Inside the Jingying Marquis mansion.
The grandmother and grandson Chen Xingchen looked at each other like this, each lost in thought — surely it couldn’t be such a coincidence?
Chen Xingchen could feel his face growing quite unsustainable — he had so firmly said “that won’t do” just a moment ago.
“Grandmother, which family’s young lady have you set your eye on?”
Chen Xingchen was still feeling flustered inside, but the Marchioness had already guessed seven or eight parts of it — this grandson of hers ordinarily either stayed at home, went to the prefectural school, or visited the Jingying Earl’s mansion. The number of young ladies he had any acquaintance with could be counted on one hand.
She smiled to herself with delight, and deliberately said: “Then you tell Grandmother which family’s young lady you have set your eye on — and once you tell me, I’ll say who the young lady your grandmother wants as a granddaughter-in-law is. You’ll know the answer soon enough — why do you still need to tease your grandson?”
Perhaps he was just being fanciful on his own — Chen Xingchen did not dare rashly speak his heart’s desire aloud. In the Great Qing dynasty, parental consent and a matchmaker’s arrangement represented the greatest form of respect.
“All right, all right — I won’t make things difficult for you.” The Marchioness continued to tease her grandson, saying: “I’ll still go and ask your Second Elder Brother instead — his marriage isn’t settled either.”
Chen Xingchen quickly spread his hands and blocked the doorway, saying urgently: “Grandmother, you can’t suddenly change your mind like this.”
Seeing her grandson in such a fluster of urgency, the Marchioness laughed heartily before she was willing to tell him: “I have my eye on the fourth young lady of the Pei family.” She then continued with her analysis: “Given your temperament, an ordinary young woman might not necessarily understand your thoughts — ordinary conversation might wander from the mountains of the south to the sea, with the beginning bearing no connection to what follows. Ying’er is different — she reads books and studies characters, and like you, she has her own interests and passions…”
As it turned out, Chen Xingchen hadn’t been listening to a single word of the long analysis that followed. He leaned cheerfully toward the Marchioness and asked: “When will Grandmother go and propose the match on my behalf?”
The Marchioness was taken aback, then tapped her grandson on the head and said: “It seems you had this all worked out long ago.”
“Your grandson does indeed have this in mind.”
The Marchioness said, however: “This matter cannot be rushed — for one thing, your Second Elder Brother is already in the process of having a match arranged, and as the younger brother you should leave him some time; it would not be proper to move ahead of him. For another, the young Pei gentleman has just taken the top honors in the provincial examinations. After you have sat for the spring metropolitan examinations, choosing to propose and make the betrothal before the spring roll is announced would show the greatest sincerity.”
Chen Xingchen thought it over and said: “What Grandmother says makes sense.”
Since he was seeking the hand of the young lady he admired, he naturally should choose the moment of greatest sincerity — these few months’ wait was not so long.
The Marchioness also said: “You must keep up diligently with your studies, to add an auspicious sign to your own matrimonial fortune.”
“Your grandson understands.”
……
In recent times, Ying Jie’er had been making rapid strides in her study of medical principles.
She already had a foundation to build on — the years of groping her way forward on her own had not been in vain. It was like a long road walked in total darkness; now that someone had lit a lamp, she found that she was only a few steps short of the end.
Physician Tian was sharing all she knew without reservation. For one thing, Pei Ruozhu had shown her great kindness; for another, she was an aging female official past her fiftieth year, raising two children on her own, and needed someone of standing to offer a degree of shelter and protection.
However, Physician Tian was a practitioner at heart — she knew how to diagnose, and she knew how to prescribe medicine, but when it came to the detailed underlying medical principles, she too only understood what was written in the medical texts.
Ying Jie’er needed to combine Physician Tian’s practical experience with her own independent study of the role played by each medicinal ingredient in a prescription.
This was also the part that interested her most.
Sometimes, when women and children happened to come to Physician Tian for medical attention, Ying Jie’er would sit behind a screen to listen in and take a pulse, recording the patients’ symptoms, until she had accumulated a thick notebook full of notes.
……
That day, Ying Jie’er carried a food box to her younger brother’s courtyard to have a conversation with him. Whenever she brought her questions about medical principles to her younger brother, even though he could not give her detailed answers, he would offer her a direction to pursue; and following that direction in her own research, she would always make some discovery.
She placed more and more trust in her younger brother.
Today she raised a puzzling question: why did certain medicinal pills specifically need to be taken with warm yellow rice wine, while if one substituted warm water, the medicinal effect was greatly reduced? What exactly was the function of yellow rice wine as a medicine carrier?
She had consulted the medical texts and found only a few sparse words — “to propel the medicine’s potency” — with no more detailed explanation.
After Pei Shaohuai heard this, he pondered for a moment and said: “In my daily wanderings about the streets, I have only ever seen apothecaries steeping medicinal herbs in yellow rice wine — I have never heard of anyone using plain water. And the longer the herbs steep, the deeper and richer the color of the medicinal wine becomes. Perhaps Elder Sister might begin her research from this observation.”
