The Fox of Relocation

Though the weather was cold, the cotton cover kept the meat pies warm. From Su Ziji's angle, he could still see wisps of steam rising from them, while the chatter of neighbors who had taken a pie drifted into his ears.

"Who are they?"

"The Hu Family is handing these out to the neighbors. I heard the wife whom the Hu Family's Second Master married while serving as an official elsewhere died at his post, leaving behind a widow and orphaned daughter. With no pillar to hold them up, they feared others would eye them greedily, so they moved here to seek refuge with the eldest uncle..."

"Then why seek refuge with the Hu Family's eldest son instead of her own natal family?"

"Who knows... Perhaps a chaste woman did not wish to remarry. The Hu Family's eldest son is only a Cultivated Talent, without the Second Branch's solid power and influence, so he cannot bully the mother and daughter. And though they say they have come to rely on the eldest uncle, they actually bought the neighboring house and opened it through. They do not live together, merely look out for each other. Besides, the Hu Family's eldest son went to the countryside to buy land yesterday, neatly avoiding this whole scene."

"Hehe, his wife is a famous Hedong lion's roar. Hu Eldest's desire to survive is certainly strong..."

"No wonder they are handing out meat pies now. With no man to support the mother and daughter, it would be improper for them to invite the neighbors in for a drinking feast. Giving out meat pies counts as a housewarming celebration."

Gossip traveled faster than flying.

Su Ziji could not help laughing. Seeing Ye Weihan quicken his pace, he followed and spotted a line of carriages passing by.

Not far from the Hu Family residence, amid guards and maids, a mother and daughter stepped down from a carriage. Not only had the Hu Family's First Branch wife come out to welcome them, a crowd of onlookers had long since gathered in the street. Their eyes seemed to have taken root as they stared desperately at the mother and daughter, as if looking alone could win them some advantage.

But the second month was still winter, and beneath their thick clothing, there was truly little to see. Besides, both mother and daughter wore veils. They nodded to the neighbors in greeting before entering the Hu Family residence, whose gates promptly shut tight.

Though outsiders could not glimpse the official's widow or young lady's features, the ugly expression on the Hu Family's First Branch wife's face gave them plenty to speculate over. This spectacle had been worth the price of admission.

After the excitement died down and the gates closed, the Hu Family's First Branch wife took one look and saw that even her young son had betrayed her, treating the widow and orphaned daughter with great warmth. She touched her cheeks, no longer as smooth as they had once been, and spat bitterly. "Call Eldest Son back! Shamelessly sticking himself to the Second Branch—does he not remember that this is his aunt and cousin? Can he take a bite of their flesh, or get an extra reward coin?"

"Madam, then how much flesh do you wish to bite off?" A crisp voice sounded behind the First Branch wife, making her whole body tremble. For no reason, her hair stood on end. Turning around, she saw a pair of fox-seductress eyes.

"That mother and daughter seemed somewhat familiar." Unable to see what was happening inside, Su Ziji withdrew his gaze and frowned thoughtfully. Then he heard a snort behind him. Turning back, he saw Ye Buhui.

She shouted, "Hurry up! Father has already gone far ahead! What are you staring at?"

Well, the irritable little girl was angry again. He hurriedly followed her. By now the New Year had passed, and every shop had opened its doors. Pedestrians thronged the streets, and people greeted them from time to time as they passed. Ye Weihan returned every greeting in turn.

When they reached the gate of a residence, Ye Weihan stopped. Su Ziji stepped forward and knocked, using the wait to inspect the place.

"Zeng Lingchu, Cultivated Talent Zeng?"

Zeng Lingchu's father had once served as a prefectural vice administrator. The residence had vermilion gates and high walls, not exactly shabby, yet there were no gatekeepers. The lanterns were somewhat old, and the snow before the steps had not been fully swept away. It did not resemble the bearing of a vice administrator's household.

The one who opened the door was a young married woman, her charm still lingering, though weariness showed on her face. When she opened the door, Su Ziji saw the cracks on her fingers and could not help recalling the chilblains on Ye Buhui's small hands.

