Chapter Four, Prosperous Era (Four)
On the second day, as dawn broke, Li Mao got up to pack his things and head into the city. Before setting off, he selected four pieces of raw cowhide, two baskets of dried mushrooms, and a bundle of beef jerky from the goods he had brought back from beyond the frontier, handing them to his son with the command: "Take these to your uncle. Don't go to school for the next few days; there are matters at home that require your attention"
Ah, oh! Li Xu shivered and then noticed that his little aunt was holding a sharp knife, crouching down to confront the rooster by the wall. The rooster clearly sensed the impending danger, raising its comb, stretching its neck, and clucking loudly, darting left and right in an attempt to break through the five-finger mountain formed by Zhang Liu. However, Zhang Liu was not one to give up easily; despite having her arms under her rolled-up sleeves pecked and covered in blood, she fought fiercely without retreating.
Upon seeing this scene, Li Xu pushed open the courtyard door. He rolled up the hem of his long gown and tucked it into his waist, then rushed forward in a few quick steps to pin the rooster down to the ground. Zhang Liu's wife, witnessing the swift actions of the newcomer, thought he was unlike the old useless man in her own home. Stunned for a moment, she exclaimed: "Xu Guan, I thought your uncle had returned. Quickly put it down, quickly put it down, this is not the kind of rough work for a scholar, heaven will punish..."
He did not wish to see his aunt-in-law, yet Zhang Liu seemed to have a telepathic connection. Noticing footsteps at the door, she shouted without raising her head: "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and catch that chicken; if we delay Lord Yang's birthday banquet, we will be in big trouble!"
This Liu woman is renowned far and wide for her fiery temperament. She remained at home until the age of 19, and no one in the neighborhood dared to approach her. Her parents, having no other choice, accepted a bride price of 10 taels and promised her to Zhang Baosheng as a secondary wife. At that time, Zhang Baosheng's business was thriving, and he married a woman more than 20 years younger than himself, treating her with utmost care. After Miss Liu entered the household, her temper flared, quickly scaring off friends and neighbors who came to visit. If it were not for this, Zhang Baosheng's inn would not have survived to this day. However, this capable woman was unable to provide Zhang's family with an heir, leading Zhang Baosheng to constantly consider taking a concubine. Whenever he timidly brought up this plan, he was always scolded out the door by Mrs. Zhang Liu. Over time, he had no choice but to abandon this unrealistic thought.
At that time, Liangzi had just tied up his hair, with a physique and face similar to Xuzi's
Skipping class casually will make Master Yang angry!" Li Xu protested loudly. Seeing that his father was ignoring him, he muttered another sentence, "The lectures these days are about strategy theory, during the imperial examination..."
"Take the good wine that your uncle gave to your father last time; your mother has been reluctant to open that jar. Deliver it to the master another day! By the way, bring some mushrooms and dried game from the frontier for your uncle. Although it is a drop in the bucket, at least it can make a decent dish!" Li Mao hesitated for a moment and instructed in a low voice
Li Xu did not understand why his usually amiable father was angry, and he dared not retort any further. He hung a bundle of miscellaneous goods on the mule's back and followed his father out of the house and through the library door. It was still early, and the official road was quite desolate; the autumn wind swirled the early yellow fallen leaves in the air, fluttering like colorful butterflies against the pale blue distant mountains, a scene both splendid and somewhat desolate.
"The Emperor may be going to war again; our troops from Shanggu have always had a renowned reputation," said Old Li Mao with a sigh, glancing at his son, whose face was filled with grievance, at the crossroads. Reflecting on how these words far exceeded the understanding of a fourteen-year-old child, he gave a wry smile and rode away.
"I suppose they are busy in the backyard!" Li Xu stood at the door for a moment, leading his mount around to the back entrance. The backyard of the inn was his uncle's home, separated by two dilapidated earthen walls that enclosed a desolate courtyard. As Li Xu peered through the back gate, he happened to catch sight of the last person he wanted to see, his little aunt, Zhang Liu.
"I requested it, and the master granted me the name Zhongjian. The master also suggested that I take the imperial examination. A few days ago, he taught everyone how to write essays and commented on my essay with the words 'profound understanding of principles, remarkable insight,' and even asked me to read it aloud to all my classmates!" Li Xu interjected. He did not quite understand the difference between 'Mingjing' and 'Jinshi,' but his greatest aspiration was simply to become a household manager, so that his parents and uncle could live a few days without being bullied. He just felt that if he could delay the examination for a few years, he could help his mother look after the family business a bit more, and also spare his father from constantly delivering gifts to Liu Xueji. Everyone in the class knew that Liu Xueji was someone who only accepted gifts without providing any assistance; only the older generation was truly sincere, always taking the initiative to be deceived by him.
"Zhongjian, I do not know which classic this originates from. This Master Yang..." Li Mao's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. The fact that the most learned Master Yang in the area personally conferred a name upon his son indicated that the elder had already recognized the master-disciple relationship with Li Xu. Although this relationship was imposed by the Li family, it added a glimmer of hope to Li Xu's recommendation by the authorities. As a dutiful father, Li Mao was always willing to spare no effort in making arrangements for his son.
