150 – The First Day in the Capital

Yuan Anshi was about forty years old and had no airs of an official at all. He met Qin Mian and his party with a very amicable attitude. It might have been that Dean Huo had told him about Qin Mian’s family so that when he saw their family of four, his expression didn’t show any abnormality.

On behalf of himself, Lei Xiangzhi, Qu Zongwen, Bu Qingyun, and Zhao Tianhe, Huo Sirui presented a gift. Qin Mian motioned to Lei-Qin Le to present the gifts.

Huo Sirui said with a smile, “Uncle Yuan, you probably don’t know, right? Eldest Brother’s wine and fermented tofu are famous throughout Qingtian Prefecture. The fermented tofu doesn’t smell very good, but the texture is delicate and tastes delicious. It’s suitable for young and old people.”

Yuan Anshi chuckled, “How can I not know? There is a wine house in the Capital that has fermented tofu, which is said to be bought from Qingtian Prefecture. A piece per dish costs one silver tael. An old fellow like me didn’t expect to have a gourmet’s luck today. Qin-gongzi and Lei-gongzi are too polite.”

Qin Mian said, “It’s just a small thing; a souvenir to show our respect to you. The Capital is now full of students, so almost all the inns are occupied. If it wasn’t for Sir Yuan’s help, I’m afraid it would not be easy for our family to find a place to stay in the Capital. If Sir Yuan thinks the wine and the fermented tofu are good, you can ask Sirui to bring a message to Qin at any time. Qin can send some more.”

“Well then, this old fellow thanks you first.” Yuan Anshi nodded with a grin.

After sitting in Yuan Residence for a while, the group got up and took their leave.

Madam Yuan came out of the inner room and looked at her husband drinking tea with puzzled eyes, “Old Master, I don’t understand. It’s fine for you to be so polite to Huo-gongzi and his friends; after all, he and the young gongzi surnamed Lei are the popular candidates for this year’s spring exam. But why are you so polite to the surnamed Qin and surnamed Lei? They are…” Madam Yuan frowned with a look of disdain.

Yuan Anshi glanced at her, put down his teacup, and left with a flung of his sleeve, “Shortsighted views not to be taken seriously!”

……

As soon as they were out of Yuan Residence’s gate, Bu Qingyun loudly boasted.

“Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law, you two are truly amazing – your fermented tofu has been sold to the Capital! Why don’t you open a shop in the Capital? I’m sure you can make a lot of money!”

Qu Zongwen glanced at him askance, “Do your appearance now look like a scholar?”

Bu Qingyun crossed his arms and said, “Does it matter? I truly mean it.”

Qin Mian said in an equivocal way, “Maybe one day, who knows.”

Lei Xiangzhi asked, “Eldest Sister-in-law, we’re going back to the inn to study. Do you all want to go back or stroll around?”

Qin Mian looked at Manman in his arms. “The boys are still in great spirits, so we’ll take them to look around and then go back. You all, don’t just study in the room but go communicate with other students and learn from each other. Perhaps, you will get more understanding.”

Lei Xiangzhi, Huo Sirui, and Qu Zongwen looked as if absorbed in thought.

“Thank you for your advice.”

Several people went their separate ways. Qin Mian asked Lei-Qin Le to drive the carriage back to the inn.

Manman urged Qin Mian, “Dad, let’s go strolling the street.”

“Alright, alright.”

This street was the residence area of the rich and influential families. The family of four walked out of the street and followed the flow of people to another prosperous street. From a distance, as soon as one saw the many stalls and a stream of passers-by, one knew that this street was a “trading street”.

The crowd pushed and squeezed. Qin Mian and Lei Tie carefully protected the boys in their arms. With White Spot by their side, no one actually dared to squeeze them.

“Roasted sweet potatoes, sweet and tasty roasted sweet potatoes!”

“Come and have a look at the unique and high-quality fabrics!”

“Dough figurine, don’t pay if it doesn’t look alike!”

“Delicious sugar baked wheaten cake and baked sesame cake; past this street, you won’t find this shop!”

“Buy kites, beautiful kites!”

