Chapter 122: Turbulence

Chapter 122: Turbulent Currents

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the temperature gradually dropped. Following several days of rain, the sky finally cleared. The refreshing breeze seemed to bring a touch of vitality to the city, which had been under virtual lockdown for nearly a month. The days were bright and clear, and at night, the stars shone with a crisp, pure light, with wispy clouds drifting across the vault of heaven one by one.

Over the past month, the situation for the starving refugees both inside and outside the city had been pushed to its limit. Of course, it was said that in previous years, there had been situations even more dire, and while the tension was stretched taut, it remained difficult to say exactly where the breaking point lay. The government occasionally distributed grain, and several wealthy families helped by providing porridge and meals, offering support both inside and outside the city walls. Whenever these charitable distributions took place, soldiers would help maintain order, preventing any major chaos.

However, gangs and factions had formed among the refugees, and fights over food were common. Such disturbances often broke out after the government or wealthy families finished their distributions, and they were difficult to manage. Since the city gates were closed, some people had died; while only a few actually starved to death, the majority perished due to fights, looting, or a lack of funds for medical treatment later on. Overall, however, it was said that the death toll was lower than in previous years.

Living in this era, people had heard countless times about how things were in the past. Most possessed a sense of compassion, but given that the current situation was manageable, life had to go on. Business negotiations and social engagements continued, though the atmosphere of the entire city had become somewhat subdued. During the recent days of lingering autumn rain, this sense of stagnant silence had only intensified.

The Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering was held as usual, with its customary liveliness, though the content of the poems differed from previous years. Instead of the typical flowery descriptions of grand scenes or sentimental odes to the moon, the focus shifted to lamenting the separation of loved ones on a night meant for reunion, and depicting the plight of the refugees inside and outside the city. Li Pin, Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi, and others all presented new works, and some previously renowned poets and lyricists achieved new breakthroughs. Naturally, the author of last year’s sensational *Shuidiao Getou* did not participate; he was deeply entangled in his family’s business affairs and had no time for anything else. Some discussed his clumsiness in business matters, whether with ridicule or sighs, which significantly diminished the air of mystery surrounding the name "Ning Liheng."

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, life returned to its original track. People waited day by day for the effects of the flood to pass, and many merchants and shops in the city operated as usual in this atmosphere. On this morning, as a refreshing breeze blew—roughly around the ninth hour—several people were busy in a small room next to a Su family textile warehouse in Jiangning. This warehouse room was connected to the adjacent shop, but given the current situation, business was slow, and a maid named Juan'er would occasionally pop in to check on them.

Busy in the room were Ning Yi, Zhou Pei, and Zhou Junwu. The brother and sister were dressed in the blue-shirted attire of shop assistants, but their fair, tender skin revealed them to be children of some standing. They had been inexplicably following Ning Yi for a month now. Some of the Su family members had grown accustomed to their presence, assuming they were either children of a noble house or Ning Yi’s disciples, and that he was simply showing them around. Sometimes Ning Yi would have them serve tea or move goods—though nothing heavy.

For the siblings, this life was quite novel. The day before, Ning Yi had even paid them their first month’s wages—one tael and two mace of silver each, the standard for child labor. Afterward, comparing this to the prices outside, the two siblings realized that one tael and two mace of silver wouldn't be of much use, but the experience remained quite fresh.

Of course, using them as child labor was just a way to pass the time; most of the time, Ning Yi fulfilled his duty as a teacher. When they had free time, he would lecture them, even teaching Zhou Pei modern arithmetic, demonstrating how addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division correlated with traditional counting methods in a relatively informal way. At first, Zhou Pei had been dismissive of the Arabic numerals, but now she often asked questions about them.

The three were busy with today’s project because they had followed him to the laboratory a few days prior, and after getting a tour and a brief explanation of physics, Ning Yi had decided to make a telescope. He had found a few glass shards that could serve as convex lenses and, in a moment of inspiration, showed the two the principles of focusing and magnification. Zhou Pei had been unimpressed, claiming it was simple and that everyone knew it. Since the telescope was still in progress, Ning Yi decided to perform a very simple experiment that perhaps not everyone knew.

After hammering together a wooden box, he used black cloth to create a light-blocking tent. The three hid inside and lit a candle. Ning Yi covered one side of the candle; since the box was only half-covered, light still escaped. He placed a thick sheet of rice paper with a hole in it, framed in bamboo, in front of it, performing a simple camera obscura experiment.

Juan'er stood at the doorway, watching the black tent with confusion. A moment later, she heard voices from inside: "Look, the light here is inverted."

"Uh..."

"Ah, Teacher, how can this be?"

"It must be a magic trick."

"Even magic tricks have their logic."

After a flurry of chatter, when Juan'er approached, Ning Yi stepped out from the black cloth and smiled at her: "Go in and take a look. It’s not very interesting, but you probably haven't seen it before..."

Juan'er entered, puzzled, and then saw the inverted candle flame projected onto the side of the wooden box.

