Chapter 65: Li Shi's Regret and the Search for Erniang in Town

"Hush now, stop crying. The scholar’s success is a joyous occasion that calls for celebration. Our magistrate now knows of Scholar Bing, and once he returns, my superior has requested him to visit the yamen for a few words of guidance."

Bing Erlang, seeing his parents in tears, stepped forward to take charge of household matters. He first handed the prepared red envelope to the messengers and then sent Zhou Shi to fetch provisions.

Last time, they hadn’t invited the villagers to a feast, but this time, there was no avoiding it. Taking advantage of the government clerks’ presence, they put together a fine feast to keep them for a meal.

Zhou Shi immediately busied herself, while Gu Shi, quick on the uptake, rose to help without hesitation.

Villagers who had decent relations with the Bing family also lent a hand. Nobody gave her the time of day—or if they did notice, they ignored her.

Li Shi had always been unpopular in the village, and now, with the Bings in the spotlight, everyone knew of the feud between the two families. Even out of respect for the Bings, no one paid her any attention.

Under normal circumstances, the messengers might not have stayed, but this was a rare chance to befriend a scholar. After a polite refusal, they remained for the feast.

Once the banquet ended and the Bings closed their doors again, the villagers couldn’t help but gossip.

"Wasn’t Nan Jinping supposed to bring misfortune to anyone associated with her? Yet ever since the Bings got involved with her, they’ve only prospered."

"I thought the same. We’d always heard Scholar Bing wasn’t particularly learned, and everyone expected him to fail again. But not only did he pass, he came in first! The Bings’ fortunes changed."

"Could the recent rumors be true?"

"The ones about Jin Geer being a reincarnated lucky star?"

"I didn’t believe it before, but now I do. Think about it—the Bings’ luck turned around right after they got engaged to Jin Geer."

"I believe it too. We should stay on Jin Geer’s good side—maybe our family will prosper, and who knows, we might even have a scholar among us!"

The villagers were now dead certain of Nan Jinping’s auspicious fate. The same skepticism they’d once held toward Bing Wengu’s success had now transformed into absolute belief in her good fortune.

One villager muttered under his breath, "If only we’d known Jin Geer was this lucky, I’d have had my Wulang marry him. Then it’d be our family enjoying wealth and prestige now."

Many shared this regret, silently cursing themselves for throwing away a diamond and keeping the rock.

"What’s all that noise outside? What are the villagers saying now?" Li Shi had fallen ill after fainting upon hearing of Bing Wengu’s success.

She wasn’t feverish or suffering from stomach troubles—just an unbearable heaviness in her chest. The doctor diagnosed it as heartache from pent-up frustration, saying no remedy but to ease her heart.

Li Dalang crouched on the ground, head in hands, miserable. "The villagers are all talking about Bing Dalang and Nan Jia Xiao Geer, saying Bing Dalang passed because the Nan boy brought him luck."

"Lies! All lies!" Li Shi clutched her chest, coughing in anger. "A Shuang Er, born with ill fortune—how could he be some reincarnated lucky star?"

"If Nan’s Xiao Geer isn’t the reason, then does that mean Bing Dalang truly had the ability all along?" Li Dalang shot his mother a look full of fire.

"If Bing Dalang was so capable, why did you push Erniang to break off the engagement?" Li Erlang added.

The barrage of questions forced Li Shi back until she had to grab the doorframe for support to stay upright.

Even her daughter-in-law joined in the reproach. "If Erniang had married Bing Dalang, she’d be a respected scholar’s wife now—better than being some old man’s wife."

"I never agreed to breaking the engagement, but none of you listened. Now look where we are. Womenfolk haven’t an ounce of foresight—never should’ve let you make decisions," Old Man Li scolded his wife.

Each word from her family landed like hammer blows, leaving her breathless and dizzy until she fainted once more.

When she woke a day later, her head swam, and her chest felt like a stone sat on it. Yet she doggedly hauled herself upright.

