The old man studied Lin Jing’s solemn little face, first pausing in surprise before throwing back his head and laughing.
“You’re only a tiny little child, yet your little head is already full of so many twists and turns.”
At that, Lin Jing gave two huffs. “You can’t argue with me, so now you’re bringing up my age?”
The old man’s laughter gradually faded. He had met far too many clever, precocious children—some who could recite books by heart, others who were obedient and ingratiating. Yet few possessed the ability to take the trivial ins and outs of daily life and reason them into a chain of interconnected principles, like the turning of a wheel. The reasoning was simple and unadorned, but it had a style all its own, revealing an unpolished spark of intelligence.
His voice softened, losing its initial detachment. “Truth is not bound by age. You can go from the cooking fire in your own home to the wheat growing in the fields, and from the clothes on your back to the hardships endured by the families who raise silkworms. That kind of association shows remarkable intelligence.”
Those words, along with that pair of clear, stubborn eyes before him, reminded him of that little rascal Shen Guanting.
Twelve years ago, the old man had been living in seclusion at his mountain cottage on the western outskirts of Huzhou. The thatched eaves were low, the bamboo fence quiet, and visitors few and far between. There had been only one young guest who had ever sought him out on his own.
At the time, he had assumed that his old friend Xu Yansong had revealed his whereabouts. Only later did he learn that Shen Guanting, who had been merely eight years old then, had repeatedly studied the Mountain Dwelling Notes he had written. He had used the scattered references in the book to the growing habits of several plants, compared them with the characteristics of the nearby streams, and then consulted the maps of the mountains and rivers in the local gazetteer of Huzhou.
Whenever he encountered something he could not understand, he had asked Xu Yansong about it quite openly. Since the boy was always asking one strange and curious question after another, no one had noticed anything amiss. Who could have imagined that, relying on those scattered clues, he would reason out the approximate location of Yun Jianshan’s residence step by step?
One spring morning, the still-young Shen Guanting prepared dry rations and a waterskin. He told his family that he was going on an outing beyond the city with his classmates, then tucked away a rough topographical sketch he had pieced together from his own drawings and notes and hired a carriage out of town.
He had no servants with him and showed no sign of panic. This cool-headed, stubborn little adventurer headed toward the layered mountains to the west. Bold enough to defy the heavens though he was, he also knew that the wilderness was dangerous. He had secretly taken his grandfather’s dagger and brought it along.
Shen Guanting had been like this since childhood. He looked composed and well-mannered, but when he set his mind on something, he acted without regard for the consequences or any sense of proportion. He could identify plants and read the flow of water, and therefore knew perfectly well that the beasts in the mountains were dangerous and the road unpredictable. Yet he still dared to venture into the hills alone, all for the sake of asking someone a question that had lingered in his heart for a long time.
The sun rose higher and higher as the mountain path grew more secluded and human habitation vanished. Only when the sun had sunk to the treetops did he finally see a thatched cottage behind a screen of bamboo, enclosed by a bamboo fence.
After searching for an entire day, he was in no hurry. He stopped and hid behind a stand of bamboo, quietly observing the place. On either side of the rough wooden gate hung forceful calligraphy written in an energetic hand. Neat vegetable beds had been cultivated before the house, and through the window he could see stacks of books piled as high as mountains.
Inside the bamboo fence, Yun Jianshan had long since noticed the small figure lingering among the bamboo. At first, he had assumed the child had gotten lost. But although the boy’s hair was covered with bits of grass and his clothes had been torn by branches, the fine silk clearly marked him as a child from no ordinary household.
After a long while, the boy seemed to have finished his inspection. He walked up to the wooden gate, but instead of knocking, he cleared his throat and called into the courtyard in a voice still carrying the softness of childhood.
“Your student, Shen Guanting, has a question he cannot resolve and has come especially to seek your guidance, Master.”
In his youth, Shen Guanting had possessed extraordinary talent, with a gift for study that allowed him to look down on all his classmates. Yet he was destined to follow a path on which that talent would be of little use, simply because no son of the Shen family was permitted to sit for the imperial examinations.
