Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The sunlight outside poured into the bright room, and four-year-old Douding stood steadily on the ground, throwing punches in a somewhat imitative manner. Although he was young and lacked strength, his movements were quite standard; even if it was just a facade, it was a beautiful one to behold.
Gao Feng stretched his legs while sitting on a nearby chair, sipping from a teacup and occasionally offering pointers.
The two men, one older and one younger, appeared to be in perfect harmony.
Qin Yaru truly could not understand how, in just one morning, her Da Lang had become so familiar with Gao Feng, showing no signs of awkwardness whatsoever.
Watching Da Lang with sweat on his forehead and a healthy flush on his face, Qin Yaru couldn't help but smile. It was good; boys always needed a male elder. Since Chen Wenyue was unable to fulfill that role for Da Lang, having Gao Feng do so was naturally the best option.
For the first time, she felt that perhaps life truly favored her; she was a beloved child of fate rather than an unfortunate soul.
As a single woman with a child, being able to come to Kaifeng—a city where settling down was no easy feat, comparable to the capital in later times—was indeed a stroke of luck.
That day, after Du Jiu and Lai San found Qin Yaru and Pang Yuanying, Du Jiu hurriedly took his Marquis away without giving much thought to Qin Yaru. This suited her just fine; being entangled with such an arrogant Marquis was indeed quite troublesome.
After returning home and resting for two days, she quickly packed her things to prepare for leaving Wudang County.
She had intended to leave anyway; now that she had encountered something as serious as kidnapping, how could she possibly stay in Wudang? Elder Ji was also understanding and helped her find an escort service while arranging for two large carts from the carriage company. He specifically requested that they send an experienced Old Carriage Driver who had traveled to the capital many times to accompany her.
Thus, Qin Yaru set off for the capital with Da Lang. The journey proved quite taxing for the young boy. While she herself had never left Wudang County in her previous life during the Northern Song period and had not experienced the utterly baffling roads of that time, by the Twenty-First Century travel had become convenient. She had not tasted the discomfort of bumpy rides either. However, having traveled with Gao Feng through many places and endured various hardships, this little bit of difficulty did not weigh heavily on her mind.
Da Lang was different; he fell ill shortly after starting their journey, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. He lost quite a bit of weight in just a short time. With no other choice, Qin Yaru had to treat him along the way—gathering herbs when possible or buying what she couldn't find. She prepared various delicious foods for him and kept snacks coming continuously. She even bought several cotton blankets to lay in the cart to provide some cushioning for her son.
Though they were poor at home but rich on the road, Qin Yaru had saved up quite a bit of silver for their journey. However, by the time they reached Kaifeng, she had already spent over thirty percent of it.
Qin Yaru felt pained by this expenditure but as they drew closer to Kaifeng and truly sensed the city's atmosphere—the elegance of the men they encountered and the beauty of their wives—she ultimately felt joy in her heart. After all, this was Kaifeng!
When they arrived in Kaifeng, it was already winter and snow fell heavily. In the Twenty-First Century, such heavy snowfall was rare in Kaifeng; it hardly ever got this cold.
Qin Yaru held Da Lang as they got off the cart, facing the snowflakes swirling around them. Taking a deep breath reminded her of those lonely days spent locked away in the County Horse Manor's back courtyard when she had longed for Kaifeng countless times. She remembered hearing many Lady-in-Waitings express their eager anticipation for Kaifeng; it was known as the best city in the Northern Song dynasty where its citizens were among the happiest people—well cared for in their old age and well-educated in their youth—enjoying a relaxed atmosphere filled with enviable freedom.
Holding Da Lang's hand, they happened upon several students from an official academy. These young scholars were full of spirit and pride.
They had every reason to be proud; officials during the Song dynasty were among the happiest people around. Those who could enter an official academy were undoubtedly exceptional talents with great potential to rise to high positions within the Song Dynasty.
However, entering Kaifeng City wasn't easy; it wasn't due to strict inspections—actually, as long as it wasn't wartime, common people could move freely in and out of Kaifeng—but simply because there were too many people.
Qin Yaru waited for more than half an hour before she finally walked into the city with Da Lang.
First, they found an inn to stay at. Qin Yaru paid the remaining balance to the escort and the Old Carriage Driver, and treated the group to a meal.
The food in Kaifeng was abundant; whatever one wanted to eat could be found outside, and even the various drinks available were tempting enough that even the well-traveled Qin Yaru found them appealing.
After finishing the meal, Qin Yaru wrote a letter, asking the carriage driver to take it back to Elder Ji and the others, reassuring them that she had safely arrived at her destination.
The first step upon arriving in Kaifeng was naturally to find a place to settle down. Living in an inn indefinitely was not feasible, and housing prices in Kaifeng were expected to rise steadily for a long time, similar to the capital in later years. Buying property was also a means of preserving wealth.
