Insufficient balance

  Xu Xilin's family home is very large. The house is located in Dongpu Town, Shaoxing City, and was built during the Qing Dynasty. It was originally purchased by Xu Xilin's grandfather, Tongxuan Gong, from a man named Zhu, and later renovated and expanded. The building faces south and occupies an area of 1100 square meters, with a total floor space of 575 square meters. The overall layout consists of three open spaces and three courtyards, comprising the entrance hall, main hall, tower, library, and other buildings. It is a typical example of a Jiangnan-style Qing Dynasty residence, with a brick-wood structure, white walls, and black tiles, giving it a closed appearance.

  A table of authentic Jiangsu and Zhejiang-style dishes was set up in the back hall, with simple but delicious food. There were ham, West Lake vinegar fish, tofu skin, osmanthus sugar lotus root, a few green vegetables, and Xu Xilin enthusiastically served Chen Ke dishes and poured wine. The Shaoxing yellow wine in the warm wine pot had a strong aftertaste, and after just two cups, Chen Ke already felt a bit tipsy.

  Three people, two of whom were renowned revolutionary predecessors, Chen Ke did not dare to underestimate them. He was as respectful as possible in his conversation and answered their questions as thoroughly as possible. Chen Ke's square face looked more honest and reliable, and with his polite speech, at least during the conversation, Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin became increasingly close to Chen Ke. And Chen Ke also unknowingly began to change his address from "Mr. Xu" to "Brother Xu".

  After reading Chen Ke's "masterpiece", Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin, two revolutionary predecessors, have been discussing how to build a strong army. Chen Ke answered on one hand, but was somewhat puzzled on the other. Now that China is building a strong military, the controller of this military will definitely be the Manchu Qing dynasty. Faced with such a powerful armed force, revolutionaries can only be slaughtered, so what's the point of making a revolution?

  It suddenly occurred to Chen Ke that he was somewhat familiar with Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin, but these two seniors knew nothing about him. Chen Ke was a "returned overseas student", and the two of them would not have much knowledge of European powers either, they must be the type who believed in "strong ships and powerful cannons". It was perfectly normal for their conversation to be related to the military.

  Chen Ke didn't want to just chat idly, so he changed the subject. "Brother Xu, you asked about the military, but Europe is not just about having a military, it's about the capitalist system. This system itself operates very differently from China's current situation. The Qing dynasty's current system is for the benefit of the Qing upper class and for the survival of the Qing regime itself. During the Hundred Days' Reform, the Manchu people said that reforming was to save China but not to save the Qing. Since the Qing has such an attitude, I want to save China, so I must overthrow the Qing. That's why I left home and joined the revolution." Chen Ke smiled slightly, looking a bit embarrassed, "I've spoken too boldly, please forgive me, Brother Xu."

  "Mr. Chen Ke, you have such a strong sense of justice, what is this talk of not knowing the height of heaven and the thickness of earth?" Qiu Jin said with a smile, lightly tapping on the table, and recited with emotion: "With ten million heads and blood, we must turn back the fate of the universe. If there were no Mr. Chen Ke, such a wise and noble scholar, willing to sacrifice himself for the country, China's future would be as dark and hopeless as it is now."

  "Autumn sister, I heard that you once stayed in the capital city, but the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China, and Autumn sister had to leave the capital. Such a thing..." Chen Ke sighed after finishing speaking.

  After hearing Chen Ke's words, Qiu Jin's face suddenly turned gloomy, but she didn't say a word, only raised her wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. The three had been talking for a while, and Chen Ke felt that Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin were becoming more and more familiar with each other. This was not just because the three were drinking together, but also because Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin's thoughts and words were very similar to those of later generations' "patriotic youth". Due to the humiliating history, they deeply resented the Qing imperial court and foreign foreigners.

  The 21st century that Chen Ke lives in is an era of China's resurgence and re-rise to dominance, encountering setbacks is far from losing power and dignity. Even so, young people are still dissatisfied and angry. In 1905, the anger of patriotic youths was the real invasion, looting, and humiliation of "Great China", this kind of anger is even more pure and unbearable. Chen Ke can probably understand this humiliation and anger because when he read modern Chinese history, he really had a feeling of not daring to open the book. That humiliation and anger made Chen Ke, a young man from a hundred years later, feel heartbroken and indignant, let alone the pain of young people who personally experienced that era, which is a hundred times more than Chen Ke's.

  Thinking of this, Chen Ke couldn't help but lower his eyes. The table fell silent for a moment, and Qiu Jin suddenly asked: "Mr. Chen, do you have a courtesy name? We addressing each other as 'Mr.' is really too formal."