“Fun clay whistles and rattle-drums!”

……

Yuanyuan and Manman’s eyes sparkled as they looked to the left and the right, only to feel that a pair of eyes was not enough to see all of it.

With a thronging crowd coming and going, many took advantage to make mischief. Not far away, Qin Mian saw two thieves stumble on two passers-by, who took advantage of that opportunity to cut off their money pouches. The two passers-by kindly asked if the thieves had been hurt without knowing at all that they were in bad luck.

Lei Tie asked, “Wife, Yuanyuan, and Manman, what do you want to buy?”

Qin Mian was surprised as he looked at him and teased, “Yuanyuan and Manman, look if the sun is setting to the east today? Your Old Dad actually knows to ask us what we want.”

No matter how clever Yuanyuan and Manman were, they couldn’t understand his jokes. They honestly looked at the sun and shook their heads. The two brothers said in unison, “Dad said that the sun rises from the east and sets to the west.”

Lei Tie calmly put his arms around Qin Mian’s shoulder, “Didn’t you ask me to treat you all to delicious food before entering the city?”

The corner of Qin Mian’s lips curled up as he solemnly nodded, “It’s good that you hadn’t forgotten. Yuanyuan and Manman, what would you like to eat?”

Manman pointed a finger and frowned – a very tangled look; Yuanyuan looked left and right, seemingly couldn’t make up his mind either.

A youth about 13 to 14 years old came face to face with Qin Mian. All of a sudden, he tripped and fell onto Qin Mian.

Qin Mian raised his eyebrows with a smile of great interest on his lips. When the thief pounced on him and grasped his pouch, he grabbed the thief’s wrist as fast as lightning.

“Ouch!”

Manman looked down with suspicion and clapped his two hands, “Ah! Thief!”

The passers-by all around looked over, and as soon as they saw the youth holding Qin Mian’s pouch, they immediately understood what had happened. They swore and condemned him, and at the same time, they quickly checked whether their pouches or purses were still there.

The youth had thought that it would be easier to take action while they were talking, but he didn’t expect to be thwarted at the very beginning. He glared at Qin Mian in shame and anger, “You, you… Let go of me!”

Qin Mian gave a wee smile and exerted force. Only when the youth cried out in pain did he loosen him just slightly. He handed over Manman to Lei Tie.

“A-Tie, wait for me here. I’m going to send the thief to the local authority.”

“No—” The youth stared in horror and his exclamation abruptly stopped after his neck suddenly felt numb.

Manman curiously asked, “Dad, why do you have to send him to the local authority?”

Yuanyuan said with a severe countenance, “Didi, he is a bad person. If you do something wrong, you will be punished.”

Manman nodded with understanding.

The thief drooped his head.

Qin Mian grabbed the thief’s shoulder, turned into an alley not far away, and stopped. He undid the youth’s mute acupoint and released his hand.

Knowing that he was in a tough situation, the youth did not dare to escape even when he was not restrained. He timidly asked, “You… What do you want?”

Qin Mian spread his hands and said, “For the sake of your young age, I’ll let you go today. But you won’t be so lucky if I run into you next time.”

The youth couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you really going to let me go? Then why do you…” deliberately go here and let go.

“Because I don’t want to mislead my sons.” Qin Mian took out a piece of broken silver from his sleeve pocket and put it into the youth’s hand. Without saying a word, he turned and left.

The youth looked at the young man’s back and unconsciously followed him for a few steps. As the young man walked back to the black-clothed man, the cute little boy smilingly stretched out his arms to the young man.

Qin Mian knew that many thieves were specially trained to steal – there was an organization. He couldn’t sympathize with the other. This youth might have been one of them. However, it suddenly occurred to him that the former Qin Mian was also at this age when he wandered about until he came to Green Mountain Village. Therefore, he did today’s good deed.

At this time, he did not expect that today’s unintentional benevolent act would form good karma for him. Thus, the old saying “a good deed will be well rewarded” was quite reasonable.

Back to our story. The family of four didn’t pay any mind to this small episode. They tasted a few snacks, bought some toys for Yuanyuan and Manman, and went back to the inn.

