meng are back?" Du Min asked.
"I'm back."
"No one called us when we got back? Your son doesn't listen to me at all. When I called him back, he pretended not to understand." Du Min found it both amusing and infuriating.
“When he’s not happy, he often pretends not to understand, and he does that to everyone.” Du Li was used to it.
Du Min glanced at Wang Zhou and caught him eavesdropping on their conversation. Their eyes met, and Wang Zhou guiltily turned his face away. He pretended to tiptoe a couple of times, shouted "Mother," and ran away.
Du Min laughed out in surprise, "He's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve, it's kind of funny."
Du Li smiled proudly, "Don't underestimate him just because he's young, he's very smart."
"Dinner's ready," Meng Qing called out from the backyard.
"They're here."
"Coming right away."
The two brothers responded, closed the gate, and went to the backyard.
In the afternoon, Meng Qing and Du Li took Wang Zhou and Du Min out together. Du Min was going on a long trip and would probably not be back until June or July of next year. The couple planned to buy him some clothes and two good quality book boxes.
Du Min was going to deliver the answer sheet to Master Xie.
When they arrived at the ferry crossing in Rujiaofang, Meng Qing said, "You go by yourself, your second brother and I will wait for you here."
Du Min nodded. He went to Chongwen Academy and inquired with the gatekeeper. He learned that Master Xie had not yet arrived at the academy, so he went to the master's house.
"Madam, Du Xuezi has arrived."
"Please come in quickly," Madam Xie said, then went to the backyard to call her niece.
Du Min entered the room with the answer sheet in his hand. He said apologetically, "Master, I was delayed for more than ten days because I went back to my hometown. I only returned to the city two days ago. I just received my transcribed answer sheet from Dr. Xu today, and I brought it to you immediately. I hope I didn't cause any trouble?"
"No, there's no delay at all." Master Xie accepted the tea and invited him to sit down and have some. "Are you about to set off for Chang'an? Has the date been set?"
Du Min shook his head, "No, I'm just going to participate in the competition this year to gain some experience. I plan to travel with Mr. Qinglun and broaden my horizons first."
Master Xie was stunned. "You've already taken the exam, why not go? If you want to gain experience, you should gain experience in taking the provincial exam."
“A trip to Chang’an costs at least a hundred strings of cash, and a round trip would take half a year to complete. It’s both time-consuming and expensive. This kind of experience is too costly,” Du Min said with a wry smile.
Madam Xie heard this as soon as she entered. She took her niece's hand and walked over, asking affectionately, "Are you short of travel expenses? This is no trouble at all. Your teacher can help you go to the capital for the imperial examination."
Du Min looked up and saw the girl who had inexplicably appeared there. She looked shy, and he immediately understood.
"Du Min, you're nineteen now. Has your family arranged a marriage for you?" Master Xie asked.
Du Min calmly lowered his eyes and subtly refused: "I have refused all the matchmakers who came to my door. The main reason is that my future is uncertain. First, it is hard to say whether I will pass the imperial examination. Second, it is uncertain where I will settle down in the future. Third, my family is poor and I do not have the ability to support my family. I am not considering marriage at the moment, so as not to burden other girls."
Master Xie glanced at Madam Xie, who wanted to say more, but Master Xie shook his head to stop her. After seeing Du Min off, he said bluntly, "He didn't like her, probably because he plans to use his marriage to gain more support. Don't force him; given his personality, a forced match probably won't end well."
Madam Xie sighed regretfully, "If I had known he would have such great fortune, I should have brought him and Rui'er together back when he was still at Chongwen Academy."
"Fate? It's all up to fate. Countless students have failed the provincial exams, and I'm one of them." Master Xie shook his head. "Whether I can pass or not is hard to say."
Madam Xie said no more after hearing this.
On the other side, Du Min arrived at the ferry. He did not mention that Master Xie and Madam Xie intended to act as matchmakers for him. He followed the family of three waiting at the ferry to Jinxiufang.
Meng Qing picked out three sets of hemp cloth clothes for Du Min, and bought three pairs of cloth shoes. She told him to choose the rest himself, and she would pay for them.
