From that day onward, Liu Xiu developed a new habit of chattering about trivial matters to that abacus. He knew this behavior was quite improper, but he could no longer treat the abacus as an ordinary object. Though he knew the white-robed beauty was probably sleeping, he still urgently wanted to see her again and had secretly given her the name Zhu’er (Pearl).

On this day, Liu Xiu poured out his troubles to the abacus as usual, sighing: “Zhu’er, my elder brother says he wants to sell our ancestral home. What do you think should be done?” Liu Xiu really had no one else to confide in. His second brother and elder brother quarreled daily, his three sisters had all married, and his uncle was ultimately separated by a degree of relationship – even if he wanted to intervene, he wouldn’t take a youth not yet twenty seriously.

This ancestral home was filled with his childhood memories. Liu Xiu didn’t understand why his elder brother truly wanted to go to the extent of scattering all family wealth. Ever since learning the settling pearl had spiritual intelligence, Liu Xiu hadn’t dared touch it again. But now feeling completely at a loss, looking at that abacus bead flickering with lustrous white light, he finally couldn’t help reaching out to touch it lightly.

“Ignorant child, if old people don’t leave, new people won’t come. What’s so difficult about this?”

The moment that sweet, pleasant voice appeared, Liu Xiu eagerly turned around to see the white-robed beauty just as before, half-reclining at the head of his bed, supporting her head with one hand. Her graceful figure was completely revealed beneath her white robes, causing Liu Xiu to lose focus for a moment. Coming to his senses, he smiled bitterly: “But after selling this ancestral home and dismissing the servants, I’ll have to farm the land myself to survive.”

“That’s easily solved – I’ll teach you the way of commerce and guarantee you’ll become the richest man under heaven!” When the white-robed beauty spoke of commerce, she completely reversed her usual drowsy appearance. Her almond eyes widened and her whole expression became animated, like a night-blooming cereus instantly blossoming, captivating the heart.

Liu Xiu was stunned for a moment, then immediately shook his head. As people said, “scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants” – merchants in this social order were only slightly above the lowest occupations. No matter how wealthy merchants became, they weren’t allowed to wear silk and satin, couldn’t ride luxurious carriages, couldn’t become officials, couldn’t purchase farmland in their own names, and had to report their wealth to the court and pay heavy taxes. If they underreported and were exposed, all their property would be confiscated and they’d be sentenced to guard the borders for a year. Merchants were soft persimmons anyone could squeeze, so even if Liu Xiu was desperate, his thoughts only turned to farming, not becoming a merchant.

Seeing Zhu’er boredly purse her lips and listlessly cover her mouth while yawning, Liu Xiu didn’t want her to immediately return to sleep in the bead like last time. He quickly said: “Don’t be angry, Zhu’er. It’s just that I can’t bear to sell the ancestral home! Elder brother is being too reckless.” Liu Xiu spoke with some resentment. Due to proper order between elder and younger, he naturally couldn’t say much in front of his elder brother, but privately he still didn’t approve of his brother’s actions.

“What’s wrong with that? Do you know what ‘sacrifice and gain’ means?” The white-robed beauty had no reaction to her new nickname and forced herself to keep her sleepy eyes open, smiling slightly: “Sacrifice and gain – only through sacrifice can there be gain. In other words, to obtain something, you must give up something. Your elder brother sees clearly – he wants others’ support, so he must sacrifice his wealth. Mutual benefit – isn’t this an excellent transaction?”

“You… you mean…” Liu Xiu was slightly dazed. He couldn’t view this matter as a transaction at all. His elder brother clearly prided himself as Lord Mengchang with three thousand household guests…

“You look down on merchants, many people look down on merchants, but everything in this world can be considered a transaction.” Zhu’er’s slender, pale fingers touched her red lips as she smiled with crescent eyes: “How about it? Learn from me to become a perfect merchant! Perhaps you’ll become the most supreme existence!”

