It is said that Zhou Shoubei and Zhang Shuye, the prefect of Jinan Prefecture, together defeated Song Jiang of Liangshan, along with thirty-six leaders and over ten thousand followers, who were all pacified. With the region stabilized, they reported to the court, and the emperor was greatly pleased. Zhang Shuye was promoted to Imperial Censor and the Governor of Shandong, while Zhou Shoubei was promoted to Commander of Military Affairs in Jinan, overseeing river patrols and capturing bandits. Those soldiers who distinguished themselves were all promoted one rank. Our Jing Ji was also promoted to staff officer, receiving two stones of rice each month, ensuring he could live without worries.
In mid-October, Zhou Shoubei returned home with the imperial decree and his men. He first sent someone to inform Chunmei, who was thrilled and sent Jing Ji, Zhang Sheng, and Li An out of the city to greet him. A banquet was held at home to celebrate Zhou Shoubei's promotion. The number of people coming to congratulate and bring gifts was incredible! Zhou Shoubei dismounted and entered the back hall, and Chunmei and Sun Erniang hurried out to welcome him. After the congratulations, Jing Ji donned a red robe, hat, black boots, and belt, and, with his new wife Ge, paid his respects to Zhou Shoubei. Zhou Shoubei was quite pleased with Ge and rewarded her with a new outfit and ten taels of silver for jewelry.
In the evening, Chunmei and Zhou Shoubei were drinking and chatting about family matters in the room. Chunmei said, "It cost a lot of money to marry off my younger brother." Zhou Shoubei said, "Hey, your younger brother came to you; how can he be without a wife! Even if it cost a few taels of silver, it's for his own benefit." Chunmei said, "You’ve also set him up with a good job, enough for him to get by." Zhou Shoubei said, "The imperial decree has come down; I will go to Jinan Prefecture to take up my post in a few days. You stay at home and get some money together, let him find a job as a manager and start a small business. In a few days, let him keep track of the finances, make some money, and keep him occupied." Chunmei said, "You're right." Then, the husband and wife... (ten thousand words omitted here). They stayed at home for ten days; in early November, Zhou Shoubei was getting ready to leave. He took Zhang Sheng and Li An to Jinan for their new positions, leaving Zhou Ren and Zhou Yi at home to take care of the place. Jing Ji saw them off at Yongfu Temple, south of the city, before returning.
One day, Chunmei discussed with Jingji: "Your brother-in-law wants you to start a business, find a manager, make some money, and help with the household expenses." Jingji was thrilled. While he was out looking for a manager, he ran into an old friend, Lu Bingyi. "Brother, long time no see!" Jingji said. "My wife passed away, and that bastard Yang Guangyan cheated me out of half a boatload of goods, leaving me broke. Now my sister's married Zhou Shoubei, I’ve also gotten married and been promoted, but I want to find a partner to start a business and don’t know where to begin." Lu Bingyi said: "Yang Guangyan, that jerk, cheated you out of your goods. Now he’s teamed up with someone named Xie to open a big hotel in Linqing Matou, and he’s also lending money at high interest rates, raking in a fortune. He dresses sharp, eats well, rides a donkey, and goes to collect debts every few days, ignoring his old friends. His brother runs a gambling den at home, raising dogs and fighting chickens, and no one dares to provoke him." Jingji said: "I ran into him once last year; he didn’t recognize me and even beat me up. Luckily, a friend saved me. I hate him!" So, the two went to a hotel on the roadside to drink and discuss how to deal with Yang Guangyan. Lu Bingyi said: "As the saying goes: 'A true gentleman doesn’t hold grudges over small things; a real man has to have some guts.' Reasoning with him is pointless; we need to make him pay. I have an idea: instead of getting into other businesses, let’s just file a complaint against him, get your money back, take over the hotel, put in some capital, and do it together. You can check the accounts every few days, and you could make forty taels of silver a month, which is way better than other businesses." **Things don’t always go as planned, not even a little.**
Jing Ji listened and said, "Younger brother, you are right! I will go home and talk to my sister and brother-in-law. Once the deal is done, I will let you and Xie Pangzi take charge together." After finishing their drinks, the two men went home. Jing Ji told Chunmei everything in detail, and Chunmei said, "What will you do if your brother-in-law isn't home?" The old family servant Zhou Zhong said, "No problem, wait for Uncle to write a statement, clearly stating the money and goods that were cheated, then write a letter of petition, seal them together, and I will take them to the magistrate's office to have Yang Guangyan arrested and interrogated harshly; he will surely confess." Jing Ji was thrilled and immediately wrote the statement, added the letter of petition, sealed it, and had Zhou Zhong take it to the magistrate's office. The officials at the magistrate's office read the statement and immediately sent people to arrest Yang Guangyan.