“Winter in Luoyang is colder than in Wuxian, so you don’t need to bring your old winter clothes. Bringing them won’t keep you warm during the winter. You might as well buy new ones when you get there,” Meng Qing said. “You’re traveling with Mr. Qinglun, and you don’t know the route, so it’s better to travel light. Don’t bring too much stuff. If you have too much luggage, it will be inconvenient for you to carry, and you’ll have to ask for help. If you cause trouble for others, you’ll have to put up with their attitude.”
Du Min nodded, "I'll listen to my second sister-in-law."
After leaving Jinxiufang, Meng Qing took them to the market. She picked out a book box that could be carried on the shoulder and a book box that could be carried by hand. After paying, Du Li and Du Min each took one.
Du Li eagerly took the backpack-sized book box, carrying the child in his arms and the book box on his back, and walked excitedly up to Meng Qing, asking, "Do I look like a scholar?"
"You know I'm not good at lying," Meng Qing said, covering her mouth with a laugh.
Du Li almost laughed in anger, "That's a lie."
"You sound too much like a scholar. Are you lying about that?" Meng Qing asked deliberately.
Du Li didn't answer. He raised his hand and touched the top of the rain cover, saying, "Just a layer of cloth? I'll brush it with tung oil when I get back, so it won't be ineffective at keeping out the rain."
"We also pasted several layers of tung oil paper on the outside of the book box to prevent the clothes and books inside from getting wet in the rain," Meng Qing said.
Du Min lagged behind without saying a word, leaving everything to them to decide.
Du Li and Meng Qing spent four days disassembling and altering the two book boxes. Using bone glue, tung oil paper, and alum paper, they transformed the book boxes into waterproof and moisture-proof designs. Du Li also disassembled and remade the rain cover on the book boxes, using rattan and tung oil cloth to create a large rain cover that shelters people in the front and the box in the back.
On the evening of the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, Meng Qing took out the silver peace token given to her by Master Chen last year from her trunk. She thought that the two taels of silver in her dream would not appear again, but by some twist of fate, she still had to give it away.
“Third brother, there are many uncertainties when you’re traveling. When you’re unlucky, you might encounter bandits from the water and mountains one after another, and it’s common to run into petty thieves. No matter how careful you are, there will be times when you’re distracted. Wear this ‘No Trouble’ token around your neck. If your luggage is stolen, this token can at least be used as a string of cash. In an unfamiliar place, it might even save your life.” Meng Qing tossed out the ‘No Trouble’ token.
Du Min reached out and caught it. "Isn't this what Master Chen gave to Wang Zhou?"
“Yes, there are three in total. The little silver fish and the peace buckle are light, but this one is heavier and more valuable. You should carry it with you.” Meng Qing explained, “Go to sleep early, you have to get up early tomorrow morning.”
Du Min looked at the plaque and asked Meng Chun for two strings. He strung the plaques together, hung them around his neck, and hid them under his clothes.
*
The next day.
Meng Qing, Du Li, and Wang Zhou took four geese to the ferry to see Du Min off. Du Min stared at the four geese swimming in the river and suddenly had the idea to write a poem. He sighed sadly, no wonder farewell poems have been famous since ancient times.
"The ship has arrived." Du Li saw the great scholar.
When the boat docked, Du Min carried a book box on his back and another book box to board the boat.
Wang Zhou finally stopped looking at the geese. He walked a few steps with them, but seeing that his parents hadn't moved, he turned back.
"Third Uncle, let's go," he said, pointing to the boat.
“Yes, your third uncle is leaving.” Meng Qing picked him up. “When you grow up, you can travel around like your third uncle and see the mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty.”
Du Min boarded the boat and said a few words to Mr. Qinglun. He then stood by the boat and looked towards the shore.
Meng Qing waved to Wang Zhou's chubby hand, "Third brother, take care on your journey."
"If you come across a boat returning to Wuxian, remember to send a message back," Du Li instructed anxiously.
"Go back." Du Min raised his hand and waved. "Wait for me to come back. I'll come to Jiayufang to find you when I get back."
Wang Zhou stared straight ahead. As the boat sailed away, he seemed to suddenly realize that his third uncle was going on a long trip. He straightened up and waved his hand in front of him.
"Is the third brother wiping away tears?" Du Li stood on tiptoe, trying to get a better look.
Meng Qing quickly looked at it, but it was already too blurry to see clearly.
"Whose goose is this? It's so bold, sticking its neck out onto my boat to steal vegetables!" A woman selling vegetables shouted from the river, holding the goose by the neck.
