“I’ve heard that your household sells practice paper. I hope I’m not disturbing you. Please excuse my inquiry.”
In the afternoon, the sky cleared slightly. Qin Xiaoman was inside tying up the dried paper.
The stacks of paper were pressed flat with boards and weights so that each sheet remained smooth when taken out.
Hearing voices outside, he put down his work and peeked. Two visitors, one old and one young, were standing at the door, umbrellas in hand, speaking politely.
“Qin’er, quickly invite them in.”
Qin Xiaoman hurried outside. “Are you here to buy paper?”
“Two days ago, we heard from neighbors that practice paper was sold nearby, so we came to take a look.”
“All the paper is inside. Please come in.”
The two hesitated, glancing at their hems.
Following their gaze, Qin Xiaoman noticed their robes were already muddy at the bottom—not to mention their shoes.
“The winter rains have been heavy, and rural homes are often muddy. Don’t worry about it.”
Seeing Qin Xiaoman’s warm hospitality, they entered the hall.
“We have both white and yellow paper, but only these two types for now. Please take a look.”
Qin Xiaoman presented stacks of both. Initially, he had only made white paper, but later sheets were slightly inferior, so he skipped the herbal treatment and made them yellow and coarse instead.
This way, there were more options, and the lower-quality bamboo pulp wasn’t wasted.
The two scholars quickly examined the sheets and nodded to each other. “What are the prices?”
They had come hoping the prices would be lower than in the county and didn’t want to overpay. One older scholar said, “We heard from neighbors that the prices are fair.”
“They are neighbors from within ten li or so. We offer reasonable prices.”
Securing a sale like this was better than selling door to door. Qin Xiaoman didn’t inflate the price and said frankly, “White paper: one ling for 1,100 wen. Yellow paper: one ling for 700 wen. Take as many sheets as you like, even one sheet is fine.”
The scholars quickly calculated that both the white and yellow paper were about one hundred wen per ling cheaper than what bookshops in the county charged. A hundred wen was no small sum, and since paper was a consumable used over time, it was clear that this household offered a very fair price.
The two scholars immediately purchased one ling each. Being frugal, they chose the cheaper yellow paper and also bought fifty wen worth of white paper.
When sold individually, the white paper was slightly more expensive than buying a full ling, at two wen and five per sheet; yellow paper was one wen and five per sheet.
In total, the sale brought in 1,500 wen.
This was the first major order since starting their paper business. Qin Xiaoman carefully wrapped the scholars’ paper to ensure it wouldn’t get wet on the way home.
“We are from Wuxi Village. There’s a village school there, and we usually buy paper for the children. Your prices are fair, so we’ll come back to purchase more in the future.”
Qin Xiaoman escorted them to the door. “Very well. Whenever you come, the price will remain the same as today.”
Watching the two leave, Qin Xiaoman rubbed his hands together and dashed back inside to count the money again. Sure enough, it was exactly 1,500 wen.
He couldn’t help but lift a few strings of copper coins in delight. Paper-making required effort, but once sales started, silver flowed in quickly enough.
The day’s business had been a success.
At that moment, Shui Qincai had just settled Xiao Chengyi to sleep and came out to see Qin Xiaoman in high spirits. She planned to prepare the pigs’ feed before making dinner.
Since the start of winter, the academy had adjusted its schedule: classes began later in the morning, and dismissal in the afternoon was also pushed back by half an hour.
Although the household now had a horse-drawn carriage, Du Heng still returned around dusk.
With the cold setting in, Qin Xiaoman always asked Shui Qincai to start dinner early, so that by the time Du Heng arrived, a warm meal would be ready, making the chill more bearable.
He suggested to Qin Xiaoman, “Master, how about stewed radish tonight?”
Qin Xiaoman raised his eyebrows, approvingly extravagant. “Once Da Zhuang returns with the cart to fetch the master, I’ll give him money to buy some pork lungs to stew with the radish. You go to the fields now and pull the radishes, wash them, and have them ready.”
Hearing this, Shui Qincai’s face lit up. Who wouldn’t be happy to eat meat?
The Qin household, though not a wealthy landlord family nor a strict urban household, allowed their long-term workers to eat with the family. Not at the same table, but from the same pot.
The masters were kind; even when the family ate meat, the workers got their own portion.
When Da Zhuang returned from the fields according to Du Heng’s schedule, Qin Xiaoman gave him the money as instructed.
In previous years, the household hardly spent money to buy pork lungs. After winter, pigs were slaughtered and sold widely. His second uncle always had ongoing business and often sent over offal.
Now, with three of his children married and having started their own households, the second uncle’s family was busy dividing farmland and savings, and preparing to build new houses on the land.
In families with many children, the main child who supported the parents inherited the old house. Once the family was divided, a new house had to be built, and the shared meal arrangement ended. Naturally, the second uncle had more pressing matters elsewhere.