For the past month, Ning Yi had acted like a worker, attending morning meetings, walking a fixed route, and then doing as he pleased. He seemed diligent, but he didn't do much. Chan'er usually followed him, and sometimes Juan'er did as well. The maids had gotten to know the siblings; the polite Junwu often called them Sister Chan'er and Sister Juan'er. Zhou Pei was more reserved, but she had developed a familiar attitude toward them and Ning Yi.

"Some people would call this 'frivolous craft,' so for now, there's no need to take it too seriously, but some things are quite interesting. For example, these two lenses—when placed at such a distance, they can magnify things... Hmm, I’ve asked Carpenter Chen to chisel a proper tube so I can fix them in place..."

Ning Yi always enjoyed lecturing in a conversational manner. That morning, a long bamboo tube was placed on the table by the window. Xiao Pei, Junwu, and Juan'er took turns looking through it, and were left dumbstruck. The lenses couldn't be fixed yet, so Ning Yi had just found the approximate focal length and wrapped the lenses in rings of rice paper to hold them in the tube. Since the lenses weren't secured, they easily tilted, so the small telescope couldn't be moved, but the effect was already quite astonishing.

"Light forming an inverted image through a small hole actually proves that light travels in straight lines. But in some cases, like putting a chopstick into water, it bends. Here, light 'turns.' You might say seeing an inverted image doesn't achieve much, and that's true, because this telescope is the product of combining many different things and principles. Once people can research to this level and understand everything, you won't need to try your luck as I do. You’ll know exactly what kind of lenses you need to make a telescope, what the concave and convex surfaces should look like... When you know more principles, you will also know how to precisely manufacture those surfaces, how to control them."

"However, you don't need to worry about how to make them. What I want you to know is... a way of thinking. Combine 'because' and 'therefore.' Don't just know *that* something is, but *why* it is. Many craftsmen have used old methods for years without knowing why those methods work. If you understand the principles, you can create more transparent lenses and build telescopes that see further and more clearly. Efficiency will increase tenfold, a hundredfold. This applies to everything you do..."

"Zhou Pei, the arithmetic you like is the same. It is clearer. From 'one plus one equals two' and 'two plus two equals four,' it can extend infinitely. We live in a human world, but that is a world of numbers. In fact, calculating how light refracts, how it magnifies, and by how much—all require numbers for assistance. The world of numbers is purely 'because' and 'therefore,' a clear logical relationship... I don't want you to become mere craftsmen, but I hope you can understand this logical relationship. It will be very useful."

***

"Of course, within arithmetic, there are some rather extreme examples that are very interesting, for instance..."

After the experiment, they drifted into a rambling discussion. Junwu kept glancing at the camera obscura device, occasionally fiddling with the telescope. Zhou Pei was amazed by the experiment, but listened even more intently now. Juan'er went out to check on the shop, sighing to herself in a secluded corner: "The master-in-law is so amazing..."

A while later, Xi Junyu passed by and came in to chat with Ning Yi for a while. Junwu and Xiao Pei went over to pour tea and move chairs—a silent understanding they had developed with Ning Yi. In fact, besides attending lessons, they had spent the month wondering why Ning Yi wasn't doing anything.

Xi Junyu was just passing through because the textile guild meeting was only three days away, at which point everyone would lay their cards on the table, so he had come to check on Ning Yi’s status. In fact, all the managers were rushing about; Xi Junyu had just met with the head of another shop this morning and was preparing to attend another social engagement.

"Although a month has passed and it seems the Su family has the most support, the business world is full of deceit and treachery; one must guard against everything. While we have the support of Magistrate Han and Magistrate Dong favors the Su family, it’s hard to say if any unforeseen changes might occur. The Xue and Wu families also have deep-rooted connections in official circles, and it’s hard to say if they might turn the tables at the last minute. If we have any contingency plans, they must be arranged early."

Xi Junyu was part of the younger, ambitious generation of the Su family, but he was level-headed. After listening to him, Ning Yi nodded: "As for official matters, the Old Master has already done his best. Manager Xi, I am not very familiar with the nuances—have there been similar situations in the past?"

"The textile industry hasn't seen such fierce competition in years. Of course, the schemes hidden beneath the surface are anyone's guess... Heh, perhaps I am overthinking it. The Su, Xue, and Wu families all have deep foundations. Since it has reached this point, there likely won't be too many changes. If they could turn the tables now and cover the sky with one hand, they would have swallowed the Su family long ago."

"That is unlikely," Ning Yi laughed. "Opening doors to do business for so many years—when the time comes, we will present our goods. Even if they have secret schemes, they can’t just lie to our faces and say our goods are inferior. If we were a small merchant, that would be one thing... Heh, actually, we were forced into a corner this time—assassinations, framing—all to seize the imperial supply contract. To this day, we don't know who is behind it. If not for that, there would be no need to keep such a low profile this month. In any case, we have burned our bridges. If we make it through, there is a future; if not, there is nothing left to discuss. The 150,000 taels we scraped together have all been poured into improving the looms, waiting for the imperial contract. As for a retreat, there truly is none..."

Xi Junyu nodded, sighed, and then looked up with a smile: "Only three days left. There shouldn't be any problems. Don't worry. Also, please convey to the Second Young Mistress that, no matter what, we have done our best."

