Chapter 3: The Words "Going into Business" Must Not Be Mentioned

Li Gang was quite satisfied with his new wife. Although she lacked the poetic sensibility and artistic talent of his late wife—and could not truly understand the depths of his soul—she possessed a charm of her own. When he recited poetry, she would look on with a blank, bewildered expression, yet she was an expert at managing the hearth and home.

She would work alongside old Mother Chen to keep the house clean and bright, and she would braid his daughter’s hair into lovely styles with pretty ribbons. His daughter, Li Ying, grew quite fond of her. For Li Gang, this was enough; as for the rest, he could teach her in time.

One tends to love those dear to their beloved, so because she was kind to his daughter, he was naturally inclined to treat her son well. Consequently, he handled the arrangements for Li Yu’s schooling with great efficiency. "It is the Cloud Pavilion Private School on East Street, less than a quarter-hour’s walk from here. After class, you can return home for lunch and take a nap."

Moreover, his stepson was sensible and well-mannered; his posture, his way of eating, and his speech were all beyond reproach, and he never showed the slightest hesitation when calling him "Father." He was more than happy to show affection to such a wife and stepson.

Zhang Sanniang served her husband first, then Li Ying, and finally Li Yu and herself. Hearing the details, she asked with a tinge of worry, "The tuition must be very expensive, right?" She had once heard the wife of her clan elder mention that tuition alone cost a string of cash per year, not including the customary gifts for the teacher.

Li Gang waved his hand, picking up his chopsticks. "My annual salary is thirty strings of cash, and the rent from my farmland in the countryside brings in about another thirty. It is only right to spend money on the child’s education." As long as there were no natural disasters, he did not need to pay taxes to the imperial court, and the grain collected as rent was enough to cover their needs when sold. He was not short of the money required for schooling, nor was he the type to pinch pennies on such matters.

Li Yu asked curiously, "Father, exactly how much is the tuition at Cloud Pavilion?" In their village school, it was one string of cash a year; in the county seat, surely it must be at least two?

Li Gang smiled. "For the introductory level, it is three strings of cash a year. Once you are ready to take the provincial examinations and enter the county academy, it won't cost you anything at all—the academy even provides room and board. That is why they say 'within books one finds golden houses.' If you study well and become a teacher, you will be respected by all and never worry about food or clothing."

Li Yu felt a genuine sense of longing. In this era, that was indeed a respectable career path. The ancients valued teachers above all else; it was nothing like his poor high school classmates, who were driven to take heart medication just to survive the daily torment of their "divine" students.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Yu asked, "Then, Father… what about becoming a merchant?" As a transmigrator, even if he didn't know how to produce the glass, white sugar, or penicillin mentioned in novels, he could surely find some innovative ways to make money.

"Hmm? That is absolutely out of the question." Upon hearing the word "merchant" from his stepson, Li Gang was so incensed he set down his bowl. He looked his stepson in the eye and said, "Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—that is the order of the world. If you ever say such a thing again, I shall have to discipline you with the rod." Since he called him father, he was, if not his own flesh and blood, at least half a son.

His lowest expectation for this "half-son" was that he would become a teacher. As for higher expectations… it was better not to have too many; the minimum would suffice.

Li Yu obediently replied, "Yes, Father. I will not say it again." It seemed that for a scholar, commerce was a major taboo. He would be better off sticking to his books.

Li Ying bit her chopsticks, looking at her angry father, then at her stepmother—who wanted to speak but didn't know what to say—and finally at her obedient yet naive little brother. "Merchants are quite pitiable. The richest family in our county, the Chens, worked hard their entire lives, but three years ago, a single word from the Prefect wiped out more than half their fortune..."

Three years ago… Li Yu’s heart stirred. "Was that the business with the New Bridge Reservoir?"

At the mention of the New Bridge Reservoir, Zhang Sanniang’s hand tightened around her chopsticks. That year… her late husband had died there. That year… her two children lost their father, and her sons didn't even remember what he looked like.

"That's right," Li Ying said, taking it upon herself to explain to them. "The Prefect wanted to build a reservoir, and every county had to provide money and labor. The commoners were forced into corvée labor, and the wealthy merchants had to provide silver. If they gave too little, they would suffer for it, yet the glory of the reservoir’s completion belonged entirely to the officials. Not long after the reservoir was finished, the Prefect was promoted to the capital. I hear he is now a Vice Minister in the Ministry of Rites, a high official of the third rank." She turned to Li Yu. "Brother Yu, tell me, is it better to be an official, or to be a commoner or a merchant?" Even if one only passed the initial examinations, the family would be exempt from corvée labor. There would be no need to hand over silver in the future. That was why they said only scholarship was noble.

"If you put it that way, then of course being an official is better." Li Yu lost all other thoughts and shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. "I must study hard!"

The traditional characters of this ancient world were truly difficult to write, and the brushwork was even harder to master. Asking him to write beautiful calligraphy and compose brilliant essays was asking a lot. But one had to face difficulties head-on, or else become nothing more than a target for exploitation.

Seeing that the boy had understood, Li Gang smiled and poked his daughter on the forehead. "This girl, your tongue is so sharp—what will you do in the future?" Being too blunt was sure to invite trouble.

"A sharp tongue is a good thing." Seeing that her stepdaughter spoke so freely with her son, Zhang Sanniang was deeply moved. She placed the tenderest piece of fish into Li Ying’s bowl. "A girl needs a sharp tongue so she won't be taken advantage of. Good girl, eat more fish; it will help you grow even more beautiful." Since the daughter of this scholarly family was so sensible, she knew she had certainly made the right choice in finding a new father for her son.

Li Ying thanked her sweetly, "Thank you, Mother." She had long since forgotten what her own mother looked like. Her stepmother didn't seem like a bad person, and she was kind to her, so she was fond of her.

Seeing the harmony between mother and daughter, Li Gang felt pleased, and in his good mood, he decided to resolve the matter of Er Kui. "Since the Shen family elders are unwilling to let him go, I shall pay for Er Kui’s tuition so he can study at the village school in Shen Village. As for the name 'Er Kui'… it would be best to change it. I expect his teacher will take care of that, so I shall leave it to him." Since Li Yu had been entered into the Li family genealogy, it was only natural for him to give his name. It was just one more string of cash a year, but compared to his original plan of supporting two stepsons, this was far less than he had anticipated.

Zhang Sanniang was so moved she could not speak; she nearly knelt before Li Gang, but he firmly held her up. "We are husband and wife; do not speak such hollow words, and do not offer such grand gestures." After this, Zhang Sanniang treated Li Gang and his daughter as if they were her own parents. Well, looking at his age, he was certainly old enough to be a father.

The teacher at Cloud Pavilion Private School was named Xie Huan. It was said that he had become a xiucai at the age of fourteen and was celebrated throughout Ying-shan County as a prodigy. However, in his youth, he had been far too arrogant and frivolous, spending his time writing poetry, drinking, and carousing with wealthy patrons—which was really just a polite way of saying he spent his time in brothels, chasing after singing girls. This led to his studies falling by the wayside, and he failed the provincial examinations seven times in a row.

Later, he pulled some strings to ask the chief examiner for advice, and the examiner told him his writing was too flowery and volatile, advising him to cultivate his character and try again in a few years. But once a person's writing style is set, it is harder to change than pulling back a team of nine horses, so he eventually gave up on the imperial examinations and opened a private school.

After hearing this, Li Yu was puzzled. "Can a prodigal son like that really teach students well?" What if he wandered off to drink and play in the middle of a lesson?