When he was young, Li Lao Wu traveled far and wide, saving up some money. Now, after settling down, he had a family and some inherited wealth.
The young couple was well-off. Shortly after getting married, they bought a property in the county and took over a small shop.
Currently, they ran a tea business. The shop wasn’t big—just an ordinary county shop—and the location wasn’t prime.
But Li Lao Wu had plenty of business experience from years of traveling, and the shop was doing well enough to support the couple.
“Restocking, restocking, always restocking; the year-end rush is unavoidable.”
“Go to the prefecture to buy supplies—it takes no more than ten days. The year-end is the busiest time. How can the shop run without stock?”
“Then you go, and don’t worry about your son.”
“How could I ignore you and our son? I just want to earn a little more for you both…”
The couple was at the counter, counting on the abacus and teasing each other as usual, when the sound of hooves stopped outside the shop. They looked up and saw Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman.
“Business is booming, Boss Li,” Du Heng greeted with a smile.
“Quick, have my brother-in-law park the carriage,” Li Kai said, sending a clerk to assist.
Qin Xiaozhu, heavily pregnant, slowly emerged from behind the counter. After managing the shop for some time and becoming a parent, she no longer quarreled immediately with Qin Xiaoman like she used to at home. Her expression held a faint, almost imperceptible smile, and she even arranged chairs for the couple.
Qin Xiaoman didn’t come empty-handed, having brought some snacks for the group on the way.
Even though they were all from the same village and related, sitting together and chatting didn’t leave much time. A bit on studies, a bit on business, and inevitably, the topic turned to the child.
A cup of tea passed in the blink of an eye.
After a while, Du Heng told Li Kai their purpose.
“It’s good that you’re planning to take over a shop. But prices are high at the end of the year; even vegetables at the market are rising. The same goes for shops. Wait until after the Spring Festival, and prices will drop—then it’s the best time to buy or rent.”
Qin Xiaozhu opened the snacks Qin Xiaoman brought for everyone to share. She bit into a pastry. “It’s best to open on our street. Later, our child can play with Cheng Yi’s.”
Qin Xiaoman pouted. Playing together was fine, but he hoped they wouldn’t quarrel like he and Qin Xiaozhu did as children.
Li Kai patiently explained the market for county shops.
There were three main types of streets: wealthy streets crowded with high officials and rich families; middle-class streets that were moderately lively; and poor neighborhoods.
Their tea shop was on a middle-class street. Even so, a single storefront without a backyard had cost nearly sixty taels of silver to purchase. For context, shops on the other streets would fluctuate by about twenty taels.
If renting, a shop like theirs would cost two to three taels a month. The wealthy streets were over five taels; the poorer streets, around one tael.
Hearing this, Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman had a clear idea. Even without discussion, they agreed: they would rent, not buy.
The family’s savings were limited. Buying a shop outright would strain finances, leaving no silver for household needs.
Although the shop prices were a blow to their confidence, the trip wasn’t wasted—they now understood the market.
“If you’re determined to open a shop, I’ll keep an eye out. It’s better to have someone you know in the county business. I often go out to buy supplies. If there’s a familiar face, we can look out for each other, and I’ll be more at ease.”
Du Heng thanked Li Lao Wu. It was late, and he needed to return home. Even though someone was watching the child, parents always worry, and they didn’t linger. Everyone understood.
Outside, Qin Xiaoman hadn’t caught up yet. Du Heng looked back and saw him picking up a sour plum for Qin Xiaozhu. She noticed, and the two bickered briefly in the shop.
Du Heng and Li Kai exchanged awkward smiles. They were small-time fathers, yet when together, they acted like children. Not even a cup of tea passed before they quarreled.
Whether they were really taking care of things or not—it was hard to say.
After leaving the tea shop, Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman agreed to wait until after the Spring Festival to rent a shop. Prices were rising sharply as the year-end approached—at least a few hundred wen higher than usual—and even if they had the money, they couldn’t let themselves be overcharged, especially with their limited silver.