"Up already? What now? Can’t you rest even when you’re sick? For pity’s sake, stay put!" Her family snapped the moment they saw her hunched over, clutching her heart as she shuffled out.

Li Shi didn’t say a word, just lowered her head and walked out.

She was determined to find Erniang and get her to win back Bing Dalang’s heart; otherwise, she’d be the one the family blamed. Her sons, daughters-in-law, and even her husband would resent her for life—perhaps even Erniang herself would blame her.

Sick as she was, Li Shi stubbornly pushed through, stumbling her way into town.

She knocked on the Zhao family's gate, which soon opened from inside. The gatekeeper recognized the poorly dressed old woman at once—she was the mother of his lord's concubine. In his job, sharp eyes were everything; crossing the wrong person could get you killed.

But this old woman was not someone he needed to fear.

The gatekeeper narrowed his eyes and spoke rudely, deliberately asking, "Who are you? Wrong door, surely. Beat it! I ain’t got a penny for beggars."

Li Shi was furious, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she was wracked by a coughing fit, like she’d cough up a lung.

Startled, the gatekeeper quickly hid behind the gate, shielding his face.

"What’s your game—tryin’ to give my lord your sickness? Get lost, or I’ll report you to the authorities!"

"Please, don’t! I’m the mother of Concubine Li in your household," Li Shi suppressed another cough. "Could you fetch Li Erniang for me? Tell her her mother is here with urgent matters. She’s gotta see me, no excuses."

Li Shi dug out a fistful of coppers from her sleeve. This time, she didn’t count them stingily but shoved them all into the gatekeeper’s hand. She knew he wouldn’t relay her message without payment.

Grossed out by the sick woman’s coins yet unwilling to part with the money, the gatekeeper reluctantly accepted.

"Wait here," he snapped before slamming the gate hard.

Hearing that, Li Shi let out a shaky breath. But this momentary relief made her dizziness worse, her chest tightened painfully, and the urge to cough became unbearable. She bent over, coughing like her guts would spill.

She had no idea how long she waited. Too weak to stand, she curled up by the Zhao family’s gate. Folks passing by took her for a beggar, tossing her a coin—which she took.

Just as she felt she might pass out, Li Erniang finally emerged.

Seeing her mother huddled like a beggar at the gate, Erniang rushed to help her up. "Mother, what’s wrong?"

About to pass out, Li Shi mustered her strength at the sound of her daughter’s voice. "Erniang—" Another coughing fit cut her off.

"Mother, you’re ill! You should be resting at home, not coming here." She chewed out her mother, then muttered curses at the gatekeeper. "A damn servant actin’ high and mighty like his lady! I’m still his lord’s woman—couldn’t he at least let you wait inside, sick as you are?"

"Erniang, I came for something important," Li Shi forced out between coughs. "Bing Dalang passed the exams—he’s a scholar now!"

"What? They all said he was a dunce!" If Bing Wengu had succeeded, wouldn’t she—who dumped a scholar to be some old man’s concubine—look like a fool?

Besides, the Zhao family wasn’t some wealthy merchant clan, just some run-of-the-mill merchants. Their so-called riches were only impressive compared to villagers.

Li Shi pressed on, "The officials came to the village to announce the news. They said he ranked first—a stipendiary scholar! He’ll receive four taels of silver yearly without doing a lick of work, plus six pecks of grain monthly. His family’s ten acres are tax-exempt, and their corvée labor is waived. From now on, no matter how many conscriptions the court demands, his household won’t need to contribute men or money."

Erniang stomped her foot, whether in anger or panic. "As a mere concubine here, I can’t even step outside without the madam’s permission—deaf and blind to the world! The lord might know, but he wouldn’t tell me such things."

"Erniang, what are you thinking now?" Li Shi studied her daughter’s expression carefully.

