Chapter 6: The Disgraceful Trade
Of course not, with heaven and earth as my witness, there is absolutely no deception; I only sell to you, my brother. Xie Yixin swore earnestly, almost pointing to the heavens to make an oath, for this matter is truly not a lie
Having spoken, the group of young aristocrats cast some disdainful glances and sarcastic remarks, surrounding Zheng Bin as they made their way towards Wanghu Tower
"That makes sense, but are you a fraud? Are you selling the same poem multiple times? Or is this someone else's work that you have stolen?" The chubby boy nodded slightly at first, but suddenly changed his tone, his vigilance rising sharply.
In front of me stood a young man, dressed in splendid attire, exuding arrogance, accompanied by a group of sycophants.
Xie Yixiao said: "To be honest, I have two excellent poems here that I can sell to Brother Lu, and then you will be able to ascend the Wanghu Tower!"
Xie Yi recognized him; this person is named Zheng Bin, also a dandy from Huaiyang City, and was once a gambling companion of Xie Sanlang.
The chubby young boy confidently declared: "I am the young master of the Lu family business. You can just go to the business and look for me. Our Lu family values reputation above all, and we are known for our honesty and integrity throughout Huaiyang."
In this way, the two poems amount to several thousand jin of rice, which at least resolves the issue of basic sustenance. If I sell a few more poems, I will be able to completely escape poverty and become prosperous in the Tang Dynasty
"What else can a spendthrift do besides squandering money? Writing poetry... it's too much to ask of him!" Immediately, a dandy uttered a sarcastic remark.
More importantly, the majority of the Xie family's land and the old residence have all been lost to this person. It can be said that the prodigal son has fallen into his current state of ruin entirely due to this individual
After speaking, Xie Yi first apologized to Meng Haoran in his heart and asked, "This poem is titled 'Spring Dawn.' What do you think, brother?"
Xie Yi stopped at the intersection, wandering back and forth, pondering a solution, when he noticed a chubby boy with a gloomy expression, muttering as he walked: "I cannot compose poetry, yet I am forced to..."
"The poetry and prose are elegant; does engaging in trade tarnish this elegance?" Unexpectedly, the plump young boy suddenly hesitated
Xie Yi was very pleased with this unexpected discovery of a path to wealth, although it seemed somewhat undignified to speak of it openly
Xie Yi looked up and immediately felt a surge of anger; it was a sworn enemy
"Well then!" the chubby boy said leisurely, "I can only pay you half of the money for now. After I visit Wanghu Tower, I will pay you the remaining half."
Xie Yi frowned and said, "What if you deceive me?"
Poetry? Indeed, earlier at the Wanghu Tower, Zheng Bin mentioned the simple-minded son of a merchant family, and his gaze seemed to be directed towards this person.
"Why not? We can each take what we need. It seems you are very eager to ascend Wanghu Tower, while I need money to support my family. A gentleman should help others achieve their goals, and we can mutually fulfill each other's needs!" Xie Yi smiled broadly, making every effort to enlighten the simple-minded youth.
Two poems exchanged for three guan of money, hetushu.com. If all the Tang poems in my mind were to be searched out, how much money could that be worth? ... Three guan of money is equivalent to three thousand wen. This year, the price of rice is slightly higher, at five wen per dou, with one dou being twelve and a half jin.
In novels, operas, and film and television dramas, there are indeed numerous plots involving gambling schemes to defraud wealth; perhaps the spendthrift has fallen into Zheng Bin's trap.
However, the wood has already been made into a boat; at that time, there was no evidence to seize, and there is nothing much to say now. Xie Yi did not intend to dwell on it
In Huaiyang City, there indeed seems to be a prominent merchant with the surname Lu. Moreover, as long as it can achieve the effect of disgusting Zheng Bin, even if it is free... No, such a precedent of offering it for free cannot be set lightly. After a moment of contemplation, Xie Yi resolutely stated: "Alright, but for the sake of fairness, you must first pay me three guan of silver!"
To you, my dear brother, five guan of money is not much, but the opportunity to visit Wanghu Tower is indeed rare! After returning home, your father will surely be pleased and will reward you generously. Consider well the weight of each matter, dear Lu!" Xie Yi did not forget to continue his persuasion.
The chubby boy nodded slightly: "It sounds fine, but it is currently winter; how can there be spring dawn and falling flowers?"
Xie Yixiao said: "Of course, but we need to agree on the price first... A poem costs three guan, for two poems I can give you a discount, a flat rate of five guan!"
