Chapter 008: Starting from Scratch (Part Two)
Qin sighed and murmured, "It's just winning a prize, why does it sound as if a client has deflowered a young prostitute?"
With a slight bow, Qin Kan politely inquired, "May I ask your esteemed name, my friend?"
Are you not afraid that I will expose you
At this moment, Qin Kan, who was on the verge of prosperity, was in a very good mood. He raised his thumb, pointed at himself, and said with a smile, "Of course, it was this rascal who said it."
Du Yan felt a lump in her chest that she could not release, and biting her silver teeth, she said: "Which scoundrel said that 'A thousand gold cannot buy my happiness'?"
After taking just a few steps, Qin Kan felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw that it was the middle-aged scholar who had just won the prize.
Du Yan was just about to take the silver from his hand when Qin Kan suddenly retracted his hand and said, "Wait! Write a receipt!"
Qin Kan readily took out the crumpled paper with a pig's head drawn on it and handed it to him. This person appeared somewhat abnormal; both madmen and women represent trouble. Already burdened with one inescapable problem, Qin Kan did not wish to add another trouble.
Du Yan huffed in anger: "Is the road in the city yours? Why do you care whether I walk or not"
... ...
I will join as well
A very strange feeling, as if being followed by a dog while holding a piece of meat bone all the way...
What can two qian of silver do in Shaoxing Prefecture? Perhaps it can brew a pot of fresh pre-rain Longjing tea in a tea house, or it might allow for a meal of moderate quality at Yuchun Tower. And now, it may be able to exchange for a donkey worth six liang of silver
The refined and cultured Qin Kan suddenly felt an urge to curse on the streets
The scholar looked left and right for a while, and only then did he nod in satisfaction. He rudely slapped the painting onto Qin Kan's chest and exclaimed, "Do you see this? This is what a donkey looks like! What you drew is simply a pig!"
The scholar unfolded a paper ball, on which a very abstract cartoon pig's head was smiling at him with a naive expression
Well, the unfortunate times have passed, the fines imposed by the authorities have been paid, and the more than ten taels of silver that were stolen yesterday have also been recovered
One is willing to hit, and the other is willing to take it; there is no need to view the matter so seriously
Qin Kan squinted his eyes and smiled
Qin Kan instinctively glanced at Du Yan
I won the prize, where is the donkey
Upon hearing that the prize had been drawn by someone, the crowd immediately let out a long sigh of regret, and then gradually dispersed in small groups
After a brief silence, the onlookers gradually became agitated
Why can a gentleman deceive others with integrity? Because scholars are often naive, especially those gentlemen who aspire to become successful candidates in the imperial examinations
Du Yan shot him a fierce glance, borrowed paper and pen from a street-side stationery stall, and elegantly wrote a receipt in a flamboyant style
Qin Kan weighed the remaining silver in his pocket, estimating that there were still about a dozen taels left. This result filled him with immense joy.
Qin Kan smiled, a very sweet smile
Du Yan clenched her fists in anger: "How despicable! To deceive so many people..."
Du Yan cast a sidelong glance at Qin Kan, as she awaited the subsequent developments of the situation
Du Yan, who had been following Qin Kan, let out a chuckle and then laughed heartily without any regard for her demeanor
The purchasing power of the people in Jiangnan is astonishing; within the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense, the paper balls in the box are nearly sold out. Seizing the moment when there are still a dozen or so paper balls left, Qin Kan discreetly tossed the winning paper ball back into the box.
Qin Kan touched his nose and calmly said, "What I just drew was originally a pig..."
The middle-aged scholar was so excited that he danced with joy: "It doesn't matter; what is important is the omen. Among hundreds of people, only I have succeeded. In the spring examination after the New Year, heaven will surely not disappoint me."
The middle-aged scholar's gaze is somewhat vacant; from earlier until now, he has been acting a bit neurotic.
Du Yan's unrestrained laughter suddenly choked off, as if someone had suddenly grasped her throat, and her entire face instantly turned a shade of purple.
... ... ''
Qin Kan took out a large handful of silver coins from his pocket, approximately twenty taels, and handed them to Du Yan, saying: "I keep my word; I have gathered the twenty taels of silver that the authorities fined me, and I will give them to you."
"Isn't the prize a donkey? Where's the donkey?" The middle-aged scholar was clearly somewhat incoherent.
Yet the middle-aged scholar raised the pig's head high, fluttering like a banner in the wind, laughing maniacally: "A good omen, a good omen! At last, I have secured the top position..."
Therefore, the so-called "lottery" event organized by Qin Kan has garnered significant interest from the onlookers
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A person had been quietly amused for a long time when Qin Kan suddenly turned his head and said, "Why are you still not leaving?"
