Chapter 39

The days at the school continued as usual.

After the old teacher no longer dared to discipline him, Lin Yanzhao's life became much more relaxed.

With the improved living conditions at home, Lin Yanzhao no longer had to cook and make fires himself, and he no longer had to eat dry rice with pickled vegetables.

At the school canteen, Lin Yanzhao paid 100 coins, and he could have two meals a day with a fixed vegetarian dish, occasionally some small fish and shrimp. Zhang Haoyuan would also bring in some leftover meat from home to treat Lin Yanzhao and Hou Zhongshu.

Such a life was undoubtedly very comfortable. Lin Yanzhao found that after a long period of穿越 (time travel), and after experiencing a period of hardship, his requirements for the quality of life had dropped several levels.

Sometimes, when he was tired of studying, Lin Yanzhao would lie under the shade of a large banyan tree outside the lecture hall, looking up at the sky, and think that such a life was not bad. He could just be a top student in the countryside, without worrying about making a name for himself, without burying his head in books all day, and without striving for an official title. After a few years, he could take the county examination and get the title of a child scholar, then go to the provincial capital to be a lawyer.

With his extensive knowledge from reading countless books, he could surely become a famous lawyer, whose income would be more than ten times higher than that of a poor scholar.

Or, after winning a few lawsuits and gaining experience, he could be recognized by a governor or a county magistrate and become a secretary or an advisor. Even becoming a guest in a noble's house, spending the day with the second-generation rich, playing with chickens and dogs, and helping to tease virtuous women, would be an interesting thing.

But these were just thoughts. After thinking this way, Lin Yanzhao would always wash his face and sit down to study again. He wasn't quite sure what the purpose of such hard study was, but he always felt it was a kind of inertia, or perhaps a vague feeling deep down that since heaven had given him a chance to be reborn in the Ming Dynasty, he would regret it if he didn't reach the peak and meet great people like Zhang Juzheng.

After such hard study, Lin Chengyi's "Annotations on the Great Learning" was already worn out, and he had written the "Yan Qinli Stele" countless times. The school in the countryside had too few books, and there were only a few to choose from. Lin Yanzhao couldn't even find a book to read in the school.

One day, the weather was not hot, and the old teacher had already finished teaching early and left. Lin Yanzhao, with the few dozen coins left in his pocket, invited Zhang Haoyuan and Hou Zhongshu to go to Hongtang Market to buy books. Zhang Haoyuan and Hou Zhongshu were naturally delighted, as going to the market was a very pleasant thing for these young men who were confined to the small village.

Hongtang Market was one of the three major markets in the provincial capital, located along the Shangguan Road entering Fujian, with a bustling commercial port.

Because it was next to the official road, Hongtang Market was essentially a long street called Hongtang Street, connecting Yuyuan Street at the top and Xiawu Street at the bottom, stretching for several miles. According to local records from the early Ming Dynasty, the residents along the Hongtang Street by the river extended for several miles.

The shops on such a street were endless, with wine shops, rice shops, and all kinds of stores.

But the three of them were purely there to browse bookstores. Fujian had a thriving literary atmosphere, with many scholars, and there were specialized bookstores in the market. There were also other配套设施 (facilities) nearby, all catering to the needs of scholars.

Lin Yanzhao entered a bookstore that specialized in selling used books. Generally, scholars would not sell books they had read unless they were in dire straits, but there were always some impoverished scholars or their children who would sell their used books to the bookstore.

For Lin Yanzhao, who was not very wealthy, buying used books was about 20-30% cheaper than new books. In the bookstore, Lin Yanzhao found a copy of Wei Heyan's "Annotations on the Analects" that he really liked, and a copy of the "Dabao Pagoda Stele" that he thought about practicing after he had become proficient with the "Yan Qinli Stele" in recent days.

However, the money in Lin Yanzhao's pocket was only enough to buy one book, not both.

Lin Yanzhao thought for a moment, then picked up a newly published "Mao Shi Zhengyi" and pretended to like it very much, negotiating the price with the owner. After a long haggle, Lin Yanzhao said it was too expensive and wouldn't buy it.

Then Lin Yanzhao picked up the "Annotations on the Analects" and asked the owner to sell it. The "Annotations on the Analects" was a used book, with yellowed pages and annotations from the previous owner. The bookstore owner thought such a book would be hard to sell, not knowing that Lin Yanzhao loved reading annotated used books.

The bookstore owner, thinking Lin Yanzhao wouldn't like it, quoted a low price. After more haggling, Lin Yanzhao finally bought the "Annotations on the Analects" for 50 coins and, as a bonus, the "Dabao Pagoda Stele" for 10 more coins.

