Chapter 002: The Kong Family Mansion

Old Master Kong snorted coldly and gently set down the ginseng in his hand: "I have been examining mountain goods for decades; do you think a country bumpkin like you knows better? When I say ten years, it is ten years! If you wish to sell, then sell; if not, get lost quickly! Do not obstruct the precious land of the Kong residence!"

Kang Xing'an had already grown accustomed to the tension of amnesia. He nodded and said: "Master Kong is the great landlord of Kongjia Village, holding the status of a scholar. His family is indeed the most prominent in our area, spanning ten miles. In our Lianhua Tun, there are few people, and we usually go to Kongjia Village, which is ten miles away, for the market. His family has a mountain goods shop in Weicheng, and the iron stick yam and similar items we cultivate are too expensive for ordinary people to afford, so how could they buy them? These mountain goods can only be sold to him." His family has a mountain goods shop in Weicheng, and the iron stick yam and similar items we cultivate are too expensive for ordinary people to afford, so how could they buy them? These mountain goods can only be sold to him.

Upon hearing "the fourth year of Chongzhen," Zhang Li nearly choked, but when the words "Jinzhou Guard" sprang from Kang Xing'an's mouth, Zhang Li was instantly filled with a sense of impending doom!

Seeing that no one approached, Kang Xing'an and Zhang Li strode into the pavilion. With a smiling face, Kang Xing'an said: "Steward Kong, my brother Li and I risked our lives to gather some bird's nests in exchange for some grain."

On that clear morning, Zhang Li and Kang Xing'an got up early, made some preparations, bid farewell to Aunt Song, and hurriedly set out to sell bird's nest.

The old man cautiously accompanied by a smile said: "Housekeeper Kong, although this wild ginseng is not a hundred-year-old ginseng, I reckon it has been around for about forty to fifty years..."

More than twenty steps to the east of the main gate of the Kong family mansion, there is a shed. Inside the shed are four or five large baskets, clearly used for collecting ordinary mountain goods. Next to it is a small table, on which is placed a set of cabinets, presumably for storing more valuable mountain goods after they have been collected.

Upon mentioning his sister, Kang Xing'an's expression immediately darkened. Zhang Li noticed something was amiss and asked, "What happened to your sister and the library?"

Before entering the village, Zhang Li immediately noticed that a household in the northeast of the village occupied a vast area. The courtyard, with its high walls and red tiles, stood out prominently among the low houses, making it appear like a crane among chickens. Zhang Li speculated that this must be the residence of Lord Kong.

Three days have passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhang Li's body has already recovered

Manager Kong had evidently received mountain goods from the two of them before. He merely glanced at them and said淡淡地道: "Take it out for me to have a look"

Although Zhang Li did not have a very detailed understanding of the concept, considering the rarity of bird's nests in later generations, selling one or two bird's nests for ten taels of silver should not be a problem. Thinking about how he nearly lost his life for that less than one tael of bird's nest in Kang Xing'an's possession, Zhang Li felt a deep resentment.

As soon as the words were spoken, two burly henchmen of Manager Kong swiftly stepped forward, seemingly ready to force the old man out of the awning.

Zhang Li fell silent, knowing that this was what later generations referred to as the "Little Ice Age." From the late Wanli period to the mid-Kangxi period, it was considered the "Little Ice Age," during which the temperature across the vast land of China was very low, leading to a significant reduction in grain production and making life extremely difficult for the common people. However, during the Kangxi period, due to the widespread cultivation of high-yield crops such as corn and potatoes, there were no famines. In contrast, during the Chongzhen period, the impact of this "Little Ice Age" was profound. Previously, there had not been much awareness of it, but at this moment, looking at the stunted and sparse crops in the fields, Zhang Li could not help but feel a pang of anxiety.

At the lower position of the gray-robed elder stood an old man, who was filled with trepidation and his eyes were brimming with anticipation

Even the poor boys like Zhang Li and Kang Xing'an wear narrow-edged net caps on their heads, resembling a miniature fishing net, covering their hair and leaving only the bun exposed. However, the net caps on Zhang Li and Kang Xing'an's heads have several holes.

