Chapter 44: Betting Agreement

After the Lantern Festival, the intense visits and social obligations gradually subsided. The usual rhythm of life began to emerge from the festive atmosphere of the New Year, returning to ordinary daily routines.

The poem "Qing Yu An" spread with incredible speed. Within a few days, discussions about it were once again heard in teahouses and taverns. Conversations about Ning Yi increasingly focused on acknowledging his talent and speculating about why he married into the family. At this point, no one accused him of plagiarism anymore. Some people even bestowed upon him the title "Jiangning's Foremost Scholar." However, a significant portion of the population described him as eccentric, arrogant, and someone who squandered his talents. The condensed label for him was "mad scholar."

While unconventional approaches can solve problems, they inevitably come with side effects. However, Ning Yi had anticipated these particular side effects, which meant that subsequent probing and scrutiny from others would largely cease. He could now focus on teaching, and in his free time, research topics like chemical engineering. He had recently ordered a batch of ceramic bottles to serve as test tubes, which he could use to review simple chemical reactions.

Interestingly, on the morning of the sixteenth, Ning Yi went for his usual run and found Nie Yunzhu waiting for him at the entrance of the small building. Upon seeing him, she gracefully curtsied and said, "Greetings, great Scholar Ning." It felt like a scene between a scholar and a beauty. Ning Yi nodded and replied, "Hello there, missy." Nie Yunzhu instantly blushed, stepping back half a pace. Her face seemed to be on fire, and her large eyes darted around, looking at Ning Yi before quickly shifting elsewhere, as if she didn't know where to look.

"Mr... Mr. Ning, how can you say such a thing...?"

"Oh? You just said, 'Greetings, great Scholar Ning'... Shouldn't I respond like that?"

"How could you! Mr. Ning should have said... should have said..." She stood there, flustered, thinking for a long time before letting out a giggle. "In short, it was too frivolous..."

After this little incident, Nie Yunzhu stopped referring to him as the "great scholar" and was able to converse with him as before. Naturally, she was still very interested in hearing about the previous night's poetry gathering, the conduct of the attendees, and so on. Learning that Qi Lan was also there, she smiled and asked about her reaction: "Miss Qi Lan is said to be excellent at poetry. Was she perhaps impressed by Mr. Ning's poetic talent?"

"She should be impressed, shouldn't she? With my talent reaching several stories high, what else could she do but be impressed... Don't you agree?" Ning Yi was preoccupied with observing the female assassin and had no idea about Miss Qi Lan's reaction, so he just thought for a moment and gave a casual reply. Nie Yunzhu chuckled, "What you say is absolutely right, sir."

"I think what I said is absolutely right too..." Ning Yi said with a smile, standing up. "I'm off, still have a bit more to run."

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Dawn arrived late in winter; the entire sky was still a hazy gray. Inside the small building, a faint, bean-sized light flickered. Nie Yunzhu stood in front of the building, watching him leave, her eyes still filled with a deep smile. The weather remained cold. After Ning Yi's figure completely vanished into the bluish-gray gloom, she looked up at the sky, chuckled, and exhaled a puff of white mist. She rubbed her hands together and turned to walk back up the steps.

She thought, today would surely be a good day.

A few days later, Ning Yi encountered Kang Xian on the street. The old man was in an eight-bearer sedan chair, accompanied by four permanent servants, making quite a grand procession. Upon seeing Ning Yi, he ordered his sedan to stop and intercepted him. Kang Xian gave a few instructions, telling the sedan to follow behind him, then exclaimed, "You scoundrel!"

"Happy New Year, Elder Kang... Have I done something terrible again?"

" 'Searching a thousand times through the crowd, I suddenly turn back, and he is there where the lamps are few.' The poem is good, but you used it in the wrong context. Always leave some room for maneuver. As for the reputation of a 'mad scholar' or 'hermit,' at your age, even if you have a desire for reclusion, you shouldn't express it to this extent."

The two walked along the snow-covered street where the snow had yet to melt. Kang Xian's thoughts were no different from before, but when he spoke about this matter, his expression was not overly stern. Ning Yi smiled and asked, "Is that all?"

"Of course not! Today is the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, nineteen days since the New Year, and you haven't visited my residence. I am very angry about this, and the consequences will be severe... Oh, by the way, before the New Year, I passed by here once, and your close female friend's stall was at the street corner ahead. Has it moved, or is it not set up yet?"

Kang Xian pointed to the street corner ahead. Ning Yi shook his head and said, "Elder, you must speak responsibly; don't be so ambiguous... There weren't many people buying food before the New Year, so naturally, she closed the stall. It will probably be a few more days before she sets it up again, selling it with a new batch of preserved eggs. Why do you ask, Elder Kang?"

"It's about your preserved eggs... While the taste is unusual, they are quite palatable. Most importantly, they look good. Recently, when entertaining guests, I thought how pleasing it would be just to have a bowl of them on the table. When Miss Nie sets up her stall in a few days, have her send some over to my place."

Ning Yi nodded, "Depending on individual taste, you can also add some vinegar or sauces for flavor. Just have your household chef experiment a few times. But don't eat too much at once; eating too many will make you feel unwell."

