Chapter 21: Setting Sail

  After Yang Yue left, Yang Yun thought about the Changfu Number while walking to Xiao Zhen's Baozi shop.

  "Yang, why are you so late today?" Little Jing asked with a smile. "Come quickly, I've saved ten buns for you here."

  Yang Yun did not receive the package.

  "Xiao Zhen, I'm afraid this is my last time buying buns from you, I'll be heading to the provincial city this afternoon."

  "Ah?" Xiao Zhen's hand stopped, and after a while, she forced a smile and said, "The capital is great, are you going there to study?"

  "Yes, go to Haitian Academy."

  "I wish you success in your studies, and here's a baozi for you."

  "Thank you." Yang Yun took over the bun and handed over ten cents.

  Xiao Zhen said, "Don't want money, consider it a farewell gift."

  Yang Yun nodded and turned away.

  Watching that figure fade into the distance, still holding onto a thread of hope that he would turn around and come back, even if it was just to take one last look, but in the end he disappeared into the crowd on the street.

  Xiao Zhen's eyes turned slightly red, a thin mist obscured her vision, was it the hot steam rising from the steamer basket?

  The owner of the baozi shop appeared silently beside him, let out a sigh, but said nothing.

  Not people on the same path, drifting in the world, coincidentally met, but not necessarily able to walk together. After this matter, my daughter should also grow up a bit, right?

  ×××

  Yang Yun ate all the way, and when the last bun was swallowed, the gate of the county school library was already in sight.

  For over a month now, I've been eating steamed buns while reading books. Now it's finally time to leave.

  The county school library is much more lively than before, and compared to the deserted gate when Yang Yun first came, the outer room of the library is now almost full of students.

  The weather is getting hotter and some students have even set up a canopy in the courtyard to study under it.

  Seeing Yang Yun, most of the math students smiled and greeted him, and Yang Yun responded one by one.

  Entering the inner room, Du Longfei was with several students, busy registering and searching for books.

  Yang Yun called Du Longfei aside and told him about going to Fucheng to study.

  Du Longfei was slightly surprised, and his heart was filled with joy. With Yang Yun gone, the matter of circulating private books publicly would fall entirely on his own shoulders. When the imperial edict returned from the capital city, it would be a perfect opportunity for him to make a good impression.

  He briefly communicated with Du Longfei, and there was no need to say more. Yang Yun had wanted to get rid of the private book's affairs for a long time, and he had already gotten all the benefits he should have, so it was time to give others some opportunities to perform.

  Yang Yun and Du Longfei said goodbye, it's strange that Meng Chao wasn't seen anywhere, asked a few students around, they all said he hadn't been seen for the past two days.

  Meng Chao's family didn't have much money either, now that there's such a good opportunity for learning, how could he easily let it go?

  Yang Yun thought for a moment and went to the small shop where they had drunk together last time.

  As soon as he entered the door, he saw Meng Chao drinking alone in the corner with his head down.

  Old man Kui, the owner of the small shop, still remembered Yang Yun and happily came over to say, "Yang Xiuzai, you've come just in time. Meng Chao has been coming here every day to drink wine from morning till closing time, and he won't even talk when I ask him questions. You two are both scholars, so please advise him well. He's still young, what can't be overcome? Why ruin himself like this?" He muttered on and on.

  Yang Yun walked over to Meng Chao's side and sat down. Without saying a word, he grabbed Meng Chao's cup and drank three cups in one go.

  She slammed the cup down and Yang Yun spoke up: "Miss Zhang is going to get engaged?"

  Meng Chao raised his head, and two lines of tears slid down unknowingly.

  By looking at Meng Chao's expression, Yang Yun knew he had guessed correctly.

  "Go on, which family is it? I know you're a magnanimous person. If there weren't any issues with the marriage, you shouldn't be so upset."

  Meng Chao said with a choked voice, "It's the second son of the Bai family in Fucheng, with a face full of acne. I heard that when he was in his teens, he got a maid pregnant and even beat her until she miscarried, and then drove her out without giving her any compensation. I really hate him, Miss Zhang is such a good person..." He grabbed the wine cup again and took another drink.

  Yang Yun asked: "Has he formally asked for a matchmaker to propose?"

  Meng Chao shook his head, "Not yet."