Du Yan found herself at a loss for words; she deeply felt that this seemingly frail scholar before her must have been struck at the shameless acupoint by a master of the martial arts in the rivers and lakes
The middle-aged scholar rushed over with lightning speed, excitedly shouting at Qin Kan: "Donkey!"
Du Yan's handwriting is beautiful; her characters reflect her personality, combining elegance and a touch of masculinity. Each stroke conveys a sense of restlessness, as if every character is a sprite dancing gracefully under the moonlight
Miss Du, your use of the word '弄' makes me quite uncomfortable
The weight in his arms was substantial, filled with various scattered silver coins. A rough estimate suggested it was around twenty or so taels, causing his long gown to bulge. However, the smile on Qin Kan's face resembled the peach blossoms of March, becoming more vibrant with each passing moment
Qin Kan said with a serious expression: "Forgive my bluntness, but trusting the children of officials is a form of cruelty to oneself... We are not well acquainted, and I hope we do not become too familiar in the future, so it is better to proceed according to the proper procedures in all matters"
"Take this!" Du Yan threw the receipt forcefully at Qin Kan, while her other hand unceremoniously accepted the silver.
Du Yan's small mouth suddenly closed, the corners of her lips curled in disdain as she said, "What is there to admire about this..."
According to the prices during the mid-Ming Dynasty, a good horse was priced at approximately 12 taels of silver, while a donkey was around 6 taels.
Glaring at him with resentment, Du Yan coldly remarked: "Don't celebrate too early; there are still over 100 paper balls left in the box. If someone wins a prize now, those more than 100 paper balls of yours will no longer be bought..."
Damn ... ...
Understood, what they seek is a sign, not a prize
Qin Kan hurriedly clasped his hands together, his face filled with sincerity, and said: "Brother, winning the grand prize is truly a cause for celebration..."
Du Yan's forehead throbbed with anger as she clenched her fists and growled: "Do not look at me! I am not a donkey!"
Do you have any matters to attend to, brother? Qin Kan raised an eyebrow
Miss Du, we are even now. From now on, let us go our separate ways and not disturb each other, shall we
This woman, aside from being ruthless and having a low moral standard, is also very thick-skinned
Qin Kan nodded slightly
Qin Kan then leisurely looked at the scholar and slowly said: "Are you planning to lead the donkey back to mhetushucomcom or would you prefer to cash it in?"
You ... ...
The middle-aged scholar took the silver, casually tucked it into his bosom, and turned around with a joyful demeanor to leave
Qin Kan glared at the scholar with an unfriendly expression and said, "What do you mean?"
As soon as Qin Kan opened his mouth, the scholar interrupted him with indignation: "How can a donkey be drawn like this? Everything in the world has its divine form; this is a desecration of all things!"
Just now, the paper ball that I won... what was drawn on it? The scholar's face was filled with a strong desire for knowledge
Du Yan angrily said: "Do you think I care to provoke you?"
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that Qin Kan's question was quite tricky; no matter how she answered, she would fall into his trap
Qin Kan smiled dryly: "As long as you don't care, it's fine. I truly have nothing that is worthy of your admiration."
Two people walked a distance, one in front and the other behind. Qin Kan stopped, and Du Yan also stopped. Qin Kan walked, and Du Yan also walked, puffing her cheeks and glaring at Qin Kan's back, causing a chill to run down Qin Kan's spine
Shh... Blocking someone's financial path is akin to killing their parents. You wouldn't be so heartless, would you? Qin Kan lowered his voice.
Qin Kan and Du Yan could not help but be greatly astonished
Du Yan, standing nearby, stared in astonishment at all of this, her beautiful apricot-shaped eyes filled with disbelief, and her rosy lips parted wide, remaining so for a long time without closing
Cough cough cough ... I, Suzhou Tang Yin, courtesy name Bo Hu, sigh!
"You... you took that winning ticket..." Du Yan exclaimed in exasperation, her delicate face flushed with anger
Amidst the bustling crowd, Qin Kan took a moment to turn his head and flashed a grin at her, saying: "Do you feel a sense of admiration for me in your heart, yet are unwilling to admit it aloud?"
Cough cough cough ... ... This time it was Qin Kan's turn to cough, and he coughed even more violently than Tang Yin.
The timeless truth that remains unshakable is that a clever person will never go hungry, no matter where they are
Qin Kan's expression remained unchanged: "Do not be afraid, if you dare to expose me, I will say that we are partners..."
Du Yan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "Do you really not trust me like this?"
This expression is more hurtful than cursing someone while pointing at their nose, and Qin Kan's head began to smoke.
Although this guy seems a bit unusual, he doesn't appear to be a bad person
Du Yan let out a heavy sigh: "Look at the mischief you have caused, fooling and * plotting * against hundreds of people, the one who won almost ended up going mad..."
