Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examination Ch. 118

Chapter 118

By the time the Xie Residence sent the white mare to the Cui Residence, it was already the fifteenth day of the eight month.

Cui Xie had assumed that, with Xie Ying absent, the Mid-Autumn Festival would pass uneventfully. However, to his surprise, Xie Ying had found a delightful treasure and had sent it his way. Delighted, Cui Xie personally led the mare into the stable by the reins and tied it next to his young stallion. The mare, a few months older than his own white stallion, seemed quite at home in the new stable. She snorted twice at the resident horse and then started eating and drinking from the feed trough.

The young stallion snorted indignantly at her, and then turned to nibble at Cui Xie’s sleeve, neighing twice, as if urging Cui Xie to chase away the intruding horse. Unfortunately for the young stallion, the new mare was not just any horse; she was a gift from his owner’s beloved. No matter how disgruntled he felt, his master clearly adored the new arrival.

Cui Xie cradled the young stallion’s head, softly comforting it with a few gentle words. He fed it a piece of rock sugar, soothing its agitation. Then, he turned and, right in front of the stallion, petted the new mare, even taking out a newly made animal treat to feed her.

The mare calmly extended her tongue to lick the treat, while the young stallion, fuming, nudged its owner’s waist with his head. But Cui Xie’s heart had already been captivated by the person who had sent the mare. Gazing at the new white mare was like seeing its owner. Cui Xie hugged the mare’s neck, rubbing his face against her forehead, and absentmindedly ruffled the stallion’s mane with one hand.

If Teacher Lu were to ask him to compose a poem about the horse at this moment, he might very well have written something as splendid as Xu Zunsheng’s ‘The white horse draped in red cloth, led before the Imperial procession’ composed from the early days of the Ming Dynasty. It was a pity that Teacher Lu was out celebrating the festival with his friends, unable to supervise Cui Xie’s studies. As Cui Xie gazed upon the mare, it was as if he were seeing Xie Ying. Cui Xie continued hugging the mare’s neck and fed her a piece of sugar, which left him feeling completely content and he thus missed the chance to become a poet.

However, Cui Xie could not remain in the stable for long, as the stewards from the estates in both the capital and Qian’an had arrived with their families and tenants, waiting to see him.

They had arrived a couple of days earlier, but since Cui Xie had been busy with his studies and researching cosmetics, he did not possess the energy to attend to estate matters, leaving them on standby at the Cui Residence. Today, as Cui Xie had some time off, both stewards requested an audience to review this year’s accounts and plan for post-harvest affairs.

Cui Xie headed over to the main courtyard to hear their reports. Cui Liangdong passed over the account books and Mid-Autumn festival gift lists from both stewards and introduced them, “This is Steward Cui from our estate in Changping, and this is Steward LIu from the Jiaxing farmstead….” He paused before adding, “Steward Liu is a family retainer who accompanied the late furen as part of her dowry and is exceptionally loyal to the Young Master.”

As soon as the two stewards introduced themselves, they prepared to kowtow to Cui Xie. Cui Xie quickly signaled to Cui Liangdong to stop them, saying, “No need for formalities. Let us get straight to business.”

Steward Cui from Changping was particularly anxious, as his estate produced cotton and it was peak time for harvest. He was eager to return and oversee the harvesting process. In contrast, the old family estate in Qian’an only grew wheat. The summer grain had long been harvested and there was no need to plant a second crop. Steward Liu, who was newly appointed, was more than willing to stay at the Cui Residence to spend more time with Cui Xie.

Steward Cui hurriedly reported on the rice harvest and mentioned the cotton, fruit trees and mulberry trees on his estate, delivering the accounts swiftly so he could return to the harvest. As Cui Xie listened, he compared the figures with previous years records. He noticed that the rice yield from the paddies was quite low —barely over 100 liters per acre; roughly equivalent to a little over a hundred pounds. He could not help but shake his head, finding it a far cry from the ‘1800 pounds per acre’ boasted in Jin Ke La advertisements¹. 

Although Cui Xie did not speak, the disdain in his eyes was unmistakable and apparent to Steward Cui.

Steward Cui, anxious, gritted his teeth and explained, “This subordinate dares not claim to be an expert in farming, but the paddy fields in Northern Zhili cannot compare to those in the south, where two crops a year is even possible. A yield of over 100 liters per acre is already quite good. If the Young Master does not believe this subordinate, such information can be extracted from other families. While our estate may not be the best, it certainly isn’t among the worst in terms of yield!”

