novelSusiti Chapter 4 The Fishmonger at Yingxun Bridge
Chapter 4 The Fishmonger at Yingxun Bridge
At dawn, frost covered the earth. Li Xuan and Li Chang, as usual, got up early, quickly washed up, and carried a basket of hay and coarse grains to the stable. The hay was freshly cut yesterday, and the coarse grains were millet saved from their own food. A basin of water was mixed with some coarse salt. Although the taste was not good, their diet far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Horses are important sources of draft, and these two packhorses are Li Xuan's prized possessions, incredibly versatile. When tilling the land, they can pull the carts, several times faster than oxen. When the village needs a cart, they pull it quickly and steadily.
More importantly, Li Xuan and Li Chang used them daily to practice riding and archery. After three years of regular training, both Li Xuan and Li Chang had mastered the basics of riding and archery. This year, Li Ji will also begin riding and archery training. These two ordinary pack horses have contributed three skilled archers to the Li family, truly exceeding expectations.
In a chaotic world, even scholars must seize every opportunity to enhance their martial prowess. With Li Yuantu, a native of the Black Cloud Longsword Capital, as their teacher, Li Xuan, Li Chang, and Li Ji need not worry about their training in both horsemanship and unarmed combat.
Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to buy or maintain warhorses. Li's father left behind two fine bows, one long and one short, suitable for both foot and mounted archery. However, they were too precious to use them in regular training, relying entirely on hand-made clay bows. The arrows were also homemade, of rather poor quality, resulting in a training style that always had a somewhat beggar's feel to it.
Though they were beggars, most bandits and outlaws didn't even have the chance to beg. Li Xuan had no right to be picky; his family's circumstances were what they were, and having something was better than nothing. After a light meal, Li Xuan and Li Chang took their horses and set off, trotting along the village path to the edge of the village's farmland before turning back. The distance wasn't long, to maintain the rhythm between rider and horse.
When they returned to the village, many families were already up and cooking. The poor people only had two meals a day, and breakfast was essential. Seeing the two riders arrive on horseback, the uncles, aunts, and other relatives, who were already used to it, greeted Li Xuan and Li Chang: "Good morning, Brother Xuan, Brother Chang. Out herding horses again?"
Li Xuan, riding on horseback, greeted everyone with a smile, bowing respectfully: "Good morning, Auntie, Uncle, Madam, and Uncle..."
Back in the stable, soothe the horses, interact with them affectionately, and then give them food and water. That completes the morning lesson.
In the kitchen on the other side, Li Ji and Li Yuantu were preparing breakfast in their room.
For some unknown reason, Li Yuantu did not marry. Li Xuan and Li Ji were both deceased, so the four men had no women to take care of them. They had to either fend for themselves or ask women from farming families for help with their basic needs.
Breakfast was simple: a large bowl of boiled taro and a bowl of chive sauce. Each person also had a large bowl of noodles in front of them, made with yesterday's fish soup as a base—quite delicious.
Li Xuan wolfed down his food, showing no trace of the demeanor expected of a scion of a noble family. He devoured each cooked taro with chive sauce in just a few bites, as if someone were trying to steal his food.
Except for Li Yuantu, the three boys ate like wolves, gobbling down their food. Watching the three boys eat so fiercely, Li Yuantu smiled with satisfaction, like a proud aunt.
In just fifteen minutes, the bowls and plates were empty. Not only was the soup completely gone, but even the bowl containing the chive sauce was scraped clean. Li Yuantu took out the dry pancakes he had made that morning from the pot and packed them into three food boxes, instructing them word by word: "Be careful not to choke on the pancakes at lunch. Ask the people around for a bowl of water. When you do ask for help, be polite." Just like every morning for the past few years, he had repeated these instructions hundreds of times, but Li Yuantu never felt annoyed.
After finishing his nagging, Li Yuantu asked Li Xuan, "Brother Xuan, now that you're all grown up and about to become an adult, and you've finished your studies, what are your plans? Will you take up an official post or join the army? Although your family's wealth isn't large, it would be more reassuring to have an official position to protect it."
Li Xuan laid out his thoughts: "Uncle, as the saying goes, a man should choose the right profession, and a woman should marry the right man. I want to stay at home for a few years to prepare and see the abilities of all the heroes before making a decision."
Li Yuantu said in surprise, "You don't want to serve in the State of Yu? It would be a waste of this family business if you went to wander off somewhere else."
Li Xuan nodded in agreement: "Indeed, I think the Emperor of Yu is not a wise ruler. In the first year after he ascended the throne, he built palaces and restored all the royal offerings of the Great Yu Dynasty. He constantly proclaimed himself to be the descendant of Emperor Xian of Yu, completely ignoring the fact that the country was still in difficulty and the people's livelihood had not yet prospered. This is putting empty fame before reality."
Military power in the Yu state was divided in two; the imperial guards directly under the Yu emperor had not yet subdued the regional military governors. The regional military governors' troops remained the main force for Yu's border defense and external expansion. Logically, the Yu emperor should have favored a republic dominated by military men.
