Chapter 24: Mouthy

Beginning in early November of the lunar calendar, cold weather enveloped Jiangning City. On the eighth and ninth days of the month, snow began to fall. Large, goose feather-like flakes silently draped the ancient city in a white blanket.

The accumulated snow was not yet deep enough to prevent people from going out. However, according to typical patterns, once it started, it was likely to persist, on and off, until early spring—a period of two to three months. For impoverished families, such weather made it nearly impossible to venture outside. In some areas, people lacked even winter clothing, and when heavy snow closed off mountain passes, they were forced to huddle under blankets on their heated kangs all day long. Winter, for the vast majority of people in this era, was an extremely difficult time.

Large cities like Jiangning fared somewhat better due to their developed commerce and a considerable number of affluent households. In the days following the first snowfall, the school remained open, though, as was customary, a few students living outside the city did not attend. The teacher had a small charcoal brazier, while the students relied on closed doors and windows for protection from the wind. Fortunately, being young and vigorous, they weren't too bothered. Two female students each had a beautiful hand warmer, which they clutched to their chests. Their families had initially forbidden them from returning to school, but they couldn't bear to miss Ning Yi's stories, so they continued to attend classes.

Old Qin's chess stall naturally closed once the weather turned cold. Ning Yi visited his home a few times, though not too frequently. For the elderly man, however, having someone knowledgeable call on him was a welcome event. On one occasion, Kang Xian also happened to be there. This old gentleman had brought several ancient paintings for evaluation, asking Old Qin to appraise them and then affix his seal.

After the heavy snow fell, Ning Yi built a snowman in the Su family courtyard. At night, the entire Su estate presented its most captivating view. Looking out from the second floor, the warm, vibrant points of light moving between the various courtyards and dwellings evoked an antique charm. Though distinctly Eastern in style, these clusters of light seemed to emanate from beautiful oil paintings. If he had a camera, Ning Yi would have liked to take some aerial shots as keepsakes. However, the second floor was quite windy, and after standing for a while, Xiao Chan would come up to call him in.

On such evenings, it was ultimately more pleasant to sit by the fire in the downstairs living room, chatting idly, playing chess, or reading. Su Tan'er and a few maids would select fabrics and do embroidery. Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, along with their servants, had naturally developed a good relationship. They would sit together playing Go-Moku (five-in-a-row). Xing'er, who enjoyed gossip, would occasionally recount amusing anecdotes from the estate. Sometimes, the younger maids would debate the content of Ning Yi's stories: who was fiercer, a fox demon or a great general when fighting? Did General Xiahou, who liked to eat eyes, have a full beard? Or were the slain female demons innocent? The topics varied, and they would sometimes run over to ask Ning Yi to arbitrate their arguments.

Su Tan'er gradually grew fond of the simple rules of Go-Moku. Every few days, she would review ledgers, sitting alone and calculating with an abacus, sometimes joined by the three young maids who would help out. When playing chess with Ning Yi, she would also casually mention amusing stories about various relatives within the large household, briefly revealing their relationships.

Occasionally, relatives would visit in the evenings. After the snow fell, some of Ning Yi's students from the school would sometimes drop by to pay their respects, though in reality, they wanted to coax more stories out of him. Purely for the entertainment value, Su Tan'er also enjoyed listening to these tales, taking her needlework and sitting to embroider while listening to the storytelling.

Occasionally, some cousins would also visit. The younger ones would call Su Tan'er "Second Sister." They mostly came seeking money for various ventures they couldn't afford, complaining about their circumstances and trying to wheedle funds out of her. Su Tan'er was always good to them, and they knew that as long as they were reasonable, she would likely give them money. If they asked for a hundred strings of coins, they could usually get sixty to eighty, though they would likely have to endure a lecture and some nagging from Su Tan'er. What they received was enough for several nights of entertainment and fine wine along the Qinhuai River.

The excuses these relatives offered were, of course, about self-improvement, but the reality of their intentions was perfectly clear even to Ning Yi, who was not particularly familiar with these cousins. Su Tan'er, however, was quite patient. Regardless of the excuse, she always pretended to believe them completely, offering sincere advice in line with their topic, and then admonishing them not to waste money. If addressing an older male cousin, she adopted an incredibly humble demeanor, presenting herself as a very compliant younger sister, occasionally teasing, "When will that girl from Spring Breeze Courtyard finally become my sister-in-law?" She was utterly benevolent. After the visitors left, she would put away her small box of silver notes, still wearing her serene and kind smile. Then, she would recount amusing anecdotes about that particular cousin, always speaking kindly, with a strong sense of pride and deep familial affection overflowing.

