The face-conscious Master Zhu Chuan reluctantly bought nine woks. After he left, Zhao Hanzhang immediately pulled Fu Tinghan back to the county office. First, she had someone go to Wushan to relay a message, “Have them forge three more iron woks to send over.”
Only then did she take the paper they’d made and the manuscripts of “The Three Character Classic” and “The Thousand Character Classic” to the Zhao family fortress.
Fu Tinghan followed her calmly as she ran here and there, not minding at all that she was taking up a large amount of his time.
Two days ago, the snow had been heavy, and this was still a perfect time for snow viewing.
Although Zhao Ming didn’t like viewing snow with the guests in his garden, he enjoyed viewing it alone.
With his father rarely out meeting guests and only he himself at home, it was exceptionally quiet. So he dug out a jar of fine wine, had it warmed, and sat in the breezy pavilion drinking alone while viewing the snow.
When Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan excitedly came looking for him, he was half-reclined on a mat with one leg slightly bent, holding a small wine bottle and drinking contentedly by himself.
Seeing the carefree and unrestrained Zhao Ming, Zhao Hanzhang stopped in her tracks. Even Fu Tinghan was surprised for a moment.
He watched for a while, then turned to Zhao Hanzhang and said, “If all the romantic figures of the Wei and Jin dynasties were like this, then I can understand why history books define these people as romantic figures.”
This was somewhat different from the so-called famous scholars he’d seen at the Zhao family banquet before.
Zhao Ming seemed to hear voices. His drinking motion paused as he turned his head slightly to look over.
The uncle and niece looked at each other across a courtyard and a bare plum tree.
Zhao Hanzhang grinned at him and waved cheerfully in greeting.
Zhao Ming’s face remained expressionless as he lowered his leg, slowly shifting from half-reclining to sitting upright. He put down the wine bottle and even straightened his robes.
Zhao Hanzhang pulled Fu Tinghan forward. Fu Tinghan could still read the room and tried to hold her back, “I think Uncle Ming doesn’t really want to see us right now.”
“It’s a rare good opportunity—no, I mean, we’re already here. Leaving like this would be even worse. Come on, come on. You just said that was very much the romantic famous scholar style. Uncle won’t mind.”
With that, she dragged Fu Tinghan over enthusiastically.
Zhao Ming’s expression became even more blank as he watched the two enter the pavilion. After perfunctorily greeting him, they sat down cross-legged opposite him on the mat.
“What are you here for?”
Zhao Hanzhang exhaled a breath, watching the mist rise before her eyes. Very curious, she asked, “Uncle, it’s so cold—wouldn’t it be better to stay indoors? Why sit in this drafty pavilion?”
Zhao Ming glanced at her and picked up his wine bottle again to drink, “Viewing the snow.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked outside and smiled slightly. Wrapped in silver—truly beautiful.
Without mentioning why she came, Zhao Ming didn’t press her. He even didn’t offer hospitality to the two, just drinking by himself.
He slightly lifted his eyelids to look at the two sitting across from him. His cunning, thick-skinned niece was tilting her head to gaze at the snow in a daze, while Fu Tinghan beside her was gazing at her in a daze.
His gaze shifted between the two, and finally he let out a soft sigh.
Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan heard the sigh and simultaneously came back to themselves, turning their heads together to look at him.
Zhao Ming swirled his wine bottle, “Great-uncle has a discerning eye—none of us can match him even with our best efforts.”
Zhao Hanzhang waited for his next sentence, but found he just kept drinking, as if there was no next sentence. She couldn’t help saying, “I know Grandfather has a discerning eye. So what?”
Zhao Ming looked at her, “So you got a great bargain.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked at him blankly.
Zhao Ming offered no explanation. With the wine warming him, he became too lazy to maintain propriety and simply reclined backward again, drinking the wine from the bottle in one gulp. He shook it and tossed the bottle to Zhao Hanzhang.
Zhao Hanzhang nimbly caught it.
Zhao Ming lifted his chin toward the corner, “Pour some more.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked over and only then noticed a brazier there with an empty stove beside it. On the stove sat a large wine jar.
The stove was empty with no fire, but the wine jar was warm.
Zhao Hanzhang glanced at the brazier and directly picked up the jar, shaking it. She felt the wine inside was evenly mixed, so she poured it into the bottle.
Sure enough, the wine that came out was steaming faintly and warm.
The wine’s aroma spread out. Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help swallowing. She handed the eight-tenths-full bottle to Zhao Ming, then sat down on the mat holding the wine jar.
She looked around and found not even a cup in the pavilion. Utterly speechless.
The wine at hand kept assaulting her nose. This wine was truly fragrant!
Zhao Hanzhang glanced at Zhao Ming, who was drinking contentedly by himself, and simply lifted the wine jar to take a swig.
The wine was smooth going down but had a lingering aftertaste. Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes lit up as she couldn’t help saying, “Excellent wine!”
Zhao Ming watched her quietly, unable to resist asking again, “What exactly did you come here for?”
Zhao Hanzhang took another big gulp of wine and relaxed completely. Grinning at him, she said, “Uncle, there are three major matters I need to tell you.”
Zhao Ming let out a soft “hmph,” asking nonchalantly, “All good news?”
Zhao Hanzhang affirmed, “All good news!”
Zhao Ming swirled his wine bottle, “Let’s start with something that doesn’t require my effort, or rather, start with whatever requires the least effort from me.”
Zhao Hanzhang fell into deep thought, her face full of conflict. So which matter should she start with?
Zhao Ming saw that she actually needed to think this long and immediately got a headache.
It seemed that ever since he’d acknowledged her as master of Xiping County, she’d been constantly making him work. He’d completely found himself an ancestor to serve!
Fu Tinghan cleared his throat softly, reminding her, “Start with the teaching matter.”
“Oh,” Zhao Hanzhang immediately sat up straight and said, “Uncle, I happened to obtain two books. I find them easy to understand and more suitable for elementary education than the current primers, so I’ve decided to change the curriculum at the school.”
Zhao Ming blinked, “The school is your school. You can decide for yourself. Why tell me?”
Zhao Hanzhang grinned at him, “This is because I need Uncle’s support. As you know, I’m extremely busy, so while teaching those children, I’d like uncles and brothers to come listen as well. With their learning, mastering it would only take a few days…”
Zhao Ming understood, “You want them to change their primers too?”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded eagerly.
Zhao Ming immediately shook his head, “Everyone has their own teaching methods. When the clan entrusted the traveling students to Zitu, no one ever thought to interfere with his teaching methods. Those who don’t agree can simply leave.”
He said, “One can push oneself, but shouldn’t push others.”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “But my two primers are more efficient…”
She stopped under Zhao Ming’s gaze. “Fine. If after attending the lessons you still don’t agree to changing the textbooks and curriculum, I won’t insist.”
Zhao Ming snorted, but didn’t object further. He asked, “What about the second matter?”
Zhao Hanzhang took out the paper they’d folded up and handed it over sneakily, lowering her voice, “Uncle, look at this.”
Zhao Ming thought it was some secret. He sat up straight to receive it, unfolding it to find just a blank sheet of large paper, not even cut.
He examined it carefully but found no secrets. Glancing at his wine bottle, he didn’t want to waste it by splashing it on the paper, so he simply tossed the paper back to Zhao Hanzhang, “Just say it directly. What about this paper?”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “…This paper was made by our paper mill.”
Fu Tinghan watched the uncle and niece’s interaction, unable to suppress the smile in his eyes.