"Mother, I’m someone else’s concubine now. And I was the one who abandoned Bing Dalang. What else can I possibly think?"

Seeing her daughter wasn’t entirely closed off to the idea, Li Shi’s eyes lit up. "Precisely because you left him, there’s room to maneuver. Men always want what they can’t have. If you go to him, he’ll surely take you back. Just blame everything on me—say I threatened suicide to force you into marriage. Play it pitiful, wear something flimsy… He’ll cave."

"But would it work? Bing Dalang is already married," Erniang hesitated.

"That Nan Jinping is just a Shuang Er—how could he compare to you? Bing Dalang only married him out of desperation, as a last resort. Don’t worry about him." Li Shi had seen how well Bing Wengu treated Nan Jinping, yet she inexplicably believed her daughter could easily win him back.

"Remember, Bing Dalang once threw himself into a river for you. A man don’t forget love like that overnight. With the right approach, surely—"

Li Erniang was tempted. "Mother, but how can I go find Bing Wengu? Without the mistress's permission, I can't even step out the door."

"If I'm so sick I'm about to die, the Zhao family can't possibly forbid you from visiting your gravely ill mother."

"Alright, let's do it that way. I'll wait for your message then. When Bing Dalang returns, just send someone to give me word."

Mother and daughter Li had planned well, but neither of them was literate, and neither had paid attention to the fact that this year's county exams coincided with the provincial exams. Bing Wengu would next be preparing for the provincial exams and simply wouldn't return home.

The imperial capital was truly a money pit, its prosperity far beyond the prefectural city's. Even the common folk living at the foot of the imperial city had a remarkably lively demeanor, unlike Shanghe Village, where at a glance everyone looked miserable. Here, men and women alike wore smiles. People frequently stopped at street stalls to buy snacks to fill their stomachs, thinking nothing of spending a few coppers.

Among Bing Wengu's group, none of them wore patched clothes. Apart from Nan Jinping, the others were even wearing new clothes made for the New Year. Even Nan Jinping's outfit, which cost several taels of silver, looked shabby next to the capital's residents, making them stand out as obvious country bumpkins at first glance.

Though Bing Wengu didn't know the exact prices in the imperial capital, he could guess it was among the priciest places in the entire Great Yong. They didn't dare stay at the best inns and spent half a day inquiring at several places before finding one that met their needs for both price and comfort.

For the four of them, plus the ox, not including meals but just lodging, it cost several hundred copper coins per day. One tael of silver would only cover three or four days.

This price made Bing Silang and Elder Brother Nan's stomachs drop.

"Big brother, we should hurry and rent a house. Everything's so expensive here," Bing Silang said.

"Renting a house would get the business going faster and bring in some income," Elder Brother Nan replied. He knew Nan Jinping had saved up a good amount—Nan Jinping hadn't hidden it from the family—but he still wanted to get the business running as soon as possible.

Privately, Elder Brother Nan felt his younger brother had picked up bad habits from Bing Wengu, throwing money around without any careful planning, nothing like his careful, pre-marriage self.

But he didn't dare say it. Bing Wengu wasn't like other husbands—he didn't appreciate a thrifty husband.

Elder Brother Nan was anxious to start the business quickly. Since Nan Jinping owned half the shares, whatever they made would help cover their expenses.

This time, Bing Wengu wasn't planning to rent. He wanted to buy a house in the imperial capital.

His savings amounted to over a thousand taels, but that money was questionably obtained and couldn't be exchanged for banknotes. Carrying it all was impossible and inconvenient. As for safety, Bing Wengu didn't worry—with him around, it was hard to say who'd be robbing who.

As the saying goes, "Better safe than sorry." Bing Wengu had brought two hundred taels on this trip, a good thirty pounds' worth, tossed casually in a clothes chest.

Combined with the three hundred taels Nan Jinping had earned in the prefectural and provincial cities, they now had five hundred taels in hand.

"I plan to buy a house," Bing Wengu told Nan Jinping.

