Chapter 46

(This was posted last night, but it couldn't pass the review, so I had to delete and repost it. Everyone, please bear witness that I am not lying.)

In the Song Dynasty, there were no aristocratic families, but there were still prominent clans. In Meizhou, the Cheng family was one of these prominent clans. Starting from Su Shi's maternal grandfather's generation, the Cheng family had held official positions for three consecutive generations. At least in the Meizhou region, they were considered a prominent and influential family.

Although the Su family was not poor, they were worlds apart from the Cheng family. The two families were able to form a marriage alliance because the current head of the Cheng family, Cheng Jun, and Su Shi's uncle, Su Huan, were both jinshi (high-ranking officials) of the same year.

If this were in another place, such a connection might not be enough to bridge the gap between the two families. However, in the Song Dynasty, the history of Sichuan was a history of blood and tears. For the first sixty years after the founding of the dynasty, survival itself was a challenge, let alone cultural and educational development. It wasn't until the Tianxi period of Emperor Zhenzong that a person surnamed Sun became the first jinshi.

Meizhou had to wait another twenty years before Su Huan and Cheng Jun passed the jinshi examination. When the news came, the entire state celebrated, and the procession welcoming them back home stretched for a hundred miles, an unprecedented and unparalleled event that later generations could hardly comprehend.

It was in this context that the Cheng family, already a prominent and influential family, would condescend to form a marriage alliance with the Su family. Cheng Jun's sister, Jiumu, married Su Huan's younger brother, Su Xun. At the time, the Cheng family believed that since the Su family had produced a jinshi, their rise to prominence was only a matter of time. Moreover, the Su family, though not a large household, was a major landowner.

Who would have thought that after more than ten years, the Su family not only failed to rise to prominence but also fell into decline. Su Huan, known for his integrity, struggled to make ends meet while serving as an official, let alone support his brothers. Su Dan and Su Xun, who remained in Meishan, one was a farmer, and the other repeatedly failed the examinations, naturally leading to their being looked down upon.

In contrast, the Cheng family, with Cheng Jun's increasing official status, became even more prosperous. Cheng Jun is now the Transport Commissioner of Kuizhou Road. 'Road' is a first-level administrative division in the Song Dynasty, equivalent to a province in later times. Sichuan was divided into four roads, and the highest official of each road was the Transport Commissioner. Kuizhou Road, which is now known as 'Yu,' is of great importance.

This is the highest-ranking official that Sichuan has produced so far...

"The Cheng family is not only the first family in Meizhou," seeing his son's interest, Chen Xiliang introduced, "but also the wealthiest."

"What do they rely on to become wealthy?" Chen Ke was not surprised; with such a powerful family, it would be hard not to prosper.

"I'm not entirely sure," Chen Xiliang said, "but I know that the Cheng family has extensive land and estates, and many of their collateral relatives are monopoly traders." Monopoly traders are those who engage in the trade of state-controlled goods such as salt, iron, and alcohol... Although these goods are nominally sold by the government, the government, being an administrative body, cannot engage in commerce directly. Therefore, the government delegates this power to certain individuals or businesses, who then act as monopoly traders. These traders sell the most profitable goods and have the backing of the government, but without a strong background, ordinary merchants cannot enter this most lucrative business.

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Hearing the term "monopoly trader," Chen Ke's eyelids twitched, and he blurted out, "Does the Cheng family deal in alcohol?"

"I'm not sure, but I think they do," Chen Xiliang said uncertainly, "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing..." Chen Ke knew what the next year meant for Chen Xiliang, so he did not intend to tell him about the Huangjiao wine. Otherwise, his father would not be able to focus on the exams.

"Don't think that just because the Cheng family is wealthy and powerful, they are a good match," Chen Xiliang continued, not giving it much thought, "I'm not belittling them, but look at those three boys from the Cheng family..." Realizing that speaking ill of others behind their backs was not the way of a gentleman, he stopped himself and tapped his son's forehead, "Why am I telling you this? But, speaking of the Su family, the youngest daughter is still unmarried. Would you like me to arrange a marriage for you?"

"Thanks, but no thanks..." Chen Ke shook his head vigorously, "I've heard that 'marriage is about virtue.' What does that mean? It means finding a wife who is a bit less intelligent. I've heard... from Su Zhe that his sister is extraordinary, with even greater talent than he. I don't want to spend my days solving riddles and composing poetry and couplets, only to be mocked if I can't come up with something... What dignity would a man have in marrying such a wife?"

"..." Seeing Chen Ke's strong reaction, Chen Xiliang couldn't help but laugh. "You're acting like a child. But I don't agree with you. You might have a preconceived notion, but the daughters of Cheng Jun's wife won't be like you imagine."

"Then I'll leave it to others to enjoy." Chen Ke's thoughts were clear, "I just want to marry someone a bit less intelligent..." He wanted to add, "Someone who can tolerate me having multiple wives," but that would be too inappropriate, so he changed it to, "Someone who makes me look smart."

