There wasn’t much else interesting to say after that. Wu Pingzhi said, “With your husband’s temperament, how many interesting things could happen in a lifetime? This is just me finding something to laugh about.”
Wu Pingzhi drank his wine and said, “Then let’s talk about something embarrassing. When he first started teaching me, I was awkward and didn’t listen. I wanted to act tough—why should I listen to him? I refused to listen, and my writing was terrible. That was because I didn’t want to learn. When I finally decided to learn, I tried my best, but Xie Yan said my writing was just as bad as before. I was trying to act stupid, but it turned out I was really stupid.”
Lu Yang laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe.
Xie Yan patted him on the back to help him catch his breath and said Wu Pingzhi was being unreasonable.
“Don’t make him laugh; he’ll get a stomachache if he laughs too hard.”
Wu Pingzhi: “… Was it wrong of me to be your joke?”
These were just polite words. Wu Pingzhi said, “For us merchants, money is a small matter. In business, I’ll take care of you. Next year, we’ll go to school together, and Xie Yan will take care of me.”
His passing the imperial examination was a priceless joy for their family.
Xie Yan had an idea, which he shared with Wu Pingzhi. Wu Pingzhi furrowed his brow and pondered for a long time.
He was a businessman and a scholar, understanding both business and the imperial examination system.
Most scholars who embarked on the imperial examination path were pragmatic and impatient. They sought a quick method. He would provide it. He further refined Xie Yan’s idea.
“Don’t write it all at once. If you do, you’ll be poor for a long time. Good things take time. For your first book, make an outline. What types of questions are generally asked in the imperial examinations? List them. After you’ve listed them, extract example questions from a particular question type, write marginal notes on any article, and then do an overall analysis. Finally, leave a few questions for buyers to write essays based on the example questions. Essays should have references. In your next book, use the articles from these questions to write marginal notes and conduct analyses. Then explain one question type. Repeat the process from the first book. Scholars come every year, and your money comes every year.”
He laughed in a way that didn’t resemble a scholar at all, revealing his true nature as a shrewd businessman: “If you do it this way, few people will be able to compete with you. Others can reprint and make money, but it won’t interfere with you publishing your next book. All the bookstores in the county will be eager to collaborate with you. You mustn’t fall for it again.”
He glanced at Lu Yang and laughed, “Bring your husband along to negotiate the price and terms. Don’t be vague.”
Lu Yang nodded in understanding.
Indeed, a big businessman is different from an ordinary person. He wanted to become a big businessman too.
Xie Yan saw Lu Yang nodding and nodded in agreement.
By writing slowly, one topic at a time, he could finish by the end of the year, send it to be printed in the first month of the lunar calendar, and sell it in the second month.
Wu Pingzhi mentioned the idea of making a profit without any investment to Lu Yang again.
Lu Yang understood and laughed, “Isn’t that impossible without connections?”
He understood, so Wu Pingzhi didn’t elaborate further.
“Alright, start with the pamphlets first, one step at a time.”
Xie Yan had been taught by Lu Yang today. Before leaving, he asked Wu Pingzhi, “Is my uncle at home? I’ve come several times. I’d like to pay him a visit.”
Wu Pingzhi raised his eyebrows, his surprise evident.
He paused for a moment, then asked him, “If my father asks you about your family affairs or studies, what will you say?”
Xie Yan would tell the truth.
Wu Pingzhi then asked if their family matters had been resolved.
They hadn’t been resolved.
He was still on leave from school.
Wu Pingzhi said, “Then come visit during the New Year.”
He knew Xie Yan’s temperament and spoke directly. When he got to Lu Yang, he added an explanation: “My father hasn’t been in good health these past two years. He just returned from the prefectural city and shouldn’t be worried. He also cares about Xie Yan. Earlier, he arranged with the yamen, and Xie Yan withdrew the lawsuit. My father was quite upset. It’s not convenient for him to meet now.”
Lu Yang understood and didn’t press the matter. He thanked Xie Yan again, but Wu Pingzhi said he was being too polite. He saw them off to the gate, and they took the clothes, hats, and boots he had prepared for them.
