Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 28

Madam Liu nodded and asked, "Could you give me a few?"

Su Shi said, “This was brought from the capital by His Highness Prince Qi. If Madam Chen likes it, she may take it. However, the durian shell is too thick and heavy. Perhaps I should have someone cut it open later and take out the flesh for Madam to take back.”

Liu smiled and said, "I can cut it open, but what I want is this hard, prickly shell, not the flesh inside."

Everyone found it strange. Zhao Hao then asked, "Could it be that the outer shell has some special medicinal value? My fourth brother loves medicine and often studies plant fruits, but I have never heard him mention that the durian shell can be used as medicine."

Madam Liu shook her head and said, "It's not for medicine... My washboard broke, and I haven't had time to buy a new one yet..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zao's face immediately turned ashen. Looking at the sharp protrusions on the durian shell, he felt his knees begin to ache prematurely.

Wen'er's eyes lit up, and she said to Liu Shi, "Sister, I know how you want to use it!"

Madam Liu smiled and beckoned, "You know? Then come over here, let's talk."

Wen'er immediately hopped over. The two chatted and laughed in hushed tones, barely audible to others, who only occasionally caught a few of Liu's golden words, such as "There are several uses for a washboard," presumably as Liu imparting her secrets to managing her husband.

They chatted for a long time before Liu Shi, carrying durians, urged Chen Zao to leave satisfied. Zhao Hao watched their retreating figures and asked with a smile, "Chen Zao is strong and robust, and his wife is petite and delicate, so why is he so afraid of her?"

Su Shi sighed, “Your Highness is unaware of this. Once, Ji Chang lied to her and did not obey her. She cried and resolutely said, ‘If you disobey me any further, heavens! I will either kill myself or hang myself!’ Ji Chang knew that she was strong-willed and that she would do what she said, so he never dared to go against her wishes again. Over time, he became so afraid of her.”

Pang Di thought to himself that, in the end, it was because he loved her too deeply, just as he had talked to the princess that day, that he was afraid because of love.

Note: The recipe for Liu's "Zizhan Pork" finally spread after Su Shi moved to Dongpo. People followed suit and renamed the dish "Dongpo Pork".

Moon Dance

They spent the night in a guest room at the Su residence. The unfamiliar bedding and pillows made Pang Di uncomfortable, and she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She didn't need to look at Wen'er; just hearing her even, calm breathing told her she was already asleep. After all, she was young and had a cheerful, lively personality; such a girl was always capable of adapting to any environment.

Finally, she decided to get up and put on her clothes. For a moment, she didn't know how to pass the sleepless night. Suddenly, she heard the wind blowing through the sparse bamboo, rustling and scattering a flurry of sound. The shadows of the bamboo branches cast on the window began to sway. So Pang Di got excited, opened the door and went into the courtyard. She looked up to receive the moonlight and the gentle breeze, and then turned slightly to watch her long, loose hair dance with the bamboo shadows.

The crescent moon did eventually catch her eye.

Tonight, the crescent moon is exceptionally bright and clear, slender and delicate like a jade hook, and both the moonlight and the breeze have a cool temperature.

Pang Di thought back to the last time she truly appreciated the moon; it was still full then, hanging in the night sky with the same bright and clear light. She stood in the moonlight, with Wang Pang standing beside her.

I wonder what he's doing right now, and whether he's also getting up in the middle of the night to admire the moon and think of someone?

The thought that the moon, while bathing her, might also be shining on her lover, made her feel even more affectionate towards it.

The crescent moon looked like the upturned corners of her lips. So she also smiled, her lips curving upwards.

She leisurely admired the moon, oblivious to the passage of time. She didn't know how much time had passed when she turned back to look at her shadow and discovered someone standing not far away, silently watching her.

She was a little surprised, but not flustered. She simply turned around and gave a graceful bow: "Your Highness Prince Qi."

Zhao Hao spent a long, candlelit conversation with Su Shi in his study. They both felt powerless to change the current situation, or rather, they lacked the necessary atmosphere and space to realize their ambitions. So, their conversation ended with only a few sighs and a shared, poignant smile. Finally, they bowed to each other and returned to their rooms.