He then said: “I have also heard that beyond the Shanhaiguan Pass, there is a liquor called ‘sword blade spirit’ — so harsh to the mouth it burns like fire. Even someone with a drinking capacity like Senior Brother Lin cannot manage more than eight liang of it. This liquor is not brewed to be so potent from the start — rather, it is obtained through repeated heating and distillation, with the condensate collected in a special vessel. I believe this method may perhaps be of use to Elder Sister in her study of medical principles… Perhaps medicinal efficacy, too, can be extracted through alcoholic substances?”
Having said this, he took a sheet of paper, drew a simple diagram for Ying Jie’er, and explained it once more.
Ying Jie’er thought it over carefully and said: “The more you heat wine, the more potent it becomes; the longer you boil medicine, the more concentrated it gets… I’ll give it a try.”
When they had finished talking, Pei Shaohuai noticed that his elder sister had also brought a food box, and asked cheerfully: “What delicious thing has Elder Sister made to bring me this time?”
Ying Jie’er snapped back to the present — she hadn’t quite caught up with herself in time, and nearly let it slip. She said: “Didn’t you say last time that you liked honey-steeped lotus root? I made some more to send over.”
Pei Shaohuai was puzzled and said: “When did I say I liked honey-steeped lotus root? I don’t remember that at all.”
Compared to sweet flavors, Pei Shaohuai actually preferred savory.
“Is that so?” Ying Jie’er covered for herself, saying: “Master Jin likes sweet things — I must have mixed them up.”
“You can mix up your own younger brother?”
Fortunately, in the food box there was also a dish of crispy meatballs — golden and crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside — just the kind of thing Pei Shaohuai enjoyed eating. Ying Jie’er covered her slip and said: “Both sweet and savory are here — younger brother just pick whichever you like.”
Just at this moment, Chang Zhou came in and said: “Young Master, Third Young Master Chen is here.”
Ying Jie’er, upon hearing this, rose gracefully to her feet and said her goodbyes: “Since younger brother still has a guest calling, it would be inconvenient to stay. I’ll take my leave first.” And she departed.
……
Chen Xingchen had not come alone — he had also had people haul over several potted medicinal plants, soil and pots and all. The moment he walked in he said happily: “Huai younger brother, you said last time that you were lacking these few kinds of medicinal plants — I’ve found and brought them all for you.”
Pei Shaohuai was puzzled again and said: “When did I tell you I was lacking these medicinal plants?”
“Eh? Is that so? Didn’t you say so? It must be that you forgot — you definitely said it… On that occasion when we were discussing the Pythagorean theorem, you told me repeatedly.”
He said it with such absolute conviction.
Pei Shaohuai thought hard but still could not recall any such conversation.
“Hey, I’ve come at just the right moment — I get to enjoy a treat.” Chen Xingchen settled himself into a seat with practiced ease, then with practiced ease reached for a piece of the honey-steeped lotus root, eating with evident relish.
Seeing this scene before him, how could Pei Shaohuai not understand? He smiled and said in self-deprecating amusement: “One says I like sweet things, one says I need medicinal plants — it seems you’ve both been using me as a go-between.”
“What is a ‘go-between’?”
“Someone who gets picked up and used at will — what else would you call that but a go-between?”
Chen Xingchen not only showed no embarrassment but actually nodded and said: “Huai younger brother’s way of putting it is rather apt.”
……
……
In Dongyang Prefecture, Yuchong County, Pei Bingyuan was making his final round of inspections with the village headmen, checking the embankments and farmland.
The millet and rough wheat fields were a expanse of golden hue, with a heartening harvest, and as the autumn wind blew through, the grain ears rose and fell in waves.
The willows on the embankment had already grown into a dense stretch, their roots firmly locking the embankment in place and making it more solid and stable still. One could easily picture what the view would be in the spring breezes of next year — all along the embankment, green willow branches would sway gently in the wind, a most pleasing sight.
Far off, on the hillside halfway up the mountain, one house after another had been built nestled against the slope, with a winding path leading all the way down to connect with the stretches of good farmland below.
In the sandy land that had been reclaimed from the dunes, great swaths of white sesame had already set seed — the green leaves had turned yellow, waiting only for the autumn dryness to slowly dry them out so the farmers could begin knocking out the sesame seeds.
The farmers had tended them with great care; every seed pod was round and plump, about the size of a little finger. When a pod was pressed open, it was full of white sesame seeds.
Only one small patch of field was different from all the rest. The Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed, and the white sesame in this patch had only just grown tall and come into bloom — clearly it would not make it to seed and harvest, and an entire year’s labors would come to nothing.
“What happened here? Why is only this patch of field behind?” Pei Bingyuan was somewhat displeased, and asked the village headman responsible for this area.
The village headman hurried forward to explain: “In reply to the Magistrate, this household was delayed at the time of spring plowing, and did not plant until nearly the beginning of summer — a full month behind everyone else. I have already reprimanded them, and they will not dare to do it again next year.”
“Spring plowing and autumn harvest proceed according to the twenty-four solar terms, which cannot be delayed — even falling behind by a few days affects the harvest, let alone a full month. How could one be so muddled?”
