Chapter 61 Buying Books in the County Town

When Li Yanqing returned home in the afternoon, Uncle Zhong stepped forward with a smile and said, "Little Master, the paperwork for Magpie has all been completed."

"Was the money given?"

"It was given, though not to Zhang Ping. I handed it directly to his wife."

Li Yanqing shook his head, knowing it was useless. If Magpie's mother could keep her husband in check, their family wouldn't have sold both of their daughters into indenture. Too lazy to inquire further, Li Yanqing strode quickly toward his own room.

Uncle Zhong added from behind, "Magpie cried all morning, though."

"Why?" Li Yanqing stopped in his tracks, asking with puzzlement.

"I don't know the exact reason. Ju Niang and my old woman both tried to comfort her to no avail, but she stopped crying by noon."

A wave of pity washed over Li Yanqing. The young girl must have felt heartbroken at the realization that her father had sold her into indenture. A ten-year bond with no parental affection—well, so be it! He would simply give her time off to visit home during festivals from now on.

Tomorrow, Li Yanqing and several companions were heading to the county seat, so he had specifically requested a day off from his master. The master had agreed quite readily, but under one strict condition: they had to make up for all the lessons missed due to the absence. He would have to pull another all-nighter tonight.

Just as Li Yanqing pulled out paper and brush, Magpie placed a freshly ground inkstone before him. The little maid was quite clever, knowing how to save him time, and a sudden fondness for her welled up in Li Yanqing's heart.

"Uncle Zhong told me you cried all morning. Why was that?"

"It was nothing. I was just no good."

Magpie said in a low voice, "I failed to serve the Little Master properly, and my heart hurts because of it."

Li Yanqing was stunned. "Weren't you... upset because your father sold you into indenture?"

"Not at all!"

Perhaps feeling Li Yanqing's care for her, coupled with the great kindness shown by Uncle Zhong and Sister Ju, Magpie had gradually shed yesterday's timidity, occasionally revealing the innocence inherent to a young girl.

Pouting her little lips, she said angrily to Li Yanqing, "Every time my father gets drunk and goes on a rampage, he starts beating me and my mother. My brother also snatches my food at the drop of a hat, leaving me to starve. I... I wanted to leave that home long ago."

"So it turns out I overthought it. Then what were you crying for?"

Magpie immediately recalled her dereliction of duty that very morning. What if her master decided to send her back home? Her father would beat her to death. Overcome by fear and anxiety, her eyes turned red once more. With a choked voice, she said, "I didn't even know when the Little Master left this morning. I... I failed to serve the Little Master properly on the very first day, and my heart hurts."

Li Yanqing couldn't help but chuckle. He tapped her little head playfully and smiled, "This isn't your fault! I have to get up at the fifth watch every day to run. There really isn't much to do, and I don't need you to wait on me. You should just sleep a little longer."

"That won't do!"

Magpie shook her head like a rattle-drum. "Elder Sister told me that serving the master early in the morning is the most important thing, otherwise a maid is useless. It's... it's because I was too lazy. Little Master, I will definitely change tomorrow."

Li Yanqing felt somewhat helpless. The little maid was too timid, and saying anything more would be useless. She would just have to adapt slowly! Li Yanqing had no choice but to let her be.

With that, Li Yanqing began to write with absolute concentration. Passing the county examination had been a settled matter for him five years ago; now, he was throwing all his energy into preparing for the provincial examination at the end of the year.

His master had told them more than once that the provincial examination was not exceptionally difficult, but rather massive in volume and miscellaneous in content, requiring years of accumulation. Moreover, it placed heavy demands on calligraphy. His accumulation was no longer an issue; he simply needed to practice more practice problems.

The crucial part was having rock-solid calligraphy. His running script was quite beautiful, but his regular script lacked a bit of refinement, whereas examinations mostly required the use of regular script. Therefore, he planned to practice regular script extensively over the next few months to shore up this weak spot of his.

.........

In the middle of the night, a sudden "Clatter!" echoed from the main hall, instantly startling Li Yanqing awake. He got up, threw on a coat, and strode to the door, only to see a figure frantically tidying up something in the room.

"Who is it?" Li Yanqing asked.

"Little Master, it's me!" A timid voice replied from the darkness.

Finding it strange that someone wouldn't sleep and instead be messing around in the guest hall, Li Yanqing turned back to light an oil lamp and stepped out of his room holding it. He saw a chair overturned on the floor, which had knocked over a basket of radishes by the door. The radishes were rolling all over the floor, and Magpie was scurrying around picking them up.

Noticing that her clothes were neatly dressed and no different from the previous evening, Li Yanqing asked in astonishment, "Have you been here the whole time?"

Blushing, Magpie whispered, "I was afraid I'd oversleep again today, so I sat here to doze off, but I accidentally knocked things over."

Amused and exasperated, not knowing what to say to her, Li Yanqing could only comfort her, "Don't be in such a rush. You'll get used to it gradually."

Magpie hung her head in silence. Speechless for a moment, Li Yanqing scratched his head and asked, "What time is it now?"

