North Sangsang Village, Little East River
Chen Yuan and Pei Zi Yun walked along the river for a distance before Chen Yuan stopped and pointed, "Husband, it's not difficult for you to buy a piece of land."
"But it's not easy to buy a piece of land. Every family's land is intertwined with each other. It's very troublesome to buy a piece of land."
"But look, this little East River was once attacked by pirates, causing the population to dwindle. However, the land here is good. If you use the water to irrigate the land, it will be a high quality paddy field."
"Husband, you can take this opportunity to buy this land. The current price is only three taels of silver per mu!"
Pei Zi Yun looked at this and nodded his head, 'This Chen Yuan is indeed talented and lucky.'
"Originally, after a few years, the government officials repaired the embankment and planted willows all over the land. The land nearby was then irrigated with water. The price then rose to ten taels of silver per mu. If you want to cultivate the land, you can pay tax for the first two years, and the third year, you can pay taxes."
"Who would've thought that Chen Yuan would be able to see through this."
His mother was a woman after all, and thus had many inconveniences in this society. Pei Zi Yun then said, "Alright, take my name card and go to the county to buy this piece of land."
"Husband, how much land should I buy?" Chen Yuan was eager to try.
"Since the price is so cheap, I shall buy five hundred mu of land. Give fifty mu of land to the clan temple!" Pei Zi Yun said plainly.
The clan's land was the property of the entire clan. It was used for the clan's studies, sacrifices, and for the poor of the clan. This was the right thing to do in this era.
"Husband, this little East River has three thousand mu of land …." Chen Yuan was somewhat unwilling.
"Pa!" He closed his fan and pointed, "Idiot, I'm just an Elementary Scholar and not a High Scholar. Even if I were a High Scholar, I would not be able to monopolize this land."
"If I were to take all three thousand mu of land under my own name, even if I'm a High Scholar, even the county leader would be jealous of me. This would cause unnecessary trouble and disaster. You are such a short-sighted person."
There was one thing he didn't say. Chen Yuan was smart and capable. He was good at singing and dancing. Because of this, he made a fortune. However, he didn't know when to stop.
Chen Yuan still hadn't fully grasped the meaning and could only reply, "Yes!"
Pei Zi Yun did not continue forward. He turned around and saw the farmers working in the fields. Beside the river, the construction of the ancestral hall had already begun. From afar, he could see more than ten people busily working.
"I've already said goodbye to my mother."
"As for the matter regarding the barren fields, I shall leave it to you. I hope that everything will be settled by the time I return." Pei Zi Yun saw that the oxcart wasn't too far away, so he boarded it and instructed.
He thought to himself, "When I become a High Scholar, I will need a few maids and servants, and an oxcart as well."
"That's how a gentleman should be."
…
Lu River
From afar, Pei Zi Yun could see a boat docked by the shore. The river water was sparkling, and the sun was shining brightly. He looked around and saw that there were already many Elementary Scholars onboard the boat. They were leaning against the boat, admiring the scenery. Some of them were in groups of two or three, chatting.
When Pei Zi Yun boarded the boat, he saw many Elementary Scholars surrounding the Mentor and chatting with him. The Mentor seemed to have arrived a long time ago. From afar, he could see that the Mentor had a stern expression on his face. He listened very little and nodded his head from time to time.
"Greetings, Mentor!" Pei Zi Yun walked up and bowed. This was a necessary etiquette.
When the Mentor saw Pei Zi Yun bow, he smiled and nodded his head, but didn't say anything.
"Brother Pei, you've finally arrived. Come, let me introduce you. This is brother Chen. He was ranked second in the previous year's examinations." Tang Zhen appeared and smiled.
"Greetings, brother Chen!" This person was Chen Yi Gui. After introducing himself, Pei Zi Yun laughed, "Speaking of which, what's so special about this boat meet? This is my first time here."
Chen Yi Gui laughed, "Actually, it's to let all the Elementary Scholars in the county get to know each other. They can go on a boat trip along the river. In a while, there will be a poetry meet. All the Elementary Scholars will compete and be judged by the Mentor. After the poetry meet, there will be a banquet, and there will also be a play."
"All the new Elementary Scholars have to demonstrate their abilities. Only then will they be accepted by the Elementary Scholars."
He then continued, "The boat meet isn't far from the provincial examinations. Usually, after the boat meet, we can depart for the province. Actually, our Slow River County has water transportation, and isn't far from the provincial capital. If it were any other county, they would have to depart half a month earlier."
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head. The roads in ancient times were not easy to travel on. What if he got sick? Hence, they had to depart for the provincial capital in advance. If there were any minor illnesses, they could be treated within ten days to half a month.
Tang Zhen smiled. "Brother Chen, you're really kind and generous. You've always been willing to help the new talents!"
As he spoke, the group walked into the boat. The boat was richly decorated and the hall was huge. Pei Zi Yun met many people. They exchanged greetings and exchanged a few words, but that was all there was to their friendship.
Just as they were speaking, a servant came up with a copper plate, "Young masters, these are the poems of the Elementary Scholars from the previous boat meet. Please take a look."
Pei Zi Yun received the plate and saw a small booklet with the words' Boat Meet 'written on it. There were poems and essays in it, describing the scenery of mountains and rivers, as well as the history of the past. All the Elementary Scholars in the county started reading it.
"The poems are all average!" Pei Zi Yun read through it. At his current level, he felt that the poems were average. However, he understood the purpose of the boat meet.