Xie Yi left, and after writing two poems for the chubby boy with a fluid pen, he took three silver coins and departed. As he walked away, he couldn't help but reflect on what a good business and literature it was
"Isn't it just an old work from spring?" Xie Yibai shot a glance at the chubby boy, thinking he was stubborn and unteachable. With no other choice, he continued, "Alright, let’s have another poem... The long clouds of Qinghai darken the snow-capped mountains, the lonely city gazes far at the Yumen Pass, golden armor worn through a hundred battles in the yellow sand, I shall not return until the Loulan is conquered... This is from 'On Military Campaigns.' The governor is a military man by background, so he must appreciate it.
Sigh, this Wanghu Tower is not a place that just anyone can visit, yet why do some people always overestimate themselves? Zheng Bin scoffed, saying: "First there was the foolish son of a merchant family, and now there are the spendthrifts; it is truly embarrassing."
"You're welcome, you said you could help me?" The chubby boy stopped sobbing and asked with an expression full of anticipation.
Buy rice, buy meat, buy preserved snacks, and also get a few feet of fabric to make new clothes for my sister-in-law and younger sister, feeling great!
"The prodigal son of the Xie family is here to show off?" Zheng Bin and a group of wealthy young men burst into loud laughter, their expressions filled with mockery, as if they had just heard the greatest joke.
Hehe, Xie Yiling had a sudden inspiration and stepped forward to ask with a smile, "Young man, what troubles you?"
Very good, very good
Xie Yidun, feeling vigilant, smiled and said: "How could that be? We do not steal or rob; it is a fair transaction. Even a sage would not blame us for this"
"Alright, let me take a look at the goods first..." said the chubby boy with a silly grin: "This is what my father taught me, in business, one must inspect the goods before making payment..."
Oh, Brother Lu, I beg your pardon
However, it is quite unfortunate that today coincides with the Book Day, and we unexpectedly met under the Wanghu Tower.
It is simply not acceptable to leave like this; it would be difficult to explain to my sister-in-law, Mrs. Du, upon returning home. Moreover, I feel a sense of reluctance. What should I do
Just watching the excitement!" Xie Yi smiled faintly, not angry, as that would be an immature reaction
Cough, why bother with so much? Hurry to the money exchange and convert these silver coins for the payment of rent into Kaiyuan Tongbao.
Uh... Your esteemed father is right!" Xie Yi helplessly shook his head, convinced that the honest, chubby boy did not possess the ability to remember everything he heard, and then softly recited in his ear: "In spring, one sleeps unaware of dawn, everywhere one hears the singing of birds; the sound of wind and rain comes at night, how many flowers have fallen, one cannot know.
# # # .
A good dog does not block the way, who is this?
I cannot compose good poetry, yet my father insists that I go to Wanghu Tower. Without good poetry, I cannot ascend... As a result, I was ridiculed as the son of a merchant, a monkey wearing a crown. The chubby youth was deeply troubled and very sad
In the past, the spendthrift may have been thoughtless. However, a few days ago, Xie Yi pondered carefully and found the situation rather peculiar. Even though the spendthrift is incompetent and unfortunate, he consistently loses bets, and notably, he loses only to this one person. Could there be some hidden trickery involved in this?
"Five strings, huh?" The chubby boy hesitated slightly
As expected, the person Zheng Bin mentioned is indeed him. If that is the case... Xie Yi looked up and down at the chubby boy's attire, and suddenly an idea struck him. He smiled and said, "Chubby brother, I can help you"
Refined? The merchant of m. hetushucomcom, who speaks of refinement rather than the sordidness of profit, is he not a peculiar case? Xie Yi was instantly left speechless. It is truly rare to see such oddities; in later generations, not only is there commerce in literature, but also a significant amount of plagiarism exists, so what is so surprising about it? No, could this fellow be pretending to be harmless while actually scheming to take my poetry manuscript for free?
"Can poetry and prose be traded like goods?" The chubby boy looked astonished, as if he had heard something completely unfamiliar.
My surname is Lu, not Pang
Xie Yi's expression remained calm throughout, never bothering to argue with them. If bitten by a rabid dog, one cannot simply bite back, can one? Moreover, they are a group of self-destructive mad dogs; what is the point of engaging in any disputes with them?
Oh, not foolish at all, quite knowledgeable in the ways of business! Xie Yixin vowed earnestly: "Absolutely worth more than the price, honest to both young and old, guaranteed to make you shine at Wanghu Tower."
The chubby boy scratched his head and hesitated, saying: "There is some truth to it, but has your poetry and prose gained any recognition?"
"Why don't you go and take action yourself, my friend?" The response of the chubby boy was quicker than expected, and he seemed somewhat puzzled by this strange behavior
What good outcome can there be from being involved with Hou Junji?
Uh... the scrolls are ultimately not as important as making a living. To be honest, there is no rice left at home.
The chubby boy nodded and said with satisfaction: "Oh, it does seem quite good, but I didn't memorize it. Could you please write it down for me to recite..."