Lin Zezu returned to his room, washed up, and freshened, after which Fugui returned under the cover of darkness.
"Young master, I've settled Madame Jiang and the two children in the shed."
"Good. The villagers didn't see anything, did they?"
"No, I took the path around the village by the South Main Canal."
"In the afternoon, I spent twenty wen on noodles for them, another one hundred wen at the tailor's to get each of them two changes of unlined garments, and sixty wen on two sets of bedding."
"Lastly, I went to the inn and spent forty wen for the waiter to heat some water so they could bathe."
"I also gave Li Tieshuan two hundred wen. Starting tomorrow, he's to have Madame Ma deliver three meals a day once they're cooked."
"You've done well, Fugui. You were more thorough than I expected."
"Young master, this humble servant doesn't understand—"
...
"They are all pitiful souls; we should help where we can. Remember to wake up early tomorrow and pick up the meat and pastries from the butcher and the pastry shop."
"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to pay a visit to the clan leader and the clan elders."
Seeing that the young master was not inclined to say more, and having heard the arrangements for tomorrow, Fugui fell silent.
...
Early the next morning, Lin Zezu rendezvoused at the entrance of the village with Fugui, who had hurried back from town. After carefully checking and confirming the pork and pastries were correct, the two of them walked into the village.
Giving gifts required careful thought; if not handled properly, it could backfire.
In the past, the original owner had lived like an invisible person, rarely interacting with members of the clan.
Searching the original owner's memories, he had virtually no understanding of the clan leader, clan elders, and other relatives.
Before coming, Lin Zezu decided to arrange things according to seniority and age.
First, he went to the clan leader's home.
The clan leader lived in the center of the village. All along the way, Lin Zezu exchanged greetings with the villagers.
Before long, they arrived at the clan leader's front gate. The gates stood wide open, and Lin Wangshui, the clan leader, could be seen in the courtyard teasing his little grandson.
"Good morning, Great-grandfather."
Being in mourning, Lin Zezu stopped at the threshold and bowed to Lin Wangshui in the courtyard.
"Ah, the fourth lad is here."
Hearing the commotion at the entrance, Lin Wangshui put down his grandson and walked out to greet him.
"Great-grandfather, Zezu is in mourning and cannot enter the house to pay his respects to Great-grandmother, uncles, and aunts. Please forgive this discourtesy."
"Haha... Country folk don't bother with so many empty formalities."
"Father! Who are you talking to so early in the morning?"
"It's the fourth lad from Shitong's branch of the family."
At that moment, a middle-aged man with an upright posture and a stern expression walked out from the courtyard.
Lin Zezu looked and saw that it was none other than Lin Wangshui's eldest son, Lin Shiji. Lin Shiji was the head manager at a draper's shop in Linjiang County and rarely returned to the village.
"Good morning, Elder Uncle. I am Zezu."
"Oh, it's Zezu. You've grown a bit leaner, but you've shot up in height."
"Your nephew has been busy studying in the private school these past years and had no spare time. It is a rare blessing to see Elder Uncle return to the village today."
With that, Lin Zezu took the meat and pastries out of the bamboo basket on Fugui's back.
"Great-grandfather, your grandson has been studying at the private school all these years and never meddled in worldly affairs, and now our household has suffered a great misfortune."
"For these past days, your grandson's heart has felt like floating duckweed, utterly adrift. Fortunately, I still have my kin and clan members to give me backbone."
"Only now does Zezu know that his roots are right here in Linjiang Village, and my heart feels much more settled."
"Once I settle the household matters in the coming days, Zezu must continue his studies and strive to attain scholarly honors—not to become a general or a high minister to be renowned among feudal lords..."
"I only ask that, when I have the spare capacity in due time, I can give back to my clan and kin. In the future, I hope Great-grandfather and Elder Uncle will continue to guide Zezu."
From the moment he saw Lin Zezu standing at his doorway, Lin Wangshui knew what he had come for.
A gift of gratitude, and undoubtedly something to do with building a house—he knew about those three thatched sheds.
If he accepted a gift from a fifteen-year-old boy simply because the other was thanking him, how could he continue to serve as clan leader?
His thoughts raced through a dozen possibilities, and he had already prepared his refusal. To his surprise, not only did Lin Zezu avoid mentioning the matter entirely, but he actually steered the conversation toward personal integrity, scholarship, and striving for official honors.
If he accepted, his conscience would trouble him; if he refused, he would strip a scholar of his dignity—had he not just heard the boy say he would study hard to win honors and give back to his clan?
This gift was delivered with sublime skill!
As the saying goes, "Never bully the young while the old are passing"; he might as well plant a seed of good karma.
Lin Wangshui was an old fox whose mastery of human affairs could turn heaven and earth upside down; otherwise, how could he have kept all the messy, trivial disputes of the entire village and clan so clear and orderly?
"Eldest, accept it. It is rare for the fourth lad to show such filial devotion."
Lin Shiji was stunned. This didn't sound like his father's usual way of handling things!
"I told you to take it, so take it. This is a filial tribute from a member of the fourth branch, and as his grandfather, I am surely worthy of a piece of this meat."
"The fourth lad is right. No matter how high a tree grows, its roots are still deeply planted right here in Linjiang Village. And aren't those ancestors enshrined in the ancestral hall the forebears of the Lin family?"
Seeing Lin Wangshui relent, Lin Zezu felt a weight lift from his heart. He had gambled and won, but his expression remained calm and unruffled, as warm and gentle as a spring breeze.
"Great-grandfather, Elder Uncle, I have disturbed you early in the morning. Zezu will take his leave."
...
When Lin Shiji returned to the courtyard, he remained somewhat puzzled.
"What, still haven't figured it out?"
"This son is dull-witted."
"You are dull-witted indeed, completely outmatched by a fifteen-year-old child. How can I feel at ease handing the position of clan leader over to you?"
"Ah? Father... Leaving aside the past and the future, this gift exchange was quite something. Now I understand—I never imagined a boy of such tender years could be so meticulous in his thoughts."
Lin Shiji was suddenly enlightened.
"Father, you should keep an eye on this boy."
"You heard what he said. Does that sound like something a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child who knows nothing of human affairs would say?"
"Jade cannot become an ornament without carving; a person cannot achieve greatness without weathering hardships. If this child ever comes to you for help in the future, you must give him more support. Who knows what tomorrow brings? Consider it planting a seed of good karma."
...
Lin Zezu did not know much about the clan elder Lin Shimao, knowing only some vague information. Years ago, Lin Shimao had been a standout among the Lin clan members in Linjiang Village, acquiring over two hundredmu of paddy fields and more than a hundred mu of dry land twenty years prior.
Later, when Lin Shitong returned to the village, he held a scholar's degree, performed many good deeds, and was humble in manner.
Combined with the financial support of Madam Zhao, he had gradually risen to prominence, a classic case of the new generation replacing the old.
After presenting his gift to the clan leader Lin Wangshui, Lin Zezu deliberately took a detour through the village to let the matter brew for a while.
He had feared that going straight to the door might result in being shut out. In truth, Lin Zezu had worried too much: the moment he left Lin Wangshui's house, Lin Shimao knew about it.