As Hao passed by the small courtyard next to the guest rooms, he saw a scene that seemed familiar: bamboo shadows swayed in the moonlight and wind, and a woman with long, flowing hair stood beside them. The moonlight cast a clear glow, which seemed to lift the shadows on the ground, giving both the bamboo shadows and the hair shadows an inexplicable ethereal and fantastical quality.

This scene was like a dream come true. He watched silently, not wanting to disturb her, or perhaps, not wanting her to turn her head, for he feared she wouldn't see Wanji's face.

However, she still turned her head. He saw a beautiful face that was different from Wanji's sorrowful expression, radiating happiness.

He sighed softly to himself. He bowed in return, saying, "Sister-in-law."

She glanced at him quietly, then politely lowered her eyes and stood still.

He was imagining her admiring the moon when he suddenly asked, "Does the moon always hold a special meaning for women?"

She nodded: "Flowers can speak, and the moon can convey emotions."

Flowers can speak, the moon can convey emotions. He pondered carefully and realized that he was ultimately just an ordinary person. He hadn't even understood the meaning contained in those few words before, and even if he suddenly understood now, it was still too late.

"So, what can you see from the middle of the moon?" he asked again.

She smiled and said, "You can see what you're thinking about."

He knew she must have been thinking of Wang Pang just now, which was why she couldn't help but show such happiness and joy. In fact, fate doesn't always play tricks on people; there are still many perfect couples like them in this world.

After a moment of silence, he asked again, "What does it mean if a woman leaves her husband to admire the moon alone?"

She was surprised: "Why doesn't she invite her husband to go with her?"

It seems even a happy young woman can hardly understand the thoughts of someone who is down on their luck. He thought. He also wondered why she didn't invite her husband to go with her.

Why bother asking and thinking anymore? He does know the answer, he just doesn't want to face it.

She bowed again and said, "We must set off early tomorrow. I'm going back to my room. Your Highness should also rest early."

He nodded.

She turned and went back to her room. But he suddenly remembered something and called out to her, "Sister-in-law, please wait a moment. I have a favor to ask of you."

She turned back and smiled: "Does Your Highness want me to keep quiet about being kidnapped by the Cao family to my family?"

He hadn't expected her to guess this, and asked, "Has your wife already figured out the robbers' identities?"

She confirmed this, saying, "Those robbers were organized and followed orders; they were clearly well-trained, like servants from a wealthy family. Your Highness recognized their leader, a young man named Cao Ming. If I'm not mistaken, this young man is probably the son of Cao Chuo, the nephew of Empress Dowager Cao. I've also heard that Cao Chuo concealed many taxable fields belonging to the Empress Dowager's family in Zhengding, Hebei. After my father-in-law implemented the Equal Land Tax Law, he uncovered all of them and even found out that he had forcibly exchanged sandy fields for other people's fertile fields. Special Envoy Zeng Bu went to Zhengding to handle this matter. He not only verified the reported land, ordered them to pay taxes accordingly in the future, and returned the land to the farmers, but also gave Cao Chuo more than ten lashes. I suppose Cao Chuo or Cao Ming were dissatisfied and vented their anger on my father-in-law. They found out that Wen'er and I were returning to the capital from Hangzhou, so they ambushed us and kidnapped us, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate."

Zhao Hao said, "My sister-in-law is indeed wise; her guess is quite accurate. I'm just worried that if Prime Minister Wang or Brother Yuanze finds out..."

Seeing his hesitation, Pang Di continued, "Given their personalities, they will not let this matter rest and will cause another conflict with the Empress Dowager's family. The Empress Dowager already has some misunderstandings about my father-in-law, and this will only deepen their resentment and make reconciliation difficult, which is not good for either side."

Zhao Hao nodded and said, "After I return to the capital, I will definitely report the matter to the Empress Dowager and ask her to severely punish Cao Ming. Please rest assured, sister-in-law."

Pang Di smiled and said, "Your Highness is overthinking it. How could I not know the implications? The best solution is to settle things peacefully." She thought of her husband; outwardly he always appeared dashing and cheerful, but in reality, he was a complete powder keg. If he knew his wife's younger sister had suffered such injustice, he would certainly explode. However, the other party was a powerful family with significant influence, and a direct confrontation would inevitably result in losses. She didn't want her husband to suffer any adverse effects. Besides, they still owed Prince Qi a great favor; how could she refuse his personal request?