In any case, during the earlier paper-making days, the second uncle had come over cheerfully, praising Du Heng’s skill. He said Du Heng must have lost sleep worrying for his children, but thankfully their household was settled, so they could focus on managing things.
With Du Heng receiving Qin Zhiyan’s favor and having relatives to assist, Qin Xiong was more at ease, focusing on his children’s future livelihoods.
Later, Du Heng returned home, bringing along the pork heart and lungs that Qin Xiaoman had requested. Tonight, the main dish had arrived; dinner would be slightly delayed.
Shui Qincai prepared the meal while Da Zhuang tended the fire. Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman took on supervisory roles.
Qin Xiaoman shared the day’s business news with Du Heng, both pleased to see the profits.
Earlier, villagers had only bought a few sheets here and there, but the village head had purchased over a hundred sheets of yellow paper. Though the business hadn’t formally opened, the attention gave them confidence.
“Come, let Dad hold you.”
As soon as Du Heng returned, he picked up the warm little Xiao Chengyi from his bed, showering him with kisses.
Sleepy, Xiao Chengyi pressed against Du Heng, still half-dazed.
After winter arrived, the little one seemed to enter a hibernation-like state, staying still in the bed all day. Watching the colorful embroidered ball hanging above, he would follow its movement with his eyes, hands occasionally reaching to touch it.
Du Heng shook a rattle to catch the child’s attention. Chengyi peeked at the rattle, looked back at Du Heng, and pressed a kiss against his chin.
“That’s right, give your father lots of kisses. When you grow up, you’ll be as strong as him.”
Du Heng chuckled, “Isn’t Bao’er already fine? Pale and fair, with well-defined features, just a bit thinner than other children.”
“Well, he owes that to his little father, too. Sharp-eyed enough to find him a good-looking dad; otherwise, who knows what he’d look like?”
Du Heng pursed his lips, “Just teaching the child bad habits.”
Qin Xiaoman, seeing the father-son affection, reached out to pinch Xiao Chengyi’s rosy cheeks, but accidentally pinched Du Heng’s face instead.
As it turned out, good looks did not always mean a soft touch. Compared to the little one’s soft cheeks, some adult faces felt rough.
Though rough, Du Heng still had charm, making Qin Xiaoman, already in a good mood, feel a little giddy.
Du Heng lowered his eyes at the mischievous hand. “I’m holding the child, and you’re taking advantage of me.”
“Taking advantage? Not at all! Nothing beats our little Chengyi.”
That night, after dinner and soaking their feet, Du Heng noticed it was dark enough to obscure directions. He went to fetch his study notes, preparing to review them once more.
Every day, Du Heng almost always finished the assignments the master had given him at the academy before returning home, yet he still felt the need to review and consolidate what he had learned during the day.
Qin Xiaoman, noticing Du Heng entering the room his father had used, slipped into the kitchen.
After the household grew larger, Qin Xiaoman had tidied up his father’s old room. It was now the place Du Heng went to study quietly.
Previously, the resting room had naturally been occupied by little Chengyi. Sharing the room with the baby made it hard for Du Heng to focus. Even if he resisted picking up the child, the slightest murmur from the little one would compel him to get up and see what was wrong.
This repeated nightly, leaving very little time for study, much of it wasted.
So Qin Xiaoman suggested he use his father’s old room to study—everything he needed was already there.
“Qin Ge’er, tonight I’m going to trouble you a bit. Watch over little Yi’er while he sleeps,” Qin Xiaoman said as he shoveled coal into the stove. “The little one hardly makes a fuss at night. He usually sleeps straight until morning.”
Shui Qincai was washing dishes. Whatever the master requested, he always obeyed, though he was a bit surprised. Ever since the child was born, both masters had personally taken care of him at night. Why the change now?
Still, it wasn’t for a servant to question. He simply said, “I’ll make sure the young master is well cared for.”
Seeing this, Qin Xiaoman placed the coal stove in Shui Qincai’s room and then returned to move the sleeping little Yi’er from his crib over there.
The baby’s eyes opened as he observed the unfamiliar room. Though only just over six months old and usually quite still, giving the impression of a mindless little creature, he was actually very sensitive. Any sense that something was off, and he would fuss.
“Bao’er, be good.”
“Your little father hasn’t eaten meat for a long time just to raise you properly.”
Qin Xiaoman nuzzled the baby’s cheeks. “Look at you—your father’s good-looking. It would be such a shame not to have more children. You’d be lonely without siblings, wouldn’t you?”
He soothed the baby by the crib for a while. Once Shui Qincai entered, the little one, seeing no strangers, settled without fuss. Qin Xiaoman happily slipped away.
Later, when Du Heng returned from studying, he was surprised to find the crib empty.
