Chapter 55 — Growing Up
Life at the provincial mansion was busier than in Qinghe. Although Xie Jing was part of the Guard Corps, he spent most of his time in the East Courtyard.
Master Bai Jiu kept Bai Mingyu close, carefully guiding him, and even had Steward Sun assign a shop for Bai Mingyu to manage.
Xie Jing found himself encountering Bai Mingyu more often in the East Courtyard. Day by day, he saw the former little tyrant of the Qinghe Bai family gradually becoming the steady, reliable Bai Shopkeeper of old. Especially after spring began, Bai Mingyu had grown another stretch taller, now resembling almost seven or eight parts of the boy Xie Jing remembered.
Master Bai Jiu did not avoid Xie Jing while teaching Bai Mingyu.
In the study, Xie Jing ground herbs for the master, listening quietly as Master Bai Jiu spoke softly to Bai Mingyu. The room was calm, filled with the scent of refreshing incense and the faint crackle from the fireplace.
The past few days had brought a cold spring chill.
Xie Jing had changed into a light, fresh shirt, while Bai Mingyu, brimming with energy like him, wore brighter, more luxurious fabrics. Only Master Bai Jiu remained in thick clothing, occasionally coughing.
Hearing this, Xie Jing set a small bowl of medicinal soup beside him. “Master, take your medicine first.”
Master Bai Jiu, absorbed in teaching, didn’t look back. He took the bowl with one hand, drank the medicine, and continued instructing Bai Mingyu.
Bai Mingyu had just taken over the shop and was overwhelmed. He had accompanied his elder brother to the Heihe trading house for a few days before, but his brother had handled everything. He had never realized just how many difficulties running a business involved.
Master Bai Jiu said, “If you encounter this again, handle it as we discussed. Learn more from the accounting master when you return. A shop cannot run on one person’s strength alone—never act recklessly.”
Bai Mingyu: “Yes, Master.”
Master Bai asked, “Do you remember what I taught you last time?”
Bai Mingyu respectfully replied, “Yes. I went back and repeated it twice with Mr. Ma. He even opened the storeroom to show me again. I can’t say I remember everything, but maybe seventy percent.”
Master Bai checked several points, saw that Bai Mingyu remembered clearly, and nodded. “Good enough. Go and be busy. I will be out tomorrow; no need to come to greet me. If anything urgent arises, discuss it with Steward Sun.”
Bai Mingyu nodded, wanting to ask where Master Bai Jiu was going but hesitated and left.
Xie Jing cleaned up the medicine bowls and carried them out.
Bai Mingyu, standing in the courtyard, signaled to Xie Jing from afar. Seeing Xie Jing not approach, he shouted, “Hey, Little Xie!”
Xie Jing stopped and greeted him: “Second Young Master, hello.”
Bai Mingyu kicked a small stone and frowned. “Second Young Master? This isn’t Qinghe. Here in the provincial mansion, you don’t need to call me that. Just call me by my name.”
“That’s not proper,” Xie Jing said.
“What’s improper? I only know you here.”
Bai Mingyu’s face had a hint of wistfulness, as if in the study he had only been pretending to be grown-up. In his heart, he was still the little tyrant from Qinghe, not yet grown.
Standing close, Xie Jing could smell the faint scent on Bai Mingyu’s clothes—the same incense used in the study, mingling with Master Bai Jiu’s own scent.
Master Bai Jiu truly treated Bai Mingyu the best among juniors—not just giving money and connections but personally guiding him.
Xie Jing kept his eyes down, standing politely. Everyone in the East Courtyard knew he was the most obedient by the master’s side, but at this moment, the obedient Little Xie felt a twinge of jealousy toward Bai Mingyu.
Bai Mingyu, oblivious, nudged him lightly with his shoulder and whispered, “Where’s Master Bai Jiu going tomorrow? Will you follow him? You must get to go out every day—lucky you. Yesterday I looked at an account book nearly half a man high and barely had time to eat.”
Xie Jing said, “Master Bai Jiu values you. Giving you the best shop to practice, it’s natural you feel tired.”
Bai Mingyu sighed. “True, true. Steward Sun said it was a small shop, but when I arrived—wow! Three floors, on Central Street’s prime location. Do you know how many transactions happen in a day? Thousands of silver!”
Xie Jing: “…”
Bai Mingyu: “My legs went weak. I feared ruining a good business, so I gritted my teeth and learned hard.”
Xie Jing: “Second Young Master, you’ve worked hard.”
Bai Mingyu shrugged. “Not that hard. It’s not the work, it’s all the worries. I can’t even remember the names of a dozen staff. Always calling them wrong.” He hooked an arm around Xie Jing’s shoulder, sounding slightly aggrieved. “Little Xie, last night I got hungry and could only find a few mung bean cakes. So greasy and choking—I had to drink half a pot of herbal tea to swallow them.”
Xie Jing: “Really? I only ever had simple steamed buns and cornbread. Never tried mung bean cakes.”
Bai Mingyu raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “Are you in a bad mood today? Why are you always giving me a hard time?”