Liu Xiu shook his head repeatedly. The consciousness of merchants being lowly was deeply rooted in his heart and couldn’t be changed immediately. But he was truly poor at studying – even after years of education in Chang’an, he couldn’t make progress. Just as he was about to explain something, he found himself alone in the room again. Seeing his lack of interest, Zhu’er was too lazy to waste even a moment and immediately returned to sleep in the settling pearl.

Sighing lightly, Liu Xiu wiped the dust off the abacus, thinking that starting tomorrow, he’d probably need to learn how to farm.

After the ancestral home in Chunling was sold, Liu Xiu and his two brothers moved to a decent thatched house barely large enough for the three of them. Liu Xiu’s elder brother Liu Yan naturally didn’t live with them – he found the person who bought their ancestral home and rented the house back. On the surface everything remained the same as he continued using the ancestral home to entertain clan relatives and traveling heroes, while Liu Xiu and his second brother Liu Zhong lived in the cramped thatched house.

Though second brother Liu Zhong was powerless to stop Liu Yan from selling the ancestral home, he still kept many antiques from the house and gradually sold them off. Seeing his second brother’s situation, Liu Xiu suddenly thought of the stall owner from whom he’d forcibly bought the settling pearl – how similar he was to his second brother now! Truly fortune turns like a wheel, and worldly affairs are unpredictable.

Of course, Liu Xiu would absolutely never show his face to sell those antiques. He had some scholarly pride and couldn’t bear being judged and receiving cold treatment in the marketplace. So he could only obediently pick up his hoe and farm without choice. He vaguely sensed this world was about to become chaotic – having however many mansions, coins, or antiques would be useless. When truly difficult times came, even the finest jade pendant couldn’t be exchanged for a life-saving meal.

His daily farming situation was first noticed by his elder brother, who forcibly gave him much silver, patting his chest and saying to come ask for more when money ran out. But Liu Xiu truly didn’t lack money. However, if he were to befriend heroes like his elder brother and idly criticize the government, he really didn’t have that leisure. Instead, wielding his hoe and sweating under the scorching sun quite calmed his heart and felt sweet, much better than struggling with obscure books. Liu Yan was displeased with his younger brother willingly becoming a farmer and often mocked him for being unambitious, but whenever this happened, Liu Xiu would just smile foolishly and pay no mind. His second brother observed him for many days, and after a deep conversation between them, stopped interfering.

His Zhu’er never appeared again. Liu Xiu really wanted to see her, really wanted to hear her speak in that lazy tone again, but Liu Xiu had his principles – having decided he couldn’t engage in commerce, he wouldn’t easily bow his head.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye Liu Xiu had been a farmer for ten years. His thin frame became strong and sturdy. Eight chi tall with fine beard and eyebrows, his pale complexion became a healthy wheat color, and his hands developed calluses. His originally somewhat rash character was tempered through daily labor into caution and gentleness. Combined with his childhood education in Chang’an, he possessed a tranquil, scholarly temperament completely unlike an ordinary farmer.

Liu Xiu’s farmland, due to his diligent cultivation and irrigation, produced excellent harvests and considerable stable income. He was now twenty-six years old – at this age in ordinary families, children could already farm. Nearly all the neighboring villagers had tried to arrange marriages for him, but he’d never agreed, saying his elder brother should decide. His elder brother Liu Yan was rarely seen, daily mysterious and whereabouts unknown, while second brother Liu Zhong had opened a shop in the county seat and rarely minded him.

Why not marry? Liu Xiu wasn’t actually clear himself. In the deepest part of his heart remained a trace of a white silhouette that, though ten years had passed, hadn’t blurred in the slightest.

He was truly too foolish.

Occasionally Liu Xiu would mock himself. He didn’t understand what he was really expecting. But he knew he didn’t want to casually follow matchmakers’ words and marry an unfamiliar farm girl. Though he daily farmed and did agricultural work, he didn’t acknowledge in his heart that he was just an ordinary farmer.