  "I grew up abroad since I was a child, with only a name but no character. This... Chen Ke said somewhat embarrassedly, 'Uh, if the two of you don't mind, could you help me think about it for a bit?'"

  "Oh, Mr. Chen is being polite." Xú Xī Lǐn said with a smile.

  Qiu Jin didn't decline, "This isn't bad either. Does Chen Ke have a favorite phrase?"

  Chen Kexu pondered for a moment and replied: "The writing is indeed excellent. I will follow Zhou."

  "But those are words from the Analects of Confucius." Ah... Qiu Jin thought for a moment, "What can Wen Qing do about it?"

  Chen Ke almost burst out laughing when he heard this phrase. He suppressed his smile and nodded, "I think it's okay."

  "This character is not liked later, it can be changed." Qiu Jin continued to say.

  "I think it's great. Thank you very much." Chen Ke said hastily.

  I thought the conversation would turn to a lighter topic from here, but Qiu Jin's next words shocked Chen Ke.

  "Qingwen, after reading your article and recalling our conversations at the banquet, I feel that you're being somewhat evasive. Since you've come to visit Bohong in person, it seems like you have some knowledge about me. If what you know is merely based on your education, I wouldn't believe it." Qiu Jin said with a smile, but beneath her smile was something else. "Now, I actually believe that you're not a Manchu loyalist. If you were, this article alone would be enough to make you stand out. However, looking at you, you don't seem like a revolutionary either."

  After hearing Qiu Jin's words, Xue Xilun's eyes lit up and he nodded slightly. It seems that he also felt the same way, but couldn't express it as clearly as Qiu Jin did.

  At this point, Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin's vigilance towards Chen Ke was already so obvious. Chen Ke, on the other hand, felt relieved. If they had gotten along well, Chen Ke would have felt that he hadn't gained much. Getting along well usually requires prolonged contact to deepen emotions. Chen Ke didn't have that much time to gradually get in touch with them and deepen his feelings. Now this situation seemed tense, with both sides at odds, the outcome was either cooperation or a falling out. In any case, the result would appear quickly.

  Chen Ke drained the wine cup in front of him, and then put it down. "I think that nowadays revolutionaries have no other goal than to overthrow the Qing dynasty," Chen Ke said. "The better ones might come up with some vague plan, roughly saying they want to establish a certain kind of country. From what I've read and the little I know, their plans for a new country are just a pile of dog shit. What is revolution? It's changing the mandate of heaven. You can say that the Qing stole China, that it has a human face but a beastly heart, or whatever, but the fact that the Qing has lasted 260 years doesn't rely solely on its brutality. There's an entire system supporting its existence behind the scenes. My revolution is to overthrow this system. If you just bring down the Qing and China still has this system in place, do you think we can win against the powerful nations?"

  From the moment he saw Xue Xilun, Chen Ke tried to make himself look gentle and elegant. At this moment, Chen Ke didn't face the mirror, so naturally, he couldn't see his own expression. But Xue Xilun and Qiu Jin clearly saw that Chen Ke's eyes were wide open, and his expression could be said to have a murderous aura. Moreover, as Chen Ke's emotions became more agitated, an even sharper gaze almost burst out. The kind and smiling young man from just now was completely gone.

  "I think the two of you are so resentful towards Cixi that you'd like to eat her flesh and sleep on her skin. In my opinion, this can only mean that you have hopes for her. If the Eight-Nation Alliance hadn't invaded Beijing, burning and looting, but had been annihilated by the Qing army instead... if those foreigners had been paraded through the streets in shame... and foreign countries had been forced to pay reparations to China... I'm afraid the two of you would be shouting 'Long live Empress Dowager!' wouldn't you?" Chen Ke's words were already quite venomous, and upon hearing them, Xue Xilun's face suddenly turned ugly.

  "But for me, it's completely different. Since the Qing dynasty's system is absolutely no match for European countries, whoever is on stage, China can't possibly win. You reap what you sow, if you plant beans, you get beans, if you want to harvest melons but planted beans instead, isn't that laughable? Seeing Europe harvesting melons and blaming the Qing dynasty for not planting melons, isn't that ridiculous?" Chen Ke couldn't help but let out a cold laugh at this point.

  "I don't hate the Manchu people at all, at least I don't hate them now. The Manchu and the system they represent are hopeless. In today's world, it is completely impossible for China to shut itself off from the rest of the world. We must now look at the world and at China from a global perspective. Why was China beaten by those small European countries? Because China was weak. Why were the Chinese people looked down upon by the Europeans? Because China had made no contribution to the world. China had not been able to lead the world's trends forward. My revolution is to overthrow China's old system, make China strong and lead the whole world towards a brighter future." Chen Ke's voice rose to a sharp pitch as he spoke, almost as if he was about to shout.