Zhang Li knew that his condition could be classified as a mild concussion in later generations, and that resting for a few days should lead to improvement

Song Xiuniang furrowed her brows, blew on the steaming rice porridge, brought the ceramic bowl to her lips, gently moistened her lips, and immediately offered it to Zhang Li: "Mother is really not hungry, look, I took a big sip!"

Indeed, Kang Xing'an entered the Zhuangzi and headed straight for the northeast corner, with Zhang Li closely following behind. There were no living souls to be seen in the Zhuangzi, as every household had its doors tightly shut. Kang Xing'an and Zhang Li quickly arrived in front of the Kong residence.

This is a custom unique to the Ming Dynasty. If Zhang Li encounters individuals of higher status in the future, they will still wear hats.

Song Xiuniang held a bowl of rice porridge and slowly walked to the earthen kang: "Child, quickly drink this porridge; your mother has put in a whole small handful of rice!"

After a moment of silence, with his emotions slightly calmed, Zhang Lili said to Kang Xing'an: "You keep the bird's nest safe. After I rest for two days, we will sell it and exchange it for some rice."

This village is clearly much larger than Lianhua Tun, with approximately over 100 households. Although most of the houses are thatched cottages, there are also a few brick and tile houses, indicating that the living conditions are somewhat better than those in Lianhua Tun

Zhang Li was even more aware that the Jinzhou Guard during the Ming Dynasty corresponds to the present-day Dalian area. If I remember correctly, in two years, the Tartars will massacre this place, and from then on, the people of Jinzhou Guard will no longer wear the clothing and attire of the Han people

Kang Xing'an seemed to be lost in memories: "My father said that during the reign of Emperor Wanli, every family in our village would slaughter a big fat pig during the festivals! My goodness, wasn't that living like a deity! The last time I had meat was five years ago when my sister got married..."

The first interesting thing that Zhang Li discovered after his time travel was that he noticed all adult men from the Ming Dynasty wore a mhetushu, along with a silk scarf or a net scarf on their heads

Zhang Li furrowed his brows tightly, "Lord Kong? Who is Lord Kong? One tael of bird's nest only exchanges for one tael of silver; what is the difference from outright robbery? Does Anzi not know that bird's nest is an extremely valuable tonic?"

Kong Guanjia wore a look of disgust and scolded, "Do you think the Kong residence is a charity hospital?! Ten years of mountain ginseng for one stalk, four taels of silver! Recently, the price of rice has skyrocketed, priced at two dou of coarse grain! Choose whether you want silver or grain! Stop wasting my time with nonsense!"

Song Xiuniang smiled, her smile sweet: "My child has a kind heart. With your words, it is enough for me as a mother. Hearing this makes me happier than eating a steamed bun made of white flour! You and Anzi stay at home well. I will tidy up a bit and then go dig some wild vegetables."

Zhang Li understood that this Master Kong's business of mountain goods was essentially a monopoly. No wonder a tael of bird's nest only fetched a tael of silver; if the common people did not sell to him, they would not be able to sell at all

The old man fell to his knees with a thud: "Master Kong, I implore your mercy. My family has been out of food for many days, and it took me quite some time to find this wild ginseng. It is the lifeline of my family..."

Kang Xing'an was filled with joy: "Alright, this will be collected at Lord Kong's residence. I heard that one tael of bird's nest can be exchanged for one tael of silver. My goodness, I have never seen what a tael of silver looks like in my entire life!"

Kong Guanjia looked disdainful and spat, "Have your dog eyes gone blind! This mountain ginseng is at most ten years old. You filthy dog, did you come here to amuse me?!"

A thug nodded and led the old man towards the warehouse

Kang Xing'an nodded, his expression serious.

Song Xiuniang said somewhat angrily: "Silly child, what are you talking about! I will go dig some wild vegetables to stave off hunger, you won't starve. You are seriously injured, hurry and drink this!"

