Chapter 112
“These are newly arrived Lu inksticks. Please take a look, you two, and see if any catch your eye.”
[鲁墨 (Lǔ mò): A type of high-quality inkstick originating from Shandong]
Ruijin had always been diligent in his studies, never putting down his writing brush since he first began learning characters.
Over the years, Xu He had made countless trips to the stationery shop. Though he had once been illiterate, he had learned to distinguish the quality of inksticks for the sake of his child, even recognizing the differences between youyan ink and songyan ink.
[油烟墨 (yóuyān mò): Lit. oil-soot ink, made from lampblack, prized for its glossy black finish, ideal for calligraphy]
[松烟墨 (sōngyān mò): Lit. pine-soot ink, made from pine soot, matte and water-soluble, preferred for painting]
Youyan ink had a deep, glossy black hue, ideal for writing, while songyan ink was thick and matte, easily dissolving in water, making it more suitable for painting, especially for fine details in figure depictions.
“This new batch of songyan ink is truly exceptional.” Xu He picked up an inkstick and said to Zhang Fangyuan, “I haven’t seen anything like it in my previous visits.”
Xu He had originally come to buy songyan ink. He had noticed Ruijin painting in the study recently. The boy had previously focused solely on reading and calligraphy, rarely dabbling in other pursuits. Now that he was learning to paint, Xu He, as his father, couldn’t guide him like a tutor could, but he could at least carefully select some fine brushes and inksticks for him.
“Ruijin uses a lot of ink for writing practice, and Little Ruili, though not as diligent as his brother, still writes when he’s supposed to. Since you think the youyan ink is good, let’s buy some extra to keep at home. It’ll come in handy eventually.”
“Ah, premium songyan ink! Shopkeeper Ma, your new stock has arrived!”
Just as the couple was discussing their purchase, a voice abruptly cut in, and a hand reached past them to grab the inksticks on the counter.
“Truly fine ink. I’ll take all of them. Shopkeeper Ma, wrap them up.”
The shopkeeper gave Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He an awkward glance before politely addressing the newcomer. “Steward Qian, these were already being considered by Master Zhang and his fulang.”
The man finally turned to look at the couple beside him, as if noticing them for the first time. “Ah, so it’s Master Zhang. No wonder you looked familiar.”
Steward Qian chuckled. “Here to buy ink for your child as well? What a coincidence. Master Zhang has always been generous, would you mind letting me have these inksticks? As you know, our master has many students under his tutelage. With the child scholar exams approaching, we need fine ink to send them off properly.”
“Young Master Zhang is still quite young and has only just reached the age to enter the exams. He likely won’t be participating this year, right? For practice, ordinary ink would suffice. Using such fine ink would almost be a waste.”
Zhang Fangyuan scoffed. “The child scholar exams are still some time away. Steward Qian, why not come back another day?”
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Xu He wordlessly placed a silver ingot on the counter and picked up the inksticks.
“Hey!”
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He exchanged polite words with the shopkeeper, then walked out with their box, ignoring Steward Qian, who was left fuming behind them.
“Dressing in dragon robes doesn’t make one a crown prince. Without real talent, even the finest ink won’t produce good essays!”
[穿上龙袍不像太子 (chuān shàng lóng páo bù xiàng tài zǐ): lit. wearing dragon robes but not looking like a crown prince; fig. someone who lacks the bearing or skill for their assumed position.]
“Steward Qian, perhaps you’d like to look at some other options?”
The steward shot the shopkeeper a sidelong glance. “You’ve got sharp judgment, Shopkeeper Ma. The Zhang family’s wealth in Siyang has grown these past years. But favoring merchants over scholars, how puzzling.”
“Ah, Steward Qian, you flatter me. It’s not about favoritism. Master Meng imparts wisdom, and we common folk still rely on scholars like him. But Master Zhang came first and had already placed an order. A small business like mine survives on trust and honesty. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Steward Qian snorted. “Everyone knows how smooth-tongued you merchants can be.”
The underlying implication was nothing more than looking down on merchants, disdainfully viewing them as worldly and cunning. The bookstore manager felt displeased upon hearing this, yet he did not engage in conflict—instead, he forced a smile and played along.
Xu He stepped out of the bookstore with a grim expression. "Back then, just because our children didn’t start their education with the Meng family, that steward from the Meng family has been making snide remarks and belittling us at every turn, as if only the Mengs could produce good students. Even the tiniest grudge must be repaid, such a petty, vindictive nature, thank goodness we didn’t send Ruijin and Ruili there for their early schooling."
[眦睚必报 (zì yá bì bào): lit. Even the tiniest grudge must be repaid; fig. Extremely vengeful, unwilling to let even the smallest slight go unpunished.]
"Putting it politely, he’s a steward, in truth he’s just a servant. If he dares to provoke us repeatedly, it’s hard to believe he isn’t acting on Master Meng’s orders."
Zhang Fangyuan said, "Master Luo has always been low-key and reserved. The private schools in town love dragging their students to elegant gatherings and poetry meetings, ostensibly for ‘exchange,’ but in reality, it’s just an unhealthy culture of competition between schools."
"Which school’s child won top honors at the latest gathering? Which school’s child has the finest calligraphy? It’s all about bragging rights among schools, and once word spreads, outsiders scramble to enroll their children. The Meng family is the most enthusiastic about these events, that’s how they built their reputation."
"I heard from Master Luo that the Meng family even sent him an invitation. Who knows if it was sincere or just to size him up? But you know Master Luo, he prefers peace and never entertains such things. The Meng family resent our family, and after being repeatedly snubbed by the Master Luo, they’ve started slandering him too."
Over the years of settling in the city, they’d made many friends, some close, some not. Every family had children, and gossip inevitably reached Xu He’s ears.
The talk was always the same: merchants like them had narrow vision and poor judgment. They questioned whether Master Luo’s scholar title was even genuine, mocked that his students never went out to ‘see the world,’ and called his teaching outdated and rigid, claiming neither teacher nor students amounted to much.
"Children are too young to show results now, but once they grow older and enter proper academies, the difference will be clear. By then, they’ll regret wasting their early years with an inferior teacher and end up just like their parents, stuck in the family trade as merchants."
Thank you for the update!!! That Meng guy is so nasty, 😒😒😒
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