"Goose, goose, goose—my goose!" Wang Zhou immediately snapped back to reality.
"Our goose, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, we bought all the vegetables it touched," Du Li quickly said.
Du Min left with a heavy heart. Du Li and Meng Qing's lives did not change because of his departure. Apart from eating and sleeping, the two spent the rest of their time at the Paper Horse Shop.
Only when Wangzhou took the geese to play in the river would he look towards the ferry and call out "Third Uncle," but as winter turned to spring, he gradually forgot about this person. When he turned two, Meng Qing took out a small silver bowl to serve him longevity noodles. When he mentioned that the bowl was a gift from his third uncle, Wangzhou's eyes were filled with blankness.
"Who is Third Uncle?" he asked.
“Third Uncle is your father’s younger brother,” Meng Qing replied.
*
"Wangzhou? Wangzhou? You must be Wangzhou, right? I can't be wrong. Are you still raising these geese?"
Wang Zhou looked up and stared at the strangers on the bridge without saying a word.
"It's been a year. You've lost weight and look even more like your mother." Du Minru was carrying one book box on his back and another in his hand, just as he had when he left. He walked down the bridge and asked, "Do you still remember me?"
Wang Zhou shook his head. "Who are you?"
"I am your third uncle. Have your parents mentioned me to you?"
"Ah! I know, Third Uncle is my father's younger brother." Wang Zhou knew of a Third Uncle.
"You can already speak such long sentences?" Du Min walked to his side, and the four geese in the river saw him and immediately rushed over to chase him away.
Du Min kicked one away, only to have another pounce on him. He couldn't fight them off, so he could only flee in a sorry state.
When the Meng family returned from the paper horse shop, Meng Qing suddenly heard a loud goose call. She immediately ran to the riverbank, and Meng Chun quickly followed.
"Looking at the boat—" Meng Qing shouted before she even got close.
"My mother is here." Wangzhou walked up with the goose.
Meng Chun ran ahead, and only slowed down after checking that the boat and the goose were both alright.
“Uncle, my third uncle is back. Mother, he said he is my third uncle,” Wangzhou said, pointing at Du Min.
Meng Chun and Meng Qing then noticed the people who had been chased onto the bridge by the geese, and both of them smiled with surprise.
"Brother Du, it really is you!"
"Third brother, you're finally back."
“Yes, I’m back.” Du Min smiled. “This place hasn’t changed at all; it’s exactly the same as when I left last year.”
"You've only been gone for less than a year, but you're implying it's been ten or eight years? Come on, let's go home for dinner." Meng Qing took Wang Zhou's hand and asked, looking down, "Did you call your third uncle?"
Wang Zhou nodded.
“He still looks exactly like you. I saw a child watching geese playing in the river on the bridge, and I immediately recognized him. He looked up, and there was no doubt about it; he looks exactly like you.” Du Min touched Wang Zhou’s head and asked, “Second sister-in-law, how have you been these past six months? Has no one caused trouble for the paper horse shop?”
"No, everything is fine." Once home, Meng Qing called out, "Du Li, Third Brother is back."
Du Li came out with Meng's parents. When he saw Du Min, his first thought was that he had changed. Compared to when he left last year, he was like boiling water that had cooled down. His gaze was peaceful.
"How have you been these past six months? Was the journey smooth? Did you encounter any trouble?" Du Li asked.
Du Min was taken aback. The question he had asked had been brought back to him, and he truly felt Du Li's concern.
"It's alright, it went relatively smoothly, we didn't encounter any serious trouble," Du Min said cheerfully.
"Nonsense, if you were in mortal trouble, would you still be standing here?" Du Li took the suitcase he was carrying. "Wash your hands and eat first."
"Finally, I can eat some food that suits my taste." Du Min sat down at the table and picked up his rice bowl to eat the white fish first.
"Is the food in Luoyang not to your liking?" Meng's father asked. "What is Luoyang like?"
"Compared to Wu County, Luoyang is much flatter with few mountains, and you can see dozens of miles away at a glance. That place grows wheat extensively and people mainly eat wheat-based foods. They rely entirely on rice being delivered from other places, and the price of rice is higher than in Wu County. A shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice costs 120 to 130 wen (another unit of dry measure)," Du Min explained.
"It's twenty or thirty coins more expensive than rice here," Meng's father said. "Is Beiman Mountain in Luoyang? Have you ever been to Beiman Mountain?"