A few days later, the officials brought Yang Guangyan and his brother Yang Erfeng. Based on Jing Ji's statement, they were interrogated, beaten, detained for a few days, and recovered three hundred and fifty taels of silver and one hundred barrels of cloth. The items from the hotel were valued at fifty taels, while Jing Ji's statement claimed nine hundred taels, leaving a shortfall of three hundred and fifty taels. Yang Guangyan sold his house for fifty taels and lost all his family property. Jing Ji took over the hotel in partnership with Xie Pangzi. Chunmei pitched in an additional five hundred taels, bringing the total to one thousand taels, to have Lu Bingyi take charge, renovate the hotel, giving it a fresh new look.
**Three families drunk from the same jar, ten miles of fragrance from the opened wine jar. Immortals leave behind jade pendants, ministers untie their golden sable fur.**
Starting from the first day of the first month, Chen Jing Ji opened a large restaurant in Linqing Matou, and the business was thriving, earning three to five taels of silver a day. Xie Pangzi and Lu Bingyi were in charge of accounting. Every three to five days, Chen Jing Ji would go to check the accounts at the riverside, with Xiaojing tagging along. Lu Bingyi and Xie Pangzi tidied up the eleven rooms in the restaurant, setting up the beds, curtains, tables, and chairs neatly, as good as new. They also prepared banquets, invited four beautiful girls to accompany the guests, and Chen Saner was in charge of pouring drinks.
One sunny March day, with beautiful spring scenery, the willows were a vibrant green, and the apricot blossoms were a brilliant red. Chen Jingji stood by the railing of the tavern, taking in the bustling scene below. He felt a surge of joy and even composed a poem:
The wind caresses the brocade of mist,
In this tranquil season, the festivities are just starting.
Inspiring heroes with courage,
Easing the sorrows of the fair maiden.
On the riverbank, three feet of willows sway at dawn,
A pole leans beside the apricot blossoms.
A man has yet to realize his lifelong dreams,
But for now, he joyfully sings himself into a drunken reverie.
One day, Chen Jingji saw two boats moored by the river from the restaurant window. Many boxes and furniture such as stools were unloaded from the boats, and four or five people were moving these things into the vacant room in the restaurant. There were also two women on the boat, one tall, dark-skinned middle-aged woman, and the other a younger woman dressed elegantly, probably in her twenties. They also entered the house. Chen Jingji asked Fat Xie, "Who are these people? Why did they move things in without saying hello?" Fat Xie said, "These are two women from Tokyo. They couldn't find their relatives and had nowhere to stay temporarily, so they asked their neighbor Mr. Fan for help and will stay for a few days. I was just about to mention it when you asked." Chen Jingji was about to lose his temper, but the young woman came forward and bowed to him, saying, "Sir, please don't be angry. This has nothing to do with Manager Xie. It was presumptuous of us. We were in a hurry and didn't have time to report first. Please forgive us. We will only stay for three to five days, and then we will pay the rent and leave." Chen Jingji saw that the woman spoke very politely, and he scrutinized her carefully. The woman also looked at him, and their eyes met, suggesting a connection. Chen Jingji thought to himself, "Why does she look so familiar?" At this moment, the middle-aged woman also looked at him and said, "Sir, are you Mr. Chen from the Ximen family?" Chen Jingji was startled and asked, "How do you know me?" The woman said, "To be honest, I am Han Daoguo's wife, and this is my daughter, Aijie." Chen Jingji asked, "How did you and your husband end up all the way out here from Tokyo? Where is your husband?" The woman said, "He's keeping an eye on the stuff on the boat." Chen Jingji quickly called someone to fetch Han Daoguo.
