Zhù Ying extended two fingers and tapped them on the table.

She had expectations of Zhù Lian — at the very least, he ought to reach the level of Gu Tong. But before Gu Tong had come to her as a student, he had already been studying for over a decade, a proper county school pupil. The standard of Fulu County School at the time was not high, but Gu Tong had genuinely laid the groundwork in literacy and reading. When he came to find her, he was nearly twenty years old.

Zhù Lian’s situation was entirely different. He had only been seriously studying for a few years — twelve or thirteen years old, or thereabouts. What could he do?

In a poor family, a child that age could do nearly any kind of work. In Zhù Ying’s household, what she needed was a “student” capable of handling real responsibilities — roughly at the level Gu Tong had been when he arrived, or perhaps even a little higher. Even she herself had still been sent back to continue reading and studying by Zheng Xi and Wang Yunhe after she entered the Court of Judicial Review.

Right now there was nothing at hand that suited Zhù Lian’s current level. Or rather, what he was currently capable of doing, there was no shortage of people to do. It didn’t have to be him.

For more complex affairs, there were already Zhao Zhen and Wu Ren handling things. Before Zhao Zhen, there had been Zhao Su and Gu Tong. Zhù Lian was the cohort after Zhao Zhen — and behind Zhù Lian there was Zhù Qingjun, who hadn’t yet finished learning her characters and would need at least another three to five years of schooling before anything could be assessed. There was also Xiang Yu, who was currently mainly absorbed in the Xiang family’s business, and still needed time.

She said, “What can you do?”

This question stopped Zhù Lian cold.

He looked up at Zhù Ying.

There were too many things he could do: pouring tea, staying close at hand, holding paper and grinding ink, running errands — things like that. But he knew his teacher expected more of him than those things. Such tasks didn’t require literacy, and there was no need for him to be a student just for that. He had taken the initiative to do those things before, and then found himself with no room to do them anymore.

But there was always a restlessness inside him. No one in the household ate without contributing. Never mind Du Dajie and Old Uncle Hou — just among the students, Su Zhe and Lang Rui had their own parents. A child with parents was different from a child without — they could do nothing, they could cry and fuss, they could be spoiled. With parents to catch you when you fell, he had no one.

Su Zhe had even packed her things and was heading off to the foreign academy to study. The foreign academy had students ranging from older to younger, and the restrictions weren’t so strict. What about him? Attending the foreign academy wasn’t right for him, but by the standards of official schools, he knew he hadn’t reached the required level yet. And taking the entrance to an official school was impossible — the schools had their own entry standards, and his background did not qualify.

When he compared himself to his teacher’s other student, Senior Brother Gu — the difference was apparent at once. Senior Brother Gu had already taken office and gone away. Before taking office, he had handled many affairs for their teacher. And himself?

Then there was the other person of similar age living at the residence: Xiang Yu. Never mind that Xiang Yu’s family had their own business and he was a man of means — right now, without even finishing his books, he was already being taken to the sugar mill to work, learning by doing.

And last of all there was the little girl called Lingdang, whose origins were actually not unlike his own. When she first came, she had thrown herself at every odd job to be done, practically like a little maidservant. But gradually she had made herself beloved. Now she was attending the foreign academy and speaking more often at home, and she even had a name.

Only him! He was different from everyone else, without a clear place in any of it — adrift and hollow, empty and unmoored.

The Zhù family treated him well, but he didn’t want to become like a stone — just accepting goodness without giving anything back. That was no way to get along with people. The best way to settle in and stay was to be useful, to tie himself tightly to the Zhù family. He couldn’t go on being empty like this. Today he was determined to get a clear answer.

Zhù Ying asked again, “What do you want to do?”

Zhù Lian persisted. “Something useful. Teacher set me and Xiao Yu both to going to the sugar mill with Third Lady — I went too, but I felt like… a guest. I want to work like someone who belongs here. Splitting wood, carrying water, operating the millstone, tending horses, copying documents, investigating, surveying — rough work or fine work, near or far, I’ll take anything, as long as I can do it like I belong here. I… I’m not quite the same as any of them.”

Zhù Ying said, “You are part of this family. The things I need you to do require you to study well first.”

