Chapter 5

When his father, Hu Yunde, heard of it, he questioned him in private in his room.

"Coal mining has a fixed quota every year. Why are you doing this?"

The room was scented with a faint, elegant incense. Its books were arranged neatly, their well-thumbed pages showing that the owner was a lover of reading.

Though the Hu Clan dealt in charcoal, their yearning for poetry, books, rites, and music was no less than anyone else's.

Hu Yulin had originally intended to tell Hu Yunde everything in detail only after the matter was fully accomplished. But now that Hu Yunde had asked, he had no choice but to answer.

"Father, please do not blame me." He had already written down his plan, and now he brought it before Hu Yunde. "This is your son's plan. Father, please take a look."

Hu Yunde had the talent to build a business and was not a short-sighted man. With a cursory glance, he understood the idea. If coal truly possessed the potential described on the paper, the Hu Clan would surely rise to greater heights!

"Yulin is quick-witted indeed, to have come up with such a method. If it succeeds, profit will be the least of it—the Hu Clan's name will spread throughout the land."

Having said this, Hu Yunde burst into hearty laughter. A wild cat in the courtyard was startled and sprang onto the wall with a swish, meowing softly a few times as though plaintively voicing its grievance.

"This method was devised by a friend of mine. I already exchanged ten strings of cash for it earlier. What do you think, Father?" Hu Yulin admitted frankly.

Hearing this, Hu Yunde stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.

"Ten strings is far too little." Hu Yunde was no narrow-minded man. Anyone with such ingenuity could not be ordinary; ten strings instead made it seem as though they had been taken advantage of.

Hu Yulin then told him what Rong Xi had said. Hu Yunde sighed with feeling. "To sell it outright for ten strings and refuse to tie himself to the Hu Clan's profits—resisting the temptation of enormous gains is truly admirable. Yulin, what is this man's name? Where does he live? I would like to make his acquaintance."

"Father, have you heard of the son of Minister Rong in the capital, who was mistakenly sent away to the Rong family's ancestral residence in Linxi?"

Hu Yunde had been in business for many years and was well informed about matters great and small throughout the Wei Kingdom. The Rong Clan of Linxi was already highly renowned in Mengshan County, and the matter of the Rong family's son being sent to Linxi had long become a favorite topic of gossip in the city.

But why had Hu Yulin suddenly brought this up? Could it be—

"The person you speak of is actually the Rong family's son?" The moment the words left his mouth, he found them unbelievable.

Hu Yulin's narrow eyes curved slightly, and his smile was as sly as a fox's. It was truly rare to see such shock on his father's face. Today, he had Dàláng to thank for it.

"Father, it is precisely the Rong Clan's eldest son, Rong Xi."

Author's note:

Many of the dishes in this story draw on Yuan Mei's Suiyuan Recipes, or were found through Baidu.

Chapter 5

Ever since his soul had arrived in Great Wei, Rong Xi had not washed his hair or bathed because his illness had yet to fully recover, and the autumn weather was cold.

Though it was not easy to sweat in autumn, grime could be rubbed from his skin. Rong Xi could not bear it any longer and had Liu He bring him a bathing tub.

The tub was old, covered in dust and cobwebs. Only after it had been scrubbed clean, set out in the sun, and scalded with boiling water did Rong Xi thoroughly wash himself.

The people of Wei did not enjoy bathing, especially in autumn and winter. Since they sweated less, they were even less inclined to wash. Never mind officials and nobles—even common folk might bathe only once or twice throughout winter, their bodies covered in grease and grime and fleas lively in their hair, yet they did not care.

As far as he knew, the Liu Clan grandfather and grandson had not properly washed themselves for a month.

It was difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Rong Xi had no desire to follow local customs in such matters. Since the Liu Clan grandfather and grandson were always by his side, he did not want those around him to be disheveled and filthy, so he ordered them to bathe carefully and change into new clothes.

Now that he had ten strings of cash in hand, he had the means to improve their lives.

By the time he had finished bathing, it was already time to extinguish the lamps. The room was pitch-black, with only faint moonlight visible beyond the window.

The Liu Clan grandfather and grandson shared a bed, while Liu He earnestly instructed him.

"The young master is kind-hearted. In the future, you must serve him with all your heart and never grow lax."

Liu He had guarded the ancestral residence for decades and seen many changes in the world and in people's hearts. He was loyal to his masters. Though Rong Xi had been sent to Linxi over a mistake, Liu He had never neglected him, but neither had he been truly devoted.

Yet after living together for more than ten days, he realized that the young master was not overbearing. He was kind, generous, and open-minded, and he showed no contempt toward servants.

He was old, with one foot already in the grave. What concerned him most was his only grandson. He had spent many nights restless and uneasy, uncertain of his grandson's future. But now the young master was compassionate and capable. If his grandson Zishi served at his side, he would surely live a stable life.

The young master was no man meant to remain in a shallow pond. His grandson might as well bask in the aura of the Dragon Gate.

"Rest assured, Grandfather. I will certainly serve the young master with care."

Though young Liu was simple-minded and honest, he could still tell right from wrong. The young master was remarkably capable, generous and easygoing, skilled in cooking, and had even given him new clothes. If the young master did not reject him, he would devote himself wholly to serving him and protecting him.

Rong Xi knew nothing of the agreement between grandfather and grandson. He only felt that his cold quilt was like iron. The hard, thin covering lay over him without the slightest softness or warmth. Had he not aired it out during the day, it would have been even colder.

Great Wei had no cotton cultivation. In winter, people used wool blankets or filled bedding with duck down and cashmere to ward off the cold, but such quilts were only available to wealthy households.

Ordinary people could only stuff willow catkins, straw, or reed flowers into cloth covers and endure the winter that way.

Cotton was cheap and useful in later generations, and many people used it. Unfortunately, there was none here.

Rong Xi curled up for the entire night. Fortunately, he had enough body fat to fend off the chill, or else he might have frozen into an ice stick. It was only autumn, yet the cold already cut deep. What would he do once winter came?

Ten strings of cash were not much, while quilted bedding was expensive. Buying several would certainly cost a great deal.

For now, the only solution was to find a way to increase his income.

After the cool night, Rong Xi rose in the morning. Before the first light of dawn appeared, he began jogging in the courtyard.

The Liu Clan grandfather and grandson rose one after another. Following his instructions, Liu Zishi jogged with Rong Xi, while Liu He added firewood and boiled water in the cauldron so that Rong Xi could bathe after his morning exercise.

Though Rong Xi had slimmed down somewhat, compared with ordinary people he was still fat and round. After only one lap, he was already panting like an ox, his heart pounding wildly.

"Young master, please go rest." Seeing his pale lips, Liu Zishi worried for him.

Rong Xi stood with his legs apart and bent forward, bracing his hands on his knees as he panted several times. Then he forced himself to finish another lap. His vision went dark afterward, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. With Zishi supporting him, he slowly walked half a lap before his strength finally returned.

By then, the hot water was ready, and Rong Xi went inside to bathe.

Once he had dressed, he went beneath the corridor and saw Liu Zishi gleefully running circles, sweat about to drip from his forehead, yet without the slightest sign of fatigue. Rong Xi could not help but feel envious.