"The fourth watch has passed long ago. It must be close to the fifth watch."

"Alright then! Do you know how to bind hair?"

"I do. I used to bind my father's hair every day."

Li Yanqing's hair had grown very thick and dense, and daily hair-binding was his greatest annoyance. He always tied it up hastily in a sloppy knot that wouldn't hold, frequently coming undone at the academy and drawing the laughter of his peers. Magpie knowing how to bind hair would spare him a major headache.

Li Yanqing sat down, and Magpie, holding a comb and a hairpin, stood behind him to skillfully comb and twist his hair.

Hair-binding was not difficult: one twisted the hair into a strand at the back or slightly behind the top of the head, and as it tightened, it would naturally coil and wind upward layer by layer. Tucking away the ends, one would insert the hairpin into the bun with a downward press and an upward lift, finishing off by putting on the headscarf.

However, while simple in theory, doing it neatly was not easy. Feeling the warmth of Magpie's small hands, Li Yanqing smiled and asked her, "Magpie, how old is your brother, and what does he do at home?"

"My brother is the same age as the Little Master. My grandfather originally wanted him to study, but after a few days he didn't want to read anymore and just plays around at home all day, preparing to go to the capital in a couple of years to help my uncle."

"And what about you? Would you like to study?"

Magpie let out a soft sigh. "The Little Master is joking. How could a young lady attend an academy?"

Li Yanqing smiled. "I didn't say you'd go to an academy. From now on, while you grind ink for me, I'll teach you to recognize a few characters along the way. It will always come in handy in the future."

Overjoyed beyond measure, learning to read and write was something she wouldn't even dare to dream of. Yet, thinking of what Uncle Zhong had said that morning—that the Little Master was about to take the imperial examinations—she wondered if teaching her would distract him from his studies.

With a worried expression, she said, "Maybe... maybe we should wait until the Little Master finishes the examinations."

Li Yanqing laughed. "Teaching you a few characters won't hold me back. We'll talk about it later! I'm leaving now."

Magpie hurriedly placed the headscarf on her master. Li Yanqing felt his hair; it was bound very securely. Satisfied, he headed to the well to wash his face and brush his teeth.

How could such a delightful trip to the county seat possibly exclude Wang Gu and Tang Huai? After finishing their run, the four of them mounted their little donkeys and headed toward the county town.

Chatting and laughing all the way, they arrived at Tangyin County Seat by noon.

"My stomach is hollow with hunger. Let's go get something to eat first!" Wang Huai rubbed his belly and suggested.

Wang Huai's suggestion won unanimous approval from the group. Li Yanqing smiled and said, "Let's go to the Shunfeng Tower. My treat for mutton steamed buns!"

The buns at Shunfeng Tower were a unique specialty of Tangyin County—thin wrappers with generous fillings and abundant broth, and their mutton buns in particular were prepared with exquisite freshness. Paired with a bowl of spicy soup simmered with thirteen different ingredients, it was the ultimate enjoyment in this biting early spring chill. Their appetites thoroughly whetted, the four spurred their donkeys onward toward the city.

The county town was exceptionally bustling today, filled everywhere with the merry laughter of children. The faint sound of drums echoed from afar, and itinerant peddlers on streets and alleys had quietly increased in number. People hurried along, exchanging greetings with smiles beaming across their faces.

All these signs pointed to one conclusion: an important festival was fast approaching.

"Have you all forgotten?"

Wang Huai suddenly shouted with excitement, "What day is it in just a few days!"

The three exchanged glances and shouted together in high spirits, "The Spring She Festival!"

The Spring She Festival, falling on the second day of the second lunar month for the Earth God's Festival, was the oldest and most joyous traditional festival on the Chinese land. The joy it brought people even surpassed the New Year and the Lantern Festival.

The thought of the upcoming festival pushed even the county examinations on the fifth day of the second lunar month to the backs of their minds.

"We need to buy gifts for our master for the She Festival. We can buy something to take back!"

At Li Yanqing's suggestion, Yue Fei was the first to respond. Raising his hand with a smile, he said, "I'll buy a collection of books for Master. Just the day before yesterday, he mentioned that his Selected Tang Poetry was falling apart and he needed a new one."

"Of course you know best what Master needs. What about the rest of us?"

Wang Huai muttered, pondering for a moment before declaring, "Master loves mutton steamed buns the most. I'll buy thirty of them for him to take back."

"What about you, Old Tang?" Li Yanqing asked Tang Huai with a smile.

Putting on an air of refined elegance, Tang Huai shook his folding fan. "Master's robe is getting old; I'll buy him a bolt of top-grade green cloth."

"Right! Why didn't I think of that?"

Shamelessly grinning, Wang Huai stepped forward, slung his arm over Tang Huai's shoulder, and laughed, "Old Tang, how about we trade? You buy the buns and I'll buy the cloth!"

"Shoo!"

Tang Huai shoved him away. "Who has as little taste as you? Just because you like eating buns, you want to buy them for Master. If you think that won't do, buy a few books instead!"

