Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 161: A Tricky Matter
Zhu Ping’an clicked his tongue in surprise. The Li family really was wealthy and powerful. In ancient times, coral was definitely a rare item and very expensive.
Ge Hong’s “Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital” states: “King Nanyue once presented a coral tree, one zhang and three chi tall.” Ge Hong, who prided himself on his immortal-like demeanor, specifically recorded this event in his miscellany, which shows that such a coral tree was also very rare in his eyes, so he felt the need to document it. When this coral tree was brought to the imperial palace, it caused a huge stir and quickly became one of the prized treasures of Emperor Wu’s court. This shows that coral was extremely rare and valuable in the Han Dynasty. Why was coral so expensive? A poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin can serve as indirect evidence. In his poem “Green City”, he writes: “The jade wheel looks back at the newly born rabbit’s soul, the iron net has no branches for coral yet.” This poem describes how coral was harvested with an iron net in the vast ocean. Given the limited production methods of ancient times, harvesting coral was as difficult as climbing to the heavens, which is why it was so expensive.
Zhu Ping’an did not know what kind of coral Landlord Li had brought for the scheming girl, but it was definitely worth a great deal. In ancient times, having such a doting father was rare indeed.
While Zhu Ping’an marveled at this, he still couldn’t understand why the scheming girl had secretly given him money.
When Landlord Li was pampering his precious daughter, he noticed Zhu Ping’an watching from the door of the study.
Which family’s young man is this?
Why is he in my house?
Could he be here for my daughter?
Just as Landlord Li considered the third possibility, he swiftly moved to hide his daughter behind him and waved toward Zhu Ping’an, intending to figure things out. His precious daughter was not someone just anyone could covet.
Seeing Landlord Li wave at him, Zhu Ping’an calmly walked over.
“Greetings, Landlord Li.”
When he got closer, Zhu Ping’an cupped his hands in greeting.
“Who are you?” Landlord Li asked, sizing Zhu Ping’an up curiously.
“I’m Zhu Ping’an from Xiahe Village,” Zhu Ping’an replied calmly.
Upon hearing the name, Landlord Li suddenly understood. “Oh, so you’re that poor young man who often comes to borrow books.”
“Father, you can’t keep calling him a poor young man. He’s accomplished now, you know? He became a xiucai, and he’s the top-ranked scholar in our town!” The scheming girl, who had been hidden behind her father, said sarcastically, her tone full of disdain for Zhu Ping’an.
After hearing his daughter’s mockery and disdain for Zhu Ping’an, Landlord Li sighed in relief. As long as his daughter was not interested in him, everything was fine.
So Shu’er said he was a xiucai? It was rare to see one so young. But a xiucai was still only a xiucai. Landlord Li had met plenty of them, even government officials, so after his initial surprise he did not think much of it.
Many xiucai never advanced any further and eventually returned home to teach or take up other modest work. They might not be wealthy, but their social standing was still somewhat higher than that of ordinary commoners.
Landlord Li’s reaction was exactly what Zhu Ping’an had expected.
“Here’s the thing,” Zhu Ping’an continued. “I’ve been indebted to Landlord Li for several years for allowing me to borrow books from the study. Thanks to that, I was fortunate enough to pass the Children’s Examination this year. In three days, my parents are hosting a banquet at home, and I came to invite Landlord Li to attend.”
“Oh, it’s a bit unfortunate. I’ve encountered some troublesome matters recently, and I’m afraid I won’t have time,” Landlord Li said, shaking his head and politely declining Zhu Ping’an’s invitation.
Zhu Ping’an had expected this rejection.
What puzzled him was whether the “troublesome matters” Landlord Li mentioned were genuine or merely an excuse. If it was just a polite way of declining, that would be fine. But if the trouble was real, Zhu Ping’an wondered whether he could help, given how much he owed the Li family.
“Oh? I wonder what kind of troublesome matter Landlord Li is facing. If there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to tell me,” Zhu Ping’an asked politely.
Landlord Li glanced at Zhu Ping’an again and gave a small, dismissive laugh. “Perhaps you’re learned in books, but this troublesome matter is not something you could handle.”
Well, that was that.
Since Landlord Li did not seem inclined to say more, Zhu Ping’an decided not to press him. If Landlord Li wanted to tell him, he would do so without being asked; if not, there was nothing to gain by prying. Zhu Ping’an then took his leave.
“Forgive my rashness, Landlord Li. You’ve been working hard, and I won’t trouble you any further. I’ll take my leave,” Zhu Ping’an said, bowing respectfully and preparing to take his leave.
Landlord Li did not stop him and even offered to let him borrow a couple more books, saving him the trouble of making several trips.
After bidding farewell to Landlord Li, Zhu Ping’an returned to the study. Since Landlord Li had already given his permission, Zhu Ping’an went to the bookshelf, picked out two books on strategy, and placed them in his bag, preparing to head home.
Just as he was about to leave, the scheming girl stormed in with an angry look on her face.
“It’s outrageous! Betraying us like this, when I even called them uncles and aunts before. What a pack of ungrateful wolves! I can’t believe it! I’ll check the accounts myself and expose them!” Li Shu fumed as she walked in, speaking to the bun-faced maid Hua’er.
Zhu Ping’an, who was about to leave, stayed a couple more minutes to listen. It seemed the “troublesome matter” Landlord Li had mentioned was exactly what Li Shu was so upset about. He had not expected it to be true, but it turned out to be a problem involving the household’s shopkeepers and the indenture contracts that bound them to the Li family.
The reduced profits, coupled with the inability to find any issues during the account checks, had provided the shopkeepers with the perfect excuse to further their schemes. They had been in contact with other businesses, causing instability in the commercial network Landlord Li had painstakingly built. The shopkeepers were employees, not bound by any formal contracts like the household servants, and it seemed that they had some familial ties to the Li family as well. Without any concrete evidence, Landlord Li couldn’t act hastily, so the matter had become one of great difficulty for him.