“Family members don’t just eat without working. I can study and work at the same time.” Zhù Lian decided to try once more. He gathered his courage and said, “Teacher teaches Su Zhe and Lang Rui certain things — why not teach me those same things? But I’m not the same as they are. They are the children of headmen; I am not. I feel as though I ought to be like Senior Brother Gu — but I only have class half a day, and even that isn’t full. I don’t go to school. Su Zhe is about to go to the foreign academy. I have never studied the classical histories from the beginning. But I can study those on my own — I’ve already read a bit. The books here in the study.”

Zhù Ying asked, “You’ve already read through them? What impressions did you come away with?”

Zhù Lian’s spirits lifted. “Whenever Teacher explained a passage, I would also find and read what came before and after it.”

Zhù Ying said, “I know which texts you’ve read. I’m asking for your impressions.”

Zhù Lian said, “Well, it’s just that when you only read the passages Teacher explains, it means one thing. But when you read the whole thing from beginning to end, the flavor seems to change.”

Zhù Ying smiled. “And which flavor do you prefer?”

“I prefer Teacher’s way of explaining it. But once I step outside this study, the officials and the scholars don’t carry that same flavor.”

Zhù Ying nodded. “Thinking for yourself is a good thing. If you think yourself into the wrong place, that’s another matter. You are certainly different from Su Zhe and the others, and also not quite the same as Gu Tong — when he came under my roof, he was older than you are now. Your path will have its own way.

Since you can’t sit still, from now on you will read in the mornings. In the afternoons, take on the same assignments as Zhao Zhen and the others. You can begin working through the Five Classics from the beginning — no need for deep study, just read through them. Read the historical texts alongside them. Get a broad pass first. Anything you don’t understand, come and ask me in the evening.”

Zhù Lian said, “Yes!”

Zhù Ying said, “Compare what you read in the mornings with what you see and hear in the afternoons, and come back and tell me which flavor is the true one.”

“Yes.”

“Go on.”

“Yes!” Zhù Lian’s spirits soared. He had been given an assignment, and he felt settled at last. He felt, for the first time, that he truly was “one of their own” — no longer needing to walk on eggshells, without an anchor, no longer nursing the thought of “scraping together some private savings in case I get thrown out.” He let all that go.

He walked away with a light step.

From that day on, Zhù Lian was busy — and the busier he was, the happier he became. He rose each morning and took care of all his own affairs. He watched Old Hou’s guards practice and joined in for a bit himself. In the study he took up a book and read — one to two passages a day, marking what he didn’t understand, hoping to get through half a book before going into the mountains, and the whole book before Su Zhe returned.

In any spare time, he continued to hover around Hou Wu. The official language of the villa’s guards had advanced to the point of daily conversation — though only barely daily conversation; anything more repeated became a struggle. He helped teach a little — correcting pronunciation, teaching those who wanted to read a few characters, explaining the one-to-one correspondence between song lyrics and the words in the primer.

After lunch he ran off with Zhao Zhen and the others. Zhao Zhen ventured out to gather information and had people who recognized him; Zhù Lian and Xiang Yu changed into plain blue jackets and caps and scurried about everywhere, gathering information and recording it themselves when they returned.

Zhù Lian felt that his life had become wonderfully full.

Zhù Ying watched Zhù Lian’s reactions and found it curious. She had always known she was no good at raising children, relying entirely on her own experience. Those who were less sharp — she didn’t dare touch those cases anymore now. Zhù Lian and Zhù Qingjun were clever children, though in ways that felt a little different from her own childhood. Su Zhe, oddly, seemed to be adapting even better. And yet it was Zhù Lian and Zhù Qingjun who had come from the same hard beginnings as she had.

Strange.

She gathered up what was in her hands and said, “That’s enough for today. Let’s go eat.”

“Yes!”

Teacher and student went together to Zhang Xiangu’s place for the meal.

Zhù Ying stepped inside and looked around, then asked, “Has Wu Ren gone home?”

Zhang Xiangu smiled warmly. “Such a good girl — she went to help in the kitchen.”

