Chapter 15: The Door to a New World
After walking half a street, Li Xiaonan tugged at Li Jinzhu and asked, “Eldest Sister, Brother passed the Xiucai examination and will be attending classes at the County School. Will Brother go alone?”
“What are your thoughts?” Li Jinzhu looked at Li Xiaonan sideways.
“Brother definitely can’t go alone, and it won’t work if it’s just me and Brother. Brother still has to attend school, Eldest Sister, why don’t we move to the County Town to live?” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
“You little thing, ever since you were young, you’ve been set on going to the County Town.” Li Jinzhu lightly patted Li Xiaonan’s back.
“But, you have to think, if we all go to the County Town, what about our paddy fields? It takes a whole day to travel from Xiao Li Village to the County Town and back. Also, if we all move, where will we live? What will we eat? Can your brother’s stipends feed our whole family?”
“We can rent out the land, rent it to Third Uncle. I think Third Uncle is quite good, and we can collect rent every year. Brother has passed the Xiucai examination now, so the clan should be able to provide Copper Coins for renting a house. Also, once we get to the County Town, we won’t be idle. We can weave cloth to sell, and we can do some small Business. I think earning Copper Coins in the County Town will definitely be easier than farming.”
Li Xiaonan earnestly answered Li Jinzhu’s questions one by one.
“Business isn’t easy to do; we’ve never done Business before. Weaving… If we had three Looms, you, your Second Sister, and Third Sister wouldn’t have to work in the fields, and we could weave two bolts of cloth a day. Plus your brother’s stipends and the rent, if the clan is willing to provide Copper Coins for renting a house, it’s not impossible. When we get home, I’ll discuss it properly with your Second Sister and Third Sister.”
Li Jinzhu carefully considered it and nodded with a smile.
She also wanted to move out of Xiao Li Village; there was nothing in that village to make her want to stay.
“Okay!” Li Xiaonan’s voice rose at the end.
Li Xiaonan and Li Jinzhu shopped until it was almost dark and returned to the Tavern. Li Wenhua arrived even later than them by the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
“Were you waiting long? There are so many old Clothes shops in Hangcheng. I first looked around these few streets, then I heard someone say that the old Clothes in the South City are cheaper, so I went to the South City, and it was indeed much cheaper!
“Look at this Long Gown, genuine Yangsi cloth, it’s only been washed once. Look at how fine this cloth is, look at these stitches, it’s only seven hundred Copper Coins!”
Li Wenhua took out a Mulberry Paper packet from his embrace, carefully unwrapped it, revealed a corner, and showed it to Li Jinzhu.
“Third Uncle ran around all day just to buy this Long Gown?” Li Xiaonan stretched her head to look at the corner of indigo that was revealed.
Li Wenhua gave Li Xiaonan a glare and ignored her.
This little girl does nothing but eat and sleep. He hated lazy people the most!
“Is this for Xuedong?” Li Jinzhu carefully touched it.
“Xiucai Scholar! You can’t call him by his name anymore.
“Tomorrow’s Cai Qin Banquet has rules about what to wear. See, it’s this kind of blue, and it needs to have a white and blue border. Do you see? It’s like this!
“Our Da Lang is a Xiucai Scholar now, so he’ll have to wear a Long Gown every day from now on. I have this kind of Fine Cotton Cloth fabric at home. When we get back, take out a bolt, and you can make him another one. Having two to wear interchangeably will be enough. Da Lang?”
Li Wenhua turned his head and looked around. His gaze fell on the Shrimp steamed egg in the bowl in front of Li Xiaonan, and his brows immediately furrowed with distress.
“He went to thank the gods with Second Young Master Hong. He left early this morning and said there were banquets at noon and in the evening,” Li Jinzhu replied.
Li Xiaonan propped her chin on her hand, smiling as she looked at her Third Uncle, who was distressed about the Shrimp steamed egg.
“Then let’s just eat something simple. This bowl of steamed egg, why does this little girl need to eat this, and the Shrimp too.” Li Wenhua couldn’t help it; this was all his Copper Coins!
“This was Xuedong’s instruction,” Li Jinzhu immediately pushed the blame onto Li Xuedong.
