Borrowing to Bury Father

Borrowing Money for a Father's Funeral

"The four men faced each other morning and evening, muttering incessantly without a single pause."

"When the begonias and peonies in the pavilion are in full bloom, visitors come in a continuous stream in former years, but this year everyone looks from outside the garden wall, not daring to knock on the door for fear of disturbing the study."

"Sometimes they set mats under the flowers, holding book scrolls and reclining to read, and sometimes they move desks to the pond to copy ancient master calligraphies."

Su Ziji finished reading, standing by the window and looking out thoughtfully. It was dusk now, and the ancient county town was not as crude as Su Ziji had imagined; in the distance, the city wall could be seen as not very high, just two zhang. The scale was not large, but there were extremely many pedestrians, counting as densely populated. Streets and alleys were lined with shops, and the peddling of hawkers and peddlers was endless. The snow was trampled solid, and the snow in front of the shops had been swept away; some shops even piled snow into snow lions and snow elephants to attract customers, showing a scene of vitality.

Pity that no matter how magnificent this prosperity was, it did not belong to him, which made Su Ziji feel a lingering sorrow. He stared at a scroll of books in his hand, smiling bitterly and saying nothing, sighing for a long time: "To be a stranger in a foreign land all alone!"

Su Ziji's original name was Su Ji.

As a twenty-first-century Chinese person, he had passed the civil service examination, drank too much alcohol, pulled another all-nighter, and somehow kicked the bucket.

Then he muddle-headedly reincarnated into this world. With the delusion of the womb, he grew up muddled, studied, and the Su family was said to have originally been a great clan. By his father's generation it had already fallen into decline, barely managing to pass as a Cultivated Talent. A while ago his father died; originally a thin coffin would still have been affordable, but the Wild Daoist from the neighborhood came knocking, saying that a lavish burial was the hallmark of a filial son, and stubbornly cajoled him into borrowing 15 taels.

"This is usury!"

With a monthly interest of three percent, compounding over time, when the three-month deadline arrived it ballooned to 33 taels. What an absolute idiot, did usury ever have a good ending?

Even though he thought this way, a sense of unwillingness, even now that he had awakened, still lingered in his mind. Su Ziji silently experienced it, controlled its impact, and continued to sort through his memories from his post-awakening perspective.

"Rebirth didn't bring a cheat, but this half of the rosewood pendant, cast into my mind-form, actually brought a cheat. This encounter is truly miraculous!"

Su Ziji had been pressed by his creditors, accidentally took a tumble, and stained the ancestral half of the rosewood pendant with blood, resulting in his awakening.

A dream of fifteen years, truly like a daze.

Reborn for three days, he had absorbed the memories and also had a basic understanding of this world. The previous Wei Dynasty had held the mandate for 484 years, far exceeding 300 years, but no matter how prosperous, Heaven's Mandate eventually ends. At that time, because he failed the imperial examinations several times, Ji Zicheng, who served as a county inspector, seized the opportunity, lifted a three-chi sword, and swept across the world.

Furthermore, under the name that his ancestor had once been the ruler of the Zheng Dynasty, he established the Zheng Dynasty with the era name Qingwu.

Emperor Taizu of Zheng reigned for eleven years, and the crown prince succeeded him with the era name Chengshou. He reigned for seventeen years, opened a grace examination, and by this time it was already a flourishing golden age.

"In an era of peace and prosperity, valuing literature over martial arts, only I am penniless. Fortunately I still have a cheat." Outside, a "pop" sound interrupted Su Ziji's reminiscence. He looked around his home, where sundries were piled in a messy heap, along with a bundle of bamboo strips and several kites. This was precisely the source from which his father used to earn a little money. Feeling his stomach rumble with hunger, he could not help but smile bitterly, stroking the book in his hand. He only heard a "hum" as the half of the rosewood pendant floated up from the manuscript.

The half of the rosewood pendant was originally a physical entity, but once cast into his mind-form, it became an immaterial entity, somewhat like a refined natal dharma treasure. At first it wasn't in this form; after some grinding, it turned into this data box according to what he deemed the most scientific method.

"Somewhat like a system, but without any quests at all. Actually, it's just the external manifestation transformed by my thoughts."

"Everyone's mind-form is different, but I still like simple and clear reports—or rather, data boxes."

Su Ziji lowered his gaze and saw that this half of the rosewood pendant was nothing more than an illusory shadow, almost overlapping with the manuscript, floating in his field of vision with a faint green light. A line of green characters surged up from the manuscript: "Discovered 'Book of Rites', whether to absorb this skill?"

"Yes."

"Book of Rites has been acquired, the Thirteen Classics are already complete, whether to merge them?"

"Yes!"

