Chapter 221: Household Matters

At the village entrance, a few feng shui trees were covered in dry vines. Several scruffy yellow dogs barked incessantly at the sight of the unfamiliar traveler. The village was small, with only forty or fifty households, so everyone quickly knew a guest had arrived. However, just a moment ago, more than ten burly cavalrymen from Daoma Pass had come and gone in a hurry, making many timid villagers too afraid to leave their homes. Later, seeing Xu Zhinian and her son Yousong return in a fright, some diligent women who had risen early to prepare breakfast rushed to rouse their lazy husbands. Although the men on the heated kangs might not have been very accomplished, they were at least more experienced than their wives. The half-awake men stood on tiptoes and peered from behind the loess walls for a long time, but still couldn't make sense of what had happened.

Years ago, when Xu Zhinian was bullied by ruffians from an outside village, the village elders, unable to bear it, had bravely gathered the young men of the village to rescue her. But facing a disciplined squad of Beiliang soldiers, they no longer dared to act like heroes. Now, hearing their domestic dogs barking excitedly, and fearing trouble, some short-tempered men rushed out without even putting down their bowls and kicked the dogs several times. The dogs whimpered and cowered innocently in a corner. Through the door cracks, they saw a young nobleman with a sword slowly walking along the winding flagstone path. He was incredibly handsome. If some of the prettier village women hadn't known better, they would have gone out to flirt with him right away. Such a handsome man was truly a first for them to see. Villagers weren't too concerned with formalities; young mothers, if nursing their babies on a cool summer evening, would openly bare their chests for comfort, thinking a few glances wouldn't hurt. The village women who saw the young nobleman felt that if his beautiful phoenix eyes looked their way, they might even be the ones gaining something.

Xu Fengnian walked past each household, appreciating the Spring Festival couplets hung on every door, penned by the scholarly old master. He stopped at a house at the end of the village, knocked, and without waiting for a reply, pushed the door open. Unexpectedly, yet as if it was meant to be, he saw the young woman. Xu Fengnian paused, trying to avoid impropriety, and gently smiled, "Why haven't you left?"

The unsettled young woman slightly turned her head, avoiding eye contact with the scholar from Lingzhou, and softly said, "With no family or friends, where could I go?"

Xu Fengnian leaned against the cool, dew-laden courtyard gate and smiled, "I came hoping to catch you before you left too quickly, to tell you, sister-in-law, that today's matter has truly been resolved. The general who arrived later and I are from the same hometown in Lingzhou. Though not old family friends, we have mutual acquaintances, and he and my father's generation often cross paths, so he wouldn't want to go too far. I spent some money for him to distribute among those soldiers so they could have some old wine and dog meat, turning a big problem into a small one, and a small one into nothing. This way, everyone saves face. As the old saying goes, 'It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with the minor imps.' If you still don't believe me, the government will return all the withheld compensation money to you within the next two days, and then you'll know I wasn't lying."

The young woman's eyes instantly reddened, and she lowered her head even further. Her slender, graceful fingers, not as smooth and delicate as those of a wealthy lady, tightly twisted the corner of her clothes.

Xu Fengnian hesitated for a moment, then said, "Tell Yousong to study well with the old master. As the saying goes, 'a house of gold can be found in books.' When he reaches the age to pursue official titles, our Beiliang and the world will be quite different from now. Regardless of anything else, scholars will always have greater opportunities to distinguish themselves."

After speaking, Xu Fengnian turned to leave. He heard the child run out and call "Big Brother," but the Young Master still didn't stop. The young woman, Xu Qing, softly sighed, "Young Master, are you unwilling to even step inside? Do you find it dirty? I understand the saying that 'trouble often comes to a widow's door'."

Xu Fengnian was startled, then turned and gave a wry smile. "Sister-in-law, you know I didn't mean that."

The young woman glared and said, "Who are you calling sister-in-law!"