  Perhaps feeling his own loss of composure, Chen Kechang took a deep breath and calmed down, also lowering his voice. "The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every individual. In foreign countries, there is a saying that when a country is in decline, we are all inferior people. China has been at the forefront of the world for over two thousand years. Today, we blame heaven and others, attributing the responsibility to the Manchu Qing dynasty. We didn't exist in this world when China was strong or weak, so it's naturally not our problem. However, today we are in this world, not seeking progress, but only resenting our predecessors for ruining China. That is a real insult to the word 'revolution'. Since we acknowledge that we want revolution, we should seek truth from facts and exhaust all our efforts. If we want to seek truth from facts, then we must first abandon our own biases. Why has China become so weak? What exactly went wrong? Is it the problem of the Manchu Qing dynasty or is it a problem with China's system?" Chen Kechang poured himself a cup of wine and said, "Today, we are here to enjoy ourselves over wine. But outside this house, China is not yet in a state of utter despair. We must acknowledge that. However, from my perspective, the old system will soon be unable to sustain itself. The era of desolation is about to arrive. I ask you two, who exactly is our enemy?" Chen Kechang stared at Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin.

  The two people opposite each other were speechless for a moment, and their original impression of Chen Ke had undergone a drastic change. Qiu Jin looked at Chen Ke, then at Xue Xilun, and suddenly burst out laughing, starting with a cold smile that eventually turned into uncontrollable laughter. After a while, Qiu Jin finally managed to stop her laughter, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. In a breathless voice unique to someone who has laughed too much, she said: "Mr. Chen, no, Wénqīng, Wénqīng. I really didn't understand before. You looked like you came from a noble family, but you ran to this rural area in Shaoxing to meet with Bóhóng, a minor local official. I thought there must be some big problem. But after hearing your words, Wénqīng, I finally understand. You are indeed a revolutionary party member. And as a revolutionary party member, you probably wouldn't last a day in the capital city. I apologize for suspecting you of deceit earlier."

  After hearing Qiu Jin's words, Xue Xilun also nodded his head. "At first, I read Wen Qing's masterpiece and felt a bit puzzled. Now I understand the state of mind with which Wen Qing wrote that masterpiece. Compared to Wen Qing's understanding, I am far inferior." Speaking to this point, Xue Xilun let out a deep sigh. "The revolutionary youth of today are truly talented. After reading Chen Tianhua and Zou Rong's masterpieces, I was amazed at how accomplished these twenty-year-old youths were. Unfortunately, Zou Rong passed away in prison in Shanghai just last month. If only I could have heard Wen Qing and Zou Rong discuss revolution together, I would truly be content to die."

  Xu Xilin sat up straight and said, "Wen Qing, you came to visit me early on and said you had something to ask of me. I'm not talented or capable, so I didn't have the power to drive you away. Now I just want to ask, Wen Qing, how do you want me to help?"

  "Brother Bohong, you're being too serious." Chen Ke hastily replied, "I know Brother Bohong has some connections in Shanghai. This revolution, if it doesn't have funding, is absolutely impossible. I want to do something in Shanghai, so I have an impolite request, and that's to ask Brother Bohong to take me to Shanghai. As an outsider, if I were to rashly go to Shanghai, I'd definitely end up dead with no place to be buried. Without the support of a revolutionary comrade like Brother Bohong, everything I say and think is just empty talk."

  "So it was," said Xue Xilin, "I wonder what Wen Qing is going to do in Shanghai."

  "Dyed cloth." Chen Ke replied.

  "Dyeing fabric?" Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin exchanged a curious glance. "Can dyeing fabric make a lot of money?"

  "A lot of money can't be made, but the first pot of gold can be earned. Don't be fooled, when I left home, I only brought some personal belongings with me, not a single penny. Hehe, actually, I was driven out. So, if you want to make a revolution, you have to start from scratch. That's why I came to Shaoxing and dared to ask Brother Bohong for help. What I said just now were all sincere words from my heart. However, speaking so boldly in Brother Bohong's home is extremely impolite. Please forgive me, Brother Bohong." After finishing his speech, Chen Ke stood up and bowed deeply to Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin.

  "Wen Qing doesn't have to be like this, no need to compare. Wen Qing is a figure who aspires to revolution, if I can help in any way, it would be my greatest joy." Xue Xilin stood up and walked over to pull Chen Ke.

  Chen Ke stood up and continued, "I am now penniless, if I don't get Brother Bo's support within a few days, I will have to resort to more reckless measures. So please, Brother Bo, tell me the truth, so that my brother can also decide on his next move."