Zhù Qingjun came in carrying a food box. Zhù Lian immediately pulled a stool out of her way. Jiang Guafu took the food box, opened it, and began setting the dishes out on the table.

Zhù Da said, “Xiao Er’s getting married tomorrow — the main day. Are we going?”

Zhù Ying said, “Those who want to go can go. Don’t put on airs. It’s someone’s big day. If you all show up in full ceremonial dress and steal the limelight, whose wedding would it be? Just wear what you have on now — go, put down a gift, eat and drink, and come back.”

Zhù Da did indeed have a little itch for pomp, and rather wanted to join in the festivity. He looked slightly deflated, then quickly made up his mind. “I’ll just go in this, then. Go drink wedding wine!”

Zhù Ying said, “Fair enough.”

Du Dajie and Wu Ren came in with another food box each, followed last by Widow Zhao carrying a bucket of rice and Widow Lin carrying a stack of bowls and spoons.

The household could begin the meal.

Zhù Ying picked up a chopstick of shredded radish and said, “The knife work is good.”

Widow Lin hadn’t left yet, and smiled. “That’s Madam Wu’s handiwork. That flower-cut scoring on the fish over there is also her work — and the fish itself is her dish.”

Wu Ren glanced left and right and said, “I’ve learned a few things. Xiao Er went home — she said she used to make this dish all the time, and I happened to know how to make it too.”

Zhù Ying smiled, put the shredded radish in her mouth, paused for a moment, and said, “Very crisp.”

She chewed and swallowed. The atmosphere in the room grew livelier. Zhù Da and the others all raised their chopsticks, paused for just a moment, then set the radish aside in favor of the fish, tasted a bite, and then moved on to the other dishes.

Wu Ren’s knife work was genuinely good — as if she had deliberately studied it. The taste, though, was only slightly better than Du Dajie’s. It was edible, but compared with the beautiful presentation, it might be better next time for her to do the cutting and let someone else handle the seasoning.

Zhù Ying kept her expression neutral and finished the whole fish, then said, “Who’s going to see Xiao Er tomorrow? Who stays to keep watch?”

Zhù Da said, “Your mother and I are going. Who’s coming with us?”

Widow Lin, not fully following the situation, said, “I’ll go too. Just go, eat at a wedding, and come back. I’ll put a meal together before we leave.”

Hua Jie said, “I’ll go at a different time from Uncle and Auntie.”

Wu Ren put in, “I’ll go with Teacher — and I can help in the kitchen too.”

Zhù Da choked on his drink, and Zhang Xiangu pounded his back hard. “What are you doing at your age!”

Zhù Ying said, “Stop hitting, stop hitting — just let him catch his breath.”

Hua Jie stood to one side, half laughing, half exasperated.

Wu Ren didn’t understand what had happened, but her mood lightened. She did some quick mental arithmetic — her family ought to be back by now. When her mother returned and learned she had officially started helping manage the medical section, would that make her a little happier?

The day Wang Fuqu returned, she didn’t go straight to the foreign academy to check in — she had to go home first and put the house in order. Then she would see about getting into the prefectural compound to collect her daughter and bring her home to stay. Living at the prefectural compound was fine for building one’s status, but one’s own home was always more comfortable. After bringing her daughter home, she would ask about everything that had happened during these months. Then she’d make a date with her old friend Madam Meng to go back to the foreign academy and resume classes together.

But no sooner had the family arrived home than they witnessed a spectacle — the new county registrar of Fulu County had arrived to pay his respects to the Prefect at the prefectural office.

Hang Qin had first traveled south with Zhù Ying, then turned back mid-journey to pay respects to his parents and perform ancestral rites, before setting out on the road again. He had arrived in Wuzhou about half a month after Zhù Ying.

He was, after all, a young man, and the distance was not especially great. Traveling with one study boy and one able-bodied servant, the three of them arrived in Wuzhou perfectly intact.

A quick inquiry at the post station, and he headed straight for Wuzhou City. Arriving there, Hang Qin was pleasantly surprised: so a place of miasma and pestilence could have some measure of prosperity about it?