After turning away, she said quietly but firmly, "Yousong told me you gave him two buns this morning. I'll make you something to eat; please leave after you've eaten. We're a humble family and don't have much, but we're not without principles."

Xu Fengnian smiled slightly and entered the house. An Eight Immortals table occupied half the space, showing how small the house was. To the left inside was the sleeping chamber; the young woman had gone to the right, which was likely the kitchen. Although small, the house faced south, making it feel less gloomy. Yousong brought Xu Fengnian the only chair, while he himself sat on a small stool, looking up at his hero, their eyes wide. The young woman was skilled in the kitchen. Soon, she served Xu Fengnian a basin of white rice porridge, enough for five or six bowls, along with a pair of chopsticks and a plate of vinegared cabbage to go with the porridge. Xu Fengnian didn't stand on ceremony; he sat at the table and picked up a piece of the delicious, crisp vinegared cabbage. It was both firm and tender, excellent with the porridge. He ate slowly, savoring each bite, finding it the most refreshing meal he had had in days.

The young woman and Yousong sat side by side on a long bench, most of its red lacquer long since peeled away. The child snuggled against his mother, his face full of innocent smiles. The young woman seemed to be infected by the child's mood, a smile playing on her lips, perhaps finding the young nobleman amusing for enjoying even plain porridge and vinegared cabbage so much.

Xu Fengnian didn't rush his porridge, slowly eating three bowls before putting down his chopsticks, satisfied. "Delicious," he said.

The young woman smiled gently, "If you ate it every day, it wouldn't taste as good."

Xu Fengnian nodded, then shook his head. "It's better than eating delicacies every meal; at least it's good for the stomach. Besides, the best taste in the world is plainness. Most people can't appreciate that level; I only learned it after I started traveling and studying."

The young woman lowered her delicate brows and patted Yousong's head. The child, understanding, quickly went to clear the dishes and take them back to the kitchen. Only then did she cautiously ask, "How much money did you give out, Young Master? Consider it a debt Xu Qing owes you. I'll pay it back little by little whenever I have spare money, is that alright?"

Xu Fengnian smiled but said nothing.

The young woman was indeed thin-skinned and immediately blushed under his gaze.

Xu Fengnian calmly said, "For small families like yours in Beiliang, even with various ways of making a living, working yourselves to death for a year only amounts to perhaps ten or twenty taels of silver. Even if you can embroider and sell beautiful sachets to young ladies from well-to-do families, Daoma Pass is only so big. How many could you sell in a year? If you spent a lot of money buying fine silk scraps from a fabric store but couldn't sell the sachets, holding onto them, even just one, would mean a significant loss for you, wouldn't it? Even if business was good, you'd be busy with farm work during the day, so this delicate embroidery work could only be done at night. You'd light an oil lamp and slowly embroider, and if you got tired and accidentally fell asleep, you'd wake up to find the oil lamp wasted. Wouldn't your heart ache? Wouldn't you have to prick yourself twice with an embroidery needle out of frustration? Let's take it a step further: even if you add that compensation money, you could only repay me about thirty taels of silver a year. How many years would that take? By rights, an official even higher ranking than the Deputy Commander of Daoma Pass would consider one or two hundred taels of silver barely enough to pick their teeth; would it even catch the eye of such a high official? So, you shouldn't have brought this up at all. Anyway, I don't lack this money. Just consider it an act of charity on my part, isn't that good?"

The young woman looked up, biting her lip, and with clear eyes, said, "I will repay it!"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "You want to repay it? Alright, let's start with five hundred taels of silver. Besides, in officialdom, it's not just about offering money; people have to be willing to accept it. How would you calculate the favor I gained from that general? Is it worth a thousand taels? Let's say it's fifteen hundred taels. Will you slowly repay that over fifty years?"

The young woman calmly said, "Then Yousong will continue repaying it later."

Xu Fengnian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was Xu Zhinian's stubbornness innate, perhaps from birth?