Before long, Han Daoguo arrived. His hair was completely white. After greeting Chen Jingji, he said, "Cai, Tong, Li, Zhu, Gao, and Li the Eunuch were all accused by Chen Dong and subsequently impeached. The emperor issued an edict to send them into exile in remote areas for military service. Cai You was executed, and his family property was confiscated. My family of three managed to escape and sought refuge with my second brother, but he had sold his house and vanished. We hired a boat and traveled downstream, unexpectedly meeting you here, which is truly a stroke of luck!" Han Daoguo then asked, "Is Sir still at Sir Ximen's house?" Chen Jingji shook his head and said, "I am no longer at his house. I am now a staff officer at my brother-in-law Zhou Shoubei's mansion. We opened this hotel together and are getting by this way. Since you have encountered me, don't leave. Stay here and make yourselves at home." Han Daoguo and his wife thanked him and began to move their belongings. Chen Jingji also asked Xiaojing and Chensan to help. Han Daoguo's wife, Wang Luer, said, "Sir, you don't need to worry." Everyone felt very happy. Chen Jingji said, "We are family, no need to be polite." As night began to fall, Chen Jingji had to go home. He told Xie Pangzi, "Please take some snacks to them." He rode his horse home, thinking about Han Aijie all the way.
The next day, early in the morning on the third day, Chen Jingji dressed neatly and brought Xiaojing to the restaurant. After checking on the business, Han Daoguo sent someone to invite him for tea. Chen Jingji was about to go when Han Daoguo's messenger arrived, so he stood up and went. Han Aijie came out with a smile to greet him, bowing and saying, "Please, take a seat inside, Sir." Chen Jingji entered the room, accompanied by Wang Luer and Han Daoguo. After finishing their tea, they reminisced about the past. Chen Jingji kept looking at Han Aijie, and Han Aijie also kept looking at Chen Jingji, both clearly interested in each other. He then wrote a poem:
The narrow shoes trimmed with spring silk, her fragrant body and soft bosom, like a nest of jade. The beautiful quality cannot withstand the charming posture, a heart full of unspoken sorrow reflected in autumn's waves.
After a while, Han Daoguo left. Han Aijie asked, "How old is the gentleman?" Chen Jingji said, "Twenty-six." Chen Jingji asked, "How old is the sister?" Han Aijie smiled and said, "I am the same age as the gentleman, also twenty-six. I met you before at my father's house, and unexpectedly met here again. It's truly fate to meet from afar." Wang Luer noticed their lively conversation and found an excuse to leave, leaving just the two of them. Han Aijie began to say some ambiguous words to Chen Jingji; how could Chen Jingji not understand her meaning? He joked with her. It turned out that Han Aijie and her mother had been a bit flirtatious since they came from Tokyo, and now, seeing Chen Jingji, they were even more in tune. When no one was around, Han Aijie walked to Chen Jingji and sat down, playfully saying, "Gentleman, let me see your golden hairpin." Chen Jingji was about to take it out, but Han Aijie held his hair down and pulled out the hairpin, smiling and saying, "I'll take you upstairs to talk." Chen Jingji followed her upstairs. The poem says:
When the wind comes, the flowers dance on their own, and spring enters the birds' speech.
Chen Jingji asked, "What does the sister want to say?" Han Aijie said, "We have fate; we met today, and I want to be with you." Chen Jingji said, "It's not every day a lady like you takes an interest in me; I'm just worried about being seen." Han Aijie grew bolder, hugged Chen Jingji, and untied his pants... The two couldn't help themselves; Han Aijie took off her clothes and lay on the bed... The poem says:
With courage as boundless as the sky, what is there to fear? A love that lasts a hundred years, like a pair of mandarin ducks.
Jing Ji asked the girl, "What do they call you?" Han Aijie said, "They call me Wu Jie since I was born on the Dragon Boat Festival, but you can also call me Ai Jie." After a while, the dark clouds cleared and the rain stopped, and the two sat next to each other. Han Aijie put the golden hairpin back in Jing Ji's hair, then said to him, "My family of three came from Tokyo to visit relatives, but we couldn't find them, and we ran out of money. If you have some money to spare, could you lend my dad five taels of silver? I promise to pay you back with interest, so please don't turn me down." Jing Ji agreed and said, "No problem, sister, just ask, I’ll get you five taels." The two sat there for a bit longer, worried about what others might say, had a cup of tea, and Aijie even asked Jing Ji to stay for lunch. Jing Ji said, "I’ve got some stuff to take care of, so I can’t stay for lunch, but I’ll bring the money over later." Aijie said, "I’ll whip up some drinks and snacks this afternoon, so don’t say no, just come hang out."