However, when she went to the pawnshop to look into buying a house, she was stunned to find that her remaining twenty thousand or so coins could buy a decent residence elsewhere, but in Kaifeng, that was simply impossible. She was unwilling to settle for a shabby and remote house.
Qin Yaru had known that housing prices in Kaifeng were exorbitant, but only after witnessing it firsthand did she realize that an ordinary person might never be able to afford a home here.
Feeling troubled, Qin Yaru realized that finding a place to live would not happen immediately. She needed to plan for her future. Selling flower arrangements was not out of the question, but Kaifeng was not Wudang; here, the wives were all dressed elegantly, and their floral headdresses were far more exquisite than what she could create. There was hardly any profit to be made.
Instead, selling vegetable oil seemed more suitable. The people of Kaifeng had money and would likely be interested in purchasing affordable and high-quality vegetable oil to improve their lives.
However, this business required little technical skill. The Song Dynasty did not have patent laws. Since the Chen Family Clan had already been given this technology, it would be best if they handled the business themselves while she stayed out of it. In fact, the Chen Family Clan had already begun selling vegetable oil; however, due to limited production capacity, only a small amount reached Kaifeng, and it wasn't significantly cheaper than lard yet, so it hadn't become popular.
While Qin Yaru was feeling distressed, she overheard a scholar in the inn complaining, "Ever since Chongwen Academy caught fire, it's become increasingly difficult for us to read. Books are expensive, and even if we have money, we can't buy them all."
Suddenly, Qin Yaru had an idea. Although there was already a national library in Northern Song, opening a library in Kaifeng—where culture thrived and many people could read—would be quite beneficial. This venture could hardly be considered a business; rather, it would be an elegant endeavor that wouldn't harm her reputation at all.
It was no wonder she thought this way; her father Qin Yizhi had left her very little inheritance. Her dowry had been taken by Chen Wenyue, but he had left behind books. As someone who had worked as a teacher and dedicated his life to education while being a book lover himself, the Qin Family naturally possessed quite a collection of books.
Although some books had been taken by Chen Wenyue, these were cherished possessions of her father. Even during difficult times, Qin Yaru never considered selling them. Now that she was in Kaifeng, her greatest asset might just be these books.
The collection wasn't extensive; it fit into two large boxes.
Relying solely on these books would not suffice. Thus, Qin Yaru only entertained this idea for now. She thought that once she settled down, she could gradually acquire more books—even if she didn't open a library right away. Da Lang would still need books as he grew up; after all, buying books was always worthwhile for their family.
After several days in Kaifeng searching for affordable houses, Qin Yaru even began considering lowering her standards. As long as she could buy something manageable now, she could always upgrade later when she earned more money.
After snow turned into sunshine, Qin Yaru continued her routine of visiting several major pawnshops in Kaifeng. She was attractive and graceful; although she mostly just looked without buying anything for quite some time, the staff at the pawnshops treated her with courtesy.
Every time she visited, they would serve tea and refreshments, making Qin Yaru feel somewhat embarrassed yet still marvel at how developed the service industry was in Northern Song.
That day, she had just sat down, not even having taken a sip of her tea, when she saw two people.
The man was dressed in a blue robe, handsome in appearance, while the woman was gentle and charming, captivatingly beautiful. They walked in together, followed by a long line of ladies-in-waiting, clearly the children of a wealthy family.
Qin Yaru couldn't help but sigh— it was actually Chen Wenyue and Gentle Blue.
Although she had thought it possible to encounter these two upon arriving in Kaifeng, especially since Chen Wenyue had not yet become a Top Scholar and had not returned to Jiunzhou in glory; he was currently preparing for exams in Kaifeng, so running into him wasn't particularly surprising.
However, actually meeting them here still left her feeling somewhat frustrated.
Gentle Blue was exceptionally beautiful and well-known for her talents. It was said that she could compose poetry and music at the age of ten, and by fifteen, as a Legitimate Daughter, she had risen to the top ranks in Kaifeng. She had close relationships with the princesses and rulers in the palace, even receiving praise from the usually aloof Eldest Princess for being the most beautiful butterfly in the garden, delicate and lovely.
Xiangyang Wang treated her even better than his own two legitimate daughters, doting on her greatly.
At this moment, Qin Yaru saw Gentle Blue Princess looking gentle and soft. Her attire was not extravagant, but her makeup was exquisite. Occasionally glancing up at Chen Wenyue with a tender gaze that could enchant any man.
However, Chen Wenyue seemed somewhat off. His appearance remained handsome, but his overall demeanor had become quite strange. His complexion was pale, and there was a hint of gloom hidden between his brows that outsiders would not easily detect. (To be continued)
Comment 0 Comment Count