He had come at a fortunate time. The last traces of spring planting had just passed over Wuzhou, and people were entering a comparatively leisurely period. There were those like Xiao Er who were holding weddings; there were those who had been laboring for half a month and could at last rest and come into town; and there were even households where a free hand could be spared to come help in the city for wages. Nearby merchants had also come to buy and sell goods, and the number of people with foreign accents had grown. On top of this, the population had been increasing these past two years, and so had the density of buildings. Even outside the city walls, a small cluster of wooden lean-tos had gone up, housing workers who couldn’t find lodging inside.

A scene of vitality.

A county registrar did not have his own ceremonial procession. He had dug out his official robes at the post station beforehand and changed into them to establish his identity. Riding on horseback with two servants flanking him, the three of them reached the city gate and were stopped.

Had they worn plain clothes, they might not have been stopped. Commercial travelers came and went in great numbers, and those in plain dress without obvious goods were only spot-checked by the guards. But dressed in official robes, the guard looked at him suspiciously — he recognized all the officials entering and leaving Wuzhou, and this face was unfamiliar.

“Please halt, sir!” The guard held his long spear crosswise, his manner quite courteous. The guard’s official language was only halfway there, but his gestures were spot-on.

Hang Qin’s study boy stepped forward to negotiate. “This is the new County Registrar of Fulu County, the Honorable Hang!”

The guard didn’t quite catch it all, and asked, “What official?” His companion also stepped forward holding a long spear, the two spears crossing — which drew a circle of onlookers. Wang Fuqu’s family stood to one side with folded arms, watching the fun.

The study boy was about to get heated. Hang Qin read the situation clearly and said to the boy, “Step back. I’ll speak.”

Hang Qin couldn’t explain it all at once, but he produced his appointment credential. The guard recognized that, hurriedly stowed his spear, and apologized. Hang Qin was polite in return. Both sides still had a slight language difficulty, and Wang Fuqu gave her son Wu Yi a little push. “Your official language is decent, isn’t it? Go on — explain things for them.”

Wu Yi was pushed out from the crowd. Like a big goose suddenly springing out from a flock of queuing ducks, he was conspicuous. He had no choice but to “translate” between both sides. His official language had a slight accent, but it was far better than the guard’s. With his unexpected appearance, Hang Qin and the guard finally managed to make themselves understood to each other.

The guard hurried to let them through, helpfully adding, “Walk straight along the street and you’ll see the prefectural office.”

Hang Qin thanked Wu Yi again. He could see that, though Wu Yi was dressed in plain cloth, his manner of speaking was cultivated and suggested a man who had read books, so he addressed him at once as “brother.” Wu Yi hurriedly said, “No need for that — please, everyone go quickly to see the Prefect.” Hang Qin took the opportunity to ask for his name, and learning it was “Wu,” continued on his way to the prefectural office.

He shortly came face-to-face with Zhù Ying.

Seeing he had arrived to take up his post with only two servants and no female members of his household, Zhù Ying first asked about his family and the journey, then whether he had taken proper leave of Prefect Lu and the like. Hang Qin answered each question in turn and then mentioned that Prefect Lu had enclosed a letter, presenting it with both hands.

Zhù Ying accepted the letter and said, “Let me first introduce you to everyone.” She sent Ding Gui to take Hang Qin around, starting with Vice Prefect Zhang, going through all the officials of the compound.

The first was Vice Prefect Zhang. Seeing Vice Prefect Zhang, Hang Qin finally felt he was facing a proper-looking superior. The Prefect herself looked far too young, making him lose track of the gap between their ranks from time to time and blurt out whatever was on his mind. Facing Vice Prefect Zhang, everything felt right at once — he suddenly found himself able to exercise caution.

Vice Prefect Zhang counseled him, “Young man, watch, listen, and learn. A local official’s every action bears on the people’s lives — do not act rashly.”

Hang Qin received the instruction.

The Military Adviser and Chief of Staff were still at the foreign academy grinding through vocabulary, so he couldn’t see them just yet. Then came the various secretaries, all of them thoroughly pleasant.

After meeting everyone, Zhù Ying also had him stay for lunch. Today was Xiao Er’s wedding, so the food had been ordered in from a restaurant outside. Over the meal, everyone from Vice Prefect Zhang on down said nothing but polite pleasantries. Only Zhù Ying offered a concrete arrangement: “I am about to head into the mountains. You will travel with me.”