Ning Yi found these scenes amusing. While there might have been some genuine family affection, he also understood why people said there were no capable individuals among the third generation of the Su family. Su Tan'er's marriage had been delayed by a few years, and at nineteen, she was considered an "old maid" by some. However, in Ning Yi's eyes, this was certainly not the case. His wife, who had already begun to manage the Su family's main branch, still possessed the appearance and figure of a young girl, and even showed a touch of youthful shyness when speaking or smiling. Yet, the subtle control and keen judgment evident in all her actions were truly not to be underestimated.

Being able to gather daily, play chess, tell stories, and chat about daily life made the atmosphere between Ning Yi and Su Tan'er much more natural than simply sharing meals. Subsequently, Su Tan'er proposed that Ning Yi occasionally accompany her on visits to people they needed to call upon.

The Su family's fabric business was extensive, with many dependent merchants and both reliable and unreliable business partners. When Su Tan'er occasionally visited others to discuss business, it was always better to have a man accompany her. In fact, these pre-New Year visits weren't strictly necessary, but after the New Year, their joint visits to various households for greetings would become very important. Su Tan'er's invitation at this time was essentially a way for Ning Yi to become somewhat familiar with these matters. Of course, a few days later, she would be pleased to discover that Ning Yi was very competent, at least in serving as a decorative presence.

Ning Yi had little interest in the business dealings of these people. When others discussed business, he would feign interest, drinking tea, looking at calligraphy and paintings, or smiling absently. If someone greeted him or tried to strike up a conversation, he would naturally employ his versatile tactics to fob them off, only presenting the image of a polite scholar. Su Tan'er bringing him along simply required him to handle pleasantries naturally and avoid creating a bad impression. These individuals had some business connections with the Su manor and, knowing Ning Yi was a live-in son-in-law, they wouldn't make things difficult for him. Of course, some had heard of Ning Yi's reputation and would find someone to discuss poetry and literature with him. Such casual conversations were not serious examinations, and Ning Yi handled them with ease.

Su Tan'er would often explain the background of the families they were visiting, either the day before or on the way there, chatting and laughing as she did so. Some were senior figures in the business world who had once looked out for the Su family, others were current business partners, or perhaps opportunists who swayed with the wind. In this mode of interaction, her relationship with Ning Yi was very harmonious. After their outings, she would smilingly discuss the results of their visits with Ning Yi, cracking a few jokes or playfully grumbling about "old foxes who never let slip a hint."

Most of these outings were similarly mundane. However, there were occasional exceptions and minor incidents. For instance, a visit on the fourteenth day of the eleventh month left Ning Yi feeling... utterly bored.

"'...The He family brothers' silk business is quite substantial, and they are capable, but they've never been very settled. After the last deal we discussed with them was concluded, I heard they've now finalized a partnership with the Xue family. Our visit today is merely a courtesy call...'"

Su Tan'er said this in the carriage, twirling a small beaded chain in her hand. Ning Yi nodded.

"'So, we just need to go through the motions?'"

"'Heh heh, just go through the motions, husband.' She laughed, putting the beaded chain on her wrist, then looked up, tilted her head, and reached back to adjust her hair. 'After we're done, do you have plans for the afternoon, husband?'"

"'I plan to browse the bookstores in the east of the city, looking for a Tang Dynasty classic.'"

"'I'll excuse myself early this morning and accompany you, husband.'"

"'Alright.'"

The deal was already off the table; the visit was merely a gesture of goodwill, a formality, as Ning Yi had suggested. However, it was quite annoying when a fly kept buzzing around during what was supposed to be a polite, perfunctory exchange. This afternoon, Su Tan'er and Ning Yi were not the only visitors to the He family; people from two other merchant houses were also present. So, He Jun, the elder of the He brothers and the silk merchant whom Su Tan'er called "uncle," received everyone in a side hall next to the garden. Several large braziers kept the area warm, and from there, one could gaze out at the snow-covered garden, making for a rather elegant atmosphere for conversation. Accompanying him as host was his son, He Tingguang.

