Chapter 25

Xu Qixian's father was also a man of vision. He could see that Xia Hongsheng had a brighter future than tea, and with his astute mind, he would surely become a wealthy merchant even if he never pursued further education. Bringing such a person on board would generate far more value than a fifty percent share of the tea business. Therefore, without haggling, Xu Qixian's father readily agreed to a fifty-fifty split with Xia Hongsheng. Just as he was about to write down the contract, Xia Hongsheng chuckled and pulled out a stack of papers. The contract was already drafted. Xu's father was initially surprised—could he write a contract at such a young age? But then, considering Xia Hongsheng's exceptional talent, he was not so surprised anymore. He took the contract and began to read it. The contract clearly defined the parties involved and listed the terms in detail. As he read on, his heart grew colder and colder. The contract was so meticulously written that not a single word could be added or removed. It covered every possible scenario, leaving no room for human sentiment, only cold, hard numbers and clauses. With this contract, any future disputes could be resolved by the authorities simply by following the terms.

This contract was rigorous and comprehensive. From a legal perspective, it was indeed a perfect document. However, its rigor left no room for human sentiment, making it seem like a cold, emotionless monster. This made Xu Qixian's father feel a sudden chill.

Xu's father placed the contract on the table, looked up at Xia Hongsheng, and sighed deeply. "This contract is meticulous and thorough, with no room for error. It is fair to both parties, clearly defining each party's rights and obligations. However, my dear nephew, I do not wish to sign this contract."

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback and turned to look at Xu's father, who had a serious expression and eyes full of concern. He straightened up and bowed, asking, "Uncle Xu, what advice do you have? I am all ears."

"Dear nephew, honesty is the way of heaven, the beginning and end of all things. Trust is the way of man, the foundation of one's existence. Without trust, a person is nothing. The five virtues of a gentleman are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. How can we, in our conduct, lose these virtues? Your contract is indeed rigorous, but I fear that if such a rigorous contract spreads, merchants will imitate it, and the world will become a place where only cold, hard numbers and clauses matter, with no room for human sentiment. People will value clauses over agreements, and all trust will be lost. Dear nephew, throughout history, we have upheld the principle of a gentleman's word being as good as gold. We believe that most people are good and act accordingly. We trust the law and follow it strictly. The *Three-Character Classic* you presented to the academy begins with 'At the beginning of human life, nature is inherently good.' Why do you act as if human nature is inherently evil? Dear nephew, as scholars, we uphold righteousness and integrity. Even with such a contract, we can still adhere to our principles. But can everyone in this world do the same? If such contracts spread, the wicked and the ruthless will use them to exploit the weak, leaving them with no room to maneuver. The law can only enforce compliance, but morality is the inherent goodness of people. If one day, people rely only on the law and contracts and ignore morality and human sentiment, then the people of this world will become cold-blooded, devoid of any sense of righteousness! I have spent my life studying, though I have no great achievements and cannot claim to be a gentleman, I still consider myself a scholar. You once said that scholars should look after the people and care for the world, a sentiment that resonates with me. I am concerned for the people. I cannot bear to imagine what the world would be like if what I have said comes true. A world without human sentiment is no longer a world. I cannot be the one to start this!"

Xu Qixian had appeared at the door of the study, looking at his father with excitement and pride. Xia Hongsheng felt a ringing in his ears, his mind a whirl of thoughts.

Who could be more aware of the consequences of a moral system's collapse than himself?