“If I am destined to inherit the family business—to work the abacus and travel the merchant roads—then what is the point of studying the classics and history so diligently and delving into policy essays?” This question had always been lodged in his heart.
Watching his father and grandfather plan with perfect command, coordinating trade routes from north to south, he felt that theirs was the kind of learning one could see and touch—the practical knowledge that could enrich the markets and bring peace and comfort to the people. By comparison, the study of classical texts and essays at the academy seemed like empty theorizing, of no benefit to the family business. And since he would never seek official honors, those words were not even useful as paper theories to him.
That was until he heard of Yun Jianshan—a legendary figure who had won the top honors in both the prefectural and provincial examinations, yet after observing the mourning period for a deceased parent had renounced the examination path and devoted himself wholeheartedly to scholarship.
A man who had once stood only a single step away from appearing on the imperial honors list had turned around and chosen another road.
Shen Guanting wanted to meet him. He wanted to ask him in person.
That day, the Shen residence was thrown into chaos. The entire city of Huzhou was turned upside down in the search for the young master, but no one could find him.
Having lived in seclusion for many years and rarely receiving visitors, Yun Jianshan had no choice that very night but to carry an oil lamp himself and escort the audacious little fellow out of the mountains and back to Huzhou Prefecture.
The mountain path was dark and winding, and the night breeze cool. One old and one young walked along the twisting trail. In the stillness of the mountains, Yun Jianshan’s voice rang especially clearly, each word seeming to linger beside Shen Guanting’s ears.
“To read and write, to understand reason, and to cultivate the mind—none of these things is solely for the purpose of opening the gates of the imperial examinations. The classics and histories contain more than the wisdom of those who came before us. They also hold the patterns by which the world operates. In the future, when you work the abacus and travel the merchant roads, how will you understand the currents of the times if you know nothing of history’s rises and falls? If you do not understand the principles upheld by the sages, how will you conduct yourself, deal with others, and distinguish right from wrong? And if you do not investigate the foundations of all things, how will you tell good merchandise from poor, or understand what the people truly need?”
He paused, then lowered his eyes to the child at his side.
“The way of the merchant reaches upward to the affairs of the state and downward to the livelihood of the common people. How could it be as simple as pushing beads across an abacus? It concerns the circulation of goods and the food and clothing of the people. If you truly intend to follow this path, you must walk farther than others and see more deeply than they do. Only then will you live up to the foundation laid by the Shen family—and to the early wisdom nature has given you.”
Shen Guanting hurried to keep pace with him, tilting his head up to listen. “I understand now. I must learn to work the abacus, but I must also learn the principles you spoke of. I cannot merely know how to calculate money. I must also understand where money comes from and where it goes…”
From that night onward, Shen Guanting became the only student Yun Jianshan had formally accepted in all his years of seclusion.
When he returned home that night, Shen Guanting faced the furious questioning of his entire family with perfect composure. He explained that he really had gone on an outing with his classmates near the foot of the mountains, that he had already observed the route several times and considered it perfectly safe, and that he had therefore decided to enter the mountains in search of the famous master. He even shared with everyone the happy news that the renowned teacher had taken a liking to him.
Yet Master Yun Jianshan, who had always been held in the highest regard, received no congratulations from all quarters on the first day he accepted a disciple. Instead, he was met with several doubtful looks from the entire Shen family—a decidedly inauspicious beginning.
In the end, Young Master Shen received a thorough beating from his own father, along with a month of confinement. Apart from attending his lessons, he was forbidden to set foot outside the courtyard.
And now, far away in Southern Cliff, Shen Guanting stood on a broad stretch of open ground beside a stream in Huibei County, watching the laborers put up simple thatched shelters.
Not far away stood a scattered cluster of shabby, ramshackle bamboo huts. They had once belonged to a village that had been abandoned for many years. After a flood, the entire village had moved elsewhere, leaving behind only these crooked, rotting structures. Now they were being used to house the group of exiles who had just arrived.