Hang Qin could not have wished for more.

Before setting out, he had specifically sought an audience with Prefect Lu, knowing that Fulu County was the starting point of Zhù Ying’s rise. No one knew that place better than Zhù Ying. With such a person to guide him, things were truly fortunate. Prefect Lu had made it plain to him: “She is the Prefect, and no official wants to see subordinates fail. Bear that in mind when you act.” Hang Qin had taken the lesson to heart and was still pondering how he might contrive to linger at the prefectural office for a few more days to seek her guidance — and then he heard he was to travel with her. His joy was overwhelming. “Yes!”

No need to contrive anything!

With departure still a few days off, Zhù Ying had Hang Qin settled in the post station and arranged for him to come over each day to go through the relevant archives on Fulu County kept at the prefectural office.

She herself summoned Xiang An and asked, “Do you have a rough picture?”

Xiang An hurriedly said, “Only approximations. Some things are sole operations with no comparison available. Others have many people involved, and the results vary widely — some well-run, some not — with significant differences in labor, materials, and profit.”

Zhù Ying said, “Then take a high, a middle, and a low case of each, and get to the bottom of them.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying also asked, “Do you miss your brother?”

Xiang An said, “I do miss him, but knowing where he is, I don’t have much to worry about.”

Zhù Ying nodded and asked, “How is Xiao Lian doing?”

“Attentive, and hardworking.”

“Leave him with you for now — same assignments as Xiao Yu.”

“Yes.”

With the matter of Fulu County at hand, Zhù Ying set out a few days earlier than originally planned; she also had affairs to attend to there. And this time she brought not only her parents but Hou Wu as well.

On the road out, more merchants than usual joined the procession. Su Feihu rushed over saying he wanted to go too — he wanted to check on his own stronghold. Lin Miao did not join them.

The party entered the mountains via the Asu road and came out through Talang County, first passing through Sicheng County and Fulu County.

Magistrate Guan of Sicheng County came out warmly to welcome Zhù Ying. He knew Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da well, and had specially arranged for Zhù Ying to tour the spring planting situation in Sicheng County. Zhù Ying noticed he had put on a little weight since before and teased, “You seem to be living well.”

Magistrate Guan smiled. “The foundation you laid is excellent.” Without a powerful family like Huang Shi’er Liang to contend with, his work as magistrate was genuinely comfortable. The sugarcane profits gave his county a good share as well. There were few powerful local families here, and all of them courted his favor. The county office also had its own workshop, and he had more to offer as gifts at holidays than other magistrates did.

Zhù Ying said, “Love and protect the common people.”

“Of course, of course. Coming from under your hand, how could I dare tarnish your name?”

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “Keep up the good work.”

“Yes.”

When she finished speaking with him, Zhù Ying dismounted and spoke with the common people. The people of Sicheng County were quite candid with Zhù Ying and told her: “Life has been better — but some of the young people can’t sit still at home, and some young wives want to go out and find work too. And last year people came over from Hedong County, and some of them had sticky fingers!”

Magistrate Guan cleared his throat. Zhù Ying asked, “Are you unwell?”

Magistrate Guan clapped his hand over his mouth. Zhù Ying said, “I’m already very busy with other matters and can’t spare the time. Don’t make me come personally to catch thieves.”

“Your subordinate has already dispatched people to apprehend them! Already dispatched! Goodness, some of them were just desperate with hunger — stealing melons and picking beans. They’re not wicked people.”

“But you can’t condone it either. Catch them and beat them — they’ll still be hungry. And if they’re hungry, they’ll go looking for food again. You’re taking on hired workers now, aren’t you? Look among them for the fit ones and give them a path. Feed them a bowl of rice and they won’t cause trouble. You’ve given them a way forward; if they still break the law after that, then you punish them.”

“Yes.”

Having dealt with Sicheng County, Zhù Ying finally returned to Fulu County.