Steward Liu chimed in softly, “This year has been a dry one. Even the fertile lands by the river have suffered, requiring tenants to constantly carry water to irrigate the fields. Rice is indeed harder to eat than wheat…”

Cui Xie shook his head and gave a smile, “There is no need for you both to be anxious. I am not dissatisfied with the harvest. When the Laoye was home, the yields were about the same. Now that he is away on a government appointment, you all are still managing well, I’m quite pleased. I was actually considering designating a few acres on the estate for constructing a factory. I was just pondering where the best location would be.”

A shed? A workshop?

Cui Liangdong was puzzled by this and asked on behalf of the Stewards, “Does Young Master intend to build a roofless structure?

Of course not, he had misspoken. Cui Xie actually wanted to build a factory in Changping for distilling flower dew.

Cui Xie cleared his throat and shook his head, “No, I mean a building with a large drying yard—the ground must be leveled, spacious enough to dry the products manufactured; the building should be wide and able to accommodate a hundred people working inside simultaneously, and it should have a cellar.”

The deeper the cellar, the cooler the temperature, reducing the need for excessive ice during the storage and aging process of the flower dew.

Cui Liandong’s eyes lit up, and he asked, “Is the Young Master planning to establish a printing house for the Residence?”

Cui Xie chuckled and released a ‘ha’ sound, “We do not have artisans skilled in color printing. Why would I start a printing house? I want to build a proper place for little Liang-ge to produce floral dew and we will also plant a few acres of flower fields. In the future, our family will not just be making floral dew and soap. Little Shen-ge’s charcoal pencils will also find plenty of use. We cannot keep crowding everything into the shop and my courtyard, can we?”

Steward Cui glanced furtively at Cui Liandong, his face full of unwritten concerns, “But our family’s best land are the paddy fields. Filling them in to build structures and plant flowers is really…”

Cui Liangdong, impatient, interrupted, “The Young Master wants you to do something, so just do it. With that wooden head of yours? Do you think you can come up with the same ideas a scholar can? Besides, the Young Master did not ask you to fill in the paddy fields. Do we not have estate grounds with mulberry fields, cotton fields and some scattered hilly lands? How can we not find a place to build a factory there!”

After scolding the steward, Cui Liangdong turned to Cui Xie with an ingratiating smile, “Young Master, is what I said correct?”

Stop making trouble. A middle-aged man trying to act cute was too much to bear.

Cui Xie could not bear to look any longer and averted his gaze. Addressing the two seated below, he said, “I have calculated that over the past few months, we have made about a thousand taels of silver from the old stock we have been selling, with a net profit of at least three or four hundred taels. Isn’t that money still sitting in the coffers? It is just enough to build a couple of houses—”

Cui Liangdong quickly interjected, “It does not need to cost that much! It is our own land, and hiring workers in the countryside is cheap. We even have our own brick kiln. Even if we build a dozen tiled rooms and enclose two acres with a brick wall, it would only cost fifty or sixty taels at most! My inept son has been on the estate for a long time and has learned a bit of everything. Recently, he has been running the kiln every day. If he oversees the construction, he will make sure it is built solidly and firmly for the Young Master!”

Steward Cui, seeing his fawning behavior as if he was about to lick the other’s butt like a dog, began to understand the extent of Cui Xie’s authority within the household and refrained from saying anything further to dampen the mood. He murmured softly, “This subordinate would not dare obstruct the Young Master’s important work. This subordinate momentarily misunderstood and was fearing that good land might be wasted.”

Indeed, without hybrid rice varieties and fertilizers, increasing yield could only come from cultivating more land.

Cui Xie gave him an understanding look and stated, “Those who farm naturally cherish the land. Our Cui family has worked the land and undertook academic studies through the generations; the land is our foundation. I, too, value the land and would not dare to misuse fertile fields arbitrarily.”

