Chapter 17

The street performer had already hoisted the water vat onto his head, and another cry of "Bravo!" rose from the crowd! While everyone was admiring and praising him, his partner began circling the crowd with a bowl to collect tips.

Just before the man reached Xie Ning, Xie Ning tugged Zhou Jinian out of the lively crowd.

Zhou Jinian squeezed his palm. "Stingy little thing."

Xie Ning covered the money pouch against his chest and did not deny it. "So I'm stingy. Wouldn't it be better to save it to buy you books?"

The corners of Zhou Jinian's mouth lifted, and he led his young husband off to buy dragon's beard candy.

Inside the Fragrant Crisp Shop, trays of exquisite pastries were neatly arranged together: assorted tea sweets, Buddha's hand pastries, dragon's beard candy, almond crisps, and osmanthus cakes, which were the cheapest but also sold the best.

Xie Ning often ate dragon's beard candy, but this was his first time watching someone make it. He gathered around the shop entrance with three or four other customers, watching a lump of sugar being pulled until it gradually became strands, then finer and finer threads.

Xie Ning watched openmouthed, exclaiming in amazement. He and his younger sister had never been allowed to leave the village, and this trip to town with Jinian had filled him with curiosity.

The shop assistant wrapped up his dragon's beard candy and osmanthus cakes, then made a suggestion. "The fifteenth of this autumn month is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Would you like to order some of our Fragrant Crisp Shop's signature flaky-crust mooncakes?"

"If you order now, we'll have them ready for you on the twelfth, in good time for giving festival gifts," the assistant added.

Xie Ning pressed his lips together and swallowed. He was only sixteen, still at an age when he craved treats.

"Then we'll order three portions. Let's settle the bill." Carrying the pastries, Zhou Jinian went with the assistant to collect a small wooden token from the Fragrant Crisp Shop and arranged to pick up the flaky-crust mooncakes on the twelfth.

Only after they left the bustling pastry shop did Xie Ning ask, "Jinian, why did you buy so many mooncakes?"

"The fifteenth of the eighth month is called Mid-Autumn, signifying reunion. Relatives often exchange gifts. Three portions aren't many: one for our family to mark the festival, one for my teacher to thank him for his teaching, and one for my father-in-law to show filial respect." Zhou Jinian led him toward Qingshui Town's Housing Office.

Xie Ning bit his lower lip and raised the pastry parcel, turning it around to inspect it.

Zhou Jinian stopped too and asked, "What is it?"

"Mm, gifts?" Only after Xie Ning had finished examining the oiled-paper parcel did he resume walking.

"Hmm?"

But Xie Ning said nothing more. Holding Zhou Jinian's sleeve, he followed him to the Housing Office.

"If only there were countless spacious houses, sheltering all the poor scholars beneath heaven and bringing smiles to their faces." The Housing Office addressed this concern weighing on ordinary people's minds; it was the government agency responsible for administering commoners' housing in each locality.

Renting out houses through the Housing Office brought substantial profits, so there were restrictions. Of course, there were protections as well. Once a contract was signed, landlords could not arbitrarily rent the property to additional tenants or raise the rent, nor could they use renovations as an excuse to increase housing charges at will.

The broker was very friendly. After listening carefully to Zhou Jinian's requirements, he began explaining the options in detail. "East Street is near Bookshop Street. It's a little more expensive, but most of the tenants are scholars. Annual leases only, at six taels and four mace."

There was a popular saying: "Pay a million for a house, ten million for neighbors." Scholars therefore liked to rent in places with a strong scholarly atmosphere, where their neighbors were fellow scholars. Books were also expensive, so it made borrowing and reading them convenient.

"Are there any others?" Zhou Jinian had no need for that.

"Upper North Alley. The market is right outside the lane. Half a year's rent is two taels and six mace."

They asked about several more places, but after comparing them all, Upper North Alley still seemed the most suitable. Most rental houses in town had similar layouts, with a courtyard in front and the dwelling behind.

Any house built with particular care was either occupied by its owner or offered only for sale, not rent. This prevented any mishap involving tenants from ruining the house's feng shui, leaving it impossible to sell or forcing the owner to lower the price and take a loss.

All in all, a year's rent would cost around five taels of silver.

After leaving the Housing Office, Zhou Jinian bought coarse sea salt. Once they had everything, they hurried to collect the buckets and the ox. They had walked around town all day. On the way back to the village, Xie Ning sat beside Zhou Jinian with his head tilted against him, feeling rather sleepy and tired.

Zhou Jinian checked his forehead with the back of his hand. "Do you have a fever?"

"No... I don't..." Xie Ning answered languidly, then yawned. "If we sell fish ten more times, we'll have enough for the rent."

"Your business may require no capital, but it won't last. There are only so many fish in Pool Cave." Reassured, Zhou Jinian continued driving.

"Oh." Xie Ning nodded, his mind growing a little muddled.

Seeing Ninglang drifting off, Zhou Jinian said no more. He held him close as he drove the ox cart.

The sun sank in the west, its light falling over the road like gold scattered across the ground. The sunlight was infinitely beautiful, but dusk was drawing near.

Xie Ning slept all the way into the village and only woke when they returned the ox cart to Grandpa. With dragging, feeble steps, he clutched Zhou Jinian's sleeve and was led back to the Zhou family courtyard.

Author's note: Thank you to all the little angels who cast Overlord votes or watered me with nutrient solution between 2020-09-21 23:06:53 and 2020-09-22 21:58:34~

Thank you to the little angel who sent a land mine: Novel Fan, 1;

Thank you to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solution: KLH, 15 bottles; Little Fireworks Booming Overhead and Empty Dreams Recall Sorrow, 2 bottles each; Mumu Mama, 1 bottle;

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard!

Chapter 17

Zhou Wenshu sat upright in the study, engrossed in a volume of popular fiction. He reached for his teacup with one hand, but it was empty. Without shifting his gaze from the book, he called, "Mother, bring me some more tea."

His mother was sitting on the threshold shelling peanuts. At his call, she hurried to fetch the teapot. Anyone who did not know better might have thought she was waiting on His Majesty himself.

Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law poured him a cup of tea herself, then set the teapot on her son's desk. "I'll leave the teapot in your room. Mid-Autumn is only a few days away. I'm shelling peanuts to make crisps to take to the Praying for Grace Temple and exchange for money."

At the mention of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Praying for Grace Temple, Zhou Wenshu immediately remembered his arrangement with the scholars from the town's academy: a Mid-Autumn banquet, composing poetry and matching couplets, drinking and chatting merrily.

"Mother, call Grandmother over. Your son has something to discuss with her." Though Zhou Wenshu's tone was gentle, his words were utterly disrespectful.

When discussing something with an elder, rather than going to pay his respects himself, he actually ordered his own mother to summon her? More astonishing still, his mother was used to it. She answered and hurried off to find Grandmother Zhou.