When you save someone and are accused of being the culprit, when you see an elderly person fall and dare not help them up, when you see a beggar and your first thought is suspicion and avoidance... even when you act bravely to save someone and give your life, your body is later sold for a price, "three thousand for pulling it out of the water." How can one bear such a world? Was Uncle Xu's concern unfounded? No, it was very valid! The people of the Tang Dynasty were mostly kind and simple, even the common folk adhered to the ancient moral code. Old Zhang, without Xia Hongsheng's prompting, preferred to keep his family poor rather than make folding tables and stools for others. The butcher felt guilty for selling pig offal for three coins and compensated with more meat and bones, which were worth far more. Were these people foolish? No, they were admirable in their simplicity! In his own home, his sister-in-law, a woman, supported him, and without the help of neighbors, they could not have made it this far. In the academy, every student bowed respectfully to their teacher from a distance, and no one would secretly curse their teacher. If a student was scolded by a teacher, no one would dare to call their family to beat up the teacher. ... He did not want, absolutely did not want, the kind and simple people of the Tang Dynasty to become like the people of the future. A nation and a people, if they lose their sense of righteousness, will have nothing left to pass on to future generations.

People can change, and they can change quickly. It takes years to learn good, but only hours to learn bad. Once morality is lost, the world will regress, no matter how much wealth is accumulated. The ultimate result will be self-destruction.

This is the Tang Dynasty, where the power of morality is greater than the power of law, not the future where morality is eroding. To act like a petty person is a mistake!

Xia Hongsheng's face turned red with embarrassment. He grabbed the contract from the table, tore it into pieces, stood up, and walked to Xu's father, bowing deeply. "Uncle Xu, you are absolutely right. I have learned a great deal. I want the Tang Dynasty to be a harmonious and kind place, not a world where only profit matters and human sentiment is ignored. I was wrong."

Xu Qixian's father looked at Xia Hongsheng, seeing that he had understood, and nodded in satisfaction. Xia Hongsheng was a smart boy, and these words were enough for him to reflect.

Leaving the study, Xia Hongsheng's mood was still heavy. He had not thought so deeply about the matter, merely following the habits of drafting contracts from the future, without realizing the enormous consequences such a contract could bring. To say that it would endanger the entire social moral system might be an exaggeration. A solid moral system would not be easily destroyed by a single contract. Moreover, such a rigorous contract, if used properly, could protect the weak. However, Xia Hongsheng had additional thoughts. Coming from the future, his knowledge and experience, which were a thousand years ahead, would have a profound impact on the people of the Tang Dynasty. While the knowledge and experience of the future were powerful, they also contained many flaws and shortcomings. People in the future had gradually adapted to these, but the people of the Tang Dynasty, lacking such adaptation, would be more vulnerable to the negative aspects. The good aspects would naturally be beneficial, but the bad aspects could cause even greater harm. Today's words from Xu Qixian's father made Xia Hongsheng realize that his every word and action could bring elements of the future into the Tang Dynasty, and these elements contained both good and bad. How to maximize the good and minimize the bad was a question he had to consider.

Xia Hongsheng was grateful and relieved that Xu Qixian's father had made him aware of this issue. Otherwise, if he only considered it when the negative aspects of the future's knowledge and experience began to affect the Tang Dynasty, it would be too late. Just like the reforms and opening up of the future, which brought great opportunities and development but also many negative trends, his actions in the Tang Dynasty could have similar results. If the negative trends were already established, it would be impossible to change them.

Xia Hongsheng did not hesitate and went straight to the kitchen. When the cook saw him, he immediately threw down his spoon and ran over, bowing respectfully. "Master Xia, you have come!"

Xia Hongsheng's face turned black. He had told the cook several times not to call him "Master Xia," but the cook was stubborn, insisting that learning had nothing to do with age and that he should be treated as a master since he had learned cooking from Xia Hongsheng. This always gave Xia Hongsheng a headache.

Rolling his eyes, he pushed past the cook's large body, rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and started chopping a piece of pork on the cutting board. He had not kept anything secret from Xu Qixian and had already written down all the recipes and shared the spices with him. Now, the kitchen in Xu's house had a more complete set of seasonings than Xia Hongsheng's own home.

Seeing Xia Hongsheng take the initiative, the cook quickly offered to help. Xia Hongsheng looked at him and said, "Today, for Uncle Xu's sake, I will teach you how to make fried sauce noodles. I will only do this once, and you are not to ask me again or call me master! I am a scholar, not a cook, and I am not your master!"

With that, he started chopping the pork vigorously.