Lin Yanzhao happily took out the money from his cloth bag, counted 60 coins, and placed them on the table, taking the "Annotations on the Analects" and the "Dabao Pagoda Stele." With this, he still had a few coins left. Although the books were used, the pages were not damaged, and he could add a cover and anti-moth paper when he got home. Thinking about this, Lin Yanzhao couldn't help but feel pleased.

After buying the books, Hou Zhongshu and Zhang Haoyuan also had a good harvest. The bookstore also sold various paper and ink, which were complementary products.

Zhang Haoyuan bought a few high-quality Hu brushes, while Hou Zhongshu, somewhat shamefully, bought a set of woodblock prints, which were like comic books in the Ming Dynasty.

After picking out what they wanted, the three of them returned home with great satisfaction. Zhang Haoyuan suggested they eat in Hongtang Market.

None of them objected, as they had come early and had lunch early, and after walking a long distance, they were already hungry.

Zhang Haoyuan enthusiastically said, "The most famous restaurant in Hongtang Market is Yixin Building. The braised fish, clear-stewed fish, and fried fish there are delicious. My father and I have eaten there several times."

Lin Yanzhao didn't know what "braised fish" was, but after Zhang Haoyuan explained, he realized it was a half fish, which was quite expensive.

Lin Yanzhao then said, "Haoyuan, we are short of money. If we go to Yixin Building, you have to treat us."

Zhang Haoyuan laughed and said, "I was just saying. I don't have much money either. Let's just eat Dingbianhu (a local dish) instead."

They found a couple's restaurant and ordered three bowls of Dingbianhu, five oyster cakes, and three radish cakes.

Zhang Haoyuan said, "This couple has been selling Dingbianhu for over ten years. The taste is excellent."

Soon, the hot Dingbianhu was served. The broth was made from genuine clam juice, with plenty of dried anchovies, small shrimp, and white clam meat. The condiments included celery and green onions, which could be added as needed. Lin Yanzhao and the others ate with great satisfaction. Such delicious food, with a bowl of Dingbianhu costing one coin and the oyster cakes and radish cakes together costing two coins, was a great deal.

Dingbianhu is best eaten hot, and Lin Yanzhao was sweating profusely as he ate. At that moment, he suddenly heard a voice.

"Isn't this the prodigy from Hongtang School? What a coincidence."

Lin Yanzhao didn't realize they were calling him at first, but when someone patted his shoulder, he came to his senses, with a slight look of displeasure on his face.

"Hey, prodigy, didn't you hear me calling you?"

Lin Yanzhao turned around and saw several scholars in blue robes passing by the stall, one of whom had patted his shoulder. He recognized Zhou Zongcheng, who was next to County Magistrate Zhou when Hu Tixue visited Hongtang School.

This person must be a relative of County Magistrate Zhou. That day, he could have gained Hu Tixue's favor, but Lin Yanzhao's outstanding performance completely overshadowed him.

The person who came was not friendly and must be here to pick a fight.

Lin Yanzhao said unhappily, "How was I supposed to know you were calling me? You called me a prodigy, but I am not Lin Yanzhao."

"You," Zhou Zongcheng was angry, but then realized he had lost his composure as a scholar and smiled, "Alright, you have some self-awareness. I was just teasing you about being a prodigy."

The other scholars laughed in agreement.

Hou Zhongshu and Zhang Haoyuan also recognized Zhou Zongcheng, remembering the incident that day. Zhang Haoyuan said unhappily, "What are you doing in Hongtang Market?"

One of the scholars accompanying Zhou Zongcheng, who looked like a young noble, stepped forward and said, "Brother Zhou, I didn't expect you to have so many friends here. Why don't you introduce us to these friends?"

Zhou Zongcheng smiled and said, "Sure, Brother Huang. These are students from Hongtang School. They are just child scholars. When Hu Tixue visited the school, I had to step in to save the day because they couldn't even recite the Analects or the Great Learning. Isn't that funny?"

The scholars laughed, and one of them said, "Brother Zhou, why get angry? How many scholars are there in the countryside? Being able to read the Three-Character Classic is already good. How can they compare to us in the city?"

"Brother Zhou is indeed impressive. If you can gain Hu Tixue's favor, passing the prefectural and provincial examinations next year will be as easy as taking something out of a pocket."

The scholars' laughter made Hou Zhongshu and Zhang Haoyuan furious. Lin Yanzhao also despised them for their lack of manners and urban-rural discrimination.

"Damn it, what's wrong with being from the countryside? Without us, you city people would starve!"

"That day, it was clearly Yanzhao who recited the Thousand Character Classic and gained the master's favor."

Hou Zhongshu and Zhang Haoyuan shouted back, and the situation quickly became tense.

...