After closing up for the day, Lin Wu did not linger at the morning market as he usually did, wandering this way and that. Once everything was packed away, she headed straight for Clear Water Alley.
If she kept Young Master Shen waiting, who knew what that man would say this time?
Lin Jing put everything away, then made a round of the courtyard before squatting beside the little vegetable patch to inspect it carefully. The scallions had shot up another inch and were a lush, pleasing green.
There was not a single weed in the whole patch, all thanks to the little shopkeeper, who squatted by it every day and pulled out each weed the moment he spotted it, as if he were keeping an eye on his workers.
Laifu followed him around and came over to sniff at the vegetable patch as well. Lin Jing mercilessly waved him away. “Laifu, don’t step on them! These are our vegetables. If you trample them, we won’t have any scallions for New Year’s!”
Laifu blinked innocently, backed away two steps, and sat on the ground to watch him.
Lin Wu smiled and turned into the kitchen.
She had just finished mixing the batter when Tigerhead’s voice came from outside the courtyard gate. “Sister! Jing! I’m here!”
Tigerhead ran in excitedly, an oil-paper packet clutched in his hand. He shoved it into Lin Jing’s hands. “I brought you some honey sesame pastries!”
Lin Jing took it and glanced behind him. Only Little Zheng was following. There was no one else.
Seeing him look around, Tigerhead explained, “My brother is waiting in the carriage. He said it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to come in.”
As an unmarried young gentleman, Shen Guanting might have had thick skin, but even he could not brazenly call on a young unmarried woman without good reason.
Tigerhead, however, clearly had none of his elder brother’s reservations. He decisively abandoned his own brother in the carriage and followed Little Zheng into the Lin family courtyard.
Little Zheng carried in a bamboo basket and handed it to Lin Wu. “Mrs. Lin, my master asked me to tell you that this is payment for the pancakes. He hopes you will accept it.”
Then he added, “These were my master’s exact words: ‘I’ve troubled Shopkeeper Lin to cover the expense. Please accept these fruits as a small supplement; otherwise, I would feel terribly guilty. After all, two eggs and two sausages are truly quite valuable.’”
Lin Wu did not know whether to laugh or cry. Young Master Shen had clearly come to deliver gifts, yet he insisted on making it sound as though he were repaying a debt.
She accepted the basket and lifted the fine cloth covering it. Inside were neatly arranged fruits—half milk-scented mandarins and half honey apples.
She could not help sighing inwardly.
This young master really was making regular charitable donations.
There were many varieties of apples these days, including honey apples, red apples, and ordinary apples. Honey apples were considered the finest of them all. Their flavor was sweet as honey, without even a trace of sourness, which was how they had earned their name. Naturally, they were not cheap.
Mandarins were especially common in winter, inexpensive yet delicious, and were a fruit the Lin family bought often. There were countless varieties of mandarins, but among the dozens of kinds, the milk-scented mandarin ranked first. It was named for the creamy fragrance it carried, and was also called the true mandarin. The saying went that when other mandarins were compared with it, they all seemed fake.
The name “true mandarin” sounded rather arrogant, but the fruit truly did taste excellent. When prices were high, a single one could cost anywhere from a hundred to two hundred copper coins.
Just one milk-scented mandarin was enough to buy several deluxe, fully upgraded pancakes.
Looking at half a basket of pancake money, Lin Wu shook her head helplessly. She turned back to the stove and decided that when she made the pancakes later, she would add another generous handful of meat floss.
Tigerhead had not even had time to play with Lin Jing and Laifu in the courtyard. He simply poked his head into the kitchen, his eyes fixed longingly on the iron griddle.
Seeing his expression, Lin Wu asked, “Has Tigerhead had breakfast yet?”
Tigerhead hesitated for a moment before answering honestly, “I have.”
After a pause, he added, “Just a little.”
Holding back a laugh, Lin Wu asked, “Would Tigerhead like to try some of Sister’s pancakes? I happened to make extra today.”
Tigerhead’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please! Thank you, Sister!”
Lin Wu prepared six pancakes.
Apart from one for herself, there was one each for Lin Jing, Tigerhead, Young Master Shen, Master Jianshan, and even Little Zheng.
She deliberately sprinkled a thick handful of meat floss over Shen Guanting’s portion. After all, he had given them a whole basket of expensive fruit. If she did not add a little extra, she would feel guilty.