Realizing he had been too focused on his own project of building the distillation factory and had neglected the farmers’ most important concern—the land— he quietly reflected on his shortcomings. He asked kindly, “How far is our land from the water source? Is there enough water? The most crucial aspects of farming are water and fertilizer. If there is enough water, I will find a way to squeeze out some silver. We should dig wells if needed and build water wheels if necessary…”

The two stewards, overwhelmed by his concern, asked, “Young Master, will you really give us the funds to dig wells and build water wheels? A large dragon bone waterwheel alone requires substantial timber, costing dozens of taels of silver and is not easy to construct!”

Cui Xie, who had casually raised over a thousand taels at the Double Seventh Festival beauty contest, how could he consider such an amount significant?. He smiled lightly and said, “Grain and land are the foundation of the people’s livelihood. Even if the household is in dire straits financially, we must still allocate some silver to properly manage the land. Although the land around our estate has been bought up, making it difficult to acquire more, we should focus on intensive cultivation to increase our crop output.”

Half of the land on the Changping estate were paddy fields and water was their lifeblood. During droughts, when water levels were low, everyone on the estate had to fetch water from the river to irrigate the fields. Yet, even then, the harvest had been poor. If they could have a dragon bone waterwheel to draw water from the river, there would be no need to fear a dry spell or minor drought. The water drawn would be enough to irrigate several hectares of land, ensuring a good harvest!

Steward Cui’s eyelids were twitching with excitement and he nodded repeatedly, “This subordinate will return and explain the Young Master’s generosity to the tenants and family on the estate, encouraging them to work diligently for the Young Master and help little Liang-ge build a bright, spacious factory as soon as possible!”

Steward Liu also watched Cui Xie intently, his eyes filled with complex emotions and unspoken meanings.

Cui Xie noticed that Steward  Liu had something to discuss with him and he could guess it was concerning the Liu family. However, Cui Xie did not immediately inquire about this and instead addressed the main business first, “I also plan to build a large house in the old ancestral estate, not for distilling floral dew, but for boiling alkali blocks.”

Alkali? The crude alkali sold outside?

Why would their scholarly Young Master think of making something as mundane as this, something used for rough things like cooking and washing clothes?”

Steward Liu was momentarily puzzled. Cui Xie’s lips turned up and said, “The estate in our hometown yields little profit and is quite far away. It’s difficult to make frequent trips to the capital. I cannot easily summon you all at will. I believe the estate should produce something useful for both our family and our shops. If you make good quality, you can bring them to the capital more often, making the trips worthwhile…”

His smile gradually faded and he shot Steward Liu a glance, “Moreover, if the estate produces something profitable, your lives will also improve.”

Steward LIu felt a lump form in his throat and formed an ‘Ai’ sound, “Young Master, we have grown accustomed to our lives…and things are much better now than before!” Many of the people who came with the Xu family’s dowry and many of the older servants from the Cui family had left. Now that he had become the Steward, life had gradually improved for those from the Liu family.

Seeing Steward Liu overwhelmed with emotion, Cui Xie gave Cui Liangdong a meaningful look to take Steward Cui away, leaving Steward Liu alone to discuss things with.

Steward Liu sat down and took a moment to collect himself. When he spoke again, his voice was still somewhat choked, “Young Master…we could not imagine that you would still remember us…last year, during the Tomb Sweeping Day, when I was tending to the late furen’s grave and banking up the earth, I noticed the Young Master’s act of filial piety, who else would remember our furen…?

Back when Cui Xie was in Qian’an, he had not really thought much about them. Although he visited the grave, he avoided the Jiaxing estate to steer clear of interacting with the servants brought by Xu furen. Even after Cui Xie took over managing household affairs, he did not specifically promote the Liu family’s retainers. However, naturally, once he was in charge, the servants wanted to treat his mother’s people well to curry favor—

Thus, Steward Liu became the manager of the estate and from then on, when the Cui Residence needed to select servants, people from the Liu family were prioritized. 

Cui Xie sighed softly and warmly comforted, “You have all worked hard over the years. Given the state of the household back then, no one could look after anyone else, so there is no need to dwell on it. Needless to say, now that I am managing the family affairs, I can make some decisions and will find tasks for you all to do.”

When Cui Xie started making soap, he had already planned to use pure alkali for the process. Previously, it had been just a plan, yet to be implemented. Now, he possessed the funds and time to carry it out: “Our Cui family’s cosmetics shop sells soap, bath beans and laundry soap. The laundry soap requires clean, good-quality alkali, but what is available on the market is not pure enough. So, I thought of having you arrange for people to refine the alkali. Those who do the refining can be compensated with some silver; otherwise, how can they make a living just by farming?”