The young woman suddenly said softly, "I actually know that Young Master isn't wealthy either. I absolutely cannot let you be taken advantage of like this; I wouldn't feel right about it."

Xu Fengnian asked in surprise, "What makes you say that?"

The young woman's cheeks were flushed, and she said softly, "When Young Master took the bowls and chopsticks just now, Xu Qing saw that your palms and all your fingers had calluses."

Xu Fengnian paused, a strange smile on his face.

The young woman mistakenly thought she had hurt the Lingzhou scholar's pride. She had heard that scholars from big cities valued face more than money, and that benevolence and virtue were more precious than gold and silver. While she didn't fully understand this, she thought it was a good thing. What if, because of this, the traveling scholar felt he had lost face? For a moment, the young woman only felt how clumsy her own mouth was. She secretly pinched her thigh with two fingers, and her eyes instantly welled up again. No matter how hard her life or how great her grievances had been before, she had never been this vulnerable.

Xu Fengnian hesitated, then decided not to explain the misunderstanding. He turned and waved to Yousong, who was hiding behind the kitchen door, took off his Chunlei saber, and handed it to the child. He composed himself and said, "No matter what you think, I'm leaving after I say a few more things. If you truly want to repay this money, that's fine. Wait until you've saved enough in one go, then come to Lingzhou to find me. Otherwise, just assume I can't afford to lose face by accepting a few dozen taels of silver from you each time. Even if my hands are callused and my family background is ordinary, as a scholar, I still need to maintain some dignity. People from noble families are like you: they stick to their principles when it comes to money."

The young woman sighed, no longer daring to be stubborn, fearing that the usually good-natured nobleman might get angry and leave abruptly. He was, after all, a great benefactor to her and Yousong.

Yousong held the Chunlei saber, whose reputation was not well-known in Beiliang. Few even in the Beiliang Prince's Residence knew its name or that of the Xiudong saber; perhaps only the maids in Wutongyuan knew. But while Wutongyuan seemed harmonious, and the Young Master never stood on ceremony with them, how dared they not adhere to the rules of the Beiliang Prince's Residence? Any news, no matter how small or trivial, concerning the Young Master, if it reached outside ears, was a capital offense. Prince Xu Xiao of Beiliang was incredibly kind to the Young Master, but he was never in a good mood to hear complaints from his servants, especially those who didn't understand the rules. Beating them to death and feeding them to dogs was considered lenient. Commander Huangfu Ping knew about the Chunlei saber only because he'd picked up hints during a "casual chat" with Xu's father and son at the Prince's Residence that night, which he treated as a royal decree. Yousong, with a look of adoration, asked, "Big Brother, you can definitely beat those armored soldiers from Daoma Pass, right?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and softly said, "Yes, I can beat them, and even killing a few people wouldn't be difficult. However, some matters are like 'household squabbles that even an honest official finds hard to resolve.' Fighting and killing would be of no benefit to the larger situation. It's better to be patient and reason with them. If reasoning truly fails, then it's not too late to fight. Yousong, you should know that simply studying for an official career is good, but often you still need to use your fists to make your point. Take Zhang Shun, for example. Is the old master who teaches learned? Does he understand many principles? But if Zhang Shun and the old master butt heads, who do you think would fall in the end? Of course, the old master has a *juren* degree and doesn't even need to kneel before the county magistrate, while Zhang Shun is an illiterate ruffian who usually wouldn't dare to act insolently in front of the old master."

The young woman silently pondered the meaning of his words.

Yousong nodded vigorously. "Yousong studies to bring honor to his mother, but he also wants to roam the world like Big Brother, drawing his sword to help when he sees injustice!"

Xu Fengnian reached out and tapped the child's forehead, gently admonishing him, "How many bowls of porridge can your small belly hold? How much rice is appropriate for your appetite? First, study the Four Books and Five Classics that the old master teaches you properly, then talk about other things."