Zhao Hao was relieved to see that she had agreed. The two said goodnight to each other and then went to their respective rooms to rest.

In order to get back to Bianliang as soon as possible, after discussion, everyone decided to go from Hangzhou to Jiangning first, and then take a boat from Jiangning to Bianliang by waterway, which would be one or two days faster than going by land.

Jiangning wasn't far from Hangzhou, and they arrived in no time. Since the boat to Bianliang didn't depart until the next day, the three chose a clean inn to stay in. After settling their luggage, it was still early, so Wen'er suggested going out for a stroll. Pang Di hesitated slightly, but Zhao Hao, seeing Wen'er's high spirits, couldn't bear to disappoint her and offered to accompany her, which Pang Di accepted.

They rarely went out, and besides, the scenery of towns in Jiangnan was very different from that of the capital, so they had a very enjoyable trip.

As we approached the dock, we suddenly saw a crowd gathered in front of us. We didn't know what they were looking at, but they were pointing and whispering, seemingly indignant.

Upon closer inspection, I found a woman in her early twenties sitting on the ground with a piece of paper in front of her, saying that she was selling herself for a thousand strings of cash.

She was pretty and dignified, but her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her tears were still wet. She kept wiping them away with her sleeve.

Pang Di and the other two carefully examined the paper in front of her. It contained a very simple explanation: her husband worked for the Grand Canal Transport Office. Last month, he was escorting a ship of rice from Jiangning to Bianjing when a violent storm and huge waves caused the ship to sink. Although her husband survived, he was detained and interrogated by the Grand Canal Transport Office, which demanded a fine of eight thousand strings of cash. Her family had originally been well-off, but this disaster forced them to sell all their possessions, yet they were still short one thousand strings of cash. Therefore, she decided to sell herself to redeem her husband.

Zhao Hao frowned and said, "What kind of rice is so valuable that it costs eight thousand strings of cash? According to the laws against sunken ships, the fine should not be so high."

The woman wept and said, “When the transport commissioner heard that the ship had sunk, he didn’t even ask for details. He immediately demanded a fine of five thousand strings of cash. I sold everything I could in my house and added my savings to barely scrape together enough to pay it. But the officials at the transport commissioner said that after investigation, five thousand wasn’t enough and I needed to pay an additional two thousand. I had no choice but to sell my house as well. When I delivered it, they said it was too late and I needed to pay an extra one thousand strings of cash as a late payment penalty. Now I have nothing left to sell, so I have no choice but to sell myself for one thousand strings of cash.”

The onlookers began to discuss the matter, initially condemning the Grand Canal Transport Office for taking advantage of the people's misfortune and extorting them for profit. Then, someone suddenly changed the subject, turning their criticism towards Wang Anshi: "This is all due to that Minister Wang's Equalization of Transport Law. The equalization of transport is a government-run system, with profits going to the government. It forces the Grand Canal Transport Office to compete with merchants for profits, turning them into greedy and profit-driven individuals who only know how to extort the people."

Another person responded, "It's not just the Equal Transportation Law. Which of the Green Sprouts Law and the Square Field Equal Tax Law isn't driven by profit? Which one isn't aimed at plundering the people to increase the government's tax revenue?"

Many around her echoed her sentiments. Wen'er was furious and opened her mouth to curse, "You bunch of scoundrels..." Pang Di immediately covered her mouth, and Zhao Hao also pulled her out, shaking his head to signal her to be quiet. Helpless, Wen'er swallowed the word "commoners" and turned to run angrily towards the inn.

Pang Di returned to the inn dejectedly. She thought to herself that this matter wasn't actually her father-in-law's fault. She wasn't very clear on the details of the Equalization of Transport Law, but she knew that while the law was indeed intended to increase government revenue, there was absolutely no reason to use an incident to extort huge fines from the people. This matter should be considered corruption and abuse of power by officials of the Transport Commissioner's Office. The general public was still unclear about the new law and had long been accustomed to blaming it for injustices, without investigating who was right and who was wrong, leaving her father-in-law to bear the blame unjustly.

Sitting in the inn, pondering the matter, I felt it wouldn't be right to ignore the woman. Letting her continue selling herself and repeatedly crying would only bring more criticism to my father-in-law and the new law. The woman was indeed pitiful; if she were to fall into the hands of a vulgar man or a brothel, her life would be ruined. It would be better to directly give her the thousand strings of cash she needed, as a way to accumulate good karma for my father-in-law.