The He family had two main figures: besides He Jun, the younger brother, He Feng, was the true business genius. Su Tan'er had originally just come to pay her respects. After the tea gathering had been underway for a while, she, along with her three maids and a few others, went to the garden to admire the snow. It was there that they encountered He Feng, who had arrived from another part of the estate. From their vantage point, they could see the group conversing. With fewer people in the side hall, He Tingguang began to pester Ning Yi about his poetic talent. He probably didn't believe Ning Yi had much talent and wanted to test him, but unfortunately, He Tingguang himself wasn't particularly gifted. Ning Yi offered a few perfunctory replies, while He Tingguang prattled on, hinting at his acquaintance with the great scholar Xue Jin and reciting some of Xue Jin's new works for Ning Yi to critique.

"This guy's a blockhead too..." Ning Yi felt bored. He Tingguang's father, He Jun, probably also found his son's chatter uninteresting and interjected to smooth things over. Ning Yi naturally took the cue and continued the conversation: "'Tan'er mentioned that the He family's silk business is quite impressive in scale. Is it primarily centered around Shouchow?'"

He Jun frowned, but He Tingguang was already chuckling. "'Allow me to clarify, elder brother. Our family primarily operates in the Luzhou and Chaohu areas. Should you ever have leisure to travel, don't go to the wrong place...'"

Ning Yi paused, then nodded after a moment. "'Oh, I see... Luzhou and Shouchow aren't far apart. Raw silk transport...'"

He Jun, perhaps thinking of something, frowned even more deeply. "'Nephew, why did you suddenly mention Shouchow?'"

"'Oh, it's nothing, really. Aren't some of the Xue family's workshops in Shouchow, managed by that Steward Yan? I think I heard someone mention it last time... Hmm, so I thought the He family's business would be in Shouchow...'"

He Tingguang burst into laughter. "'Elder brother doesn't understand these things, so please don't speak carelessly. Steward Yan is clearly in charge of matters in Luzhou; most of the uncles present here know this. If you don't believe me, you can ask them, heh heh...'"

At his words, the people from the other two merchant houses also chuckled, confirming his statement. Ning Yi smiled and nodded, "'I don't understand these things. I just occasionally hear bits and pieces, got it wrong, got it wrong...'" Everyone knew he was a live-in son-in-law, so they weren't surprised by his ignorance and simply smiled. He Jun, however, said gravely, "'Nephew, where did you hear these fragmented pieces of information?'"

Ning Yi looked at his serious expression, pondered for a moment with some confusion, then shook his head blankly. "'I just... occasionally overheard people chatting. Uh... I'm not clear on the details, ha. Please forgive my ignorance, Uncle. Tan'er understands business, but I don't. I don't know much about the Xue family either; I just confused Luzhou and Shouchow, heh heh...'"

After his perfunctory explanation, the whole situation became rather strange. He Jun frowned, seemingly deep in thought about something important, and then called over a steward to give him some instructions. Ning Yi furrowed his brow: *I just said that offhand, I couldn't have actually hit on something, could I...?*

In the past few days, as he accompanied Su Tan'er on various errands, Ning Yi, though uninterested in others' business discussions, had gradually formed a mental outline of which families conducted which businesses and how the overall market operated. These details, whether he deliberately thought about them or not, were laid out before him, either clearly or vaguely, forming a potential picture. When he mentioned Shouchow just now, it was merely to casually deflect He Tingguang's topic. He had only vaguely sensed from the idle chatter he'd overheard in previous days that the Xue family's business might be shifting, with its focus potentially moving from Luzhou to Shouchow. And in the Shouchow area, there was indeed a rival silk merchant to the He family who might get involved... These were just fuzzy outlines in his mind; he had no firm grasp of them, only a keen sense of a crucial point. Yet, judging by the outcome, he seemed to have truly hit on something significant.

Shortly after, as Ning Yi and Su Tan'er said their goodbyes to He Jun and were about to board their carriage, He Feng chased after them from behind. With a serious expression, he exchanged a glance with He Jun. "'Niece, please wait. Regarding next spring's silk, I wonder if the Su family has finalized their plans for the nearby areas. If niece has time today, there's a spring silkworm business opportunity I'd like to discuss with you...'"

Su Tan'er turned back, a look of confusion on her face, unsure why there was suddenly such a change. With his back to them, Ning Yi boredly rolled his eyes.

"'Damn it... my big mouth.'"