Hu Yunshan finished packing his belongings and wandered around the Fang residence. As evening drew near, hunger set in, and following the gestures the mute uncle had made earlier. He made his way to the inner courtyard to find something to eat. Just as he stepped through the main gate of the inner courtyard, he spotted the two young servants, Zhou Qi and San Bao, huddled by the study door peering inside. Curious, Hu Yunshan walked over and patted San Bao on the shoulder. “Where is your Young Master?”
San Bao hurriedly shook his head before spreading his five fingers as if to block the air and signaling him not to make a sound.
Confused, Hu Yunshan stood behind San Bao and peered in with them. The Fang family study was divided into three sections with open walls and gauze curtain partitions. The room directly facing the entrance was where Fang Zesheng usually ate with an ancient painting of “Auspicious Carved Lotus” hung on the wall, above a long, slender purple sandalwood altar table. The room to the left had no windows with walls on three sides and wooden shelves reaching the ceiling, filled row by row with ancient collections and books. Hu Yunshan caught sight of a long-lost handwritten copy of The Classic of Tea with his sharp eyes. His eyes gleamed with green envy, wishing he could snatch it up and flip through a few pages. However, that copy of The Classic of Tea was placed alone atop a small chest, appearing to be a rare treasure; he wasn’t sure if he’d be allowed to read it. To the right was a broad desk set with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, likely where Fang Zesheng did his daily reading and writing.
Hu Yunshan looked around but didn’t see the masters of the house. Just as he was about to ask for details, he saw San Bao and Zhou Qi tiptoeing into the main entrance, stealthily hiding behind a corner of the gauze curtain partition on the right. Intensely curious, Hu Yunshan followed them in and looked up, only to see two living souls sitting on the wooden couch, separated by a small table with their tongues entwined in a deep kiss?!
Fang Zesheng heard the commotion and intended to open his eyes and pull away from Second Master Fu’s lips, but he didn’t expect Fu Jingxuan to hook an arm around his neck while the other hand snapped open a folding fan with a “shua” sound. He hid them both behind the fan’s surface, which was adorned with a painting of “paired mandarin ducks with entwined necks.”
During dinner.
Hu Yunshan sat with Fang Zesheng and Fu Jingxuan at the dining table in the side hall of the main house.
Today he was a guest, but if he were to reside long-term at the Fang residence in the future, such formalities would become more casual. Since the Fang family’s Hu Yunshan finished packing his belongings and wandered around the Fang residence. As evening drew near, hunger set in, and following the gestures the mute uncle had made earlier, he made his way to the inner courtyard to find something to eat. Just as he stepped through the main gate of the inner courtyard, he spotted the two young servants, Zhou Qi and San Bao, huddled by the study door peering inside. Curious, Hu Yunshan walked over and patted San Bao on the shoulder. “Where is your Young Master?”
San Bao hurriedly shook his head before spreading his five fingers as if to block the air and signaling him not to make a sound.
Confused, Hu Yunshan stood behind San Bao and peered in with them. The Fang family study was divided into three sections with open walls and gauze curtain partitions. The room directly facing the entrance was where Fang Zesheng usually ate with an ancient painting of “Auspicious Carved Lotus” hung on the wall, above a long, slender purple sandalwood altar table. The room to the left had no windows with walls on three sides and wooden shelves reaching the ceiling, filled row by row with ancient collections and books. Hu Yunshan caught sight of a long-lost handwritten copy of The Classic of Tea with his sharp eyes. His eyes gleamed with green envy, wishing he could snatch it up and flip through a few pages. However, that copy of The Classic of Tea was placed alone atop a small chest, appearing to be a rare treasure; he wasn’t sure if he’d be allowed to read it. To the right was a broad desk set with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, likely where Fang Zesheng did his daily reading and writing.
Hu Yunshan looked around but didn’t see the masters of the house. Just as he was about to ask for details, he saw San Bao and Zhou Qi tiptoeing into the main entrance, stealthily hiding behind a corner of the gauze curtain partition on the right. Intensely curious, Hu Yunshan followed them in and looked up, only to see two living souls sitting on the wooden couch, separated by a small table with their tongues entwined in a deep kiss?!
Fang Zesheng heard the commotion and intended to open his eyes and pull away from Second Master Fu’s lips, but he didn’t expect Fu Jingxuan to hook an arm around his neck while the other hand snapped open a folding fan with a “shua” sound. He hid them both behind the fan’s surface, which was adorned with a painting of “paired mandarin ducks with entwined necks.”