Squatting at the kitchen door and nibbling on his pancake, Tigerhead chattered to Lin Jing. “Jing, I’m going to the Warmth Charity Home with my brother later. I’ve never been there before. Do you want to come along?”
Lin Jing shook his head. “Why are you going to the Warmth Charity Home?”
Tigerhead swallowed the pancake in his mouth, cleared his throat, and spoke with great seriousness. “Grandfather says that although our family is made up of merchants, we eat grain grown by ordinary people and wear cloth woven by ordinary people. The money we earn comes from everyone. Now that our lives are comfortable, we ought to give something back.”
Listening nearby, Lin Wu finally understood where Young Master Shen’s kind heart came from. It was a family tradition.
Tigerhead continued, “My brother also says that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. I’m too young to go far away and travel ten thousand miles, so I’ll start by learning the roads right outside our own door.”
He finished his pancake in two or three bites, then looked at Lin Jing. “Come with me, Jing! Master Jianshan will be there too, so you can learn more from your teacher. My brother says that the principles a teacher talks about can’t just be listened to in school. You have to see them for yourself out in the world before you truly understand them.”
Lin Jing hesitated for a while, then looked toward Lin Wu.
Lin Wu thought it over. Since coming to Huzhou, the child had gone nowhere except the academy and the morning market. It was rare to have a chance to go out and see the world. Although this was only the Warmth Charity Home, Shen Guanting was a measured and responsible person. With him leading the way, there should be no trouble.
She nodded. “If you want to go, then go and have a look. Remember to stay close to Brother Ting.”
With permission granted, Lin Jing immediately pattered into the house and brought out his little gourd. He filled it with water and carefully hung it around his neck.
Lin Wu also wrapped up some dried meat and thin crisps and tucked them into his little cloth bag.
Lin Jing hung the bag over himself as well. With the little gourd on one side and the cloth bag on the other, both swinging and smacking softly as he walked, he looked like a little peddler.
Tigerhead found it fascinating and circled him once. “Jing, you look as if you’re going on an outing.”
Lin Jing lowered his head to straighten his cloth bag. “When you go out, you have to be properly prepared. Otherwise, what will you do if you get thirsty and have no water, or hungry and have nothing to eat?”
He packed the remaining pancake into oil paper and stuffed it inside too. Lin Wu had thought he would never finish the pancake she had made with two eggs and two sausages, so she had cut it into three pieces. Sure enough, he had been full after eating only one. The other two pieces would be just right for the journey.
Once everything was packed, Lin Wu escorted them toward the mouth of the alley.
Lin Jing was still holding Laifu by the leash.
The group of three and one dog reached the alley entrance, where they found a plain carriage waiting. It looked quite unremarkable.
Following Tigerhead, Lin Jing approached and properly bowed toward the carriage. “Teacher.”
The curtain was lifted, and Shen Guanting first leaned out. When he saw them, he climbed down together with Yun Jianshan.
“Shopkeeper Lin, I’m sorry to trouble you so early in the morning,” Shen Guanting said with a warm smile. “I should have come to your door in person, but it truly would not have been appropriate. Please forgive my discourtesy.”
As he spoke, he glanced down and saw a round little creature squatting by his feet. It tilted its head up and sniffed at his boots, its nose twitching. Not at all wary of strangers, it wagged its tail with great enthusiasm.
Lin Jing said in surprise, “Brother Ting, Laifu isn’t barking at you!”
Laifu was a small dog, but fierce. Any little sound outside the courtyard gate earned several sharp barks from him, let alone the arrival of a stranger.
Shen Guanting did not retreat, allowing the dog to sniff him. “Looks like that little gift of mine really did the trick.”
He squatted down and extended one finger, gently tapping Laifu on the forehead. “Laifu, I’ve heard so much about you. Do you still like that little ball?”
After being tapped on the forehead, Laifu sniffed his finger again, wagging his tail even more enthusiastically.
Lin Jing thanked him on Laifu’s behalf. “Laifu really likes the ball. He plays with it every day. Thank you, Brother Ting.”
Shen Guanting rose to his feet. “I’m glad he likes it. I’ll bring him something else another day, so he can switch between toys.”