Xie Jing looked at him silently.
Bai Mingyu frowned. “Come on, tell me—did someone in the East Courtyard bully you? I’ll stand up for you.”
Xie Jing: “No one in the East Courtyard.”
Bai Mingyu immediately asked, “Then it was outside?”
Xie Jing glanced at him. Perhaps Bai Mingyu’s excitement about “going out to fight” had driven away all of his jealousy. After a moment’s thought, he nodded gently. “Sort of. Some family matters, but they’ve been settled.”
Bai Mingyu looked disappointed. “Next time, tell me if something happens. Even though the Young Master is busy, we’re close—I’ll definitely help.”
Xie Jing smiled and nodded.
After Bai Mingyu left, Steward Sun came by to ask Xie Jing quietly if anyone had bullied him.
Xie Jing was surprised. “Me? No. Second Young Master wouldn’t bully me—or couldn’t.”
Steward Sun exhaled in relief. “This Second Young Master from Qinghe is straightforward but fundamentally decent. I heard you two knew each other before and had minor conflicts, but you’ll be working together for years. If anything happens, come to me—I can help speak a few words.”
Xie Jing paused, then nodded. “Thank you, Uncle Sun.”
In the past, Xie Jing was proud, and the Second Young Master reckless. Together, even minor disagreements could turn into fights. Xie Jing had some martial training, Bai Mingyu relied on brute strength, and once they fought, it didn’t stop quickly. Back then, Steward Sun didn’t protect anyone; he frantically had people remove treasures from the shelves, shouting at the top of his lungs, sometimes crying from anger.
Steward Sun smiled, his round, prosperous face radiating warmth. He seemed to like Xie Jing for staying quiet and not complaining after being teased. He pulled a small silver melon seed coin from his pocket, coaxing him like a child: “Take it to play with. Made a few extra for the New Year.”
The silver melon seed was tiny, exquisitely crafted, with a small “Fu” (fortune) character carved on it.
Xie Jing held it in his palm, smiling: “I’ll take some of Uncle Sun’s luck.”
Steward Sun laughed along.
After the last snow melted, trees in the mansion sprouted green leaves.
Summer at the provincial mansion was different from Qinghe. Qinghe, in the far north, had short summers, as if the flowers and plants hurried to bloom and bear fruit before hibernating in winter. Occasionally, snow would fall by late September. Here, summer lasted longer; the sun hung high and bright, making people lazy.
Xie Jing took a break, placing a watermelon in a wooden bucket submerged in well water for half a day. Once cool, he cut it to eat.
Li Yuan also liked this. Though thin, he ate as much as Xie Jing, sometimes sneaking a bit more. If he overate, he would chew on the rind to satisfy his craving.
Grandma Kou, careful as always, fanned them with a palm-leaf fan. “Li Yuan, stop chewing the rind. There’s plenty of watermelon—eat more. If it’s not enough, we can buy a couple more from the street.”
Li Yuan nodded and smiled at her. “I’ve eaten too much.”
Grandma Kou: “Not too much. You’re still growing; you can’t get enough. We didn’t have much before and lost out on a lot. Tonight I’ll braise a carp to help you recover.”
The weather was hot, and fewer customers visited the small restaurant, so the family had a few quiet days.
Xie Jing said, “Grandma, it’s too hot. You and Li Yuan should stay in the mountains for a few days. Uncle Zhang mentioned a temple there, many people offering incense, and the vegetarian meals are good.”
Grandma Kou: “You and Li Yuan go. I’m too old to climb the mountain.”
Xie Jing: “Not high. A carriage can go up. I’ll hire one early tomorrow to pick you up.” He wiped sweat from his brow, loosening his collar. Even in thin clothing, he was drenched.
Grandma Kou dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief, concerned. “You’re going too? You’ve always been sensitive to heat, yet look—eating watermelon and sweating all over again.”
Xie Jing shook his head. “I’m not going. Tomorrow, the Cao residence will post an announcement, and Master Bai will go out. I must follow.”
Grandma Kou: “Very well. We’ll be gone a few days. The key is under the third brick of the East Courtyard wall—if you forget, you can get it there.”
They had a simple cold noodle lunch. Xie Jing wasn’t very hungry and stopped after half a bowl.
Afterward, Grandma Kou took a nap, and Li Yuan happily went to pack. He had never traveled far before. Normally, when Grandma gave him free time, he only wandered nearby streets. But with Grandma accompanying him this time, he felt secure and eager for the trip.
The small courtyard here was more spacious than their previous wing rooms. Xie Jing also had a separate room, but he felt hot lying down, so he got up, drew a bucket of well water, stripped off his shirt, and poured it over his head, shaking his wet hair like a puppy. Only then did he feel relief.
Still craving coolness, he drew another half bucket of well water and continued washing in the courtyard.
He made so much noise splashing water that he didn’t hear the knock at the courtyard gate. When someone finally entered and called, “Little Jing’er,” he panicked, turned around, and nearly slipped.