The escorting guards and the yamen runners from Huibei County hastily checked the names and numbers against their records, then hurried away.
Those who remained were all dressed in rags, their clothes caked with mud, their faces so gaunt they were barely recognizable. Some slumped on the ground, while others leaned against one another, their eyes vacant, looking as though they might collapse at any moment. In those ramshackle bamboo shelters, there was not even a single flat plank large enough to lie on—only dead leaves and weeds scattered across the ground.
Supporting her mother, Madam Liang, Gu Qing staggered toward a bamboo shelter that offered at least a little protection from the wind. Gu Jue followed behind her, managing only a few steps before his body suddenly went limp and he pitched forward.
Chen Wang, who had been supporting his grandmother nearby, hurriedly let go and rushed forward to catch him, preventing him from striking his head against the ground.
“Jue, wake up. We’ve arrived. Hold on—don’t sleep.” Chen Wang’s voice was hoarse and dry, and he himself was already swaying on his feet.
After entering Nanya, the miasma had been everywhere and snakes and insects had run rampant. They had not dared sleep at night, and on top of that, many had been unable to adapt to the local climate and water. By now, scarcely anyone in the entire group was still able to stand. They had relied on the last remnants of their strength to make it all the way to Huibei County. Now that the tension had finally eased, it seemed that their lives were about to slip away with it.
Chen Wang’s mother, Madam Yang, leaned against a fragment of bamboo wall and coughed softly without pause. The place assigned to them was hardly any better than the wilderness, and the sight of it snapped the taut cord of her heart. Illness and hunger, no medicine and no food, and hard labor beginning tomorrow—where was the road to survival in this? It was nothing more than a blunt knife slowly cutting away at their flesh, making life worse than death.
She raised her heavy eyelids and looked toward her son, who was barely managing to keep himself upright. In a voice as faint as a thread, she said, “Wang’er, now that we’ve reached Nanya, I’m afraid your mother can go no farther. Get some rest and take care of yourself. From now on… from now on…” She broke into a cough. “From now on, you’ll have to rely on yourselves…”
Her voice grew softer and softer.
Old Madam Zhou clasped her withered hand tightly. Her once-graying hair had now turned completely white, clinging to her cheeks like dry grass. Throughout the journey, she too had held herself together with a single thread of strength, forcing herself to keep the situation under control and reassure everyone else. Yet at this moment, she understood Madam Yang’s state of mind all too well.
The entire group was like the ruined bamboo shelters around them, visibly on the verge of falling apart. Despair weighed heavily upon every head.
As for the Gu family, after days of exhaustion, Gu Qing felt as though she could no longer lift her feet. But she could not rest now. No matter how dilapidated it was, this bamboo shelter would be their home from now on, and they had to clear out at least one place where someone could lie down. Her mother and younger brother had both caught colds. Now, she was the only one left to hold the family together.
Madam Liang’s forehead was burning, and her mind had grown hazy. The medicinal herbs they had carried with them had long since run out.
“Qing’er, save the medicine for Young Jue. He’s still so young… I miss your father…” Madam Liang clutched her daughter’s hand, her fingertips feverishly hot.
“Mother! What are you saying?” Gu Qing interrupted her sharply. “We’ve crossed such a long road and climbed over so many mountains, one step at a time. Our feet are already standing on the soil of Nanya. How can we collapse here now?”
She fiercely wiped her face with the back of her hand and picked up the empty earthenware jar.
“Don’t say things like that. You and Jue will both get better. I’m going to fetch water now and clean up the shelter. Tonight, we’ll have somewhere to lie down, and we’ll be able to light a fire and boil medicine. It’ll be all right. We’ll all be all right.”
Madam Liang said nothing more. She only shed silent tears and held Gu Jue’s feverish hand even tighter.
Gu Qing hugged the earthen jar to her chest and turned toward the stream. After walking only a few steps, however, she spotted people busily working on an open patch of land on the opposite bank. They were putting up grass huts and moving supplies, clearly a caravan in the process of making camp.
One of the figures looked particularly familiar.
It was Brother Shen!
