Xu Mo's words made the siblings fall silent.
They hoped Zheng Ruqian's business would thrive, but also worried he would encounter danger.
They also hoped their third brother could eat meat and that life in the borderlands wouldn't be so bitterly cold.
In truth, this was a multiple choice question. Delivering the goods meant choosing Zheng Ruqian, not delivering meant choosing Fang Heng. It was difficult to make a choice when there was upside either way.
After a long while, Chang Yan said softly, "We don't need to choose, second brother already chose."
Based on the dates on the envelope, this letter was sent some time ago. According to the contents, Zheng Ruqian had already arrived in Anshui Prefecture and was expanding his workshop to deliver meat to the borderlands.
"Besides, there's no need to worry too much," Chang Yan slowly analyzed. "Delivering meat to the barracks is a good thing in itself. The imperial court also wants the border troops to eat and drink well, but is constrained by an empty treasury and tight finances. If second brother can really establish this supply line, the rewards would far outweigh the downsides."
It was like the principle of how water can bear a boat but also overturn it.
Looking at it the other way, if water can overturn a boat, it can also bear one.
The reason Zheng Ruqian dared to go so big was that he must have thought it through - doing this on a large scale would benefit the country, the people, and himself.
"Second brother has grown up," Xu Mo remarked sentimentally. "In just four years."
They went from a group of lonely, desolate children to gradually obtaining their own money, their own ideas, and their own futures.
But no matter how far they went or how big their steps, they never forgot their original intentions and were still the kind people they used to be.
Xu Mo stood up to fetch brush, ink, paper and inkstone. His brush strokes flowed swiftly and smoothly.
"I will tell second brother that we support him, but also ask him to take care of himself and protect the lives of those around him."
"The tests went well, I feel quite good about it. Please don't worry, if there is good news in April, I will send another letter."
"Younger siblings..." When he wrote about his family, Xu Mo's brush paused. In the end, he still mentioned what happened with the Jiang family, and exhorted Zheng Ruqian not to get too angry - it had no impact on their younger sister's life. She still wanted to open a noodle shop to earn more money.
Just as he was about to finish the letter, Jiang Sheng suddenly spoke up, "Tell second brother the mutton was delicious. See if sheep can be raised in Anshui Prefecture."
So he still hadn't given up that idea!
Xu Mo chuckled to himself and added this sentence with his brush before blowing on the ink to dry it and putting it into the envelope. He then sealed it with wax and handed it to a merchant acquaintance.
The Dayu Dynasty did have an official postal service for transporting documents and transmitting news. Express delivery across eight hundred li was commonplace.
But there was one issue - this postal service only served the imperial court. Occasionally they would also help large clans deliver some letters, but they wouldn't handle anything else.
For commoners who wanted to send a letter, most relied on people returning to their hometowns to bring it back, while a minority would seek the help of traveling merchants and pay them a little silver as compensation.
Of course, not every letter sent would reliably reach its destination. Losses and damage happened frequently.
During the Jin Dynasty there was a man named Yin Hongqiao. When he left office to return home, he received over a hundred letters - all were commoners yearning for their hometowns. But after he left, Yin Hongqiao threw them all into the river, muttering: "Let those letters sink or float as they would, I am not a messenger!"
After that, people often used the idiom "misdelivered to Hongqiao" to refer to lost letters that were never delivered. This showed that sending letters was a major difficulty.
Luckily Zheng Ruqian was rather capable. In his years of traveling to and fro, not only did he help deliver countless letters, he also befriended many fellow traveling merchants. If he was entrusted with one or two letters, it was almost certain they would reliably arrive.
Moreover, depending on the merchants' speed, the delivery time would also vary. For example, a letter from the borderlands only took less than twenty days; while one from Fengjing to Anshui Prefecture took over twenty before reaching Zheng Ruqian's hands.
In the Daisied Courtyard.
The simply-clad youth opened the letter envelope. His face was initially calm, but his brows gradually furrowed. By the end, his face was filled with disbelief.
"Master, what is this?" Zhang Qiquan craned over. "The cured sausages we sent to the borderlands were robbed by the Northern nomads?"
Zheng Ruqian hadn't even closed his mouth yet.
The hot-tempered Liu Cui stamped her foot. "Nonsense! What kind of rubbish are you spewing? Little Song is clever and had the troops to meet him. There's no way they ran into nomads!"
Zhang Qiquan quickly spat on the ground twice in acquiescence. Only then did Liu Cui's face reveal a smile.
Zheng Ruqian returned to his senses and put the letter into his chest, unsure of how to explain to Auntie Zhang and Uncle Zhang. So he simply said, "It's nothing. This letter is from Fengjing. Eldest brother took the Tests."
Zhang Qiquan and Liu Cui looked at each other, unable to conceal their shock and delight.
They really couldn't believe it - that little crippled boy from before had come this far step by step.
From county school student to licentiate, from licentiate to successful provincial candidate, and from that to tribute student.
"The Tests are over, so the Palace Exam should be next right?" Zhang Qiquan couldn't restrain his joy. "After passing the Palace Exam he can become an official. Xu Mo's bitterness is finally sweetness."
"Now we just await the public posting of the rankings," said Zheng Ruqian. "Eldest brother said it's almost certain, so it's truly almost certain."
A student who had taken first place in two test categories was unlikely to fall out of the running even if he didn't take first a third time.
Aside from Xu Mo's talents, his diligence alone made him worthy of becoming a tribute student.
Moreover, he had both talent and diligence.
"How about the others?" Liu Cui eagerly followed up. "Little Jiang Sheng? Big sister Zhang?"
Zheng Ruqian pressed his lips together, omitting the issue with the Jiang family as he selectively responded: "Auntie opened a shop with Jiang Sheng selling pastries under their family name. Business in Fengjing is booming, bringing in ample profits. Now they've also opened a new noodle shop."
Liu Cui's eyes reddened slightly. "That's good then. If big sister Zhang is doing well, I'll feel at ease."
Although the two women came from different backgrounds and led different lives, encountering each other made these kind souls care for one another across thousands of li.
"Big sister Zhang also sends you her regards," Zheng Ruqian smiled. "Auntie, if you have anything to say, write it in a letter. I'll bring it to big sister when I return to Fengjing."
"Alright," Liu Cui readily agreed and pulled Zhang Qiquan away.
Zheng Ruqian took out the letter envelope from his chest, smoothing and folding it before noticing there was still another sealed envelope tucked away - the recipient was Wang Fufeng.
He sighed and called for a long-term worker to deliver it to the Wang manor.
Calculating with his fingers, Zheng Ruqian arrived in the northern borderlands in late February. He left to return to Anshui Prefecture at the end of the month, spending a few days in Rehe on the way. Aside from that he traveled day and night to hurry back to Anshui Prefecture by mid March.
After expanding the workshop and making arrangements with the long-term workers, as well as visiting some old contacts, it was already the flower-blooming April of spring warmth. Many new business matters also needed to be scheduled.
The youth unfolded his hand-drawn map, gazing excitedly as he traced between Fengjing and Anshui Prefecture, then pointed southward towards Sichuan.
Now he just awaited Wang Xiaosong's return from the borderlands.
As if sensing his master's longing, Wang Big Mouth sneezed hard twice in a row, then worriedly covered his mouth.
Although there were troops ahead to meet them, they were still afraid - afraid of encountering the sudden raids of Northern nomads, afraid of not just losing their cargo but their very lives.