Steward Liu sighed, “As stewards and tenant farmers, it is our duty to work for the Young Master. Why would we ask for compensation? It is our responsibility and the Young Master has already taken great care of us. We would not dare to ask for more!”

Cui Xie said, “This is not an easy task. The alkali needs to be dissolved, the impurities settled and removed, and the fine ash filtered out repeatedly until the solution is as clear as water. Only then can it be boiled down into blocks suitable for incorporation in soap. Our family needs pure alkali for both consumption and laundry, and a single filtration will not suffice. In a couple of months, it will get colder, so you must be compensated for your hard work…”

Steward Liu attempted to stand and bow, but Cui Xie was quicker. He pressed down on Steward Liu’s shoulder with one hand, holding the man firmly in place. Despite his daily toil in the fields, Steward Liu was helpless and could not rise against his Young Master’s strength.

Bowing slightly while still seated, Steward Liu both happily and sentimentally commented, “Young Master, your strength is just like…just like our Master, your uncle. When the Young Mistress first married, the Young Master had such strength, pressing down on someone with the weight of a small mountain.”

No wonder this body learns martial arts so quickly—it turns out it runs in the family!

Cui Xie quietly touched his own biceps and curiously asked, “Are you referring to my uncle? What kind of person was he? Did he look like a hero?”

Steward Liu reminisced, his face full of fond memories and nostalgia, “The Young Master was eight feet tall with a muscular build. He was both brave and skilled in marksmanship. Back when our Colonel family was the garrison commander at the Mouth of Taoyuan in Fucheng, countless people sought to associate themselves with your Uncle!”

Cui Xie could not help but feel a sense of admiration and fascination, “So, he was an eight-foot-tall hero and warrior? Then I, in the future…” If Cui Xie could grow to be that tall and strong, would he not be able to lift Xie Ying in a princess carry, place him on a horse, and then mount on behind him, taking the other riding everywhere.?

Cui Xie was lost in these thrilling thoughts for quite a while before remembering Steward Liu. Fortunately, Steward Liu was also lost in his own memories and did not notice Cui Xie’s gaffe.

Cui Xie lightly rapped the table, bringing Steward Liu back to reality. He said, “I want to send some gifts to my maternal grandfather’s family and rekindle the relationship between our families. Do you have someone reliable that can make the trip? If not, I would like you to go personally to deliver the items for me.”

Steward Liu looked up sharply, asking in a choked voice, “We….we can go to Yulin?”

Indeed, the Cui family now was not the same as it used to be. Cui Laoye was no longer present and Xu furen had been dismissed. The true master of the Cui household was now the Young Master, the son of their Liu furen!

Tears glimmered in Steward Liu’s eyes as he looked up at Cui Xie. “This subordinate is willing to go. This subordinate’s family has served the Liu family for generations. No one is more suitable for this task than this subordinate.”

It is wonderful that you are familiar with the Liu family!

Cui Xie shot him a pure smile, took a wooden board and a sharpened pencil from the wall, placed a sheet of paper on the board and propped it on his crossed leg. “Now then, please tell me about my maternal grandfather’s family members—their ages, appearances, personalities and interests…I have never met them. The more you tell me, the  better I can word my letters to them.”

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Footnotes

1. Jin Ke La is a fertilizer additive that claims to promote plant mineral absorption and greatly improve the quality/yield of agricultural products. It is claimed to be developed in San Diego, USA and produced in China. It became popular on the Internet for its exaggerated and false advertisements. It is now sort of a meme and part of Internet culture after being parodied by netizens on video websites. ↩︎

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TN: Hope you all are doing well! First week of grad school went great! Going to the beach tomorrow 🙂

Announcement: We have set up a kofi and patreon account! If you would like to support us or get early access to advance chapters for Blood-Sucking Empress OR TMD, those options are available for you (in support us page)! I have just added a patreon tier for Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examinations in which patreons can have access to a google document with ALL of my advanced translated chapters for the novel. Since I am a college student, there should usually be at least 10 advance chapters in the document at a time, but depending on my schedules, there may be fewer or more. I’m currently extremely busy, but I have translated out some new chapters for you all! But, I will still post each week with the same schedule. Thanks!

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