Chapter Nine, Harvest

Lu Yun did not expect that his sister would actually come to sell calligraphy at the entrance of his school. Hmph, tomorrow there will surely be many people pestering him to inquire about his sister's affairs

As a commotion erupted in the classroom, Lu Ying stood up and called out in a clear, cold voice: "Words for sale! One coin for each word!"

After selling all the bamboo slips, two young boys reserved some for the next day with Lu Ying. After pondering for a moment, Lu Ying crossed the crowd and caught up with several gentlemen who were striding out.

Of course. Lu Ying picked up a bamboo slip inscribed with the character "Yi" from the cloth and handed it to the young man, smiling as she said: "My lord, please take a look"

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed. With a stable source of income, coupled with the daily reading of classics and the knowledge gained from it, the brother and sister not only have no worries about food and clothing, but have also made significant progress in their education

The young man took the bamboo slip. He glanced down and exclaimed "Oh," then squatted down to pick it up.

Lu Ying slowly raised her head

It is Zeng Lang

Lu Ying's expression was very serious, and she said softly: "You should know that although my sister is selling words, she is also providing clarification. Moreover, there are explanations you wrote above. Ah Yun, think about it, if one day these bamboo slips you wrote fall into the hands of great scholars, will they not praise you for your explanations and your intention to educate the world?"

Lu Ying turned around and saw him, smiling gently as she said, "Sister is asking them what characters will be taught tomorrow. I thought I would write some of the characters they are currently learning to sell each day." Her eyes sparkled as she continued, "A Yun, do you know what benefits this action of sister's brings to you?"

Not only him, but at this moment, three or four other youths had also begun to examine it. A boy around ten years old exclaimed joyfully, "I recognize this character; I just learned it. It is called 'Hao'." He picked up the bamboo slip and read aloud, "The name of the sun above and the sky below is Hao. Hao means great, deep, and can also be a surname."

Upon seeing Lu Ying's gaze turn towards his family's donkey cart, he understood. With a proud smile, Zeng Lang raised his voice and said: "A Ying, my father has officially been promoted to the position of school lieutenant." After saying this, he looked around and slightly raised his chin

After going to bed early, the next day after Lu Yun went to school, Lu Ying continued to write. By the time Lu Yun was about to finish school, she had written another fifteen characters.

Seeing the obvious interest in the young man's expression, Lu Ying raised her voice and laughed lightly, saying: "Does this young gentleman feel something? The characters clearly remembered during the day are forgotten after a night's sleep at home. Repeating this over and over, I do not know how much time has been wasted. If there were such a bamboo slip at home to look at from time to time, how could one forget? Today, I calculated that the characters commonly used by people are only a few hundred, which means that with just a few hundred iron coins, you gentlemen could read the classics of the world!"

On this day, Lu Ying had just sold the bamboo slips she had written that day, and as she walked slowly down the street, a donkey cart approached her from the opposite direction

Zeng Lang was taken aback and asked, "How did you know?"

It turns out that his father was not a formal school lieutenant before. Lu Ying curved her lips into a slight smile and said, "Congratulations, Zeng Lang"

She thought that after embroidering for a month, she would earn no more than this amount of money. Holding the heavy coins in her hand, Lu Ying was already beaming with joy. However, the cheerful Lu Ying did not notice that her younger brother was hiding in the corner at a distance.

Her words even reminded some prominent families that, unwittingly, some families had already compiled a dictionary of this kind within their own ranks, specifically to enlighten and clarify for their newly initiated descendants. Of course, families of such status would not compete with Lu Ying over a few iron coins of business. Meanwhile, some smaller households wishing to compete for business do not possess a collection of books as rich as that of her siblings.

At the time of school dismissal, it is precisely the peak period for students coming in and out. The school gate has not yet been opened, and Lu Ying has already chosen a spot to sit at the entrance, where twenty-three bamboo slips are neatly arranged on the opened cloth.

