Xie Yan understood. He said, “My husband went to the trouble of getting this for me. I carry it in my bag, flipping through it whenever I have a moment. Seeing me do that makes him happy.”
Seeing the copybook, Xie Yan also sighed, “Even writing copybooks can earn money, but only if the Emperor praises it. I read it casually; it gives me motivation to study.”
Master Cui’s face finally broke into a smile. He asked Xie Yan, “Do you know who this Cui Zhongqing is?”
Xie Yan shook his head; he had only seen county officials and local examination authorities. He thought for a moment and said, “He’s from your family. Uncle Cui, if your calligraphy could earn money, just writing a copybook for my husband would be enough for your retirement funds.”
Master Cui paused, set down his bun, and laughed heartily.
Xie Yan took it as a joke. Valuable calligraphy was rare—apart from deceased great masters, one would need the Emperor’s praise. Master Cui was already advanced in years; expecting him to write copybooks for money was unrealistic. It would be more practical for him to review some articles, compile them into a book, and sell it.
Suddenly, an idea lit up in Xie Yan’s mind.
Of course! Why not hire someone to review articles and compile them into a book? There must be a market for that. He hadn’t seen such books before. He would ask Lu Yang that afternoon if it was feasible.
Thinking of this, Xie Yan laughed aloud.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang returned home, the kitchen already tidied.
Zhao Peilan was chopping fodder for the horses. He and He Fulang had already finished washing clothes and were hanging them in the yard to dry.
When Lu Yang arrived, Liu Youli had already gone to the Prefectural School. He Fulang came to see Lu Yang.
Lu Yang said, “I’m planning to take my younger brother to the street for a walk. Do you want to come?”
He Fulang only knew the nearby streets and hadn’t explored much. Hearing the suggestion, he felt both excited and anxious. He didn’t have any coins on him. He ate little each day, and if he went far, he’d get hungry and have no energy to serve the men at night.
Lu Yang didn’t insist. While Lu Liu and Shun Ge’er were finishing packing up the stalls, he fed Weimeng. Avoiding He Fulang, he led the dogs to their kennel to eat, then sat on the bamboo bed to chat.
He Fulang noticed how well-fed the dogs were. If the dogs were thriving, he figured people who weren’t eating properly must be even thinner.
The three Lu family dogs were all plump, especially Weimeng, whose fur stood on end.
He Fulang said, “Liu Ge’er bought ten salted duck eggs from me at three wen each, so that’s thirty wen. Yesterday I gave them to my husband. He glared at me for a long time, then asked how many eggs were left, telling me to sell them all. That was the first time he let me sell salted duck eggs. Starting this way, our family’s life will get easier.”
Unusual circumstances usually indicate urgency. Liu Youli demanding silver must mean he urgently needed money.
In the short term, a place requiring a lot of silver was the provincial exam.
Lu Yang reminded him briefly, “Don’t sell them all. You won’t go out to buy vegetables, so you’ll live on salted eggs. People need more than just rice; they need salt too. That’s how you survive.”
He Fulang hadn’t thought of that, paused, nodded, and gratefully agreed.
“I’ll talk to him tonight.”
He spoke quietly. Next, he would discuss with Liu Youli about buying fresh duck eggs and salt in the city, then curing eggs—turning them into silver profit.
Lu Yang calculated the production time for the salted eggs and the timing of the provincial exam. He figured He Fulang could manage one batch, so he didn’t stop him.
Soon, Lu Liu and Shun Ge’er returned by cart.
They were small and not strong, so they were taking the horse cart.
Li Feng had been riding out recently, borrowing Lu Yang’s horse to pick people up from the Hong family. This also gave the horse a chance to get some exercise.
The two young horses at home weren’t pulling carts, only walking around the alley.
After the morning business in the heat, Lu Liu and Shun Ge’er were sweating profusely but smiling as they reached home. They greeted Lu Yang, said hello to He Fulang, and went inside to put away the pots and bowls. They had even bought fifty small bowls from a grocery shop—one per person, washed and returned after use.
Conducting business as a student required such care.
With everything tidied, Lu Liu helped Shun Ge’er change clothes. The sun had just risen; going out early was wise.
They adjusted each other’s clothes and checked their faces in small bronze mirrors before leaving.
Lu Yang teased, “Why not put on some rouge or lip balm?”
Lu Liu pursed his lips, briefly tempted, but remembered the sweat he would soon work up and stopped, holding a small palm fan. Ready, they set out.
Lu Yang asked He Fulang again if he wanted to come along. “We’re just going for a walk, not buying anything. Tomorrow’s grand market hasn’t started yet; we’ll just take a look.”
He Fulang hadn’t seen it either. Thinking it over, he politely declined to conserve his energy.
Lu Yang didn’t press. The three donned wide straw hats and headed toward the area near the magistrate’s office.
Lu Liu was excited, pointing and talking with Lu Yang and Shun Ge’er about what Li Feng had told him last night.
“He said they use fabric to shade from the sun—suolu cloth, the same as the material for scholar’s robes, four taels of silver per bolt. Dafeng said there were so many colors that when the sun hit them, the light on the ground was rainbow-colored. It’s beautiful!”
Shun Ge’er’s eyes widened. Lu Yang did too.
“So luxurious?”
Lu Liu nodded. “Yes! All this fabric is given to merchants for free. Last night Dafeng told us about the stalls. I asked if we could get some fabric. He said impossible. Whoever spends the most money gets the fabric.”
Encouraging spending? Lu Yang mentally noted this strategy.
Lu Liu went on about how many shops there were and how many stalls, rented by hour. Lu Yang nodded.
This way, until the last day, merchant spending wouldn’t be fixed; any purchase could easily exceed a thousand taels. Rankings would change quickly.
Lu Yang asked, “Do they know how much silver they’ve spent or their rank?”
Lu Liu thought for a moment. “Dafeng didn’t say; probably not.”
Shun Ge’er eagerly joined the conversation. “Yang Ge, what would you do if you were giving out the fabric?”
Lu Yang pinched his cheek. “Who told you to test me?”
He hadn’t prepared for the question and paused.
Lu Liu laughed softly, looping an arm through his. “Brother, I’m the clever one, right?”
Shun Ge’er’s eyes went wide but he didn’t compete. He followed wherever Lu Yang went. “Sister-in-law, why are you like this?”
Lu Liu shrugged—it was just a question.
The three chatted and laughed until they reached Minfu Road.
During the grand market preparations and opening, this area was cleared; small stalls weren’t allowed, though shops operated normally.
During inspections, thieves were caught. Once the inner area was set up, ordinary citizens detoured; only merchants taking part in the grand market passed through.
They stayed nearby, bringing sample goods, waiting for the market to open.
Near the main market area, many small street markets had already started. Stalls selling mung bean soup, sour plum soup, tremella soup, cooling teas, and herbal drinks were densely packed.
These vendors knew the grand market inside out. Owners and assistants were too busy to eat, shoving buns and cakes into their mouths while shouting for customers.
This was when selling drinks was crucial. Two stoves weren’t enough to boil water. If one stall couldn’t keep up, neighboring street vendors set up tea stalls. Especially in summer.
In other seasons, soups and porridges were the main fare.
In summer, teas of various flavors were offered. The priciest was tremella soup, reserved for the owners.
From a distance, the fabric stretched above the stalls was clearly visible.
