novelAbuy Chapter 25 Techniques
Chapter 25 Techniques
For several days, the Qingqi Shop seemed calm on the surface, but there were undercurrents surging beneath.
Shao Shuyi took some time to make a copy of the account book since April and hid it in a secret corner under his bed. He also carefully clipped a short strand of hair to an inconspicuous place on a certain page, so that he would notice if anyone touched the copy.
He was relieved when nothing happened until the evening of the ninth day of the sixth lunar month.
After informing the shopkeeper Wang Sheng, he carried four bushels of coarse rice and a burlap bundle, then boarded a boat and returned to Zhangjing.
Zhang Neng stood at the entrance of the inn, watching the ship's departing figure, and spat fiercely on the ground.
A moment later, Zhiku Wu Youcai walked over, wiping his sweat.
Zhang Neng cupped his hands in greeting, his gaze still fixed on the ship.
"Don't act rashly," Wu Youcai warned, then left, preoccupied with his own thoughts.
Zhang Neng grew increasingly angry, stomped his foot, and left.
Tomorrow is the tenth, and the inn will be closed for the day. Having nothing else to do, he went home.
Green Willow Lane is bustling with activity in the evening, full of the vibrancy of life.
When the neighbors saw Zhang Neng, some went up to greet him, some watched from a distance, and some turned around and closed their doors.
Zhang Neng didn't take it seriously.
He was known for his bravery and aggression, and the neighbors were somewhat afraid of or even disgusted by him. But he would occasionally help some people, whenever he was in a particularly good mood.
There are very few truly bad or good people in this world; the vast majority are like him.
Just as dusk was falling, Zhang Neng returned to his house. Several people were chatting and enjoying the cool air at the gate, and they all greeted him when they saw him.
"Master Wang, Master Chen, and Master Zhu," Zhang Neng forced a smile and bowed to the crowd.
Master Wang was old, his hair and beard all white. He waved a palm-leaf fan and laughed, "Seeing Master Zhang, I realized it's the ninth day again. These days, I'm getting all confused."
"Master Zhang has grown quite a bit stronger; he's clearly enjoying life," said Master Chen, who was wearing a banana leaf shirt, with a smile.
"Master Zhang, do you have any rare weapons to offer?" Zhu She was not yet thirty, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and a dignified and imposing presence; he was at the age where ambition was at its peak.
"No." Zhang Neng glanced at Zhu She with annoyance, then added, "There won't be any more in the future."
Zhu She was taken aback, then asked anxiously, "Brother Zhang, what have I done to offend you?"
Zhang Neng sighed, softened his tone, and said, "We'll discuss this later."
After saying that, he looked at the other two and said, "I just saw you two talking at length, but I wonder what you were discussing?"
Master Chen laughed and said, "They're saying that Zhu has recently acquired some new maids and concubines."
"Oh?" Zhang Neng raised an eyebrow and said, "Zhu She's beautiful wives and concubines are not enough, and now he has taken a concubine. We are truly envious."
Before Zhu She could say anything, Master Wang said, "It is not good for Zhu She to take a prostitute as a concubine. This kind of person has seen many women, and is alluring in countless ways. Once she enters the house, she will not have a peaceful life. Why? Because I have seen too many of her seducing children and concubines, corrupting the morals."
Master Chen nodded and said, "Zhu She is still young. As for prostitutes, there's a saying: 'They are indispensable at a banquet, but not at home.' These are wise words that we must heed."
Zhu She seemed to have listened, but judging from his expression, he was still full of hesitation and clearly found it difficult to give up.
For some reason, a surge of anger rose within Zhang Neng.
Zhu She's family was already wealthy, but they became even richer after connecting with him and starting to resell "damaged" blue-and-white porcelain from the inn. Zhang Neng vaguely heard that the stolen goods he sold to Zhu She were often resold for more money than he made. So it turned out that he had taken the risk and ended up making money for Zhu She.
I could tolerate these things before, but today, hearing that Zhu She has taken a new concubine, who must be extremely beautiful, I'm suddenly quite unhappy. Ultimately, I'm still not rich enough.
Just as Zhang Neng was secretly angry, Zhu She spoke up: "Actually, Xiao Hong was forced into prostitution. Her father was a gambler, her mother was ill, and her younger brother was young, so she had no choice but to be sold to a brothel. Moreover, all the money she earned from entertaining customers was sent home by someone else. She was a pitiful person. Yesterday, I gave her a coin, which she sent home to pay off her debts. This shows that she is kind-hearted."
Zhang Neng chuckled inwardly. What kind of pitiful, kind-hearted person is she? Isn't it just because she's good-looking and knows how to serve men? If it were an ugly woman, would you redeem her from her servitude?
etc--
"Xiao Hong?" Zhang Neng seemed to remember something and asked in surprise, "Is it Xiao Hong from Zhanggong Lane?"
"That's right." Zhu She nodded somewhat awkwardly.
Upon receiving confirmation, a surge of anger rose within Zhang Neng.