“So, we just leave the paper we have for now?”
Qin Xiaoman urged the carriage forward. “Just sell a little to the villagers in the meantime?”
“Yeah, sell it in small amounts for now. A long-term business doesn’t happen all at once—it needs careful preparation.”
Qin Xiaoman nodded. Paper wouldn’t spoil like food; it wasn’t like leaving something perishable out with a sword hanging overhead. He spit out the pit of a sour plum and muttered, “It’s so sour, yet Qin Xiaozhu likes it like a treasure. Maybe she’s going to have a son.”
“Wait, Xiaoman, pull the carriage over,” Du Heng suddenly called. His eyes caught sight of a bookstore on the street.
“Let’s go in and ask the current price, and see if they buy paper too.”
It wasn’t that he wanted to sell right now; he just wanted to get a sense of the market and explore options. If the bookstore bought paper, it could be another outlet if circumstances changed.
They stopped the carriage, and a clerk came out to help. Earlier, they had received such treatment at Li’s shop because they were familiar there. Now, even strangers were treated courteously—horses and oxen aside, manners made all the difference.
If they had parked an ox cart outside a shop, someone would have come to chase them off. With a carriage, they were welcomed politely. Sometimes, it wasn’t about being stingy—it was just that appearances mattered to so many.
Du Heng followed the clerk inside and, with Qin Xiaoman, examined the paper.
“One ling costs 1,260, yellow paper 880,” the clerk said.
Before Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman could ask, a scholar in the bookstore had already inquired about prices.
“Wasn’t one ling just 1,200 recently, and yellow paper 800? Why the sudden increase?”
“Our bookstore only carries high-quality paper. Look at the thickness and strength—it won’t tear like the thin paper elsewhere. Besides, it’s year-end; rice, flour, fabric, tea—all prices are skyrocketing. Paper isn’t edible, but for you scholars, it’s essential. How could it not rise in price?”
The scholar, holding a hand warmer and wearing a sable hat, had nothing to retort at first. After a while, he asked, “Fine, but why is yellow paper pricier than white paper?”
“Yellow paper is harder to make, so naturally it costs more.”
If Du Heng hadn’t made paper himself, he might have been fooled. In reality, yellow paper was cheaper to produce and sold better because of higher demand. Still, merchants raised the price more for yellow paper—truly cunning business.
“Fine, I’ll buy a hundred sheets of yellow paper,” the scholar said.
The clerk shook his head, but had no choice but to accept. Unexpectedly, the shop owner said, “We’ve sold all the loose sheets today; only whole bundles remain. Do you want one?”
The scholar, slightly annoyed, replied, “If the loose sheets are gone, just break a bundle. How can you run out of paper?”
The merchant, holding the hand warmer, explained patiently: “It’s our shop policy. Scholars coming here all buy a full ling at a time. Everyone needs it. Why not buy more at once to store for later? Running back and forth wastes study time.”
The scholar, still irritated, left with a flick of his sleeve. “I don’t need your paper. There are other bookstores in town.”
Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman exchanged a glance. They had only come to ask if the bookstore bought paper. Seeing the merchant’s attitude, they weren’t interested in negotiating.
Du Heng stepped outside first. “Fellow scholars, wait a moment.”
The scholar, hearing them from inside, turned and saw that they wore the same academy robes—clearly students from the same school. They greeted politely.
“Sorry to disturb you, fellow scholars. Earlier in the bookstore, I saw you seemed to want paper.”
The scholar’s expression wavered—he must have been embarrassed that someone had seen the previous incident. Still, he replied politely: “Yes, but the shopkeeper wouldn’t sell to me.”
Du Heng quickly explained: “We produce paper at home. If you need any, I can bring some for you.”
The scholar raised an eyebrow. Du Heng looked like a young gentleman, yet was offering a business deal—he asked cautiously, “Really?”
Du Heng nodded. “Our family is modest. Selling a little to support studies, especially to fellow academy students, is no problem. Our paper is reasonably priced.”
