Chapter Twenty-One: The Situation Is Critical

When Zhu Hao finished his errands and returned home, the sky had already darkened.

Upon his arrival, he discovered that the shop door was already closed, which contradicted the business strategy he had laid out for Mistress Zhu. Previously, Zhu Hao had analyzed that in order to lull the Zhu family into a false sense of security—making them believe their wealth was derived solely from the sale of grain and official salt—they must maintain normal operations. They could even employ "fake customers" to create the appearance of a bustling business.

He headed to the middle courtyard.

Seeing Steward Liu standing outside the main hall, Zhu Hao’s heart sank. Upon entering, he found the elderly matriarch, Madame Zhu, sitting in the center of the hall, lecturing the respectful-looking Mistress Zhu. Aunt Li, lacking the status to even enter the main hall, could only stand by the moon gate, peering toward the main house.

"...Third daughter-in-law, it is not that I wish to make things difficult for you; everything I do is for the sake of the only son left by my third son. Do you intend to remarry? If you cannot serve your husband, you must at least educate your son properly..."

"Since you refuse to move back, my grandson has no way to study with the older children of the family. So, you might as well return to the mansion. You can keep managing the shop, but do not live in the city, lest people think our Zhu family is falling apart."

To Zhu Hao, the matriarch’s visit was merely a continuation of the pressure she was exerting on her daughter-in-law. She was not being overly aggressive this time, but rather using Zhu Hao as a breakthrough to strike at her resolve. As Zhu Hao had analyzed before, if she could not control the adult, could she not manipulate the child? With Zhu Hao approaching his eighth year without having even begun his formal education, the Zhu family had the perfect excuse to take him back.

Once taken back, whether he would actually be given the opportunity to study would rest entirely in the matriarch’s hands. How could Mistress Zhu not submit?

Mistress Zhu replied, "Mother, I have actually already found a teacher for Xiao Hao. He began his studies yesterday and has already completed the formal apprenticeship ceremony."

This statement caught Madame Zhu by surprise. "Is that so? I wonder which teacher in the city it is? I must thank them properly!"

Was this truly a gesture of gratitude? It was clearly an attempt to intimidate the teacher, to let them know that this was an internal matter of the Zhu family, and that they had overstepped their bounds—were they tired of living? Did they dare to provoke the Imperial Guard?

Mistress Zhu hurriedly said, "He is a scholar passing through Anlu, a man of extraordinary background with connections to the tutors of the Prince’s Mansion. His learning is deeply admirable... I have also heard that he is a Juren (provincial graduate)."

When Madame Zhu heard about the connections to the Prince’s Mansion, her brows furrowed and her gaze sharpened, clearly taking the matter seriously. However, upon hearing the rest, her expression turned indifferent once more.

"Third daughter-in-law, have you become obsessed with your son’s education? Even if a Juren were to take on disciples, I have never heard of them accepting a child who hasn't even begun his studies... Having attained the rank of Juren, one is already eligible for official positions. Would they truly lower themselves to teach a child?"

Madame Zhu’s attitude hardened. "Furthermore, how can you let a person of unknown origin teach my grandson? It is likely they have designs on the Zhu family’s background."

"But, Mother..." Mistress Zhu tried to argue.

Madame Zhu raised a hand, cutting her off. "I have said all there is to say. If you remain stubborn, you may find another teacher for the child... Let me put it this way: as long as the Zhu family issues the word in this city, forget about finding him a teacher; even if you want him to learn basic literacy or become an apprentice for a trade, don't even think about it!"

She had begun with a facade of reason, but had ended in pure, unreasonable tyranny. To Zhu Hao, his grandmother was exactly that kind of overbearing person—insisting on controlling everyone and everything, utterly irrational.

"I came into the city today to check the accounts and happened to stop by to see you... Now that my business is done, I should return. Third daughter-in-law, you had best think carefully."

With that, the old woman stood up and left. Upon seeing Zhu Hao at the door, she looked at him with cold indifference, showing no affection for her grandson, perhaps venting her frustration toward his mother upon him instead.

***

The night was deep. A single candle flickered like a bean in the room.

The family sat around the newly purchased candle stand to eat. The food was quite good, yet neither Mistress Zhu nor Aunt Li could lift their spirits.

"Mother, candles are much brighter. If I study in the future, let me use candles. They are much better than the tung oil lamps. It’s wonderful to be earning money." Zhu Hao tried to liven up the atmosphere.

Mistress Zhu looked at her son and sighed softly, "Xiao Hao, you must have heard your grandmother’s words, right? If I continue to defy the family, you will lose even the chance to study. How could you talk of reading by candlelight then?"

"Mother, if we can't find a local teacher, we can find one from elsewhere. The world isn't limited to Anlu. Even if you send me to a private school, I can study with my peers, encourage each other, and perhaps make even better progress." Zhu Hao spoke with an optimistic expression, which only made Mistress Zhu feel worse.

Aunt Li asked, "Madam, are you thinking of... giving in for the sake of Young Master Hao?"

Mistress Zhu did not respond. If this were only about herself, she would grit her teeth and persist, but when it involved her child’s future, a mother’s heart wavered.