"Man proposes, God disposes," Ning Yi nodded. "Manager Xi, you have been working hard lately. Thank you."

"It is my duty." After a few more pleasantries, Xi Junyu invited him to join an engagement to meet an official from the Weaving Bureau, but Ning Yi shook his head and declined; his presence wouldn't make much of a difference. After Xi Junyu left, Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu frowned.

"Why didn't you go?"

"You might have been able to persuade that person..."

Ning Yi packed up his things and laughed: "I have so much to do, why should I waste my energy on that?"

"But you have nothing to do," Zhou Pei pouted.

"Who says I have nothing to do? I have to go eat later, walk the streets in the afternoon, pick up the telescope shell from Carpenter Chen, and study how to fix it better. Uh, I also plan to paint a layer of lacquer on it, and stop by the East Market to see if there are any new novels for sale. Which of these is less important than social engagements?"

"If you don't socialize, it will cause problems for Teacher's family."

"But they have already socialized well enough. My going wouldn't help. The preparations for the imperial contract have been made. You two know this too—we don't need to play dirty tricks. We just need to pull strings and let everyone speak with a clear conscience. We don't need the officials at the Weaving Bureau to favor us; we've given money and gifts, and we aren't making things difficult for them. As long as they don't stifle their consciences, we are confident we will win."

"Wouldn't it be even better if they stifled their consciences for the Su family? Then it would be even more certain."

"Of course, that wouldn't be bad..."

"Anyway, I feel like you haven't done your best, Teacher..."

Junwu looked dissatisfied, but Ning Yi just smiled: "Rest assured, I have done everything that needs to be done. It was a minor matter to begin with; I don't know why you are so anxious. It's getting late, let's go—I'll take you to lunch..."

As he prepared to leave, Zhou Pei suddenly blocked his path and smiled: "Wait, there are only three days left. Can you let us see that fabric?"

Ning Yi thought for a moment, then tilted his head: "Heh, alright." He took out a key, opened a cabinet, and produced a brocade box. He opened it for the children to see, and Xiao Pei and Junwu leaned in to touch it.

"Wow, it’s even prettier than what I saw at home..."

"I haven't seen fabric of this color before."

"It's a secret recipe," Ning Yi smiled, then set three conditions: "But one thing first—you two are not allowed to go home and blab about this, you are not allowed to help find people, and you are not allowed to try and hint anything to the officials at the Weaving Bureau... of course, you don't have that kind of influence, but I want fairness."

"As if! We wouldn't help anyway," Zhou Pei rolled her eyes with a smile.

Little Junwu nodded from the side: "If we don't get the imperial contract, it must be because that Dong Decheng took money. He took a lot of money."

"Hehe, let's go, lunch time... Juan'er, are you coming?"

At midday, the group of four walked out of the textile shop, followed by Wang family bodyguards disguised as shop assistants or passersby. Sunlight spilled down, and the sound of chatter filled the air.

"Is this what they call 'the most skilled warrior has no record of great feats'... but Teacher, you really didn't do anything... Sister Juan'er, right?"

"Uh... the master-in-law has done many things..."

"You're just speaking for your master-in-law, but Sister and I didn't see anything... But I suppose so; we didn't need to do much. I thought it was a huge crisis, but step by step, it reached this point. This is called an 'open conspiracy,' right, Sister?"

"I don't know..."

"Why not?"

"Those people did one thing, and then there were no more 'secret conspiracies.' Isn't that strange?"

"Yeah, yeah, Teacher, Sister makes sense. Don't you think it's strange?"

"It's an 'open conspiracy'—it doesn't fear secret conspiracies."

"Oh, right, right, Sister... ah..."

"...You're too noisy."

There were three days until the Weaving Bureau’s meeting. After the peaceful midday, the afternoon passed without a ripple. Ning Yi went to the street to pick up the telescope shell and bought some small tools to better mount the lenses. Evening passed, night fell, and by the late hours, crowds began to disperse from the doors of brothels and taverns. Xi Junyu said goodbye to several managers at the street corner and declined an invitation to ride in a carriage. The weather was good, so he decided to walk home alone.

He walked along the Qinhuai River to a relatively secluded bend, looked around, and walked toward a small pier. Soon, the sound of a boatman poling a skiff echoed through the air. Xi Junyu stood on the small boat, looking at a dim circle of light in the distance, his eyes calm.

It was a small, quiet pleasure boat. When the two boats drew near, Xi Junyu stepped aboard. In the main hall of the boat, a banquet seemed to have ended not long ago; the lights were dim, and the tables were littered with leftovers. Directly in front, a man sat at the host's table, holding a bowl of white rice and eating. Hearing footsteps, he ate a meatball, kept his head down, and spoke while using chopsticks to pick at the food.

"I was just thinking if I had sent the people away too early. Perhaps if I had kept a beauty to accompany me, this meal would have tasted better. Fortunately, Brother Xi came early, so it's the same."

Xi Junyu walked to one side and picked up a bowl. "I am no beauty."

"Heh, however... Brother Xi always brings me good news."

The man smiled and looked up. In the lamplight, the man before him was none other than the eldest young master of the Wu family, Wu Qilong.