Chapter 75: Wang Dongpo

Chapter 75

Wang Dongpo

Nie Shuang looked at the three piles of boxes stacked high on the table. The Hou had told her that he had divided them equally for each of the grandchildren. However, as Nie Shuang eyed the pile meant for Xiao Hua Hua, it was noticeably larger than the piles for her two older brothers. Seeing her expression, the Hou cleared his throat and awkwardly explained, 

“Well, Xiao Hua Hua is a girl. Naturally, she’ll need more accessories.”

Then don’t say you divided everything equally for all three of them! Nie Shuang thought sarcastically in her mind.

“I won’t allow them to play with these things now. When they are old enough to understand the value of these items, I’ll give them to them.”

The Hou quickly nodded in agreement. 

“Good, good.”

He handed her a box, but Nie Shuang didn’t take it. She looked at him with a questioning gaze, and the Hou, a little embarrassed, explained, 

“Daughter-in-law, this box is for you.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“To thank you for giving birth to these lovely grandchildren and allowing me to be their grandfather,”

He replied, feeling strange as he said it, as though he was the one humbly offering himself to his daughter-in-law. It was supposed to be the other way around, wasn’t it? Usually, the younger ones sought approval from their elders. Nie Shuang smiled at him.

“That’s not necessary. You should keep it. After all, you’re their grandfather. There’s no need to offer anything in return.”

Though Nie Shuang was a businesswoman who loved money, she wasn’t greedy enough to take something without giving anything in return, especially when it wasn’t a business transaction. Still, the Hou held the box out to her. 

“During the tea ceremony at your wedding, the gift was chosen by the Elder Furen. This one is from me. It may be late, but please accept it.”

Hearing this, Nie Shuang finally accepted the gift.

“From now on, you are a part of our family. As for Chen Yuelan, you needn’t worry anymore. When I return, I will resolve the matter once and for all. If I hadn’t interfered, you and Qilin wouldn’t have had to endure all this trouble. The truth is, I owe you both an apology.”

Nie Shuang smiled upon hearing this, touched by his heartfelt words. It was rare for the Hou to apologize to anyone, let alone changing his thoughts and agree to cancel the arranged marriage between the two families.

The Hou spent the entire day with the children, watching them play, fight, cry, and sleep. His face glowed with happiness, as if he had found something he had been missing from his life. In his son’s childhood, the Hou had been too consumed by battles and had never gotten the chance to be close to him. Now, his grandchildren had become a light in his life, brightening the dark corners of his heart.

As the sun set, the Hou came to say his goodbyes. He told Nie Shuang that he would return home to settle everything. Nie Shuang brought the children out to see him off. The Hou gazed at the three little ones, reluctant to leave, his voice trembling as he made a promise to them.

"Bao Bao, Bei Bei, Hua Hua, Grandpa will come visit you again. One day, you must visit Grandpa at the Hou Manor too,"

Hearing his words, Nie Shuang couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt, as if she was the one who had taken the grandchildren away from the old man. The Hou hugged each child in turn, pressing his sharp nose against their soft cheeks and gently stroking their fine, delicate hair with a sense of longing.

After that day, there was no further news from Yong An Hou Manor. Half a month passed, and now, as the year approached its end, the weather had grown considerably colder. The Xiangyun Tea House was thriving even more. Nie Shuang ordered brazier pots to be placed in the rooms all day long to keep the atmosphere warm. Students, after finishing their studies, often came to the tea house to enjoy the warmth and the peaceful ambiance. They would sip hot tea and discuss texts, finding it far better than sitting alone in a cold room back at their residences.

Today, Nie Shuang took the triplets to inspect the tea house business. When the scholars saw her and the children, they eagerly greeted her, still remembering the incident at the Qixi Festival banquet. Master Wang and his daughter had faced severe punishment, all because Wang Furen had insulted the Lady Boss. In fact, the scholars themselves had never been fond of the Wang family’s behavior. They were grateful to Lady Boss for her continued support of the city’s academy. Just last month, she had announced scholarships for talented but impoverished students, giving many who were on the brink of abandoning their studies the chance to continue.

Offering scholarships was a novel concept in this area. Typically, education was the responsibility of the family, and it was unheard of for a business like a tea house to provide financial support for students. As a result, it garnered much attention. Young boys from poor families, hearing that the Xiangyun Tea House would offer scholarships annually, became motivated to study hard, hoping to use this opportunity to improve their family’s circumstances.

The city’s academy only accepted older boys, while noble families typically hired tutors for their children from a young age. Meanwhile, common children would attend private lessons offered by local xiucai[1] who provided basic education. There were a few such tutors in the city, but the quality of education varied greatly, and they could not accommodate many students nor provide structured teaching. Although Nie Shuang’s children were still young, she was already thinking about their future. She believed they should attend a school when they were at the right age, learn from capable teachers, and have the opportunity to interact with other children. She wasn’t fond of the idea of hiring a tutor to teach them at home.

