Chapter 38: The Fifteenth Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month, an Auspicious Day

After the rent was collected, the villagers dispersed, and before long, wisps of cooking smoke began to rise throughout the village. From time to time, one could hear the crowing of roosters, the barking of dogs, and the voices of people calling out to their children.

"Master Fan, if you are not in a hurry to leave, why not stay the night at my humble home? I shall have my wife prepare a guest room or two."

The speaker was Gu Pengru, the only scholar in Haoyuan Village, who held the status of a government student. Rarely granted an opportunity to curry favor with a provincial graduate, the opportunistic Gu was not about to let this chance slip by.

Fan Jin frowned slightly. "There is no need to trouble yourself. It is getting late; you should return home, Student Gu."

With that, he stood up and walked toward his carriage. As Gu Pengru prepared to press further, Monk Hui suddenly stepped forward, his pockmarked, millstone-sized face looming over the scholar. Terrified, Gu stumbled backward and fled in a panic.

Once the student had departed, Monk Hui tilted his head back, spat a glob of thick phlegm onto the ground, and grumbled, "Trying to cozy up to my master, that filthy wretch! He doesn't even know his own station!"

After muttering a few more curses, he leapt onto his horse and cracked his whip, chasing after the carriage.

By the time they returned to the city, the red clouds on the horizon had faded into darkness. A crescent moon rose silently, casting the shadows of the roadside branches onto the stone path, flickering and indistinct.

A cold wind swept by, making the leaves rustle. Old Uncle Fu hurried to pick up a garment and draped it over Fan Jin, who had just alighted from the carriage. "Master, the air is chilly. Please, put this on."

Fan Jin nodded and thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

"The Master has returned!" the gatekeeper announced, quickly throwing open the doors. Soon, the previously quiet Fan estate became lively.

Fan Jin walked through several corridors until he reached the main hall, which was bright and illuminated with lamps.

"Husband, you have returned. Did everything go smoothly?" Hu Yingying asked, stepping forward with two maids while Fan Jin washed his hands.

Before Fan Jin could reply, Mother Fan waved her hand. "Enough. Jin has been busy all day; let us serve the meal first."

At her words, maids and servants began to set the table.

"Has Father-in-law not returned yet?" Fan Jin asked, glancing around the room.

Mother Fan shook her head with a smile. "As for him..."

Before she could finish, Old Man Hu stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. Hu Yingying called for someone to brew a bowl of hangover tea. After the Butcher Hu drank it to warm his stomach and clear his head, he slumped comfortably in his chair, his eyes still heavy with sleep. "Oh, son-in-law, you're back?"

"Jin has been out all day and just returned." Mother Fan finished a bowl of winter melon soup and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief handed to her by a servant. "Has our relative had dinner? If you don't mind, why not sit and have a bite?"

"I ate earlier," Old Man Hu said warmly. "I spent the day drinking with my old brothers, which is why I returned a bit late."

This was true; although Old Man Hu was idle, he was surprisingly punctual, and even when he went carousing, he rarely stayed out overnight.

After Mother Fan chatted with Old Man Hu for a while, she looked at Fan Jin and said thoughtfully, "Jin, when do you plan to depart for the capital?"

"In about two or three days," Fan Jin replied vaguely.

Mother Fan smiled. "I had someone consult the calendar earlier, and they said the fifteenth is an auspicious day. If you depart on that day, you will surely have the protection of the gods, a smooth journey, and success in the imperial examinations!"

Fan Jin had no objections and nodded in agreement.

"And have all the preparations been made?" Mother Fan asked, looking at Hu Yingying with anticipation.

Hu Yingying laughed heartily. "Mother, what are you saying? My husband’s journey to the spring examinations is a momentous event; how could I not be attentive?" She added, "Everything needed for the road has been prepared. As for those accompanying him, I leave it to my husband's wishes, though I had in mind Sister Hongdou and Sister Qinghe."

"You are always thorough and thoughtful; I trust your judgment," Mother Fan said, patting Hu Yingying's hand before turning to Fan Jin. "What do you think, Jin?"

"Then we shall do as Mother and Yingying wish." Fan Jin thought for a moment; Hongdou and Qinghe were his favorite concubines, and Hu Yingying’s arrangement showed her generosity.

"And the rest of the retinue?" Mother Fan asked.

Fan Jin considered this. "I will have Old Uncle Fu take two servants, and each of the concubines will bring a maid. Monk Hui shall serve as the guard. It is a long journey, so we should not bring too many people."

With that, his gaze fell on Old Man Hu. "Father-in-law, would you have any interest in joining me on the trip to the capital?"

"This... would that be appropriate?" Although he spoke with hesitation, Old Man Hu’s expression betrayed his excitement. "After all, son-in-law, you are going to the capital for the examinations. That is a matter of the utmost importance."

Fan Jin smiled. "It is no trouble. The road is long, and there will be plenty of time for sightseeing and visiting friends."

Old Man Hu had little interest in sightseeing, but he was immensely curious about the legendary capital beneath the Emperor's feet. He knew he would never want to live there permanently—all his connections were here, and he feared he would not adapt to a place where he was a stranger. However, the thought of going to the capital, broadening his horizons, and returning to boast about its prosperity and his own status to his rustic old friends made his heart race.

If his son-in-law were to place high in the examinations, his own status would rise another tier. He would no longer just be the father-in-law of a provincial graduate, but the father-in-law of a Jinshi scholar! Just imagining it made his cheeks flush, as if a spark of inspiration had descended from the heavens, rushing from his crown down to the soles of his feet.

"Have you decided, Father-in-law?" Fan Jin asked with a smile.

Old Man Hu snapped back to reality, giving an awkward laugh, neither accepting nor refusing.

Mother Fan chimed in to persuade him. "Relative, it is not just you. Even an old bag of bones like me, if my health permitted, would go to the capital to see the world. It is a pity for Yingying, who must stay behind to look after an old woman like me! Why don't you go as a scout for us and see the splendor of the capital?"

Old Man Hu quickly replied, "What are you saying, relative? It is Yingying's good fortune to have married my son-in-law, and a blessing for the Hu family. To be able to stay by your side is something others would envy; how could this be a pity?"

He gritted his teeth. "Very well, I shall cast aside my old face and take advantage of my son-in-law's kindness to accompany him and take a look."

He had originally worried that his crude manners might offend the nobility in the capital, but since it had come to this, he could not refuse.