Being near another shop, he lowered his voice and gave his prices.
Hearing that Du Heng came from a modest family, the scholar felt closer to him. Hearing the price, his face brightened. “If it’s that price, could you bring a hundred sheets of… white paper?”
His excitement made his voice quiver slightly.
“Sure. I’ll bring it to the academy tomorrow. Will that work?”
“That would be perfect. I don’t know your name yet, though.”
They exchanged names and classroom details for convenience.
After the scholar left, Qin Xiaoman approached. “Of course it has to be you, running business in front of a bookstore.” He laughed and helped Du Heng back into the carriage. “Let’s go quickly, or the owner might chase us out.”
“Others will want business he rejects,” Du Heng said. “If you chase someone away, they should be allowed to take it. Otherwise, the world is too unfair to the poor.”
Qin Xiaoman glanced back at the bookstore left behind. “When you came out, I heard the owner say the scholar was poor, always looking at paper and books but rarely buying. He wanted to embarrass him.”
“Running a shop like that won’t last long—business like this won’t survive,” Du Heng replied.
Qin Xiaoman shook his head. “I always heard that students at Bairong Academy are either rich or noble. I didn’t expect some would be short on silver like this.”
“Shortage of silver is common. There are so many students in the academy; where would they all be rich or noble? That’s just a rumor. Most are ordinary people. They pay high tuition fees, and outside the academy, they have even tighter budgets.”
Qin Xiaoman nodded and nudged Du Heng lightly. “Luckily, my husband knows how to manage a business.”
Du Heng smiled quietly. He simply didn’t want to put all his hopes on studying alone, pinning every opportunity on a single path—it was too risky.
On the way home, Qin Xiaoman picked out a hundred sheets of white paper and tied them up early, placing them in Du Heng’s book chest. He was afraid he’d forget to bring them the next morning in a hurry.
Although the paper had already been checked when it was baked at home—any damaged sheets were set aside and never mixed with the good ones—he still painstakingly examined every sheet again. After all, this was a business for students in the academy. If they found the paper good, word could spread, bringing more business or at least a few repeat customers.
Du Heng couldn’t help but laugh, saying that Qin Xiaoman really knew how to run a business.
Even a small venture was handled this carefully. Since they planned to rent a shop only after the New Year, this was all the business they could do for now.
The next day, Du Heng brought the paper to the academy. He had to attend early class, so he planned to deliver the paper after lunch.
When classes were over, Du Heng packed up and left the classroom, only to see Senior You carrying two large bundles of paper. He hurried over to help lift one. “Where did all this paper come from? Senior, where are you taking it?”
“To the Nong Sang Hall for temporary storage. I just happened to meet the master at the academy gate and was asked to place it in the hall for convenience when the academy needs it.”
Senior You smiled apologetically. “Sorry to trouble you during your meal.”
“No matter, it doesn’t take long,” Du Heng replied.
When they arrived at the hall, they unexpectedly ran into Meng Huaishan and two other students.
“Hall Director, what brings you here?”
Seeing Senior You carrying the bundles, Meng Huaishan hurried to help, while Du Heng felt almost invisible.
“The academy’s paper is temporarily stored in the hall,” Senior You said, glancing at the group. “Why are you all here?”
“The last class talked about agricultural and sericulture matters, so we were brought to the hall to learn about the tools,” one student explained.
Meng Huaishan made sure to show off a bit: “As a member of the Nong Sang Hall, it’s my duty to help clean up afterwards.”
Senior You looked impressed. “If all the hall members were as responsible as you, I’d be much more at ease.”
Meng Huaishan smiled. “Hall Director, you flatter me. But it is an honor to share the workload with you.”
Du Heng had no patience for Meng Huaishan’s flattery; hearing too much made his skin crawl. He found an excuse to leave.
On the way back, Du Heng went by Classroom Ten to find the scholar from yesterday, but the room was already empty.