Pei Bingyuan then said to the other village headmen: “You must all take this as a lesson. Be more attentive during spring plowing, and do not let any farmers fail to observe the proper season, falling into confusion and squandering an entire year’s hard work for nothing.”
“Yes.” The various village headmen replied.
Looking at the white sesame fields with their heartening harvest, Pei Bingyuan felt his spirits lighten considerably, and murmured: “This year, the yield of white sesame has at least doubled — once pressed into oil and sent through the Dongyang Prefecture wharf to the capital, the people will be able to celebrate the new year in good cheer.”
……
Pei Bingyuan returned to the county office, and Shen Da and Shen Er came to report: “Master, everything has been packed and put in order — we can set out on schedule the day after tomorrow to return to the capital.”
A look of reluctance showed in Pei Bingyuan’s eyes. “Understood,” he said.
He also asked: “You’ve spoken with all the officials in the office? My departure at the end of my term — there’s no need to make any announcements.”
Shen Da said: “They’ve all been told — only the people in the county office know that the Master is leaving his post.”
“Good.”
The departure from his post had become inevitable. Pei Bingyuan intended to leave quietly. The one who would take over the position of Magistrate was Deputy Magistrate He — a ranked graduate, who had been at the Yuchong County office for a year and was also a man of practical ability.
Shen Da reported further: “Your servant has heard that Deputy Magistrate He, Chief Secretary Lin, and all the bailiffs are planning a farewell banquet for the Master tomorrow evening.”
Pei Bingyuan thought it over and said: “They’ve only just begun to live a little better these past two years — don’t let them go to unnecessary expense… Go and buy some wine and meat, and tonight we’ll hold a simple parting gathering in the rear courtyard of the county office.”
“Yes.”
……
The court had already issued an imperial decree ordering Pei Bingyuan to return to the capital to report for duty. He had truly achieved results in these years — taking a county devastated by flooding, buried under yellow sand, with the people unable to clothe or feed themselves, and in the space of just a few years, governing it into a place of good order, restoring order to everyday life, and bringing the people to live and work in peace and contentment. That was no easy feat.
Among those who had come up through the ranks of the presented scholars, not many would have been able to accomplish as much as this.
The Ministry of Works had dispatched men to inspect and survey the flood-control works throughout the regions; the willow-tree embankment of Yuchong County received great praise.
The Ministry of Revenue had dispatched men to Yuchong County to register the household population, survey the farmland, and estimate grain output; the household rolls had climbed higher year after year, the population was growing more and more prosperous, and their reports too were sent up as commendations that Magistrate Pei had governed with merit.
Moreover, when the Prefect of Dongyang Prefecture and the Prefect’s Deputy made their annual memorials reporting on the achievements of the entire prefecture over the year, Yuchong County invariably stood at the top of the list.
Pei Jue held the position of Minister of Personnel and administered the appointments, promotions, demotions, and transfers of civil officials — but in the matter of Pei Bingyuan’s promotion and return to the capital, he could not move a single finger. Because Pei Bingyuan’s contributions had already been placed before the Emperor’s eyes — whoever it was, there was no way to take away or erase them.
Pei Bingyuan’s return to the capital was certain to bring reward and promotion. As for what post would be assigned, and where he would be posted, that was not yet known.
……
Two days later, in the county office courtyard, all the luggage and belongings had been packed and readied. Pei Bingyuan was about to board the carriage and depart. He said his farewells one by one to his former colleagues, and his emotions were most complex and layered.
This was where his official career had begun — hard as it had been, it had been full enough. This place had taught Pei Bingyuan that being an official was not a matter of classical texts and flowery phrases, but of working for the people’s welfare.
The three carriages left the main street and turned onto the official road, gradually moving into the distance. The somewhat dilapidated office compound shrank to a small dark dot. Pei Bingyuan lifted the curtain of the carriage, and took one last look at this stretch of land.
By the time the carriage was about to leave the boundaries of Yuchong County, on the post road, the village headmen from all the villages had brought the local elders and villagers to line up on either side of the road.
When they saw the Magistrate’s carriage slowly drawing near, about to depart, some of the villagers could not hold back their tears. A village headman called out sternly: “No one is allowed to cry — the Magistrate is being promoted. We should all be happy.”
Every villager held a stalk of sesame blossoms in hand. When the carriage passed, the villagers smiled, and one by one they tossed their sesame stalks forward, tossing up their blessings.
Pei Bingyuan did not dare lift the curtain, sitting inside the carriage with eyes already blurred with tears, brimming over.
Several sesame stalks passed through the curtain and fell onto Pei Bingyuan. He held up a length of sesame stalk with its blossoms opening one by one, node by node, and finally understood —
The village headmen and villagers had known all along that he would be leaving his post. That patch of sesame field that was still in bloom — they had deliberately delayed their planting, so they could send the Magistrate off with one last blessing.
Sesame blossoms — a step higher with each node.
This was the beginning of Yuchong County’s days of prosperity — and it should likewise be the beginning of the Magistrate’s rise, step by step. Even if it meant ten thousand times the reluctance.