As long as it was Xuedong’s word, her Third Uncle wouldn’t say another word. Otherwise, this Third Uncle would fuss and fret endlessly.
As expected, Li Wenhua swallowed the rest of his words with a gulp.
Alas, this little girl’s laziness and gluttony were all spoiled by her brothers and sisters, especially her brother!
Since Xuedong wasn’t coming back to eat, Li Wenhua only ordered a large plate of fried Vegetables with lard and a bowl of Rice for each person.
After eating, Li Wenhua liked to rest as soon as it got dark, so he went to bed first. Li Jinzhu was worried, so she cut the Fine Cotton Cloth fabric she bought during the day and did Needlework under the double-headed lamp on the Tavern’s counter while waiting for Li Xuedong to return.
Around the time of Xu Zheng, a Cart stopped at the entrance of the Tavern. The Servant sitting at the front of the cart nimbly jumped down to place the Footstool, and Li Xuedong poked his head out of the cart.
Li Jinzhu hurried out to meet him, and the Tavern Shop Assistant on duty also hurried out.
The Attendant behind the cart carried a large Bundle and handed it to the Shop Assistant, “Please trouble you to deliver this to Master Li’s room.”
“Eldest Sister, I won’t get out of the cart. Goodbye.” Hong Zhenye leaned out of the cart window, his flushed face full of smiles, reeking of alcohol, waving one hand at Li Jinzhu.
“Thank you very much,” Li Jinzhu stepped forward to support Li Xuedong and said loudly.
“I didn’t drink, I just took a sip. It’s fine,” Li Xuedong broke free from his Eldest Sister.
“Is it really fine?” Li Jinzhu leaned in to smell him. Indeed, the smell of alcohol was all over him, but not in his mouth.
“I’ll have the Kitchen quickly boil two buckets of hot water. Master Li is covered in the smell of alcohol and needs a good wash. Otherwise, it won’t be good to have the smell of alcohol at tomorrow’s Cai Qin Banquet,” the Shop Assistant suggested solicitously after delivering the Bundle to the room door.
Li Jinzhu thanked the Shop Assistant, took the Bundle, and entered the room.
Li Xiaonan was lying on the bed reading a newly bought history book from the previous dynasty. She quickly put down the book, bowed, and went over to carefully examine Li Xuedong, asking with concern, “How was it?”
Li Xuedong waved his hand at Li Xiaonan, took the Bundle from Li Jinzhu, first quickly felt through it, and then hurriedly unwrapped it. He picked up the two large red envelopes with golden characters on top and presented them to Li Jinzhu.
“Eldest Sister, this one is from the Kunshan Chamber of Commerce, and this one is from the Pingjiang Club. They are both Silver Notes. This is ten taels, and this one is also ten taels!” Li Xuedong held his breath and lowered his voice, both excited and scared.
“Ah?” Li Jinzhu’s eyes widened. “Why are you taking other people’s Copper Coins?”
“I didn’t want them. I said I didn’t want them. It was Brother Hong, Second Young Master Hong, who told me to take them, saying they were rightfully mine and that everyone else took them, so it wouldn’t be good if I didn’t. ” Li Xuedong quickly explained.
“Are these congratulatory gifts from them?” Li Xiaonan stretched her head to look at the two red envelopes and asked.
“Yes, yes, yes! That’s what they said,” Li Xuedong quickly nodded.
“When are congratulatory gifts given in Silver? When are congratulatory gifts ten taels?” Li Jinzhu didn’t believe it at all.
“Eldest Sister, they are all rich people, the kind of rich people who can spend several taels of Silver on a meal. Right, Brother?” Li Xiaonan reached out and flipped through the Clothes in the Bundle.
“Right, right, right! They all wear Silk! At noon, the Pingjiang Club treated all the students in Pingjiang Prefecture, and in the evening, the Kunshan Chamber of Commerce treated only me and Brother Hong. Alas!”
Li Xuedong let out this sigh with a forceful exhale, full of excitement, raising both hands and waving them down.
“All unheard of! All unseen! All uneaten!”
Li Xuedong bit down hard on each “all.”
