Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Shen Jingheng had Qingmu put the letters away, then looked at the group of people gathered around the desk and asked...

"Regarding the letter from the Russians a few years ago, does anyone have a different opinion? Let's discuss it together today."

After a long while, no one spoke.

Now there are two completely different versions. It's hard to say whether this is a blessing or a curse for them. Who would dare to speak recklessly again?

After waiting for a while and seeing that no one answered, Shen Jingheng pointed to Zhang Shucheng, who was standing with his back bent.

"You're good. Now come with me, I need you to do something for me." After saying that, he gestured for Aoki to take back the rubbing of the letter.

After taking Zhang Shucheng out of the Honglu Temple's office, they went directly back to his own scholar's residence by carriage.

Inside the study of the scholar's residence, Shen Jingheng asked Zhang Shu to look at the Russian letters from a few years ago and write down the translations on paper, word for word.

After he finished writing those, he was asked to translate the rubbings of the letter as well.

After writing down the translation, Zhang Shucheng knelt down in front of Shen Jingheng.

"My lord, I cannot guarantee that the translation of this latest letter is entirely accurate. Please use it only as a reference. It would be best to have someone fluent in Russian read it."

"Why?" Shen Jingheng asked, puzzled, after seeing his translation.

"My lord, there are some characters in there that I don't recognize," Zhang Shucheng explained, prostrating himself on the ground.

"Alright, I understand. You may go back now."

After saying that, he shouted outside.

"Aoki, you personally escort Lord Zhang home."

"This humble official takes his leave," Zhang Shucheng kowtowed once more on the ground before bowing and leaving the study.

Aoki drove the carriage, and guided by Zhang Shucheng, they made their way through a maze of turns to the entrance of a small alley.

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Aoki. This alley is too narrow for the carriage to pass through, so please stop here."

"You're too kind, Lord Zhang. I'm just a servant. You can call me Aoki. I'll see you to the door."

"Since we're here, why not come in for a cup of tea? My house is the third one in the alley." Zhang Shucheng was quite nervous being with Qingmu, thinking that Qingmu would refuse if he said this. But to his surprise, Qingmu said...

"I'm sorry to bother you, Lord Zhang, I'm feeling quite thirsty."

After saying that, Aoki looked at Zhang Shucheng, who was somewhat dumbfounded, and found it amusing. How on earth did this person become an official?

"Lord Zhang, is it inconvenient?"

"Uh, no, no, it's not inconvenient at all, please, Lord Aoki."

After saying that, he walked ahead to lead the way for Aoki.

Upon reaching the third door, Zhang Shucheng stepped forward and knocked.

"Mom, I'm back. Open the door." After calling out, she turned around a little embarrassed and smiled apologetically at Aoki.

Soon, the door was pulled open. A woman in her forties peeked out from inside.

"Oh my, Hao'er, why are you back so early today? Have you finished your official duties?" The woman saw her son at a glance, completely ignoring Aoki standing next to him.

Zhang Shucheng pulled his mother's hand away from his arm.

"Mother, this is Lord Aoki. He brought me back. Please let us in first."

Hearing her son say this, the woman finally noticed Aoki standing to the side.

"Lord Aoki? You and my Hao'er are colleagues, and this is the first time he's brought a colleague to our house. Please come in." With that, he opened both doors and let the two of them into the courtyard.

Aoki carefully examined the small courtyard before him. It wasn't large, but it was very clean, with three main rooms and two side rooms. Opposite the main rooms were two smaller rooms, which looked like a kitchen and a storage room. In the middle of the courtyard stood an osmanthus tree, next to which was a stone table and two stone benches. There was also a well in the southeast corner of the courtyard. Though small, it had everything one needed. It looked quite comfortable.

"Lord Qing, please come inside and sit down. I'll go make you some tea. Have you eaten yet? I made some fried dough sticks; please have some more. My Hao'er is just quiet and always sullen. I told him to bring his colleagues home. I can't speak for other things, but I absolutely guarantee how delicious my noodles are. When Hao'er's father was still alive, my noodles were his favorite..." Blah blah blah, blah blah blah.

From the moment the gate opened until now, Aoki's mother's mouth hasn't stopped. She's been babbling on and on, and without Aoki even having to ask, she's already pretty much told him everything about their family's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Aoki smiled and glanced at Zhang Shucheng, whose face was full of embarrassment.

"Mom, where's the tea you made for us? We haven't eaten yet. Please bring us the food first so we can eat our fill before you continue."

"What? You haven't eaten yet? It's this late and you still haven't eaten? Did your boss assign you work during lunch again? I knew it..." Zhang Shucheng quickly covered her mother's mouth when she heard her mother about to criticize her boss in front of Qingmu, to prevent her from saying anything more shocking.

"Mother, I'm starving! Please hurry and bring me some food," Zhang Shucheng said helplessly.

"Alright, Mother will go and bring you the food right away. Hao'er, Lord Qing, please have a seat. I'll be right there." With that, she finally left.

As soon as she left, the room fell silent. After a moment, Zhang Shucheng stammered out a message.

"Um... Lord Aoki, what my mother said about the higher-ups just now, could you... she didn't mean it."

"Don't worry, Lord Zhang, I'm not a gossip, I won't tell anyone." Aoki understood his meaning and immediately assured him. But, surely his master wouldn't be considered an outsider?

"Thank you, Lord Aoki." Zhang Shucheng thanked him softly, then fell silent.

Aoki didn't feel embarrassed. After spending some time with him, he realized that Aoki was a rather honest person, so he asked him a question.

"We've been here for a while now, why haven't we seen Madam Zhang?"

"Ah? I... I'm not married yet!" Zhang Shucheng said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Oh, I was being presumptuous. May I ask how old you are, Lord Zhang?"

“He’s almost twenty-two. I’ve been telling him for a long time that he should get married. There are already two or three kids his age in our village who are already married, but he just isn’t in a hurry. Sigh, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to hold my grandson before I die.”

Before Zhang Shucheng could speak, her mother came in carrying a basket of fried dough cakes and started talking as soon as she heard what Qingmu said.

“Mother, you’re saying such things again. You’re perfectly healthy, so don’t keep saying those things. It’s bad luck.”

"Hao'er, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but while I'm still healthy enough to take care of your child, you should get married quickly. How long are you going to keep putting it off? Stop thinking about Cui'er; you two are not meant to be. We don't even know if that girl is alive or dead yet, so just forget about her."

"Mother, can we not talk about this anymore?" Zhang Shucheng looked at his mother with a pleading expression.

"Alright, alright, Mother won't say anymore. You always act like this whenever this comes up." After saying that, she turned her gaze to Aoki, who was watching the mother and daughter talk from the side.

"Lord Aoki, how many children do you have?"