Chapter 35

(Seeking Three Rivers votes, seeking recommendation votes!!)－

In the Song Dynasty, there was a custom of betrothing children while they were still in the cradle, a practice that seemingly romantic but was often used by families of equal social standing to decide their children's marriages years in advance.

However, Chen Ke sneered at this practice. Imagine, after a dozen years, if the other party's child turned out to be a good-for-nothing rascal, or had a serious illness, or came from a poor family, or had lost loved ones, or had moved far away. Wouldn't this just be a cruel fate for one's own child?

Indeed, this was the reality. In various prefectures and counties of the Song Dynasty, there were many cases where early betrothals were later broken due to dissatisfaction with the other family, leading to disputes and even legal battles. Of course, this was also related to the Song Dynasty's lenient attitude toward divorce. Since even married couples could part ways amicably, it wasn't considered shameful to call off a marriage before it was too late.

However, the social tolerance for breaking engagements did not reduce the pain of the families involved. Being seen as unwanted and rejected was a severe blow to their reputation.

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After Er Lang mentioned this, Chen Ke recalled, "Wasn't it that arrogant guy who came to our house last month, the one who looked down on us with his nose in the air?"

"Exactly," Chen Chen nodded. "I used to think Uncle Ma was quite friendly, but when he saw our destitute state, with our house barely able to keep out the rain, he didn't even crack a smile. And when he saw Father not going to take the exams, he left without even eating."

"Clearly, he was disappointed with us," Chen Ke said, feeling relieved that he hadn't offended his father. "I can understand that. A daughter is a father's treasure, and he wouldn't want to push her into a bad situation."

"You take it so lightly," Chen Chen sighed. "But this has been a huge blow to Father. I think when he saw the house all spruced up just now, he must have felt something."

"Right," Chen Ke nodded, speaking casually. "Men should know shame and then become brave, to achieve great things!"

"You're so magnanimous," Chen Chen rolled his eyes. "What do you think about the broken engagement?"

"It's our family's luck. There will be a day when they regret it," Chen Ke said with a cold smile. "I'm not just being stubborn; I'm stating a fact."

"Right, such a family that loves wealth and despises poverty will never raise a virtuous daughter!" Chen Chen, influenced by his younger brother's boldness, nodded vigorously. "And our Chen family won't remain destitute forever. There will be a day when we rise to prominence!"

"Exactly!" Chen Ke extended his fist. "We need to show our determination, and we must be strong!" After studying philology, he learned that the term "show determination" was actually an ancient phrase, first appearing in the "Book of Wei."

"Right, we must be strong!" Chen Chen nodded vigorously and reached out to grip his fist.

"..." Wu Lang, who had been silent, also firmly gripped his two older brothers' fists.

"I want to, I want to..." Liu Lang, standing on a chair, hung onto his brothers' arms.

At the door, Chen Xiliang, not wanting the children to worry, had already turned back. Hearing the children's words, he smiled, not a forced smile, but a genuine one. He took a step back, turned around again, and left, not wanting his sons to see the tears in his eyes.

To have such children, what more could he ask for!

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After that day, the Chen family really changed. The four brothers became much more diligent in their studies. Even Wu Lang, who was the least studious, and the youngest Liu Lang, no longer needed to be urged. Not to mention the already hardworking Er Lang and San Lang.

Chen Xiliang no longer spoke of giving up. He picked up his books again and, no matter how busy or tired he was, would read by lamplight every night until the early hours of the morning. Of course, he had the energy to read in addition to earning a living because his outstanding abilities and diligent attitude had earned him the favor of the county magistrate. After the summer grain collection, the magistrate invited him to serve as a clerk in the county office.

In the Song Dynasty, the central government typically appointed four to five civilian officials, including the county magistrate, assistant magistrate, registrar, and county captain, in large counties, and one to two in small counties. However, the various tasks of tax collection, legal proceedings, public security, education, disaster relief, and more were far too complex for just a few officials to handle.

In a county like Qingshen, there was only one registrar besides the county magistrate, so a large number of clerks were needed to assist in completing the various missions assigned by the central government.

The clerks in the Song Dynasty were divided into those who assisted with specific administrative tasks, such as clerks, assistants, and recorders, known as "li ren," and those who served at the disposal of officials, such as jailers, constables, and market patrols, known as "gong ren." According to the regulations of the early Song Dynasty, Qingshen County could have fifteen "li ren" and thirty "gong ren," with salaries paid by the central government.

However, in addition to the official quota, local officials could also recruit additional clerks and constables as needed. Those who handled clerical and accounting tasks were called "tie si." These clerks had a lower status than "li ren" and were not paid by the state but by the local government. However, if there was a vacancy among the "li ren," they could be promoted to "li ren" and become official state employees.