Before he could ask, a voice came from behind the curtain: “The child will sleep with Qin Ge’er tonight. He refused to be brought back to bed earlier, insisting on staying with Qin Ge’er.”
Du Heng frowned. “He used to cry elsewhere.”
“He’s six months old now, not a two-month-old baby.”
Du Heng laughed as he removed his outer garments. “Who said anything bad about the child?”
A chilly draft blew through the room. He shivered. “Why is it so cold in here? You didn’t bring a coal stove?”
“The child is sleeping in Qin Ge’er’s room, so I moved the stove from our room. We can’t let him freeze.”
Du Heng nodded. That made sense. He sat on the bed, only to be pulled in by Qin Xiaoman. As soon as he lay down, Qin Xiaoman blew out the lamp.
The room fell into darkness. Since the old pigpen had been converted into a wood storage space, it was even darker than usual at night without a lamp.
“Why aren’t you dressed? Aren’t you cold?”
“You tell me! Hurry up!”
Du Heng was surprised; Qin Xiaoman had been waiting here for him.
“What’s going on? You’ve forgotten how to do this?”
“No!” Du Heng immediately denied. “I… I just felt a bit cold.”
Qin Xiaoman pouted. “Don’t pass it off on me.”
“I’m fine. I can take it.”
It seemed that a brief separation made the moment feel fresh. Despite the cold winter and an unheated room, both were sweating.
Once things calmed down, Qin Xiaoman took a few breaths and quietly asked, “You didn’t eat enough dinner, did you?”
“What?” Du Heng didn’t understand.
Qin Xiaoman said nothing. Du Heng, slow to realize, choked on his own saliva. “There are many people at home. I just didn’t want to make too much noise. Two half-grown children—what if they get spoiled?”
Qin Xiaoman pulled his pants back on, briefly regretting not leaving a coal stove in the room. He rolled over to sleep. “Fine, whatever you say.”
“!”
“I’m serious!” Qin Xiaoman yawned, ignoring Du Heng.
“Let’s do it again,” Du Heng murmured, pulling him closer.
“Who wants to do it again? Aren’t you going to the academy tomorrow?”
“I can get up!”
“Don’t. If you’re late, you’ll have no excuse. The master will ask, and you’ll be red-faced.”
Du Heng felt his whole body burning. Qin Xiaoman stifled his laugh.
The brat—always dragging it out and pretending to resist.
“Whatever!”
Seeing Du Heng determined, Qin Xiaoman’s legs weakened. “Stop messing around! I have something serious to tell you.”
“What serious thing can’t wait?”
“I just thought of it.”
Du Heng narrowed his eyes. “You still thinking of other things?”
“What’s it to you! I can think of other things! If I think too much about someone else, you’d be mad!”
Seeing Du Heng about to explode, he closed his lips and got off Qin Xiaoman, pulling the covers over him properly. “Go on, what’s this serious matter?”
Qin Xiaoman hummed before saying, “I’ve been looking at the paper we make—it still sells well. When I counted today, I noticed we already have over fifty taels of spare silver. We could set up a little storefront and do some business.”
This business was naturally about selling paper. The family had a private hill and bamboo groves, so the raw materials weren’t lacking. Now that paper had been successfully made and sold, and the craft was reliable, they had everything needed.
Since they had some spare money on hand, planning a small, sustainable business made sense. It would be a bit tiring, but for Du Heng’s studies and the child’s future, it was a good plan.
“Sounds good,” Du Heng said.
Qin Xiaoman, hearing the prompt agreement, twisted Du Heng’s arm playfully. “Are you seriously agreeing, or just saying it to humor me?”
Du Heng hissed softly, rubbing his arm. “I’m serious. I’m not just humoring you.”
“This is such a big matter, and you say it so casually!”
“We have over fifty orders of paper this time, good and less good. That’s enough to sell for a while. By March next year, when the bamboo shoots grow back, we can continue making paper. In the meantime, we can consider the shop. I’ve thought it through; I’m not just spouting nonsense.”
Du Heng had already done the calculations. One bamboo stalk weighed around twenty jin. Each jin of bamboo could produce about two liang of paper. Given the standard size of paper sold in the market, one liang yielded around a hundred sheets.
That meant a single bamboo stalk could produce roughly four hundred sheets. Of course, there were different grades, white and yellow paper, but taking a middle figure, it was about right.
Originally, a bamboo stalk sold for twenty to thirty wen. The resulting paper could fetch about a tael of silver. Subtracting labor and material costs, even if they sold at a slightly lower price, the business was still viable.
Qin Xiaoman hummed thoughtfully. Hearing this, he felt much more reassured. “Tomorrow I’ll pick you up from school and check the prices in the county shops. That way, we can make further plans.”
Du Heng replied with a hint of reluctance, “Okay.”
“All right, then. Sleep.”