He ate and returned again, not long before the next class, only to find the classroom still empty. After asking around, he learned that today the master had taken Classroom Ten out of the academy for a lesson.
Du Heng sighed slightly, hoping the paper wouldn’t be sold elsewhere before the afternoon.
His patience paid off. After the students from Classroom Ten returned, Du Heng hadn’t yet gone to find the scholar, but the scholar came rushing up first.
“Apologies for making you run back and forth, Du Academy friend,” the scholar said repeatedly.
“No matter, the classroom isn’t far. A bit of walking after lunch does no harm,” Du Heng replied with a smile, quickly retrieving the promised paper from his book chest.
“Count the sheets. There are quite a few; if one or two are missed, it wouldn’t matter much monetarily, but it would offend friendship.”
“Yes, counting in front of you is best,” the scholar said, taking the paper.
Although Du Heng had mentioned the paper from his home was not quite as good as the academy’s bookstore paper, the scholar judged from years of experience that it was perfectly usable. With the affordable price and the goodwill of a fellow student, it felt like a favor.
The scholar’s heart warmed as he carefully counted. “Correct, one hundred sheets.”
He then took two strings of coins and fifty wen from his own chest. “It’s my honor if you continue to bring us paper in the future.”
“It’s my honor that you are willing to support the business,” Du Heng replied.
As he reached for the money, intending to count it symbolically, a figure suddenly surged forward, gripping his wrist with force.
“Shame on you! In the academy, a place of integrity, you dare commit such an indecent act! You are corrupting the school’s morals!”
Du Heng frowned. He looked at Meng Huaishan, who had grabbed him, puzzled but annoyed, and shook him off.
“What’s this? Since when is trading forbidden in the academy? You call this corrupting the school?”
“You even have the nerve to justify yourself! Hall Director You overlooked your conduct when letting you be a hall member. The master must regret letting someone of your character into the classroom.”
It was just after class, and students had gathered around. Hearing the argument, many came over. “What’s going on?”
The scholar who bought the paper looked increasingly uneasy as the crowd grew. Blushing, he tried to put the paper back in his chest—but Meng Huaishan grabbed it again.
“Academy friend, you cannot hide stolen goods!”
Seeing the crowd increase only fueled Meng Huaishan’s anger. He shouted, “Everyone, come see! This man is selling academy property! I caught him red-handed today! The evidence is right here in their hands—there’s no denying it!”
The crowd murmured in confusion. “Meng Academy friend, what do you mean?”
“Today, Du Academy friend took two large bundles of academy paper to the Nong Sang Hall. Who would have thought he secretly sold it to someone else?”
Meng Huaishan pointed at the coins in Du Heng’s hand. “When I just came out of the hall, I noticed some of the paper was missing. I feared that, as a member of the Nong Sang Hall, I hadn’t properly safeguarded the items placed inside—but then I caught you red-handed!”
Du Heng froze for a moment, then inwardly rolled his eyes. He kept his composure and refrained from cursing in public. “This is just a misunderstanding. Aren’t you being a bit too hasty? Do you have any proof that I took the paper?”
“The transaction was caught in the act! What else is there to deny? Everyone knows your family is poor. Before entering the academy, you ran a small-time stall in the market. You didn’t change your merchant’s nature upon entering the academy!”
The harsh words clearly targeted Du Heng. The scholar who had come to buy the paper also came from a modest background, and being publicly accused was humiliating—he was left speechless, with no way to explain as the crowd whispered among themselves.
Meng Huaishan, however, refused to relent. Likely fueled by long-held envy toward Du Heng, he seized the moment to make the matter public, wishing he could strike Du Heng down on the spot.
Du Heng, not the first to be accused by Meng Huaishan, remained calm. Standing tall and steady, he spoke evenly:
“Just as Meng Huaishan Academy friend said, my family is indeed humble, so I run a small business to support my studies. I do not consider earning a bit of money for study to be shameful. Who here does not rely on their family to support their studies? And how does your family obtain its money if not through work? So where is the dishonor?”