From this point on, Lu Ying and her brother officially took selling characters as their livelihood. As Lu Ying herself stated, there are only a few hundred commonly used characters; if one can memorize them thoroughly, then all the classics of the world can be read without exception

Lu Ying's final sentence is profoundly moving. After a brief buzz of discussion among the youths, some began to make purchases

After some thought, Zeng Lang decided to forgive Lu Ying for her ignorance. He softened his voice, "A Ying, my father has already taken action and will be home soon." Looking at Lu Ying's once pale face, which had clearly become more radiant, he bent down and extended his hand, "Come here, I will give you a ride."

Rejected by her, Zeng Lang furrowed his brows once again. In a moment, he recalled something and jumped off the donkey cart to walk to Lu Ying's side, speaking earnestly: "A Ying, I heard from A Yin that you were disrespectful to your third aunt and were driven out of Pingfu?" He pressed his lips together and said very seriously: "This is not good, be obedient, you should go to Pingfu tomorrow and kneel to your aunt to apologize"

Hearing the coldness in Lu Ying's tone, Zeng Lang furrowed his brows slightly. He let out a soft sigh, thinking to himself: Ah Ying still has a limited understanding and does not know what the title of school lieutenant signifies. A Yin, on the other hand, was different; she was so delighted upon hearing this news.

After a while, Luyun walked up behind her sister, blushing and speaking in a muffled voice: "Sister, what are you looking for the gentleman for?"

In today's era, when His Majesty rises to action, he receives assistance from many powerful and wealthy merchants. Therefore, the current world differs from that of the Western Han Dynasty; not only are there numerous merchants, but many officials are also engaged in trade. Nowadays, common people frequently speak of profit, and scholars, while seeking fame, also earn money, which has become a matter of course. Thus, the act of selling characters by Lu Ying and her brother will not lead anyone to accuse them of being tainted by greed; rather, they will be judged solely on the matter at hand.

As Lu Ying spoke these words, her eyes sparkled. Just as Aunt San and the others believed, they had no money, no power, and no relatives. In such circumstances, to attract the attention of renowned scholars to her younger brother and to help him achieve success, they could only seek alternative paths. Selling calligraphy was one of the unconventional routes she chose.

Seeing Lu Ying with her head down and silent, Zeng Lang said with a bit of a headache: "A Ying, your parents have both passed away, and now the only thing that is commendable about you is your identity as a cousin of the Ping family. You have offended your third aunt, which is akin to cutting off your own path in life. Listen to me, apologize to her tomorrow; if your aunt does not respond, you should kneel until she forgives you"

In the blink of an eye, the donkey cart, after kicking up a cloud of dust, came to a stop beside her. Then, she heard a clear and familiar male voice calling out: "Aying"

Lu Ying's features were exceptionally beautiful, and as she stood in the spring breeze with a slender figure like a willow swaying in the wind, she could attract the attention of young men even without speaking. At this moment, when she called out, a group of curious young men surged forward.

Those who are able to attend school will not lack a few iron coins at home. Therefore, in a short while, the twenty-three bamboo slips in Lu Ying's hand were exchanged for twenty-three five-zhu coins

Zeng Lang's gentle demeanor was tinged with a hint of reserve, and his expression concealed a sense of pride amidst their closeness. Lu Ying curved her lips into a slight smile and said, "Congratulations, Zeng Lang, has your father been promoted?"

Lu Ying took a step back and said with a faint smile, "No need."

Is it still beneficial for oneself? Lu Yun widened his eyes

Recently, the siblings have been eating well and sleeping well, and as they are in a growth period, it is natural that they have undergone significant changes

As he looked at Lu Ying, Zeng Lang's handsome face revealed a smile. He gazed at Lu Ying tenderly and noticed that his heart raced a little faster: it had only been a little over twenty days since they last met, and Ah Ying had become even more beautiful. His gaze shifted to her bosom, and he thought to himself: it has also grown fuller.

A tall and slender youth stared blankly at Lu Ying. Noticing that she did not look at him, he took the initiative to call out: "This young lady is being polite. Did you just say 'selling characters'? Can characters really be sold?"