Zhu Hao said sternly, "Mother, have you forgotten our agreement? It isn't the end of the month yet. Grandmother only stopped by to apply pressure. If you surrender now, what was the point of our hard work? Should we hand over our salt-drying method to the family? How would that honor Father’s spirit in heaven?"

Mistress Zhu shook her head. "I can endure any hardship to let you study. I don't want you growing up in the streets... Look at how you’ve been hanging around with Uncle Zhong and the others lately. 'He who touches pitch shall be defiled.' Do you intend to become a peddler or a porter? And... if you don't return to the Zhu family, how will you inherit your father’s military post? That step must be taken sooner or later."

Mistress Zhu was thinking long-term. Even if Zhu Hao found a teacher and began his studies, succeeding through the imperial examinations was a low-probability event. In the end, he would most likely need to inherit the military post. His father had died serving the Great Ming, and his lineage was pristine; there should be no problem with him taking over. However, the prerequisite was obedience to the family’s arrangements, because that post was provided by the Zhu family, not by Mistress Zhu.

"Young Master Hao, I think... your mother makes a lot of sense," Aunt Li said, her own resolve wavering. She feared returning to the Zhu family most of all, as she was merely a concubine and would have no way to refuse if they forced her to marry someone else. Yet, she cared deeply for Zhu Hao’s future, and would sacrifice herself if necessary.

Zhu Hao sighed. He could see that both women were becoming irrational. Verbal persuasion was useless; he had to rely on his own actions to break free.

"Mother, Aunt, no matter what you think, let's at least hold out until the end of the month. We cannot give up voluntarily. Just give me a chance to fight for it," Zhu Hao said with an eager tone.

Mistress Zhu asked, confused, "Xiao Hao, what do you mean by 'fight for it'?"

Zhu Hao couldn't explain. He couldn't very well say, "I am trying to become a pageboy in the Prince Xing’s Mansion," could he? That would be considered demeaning! If he said that, his mother would never agree.

"Mother, I am currently learning the Four Books and Five Classics from Master Lu. If you don't believe me, I will recite a passage for you. I have also learned to write; three or five hundred characters are no problem at all. If you don't believe me, I will write a few for you to see..."

Zhu Hao couldn't even focus on his meal; he just wanted to put his mother’s mind at ease. Mistress Zhu had long since bought brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, and upon hearing this, she brought them out. Under the watchful eyes of Mistress Zhu and Aunt Li, Zhu Hao splashed ink and wielded his brush, transcribing Tang Bohu’s "Song of Peach Blossom Hermitage" onto the white paper, intentionally making it look a bit sloppy so as not to reveal too much.

Seeing the result, Aunt Li beamed, "I told you Young Master Hao was born to study. In just two days, he has learned so many characters and writes them so well... Your mother was always worried you were out playing, but it seems you really were studying."

That one sentence exposed the private conversations they had been having. Mistress Zhu had certainly complained to Aunt Li, believing her son was wasting his time in the streets and that his future would be ruined if things continued this way, leading her to consider returning to the Zhu family for the sake of discipline.

"Mother, no matter what choice you make at the end of the month, let me study with Master Lu for a few more days while he is still in Anlu, will you?" Zhu Hao requested with an innocent, guileless smile.

If she couldn't even agree to this, Mistress Zhu felt she would be failing her son. She nodded, "Then study hard. If you can impress Master Lu and convince him to stay in Anlu for a long time, I will absolutely not let you return to the Zhu family."

***

Zhu Hao felt the urgency of time.

It was already late in the sixth month. He had only about ten days left. If his plan failed, he would likely be forced into a cage, returning to the Zhu family to be tethered, his future entirely dependent on their whims.

At this moment, he hated his own lack of independence, and he hated the Zhu family’s aggressive overreach even more. He had already made a "worst-case" plan.

"If I really must return to the Zhu family, I would rather sell the secret salt-drying method to Master Su, take the money, and run away with Mother, Aunt, and my sister. At the very least, we can start over somewhere else."

Although he knew this plan was insane—two widows and a child could not easily travel far, and obtaining the necessary official travel permits would be extremely difficult—he knew Master Su had a powerful network and might be able to manage it. After all, the salt-drying method he possessed was an inexhaustible mountain of gold and silver; no one could resist that.

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, Zhu Hao went outside the city to check the traps he had set himself. After ensuring everything was in order, he returned to the bird and flower market to wait for the child from the Prince’s Mansion.

Past noon, Zhu Hao looked up at the sky, thinking that it must be lunch break at the mansion. Yet, he waited another half hour, and still, the boy did not appear.

"If he doesn't come, all my previous efforts will have been in vain."

Zhu Hao could only wait blankly. Just as the sun began to slant toward the west and he felt there was little hope left, he saw two children trotting toward him, one behind the other.

They did not seem to have come out through the main gate of the mansion; where they emerged from was hard to say. However, based on Zhu Hao’s observations, there were no guards following them, and no one seemed to be watching in the shadows. This meant they were acting without the adults' knowledge.

This was a major leap forward in Zhu Hao’s plan... he just didn't know who the person following them was.