Here, Hang Qin witnessed the scene of “the Prefect’s whole family mixing freely with the common people” — what he heard was the clamor of overlapping local dialects, and yet Zhù Ying’s entire family could speak them all. He quietly asked Ding Gui, “Ding, is the Prefect not a native of Fulu?”

Ding Gui said, “Of course not! But our Prefect has a devoted heart!”

Hang Qin thought to himself: Then I had better learn the local dialect quickly!

The county’s elders, led by Gu Weng, gathered with the Tong brothers and came to Zhù Ying’s horse weeping. “Your Excellency, you’ve finally come back! That Magistrate Shang ruined us terribly! He oppressed the people! He exploited the countryside!” “Your Excellency, every bit of savings you built up while you were here — he spent it all to the last grain!”

Then all the common people wept together, saying, “We are so grateful Your Excellency stood up for us and had him removed!”

Hang Qin felt his scalp tighten over and over.

Zhù Ying helped them all to their feet one by one, then introduced Hang Qin: “This is the new registrar I have brought back for you from the National Academy — a scholar, and a classmate of Zhao Su’s.”

Zhao Su’s father Zhao Feng also brightened a little and came over to chat with Hang Qin. His official language was passable, and Hang Qin addressed him as “Venerable Uncle,” saying he himself was “new to everything” and had just arrived, and still hoped to seek the Venerable Uncle’s guidance.

The atmosphere was very agreeable.

Zhù Ying said, “Start with the handover. When the county magistrate arrives in a while, you’ll have something to report to him.”

Shang Pei Ji had squandered some of the county’s accumulated savings, and much of what he had built was wasteful — but there were a few rooms that could still be used. Zhù Ying said to Hang Qin, “Don’t let those serviceable ones go to waste — discuss them with the incoming magistrate when the time comes.”

“Yes.”

Hang Qin had a sense that Fulu County might not be the easiest place to manage. Fortunately, he was the registrar — if the sky fell, the county magistrate was out in front to bear it. Very good, very good indeed!

Zhù Ying also knew that the local gentry and scholars were difficult to handle. She made a point of impressing upon Gu Weng and the others: “Your own children are serving as officials outside — they’re about the same age as him. Try to have a little understanding for one another.”

Everyone murmured their assent.

Zhù Ying rested briefly in Fulu, saw Hang Qin settled in, and then called for Xiang Old Lady — Xiang An’s mother — for a long conversation.

The next day she set out for Asu County.

Su Mingluan came out to meet her, three generations of the family — including the Elderly Lady Su — all present. Su Feihu came to pay respects to his mother, and mother and son met with a different kind of joy. Hua Jie had also brought several of her students along with Zhù Ying’s party this time. At every place they passed, she set up a makeshift clinic to treat the sick. Besides Hua Jie, the others still had quite rudimentary skills — they could only triage patients, help clean wounds, and apply bandages. The actual doctoring was mainly Hua Jie’s work.

Hua Jie was by far the busiest of all. When they were about to depart, Su Mingluan glanced back and said to Zhù Ying, “I didn’t used to have this many people sending me off — they’re here for your aunt.”

Zhù Ying said, “Did sending Su Zhe to the foreign academy disappoint you?”

Su Mingluan smiled. “Not at all!”

The Elderly Lady Su stayed home, still hoping her son would stay a few more days. Su Feihu said, “I have duties, and I want to check on my stronghold. Once I’m no longer in the prefecture, Mama can look at me as much as she likes.”

The Elderly Lady Su, full of reluctance, let her son go.

On the road they picked up Lu Guo, also stopping for a day at Lu Guo’s small stronghold. Hua Jie held a medical consultation there for a day as well. Passing through the territory of Zhù Ying’s villa, Hua Jie told Zhù Ying she wanted to “go through all of our strongholds, one by one.”

Zhù Ying said, “Let’s go to the villa first and plan things out properly. Every county has students of yours; the villa only has Qingjun — that’s not fair.”

Hua Jie smiled when she heard that. “I knew you had something planned.”

Zhù Ying looked out over the surrounding land. “Of course I do.”

Hua Jie was curious, but seeing there were many people about, she decided to ask Zhù Ying for the details after they had settled in at the villa. She also hoped to see whether she could take on some of the burden for her.