Finding a literate and skilled person in the county was not easy. After discovering Chen Xiliang's talent, the county magistrate enthusiastically invited him to serve as a "tie si" and promised to promote him to "li ren" as soon as there was a vacancy.

Chen Xiliang naturally took the magistrate's invitation seriously. The job was relatively leisurely except for the beginning and end of the month, and he would still have time to read. However, what made him hesitant was the monthly salary of three guan, which was half of what he earned at the dock. The family was in dire need of money, and the income was insufficient. Just as he was wavering, Cai Chuanfu's visit dispelled his doubts.

It was the second day of the eighth month. Chuanfu came when he was not at home, but he was not looking for him; he was looking for his third son, San Lang...

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In August, the heat of summer began to wane, and the west wind started to blow.

Chen Ke and Liu Lang had already put on their jackets, but Hei Wu Lang, who was still strong, continued to sweat profusely in the yard, lifting a pair of twenty-pound stone locks with a "huff and puff."

Hearing the knock on the door, he threw the stone locks to the ground, opened the door, and saw Chuanfu, whom he hadn't seen for some time.

Although he was already a successful man, Chuanfu still had a simple and honest smile. "Uncle, is my master here?"

Wu Lang nodded, took the large and small packages from Chuanfu's hands, and led him to the door of the east room, speaking in a deep voice, "Third Brother, Chuanfu is here."

"Okay, go to the north room and sit down first," Chen Ke's voice came from inside. During his breaks, he would either exercise in the yard or hide in this room to tinker with things. Even Chuanfu knew that the east room was now exclusively for San Lang, and no one else was allowed in, so he obediently waited outside.

A moment later, the door opened, and San Lang came out with two jars. Seeing Chuanfu, he smiled and said, "What brings you here today?"

"I came to settle the accounts for the tavern and bring the profit to Master," Chuanfu smiled.

"Time flies; it's already been a month since we opened," Chen Ke said, handing the wine jars to Chuanfu. "Come in and sit down; I'll wash my hands and join you."

A moment later, the two of them were seated at the table, and Chuanfu noticed the changes in the house, surprised. "Master, when did the house get all spruced up?"

"It was changed a few days ago..." Chen Ke opened a jar of orange wine and poured some for Chuanfu. It wasn't that they had no tea, but he simply didn't like the Song Dynasty's method of tea preparation... He had once watched Chen Xiliang prepare tea out of curiosity and found that the Song people made tea into a porridge-like consistency, with the best being a "cold porridge-like" appearance. Tasting it, he found it lacked the clear fragrance of tea and was full of the rich aroma of spices. This reminded him of the Western way of drinking tea, which seemed to be a direct copy of the Song Dynasty's method, rather than an original creation. The Song Dynasty truly misled people...

Actually, he didn't know that the tea cake Chen Xiliang used that time was a high-quality one given by the county magistrate. Ordinary people couldn't afford to add spices to their tea, and it was similar to the tea of later generations. This misunderstanding led him to avoid drinking tea for several years until he met a girl who truly understood tea.

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Hearing that it was the carpenter Pan who had renovated the house for the Chen family, Chuanfu looked dejected. "Sigh, I was hoping to earn money and renovate the house for Master, but that guy beat me to it."

"Don't worry, you can just give me the money," Chen Ke sipped the orange wine slowly.

"Phew..." Chuanfu almost spat out the wine, laughing bitterly. "Master, you're teasing me again."

"Don't waste my wine; it was hard to make," Chen Ke sipped again, looking content. "Not bad, not bad, it doesn't have that raw taste it had last time."

"Right, it's really good. Master, you really did it!" Chuanfu said admiringly. "You're really showing determination!" After spending time with Chen Ke, he naturally picked up some of his unusual phrases.

"Less flattery," Chen Ke said, though he couldn't hide his satisfaction. "Tell me, how much did you earn last month?"

"Guess," Chuanfu winked.

"Heh, trying to play games with me," Chen Ke asked. "Twenty guan?"

"Guess again," Chuanfu laughed. "Guess higher."

"Thirty guan?" Chen Ke had no idea about the tavern's business; he had only visited the first few days and then stayed home to study.

"Too low!" Chuanfu said. "Add one more."

"Forty guan?"

"No, one hundred thirty guan!" Chuanfu couldn't hold back, extending his ten thick fingers and shouting, "Master, we earned 130,000 coins last month! Net profit!"

"Wow, that's really showing determination!" Chen Ke felt dizzy. "Hold on, I need to calm down."

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