Chapter 109: A Conversation

After a day of clamor, Song Mu had spent the afternoon clinking glasses with the neighbors and the evening exchanging toasts with the County Magistrate. After several rounds of feasting, he felt as though the scent of alcohol was wafting from his very throat.

When he returned home, Mistress Zhu and Yaya were already asleep, but his Second Uncle had not yet retired. He was sitting in the main room drinking tea, and upon seeing Song Mu enter, he beckoned him over.

"Second Uncle, you haven't rested yet?" Song Mu asked as he stepped inside. Song Liangda simply nodded and gestured for Song Mu to sit beside him.

"I slept well this afternoon, so I couldn't drift off tonight."

Song Liangda had had a very satisfying day; he had gotten quite tipsy with friends and neighbors at noon and had only just woken up after sleeping through the afternoon.

The uncle and nephew sat in the main room. Song Liangda poured a cup of tea for the alcohol-steeped Song Mu and asked straightforwardly, "When are you leaving for the Prefecture Academy?"

Song Mu looked up at him and replied, "Around the middle of this month."

Song Liangda nodded, but then asked with a hint of concern, "And... will you be staying at the academy, or..."

Song Mu understood what his uncle meant. As the top-ranked student in the Prefectural Examination, he was naturally expected to enter the Prefecture Academy. His uncle understood this well, but given their family's current financial straits, they could not afford to move and settle down in the prefecture city with him. Consequently, Song Liangda was worried about Song Mu’s life there.

Song Mu, however, was not concerned and smiled at his uncle. "Don't you worry, Second Uncle. The Prefecture Academy provides housing. Besides, I will be receiving a government grain stipend this year, which will be enough to cover my daily food and living expenses."

Song Mu did not mention his writing, as he did not wish to publicize that endeavor.

Song Liangda waved his hand, looking troubled. "That’s not the way to look at it. You are a Xiucai (budding talent) now; you will need to visit friends and maintain appearances. Expenses are inevitable."

With that, Song Liangda reached into his robes and produced a small pouch of silver, placing it before Song Mu. "The relatives chipped in for this today. It’s twenty taels of silver in total. It should be enough to see you through until winter."

Song Liangda hesitated for a moment before adding, "When the time comes, I will find someone to send you more."

Song Mu looked at the pouch of silver and let out a long sigh. He did not reach for it. The Song family had several relatives, but most had grown distant. Even when the family had suffered, these so-called cousins had barely paid a visit. It was only after the chaos in Shiyang City, when the grand scholar’s phantom had manifested its power, that they had remembered they had relatives in the Song family.

Song Liangda had not welcomed them; though he remained polite, he had returned every gift they brought exactly as it was. The relatives who had visited today were mostly from the families of his father’s and uncle’s wives—the families of Mistress Zhu and Song Mu’s late mother.

Mistress Zhu’s family were simple farming folk who had always been kind, often sending produce from their fields during the holidays, which had been a great help to the Song family. As for his mother’s family, they were wealthy landowners from a town in Shiyang County, but they had only appeared for his parents' funeral and had had no contact since. Now that Song Mu had earned the title of Xiucai, they were eager to claim him as kin, and the two rotund uncles had spent the day fawning over him.

Song Mu did not feel particularly repulsed, but he was deeply moved; all of this had changed only after he attained the title of Xiucai. Regardless of their motives, they were relatives, and he had not embarrassed them today.

As for the silver, Song Mu pushed it back toward Song Liangda.

"This... Mu-ge'er, what are you doing?" Song Liangda asked, stunned.

Song Mu said calmly, "Second Uncle, I don't lack for money. Keep this. The work on the city walls is nearly finished, and you might not have steady employment afterward. You should use this silver to open a shop or start a small business."

"Why are you saying that? Besides, I don't know how to do business." Seeing Song Mu pierce through his embarrassment, Song Liangda immediately tried to push the silver back, but Song Mu pressed his hand down, staring intently at his uncle.

