Xu Zifan has only ever cooked a few simple dishes over the years. He's not a picky eater and has never experienced the allure of gourmet food, so he has absolutely no interest in cooking. Given the original owner's personality and status, it would be inappropriate for him to suddenly release a few recipes for delicious dishes to sell, so he doesn't plan to do that.
Upon arriving in town, he took Xu's father, mother, and Xiaolian ahead. Su Qianyun had been on edge the whole way, as if guarding against a thief, so it was best to keep his distance. Whether the couple was rich or poor, or how rich they were, was none of his business. Xu Zifan first took his family to the academy where he used to study. The fact that the original owner had asked the teacher to lie hadn't been revealed; his classmates didn't know, and they even asked him a few words of concern when they saw him.
Xu's father, mother, and Xiaolian were wearing their better clothes, but they were only clean and patched. They were also a bit old. They were very reserved in front of Xu Zifan and his classmates, their eyes darting around, unsure of how to react, afraid of embarrassing Xu Zifan.
Xu Zifan exchanged a few pleasantries with his classmates, led them over, and introduced them to each other in a very natural way. Then he smiled and said, "You all know my family situation. From now on, I will be studying at home. A few days ago, we separated our households. My parents and sister are with me, and I can take care of them at home."
The words "separation of the family" surprised the scholars, but they didn't show it. They praised Xu Zifan for his filial piety and said a few polite words. One of the scholars knew about his drowning. He looked him over and said, "People often say, 'Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune.' Brother Yi, you look great. If you study hard for a few more years, you will surely have a bright future."
Xu Zifan cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Then I'll take your kind words, Brother Bowen. Actually, I came to the academy today for another reason, which is to ask if you are interested in these ornaments." He picked up the large bamboo basket at his father's feet, lifted the lid, and took out the bamboo ornaments one by one, placing them on the stone next to him. As he did so, he said, "My father likes to make some trinkets when he has nothing to do. Because I am studying, my father has also come up with a few elegant items to place on his desk. These are all made of bamboo, which is loved by us scholars. I liked them very much when I saw them, and I thought you might like them too. I spent too much money on the recent water disaster, and I wanted to use these ornaments to make up for it. If many people like them, my father will have something to do in his spare time."
Although he was clearly selling things, the way Xu Zifan put it made it sound less mercenary and more approachable to his classmates, who didn't seem bothered at all by his intention to sell them. The group examined the ornaments one by one: there were eight different kinds, including small bridges and flowing water, towering trees, windmills, and elegant bamboo groves. Each one was unique and exquisitely crafted, like something sold in a high-end boutique, not at all like something made by a farmer.
One person exclaimed in surprise, "Did Uncle really write this? How elegant! It's truly an elegant piece!"
Xu's father hadn't helped at all, and seemed a little embarrassed upon hearing this, but his face was tanned dark red, so no one could tell. Xu Zifan smiled without any sign of embarrassment, "These were all made by my father, including bamboo hats, food boxes, bamboo stools, and even a 'chairman' (a traditional Chinese decorative item). My father is skilled at weaving bamboo products. What do you think? Do you like them?"
"I love them, Brother Yi! I'll take the'Smooth Sailing' and the 'Little Bridge and Flowing Water' ones. My dad's going out on a boat again, so I'll give him the'Smooth Sailing' one for good luck. The 'Little Bridge and Flowing Water' one really does have flowing water, it's so interesting! I'll give it to my mom to play with, she'll definitely love it." Liu Yang, whom Xu Zifan called "Brother Bowen," took two without hesitation, then took out his money pouch and asked, "Brother Yi, how much are these two?"
Xu Zifan said, "Smooth sailing is 50 coins, and flowing stream is 60 coins, for a total of 110 coins."
Liu Yang immediately gave him 110 coins, which Xu Zifan then gave to his mother to keep. Seeing Liu Yang's quick purchase, those with more money followed suit, partly for the sake of face, but mostly because the ornaments were truly beautiful, elegant, and interesting—a few dozen coins each was a good deal. As for the poor scholars with little money, they were embarrassed to say no, but Xu Zifan treated them all equally, without any discrimination based on who bought or didn't.
Some passing scholars, seeing the commotion, came over. Those who liked something bought it, and in no time, all eight ornaments Xu Zifan brought were sold out for a total of 420 coins. One scholar even wanted the "rising step by step" ornament but couldn't get it. Xu Zifan cupped his hands and said, "If everyone likes them, I'll bring out whatever my father makes next time and see if you're interested. I won't disturb your studies today; let's get together again another day."
The scholar who wanted to buy asked, "When will you come next time? Or where can I find you?"
Xu Zifan pointed in the direction of East Street and said, "I plan to copy books at Honghu Bookstore. I will probably have to go there to hand in the books every few days. If you need to contact me, you can ask the bookstore manager to pass on the message to me."
"Okay, then next time you come to hand in your book, remember to bring me a 'rising step by step' gift."
"And my bamboo grove."
Xu Zifan wrote everything down, then mentally told Shaohua: "[Shaohua, write down the orders and everyone's names for future reference.]"
[Okay, the list is complete.]
At this moment, a scholar who had been standing behind the crowd for a while spoke up: "Brother Yizhi, don't you think it's beneath the dignity of a scholar to sell ornaments and copy books like this? You've studied for many years, how could you do such things? Well, you're not very talented at studying, so it's normal for you to sell things to make a living. In the future, are you going to set up a stall at the street corner to write letters for people?"