Looking at Song Xiuniang with boundless joy, Zhang Li felt a pang in his heart: "Mother, you drink first; the child is not hungry"

Zhang Li has a clear understanding of this period of history. During the Ming Dynasty, the northern frontier was long ununified, facing the "Northern Barbarians" of Mongolia to the west and the "Eastern Barbarians" of the Jurchens to the east. Since the Ming Dynasty, the court adopted the strategy of "using the Eastern Barbarians to control the Northern Barbarians," sparing no effort to build border walls, construct fortresses, and station heavy troops in the Liaodong region, extending from Shanhaiguan to Kaiyuan, Tieling, and all the way to the banks of the Yalu River

A city was built every thirty li, with a platform constructed every five li and a post every ten li between cities, creating a connection of safety and danger, like a string of pearls. In the eighth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the Liaodong Dusi was established, overseeing a total of twenty-five guards, among which the Jinzhou Guard was one.

Seeing that Kang Xing'an was unwilling to discuss the matter further, Zhang Li then changed the subject: "We will remember this blood debt for now and not mention it again. Who is that Lord Kong? Please tell me about him, as I have trouble recalling past events after injuring my head."

The two walked and talked, and before long, they arrived at Kongjia Village, which was ten miles away.

Zhang Li shook his head: "Mother, if you do not drink this rice porridge, the child absolutely will not drink it either"

It was unimaginable in the Ming Dynasty for a man to wear only a topknot without any adornments. Only beggars or vagrants would be indifferent to such a matter

Then, Kong Guanjia carefully placed the ginseng in his hand into the drawer of the small table and said to the man behind him, who looked like a thug, "Take him to the warehouse to receive two dou of coarse grain"

Zhang Li's forehead was furrowed with worry, but Kang Xing'an remained unconcerned: "Brother Li, there is no need to worry. Our bird's nest is completely pure, as smooth as凝脂, and I doubt that Steward Kong would have anything to say about it."

Around the pavilion, there were about ten people, some carrying burdens on their shoulders, others cradling clay pots. They were all local mountain dwellers who had brought their collected mountain goods to the Kong residence to sell.

Zhang Li was about to inquire in detail about the matters concerning Master Kong's painting and books when a fragrant aroma of rice wafted in from the kitchen to the west, stirring his appetite.

Kang Xing'an helped Zhang Li to his feet. Zhang Li looked at the bowl in his mother's hand, which contained some yellow, grain-like substances, perhaps millet? In any case, it was certainly not the rice that people eat every day in later times. Zhang Li no longer hesitated, bowing his head and drinking the entire bowl of porridge.

The old man, realizing that there was no room for negotiation, could only stammer, "The old man needs food"

After speaking, Song Xiuniang picked up the dishes and turned to walk towards the kitchen

Seeing such a scene outside the awning, everyone hesitated a bit

Zhang Li wiped the corner of his mouth, his gaze filled with determination: "Anzi, be my witness. I, Zhang Li, swear that in this lifetime, I will ensure that my mother can also live a life of luxury and comfort"

Kang Xing'an sighed: "The year before last, my sister's village, Tuer Tun, suffered from the calamity of the Tartars, and the entire village was slaughtered. When my father and I rushed over to see, there was not a single survivor among the more than one hundred people in the village! My sister's family could not escape misfortune either, and I pity my unborn little nephew..."

Kang Xing'an sighed: "Who says otherwise! My father said that since the reign of Emperor Wanli, this wretched weather has been getting colder year by year, with less and less rainfall, and the crops have been declining year after year!"

The old man was taken aback, his words somewhat tangled: "Kong... Kong Butler, how could this wild ginseng, with its complete roots, grow so perfectly in just ten... ten years?"

Walking along the small path by the field, Zhang Li noticed that the crops in the field were growing poorly, and could not help but ask: "Anzi, I see that the crops in the field are not growing well; I estimate that the harvest will not be good, right?"

The very thought of a tuft of golden rat tail hair left at the back of his head made Zhang Li feel utterly nauseous

In the pavilion, an elderly man in a gray robe, sporting a goatee and wearing a wide-brimmed square cap, was carefully examining a ginseng root.