Gu Qing’s heart gave a sudden leap.
Naturally, she had been left with a deep impression of Shen Quan. During their arduous journey, the Shen family caravan had shown them considerable kindness. Without that help, their group of old, weak, sick, and infirm people might not have made it this far.
Now that the guards escorting them had left, Gu Qing did not have time to worry about propriety. She quickened her steps toward the caravan’s camp.
When she reached them, she did not attempt to act familiar. Treating him entirely as a stranger, she asked Shen Quan, “Sir, do you purchase medicinal herbs?”
Shen Quan looked up. He recognized her at a glance, but replied in his usual toneless voice, “We do. Quite a few of our men are suffering from acclimatization and need herbs to boil into medicine. In addition, we’re going to establish a workshop here. We’ll be purchasing cotton and hiring people to remove the seeds. The work is tiring, so besides wages, we’ll also provide a meal.”
Shen Quan did not beat around the bush. He told her the entire hiring plan his young master had made.
Gu Qing’s eyes lit up. “Then… can people like us also work for you?”
Shen Qi, who was standing nearby, came over when he heard this. “Of course. But our requirements aren’t low, and the work is hard. It would be even better if you could read and write. We brought only a few workers with us to Nanya, so we’re in urgent need of people who can write and keep accounts.”
Gu Qing hurriedly replied, “I can read and write! We can all read and write!”
Shen Qi glanced at her slender figure and added, “You look rather young. Besides, it will still take some time to build the workshop. How about this? Leave your name for now, and we’ll notify you when work begins.”
“Come with me. The writing materials are in the tent.” Shen Quan turned and led the way.
Gu Qing followed him into the tent. Behind a desk sat a young man dressed in a dark blue-gray, narrow-sleeved robe. He was looking down at a ledger in his hands. His features were strikingly handsome, and his posture relaxed. There was a quiet, composed air about him that made him seem unlike an ordinary manager—more like a son of an eminent family.
Hearing them enter, the man lifted his eyes and looked over calmly.
“Are you here to apply for work?” Shen Guanting asked, his voice clear and melodious.
“Yes.” Gu Qing straightened her back slightly. “I can read and write, and I know arithmetic. I’m careful in everything I do. Whether it’s removing the seeds from cotton, examining contracts, or keeping accounts, I can manage it all.”
“You’re certainly capable,” Shen Guanting said evenly. “But you appear rather young. By custom, someone of your age needs a family elder to come forward and give consent before taking a position.”
“My mother is in the bamboo shelter not far away. She’s caught a cold and is resting. I can make the decision myself, and my mother is willing to let me work.” Gu Qing answered quickly.
Shen Guanting picked up his brush. “If she has a cold, she should not work in the workshop, and there is also the risk of infecting others. Do this instead: leave your name for now. When the time comes, your family elder will still need to come and confirm it.”
Gu Qing nodded. “My name is Gu Qing. Gu as in looking back, and Qing as in upright and pure.”
Shen Guanting had naturally already investigated the circumstances of the Gu family. Yet he had never been able to understand what connection Lin Wu and Lin Jing, now far away in Huzhou, had with the Gu family before him.
Duke Gu’s household had always been upright and honorable. The family was small, with no secondary wives or concubines. He had only one son and one daughter by his principal wife, and his son had only two children—Gu Qing and Gu Jue.
His daughter, on the other hand, did have a son. Only…
Who exactly were Lin Jing and Lin Wu?
He looked up and studied Gu Qing before him. There was a faint resemblance between her brows and eyes and those of Lin Jing.
In her letter, Lin Wu had written cautiously, saying only that the four copper coins were for “older brother and older sister.” She had never stated their names. But apart from Gu Qing and Gu Jue, who else could an older brother and older sister refer to?
Once every impossible possibility had been ruled out, whatever remained, no matter how absurd, might be the truth.
And that possible answer was enough to make one’s heart tremble with alarm.
“Gu Qing.”
Shen Guanting’s voice suddenly deepened as he called her name directly.