Yousong suddenly said in a muffled voice, "Big Brother, my father was a hero."

Xu Fengnian's voice was calm as still water, but his eyes were gentle. "Whether your father was a hero, I haven't seen him, so I don't know. But Yousong and your mother are both very good."

Very good.

Beyond that, the Young Master, usually so eloquent, found himself at a loss for words.

Xu Fengnian looked out the door. Along the courtyard wall, a row of cabbages, tall as a person, were drying. He murmured to himself, "I have a family, a very big one, much bigger than yours. There's my father, stewards, maids, guards, gatekeepers, female servants, stablemen, many, many people. The family is so big that I haven't even met many of them. Each person, more or less, has their own self-interest, working in their position for the small families behind them. If I want to manage this family well, it's not simply about someone making a mistake that I stumble upon and then using my status to reprimand them, and it's over. For example, even disputes near the stables in a corner of the house—it's not easy for me to just remove someone and put someone else in their place to make things better. Perhaps replacing a fresh face would make things worse. There are always many people outside my family eyeing us, wanting to insert their own 'nails'—publicly helping, but actually intending to hollow out my family's foundation. When I was Yousong's age, I was also naive, hiding in my small courtyard, thinking the sky wouldn't fall. But as I grew up, I realized that someone like my father, who has accumulated such a large family fortune, will also become powerless one day. He has too many things to consider. Too many people in the family came in with him, and those neighbors outside who rely on our family—it's all about favors and connections, top to bottom, inside and out. These people once exerted themselves to the death for my father, which is why we have this large family business today. No matter how ruthless my father is, he has to turn a blind eye sometimes. 'Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys' works once, but if done too often, many people get smart, and their methods of illicit gain and undermining become more hidden and subtle, giving my father more headaches. At first, when my father sent me out of the house to travel, I felt greatly wronged. Only later did I gradually realize how useful it is to see how others live. This time, I said I was traveling to study, and the reason I came from Liangzhou all the way to Daoma Pass, not alone, was simply to see how our common people in Beiliang live, whether they are doing well or not. It's like a rookie repairman: if a window in his house is broken, he has to fix it, otherwise when the wind and rain come, it will hurt. If a wall has a hole dug in it, it must be filled. But merely treating the symptoms—patching things up—is not enough. You need to know where the root of the illness is to prescribe the right medicine. A family, like a person, will run out of time if they wait until they are critically ill to seek help. What I need to do now is not to rush to reveal myself, but first to find a few clean and capable subordinates and push them to the forefront. Let them be both fishermen who catch problems and paper-hangers who patch things up for me. This is far more beneficial in the long run than me rolling up my sleeves and disciplining people myself. I once met a man named Xuanyuan who cleaned up his family affairs too thoroughly, practically turning everything upside down. A relative of mine, surnamed Chen, might consider doing the same and has the ability, but I don't want to repeat that mistake."

The child holding the saber didn't understand any of it; he only gathered that Big Brother's family seemed very large.

The pure-hearted young woman listened, utterly lost in thought, her face bewildered.

Xu Fengnian stood up. The young woman patted Yousong's shoulder, and the child quickly handed the Chunlei saber back to him.

Xu Fengnian smiled and said something that the young woman pondered but couldn't quite grasp: "The fundamental reason I helped you today is that this incident is my father's fault. If something like this happens again in Beiliang in the future, you and Yousong can blame me."

The young woman and child saw him off at the courtyard gate. Xu Fengnian hesitated, then softly said, "By the stream, when I reached out to stop you, it was unintentional. Please don't take offense."

Xu Qing's pretty face blushed so deeply it looked as if water could drip from it.

At that moment, she had been rushing forward, and when the Young Master extended his arm, her ample bosom had bumped right into it.

Seeing that she was almost in tears, the Young Master, realizing his words had been unnecessary, smiled slightly in embarrassment and walked out of the village with a carefree air.

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