But she didn't have that much money on her. She realized that the only thing she owned that was worth that much was the gold hairpin in her hair. She sighed, reached out and took it off, staring at it for a long time.

This is one of her dowry items, a family heirloom given to her by her mother. It is exquisitely carved and inlaid with more than a dozen jewels, and is at least two or three hundred years old.

Oh well, it's all just material possessions, insignificant compared to a person's life.

So she quietly went out and pawned the hairpin for a thousand strings of cash at a pawnshop near the inn. She didn't know the actual value of the hairpin, but since it was only worth a thousand, the shopkeeper examined it closely and, without saying a word, immediately took out the money. Presumably, the hairpin was worth much more than that.

He went back to the woman, handed her the money, and said, "You can go and redeem your husband now." Then he turned and left.

The woman was stunned for a moment, then suddenly ran up to her and knelt down, saying, "Since you have bought me, Madam, I will serve you from now on."

Pang Di shook her head and said it wasn't necessary. But the woman refused to leave, and followed closely behind her, step by step.

She laughed and asked, "How will you redeem your husband if you come with me?"

The woman thought for a moment and said, "Madam, please tell me your address. After I return from Bianliang to find my husband, I will definitely come to your door and serve you as your servant for life."

She's going to Bianliang. Fine, let her come with me. Take her home; maybe my father-in-law can help her, or at least she can reunite with her husband.

So she asked her, "What's your name?"

The woman lowered her head and replied, "My name is Qiu Niang."

“Alright,” Pang Di said to her, “I’m going back to Bianliang. Come with me.”

Wen'er was very surprised to see her bring Qiu Niang back and kept asking for details. She only said that she felt sorry for her and bought her to go to Bianliang with her. Zhao Hao only glanced at them and did not ask any more questions, seemingly not surprised at all.

The next morning, everyone got up to prepare to board the boat. While Wen'er and Qiu Niang were still packing their luggage in their room, Pang Di stepped out of the room first and stood under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard of the inn. Without the gold hairpin given to her by her mother, she was still not in a good mood. She stood alone by the tree, feeling lost and forlorn.

Zhao Hao had just finished preparing the carriage to take them to the dock when he turned around, saw her, and walked over to ask, "Why is your wife unhappy?"

She smiled but remained silent.

Zhao Hao looked up at her head and suddenly asked, "Why isn't your hairpin on today, sister-in-law?"

She remained silent for a long time before answering, "It was lost on the way."

He smiled, reached into his sleeve and took something out, saying, "What a coincidence, I found this on the road."

A hairpin! She accepted it with delight. But she immediately realized the problem: "Your Highness knows..."

He said casually, "If you need anything along the way, please tell me. There's no need to be so polite. Otherwise, if Brother Yuanze finds out later that you still have to pawn things to make ends meet, won't you blame me for being so stingy?" Yesterday, he saw Pang Di go out alone and knew it must be about that woman, so he followed her. He saw her pawn her gold hairpin and immediately redeemed it after she left.

She felt quite shy and thanked him, but handed the hairpin back to Zhao Hao, saying, "We have troubled Your Highness for a long time, so we must not mention this unexpected expense to Your Highness again. I am extremely grateful that Your Highness has redeemed this hairpin for me, but I feel really uneasy about letting Your Highness spend money. Please take the hairpin back for now and keep it for me temporarily. When I return home, I will ask Yuan Ze to come and redeem it."

Zhao Hao didn't care about the small ransom, but seeing her insistence, he knew she was principled and wouldn't easily accept favors, so he stopped trying to persuade her to accept the hairpin. He put the hairpin back in his sleeve and said, "Since that's the case, I'll give it to Brother Yuanze after we return to the capital."

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Double Ninth Festival

In addition to the regular cabins, their ship also had a clean, bright, and exquisitely decorated small hall. During the daytime journey, the women would chat, embroider, and enjoy the scenery in the hall, but Zhao Hao rarely came in. He would often stand alone at the bow of the ship, looking at the vast expanse of water, lost in thought.

Pang Di thought to himself, "He is truly a gentleman."