Lu Yang thought about it—she had been busy all day. Her cooking skills weren’t great, so in the morning she only helped make buns, during the day she swept the floors, tidied the house, went out to buy groceries when she could, occasionally played with the children, and did some sewing. She also had to feed the dogs and horses three times a day; the kennels and stables were at home, so cleaning up after them was necessary. At night, after washing up, she would knead dough to rest for the next day’s buns.
Adding painting to her schedule made her even busier; she barely had time to think about anything else.
Worried she might overwork herself, Lu Yang told her, “We already have winter clothes and cotton boots from last year—they’re still in good shape. No need to make new ones this year. You can rest your hands.”
Zhao Peilan agreed, “I’ll make you a pair of nice embroidered boots!”
Lu Yang laughed wryly, “Isn’t that the same as not agreeing at all?”
Zhao Peilan laughed too.
Soon after, Wu Pingzhi arrived with two young attendants, and they were ready to depart. One of the attendants had previously helped Xie Yan; now he would assist him again.
In the provincial capital, Xie Yan still had to study, so the attendants helped organize his manuscripts, copying or extracting whatever was necessary, saving him a lot of work.
Wu Pingzhi traveled lightly, bringing only the clothes he needed for the exam and a few changes of underwear; other necessities would be purchased locally. He brought his familiar inkstone, brushes, and several bound notes. Influenced by Xie Yan, he had developed a habit of taking books apart to study them.
Lu Yang had warned him: some examinees hid cheat sheets in their clothing, and if caught, they could be charged with civil service exam fraud. Others were framed by classmates. So all clothing, shoes, and socks had to be personally prepared and carefully checked at home.
The clothes Lu Yang packed for Xie Yan were last year’s old garments, worn many times but still appropriate for the season. Several people had inspected them to make sure they fit.
When they arrived, Li Feng drove them to the docks.
Recently, many commercial ships heading to the provincial capital would take scholars along, as there were no dedicated passenger vessels. Li Feng had arranged with Hong Lao Wu to have a ship pick them up.
Ji Mingzhu and Sheng Da took their own family ships and wouldn’t travel with them, leaving only in early August.
The Wu family had a shop at the dock. When Wu Pingzhi arrived, the shopkeeper handed him a package of luggage sent from the county, along with a letter from Master Wu.
Wu Pingzhi opened the letter. It was brief, assuring him that all was well at home, any idle troublemakers had been dealt with, and encouraging him to focus on the exams.
He smiled broadly and shared the good news with Lu Yang and Xie Yan:
“The young brothers and sisters living in my house have moved out. No one will pressure me into marriage!”
Xie Yan chuckled, “After the provincial exam, you’ll need to think about marriage. Has your family started arranging matches?”
Wu Pingzhi replied, “No, my father hasn’t let a word slip. I promised to wait until I passed the exam before considering marriage. In our clan, that’s the custom—if he tried arranging anything now, the family would overwhelm me.”
The group walked toward the dock. Li Feng went to find Hong Lao Wu, while Lu Yang looked around for a suitable spot to wait.
Lu Yang asked Wu Pingzhi, “What kind of person are you looking for? I can keep an eye out.”
Wu Pingzhi agreed, saying, “I don’t really know. Honestly, I initially vowed to wait until I passed the exam before considering a match—I wanted to aim high. Over the past year, I’ve realized my abilities probably won’t let me reach the heights I imagined. A few months ago, relatives came proposing matches. I was overwhelmed and anxious. My father talked to me, basically saying that suffering outside is fine, but at home we should leave some space for me. I often thought of you all—it felt reassuring, and having a partner to share life with seemed nice.”
Lu Yang replied, “That might be hard to find.”
Wu Pingzhi, puzzled, asked, “Why hard?”
Lu Yang explained, “You’re a scholar who also likes business. Scholars tend to be somewhat aloof, not caring about money. Businessmen, like me, haven’t read as much, so you might not find common ground talking about literature.”
Wu Pingzhi, raised in wealth, usually kept a low profile. According to Xie Yan, besides dressing a bit flamboyantly, he would often buy things multiple times if he liked them, and he played chess and music. Before focusing intensely on study, he enjoyed poetry gatherings, composing verses with others. Such hobbies were rare among ordinary families.
Wu Pingzhi asked, “Then how do you get along with Xie Yan?”
Lu Yang gestured to Xie Yan, “He follows me. Whatever I say goes. I haven’t fully read the Four Books yet, so when I talk about writing, he tells stories to me. He accommodates me.”
They sometimes played chess if they weren’t reading, but since arriving in the provincial capital, Xie Yan had been busy seeking guidance from Uncle Cui and playing chess with others—so Lu Yang didn’t press him.
Lu Yang said, “I’ll keep an eye out for you. Think about what you’re willing to compromise on.”
Wu Pingzhi replied quickly, “As long as I can talk business, that’s enough. Academic discussions can wait—there are plenty of people to talk to later.”
Lu Yang asked, “Do you want someone from a merchant family?”
Wu Pingzhi nodded, “Similar background, no one looking down on the other.”
While they were talking, Li Feng and Hong Lao Wu arrived. In two more quarters of an hour, a merchant ship would pass by the provincial capital. They headed there to wait.
With the attendants, there were five of them, divided into two cabins.
Hong Lao Wu told Lu Yang, “The ship is large. The weather is good these days. It’ll take about three and a half days to the provincial capital, probably arriving at night. You can rest at the dock overnight, then find lodging in the city. Tell the innkeeper at Fulai Inn that you’re friends of my young master—he’ll arrange rooms for you.”
During the exam season, accommodations were tight. With both scholars and merchants traveling, finding rooms could be difficult.
Lu Yang thanked him and asked, “When will Brother Chu head to the provincial capital?”
Hong Lao Wu furrowed his brow, but knowing it was Lai Zhen’s business, he said, “Probably at the end of the month.”
Lu Yang understood he couldn’t ask further.
Li Feng sent them onto the ship, and Lu Yang reminded him of a few things:
“There are many people at home. Liu Ge’er may be busy and make mistakes. If you encounter anything unpleasant, don’t blame him. Handle it kindly.”
Li Feng nodded, “I’ve never lost my temper with him.”
With that, Lu Yang went into the cabin.
The merchant ship was large, but the cabins weren’t comfortable. There were some unpleasant smells—sweat, feet, and dampness. Lu Yang nearly gagged. The two cabins were similar.
Wu Pingzhi, experienced, had the attendants mix vinegar and salt with water to scrub inside and out. Everyone was busy replacing bedding and adding a few scented sachets. Some odor lingered, but it wasn’t enough to cause vomiting.
Before bedtime, they stayed on deck, watching the canal water and the scenery along the banks.
It was Lu Yang’s first time on a boat, and he felt dizzy. Standing near the railing, staring at the water, he nearly fell in. Xie Yan helped him to the edge of the cabin, giving him something to lean on.
Still nauseated, Lu Yang closed his eyes to feel better.
The boat traveled from small docks, stopping to resupply en route to the provincial capital. For several days, they ate and drank onboard, and the rocking made sleep difficult.
Wu Pingzhi shared a cabin with his two attendants, who slept on mats on the floor. Lu Yang and Xie Yan shared another cabin, and the motion of the ship made Lu Yang dream he was vomiting.
On the first day, he could eat a bit, but by the second day, he could only manage rice porridge.