“I’ve been there. It’s north of Luoyang County, on Mount Beiman, which is covered with tombs, one after another. The road into the mountain has been worn down to 140 steps wide by the funeral processions. It’s said to be wider than Zhuque Avenue in Chang’an. If your paper horse shop were located at the foot of Mount Beiman, it would surely make a fortune every day,” Du Min said.
Meng's father was overjoyed. "If you go to Luoyang to be a county magistrate, I will open a shop at the foot of Beiman Mountain."
Du Min shook his head. "It's difficult. His Majesty moved the capital to Luoyang, and the imperial city is in Luoyang. The magistrate of Luoyang is a fifth-rank official, which is much higher than the magistrates of other counties. I would fight tooth and nail to get this position."
"Will you take the provincial examination in Chang'an or Luoyang next year? Is it based on the Emperor's whereabouts?" Meng Qing asked.
“Let’s go to Chang’an,” Du Min said.
“It’s almost August. You should go to the prefectural capital to study after you finish eating. I don’t know if your name has been registered yet,” Du Li said.
Du Min wasn't worried about making any mistakes in this regard. Master Chen probably cared more about his taking the provincial examination than he did. However, assuming he was unaware of the situation, the first thing he should do upon returning was to report to the prefectural school.
Therefore, after Du Min finished lunch, he divided up the gifts he had brought back and hurriedly went out.
"You're finally back. I've already submitted your application, and the exam date is set for August 23rd. For the next month, you'll be staying at the prefectural school for classes. With Mr. Qinglun guiding you, I'm not worried about your studies. The main thing for you to do at the prefectural school is to calm your mind and get back into exam mode." As soon as Dr. Xu saw Du Min, he put him in the prefectural school to prevent him from running around on his own.
Du Min had no objection. He returned to Jiayufang and brought back his bedding and two book boxes. From then on, he ignored everything else and devoted himself to studying the classics.
*
At dawn on August 23, the Meng family once again came to the examination hall to see off the examinees. After Du Min entered the examination hall, Du Li waited outside, while the others went home to continue their business at the paper horse shop.
"Senior sister, a guest is looking for you," Wenjiao called as she ran into the row house.
Meng Qing came out and saw Master Chen and Steward Chen. Master Chen had finished his mourning period and had been on a vegetarian diet for twenty-seven months. He was as thin as bamboo, and the light silk clothes he wore gave him an air of otherworldly elegance.
"My lord, it's you who has come." Meng Qing went to greet him.
Master Chen nodded. "Do you have any stock in the shop? Take me to see."
Only a month after the Ghost Festival, the paper horse shop had little stock left. Apart from a dozen or so paper figures and two ordinary paper horses, there was only a room full of paper coins.
Master Chen silently turned around, and before leaving, he ordered six brass paper horses and six black gold paper horses, as well as two paper sedan chairs and two three-courtyard paper houses.
"Is it to be burned for Old Master Chen?" Meng Qing inquired.
“No, I’m taking it to Chang’an,” Master Chen said clearly. He looked at Meng Qing and asked, “Are you planning to spend your whole life as a shady craftsman in this paper horse shop?”
Meng Qing lowered her head and did not speak.
"Would you like to come out into the public eye and let everyone know your name?" Master Chen tempted.
Meng Qing shook her head, "I will not be registered as a lowly person."
“That’s no problem. I have a way to help you avoid being classified as a lowly person and even make a name for yourself.” Master Chen laughed. “If Du Min comes to Chang’an with me to take the imperial examination this year, would you like your family to go with him? If you lend a hand, his chances of passing the exam will be much better.”
Meng Qing hadn't expected him to target her. This man was truly cunning; if she didn't agree, he would sow discord between her and Du Min, using Du Min's future to pressure her. She was thankful that she and Du Min already knew his plans; otherwise, he would have truly manipulated both sides.
"What are you saying? If I don't agree, wouldn't I offend my brother-in-law?" Meng Qing said with a straight face. "Chang'an is more than a thousand miles away from Wu County. If I go there, I will not only be separated from my family, but I will also not have a stable place to stay. I don't want to go to a place where I don't know anyone."
“I can take care of all of these for you, so you don’t need to worry,” said Master Chen.
Meng Qing looked puzzled. "Do you value Du Min so much?"
Master Chen nodded.
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