  Yang Yun counted on her fingers, "The Zhang family is a big household, and to get married with the six rites, it's definitely not going to be less. The betrothal gift, asking for the name, divination, sending gifts, requesting the date, and welcoming the bride, it'll take at least a year's effort. As long as the person hasn't been taken away by them, there will always be an opportunity."

  Yang Yun's words ignited a glimmer of hope in Meng Chao, who hesitated: "But... what method can be thought of?"

  "We are now weak and powerless, unable to accomplish anything; we must try our best in every aspect to achieve something."

  Meng Chao suddenly lost his spirit, "Alas, it's difficult to pass the imperial examination..."

  Yang Yun said seriously: "Old Meng, do you believe me?"

  "What does this mean?"

  "If you believe me, there is an opportunity right now. You and I can take a boat to Fucheng this afternoon and enter the Haitian Academy. I dare not say more, but I guarantee that you have at least a 50% chance of success."

  Meng Chao still hesitated a bit.

  "Lao Meng, I haven't known you for long, but as the saying goes, 'old friends are like old clothes', I consider you a good friend. I'm not one to speak nonsense, and neither should you be polite with me. The tuition fees for Shanghai Tian Shu Yuan, I'll lend it to you first. Rather than drowning your sorrows in drink here and accomplishing nothing, why not take a gamble with me? What do you say? A real man makes his decision with one word."

  Meng Chao listened to Yang Yun's words and slammed his wine cup, gritting his teeth: "Fine, let's gamble on it."

  Having settled with Meng Chao, Yang Yun looked at his watch and saw that it was almost noon. He had agreed to meet Meng Chao at the dock, so he hurried back.

  Fan Jun was surprised to see Yang Yun come to bid farewell, "Yang Xianzhong, you have a heart to go to the prefectural city to study is a good thing, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Why not stay for two more days before departing, and let me host a banquet to send you off."

  Yang Yun told his second brother that he would set sail in the afternoon and they talked about their plan to travel together.

  Fan Jun heard this and no longer detained him, but asked Yang Yun to wait a little.

  After a while, Fan Jin came back and handed over a silver letter, saying: "A thousand days at home are good, but going out is difficult. Your Uncle Fan can't help much either. Take this travel money, it might come in handy when you're in a hurry."

  Yang Yun did not decline, took it over, and as soon as he got his hands on it, he knew that there were about six taels of silver. This was considered a generous gift. Yang Yun had been staying at the Fan family's house for more than a month, and the rent was only about one or two taels of silver, but now he had earned back five taels.

  It was already noon, and at the Fan family's house, they had lunch, without any special preparations. Fan Jun ordered the kitchen to add a few more dishes, and heated up a pot of wine, as a farewell gesture.

  After dinner, Yang Yun returned to his room. There were not many things in the room, just a few personal items of clothing. The heaviest thing was a package containing over 300 inferior coins.

  When packing up, I found a whale skin, and remembered that it was bought together with the black stone bracelet on my wrist, and also stuffed it into the package.

  With her bundle in hand, she left the Fan family with ease.

  When I arrived at the dock, there was still an hour before the scheduled time. After inquiring about the location of the Changfu ship, I walked over and saw that Meng Chao was already waiting there.

  "Yang Xian-di, I'm over here!" Meng Chao called out.

  "Old Meng, you're here quite early."

  "I had nothing valuable on me and nothing worth collecting, so I just went over and said a word to Xiaohua."

  When the two were talking, Yang Yue and several sailors also arrived. They were all fellow workers on the same boat and came to work together on the Changfu ship.

  After boarding the ship, Yang and Meng paid the fare to the captain and were considered passengers, so they didn't have to work. Their cabin was on the upper deck at the stern of the ship.

  Yang Yue had to live in the bottom cabin with other sailors.

  At 5 o'clock, Changfu No. 1 lifted its anchor and slowly left the dock of Jinghai County.

  Meng Chao gazed at the dock getting farther and farther away, his mood heavy.

  Yang Yun patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be so down in the dumps, I'll give you a poem."

  "What poem?"

  "Laughing loudly towards the sky and walking out the door, our generation is not a humble one."

  The sailor on the bow lookout shouted, "Fair wind - hoist the sails!"

  The three masts of the Changfu rose simultaneously with wind sails, and under the strong wind, the Changfu broke through the waves, the waves splashed, the seagulls flew high, and Meng Chao felt that the sky was high and the sea was wide, and his troubles were thrown to the back of his mind for a while.