During dinner.
Hu Yunshan sat with Fang Zesheng and Fu Jingxuan at the dining table in the side hall of the main house.
Today he was a guest, but if he were to reside long-term at the Fang residence in the future, such formalities would become more casual. Since the servants of the Fang family had not yet been brought back, the meal for the guest was relatively simple. Hu Yunshan sat opposite Fang Zesheng with an apologetic expression, wanting to say sorry but not knowing how to broach the subject. Although he hadn’t been raised in a prestigious household since childhood, he had still learned basic principles like “see no evil, hear no evil.” He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Fu Jingxuan said, “Was coming to the Fang family to seek a master a decision you made on your own?”
Hu Yunshan nodded.
Fu Jingxuan asked: “Does Hu Ruosong know?”
“He knows. After the Tea Tasting Convention, I went back to the Hu residence with him. Before coming here, I also informed him.”
“He was willing to let you come?”
“He didn’t say he was willing, but he didn’t stop me either.” Hu Yunshan seemed to have many grievances regarding his brother; forgetting his apology, he frowned and said, “He is someone who loves preaching more than anyone. He’s clearly not much older than me, yet he’s even more long-winded than my father was when he was alive.”
Fu Jingxuan laughed. “He truly inherited your father’s legacy; whether it’s tea techniques or his overly cautious conduct, he has surpassed his predecessor.”
Hu Yunshan said, “You certainly seem to know him well. I could tell at the Tea Tasting Convention that you two had a good relationship.”
“It’s alright; we haven’t visited each other much these past few years.”
“It’s not about how often you visit. Childhood friendship is deep by nature. I even saw many gifts you once gave him at the Hu residence; he kept them all, a whole large box full.”
Fu Jingxuan laughed. “He has always cherished things given to him by others; it is no surprise that he has kept them to this day.”
“That’s true. He kept my father’s gifts along with those from Master Tao. Hu Yunshan chatted with Fu Jingxuan for a few moments, intending to speak with Fang Zesheng, but he didn’t know at which point Head Merchant Fang had started spacing out. Fang Zesheng was poking at the green vegetables in his dish with a stoic face one stroke at a time.
Once the meal was cleared, Fang Zesheng returned to the study to get busy. Aside from finding the former tea processors, the Fang family’s currently operating shops also needed to be listed one by one.
Fu Jingxuan helped for a while, then went back to the room to wash his face before returning with a yawn to tell Fang Zesheng to rest.
Fang Zesheng shook his head expressionlessly and continued to hold his brush and write.
He hadn’t spoken a single word all night. Fu Jingxuan assumed he was worrying about tea matters, but after spending half a day helping him organize, he realized there were no real difficulties; aside from Prefect Feng being somewhat tricky to deal with. However, the imperial court currently maintained strict supervision over local officials, and the Fang family had sent such a large batch of tea products to the Procurement Bureau. Whether it would result in a ban or a reward after the seventeenth day of the eighth month was unknown. Prefect Feng was a shrewd man and naturally would not resort to a desperate act like silencing them; moreover, a stack of account books detailing years of transactions with Wang Xiuhe was still with the Fang family. If he didn’t want things to turn too ugly, he would likely have to come and negotiate peacefully to protect his official position.
Fu Jingxuan pulled over a chair and sat across the desk, suddenly saying, “Hu Ruosong?”
Fang Zesheng’s hand paused. He frowned and shot him a glance.
Fu Jingxuan grinned. “Is it really because of him? Why on earth do you dislike him so much?”
Now that the two of them had opened up about their feelings, there was nothing left to hide. Fang Zesheng set down his brush and said solemnly, “You gave him gifts.”
Fu Jingxuan was taken aback. “What gifts did I give him?”
“Did Second Master forget everything said at the dinner table just now?”
“You mean the childhood gifts? Isn’t it common to exchange gifts as children?”
“It wasn’t just childhood. When the Tea Tasting Convention ended, didn’t Second Master also give him a folding fan?”
Fu Jingxuan had nearly forgotten about that himself; it took him a long while to recall. “That was an old fan, and I happened to be getting a new one. He thought the painting on the fan was beautiful and wanted to take it back to use as a model for his own painting.”
