Volume One, Chapter 12: Education Cannot Change This Family
After shouting, Fan Xiu’s chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with unprecedented fierceness and resoluteness.
Before returning to the Fan family, he had only wished to dabble in business to earn a little money and marry a few beauties to enjoy daily entertainment.
But now,
He desperately wanted to make money to change this shattered life! Fan Xiu understood this clearly.
Zhao Lizheng said, “Xiu, I still have a few taels of silver here; you can borrow some first.”
With that, he took out some fragmented silver coins.
Fan Xiu exhaled deeply and shook his head. “No need, thank you, Zhao Lizheng. I’ll figure out the money on my own.”
Zhao Lizheng sighed, shook his head, and turned to leave the courtyard.
While tidying the yard, Fan Shoucheng said, “You still have to study. Only through studying can one rise above others and bring honor to the family.”
“Hmph.”
Fan Xiu plopped down on the compacted earth, a self-mocking expression on his face. “So what if I become the top scholar? The whole family would have starved to death long ago! These damn Confucian classics, it’s better not to study them at all!”
Inside the western room,
Xiao Ruoqing lay on the hard wooden bed, still feeling the awkward cold dampness beneath her.
Outside, Fan Xiu’s shouting echoed.
Xiao Ruoqing’s eyes were cold as ice, fixed on the dilapidated beams above.
The Great Yin Dynasty was founded on literature, and the imperial examination system was the best method to select talent.
For a hundred years, it had always been this way.
Everyone took pride in being able to study, but Xiao Ruoqing had never realized that the Fan family was nearly ruined to support one Fan Xiu’s studies.
Corrupt officials, domestic troubles, and external threats plagued the court.
Could studying really change one’s fate, strengthen Great Yin, and save it?
In the courtyard,
Fan Shoucheng forced himself to calm down and said, “As long as you become the top scholar, even if I starve to death, so be it! I’ll figure out the money.”
“No need!”
Fan Xiu shouted, “I won’t study those damn classics anymore! I’m going to abandon literature for commerce, to make money! Big money!”
---
Xiao Ruoqing was slightly stunned, horror filling her almond-shaped eyes.
Fan Xiu wanted to go into business?
He had already passed the provincial exam. Even if he didn’t pass the metropolitan exam, he could still be recommended to serve as an alternate county magistrate—a respectable scholar-official status.
The Great Yin Dynasty valued scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants in that order.
Merchants were the lowest in status, bowing and kowtowing even to petty officials!
The dynasty even had regulations forbidding families involved in commerce from entering official service.
If Fan Xiu abandoned literature for commerce, he might not lose his rank outright but would lose recommendation eligibility, be scorned by the scholarly community, and be barred from officialdom for life.
This applied to his descendants as well, unless they changed their registration or were granted office by the emperor.
Hence, many would rather die than engage in commerce.
Fan Shoucheng was struck like by lightning, suddenly looking up in disbelief at his son, trembling as he pointed at him. “You… you… what did you say? You want to go into business? How dare you! Are you trying to kill me with anger?”
He soon gasped violently, coughing uncontrollably.
“Yes.”
Fan Xiu looked straight at Fan Shoucheng without backing down. “I’m going into business!”
Sister-in-law Li Chuntao grabbed Fan Xiu’s ear angrily and scolded, “Fan Xiu! You good-for-nothing! Were you kicked by a donkey or did a door slam on your head? The whole family has sold everything to support your studies, and now you, a provincial graduate, want to abandon letters for business? Damn it, I’ve been cursed for eight generations marrying into the Fan family!”
Her voice thundered so loud that dust fell from the beams.
“Stop, sister-in-law!”
Fan Xiu quickly broke free from her grasp. “Sister-in-law, father, mother, I know how hard you’ve worked to support my studies all these years. That’s exactly why I can’t keep dragging you down! Studying those classics won’t save the Fan family. Only commerce can!”
“Rubbish!”
Fan Shoucheng shouted angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting! If you dare go into business, I won’t recognize you as my son! Our Fan family doesn’t have unfilial descendants like you!”
Zhou Shi said nothing, quietly rising to begin tidying the chaotic yard.
Li Chuntao suddenly broke into tears, pulling over Fan Yi beside her and wiping her eyes. “Why is my fate so bitter? To support your studies, Yi hasn’t changed clothes for five years! We all hoped you’d succeed in the exams, but now that you passed the provincial exam, you want to go into business, cutting off the Fan family’s future in officialdom. We might as well sell ourselves; in the end, we’re all destined to be commoners!”
“Trust me.”
Fan Xiu said solemnly, “All that talk about scholars, glory for the family, and officialdom is just empty talk! Only by making money can our family live well! The Fan descendants can enjoy a good life!”
“You really think doing business is that easy to make money?”
---
Fan Shoucheng said gravely, “Last year, Wang the shopkeeper from the neighboring village went on a trading trip and was hacked to death by bandits on the official road! Zhang, the boss of Zhang’s Cloth Shop on West Street, left for business and hasn’t returned for over ten years; he’s probably dead out there! Business is no different from death!”
Fan Xiu said, “Give me ten days. If I can’t raise 350 taels of silver in ten days, then I admit I have no talent for business. After that, I’ll obey everything you say. Is that okay?”
Fan Shoucheng hesitated a few seconds, then nodded. “It’s a deal!”
The family then began cleaning up the mess in the yard together with Zhou Shi.
---
Meanwhile,
Butler Wang, accompanied by two guards, returned to the Zhao family mansion in Zhiyuan County’s west district.
Outside the Zhao mansion stood two enormous bronze lions holding rings in their mouths.
Above the vermilion lacquered gate hung a large plaque with the name Zhao Mansion, alongside a smaller plaque inscribed with four golden characters:
“Benevolent and Charitable.”
Butler Wang entered a side hall where a half-human-high statue of the God of Wealth was enshrined in the center.
Zhao Defu, in his fifties, was kowtowing to the God of Wealth.
Butler Wang respectfully stood aside without disturbing him.
Only when Zhao Defu rose did Butler Wang say, “Master, I have returned.”
Zhao Defu smiled lightly. “Butler Wang, how is it? Did you meet that scholar Fan?”
“Yes, Master, I did. But he refused our proposal,” Butler Wang replied.
“Hm?”
Zhao Defu frowned. “What do you mean? Such a good opportunity, and he didn’t agree? Could it be that he already repaid the money?”
A grave expression appeared on Butler Wang’s face as he said, “That’s exactly what I wanted to report, Master. Fan Xiu had a ten-tael gold ingot, but it was stolen by Zhang ‘Scarface’ from Sihai Moneylenders!”
“Only ten taels of gold? Is that worth a special mention?” Zhao Defu said sternly.
The Zhao family had plenty of money; ten taels was a mere trifle to them.
“The gold itself is nothing,” Butler Wang whispered close to Zhao Defu, “but that ingot came from the Imperial Household Department.”