The Heir

Chaрtеr 115: Тhе Sсholar's Dignity

Zhеn Niаng did not pаy much аttеntiоn tо thе vаrious rumors surrоunding Zeng Yipin. Over the pаst сouрle оf dауs, shе had соmрilеd а list of ink sаmples and рrеpаred to visit her sеcond сousin, then tоgеthеr thеу wоuld gо to seе Instruсtor Zhао rеgarding thе ink donаtiоn.

In the light rain, Zhеn Niаng held аn oil-paрer umbrella, wеаring wоodеn-soled shoеs, аnd with Хiaо Yа in tоw, thеу mаde thеir wаy with а pаttering sound tо her еldеst аunt’s housе оn Sаnshаn Street.

It was сurrently the seasоn for collеcting raw silk, sо usuallу hеr aunt’s fаmily was very busy. However, because of the rain today, they were all unusually staying at home.

“Zhen Niang, come, sit. It’s been quite a few days since we last saw you. How have you been? Is business at the shop going well?” As soon as Zhen Niang entered, her aunt warmly inquired.

“It’s alright, but mid-to-high-grade ink hasn’t found a market yet. That’s why I’ve come to ask for Second Cousin’s help,” Zhen Niang explained her purpose.

“Of course! It’s wonderful that you thought of your second cousin when you needed something.” Upon hearing that she had come to see Han Bai, Madam Han Li beamed with joy and immediately sent a servant to fetch him. Seeing Madam Han Li’s expression, Zhen Niang couldn’t help but secretly sigh. It seemed better to avoid visiting her second cousin too often in the future to prevent her aunt from misunderstanding.

Although in this era, cousins were considered ideal marriage partners, for Zhen Niang, regardless of compatibility, cousins were close relatives and should not marry.

However, there was no need to explain this deliberately. If they interacted less frequently in the future, everyone would naturally understand. Deliberate explanations would only cause unnecessary discomfort.

Zhen Niang sat down and chatted casually with Madam Han Li and Han’s eldest sister-in-law.

After a short while, Han Bai arrived.

“Bai’er, your cousin is here. Take her to stroll in the back garden. With the rain today, it’s a perfect time to admire the new lotuses in the pond.” Madam Han Li naturally wanted to create an opportunity for the two to spend time together.

Zhen Niang didn’t say much. Going to the back garden was fine; it would be a good chance to discuss the ink donation.

Han Bai nodded with a smile and led Zhen Niang to the back garden. Along the way, both remained silent. Originally, although Zhen Niang hadn’t spent much time with Han Bai, since the opening of her shop when he brought people to show support, their interactions as cousins had been relaxed and natural. But now, with Madam Han Li’s deliberate arrangements and her meaningful expressions, the atmosphere had become somewhat awkward.

Thus, the two walked silently to the pavilion in the backyard. Two maids had already arrived earlier. After Zhen Niang and Han Bai sat down, the maids served tea—a seasonal new tea, “Rain-Before Eyebrow,” a variety of Huangshan Maofeng. The tea buds were small and tender, tumbling in the boiling water like little sprites dancing up and down. Zhen Niang first lifted the cup to smell it—a refreshing, heart-soothing fragrance. The steam from the hot tea rose like poetry or mist in the rainy dusk.

After serving the tea, the two maids retreated to stand at a distance, clearly on her aunt’s specific instructions. Zhen Niang patted her forehead helplessly again.

“Ahem, I…” Han Bai frowned, speaking hesitantly as if carefully choosing his words. Zhen Niang could easily understand his expression—it seemed Han Bai also had no such intentions toward her. So, they were both thinking along the same lines.

Han Bai was probably worried about hurting her feelings and found it difficult to speak, but Zhen Niang didn’t mind. She spoke first: “Second Cousin, I don’t think we are suitable for each other.”Hearing Zhen Niang say this, Han Bo let out a big sigh of relief and responded with a smile, "Just as you said, sister, we aren't really suitable." Then, curious, he asked, "Why do you think we aren't suitable?"

"With my status—a merchant's daughter, and one in charge of business at that—I can't avoid appearing in public and doing things that aren't quite proper for a lady of the inner chambers. Second Cousin is a scholar, and a thoughtful one at that. Even if you might not be willing to marry an official's daughter as Aunt hopes, someone like me would inevitably invite gossip," Zhen Niang explained.

Unexpectedly, Han Bo burst into laughter upon hearing her words. "No wonder Mother used to have a poor impression of you, saying your mind is always full of twists and turns, too heavy with thoughts. It really is true."

"Isn't that the case?" Zhen Niang raised an eyebrow, somewhat annoyed.

"Of course not. Think about it—we're relatives. If I really had such thoughts, how could my parents and your Second Aunt possibly want us to interact? My own family is in business, and besides, in our Huizhou, the foremost profession is that of merchants." Han Bo retorted with exasperation. This cousin really did overthink things.

Zhen Niang felt a flush of embarrassment at Han Bo's words. She really had overthought it. This was the kind of misunderstanding that later generations might have about earlier ones. Seeing Han Bo's amused, teasing expression, she said irritably, "Oh, I see. So Second Cousin already has someone in mind. I'll go tell Aunt right away."

"Cousin, cousin, please forgive me!" Han Bo was startled and quickly stood up, bowing to Zhen Niang.

