On a long autumn night, in the riverside streets of Hangzhou, wine shops stood in rows. A man wearing a dark blue satin robe, with disheveled whiskers, sat alone by the water. Two large jars of wine had already been opened on the table, and a faint flush had risen to the man's face, slightly covering the large patches of dark circles under his eyes.
Not far away, an old man was sitting on a table, holding a green fan in his hand and talking loudly.
"People say that wealth is an external thing, not brought with you at birth and not taken away at death. Even if one accumulates a fortune of gold and silver, and becomes rich and noble, once disaster strikes, it's all gone in an instant.
In the previous dynasty, there was a small peddler in Huzhou who sold sugar every day on the streets. This young man was handsome and clever, and after many years, he caught the eye of a high-ranking official and became the purchasing manager of his estate.
People say that good fortune is coming, and nothing can stop it. The official had no sons for many years, but in old age, he finally had a daughter, whom he loved dearly and wanted to marry off to a son-in-law. But this daughter refused to marry anyone else, and instead fell in love with the young peddler.
From then on, the young peddler, who had no connections or background, suddenly gained favor and wealth, and his family became rich beyond measure. He was truly a lucky person.
The young peddler was originally clever, and with the help of his father-in-law, he eventually built up a huge business empire and became the richest man in Huzhou. He had a beautiful wife and children, and his life was very fulfilling."
The old man held a wooden comb in his hand, took a moment to drink tea and moisten his throat, and soon someone shouted: "This little peddler's luck is really good! What happened afterwards?"
Later... it is said that all things in the world are changing and unpredictable. A flood led to a plague outbreak in Huzhou, and the small merchant and his wife sympathized with the suffering of the people, donated silver to relieve the disaster, and personally sent rice and medicine, truly having a Bodhisattva's heart. Unfortunately... even heaven has times when it is powerless, and the old merchant was after all advanced in years. He contracted the plague from running around every day for the epidemic. The most hateful thing is that one person got sick, and the whole family suffered, and the young son at home did not escape either. Only the wife was left behind, crying every day, finally burning her body in a fire with all her wealth of tens of thousands of taels.
Everyone showed a sorrowful and mournful expression, the sound of sighs never left their ears. Although it was an old matter from the previous dynasty, or perhaps there were some fabricated parts, those who listened felt heartache, none did not feel regret. At this time, another voice rose up in the tavern.
"This old heaven, sometimes it's scary to get drunk. Good people don't necessarily have good rewards. Let alone far away, just talking about our Hangzhou city, the Qin family who deceived young and old, isn't it also a case of 'when the tree falls, everyone pushes'?"
"Yes, I heard that Old Man Qin was also a poor farmer who worked hard to build up his family business. He thought he could pass it down to his son and make it flourish. But fate is unpredictable, and unfortunately, he encountered those ruthless bandits who didn't care about their own lives, and lost his life in the process."
"It's not over yet, I thought Qin Dage had luckily survived, but he fell off the cliff and became disabled. At just 20 years old, he became a paraplegic. The Qin family is indeed plagued by misfortune..."
"What's most detestable is that those who had been on good terms with the Qin family, as soon as they encountered difficulties, all hid away. The cruelty of human nature can be seen at a glance. Especially those who didn't want to take risks in doing business, openly saying it was a joint venture but secretly just taking advantage, as soon as something happened they ran to the Qin family demanding money. I heard that Old Lady Qin had also been a capable person in her prime, but ultimately couldn't withstand these greedy people and was literally worried to death. As a result, the Qin family was left with some dead and some crippled, pitifully ruined."
The tavern was originally a gathering place for people of all colors, and there were some who had connections with the debt collectors, after hearing that person's scorn, they looked embarrassed, lowered their heads and remained silent, pretending not to hear.
Fortunately, the Qin family had a married-out granddaughter who was said to be clever and resourceful from a young age. She used to help with the family business before. As soon as she heard that her maternal family was in trouble, she rushed back thousands of miles without hesitation. The girl looked weak and small at 16 or 17 years old, but it's said that she had a strong backbone. Since her return, the Qin family finally had someone who could speak up for them, and those debt collectors didn't dare to insult and bully them anymore. Unfortunately, this time the loss was too great, and no matter how capable she was, they could only sell off their property, and even the old Qin family mansion couldn't be kept in the end.
At this time, a man in the corner raised his hoarse voice and asked: "Wasn't it said that Qin's daughter married a marquis from the capital? How could she be bullied to such an extent?"
Someone immediately responded: "You don't think about it, that Master Hou is willing to marry a daughter of a merchant from another place as his wife. The door and the house are not suitable, I'm afraid there's some hidden illness or other unspeakable problems. Besides, such a big thing happened in the Qin family more than a month ago, have you seen anyone in the capital who dared to mention it?"
Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing this analysis: "Yes, yes... how would those aristocrats look up to us merchants?"
The man sitting by the water turned his body sideways, as if he hadn't noticed the commotion in the hall. But the cup in his hand had been crushed to pieces and fell to the ground. He casually picked up the wine jug on the table and poured it into his mouth with a gurgling sound. The quick-witted waiter was about to come forward to clean up the broken shards, but seeing his intimidating appearance, he retreated a few steps back and didn't dare approach him.
The night watchman on the street had already struck the second watch, and the wine shops in the alleys were closing one after another. The man was still sitting there, showing no intention of moving. The shopkeeper and the waiter exchanged a glance, plucked up their courage, and approached the man. Just as they were about to persuade him to leave, the man suddenly fell to the ground with a thud. The two men were frightened by this sudden scene, and the waiter carefully went to check the man's breathing. Fortunately, he was still alive. Although he looked disheveled, his brocade robe showed that he was a wealthy person. If someone like him died of drunkenness on the spot, it would be impossible to explain.
Just as the shopkeeper and his assistant were about to drag him out and throw him away, two men came ashore from across the river, forcing the shopkeeper and his assistant back. After throwing down a silver ingot, they carried the man back.
The next morning, at the gate of the Qin family, three tall horses stood proudly.
"Master, a verbal message from Prince Yu of Zhang, ordering you to hurry to the capital as soon as possible."
"Master, Old Shangshu has specially ordered me to convey this message, telling you to set off immediately for the capital. If not, it will be difficult to keep your position as deputy general."
Standing at the door, Xie Xian looked at the "Qin family" which had long been without a signboard. Everything seemed to be in another world. He said lightly: "I know." Anyone could hear the helplessness and sadness in his tone. Only Po Feng and Cheng Ying did not expect that their iron-hearted master would one day...
The dew in the south is heavy, just like his worries piling up layer by layer in his heart, unable to disperse for a long time. Ah Nuan, why did you encounter trouble but not willing to let me, your husband, help? Instead, you'd rather separate from me and bear it alone.
It's true, someone like me doesn't deserve your trust. Even more so, doesn't deserve your admiration and devotion. But, Anu, I regret it, really regret it...
After being muddled for so long, I finally saw the light. Xie Yan only then realized that his so-called calmness and consideration of the overall situation were all a muddle. But what's the use of realizing now? As the old storyteller said, things in life are unpredictable, and the pearl that was already in one's hand was mistaken for fish eyes. By the time one comes to their senses, it's already too late, and people have gone their separate ways.
