Chapter 40 — Marmot Skins
A large order at the Heihe Distillery had thrown the other merchants into restless days and sleepless nights.
The situation at the clan school wasn’t any better.
The clan school had added new exam content. In addition to the lessons the teachers usually taught, English was added.
This immediately highlighted differences: two of the Bai family students suddenly leapt to the top, their grades improving dramatically. They had studied a little at home, so starting from scratch alongside the others, they naturally had an advantage.
Learning often follows a process of enlightenment; perhaps receiving a few compliments in English from the teacher also boosted their performance in other subjects. For the first time, the top of the exam ranking was no longer Wang Jingqiu. Fang Jiwu, who normally did well, was pushed to the middle of the pack, making it hard to rise again.
Somehow, word got out that the top-performing students would be selected to go to Beiping to prepare for studying abroad. This led to the students gradually forming two small groups: one led by Wang Jingqiu and Fang Jiwu—the “outside students”—and the other was the Bai family children.
Wang Jingqiu and Fang Jiwu were temporarily falling behind in grades, so they buried themselves in effort to catch up.
Some people defended Wang Jingqiu, saying that he had been top for three consecutive years and that the Bai family’s rise was due to added English lessons. They claimed that the Bai students “benefited from their ancestors,” implying it wasn’t their real ability.
The Bai students weren’t about to back down. Slapping the table, one said, “What’s the matter? Don’t say you didn’t do as well as us this time. Even if you got first again, wouldn’t going abroad still be taking advantage of our ancestors’ blessings? You’re so ungrateful!”
“Exactly. My family hired an English teacher, but that was my father’s money. I didn’t steal it or rob it. I deserve it.”
“Before Wang Jingqiu entered the clan school, didn’t he have a tutor at home too? He memorized books for years—why don’t you talk about that?”
“Learning English is hard! Getting hit for memorizing? Everyone got hit learning their lessons!”
…
The children fussed over grades in the school, while the adults fussed over their interests outside.
It was the same everywhere.
At noon, when people came to deliver lunch, the divisions between families were clear—everyone ate in their own groups, as if a river separated them.
Xie Jing also received a meal. Since he arrived at the clan school, the Eastern Courtyard guards took turns bringing his food. When Master Huang came, he brought some along, too. Everyone envied him.
As Xie Jing looked into his lunchbox, he saw a few pieces of grilled deer meat. Hesitating, he first picked some up for Bai Mingyu.
Bai Mingyu had been punished for causing trouble at school a few days ago. His meal portions were halved, leaving him in a rather meager state. Seeing Xie Jing give him several large pieces of deer meat made him deeply moved. His gaze toward Xie Jing was different than usual. He took back one piece and said, “Not so much, Little Xie. You eat too. Let’s share it.”
Xie Jing shook his head, holding his bowl to the side and quietly eating plain rice, muttering, “I don’t like it. You can have it all.”
Bai Mingyu loved meat and assumed everyone did too. He didn’t believe Xie Jing, thinking it was just a deliberate act of kindness. His heart felt warm.
After eating deer meat, Xie Jing would often feel hot and restless at night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He had to work during the day, and his dark circles would worsen. Respectful of the deer meat, he avoided it afterward.
At the end-of-month small exams at the clan school, after seeing the results, Xie Jing already had a rough idea of the students he should pay attention to.
*
Heihe.
Fang Ji’an sat at home in a tiny flower hall, a small room partitioned off, with only a single Eight Immortals table and a few high-backed red pine chairs.
At that moment, the table was piled with gifts: three large packages of fruit, three large packages of peach pastries, two bottles of good wine, and three piles of marmot skins. The marmot pelts were fluffy, soft, and whole—premium skins.
Two cups of tea sat on the table, cold.
The guests had left some time ago, but Fang Ji’an hadn’t recovered. He took a few deep breaths and, unable to hold back his anger, grabbed a teacup and smashed it on the floor.
“Completely lawless! They beat someone and only give a few polite words. Who are they trying to fool?” Fang Ji’an raged in his own home. “The Bai family, thinking they’re so mighty just because they can run a clan school, they beat my son for nothing… No, I have to go confront the Qinghe Bai family. They think the Fang family is nobody!”
Fang Jiwu entered carrying his bag. From afar, he heard his father cursing and tried to calm him.
Fang Ji’an slapped him across the face, shouting, “The Bai family is doing this on purpose. I heard they are selecting students. They must have seen your grades and don’t want you going to Beiping to study abroad!”
Fang Jiwu said, “Father, that’s not true. Everyone only found out about studying abroad in the past few days.”
Fang Ji’an sneered, “You just found out, but the Bai family? I don’t believe they just learned. Are they so kind as to share spots with outsiders?”
Fang Jiwu, his face bearing a slap mark, spoke honestly: “The Bai family values trust, and the clan school teachers have been very good to us. They are trustworthy.”
