Chen Village was, as its name suggested, a place inhabited primarily by the Chen clan, alongside a small number of families with different surnames. The private school here was funded and established by the Chen clan, serving as the only academy within a radius of a hundred miles.
To get Shen Mingyu admitted, Pei Shumin had run about tirelessly to clear the channels and paid a bit extra for the tutor’s tuition fee.
By the time he finished paying, almost nothing was left of his life savings.
Pei Shumin felt his empty money pouch, feeling a slight touch of embarrassment. Soon, however, he took a deep breath of the fresh air outside and walked briskly out of the long corridor.
“Yuniang, everything is taken care of.”
Shen Mingyu, carrying her small pink bundle, stood under the bright, dazzling sun. The morning sunshine was brilliant, reflecting off her snow-white, simple, and unadorned face.
New to a place like this, separated only by a low wall, she could almost hear the sound of the tutor reading next door. She looked around cautiously with timid eyes, her whole person appearing slightly ill at ease. Yet within this unease, there seemed to be a quiet yearning.
“Is it expensive?” Shen Mingyu trotted over to the youth who was half a head taller than her and asked in a low voice. Master Pei had said this morning that they were coming to ask about the fees. She thought that if it was too expensive, she wouldn’t attend; after all, it wasn’t easy for Master Pei to earn money either.
“Not expensive at all.”
Pei Shumin raised his brows slightly, took her hand, and spoke as they walked, “Guess how much it cost?”
“Ten taels?”
He shook his head.
“Eight taels?”
He continued to shake his head.
“Not that either… Then how much was it?”
“Less than two taels. Patriarch Chen knows me and only charged this much for tuition. We still have plenty left.”
Pei Shumin turned back, his clear eyes looking at her: “These two taels of silver won’t take long to earn back. So Yuniang, don’t worry and just study with peace of mind.”
Shen Mingyu’s days at the academy could be described as peaceful and comfortable.
She was brought to the class of an old village tutor.
This class focused mainly on elementary enlightenment, mixing students of various ages. There were children as young as six, seven, or eight, as well as middle-aged men over thirty who were making a belated effort.
Thus, sixteen-year-old Shen Mingyu was considered quite ordinary among them, categorized into the group of older children.
The tutor’s lessons began with character recognition using the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic.
The tile-roofed room of the private school was not large, seating over a dozen students. Only the wall along the outer corridor had two wooden windows open.
The old tutor paced the room with a wooden ruler in hand, reciting facing his book. Shen Mingyu sat by a worn wooden desk, her thin, small frame held straight and upright, her eyes fixed on the characters on the yellow paper as she listened to the tutor recite: “Heaven and Earth are dark and yellow; the universe is vast and waste…”
Along with the old tutor’s deep, heavy voice, these square characters bounded and leaped into her eyes and mind. She seemed to possess the ability to never forget what she saw; with just a single glance, she quietly committed them all to memory.
School was dismissed in the evening.
Chen Village was not too far from Baiyun Village. Shen Mingyu would sling on her small bundle and reach home after a half-hour’s walk.
Occasionally, when he wasn’t busy, as soon as school was out, she could see the youth waiting beside the main gate—clad in coarse hemp clothes, yet showered in golden light under the setting sun, standing firm and unmoving in the breeze, making his figure appear even taller.
Shen Mingyu truly possessed a natural talent for learning. In just a single short month, she made rapid progress, recognizing every single character in the book. When Pei Shumin tested her on poetry and prose, not only could she recite them fluently, but she could also explain the meaning behind the words.
Pei Shumin was thoroughly amazed.
One night before going to sleep, Pei Shumin held her and showered her with praise. After praising her, he began to chat cheerfully like a daydreamer: “Yuniang, you have such a good memory and you’re so clever. You’re fine material for studying, with far more potential than many of my former classmates. It’s only a pity that in the current court women cannot become officials. If I were the emperor, I would certainly pay attention to recruiting and employing you.”
Shen Mingyu snuggled in his arms and suddenly asked out of curiosity: “If you were the emperor, would you still marry me?”
Pei Shumin merely looked at her without speaking.
It was said that when a husband and wife reach the end, the passion fades, leaving only mutual annoyance—this saying was truly correct.
Shen Mingyu felt a bit disappointed. She had thought Master Pei would say warmly and definitively, Mingyu, of course I would marry you.
Even if not sincere, he could at least put on an act—after all, they were newly wedded, married for less than a year! She hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t even pretend, but actually fell into silent thought.
Shen Mingyu, feeling unappeased, reached out to grab him and tickled his armpits. He laughed out loud from the tickling and wrapped his arms around her to wrestle. With a sudden flip, Shen Mingyu found herself riding on his lean waist and abdomen. At this moment, Pei Shumin stopped laughing, his focused eyes gazing at her quietly inside the dim bed curtains.
