Chapter 6 (1/2)
Chapter 6
Chapter Six Elder Qin
According to Ning Yi’s previous plan, he was to run a lap and then go to the Mount Yu School. Yet he was completely soaked now so he could only go back to change his clothing. It was already the eighth month by the lunar calendar and he did not feel good about going home while he was wet. His health had not become much better since he came and he would probably get sick tomorrow. Fortunately, not long after he started to walk, he met someone he knew. It was the concubine of Elder Qin who he had seen a few times before.
Ning Yi naturally would not pick a direction where the city was busy when he went out to exercise. What he was most familiar with was naturally the road where he frequently came to play weiqi with Elder Qin. Elder Qin’s concubine was called Yun Niang. She was over thirty, and had been a female in the red-light district in her earlier years. However, there was no seduction in her conduct. When Ning Yi had met her during the times she came to deliver the noon meal to Elder Qin, her appearance was dignified, and she could exchange poetry with Elder Qin. When he encountered her on the road, Yun Niang was dressed in a plain hemp robe like that of a country wife. She was holding a vine basket in her hand and there was freshly picked vegetables inside. Seeing Ning Yi, her expression was shocked.
After exchanging greetings, Yun Niang asked what had happened. Ning Yi pointed at the nearby Qinhuai River. “I feel into the river.” That Yun Niang smiled and did not ask further. She only had Ning Yi follow her into a compound nearby. “The wind is strong in the autumn. If Young Master goes home like this, you will most likely get a cold. Since Young Master Ning is a friend of Master, do not be courteous. Master is at home right now … … oh, yesterday, he mentioned that Young Master has not gone to play.”
Ning Yi and Elder Qin had their matches on the nearby street and he only knew the other lived in this direction. However, he had never known the specific location. When he followed Yun Niang into the room, he saw an old person that was holding an old scroll. At this time, his expression was focused, serious, and even held a hint of authority. It was completely different than his state when he was setting up a weiqi stall by the river. Seeing someone come in, he raised his head and his eyes narrowed for a few seconds before he reacted. Then he seemed to smile. Yun Niang walked over with a smile. Before she spoke, he nodded. It was clear what was most needed at this moment.
“Have Xiao Hong prepare hot water. Yun Niang, get some of Eldest Young Master’s clothing … … Ha ha, Little Friend Li Heng, what happened?”
After attending to the serious matters, the old person started to laugh. His laugh contained the schadenfreude that was similar to what he held when he had made a very good move on the board. They had become familiar due to playing together these past days. Usually, the old person would impolitely call him Li Heng Brat. Seeing his sorry state, he mocked Ning Yi by calling him Little Fiend, but his expression was very happy. Ning Yi could only grimace helplessly and spread his hands. Since the other’s concubine was present, he could not casually say, “You are laughing at my misfortune.”
Compared to the Su Family Compound that sprawled over a large part of Jiangning City, the Qin Family compound was not large and naturally could not compare in the degree of richness. However, relatively speaking, it was a well-of family. Both the outside and inside was well taken care off and neatly organized. It was a compound that called people to feel that it was full of vitality, and scholarly presence. It gave the feeling of having a strong foundation. Even thou
gh Yun Niang had gone out early in the morning to pick vegetables herself, but there were also servants in this family. A family that could support several servants could not lack in their wealth.
Elder Qin’s wife was a matron that was extremely harmonious in presence. In the past, she was a country wife but she did not hold the selfish presence of those people that might also be shrewish. Right now, she was more than fifty years ago. Usually, she would manage the household and raise some fruits. The garden that Ning Yi had seen Yun Niang go to pick fruit and vegetables from was one that Mistress Qin had created with her servants. Elder Qin probably also had worked. Maybe it required a person of this temperament to keep the household running smoothly. Mistress Qin and Yun Niang were on very good terms. The three could be considered a perfect example of a family with one male and several females.
After Ning Yi had a hot bath and changed his clothes, he came out. Mistress Qin examined his attired and said with affection, “Master, Young Master Ning looks like our eldest son with the robe.” Ning Yi looked at the clothing. It really was a style for a young person. The clothing was also new. It probably was the clothing of Elder Qin’s son. The old man had two sons that were all in distant places. Hearing his wife say this, Elder Qin nodded. Then he asked Ning Yi why he fell into the river. Ning Yi narrated the unfortunate matter, and caused the old person to have a bout of laughter again.
“You boy, you ruined someone’s innocent, so horrid.”
“These words are such slander; you strike me with a mud rake … …”
“Haha … … however, what is ‘strike with a mud rake?’ Is there some cla.s.sical allusion in this?”
“… …” It was not good to talk with people that are educated. They will frequently ask about the origins of allusions. When they played a match, Ning Yi would explain. However, he only said at this time, “It is a long story.” After a short while, Mistress Qin prepared breakfast. Along with Yun Niang, she called Elder Qin and Ning Yi over. When they talked during the meal, they chatted about what Ning Yi’s original impressions of teaching at Mount Yu School were like. If Elder Qin had a say, Ning Yi was a complete greenhorn as a teacher and naturally mocked him for delaying his students. Then they moved onto the matters of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
“Pu Park Poetry Conference … … the Pu Family’s six interconnected boats are slightly interesting, but the people that go mostly do not have talent in poetry. The one that the gifted scholars want to pursue is the Pan Family’s Water Point Poetry Conference … …”
“Oh, gifted scholars … … those with lots of talent?”
“Haha, it is very hard to say what is great and small talent. At least, they have poetic talent. Of the Mid-Autumn poetry conferences, the Water Point School will always have some good poems produced. The Pan Family has three generations of the Hanlin Imperial Academy. If those with talent want to move up, they are those that are willing to go to that path … …”
On the Mid-Autumn night of Qinhuai, the gifted scholars competed in words, the beauties competed in song. There would be many poetry conferences, and there was a hidden compet.i.tion between the conferences. When a conference produced a good poem, another conference would produce an even better one. These would be promoted into a hot topic and then would spread in the following months and even years to become good stories to tell. Of course, there was naturally effort involved from the merchant houses and even the government. No matter what, the name of the Qinhuai River was elevated through this kind of atmosphere.
The Pu Park Poetry Conference and the Water Point Poetry Conference were some of the most influential poetry conferences in that night. The Pu Park Poetry Conference was called Pu Park, but in reality, it was hosted on six boats connected together which would float on the Qinhuai River all night. The people would drink, recite poetry, and look at the fireworks as well as the lights on the two sh.o.r.elines. There would also be performances on the boat.
The Pu Family was a rich business family, and after becoming rich, they tried to move themselves closer to the ident.i.ty of scholars. It was a pity that this was not something that could be accomplished in a few years or even decades. The family was large, and in the last few years, they had produced several scholars with talent. They were better off than the Su Family. However, in the eyes of the world, they were still not a scholarly family. The Pu Park Poetry Conference was famed for its largeness, luxuriousness, and heated atmosphere, but most of the people who attended were people that had similar merchant backgrounds like the Pu Family or were connected to them. For example, Su Tan Er and Xu Jing would go. There would be poetry works from those that thought themselves scholars, but the other half were people there to network for business. The quality of the poetry was not consistent. It was the most luxurious poetry conference, but it could not compare to the reputations of the top poetry conferences.