Seeing how patient he was, Lin Wu could not help sighing inwardly. This young master was equally considerate toward people and dogs.
She handed over the bamboo basket, then deliberately pointed to the separate oil-paper parcel sitting on top. “This one is for Young Master Shen. The money you paid for the pancakes was far too generous. I had no way to repay you, so I could only add a little more meat floss. I hope you won’t mind.”
Shen Guanting accepted it, his gaze falling on the parcel. It was noticeably thicker than the others.
“Many thanks for your generosity, Shopkeeper Lin. Such special treatment has left me flattered and overwhelmed.”
He put the parcel away, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning. “I’ll have to give some serious thought to how I ought to repay you for this kindness, Shopkeeper Lin.”
Lin Wu sighed helplessly. “Young Master Shen, you’re being too polite. With the basket of fruit you gave me, I could make enough meat floss to last a very long time. If anything, I’m the one who benefited. I haven’t even thought of how to repay you yet.”
Hearing that, Shen Guanting immediately seized the opportunity. “Oh? So you admit that you still owe me a favor, Shopkeeper Lin? Then I’ll be waiting.”
Lin Wu took a deep breath and decided not to continue this endless argument over who owed whom a favor. She decisively changed the subject. “It’s getting late, Young Master Shen. Take care on your way home.”
Shen Guanting nodded and was about to get into the carriage, but then he looked back at her. “Don’t rush, Shopkeeper Lin. Take your time thinking it over.”
Only then did he climb into the carriage at an unhurried pace.
Lin Jing handed Laifu’s leash to Lin Wu and looked up at her with his little head tilted back. “Did Brother Ting bully someone?”
He suddenly remembered how Tigerhead was always saying that his elder brother was in the habit of bullying people, and he cast a wary glance at the carriage.
Lin Wu shook her head. “No. He’s just talkative.”
Lin Jing tilted his head and thought about it. Brother Ting really was very talkative whenever he saw Sister Wu.
Being talkative wasn’t a problem. Tigerhead was talkative too.
Reassured, he climbed into the carriage with Tigerhead.
Lin Wu watched as the carriage slowly disappeared into the distance and let out a soft sigh.
Shen Guanting really was… Forget it. No point thinking about him.
Inside the carriage, Tigerhead was still muttering to Lin Jing. “Jing, did you see what my elder brother was like just now? He traded a whole basket of fruit for a stack of pancakes, then even said he was waiting for Sister Wu to repay him. Hmph! Isn’t that just forcing a sale? From now on, I’ll give your sister a basket of fruit too, then come to your house every day for food!”
Lin Jing thought about it seriously. “But fruit is pretty expensive too. Wouldn’t he be losing out by trading it for a few pancakes?”
Tigerhead froze. “Now that you mention it, maybe he would. But my elder brother never does anything at a loss. There must be some kind of trick involved.”
Lin Jing immediately knitted his brows and grew alert. “Then I have to go home and tell my mother to be careful!”
Leaning against the carriage wall, Shen Guanting watched the two of them whispering. “Gentlemen, I can hear you. Tigerhead Shen, isn’t it a little inappropriate to teach your junior disciple to guard against me right in front of my face? And Little Jing, this is called an exchange of courtesies. The two of you should go back and study properly instead of filling your heads with all these pointless calculations.”
Tigerhead pouted and edged closer to Lin Jing, muttering under his breath, “See? This is what someone who forces a sale and still acts self-righteous looks like.”
Shen Guanting heard him, but was not annoyed. He merely added in an unhurried voice, “Besides, Shopkeeper Lin and I are old acquaintances, and Little Jing is my junior disciple. Between us, it’s the sentiment that matters, not the accounts. If family members calculate every little thing between them, they’ll only grow distant.”
The moment Tigerhead heard this, he turned to stare at the bulging oil-paper parcel in Shen Guanting’s hand. “Elder brother, I’m your own brother. That’s a deep enough bond, isn’t it? Give me your pancakes. Since we’re family, we don’t need to keep accounts.”
“The pancakes you’re eating today were only possible because of my basket of fruit. If anything, you still owe me a pancake. Since that debt hasn’t been settled, how can you take another one from me?”
Tigerhead’s eyes widened. “You just said family members don’t keep accounts! Are my bond with you and yours with Sister Wu not equally close?”