Zhen Niang had actually only said it casually, but seeing Han Bo's reaction, it seemed she had hit the mark. Curious, she asked, "Which family's young lady is it? Why haven't you sent a matchmaker?"

"Ah, it's difficult. The King of Xiang dreams, but the Goddess of the River is heartless. Let's not talk about this." Han Bo sighed, seeming somewhat dispirited.

So Second Cousin was still pining unrequitedly. Zhen Niang suddenly understood and didn't press further.

Then she changed the subject to state her purpose.

"Donating ink is a good thing. I'll accompany you to Instructor Zhao's house later. It shouldn't be a problem. However, I'm afraid you won't be able to sponsor impoverished scholars." After hearing Zhen Niang's intentions, Han Bo thought for a moment and spoke.

"Why?" Zhen Niang found it strange. There were many impoverished scholars, and having someone support their studies—wasn't that a good thing?

"What you said earlier doesn't apply to me, but it holds true for most scholars. If you were from an official's family, sponsoring them would be a beautiful story. But as a merchant's daughter, and a woman in charge of business, even the most impoverished scholars with a bit of backbone would be unwilling to accept it." Han Bo explained.

Damn it, indeed—it was blatant discrimination. Zhen Niang frowned, genuinely annoyed. She thought, forget it, there was no need for her to spend money only to face cold shoulders. But business matters shouldn't be driven by emotion.

After some thought, she asked, "But last time, when Li Mo opened his business, those scholars wrote poems and accepted gifts. Why didn't they mind that the Li family were merchants or that I, a woman, was in charge?""That's not the same. If you donate to support education, others will owe you a debt of gratitude that they must repay in the future. To put it bluntly, they would have to treat you with the respect due to a half-teacher. But last time, when you wrote for the opening, you also said it was a gift of money—that was something they rightfully earned. It's like how many scholars and literati help others by writing poems or composing lyrics, and what they receive is also considered a gift of money. That counts as an elegant affair," Han Bo said.

With Han Bo's explanation, Zhen Niang finally understood—her status simply wasn't high enough to qualify for donating to support education.

"What if I transform this kind of educational donation into a form of gift money?" After a moment of thought, Zhen Niang asked in return.

"Tell me more." Han Bo wasn't entirely clear about Zhen Niang's specific idea, so he inquired.

"Your academy holds examinations every year, doesn't it? From now on, for the top three scorers in any examination, my Li family will establish a 'Longevity Black Jade Gift Money.' The top three will receive varying amounts of gift money, along with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones," Zhen Niang said. Needless to say, she was borrowing the concept of scholarships from later eras.

Actually, this kind of gift money already existed in this era, but it wasn't for regular examinations—it was for the top scorers in the three major imperial examinations: the prefectural exam, the provincial exam, and the metropolitan exam. Especially for the metropolitan exam, once the list of successful candidates was announced, many merchants would wait beneath the rankings, ready to shower the new scholars with money and women until they were dizzy.

However, Zhen Niang's "Longevity Black Jade Gift Money" aimed to establish a tradition within the academy. As long as this gift money existed, the reputation of her Li Mo would endure—this was essentially advertising.

"Hmm, this method works. Come on, let's go find Academic Instructor Zhao and discuss it with him. As long as he gives his approval, there shouldn't be any issues," Han Bo said after hearing Zhen Niang's plan. Thinking it feasible, the two of them didn't linger any longer. They tidied up and headed together to Yingtian Academy to find Academic Instructor Zhao.

With someone donating ink and also providing funds to award students, Academic Instructor Zhao naturally had no reason to refuse. Additionally, he wrote a petition reporting the Li family's matter to the Yingtian Prefectural Office, as this also counted as a contribution to the local government's educational efforts.

Education had always been a benchmark for evaluating the achievements of local governments.

With everything settled, although the Li family had lost another sum of silver, the returns were foreseeable. So, even though spending the money was somewhat painful, it was also a source of joy.

In the end, Han Bo was detained by a few of his classmates, so Zhen Niang took Xiao Ya and headed home.

Not far from the academy was the Langfang.

The Langfang was built with funds from the imperial court to accommodate merchants from other regions. Some newly arrived officials in Nanjing would also stay there, so the residents of the Langfang included quite a few wealthy merchants or officials with connections.

Thus, some down-and-out families found business opportunities here. Their ancestors might have been meritorious officials or renowned scholars, leaving behind valuable items at home. Now that they had fallen on hard times, they had no choice but to sell these items—much like the impoverished descendants of the Eight Banners in later eras in the capital, who relied on selling their ancestral property to survive.

Whether merchants or newly appointed officials, many were quite interested in such items.

Gradually, the Langfang evolved into a Langfang market.

As Zhen Niang led Xiao Ya out, the light rain had already stopped, and the sun had emerged. It was early summer, and the weather was slightly warm, but thanks to the earlier drizzle, the air was exceptionally fresh. The sky of the Ming Dynasty was particularly blue, stirring Zhen Niang's interest in strolling around. So, she took Xiao Ya toward the Langfang market.To my surprise, upon entering Langfang Market, I spotted Zeng Yipin setting up a stall for calligraphy and inkstone appraisal not far away.

Clearly, under the Tian family's ban, he still hadn't found a patron by now and had begun to fend for himself.