"Second Uncle, listen to me this time," Song Mu said softly. Dressed in his scholar’s robes, he carried an air of maturity and seriousness that left Song Liangda momentarily dazed.

"This is still not right..." Song Liangda began to demur again, but Song Mu interrupted.

"If you don't know what kind of shop to open, I have an idea."

Song Liangda blinked in surprise, curious about what Song Mu had in mind. Song Mu then began to explain.

"A braised food shop? What kind of trade is that?"

After hearing Song Mu’s explanation, Song Liangda scratched his head, looking puzzled. Song Mu nodded firmly. He had learned from a ship owner yesterday that spices like star anise and cinnamon were very popular in the Wen Dynasty and quite affordable.

The "braised food shop" Song Mu proposed was for Song Liangda to open a stall by the East City Wall to sell food to the porters at the docks. He had thought this through: the Shiyang County docks had expanded, and since the Gan River narrowed at this point, many large ships had to dock there to unload cargo. Furthermore, the land routes to the north and south were now mostly complete, bringing many merchants through the area. These travelers and laborers often looked for a quick bite to eat in the city.

Others were already selling food, but it was either too bland or too expensive. Song Mu’s plan was for Song Liangda to sell braised sheep offal and pig innards.

In this world, people in the south were starting to eat more pork, and while cooking methods were diversifying, pig innards were still disregarded. Because of their strong smell, they were often shunned.

But porters, merchants, and caravan hands were not picky; they just needed to fill their stomachs. A bowl of hot, savory, and hearty food would be popular. Song Mu also planned for Song Liangda to sell breakfast items to the same crowd.

Song Mu had carefully weighed this decision. Song Liangda was an honest man who couldn't navigate the cutthroat world of complex business, and Mistress Zhu was equally straightforward. Rather than having them try to master a grand enterprise, a small, reliable trade would not only keep them fed but also supplement the household income. At the very least, he would ensure they never had to take risks for his tuition money or risk losing their last ancestral home to swindlers again.

"This... perhaps it could work," Song Liangda said, still hesitant.

Song Mu continued to persuade him. "Second Uncle, just try it. There is not much I can do to help the family right now. You don't know the methods for braising, but I will explain them to you and Auntie carefully. You just need to be the one to manage it. If it really doesn't work, we can stop, and we can use the remaining money to buy land and rent it out. That will at least provide a living."

Song Mu spoke with genuine sincerity, and Song Liangda nodded repeatedly, feeling a surge of pride that Song Mu trusted him to take the lead.

After finishing this topic, Song Liangda did not reach for the silver. Instead, he reached into his clothing and pulled out an object hanging from a red string, handing it to Song Mu.

Song Mu recognized it instantly: the Literary Vein Tourmaline, the heirloom of the Song family.

The Literary Vein Tourmaline was bestowed upon Jinshi degree holders. Each piece could channel a vast amount of heaven-and-earth literary energy, allowing the user to manifest the "divine power" of poetry. The towering phantom that Jin Changwu and Li Mo'er had manifested that day had been supported by such a tourmaline.

"Mu-ge'er, now that you are a Xiucai, I promised that once you achieved this rank, I would hand over our family’s tourmaline to you."

Song Liangda handed it over, and this time, Song Mu did not decline. He took it into his palm.

The tourmaline was cylindrical, engraved with intricate dragon-and-cloud patterns. It was a deep, vibrant green, and as he held it, Song Mu could feel a cool, soothing sensation. It was much larger and more translucent than the one Li Mo'er had given him previously.

"This tourmaline is our Old Song family’s greatest treasure," Song Liangda said, watching him. "It has been passed down since your great-grandfather’s time, and we have always cherished it. It hasn't been nourished by the literary energy of a Jinshi for decades, so it has lost its luster."

"Your great-grandfather once said that when it was worn by a Jinshi, the moment their literary power was activated, it would shimmer with a brilliant, magnificent radiance."

As he spoke, Song Liangda’s gaze was filled with expectation. "Mu-ge'er, I hope that in the future, you will be able to use your own Jinshi literary power to nourish our family’s tourmaline once again."