The women in brothels are all charming and beautiful, far more knowledgeable and sensible than the wives at home. Xiao Hong is the best of them all, and now that Zhu She has redeemed her, he keeps her under his body every night.
Thinking of this, Zhang Neng almost ground his back teeth to powder.
Sometimes, it's just a single straw that breaks the camel's back.
******
Shao Shuyi spent the whole day at his hometown.
To be honest, there's a lot going on.
The new capital's leader, Liu Tong, came once, and before he could say more than a few words, he started wiping away tears.
Shao Shuyi felt a pang of sympathy, but made no comment.
Unable to find a solution, Liu Tong eventually left.
Shao Shuyi sighed slightly. In this messed-up world, having someone to protect you and not having anyone to protect you are two completely different things.
This new leader probably won't last long, because he looks even poorer than Chen Wang, and he'll most likely run away.
These days, there are many people on the run, from all sorts of households. As long as they aren't caught red-handed, the local government doesn't bother to investigate seriously. Occasionally, when the higher-ups are pressing them, they'll put on a show of investigating, arrest a few unlucky souls to get by, and that's about it.
This certainly has its downsides: it encourages fugitives to flee, leading to the collapse of local order and the loss of tax revenue. But that's the state of governance in the Yuan Dynasty—what more can you ask for?
"The village head and chief are usually rotated regularly, sometimes every quarter, sometimes every year. Even if Liu Tong doesn't flee, he'll likely be replaced anyway." Cheng Ji, holding his bow, came out from the inner room and said, "If you get replaced by someone difficult to talk to, your life won't be easy."
Yu Yuan followed behind Cheng Ji, waving from afar.
"Are there any deserters among the soldiers?" Shao Shuyi nodded to Yu Yuan, then looked at Cheng Ji and asked curiously.
Cheng Ji glanced at him and said with a wry smile, "If I still had enough grain to support my household, I wouldn't be in this situation."
Shao Shuyi also laughed. In this world, "every industry" is failing.
After spending time with Cheng Ji, he learned that military households were divided into two main categories: "regular military households" and "attached military households," and Cheng Ji belonged to the former.
Taking the Dadu Thousand-Household Garrison as an example, of the remaining 300-plus households, less than 100 were regular military households, and the rest were mostly auxiliary military households.
Regular military households practiced martial arts and military formations, while subsidized military households farmed to support them. The ratio of regular to subsidized military households varied from place to place; in some areas, two or three subsidized households supported one military household, while in others, three to five households supported one military household.
Generally speaking, in a thousand-household unit, the soldiers responsible for fighting (regular military households) account for one-quarter, while the garrison soldiers engaged in agricultural, pastoral, and handicraft production (substitute military households) account for three-quarters.
People with a certain status and position would naturally know about this kind of news, but people like Shao Shuyi, who came from the lower class, wouldn't know much about it and only found out from Cheng Ji.
"Speaking of which, you're also a fugitive..." Cheng Ji said casually as he handed the bow to Shao Shuyi.
"Yes." Shao Shuyi didn't hide anything, because the truth was obvious.
"Actually, it's nothing. After a major disaster, it's not surprising that half the population of a certain place becomes destitute," Cheng Ji said helplessly, shaking his head.
"That's not so bad," Yu Yuan interjected. "I heard from my brother that the northern lands are plagued by disasters, and almost all the people are refugees. Masses of people are fleeing, and the country is on the verge of collapse."
The three of them talked as they walked to the open space behind the house.
Several straw figures were placed among the tall, straight trees, serving as targets for arrows.
Without wasting any words, Cheng and Shao continued practicing archery, while Yu Yuan sat to the side, resting his chin on his hand, watching with great interest.
In his eyes, this was much more interesting than staying by his elder brother's side to study and practice calligraphy, or to familiarize himself with official documents and regulations.
Look, the breeze rustles through the trees, creating ripples on the water.
Hidden among the bamboo groves are small bridges, flowing water, and houses.
Wildflowers bloom in profusion on the soft grass, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.
The occasional crackling of bowstrings and shouts of "Bend over!", "Shoulder down!", and "Aim!" could be heard in my ears.
I felt so comfortable!
If a deity told him that his future would be frozen at this moment, he would probably be willing.
As he was lost in thought, he suddenly realized something: Master Chen was the ringleader and was being forced to flee; would Brother Shao, as a fugitive, be arrested by the officials?
Yu Yuan looked up at Shao Shuyi, who was practicing archery diligently, with a hint of worry in his eyes, but hesitated to speak.
However, he quickly calmed down. Brother Shao mostly stayed at the Qingqi Inn, so it wouldn't be easy for others to find him. In any case, he wouldn't tell the officials where Brother Shao had gone.
Wang Huadu wouldn't know, and neither would Cheng Ji. As for whether anyone else knows—probably no one does.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Arrows flew out one after another.
Cheng Ji strictly controlled the pace, ensuring Shao Shuyi received sufficient training without causing injury or excessive fatigue. Overall, he was a strict yet qualified teacher, and Shao Shuyi was very satisfied.