  Xu Xilin heard this and was actually asked to make a statement. Although he admired Chen Ke very much, the two had met for less than half a day after all, and the words of agreement were really hard to say. At this time, Qiu Rong spoke up: "Wen Qing, how can you help, what route to take, see if sister me can help you."

  Since Chen Ke came from the 21st century and grew up under the red flag, he would not take Mao's phrase "seek truth from facts" as mere hearsay. In this year of 1905, revolution was a matter for those with money. Wealthy revolutionaries made an effort to befriend heroes from all over the country, and these heroes were not ordinary poor people either. To gain recognition from these revolutionaries, Chen Ke tried his best to look "fashionable" in his attire. Although he had no money himself, this outfit was enough proof, and Chen Ke also had something that could be sold for money. He took off a watch from his wrist and handed it to Qiu Jin, saying: "Sister Qiu, I'm asking you to pawn this watch for me."

  Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin had actually seen Chen Ke's watch before, but they weren't familiar with each other, so it wasn't easy to mention. Chen Ke took off his watch, and the two of them were shocked at first sight. At that time, only the rich or noble could wear a watch on their wrist. The vast majority of people wore pocket watches. Qiu Jin had traveled extensively and had seen watches before, but this was Xu Xilin's first time seeing one.

  Chen Ke couldn't help but feel lucky at this moment. His transmigration happened after a big shopping spree in the small commodity city, and it was sudden. Especially when he suddenly remembered to buy a watch, which made Chen Ke himself feel strange. To put it bluntly, it was just that Chen Ke had won several thousand yuan in the lottery, with the attitude of "money comes quickly, goes quickly!", he bought several sets of clothes, a pile of daily office supplies, and still had some money left over.

  Chen Ke had just debated with a brother a few days ago about whether it's better to wear a watch or use a mobile phone to tell the time. Chen Ke was actually persuaded by his brother that in formal occasions, wearing a watch can represent a formal attitude and politeness.

  The flea market watches are not bad. Chen Ke bought one for himself and wanted to give a few to his friends as gifts. Although giving watches as gifts is quite unusual, it's also a thoughtful gift. After some bargaining, he bought four watches. Who would have thought that these watches would come in handy in 1905?

  This watch is a knockoff of mechanical watches, and it's priced at 230 yuan. So the characteristics of knockoffs - flashy, complicated decorations - this watch has them all. In Chen Ke's opinion, holding it in his hand truly feels like a kind of vulgar luxury. But to Qiu Jin and Xue Xilun in 1905, it really was an air of nobility that was overwhelming.

  Qiu Jin looked carefully for a while and then asked: "How much is Wen Qing prepared to spend?"

  "Three to five hundred taels will be enough." Chen Ke said casually.

  "Haha, haha." After hearing Chen Ke's words, Qiu Jin couldn't help but laugh again. "Wen Qing, do you know that my family runs a pawnshop?"

  "Huh?" Chen Ke was still not very clear about this, "Autumn sister, didn't I find the right person then?"

  "You're quoting this price, obviously trying to cheat me." Qiu Jin smiled and said, "This watch is new, there's not a single scratch or mark on it anywhere. Plus the diamonds on the dial, it's worth at least 30-50 taels. Hehe, even 300-500 taels would be easy to get."

  "Auntie Qiu, this is your generosity. If I hadn't met you, as an outsider, I would have pawned this watch for only three to five hundred taels, do you think that's possible?" Chen Ke replied truthfully.

  Qiu Jin nodded, played with the watch for a while, and then put it on her own wrist. "I'll take this order. How about I pay you tomorrow?"

  "No problem." Chen Ke said with a smile. Generally speaking, Qiu Jin's approach and demands were excessive. Chen Ke believed in Qiu Jin, and he didn't take the watch seriously, able to show off his generosity and trust others, so a mere watch was nothing.

  "Sit down, let's continue drinking." Qiu Jin smiled and replied.

  It's pointless to continue the conversation, so they just drank a few more cups of wine and ended the banquet. The three of them chatted for a while in the living room, and agreed to meet at Xu Xilin's place the next morning. Chen Ke knew that Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin must have something to discuss between themselves, so he excused himself. Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin didn't try to persuade him to stay, and when they saw Chen Ke off at the door, Qiu Jin repeatedly reminded him to bring as many other manuscripts as possible when he came tomorrow.

  Chen Keshao said, "This is natural."

  Three people came out of the gate, saying goodbye, but Xú Xīlín looked far away and immediately pulled down his face. Chen Kè curiously turned his head and saw several people walking over from the street corner. The leader was robust and powerful, but his appearance was quite delicate. The few people behind him were slightly familiar. After careful identification, they were the hoodlums met yesterday.