Xie Yan had his own reasoning: “If you wait too long, someone else will take her.”
Wu Pingzhi didn’t bother to respond to him, but he had a request for Lu Yang: “With his temperament, I’m afraid you’ll have to take care of him at home, which will be hard on you. In the first month of the new year, after he finishes his manuscript, I’ll cover the cost of printing it. The two of you should live happily together, and then I’ll be able to put my mind at ease.”
How could that be acceptable? Lu Yang refused to agree no matter what.
Wu Pingzhi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “Last time I saw you, you were so shy and timid. Xie Yan said you were formidable, but I didn’t take it seriously. This time is different. To marry you as my husband, no wonder he’s urging me to marry sooner.”
After exchanging a few polite words at the door, Lu Yang and Xie Yan carried their bags and returned to the shop.
They didn’t take the horse-drawn carriage today because the roads in the county were narrow and the carriage was too big. They would get a smaller cart another day so they could travel on the road.
The visit ended, and the last few days of the year were just busy as usual.
As the festival approached, dumplings became harder to sell. Every household had already purchased meat and flour to prepare a feast, so there was no need to spend extra silver on them.
However, steamed buns and flower rolls were in high demand during this season. Without meat or various seasonings to inflate the price, their cost was comparable to homemade versions. Some people used them as staple foods and stocked up for the New Year.
These past few days, Shazhu has been helping knead the dough in the back, Zhang Tie has gone to the county seat to assist, and Lu Lin has been busy steaming mantou and huajuan. Lu Yang has been moving back and forth between the front gate and the backyard.
Xie Yan has been busy writing and drawing. The writing comes easily to him, as everything is already in his mind. After finishing, he carefully organizes his thoughts, and a structure emerges.
The article requires careful thought, and he hasn’t come up with an idea yet. While the shops are still open, he rushes to the proverb bookstore to borrow books from Mr. Wang, the shopkeeper, to read. He reads several articles related to the topic, reads them several times, gets a clear idea, and then hurriedly takes his leave, returns home to write them out by memory, and then writes marginal notes with a red pen.
It took him five days to finish the first book. He also wanted to draw door gods, which made him anxious. Even when it was time to eat, he was reluctant to put down his brush.
The neighbor, Mr. Ding, came over to visit and said to Lu Yang, “I haven’t seen your scholar son in several days. Isn’t he helping you with the shop anymore?”
Lu Yang was quite proud!
He took Mr. Ding to see Xie Yan’s masterpiece.
There were two door god paintings, and Xie Yan had finished the sketches. The coloring was troublesome and had to wait and dry.
He didn’t bother with formalities and asked for some paint. This year, he was painting colorful door gods.
Mr. Ding took one look and immediately fell in love with them.
“Mr. Lu, or rather, Mr. Lu, given our friendship, name your price. I fell in love with these door gods at first sight. Would you be willing to part with them and let me have them?”
Lu Yang smiled and refused!
“Mr. Ding, come early next year. If you want door gods, I’ll definitely prepare them for you. This year, there’s nothing I can do. We’re getting married this year, and there are many mischievous spirits outside our home. We’re relying on the door gods to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune next year!”
This was also the motivation behind Xie Yan’s decision to paint the door god. Lu Yang couldn’t sell Xie Yan’s heartfelt gift for money.
Mr. Ding repeatedly expressed his regret: “There are many literati who can write, but few who can paint, and even fewer who can paint well. Next year, it’s settled. Don’t forget!”
He no longer mentioned buying the door god painting, but he couldn’t bear to leave. He lingered around the table for a long time, feeling increasingly familiar with it. Upon closer inspection, he exclaimed, “Mr. Lu, this door god is painted in your likeness, isn’t it?”
Lu Yang: ?
“Ah?”
He came over to look, and at first glance, it didn’t really resemble him.
The door god’s build was much more robust and muscular, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes—nothing like Lu Yang at all.
But the spirit in his eyebrows and eyes was familiar to those who knew him; they recognized it at a glance.
Xie Yan was quite pleased with himself.
He didn’t know what a door god looked like or what majesty was, so he just modeled it after his husband’s appearance—it had to be right.