However, since ascending the throne, he has appointed a large number of civil officials and held imperial examinations to recruit talented individuals. With only so many official positions available, more were allocated to those who passed the examinations, leaving fewer for military officers. Hastily dividing power among military officers with civil officials before properly managing the rebellions of the regional military governors was a recipe for disaster.
If the civil officials appointed were all honest and capable, the regional military governors would be obedient, and the country would have a good chance of peace and prosperity. But he appointed people based on nepotism and was only interested in literary fame. As a result, those who controlled the government were all sycophants, and talented people could not be employed. They had to serve under these sycophants and wicked people to get a job, which greatly alienated the scholars.
Therefore, I believe there's no need to rush into officialdom. First, we should manage our household affairs, accumulate wealth, and gather retainers. Only then can we seize the opportunity when it arises. If I were to go out and take office now, only Chang-ge would be by my side; we would be short-handed and weak, lacking confidence in our words.
After listening, Li Yuantu said with satisfaction, "I haven't studied much, so I'm not good at planning your career. What you just said makes a lot of sense, so just keep it in mind. You're right, the world outside is not peaceful. Even the emperor can kill people at will. Without a group of brave and daring retainers to protect you, no one will care about you even if you become a minor official. Since you want to recruit retainers, find some people of similar age from families you know well and raise them. I'll train them for a few years, and they'll be very useful."
Li Xuan asked, "Uncle, Changge's martial arts skills are quite impressive under your tutelage; several strong men can't defeat him. How many people like you are there in Guangling? Is it possible to contact any of their family members?"
Li Yuantu looked at Li Xuan with surprise, and after a moment of silence, said, "Brother Xuan, forgive my bluntness, but given our former prestige, there aren't many of us who have fallen on such a lowly state as I have. Even if our brothers are not accepted by the Yu Kingdom, they still own land in the countryside based on the rewards they received in the army, and their family businesses are mostly similar to yours. With your current wealth, I'm afraid it won't be enough to recruit them."
"Very well, I have several brothers who would die for me, and their families are large. Since you want troops, I'll try my luck. Well, there's no time to lose. After you leave by boat today, I'll ride off to find them and sound them out first."
Li Xuan laid out his conditions: "Uncle, you know I have some connections in Hailing Prefecture. As long as their children come, I can give them a batch of salt every year. Previously, due to the constraints of the clan school, I could only travel to and from Hailing Prefecture twice a year. Now that I have more time, I can go and transport a ship every month. What I lack right now is reliable retainers to help me."
Li Yuantu understood and said, "I see. The salt trade does indeed require guards and servants. You and Chang-ge can only do some clandestine things. That gives me more confidence to persuade them. Alright, it's getting late. After you send Ji-ge off, you still need to go to Guangling City to sell fish. Let's set off now."
The three boys bid farewell to Li Yuantu and boarded the ship. Li Yuantu watched them disappear into the harbor, then turned around and went to the stable to lead out a horse, hitched it to a cart, and left the village with some local products and gifts.
Outside Guangling City, under Yingxun Bridge, Li Xuan and Li Chang took turns rowing for an hour before finally arriving. They had come late because of the long journey, and the bridge was already filled with boats of all sizes that had come from all directions.
The fish market, stretching along the moat, was bustling with activity. Li Chang was well-acquainted with people here because he often came by boat to sell fish when Li Xuan was attending classes.
Li Xuan quickly laid out the planks on the boat, and together with Li Chang, they carried the several tanks containing the fish to the riverbank. The fish that wouldn't fetch a good price yesterday were kept for their own consumption, while the ones that would sell well were categorized and temporarily kept by Li Yuantu. As long as there was water, they didn't need to be fed for a day. Changing the water also helped them expel the mud and impurities from their bellies, reducing the fishy smell.
However, the blackfish wasn't taken off the boat; Li Xuan planned to sell it directly to a wealthy family in the city. Selling it to a wealthy family was more profitable than selling it to a restaurant.
After changing into clean clothes and cloth shoes, I greeted the tax collector. Even in the market, there were tax collectors; everyone who came to do business had to pay taxes. The amount varied from five to five hundred coins per day, depending on the size of the stall.
Li Xuan and Li Chang had their own boat to store their catch, so they didn't need a large stall. Li Chang, being experienced, haggled with the tax collector for a while and handed over eight coins. The tax collector then used an iron ruler to mark out a space, which would be their stall for the day.
"Brother Chang, I'm going into town to find buyers. You stay here and watch over the stalls and boats, don't leave." After seeing the tax collector off, Li Xuan pulled Li Chang aside and gave him these instructions.
Li Changying replied, "Don't worry, Brother Xuan, I know exactly what I'm doing."
Carrying a staff for self-defense, Li Xuan hurried towards the gates of Guangling City. Upon entering the city, tax collectors were also collecting taxes. Li Xuan flashed his Hailing Supervisory Office badge. Seeing he had no goods, the tax collector assumed he was a servant delivering a message to some official and let him in without further ado.
Li Xuan was not anyone's servant; the waist tag was an old item left by his father.
In those days, information exchange was difficult, and tax officials couldn't possibly travel hundreds of miles to the Hailing Supervisory Office to verify a two-cent entrance fee. Li Xuan, being a genuine former son of a high-ranking official, could easily fool the tax officials at the city gate.