Fang Zesheng said, “And the pellet drum?”
“A pellet drum? When did I ever give him a pellet drum? Isn’t that a toy for small children?”
“It was precisely when Second Master was nine and a half years old that you gave it to him.”
“……”
It was rare for Fu Jingxuan to be at a loss for words in front of Fang Zesheng, but he was so choked up now that he couldn’t even open his mouth. He couldn’t help but ask, “What else have I given him?”
Fang Zesheng replied, “A copper wooden fish, a goat mask, a cross-shaped windmill, and two golden leaves that fell from the ginkgo tree at the foot of Mount Yuming.”
Fu Jingxuan blinked as he listened to him list those useless little trinkets one by one in a flat tone. He couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “How do you remember it so clearly? Have you disliked Hu Ruosong all these years simply because I gave him those little things?”
Fang Zesheng did not find it funny as he remained seated in his wheelchair with a serious expression.
“The Head Merchant only has eyes for the gifts I gave to others; why don’t you look at what gifts I gave to you?” Once Fu Jingxuan had finished laughing, he rose and went to the bookshelf on the left before bringing back a yellowed, hand-copied volume of The Classic of Tea. This copy contained nearly ten thousand words; the very same one Hu Yunshan had eyed with envy. The handwriting on the cover was slightly childish yet written with meticulous neatness.
“This book was a gift I copied for you word by word when I was twelve years old. Surely the Head Merchant hasn’t forgotten, right?”
Fang Zesheng naturally had not forgotten. Seeing the manuscript, his expression softened considerably. He had preserved this hand-copied book very well; aside from the yellowing pages, there wasn’t a single crease or fold. It had originally been kept in a separate book’s chest, but the mute uncle had brought it out recently while organizing old items to let it air out.
Fu Jingxuan had not expected him to keep it so well. He said lightheartedly, “The things I gave to Hu Ruosong were merely small, easily obtainable trinkets, but what I gave to the Head Merchant required my full heart and effort. Surely you can distinguish which is significant and which is trivial, right?”
Fang Zesheng: “Naturally, I can distinguish it.”
Fu Jingxuan’s eyes curved. “Since the Head Merchant is so clear about right and wrong, why are you still so insatiably greedy?”
Fang Zesheng remained silent. After a moment, his face reddened as he argued his point, “To desire someone else’s heart is called greed. But to desire what already resides in my own—how can that be called greed?”
had not yet been brought back, the meal for the guest was relatively simple. Hu Yunshan sat opposite Fang Zesheng with an apologetic expression, wanting to say sorry but not knowing how to broach the subject. Although he hadn’t been raised in a prestigious household since childhood, he had still learned basic principles like “see no evil, hear no evil.” He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Fu Jingxuan said, “Was coming to the Fang family to seek a master a decision you made on your own?”
Hu Yunshan nodded.
Fu Jingxuan asked: “Does Hu Ruosong know?”
“He knows. After the Tea Tasting Convention, I went back to the Hu residence with him. Before coming here, I also informed him.”
“He was willing to let you come?”
“He didn’t say he was willing, but he didn’t stop me either.” Hu Yunshan seemed to have many grievances regarding his brother; forgetting his apology, he frowned and said, “He is someone who loves preaching more than anyone. He’s clearly not much older than me, yet he’s even more long-winded than my father was when he was alive.”
Fu Jingxuan laughed. “He truly inherited your father’s legacy; whether it’s tea techniques or his overly cautious conduct, he has surpassed his predecessor.”
Hu Yunshan said, “You certainly seem to know him well. I could tell at the Tea Tasting Convention that you two had a good relationship.”
“It’s alright; we haven’t visited each other much these past few years.”
“It’s not about how often you visit. Childhood friendship is deep by nature. I even saw many gifts you once gave him at the Hu residence; he kept them all, a whole large box full.”
Fu Jingxuan laughed. “He has always cherished things given to him by others; it is no surprise that he has kept them to this day.”
“That’s true. He kept my father’s gifts along with those from Master Tao. Hu Yunshan chatted with Fu Jingxuan for a few moments, intending to speak with Fang Zesheng, but he didn’t know at which point Head Merchant Fang had started spacing out. Fang Zesheng was poking at the green vegetables in his dish with a stoic face one stroke at a time.