In truth, Bing Wengu was a man who knew his own mind. Once he made a decision, no one could talk him out of it.

This was unavoidable—back in the interstellar era, he had been a commander. If he hesitated during battle, how could the war be fought? Avoiding total defeat was victory enough.

This had shaped Bing Wengu into a stubborn sort who disliked consulting others when making decisions.

But now that he was married, he felt that all matters, big or small, should be discussed with Nan Jinping. That's what marriage should be.

"Buy a house?" This was something Nan Jinping had never dared consider. "We're only staying in Bianjing for two months. Isn't buying unnecessary? A short lease would do."

Bing Wengu explained, "If I pass the provincial exams, I'll immediately have to take the metropolitan exams next March. During that time, we'll have to stay in Bianjing. Returning home isn't practical—the travel time is wasted, the cost isn't cheap, and it would interfere with my studies. If I pass the metropolitan exams, returning home would be even less likely, as I'd have to stay in Bianjing to serve as an official."

There was precedent for this. Generally, the top three scorers in the highest tier would remain in the capital as officials. Those with slightly lower rankings would be assigned as county magistrates elsewhere. The lowest scorers would become minor clerks.

Nan Jinping no longer doubted Bing Wengu's ability to pass. He thought Bing Wengu was brilliant—he always ranked first in every exam, so passing was guaranteed. At most, it was a matter of ranking.

"But the cost of living in Bianjing is so high. Can we even afford it?" Nan Jinping worried about their finances. "Maybe we should have exchanged all our silver for banknotes to bring with us."

Bing Wengu didn't explain the source of the silver to Nan Jinping and just smiled. "A couple coppers meant nothing to them. We can start with a small house."

"Alright."

Bing Wengu discussed the matter with Nan Jinping before calling upon Nan Jinping's elder brother and Bing Silang to visit the brokerage firm. Their opinions weren't sought—it was mainly to give them some exposure.

Upon arriving at the brokerage, Bing Wengu learned that the mansions of high-ranking officials in the court were not typically listed there; such properties were usually handled through private deals between colleagues. As for those confiscated by the emperor from families punished by him, the estates were reclaimed and later granted to newly meritorious officials.

Such properties carried a mind-boggling price, with ordinary officials' residences ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 strings of coins, and some even reaching 100,000 strings.

This staggering sum left Nan Jinping and the other two utterly dumbfounded. Bing Wengu, however, wasn’t fazed—his estate back in the stars had been even more expensive, comparable to an imperial palace.

Of course, these were the prices of officials' mansions, naturally steep. Commoners' homes were much more affordable, but still nothing like Xinghe Town’s prices.

Bing Wengu wasn’t interested in a cramped commoner’s house—he wanted at least a decent-sized home.

Even these weren’t cheap, costing several thousand strings, typically three or four sections, spacious enough for the entire Bing family.

They also found a smaller mid-tier courtyard that both Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping liked—it had a charming garden, but was much more compact, only one section. It would suffice for the two of them, but would be cramped if the entire Bing family moved in.

Even this smaller property cost 500 strings, exactly the amount Bing Wengu had on hand.

In the end, they didn’t buy it. First, it was too small—barely enough for the family, with no room left for business. Second, purchasing it would wipe out their savings, and being stranded in a new city without backup funds was unwise.

The house hunt was put on hold. They would have to wait. Bing Wengu then turned his attention to renting.

Bianjing was divided into three parts: the Imperial City, the Inner City, and the Outer City—each with wildly different housing costs.

The Imperial City was where the emperor resided, the Inner City encircled it, and the Outer City was the outermost ring.

Bing Wengu naturally chose the Inner City, which had the best security and prosperity. A decent-sized one-section house there cost five taels a month in rent.

After viewing several similar options, he settled on one that Nan Jinping liked best and signed a one-year lease.