Hearing this, Fang Ji’an was about to hit him again, but his wife hurriedly intervened: “Master, Jiwu has come back all the way here. You just got home. Why hit him?” She guided him to the inner courtyard to rest, successfully calming him.
Fang Ji’an was still furious in the flower hall: “Jiwu was clever as a child. How did he get so dull from studying?”
His wife said, “You were the one who sent Jiwu to study. Children quarrel. The Bai family has already apologized. I think these marmot skins are fine. Marmots are scarce this year, and the skins are expensive.”
“Don’t give me that! Those skins are clearly from last year’s stock. The colors aren’t even fresh. Who are they trying to fool?”
“But—the person who just came, I know him. His family does the pelt business in Hailar…”
“Clearly, the Bai family is deliberately humiliating us with a few old skins! That Fang Yurou is no good either. And Jiwu still called her cousin? What a joke!”
Fang Jiwu clenched his fists, restrained himself, and returned to his bedroom in the rear courtyard.
Being the eldest, Fang Jiwu endured his father’s rage while the other children watched the parents’ expressions. Some timidly avoided conflict; others echoed their father to please him.
The Fang family courtyard was small. Fang Jiwu could still hear his father smashing a few more porcelain dishes outside, cursing. He simply buried his head in his books.
By evening, the family gathered for dinner.
Still in the flower hall, the gifts on the Eight Immortals table had been cleared, replaced with food. There were many dishes, but they were mostly pickled vegetables and greens. The only meat dish was a clay pot of fish head tofu. Fish heads were cheap, tofu not expensive, but this dish only appeared when the eldest son returned from studying.
Fang Jiwu, the eldest at fifteen, sat with his ten-year-old brother, then the eight-year-old third brother, six-year-old older sister, and four-year-old youngest sister. His mother, three months pregnant, held the two-year-old in her arms, feeding them porridge.
With so many children, the food was quickly grabbed.
After eating a small bread roll, Fang Jiwu gave his dry food to his younger siblings, ate a few bites, and returned to his room to study.
Soon, the door opened quietly, and two little girls came in.
The six-year-old older sister held the youngest’s hand and brought a bowl of sweet soup. “Brother, Mother asked me to bring this to you to nourish your body. You’ve been studying too hard.”
Fang Jiwu didn’t drink it himself but fed the two girls. One bowl was small, and they drank it happily.
The older sister hesitated. “Brother, Father said the Bai family bullied you and hit you. Is that true?”
Fang Jiwu said, “It was a misunderstanding. It’s been cleared up. No worries.”
The younger sister, just learning to speak, started repeating the negative words she heard about Fang Yurou from their father.
Fang Jiwu stopped her: “Don’t say that.”
“But Father said so…”
Fang Jiwu frowned slightly: “Even Father can make mistakes. You’ll understand more when you study. I can study at the clan school and even get one extra meal thanks to cousin’s help.”
The youngest nodded vaguely, still focused on the empty bowl, not understanding.
Fang Jiwu knew he couldn’t change the family situation alone.
The family had little money. After separating from the main family, their distillery was only slightly profitable. Its production never matched the quality of Heihe Distillery. All the support came thanks to cousin Fang Yurou’s care. His father was never satisfied. All Fang Jiwu could do was manage himself.
The older sister hadn’t seen him in a while. She lingered, asking softly: “Brother, what did you go to the eastern suburbs for that day? Did those bad guys trick you?”
Fang Jiwu said, “No, I went myself.”
“Why did you go there?”
“To study medicine.”
Fang Jiwu turned a page, his gaze gradually firm.
He wasn’t tricked. The Bai family children could only follow and track his routine.
For several days after school, he went to the eastern suburbs to find Dr. Lin, helping him with tasks. At first, Dr. Lin found him a nuisance, but over time, Fang Jiwu learned quickly and became handy, earning some of the doctor’s favor and gradually becoming his assistant.
Dr. Lin offered free medical services in the eastern suburbs, never charging the poor. A good man.
But Fang Jiwu wasn’t purely good.
He had his own plans.
His family had declined. His younger siblings were young. Even with good grades, he couldn’t continue his studies.
The Bai family’s offer to fund overseas study was good, but Fang Jiwu didn’t value it. It was too far removed from him.
What he wanted now was to stay with Dr. Lin, learning skills as an assistant. Studying medicine would always be useful.
He once had ambitions to enter a medical university in Beiping or Shanghai for a bright future. But tuition was high, especially for medicine—hundreds of taels per year. Even if he completed medical school, he couldn’t afford the equipment for a clinic.
Dr. Lin gave him hope.
At the clan school, he heard that Dr. Lin visited to see relatives and had been recommended to teach at a provincial medical school.
Even as an assistant, Fang Jiwu could learn a lot and save on tuition.
This was Fang Jiwu’s plan, and why he insisted on going to the eastern suburbs, even knowing he might be beaten.