“Hey!”
Qin Xiaoman yawned, pretending not to notice Du Heng’s sulky expression, and turned over. Despite expending much energy, he fell asleep quickly.
The next morning, while still groggy, Qin Xiaoman felt someone gently shaking him.
“Xiaoman, Xiaoman.”
Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at Du Heng beside him. “What is it?”
“What I told you yesterday was all true.”
“True? Really?”
Qin Xiaoman watched as Du Heng, smiling, repeated everything he had said. “I really didn’t want to make a fuss.”
“…”
“Are you done?”
Seeing the usually sleepy Du Heng now wide awake and alert, Qin Xiaoman saw him lean in and plant a kiss on his cheek. “Go back to sleep, my husband has gone to school.”
“Go to hell!”
Being woken up from a good sleep only to hear nonsense like that—he threw a nearby pillow at him.
Even though it was bitterly cold, and he hadn’t slept well the previous night, Du Heng still felt cheerful when he arrived at the academy.
After a morning of classes, he approached the master before he left. “Last time, you had us write an essay on ‘Acting in Reward of Utmost Loyalty and Sincerity.’ Many students wasted a sheet of paper and barely tried. I need not elaborate—you know in your hearts. Du Heng, however, put some effort into it. If you have time, check the corridor; I’ve had the essays posted there.”
Du Heng’s brow lifted. His essay had been posted? That was a pleasant surprise. His senior classmates were all outstanding, and it was rare for his own work to be recognized. He wasn’t sure when the master would ever acknowledge it.
A month ago, he had seen essays by Mu Ti and You Huo posted and had studied them a few times.
The master continued, “Du Heng, we are now in the midst of winter. The cold can make one lose focus on studies. You must not slack off. The academy exams are in April next year.”
Du Heng stood. “Thank you, master, for your guidance. I will study diligently.”
After nodding, the master departed, as a few students from other classes waited outside for help with their questions.
Once the master left, the students prepared for lunch. Several friendly seniors passing by patted Du Heng on the shoulder and praised him.
Du Heng smiled, following them. Today he hadn’t brought lunch, planning to grab a bowl of lamb noodle soup outside.
Passing the essay corridor, he noticed several students reading the newly posted works. Curious, he stopped to take a look.
“This essay’s structure is impeccable, and the handwriting is very striking.”
“So delicate, like something a refined young lady would write. Not very grand.”
“Why would Meng Yan say that? Essays posted here must have merit. Your judgment is too hasty.”
Meng Huaishan, seeing the name at the bottom, felt disdainful. He had come to study the top essays carefully, but now not a single word registered.
He was about to argue again when he met Du Heng’s gaze. In the crowd, to avoid being recognized, he held back and called his companions to leave.
Du Heng instinctively furrowed his brows at Meng Huaishan.
In the afternoon, after classes ended, Du Heng packed up and left the academy early. He wasn’t normally the type to rush out when the bell rang, but today, with Xiaoman coming to fetch him, he was unusually eager.
“There you are!”
From afar, Qin Xiaoman waved.
Du Heng, spotting their little carriage, rubbed his hands in delight and ran over. Before climbing in, he sat beside Qin Xiaoman outside.
“Was your hand cold while writing at the academy?”
“Not really. Everyone else is dealing with it too.”
Just as he finished speaking, a warm little hand warmer was shoved into Du Heng’s hand.
“I bought it at the fabric shop. They have so many designs now—anything remotely related to cloth is sold there. I thought it was nice and reasonably priced, so I got one for you.”
Du Heng examined the hand warmer. It was essentially a small water-filled stove wrapped in fabric with embroidery, quite a clever design. Similar warmers were commonly seen in the hands of academy students on cold mornings.
Master Xiang did not like students being delicate or pampered. Normally, holding a hand warmer was fine, but if he saw someone clutching it in class while neglecting their notes, he would scold them.
Because of this, the senior students all hid their hand warmers in their study boxes. A while back, someone had forgotten theirs, and when the box was jostled, water from the warmer spilled, soaking most of the essays and books inside. Everyone had a good laugh over it.
Du Heng held the hand warmer. “You’re not mad anymore?”
Qin Xiaoman rolled his eyes. “I’m not petty like you, holding grudges over small things.”
“Where are we headed first?”
Du Heng chuckled. “I just remembered that your little cousin opened a shop in the county with Li Kai. Sometimes, when I ran into him, he’d invite me over, but I never had the time. Today, we’ll go see him—and ask about the shop market while we’re at it.”
The people in the county were sharp. They could tell at a glance if you weren’t from there, and if they knew you were looking to rent a shop, they’d quote a high price. Having someone familiar to make introductions helped, but even without one, you could get a rough idea.
Qin Xiaoman didn’t make a fuss or refuse; when it came to serious matters, he never wavered.