Starting three years ago, there had been continuous disasters and locust swarms. Various regions had erupted with dozens of rebel forces like the Green Forest Army, Red Eyebrow Army, and Bronze Horse Army. With warfare everywhere and people’s livelihood disrupted, this atmosphere of unrest was gradually reaching the vicinity of Chunling. Liu Xiu harvested his wheat cleanly and stored it in granaries, inevitably beginning to worry.

His elder brother Liu Yan supported many guests and had considerable reputation. With the world in great chaos, many more came seeking him out. Due to increased numbers, Liu Yan’s money and grain were limited, making these traveling heroes’ treatment increasingly difficult. Some began secretly engaging in robbery and other shameful activities, while others even openly used Liu Yan’s name to oppose the authorities. Those leech-like officials followed the scent to trouble the Liu family with various difficulties. Not only was second brother’s shop harassed into closing, even Liu Xiu wasn’t spared. Most of the grain Liu Xiu had stored was searched and taken by officials. If this continued, probably even his last bit of harvest wouldn’t be preserved.

Liu Xiu couldn’t help gripping the abacus in his hands. He’d grown accustomed to carrying this abacus with him, occasionally rubbing that settling pearl. “Zhu’er, what do you think I should do?” Liu Xiu murmured to himself. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt somewhat embarrassed – he’d already passed the capping ceremony age, so why was he still as indecisive as when he was small?

But Liu Xiu had grown accustomed to such unresponsive results over the years. He answered himself: “With officials interfering, these grains certainly won’t be accepted by any shops. I can only transport them to Xinye and also take refuge with my second brother-in-law, avoiding the chaotic situation on elder brother’s side…” As Liu Xiu spoke, he suddenly felt the settling pearl beneath his hand rotate once on its own. His heart jumped violently. Liu Xiu held his breath and indeed heard that long-missed lazy voice the next moment.

“Oh? Finally figured it out? No longer being a farmer?”

Liu Xiu looked toward the voice and saw Zhu’er leaning against the granary door as if just awakening from sleep, her eyes drowsy. Time seemed frozen on her – she bore no traces of age, still graceful and elegant in white robes with jade-like skin. Liu Xiu’s heart suddenly ached dully – he should finally understand something, but before he could think carefully, he displayed his gentle, refined smile and chuckled: “Zhu’er, I’m just temporarily not farming. After selling the grain, I’ll continue next spring.”

Zhu’er raised her sleeve to cover her lips, her almond eyes slightly curved as she yawned, saying lazily: “Ignorant child, in these times, once you leave, this farmland and house will be occupied by others. You still want to farm next year? How naive.”

Liu Xiu stiffened at her words but had to admit they made sense. Now living in chaotic times, property deeds and land contracts were just waste paper – whoever had the sharpest sword was boss. Liu Xiu had thought that after ten years he’d matured considerably, but Zhu’er still called him an ignorant child, making him blush and stammer: “Then… then what do you say should be done?”

Zhu’er smiled slightly, immediately radiating brilliant light. The unremarkable granary seemed to become magnificent and glorious because of her smile. He heard her say confidently: “I think your plan is excellent – transport the grain to Xinye to sell. However, I’ll teach you the process. This way of commerce has much knowledge involved!”

“This… this shouldn’t count as commerce…” Liu Xiu protested weakly, but seeing Zhu’er shed her sleepiness and become animated, he ultimately didn’t resist to the end.

After all, he was going to Xinye to sell grain anyway. Having Zhu’er accompany him – wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing?

Liu Xiu packed his belongings and found places to bury deeply anything he couldn’t take. Zhu’er surprisingly didn’t return to rest in the settling pearl but unusually remained enthusiastic, teaching him commercial methods. Liu Xiu had originally looked down on merchants, feeling those traders didn’t perform hard labor but simply transported goods from one place to another to earn huge profits and become wealthy. But through Zhu’er’s lively and interesting explanations, he gradually changed this concept.