"Going to war? That's a good thing. Just in time to enlist and achieve fame," Li Xu thought, looking at his father's increasingly aged figure with confusion. Usually at the county school, the old master Yang, who had once followed General Yang Su to pacify the south of the Yangtze River, often recounted his own heroic deeds from years past. Whenever he spoke of the grand army crossing the river and the remarkable feat of pulling Chen Houzhu out of the well, he would slap the table in excitement, as if he had regained a decade of youth.
Although both individuals came from humble backgrounds, they were somewhat literate and were familiar with the story of soldiers wrapped in horsehide. The county of Shanggu borders the frontier, and the government was conducting large-scale requisitions of raw cowhide, not only to prepare armor for the soldiers going to war but for other purposes as well. However, at present, all the foreign states that could be subdued around the Sui Dynasty had already been subdued, with the only remaining troublemaker being Goguryeo. In the 18th year of the Kaihuang era, Prince Yang Liang and General Gao Qiang led over 300,000 troops on an expedition to Goguryeo. According to the Emperor himself, the final outcome was that the King of Goguryeo bowed in submission, but of the 300,000 brave soldiers who went east, fewer than 3,000 returned. Among the 290,000 heroic souls left in a foreign land was Li Xu's elder brother, Li Liang
"Ah!" Li Xu happily agreed, but suddenly remembered the matter his uncle had entrusted to him. He said softly, "What my uncle urgently needs is not rare flavors. He asked me to inquire if you could help him find two pieces of raw cowhide when you return. If cowhide is unavailable, horsehide or donkeyhide will suffice. He is willing to pay a suitable price, as the authorities are pressing him for it"
Speaking, she snatched the "prisoner" from Li Xu's hand, gracefully moving with light steps, and in just a few strides, she reached the edge of the pre-dug pit in the courtyard. With her slender fingers, she tucked the rooster's neck under its wings, holding the wings and neck together, while her other delicate hand gently swept, swiftly dispatching the rooster.
Lost in thought, I found myself before the entrance of the "Youjian" inn. In recent years, the common folk have fallen on hard times, with ordinary families having only two meals a day. In the inn, business is usually so slow in the morning that they do not even light a fire. To Li Xu's surprise, his uncle Zhang Baosheng was not in the inn preparing ingredients; the large inn was empty, devoid of any human presence.
As a scholar, Li Xu naturally would not find his aunt pleasing. Mencius said, "There are three forms of unfilial behavior, and the greatest is having no descendants." Since his uncle is still relatively young, he ought to marry a woman capable of bearing children to continue the family line. However, as a junior, he cannot mention these 'public opinions' in front of his uncle, so he can only try to minimize encounters with his young aunt, seeking to embody the gentleman's principle of "not seeing and not knowing, thus having no faults to speak of" and maintaining a clear conscience.
Suddenly, both husband and wife turned pale, looking at each other, their eyes filled with fear
In this life, one must strive for extraordinary achievements, whether to serve the ruler above or to protect the people below. If it benefits the nation, one would face a hundred deaths without hesitation... Master Yang, in front of the young ones, expressed his youthful exuberance in this manner. At such moments, Li Xu and others were equally entranced, as if they had transformed into Han Qintian and He Ruobi, following the young Prince Jin to discuss the affairs of the state. They had never considered that, given their own identities and family backgrounds, even if they were to join the military, they could only serve as foot soldiers. Opportunities for a hundred deaths without hesitation were abundant every day, and the possibility of achieving extraordinary fame was scarcely greater than being struck by lightning. At such moments, Li Xu and others were equally entranced, as if they had transformed into Han Qintian and He Ruobi, following the young Prince Jin to discuss the affairs of the state. They had never considered that, given their own identities and family backgrounds, even if they were to join the military, they could only serve as foot soldiers. Opportunities for a hundred deaths without hesitation were abundant every day, and the possibility of achieving extraordinary fame was scarcely greater than being struck by lightning.
"Go when you're told, no need for so much nonsense!" Li Mao clearly was not in a good mood, glaring with his eyes.
I do have ready-made leather goods in my possession, so there is no need to purchase them from others. However, why is the government suddenly demanding leather goods out of the blue?
"Five pieces of raw cowhide? What kind of madness has Zhao Ergou fallen into, needing so much cowhide? Is it possible that someone in the county magistrate's family has died, and they need it to wrap the corpse?" Li Mao slammed the table fiercely, cursing in frustration
By the way, Uncle Zhong mentioned that a few days ago, Zhao Er, the head of the family in the county town, came to inquire when you would return. He said that we need to pay an additional five pieces of raw cowhide to the authorities this year. Uncle Zhong pleaded with him for quite a while before it was reduced to three pieces. On his way out, he also casually took two Lu Hua chickens with him Li Zhangshi, upon hearing her son mention raw cowhide, recalled the extra taxes imposed on their family and quietly reported this to her husband