Shen Guanting answered without the slightest hesitation. “Even brothers must settle their accounts. The bond between you and me is for cleaning up your messes. When it comes to pancakes, it really is not as valuable. Shopkeeper Lin and I are exchanging gifts as a courtesy, while you’re simply reaching out to snatch one. One is returning a peach for a plum; the other is outright robbery. How can they be the same?”
Tigerhead was rendered speechless. He gave a disgruntled snort, turned his head away, and refused to look at him again.
Lin Jing watched from the side and silently committed this to memory: Brother Ting was truly skilled with words. He could learn a thing or two from him. But from now on, he would have to think carefully before speaking to Brother Ting.
Yun Jianshan glanced at his eldest disciple. His gaze lingered on Shen Guanting’s face for a moment, but he said nothing. He then turned to Lin Jing and spoke slowly.
“Speaking of which, it’s rather interesting. Although the two of you have known each other for some time, today is the first time you’ve formally traveled together as members of the same school.”
His gaze moved between the two boys before he continued, “From now on, you are fellow disciples. Look after one another, and there is no need to stand on ceremony. Guanting, you are older, so guide your junior disciple more. Little Jing may be young, but he is perceptive. If your senior brother overlooks anything, do not keep it to yourself.”
“Today, we are going to the Cinu an Home. First, because it is the end of the New Year season, and we are bringing food and clothing to the elderly, the weak, women, and children. Second, so that you can see the many different conditions of life in this world. To study and understand reason is not merely to understand what is written on paper. It must also settle in your hearts and be put into practice.”
Lin Jing understood only some of what he heard, but he still nodded his little head earnestly.
Shen Guanting also put away his usual lazy expression and inclined his head slightly. “This student will remember.”
Then he added, “Teacher, your words are indeed profound. But before helping others, one must first help oneself. Might this student be permitted to eat these pancakes first? Otherwise, they’ll grow cold, and that would do a disservice to the thought Shopkeeper Lin put into making them this morning.”
As he spoke, he took a paper-wrapped parcel of pancakes from the bamboo basket and handed it over.
Yun Jianshan accepted it and smiled at Lin Jing. “Your mother was very thoughtful.”
He then glanced at his eldest disciple, who was examining his own oversized pancake. “Guanting, you’re becoming more and more shameless in your conduct. You went to your junior disciple’s home and actually asked them for food?”
Shen Guanting remained perfectly composed. “Teacher, you’re mistaken. In this student’s opinion, a gentleman should conduct himself with openness. If he wants to eat, he should say so. If he wants to ask for something, he should ask openly and honestly. If he keeps it in his heart but refuses to say it aloud, wouldn’t that make him someone whose words and heart do not match?”
Yun Jianshan was momentarily at a loss for words after hearing this. Shaking his head, he said, “Guanting, Guanting, you can always argue yourself into being three parts right, no matter what the matter is. With that mouth of yours, you can make a fallacy sound like the truth, and make the truth sound even more self-righteous. That’s sophistry, not honesty.”
Shen Guanting did not argue back. He lowered his head and unfolded the oil paper. Inside was a generously stuffed savory pancake, its golden crust wrapped around a thick layer of pork floss, with two fragrant sausages laid out neatly across it. The pancake had even been thoughtfully cut in half.
He picked up one half and took a bite.
The crust was soft and fragrant, with a hint of egg. The springy sausage and fluffy pork floss blended together in a perfectly savory mouthful, while the sweet sauce and crisp lettuce cut through the richness. One bite was enough to leave him completely satisfied.
After chewing slowly and swallowing, he turned to Yun Jianshan and said, “Teacher, a student who misses it this much really can’t be blamed. If anyone is to blame, it can only be this pancake for being too delicious.”
“That’s turning the blame back on others. Someone put so much care into making that food, and now you’re using it as an excuse for your own greed. Your talent for shirking responsibility is even greater than your talent for arguing.”
Shen Guanting said, “If Teacher thinks what I did was inappropriate, perhaps you could simply give me your half? I should be able to finish both portions on my own.”
As he spoke, he actually glanced at the pancake in Yun Jianshan’s hand.
Yun Jianshan was both exasperated and amused. “Don’t get too pleased with yourself. That mouth of yours will trip you up sooner or later. In this world, everything has something that can subdue it.”