“What is this? How can you take other people’s things!” Li Jinzhu glared at Li Xiaonan as she pulled out a Fan Cover from the Bundle. Inside the Fan Cover was a Folding Fan.
“It’s Brother Hong! Brother Hong bought it all for me. He said I can’t wear this to tomorrow’s Cai Qin Banquet, that there are imperial rules.” Li Xuedong tugged at his own home-woven cloth top and explained hurriedly.
Li Xiaonan laid out the Clothes and accessories from the Bundle on the bed one by one:
Two lined Fine Silk Long Gowns, both indigo blue with white borders, two similarly lined indigo blue Fine Silk trousers, two sets of white Fine Silk underclothes, two pairs of indigo blue silk-soled thick shoes, an embroidered belt, a white jade Hairpin, an embroidered Sachet, an embroidered Fan Cover with a Folding Fan, a delicate silver sachet containing a perfumed ball that smelled quite pleasant, and two pairs of Fine Cotton Cloth Socks.
“All of this is from Brother Hong. He said there will be many social events during this period, so I need a couple of good outfits,” Li Xuedong glanced at his Eldest Sister and explained with a guilty conscience.
“This is all Silk. How much Copper Coins would this cost? Silk is very expensive!” Li Jinzhu didn’t dare to reach out and touch it. She bent down to look and then gestured to Li Xiaonan, “Quickly pack it up. We can’t accept other people’s things.”
“I said I didn’t want it! Brother Hong insisted on giving it to me, and I couldn’t refuse him,” Li Xuedong quickly explained again.
He knew his Eldest Sister would definitely not allow him to accept it, but he truly couldn’t win against Hong Zhenye.
“Brother has been tutored by Master Hong and received two boxes of books from the Hong Family, and a box of Writing Brushes, Ink, Paper, and Inkstones,” Li Xiaonan carefully folded the Long Gown.
Li Jinzhu was speechless. After a moment, she sighed, “When I mention this matter to your Second Sister, we both become extremely worried. They are helping Xuedong like this, hoping that Xuedong will become an official in the future and can help them, but Xuedong this…”
Li Jinzhu vaguely finished her sentence.
“The future, who dares to think about it? How can we ever repay this Human Affection?” Li Jinzhu paused, her voice dropping very low, “Your Second Sister and I always feel like we’re swindlers.”
“I feel the same way. The better Brother Hong is to me, the more I feel…” Li Xuedong looked at the Bundle of Clothes with a worried frown.
He had felt extremely guilty all day.
“Betting has risks, and you have to accept the consequences if you lose. I don’t think the Hong Family has as many plans as we do,” Li Xiaonan repacked the Clothes, Hairpin, and other items.
“In the past, there was no choice; it was to survive. We can’t be like that anymore,” Li Jinzhu said solemnly.
Li Xuedong and Li Xiaonan nodded together.
Terms will be explained promptly when they appear:
Before the supplement, they will be combined at the end of each chapter. If there are any small details that are overlooked, please point them out in the comments, and I will explain them.
Sheng Yuan, commonly known as Xiucai, is actually qualifying for a government-funded student after passing the examination, hence the name Sheng Yuan, similar to passing university now.
For Xiucai, passing the examination to become a Recommended Scholar is considered graduation. Theoretically, Xiucai can only attend university for three subjects, which is about ten years, but in reality, some people attended Xiucai university for a lifetime.
Of course, Xiucai university, like attending university now, requires new student registration and has school uniforms, but there is no tuition fee, and the state provides subsidies, usually one stone of Rice per month.
Xiucai university requires attending classes, doing homework, and taking exams. Those who rank among the top receive awards, and those who fail will be punished. Failing three times results in expulsion.
This Xiucai university is divided into County School and Prefectural School, analogous to county-level universities and regional universities.
Sheng Yuan either enters the County School or the Prefectural School. After passing the examination, a red announcement, a grand red congratulatory list, is posted, and then the division is made. The Educational Commissioner （ and the Provincial Department of Education ） then mail the list of new students to each County School and Prefectural School. The County School and Prefectural School receive the list of new students and process their enrollment.
Remaining in the county means staying at the local County School, and being assigned to a prefecture means being assigned to the Prefectural School of the affiliated prefecture.