Jingji had lunch in the store, then wandered the streets for a while. He met his senior Jin Zongming, whom he had met at Yanguo Temple. Jin Zongming greeted him warmly, and Jingji told him everything that had happened. Jin Zongming said, "I didn't expect you to settle down in the Prefect's Mansion and open a store. I haven't had a chance to drop by. Tomorrow, I will have my disciple bring you some tea, and you can come to the temple when you have some time." With that, Jin Zongming left. Jingji returned to the store, and Lu, the manager, said, "Mr. Han from the Han family invites you for a drink but couldn't find you." Just then, Ba Lao came to invite him again. So Jingji went to the Han family with both managers. The table was already set. Jingji took his seat, Han Daoguo sat in the main seat, Lu Bingyi and Xie Pangzi sat beside him, Wang Luer and Aijie sat next to them, and Ba Lao poured wine and served dishes on the side. After a few drinks, the two managers exchanged knowing looks and said, "Take your time drinking, we'll go check the counter." They got up and left. Jingji wasn't a heavy drinker, so when the managers left, he started drinking freely with the Han family, starting to feel tipsy. Aijie asked, "Are you not going home tonight?" Jingji said, "It's too late, I can't go home. I'll go back tomorrow." After a while, Wang Luer and Han Daoguo went downstairs. Jingji took out five taels of silver from his sleeve and handed it to Aijie. Aijie took it to Wang Luer and then came back up. They chatted and drank until the early hours. Aijie removed her makeup, and Jingji rested in the upstairs room. That night... (details not included). Aijie used to be a housekeeper in the Grand Secretary's Mansion in Tokyo, serving the old lady, so she could play the zither, read and write, and was skilled in many things. Jingji was really pleased and took a liking to her. And so, they ended up spending the night together. They woke up late the next day, just in time for lunch. Wang Luer made some chicken meatballs and a bowl of brain soup to help him recover. They drank a few cups of hot wine. After a while, the manager came to call Jingji for lunch. After eating and washing up, Jingji said goodbye to Aijie and was getting ready to head home. Aijie was sad to see him go and started crying. Jingji said, "I'll swing by in a few days when I'm back home. Don't worry." With that, he took Xiaojinger and rode back to the city. On the way, Jingji told Xiaojinger, "Don't talk about the Han family when you get home." Xiaojinger said, "I know, I won't say a word."
" "
Jingji returned to the house and said that business at the shop was busy, so he stayed late to do the accounts and stayed out overnight. He handed the interest money to Chunmei, which amounted to thirty taels of silver. When he got home, Ge Cuiping started complaining: "Why did you stay out overnight again? You must have gone to the brothel again, leaving me alone at home, not wanting to come back!" She kept Jingji at home for a whole week or more, not letting him go to the riverbank. The shop had Xiaojinger go to collect the interest from the manager. The manager gave all the money to Xiaojinger.
Han Daoguo had his wife Wang Liuer attract customers, with some merchants coming to the house to drink tea and wine. Han Daoguo enjoyed the benefits, relying on his wife to support the family. Although Wang Liuer was old, she still had her charm, and with her daughter's help, she continued in this line of work, now doing even better. When Jingji stopped coming, Han Daoguo had the bartender Chen Saner help him find a silk merchant from Huzhou, Mr. He, to meet his daughter Aijie. Mr. He, in his fifties, had over a thousand taels of silk goods and wanted to invite Aijie. Aijie felt unhappy because she was thinking of Jingji and refused to come downstairs several times, which left Han Daoguo helpless. Mr. He saw Wang Liuer, tall and slender, with rosy skin, a melon seed face, dressed up and charming, with bright eyes and red lips, thinking this woman was definitely alluring. He left a couple of taels of silver, had drinks with Wang Liuer at home, and spent the night together. Han Daoguo stayed outside overnight. His daughter stayed upstairs and kept to herself when she saw her mother entertaining guests. From then on, Mr. He was completely taken by Wang Liuer, and the two became inseparable, meeting every few days to spend the night together. Han Daoguo also made quite a bit of money from this.
