Chapter Forty-Three: I Can Help You

Wei Jinyi had never even sat for the preliminary scholars’ exam, let alone the higher examinations for licentiates, recommended scholars, or presented scholars.
He had never attempted any of them.
Although he was an unfavored son from a secondary wife, if he had wished to pursue the exams, Wei Mingting and Lady Yun would likely not have objected; in fact, his success would bring honor to the family.
“In the past, I had no such ambition,” Wei Jinyi replied.
“In the past?”
“Yes.”
“Has that changed now?”
“There have been some changes.”
“So you want to take the exams now?” Wei Ruo inquired.
Wei Jinyi was only sixteen years old. Though he would be starting later than Wei Yichen and the others, in an era where scholars devoted their entire lives to the civil service examinations, he was not considered late.
Instead of answering, Wei Jinyi changed the subject and asked about Wei Ruo: “I heard Mother is arranging for you to attend lessons at the county magistrate’s residence.”
“That’s right. I hope she takes her time arranging it.”
“You don’t want to go?” Wei Jinyi asked.
“No, I don’t,” Wei Ruo said, pursing her lips and sighing helplessly.
“Is it the lessons you don’t want, or is it going to the magistrate’s?” Wei Jinyi pressed.
“I’m not particularly keen on lessons, but more than that, I really don’t want to study together with Wei Qingwan,” Wei Ruo replied.
Perhaps because they had shared life-and-death experiences, Wei Ruo had lowered her guard around Wei Jinyi and would share things with him that she wouldn’t say to other members of the Wei family.
And besides, Wei Jinyi already knew about the incident before.
Wei Ruo said, “Actually, I wanted to find a female tutor on my own, but that idea was rejected. I’m not sure how much longer I can use the matter of the wasteland in the southern part of the city to stall.”
In truth, Wei Ruo was perfectly capable of affording a female tutor’s fees and could find one with decent qualifications. The challenge was doing so without revealing herself and getting the Commandant’s Office to approve the arrangement. She hadn’t figured out a suitable solution yet.
Observing the slight worry on Wei Ruo’s face, Wei Jinyi said, “I can help you invite a reputable female tutor.”
“You can find a renowned female tutor?” Wei Ruo looked at him with skepticism.
Such women were not easy to hire; money alone could not guarantee their services.
“My birth mother came from a family of scholars and has connections in this area. I still have ties with her side of the family. Helping you invite a tutor should not be too difficult,” Wei Jinyi explained.

Wei Ruo wasn’t very familiar with Wei Jinyi’s birth mother’s background, but seeing his earnest expression, she knew he was sincere in wanting to help her—and confident that he could.
So Wei Ruo accepted his offer without reservation.
“If it’s a respected tutor, I might have a way to solve this and get them to agree that I needn’t study with Wei Qingwan,” Wei Ruo mused, a plan forming in her mind.
Wei Jinyi noticed the sly glint in Wei Ruo’s lively eyes and the faint upward curve of her lips, and he found himself looking forward to how she would handle the matter.
After chatting a while longer, Xiumei and Xiaobei returned with the dishes they had prepared.
Three dishes and a soup, steaming hot, filled the courtyard with fragrance.
Wei Ruo invited Xiumei to sit and eat with them, and Wei Jinyi called Xiaobei to the table as well.
None of them were rigid about class distinctions, and since there were no outsiders present today, master and servant did not have to be so clearly separated.
Four people sat around the small stone table in the octagonal pavilion. Of the four dishes, three were mild and not spicy.
Wei Ruo warned Wei Jinyi ahead of time that the stir-fried chicken giblets, like the seafood hotpot from last time, could be spicy and might choke him; she advised him to avoid it and drink more chicken soup instead.
At first, Wei Jinyi did avoid the chicken giblets, but after sampling the other three dishes, curiosity got the better of him and he tried a small bite.
Remembering how he had choked last time, he ate very slowly and carefully this time, chewing each bite thoroughly.
He seemed intent on discovering what it was about this pungent flavor that so captivated Wei Ruo.
Seeing him try it again, Wei Ruo watched him with curiosity.
When he didn’t choke as he had the last time, she asked, “Well?”
“It is not exactly delicious, but neither is it unpalatable,” was Wei Jinyi’s verdict.
“If you try it a few more times, perhaps you’ll develop a taste for it,” Wei Ruo replied.
“Perhaps.”
Since it was inconvenient for her to move, Wei Ruo spent the afternoon in the pavilion at Yingzhu Courtyard. Xiumei brought her some account books.
She and Wei Jinyi sat on opposite sides, each absorbed in their own work, not disturbing each other. They spent the afternoon in quiet companionship.
At one point, Wei Jinyi caught a glimpse of Wei Ruo’s handwriting on her papers. The characters were so childish, as if she had only recently begun practicing, comparable only to seven-year-old Wei Yilin’s.
After sharing dinner together that evening, Wei Ruo, with Xiumei’s help, hopped back to Tingsong Courtyard.
After Wei Ruo left, Wei Jinyi wrote a letter and entrusted it to Xiaobei to deliver outside the residence.
When Xiaobei returned, he brought back a reply: the task the young master had assigned would be accomplished without fail.

After the Grain in Ear festival, the temperature began to rise, but compared to previous years, it remained relatively cool.
The old farmers were already starting to worry about this year’s harvest. If things continued as they were, the yields would be no better than in the past two years—perhaps even worse.
After several days of rest, Wei Ruo had fully recovered and went once again to the wasteland south of the city.
The experimental plot she had chosen had already been cleared of weeds, and the first batch of sealed, fermented furfural residue and humus had been applied.
These materials, being acidic, would neutralize the alkaline soil, making the land suitable for ordinary crops.
Wei Ruo instructed the laborers to carry out a second round of humus burial that day.
The two laborers and Madam Zhang didn’t fully understand her instructions, but they carried out their work diligently.
Wei Ruo had wanted to work in the field herself, but Madam Zhang persuaded her to stay in the cart and leave the tasks to them.
So Wei Ruo reclined inside the cart, directing Madam Zhang and the two workers as they worked.
At noon, Wei Ruo sat under the camphor tree beside the test field to rest. Xiumei was on her left, Madam Zhang on her right, while the two workers rested by a small river farther away.
Xiumei brought out the lunch she had prepared in advance: braised pork over rice, with a side of blanched greens.
Wei Ruo had also prepared the same meal for Madam Zhang and the two workers, each portion packed in a separate lunchbox.
After handing one box to Madam Zhang, Xiumei brought the other two boxes to Agui and Xiaoba by the river.
Madam Zhang and the two workers were stunned when they received their lunchboxes.
The young lady had actually prepared a meal for the servants as well!
“Don’t just stand there staring—eat up! At this hour, you won’t have the strength for work if you don’t eat your fill,” Wei Ruo called to the three of them.
Snapping out of their daze, the trio quickly set aside their own coarse cornbread and opened the boxes Wei Ruo had given them.
Meat! Big, generous chunks of meat!
Excitement gleamed in the eyes of Madam Zhang and the two workers.