The purpose of this event was to promote the county's literary style. Of course, if you were really good, you could use this opportunity to increase your reputation. Those who participated in the boat meet were the cream of the crop of the county. If there was someone who stood out from the crowd, their reputation would spread throughout the entire county.
Chen Yi Gui flipped through the booklet and laughed. He then turned around and said, "The ink and brushes here can be used as you wish. Everyone can think about it. If there's really something good, you can put it on the screen."
He then pointed to the screen, "These are the annual boat meet. There's no need for a booklet, everyone can see it."
So there was such a thing. Pei Zi Yun walked up to take a look and saw that the artwork on the screen was indeed better. Just as he was thinking about it, he smelled a delicate fragrance.
"Ai, what's this fragrance?" Pei Zi Yun had long thought about it and was surprised.
"I don't know what kind of incense it is. But once the incense is burnt, the meeting will officially begin. Look, everyone is thinking hard." Chen Yi Gui laughed as he spoke.
Pei Zi Yun looked around and saw that in the corner, there was a small stove with incense burning on it. Smoke rose from it and filled the entire hall. He thought to himself, "It's here!"
At this point, the curtains were lifted as the Mentor walked into the hall. Everyone bowed and took their seats. The Mentor then said, "Every single boat meet, there's no limit to the topic. Whether it's literature, poetry, or lyrics, if there's anything good, it's considered a good thing. It can even be recorded in the county's annals. Everyone, do not slack off."
"Yes, Mentor."
At this point, the entire hall was filled with the sound of grinding ink. Outside the window, the curtains swayed gently. The fragrance of the banquet could be smelled coming from below. It was obvious that the banquet was being prepared.
All the scholars raised their sleeves and started writing. Actually, not many of them were writing on the spot. Every year, the boat meet was an opportunity for them to become famous. Some of them even spent a whole year preparing for it. Hence, they all had a draft in mind and started writing very quickly.
Pei Zi Yun spread out a piece of paper and started grinding the ink. Pei Zi Yun then picked up a brush and dipped it into the ink before he started writing. What's so scary about plagiarism? What's scary about plagiarism? What's scary about plagiarism? If someone were to ask him about it, he would be exposed. However, Pei Zi Yun was a scholar now, and was not afraid of anything. He started writing, "The ancient scholars have their own teachers. The teacher is the one who teaches and dispels doubts. "
"Humans aren't born with knowledge, how can they not be confused? If they are confused and do not follow their teacher, then they are confused and will never be able to understand. If you were born before me, then you would understand the Dao before me, and I would be your teacher. If you were born after me, then you would understand the Dao before me, and I would be your teacher. "
These 500 words, Pei Zi Yun wrote all the way until the last sentence was deleted. At this point, those who wrote poems had already handed in their papers. Those who wrote essays had also handed in their papers with confidence. Pei Zi Yun handed in his papers as well.
The Professor glanced at the papers and raised his head to look at Pei Zi Yun. He did not say anything. Pei Zi Yun bowed and retreated.
The Professor looked through them one by one and picked out a few poems that were better written and commented on them. As for Pei Zi Yun's essay, he placed it at the very end. He looked at it and did not say anything.
The poetry meet ended and the banquet started.
Tang Zhen signaled to the Qian family's boat not far away. It slowly approached.
The banquet was on the deck. The Professor personally poured wine for everyone. Everyone was flattered.
Pei Zi Yun ate the silver carp and steamed anchovies as he drank wine. At this point, the Qian family's boat approached. Music could be heard. Everyone looked over and saw that the Qian family's boat was on a stage.
Under the afternoon sun, listening to the melodious music, everyone was intoxicated. When they got closer, they realized that the play on the stage was that of a famous scholar from the previous dynasty, 'Winning Three Yuan in a Row'.
Everyone looked at the stage with flowers in their hair, dressed in official robes and riding horses. They were extremely envious. Tang Zhen then said, "Professor, how can we drink without singing? The Qian family has always respected scholars. Since there's such a show, why don't we sit on the boat and enjoy it together."
Hearing this, Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly. This person looked sincere and did not want to be so sly. However, everyone felt that it was normal. Even the Professor nodded his head.
The two boats were next to each other, with the sides of the boat connected to each other. Boats had a wide deck with a semi-circular walkway. Now that they were connected, the area was much larger.
"So it's the second young master of the Qian family bringing his family to enjoy the show."
After some small talk, a servant moved the banquet table. Everyone surrounded the stage and ate together. Waves of cheers could be heard.
To be able to win three Yuan in a row was the dream of every scholar.
The second young master of the Qian family seemed to be very generous. He ordered the servants to bring more food and wine. The banquet on the boat was paid for by the Elementary Scholars themselves. Although it was passable, it wasn't considered exquisite. However, at this moment, the food and wine were delicious. The Elementary Scholars were all praising him for his success.
Pei Zi Yun looked over and saw the young miss of the Qian family not far from him. She was with her serving maid, watching the show and enjoying the scenery.
To be fair, the young miss was kneeling on the ground, wearing a blue and white dress. Half of her body was bathed in light. Her face was calm, and her eyes were deep, as though she was deep in thought. She was indeed a beauty. These few days, he had done some research on her. He sighed in his heart, 'This woman is known as a famous lady in the county. She is beautiful and gentle, and is good at drawing and painting. She looks even more dignified now, but who knows what she really is?'
Pei Zi Yun thought to himself as he continued eating. This time, there was a servant serving wine. Tang Zhen walked up and poured a cup for him, "Come, brother Tang, let's toast."
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