“This paper came from my home, and I am selling it to fellow students of the academy. He needed paper, I sold it. Where is the wrongdoing? I did not force anyone to buy it.”
Those listening found Du Heng’s words reasonable.
Seeing the sympathy turn toward Du Heng, Meng Huaishan grew even more aggressive. “We’re talking about you taking the academy’s paper and selling it to others! Why are you bringing up your family’s humble background and your business habits? Don’t confuse the issue!”
Du Heng replied calmly, “Exactly. If we are speaking strictly about selling the paper, then why did you drag in my family’s circumstances and business practices? Weren’t you the one confusing the matter?”
Meng Huaishan gritted his teeth. “Then explain clearly this matter of stealing paper!”
“I have explained clearly: the paper came from my home and was sold to fellow students. Meng Academy friend, your hearing truly causes worry!”
“Stop talking nonsense! Then why is there less paper in the hall?!”
“I don’t know.”
The standoff continued until a firm, calm voice interrupted. “This is the academy! What is the meaning of all this shouting and quarrelling? What’s so worth your endless bickering?”
The students watching immediately lowered their heads. “Master.”
With the master came Senior You. Seeing familiar faces at the center of the dispute, he quickly asked, “What happened?”
Meng Huaishan eagerly presented himself as the savior. He hurried to Senior You. “Du Heng took the paper placed in the hall today and sold it for personal profit! I caught him red-handed! And he still refuses to admit it!”
Senior You glanced at Du Heng. “Wasn’t the paper moved this noon together with you?”
“Exactly.”
Senior You continued, “The missing paper? I took a stack before class and gave it to Master Xiang to use in the corridor for copying. How could Du Heng have stolen and sold it to someone else? That stack is probably still on Master Xiang’s desk.”
Meng Huaishan froze. “I—I… it was Hall Director who took it…”
Seeing the misunderstanding resolved, the scholar who bought the paper spoke up, straightening his posture. “Du Heng Academy friend, out of goodwill and friendship, offered to sell paper at a low price to someone like me from a humble family. He even brought paper from his home. What kindness! Yet Meng Academy friend tried to falsely accuse him with slanderous words.”
“It would be fine if it were just a misunderstanding, but Meng Academy friend was far too unreasonable. To berate someone for humble origins and bad character, looking down on students like us, leaves one utterly humiliated. Luckily, Senior You clarified it, or we truly would have had no recourse.”
The scholar was a new student this year, still young. His tears and complaints did not seem weak; they made it clear he had suffered an injustice. The students watching felt uneasy and quickly spoke words of comfort.
Meng Huaishan was at a loss. “I never intended to look down on students from humble backgrounds. It was—simply—a misunderstanding.”
Du Heng quietly remarked, “So many eyes, so many ears, yet you still call it a misunderstanding?”
The master reprimanded Meng Huaishan sharply: “You are already a student preparing for the academy’s examinations in a few months. How can you lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong?”
Meng Huaishan’s dark complexion flushed red as he was scolded. “It’s my fault. I was hasty and misunderstood Du Heng Academy friend. I am truly sorry.”
“You may think a simple apology now suffices. But think broadly. As students preparing for official positions, you must plan long-term. If you act impulsively without investigating the truth, how can you be trusted as officials to avoid harming the innocent? Would the court tolerate such an official? When the time comes, will you apologize to the emperor or to the people? Will everyone forgive your mistakes?”
Meng Huaishan was speechless. The gaze of so many made him feel utterly exposed, as if the face he had carefully maintained in the academy had been wiped away overnight. He regretted calling so many students to witness the spectacle.
He wanted to shrink into a crack in the floor—but there was no crack wide enough to hide in.
“You will go to my study. Today, I will teach you a proper lesson in conduct. All the etiquette you’ve been learning these months has been wasted.”
After the commotion, Meng Huaishan was forced to formally apologize in front of everyone to Du Heng and the scholar who bought the paper. The master then took him away for further instruction, and all the onlookers were scolded before dispersing.