"The Thirteen Classics merged into the Four Books and Five Classics, gaining insight into the classic meanings!"

"Four Books and Five Classics Level 3, 2583/3000"

Su Ziji had actually been awake for three days. Relying on this baffling cheat, he had mastered the Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Analects, and Mencius, and also acquired a skill called "Basic Regular Script", thoroughly integrating everything he had learned before to unexpectedly reach Level 3!

Level 3, would it be enough for the Child Scholar Examination?

His heart felt a bit suspended!

However, this skill could only absorb handwritten manuscripts, and the ownership had to belong to him personally. Fortunately, his family had no money, and his study materials were all copied out stroke by stroke by his father, and according to the rule of paternal property passing to sons, he thus had this harvest.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw the door open and a little girl enter. She had the keys, was holding a thick outer robe, and carried an oil-paper package in her hand. She trotted around the courtyard, calling out: "Su Ziji, where are you?"

Upon seeing Su Ziji, she placed the thick outer robe on the table, akimbo, and shouted loudly: "Hmph, Dad said that the autumn child scholar examinations are in just a few days, and he wants me to bring you clothes and meat buns. Is your illness a bit better, and can you take the exam?"

"These past two days I've looked through the classic meanings, and I'm already familiar with them. There's no problem..." Su Ziji smiled, unbothered by her tone.

The Ye and Su families maintained close relations, and after his father died, many matters were helped by the Ye family. To subsidize him, they even let him tend the shop at Ye Bookshop, which was actually just giving him a free supply of grain and rice. During his coma a few days ago, they had also sent food every day.

The proprietor Ye Weihan was in poor health, so it was always this little girl who delivered things every time.

Thinking of this, Su Ziji glanced over. She was just a little girl of fourteen years old, with a petite body, a palm-sized face, crescent eyes, and two pear dimples on her cheeks. Her long hair was tied into a bun, with two wisps hanging down from the sides of her ears. She was a natural beauty, but her demeanor was fierce. As she spoke, she gave a push with her small hands, shoving the oil-paper package into Su Ziji's hands, turned her face sideways, and stood on tiptoe to look at a bundle on the desk.

This was Ye Buhui. Even standing on tiptoe, her chest only reached the level of the desk. Heaven have mercy, her chest was already flat enough; Su Ziji visually estimated it formed a right angle with the tabletop.

"What are you looking at!" Ye Buhui's tone was somewhat irritable. She glared at Su Ziji, snatched the cloth package from the table, untied it, and upon seeing three sets of chess manuals, her expression finally cleared slightly: "Thanks. These are your father's relics; normally I shouldn't ask to borrow them, so let's consider this owing you a favor."

"Why be so polite?" Su Ziji knew full well that these chess manuals were common goods, and how could the Ye family not have them? The so-called borrowing of books was just give-and-take, allowing him to accept the gift with peace of mind. This sentiment made him feel a momentary daze.

In a daze, Ye Buhui raised her eyes to look at him, still nagging: "Get well soon. Now that you aren't going to the shop, rakes are coming every day."

"Who is the rake?"

"Who else, the Tan family's son. Ever since he became a government runner, he runs to the shop every day."

"I'll chase him away!" Su Ziji raised his head and said earnestly.

"You can still chase him away? Wait until you pass the Cultivated Talent exam first!" Ye Buhui gave him a side-long glance. Her face and ears burned slightly, and her eyelashes trembled lightly. Looking at her, she unexpectedly possessed a bit of small charm. At that very moment, a series of knocks came from outside, interrupting the conversation.

"Who is it?"

"Nephew, it's me!"

It sounded somewhat familiar. Ye Buhui opened the door, and with a creak, the wooden door opened to reveal a middle-aged Daoist priest, though his sleeves and robe collar lacked official embroidery. He held an oil package in his hand, which appeared to be a gift.

The Wild Daoist casually glanced at Ye Buhui and called out: "Su Nephew, your father and I were originally lifelong friends. I had matters a while ago and couldn't rush over in time, but now I've come to check on you."

"Alas, it's a pity your father was full of talent, yet he died young without passing the provincial examination. It truly makes one sigh with regret." As the Wild Daoist spoke, he stepped inside, placed the oil package on the table, and shook open the mulberry paper. Inside was a piece of oily, fatty braised pork. Smiling cheerfully, he said: "Come, eat a piece of pork to nourish your body. Your father used to come buy it often, sigh!"

Su Ziji expressed his gratitude with a warm smile. "Though I have not seen you many times, since you are a friend of my father, please sit. Although my place here is cold and cheerless, it is much better than the snowy weather outside."

