Who was the wealthy merchant who provided Li Fen with clothes, writing brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone? He even had a carriage waiting outside the examination hall for Li Fen to rest in, provided him with food, and showed him the utmost care and concern. Who on earth was this wealthy merchant, and whose side was he really on?
He was none of چین (no wait) — he was Jin Baolong, the richest man in Guangying County. Coming from three generations of merchants, he possessed a natural business acumen and had expanded his commercial empire with his own hands. Through generations of accumulation, he had become a prominent figure in Guangying County.
With countless properties—including restaurants, shops, and native banks—he had amassed vast wealth. He was a household name in the region, known to everyone far and wide!
Wealthy merchant Jin Baolong managed his household with a strict yet fair hand, treated scholars and worthy men with humility, and made friends in all directions. He had one wife, two concubines, two sons, and a daughter. His eldest son was Jin Liyi, and his second son was Jin Liren. Both boys had studied for years and were taking the county examinations this year.
Once the county examinations were over, their status would change to that of *xiucai* (scholars). They would officially be considered true intellectuals with a legitimate status, exempt from taxes, and entitled to free land registered in their names. Moreover, the county government would grant them thirty taels of silver every year to cover their basic living expenses. With these official privileges, their social standing rose accordingly.
After a grand banquet hosting numerous guests, the wealthy merchant Jin Baolong sat chatting with his family in a warm and joyful atmosphere.
Jin Baolong sat in the master's seat, looking out at his family with a smile at the corners of his mouth. At that moment, his eldest son, Jin Liyi, spoke up somewhat hesitantly: "Father, what about that older brother we met in the carriage the other day? I saw him when I came out of the examination hall, and I haven't seen him since. He was actually the very first person to walk out of the entire examination hall, and his scores were exceptional, securing a solid third place. That's why I remember that older brother so vividly and was so deeply impressed by him."
His fourth son, Jin Liren, also looked at his father with curiosity.
Wealthy merchant Jin Baolong said, "You must be talking about that young man named Li Fen. He could easily have taken first place in this exam, but because he didn't have enough to eat and wore very thin clothes, his performance suffered. What, do you two brothers don't believe it? He gathered a bunch of discarded brush tips and pieced together a single writing brush. He even picked up an inkstone the size of a thumb, and his meals consisted of wild vegetable buns. Yet, under conditions like that, he applied himself to his studies so well. I'd say he is far superior to either of you. Do you concede this point or not?"
Jin Liren opened his mouth in surprise and said, "Father, can I meet this older brother? I'd like to invite him to our home as a guest. Do you think that would be appropriate? He doesn't dress as well as we do, nor does he live as well, and his writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones are far inferior to ours. Yet he studies so well—for that alone, I admire him."
Jin Liyi chimed in, "Little brother is right. Let's go invite this older brother over! Let's have him as a guest at our home so we can have a good chat with him. Our family has everything—we can share some of it with this older brother, and I can even set aside my monthly allowance so he can eat well. Don't you think that's a good idea, Father?"
Wealthy merchant Jin Baolong smiled and said, "Why wouldn't it be? He's currently staying as a guest at Qiuzhen Academy. You can go find him and invite him to our home. But you must mind your manners and approach him properly. Since you want to make friends with him, you must show him the utmost respect, and you must instruct everyone in the household to respect him as well. Your father here likes him very much too. If possible, I'd like to take him as my adopted son so he can move into our home, have his own room just like you do, have his own servants and monthly allowance, and receive a regular set of clothes every season. Whatever you have, he will have too. I will treat him just like family. You can present my proposal to him, and I hope he won't feel awkward about it."
Jin Liren said happily, "That's wonderful! This is just great. Soon I'll have two older brothers to dote on me, and they can play with me and study with me too! This is simply marvelous. I've been longing to meet Brother Li; I really want to see him soon."
Jin Liyi also said, "Then let's set off early and hurry to bring Brother Li back home so we can chat. It will be good for him to get familiar with our house ahead of time. His scholarship is excellent, and he's sure to be a fine person."
Wealthy merchant Jin Baolong said, "Indeed. Go on and invite him home quickly. I have high hopes for him. I believe he is no ordinary man and will accomplish great things in the future."
Right beside them stood a fourteen-year-old girl, clever, quick-witted, well-read, and understanding. She was as beautiful as a flower, the kind of beauty one could only admire from afar without daring to desecrate.
She thought to herself: *What kind of person is this Brother Li, anyway? Why do Father and my two brothers praise him so highly and speak of him with such boundless admiration? They all say he's wonderful and exceptionally talented. Now I'm terribly curious and want to see him for myself. When he gets here, I certainly won't fight him for any chicken drumsticks—I'll let him have all of them. Does he look good? What kind of mysterious person is he, anyway? I haven't even laid eyes on him yet, so why am I feeling so anxious in my heart?*
The next morning, brothers Jin Liyi and Jin Liren woke up early, tidied themselves up a bit, boarded a carriage, and headed toward Qiuzhen Academy.