Real life in ancient times lacked the beauty of talented scholars and lovely ladies found in transmigration novels. Beauties had to labor too, and scholars could take concubines. When a household was poor enough that it could not hire long-term servants, even the mistress of the house had to do some work.

Yet people of this era were accustomed to such things. Ye Weihan kept his manner very humble. "Greetings, Madam Zeng. I have come to collect the manuscript."

"Please come in. My husband is in the study." Madam Zeng moved aside and led them within.

The two followed her inside. A middle-aged scholar was drinking tea there. Seeing them arrive, he rose. "Brother Ye, please sit. The manuscript you wanted has already been completed."

He did not speak loudly, and his voice was calm, but his breath lacked strength and carried a faint wheeze. Weariness hung over his face. Su Ziji was familiar with that kind of exhaustion—the complexion of someone who had stayed up all night. He glanced at the manuscript. It had been written with a brush; although the stack looked thick, each full sheet contained few characters. It might not even amount to ten thousand words.

Ye Weihan smiled. "Master Zeng, you have worked hard. I shall study it with reverence."

As he spoke, he pulled out one piece and read through it quickly, then could not help slapping the table. "Marvelous! As expected of Master Zeng."

Zeng Lingchu smiled, but showed no further reaction.

Ye Weihan pondered, calculated for a moment, then said, "Leave it to me. My shop will give you thirty percent royalties. How does that sound?"

"That will do."

Zeng Lingchu's attitude remained indifferent, but he did not object and nodded in agreement.

Su Ziji said nothing. He stepped forward to take the manuscript, and Ye Weihan handed it to him with a smile, casually pointing him out. "This is my nephew, Su Ziji. Perhaps you have heard of him—the Su Family's son. He is preparing for the Child Scholar Examination now. Could you provide him with a guarantor's endorsement?"

"Oh?"

Weariness still lay across Zeng Lingchu's lean face. He gave Su Ziji a careless glance, coughed lightly, and nodded, granting his assent.

For the County Examination, not only did five candidates have to guarantee one another, but at least one Stipend Student had to provide an endorsement. Zeng Lingchu had handled this matter many times. Besides, he had indeed heard of Su Ziji. He immediately picked up his brush and wrote out a guarantor's endorsement.

"You have troubled yourself." Ye Weihan took a piece of broken silver from his sleeve. Though it had been cut with silver shears, its base was white, fine, and deep, ninety-eight purity patterned silver—this was the customary rule.

There were only twenty Stipend Students in the county, while one or two hundred people sat for the examination. From this item alone, each Stipend Student could earn an average of ten taels of silver.

Su Ziji stopped his hand as it reached into his clothes and looked up at Ye Weihan. The Ye Family was already in dire straits, yet Ye Weihan had silently prepared the silver for the endorsement.

If I take out money now, Ye Weihan will definitely ask where it came from.

What, was he supposed to say he had killed someone and robbed them?

So be it. Once I pass as an Examination Student, it will not be too late to repay him. In any case, I already owe them far too many favors.

He accepted the endorsement and left together with Ye Weihan.

"Boss Ye brought his nephew to see you. Why did you seem so indifferent?" Madam Zeng asked, watching the two men leave. "Weren't you on quite good terms?"

"Our friendship is indeed good, and thirty percent royalties is quite generous. But the Ye Family's shop is too small." Zeng Lingchu sighed mournfully. "My family has only this one property in the county. We have merely eighty mu of farmland, and our other rents bring in no more than thirty taels of silver a year. Others think we are an official household, but in truth, every step is difficult."

"I cannot do anything about it. Helping this time is no problem, but I cannot give my next book to the Ye Family." As he spoke, Zeng Lingchu shook his head and sighed again.

When they left, the snow had grown heavier, and even fewer pedestrians remained on the road. Su Ziji watched Ye Weihan's back, then suddenly called out, "Uncle Ye?"

"What is it?" Ye Weihan turned back in surprise.

"...I will definitely pass the County Examination." The words that came to Su Ziji's lips were these.