The atmosphere grew silent. Shen Mingyu froze for a moment, forgetting to tickle him.
Suddenly, her head was pressed downward by Pei Shumin’s palm, their breath mingling. Her lips were caught and bitten right at that moment.
Her mind turned to chaos. In the warm, steamy kiss, her gaze gradually blurred… Their two bodies rolled over and over, soaring to the heavens and plunging into the earth, until cloud and rain blended together as if the world were newly created from chaos…
Pei Shumin finally released his hold on the back of her neck, embracing her limp, moist body. His light panting carried a low laugh: “Were you scared, Yuniang? Were you afraid I wouldn’t marry you? Of course I would marry you. I am your husband, after all…”
When the busiest time of the autumn harvest arrived at the end of the month, the old tutor specifically granted a few days of holiday so the students could return home to help with farm work.
Pei Shumin had no farmland, so he merely enclosed a small vegetable plot beside the fence of his courtyard and raised two hens to lay eggs.
These two hens were fed fat and beautiful by Pei Shumin. During her leisure time, Shen Mingyu liked to stare at their plumage and their long, curved, brightly colored tail feathers.
More than half a year had passed since their marriage, and the business between Pei Shumin and Uncle Zhang was thriving day by day. He helped the villagers sell a lot of medicinal herbs in Pingyang County, earning far more than when everyone gathered herbs and sold them to the local gentry in the past. He had become the youth most skilled at making money in the eyes of the villagers.
However, his reputation was not entirely good across the board.
For instance, the skinny man by the river would chew on a stalk of grass and mock sneeringly: “People say he has read books and seen the world, but I don’t see him being all that smart either—he actually took up the lowest, cheapest merchant work. My cousin, who went to school with him back then, passed the exams and became a Juren scholar, teaching at the largest private school in the county town and receiving everyone’s respect. He couldn’t find a teaching job; could it be that his skills are lacking and no private school wants to take him?”
Whenever she heard this, Shen Mingyu would grab the dog from A’qiu’s family and fiercely threaten the skinny man: “Say another word of nonsense! I’ll unleash Dahuang to bite you!”
When the skinny man was young, he had been chased over the mountain by wolfhounds and feared dogs most of all. Seeing Dahuang bark, he was scared into hiding inside his own door, still shouting unreconciled: “You dead woman, I didn’t say anything wrong! If his skills are inferior to others, why shouldn’t people talk! If he has the ability, let him find a private school to teach too, and see if anyone hires him or not!”
“You said it yourself, your cousin passed the exams to become a Juren scholar! My Master Pei hasn’t even taken the exams!” Shen Mingyu slapped his door in anger, holding back the barking Dahuang with one hand.
In the end, A’qiu had to come and mediate: “Mingyu, forget it, forget it. He’s just a rogue, idle and completely rascal. We shouldn’t stoop to his level.”
Shen Mingyu naturally wouldn’t take a person like that seriously.
Yet after arguing, her heart felt hollow.
Master Pei was poor when he was young and only studied for three years before stopping. If only they had a bit more money… He loved reading so much; if they had money for his studies, perhaps he would have passed the exams to become a Juren scholar too.
Relying solely on running back and forth between two places was not a long-term solution; one needed a place to settle down. Pei Shumin wanted to rent a shopfront in Pingyang County, so he contacted a friend—a former classmate from his studying days, named Yang Shen.
Using his family connections, Yang Shen was now working as a minor official at the post station in Pingyang County.
Pei Shumin came to find him after he finished his shift. Having received the letter earlier, Yang Shen had already scouted several shopfronts for him and was bringing Pei Shumin to look at them in person this time.
These shopfronts were all located in busy areas of the county town. After looking through them all, Yang Shen said: “The shop we saw just now has the lowest rent, only seventy percent of the others. Though cheap, the shop is too dilapidated, and I fear it won’t attract customers, which is why I left it for last to tell you.”
“After looking at these few, what do you think, Brother Pei? If none of them suit you, how about I look around a bit more…”
“No need, Sanlang, the last one is quite good. I’ll see later if I can bargain a bit more with the owner.”
Yang Shen looked at him in surprise. He saw Pei Shumin smooth the wrinkles on his sleeves, reflecting slowly with a smile: “I must have a good location, so naturally the rent will be expensive. To want both a good location and cheap rent—how could such a free favor fall upon me? This last one seems quite good to me; though a bit run-down, it’s no obstacle. Looking for a new shopfront might not differ much anyway, and it would only trouble you further.”
“What trouble? I’m fine, it’s just a matter of taking a walk after work.”
“Oh, right.”
Pei Shumin reached into his pouch and retrieved a small stone pedestal, about the size of two men’s fists. Yang Shen had always loved collecting unusual stones; to thank him for his hard work running about these past days, Pei Shumin had specifically gone to source this piece.