The Wild Daoist laughed upon hearing this, his gaze sizing up the room. Seeing that the desk against the south window was piled with inkstones, paper, and brushes, and also held a pair of scissors and paste while the rest of the room was bare, he sighed. "I never imagined it would be impoverished to this extent. No wonder. The feng shui of your ancestors was broken, which not only brought disaster upon your father but also implicated you."

"The household fortunes plummeted abruptly."

Hearing these words, Su Ziji's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze froze and his brows knitted. Could it be that a scammer had come?

Just as he was thinking this, Ye Buhui at the side grew doubtful. She narrowed her crescent eyes and interjected, "What is the meaning of this? Have you seen the Su family ancestral tombs?"

The Wild Daoist glanced at her and turned to say to Su Ziji, "I interacted with your father for many years, so of course I have seen them. Your family's ancestral tombs are built along the river where mountains and streams converge. It was already a place of blessed shade, shrouded in white vapor with a faint red qi exhaled from within. Although it was not a place of great wealth and nobility, its blessings were long-lasting and could produce many Cultivated Talents and Provincial Graduates!"

Saying this, the Wild Daoist sighed with deep emotion.

"That is why when I heard the news of your father's passing, I was deeply shocked. It should not be! Today I specifically went to inspect them, and discovered that the ancestral tombs have already been broken. Not only are there no blessings, but they have even transformed into baleful intent. You are shrouded in bad luck; let alone passing the examinations for Cultivated Talent, I am afraid even a bloody disaster will be unavoidable!"

The Wild Daoist shook his head and swayed as he slowly spoke. "Moreover, I heard that the county bailiffs even want you to go perform this year's corvée labor to repair the river channels."

Ye Buhui had been listening all along, but now she felt this was utter nonsense and let out a protest, appearing somewhat like a small tiger protecting its young. "That's impossible! Su Ziji is a scholar about to take the imperial exams, how could he go perform corvée labor? Furthermore, to repair the river channels—what would happen if a scholar like him with a frail constitution caught a chill and fell ill?"

"Only those with an official academic rank are true scholars."

The Wild Daoist seemed deeply moved by the fickleness of the world, yet his eyes remained fixed on Su Ziji. "You aren't even an Examination Student right now, are you? Do you have the money to pay the corvée exemption tax? If you don't, you will have to go to the river channels in April—this is the result of ruined feng shui! Baleful intent continually strikes, and as they say, misfortunes never come singly!"

There was no longer any smile on Su Ziji's face. It was not because he was afraid, but rather because this tone was all too familiar. It was the typical trickery of worldly operators. If it were a real youth, he truly would have believed it, but Su Ziji was no genuine youth!

Just as he was about to flare up, he held it back and casually asked, "Then what should be done?"

"Change the graveyard. Sell this graveyard quickly." Seeing the youth look frightened, the Wild Daoist hastily spoke. "The feng shui of your family's graveyard is ruined, but no one else knows."

"I heard that in order to bury your father, you borrowed usurious money from Cao Jincai. This is a debt that snowballs with compound interest, making it impossible to extricate yourself. Hurry up and sell this graveyard; at the very least, you can sell it for thirty-five taels of silver!"

"Not only can you pay off your debts in full, but you can also acquire an extra three taels of silver to allow you to pursue your studies. This is killing many birds with one stone!"

Upon hearing this, Su Ziji's face darkened, and he abruptly stood up. The youth was tall in stature, and an explosive temper surged between his handsome brows. "Get lost! Get out of here! No matter what, I will never sell my ancestral tombs!"

The Wild Daoist's eye twitch slightly, though this was still within expectations. Whenever the sale of a graveyard was mentioned, eight out of ten had this kind of reaction, so he hurriedly said, "I am acting with absolute sincerity! Your ancestors' graves were ruined, which is why you have fallen to such a state of destitution. If you wish to pass the exams for Cultivated Talent, quickly sell the ancestral graves to avoid being dragged down! Otherwise, a bloody disaster awaits you!"

"Besides, your debt is due in ten days. How will you repay it?"

"A person must stay alive first before they can comfort the spirits of their ancestors."

"Get out! Get out!" Su Ziji picked up a broom and drove him out. He felt a deep-seated fury in his heart. His parents were both dead, and his creditor was lingering at the door, colluding with this wild daoist to seize his final family graveyard. This was utterly intolerable!

"The graveyard cannot be sold. This is my family's graveyard for three generations. Setting aside its monetary value, to sell it would be the utmost filial impiety. With such a reputation, let alone earning official rank, even managing to stay out of a lawsuit would be a blessing."

"The Su Family would also instantly turn their backs on me. Who is being so calculating and scheming to drive me to a dead end?"

Perhaps the former Su Ziji would have been duped and taken in, resulting in his reputation being ruined, but the present Su Ziji saw through the trickery at a single glance. Without a moment's hesitation, he shouted, "Get out!"