On the piece of paper, a pig's head, deeply reminiscent of the artistic style of Qin Kan, is smiling at him with a simple and honest expression
The value of a donkey in silver is a somewhat ambiguous concept
"The market price for a donkey is six... no, five taels of silver. Here, take this five taels of silver." Qin Kan readily counted out five taels of silver from his pocket and handed it to him
The scholar didn't even glance at him, pinching one corner of the paper ball with two fingers, while holding his nose with the other hand. The expression on his face was as if he had just been fed a lump of excrement, almost on the verge of vomiting.
Qin Kan suppressed a laugh and replied seriously: "No, what I drew is ... ... "
Du Yan's almond-shaped eyes blinked, and then she realized, taking a sharp breath in.
The scholar clearly lacks insight, as he is deeply immersed in his sorrow over the deformed pig's head, unable to extricate himself from it
The scholar shook his head, displaying a kind of stubborn insistence: "No, let me see that crumpled piece of paper again..."
Qin Kan's expression became very serious: "Please respect my dignity; I am not a donkey"
However, a donkey valued at six taels of silver still greatly moved the onlookers.
Since they have grown weary of each other, there is naturally nothing left for the two to say
The reward has been fulfilled, what does it matter what it depicts
Qin Kan stood in front of the box, watching countless hands pass over the weighed two qian of silver, countless hands reaching into the box to pull out a wad of paper, and of course, there were countless sighs and expressions of reluctance... ? ... Renewal ?
Faced with a woman who brings him endless trouble, no man's expression would be particularly pleasant. Trouble is always trouble; no matter how beautiful she is, she is merely a beautiful trouble.
Qin sighed and said, "As the saying goes, 'A thousand gold pieces cannot buy a moment of joy.' Look at these people; they spent merely 2 coins and are so elated. Where in the world can one find such a bargain? They should be grateful to me..."
With just a few strokes added, a well-crafted abstract pig's head was abruptly transformed into a donkey's head by a scholar. The donkey's ears droop down, its face is elongated, vividly lifelike, and possesses a certain charm.
During the Hongzhi period, Yang Yiqing, the Grand Coordinator of the Three Borders, was commanded by the Emperor to vigorously develop horse management, ensuring the military and civilian needs for horses, mules, and donkeys. As a result, the market prices for mules and horses in the civilian sector remained relatively stable
Fortunately, this awkward and bizarre interaction did not last long
Qin Kan glanced at her calmly, and while the onlookers were not paying attention, he quietly took out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve, casually waved it in front of her, and then the paper disappeared into his sleeve with astonishing speed
The scholar was taken aback, staring fixedly at Qin Kan for a long time, and suddenly bent down, coughing violently.
Ah! Could it be a donkey? The scholar suddenly realized, and then his expression of disgust deepened: Is this a donkey? Can a donkey grow to look like this?
Qin Kan dislikes trouble
The middle-aged scholar excitedly rushed in front of Qin Kan, brandishing the winning ticket and said hurriedly: "Look, quick look! Did I win?"
The scholar stared for a long while, suddenly gasping in shock, and exclaimed: "Alas! What is this? It is so ugly it makes me want to cry!"
Qin sighed and, almost in a murmuring tone, reached his third conclusion about her
Pointing at Du Yan, who was laughing uncontrollably and lost her composure, the scholar, with a puzzled expression, suddenly asked: "Are you drawing her?"
Before long, a thin, middle-aged scholar suddenly jumped up and laughed heartily, saying: "I won! I won! I have won the prize!"
After calculating and considering, people generally feel that spending two coins is not a loss
Qin Kan cherished the receipt as if it were a precious treasure, yet his expression was not very pleasant
Since the time of the founding emperor, there have been strict prohibitions against gambling activities such as betting on games, with offenders facing punishment. However, the nature of the people is inclined towards gambling, and despite repeated bans, it has not ceased. Furthermore, the current benevolent emperor Hongzhi has contributed to the prevalence of gambling among the populace, as the laws are not enforced and the authorities often turn a blind eye.
Shaoxing is located in the prosperous region of Jiangnan. The wealth of Jiangnan can be attributed not only to its unique soil, climate, and geographical advantages but also to the openness of its people towards new ideas. The local customs are liberal, the concepts are advanced, and the spirit is audacious. Consider the time when Emperor Taizu issued a maritime ban, strictly prohibiting any ships from going to sea. Yet, the merchants from Zhejiang in Jiangnan openly defied this order, secretly building merchant ships to trade with Japan, Korea, and Ryukyu. This exemplifies a bold and reckless pursuit of wealth.
"Young man, I will give you silver, let me draw once..."
This fellow, not knowing what he was up to, actually carried a pen and inkpot with him. Without regard for the expressions of Qin Kan and Du Yan, he squatted down and began to modify that drawing of a pig's head by the roadside.