Bing Wengu estimated they would stay no longer than a year. By the time he aced the provincial exams, it would be time for the entire Bing family to move to the capital, and by then, he’d have the funds to buy a house.

Yes, in Bing Wengu’s plan, the Bing family would definitely come to the capital. He had drilled them relentlessly—of course, he intended to put them to use.

The Great Yong dynasty did not restrict merchants’ descendants from taking the imperial exams, but officials themselves were barred from engaging in business, though their family members and relatives faced no such restrictions.

With prices in Bianjing so high, relying solely on his paltry official’s pay would likely force Nan Jinping to scrape by.

He had no intention of letting his husband suffer like that, so from the start, he had planned to provide recipes, let the Bings run the business, and act as their patron. In return, the family would give him a share of the profits each year.

This was why he had tirelessly trained the Bings—outsiders would need just as much training, and unlike the Bings, they were less reliable, always posing a risk of betrayal for profit.

Not that the Bings would never betray him, but the likelihood was much lower. People in this era held strong clan loyalties. Moreover, the law heavily emphasized family accountability—if Bing Wengu made a mistake, the entire Bing family would suffer the consequences.

Such bonds were far more reliable than those with outsiders who lacked such ties.

As for the Nan family, if they were willing to join him, he’d welcome them to Bianjing. The business he envisioned was vast—the Bings alone wouldn’t be enough.

If the Nans refused, Bing Wengu wouldn’t mind. He had already left them recipes, ensuring they could prosper as long as they ran their business honestly.

Once the rental was secured, Bing Wengu hired a few capable workers from the same brokerage to thoroughly clean the house before moving in.

With a fixed address, Bing Wengu first sent word to the courier station for Ping’an, who was to follow later. Then he wrote home, reassuring his family of his safety, sharing his exact location in Bianjing, and explaining that he wouldn’t return for now due to exam preparations.

He also corrected the exam papers sent by Xiucai Zhang, pointing out errors and shortcomings, and once again urged the Bings to remain low-profile and refuse all gifts.

Finally, he took out paper and brush to write to the town’s bookstore, enclosing Nan Jinping’s newly written storybook with the letter.

While Bing Wengu was writing the letter, Nan Jinping watched by his side. Having already written her own family letter, she knew exactly what Bing Wengu was planning when she saw him addressing the town's bookshop.

Nan Jinping's eyes sparkled. "Should we write to the bookshops in the prefectural city as well?"

"Of course." He had kept their addresses precisely for future cooperation.

"I'll write them." Nan Jinping was eager, now thoroughly enjoying the rush of making money and wanting to learn how to negotiate business herself.

Bing Wengu didn’t stop her. By now, Nan Jinping had learned most common characters and could easily compose a short letter.

As for her handwriting, she had improved significantly—far better than their servant Ping'an’s—and even had developed some flair. Perhaps from frequently copying Bing Wengu’s script, her writing bore some resemblance to his.

They had collected addresses from ten bookshops in the prefectural city, and Nan Jinping wrote to all of them in one go. Fortunately, the letters were brief, simply explaining about submitting stories without elaborate phrasing.

However, since this wasn’t an in-person negotiation, Bing Wengu only sent half of the story. If the bookshops were interested, he would send the rest upon receiving their reply.

This approach was admittedly more cumbersome, but caution was necessary. Sending the entire manuscript was too big a risk to take. Back in their town, he felt safe sending the full manuscript because he knew the local dynamics. As somebody important there, the Bookshop Proprietor wouldn’t dare offend him or withhold his payment.

Bing Wengu then went to the rooms of Nan’s elder brother and Bing Silang to collect their family letters for mailing.

As for Nan’s brother and Bing Silang, they had gone out to buy supplies for their business. The brothers were itching to get started.

Just days ago, they had been thrilled at the prospect of earning five taels in two months. Now, they realized that wasn’t even enough to cover a month’s rent in the capital.

They couldn't wait another day to start making real money.