Once the meal was cleared, Fang Zesheng returned to the study to get busy. Aside from finding the former tea processors, the Fang family’s currently operating shops also needed to be listed one by one.
Fu Jingxuan helped for a while, then went back to the room to wash his face before returning with a yawn to tell Fang Zesheng to rest.
Fang Zesheng shook his head expressionlessly and continued to hold his brush and write.
He hadn’t spoken a single word all night. Fu Jingxuan assumed he was worrying about tea matters, but after spending half a day helping him organize, he realized there were no real difficulties; aside from Prefect Feng being somewhat tricky to deal with. However, the imperial court currently maintained strict supervision over local officials, and the Fang family had sent such a large batch of tea products to the Procurement Bureau. Whether it would result in a ban or a reward after the seventeenth day of the eighth month was unknown. Prefect Feng was a shrewd man and naturally would not resort to a desperate act like silencing them; moreover, a stack of account books detailing years of transactions with Wang Xiuhe was still with the Fang family. If he didn’t want things to turn too ugly, he would likely have to come and negotiate peacefully to protect his official position.
Fu Jingxuan pulled over a chair and sat across the desk, suddenly saying, “Hu Ruosong?”
Fang Zesheng’s hand paused. He frowned and shot him a glance.
Fu Jingxuan grinned. “Is it really because of him? Why on earth do you dislike him so much?”
Now that the two of them had opened up about their feelings, there was nothing left to hide. Fang Zesheng set down his brush and said solemnly, “You gave him gifts.”
Fu Jingxuan was taken aback. “What gifts did I give him?”
“Did Second Master forget everything said at the dinner table just now?”
“You mean the childhood gifts? Isn’t it common to exchange gifts as children?”
“It wasn’t just childhood. When the Tea Tasting Convention ended, didn’t Second Master also give him a folding fan?”
Fu Jingxuan had nearly forgotten about that himself; it took him a long while to recall. “That was an old fan, and I happened to be getting a new one. He thought the painting on the fan was beautiful and wanted to take it back to use as a model for his own painting.”
Fang Zesheng said, “And the pellet drum?”
“A pellet drum? When did I ever give him a pellet drum? Isn’t that a toy for small children?”
“It was precisely when Second Master was nine and a half years old that you gave it to him.”
“……”
It was rare for Fu Jingxuan to be at a loss for words in front of Fang Zesheng, but he was so choked up now that he couldn’t even open his mouth. He couldn’t help but ask, “What else have I given him?”
Fang Zesheng replied, “A copper wooden fish, a goat mask, a cross-shaped windmill, and two golden leaves that fell from the ginkgo tree at the foot of Mount Yuming.”
Fu Jingxuan blinked as he listened to him list those useless little trinkets one by one in a flat tone. He couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “How do you remember it so clearly? Have you disliked Hu Ruosong all these years simply because I gave him those little things?”
Fang Zesheng did not find it funny as he remained seated in his wheelchair with a serious expression.
“The Head Merchant only has eyes for the gifts I gave to others; why don’t you look at what gifts I gave to you?” Once Fu Jingxuan had finished laughing, he rose and went to the bookshelf on the left before bringing back a yellowed, hand-copied volume of The Classic of Tea. This copy contained nearly ten thousand words; the very same one Hu Yunshan had eyed with envy. The handwriting on the cover was slightly childish yet written with meticulous neatness.
“This book was a gift I copied for you word by word when I was twelve years old. Surely the Head Merchant hasn’t forgotten, right?”
Fang Zesheng naturally had not forgotten. Seeing the manuscript, his expression softened considerably. He had preserved this hand-copied book very well; aside from the yellowing pages, there wasn’t a single crease or fold. It had originally been kept in a separate book’s chest, but the mute uncle had brought it out recently while organizing old items to let it air out.
Fu Jingxuan had not expected him to keep it so well. He said lightheartedly, “The things I gave to Hu Ruosong were merely small, easily obtainable trinkets, but what I gave to the Head Merchant required my full heart and effort. Surely you can distinguish which is significant and which is trivial, right?”
Fang Zesheng: “Naturally, I can distinguish it.”
Fu Jingxuan’s eyes curved. “Since the Head Merchant is so clear about right and wrong, why are you still so insatiably greedy?”
Fang Zesheng remained silent. After a moment, his face reddened as he argued his point, “To desire someone else’s heart is called greed. But to desire what already resides in my own—how can that be called greed?”