"Ha ha ha ha..." Chen Xiliang laughed heartily, "Alright, I'll find you a stupid wife, but don't cry when the time comes."

"I still hope to find my own..." Chen Ke said seriously.

"Out of the question." Chen Xiliang felt that this topic should not continue and tapped his son's forehead again, "Go comfort your second brother. Don't let him really jump."

"Okay..." Chen Ke walked to the stern of the boat and sat down next to his second brother, whose feet dangled over the water, and saw his resentful gaze, "Do you have any sympathy! I'm so sad!"

"What's there to be sad about?" Chen Ke picked up a small stone from the boat and threw it into the water with force, "If I were you, I wouldn't give up so easily!"

"How can I not give up?"

"She hasn't married yet, has she? As long as she's unmarried, there's hope!" Chen Ke threw another stone, this time making it skip on the water. He raised his right fist in triumph, "Even if she marries, there's still hope."

"How can there be hope if she marries?" Second Brother asked, wide-eyed.

"Divorce isn't uncommon in the Song Dynasty," Chen Ke, with his experience, said, "You could be the third party."

"This is all nonsense." Second Brother was depressed, "They are childhood sweethearts, how can I intrude?"

"Then forget it."

"If it were that easy to give up, I wouldn't deserve to say I like her." Unexpectedly, the usually gentle and honest Second Brother was a hopeless romantic.

After saying this, he patted his buttocks and tried to stand up. But Chen Ke grabbed his arm, "If you don't want to give up, then fight for it. Don't drag your feet and make a mess, it's unpleasant!"

"How can I fight for it? She's already engaged!" Chen Cheng was almost at his wits' end.

"Even if she's married, I can help you win her back!" Chen Ke, angry at his lack of determination, said, "If the water weren't still cold, I'd throw you in to wake you up."

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Chen Xiliang's intention was to have Chen Ke comfort Second Brother, telling him that there were many fish in the sea and he didn't need to focus on the Su family. If he heard that Chen Ke was encouraging Second Brother, he would be furious.

Fortunately, his attention was now on an inkstone. Chen Xiliang had intended to open his bag to find some food, but instead, he found this object. When he took it out, he saw that the inkstone had a color like fish scales, with a shimmering light green hue. The stone was fine and smooth, with faint veins, and when struck, it produced a pleasant sound, clearly a rare and valuable item.

"Where did this come from?" Chen Xiliang held the inkstone and asked in a serious tone.

"Su Laoer gave it to me," Chen Ke said, "He said it was dug up from his own land and gave it to me as a keepsake."

"This wastrel!" Chen Xiliang cursed, but clearly not at Chen Ke, "To give such a precious item to someone else!"

"Is this inkstone very special?" Chen Ke asked curiously.

"Yes, I've seen this inkstone before," Chen Xiliang nodded, "Su Laoquan said that it was discovered last year when Su Shi was digging in the backyard for fun. He carefully ground the stone into an inkstone and found that it not only grinds ink easily but also keeps the ink moist for a long time."

"Su Shi showed it to his family, and everyone said it was excellent. Su Laoquan even praised it, saying, 'This is a symbol of the heavens bestowing you with literary talent, and you should treasure it!'"

"Su Shi indeed treasured the inkstone greatly, and even I have only seen it once." Chen Xiliang pointed to the base of the inkstone, "Look, there's even an inscription he wrote on it: 'Once formed, it cannot be changed. Some are valued for their virtue, some for their form. Both of these, I take with ease. The world is full of those who bow and scrape!'"

"This calligraphy is far superior to yours," Chen Xiliang shook his head, but in his heart, he admitted, "It's even better than mine..." After admiring it, he looked at Chen Ke in surprise, "How could he give you such a valuable item?"

"Maybe he likes me," Chen Ke shook his head.

"I wonder if Su Laoquan knows." Chen Xiliang thought for a moment and laughed, "Well, let my son also benefit from the literary atmosphere. If Su Laoquan wants it back, he can come and get it." As he put the inkstone away, he stared at Chen Ke, "Now that you know the second son of the Su family, do you feel any pressure?"

"Not really, his talent is higher than anyone else's, so one more person doesn't make a difference," Chen Ke said slowly after some thought.

"Hey..." Chen Xiliang was almost driven to despair, glaring at his son, "How can my son, Chen Xiliang's son, be so timid before a challenge?!"

"..." Chen Ke didn't respond, clearly not convinced.

"It seems..." Chen Xiliang, being a seasoned man, quickly made up his mind, "We must have the Su family move in with us!" He knew very well that Chen Ke had a strong sense of pride and competitiveness. He didn't believe that Chen Ke would be content to be far behind Su Shi if they studied together.

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To avoid some sensitive words, it was reviewed all night. I apologize to everyone and hope for your support and recommendations...

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