Seeing the item, Yang Shen was taken aback. Though he liked it immensely, he still waved his hand in refusal. Pei Shumin could only smile and say: “Take it. If I used silver to thank you, you certainly wouldn’t accept. It’s inappropriate to discuss money between you and me; giving you this ornamental stone is best. If you don’t want it, what use is it for me to keep?”
Rushing waves had gnawed it into hollows, and washing waters had polished it to a gleam.
This piece of Taihu stone was truly exquisite. Yang Shen scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, but he knew Pei Shumin’s character well—this man was like a stubborn rock on a mountain. He always remembered others’ kindness with complete clarity and would repay it abundantly; if he couldn’t repay it, he would feel unsettled. Yet at the same time, he possessed an uncompromising pride.
Yang Shen still remembered back when they were classmates, someone had falsely accused him before the tutor of stealing something. Young Pei Shumin had used remarkable skill to help him find evidence, simply because Yang Shen had once shared a steamed bun made by his mother with Pei Shumin.
That person was reprimanded by the tutor and, unable to swallow his anger yet afraid to bully Yang Shen, brought his brothers to bully the young boy who had no parents and no backer.
At that time, Pei Shumin was beaten until he was covered in blood, yet he tightly gritted his teeth and endured, refusing to bend his back in the slightest.
However, retribution arrived. A few months later, that group went playing on the mountain and suddenly fell into a hunter’s trap. They were finally found when they were barely breathing from hunger, nearly losing their lives.
These were all Pei Shumin’s doing. Aside from his good friend Yang Shen, only the tutor knew about this matter.
Seeing his most cherished student commit such an act, the tutor struck Pei Shumin dozens of times with the wooden ruler in fury, scolding him for being far too vengeful.
Yet Yang Shen did not view it that way; what he admired most about Brother Pei was precisely this quality. Because he himself was an absolute pushover, Brother Pei possessed something he lacked.
After touring the shopfronts, Yang Shen walked with him to leave, boarding an ox cart heading toward the city gate.
It was evening at the time. As the ox cart passed through the market, small stalls were set up one after another, with cries of hawkers rising and falling.
Yang Shen inadvertently caught sight of a girl in blue cloth selling flowers. His gaze lingered for a moment, and he couldn’t help thinking of the young woman he had seen at Brother Pei’s home—though her hair was braided and her cloth clothes were simple, when she held a bamboo basket and stood under the sunlight showing two small dimples as she smiled, she was bright and dazzling.
“By the way, Brother Pei, you and Sister-in-law have been married for over half a year now. Is there any news yet?”
“What news?” Pei Shumin clearly didn’t understand.
Yang Shen smiled, squinting his eyes to tease him.
Pei Shumin suddenly caught on, a faint blush appearing on his face. The fingers hidden inside his sleeves curled slightly, yet he cleared his throat nonchalantly: “Not yet, I…”
He looked at Yang Shen again, as if seeking new knowledge, and asked seriously: “Generally speaking, does it happen that fast?”
“I suppose so? My eldest sister-in-law had news just half a year after marrying in, and my second sister-in-law was even faster, conceiving in just two months.”
Pei Shumin lowered his eyes in thought.
“Then… I’ll check again when I go back.”
The driver drove the ox in front while the two leaned against the pile of thatch, chatting all the way. However, weather can change unexpectedly; when they reached the city gate, it was already locked, and minor officials were waving away the common people who wanted to leave the city.
Yang Shen hurriedly pulled a merchant aside to ask: “Doesn’t it usually get locked at the hour of the Rooster? How is it that the gates are closed today before dark?”
“Sigh, I don’t know either! The officers said nothing. I was still waiting to bring my goods into the city; looks like it won’t happen tonight.”
The merchant winked and suddenly leaned closer to them, lowering his voice: “We who travel north and south have better sources of news than those officers. Do you want to hear? If you do…”
The merchant gave a mysterious smile and rubbed his index finger.
Yang Shen was speechless: “Just for a couple of sentences, you want to charge ten wen! You really think your tongue is carved from gold leaf. Truly, no merchant is not treacherous…”
Before his voice died away, ten copper coins suddenly appeared in the merchant’s palm.
Pei Shumin gestured for him to speak.
The merchant beamed at the sight of money, quickly stashing it away before whispering: “I heard from brothers traveling north and south that early this year, black-horse soldiers appeared in many prefectures and counties.”
“Those are the black-horse soldiers from the Imperial City—awe-inspiring, delivering secret orders.”
In the past, everyone could only hear about these terrifying figures in tea houses listening to storytellers, but now they were seeing them with their own eyes. In a place of poor hills and treacherous waters, the appearance of black-horse soldiers meant there was a shift in the distant Imperial City.
The merchant deliberately lowered his voice: “Rumor has it that a big figure has arrived in our Pingyang County! That big figure came from the Imperial City, seemingly searching for someone.”