TSNCWEM Chapter 29

extra chapters!~

 

With the news of the selection spreading, the capital became lively. The Song family was also in turmoil. First Madam awaited her husband’s reply, while Cai Shi pondered how to persuade her husband not to let Song Yunzhao participate.

On the day the court’s official selection decree was issued, Song Yunzhao had just finished writing her huaben[mfn]medium-length story or extended novella[/mfn].

While the public loved to read about secret meetings between wealthy young ladies and impoverished scholars in gardens, she took a different approach. She wrote about a young lady who financially supported a scholar so he could take the exams and achieve fame. Later he got taken in as a son-in-law by a powerful court official. Realizing his mistake, he went back to his first love. Should she just gratefully accept him and become his concubine, just because he has finally remembered his old debt of gratitude?

Yunzhao wrote that the young lady, upon discovering the scholar’s marriage to another, furiously scolded him for betraying their moonlit promises and vows. She accused him of using her money to go to the capital for the exam as part of a money-grabbing scheme and declared him a person of low character that she didn’t want to see ever again. She then decisively severed their ties, declaring that henceforth their lives and marriages would be separate and unrelated.

 

Additionally, the young lady recovered the money she had given to the scholar for his trip to the capital and then turned around and gave the money to beggars on the street. She would rather give to beggars than waste money on scoundrels.

This kind of story, featuring a strong, independent female protagonist, was very popular in later generations. However, in this male-dominated era, such a narrative might attract criticism. Therefore, Song Yunzhao focused on portraying the scholar’s despicable mindset, in which he wanted both the young lady’s money and his wife’s family’s power. She then turned her attention to the young lady’s heartbroken, frustrated, and helpless feelings, having her deep affection betrayed. The young lady’s decision to break off the engagement was depicted as a way to maintain her family’s honor and her own dignity.

Song Yunzhao felt satisfied. Human nature was like a sword; the story should resonate not only with women, but should also make men feel righteously indignant. If it achieved that, she had succeeded. She had the story sent to Xie Linlang.

Unexpectedly, Xie Linlang became addicted upon reading it, angrily scolding the scholar for his shamelessness and pitying the young lady that remained at home.

When she showed the story to her Second Brother, Xie Jinshu, he was speechless for a long time.

Seeing her brother’s expression, Xie Linlang anxiously asked, “Second brother, do you think this story is no good?”

Xie Jinshu looked at his sister after hearing her words. He first nodded, then, seeing her expression wasn’t good, he shook his head.

“You’re nodding and shaking your head—what does that mean?” Xie Linlang grew anxious.

Xie Jinshu cleared his throat and then spoke to his sister: “Third Miss’ story is very novel, quite different from the currently popular stories.”

“Exactly! So, if we tell it in our family’s restaurant, it will definitely attract many people.” Xie Linlang really liked the story herself and believed that other young ladies in the capital would also like it.

Using her own heart and money to support her fiancé, only for him to turn around and ingratiate himself with someone higher up. He was ungrateful, thinking that making her a concubine would be a favor. Ugh, what a nerve he had.

Xie Jinshu pondered and said to his sister, “As a woman, you naturally feel this young lady is wronged, but if you put yourself in a man’s shoes, you might not think the scholar did anything too excessive. It’s common for someone with an official position to marry a wife of equal social status.”

Xie Linlang looked suspiciously at her second brother, “Second brother, you wouldn’t be as shameless as that, would you?”

Xie “Shameless” Jinshu: …

He had nothing to say.

 

Why be faithful to one person when you can have both wealth and power?

Why give up one for the other?

Isn’t that something only a fool would do?

Just for love?

Can love put food on the table? Can it secure your future?

 

Xie Jinshu never imagined that one day, love, that little demon, would slap him hard across the face.

In front of his sister, Xie Jinshu wouldn’t admit it, and instead said seriously, “I think this story is quite good. If planned well, it could make a lot of money.”

Xie Linlang immediately responded, “Of course, the story written by Third Miss couldn’t be bad. She told me in her letter that no one else should know about this. Hmph, it must be because that day I mentioned to her how difficult it was for our Xie family to gain a foothold in the capital and how good stories are hard to come by. That’s why Third Miss put in the effort to write this—she wants to help us.”

“I know, I know, don’t worry, I definitely won’t mistreat the Third Miss,” Xie Jinshu immediately assured.

His sister had also been helping Third Miss with information about the selection, clearly with the intention of participating. If one day Third Miss could rise to prominence, maintaining this relationship would be incredibly beneficial for the Xie family.

Moreover, Third Miss was a genuinely good person. Xie Jinshu had heard his sister talk about her situation in the mansion; she certainly didn’t have much money.

“Second Brother, what do you think?” Xie Linlang asked.

Xie Jinshu smiled, “You write back to Third Miss and tell her we’ll buy the story. Let her name a price; I won’t haggle.”

Xie Linlang widened her eyes, “Third Miss isn’t the type to discuss money directly with you. You should just say how much silver you’ll give. I know for a fact that at Sanyuan Tower, they pay at least a hundred taels for a good story.”

Xie Jinshu laughed, “Where did you hear that? A hundred taels is for the best ones.”

“Never mind where I heard it from, just say how much you want to give.” Xie Linlang didn’t usually get involved in the family’s business, so she couldn’t make the decision, but she still wanted to fight for her friend’s benefit.

If her Second Brother was too stingy, she would supplement Yunzhao in private. Next time Yunzhao wrote a story, she definitely wouldn’t give it to her penny-pinching brother.

Seeing his sister’s mixed expression of laughter and tears, Xie Jinshu became more serious about the matter at hand and explained carefully, “It’s not feasible to just start telling this story directly in our restaurant.”

“Brother, what do you mean by that?”

“Don’t worry about it, I have my own idea. As for the money… here’s what we’ll do: I’ll first give Third Miss a red envelope with a hundred taels. Once the story gains fame, we’ll discuss further payments. Also, you need to ask Third Miss to come up with a pseudonym. If people ask who the author is, what should we say?”

 

Hearing the offer of one hundred taels, Xie Linlang was satisfied. Her brother was matching the price given to the best writers at Sanyuan Tower, and she looked at her brother with approval. “Alright, I’ll ask Third Miss and get back to you. You give me the banknote, and I’ll send it along with the letter to her.”

Xie Jinshu laughed, fetched a hundred-tael banknote for his sister, and said before leaving, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”

Such a novel and controversial story, if managed well, could help make the Xie family’s name prominent in the capital. This was a significant matter, and he needed to act quickly.

Xie Linlang, eager to write back to Yunzhao, waved her brother off, and Xie Jinshu left with a smile.

Song Yunzhao didn’t expect to receive Xie Linlang’s reply so quickly. She thought it would take a few days, but she found not only the letter inside the envelope, but also a hundred-tael banknote, which truly surprised her.

Wasn’t the pay too high?

She was about to carefully read Linlang’s letter when she heard hurried footsteps. Looking up, she saw Qian Cao entering with an angry expression.