Gu Qing’s heart jolted. She lifted her eyes to meet the young man’s gaze, and found his eyes so calm and deep that they were frightening.
Shen Guanting did not say anything more. His fingers rubbed the small purse hidden in his sleeve. A man who had always acted decisively and never dragged his feet was, at this moment, experiencing a rare hesitation.
Since Lin Wu had entrusted him with delivering these four copper coins to the Gu siblings, it meant that, in her mind, Shen Guanting ought to already know Lin Jing’s identity. Otherwise, given how wary she was, she would never have allowed an outsider like him to become directly involved with the Gu family.
Yet for now, all he could be certain of was that Lin Jing’s connection with the Gu family was anything but ordinary. As for the specifics, he had no absolute proof.
If the child’s identity really was what he suspected…
Then could the Gu family, now caught in such a desperate situation, truly be as reliable as Lin Wu believed?
When people stood on the brink of life and death, no one could predict what choices they might make in their struggle for survival. If, to protect themselves or curry favor with someone else, they used Lin Jing’s existence as a bargaining chip and exposed him, then Lin Wu, Lin Jing, and even the Shen family, which was implicated in the matter, would all face utter disaster.
And yet, these four copper coins also showed that Lin Wu trusted the Gu family.
He naturally believed in Duke Gu’s character. If something went wrong, then it would simply mean that Grandfather had judged the man’s character poorly.
Very well. If that were truly the case, then what of all the discreet arrangements he had made along the road while traveling with the Zhiyun caravan? Would that not also mean he had judged people poorly?
But the journey from Lingzhou to Nanya had been arduous. Throughout it, neither the Gu nor the Chen family had caused trouble, nor had they revealed a single thing they should not have to the escorting officers. Clearly, they knew where to draw the line.
Shen Guanting sighed inwardly. In the end, he took the small purse from his sleeve and held it out to Gu Qing.
“Your younger brother asked me to give this to you,” he said in an even voice, revealing no emotion. “Four copper coins. Two for you and two for Gu Jue.”
As he said this, he could not help letting out a soft laugh. He had never imagined that one day he would so solemnly hand over four copper coins from the hands of Shen Guanting.
Gu Qing, however, froze, her face filled with bewilderment. Her younger brother? She had only one younger brother—Gu Jue.
Shen Guanting said no more. He merely unfolded the letter he had kept safe all this time and pushed it in front of her.
The large character “Jing” entered Gu Qing’s eyes.
Gu Qing stared at the character, feeling as though her mind had gone completely blank.
Jing—sunlight.
She abruptly raised her eyes to look at Shen Guanting. Her face had gone deathly pale, and her breathing nearly stopped.
Seeing her reaction, Shen Guanting understood everything.
Suddenly, he felt somewhat ashamed of himself. His grandfather often said that he was audacious to the point of recklessness, someone who acted in ways that defied convention. But now it seemed that, if the world held anyone more audacious than all others, it was surely that Mrs. Lin.
She had brought a child like that all the way from the capital to Huzhou.
He remembered the mundane household details Lin Wu had written in her letter.
She was not merely audacious beyond belief—she was both wise and courageous.
But as his teacher had often said, there was always a mountain beyond the mountain, and a person beyond the person.
He looked at Gu Qing, who was still too stunned to recover, and placed the small purse containing the four copper coins into her trembling palm.
Compared to Lin Wu’s feat of bringing such a child along with her, he had merely slipped four tiny copper coins into someone’s hands. It was hardly worth mentioning.
“All right. I’ve noted your name. If the workshop is established, we’ll notify you,” Shen Guanting said, conducting his business as usual while writing her name in the register.
After closing the register, he seemed to remember something and added, “By the way, our caravan has recently been brewing some herbal decoctions to prevent illness caused by unfamiliar water and soil. If you recognize any common medicinal herbs, you may gather them and exchange them for the medicine.”
Compared to Lin Wu, providing a few bowls of herbal medicine was truly insignificant. Thinking of it this way, he felt that everything the Shen family had done was pitifully small.
Yes, the Shen family really was nothing more than the most honest and respectable group of merchants.