Han Aijie saw Jing Ji hadn't come for over ten days; she was really anxious and eagerly waiting for him. She asked Ba Lao to check at the Prefectural Office. Ba Lao ran into Xiao Jiang and quietly asked him, "Why hasn't the master come?" Xiao Jiang said, "The master hasn't been feeling well lately and hasn't been out." Ba Lao came back and told Aijie. Aijie and Wang Liu'er talked it over and picked up a pair of pig's trotters, two roast ducks, two fish, and a box of pastries, then wrote a letter upstairs, telling Ba Lao, "Make sure to give it to Master Chen in person and get a reply back." Ba Lao took the letter and gifts and headed straight to the Prefectural Office. When he got to the Prefectural Office, he sat down on the stone platform by the road. At that moment, Xiao Jiang came out and saw Ba Lao, asking, "What are you doing here again?" Ba Lao quickly bowed to him, pulled him aside, and said, "I've got some gifts and something to say; I can only wait for you. Can you inform the master?" Xiao Jiang turned and went in. Soon after, Jing Ji came out. It was probably May, and it was really hot. Jing Ji was wearing a gauze robe, a bamboo hat, and sandals. Ba Lao quickly bowed and said, "Is the master feeling any better? Han Aijie asked me to deliver a letter and gifts." Jing Ji took the letter and asked, "Is Wu Jie doing well?" Ba Lao said, "Wu Jie has been worried since the master hasn't visited. She asked me to inquire when the master would have time to visit." Jing Ji opened the letter, which read:
Han Aijie wrote a letter to Master Chen, respectfully inquiring after his well-being and expressing how much she misses him since their separation. She had been waiting at home for him as they had previously agreed to meet, but he never showed up. A few days ago, she sent eight old servants to inquire about his condition, but they couldn't find him. Hearing that he was unwell, she felt extremely anxious and upset, longing to be by his side immediately. However, knowing that Master Chen has a wife and concubines at home, she understood that he would not have any thoughts about her, just like a discarded fruit pit. She sent along some food and tea as a token of her concern, hoping he would accept them. She didn't have much else to say. Additionally, she sent a sachet embroidered with mandarin ducks and a strand of green silk to express her feelings.
Jingji read the letter and saw the sachet, which contained the green silk and was inscribed with the words "Sent to my beloved Chen under the knees." He carefully stored the letter and sachet, then instructed Xiao Jiang to take the eight old servants to a nearby inn for drinks while he composed a reply. Xiao Jiang quickly collected the four boxes of gifts. Jingji returned to the study, secretly wrote a reply, enclosed five taels of silver, and went to the inn to ask the old servants how their drinking was going. The servants said they had almost finished drinking and were ready to leave. Jingji gave them the silver and the reply, asking them to go back and pay their respects to Han Wujie, and also gave them five taels of silver for expenses, saying he would visit her in a few days. The eight old servants accepted the silver and the reply before departing. When Jingji returned home, Ge Cuiping asked who had sent the gifts, and he said they were from Xie Pangzi (the fat man), who had heard that he was unwell and sent his regards. Cuiping believed him. The couple discussed and had Jin Qian'er take a tray with a roast duck, a fish, and half a pig's trotter to the backyard for Chunmei to eat, saying it was from Xie Pangzi and not asking further questions. They chose not to mention this matter for now. When the eight old servants arrived at the riverbank, it was already dark. They handed the silver and the reply to Han Aijie. She opened the letter and read:
Beloved younger brother Jìng Jì respectfully receives your letter. My dear sister Hán Wǔ Jiě: I was deeply honored to receive your kind letter filled with love and affection. I always look forward to our meetings, but unfortunately, I am unable to meet your expectations due to my illness. I truly appreciate you sending someone to visit me, along with the delicious food and thoughtful gifts. I am genuinely grateful! I will make sure to reply in person within the next couple of days. Enclosed, you will find five taels of silver, a piece of silk, and a small token of my respect. I hope you can understand my situation. Respectfully yours, Jìng Jì bows again.
Also attached to the letter is a silk handkerchief with four lines of poetry:
A silk handkerchief woven with intricate patterns,
Ink and brush strokes flow fresh and new.
Sent to my beloved sister Hán Wǔ Jiě,
May our love last a hundred years, like the union of the phoenix and the phoenix.
After reading the letter and poem, Hán Ài Jiě gave the silver to Wáng Liù Er. Mother and son were very happy and eagerly awaited Jìng Jì's arrival.
When a dear friend arrives, the joy never ends,
When a kindred spirit comes, conversation flows naturally.
As evidenced by the poem:
Under the azure silk curtain, a letter is opened and read,
The paper carries the fragrance of clouds and geese.
I know your brush strokes flow with the grace of skilled hands,
Our shared longing is conveyed without a single word.