It was not dinner time yet; there was no one in the lobby. Almost all the tables and chairs were occupied by scholars, who got together to probe knowledge, recite poems against each other, and even discuss some popular candidates for this year’s spring exam. It was very noisy. The inn manager’s attitude was very good. He was not only not angry, but also provided them with free tea. One didn’t have to think about it to understand [why]. If a Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua¹ were from his inn, his inn would immediately become famous.

Qin Mian saw some red papers hanging on the wall at the corner of the stairs with names on them. Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui’s names were among them. There was also a number written under each person’s name.

“What is this?” asked Qin Mian.

Lei Tie said, “The odds of the spring exam’s popular candidates.”

Qin Mian widened his eyes in surprise, “Laying a bet on who will win the top three?”

Lei Tie nodded.

Qin Mian shook his head. “I really admire those gamblers. They can bet on everything.”

Yuanyuan curiously asked, “Dad, what is ‘bet’?”

“Aah, my stomach is hungry again so soon. Let’s go back to our room.” Qin Mian strode upstairs with Yuanyuan in his arms.

Lei Tie chuckled. He and Manman kept up, neither too slow nor hurry.

Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui were away and only came back in the evening. Qin Mian learned that they also had heard about some of the spring exam’s most popular figures. In the afternoon, when they communicated with some students from other prefectures, they unexpectedly found one of the most popular candidates for the Zhuangyuan – Gu Youran from Xishan Prefecture. Gu Youran’s odds were lower than those of Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui. The three had a good talk and even made an appointment to go together to the famous Garden of Many Flowers in the Capital the next day to attend the students’ meet.

Thinking that Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui would have to spend a lot on making new friends, Qin Mian gave them 50 taels of silver each.

Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui didn’t refuse; they indeed needed the money as it was convenient to carry more money to handle matters. They silently wrote down the kindness of their Eldest Brother and his wife. Later, they would pay the couple back.

Escort Zhang and the other three escorts couldn’t stay in the Capital all the time until the end of the spring exam. They left the Capital the next day. Qin Mian, Bu Qingyun, and the others sent them out of the city gate together.

In the next few days, Lei Xiangzhi and his friends went out early and came back late, busy with the interaction and gathering with other students.

Qin Mian’s family of four were busy sight-seeing. On the morning of the first day, Lei Tie took his wife and sons to visit the Imperial Palace. Of course, they only stayed outside about half a li away from the wall of the Palace. Civilians were not allowed to get too close to the Palace, otherwise, they would be punished as assassins.

Qin Mian was very curious about the Imperial Palace, including what the Emperor looked like, whether the Emperor’s servants were eunuchs, whether the Emperor really had many wives, and whether the Empress and Imperial Concubines were all beautiful… He whispered to Lei Tie, “When my cultivation has gotten higher, I must secretly go in and have a look.”

Lei Tie stuck close to his ear, “Take you in at night.”

Qin Mian’s eyes brightened. How did he forget that his family’s big poker face was in the Imperial Court for two years; he must be very familiar with the Imperial Palace!

Manman blinked, moved close to Yuanyuan’s ear, and said in a small voice, “Gege, I saw Old Dad secretly kiss Dad’s ear again.”

“Shh!” Yuanyuan softly said, “Don’t say it. Old Dad said Dad would be shy, so even if we saw it, pretend not to see.”

Qin Mian: ……

Lei Tie calmly picked up the two sons and quickly walked away, “Wife, let’s take them to fly kites.”

He had not taken two steps when he heard a low roar fuming with rage between gritted teeth behind him, “Lei, Tie!”

Manman cackled, “Old Dad, quickly run; Dad is catching up!”

Lei Tie tightly hugged the two little boys and walked very fast.

Qin Mian relentlessly pursued, “Stop!”

Yuanyuan was also delighted, “Come on, Dad!”

“Awoo!” White Spot vigorously followed.

The lively mood of the family of four plus a wolf infected the passers-by to have a little smile on their faces.

Note:

Footnotes