Xu Zifan looked over and saw that this man was Liang Shijie, with whom the original owner had had a conflict. Liang lived in town and was related to the county clerk; he was very arrogant. The original owner, a peasant, had disrespected him, which made him very unhappy. Now, seeing Xu Zifan not studying but still trying to make a living, he naturally wanted to take a jab. The two scholars who were on good terms with Liang Shijie laughed, looking at Xu Zifan as if he were a huge joke.
The smiles on Xu's parents' faces disappeared, and they looked somewhat tense.
Zhang Di looked at Xu Zifan. Although they were elders, they couldn't help but feel hesitant when they encountered a scholar like him, whose clothes clearly indicated wealth. Xiao Lian had already hidden half her body behind Xu's mother, her head bowed, not daring to look.
Xu Zifan smiled slightly and said frankly, "Brother Shaoting reminded me that writing letters and petitions can earn money, which can support my family and help others. Why not? Brother Shaoting, it's perfectly normal for me to be filial to my parents and take care of my sister, and to try to make a living. My family is not as wealthy as yours. In our village, a man my age who can't support his family would be laughed at. As for studying, I've decided that if I can't earn the money for the exam, I won't go. I can't let my parents and sister suffer because of me, can I?"
Xu Zifan cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "Brother Shaoting, Brother Bowen, Brother Chang'an... everyone, please continue with your work. I still have to go to Honghu Academy. Farewell."
"Farewell, Brother Yi, take care."
Xu Zifan bid farewell to his classmates, shouldered his bamboo basket, and turned to leave with his family. He had a smile on his face and walked with ease, showing no sign of having just been ridiculed. When passing by some shops, he would even point them out to his family, as if nothing had happened. The scholars of the academy also dispersed, and a few of them glanced at Liang Shijie a few times before leaving.
Liang Shijie was initially surprised by Xu Zifan's amiable demeanor, not understanding what he was talking about, and simply assumed he was giving in because he couldn't afford to study. After Xu Zifan left, he thought about it carefully and realized something was wrong! Wasn't Xu Zifan implying that he couldn't support his family and deserved to be laughed at? Copying books and writing letters were things scholars would disdain, so why was Xu Zifan making it sound like he was making a fuss? He felt like he'd been mocked instead of ridiculed, and inexplicably felt a bit annoyed.
Some of the other scholars sensed a hidden meaning in Xu Zifan's words and whispered among themselves, feeling that something about him had changed; he had become eloquent and articulate. They themselves wouldn't have been able to remain so composed in that situation. Scholars are most sensitive about what others say about them, their reputation, and being looked down upon for their actions. Yet Xu Zifan seemed completely unconcerned, displaying a natural and unpretentious demeanor that was admirable. It was a pity he was born into a farming family and didn't pursue an education; his future prospects were predictable. Many shook their heads in dismay, not taking Xu Zifan seriously.
Once Xu Zifan and his friends had walked a distance, Xu's mother couldn't help but ask, "Third son, who was that person just now? Was he the same person who treated you like this when you were studying at the academy?"
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Mother, if he hadn't said anything just now, I wouldn't have even remembered him. Even if we had conflicts before, I never suffered a loss, so there's nothing to care about."
Xu's mother was taken aback for a moment. "Oh, that's good. This is supposed to be a scholar, how can he be so tactless?"
"Scholars are not necessarily wise, and there are plenty of shameless scoundrels out there. So we should respect someone based on their character, not their status." Xu Zifan saw the Honghu Bookstore and said to them, "No one who doesn't read or buy books is allowed in the bookstore. Dad, Mom, wait for me outside. I'll be back in a moment. Xiaolian, take good care of Dad and Mom."
"Okay, Third Brother, you go ahead." Xiao Lian nodded, her opinion of Xu Zifan had changed a lot. She felt that what Xu Zifan said made a lot of sense, and what he did was very reliable, giving people a very trustworthy feeling.
After settling them in, Xu Zifan went to the bookstore to discuss the book copying business with the manager. He didn't really understand how scholars in ancient times made money. He was quite good at calligraphy, but the original owner of this body's handwriting was mediocre, and he would need a long time to practice and restore his own style. He was completely unskilled at painting, so making money from that wouldn't work. Writing letters and petitions for others would require setting up a stall, which was too inconvenient for him living in the village. Book copying was the most suitable way he could think of to make money; hopefully, other avenues would appear in the future.
The library had some basic books on medicinal herbs and medical theory. Xu Zifan agreed with the manager to copy the medical books first, and then copy the books required for the imperial examinations. He wrote a few characters for the manager, who approved them and agreed to pay ten coins for copying one hundred characters. The library provided paper and ink, which was a very good price for this small town.
When Xu Zifan left the library, he took two medical books, each about a thousand characters long, and enough paper and ink. He could earn over two hundred coins by copying these two books; a thousand coins equaled one tael of silver. Previously, the entire Xu family only spent five taels of silver a year on living expenses, excluding education and medical care. Therefore, if Xu Zifan copied quickly, his income would be substantial. Xu's father, mother, and Xiaolian all smiled upon hearing the price; the family would finally no longer have to worry about making a living.