"Old Li, what are you buying?" Wang Huai turned back to find Li Yanqing.

"I've been meaning to buy a set of the Four Treasures of the Study for Master, and the She Festival is just the right occasion."

"Then what should I buy? Give me some ideas!" Wang Huai was growing anxious.

At this moment, Yue Fei stammered, "Actually, I do have a suggestion. You can hear me out."

"What suggestion?" Wang Huai quickly turned around.

"Isn't that big dark donkey at your house about to give birth? Once it foals, you can give one of the little donkeys to Master. Master's old donkey has been ridden for twenty years and is on its last legs. Master is getting old and walking is inconvenient; he needs a mount."

Wang Huai slapped his own head fiercely. "What a blockhead I am, I completely forgot about this! Good! I'll gift him a donkey."

Wang Huai's family ran the largest livestock agency in Tangyin County, selling over half the donkeys in the entire county. The four donkeys given as prizes during the Child Prodigy gathering back then had been a friendly sponsorship by the Wang family.

"Eat buns first, then buy gifts!"

At Li Yanqing's wave of his arm, the four responded enthusiastically, spurring their donkeys and racing toward Shunfeng Tower.

Spending nearly half the day wandering through the county town, the four not only treated themselves well but also bought gifts for their master. Li Yanqing purchased a set of the Four Treasures of the Study produced by the Jiuzhitang in the capital; though not the best in the world, it was still of top quality in the capital.

Yue Fei bought a hardcover edition of Selected Tang Poetry; though it cost only two hundred cash, it exhausted all his savings. Tang Huai bought a bolt of top-grade fine green cotton cloth from an old Fuzhou shop, while Wang Huai led a two-year-old dark donkey from the Wang Family Livestock Agency—their family's big dark donkey wouldn't give birth for another two months, but he couldn't wait.

Today, however, held another important task for Li Yanqing: he needed to deliver his final manuscript to the Shulinyuan Bookstore, thereby fulfilling the five-year contract he had maintained with them.

The manager of Shulinyuan had been replaced; the previous Manager Luo had been promoted to Daming Prefecture, and the new manager, surnamed Zhao, was a native of Anyang County.

Manager Zhao had already dealt with Li Yanqing a few times. Compared to Manager Luo, his enthusiasm was noticeably lower, but his formalities remained thorough.

Arranging for a shop assistant to attend to Yue Fei and the others, he invited Li Yanqing up to the second floor.

"This is the final installment!"

Handing the last manuscript to Manager Zhao, Li Yanqing smiled and said, "It's finally concluded."

"The Little Master has worked hard these past few years."

Flipping through the manuscript, Manager Zhao placed it into a box, intending to send someone to deliver it to Daming Prefecture in a few days.

"How did that lawsuit in Tanzhou turn out last time?" Li Yanqing asked.

Manager Zhao shook his head with a sigh. "Just like everywhere else. Even though we won the lawsuit, the printing blocks couldn't be found, and in the end, it fizzled out with nothing achieved."

Although The Great Sage Catching Demons had sold wildly across the Song Dynasty over the past few years, rampant piracy meant the bookstores barely made any profit, severely cutting into Li Yanqing's income. Consequently, Li Yanqing had signed an agreement with Shulinyuan that with the delivery of this final manuscript, their contract would be completely fulfilled.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Li Yanqing changed the subject with a smile, "I heard Shulinyuan has opened its fourth bookstore in the capital. That is truly a cause for celebration!"

A trace of a smile appeared on Manager Zhao's face. "It's all thanks to the Little Master's book that our shop was able to gradually build a reputation. In last month's capital bookstore ranking, our shop placed seventh, moving up one spot from last year. The owner even said that if there's an opportunity, he must thank the Little Master in person."

"Your owner is too polite."

Retrieving fifty liang of silver from the cabinet, Manager Zhao handed it to Li Yanqing. "This is the manuscript fee for the final installment. Please accept it, Little Master."

Without standing on ceremony, Li Yanqing gladly accepted it. With a stone finally lifted from his heart, he rose to take his leave. At that moment, Yue Fei and the others had already selected a large bundle of examination books and were preparing to pay, when Manager Zhao hurriedly intervened, "No need to pay for these books. Consider it a small token of appreciation from our humble shop."

Expressing their thanks repeatedly, the group left carrying their books. Once outside the city, Wang Huai said smugly, "We struck it big today! Buying so many books without paying a single cash—I'll come back in a few days."

Tang Huai shook his folding fan with a sneer. "Get real! Your face isn't worth anything; Old Li's face is what holds value. Don't believe me? Try going back by yourself and taking a book without paying! If they don't treat you like a petty thief and beat you out with clubs, I'll be surprised!"

Tossing his head with a huff, Wang Huai suddenly realized something was missing. Panicking, he asked Li Yanqing, "Old Gui, where did you put the mutton steamed buns we bought for Master?"

Feeling his donkey's saddlebag, Wang Huai let out a horrified shriek, spun his donkey around, and galloped wildly back into the city, his voice echoing from afar: "I left them at the bookstore!"