Nie Shuang had plans to propose this idea to Kang Wang: establishing an academy for school-aged children without gender restrictions. Education for girls had long been overlooked, and if they could create a government-supported school, tuition costs could be lowered, and financial aid for struggling students could be systematically arranged. Xiangyun Tea House would gladly support this cause, but this was a long-term project. If successful, not only would her own children benefit, but many children in the city would have greater access to education.

As soon as Xiao Tong and the wet nurses took the triplets to rest in the private room, Nie Shuang began discussing matters with Wang Dongpo. He was still as handsome as ever, but the cold, mocking gaze that once seemed to scorn the world had softened considerably. In fact, his life in Huangjing City had been quite content. He had devoted himself to the success of Xiangyun Tea House, a far cry from his previous life in the royal palace, where survival depended on flattering those in power. Whenever Wang Dongpo thought of Princess An Le, who had handed him over to the Lady Boss, he felt nothing but gratitude.

Wang Dongpo handed over the account books to Nie Shuang with pride. The tea house’s profits were steadily improving, and Xiangyun Tea House had gained a sterling reputation among students and locals alike. Even travelers would make a point to stop by, as visiting the tea house had become synonymous with truly arriving in Huangjing. Wang Dongpo himself had also benefitted from this success. Wherever he went, people warmly welcomed him, knowing that he was a close confidant of the Lady Boss, who was also the wife of General Song.

Nie Shuang looked up from the account books and smiled at him.

"Manager Wang, you’ve really taken good care of this tea house. Everything from the store’s atmosphere to the training of the staff is exceptional, and the profits are highly satisfactory. Do you have anything special you desire? Is there anything else you need beyond your regular salary and bonuses?"

Nie Shuang’s question was sincere. Wang Dongpo was different from Da Shi; he was alone and without family. When Da Shi relocated his family to Huangjing City, Nie Shuang helped by contributing funds to buy them a large home and even assigned important tasks to his two younger brothers. But with Wang Dongpo, she wasn’t sure how else to repay his loyalty.

Wang Dongpo hesitated before finally speaking up.

"I...want to help someone, Lady Boss. If you could assist her, it would be a great kindness."

Nie Shuang’s curiosity was piqued. ‘Her?’ she thought. In the past, A’Yi had mentioned that many women were infatuated with Wang Dongpo, including some of the tea house’s own maids. Yet, he never paid attention to any of them. Nie Shuang hadn’t been surprised since she had always assumed he was a eunuch. Now, hearing him speak like this, she couldn’t help but surprised.

"How exactly do you want me to help her?"

Nie Shuang asked. After hearing his full story, she frowned.

The ‘her’ Wang Dongpo referred to was a woman who had been sold to a brothel. A few days prior, she had escaped from the establishment and sought refuge at Xiangyun Tea House. Initially, Wang Dongpo believed she was a woman being harassed by some unsavory men, so he stepped in to protect her. However, the group of men who were pursuing her claimed that she had been sold to the brothel and was scheduled to be auctioned in seven days. The woman explained that both she and her young miss were from a respectable family but had been deceived and sold against their will. She promised Wang Dongpo that they would repay him handsomely if he helped them. But according to the laws of Da Ye, prostitution was a legal business, and if the transaction had been conducted lawfully, it would be difficult for an outsider to intervene. Wang Dongpo was worried that if he acted rashly, it could tarnish the reputation of Xiangyun Tea House, so he brought the matter to Nie Shuang for advice.

"I understand the feeling of despair all too well, so I can’t bear to watch her face such a fate. My family was once punished; my father was executed, the women in my family were all sold to brothels, and the sons were sent to the palace as eunuchs. I can never forget the fear from those days. Most importantly, she...looks so much like my sister. Back then, I was still young, and she was only five or six years old. I’m not even sure if it’s really her..."

Nie Shuang was taken aback by his emotional tone. This was the first time Wang Dongpo had ever opened up about his past. It turned out that his family had suffered through such terrible misfortunes, which explained the cold indifference he had often shown to the world.

"I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise it will succeed."

Overcome with gratitude, Wang Dongpo knelt before her, causing Nie Shuang to hurriedly lift him back up.

"Thank you, Lady Boss. Even if she’s not my sister, as long as she’s safe, I’ll feel more at peace."Nie Shuang nodded, understanding how important this was to Wang Dongpo. As a mere head manager, he couldn’t handle this matter himself and had to rely on her status as the Young Furen. If successful, it would not only fulfill Wang Dongpo’s wish but also help rescue an unfortunate woman from a tragic fate.

[1] In ancient China, xiucai means a scholar who has passed the entry-level examination to study at a college.