"Your preserved eggs aren't that delicious anyway; why would I eat too many?" Kang Xian joked, then patted his shoulder. "I know your family situation is complicated, but there's no need to worry too much. When the New Year approaches next year, feel free to bring your wife over. With your talent, you don't need my name for support. I'm quite curious to see what kind of woman could make you willingly marry into her family, haha..."

By the end of the first lunar month, the weather was gradually warming. Piles of snow melted into trickling streams that flowed into the Qinhuai River. The signs of spring, with birds flying and grass growing, were steadily approaching. Then, in this atmosphere, Yushan Academy began its new term. On the first day he went to the academy, Ning Yi met an unexpected person.

"Brother Ning, from now on, we will be colleagues, both teaching at the academy. I have many things I don't understand, so please take good care of me."

Li Pin, also known as Li Dexin, was a scholar in Jiangning widely considered to be on par with Cao Guan. However, Cao Guan was known for his steady demeanor, while Li Pin was free-spirited, which often led others to rank Cao Guan as superior. It was perplexing that someone like Li Pin would come to teach at Yushan Academy. Ning Yi simply greeted him and paid little attention otherwise. Shortly after, Su Chonghua came to speak with Ning Yi, who then learned that Li Pin had discussed this with Su Chonghua the previous year.

"He must have been impressed by Li Heng's talent, which is why he wanted to come to the academy to learn further. This person seems quite sincere." After the Lantern Festival, Su Tan'er had a meal with Su Chonghua, likely to clarify Ning Yi's lack of interest in the academy. Consequently, Su Chonghua's attitude towards Ning Yi had recently become more cordial.

Li Pin was five years older than Ning Yi and was said to have attained the Jinshi degree, though he had not yet secured an official position. He hadn't bothered with networking in Bianliang, preferring to spend his time in Jiangning, gaining some reputation—a rather eccentric individual. Of course, even if one were to network, those without significant connections would face considerable difficulty in securing an official post. He was modest and handsome, and although he had a wife, he was quite popular with women outside his home. The prestige of being a scholar was particularly captivating; in the past, Su Tan'er might have even regarded Li Pin's name with idolization. However, she was calm now. When the topic came up at home, she smiled and said, "He must have been impressed by my husband's demeanor."

What truly impressed Li Pin might not have been Ning Yi's literary talent, though the two poems certainly played a part. In Ning Yi's opinion, Li Pin seemed more interested in the stories Ning Yi told. Instead of teaching poetry or prose at Yushan Academy, Li Pin chose to teach archery and mathematics. These courses were held in the afternoons. In the mornings, he would come to observe Ning Yi's classes, which initially made the younger students quite uneasy.

Occasionally, Li Pin would ask questions about some of the things Ning Yi mentioned, which Ning Yi considered to be particularly crucial points. These included summarized social principles, methods for thorough investigation into the nature of things, and a purely mechanistic view of causality. Ning Yi often casually shared these concepts with the children, but he was reluctant to elaborate too much, as fully explaining them would turn them into modern theories, making them unorthodox. When Li Pin occasionally asked a question, Ning Yi would casually add a bit more, but while Li Pin might understand, the children did not, and they often looked quite puzzled.

Li Pin probably knew that Ning Yi might not be willing to discuss much with him at that time, so he only occasionally raised questions in class. When they met on other occasions, he would simply greet Ning Yi and exchange a few pleasantries.

By February, Nie Yunzhu's small cart was back out, selling both pancakes and preserved eggs. However, to be honest, the preserved eggs were quite expensive, and so far, business wasn't great. She had only sent a batch to Kang Xian's residence, which counted as some income. That day, at the Qin residence, Kang Xian thoroughly mocked him.

"Your preserved eggs are selling for twenty wen each! Even salted eggs are no more than ten wen, and this is at a pancake stall. Think about it: Miss Nie's pancakes cost only two wen. Paired with twenty-wen preserved eggs, people buying pancakes won't buy preserved eggs, and those who can afford preserved eggs as a snack usually don't eat pancakes. This combination is truly absurd."

"Heh heh, new things, if you sell them too cheaply right away, you won't be able to raise the price later. Actually, if I were doing it, I might find a way to sell them for fifty wen. She's not aiming to make too much profit from that business, which is why she's so casual about it."

"Haha, you're truly insatiable! Fifty wen each? Do you think they're golden eggs laid by a golden hen? Even at twenty wen, you're struggling to sell them... Heh heh, but you don't need to worry. In a few days, when I host guests, I'll do my best to promote them for you. Plenty of people can afford them at twenty wen. When that time comes, you'll have to thank me; consider it owing me a favor..."

Kang Xian spoke with satisfaction. In truth, he wasn't demanding anything in return for the favor, and Elder Qin also chimed in with agreement. Ning Yi, who generally didn't care much for such social niceties, idly pursed his lips. "I appreciate your help, Elder Kang. But even if you don't help, I can still expand this business within a month and sell them for twenty wen, just to show you. How about that?"

"Oh? Really?"

"Salted eggs can sell for ten wen, so what's so hard about selling preserved eggs for twenty? It's just that not many people know about them yet..." Ning Yi shrugged. "Who told me I was bored lately..."