Before long, they arrived. They were hardly strangers to Qiuzhen Academy; in fact, they were intimately familiar with it. After all, both of them had studied here for several years, and everything about the place was second nature to them.
After asking around, they quickly found the academy dormitory where Li Fen was staying. Reaching the doorway, they knocked on the door.
Hearing the sound, Li Fen called out from inside, "Come in, the door isn't locked! Is that you, Master? I'm right in the middle of my studies. Do you need something? You should have just called out and this student would have come over—how could you trouble yourself to come all the way here in person?"
Li Fen pulled the door open from the inside and saw the two young men standing outside. It was Jin Liren who spoke first: "You must be Brother Li Fen, right? Wonderful! I am Jin Liren, and this is my older brother, Jin Liyi. Do you remember us? Do you still have an impression of us?"
Li Fen looked them over for a moment, still unable to recall.
Jin Liren continued, "Brother Li Fen, think carefully—outside the gates of the examination hall. Do you remember now? Any recollection?"
At that, a look of sudden realization dawned on Li Fen. He let out an "Oh!" and said, "I remember, I remember! So it's you two worthy brothers! I remember you, I do indeed. Come in, come in quickly! It's too cold outside, hurry on inside." Li Fen laughed and added, "Though it seems even colder in here!"
The few of them laughed.
Jin Liyi said, "It's fine, Brother Li. We can manage, don't you worry."
Li Fen said, "Right, right, my two worthy brothers—during the county examinations, if it weren't for your esteemed father's broad-minded benevolence in sponsoring me with writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, clothes, and food, let alone taking the exam, I reckon I would have frozen or starved to death in the examination hall! I have always been endlessly grateful. Such profound kindness and great virtue are truly impossible to repay. I've been tossing and turning, unable to sleep or find peace over this. I am most fortunate that the two of you have come today. I have long wanted to visit your esteemed residence to express my gratitude, but I wasn't sure if it would be convenient or if your esteemed father was at home, so I didn't dare make the trip uninvited. I wonder if today is convenient and whether your father is home? If it is convenient, I would be so bold as to pay a visit and thank you in person."
Jin Liren said happily, "Brother Li, it's convenient—more than convenient! Today, my brother and I came specifically to invite you to our home as a guest so we can have a good chat."
"That's wonderful! We had the exact same thought today. It seems my brother and I truly share a bond—great minds really do think alike!"
Jin Liyi also chimed in, "Indeed. You are most welcome, Brother Li! Father certainly said he wants you to come over as a guest. If you don't have any other matters pressing on your end, we can set off right now. It's still early, so we'll have plenty of time to talk once we get home."
Jin Liren urged, "Brother Li Fen, hurry up and pack your things so we can leave right away! I want to have a good discussion about scholarship with you and seek your guidance. From now on, I'll have two older brothers—I'm so happy!"
Li Fen replied, "Alright then, let's set off. I don't really have much to pack. Oh, wait, I suppose not quite yet—I need to prepare some gifts for your esteemed father."
Jin Liren said, "Brother Li Fen, you don't need to prepare anything at all! Our house has everything, and nothing is lacking. You don't need to go to any trouble. Right now, I just want you to come to my house as quickly as possible so we can chat about scholarship together."
As they spoke, the three of them arrived in the street. Li Fen sought out a calligraphy and painting specialty shop and asked the shopkeeper to bring out a sheet of fine xuan paper, along with some ink and a brush. Right there on the spot, Li Fen personally penned four bold characters on the xuan paper: *Qingfu Fei Lai* (Flying Green-Footed Wealth).
The four characters were powerful and vigorous, like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing—unconstrained and graceful. Afterward, he had the shopkeeper mount and package the piece.
Watching Li Fen write, the two brothers were struck with awe, as if gazing upon immortals. Though they had studied books and practiced calligraphy for years, they had never laid eyes on such a script. Every stroke was like a sword, every character like a knife! It was breathtakingly beautiful—they had never seen calligraphy like this; it was simply a feast for the eyes. Feeling a deep sense of inferiority, the two of them stood rooted to the spot for a long time, temporarily speechless. It was so exquisitely beautiful that it made one reluctant to leave.
Even the shopkeeper, who had been in the business for many years and had seen countless works by great calligraphers—ancient and modern, and even a few pieces by past imperial chancellors and emperors—found the visual impact of this calligraphy exceptionally staggering. In the end, not only did he waive the cost of the xuan paper for Li Fen, but he also declared that as long as Li Fen was willing to sell his work to him, he would pay any price he named. Li Fen wouldn't even need to deliver it himself; the shopowner would send men straight to his door to collect it.
Afterward, they visited a jade shop. Li Fen quickly selected four hairpins, spending two hundred taels of silver. Such generous spending utterly astounded the two brothers. Although their family was the wealthiest in Guangying County, even they didn't dare spend money so lavishly; all their usual expenses were strictly budgeted.
In a single outing, Li Fen had stunned the two brothers time and again. What kind of person was this Brother Li, anyway? He simply kept giving them one shock after the other.
At that moment, their admiration for Li Fen reached its absolute peak, and they walked the rest of the way home in near-silence.